To receive a two year genetic health guarantee when purchasing one of my puppies, it is required that the puppies be kept on my recommended diet. Majority of breeders do not have any requirements or specific recommendations about their puppies’ continuing nutrition after they are adopted into new homes, so why do I have this stipulation? Is it really necessary? Here are answers to common questions and the reasons behind my decision to have a required diet!

Does it really matter what we feed our dog?

YES! Excellent nutrition has HUGE dividends in your dog’s immediate and life long health. There is no denying the benefits of good nutrition: stronger, healthier bones, muscles, and joints; healthier skin and coat; better digestion and elimination; stronger immune system; and fewer food allergies. Some health problems are due to genetic causes, but many, many problems simply stem from improper or insufficient quality nutrition!

All dog foods have similar amounts of protein, fat, and fiber listed on the label. Are brands really that different?

Again, YES. There is a vast difference in quality of ingredients, and the quality of the ingredients directly translates into how easily digestible and available the nutrients are. One of the best examples of this is corn. Corn is included in many blends of dog food (most notably Purina). Corn boosts the protein content of the food, making it the same as the label of Life’s Abundance food and other high quality foods. HOWEVER, corn and corn meal and VERY difficult for a dog to digest, so this ingredient is nearly completely wasted. Dogs simply poop out all the nutrients without being able to digest it. Since good quality, digestible protein is one of the most important aspects of dog food, having corn as a main ingredient is a black mark on any dog food. The labels may look similar, but the specific ingredients and the quality of those ingredients vary greatly across different brands.

Are you saying this diet is the only way for my dog to live a healthy life?

NO! I am not that kind of salesperson. 🙂 This is what we have found to be the best for our dogs, but there are other very high quality foods available. It’s just immensely important for dog owners to do a bit of reading up about whatever brand of food they use, because so many popular and well-marketed brands have sub-par ingredients (low quality proteins, fillers like corn and wheat, artificial flavors, artificial colors, etc.). Be smart about what you choose to feed your dog! As a whole, you get what you pay for when it comes to dog food. If you want cheap food, expect lower quality ingredients and nutrition.

Do you just sell this food to make more money?

YES and NO! Of course, by selling food and supplements, I do earn a small commission, which is put towards my own feeding costs. As a breeder, this is incredibly helpful, since food is by far my largest expense. I use this commission towards the purchase of food for my own dogs. (Just as an idea, I use on average 100-250 pounds of dog food every month! Providing pregnant and nursing moms and puppies quality food is an big investment.) So yes, I do earn some commission by selling food; but NO, money is not my motivation. I would most definitely not use it myself or recommend it to others unless I truly believed in its worth, quality, healthfulness, and effectiveness.

Why the Life’s Abundance brand?

• The ingredients are highly quality controlled.
• Their food is made in small batches, so it is as fresh as possible when purchased by you. (Fresh food contains more nutrients for your pup!)
• Every ingredient is healthy and wholesome, and the nutrition is approached in a scientific and holistic manner to take account for whole-body wellness.
• There are NO artificial colors or artificial preservatives.
• There is NO corn, wheat, or corn/wheat gluten.
• Each batch is tested for safety, and they have NEVER had a recall!
• They stand proudly behind their products and provide amazing customer service.
• Because the food is more nutrient dense than lower-quality foods, dogs don’t need to eat as much to be satisfied. Less food, more nutrients, and less poop. Win, win, win!

Okay, so the food sounds great, but is the NuVet supplement really necessary? Isn’t the food enough? Why not use the Life’s Abundance Wellness Supplement?

These are great questions! They are a little more complex to answer, but I’ll be as brief as possible. Just like people, dogs and puppies go through different stages of life that require varying nutrition. Puppies have high nutritional needs, because they are growing. Their immune systems, musculoskeletal systems, digestive systems, etc. are immature. Adult dogs in the prime of life don’t have as intense nutritional needs. However, they can go through periods of time that they are stressed, run-down, or become ill. Senior dogs can also find themselves in need of extra support.

I don’t think every dog needs a daily supplement. However, there are certain stages of life that these supplements can provide benefits and extra support and protection. Obviously, the puppy stage is the biggest one. The growth and development that happens during this time will effect the puppy for the rest of its life. A puppy is considered fully-grown between 18 and 24 months old. Receiving a supplement during those first two years protects their weak immune systems and helps the rest of their body grow and develop to its highest potential.

My personal guideline for supplement use is this: I give all my puppies and young dogs (under 24 months) a daily supplement. I don’t find it necessary for my adults on a normal basis. I make exceptions when: my female dogs are pregnant or nursing puppies (there are obviously extra nutritional needs during this time), when my dogs become sick and need an immune system boost (Honestly, though, this is very rare. Because my dogs get a healthy diet, they don’t often get sick.).

Life’s Abundance and NuVet Plus both have great daily supplements. Life’s Abundance Wellness Supplement is basically like a daily multivitamin. It is perfectly complementary to the food. NuVet Plus is more specifically targeted towards immune system support, which is one of my bigger concerns when managing young puppies and pregnant mommas. Since both are excellent supplements, each with their own strong points, I do consider cost with this one. While Life’s Abundance Wellness Supplement is cheaper per bottle, NuVet works out to be cheaper per serving, due to the fact I have medium and large breed dogs.

In a nutshell, both supplements are great choices. Since NuVet Plus is tailored more specifically for immune system support and is cheaper per serving for medium and large breed dogs, I have chosen this as my go-to supplement when needed.

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I hope this helps to answer some of your questions regarding our required diet. I will gladly answer any questions you have!

Interested in ordering? Use the links below!

NuVet Plus Use the order code 47834

Life’s Abundance