Nothing to Kibble About

 - by Cait Wills

You love your pet; that's a fact. But Peter Muhlenfeld wants you to know that the majority of pet foods on the market have between 40% and 60% grain content, and that's not healthy for your furry friend.

"Cats and dogs don't have a certain digestive enzyme," says the sales and marketing manager of Champion Pet Foods in Morinville.

The lack of this enzyme means pets can't digest carbohydrates. Instead, their bodies convert it into sugars, which cats and dogs don't need. So, because the folks at Champion love their pets too, they've created a formulation based on a recipe that includes Lilydale chickens, Eggbeaters eggs and northern lakes whitefish; all delivered fresh and processed on site.

"We believe in the importance of food for people and by using fresh, local ingredients; we're translating that importance to our pets," says Muhlenfeld. In August, the pet food manufacturer and exporter launched the newest addition to their product line-up: Orijen dry pet food. "We want to go back to the beginning of pet food, before there were additives and grains added," he says, which is how Orijen brand came to be. "It really is a phenomenal food because it's based on the anatomy of cats and dogs. But the origin of Orijen is in nature."