Flint River Ranch All-Natural Ingredients

All-Natural PreservativesQuality ingredients provide the nutrition necessary for a pet's healthy well-being, and help the pet's body holistically heal itself.

All of our formulas are made from the highest quality ingredients and do not contain meat or grain by-products, color additives, or synthetic preservatives (BHA, Ethoxyquin, or BHT). The food is naturally preserved with mixed Tocopherols and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamins E and C). Some authorities indicate that Vitamin C is not required; however, we feel it is very important in supporting vitamin balance and to help handle daily stress and environmental pollution.

MEAL: Meal refers to a substance reduced in size. The flesh is cooked, some water removed, and reduced in size (ground) in order for a uniform mix of the meat, ground grains, vitamins, and chelated minerals. There are no rendered by-products, feet, heads, intestines, or other meat products not fit for human consumption in Flint River Ranch products.

Most brands of dog food include some of these by-products and chemical preservatives. The use of low-quality products and chemical preservatives may be associated with dry skin, allergic reactions, dental disease, poor health, and degenerative organ dysfunction.

GRAIN: Wheat and Rice. Whole wheat and selected parts of the wheat berry are used as our base grain. Wheat is not only more digestible than corn; it is one of the most nutritionally balanced cereal grains. It is an easy-to-digest source of carbohydrates, fiber, and energy. A combination of grains, like a combination of meats, is better than just one source. Low-quality fillers like wood fiber, corn cobs, peanut hulls, cottonseed, straw, soy beans, or citrus pulp are never found in Flint River Ranch products.

SOURCE OF GRAINS: Grains are purchased from major commercial suppliers like General Mills—fully tested and retested when received. This testing ensures the very best quality and reduces the possibility of toxic molds. Grain is cheaper when purchased direct from the farm; however, the risk of toxic mold is greater.

RICE: A combination of brown and white rice—the white rice for digestibility and the brown for its added nutritional value. A diet product that is 100% brown rice can be somewhat hard for some animals to digest.

WHEAT: Wheat flour is a fine-ground whole wheat grain. Coarse-ground whole wheat is also added for texture, along with a quality wheat berry.

CORN: Corn is an excellent grain; however, it is more difficult to digest than rice, either by humans or dogs. Therefore, corn is not used as an ingredient in our dog food. The feline digestive system uses corn better, and corn supplies important dietary benefits to cats and kittens. Corn is included in the feline formulas.

MEAT: Chicken meat is our base meat source, with the addition of lamb and a small amount of fish. There are no rendered by-products, intestines, heads, feet, or feathers in our formulas. The amino acids provided by the meats are the basic building blocks of muscle, skin, coat, bone, blood, and the immune system.

ORGANIC CHICKEN: It is possible to put one organic chicken in 50 tons of food and legally say we use organic, range-fed chicken. Some manufacturers take this option. While we purchase as much organic chicken as possible, we prefer to more correctly say we use human-quality chicken that is purchased from American sources and certified hormone and antibiotic free. Like all of our ingredients, we pay a premium price for the very best available. Chicken meat provides essential amino and fatty acids.

LAMB: Lamb is range fed.

FISH: We use Menhaden Fish, a herring-like fish found along the North Atlantic coast of the United States. The flesh is an excellent source of menhaden oil for coat and skin. Fish is a prime source of a complete protein and includes all the essential amino acids. It is rich in unsaturated fats (Omega-3 fatty acids), Vitamins A, K, and E, and also contains iodine, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, copper, and fluoride.

NUTRIENTS: The secret to Flint River Ranch's great nutrition is how many nutrients are present in the pet food and how efficiently they are used when digested.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS: Our minerals are chelated, which means that they are bonded with amino acids, the constituents of protein. A chelated mineral is in a state that allows easy passage through the intestinal wall into the blood stream, which results in increased metabolic absorption of that mineral. Our products are preserved with a combination of mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E) and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). No harmful chemicals are used.

FLAX: The different proteins in flax provide a high proportion base of unsaturated, essential fatty acids and dietary fiber. Flax is recognized for its potential in reducing the risk of some chronic diseases as well as improving the thickness and sheen of the hair and coat. It provides a great benefit to oven-baked food by resisting oxidation from the baking process and improving product shelf life.

LECITHIN: Lecithin protects cells from damage caused by oxidation. Lecithin is largely composed of choline, with linoleic acid and inositol.

COPPER AND IRON: A deficiency of iron causes nutritional anemia. A small amount of copper will improve the body's use of iron.

PROTEINS: Proteins are organic chemical compounds and a major component of the structure of all living organisms. Protein functions to build and repair body structure. A good pet food should contain highly digestible protein sources that provide the essential amino acids in adequate amounts. Digestible food protein from several sources is more desirable than protein from only one source.

CARBOHYDRATES: Carbohydrates serve primarily as an energy source while giving bulk to the diet. Plant material is made up of a high percentage of carbohydrates.

FATS: Fats are complex molecules that are broken down by the digestive system into smaller molecules known as fatty acids. Fat is a concentrated source of energy and works toward making hormones, skin and coat oils, membranes, and parts of body cells. Fats also aid in the transport of nutrients, regulate stomach emptying, and increase palatability of foods.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS: a-Linolenic Acid (Omega-3) and Linoleic Acid (Omega-6) are important for the synthesis of hormones and for healthy skin.

ALL-NATURAL PRESERVATIVES: Our products are preserved with a combination of mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E) and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). Rosemary is also used. No harmful chemicals are used.