What makes Addiction different from other pet food brands?
Addiction has created gourmet meals for your pet using unique ultra - premium meat sources such as Brushtail, Venison and Eel in first - of - its - kind flavors - Brushtail & Vegetables, Venison & Apples and Unagi & Seaweed. Our food is ideal for fussy eaters or for those who are allergic to chicken, beef or lamb, and make delicious alternatives to regular pet food.Addiction also uses a holistic and hypoallergenic pet food formula free from harmful fillers, additives and preservatives that are commonly used in most commercial pet food. Only natural ultra - premium meat, fresh vegetables, vitamins and supplements are incorporated to give your pet a natural, delicious nutritionally balanced meal.
Why New Zealand?
A recent study showed New Zealand's environment to be the healthiest in the world. The Pilot 2006 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) rates more than 130 countries on their performance and commitment to Environmental Health, Air Quality, Water Resources, Biodiversity and Habitat, Productive Natural Resources, and Sustainable Energy. Indicators within these categories include indoor air pollution, water issues, urban particulars, overfishing and CO2 production. Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom are the next 4 countries on the list. - Animal Wellness Magazine
What does the Earth - Friendly Logo mean?
Addiction believes in creating responsible foods that are great for your pets as well as for the environment. We are the first pet food company to pioneer the use of Eco - friendly meats in our efforts to contribute to eco - sustainability. For example, we harvest kangaroos and brushtails, which are considered major agricultural pests, as an alternative to farming traditional meat sources which contribute to deforestation and destruction of the ozone layer. We source only from suppliers that employ sustainable and ethical practices, in line with our eco - friendly philosophy.
How can I find out more about Addiction?
The Addiction website is updated regularly and contains product information and useful resources about pet nutrition. Alternatively, you can drop an email at info addictionfoods.com.
What is holistic pet food?
Holistic pet foods use only the highest quality ingredients in combination with health - enhancing vitamins and supplements. They contain no harmful preservatives, chemicals or fillers that are commonly used in most commercial pet food, and which have been implicated in the worrying increase of pet cancers in recent years. In fact, holistic pet foods have been found to aid in the prevention of pet diseases, particularly skin allergies and digestive problems, and help to enhance the natural lifespan of your pet.Having laid out the benefits of holistic pet food, it is important to note that there is more to the concept of ‘holistic’ than just a natural diet. Your pets’ nutrition should be seen as a component of a holistic lifestyle, which entails embracing a state of complete physical, mental and social well - being. Pets thrive in a clean, nurturing environment, and coupled with good food and veterinary care, will lead a high quality of life.
What does novel protein mean?
Novel protein sources of Brushtail, Kangaroo, Venison, Eel and King Salmon are used as the meat sources compared to common cuts of chicken, beef and lamb, which pets are commonly allergic to. All other ingredients have also been specially selected due to their low - allergenic properties. Since 2003, Addiction has pioneered the development and formulation of hypoallergenic pet foods, and has now the widest range of protein sources in the market, ensuring nutritional solutions for virtually every cat and dog.
Product formulation (Who developed the formula, and what are his/her credentials? Can a consumer examine a list of all the product's nutrient levels?)
Addiction's whole product range is under the direction and supervision of an Australian veterinary surgeon with post graduate qualifications in Clinical Nutrition, who works closely with our dedicated Food Technologists to conceive and execute formulas. Our foods are developed so that dogs and cats do not just survive but also thrive. We exceed many of the AAFCO requirements. All foods that are developed go through a comprehensive evaluation and development process before they are available in the stores. Product nutritional analysis information is easily available on our website. For more detailed information, please email info addictionfoods.com
Ingredients (Do they source all their own ingredients? Can they provide full traceability on each ingredient used in their products? Are any of their products imported? Which ones and from where?)
Our Food Technologists oversee the sourcing and selection of raw ingredients. Most of our meats are obtained from New Zealand and Australia. We do not source raw materials from China. We select our raw materials suppliers based on stringent quality standards and reputation and conduct regular reviews to ensure that standards are continually met. We are the first company to champion using wild game meats as a superior protein source for dogs and cats. All animal protein sources are wild caught or free range, and are thus free from harmful GMOs and antibiotics. We are also a leader in championing environmentally - friendly manufacturing processes. You may visit www.addictionfoods.com/earth for further information. Furthermore, traceability of all our ingredients is mandatory for our manufacturing plants.
QA processes (Does the plant have an on - site lab, and what can it test for? Is an outside lab used to confirm these findings and independent tests? How often are samples pulled for testing? How often do your own employees visit your co - packer?)
All our manufacturing plants have laboratories where in - house testing is carried out. Further testing is then carried out by independent, accredited laboratories. This stringent testing applies to every batch that we produce before exporting our foods. We are in contact with our manufacturing plants on a daily basis to ensure that manufacturing processes and Standard Operating Procedures are followed closely. All these means that our plants follow a HACCP program as required by the authorities. Third - party auditors visit our plants no less than once a month to ensure that set standards are met.
What are Omega 3 & 6 Fatty Acids, and what are their benefits for my pet?
Essential fatty acids are a form of polyunsaturated fat that are necessary for all pets' good health. However these cannot be synthesized by dogs and cats and must therefore be supplied in their diet.Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids have been found time and again to play a vital role in the management of allergies and inflammatory skin conditions by building up a healthy skin barrier, maintaining healthy coat and skin, supporting the proper development of the nervous system and visual acuity, regulating the blood flow to body tissues, aiding in clotting after an injury, and helping your pets' immune system respond to injury and infection.
If my pet has not eaten Addiction before, what is the best way to introduce Addiction to my pet?
As with all new foods, gradually introduce Addiction over 6 days to prevent stomach upsets. Feed 20% Addiction and 80% of the old food for first 2 days and gradually increase proportion of Addiction over the next 4 days. By the 6th day you can be confident of feeding Addiction for the rest of your pets' life.It is critical that Addiction is slowly introduced to your pet over the 6 - day period. Not following these guidelines may result in your pet experiencing gastrointestinal discomfort or related symptoms.
When I fed Addiction to my pet for the first time, I noticed that my pet passed loose stools. Does this mean that Addiction is not suitable for my pet?
Loose stools is a common occurrence if any new food, Addiction or otherwise, is introduced to a pet as it takes about 1 week for your pet to get accustomed to the new food. The feeding guidelines provided for the previous question are useful for those introducing Addiction to their pets for the first time.
Why is Canola Oil used in some of the formulations?
The choice of oil in our foods is one that we have spent a great deal of time researching. For every oil there are advantages and disadvantages. Of the vegetable oils, Canola oil provides a good balance between stability and good fat profile.While there are oils such as olive oil and walnut oils which are also considered healthy, they are extremely unstable and will oxidize very quickly at room temperature. We have done extensive trials with the different types of animal and vegetable oils. We have trialed sunflower oil, Salmon oil, flaxseed oil and many others. Once again, each of them presented different strengths and weaknesses in our trials. Overall we have found that Canola oil presents the best option for our foods.Canola oil is expensive compared to vegetable oils such as corn, soy, peanut or palm oils and animal fats such as tallow and chicken but we have chosen it because we feel that it is the healthiest option.We only use human - grade canola oil, the same product that you would find in your supermarket.
Which are Addiction's grain - free foods?
Raw Dehydrated Food - Herbed Lamb & Potatoes - Steakhouse Beef & Zucchini Entree - Country Chicken & Apricot Dinner - Perfect Summer Brushtail - Fig'licious Venison Feast - Outback Kangaroo Feast - Wild Brushtail and Berries Entree (Cat)Dry Food - Viva La Venison (Puppy) - Salmon Bleu (Puppy) - Viva La Venison (Dog) - Salmon Bleu (Dog) - Viva La Venison (Cat) - Salmon Bleu (Cat) - La Porchetta (Dog)Canned Food - Entire range of Wildlife Gourmet Canned Foods for Dogs and Cats - Entire range of New Zealand Canned Foods for Dogs and Cats
Why is Brushtail meat used and what are its benefits?
The estimated 60 - 70 million Brushtails in New Zealand are targeted for control as they pose a threat to the natural habitat of New Zealand wildlife. They eat an estimated 21 - 25 tonnes of native forest per night, and are a danger to native bird species. Although declared an agricultural pest, Brushtail meat is healthy and contains significantly higher levels of Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids than other red meats, which are essential to your pets' health.Addiction works in harmonious partnership with New Zealand to create an industry that provides a unique protein source for all pets while conserving the beauty of the New Zealand natural habitat. Our activities to harvest the Brushtails are fully supported by our Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, and our operation is conservation based and approved by the New Zealand government.By feeding Addiction's Brushtail products: Perfect Summer Brushtail RDF, New Zealand Forest Delicacies RDF, New Zealand Brushtail & Vegetables Entrée Canned Food, Meaty Bites Brushtail Treats, as well as Wild Brushtail & Berries Entrée RDF for cats, to your pet, the benefits are two fold - you are helping to conserve New Zealand's plant and animal life, and at the same time providing your pet with a nutritionally superior meal that promotes wellness and vitality.
Is the New Zealand Brushtail farmed or free - ranging and are they free from diseases?
Our New Zealand Brushtail is harvested from the wild and are certified free from diseases by the New Zealand Government Veterinarians. Feeding Addiction's Brushtail products: Perfect Summer Brushtail RDF, New Zealand Forest Delicacies RDF, New Zealand Brushtail & Vegetables Entrée Canned Food, Meaty Bites Brushtail Treats, as well as Wild Brushtail & Berries Entrée RDF for cats, helps to conserve New Zealand's plant and animal life by reducing the destruction of native habitat.
What is the difference between the New Zealand Brushtail and the American Opossum?
Despite the similarity in appearance, the New Zealand Brushtail should not be confused with the North American Opossum (Didelphis Virginian), which belongs to a different marsupial family from a very different part of the world. Only the New Zealand Brushtail is used in Addiction's Brushtail products: Perfect Summer Brushtail RDF, New Zealand Forest Delicacies RDF, New Zealand Brushtail & Vegetables Entrée Canned Food, Meaty Bites Brushtail Treats, as well as Wild Brushtail & Berries Entrée RDF for cats, so you can be sure of premium quality New Zealand Brushtail meat in every can.
Available support (If I feed my dog your food and he gets sick, what support will you be able to provide for me?)
As always, Addiction stands by the quality of our foods and we are ever - ready to assist any customers who need further information about our foods and to solve any issues that they might face.
