Located at the corner of Immel St and Old Clayburn Road, just off Sumas Way/Highway 11 across from the IGA, the new Tail Blazers health food store for pets, will hold its official grand opening Saturday, September 20th.
What are “Holistic” or “Healthy” Pet Foods?
A species appropriate diet in regards to pet foods basically means that the food is as close to what nature intended your dog or cat (or any animal species), to eat. This diet contains all of the needed nutrients in an easily assimilated form and is the healthiest diet they can eat!
Tail Blazers believes that the BARF diet, also known as the “bones and raw food” diet or “raw food” diet is the most holistic, species appropriate diet for canines and felines because it’s what they would have eaten in the wild. Raw food is not scientifically created, it just is. Although naysayers claim that companion animals have evolved and no longer benefit from raw food diets, it is worth mentioning that the DNA of wolves and dogs varies by less than 1%!
The BARF diet is full of enzymes that make digestion easier. It is also contains natural trace minerals, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and more!
Although digestion rates are highly debated, it has been noted that raw food is digested faster – in 1-2 hours – and kibble can take 8-10 hours to digest. In her book “The Ultimate Diet: Natural Nutrition for dogs and cats”, Kymythy Schultz mentions that the pancreas has to work harder to digest dry kibbles than if the enzymes were still present in the food.
There is really no benefit to feeding a dry food diet other than convenience and cost. Kibble was created when meat was difficult to source, and that is no longer the case. Therefore we have a responsibility to our pets to improve their diets and provide them with the best we can.
That being said, over the past few years there has been an incredible improvement in kibble diets for those that prefer the convenience of dry food. Tail Blazers carries a variety of high quality foods that do not contain useless fillers, chemical preservatives, dyes, sugars, meat by-products, and the like.
Conscientious companies spray cold-pressed oils and probiotics (good bacteria found in the intestines) on the kibbles, after they have cooled. This is so important because the healthy oils and probiotics are altered when heated.
Along with raw foods, dry foods, and canned foods, we are happy to see huge growth in the dehydrated and freeze-dried “just add water” diets. They provide consumers the convenience of dry foods – with the health giving benefits of less processed foods.
There is an incredible difference in the quality of pet foods on the market today. As a consumer, the most important thing you can do is look past clever marketing and learn to read ingredient panels. Try to look past the promises and pictures on the front of the bag, and analyze the food ingredient by ingredient. If you need help understanding how to do this, visit our ingredient dictionary.
References: Schultz, Kymythy. The Ultimate Diet: Natural Nutrition for dogs and cats. Hay House Inc, 1999. Goldstein D.V.M, Martin. The Nature of Animal Healing. Random House Inc, 1999.
How Tail Blazers Came to Be
Tail Blazers was created in 2000 by Tamara Low and Brent Hauberg who both had a longstanding history in the health food and supplement industry. It was their deep concern with the declining health of animals, humans, and the earth that gave them the push they needed to create Tail Blazers.
The moment the couple welcomed their dogs into their home, their research into pet foods began. Their research introduced them for the first time to raw food diets, and to the incredible benefits of foods without additives, chemicals, preservatives, or low quality ingredients.
Perhaps their most startling discovery was the extreme prevalence of hazardous manufacturing methods and conditions that existed in the pet food industry. They became aware of how to spot cut-corners and how to avoid the manufacturers taking them.
Over the years the “Trail Blazing” concept created by Tail Blazers of a “Health Food Store for Pets” has become more widely accepted by consumers demanding higher quality products for their animals. Even some of the “big brand” pet foods are changing their marketing strategies in an attempt to appeal to those looking for healthy pet foods.
Today, Tail Blazers is twelve stores strong, and the passion that was ignited in Brent and Tamara many years ago is now shared with all the franchise owners and their staff!