With Brexit bills dominating the government agenda and negotiations underway to seek a new relationship with the EU, the PFMA has published its Brexit Manifesto at pfma.org.uk/brexit.  

The trade body looks forward to working with the new government to achieve a clear and certain path ahead. 

 Michael Bellingham, PFMA Chief Executive, comments: “Pets and their owners are very important to us, as is the economic environment in which they have to make their purchasing decisions and in which we have to source our raw materials and sell our products.

“We will continue to monitor the Brexit discussions and work proactively and collaboratively for a successful outcome. The importance to our sector of the European market and a successful outcome to the forthcoming negotiations cannot be overestimated.” 

The PFMA Brexit Manifesto focuses on 5 crucial areas:

1  Safety standards, animal health and welfare, for which the UK pet food sector has a high reputation. We would like to see early resolution of arrangements for veterinary controls, on which our business depends. PFMA has pointed out that in the UK 85% of official state vets carrying out official controls are from other EU countries and 30% of all vets come from the EU.

2  Sustainability of supplies: We source more than 80% of our raw materials from the UK and wish to continue to do so. In addition to the reliable supply of UK agricultural raw materials, our domestic farmers are also a key factor in safeguarding high animal welfare, and food and feed safety standards. We play a key role in the sustainability of the supply chain, in particular by using those parts of the animal carcass which, whilst safe and wholesome, are not used for human food and would otherwise become an on-cost to the supply chain for their appropriate disposal.

3  Legislation: PFMA has worked closely with UK officials and our EU counterparts over several decades on the development and implementation of the laws governing pet food manufacture and content. PFMA welcomes the commitment to bring the acquis into UK law as part of the White Paper on Legislating for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union. This will ease the transition into a new trading relationship with the EU and the rest of the world. We urge the new government not to seek to make changes to the regulatory regime until the negotiations with the European Commission and EU27 are complete and our new relationships clear.

4  Future trade: As a sector, we are becoming increasingly concerned about future market access arrangements with the EU. We need to avoid barriers to trade, both tariff and non-tariff. Of particular concern will be the potential requirement for a substantial increase in Export Health Certificates and additional bureaucracy in the system, which may cause damaging delays and add significant costs to our business.

5  Workforce: Access to people and skills is as important as access to markets.As a science-based industry, we also wish to see clear arrangements for future scientific cooperation and access to relevant expertise.

A copy of the full PFMA Brexit Manifesto is available at: http://www.pfma.org.uk/brexit

The advert, seen on 25 January 2017, featured the headline “TOO MUCH PROTEIN IS BAD”.

Online dog food guide, All About Dog Food, challenged whether the ad misleadingly implied that a high protein diet caused health problems in dogs.

The main body of advert text had stated: “Science shows that protein obsession may be one of the main causes for the rise we are seeing in obesity, cancer, diabetes and heart disease. After years of intense research the conclusion was diets high in animal protein have higher rates of chronic diseases (cancer, diabetes, heart disease and many other[sic] including irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel syndrome [sic] - that’s what we know for certain) … It is absolutely clear that an animal protein rich diet is associated with a shortened life span.”

In response to the action brought by All About Dog Food, Berrimans Pet Food Ltd stated that as a responsible pet food supplier they were responsible for providing information to their customers. They said that obesity levels were at 50–58% in all dogs and its impact led to chronic diseases in dogs.

Berrimans stated that they believed the information in the article was not misleading as it had been acquired through gold standard research along with studies where randomised trials had been conducted on rats which specifically compared protein heavy diets to ones without animal protein.

The company added that every large scale scientific study had the same correlations linking animal protein and stated that they offered over 15 bibliographies and references to scientific studies. They said that the conclusions were supported by numerous scientific studies over many years in multiple countries.

The ASA considered that consumers would interpret the claims in the ad to mean that diets that were rich in animal protein had negative health implications for dogs and could lead to chronic illness and a shortened life span.

The Authority stated: “In the context of an ad for Berrimans Pet Food, we considered consumers would understand that the advertiser’s products provided a lower protein alternative.

“We noted that Berrimans Pet Food had referred to scientific studies that compared animal protein diets against non-animal protein diets, which they believed supported the claims regarding the effects and health implications associated with animal protein-heavy diets.

“However, they had not provided us with any substantiation for the claims. In the absence of documentary evidence, we concluded that the claims were misleading.

“The ad must not appear again in its current form. We told Berrimans Pet Food Ltd not to repeat the claims made in the ad unless they held documentary evidence to support them.”

The ASA ruling can be found at https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/berrimans-pet-food-ltd-a17-378383.html

The Brand of the Year Awards were presented at a special awards evening at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna.

Over 800 brands from 35 countries were nominated for the 2017-2018 Animalis Edition of the Awards in multiple categories, and more than 60,000 consumers from around the world participated during the voting period. A total of 92 brands from 35 countries were awarded.

Other winners from the UK were:

• Equi-Trek – Equine Product
• Longcroft Luxury Cat Hotel – Pet Accommodation
• Pets at Home – Pet Superstore
• Royal Veterinary College – Veterinary Education
• Ruby Rufus – Apparel and Accessories (Coats/Jackets/Sweaters)
• Truline – Dog Food (Dry/Kibble)
• Petplan – Pet Insurance

A full list of the award winners can be found at https://awards.brandingforum.org/animalis-winners-2017-2018/

North Wales based pet food company Pero Ltd is celebrating after its Truline won the prestigious World Branding Award. It was voted Brand of The Year for Best Dry/Kibble Dog Food of 2017 (UK).

The award ceremony, which was held at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, saw several heavyweights from around the globe within the pet food industry receiving awards in numerous categories.

Winners were judged through three streams – brand valuation, consumer market research and public online voting.

Giants such as Coca Cola, Apple, McDonalds and Louis Vuitton are all previous winners of this accolade, within their respective categories.

Pero’s director Jonathan Rees told us: “We are incredibly honoured and proud to have received this prestigious award, a lot of work has gone into perfecting our Truline range of all natural and grain free dog and cat foods.

"I’m delighted to see that our product quality and hard work is being recognized on a global scale."

Richard Rowles, chairman of the World Branding Forum, said: “This is a celebration of the hard work that goes into building great brands, as over 70% of the voting is done by consumers. Winners of the awards clearly demonstrate that they’ve built strong brand loyalty among their customers and fans."

This is the second accolade that Truline has received in the past eight months, previously picking up The Dogs Digest Best UK Dry Dog Food for 2016.

Pictured (from left to right): Terry Barber (UK Sales Manager for Pero), Jonathan Rees (Director for Pero), and Richard Rowles (Chairman of the World Branding Forum).

Nutri Dog Bakery is showcasing its innovative products for the first time at PATS Telford in September, giving visitors the opportunity to discover an upcoming new brand of super premium dog food. 

Based in Jersey (Channel Islands), Nutri Dog Bakery produces a range of super premium canned wet dog food and natural dog treats, providing great nutritional value with high levels of single meat protein. 

The inspiration for creating the canned recipes and branding was the Founder’s rescue dog, Dotty.  

Combining her sensitive digestion with no idea of her exact age or breed, made dog food shopping challenging.  Nutri Dog Bakery therefore sought to overcome this by making healthy food products for dogs of any breed/mix, at any age (once properly weaned), with normal/sensitive digestion.

In addition to creating products that have wide ranging suitability, Nutri Dog Bakery is establishing itself as one of the few brands that do not contain either grains or potato within their canned products, which also only use a single meat protein content per tin - 65% high quality offals and meat to assist with being more suitable for sensitive digestions.

Nutri Dog Bakery is the only UK brand to use pieces of coconut within each tin. 

Coconut has various antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antimicrobial properties. The canned products also contain salmon oil, which is additionally well known for its natural health benefits. 

Combining these ingredients with various superfood vegetables and a high fresh meat content, results in a complete and balanced daily wet food for any dog.

   

The first recipes in the Complete Wet Dog Food Range are:

65% Fresh Free Run Chicken & Vegetables, includes Coconut

(UK RRP £2.69 inc VAT) 400g tin

65% Fresh Free Roaming Lamb & Vegetables, includes Coconut

(UK RRP £2.69 inc VAT) 400g tin

65% Fresh Free Run Turkey & Vegetables, includes Coconut

(UK RRP £2.69 inc VAT) 400g tin

Nutri Dog Bakery has also commenced its Natural Dog Treat Range with the first product as follows:

100% Natural Dried Cod Skin Dog Treats (sustainably fished)

(UK RRP £2.81 inc VAT) 50g pouch

For more information visit www.nutridogbakery.com

Building on previous years’ hydration initiatives, the brand will be underlining to consumers the importance of keeping animals watered in the summer months. 

Across its social media assets PetSafe Brand will be sharing top hydration tips via a series of memes and infographics as well as running fountain giveaways. 

Its Facebook page will feature a weekly weather report advising people of hot conditions and how to keep their pets healthy. 

The brand will also be forging partnerships with key Facebook and Instagram social influencers, engaging their audiences about hydration.

Top tips that will be shared include soaking pets’ coats in cool water and adding flavour and water to their food.  The brand is also encouraging pet owners to invest in water fountains as the continuous, fresh supply of running water provides a more natural way for pets to drink. 

The campaign will be promoting the Drinkwell Pet Fountains range offered by PetSafe® Brand as the fountains all provide a clean supply of fresh, great-tasting water, giving dogs and cats a reason to drink more. 

 

The highlight of the campaign will be the Drinkwell Sedona Pet Fountain, which provides up to three litres of fresh filtered water and is whisper-quiet, making it suitable for apprehensive pets. 

The brand will also be promoting the Drinkwell Ceramic Pagoda Pet Fountain which provides two litres of water and has an easy-to-clean ceramic design and an elevated dish, ideal for elderly or arthritic pets.

Angela Critchley, International Marketing Manager said: “We’re committed to increasing awareness of pet hydration needs during the warmer months and this year’s initiative builds on previous years’ successful campaigns. 

"Pets need more water than many pet owners might think; while we’re made up of around 55 per cent water, it constitutes 80% of a pet’s body, making fluid replenishment even more essential to their overall health.”

For more information on other Drinkwell Pet Fountains and the full PetSafe Brand range visit www.petsafe.net/UK.

 

Customers who take part in the amnesty are being encouraged to shout the classic umpire catchphrase, “new balls please”, upon discarding their old tennis ball dog toy to receive a free, brand new one*.

Great Britain’s Andy Murray recently admitted to Pets at Home’s My VIP magazine that Rusty, his dog, “is a tennis ball destroyer and gets through a lot of them” so his presence courtside isn’t always productive for Andy’s training, who instead Skypes his dogs while he is away on tour.

Peter Pritchard, CEO of Retail at Pets at Home, said: “We are all rooting for Andy to secure another Grand Slam and to celebrate the first weekend of Wimbledon; we are urging owners to exchange those old balls for a brand new, less slobbery one, so that those Wimbledon fanatic dogs can be more… Wimbledog.”

* Free tennis ball dog toy http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/pets-at-home-tennis-ball-dog-toy

T&C’s apply

• Only valid on Saturday 8^th July 2017.
• Only one redemption per customer
• Customer must bring in an old tennis ball dog toy to exchange for a new one. 
• No purchase necessary.
• Subject to availability. While stocks last.

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On its website the VPIS states:

Fanconi syndrome associated with the consumption of jerky treats has been reported in pets in the US, Canada and Australia, with a few cases reported in the UK.

Numerous products have been implicated and in most cases the products have originated from China. The cause remains unknown.

• The VPIS is the point of reference for collection of cases of jerky treat-related illness to monitor the situation in the UK.
• In order to obtain a fuller picture of the situation in the UK (or elsewhere in Europe) we ask veterinary professionals to report any suspected cases using the questionnaire linked below.
• We are collecting information on duration of exposure, brands of jerky treat involved, clinical signs, treatment, investigations and outcome.
• We will be very grateful for any information on suspected cases.

Add a case to the registry here

Advice for Owners

If you notice your pet is unwell with decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhoea and increased drinking or urination, contact your veterinary surgeon for advice. They will examine your pet and perform tests in order to establish a cause of your pet’s illness and determine the best course of treatment.

Pets Choice has further strengthened its sales team with the addition of a new member.

Chris McCann has joined Pets Choice as area sales manager covering the south east of England and has been working in the pet industry for over 11 years.

Previously working for pet brand Mars, Chris has a vast knowledge of the pet industry and pet nutrition.

Ben Windeatt, head of retail at Pets Choice comments: “As the Pets Choice group of brands continues to grow, we want to ensure that pet shop owners understand the full breadth of our product offering.

"With this in mind, Chris’ wealth of experience in the pet industry and enthusiasm for pet nutrition will come as a tremendous asset to the company and we are excited to have him on board.”

Chris will be responsible for continuing to develop relationships with independent pet stores and growing the Pets Choice group of brands.

For further information on Pets Choice, visit www.petschoice.co.uk.

Lily’s Kitchen has launched its latest recipe for dogs, Fish Supper, a meat-free fish protein meal, perfect for dogs with sensitive stomachs.

Made with freshly prepared herring (35%) and salmon (30%) which are a valuable source of omega 3 for a shiny coat, this wholesome, nutritious recipe also contains pumpkin which is high in soluble fibre for healthy digestion, kale which provides vitamin K and antioxidants, plus minerals, herbs and fennel.

As with all Lily’s Kitchen’s recipes, Fish Supper is grain free, hypoallergenic, natural and holistic, and contains NO rendered meats, animal derivatives, added fillers, artificial flavourings, sweeteners or preservatives. 

Carefully craftedalongside vets and nutritionists, Lily’s Kitchen, the UK’s fasted growing pet food company, has created this easily digestible, grain free recipe for dogs with meat sensitivities or especially delicate digestions in mind.

Comments Henrietta Morrison, CEO and founder of Lily’s Kitchen: “Veterinary and nutritional advice suggests fish-only proteins are best for sensitivities and this deliciously wholesome Fish Supper recipe is a wonderful way for our four-legged friend to join in family mealtimes, even if they’ve got a sensitive tum.”

Available now, the new Fish Supper400g tin, RRP £2.19, will be sold in independent pet shops, health food shops and on the Lily’s Kitchen website (www.lilyskitchen.co.uk).

Police are warning potential pet owners to be wary of scams involving the sale of kittens and puppies.

The warning comes after the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau and Action Fraud noticed a rise in the reporting of pets, and in particular puppies and kittens, being advertised for sale via popular online auction websites.

The fraudsters will place an advert of the pet for sale, often claiming that the pet is currently held somewhere less accessible or overseas.

Upon agreement of a sale, the suspect will request an advance payment by bank transfer.

However, the pet does not materialise and the fraudster will ask for additional costs.

CSJ’s website www.csjk9.com contains many testimonials and reviews from owners who’ve seen the benefits of their food and herbs – here’s one from Nicola Wright about Eezy Peezy!

 
Review: "In the past I tried other lawn burn tablets, but to no avail, there was still loads of bad burn marks. It got to the point I was having to hose down the area after my dog toileted to stop the damage! So I decided to try a more natural alternative. I must say this has done wonders in reducing the lawn burn in my garden, will definitely continue!"

Eezy Peezy’s ingredients include Burdock Root, which can be found in many tonic formulas and special blends designed for internal cleansing, and Celery Seed, which is used today primarily to help promote the excretion of urine - this action, combined with the presence of the other beneficial compounds found in celery seed, also makes it useful in helping to support the urinary tract.

Golden Rod is also in the blend, which may help to maintain a healthy urinary system and Dandelion – which acts as a support to the general system, but most especially to the urinary organs, and maintains the health of the kidneys and liver.

 
Check out Eezy Peezy! at www.csjk9.com