In this week's training we are joined by Erik Senders, owner of Mika & Sammy's, a family owned and operated company, hand-making 100% natural gourmet dog treats and chews locally right here in Philadelphia. In the training, Erik delves into the background of the company, manufacturing process and more.

Dr. Marty™ is formulated by Dr. Martin Goldstein, one of the world’s leading veterinarians with over 45 years experience. His complete and balanced freeze dried raw formulas are designed to support your pet’s health through his unique vision of animal nutrition.

Why freeze dried raw? Dr. Marty™ blends a variety of high quality meats, fish, and other protein sources with fruits and vegetables for balanced, complete nutrition that is all-natural and free of chemicals and fillers. The freeze drying helps to retain over 90% of the original fresh food's nutrition and increases bioavailability of nutrients, unlike other cooking methods which are known to degrade nutrients and render them less digestible.

What about allergies? While other brands often feature single, novel proteins to combat allergies, if you look at the ingredient panel in Dr. Marty™ Nature's Blend you will find the first seven ingredients are Turkey, Beef, Salmon, Duck, Beef Liver, Turkey Liver, and Turkey Heart. Conventional thinking would have you believe that the diversity of included protein would result in higher reported instances of allergy symptoms, however this has not been the case.

According to Dr. Marty and research he has cited, dietary advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are formed in foods that have been exposed to high temperatures, especially in the presence of sugars. AGEs harm cells, trigger inflammation, food allergy and other chronic illnesses.

The conclusion he draws is that our pets are not actually allergic to the particular protein itself, but rather the degradation attributed to high temperature heating in combination with the sugars. Because Dr. Marty™ is freeze dried raw and contains high quality ingredients, there have been little to no reports of allergies.

Understanding what to aim for. Dr. Marty does not want us to feel condemned that everything except his food is bad. We can't be expected to pull all our non-raw brands off the shelves, as there are different levels when it comes to feeding a pet. In many cases it's simply not affordable for a customer to feed their pet exclusively freeze dried raw.

We can still talk about the benefits of feeding raw food and introduce them to it as a training treat or a meal topper. By giving our customers an idea of what to aim for when it comes to a pet’s nutritional needs, they may begin to gradually make it a bigger part of their bowl.

Dr Danielle Bernal, WellPet's Global Vet Nutrition Director, shares with us some key selling points for Wellness' Balanced Nutrition and Core offerings, as well as Whimzees Dental Treats. 

Complete Health offers exceptional value. Their natural formulas come at a daily cost of only $0.38 (small breed) - $1.17 (large breed). At this price a person could easily spend more in one trip to Starbucks than it would cost to feed their pet a healthy diet for an entire week. 

Core is their commitment to elevated nutrition, with high percentages of meat derived proteins, moderate fat content and digestible carbohydrates. Core with Wholesome Grains adds in easy digestible grains such as oats, barley and quinoa while maintaining the same high protein levels of the grain free Core. 

Whimzees Dental Treats boast the claim that they are scientifically proven to clean 2x better and last 3x longer than their leading competitors. In lieu of brushing teeth (which Dr Danielle points out hardly anyone does for their dog) dental treats should be recommended as part of any dog's daily routine.  

In this training we are joined by Rob Downey, Founder and President of Annamaet Petfoods. Rob is both an academic and an outdoorsman, combining four decades of research in nutrition with hands-on experience with canine athletes. The result is a brand that has been providing optimum nutrition to dogs and cats for over 30 years. Annamaet is a brand that checks all the boxes.

• Artisanal Production: Family owned and operated. Formulas are cooked slow and low in small batches to help maintain optimal inclusion of vitamins & minerals. 
• Real Science in Every Bag: Two nutritionists are on staff with over 100 publications in peer reviewed journals and books. They boast 30+ years of passionate and professional involvement with dogs.
• Checks & Balances: Having two staff nutritionists, including a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist, provides better checks and balances on creating great formulas.
• Top Quality Ingredients: Formulas contain holistic, non-GMO ingredients, as well as meat and fish fit for human consumption. Omega-3's are derived from sustainable algae.
• Extensive Testing: Raw materials coming in and finished product before it leaves is tested to prevent potential recalls. Annamaet has never had a recall in their history.
• Eco Friendly Packaging: Bags are sustainable with convenient velcro (Aplix) closures.

In this training we are joined by Petcurean Key Account Manager Kraig Kimelton. Petcurean has recipes for every pet, and consumer: high protein, moderate protein, L.I.D., life-stages and different kibble shapes & sizes. We encourage you to view Kraig's succinct, yet highly informative presentation that explains The Petcurean Difference.

Wayne Deaven from Diamond Pet Foods joins us for a live remote training session. Their Diamond Naturals and Taste of the Wild brands offer great products at an exceptional value. The ingredients they use are high quality – with most of them sourced in the USA – and Taste of the Wild offers exotic proteins like Buffalo and Venison. The inclusion of novel proteins is nice for dogs allergic to more common protein sources or picky eaters.

In September 2019, Taste of the Wild launched its first grain-inclusive range called Ancient Grains in response to the DCM controversy. The key takeaway is that these recipes are based off of their TOTW grain free counterparts and are formulated to allow for a seamless transition to a grain inclusive diet for our customers.

Finally, with a number of positive reviews from pet parents it shouldn't come as a surprise that Diamond Pet Foods boasts the top two selling SKUs among all brands stocked by our Phillips East Distributor: TOTW's "High Prairie" and "Pacific Stream" recipes.

In this comprehensive product training, we are joined by Weruva Director of Learning and Development Chris Langellotti. He explains how their feline product line addresses the big three cat issues: Picky, Fat Cat, Urinary Problems. The solution is all about the "High's, Low's and No's" of their food. High protein, moisture and palatability. Low carb, fat and ash content. No GMOs, bones, or compromises.

For their dog line, Chris discusses how they address the big four dog issues: Picky, Itchy, Fatty, and Farty. Want to learn how Weruva can solve these problems and more? Watch the training video above!

In this training we were joined by Kayti Earle, Training Specialist at Primal Pet Foods. Their company's goal is to help pet owners "Build a Better Bowl" through complete & balanced raw food, recreational raw bones, hydrators, and toppers.

In the training Kayti addresses:

• Safety Concerns: Unlike the raw meat found in grocery stores, there is a zero tolerance policy for pathogens in raw pet food. Primal uses High Pressure Processing (HPP) to eliminate the presence of Salmonella, E. Coli and Listeria. They test and hold all of their products before they are shipped to distribution. 
• Sourcing: Primal rigorously selects and sources their ingredients from vendors who humanely raise, sustainably grow, and responsibly process all of the proteins, certified organic produce, and unrefined food-based vitamins and minerals in their products.
• Products: Kayti provides an overview of their products and offers ways we can open up a dialogue with our customers to find out what areas their pet can benefit most from feeding raw and fresh foods. By encouraging "additions" rather than "change" we can slowly introduce supplemental purchases that will keep customers coming back to the store more frequently.

We encourage you to complete Primal's Retail Training Portal using Kayti's email as the password (kayti@primalpetfoods.com). You earn prizes like free products and apparel upon completing the three part test . Even if you have already completed it you are welcome to do so a second time to earn additional giveaways. 

Take a ride on "The Stellavator" with Bryan Pflanz, Territory Sales Manager for Stella & Chewy's. Bryan's presentation covers their wide line-up of product offerings that fit into the raw category. Stella & Chewy's is focused on making the power of raw nutrition more available and more convenient for pets and pet parents everywhere. They truly believe that any amount of raw that can be added to a pet's diet can have a positive impact.

In this training we are joined by Kristen Sanders, Regional Sales Manager for Nulo Pet Food. Nulo views our pets as natural athletes — meant to run, jump and play — and believes that nutrition is the secret ingredient that fuels their very health & fitness. Their four key nutritional values are:

• Industry Leading Animal-Based Protein Inclusions
• Low Carb Levels
• Low Glycemic Ingredients
• Viable BC30 Probiotics

Nulo is one of the fastest growing pet food brands due in part to their extensive marketing efforts and strategic partnerships with world class athletes. Look out for their ads during the 2021 Summer Olympics as they leverage their partnership with Team USA Water Polo.