Supplementation

Necessity

For both humans and pets, supplementation of what we eat is no longer a luxury if you are wanting to experience peak health. The soil has been robbed of nutrients and the environment has taken it's toll as well. What supplements does a dog need and how much? Turn to science and a man who understands it (like the man who formulated Kumpi^®) and you'll find them in our food.

Quality

Seeing a supplement on an ingredient label doesn't reflect how well it will perform in a feed. The ingredient kelp is a good example. Through extensive laboratory testing, Mark found that the place of harvest of kelp played a key roll in the actual nutritional benefit of it's presence. In his trials, he consistently found that Nova Scotia yielded the best quality, due to the health of the waters there.

Yucca schidigera is another good instance where the choice of which company to purchase from will impact the performance. This ingredient was used by the Native American Indian for blood purification. The presence of this name on an ingredient panel does not necessarily indicate that the company went with a higher quality product.

Each supplement utilized in Kumpi^® is guaranteed to be extremely bio-available from another consideration as well. Ours are sprayed onto the food after production to ensure the integrity of composition hasn't been compromised by the heat of the cooking process.

Therapeutic Levels

More and more, you will see pet food companies listing supplements on their labels. However, the amount utilized is subjective. As little as five pounds per ton can place it on the label, but not yield any real benefit. All of the supplementation in Kumpi^® dog food offers more than adequate levels to ensure a therapeutic level, i.e., enough to make a difference.

Minerals

In all the aspects of nutrition, one that has intrigued me most in my personal learning curve is minerals.

Minerals affect almost all functions of a dog's body since they enhance nerve function, teeth and gum maintenance and formation, bone, skin and ligament formation, proper insulin functions, the heart muscle, body fluid and electrolyte regulation, muscle function and growth, and assists in reproductive functions. They are important! Even a minor deficiency can add up to a disaster. Again, this is where the scientific knowledge behind Kumpi^® comes into play.

Chelated Minerals

There are basically three types of minerals available to provide in a dog food.

Common Minerals will read simply Iron, Copper, etc. (from sulfates, oxides and other common compounds)
Proteinated Minerals will read Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, etc.
Metal Amino Acid Chelated (MAAC) Minerals will read specifically Amino Acid Chelated Iron, Amino Acid Chelated Cooper, etc.

Metal Amino Acid Chelated (MAAC) are a patented product available from Albion Labs. Universities and independent research have proven that these patented minerals (used in Kumpi^®) demonstrate 300% - 500% more bio-availability than the same minerals in the ordinary form. While a proteinate is the result of a bonding process, its absorption rate is still lower than that of a MAAC.

Chelation?

Although minerals are vital, they can be difficult for the animals to absorb. Kumpi^®'s minerals use a patented chelation process where a mineral is bonded to amino acids causing the body to recognize and receive it more readily. The intestine looking at an iron molecule might say, "Who are you?" while a look at a MAAC protein causes it to say, "I know you!"

Think of the intestinal lining like a wall of old-fashioned pop bottles.

A common minerals molecular size is like trying to get a boulder through that bottle opening.
A proteinated mineral is like trying to get a mid-sized rock into that bottle opening.
A MAAC mineral is like trying to drop a pebble into that bottle opening. It absorbs in easily and safely.
Putting the minerals in the food is useless unless they can make it to the critical point of destination, the intestine.

Living-Viable Micro Organisms

a.k.a. Probiotics

There are friendly bacteria that you may be familiar with in yogurt. They help establish a balanced intestinal tract and can help fight damaging bacteria that can invade your dog's intestine. They appear on our label as bacillus ingredients. Fungi actually are intestinal friends as well, creating enzymes that are the catalysts breaking down the carbohydrates and proteins, making them move available and digestible. They appear on our label as aspergillus ingredients.

Over the years I've found that dogs with undiagnosed giardia may likely get diarrhea when switching over to Kumpi^®.

Here is an interesting quote from a customer who is a musher (sled dog racer) and aids in Siberian Husky Rescue with her huge dog yard. She ran into that very problem when she dropped fifty dogs onto Kumpi^® "cold turkey." (Not that I am a proponent of rapid diet change, but she felt that a truly good food would not induce diarrhea in those circumstances.)

"After great thought on the matter we believe that our regular 'premium' dog food was somehow masking the dogs' problems. When a person first sees irregularities in a dogs stool on a new feed product, the first guess is that it is a bad food. With Kumpi^® products we have found that if a dog has a loose stool it isn't the food! There is something wrong in the dog. Find it, fix it and the dog will flourish!"

Depending on the food a customer is switching from, I've got to be honest and warn you that the dog may get terrible flatulence (farts!) for three to five days when introducing Kumpi^®. Not to worry, since many people have switched to our products for that very reason - to avoid chronic flatulence. When it does occur it is good news, since the intestine is getting a good roto-rooting and the "bad guys" are getting flushed out.

Is Yeast Culture Yeast?

This is an ingredient that is worth explaining since it is a bit difficult to understand. Yeast culture is an enzymatic agent that makes nutrients more bio-available to your dogs blood stream. As a yeast cell is fermenting, the cells produce a significant volume of enzymes which act as catalysts. These enzymes help break down proteins (protease enzyme), fats (lipase enzyme), carbohydrates (cellulase and amylase enzymes) and phosphorus (phytase enzyme.) Even using the best ingredients available to manufacture a pet food, they would still be limited in their performance if they cannot be readily digested.

Chicken Fat

When reading an ingredient label you will notice that most products list mixed tocopherols after the fat source they are using. Natrox is the brand name of the natural preservative we use as the carrier of necessary natural antioxidants. When reading an ingredient panel you will notice that most products list their method of preservation in with the fat they use. The reason is that it is stirred into the fat, then introduced to the dry components of the feed during the cook process.

Chicken fat has two major benefits, although it is far more expensive to use than poultry fat (origination variable) or beef tallow. Natrox will emulsify (or spread through) chicken fat more readily, ensuring that the preservative will reach evenly through the product. Dogs can get sick from eating food that a preservative has not blended well through.

As it's own carrier of antioxidants, chicken fat is a rich source of linoleic acid (remember the Omega Family?) and offers superior palatability to your dog... think buttery. Fat is a highly concentrated energy source for a dog and Mark felt that its added expense is justified for just that reason - quality energy!

Our supplements are added to the pet food after it has completed the drying process to maintain their vital efficiency. Your pet enjoys their benefits in every serving. We use only the highest quality at therapeutic levels - enough to make a noticeable difference after using just one bag!

Probiotics - Truly meaning "for life" they keep the gut at a beneficial pH allowing for the growth of good bacteria. Producing a natural antibiotic-like substance, they help eliminate unwanted coliforms. Assisting the intestinal lining to maintain optimal nutrient absorption they help stimulate the immune system and can inhibit the growth of some yeast.

Kelp - As a promoter of glandular health it is beneficial in balancing out a pet's total system. The source and species of kelp is critical for optimal results. We harvest our kelp from the cold waters of Nova Scotia which, in formal laboratory testing, out-performed other brands. It is the earth's last true source of totally natural amino acides, vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

Metal Amino Acid Chelates (MAAC) - Research proves that without optimum mineral levels at the cellular level, other nutrients (fats, carbohydrates, proteins and even water) are not effectively utilized. Imitated by many, the MAACs we use are from the company which has the exclusive patent to the most powerful form available, having earned its own AAFCO definition.

Yeast Culture - Not to be confused with brewers dried yeast, this source of digestive enzyme activity is an integral part of digestion. These living proteins make nutrients more bioavailable to your pet's blood stream. Poorly digested proteins in the blood can increase the risk of allergic response. Even the best ingredients are limited if they cannot be easily digested. By using enzymes, pets conserve their energy for other vital bodily functions.

Yucca Schidigera - This marvelous plant helps lower the tendency to develop toxic wastes in the colon with its intestinal cleansing effect. One of nature's matchless blood purifiers, it also contains anti-arthritic properties that help lessen stress and swelling of joints. Another great feature is its help in fecal odor reduction.