Below is an interview with Adriana Trenev of Natren, Inc., maker of natural probiotics for animals. They help animals who are suffering from intestinal problems, antibiotic side effects, or general illness. Their products are 100% natural and safe and are ALL MADE IN THE USA!
K9 Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into pet health products?
Adriana: My family (my parents Yordan and Natasha Trenev, and myself, their daughter, Adriana Trenev) have been in the probiotics industry in the United States for the past 30+ years. My parents founded our family-owned and operated company, Natren Probiotics Inc. in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It started with just the two of them, and now we’re a company of 60+ employees! Our company began with human probiotics, but gradually the demand arose for animal probiotics. It was a natural extension of our line that our customers really appreciated!
K9 Cuisine: What is the secret to your success with your organization-how have you gotten to where you are today?
Adriana: The secret of my family’s success is to do something you are passionate about and that you believe in! Of course, you’ll work hard to make sure you succeed when you believe in what you’re doing. We also feel like it’s our mission to help people and animals with our products and that makes it motivating to come into work each day.
K9 Cuisine: What makes you different?
Adriana: Natren probiotic products are different from the rest of the junk on the marketplace because we have set rigorous standards of product quality and excellence that no other probiotic manufacturer can match. We have a potency guarantee of our products through a printed expiration date, and we have an international Drug GMP certification, which means that an independent, third-party agency has come in and inspected our plant. They certify that we have a pharmaceutical grade facility and that all of our label and potency claims are true. Safety for both humans and animals is our #1 priority, as well as making a healthy, natural supplement that produces results. That’s why we have a 90-DAY money-back guarantee for every customer.
K9 Cuisine: What is it about dogs that you love?
Adriana: In my family, we’ve had a dog since I was in second grade! We have always loved animals. Our first dog was our American Eskimo, Prince, who is still alive and doing great today (at the ripe old age of 16)! In fact, when the vet sees him, he always compliments us on how well we have taken care of him and how young he still looks and acts. Of course, he gets our CanineDophilus Product everyday. In addition to Prince, who is our family pet, 2 years ago, I got a four-pound Chihuahua named Chloe, who is just the love of our lives! She is very healthy and active, as well, and she loves fresh-cooked organic chicken breast as her treat. She also receives the dog supplements everyday. In general, though, our family loves the loyal, unconditional love that dogs give-they really have the ability to brighten your whole day in an instant.
K9Cuisine: What is the neatest part about your work?
Adriana: The neatest park about our work is when we see results in our customers and getting those phone calls where they tell us how much better they or their pets are doing-it inspires us to work harder!
K9 Cuisine: Where do you see the pet health industry going?
Adriana: Pet health is extremely important in a country that spends around 40 billion dollars annually on their animals. They are not just animals anymore; they are a part of the family. Everything we have been hearing suggests that health and safety concerns are really being taken seriously now, as well as high-quality products for pets that were not available even ten years ago.
K9 Cuisine: How do you fit into that-what are your future plans?
Adriana: We have recently expanded our line to include two more animal probiotics-the Avian Vegi-Dophilus and the Gastro Vegi-Dophilus for Animals. We have launched our own animal centric web site- www.natrenanimals.com because we know the power of a high-quality probiotic for animals, and we have seen the customer demand for such a resource.
K9 Cuisine: How can people find out more about you and your organization?
Name: Tianna
Pets species and breed: German Shepherd Pharaoh Cattle Dog Mix
Pets age and weight: 40lbs 4 and 1/2 years old
Pets health status: Never any issues so far
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: Honest Kitchen
Animal owned for: 3 and 1/2 ears
Question:
“My dog, Inuki, has always eaten many foods without any issues or allergies. We have been searching for the “perfect” healthy premium dog food. He has been on Flint River Ranch, Nutro, Innova, Dogswell, and raw diet (we stopped that) then home cooked with veggies, meat, grains, and multi vitamins, then the Honest Kitchen because it was too much to cook myself. I actually will go back to home cooking if I have the right recipes, but I had a very hard time understanding how much to feed and of what. I read dr strombecks Home Cooked Diets For Cats and Dogs. Now, for the last month my dog and 2 cats have been on the Honest Kitchen’’s Prowl and Force. My cats love their Prowl and do great on it, but my dog, while he likes the food, his pooping has increased big time. He used to have maybe one to 2 poops a day and they were small and firm, now he poops 3 to 4 times and the poop is large and soft, but not runny. I just really would like to find a food that he can stick with that will keep him very healthy for years and years to come.”
Answer:
“Tianna,
Thanks for writing in. Sounds like you have been dabbling in the (sometimes) frustrating world of dog nutrition for quite some time! I think the first thing you need to decide on is whether you want to cook for your dog or if you are looking for a commercially available diet.
If you are selecting a commercially available diet, select one that is “natural” or “organic”. By definition and AAFCO regulation, a “natural” pet food may have ingredients from ONLY plant, animal or mined sources. These foods cannot be highly processed or contain chemically synthetic ingredients, such as artificial flavors, preservatives or colorings.
Look for foods that do not contain inferior by-products or meals. Meat meals are made through a process of rendering. Any product that has been rendered is considered unfit for human consumption…so in my mind, that means unfit for our beloved pets as well. Look for RECOGNIZABLE ingredients on the label. You should be able to identify meats, grains, vegetables and not just chemical additives.
If you are choosing to home-cook, you absolutely need to work with a veterinary nutritionist to get recipes that are balanced for your dog and his daily requirements. There are many websites you can use, including www.petdiets.com and www.balanceit.com. I would recommend that you request a consultation specific to Inuki so he isn’t lacking anything.”
Contains goodies like omega-3 rich flax seed, vitamin E rich almonds, B-vitamins from oat flour, and vitamin A rich carrots to make sure that your pet has everything he or she needs.
Eats like a treat, acts like a multivitamin™
Pro-Health Biscotti are made with three phytonutrient rich fruits and vegetables – bananas, tart cherries and carrots. Phytonutrients are antioxidant-rich nutrients that can only be found in select fruits and vegetables.
Human tested, Dog loved™
Dogs flip over the banana aroma when the package is opened. These treats have a great taste and authentic biscotti texture. They can be broken into pieces that are just the right size for your dog.
Fun to share™
Because we make our biscotti in a FDA-certified, human food facility using only human-grade ingredients, they are good enough for people to eat too (and lots do)!
