Healthy Food for Healthy Pets At Pets Naturally

Oct. 21, 2016

When Kathy Hyland’s Boston terrier, Lucy, became ill with intestinal and skin problems, Hyland began researching foods to help her ailing pet. That cause, close to her heart, would become the catalyst for opening Pets Naturally, a shop focused on feeding and caring for the “whole pet.” Andrea Margelis, manager of Pets Naturally, said that when Hyland began investigating foods for Lucy, she was shocked at some of the information she found regarding the pet food industry’s substandard ingredients, fillers, and nutritional values.

“After changing Lucy’s diet to a high animal-protein food, Lucy began to get better and became her healthy self again,” Margelis said.

Seeing how a better diet helped Lucy inspired Hyland to make Pets Naturally a “holistic” pet store, said Margelis.

“We treat the pet’s body as a whole, from the inside out, not from the outside in,” she said. “We embrace the old saying, ‘Let thy food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food,’ by only carrying products without any byproducts, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.”

ANCESTRAL PET FOODS

Pets Naturally sells an array of food — dry, raw, frozen, and even dehydrated — primarily for dogs and cats.

“Many people are unaware that these types of foods are available for pets, and that they mimic an ancestral diet,” Margelis said.

In addition to its specialty foods, many of which also can be special-ordered for pets such as rabbits or other small mammals, the store carries a wide range of health supplements.

“We consider ourselves the pet’s health food store!” Margelis said. “Some of the most popular supplements are Bixbi Organic Pet Superfood medicinal mushrooms, which are immune modulators. These help to regulate the immune system, and this ‘regulation’ is a normalization process so that the mushrooms help to optimize immune response.”

Probiotics, a current health trend for humans, are also available at the store for pets.

“Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that live in the digestive tract,” Margelis said. “All dogs and cats can benefit from these because they aid in digestion and support the immune system, which in turn can help with allergies and several other issues.”

PETS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN

A healthy pet is also a well-exercised and well-adjusted pet, so Pets Naturally carries fun playtime items for pets, too. Several of them are items that are difficult to find elsewhere in northern Michigan.

“One of these is our line of Nina Ottosson pet puzzles,” Margelis said. “These puzzles challenge pets mentally and physically.

The pet must figure out how to spin the toy in different directions or open a drawer in order to get a reward. Each of the puzzles are rated easy to hard, so they are great for all ages and stages of life.”

Other “fun feeders” involve mazes so that pets have to work for their food, which slows down their eating to reduce the chance of digestive upset.

“Outward Hound Hide-A-Squirrel is another unique toy,” said Margelis.

“It’s a plush tree that contains several plush squirrels that a dog can take out and play with. And for cats, we have a great line of toys called From the Field by a company that believes in protecting the planet by using materials that don’t contribute to deforestation or pollution.”

BEST FOR YOUR PETS

In addition to staying on top of healthy offerings for the benefit of their existing customers, Pets Naturally also strives to help connect potential new pet owners with pets who have yet to find a home.

“We often organize pet food drives, and to help local pet rescues, we’re currently hosting a dog and cat every Saturday from the Cherryland Humane Society,” Margelis said.

It’s just another component of Pets Naturally’s goal to offer the very best for your pets.

“Kathy and myself want to provide both the knowledge and the newest and best natural products to ensure that all pets live their optimal life in our community,” Margelis said. “By providing owners with these things, we, too, will continue to grow and flourish.”

Pets Naturally is located at 1420 W. South Airport Rd., in Traverse City, open Mon.–Fri. 9am–6pm, Sat. 9am–5pm, Sun. 11am–3pm. For more information, visit petsnaturallytc. com or call 231-944-1944.