When comparing prices, it’s important to remember 4 things about HILARY’S BLEND supplement:
1) It is a human food product.
2) It is 100% pharmaceutical grade (not nutraceutical grade).
3) It is 100% active (ie it contains no fillers).
4) It is much more concentrated than most supplements.

1) HILARY’S BLEND supplement is a human food product. The term “human grade” can be misleading. Human grade does not just apply to the source of an ingredient, but also to the entire supply chain. Obviously human grade ingredients must be sourced from human grade suppliers. However, they must also be transported in trucks that are exclusively used to transport human foods. They must be warehoused in warehouses exclusively designated for human foods. They must be blended and packaged in certified human food facilities. If a “human grade” ingredient leaves the human food supply chain (is transported in a non certified truck for example), it is no longer considered human grade. It cannot re-enter the human food supply chain and it can no longer be sold as fit for human consumption. In other words, if a pet food company buys a “human grade” ingredient, then brings it into its pet food facility, that ingredient is no longer considered human grade. Pet food companies often claim that their products contain human grade ingredients. Typically this means that they have purchased some of their ingredients from human food suppliers, but this does NOT mean that their pet foods are fit for human consumption.

Human grade supplements typically cost 5 to 10 times more than the equivalent supplement in pet grade. This increased cost is not just due to higher priced ingredients. There is a significant cost associated with the more stringent QA requirements for human foods. Pet food companies are subject to far fewer regulations or inspections than human food facilities.

HILARY’S BLEND supplement is 100% fit for human consumption. It contains 100% human grade ingredients that were transported by human food trucks, warehoused in human food facilities, and blended and packaged in a government regulated human food facility. Its ingredients are similar in quality to those found in name-brand human multi-vitamins such as Centrum®, One-a-Day® or Flintstone’s®. HILARY’S BLEND supplement meets all government requirements for being sold as a human supplement in a grocery or drug store.

2) HILARY’S BLEND supplement contains only ingredients that are pharmaceutical grade. The pharmaceutical industry in Canada is highly regulated. The nutraceutical industry is not nearly as regulated as the pharmaceutical industry. Using only pharmaceutical grade ingredients ensure that each ingredient is tested for purity and potency before it is used in my supplement. You can rest assured that the quality and safety of my supplement is guaranteed because of the very high quality control standards that apply to the human pharmaceutical industry.

3) HILARY’S BLEND supplement contains no fillers. It is 100% active ingredients. Most pet supplements contain fillers or flavor enhancers. Many human supplements also contain fillers. Read the label and check the ingredient list. The first ingredient in HILARY’S BLEND supplement is chicory root extract, an expensive extract which is more than 75% pre-biotic fiber. Following chicory root extract on the ingredient list are 20 bioavailable purified sources of 20 essential vitamins and minerals. There are no fillers in this supplement. Every ingredient serves a purpose and actively contributes to the health of the dog. Check the ingredient list of competitive products. Most contain inexpensive fillers and carriers, such as rice hulls or cellulose which are both insoluble fibre that have no nutritional value. Some pet supplements are up to 95% filler.

4) HILARY’S BLEND supplement is more concentrated than most supplements (see chart below for a few examples). 15-20 grams of HILARY’S BLEND supplement makes about a kilogram of home-made dog food (1.5-2% inclusion rate). A 350g bottle will make approximately 20 kilograms of food which would last a 40lb dog approximately a month. The vitamin and mineral levels in HILARY’S BLEND supplement are very different from those of other vitamin mineral supplements. Commercial vitamin and mineral pet supplements are intended for pets being fed commercial pet foods. Virtually all commercial pet foods are formulated to meet AAFCO minimum nutrient guidelines, so they already contain all essential vitamins and minerals that a dog needs. Because many minerals and some vitamins can be toxic at high intakes, pet supplements designed to be fed in association with complete and balanced commercial pet foods must contain low enough levels of these nutrients to be safe when fed with any complete and balanced commercial pet food. For this reason, they have relatively low concentrations of most vitamins and minerals. In fact, some pet supplements are up to 95% filler. Read the ingredient list to check for fillers.