ALGIERS • GRETNA • TERRYTOWN • HARVEY • WESTWEGO • WAGGAMAN • MARRERO • BRIDGE CITY • AVONDALE
WEST BANK
N O L A.C O M
Which pet food is the best?
|
W e d n e s d ay, s e p t e m b e r 18, 2024
1Gn
FAIR PLAY
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARSH DOG
Getting the right food is important to your pet’s overall health.
Use these tips in choosing the right one for your pet
Choosing the right dog or cat food can be a daunting task. There are so many options on the market these days, and pet owners are more health conscious than ever about what they are feeding their pets. With all the advertising, studies and opinions, how is one to know what is truly best for their pet’s specific dietary needs? It is important to note that dry food is still necessary for a pet’s health and to keeping teeth and Traci gums in good condition. While the Howerton refrigerated and gourmet varieties ANIMAL of wet food may look appealing and RESCUE are often favored by our pets, they still must have dry, hard food. So, which food is best and does more expensive mean better? Read the ingredients. The first ingredients should consist of meat (chicken, beef, turkey, salmon), usually followed by a long list, including preservatives. Do not let preservatives deter the decision. We eat them, too, and they are what give the product its shelf life. However, meat byproducts and corn should not be among the first three ingredients. The more expensive foods usually contain extra oils, including salmon oil, and fatty acids that help a pet’s coat as well as the general health of most animals. Those of us with more than one or two pets, especially large dogs, may not want to pay the price it takes to buy large quantities of these expensive foods. One option would be to purchase this type of food in smaller quantities and mix it in to enhance a pet’s regular food. Most of the major national brand store-bought foods generally give a pet what he needs, and these foods can always be supplemented with items such as salmon oil, probiotics, fatty acids and/or oils — the ingredients that make the expensive foods so pricey. Even fresh steamed snap beans, cut-up carrots, pumpkin and frozen or fresh peas, all add nutritional value to a packaged dry food. If a pet has special dietary needs, consult with his veterinarian to decide which food is best for his needs. Both of my dogs are on prescription diets, one for kidney care and the other for weight management. Regardless of what kind of food you choose, make sure to check the date on the packaging before purchasing. Once home, open the bag and examine the food to make sure no bugs are inside. All it takes is one microscopic hole in the bag and bugs can get in. If the pet food is stored in a plastic bin, make sure to scrub out that bin at least once a month. Oils are absorbed into the plastic and can gradually spoil whatever goes into the bin.
ä See PET, page 2G
FILE PHOTOS BY SCOTT THRELKELD
Fans dance to the music of Rockin’ Dopsie and the Zydeco Twisters during Gretna Fest 2022. This year’s fest will be Oct. 4-6.
As fall rolls in, so do area festivals
BY VALERIE ANDREWS Contributing writer
If it’s a weekend, this time of year there’s probably a festival somewhere celebrating our unique culture and food. As fall moves ahead full steam, so will the fun. Here’s a month’s worth of fests to get your planning started. HISPANIC HERITAGE CELEBRATION: Bachata, salsa, merengue anyone? The Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration features free dance lessons, along with food booths, community organizations and live music by artists from Puerto Rico, Spain,Venezuela, Brazil and Bolivia. The festival takes place in the French Market on Sept. 21. www.frenchmarket. org. INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL: Running Sept. 26-Oct. 1, the festival will showcase the talents of Steel Pulse, Average White Band,Yohan Marley, Spyro Gyra, Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. and other musicians. Concerts and panel discussions will be held at venues across the city, including the Orpheum Theater, Louis Armstrong Park, Gallier Hall and Kermit’s Tremé Mother-in-Law Lounge. Tickets for individual events start at $50. afnola.com. GRETNA FEST: Fevel on the river Oct. 4-6 with live music, arts and crafts, food and more at 740 Second St. in Gretna. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the festival will feature more than 40 bands,
Barbecue gets equal billing with music at the Blues & BBQ fest, coming up Oct. 11-13. including Cowboy Mouth, Dierks Bentley, Steve Miller Band, the Revivalists, Foghat, Blue Oyster Cult, Morris Day & the Time, Galactic and the Iguanas.Tickets start at $40. gretnafest.com. NATIONAL FRIED CHICKEN FEST: USA Today named this fest one of the best specialty food festivals in the country. It will take place Oct. 5-6 along Lakeshore Drive at Franklin Avenue in New Orleans, in the greenspace directly behind the UNO Lakefront Arena. It’s much more than just good fried chicken to eat; it’s a competition among more than three dozen restaurants.Tickets are $10. friedchickenfestival.com. BLUES & BBQ: The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival takes place Oct. 11-13 at Lafayette Square Park, 602 St. Charles Ave.Two stages showcase talent like Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas, Lil Ed & the
Blues Imperials, and Sunpie Barnes & the LA Sunspots.You’ll also find local artisans and some of the best BBQ vendors in the area. Free; VIP packages are available. www.jazzandheritage.org. GENTILLY FEST: With food from local restaurants and caterers, fine arts and crafts and music on three stages, it celebrates all things Gentilly Oct. 1113 at Pontchartrain Park, 5701 Press Drive.There’s a Kids’Village, too. www. gentillyfestival.com. OKTOBERFEST: Nobody does Oktoberfest quite like Deutsches Haus, 1700 Moss St., which celebrates the fall festival over three weekends with traditional German food and beverages, including more than 20 German beers and schnapps. Held Oct. 11-12, 18-19 and 25-26, it will feature oompah music and dancing, a ä See FESTIVALS, page 2G
SAVE
1
$ 10
When You Buy 2
SAVE
7
$ 00 LB
— ONLY —
USDA PRIME BEEF
Boneless Whole Rib Eye USDA PRIME BEEF
1499
$
Boneless Rib Eye Steak
LB
12
$
99 LB
CREAMY
Hass Avocados
— ONLY —
88¢
2/
LIMIT 6
10.7 OZ CAN
Campbell’s Chicken Noodle or Tomato Soup
— ONLY —
10
10/$
4 ROLL PACK
Always Save Bath Tissue
visit rouses.com for more weekly ad specials!
— ONLY —
10
10/$
Prices good at all New Orleans, Gretna, Kenner, Metairie, Marrero, Slidell, Mandeville and Covington stores September 18th - September 25th, 2024.