| One of the most startling things we have | | | | We found descriptive words like "Natural Nutrition," |
| encountered in our review of the commercial dog | | | | "Ultra-Holistic Nutrition," and "Super-Premium," to |
| food industry is the fact that many, if not most, | | | | describe their dog foods. Regarding ingredients, Nutro |
| commercial dog foods are quite possibly toxic, and | | | | Dog Food lists "natural ingredients with added |
| dangerous for your dogs! One of the most disturbing | | | | vitamins and minerals," and also "real chicken protein |
| revelations we encountered was the fact that many | | | | or real beef protein." Their website claims that there |
| dog food makers use DEAD, EUTHANIZED pets and | | | | are "no artificial preservatives," nor are there "artificial |
| zoo animals, as sources for their dog foods! The | | | | colors, flavors, or sweeteners." |
| consumer-public does not appear to be aware of this | | | | The ingredients list is as follows: "Chicken Meal, |
| problem, and the reason is no surprise. | | | | Wheat Flour, Ground Whole Wheat, Corn Gluten |
| Most commercial dog food brands have | | | | Meal, Rice Bran, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed |
| healthy-sounding names, such as Nutro Dog Food, | | | | Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Ground Rice, |
| Beneful, Science Diet (all brand names are trademarks | | | | Chicken, Natural Flavors, Sodium Bicarbonate, Calcium |
| of their respective parent companies, and as an | | | | Carbonate, Monosodium Phosphate, Potassium |
| independent consumer advocate, we have NO | | | | Chloride, Potassium Carbonate, Yeast Culture, |
| affiliation with any commercial dog food manufacturer | | | | L-Lysine, Salt, Choline Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E |
| or brand.) In addition, many commercial dog foods | | | | Supplement, Iron Oxide, Dried Kelp, Lecithin, Garlic |
| display labels such as "all-natural," "organic," "holisitc," | | | | Flavor, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), Biotin, |
| "gourmet," or "premium." | | | | Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Niacin, |
| In fact, the dog food industry spend millions of dollars | | | | Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Copper |
| every year in an effort to convince the public that | | | | Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Riboflavin (source of |
| their dog foods are healthy. In addition, we found | | | | Vitamin B2), Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin |
| that the dog food industry regularly lobbies to | | | | B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6), |
| Congress and the FDA to AVOID having to clearly | | | | Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium |
| label the source of the components of their dog | | | | Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity)." |
| foods! This shocked us, because if the dog food is | | | | All in all, we could not find anything on the Nutro Dog |
| actually healthy, then why the need to maintain the | | | | Food website that indicated they were involved in |
| ability to use uncommon and lengthy scientific names | | | | any of the practices mentioned earlier in this article. |
| in their ingredient list? Why wouldn't the commercial | | | | We believe that the ingredient list does not indicate |
| dog food companies want the public to EASILY | | | | any chemicals known to be harmful to dogs or |
| understand what the dog foods are made out of?? | | | | people. The inclusion of "ground whole wheat" and |
| So we decided to investigate different commercial | | | | "dried kelp" leads us to believe that Nutro Dog Food |
| dog foods, to see if we could determine what is | | | | is probably one of the healthy dog food brands on |
| actually in them, and where the components for the | | | | the market. |
| food actually comes from. Following is our review of | | | | The whole point, however, is that there really is no |
| Nutro Dog Food. More reviews are to come! Again, | | | | way to know. The main driving forces behind all public |
| we are only disclosing the information that they have | | | | corporations are profit, and increasing stock price. We |
| already publicly disclosed on their website, to see if | | | | believe it is the obligation of all responsible |
| we can make sense of it. We are NOT indicating an | | | | dog-owners to make sure they are aware of what's |
| opinion one way or the other, whether or not this | | | | really in the food that they feed to their dogs! |
| food is healthy. | | | | |