| With more recalls daily it seems people are taking | | | | only beaks, feathers, diseased chicken's entrails and |
| great risks in buying dog food or cat food for their | | | | carcasses, which is unfit for dog consumption. |
| pets if do not know what they are buying. It is a | | | | Dyes and Coloring: |
| wonder that we can chose any product on the | | | | The same dyes used in the meat supply in the US or |
| market today, that is not tainted or treated in some | | | | Canada for human use, is also added to pet foods. |
| way. | | | | These dyes contain carcinogens that cause cancer. |
| As we have seen in the last 20 years the decline in | | | | Why are they added to pet foods? To make to dog |
| the health of pets worldwide and the rise of pet | | | | food look more appealing to the eye of the |
| diseases such as cancer, diabetes, asthma, and | | | | purchaser. It does not really work on my dog, she |
| damaged immune systems rendering them more | | | | will not eat it. Obviously red dye # 3 used in beef, is |
| susceptible to illness. If this seems scary to you, it is | | | | not a healthy additive. |
| because it is a real minefield, trying to find something | | | | Chemical Preservatives: |
| healthy to feed your dog. Many pet owners are | | | | These are chemicals such as BHT, Butylated |
| resorting to making home cooked meals for their | | | | Hydroxytoluene- or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, and |
| dogs, or buying selective truly organic pet foods, | | | | the rule of thumb is, "If you can not pronounce it, |
| which are clearly defined by "what is not in it". Some | | | | you do not want it in your pet's food". They are |
| are choosing organic only raw dog food diets. | | | | added to extend shelf life but are associated with |
| Today, after six months of a massive recall of pet | | | | liver and kidney diseases. |
| foods with the list growing longer each day and the | | | | Fillers: |
| number of pet deaths climbing, we have to look | | | | To create more volume, similar to just adding water, |
| closely at the label of what we buy for our pets | | | | sawdust, chicken beaks, animal parts are added to |
| more than ever. All the slick advertising and | | | | the pet food mix. You can also find hair, ears, fat and |
| wonderfully colorful packages with pictures of healthy | | | | diseased organs. |
| dogs, jumping in mid air over fences in a meadow, | | | | Artificial Flavors: |
| can hide the actual ingredients. In addition, | | | | Flavor additives are produced through a process of |
| recommendations from Veterinarians do not ensure | | | | adding these chemicals to animal tissue that is to |
| your dog is getting wholesome, unaltered real food. | | | | make dead meat tastier and better for your dog. |
| Many Veterinarians recommended dog and cat foods | | | | Steroids and Antibiotics: |
| were on the Recall Lists, although they gained the | | | | Eating products treated with steroids and antibiotics |
| financial benefits of these higher priced products. | | | | as are cattle raised on beef farms, destroys the |
| The following is a look at "What Not To Buy" in a pet | | | | immune system over time. Proper nutrition is by |
| food, and reverse the decision making process to | | | | definition a process whereby we ingest food to |
| make it easier to buy dog food. | | | | improve health and support health, not to destroy it. |
| Meat By-Products: | | | | Wheat and Corn: |
| What do they mean by meat by products? Well, is | | | | These ingredients can cause allergies in pets, and are |
| not really meat, as you know it; however, they call it | | | | hard to digest, as dogs do not chew much of their |
| meat by-products because there are parts of the | | | | food. Grains have been added to pet foods to |
| cow that comes from the slaughterhouse - it is what | | | | provide again low-cost filler, which also binds together |
| they throw away. | | | | other ingredients. |
| It is a very gruesome list, which includes: Cow | | | | Of course, it is understood that melamine and rat |
| hooves, diseased tissues, such as cancerous tumors, | | | | poison offer no nutritional value either. |
| intestines, horns, dead carcasses all derived from | | | | Melamine: |
| Class 4-D sources. These Class 4-D sources are | | | | Melamine is not high on my list of must haves, for |
| included in pet foods, from dead, dying, diseased or | | | | my dog's diet. It makes great plastic counter tops |
| disabled cattle, hence the name four D, which is | | | | and other plastic products but not good dog food. |
| rotted, diseased meats. They are denatured, which is | | | | Rat poison also is not what you need to feed your |
| a chemical process that makes them "unfit for human | | | | dog, even if you were to throw in some omega 3's |
| use" by treating carcasses with: fuel oils, citronella, | | | | or some fiber filler, it does not improve the nutritional |
| grain alcohol and kerosene, which were are all | | | | quality of pet food. |
| approved by the US Department of Agriculture. | | | | However, if you see these ingredients listed here on |
| These are all included in the term "protein" in pet | | | | the label of your pet food, you may make better |
| foods, but of course, you will not see "D-4" on the | | | | choices with healthier pet foods that do not contain |
| label. | | | | these words on the label. Its better to get an ideal |
| Chicken By-Products: | | | | of where things come from before you buy them |
| This again cannot be classified as chicken as you and | | | | these days. |
| I would know it. It is similar to the beef by products, | | | | |