Is Your Dog Food or Cat Food Really as Safe as You Think?
August 23rd, 2008
Today more than ever, dogs and cats are faced with a barrage of illnesses and diseases unheard of just a few decades ago. And the food you feed your dog and cat can be a major source of these health problems.
In this article, I’ll share information on how your dog’s and cat’s food may be a source of illness and disease. I’ll also show you a few simple ways to overcome this risk.
KEEPING COSTS DOWN
In an effort to keep prices as low as possible, major pet food companies are famous for using ingredients that have been rejected from the human food supply.
This statement might sound incredible to you, but consider this. How many pet owners select a food based on price? If a manufacturer could secure a key ingredient such as meat, for half the price of a competitor, do you think he would do it? Of course!
And herein lies the problem. Because price is such a major concern, and because most pet owners do not read or understand pet food labels, the pet industry can sell a poor quality food and make you think it’s as nutritious as a gourmet meal – just because of great packaging.
Add to this the fact that the “pet food” industry is less regulated than the “people food” industry and you start to understand why so many unhealthy ingredients can end up in your pet’s food.
TOXIC INGREDIENTS
Not every ingredient in your pet’s food is bad. But those ingredients that are bad can be so toxic they outweigh the benefit from the other ingredients.
Let’s examine the main culprits.
These include CORN and WHEAT (major allergens), MYSTERY MEAT, PRESERVATIVES such as BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin, and CHEMICALS whose names you can’t pronounce.
CORN AND WHEAT
To start, no dog or cat food should contain corn or wheat. Period.
Take a moment and look at the ingredients list of your pet’s food. Does it contain corn or wheat?
Corn and wheat are major allergens, which can cause skin and coat problems, and weaken the immune system for many dogs. This can lead to autoimmune disorders and numerous diseases. And corn especially taxes the kidneys.
I personally love corn. But it often goes out of my body the way it came in – whole. This is because it is so difficult for the body to process. For dogs and cats, a constant daily diet of corn can cause tremendous wear and tear on the kidneys and other key systems in the body, and should be avoided.
MYSTERY MEAT
Mystery meat is another concern. If your pet’s food does not list the exact type of meat (chicken, turkey, lamb, fish, venison, etc.), stay clear.
And especially avoid foods that list “meat by-products” among the ingredients.
Meat by-products can include the remnants from euthanized dogs and cats as well as meat from cows deemed too sick for the human food chain, and horses.
Rendering plants across the U.S. provide “meat” to pet food companies as a low cost source of meat and protein. The pet food industry is one of the few industries willing to pay for this waste.
And last year one of the world’s largest selling brands was found to contain Phenobarbital, a main ingredient used to euthanize dogs and cats. Yikes!
PRESERVATIVES
Then there are preservatives.
Without heavy-duty preservatives, all that “meat” and other ingredients will go rancid. But natural preservatives can be costly.
So much of the industry relies on heavy-duty low-cost preservatives such as BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin. All are known to be carcinogenic. (Oops, did someone forget to tell the pet food manufacturers???). And Ethoxyquin is also a rubber stabilizer. Yummy.
SUMMARY AND A FEW SUGGESTIONS
The good news is, there are more and more companies out there providing foods that avoid these nasty ingredients. But you need to examine the label on your pet’s food.
Here are a few criteria to look at when selecting a food for your dog or cat:
- It should have “whole” meat (chicken, turkey, lamb, venison, fish, etc) as the first two or more ingredients;
- There should be NO corn or wheat;
- It should be ALL NATURAL;
- There should be no preservatives such as BHA, BHT or Ethoxiquin;
- There should be no unknown “by-products”;
- It should not contain any chemicals you cannot pronounce.
Here’s a partial list of pet food brands that follow these criteria:
- Innova by California Natural (for medium to larger dogs because of lower protein 23%); or their Evo (for smaller dogs because of higher protein 42%)
- Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
- Canidae
- Solid Gold
- Wellness
- Diamond Naturals (not the regular Diamond)
- Canine Caviar (hard to find)
- Costco’s Premium Kirkland
- Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance
CONCLUSION
So here’s the bottom line.
Your pet’s food can be the source of numerous health problems – now and in the future. By evaluating your pet’s food label before you buy, you may be able to reduce and eliminate dozens of health problems, and actually extend both the length and quality of your pet’s life.
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Jim Bond is a director of one of the oldest and most respected pet supplement companies in the U.S. In that position he gets to interact with the nation’s top breeders, veterinarians and animal health scientists weekly. His articles have appeared in numerous publications, and he has been a featured guest on Voice of America’s — America’s Dog Whisperer radio show. For more articles and advice, visit www.petprohealth.com or keep your eyes and ears open for his numerous articles on topics related to pet health and nutrition.