THE PROBLEM WITH PROCESSED PET FOOD

Malnutrition and Toxins:  One of the primary reasons your pet’s health is failing or will prematurely fail.

Most commercial dry (kibble) and canned pet foods contain biologically inappropriate sources of protein matter and fats that supply little usable nutrition and many unnatural preservatives and toxins. This is one of the primary reasons that most companion animals are said to be living only half as long as they should and spending the latter part of their shortened life spans suffering with chronic and acute illness.

1. “Vegetable protein- these are often little more than the sweepings from milling room floors.” Ann N. Martin, Foods Pets Die For, (2003)

   Protein type – (meat and meat by-products) A mix of questionable, unfit for consumption meat sources, and significant amounts of plant-based protein sources e.g., grain and vegetable proteins- ground yellow corn, rice husks, wheat, barley, soybean meal, peanut meal and shells-(listed on label as cellulose).
2. Carbohydrate overload – biologically inappropriate food for the carnivorous species- burdens digestion and vital organs.
3. Low water content – Dry food – carnivores are designed to consume moisture with food. Among other factors it is essential to urinary health.
4. Cooked – at 220-270 degree temperatures (to kill bacteria from questionable meat sources). Temperatures above 117 degrees destroy the enzymes and most of the nutrients. Devoid of life, it offers little nutrition.
5. Synthetic Vitamin and Mineral Pre-Mixes – can be dangerously high in iron, zinc and copper. And most recently high fluoride.
6. Toxins – Preservatives, additives, rancid fats, and drugged animal sources.
7. Sweeteners and Flavor Enhancers - unable to properly digest glucose.  Burdens vital organs and most flavor enhancers are MSG - an excitotoxin!

Since the birth of the commercial dog food industry some 70 years ago dogs and cats, mostly for our convenience, are eating foods that are foreign to their systems. Despite the packaging label stating otherwise, foods such as various grains, corn, and soy are the primary ingredients in pet foods - some as high as 40-70% grain going into the anatomy of a carnivore! Carnivores are not meant to eat grains, let alone have them as a staple in their diet. In addition to these inappropriate foods, most dry kibble and wet canned pet foods are filled with pathogens, fungi (mycotoxins), and other numerous toxic elements.

“A dog has one aim in life… To bestow his heart.”  J.R Ackerley

PDF Reference Links:

What’s really in Pet Food, written by Born Free USA 

Research papers linking pet diseases to pet food, by Fiona MacMillan

Diet & Disease, what’s the connection? Dr. Lisa S. Newman, ND, PhD. talks about the ill effects of cheap pet food.

On-Line Reference Links:

Origination of the Domestic Dog, Wikipedia  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Originofthedomesticdog

The Truth about Pet Food organization is working to get the FDA to stop ignoring Federal law by allowing 4-D animals - dead, dying, disabled, and diseased animals as an ingredient in our pet’s food. The proof is undeniable. To get the full story, please see http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/undeniable-proof-the-fda-allows-pet-food-to-break-the-law.html

Food Pets Die For (2003), written by Ann N. Martin, and forwarded by Shawn Messennier, DVM.

Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM, (former Editor-in Chief of the Journal of American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association shares her extensive research at http://www.littlebigcat.com

Dr. Hodgkins rebuttal to the pet food industries response to a 2007 hearing. The pet foods statements are in italics Dr. Hodgkins statement are in bold. http://www.mousabilities.com/nutrition/rebuttal.html

The Myth of 100% Complete Processed Pet Foods, by Dr. Randy Wysong DVM This is an excellent article if you are concerned about “complete nutrition.” It also provides resources of Dr. Wysong’s scientific references. Quote from article: “The point is, don’t believe the claim on any commercially prepared pet (or human) food that is “100% complete and balanced.” It is a spurious unsupported boast, intended to build consumer trust and dependence on commercial products – not create optimal health… ” Dr. Randy Wysong  

The Big Business of Pet Food Corporate Profits are Soaring… But How About Your Pet? Could Their Diet be Causing More Harm Than Good, Dr. Karen Becker DVM http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/real-food-for-healthy-dogs-and-cats-cookbook.aspx

The Truth about Dog and Cat Food - short interview video with, Hersh Pendell, the President of AAFCO, confirming claims that dog and cat food may contain the remains of dogs and cats! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4nZKP-h-Bk

For Those Who Choose to Think for Themselves - an article about commercial pet food and rendering factories, by Marina Zacharias http://www.jlhweb.net/BOSS/think.html

The true horrors of pet food revealed: Prepare to be shocked by what goes into dog and cat food, by Jessica Smith, citizen journalist, http://www.naturalnews.com/012647.html

The Dog Food Project has done an excellent work composing a list of pet food ingredients to avoid. This link is useful if you feed canned once in a while or   choose a commercial cooked canned food over a raw diet. http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

Study Finds Euthanasia Agent in Pet Foods - FDA releases long awaited results of pet food survey that tested pet foods for sodium pentobarbital. Report leaves many questions unanswered. http://www.animalarkshelter.org/animal/ArkArticles.nsf/0/8f0f7b72890632fc86256b7b005e97fe?OpenDocument

The Management of Canine Epilepsy, by Chris Alderson, Kathy Herman and Marion Mitchell. http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/healthydiet.html

Eight to 10 dog food brands contain fluoride in amounts up to 2.5 times higher than EPA drinking water standard...http://www.ewg.org/pethealth/report/fluoride-in-dog-food/news-release