Dog food warnings!? It has become very difficult to track what is good and safe dog food these days. Let us try to shed some light for you.
Human grade meat v. non-human grade meat
Pet grade meat is meat not fit for human consumption. Well what does that mean? What is in there that might make me sick? I don't know, but I sure don't want my girl eating it. It could include the diseased-ridden (e.g. salmonella-infected) rejects or the dreaded 4D animals (dead, dying, diseased, disabled). They were only recently banned for human consumption and are still legitimate ingredients for pet food. How scary is that?
Meat and meal vs. by-product and by-product meal
By-products are just that -- the excess that is left when the entire usable product is taken. They are ground, rendered parts of the carcass of slaughtered animals, such as necks, beaks, feet, udders, heads, hooves and intestines. Yes, that is all technically protein, but very low quality and is all unfit for human consumption.
Ethoxyquin, BHT, and BHA vs. natural tocopherols.
The USDA lists ethoxyquin as a pesticide. Need I say more? BHT and BHA are carcinogenic. Need I say more? But I shall anyway! These chemical products may also be associated with dry skin, allergic reactions, dental disease, poor health and degenerative organ dysfunction. What you do want is to see the food preserved with natural tocopherols.
But it's so much more expensive!
I use the analogy of a consuming a small power bar versus a whole fast food meal. High quality pet foods are so densely packed with good bioavailable nutrients that you feed your pet a fraction of what it would eat of lesser quality food. And a bonus to this to those who clean up after our babies. Less going in means less coming out. Their little bodies just suck in all the good stuff, that there is not much excess that is left over. And it smells less too!
What about this Raw diet?
Honestly, I've never tried it nor do I know anyone personally that has, but I must say the thought of feeding my girl any raw meat makes me a little queasily nervous. Weren't we always taught that raw meat was a breeding ground for bad bacteria (salmonella, e. coli, etc)? So it may be okay for others, but not for me.
End of Part 2
Patrick & Katie Moran
Pet Food & Supplementswww.monstergiftstore.com
Patrick and Katie have been around dogs all their lives. Patrick is an ex-musher from Canada who has had to turn dogs into four-legged athletes. Katie has always lived surrounded by 4 or more dogs at a time. Dog nutrition is an important factor to fewer vet bills and longer life for your pet.
