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Indybay Feature

Do you know what is in your pet food? Do you know where it comes from?

by eskie
go vegan
Do you know what is in your pet food? Do you know where it comes from?
Tue, April 25, 2006 - 10:52 PM
Since i have become vegan, i have become much more aware of what goes into "commercial" food found at our local grocery stores. I am not only concerned for myself, but my furry companions as well. After learning about IAMS, and all the other brands that can be found
at the grocery store and most pet stores, i started to read and learn about what is in our pet food as well. Needless to say, i was horrified.

Think about this....

YOu have a choice as to what you can eat on a daily basis. YOU have a choice as to what you can eat for every meal. What do our furry comapnions get??? They get what they are given BY YOU. They dont have a choice. They dont have a voice. It is only fair and compassionate to give them the best possible nutrients possible that comes from holistic natural foods. Here in the Puget Sound area, there are many sources for holistic, all natural pet foods that are usally not sold at the big grocery stores. We have PCCs and other co-ops, Mud Bay Granary, Whole Food Markets, Marlene's Market, Green Cottage Pets, just to name a few. Not only do they have all natural, healthy, and even organic pet foods, but they do not SELL any animals whatsoever.

And whatever you do, PLEASE DO NOT SUPPORT PET STORES THAT SELL ANIMALS! THEY CAPITOLIZE OF BUYING AND SELLING OF CREATURES THAT HAVE MINDS, HEARTS, AND SOULS. They force them to live in wretched conditions. If you take a very close look at the conditons of these poor pathetic creatures and the conditions in which they are forced to live.....and if you research into WHERE THEY COME FROM AND HOW THEY ENDED UP IN THAT PET STORE FOR ANY JOEBLOW TO BUY TO DO WITH AS HE SEES FIT.......then you would be horrifed and terrified and utterly disgusted as well.

PLEASE BE KIND AND MAKE A COMPASSIONATE CHOICE FOR YOUR COMPANIONS AS WELL AS OTHERS. Please support only nolistic, natural pet food and the stores that sell it without making money of the suffering of others. Please feed your companion only the healthiest of foods.


(((steps off soapbox)))



@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@


" Dead Cats & Dogs Used To Make Pet Food "

We see pictures of whole grains, prime cuts of meat and human grade vegetables on the bag, and we assume there's some chef in a pet food kitchen cooking up the best for our loved ones. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth.Most of what makes up dog and cat food comes from the rendering plant.

To render, as defined in Webster's Dictionary, is "to process as for industrial use: to render livestock carcasses and to extract oil from fat, blubber, etc., by melting."When chickens, lambs, cattle, swine, and other animals are slaughtered for food, usually only the lean muscle is cut off for human consumption.This leaves about 50 percent of a carcass left over. These leftovers are what become what we so commonly find on pet food labels, such as "meat-and-bone-meal" or "by-products.

"So basically, what pets eat are lungs, ligaments, bones, blood and intestines.Some other things that go into rendering to make your Cat and Dog Food are:

* Euthanized companion animals Cats a Dogs

* Spoiled meat from the supermarket, Styrofoam wrapping and all

* Road kill that can't be buried on the roadside

* The "4 D's" of cattle: dead, dying, disease and disabled

* Rancid restaurant grease

When dead animals from cow pastures are picked up, they may not be rendered until up to a week after they are dead. Because of this, it is estimated that E. coli bacteria contaminate more than 50 percent of meat meals.

The rendering process destroys the bacteria, but it does not eliminate the endotoxins bacteria release when they die.

These endotoxin, which can cause sickness and disease, are not tested for by pet food manufacturers.When all this comes to the rendering plant, it's put in a huge vat and shredded.Then it's cooked at 220 to 270 degrees for 20 to 60 minutes. After it cools, the grease is skimmed off the top.

This is "animal fat." The rest is pressed and dried. This is "meat and bone meal."Dogs wouldn't eat this stuff in the wild, so why will they eat it out of their bowls? Their noses are tricked by the smell of it. The smell of animal fats for dogs and fish oil for cats is sprayed on the dry, bland kibble bits to make them appetizing.

These flavors usually come from rendered restaurant grease, animal fat, or other oils unfit for human consumption. Huge conglomerates use pet food companies as a cheap, and even profitable, way of disposing of the waste from their human food companies. Three of the five major pet food companies are owned by these huge corporations.

Who owns what? Corporation & Pet Foods:

Nestle: Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Mighty Dog, Purina One

Heinz: 9 Lives, Amore, Gravy Train, Kibbles-n-Bits, Nature's Recipe

Colgate-Palmolive: Hill's Science Diet

Proctor & Gamble: Eukanuba and Iams

Mars: Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba, Waltham's

VETERINARIANS AND PET FOOD:So why don't vets warn people? The question should be, what makes veterinarians think they can recommend food. In Food Pets Die For, Ann Martin says, Our family physician doesnt display weight loss products in the reception room So why is this going on in our veterinary clinics that do not specialize in nutrition. She says she considers it unethical for vets to sell pet food unless they are trained in pet nutrition.The reason your vet thinks so highly of the pet food they sell probably has more to do with money than nutrition. In vet school, the only classes offered on nutrition usually last a few weeks, and are taught by representatives from the pet food companies.

Vet students may also receive free food for their own dogs and cats at home. They could get an Iams notebook, a Purina purse and some free pizza.The companies also hire students to be representatives for the company and to promote their products to other students.This issue was even placed on the agenda for an Executive Committee meeting at the vet school at Colorado State University. According to the minutes discussion was held on how to handle dealing with pet food companies and their donations of pet food to the university. It was agreed to put together a task force to discuss this issue, investigate the possibilities, and make suggestions to the Executive Council on how to work with the numerous pet food companies that want to donate to CSU. There was no further mention of this topic in meetings since.

In May 2000, Purina made the announcement that in an effort to help university, veterinary hospitals provide optimal nutrition recommendations for dogs and cats, Ralston Purina is funding three new veterinary diet technician positions. They donated $100,000 to support these positions for the first year. How would you feel about a company that paid your salary?

CHEMICALS IN PET FOOD:Because the ingredients in pet food aren't exactly as pure as consumers are made to believe, not only is the food unhealthy, it may also be poisonous.When the "food" comes out of the rendering plant, there's no way it would be bought by a consumer or eaten by a dog. To make it more pleasing to the eyes of owners and the mouths of animals, the producers of pet food add a myriad of chemicals.To keep the food fresh, the first thing added is a preservative. The bags of food must stay fresh through shipping and on the shelf. There are several synthetic preservatives out there:

* Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)

* Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)

* Propylene glycol (also used as automotive antifreeze)

* Ethoxyquin

Their is little known about the effect these chemicals may have on an animal. Some experts and veterinarians claim ethoxyquin is the best and safest preservative on the market, others claim it is a potential carcinogen, causing skin problems and infertility in dogs.Some other things that may be added to your dog or cat food are:

* Coloring agents

* Drying agents

* Flavoring agents

* Lubricants

* Nutritive Sweeteners

* Texturizers

IS THERE CAT AND DOG IN PET FOOD?:Reporter John Eckhouse was one of the first people to discover the practice of sending euthanized pets to the rendering plants.He quoted an employee of Sacramento Rendering as saying, "Thousands and thousands of pounds of dogs and cats are picked up and brought here every day."When a vet tells a grieving owner that they'll "take care" of their dead loved one, they usually mean sending it off with the disposal company for rendering. This is all perfectly legal. Many veterinarians and especially shelters don't have the money to bury or cremate animals.Although many in the pet food industry deny that they use euthanized animals, proof that the practice goes on continues to surface.

Also Do you know what is in meat meal, the major constituent of dry dog/cat food?...Urine, fecal matter, hair, pus, meat (from animals, afflicted) with cancer and T.B., etc."
by Nesnatae
So what is safe to feed our pets?
by Brian Wilson
The question as to what to feed our pets is simple... feed them what we eat. I do not know of a more safer way to insure our pets get the best food possible.
If your pet is a member of your family, would anything less suffice?
They do not have a choice as to what they are given to eat. That choice is yours.
by Doug Woodall
It never ceases to amaze me how big biz can get away with this. On the other hand our govt probably suggests it. I cant believe how our elected politicians get away with allowing this.
Ive been using Chicken Soup for the Soul cat and Dog food for years now.
I thought it was the best for my animals. I feel the urge to rush home and check the label.
Makes you wonder a lil more what else they have been allowed to put in our food huh?
by bad advice vegitarians
Every animal has a different metabolism. Human food is not suitable for cats, hamster, rabbbits, or even dogs. To feed your pet anything but the the most appropriate food for their specific metabolism is animal abuse.
by CharlieCC
I used to work for a very large meat packing plant in S.E. Pa.
They have a rendering division.
The items which go into the plant, as I have seen with my own eyes, to be used as dog/cat food, are as follows...
1) Road kill (brought in by the police (both local and state), road crews, municipal workers, etc.
2) Dead animals from local farms, including cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, etc
3) All unused parts of chickens from the local chicken plant, including feathers, bones, beaks, etc
and
4) Grease from food establishments
The roadkill and dead animals might sit on the loading dock over a long weekend, just getting bigger and bigger as they decompose. I saw one deer, which sat on the dock for four days (4th of July weekend - 90 degree temps at night) actually explode from the gas pressure. Who knows how long this animal sat on the side of the road before it was brought in. They scooped this up Monday morning and took it in to be rendered.
You really have to see it for yourself to realize how bad it is.
I know I wouldn't eat anything that these animals were ground up into.
Don't forget about deseases such as rabies. Who knows what that does to dogs and cats?
then that would probably include factory farmed animals that are fed parts of eachother. clearly abuse by that definition

really, when would cows eat other cows etc without humans putting it in their mouths?


besides, I think the person who suggested people food was not talking about pizza for cats or soda pop for canaries. I think the suggestion was really about whole foods -- yes, appropriate to species (duh) -- rather than god knows what that ends up in processed canned foods.
Brian! Ahh, what can be better said! Year ago, I read an article int eh Ottawa Citizen about dead cats and dogs (even rats, guina pigs, and other little ones, etc.) used in Pet food for the living lovables! I was sick! I threw my cat food out after inquiring some info by some vet about if it was true or not. Well, I bit the hook! BASTARDS! Now, some 10 years later, I'm haunted by the same article! NOW I CAN SEE CLEARLY! NOW I CAN SEE THAT THEY ARE LIARS! NOW I CAN DECIDE WHAT TO DO!

I WILL LEARN HOW TO MAKE MY OWN PET FOOD FOR MY CATS THAT I LOVE IMMENSLY!

J.P. Arial
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

P.S.-Let's talk via email!
by just wondering
Does that include meat?
by Brian Wilson
I want to clarify what I meant by feeding your pet, ( cat or dog) what we eat.
The best and safest meats I can think of for your cat or dog is...USDA inspected raw meats,
ground vegetables, cooked grains and some powdered calcium in a mixture that your pet will eat.
I add a little fish oil for taste and smell that my cat likes.
A little research is required to reach the proper ratio of incredients for your mixture, but the good health of your pet is worth it.
I've found that our dogs will beg for vegetable dishes that i'm cooking . . . and two of the four will willingly eat good greens (romaine, green leaf lettuce). They like meat too, mostly turkey and lean beef. They are very picky about eating manufactured dog food and this article gives me good reason to feed them even less of it!
by Brian Wilson
J.P. Arial,My e-mail is... theanimal66 [at] comcast.net
Lets talk.
by Darrel Whitewolf (bluescorpion52 [at] optusnet.com.au)
okahey

Do not take your animals to a regular vet. They suck at animal health care. They should call it "animal health, don't care, just bring money".

To the very few vets who have good intentions, my war bonnett is off to you but get out while you can and go Homeopathic.

Medicine man much better than doctor with eyes and tongue of snake.

Homeopathic vets go by the animals constitution and it's specific needs since no two animals have the exact same needs.

Diet for dogs
Meat should be raw and fresh from the butcher. Beef, Lamb, Chicken, No pork or chicken bones.
VEGGIES, VEGGIES, VEGGIES....Organic, Organic, Organic.
Chopped fresh daily. ( yeah right ) hey we do it every day, get used to it if you want them to be healthy. Carrots, spinich, cucumbers, squash, dark leafy greens.
NO CHOCOLATE, GRAPES, SUGAR.
Fillers; Rice crackers, Whole Wheat Bran. Vita Wheat crackers

Avoid dry dog food at all cost. Never feed a dog out of a can for crying out loud.

Water. Please make sure it's clean, fresh and not contaminated tap water.
Spring, well or rain water only if clean.
A very small amout of pure sea salt will cure many problems. Do the research.

Good Additives; Liquid O2, MANGOSTEEN FRUIT or JUICE ( see zango ), Apples

Don't ask me about cats cause I'm allergic to them. Nice kitty
Ask your H vet.

Give you pets what they diserve. Good health.
We are all relations. Animal and man alike.
Aho

PS
All hate mail will be returned to sender with curse of crab infestation.



by Brian Wilson (theanimal66 [at] comcast.net)
Darrel, Right on! Good for you. Your pet thanks you and I thank you for bringing the importance of a good diet for our pets to our attention. We are on the same page!
by eskie 4/26/06
I have been working in the trenches for several years rescuing companion cats and dogs. I have seen our companion animals suffer with problems caused by what people feed them and as well as what they topically put on them or inject in to them. Our animals are not only fed unhealhty products, but are over vaccinated, over medicated and have toxic tick and flea products applied to them when the cat is an indoor only cat or when the dog does not frequent places where ticks and fleas are. With each pet adoption, we furnish the new family information about these topics and strongly suggest they do their own research. The families are grateful for the information. In my verbal presentation about pet food, I say, "As long as you know exactly what all is in the pet food or treats, exactly where it comes from and you would willingly eat it yourself, let your children or grandchildren knibble on it or put it in a dish on your coffee table for family and friends to snack on, then I don't have a problem with your feeding it to your animals."
Georgiana B. Lohman, President and Co-Founder
Auburn Area Animal Rescue Foundation (A.A.A.R.F.)
http://www.aaarf.petfinder.org
by heatherjoy (theheelingtouch2000 [at] yahoo.com)
Can a dog be fed a vegan diet?
The best place to learn about good and bad dog foods is a website called the dogfoodproject at
http://www.dogfoodproject.com
and the other is http://www.caninecare.org
both are free info sites that don't sell nor support anything. Just trying to get info out so pet owners are informed. Canine care is run by people who lost pets to cancer and want to see things changed re: pet food regulations etc...
Dee
by Michelle (mlasiter [at] sbcglobal.net)
NO, dogs and cats cannot be put on a vegan diet. Their bodies will suffer.

I've worked in vet clinics for years. FYI< euthanized animals are put in the "GARBAGE". The local dump. They pay big fees for them to come and pick up the euthanized and dead animals.

As to road kill, yep. What did you think they did with the bodies?

FYI, given the chance, your dog or cat would eat another of their specie just as easily as they would their dog or cat food.

Why on earth would you people go against nature just because of YOUR beliefs? These are animals. They have been eating each other for centuries before we came along.

So fifi who got ran over gets rendered and added as protein to your dog food. AND? Bessie the cow has been in there for years, Flicka the horse use to be put in there regularly, but now, only if they end up at the renderer plant. (which you'd be suprised many do end up there)

There is not enough money in a vet clinic to send the animals off for cremation. Those vets with a crematorium, charge big bucks for disposal to their clients and yes, they burn the bodies.

But in places where we cannot bury, landfills are filling up......costs extravegant amounts of money to burn a carcass...what else are we to do?

It does your animals GOOD to have actual animal proteins and amino acids that cannot be synthesized.

Taurine cannot be synthisized yet. It is THE most important ingredient in Cat food for your cats health. Reason why they don't do well on dog food. Because dog food IS majority veggy, and not enough meat....dogs are carnivores but can live on a more veggie, less meat diet. Cats, however, MUST have more meat than veggies. Or suffer the consequences.


As a pet owner, you must be responsible for providing the PROPER diet for your animals. Regardless of your beliefs. If you don't like it, don't own those particular animals.


As to testing for this and that, most cancers are not passed through Eating. Most of the issues they are describing isnt' an issue during digestion. that is why Purina and the other companies dont' test for them. There is no real reason, so no reason to spend the funds.

You like your animal food to remain under 10 bucks a small bag right? More research and testing they do, the higher we pay for animal food.

by Brian Wilson
Michelle, You stated that Taurine cannot be synthisized as one of the reasons homemade vegan cat food is not safe for cats.
Is it possible that taurine can be derived from yeast?
Yeast is a living organism, but not sentient.
Would this qualify as a vegan source of taurine?
by TW
Michelle asked: "Why on earth would you people go against nature just because of YOUR beliefs? These are animals."

It's called allowing personal values to snowball into ideological psychosis. It seems to be getting more common, probably another sign that spoiled Americans are gradually losing their fucked up goo-goo minds. Yeah, that's "progress" for you: slaughter a mosaic of sane beautiful cultures (Indians) out of the way so hordes of twitching psychotics can live in endless suburban rat-warrens
by Steve (esquimau04 [at] yahoo.com)
LOL, psychosis is correct! If you look at how other biological organisms react under stress, you will find symptoms of what we call 'psychosis.'

This produces the famed mass suicides of the lemmings, mothers eating their young, etc. How is that different from the human population today? We have mothers walking onto piers with their children in San Fransisco, removing their clothing, wrapping them up in plastic bags, and then tossing them into the bay; we have other mothers in Europe who try to flush their newborn babies down the toilet because they do not want to stop the party; and we have men in Africa raping newborns in the belief that sex with a virgin will cure AIDS. That's just a small part of the psychosis we see.

Another part of the psychosis is irrational thinking, as evidenced by this pet food debacle. I've been around dogs all my life and have been amazed at what they will eat: dead, rotting carcasses that have been there for weeks; just mowed grass; plastic; and, just about anything else that will fit in their mouths. I'm not saying this is healthy for them, but, it is what they do.

Contrary to popular belief, dogs are not strict carnivores, they are omnivores, again, they will eat anything. I have seen dogs of all shapes, colors & sizes eat grass. As such, their diet should reflect this. A healthy dog is easy to see, through routine check-ups & ever day observation. I, personally, think modern veterinarians are much like modern doctors, good at specific things, but usually miss the holistic picture; so, being personally informed is the best approach to take in regards to not only your pet's health, but yours, as well.

-Insanity is doing the exact same thing over and over and expecting different results.
by TW
I too have been around dogs all my life and know all about their biology and behavior. They are of the Order Carnivora, but like humans and crows have evolved into opportunistic omnivores (they're 'carnivores' to a zoologist, but 'omnivores' to an ecologist). I once had a German Shephard, for example, who loved raspberries. He'd wade into a patch and hose berries right off the plants. Damndest thing, made me chuckle every time. Nonetheless, dogs have a pronounced protein requirement. Just beacause they CAN eat other stuff doesn't mean they don't need meat at all. Forcing them into veganism is nutty by default and potentially cruel.

It was the thought of some twitching psychotic trying to force veganism on their CAT, however, that prompted my comment. Some of the voices in this thread have me thinking this is all too likely. You could easily kill a cat this way, and it would not be pretty. One of my most beloved cats caught Feline Leukemia. I kept her alive for three years with interferon and immunoregulin, but neither my vet nor myself understood the risk of disrupting her taurine metabolism this way, so she ended up taurine-deficient which resulted in congestive heart failure.

Whether vets understand the "holistic picture" or not, most of them deeply love animals and would be on the warpath if they caught wind of some idiot trying to make their cat "go vegetarian." It's just. Simply. Stupid. If you can't stand it that a cat MUST HAVE animal tissue, do the world a big favor and don't have one.

Einstein's definition of insanity is all the rage these days, I know, but this one's more edifying: insanity means being cognitively disengaged from the reality outside yourself. Have you noticed, Steve, how solipsism is also all the rage these days?
by Author
I'm really getting tired of the question "can I put this or that non-human animal on a vegan diet?" The answer is no. Cut the moralistic shit. You choose what you want to eat. Whether it's vegan or not matters little to me-there is no way to escape the death march of this civilization-there is no purity in eating a vegan diet over a meat diet-absolutely none. Putting a dog, cat, or other carnivorous animal on a strict vegan diet would be inhumane and cruel. If you want to watch them whither away in front of your eyes, that would be the way to do it. Nutrionally it's a terrible idea.
by Brian Wilson (theanimal [at] comcast.net)
Steve, Lemmings DO NOT commit suicide! It's a myth, a complete urban legend probably brought on from a Disney documentary ( True Life Adventure ) series of the 50,s.
These mouse-like rodents are found in Alaska and in northern countries around the world, mostly
favoring tundra and open grasslands. When these areas become overpopulated, they will disperse to better feeding grounds. In the course of doing this, some of them can get hurt or die.
Dispersal and Accidental death is a far cry from the MYTH of the instinctive, deliberate mass suicide. What we see is a mass dispersal and some do die in the process. But it is not suicide.
Disney film faked this bogus behavior.
by D. Brown (godbacchus [at] yahoo.com)
Animals can safely eat vegan food that is fortified with Taurine, L-Cartinine and Vit. A (depending on the animal of course). Taurine can be synthesized from vegan sources and is often added to commercial foods as it is rendered away during processing. As long as you keep an eye on your animal diet and health, you shouldn't run into any problems. You should be doing this anyway. Cats more so than dogs, as dogs have a little more leeway. Please do adequate research prior to making strong forceful accusations labeling people as animal abusers and the such.
by Stone in Vegas (taz4real [at] yahoo.com)
I feed my dog "Solid Gold" dog food. It may not be organic but I've noticed my rat terrier has returned to her original ferocious demeanor since switching her off corn and BHT's. I give her the Holistique Blendz recipe. It has oatmeal, rye, potatoes and herring fish meal. No, I don't work for Solid Gold. but I swear by it and let's face it, as much as some of you think animals are our brothers, most of us will never go the extra mile to treat them as such.

So, a good general compromise for the masses would be to get them off the BHT and corn and at least feed them something with natural ingredients. Here's one for you metal freaks...they seal the food in an aluminum bag so they don't have to use preservatives.

Now, I'm not a vegan (although I live in Vegas) or a vegetarian and neither is my dog. She's a lean and mean and if she finds road kill she'll at least sample it. Oh yeah, I happen to love my non-homeopathic Veterinarian as well! Pat Hauk at Falmingo Pet Clinic is the absolute most caring vet I know. He's the Ghandi of the animal care system.

Hey, gotta run, my greasy double cheese burger and fries order is up...
by angel
Well all this is great in feeding them the right foods, but are we so sure that the meats that we humans eat are all that great! Like they aren't processed and cows that are in the feedlots aren't fed antbiotics because their stomachs linings are damaged by the excelerated feeding they place them there for. Dogs are dogs and in the wild they eat meat, fresh kill which has all the minerals because the amimals they eat have eaten grass. They are carnivores watch how they survive in the Discovery channel. Any way i agree that we need to care for our pets more closely . W e had to put down out pet due to severe arthritis in her back legs,Bless her heart but we buried her and didn't give to the vet to dispose.of. Remember that amimals can get deficient in minerals which is very important to them, for example: why does a horse chew on wood, because they need salt blocks. Good luck and God Bless you all.
by George (gsbouchard@coxinet)
Just wanted to say I am in the early stages of starting a class action suit against one of the major #5 Companys who either own or make Dog food. I resently loss two of my Show Boxers due to indigestive food poisoning over a period of 1.5 years of feeding a substandard food.
, That has been Avertised as one of the most Favorite Foods Health wise by the AVA.
Due to False Advertising ,Poor Marketing planning and and either in adequate or Impropoer Labeling the above Dogs digested Glyco .Pol.. Styrafoam, the meat of a Skunk, Racoon and the commmon Norway Rat. These were discovered via Lab analisise along with Rabbies and the HIV stran (They are working as we speak) if that came from Human remains or some other venue , such as the dead carcuses of Lab. Animals.
My Female Boxer net worth was estimated at $6,000.00 dollars due to her Show record and the fact she was 3 weeks with pups. This was Her first Breeding and I planed on Breeding her #5 times over the next 7 years depending on her first offsrings show performanced andcompisition. Her Mate my Male was valued at
$3,000.00 + ( unable to safely calculate Stud Fees))
i will keep you all abreast of this situation as it developes and perhaps you can all help .
by Karla
do we want to keep our dog food at less then $10 a bag?! some of us love our pets enough to spend ALOT more then that! it's worth it to keep them healthy and live a longer life! i work in the pet food industry and trust me, it's not that people aren't willing to spend more money on their pet's food, the public is not aware of the horrible ingredients, lies and practices that these big dog food companies are guilty of! as people do become more aware of what's going on (alot in part to the internet) they are very upset and have no problem going from spending $10 a bag to $40 a bag for their beloved pets! i see that everyday. they just need to know the truth is all! as far as so what, cows have been in there for years? americans don't feel the same way about livestock as they do their dogs and cats. different countries feel different about different animals, but not here! i know that not everyone can afford to spend that much on their pet's food. easy, i teach them about homemade diets that are alot cheaper. more time consuming, but cheaper. if they can't afford to do that for their pets then like so many people that should quit having kids in this country they can't afford, STOP GETTING PETS!
i wish you all the luck in the world! it's about time that these pet food companies are held responsible for the lies and deceptive practices they've been getting away with for more then 40 years! i fed pro plan for 10 years before i started researching pet food ingredients and the effect it has on our pet's health. i was stunned! i also felt 'duped' by the pet food companies! i trusted that they were telling the truth through their labels and advertising. i thought that somewhere, someone out there was regulating these companies and that they cared as much about my pets as i did, but i was wrong! after much research i now feed nature's variety by prairie. the grain-free raw instinct kibble and the raw frozen line they have. no more ear infections, allergies, throwing up, steroids, etc... AND TO THE VETS OUT THERE-SHAME ON YOU! either you're totally ignorant about the importance of nutrition to our pet's health OR you're in it for the MONEY! hmmm... wonder which one it is? maybe if the university's would stop taking huge donations from science diet and having their sales reps teach the whole 2 week (sarcastic) course on nutrition the vets would know more! or maybe it wouldn't make a difference. they'd lose too much money on not prescribing prednizone to every pet that comes into their office! if people think for 1 minute that their vets have their pet's good interest at heart, they're wrong! the vets care about as much as the 5 big companies that own all these pet food companies! colgate-palmolive, proctor & gamble, heinz, mars (masterfoods) and nestles'. so anyway, good luck to you george! i hope other people that have lost pets or had to spend a fortune for vet bills follow your lead and hold not only these companies, but hopefully someday these vets accountable for what their doing!
by Dyan
I also make my own dog food and treats. Like George I had to learn the hard way. For 35 years my family always cooked for our animals, using veggies, whole grains, and fresh meat; and our animals always lived at least 17 years. Fifteen years ago I got a JRT puppy, I was told by the vet and the breeder to feed her a specific commercially prepared food as this would keep her healthier. Mindy was never as healthy as my other animals. I was told that she had allergies, she had constant abdominal issues, and I spent a fortune in vet bills. I should have gone with my gut instincts, but my husband insisted that the vet knew his/her business and I should listen to them. She died in my arms the morning of October 30, 2005 (she would have been 14 on December 4), and we had her buried at the pet cemetary. The other animal that we had had been eating the same diet, there were many times that she refused her food or had digestive problems and I could never figure out why in spite of what the vet would tell me. After Mindy passed away, we decided that we would start cooking for Mitzi like I did for the others. She has not had any digestive problems since we changed her diet, she is no longer overweight, and she is very spunky for a 13 year old. I will never again feed my animals commercial dog food. Preparing her food is certainly more expensive, and time consuming; but, you know what.... She is WORTH IT!
by Dyan
I also make my own dog food and treats. Like George I had to learn the hard way. For 35 years my family always cooked for our animals, using veggies, whole grains, and fresh meat; and our animals always lived at least 17 years. Fifteen years ago I got a JRT puppy, I was told by the vet and the breeder to feed her a specific commercially prepared food as this would keep her healthier. Mindy was never as healthy as my other animals. I was told that she had allergies, she had constant abdominal issues, and I spent a fortune in vet bills. I should have gone with my gut instincts, but my husband insisted that the vet knew his/her business and I should listen to them. She died in my arms the morning of October 30, 2005 (she would have been 14 on December 4), and we had her buried at the pet cemetary. The other animal that we had had been eating the same diet, there were many times that she refused her food or had digestive problems and I could never figure out why in spite of what the vet would tell me. After Mindy passed away, we decided that we would start cooking for Mitzi like I did for the others. She has not had any digestive problems since we changed her diet, she is no longer overweight, and she is very spunky for a 13 year old. I will never again feed my animals commercial dog food. Preparing her food is certainly more expensive, and time consuming; but, you know what.... She is WORTH IT!
by Joanne (onlakeanna [at] yahoo.com)
The current pet food situation is frightening. I had to find pet food I could trust for my cat. I found out the big name "premium" foods like Iams, Eukanuba & Hills Science were no longer trustworthy, when the big corporations like Proctor and Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive bought out these premium brands and changed the formulas. I would NOT TRUST any of the big commercial pet foods anymore, including Purina. Once you learn about what SHOULD and SHOULD NOT be in your pets food, you wouldn't feed them that stuff with corn and other ingredients they can't even digest. I found a food I really trust, formulated by a holsitic veterinarian (who ironically worked for Iams and Eukanuba to formulate the ORIGINAL formula.) If you want to watch a very interesting video about pet food and learn what to look for in a pet food, go to this website, familypetfood.com. In any case, feed your pet holistic food you have read ingredients throughly on (and know what you are looking for!) or make it yourself if you can be sure you are adding all the nutrients and you have the time (I suspect many people don't eat as well as some of the pet food recipies I see here!) , but stay AWAY from supermarket pet food!
by cynthia
I'm starting to freak out, I feel like i'm on overload trying to do what is best for the new Doberman puppet I will be bringing home in 6 weeks. I want to do what is best for the pup, doing tons of research..... my head is spinning with all the things i'm reading. It used to be, go to the store, buy your dog food, feed the dog..... my last dog was with us for 13 years...she ate store bought food without any significant health problems.... now all this! I pray things get better, i'm discusted to think about the rendering stuff but realistically....I never gave it a thought. Never thought about what happened to the dead animals, the roadkill. I assumed they just got buried or burned. Wow.... my happy little world is spinning.
by David
p { font-size: 100%; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0 250px 0 0; }

The more you learn the more disgusted you become with how everything around you operates.

 

It should be no surprise when you find out how ingenious pet food manufactures become when supplying the public and maximizing profits at the same time.

 

Some of us may have a false assumption that everything is above board and that our pets best interests are being served.  Apparently not!  Kind of makes you wonder what shortcuts are being taken in the human food industry as well.  Lunch anyone?

 

I can see why the term educated consumer is used more often in news reporting.  Knowing that manufacturers are and have been "pulling the wool", or should I say "rendered" over our eyes, it now falls on the consumer to be their own advocate.  Nothing wrong with that but you'd hope by now service and pride had a little more value than profits.

 

Author: PetFoodStory.com

by Lisa
Did we really learn nothing from mad cow disease? Canines and felines would NOT look for these food sources in a natural setting, carnivores prefer vegetarians, predators don't typically eat other predators. This is how mad cow came to be, feeding cows other cows, forcing a true vegetarian to cannibalize. Who was it that said humans are the most intelligent being on earth?
by ILoveMyPetAndIwillLoseItIfIDontActFast (vergil666 [at] in.gr)
Its late night now tomorrow i am going to drop all this chemical shit and when my dog dies i am gonna burry him as people do...
by paula (phepola [at] yahoo.com)
I am so sorry to read about your dogs. I just recently stumbled across the fact that the food and treats my dog eats are not what we think. My shit zu is 3 years old and the love of my life, he would eat before i did. My dog does'nt eat very much dog food, he mostly eats dinner with me, whatever I'm eating, meat, vegetables and rice. My vet says hes perfectly healthy, not over weight not under weight. I've been researching homemade dog food and treats, but am not sure if I' being over rediculous. If it had all the nutritional values, was cheaper than dog food and my dog liked it, do you think it would be the way to go???????
by Peggy
I have been researching dog food for years now. I used to live near a small rendering plant and I sent a couple of calves there. The vet told me to tell them not to put the one calf in the dog food as he had been euthanized, the guy who picked up the calf said "We don't care!" That's when I got interested. I've been doing research ever since I realized the internet had such info. I'm still researching dog food companies and the rendering plants.
I have been trying to find out which rendering plant is owned by Colgate Palmolive. I can't find the name anywhere. If someone knows the name I'd love to have it.
I also have a question about raw food. I'd like very much to feed it, but have heard that someone who has a compromised immune system can't have contact with my dogs. Is this true? I have a friend who is on meds ever since she broke her neck. She says she could not come to visit if the dogs were eating raw.
Thanks for any help you can give.
by aimee
so what should i feed my pets what is safe?
by PD
Can you give us an update as to your class action suit? Thank you
by Judy
Here is an excellant website if any one would like to join,every one asks questions and we try to help each other,there is some one on this site that makes home made foods for their pets,its easy to do if you don't have a busy or hectic work schedule,other wise I looked high & low for a natural food for my pets I found a whole food store in my area plus this store(s)is nation wide its all natural foods for people as well as our pets,the cat & dog food has several vitimins in the food,there are many brands to choose from, this store is like a farmers market & very people friendly. I bought Halo brand stew & my cats are just getting used to it,the other food was friskies and turned my cats teeth all black.This food varies in prices but I think its worth it in the long run,less vets.bills.I tried raw food diet for my dogs but found they got way too fat too soon & thats only because the government have these animals given shots to fatten them up faster so they can be slaughtered young.I hope you all come & join our site;tell them Judy sent you....God bless
by Vvet1
Please provide sources for your claims.
by William DuCharme
Just feel like tossing it out there...I am more Carnivore than your average Omnivore LOL
At any rate, I have read this article and have not seen anything that shows where you gathered your information from, all I see is alot of biased talk and a list of manufacturers / companies, there must be a laundry list of either written materials or web sites where the basis of all this you had put together came from. now I am not saying your full of crap and I am most definitely not going to disagree that many animals make it into rendering plants either, BUT I would like to see the sources of your information. My girl friends close friend is going "ape shit" about the pet food their cats seem to scarf down at an insane rate stating that she needs to change pet food now, they do jump to conclusions so easily and as the 1 guy that wants to calmly take a step back and examine things carefully and take into consideration all the facts from all sides before making a snap judgement, I found this article and many others that are basically the same and offer not a shred of info source. just a different heading and topic. I would appreciate it if you or whomever is moderating this site could get back to me with some answers. Thanks in advance.
by Pamela M Beck
SO, NOT ONLY DO WE MURDER MILLIONS OF PETS EVERY YEAR, BUT WE FORCE OUR PETS TO BE CANIBALS? THIS IS BEYOND SHAMEFUL! JUST ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF HOW BIG MONEY BUYS INSANITY. AND WHY WE CAN'T SEEM TO END THIS TRAVESTY.
Many blessings to all who work to make animals' lives better. We are their only voice. ♥ So I am using my voice to post this repeatedly, until it somehow falls into the hands of someone who has the authority and the courage to help us put an end to puppy and kittens mills, once and for all.... PUPPY MILLS ARE GLUTTING THE SYSTEM
We will euthanize 10,000 pets today at our animal shelters and city Animal Care & Control facilities. We will euthanize 10,000 pets tomorrow too, and most every day. Unless our lawmakers enact regulations on the production of puppy and kitten mills, this pet overpopulation crisis is doomed to increase. This is costing our government millions of dollars, which are OUR TAX DOLLARS! And they are being spent to KILL PETS that the PUPPY MILLS ARE PRODUCING. What is wrong with this picture? The USDA has NEGLECTED to regulate this mill production, to the point that our country is about to explode with dead and suffering animals. Surely, our government must know that this has to stop! I will never understand how the USDA has any business having pets under the same regulations, (or the lack thereof), as poultry, slaughter hogs and beef cattle producers...WE DO NOT EAT DOGS AND CATS IN THIS COUNTRY, they are pets! Our government must stop allowing them to be mass produced like they were food animals! And the conditions that we accept as "USDA approved" for these animals to live in, consist of a lifetime of horrific neglect and deprivation! These pets don't even go to slaughter when they are old enough and fattened up. They live their entire lives in a cage, often left out in all kinds of weather, with little or no veterinary care. The female's' life is spent carrying, nursing, or grieving her lost babies, until she is bred yet again. Then about twice a year, the male shares her cage until mating is complete. Then he is returned to languish in his own flthy cage until it is time to breed again. This only ends for them when they die, or become "no longer good for breeding" and there is no regulation on how they are "disposed of" then. But the numbers of dead and decaying animal carcasses that are strewn throughout or piled up on the property of far too many of these mills, speak volumes. Unfortunately, the financial influence of the Agriculture business has managed to supercede the horrific conditions of the animals, the pet overpopulation crisis, even the glutting of our own systems!
WE THE PEOPLE, MUST RISE UP AND DEMAND THAT OUR GOVERNMENT ENACT LAWS TO END THIS INSANITY! I guarantee you, if the beef producers were churning out millions of pounds of beef in a year, and we only ate half of it, and the other half had to be "disposed of" at great expense to the government, you can bet the USDA would be slapping some major restrictions on beef production. So why don't they see that we are euthanizing over four million pets a year, and the puppy and kitten mills are "producing" a majority of them? IS OUR GOVERNMENT REALLY SO "OWNED" BY THE PUPPY MILL/Ag INDUSTRY, THAT THEY BETRAY THEIR CONSTITUENTS, WASTE OUR TAX DOLLARS AND GLUT THEIR OWN SYSTEM? We must find a way to rid our world of this horrific business of abuse and neglect! OUR GOVERNMENT MUST TAKE ACTION TODAY!
PAMELA M. BECK
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