Scary But True

The Contents of Commercial Dog Food Companies

One of the most intimidating statistics is that in the last forty years, since the proliferation of commercial pet foods, dogs’ life spans have shortened by roughly 18%.  That’s hard to believe, until you realize that in a year, an average 50 lbs dog will ingest approximately 18 lbs of preservatives if consuming a poor quality food from a commercial dog food company. It’s no surprise then, that aside from automobile-related incidents, the leading cause of death for dogs is cancer – 1 in 4 dogs will die of it. And that’s not the worst part:

US and Canadian law permit the sale of condemned meat as pet food

Meat byproducts are parts that are not considered fit for human grade dog food (like feathers, feet, heads and diseased organs) but they are considered pet grade

4-D animals (dead, diseased, dying and disabled) are banned from human consumption but are still legally allowed in pet food

Pet food manufacturers are not required to test raw materials

And it gets even scarier. Persistent rumors that meat and bone meal contained euthanized animals prompted the FDA to do a study. The result showed that the euthanizing drug pentobarbital was found in pet food from major dog food companies. It was found in meat, bone meal and generic animal fat. And that’s not all: heavy metals, antibiotics, bacteria (E-coli, salmonella), pesticides, fertilizers and hormones have all been found in pet food.

Yes, cats and dogs are allowed in pet food.

So what does that mean exactly? Just that dogs and cats that have been euthanized are allowed in pet food!

In Canada, the types of meat permitted in natural dog food recipes are regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. It clearly states on their website that condemned meats are cleared for use in pet food, provided a veterinarian has approved them. You can read more about the definition of condemned meats in Canada, and their use in pet food, by visiting the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s website at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/.  Why should anyone have the authority to say that a meat that has been classified as condemned (and therefore inedible) is suddenly OK to use in pet food?

Everything you Needed to Know about Meat Meals

Does this look like real meat to you?

The US Food and Drug Administration (AAFCO) defines meat meal as:

“The rendered product of mammalian tissues, exclusive of any added blood, hair, hide, trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents.”

Oddly enough, this means that any of the aforementioned attributes can be used in meat meal provided the food manufacturer doesn’t add anything extra.  Would you want to ingest any of these things? Not only is it disgusting, but our pets have a very difficult time digesting these ingredients.

Meat meals are processed at high temperatures that denature protein, meaning this cooking method destroys the amino acids that make up protein. Meals are therefore poorly digested and provide little nutritional value.

To put it bluntly, meat meal is rendered tissue (and a whole bunch of other stuff) that is cooked at a really high temperature that breaks down the healthy part of meats, like protein and amino acids. Basically, a person or a dog can’t digest them properly.

Rendering and Meat Meal

Rendering is the process of taking meat and meat byproducts, including condemned meats (as noted on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s website), and cooking them at high temperatures. This is then processed to separate grease from raw materials. This material is finely ground and the result is meat meal.

Vitamins and Minerals

When you read the labels for commercial dog food companies you see that the words “fortified with vitamins and minerals”, I’m sure your first reaction is a happy one. Understandably. However, most people don’t realize that these “fortified” foods contain raw ingredients that are so unwholesome that vitamins and minerals have been added to the food.

Dry dog food is especially problematic.  The process of actually producing dry dog food is so intense, that manufacturers usually have to add vitamins and minerals back to the food, after it’s been cooked, in order to make it have any nutritional value whatsoever. In addition, the food is sprayed with fat that was removed during the rendering process in order to make it palatable for dogs to eat.

Human Grade Dog Food

In an ideal world, there would be no such thing as “dog food” – everything would just be food. Like people, dogs require whole, human grade dog foods to provide the correct natural combination and balance of vitamins and minerals. Dry dog food didn’t exist 100 years ago, yet healthy dogs have been living on this planet for thousands of years!

Food to Never Feed Your Dog

Chocolate

Tea

Alcohol

Avocados

Onions or onion powder

Coffee and coffee products

Grapes and raisins

Macademia nuts

Good vs. Bad Nutrition

If you’re looking for a telltale sign that your dog is healthy, look for:

Bright eyes

Good coat

Well-formed stools

Strong immune system

A strange odor

Bad breath

Poor coat

Allergies