NAVIGATION
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What Are We Feeding Rover?
According to world famous vet and dog care expert, Alfred Plechner, Many commercial dog foods are deficient in key nutrients and the long-term effect of this deficiency is in your dogs diet is a hypersensitivity to it's environment. Many dogs fed on commercial foods are “biochemical cripples with defective adrenal glands unable to manufacture adequate cortisol, a hormone vital for health and resistance to disease.” In addition, many commercial dog foods are filled with preservatives to improve their shelf life and, in addition to causing a minimal production of cortisol, the preservatives damage their kidneys! So lets get that straight....the dog food companies, in order to increase the shelf life of their products are adding preservatives to it (to increase their profits), yet this very practice is killing our dogs in the process? Read Andrew Lewis' story and I'm sure you will feel as enraged as he was on learning why his faithful companion died so young. Through his research he has found that many commercial dog foods contain as many as 6 harmful chemicals that have been banned from any human foods because they cause such terrible diseases and illness. Andrew learned that when a commercial dog food is labeled as “preservative free” that doesn't necessarily mean that it is! All it means is that the dog food company did not add any preservatives – but what about the preservatives added at the meat rendering plant? Pet care author, Ann N. Martin reveals that dog food labeled as “chemical free and preservative free” are actually chock full of deadly poisons. She claims that at many rendering plants the meats and other products meant for commercial dog food is “denatured”.
Wikipedia's definition of denatured: Denatures (food) -- intentional adulteration of food or drink rendering it unfit for consumption while remaining suitable for other uses. Could those “other uses” possibly include commercial dog food? Just what are the ingredients in commercial dog food (other than chemicals and preservatives)?
Just what is really in that dry dog food that you give to you beloved companion everyday? Is it as healthy as the commercial dog food manufactures want you to believe? Everywhere I researched I found deplorable examples of garbage being used to make high end dog and cat foods. Chemicals, preservatives, and bacteria seem to abound in our pets foods. According the the American Pet Institute, during the 12 years from 1995-2007 there were 11 recalls of pet food, the most recent of which resulted in over 17,000 reported complaints to the FDA. So what is making our pets sick and sometimes even killing them? Here is a synopsis of most of the recalls: In 1995 it was a fungus that produced vomitoxin contaminating the wheat. In 1999 it was contaminated with aflatoxin, a fungal product In 2000 it was excess DL-Methionine Amino Acid, a urinary acidifier In 2005 it again was the moldy corn contained a particularly nasty fungal product called aflatoxin; In 2005 again it was Salmonella contamination. In 2006 it was the cans’ enamel lining was flaking off into the food. Also in 2006 200,000 cans of dog food was recalled because metal tags were found Again in 2006 the culprit was a serious overdose of Vitamin D that caused calcium deficiency and kidney disease. In 2007 it was a combination of melamine and cyanuric acid, both unauthorized chemicals and causing a rapid onset kidney disease in both dogs and cats. This recall recently ended in a $24 million settlement for the animal owners involved. 24 MILLION DOLLARS!
What is IN that dry dog food? Animal Protein: This is usually the by-products left after an animal is slaughtered and everything that is suitable for human consumption is taken away. What is left is heads, feet, bones, blood, intestines, lungs, spleens, livers, ligaments, fat trimmings, unborn babies, and other parts not generally consumed by humans. Meat Meals: These are not fresh meats as in Animal Protein, but meats that have been rendered. According to Wikipedia the definition for rendering is “a process for separating fats from other organic materials “. In other words, raw materials are dumped into a large vat and boiled for several hours. Rendering separates fat, removes water, and kills bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other organisms. However, the high temperatures used can alter or destroy natural enzymes and proteins found in the raw ingredients. The raw materials can be the by-products mentioned before as well as diseased animals ie: sick cattle, veal, pork and chicken. Plant Protein: The use of vegetable material in commercial dog foods has risen dramatically in recent years and this had led to vitamin deficiencies in animals that are, by nature, carnivorous, however in recent years these vitamins have been replaced I the manufacturing process. Some companies are now using “starchy” proteins rather than grains, but this also leads to problems as they are higher in fats, thus causing weight problems. Animal and Poultry Fat: rendered animal fat, or vegetable fats and oils deemed inedible for humans is used as a spray to enhance the taste of a dry pet food. The entire process of rendering and extrusion leaches most of the nutrients from the by-products, meat meals and plant proteins so the manufactures have to put them back in. Minerals and vitamins: necessary for a healthy diet are extremely susceptible to high heats and dry commercial foods are heated twice – once in the rendering process and again in the extruding process. This can alter the proteins and lead to food intolerances, food allergies, and inflammatory bowel disease. Additives: These are chemicals added to the food in order to improve the taste, stability, characteristics, or appearance of the food. They also include emulsifiers to prevent water and fat from separating, antioxidants to prevent fat from turning rancid, and artificial colors and flavors to make the product more attractive to consumers and more palatable to their companion animals. These additives can be either natural or chemical with most of the natural types of preservatives diminishing the shelf life of dry foods to only 6 month vs one year for the chemical varities. Contaminants: the following are some of the contaminants often found in commercial dry pet foods: E.Coli – from sick and diseased farm animals used for meat meal. Mycotoxins – toxin from mold or fungi Chemical residue – pesticides and fertilizers from plant material; Grains that are condemned for human consumption by the USDA due to residue may legally be used, without limitation, in pet food. Genetically modified plant products Acrylamide – a carcinogenic compound formed when cooking at temperatures above 250 degrees in foods containing sugars and the amino acid asparagine (found in potatoes and certain grains). So there you have it – the most common ingredients found in commercial dog foods. A recipe for disaster, in my opinion. Andrew Lewis has put together a plan to help you feed your dog a healthy, well-balanced diet. He did find a few commercial brands that passed rigorous testing and he has also developed quite a few recipes for dog food that you can easily make yourself and freeze. In essence, he has put together the perfect survival plan for your dog. One that will keep him with you for the natural life-span that he deserves! Say no to putting “garbage” in your dogs foods and yes to a healthy diet plan that will keep your pet around to enjoy for all the years he should have in the first place - and then some! Dog Food Secrets explains it all in detail and I recommend it for all dog lovers who want to keep their companion with them as long as possible – and as healthy as possible for the duration of their lifespan. Today, we know that the body can experience an allergic response to almost anything, including foods, drugs, and chemicals and your dog is no different than you are in that respect. In your dog, two systems are primarily affected by allergies: the skin and the gastrointestinal systems. The indicators of allergy are frequently mistaken for signs of other, often more common conditions. Itchy skin, and especially itchy ears, is commonly attributed to parasites, while food poisoning from scavenging is often erroneously thought to be the cause of either vomiting or diarrhea. Most dog allergies are caused by allergens in the environment, with only about 15% caused primarily by food. The most common environmental causes are the house dust mite and, somewhat poetically, human dander. It is only since dogs were welcomed into our homes – and particularly into our bedrooms and beds – that they have experienced their greatest leap in the incidence of allergy! Some dogs, particularly those with white coats, are especially prone to an allergic reaction to the chemicals injected by fleas when they bite; a single flea bite can lead to the dog's whole body flaring up. Fungal spores can also precipitate an allergic reaction. Just as allergies tend to run in human families, there is also a breed disposition in dogs. Generally, ancient breeds, such as the Shar Pei and Japanese Akita are prone to skin allergies, while Golden Retrievers and Westies are susceptible to gastrointestional allergies. At the same time that the incidence of allergy has increased (now affecting almost one in five dogs), numbers of immune-mediated disorders also appear to have risen. For example, Cocker Spaniels are particularly susceptible to hypothyroidism, where the immune system mistakenly decides that the thyroid gland in “foreign” and destroys it, leading ro medical and behavior problems cause by low thyroid hormone levels. Reports of immune-mediated disease have increased dramatically over the last few years, but this could simply be down to better diagnoses. External parasite prevention, especially flea control, is high on the list of measures to reduce both the risk and the severity of allergic skin reactions. So too is routine shampooing. A terrier's rough coat, for example is adept at capturing two causes of allergy, namely mold spores and pollens, but washing can remove them. The essential fatty acids found in fish oil and linseed oil added to the daily diet may also be beneficial in reducing the allergic response. Any dog that suffers from chronic allergy – skin or gastrointestinal – should be fed a unique, changed diet, such as fish and potato, for at least six weeks, to determine whether food is a complicating factor.
If your concerned that your dog is allergic to his food, check out Dog Food For Life for the best way to help your dog live a longer and healthier life.
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