I need to prepare you for the dog food ingredients information you are about to receive. What I'm going to tell you is really going to gross you out. It is going to make you not want to buy any more commercial dog food, or at least not buy 99% of all the dog food brands out there. You are going to be shocked and disgusted. You are going to get angry that it can actually happen. You are going to wonder why the government isn't protecting you and your dog. You are going to wonder how this could happen without more people knowing about it. You are going to want to take immediate action to protect your dog. It is disturbing information and yes, before you even ask, these facts are 100% true.
Dead Dogs Are Included In Dog Food Ingredients
When dogs don't get adopted at dog shelters, they usually get euthanized. It is very expensive to bury these euthanized dogs so they often get picked up by rendering companies and used to make dog food and other animal feed. They get "rendered" by throwing them into huge vats along with other ingredients at very high temperatures and then chopped up and melted down into one big conglomerate rendered soup. So, dead dogs get "recycled" back into dog food. The term "recycled" is an industry term. When you feed your dog commercial dog food, you may very well be feeding dog to your dog, although "dog" or "canine" will never be listed specifically in the ingredients. At one point, the city of Los Angeles alone was sending 400,000 pounds of euthanized dogs and cats to rendering factories. The $2.4 billion dollar per year rendering business doesn't mention these figures anywhere on their websites that tout "recycling" and the multi-billion dollar pet food industry (more than $13 billion per year in the United States alone) keeps this a hush hush secret.
When treasured family pets get terminally ill and the family decides to euthanize them or when pet dogs die on the operating table, the bereft family often leaves the dead dog with the vet. However, most of these dogs do not get buried or honored in any special way. Just like the fate of the unwanted shelter dogs, euthanized pet dogs at the vet's office often get sent to rendering plants to be turned into dog food. That's right... beloved family pets get turned into dog food. Never leave your pet dog at the vet's office no matter what.
Believe it or not, it gets even worse. The barbiturate that is used to euthanize dogs (and other animals included in dog food such as zoo animals), sodium pentobarbital, does not fully break down in the rendering process. In other words, high temperature does not break down sodium pentobarbital. So, when you feed your dog, there is a very high likelihood it is laced with a residue of the chemical used to euthanize dogs!
If the dead dogs included in dog food had cancerous tumors or contagious diseases, it doesn't matter. They are still sent to the rendering factory. If the dead dogs had been treated with powerful antibiodics and other strong medications, these are included in the vat at the rendering plant. If the dog was wearing a chain around its neck, had surgical pins containing heavy metals inserted, had a flea collar on, it doesn't matter. Nothing is removed. It is all just dumped in with the rest, mechanically chopped up, heated to very high temperatures, and turned into dog food and other products like cosmetics. If the dog died of mad cow disease, the dog would still be picked up by the rendering plants because vets don't even call it mad cow disease. Instead, they euphemistically call it "Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS)." The FDA is in complete denial on this subject.
Diseased and Dying Animals Are Intentionally Included As Dog Food Ingredients
Farm animals so sick they can't stand up are often picked up for the rendering plants without even being tested to see what is making them so sick. Often the animal will lay there until half rotten before it is picked up and taken to the rendering plant. Zoo animals that die of mysterious causes are often taken to the rendering plant. If you feed your dog commercial dog food, you may very well be feeding them diseased cattle, diseased horses, diseased giraffe, diseased hippopotamus, diseased lions, etc, etc. Diseased animals are fair game for the pet food industry and rendering plants will gladly accept the carcasses no matter the condition. There is no law against it so they do it because it is profitable to them to do so.
Road Kill Is Included In Dog Food Ingredients
Raccoons, skunks, snakes, rats, birds, possums, armadillos, you name it, if it is killed by a car on a highway, it has probably found its way into dog food via the rendering plants. Road crews come by and pick up the animals and then give them to the rendering plants. However, they often don't get to the animals until they've been laying there for a few days or even weeks. The dead animals may have already be half eaten by maggots but off to the rendering plant they will go. The dead animals may be diseased but they are still taken to the rendering plants. None of these animals are tested before they are turned into food for dogs and other products.
Rotten Grocery Store Meat Gets Included In Dog Food
Did you think they threw the rotten meat away at the grocery store? No, of course not. After they mark it down, "reduced for quick sale," if it rots beyond the point they can sale it, they give it to the rendering plants. But here's the real clencher... the rendering plants don't even take off the plastic wrapping or Styrofoam containers before they throw it into the rendering vat. Removing the packaging would take time and therefore make it less profitable for them.
Showing posts with label dog food ingredients. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dog food ingredients. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Watch Out For Those Tricky Dog Food Labels
When shopping for dog food, the first thing you see on the label is the name of the food. For example, the food may be called something like "Gourmet Beef Dinner" but did you know that if it is labelled as "Gourmet Beef Dinner," it can legally contain 70% fish? That's right. I'm not kidding. Dog food called "Gourmet Beef Dinner" can legally contain more fish than beef. It can also legally contain road kill, euthanized dogs and cats, zoo animals, cancerous tumors, and diseased chickens. Depending on the particular batch of food it comes from, "Gourmet Beef Dinner" could contain a healthy dose of dead giraffe from the zoo that died from died from mysterious causes, roadkill skunk (fur and all), or various types of diseased birds (feathers and all).
The way dog food labels read is actually very complicated and difficult for consumers to interpret. It is exceedingly difficult to understand what is really going on. This is absolutely intentional and pet food companies pay lobbyists a lot of money to keep it that way. Although the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does establish some federal regulations (compliance is another ball of worms), by and large the pet food industry polices itself via the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). This is like the fox guarding the hen house.
To give you a sense of how dirty they play, I'm going to describe to you the "rules" they follow for the basic name of the dog food. The name of the product is of course one of the most important factors consumers use in deciding which dog food to buy. I believe this will illustrate how tricky this business really is and how most consumers really have no idea what they are actually feeding to their pets. If they did, I don't think they'd actually feed their beloved dogs the vast majority of commercial canine food out there
95% Rule
The 95% rule applies to dog foods where the main ingredients are derived from mammals, poultry, and fish. It almost always applies to can dog food and not to dry dog food. It includes names like:
Beef For Dogs
Chicken Canine Food
Chicken & Tuna Dog Food
In these examples, at least 95% of the product must be the product(s) listed in the name, not including water. If you exclude the water, it must contain at least 70% of the product listed. So, for example, "Beef For Dogs" must include at least 95% beef, excluding the water content. "Chicken & Tuna Dog Food" must include at least 95% chicken and tuna and there must be more chicken than tuna by weight. Very few dog foods will fall into this category because it is more expensive to make so let's move on.
25% Rule (aka the "dinner rule")
If the ingredient(s) listed in the product name accounts for less than 95% of the total product, excluding water, and more than 25%, excluding water, then the listed ingredient(s) must have a "qualifying descriptive term" such as dinner, entree, or formula. If you count the water, then the listed ingredient(s) must constitute at least 10% of the total product. Here are some examples:
Beef Dinner
Beef Entree
Beef Formula
Beef Platter
Beef Nuggets
Beef Recipe
Chicken and Fish Formula
Beef and Rice Entree
The truth is that a can of dog food that contains beef can also contain dozens of other types of animals. In fact, a product for your dog that lists "beef" in the name with a qualifying descriptive term may in fact have MORE of another type of animal and/or a vegetarian source than beef. So, "beef dinner" could very well be more chicken than beef or if you get the right batch, more roadkill alligator than beef or more corn than beef. In other words, if they add the qualifying descriptive term, the primary ingredient(s) does not have to be the one listed in the name of the product. Each listed ingredient must make up at least 3% of the total product. So "Chicken and Fish Formula" must have at least 25% combined chicken and fish and at least 3% fish. Here's another trick. They can also add a cheaper ingredient of plant origin to bring their cost down. So, "Beef and Rice Entree" might contain only 13% beef and 12% rice to total 25% beef and rice combined.
3% Rule (aka the "with rule")
Now it gets really tricky. You need to be on the look out for the word "with" in the name of the product because it is usually designed to trick you into believing the majority of the product is a certain ingredient where in reality it is only a very small portion of the product, i.e. just 3% of the total product. Consider the following name:
Dog Food With Beef
Hungry Chow With Beef
Stew With Beef
Both of the examples above only have to contain 3% beef to be legal. These names can of course be easily confused with foods containing a much larger percentage of beef like:
Beef Dog Food
Beef Chow
Beef Stew
The Flavor Rule
Under the "flavor rule," a specific percentage is not required. The FDA simply states that the food must contain "an amount sufficient to be able to be detected" and "impart a distinctive characteristic"
So, a food called "Chicken Flavor Dog Food" doesn't even have to have 3% chicken as long as the word "flavor" is included in the name and the print size of it is as large as the rest of the name of the product. A dog food company could simply add some chicken "digest" to give it the taste of chicken and call it this.
The way dog food labels read is actually very complicated and difficult for consumers to interpret. It is exceedingly difficult to understand what is really going on. This is absolutely intentional and pet food companies pay lobbyists a lot of money to keep it that way. Although the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does establish some federal regulations (compliance is another ball of worms), by and large the pet food industry polices itself via the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). This is like the fox guarding the hen house.
To give you a sense of how dirty they play, I'm going to describe to you the "rules" they follow for the basic name of the dog food. The name of the product is of course one of the most important factors consumers use in deciding which dog food to buy. I believe this will illustrate how tricky this business really is and how most consumers really have no idea what they are actually feeding to their pets. If they did, I don't think they'd actually feed their beloved dogs the vast majority of commercial canine food out there
95% Rule
The 95% rule applies to dog foods where the main ingredients are derived from mammals, poultry, and fish. It almost always applies to can dog food and not to dry dog food. It includes names like:
Beef For Dogs
Chicken Canine Food
Chicken & Tuna Dog Food
In these examples, at least 95% of the product must be the product(s) listed in the name, not including water. If you exclude the water, it must contain at least 70% of the product listed. So, for example, "Beef For Dogs" must include at least 95% beef, excluding the water content. "Chicken & Tuna Dog Food" must include at least 95% chicken and tuna and there must be more chicken than tuna by weight. Very few dog foods will fall into this category because it is more expensive to make so let's move on.
25% Rule (aka the "dinner rule")
If the ingredient(s) listed in the product name accounts for less than 95% of the total product, excluding water, and more than 25%, excluding water, then the listed ingredient(s) must have a "qualifying descriptive term" such as dinner, entree, or formula. If you count the water, then the listed ingredient(s) must constitute at least 10% of the total product. Here are some examples:
Beef Dinner
Beef Entree
Beef Formula
Beef Platter
Beef Nuggets
Beef Recipe
Chicken and Fish Formula
Beef and Rice Entree
The truth is that a can of dog food that contains beef can also contain dozens of other types of animals. In fact, a product for your dog that lists "beef" in the name with a qualifying descriptive term may in fact have MORE of another type of animal and/or a vegetarian source than beef. So, "beef dinner" could very well be more chicken than beef or if you get the right batch, more roadkill alligator than beef or more corn than beef. In other words, if they add the qualifying descriptive term, the primary ingredient(s) does not have to be the one listed in the name of the product. Each listed ingredient must make up at least 3% of the total product. So "Chicken and Fish Formula" must have at least 25% combined chicken and fish and at least 3% fish. Here's another trick. They can also add a cheaper ingredient of plant origin to bring their cost down. So, "Beef and Rice Entree" might contain only 13% beef and 12% rice to total 25% beef and rice combined.
3% Rule (aka the "with rule")
Now it gets really tricky. You need to be on the look out for the word "with" in the name of the product because it is usually designed to trick you into believing the majority of the product is a certain ingredient where in reality it is only a very small portion of the product, i.e. just 3% of the total product. Consider the following name:
Dog Food With Beef
Hungry Chow With Beef
Stew With Beef
Both of the examples above only have to contain 3% beef to be legal. These names can of course be easily confused with foods containing a much larger percentage of beef like:
Beef Dog Food
Beef Chow
Beef Stew
The Flavor Rule
Under the "flavor rule," a specific percentage is not required. The FDA simply states that the food must contain "an amount sufficient to be able to be detected" and "impart a distinctive characteristic"
So, a food called "Chicken Flavor Dog Food" doesn't even have to have 3% chicken as long as the word "flavor" is included in the name and the print size of it is as large as the rest of the name of the product. A dog food company could simply add some chicken "digest" to give it the taste of chicken and call it this.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Why I Started This Dog Food Ingredients Blog
Dogs have a very special place in my heart. I grew up with a very loyal and playful dog who guarded me when I stayed home alone which was often because my Mom was a single parent. I adopted a puppy from a shelter while in college but she only lived to be 11 years old (turns out that's near average today) but she was so dear to me I think of her almost every day. I loved my dogs like I love my family. In fact, I think of them as family members. That's why I was horrified when I first learned the shocking truth about the dog food ingredients found in most dog food brands displayed on the shelves at the grocery store. This horrifying revelation haunted me for a very long time (well, it still does) and I went through several phases before I decided to post this blog.
My first phase was a denial phase. I just couldn't believe it could be true. It must be another one of those urban legends, right? Wrong! I would discover after some more research that it was indeed true. But I kept asking, how could the ingredients in dog food be soooooo bad and no one tell me about it? Why is it not common knowledge? Why isn't it front page news? Why aren't there articles in every magazine? Well, the bottomline is that it comes down to lobbyists and profit grubbing unethical greediness but I'll write about that later.
My next phase was a research phase... and when i get interested in something I really go to town. I did a MASSIVE amount of research. I bought and read every book I could find and read every report. I even wrote to several dog food companies and talked to several holistic vets (and my traditional vet for my dog and cat who I have since fired!!). The best reference I found was an ebook (well, actually it comes with multiple ebooks) called "Dog Food Secrets" by Andrew Lewis. This ebook seems to have every bit of information I've found elsewhere plus a whole lot more information I didn't find elsewhere. Plus, I get free updates which significant amounts of new information. I've turned several friends onto this ebook. I highly recommend it to anyone who has a dog they love and want to see their dog live an extra long and happy life. It will totally change your thinking and give you all the information you need to change your dog's diet so that he or she lives much longer and stays healthier.
The next phase wasn't very pleasant and I guess I'm still going through it somewhat. It was/is a guilt phase. It hit me hard right in the gut to think about what I had fed to both of my dogs. My guilty conscience made me wonder how many years I could have added to my precious Amber's life if I had just known the truth. I loved her so much. I never bought her the cheap generic brands of dog food. I always bought what I thought were the "best commercial brands" like Purina and Hill's Science Diet which I bought through the vet. If I had just known what I know now...
Next, I got angry and I decided to do something about it. I've decided that if more people knew about what was really in dog food, the secret ingredients that the dog food industry has paid literally millions to keep quiet and cover up with false advertising, things might change and more dog owners might know what they need to do. Every dog owner I know loves their dog so much they'd do almost anything to ensure they live longer and stay healthy. The good news is that it is actually quite easy to extend the life of your dog if you know what to feed them and what not to feed them. So, I've started this blog and I promise to add to it as often as I can. I hope everyone who lands here finds it helpful.
My first phase was a denial phase. I just couldn't believe it could be true. It must be another one of those urban legends, right? Wrong! I would discover after some more research that it was indeed true. But I kept asking, how could the ingredients in dog food be soooooo bad and no one tell me about it? Why is it not common knowledge? Why isn't it front page news? Why aren't there articles in every magazine? Well, the bottomline is that it comes down to lobbyists and profit grubbing unethical greediness but I'll write about that later.
My next phase was a research phase... and when i get interested in something I really go to town. I did a MASSIVE amount of research. I bought and read every book I could find and read every report. I even wrote to several dog food companies and talked to several holistic vets (and my traditional vet for my dog and cat who I have since fired!!). The best reference I found was an ebook (well, actually it comes with multiple ebooks) called "Dog Food Secrets" by Andrew Lewis. This ebook seems to have every bit of information I've found elsewhere plus a whole lot more information I didn't find elsewhere. Plus, I get free updates which significant amounts of new information. I've turned several friends onto this ebook. I highly recommend it to anyone who has a dog they love and want to see their dog live an extra long and happy life. It will totally change your thinking and give you all the information you need to change your dog's diet so that he or she lives much longer and stays healthier.
The next phase wasn't very pleasant and I guess I'm still going through it somewhat. It was/is a guilt phase. It hit me hard right in the gut to think about what I had fed to both of my dogs. My guilty conscience made me wonder how many years I could have added to my precious Amber's life if I had just known the truth. I loved her so much. I never bought her the cheap generic brands of dog food. I always bought what I thought were the "best commercial brands" like Purina and Hill's Science Diet which I bought through the vet. If I had just known what I know now...
Next, I got angry and I decided to do something about it. I've decided that if more people knew about what was really in dog food, the secret ingredients that the dog food industry has paid literally millions to keep quiet and cover up with false advertising, things might change and more dog owners might know what they need to do. Every dog owner I know loves their dog so much they'd do almost anything to ensure they live longer and stay healthy. The good news is that it is actually quite easy to extend the life of your dog if you know what to feed them and what not to feed them. So, I've started this blog and I promise to add to it as often as I can. I hope everyone who lands here finds it helpful.
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