What you don't know could be bad for your dog, causing illness and even death. Most of us don't pay a lot of attention to what we feed our pets, trusting manufacturer labeling to be accurate and regulations to be followed. The truth is that there really aren't very many rules about what can and can't go into dog food.
Not Fit To Eat
Did you know that the average dog food could contain meat from diseased animals, bones, nervous tissues, skin, organs, hair, ligaments, and even spoiled meat and the bodies of other pets?
Even the good meat that ends up in cat and dog food has undergone heavy processing, losing most of the value it once had. Ingredients like "poultry broth" and "animal meal" are far removed from the meat we imagine.
Animal meal is what's left after a carcass has been processed to remove all the fat and meat. What remains is ground up and dried, resulting in a meal that has a similar texture to corn meal and included in pet food. Broths and similar substances in pet food are made of processed carcasses that come from many different kinds of animals, cooked until a liquid is produced.
Not Illegal
Unfortunately, none of the disgusting or unhealthy ingredients in dog food are illegal. While we have reasonably strict rules about what can be part of human food and those laws are well enforced, pets don't have that protection. Rules about pet food ingredients are much looser and more poorly enforced.
This means that just about anything might turn up in your dog's food, with labeling meaning little. Even the words "healthy and balanced" mean only that there's a particular ratio of protein and fat, as well as some added vitamins and minerals.
Toxic Additives
All of us have probably heard about the recent recalls due to melamine contamination. What you might not know is that this isn't the only additive in pet food that might cause illness or death. There are a number of preservatives used in pet food that cause real problems in humans who work with them, and could cause liver and kidney failure or cancer in your dog over time.
Not Only Cheap Brands
Unfortunately, it's not just the cheap brands that are causing the problem. High end and organic foods are also poorly regulated. They might be higher quality, but there's no good way to tell what ingredients they're using. That can make it extremely hard to find foods that are appropriate for your dog, since even those recommended by the vet could be dangerous.
What Can You Do?
There are a number of things you can do to protect your dog. First, learn to read the label - ingredients higher on the label are in larger percentages. That means you should look for named meats instead of generic terms, broths or meals.
Learn the preservatives and additives that can hurt your dog's health, and avoid foods that are heavy on grains - they're not the natural food for dogs or cats. You can also learn to create high quality dog foods on your own - there are many good recipes out there for the dedicated pet owner. Just make sure you learn to do something, because most pet foods are dangerous for your dog. - 29895
Not Fit To Eat
Did you know that the average dog food could contain meat from diseased animals, bones, nervous tissues, skin, organs, hair, ligaments, and even spoiled meat and the bodies of other pets?
Even the good meat that ends up in cat and dog food has undergone heavy processing, losing most of the value it once had. Ingredients like "poultry broth" and "animal meal" are far removed from the meat we imagine.
Animal meal is what's left after a carcass has been processed to remove all the fat and meat. What remains is ground up and dried, resulting in a meal that has a similar texture to corn meal and included in pet food. Broths and similar substances in pet food are made of processed carcasses that come from many different kinds of animals, cooked until a liquid is produced.
Not Illegal
Unfortunately, none of the disgusting or unhealthy ingredients in dog food are illegal. While we have reasonably strict rules about what can be part of human food and those laws are well enforced, pets don't have that protection. Rules about pet food ingredients are much looser and more poorly enforced.
This means that just about anything might turn up in your dog's food, with labeling meaning little. Even the words "healthy and balanced" mean only that there's a particular ratio of protein and fat, as well as some added vitamins and minerals.
Toxic Additives
All of us have probably heard about the recent recalls due to melamine contamination. What you might not know is that this isn't the only additive in pet food that might cause illness or death. There are a number of preservatives used in pet food that cause real problems in humans who work with them, and could cause liver and kidney failure or cancer in your dog over time.
Not Only Cheap Brands
Unfortunately, it's not just the cheap brands that are causing the problem. High end and organic foods are also poorly regulated. They might be higher quality, but there's no good way to tell what ingredients they're using. That can make it extremely hard to find foods that are appropriate for your dog, since even those recommended by the vet could be dangerous.
What Can You Do?
There are a number of things you can do to protect your dog. First, learn to read the label - ingredients higher on the label are in larger percentages. That means you should look for named meats instead of generic terms, broths or meals.
Learn the preservatives and additives that can hurt your dog's health, and avoid foods that are heavy on grains - they're not the natural food for dogs or cats. You can also learn to create high quality dog foods on your own - there are many good recipes out there for the dedicated pet owner. Just make sure you learn to do something, because most pet foods are dangerous for your dog. - 29895
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Click Here to discover which dog foods have been proven to harm a dog's health. Find out what the best dog food is to make sure your pooch is in perfect health.
