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Steer Clear of Dog Foods With Grain Additives Russell Swift, D.V.M. suggests that grains inhibit the immune system. Grain proteins are less digestible than animal proteins. He feels the presence of these "foreign, non-nutritive protein and carbohydrate particles" may lead to allergies and immune system problems. Dogs do not contain the digestive enzyme in their saliva, amylase, needed to begin the digestion of grains. Chewing, another factor in grain digestion, is not something canines are designed to do. Rather they catch, tear, crunch then swallow their foods in an instinctive way. Digestion occurs in the stomach and the small intestine. It does not begin in the mouth as it does in humans. Depending on the dog, two or three chomps may be all they give, while others might savor their food a little more. Grains are most thoroughly digested in animals with long digestive tracts. Compared to animals who regularly eat plant matter, a dog's digestive tract is about one third of the size. In order to even begin to be digested grain must be either cooked, soaked, fermented or sprouted. Undigested or the poorly digested portion of grains is expelled in the form of large, semi-soft stool. Some cheap grain-based commercial foods will produce almost as much stool volume as food fed, leaving one to wonder what quantity of nutrients have been absorbed from this food? Grains, which are glue-like and break down into sugars, are likely to be a contributing factor in the formation of dental calculus and periodontal disease. Dogs who are fed a diet of kibble that includes large amounts of grains (and does not provide the cleaning action that raw meaty bones have) suffer from periodontal disease, tartar build up and bad breath. Anecdotal evidence suggests that dogs who eat a grain free diet are relatively free of the periodontal disease that plagues many of our kibble eating pets. Author and nutritionist Kymythy Schultze points out that "grains break down into sugar within the body and can supply nourishment for yeast overgrowth". She lists the problems that may be associated with grains as: "allergies, ear infections, skin problems, bloating, joint problems, malabsorption, and digestive disorders". Pat McKay in "Reigning Cats and Dogs" discusses Candida Albicans or chronic yeast infections, describing the symptoms of this serious condition as: "excessive scratching, licking, chronic eye and/or ear infections, rashes, hot spots, colitis, chronic cough, vaginitis, kidney and bladder infections, arthritis, hypothyroidism, and even diabetes". In lecture notes from a seminar given by Dr. Ian Billinghurst B.V.Sc.[Hons], B.Sc.Agr., Dip.Ed., he points out that hip dysplasia was unknown before 1935 when cooked grains and artificial calcium were introduced. By this I am assuming he means the introduction of processed and prepackaged pet foods as opposed to feeding whole grains as a part of a home prepared diet. He feels there is a genetic disposition to hip dysplasia but there is also a huge environmental impact. In his book, Give Your Dog a Bone, Dr. Billinghurst writes: "Dogs that eat grains as the major part of their diet suffer premature ageing and the early development of degenerative diseases, such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, and other pancreatic problems. Many skin problems, allergic problems and arthritic problems respond to the withdrawal of grains from a dog's diet". He also points out "Unfortunately, rice, the most popular of the grains that people feed to their dogs, is the one with the lowest levels of protein, and possibly the poorest quality protein". Dr. Billinghurst believes that most allergies are developed due to feeding young puppies unsuitable foods, setting it up for an allergy later in life. Whole grains and other seeds have phytic acid in their shells. Phytic acid binds to minerals like calcium preventing absorption by the body. In the 1930's a study found that dogs became ill with rickets when they were fed a diet of oatmeal. Phytates prevent mineral absorption in both dogs and humans. Techniques such as soaking and fermenting reduce the amounts of phytic acid in grains by utilizing the natural enzymes found in grains, phytases. Unfortunately, phytases, like many enzymes are fragile and destroyed by commercial processing. Another factor that inhibits nutrient absorption is the lack of the amino acid lysine. Lysine is the amino acid that ensures calcium absorption and distribution in the body. The lack of lysine in combination with phytates makes minerals such as calcium, zinc, selenium and chromium less or unavailable to your dog on a diet that is high in whole grains. Soy is another common ingredient that is sometimes used as a protein and energy source in pet food. Manufacturers also use it to add bulk so that when an animal eats a product containing soy he will feel more sated. While soy has been linked to gas in some dogs, other dogs do quite well with it. Vegetarian dog foods use soy as a protein source. How Nutritious is Your Pet's Food? If you believe your dog may be suffering with food related allergies, before trying him on anything new, you may opt for some down time from the commercial dog food and make your own nutritious food. Once he has stabilized, then you can gradually reintroduce him to a new brand of food. Until then, try the chicken and rice diet. Here's how:
Chicken and Rice Diet:
Boil a whole chicken and when finished boiling, pour
the broth into another large pot allowing the chicken to cool on its own
so you can remove the bones. Once that is done When the rice is done, add fresh or frozen green
beans and/or carrots to the mixture. We sometimes add a few cubes of
chicken bouillon to give it more flavor. This also makes it a bit
saltier so that your dog will drink more water. Once all has cooled, put in portion sized freezer
bags. This is not only healthy but a meal that
Here is the breakdown and notice there is no wheat or corn but lots of vegetables.
Lamb, Lamb meal, whole grain brown rice, rice flour,
white rice, egg product, cracked pearled barley, chicken fat (preserved
with mixed tocopherols and Vitamin E), beet pulp, potatoes, fishmeal,
flaxseed, natural flavor, millet, brewers dried yeast, carrots, peas,
choline chloride, rosemary extract, parsley flake, dried chicory root,
glucosamine hydrochloride, taurine, vitamin E supplement, iron
proteinate, copper proteninate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper
sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteniate,
manganous oxide, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pridoxine
hydrochloride (vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 supplement, menadione sodium
bisulfite (source of vitamin K activity), riboflavin, vitamin D
supplement, folic acid
Principal Display - Product Name First, let's look at understanding the label. As with human food labels, pet food labels are strictly regulated by the federal government, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture, and must follow stringent guidelines. Pet food labels are typically divided into two separate sections: the principal product display and information about the food.
This part of the pet food label contains the brand name of the food as
well as the specific food or formula contained in the can. It lists
which meat is primarily used in the food and may indicate for which age
group the food is intended (growing, maintenance, adult). The product
weight, in grams and ounces, is also included. The principal display
also includes the type of animal the food is meant for - dogs or cats. The Problem Is Your Dog’s Food. Basically, your dog’s food has had the life cooked out of it. Dry and canned dog foods are subjected to extreme heat in the production process. This heat obliterates the digestive enzymes, beneficial bacteria and delicate vitamins and nutrients your dog desperately needs. Your dog’s "good health" account is always running at a deficit because his diet is full of deficiencies. These deficiencies or gaps cause real issues with your dog’s digestive tract and immune system. Over time, these issues in your dog’s body show up as symptoms such as itchy red skin, hot spots, ear infections, excess shedding, dull coat, allergies, funky odors, and on and on.
WHAT'S REALLY IN PET FOOD? Plump whole chickens, choice cuts of beef, fresh grains, and all the wholesome nutrition your dog or cat will ever need. These are the images pet food manufacturers promulgate through the media and advertising. This is what the $11 billion per year U.S. pet food industry wants consumers to believe they are buying when they purchase their products. This report explores the differences between what consumers think they are buying and what they are actually getting. It focuses in very general terms on the most visible name brands -- the pet food labels that are mass-distributed to supermarkets and discount stores -- but there are many highly respected brands that may be guilty of the same offenses. What most consumers don't know is that the pet food industry is an extension of the human food and agriculture industries. Pet food provides a market for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered "unfit for human consumption," and similar waste products to be turned into profit. This waste includes intestines, udders, esophagi, and possibly diseased and cancerous animal parts. Three of the five major pet food companies in the United States are subsidiaries of major multinational companies: Nestlé (Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Mighty Dog), Heinz (9 Lives, Amore, Gravy Train, Kibbles n Bits, Recipe, Vets), Colgate-Palmolive (Hill's Science Diet Pet Food). Other leading companies are Procter & Gamble (Eukanuba and Iams), Mars (Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba), and Nutro. From a business standpoint, multinational companies owning pet food manufacturing companies is an ideal relationship. The multinationals have a captive market in which to capitalize on their waste products, and the pet food manufacturers have a reliable source from which to purchase their bulk materials. There are hundreds of different pet foods available in this country. And while many of the foods on the market are virtually the same, not all of the pet food manufacturing companies use poor quality and potentially dangerous ingredients. Ingredients Although the purchase price of pet food does not always determine whether a pet food is good or bad, the price is often a good indicator of quality. It would be impossible for a company that sells a generic brand of dog food at $9.95 for a 40-lb. bag to use quality protein and grain in its food. The cost of purchasing quality ingredients would be much higher than the selling price. The protein used in pet food comes from a variety of sources. When cattle, swine, chickens, lambs, or any number of other animals are slaughtered, the choice cuts such as lean muscle tissue are trimmed away from the carcass for human consumption. However, about 50% of every food-producing animal does not get used in human foods. Whatever remains of the carcass -- bones, blood, intestines, lungs, ligaments, and almost all the other parts not generally consumed by humans -- is used in pet food, animal feed, and other products. These "other parts" are known as "by-products" or other names on pet food labels. The ambiguous labels list the ingredients, but do not provide a definition for the products listed. The Pet Food Institute -- the trade association of pet food manufacturers -- acknowledges the use of by-products in pet foods as additional income for processors and farmers: "The growth of the pet food industry not only provided pet owners with better foods for their pets, but also created profitable additional markets for American farm products and for the byproducts of the meat packing, poultry, and other food industries which prepare food for human consumption."1 Many of these remnants provide a questionable source of nourishment for our animals. The nutritional quality of meat and poultry by-products, meals, and digests can vary from batch to batch. James Morris and Quinton Rogers, two professors with the Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California at Davis Veterinary School of Medicine, assert that, "There is virtually no information on the bioavailability of nutrients for companion animals in many of the common dietary ingredients used in pet foods. These ingredients are generally by-products of the meat, poultry and fishing industries, with the potential for a wide variation in nutrient composition. Claims of nutritional adequacy of pet foods based on the current Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrient allowances ('profiles') do not give assurances of nutritional adequacy and will not until ingredients are analyzed and bioavailability values are incorporated."2 Meat and poultry meals, by-product meals, and meat-and-bone meal are common ingredients in pet foods. The term "meal" means that these materials are not used fresh, but have been rendered. What is rendering? Rendering, as defined by Webster's Dictionary, is "to process as for industrial use: to render livestock carcasses and to extract oil from fat, blubber, etc., by melting." Home-made chicken soup, with its thick layer of fat that forms over the top when the soup is cooled, is a sort of mini-rendering process. Rendering separates fat-soluble from water-soluble and solid materials, and kills bacterial contaminants, but may alter or destroy some of the natural enzymes and proteins found in the raw ingredients. What can the feeding of such products do to your companion animal? Some veterinarians claim that feeding slaughterhouse wastes to animals increases their risk of getting cancer and other degenerative diseases. The cooking methods used by pet food manufacturers - such as rendering and extruding (a heat-and-pressure system used to "puff" dry foods into nuggets or kibbles) -- do not necessarily destroy the hormones used to fatten livestock or increase milk production, or drugs such as antibiotics or the barbiturates used to euthanize animals. Animal and Poultry Fat You may have noticed a unique, pungent odor when you open a new bag of pet food -- what is the source of that delightful smell? It is most often rendered animal fat, restaurant grease, or other oils too rancid or deemed inedible for humans. Restaurant grease has become a major component of feed grade animal fat over the last fifteen years. This grease, often held in fifty-gallon drums, is usually kept outside for weeks, exposed to extreme temperatures with no regard for its future use. "Fat blenders" or rendering companies then pick up this used grease and mix the different types of fat together, stabilize them with powerful antioxidants to retard further spoilage, and then sell the blended products to pet food companies and other end users.3 These fats are sprayed directly onto dried kibbles or extruded pellets to make an otherwise bland or distasteful product palatable. The fat also acts as a binding agent to which manufacturers add other flavor enhancers such as digests. Pet food scientists have discovered that animals love the taste of these sprayed fats. Manufacturers are masters at getting a dog or a cat to eat something she would normally turn up her nose at.
Wheat, Soy, Corn,
Peanut Hulls, and Other Vegetable Protein Two of the top three ingredients in pet foods, particularly dry foods, are almost always some form of grain products. Pedigree Performance Food for Dogs lists Ground Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, and Corn Gluten Meal as its top three ingredients. 9 Lives Crunchy Meals for cats lists Ground Yellow Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, and Poultry By-Product Meal as its first three ingredients. Since cats are true carnivores -- they must eat meat to fulfill certain physiological needs -- one may wonder why we are feeding a corn-based product to them. The answer is that corn is much cheaper than meat. In 1995, Nature's Recipe pulled thousands of tons of dog food off the shelf after consumers complained that their dogs were vomiting and losing their appetite. Nature's Recipe's loss amounted to $20 million. The problem was a fungus that produced vomitoxin (an aflatoxin or "mycotoxin," a toxic substance produced by mold) contaminating the wheat. In 1999, another fungal toxin triggered the recall of dry dog food made by Doane Pet Care at one of its plants, including Ol' Roy (Wal-Mart's brand) and 53 other brands. This time, the toxin killed 25 dogs. Although it caused many dogs to vomit, stop eating, and have diarrhea, vomitoxin is a milder toxin than most. The more dangerous mycotoxins can cause weight loss, liver damage, lameness, and even death as in the Doane case. The Nature's Recipe incident prompted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to intervene. Dina Butcher, Agriculture Policy Advisor for North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer, concluded that the discovery of vomitoxin in Nature's Recipe wasn't much of a threat to the human population because "the grain that would go into pet food is not a high quality grain."3 Many chemicals are added to commercial pet foods to improve the taste, stability, characteristics, or appearance of the food. Additives provide no nutritional value. Additives 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. Adding chemicals to food originated thousands of years ago with spices, natural preservatives, and ripening agents. In the last 40 years, however, the number of food additives has greatly increased. All commercial pet foods contain preservatives. Some of these are added to ingredients or raw materials by the suppliers, and others may be added by the manufacturer. Because manufacturers need to ensure that dry foods have a long shelf life to remain edible after shipping and prolonged storage, fats included in pet foods are preserved with either synthetic or "natural" preservatives. Synthetic preservatives include butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl gallate, propylene glycol (also used as a less-toxic version of automotive antifreeze), and ethoxyquin. For these antioxidants, there is little information documenting their toxicity, safety, or chronic use in pet foods that may be eaten every day for the life of the animal. Potentially cancer-causing agents such as BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin are permitted at relatively low levels. The use of these chemicals in pet foods has not been thoroughly studied, and long term build-up of these agents may ultimately be harmful. Due to questionable data in the original study on its safety, ethoxyquin's manufacturer, Monsanto, was required to perform a new, more rigorous study. This was completed in 1996. Even though Monsanto found no significant toxicity associated with its own product, in July 1997, the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine requested that manufacturers voluntarily reduce the maximum level for ethoxyquin by half, to 75 parts per million. While some pet food critics and veterinarians believe that ethoxyquin is a major cause of disease, skin problems, and infertility in dogs, others claim it is the safest, strongest, most stable preservative available for pet food. Ethoxyquin is only approved for use in human food for preserving spices, such as cayenne and chili powder, at a level of 100 ppm -- but it would be very difficult to consume as much chili powder every day as a dog would eat dry food. Ethoxyquin has never been tested for safety in cats. Some manufacturers have responded to consumer concern, and are now using "natural" preservatives such as Vitamin C (ascorbate), Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols), and oils of rosemary, clove, or other spices, to preserve the fats in their products. Other ingredients, however, may be individually preserved. Fish meal, and some prepared vitamin mixtures used to supplement pet food, contain chemical preservatives. This means that your companion animal may be eating food containing several types of preservatives. Not all of these are required to be disclosed on the label. However, due to consumer pressure, preservatives used in fat are now required to be listed on the label.
While the law requires studies of direct toxicity of these additives and preservatives, they have not been tested for their potential synergistic effects on each other once ingested. Some authors have suggested that dangerous interactions occur among some of the common synthetic preservatives. Natural preservatives do not provide as long a shelf life as chemical preservatives, but they do not carry the unanswered questions about their safety. The Manufacturing Process- How pet food is made Although feeding trials are no longer required for a food to meet the requirements for labeling a food "complete and balanced," most manufacturers perform palatability studies when developing a new pet food. One set of animals is fed a new food while a "control" group is fed a current formula. The total volume eaten is used as a gauge for the palatability of the food. The larger and more reputable companies do use feeding trials, which are considered to be a much more accurate assessment of the actual nutritional value of the food. They keep large colonies of dogs and cats for this purpose. Dry food is made with a machine called an expander or extruder. First, raw materials are blended, sometimes by hand, other times by computer, in accordance with a recipe developed by animal nutritionists. This mixture is fed into an expander and steam or hot water is added. The mixture is subjected to steam, pressure, and high heat as it is extruded through dies that determine the shape of the final product and puffed like popcorn. The food is allowed to dry, and then is usually sprayed with fat, digests, or other compounds to make it more palatable. Although the cooking process may kill bacteria in pet food, the final product can lose its sterility during the subsequent drying, fat coating, and packaging process. Ingredients are similar for wet, dry, and semi-moist foods, although the ratios of protein, fat, and fiber may change. A typical can of ordinary cat food reportedly contains about 45-50% meat or poultry by-products. The main difference between the types of food is the water content. It is impossible to directly compare labels from different kinds of food without a mathematical conversion to "dry matter basis."5 Wet or canned food begins with ground ingredients mixed with additives. If chunks are required, a special extruder forms them. Then the mixture is cooked and canned. The sealed cans are then put into containers resembling pressure cookers and commercial sterilization takes place. Some manufacturers cook the food right in the can. There are special labeling requirements for pet food. The "all meat" product is covered by AAFCO's "95% Rule": "When an ingredient or a combination of ingredients derived from animals, poultry, or fish constitute 95% or more of the total weight of all ingredients of a pet food, the name or names of such ingredient(s) may form part of the product name of the pet food; provided that where more than one ingredient is part of such product name, then all such ingredient names shall be in the same size, style, and color print. For the purpose of this provision, water sufficient for processing shall be excluded when calculating the percentage of the named ingredient(s). However, such named ingredient(s) shall constitute at least 70% of the total product." Because all-meat diets are not nutritionally balanced, they are uncommon today. The "dinner" product is defined by the 25% Rule: "When an ingredient or a combination of ingredients constitutes at least 25% but less than 95% of the total weight of all ingredients of a dog or cat food mixture, the name or names of such ingredient or ingredients may form a part of the product name of the pet food if each of the ingredients constitute at least 3% of the product weight excluding water used for processing and only if the product name also includes a primary descriptive term such as 'dinner', 'platter,' or similar designation so that the product name describes the contents of the product in accordance with an established law, custom or usage or so that the product name is not misleading. If the names of more than one ingredient are shown, they shall appear in the order of their respective predominance by weight in the product. All such ingredient names and the primary descriptive term shall be in the same size, style and color print. For the purpose of this provision, water sufficient for processing shall be excluded when calculating the percentage of the named ingredient(s). However, such named ingredient(s) shall constitute at least 10% of the total product." The "flavor" product is formulated to have a specific flavor: "No flavor designation shall be used on a pet food label unless the flavor is detected by a recognized test method, or is one the presence of which provides a characteristic distinguishable by the pet. Any flavor designation on a pet food label must either conform to the name of its source as shown in the ingredient statement or the ingredient statement shall show the source of the flavor. The word flavor shall be printed in the same size type and with an equal degree of conspicuousness as the ingredient term(s) from which the flavor designation is derived. Distributors of pet food employing such flavor designation or claims on the labels of the product distributed by them shall, upon request, supply verification of the designated or claimed flavor to the appropriate control official." In essence, the "flavor rule" allows a food to be labeled as "beef flavor" without actually containing any beef meat at all. What happened to the nutrients? Dr. Randy L. Wysong is a veterinarian and produces his own line of pet foods. A long time critic of pet food industry practices, he said, "Processing is the wild card in nutritional value that is, by and large, simply ignored. Heating, cooking, rendering, freezing, dehydrating, canning, extruding, pelleting, baking, and so forth, are so commonplace that they are simply thought of as synonymous with food itself." Processing meat and by-products used in pet food can greatly diminish their nutritional value, but cooking increases the digestibility of cereal grains. To make pet food nutritious, pet food manufacturers must "fortify" it with vitamins and minerals. Why? Because the ingredients they are using are not wholesome, their quality may be extremely variable, and the harsh manufacturing practices destroy many of the nutrients the food had to begin with. Contaminants Commercially manufactured or rendered meat meals and by-product meals are frequently highly contaminated with bacteria because their source is not always slaughtered animals. Animals that have died because of disease, injury, or natural causes are a source of meat for meat meal. The dead animal might not be rendered until days after its death. Therefore the carcass is often contaminated with bacteria such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli. Dangerous E. Coli bacteria are estimated to contaminate more than 50% of meat meals. While the cooking process may kill bacteria, it does not eliminate the endotoxins some bacteria produce during their growth and are released when they die. These toxins can cause sickness and disease. Pet food manufacturers do not test their products for endotoxins. Mycotoxins These toxins comes from mold or fungi, such as vomitoxin in the Nature's Recipe case, and aflatoxin in Doane's food. Poor farming practices and improper drying and storage of crops can cause mold growth. Ingredients that are most likely to be contaminated with mycotoxins are grains such as wheat and corn, cottonseed meal, peanut meal, and fish meal. Labeling The National Research Council (NRC) of the Academy of Sciences set the nutritional standards for pet food until 1974, when the pet food industry created a group called the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). At that time AAFCO chose to adopt the NRC standards rather than develop its own. The NRC standards required feeding trials for pet foods that claimed to be "complete" and "balanced." The pet food industry found the feeding trials too restrictive and expensive, so AAFCO designed an alternate procedure for claiming the nutritional adequacy of pet food. AAFCO also formed "expert committees" for canine and feline nutrition and developed its own standards in the early 1990s. Instead of feeding trials, chemical analysis will determine if a food meets the standards. The problem with chemical analysis is that it does not address the palatability, digestibility, and biological availability of nutrients in pet food. Thus it is unreliable for determining whether a food will provide an animal with sufficient nutrients. To compensate for the limitations of chemical analysis, AAFCO added a "safety factor," which was to exceed the minimum amount of nutrients required to meet the complete and balanced requirements. The digestibility and availability of nutrients is not listed on pet food labels. What Is a Prescription Dog Food Diet?
Nutrition is an important part of your dog's life. Without needed proteins, minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients, your dog's health can suffer. Providing the proper balance of nutrients can also help in certain disease processes. Prescription diets are specially made diets which help in the treatment and care of dogs with certain ailments or diseases. Some of these diets are only intended as a temporary change in food, while others are recommended for the duration of the pet's life. Since these diets are prescribed for particular disorders, they may have extra amounts of some nutrients while removing others. This makes the diet unhealthy, and possibly even harmful for healthy dogs. This is why they are available by prescription only. These diets are set up for dogs which may have a one major problem or a host of things going on with their system such as food allergies, gastrointestinal disorders, arthritis, diabetes, urinary tract disorders, kidney disease, heart disease, liver disease and even some forms of cancer. By combining the nutrients needed for each specific case, diets can aid in recovery or slow down the progression of disease. For example, diets formulated for heart disease have lower protein and lower sodium than is recommended for health adult pets. Diets for food allergies have proteins that the pet may have never had such as kangaroo, duck, potato or venison. Diets for diabetes control have a higher fiber and may have a higher protein than what is considered appropriate for healthy adult dogs. There are also diets for dogs with arthritis that contribute to healthy joints and improve mobility in dogs. |