Dog Food Dangers

Americans are on a thin-down, eat-healthier, live longer trend. In the midst of getting ourselves healthier we have forgotten about our pets. Obesity in dogs is on the rise. At the grocery store, while buying ourselves the best foods, we often don't give a second thought to the foods that are have chosen for Fido. Do you know what's in your dogs food? What is the first ingredient? Why did you chose that brand or formula?

The first thing to remember when researching the ingredients in your dry dog food is that the label does not tell you the quality of the ingredient listed. Yes, the cheaper brand may list chicken as it's first ingredient, but is that chicken pet quality or human quality? The quality of ingredients is the main difference and benefit of many dry dog food brands.

Ingredients to avoid:
Chicken-by-product Meal consists of the rendered, clean parts of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good processing practice. Chicken by-product meal is an inferior source of protein for dogs. Is there a difference between Chicken-by-product Meal and Chicken Meal? Yes, Chicken Meal is usually chicken meat and bones ground up, however Chicken Meal is still an inferior source of protein, the label should say Chicken or Chicken Meat.

Why does an ingredient for dog food require a Material Safety Data Sheet? http://www.griffinind.com/Griffin%2004%20Site/PDFs/MSDS%20sheets/MSDS%20PoultryByProductMeal.pdf

Corn Gluten Meal is a by-product of corn through the wet milling process. Corn gluten is added to absorb the toxins that may be in the rendered parts when added to the cooking process. Corn is the #3 cause of allergies in dogs. Dogs do not digest corn well and would not eat corn in the wild. Corn gluten is a cheap source of protein and is used by many companies as a filler.

Why is a dog food ingredient also an herbicide? http://www.gluten.iastate.edu/

Rice Gluten Meal is a by-product of rice through the wet milling process. Much like corn gluten meal, rice gluten meal is a cheap source of protein and is used as a filler. According to the AAFCO, "Rice gluten meal has a biologic value 50% less than chicken meal."

Soybean Meal is the by-product obtained after grinding the flakes which remain after the removal of soybean oil. Many believe that soybeans are the #1 cause of allergies in dogs. Soybean meal is high in petroleum residue. The petroleum residue is toxic to a dogs liver and kidneys.

Beef Tallow is from the tissue of rendered cows. Beef Tallow makes the food appealing to the dogs palate, but is low in linoleic acid. Linoleic acid is essential for good skin and coats.

Sorghum is a good source of carbohydrates. Sorghum is a cheap, cheap, filler that is low in digestability. Sorghum is used by commercial brands as a filler.

Animal Fat is from the tissue of mammals or poultry in the process of rendering. The animal fat is a by-product of meat processing. The animal origin is never known and the resulting "fat" is low in linoleic acid. The fat is then cooked which lowers the nutritional value farther.

Why do companies use fillers?
Inexpensive fillers help to fill the nutritional requirements set up for dog food. Fillers keep the food inexpensive to make, however the more fillers that are in the dog food the more food your dog will need to eat to absorb the required nutrients. Fillers are also what cause allergies, loose stools, gas and obesity in dogs. The only reason for using fillers is to make the food less expensive.

Have you ever wondered why switching foods causes loose stools and gas in dogs? The gas and loose stools are from the fillers within the dogs foods. A high quality food can be fed to your dog without and weaning and mixing. You dog may have loose stools and gas when switched to the new food, not because the food is bad for them or hard on their stomachs. The dogs liver and kidneys are eliminating the toxins that have been stored while eating an inferior food.

So what companies have high quality dry dog foods?
There are many companies that have high quality inexpensive dry dog foods. The three companies that I have researched and that I feed to my animals are Merrick, Wysong, and Wellness. Each of these companies uses human grade ingredients and no fillers.

Merrick has won many awards for their quality dry dog foods, canned dog foods, and canned cat foods. Merrick has many varieties that can be fed to diabetic animals.
*Uses USDA inspected, deboned meat.
*Uses whole fruits and vegetables.
*Organic chicken is used in many formulas.
*No rendered ingredients.
*No allergens.
*No artificial colors or flavors.
*No chemical preservatives.
*Family owned and made in the USA.

Wellness is known for their Simple Foods line of dry foods. The Simple Foods contain fewer ingredients and is formulated for dogs with sensitive stomachs or dogs that are prone to allergies.
*Uses USDA inspected, deboned meat.
*Uses fresh fruits, vegetables, and plant extracts.
*Includes whole grains.
*All formulas are made with filtered water.
*No rendered ingredients.
*No allergens.
*No artificial colors or flavors.
*No chemical preservatives.

Wysong was founded in 1979 by Dr. Wysong. Wysong makes many nutritional products for pets and people. The design and manufacture all of their products.
*Fresh, whole, human grade ingredients.
*Whole grains and legumes.
*Balanced Fatty acids.
*Probiotics.
*No artificial colors or preservatives.
*Made in the USA.