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Feline Nutrition Is your pet being poisoned?The truth about commercial pet foods. by Jessica Campanelli Why are our pets dying younger and getting sicker than they did in the past? The incidence of cancer in pets has increased dramatically. The development of allergies in pets has reached epidemic proportions, and autoimmune diseases, obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease are plaguing our pets like never before. As pet owners we assume there are regulatory bodies, associations, or governmental agencies to protect the welfare of our pets and respect our rights as consumers. We expect there to be tight safety regulations governing the ingredients that go into commercial foods our pets consume. The truth? There are none. We are on our own. What are You Feeding Your Pet? Non-human grade commercial pet foods can include dead zoo animals, road kill, condemned slaughterhouse remains, dead, diseased, dying, and disabled animals (the 4 Ds), expired supermarket meat (along with its Styrofoam packaging), and euthanized dogs and cats (along with their collars and ID tags). There are no regulations which prohibit the rendering of cats and dogs, and since testing is not required by law, pet food companies can claim that they are unaware of the use of euthanized companion aninIals in the raw materials they purchase. This poses a severe health hazard because euthanized animals are tainted with sodium pentobarbital (euthanizing drug) which our pets later ingest from commercial pet foods. Euthanized cats and dogs are a cheap source of protein, and the pet food industry is a convenient and profitable method of disposal. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is the us organization responsible for regulating labeling and ingredient definitions for pet foods. AAFCO defines meat by-products as "the non-rendered clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. ..lungs, spleen, kidney, brain, liver, blood, bone, partially defatted low temperature fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents." Tuberculosis-tainted lungs and parasite-infected livers are legally acceptable in pet food. Other ingredients that can be legally used in pet foods according to AAFCO's ingredient definitions include hydrolyzed hair, dehydrated garbage, manure, swine waste, ruminant waste, poultry waste, and undried processed aninIal waste products. Inedible or rotten potatoes, fats or oils from frying operations, and beet pulp (residue from sugar beets) are other items legally used in pet foods. It you are not buying a certified human-grade pet food, your pet is being used as a dumping ground for human waste. AlthoughAAFCO outlines nutritional adequacy based on percentages, they do not take into consideration the digestibility or bio-availability of the nutrients. James Morris and Quinton Rogers, professors with the Department of Molecular , Biosciences at the e University of California at Davis, Veterinary School of Medicine, state that, "Claims of nutritional adequacy of pet foods based on the current AAFCO nutrient allowances do not give assurances of nutritional adequacy and will not until ingredients are analyzed and bio-availability values are incorporated." A Lethal Combination In addition to the ingredients already mentioned, commercial pet foods contain a toxic mix of hormones used to promote growth and fatten up cattle, poisonous pesticides and insecticides, heavy metals, and illegal drugs.Also present are bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, campylobacter, listeria, and antibiotics which can withstand even high temperatures used in rendering. Another serious concern is the use of preservatives in commercial pet foods. For example, the preservative ethoxyquin is known to be linked to an array of serious health problems including cancer and organ failure. Because pet food manufacturers themselves do not add ethoxyquin but rather obtain their raw materials from suppliers who use it, they are not required to list it on their labels. When animals are found to contain dangerous levels of these drugs, hormones, or metals they are tagged as "Inspected and Condemned" for human consumption. What happens to meat "Inspected and Condemned"? It is processed into pet food and relabeled as "nutritionally balanced" and "recommended by veterinarians and top breeders" to be fed to our pets on a daily basis. Conflict of Interest In 1998, the Animal Protection Institute and the Veterinarians for Animal Rights published a study reporting that over 90% of the veterinarians responding had concerns about pet foods. Then why do so many veterinarians sell commercial pet foods in their practices? Most veterinary doctors acquire nutritional training from pet food manufacturers. From funding nutrition professorships to distributing free textbooks on animal nutrition to veterinary students, pet food companies playa major role in veterinary colleges, supplying them with free pet food, and making huge donations to them and to the American Veterinary Association. When Dr. Tom Lonsdale, a veterinarian in Australia, spoke out against the dangers of commercial pet foods, he was threatened with deregistration. When one looks closer at the leading pet food manufacturers in the $11 billion US pet food industry, an interesting trend emerges. They are all subsidiaries of large multinational corporations. The multinational corporations have a market to dispose of their waste materials while the pet food manufacturers have a source from which to acquire their raw materials. From a business standpoint, this is a very profitable relationship; however what does this mean for the health of your pet? Jessica Campanelli is a canine behavior therapist and co-owner of Naturalanimal and Pawtisserie Holistic Pet Center. You can contact Jessica at (314) 488-4729 or www.naturalanimal.ca. More Info
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