Secret #3...
When the words premium and choice mean basically nothing
according to the quality of petfood, and when some pet foods use chicken feet
and euthanized animals within their food - how do a pet owner know what they
are getting back in their pets' food?
This big secret can be found in ingredient definitions.
Unlike 'people' food which you could just about look at the food to discover
the quality, pet food is far different. All 'people' food must meet particular
USDA (Usa Department of Agriculture) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
guidelines. A similar isn't true for petfood. Chicken feet and euthanized cows
are certainly not allowed in people food for obvious reasons - they've got no
nutritional value or they are often dangerous to use. A similar just isn't true
for pet food. The only way to know if those chicken feet or euthanized cows are
in your pet's foods are to be aware what ingredients they might be used in.
The common pet food ingredient 'Meat and Bone Meal' is
essentially a combination of many different discarded left-overs through the
human food industry. Aspects of 'meat and bone meal' is usually anything from
cow heads, stomachs, and intestines, to (horrifying but true) euthanized
animals including cows, horses and monkeys and horses from veterinarian
offices, pet shelters, and farms. And in conjunction with those euthanized
animals the pet food also offers the drug pentabarbitol that's utilized to
euthanize your pet. 'Meat and bone meal' may contain left-over restaurant
grease, and diseased (including cancerous) meat tissues cut faraway from
slaughtered animals. To put it differently, this widely used ingredient is
really a combination of highly inferior and very dangerous left-overs through
the human food industry.
Your pet food ingredient 'Meat By-Product' or 'Meat
By-Product Meal' is in fact a similar thing as 'meat and bone meal'. It is a
highly inferior petfood ingredient containing literally who-knows-what.
Another similar ingredient for the above is 'Animal Digest'.
Towards the chicken feet I discussed earlier - this item can
be found in the constituents 'Chicken By-Product' or 'Poultry By-Product' or
'Chicken By-Product Meal' or 'Poultry By-Product Meal'. Any left-overs in the
chicken or poultry division - including although not limited by chicken feet,
skin including some feathers, chicken or poultry heads, and intestines are only
during these ingredients. It is not important regarding health of the bird -
sick, healthy, dead, dying...all is roofed in these ingredients.
Out of your tender 's what you need to do...Prior to you
buying any petfood, flip the bag over and pay attention to the list of
ingredients. All these ingredients could well be listed inside first five or
ten ingredients. If you notice ANY of those ingredients - it is my suggestion
not to ever purchase that food. Remember - chicken feet and euthanized animals
do analyze as protein. That's all of that is needed in petfood - only the
correct analysis.
Another little trick some petfood manufacturers use in this
category is definitely grains and chemical additives to grain products to
further improve the protein percentages. Which can be exactly the source of the
pet food recall that began in March 2007 - chemical proteins. Two different
chemical additives - which have NO vitamins and minerals to pets, but that
analyzed as protein - were included in a grain product (wheat gluten, corn
gluten, or rice gluten) solely to provide a cheap protein. Thousands of pets
died and countless others became ill because not a soul counted on the issue
with the blend of both of these chemicals would cause kidney and urinary
blockage. Again, their secret will be the product has to analyze as developing
a particular volume of protein - we're not required to provide a quality meat
protein.
While you are studying the ingredient listing - it's also
advisable to be aware of the quantity of grains (corn, wheat, rice) and/or the
number of grain products (corn gluten, whole corn, ground corn, whole wheat
grains, ground wheat, wheat gluten, rice, brown rice, brewers rice, soy, as
well as on and also on) are listed from the first five possibly even
ingredients. If you learn several grain placed in the very first five
ingredients - that is indicating this pet food is acquiring a few of its
protein from grains.
How come protein obtained from grains essential for someone
to know? Several reasons - first science proves that dogs and cats alike
require and thrive on a meat protein. When a pet food is obtaining protein from
grain sources, the pet seriously isn't obtaining the meat that it has to
thrive. Second, in the event the grain goods are a corn gluten, wheat gluten,
or rice gluten you are taking risking potential chemicals for example melamime
included in it used strictly to further improve the protein analysis. Mind you,
melamime is just about the chemicals discovered to be explanation for the March
2007 pet-food recall. And there is yet another nervous about grains -
aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is a deadly mold that is present with corn, wheat, and soy
and accountable for a number of other pet-food recalls it is likely you never
found out about. In December 2005, Diamond Petfood contained moldy grains that
killed over 100 pets prior to the product was recalled - all on account of
aflatoxin.
It is my recommendation to prevent any pet food which
contains corn, wheat, or soy in a variation. The chance is simply too high.
Secret #4...
I have more recommendations for you to look for in the
ingredient listings...preservative chemicals. An extremely well kept secret in
the pet-food market is their common use of preservative chemicals. BHA/BHT are
extremely popular additives found in pet-food and science has linked those to
tumors and cancer. Another common preservative is ethoxyquin that has known
risks to cancer. Ethoxyquin is just allowed in human food in most spices with
the microscopic proportions. Nonetheless it is allowed in greater proportions
in petfood.
Should you scan the ingredient listings, you will be looking
for BHA/BHT and ethoxyquin listed anywhere. Commonly BHA/BHT can be used to
preserve body fat inside food which in turn is found higher on the list. And
also hunt for all of these chemicals towards the end in the ingredient listing.
Personally, I wouldn't touch a pet food that contained these preservative
chemicals. You will want pet-food that may be preserved naturally - common
natural preservatives are 'natural mixed tocopherols' or 'vitamin E'.
Secret #5...
The most beneficial food to provide for your pet can be a
well-crafted food using human grade ingredients. That ought to be not so
difficult...Tips on how to discover that? You realize that petfood
manufacturers aren't allowed to make any statement about quality or grade of
ingredients, the only method you could find the grade or quality of your pets'
meals are to call the producer and enquire of them.
Now, let's imagine you call the ABC petfood company and
enquire the question "Will be your Premium commercial dog food and Premium
cat food made using human grade ingredients?" It could be that you will
get the response yes, we use human grade ingredients - when actually a couple
of ingredients are human grade. Here's the to asking...question them if they're
APHIS European certified.
Pet food manufacturers which might be APHIS European
certified assures you that each one ingredients inside their pet food are human
grade. APHIS - Animal Plant Health Inspection Services - is often a division on
the USDA. APHIS European certification provides this pet-food manufacturer
while using the possiblity to ship their foods/treats to Europe. When importing
pet foods in the US, Countries in europe demand that each one ingredients are
human grade thereby require this certification. Most petfood manufacturers that
have APHIS European certification will not ship some to Europe - physical
exercises make use of this as a means to assure their clientele towards the
good quality of the ingredients.
Again, you simply won't see this in label - it isn't
allowed. You need to call the maker and have. Sometimes the associated with the
pet food won't know what you will be dealing with after you question APHIS
certification - in that case, it is possible to assume they may not be APHIS
European certified. APHIS European certification is usually a bonus to pet
owners - it isn't mandatory or maybe suggested that any pet food manufacturer
glance at the extra steps to obtain this. This is a special effort some pet
foods follow through to express to their customers they Worry about the quality
of their items. Personally, I might Not purchase a pet-food which doesn't
contain it.
One more thing, if you cannot get to the pet-food
manufacturer, or they can't return your call with a short period of time frame,
lose their number! Any organization that doesn't place a high priority on
answering customers questions - doesn't deserve your small business!
Continue reading Seven Secrets To Choosing A Safe & Healthy Cat Food - PART 3