Karens K9s Dog Food Brand Review Revised 7-16-12
Transcription
Karens K9s Dog Food Brand Review Revised 7-16-12
Karen’s K9s—It’s All About The Food! Karen Murray Let’s face it, 90% of dog and cat food companies do not give you the full picture! Visualize the “Beneful Dog Food” commercial we all see almost every day while watching TV— gorgeous fresh juicy vegetables, succulent ripe mouth-watering fruit, stunning whole grains, and tender luscious lean chunks of chicken breast and steak falling from the sky into an beautifully bright colored package! Or a picture a chef in white with an impressive chef’s hat on, standing over a dazzling, fresh whole chicken, preparing to cut up this perfect, spotless bird and place it into your dog’s bowl! Yes—that is what those types of companies would like you to believe but here is the truth behind what those ingredients REALLY are. Keep in mind that the first 5 or 6 ingredients listed on the packages provide the most nutritional value to your dog. Below is the list of ingredients that Beneful Dog Food contains. Do you think that your dog could thrive and be healthy without any illnesses’ until he’s 10 or 12 years old by eating the following ingredients? Would you want your beloved furry family member to eat this? Remember: YOU are the care givers. YOU decide what they eat every day. YOU are the one that purchases and provides. YOU decide what their lives will be like. YOU be the judge . Beneful Healthy Radiance Dog Food (“A Balance Of Real, Wholesome Ingredients And Quality Nutrition.” www.beneful.com) Ground Yellow Corn: In processed animal foods, a filler is an ingredient added to provide dietary fiber, bulk or some other non-nutritive purpose. Products like CORN and corncobs, feathers, soy, cottonseed hulls, peanut hulls, citrus pulp, screening, weeds, straw, and cereal by-products are often included as inexpensive fillers or low-grade fiber content. Many dog food companies are famous for using the cheapest grains they can find… usually by-products and rejects of the human food industry… cereal grain leftovers classified as “unfit for human consumption”. Corn is prone to deadly molds and is a risky ingredient if not carefully tested by the dog food manufacturing company. It has also been the root of numerous recalls in the past. Corn has been linked to many dog ailments such as allergies, joint swelling, BLOTE and there have been some cases of aflatoxin contamination associated with corn in dog food. Corn metabolizes in dogs similar to the way sugar metabolizes in humans. It's like feeding a child food that is high in corn syrup. The dog may experience energy rushes, crashes, hyperactivity and a hard time concentrating. Studies have also shown that high doses of corn can inhibit serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is an important chemical that reduces stress and anxiety. Dog food companies can also use GM (Genetically Modified) grains without declaring it on the labels! Dog food companies will not tell you if they use real, honest to goodness corn or GM (Genetically Modified) corn. You will have to decide for yourself whether or not you trust the brand of food you are using. But here is what a team of scientists found when Monsanto had to hand over its data after losing a court action to protect this information from the public: Effects of the GM corn were mostly concentrated in kidney and liver function, the two major diet detoxification organs, but in detail differed with each GM type. In addition, some effects on heart, adrenal, spleen and blood cells were also frequently noted.” See full report at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793308/?log%24=activity If a dog was lost out in the country and starving to death, would he run into a field and chow down on ears of corn or stems of wheat OR would he find some road kill or a nest of bunnies and eat that? In other words, dogs were not meant to eat corn or wheat. Chicken By-Product Meal: These are ground parts from poultry carcasses such as feet, heads, feathers, intestines, tumors, necks and undeveloped eggs and can included any rendered material including cancerous and diseased tissues. See “FACT” below. Corn Gluten Meal: From AAFCO: The definition of Corn Gluten Meal is "the dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm. It may contain fermented corn extractives and/or corn germ meal." Again, remember, this could be Genetically Modified corn. Whole Wheat Flour: Corn and WHEAT allergies are showing up as common allergens the same way they're showing up for people. They're cheap fillers in pet food and a buildup of them in your pet's body can cause an allergic reaction. Animal Fat: “This ingredient determined by the FDA to possibly contain euthanized animals.” See “FACT” below. Rice Flour: The rice flour in dog food is commonly a byproduct of human food production. Any type of “flours” in dog and cat food has no nutritional value, it is simply a filler. Animal Digest: This meal is covered with charcoal and labeled "unfit for human consumption" before processing it into pet food. Digest can also include intestines, as well as the contents of those intestines, such as stool, bile, parasites and chemicals. “This ingredient is determined by the FDA to possibly contain euthanized animals”. See “FACT” below. SUGAR – SERIOUSLY???? It is the 9th ingredient listed on the package! Sugars promote tooth decay, diminish immune function, and can aggravate illnesses such as diabetes. Yellow #5: From the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI): “Yellow #5: May be contaminated with such cancer-causing substances as benzidine and 4-aminobiphenyl (or chemicals that the body converts to those substances). Red #40: From CSPI: "Red 40, the most-widely used dye, may accelerate the appearance of immune-system tumors in mice. The dye causes hypersensitivity (allergy-like) reactions in a small number of consumers and might trigger hyperactivity in children. Considering the safety questions and its non-essentiality, Red 40 should be excluded from foods unless and until new tests clearly demonstrate its safety." Yellow #6: From CSPI: "Yellow 6 caused adrenal tumors in animals, though that is disputed by industry and the FDA. It may be contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals and occasionally causes severe hypersensitivity reactions. Yellow 6 adds an unnecessary risk to the food supply." Blue #2: From CSPI: "Blue 2 cannot be considered safe given the statistically significant incidence of tumors, particularly brain gliomas, in male rats. It should not be used in foods." Menadione sodium bisulfite complex: synthetic vitamin K: Also termed as “menadione”, ‘sodium bisulfate’, “K-3”: Hazard information regarding menadione lists “carcinogenic effects” and states “the substance is toxic to kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage.” Propylene Glycol: the 10th ingredient of 49 ingredients: The Material Safety Data Sheet from the Department of Commerce provides the following warning regarding ingestion of propylene glycol: “May cause gastrointestinal irritation with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Low hazard for usual industrial handling. May cause emoglobinuric nephrosis (which is oliguric renal failure: defined as an abrupt or rapid decline in renal filtration function or decreased output of urine). May cause changes in surface EEG.” http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/HTMLdocs/PropyleneGlycol.htm Copper Sulfate: is used is to control algae growths in impounded waters, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and irrigation and irrigation drainage conveyance systems. Copper sulfate is also registered for use as a weed seed treatment, for treatment of tree wounds, for control of fungi and fungal/bacterial slimes occurring in wood, and in water systems, including sewer pumps and force mains, pulp and paper mills, cooling towers and spray ponds. Sodium Selenate: Science has since learned that these inorganic selenium sources (sodium selenite most commonly used in pet foods) can be toxic in high doses; effecting an animal’s blood, liver, and muscles. ScienceLab.com states sodium selenite “may be toxic to blood, kidneys, liver, skin, central nervous system. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage. FACT: Unidentified Meats or Unidentified Fats: If the species cannot be identified, neither can the quality. Avoid ANY dog food products that use unidentified meats such as ‘Meat and Bone Meal’, ‘Meat Meal’, ‘By-Product Meal’, ‘Animal Digest’, and ANY unidentified fat such as “animal fat ” or “poultry fat” products in their foods. The problem with this is that the “unidentified fat” and “unidentified meats” are made from mostly unknown, non-specific sources including… Dead (no limit as to how long the animal has been dead and rotting in the sun before the renderer picks it up. The Maggots, Carpet Beetles, Hide Beetles and other parasites crawling all over the body are just a little extra added protein! ), dying, diseased, or disabled farm animals, rejects from slaughterhouse waste, meat by-products, discarded restaurant trap grease (yes, really), road kill (again, crawling with the little critters I mentioned above), dead zoo animals (that were probably pumped full of drugs while vets were trying to save them) and euthanized companion animals. The FDA writes contradictory statements to allow protection and leeway to the pet food industries. http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dailys/01/Mar01/031501/c004175.pdf Statement: A http://www.fda.gov/opacom/laws/fdcact/fdcact3.htm Contradiction to Statement A relating to Law 402(a)(5) http://www.fda.gov/ora/compliance_ref/cpg/cpgvet/cpg690-300.html READING LABELS: DON’T look at the packaging! The beautiful pictures of food that you see on the front are probably not what is in the bag! Read the ingredients! Investigate your dog food, no matter how BIG the name is! EXAMPLE: “In the Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, first published late last year, authors D. M. Raditic, R. L. Remillard, and K. C. Tater provides “ELISA” testing (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbant Assay) for common food antigens in four dry dog foods used in dietary elimination trials. This study took a close look at four venison kibble dog foods for common food allergens (a venison dog food would be commonly recommended as an alternative diet for dogs suffering from food allergies). They found that three of the four dog foods tested – that did NOT have soy listed on the ingredient panel – tested positive for soy. One of the four venison dog foods tested positive for beef, yet no beef ingredient was listed on the ingredient panel.” “The first ten listed ingredients typically make up more than 80% of the total content of dry dog foods. Even more reliable as far as indicators go is the advice to look for the first named source of fat on the ingredient list. Whatever ingredients are listed before this fat, along with the fat itself, usually make up the majority of the dog food. Ingredients listed after the first fat source, tend to be present only in small amounts. But if you see a supposed meat source listed after "chicken fat," you can safely assume there isn't enough of this meat to matter for nutritional purposes.” The first 5 or 6 ingredients are the most important as these make up the majority of the weight of the food which are listed in descending order. Weight is measured BEFORE being processed. Don’t be mislead by thinking that if the identified “meat” of the product is listed first that it is the primary ingredient. We’ll use chicken as the example meat. On the list, if chicken is followed by ground corn, whole wheat, barley, and rice flour, for instance, those last 4 ingredients weighed together are the bulk of the food…….not the chicken! So it is grain based! Be Aware: Because protein and fat levels are expressed as “minimums”. Foods may contain significantly more protein and especially more fat than stated on the dog food label. This can be a problem for dogs that need a diet with reduced protein or fat content for health reasons. If it does have a higher fat content than listed on the bag, this would increase and unknown amount of calories that could actually make your dog gain weight, by the month! Pet food companies are not required to list the % of the meat, grain or fat that their products contain. Here is another “play on words”, so to speak, that the AAFCO allows us to become mislead by when reading labels! FOUR ENTIRELY DIFFERENT QUALITY CANNED DOG FOODS. But aren’t they all lamb? "Lamb and Rice" – needs to contain at least 95% lamb "Lamb Dinner" – needs to contain at least 25% lamb "Dog Food with Real Lamb" – needs to contain as little as 3% lamb "Lamb Flavored Dog Food" – needs to contain merely a "trace" of lamb. When a label reads "With Real Lamb," a consumer may assume that he is purchasing quality lamb dog food for his pet. However, according to AAFCO's "Nutrient Profiles," a label may use "with" if it contains 3% of the meat, excluding water. So, what should you look for? When evaluating any dog food… you’re always looking for a high quality, digestible, identified meat-based protein… as close to the top of the list as possible. So, when you are reading the list, if there isn’t a quality identified protein in the first few ingredients… …don’t buy it! PROTEIN is the most important ingredient in a dogs’ diet. You don’t want to see a “mystery meat”. A non-specified meat is just that. . . . non-specific. . .it can be just about any type of animal source! In a quality kibble dog food, you want to see an identified meat or identified meat meal listed as the first and second ingredients. There should be a third identified protein within the top ingredients before the listed identified fat. An example would be “salmon/salmon meal” or “venison/venison meal” or eggs. The following are examples of “meat” and “meat meal” using chicken as an illustration: Chicken and Chicken Meal are ingredients that provide essential meat protein. Chicken “meat” contains 70% water and 15% protein before processing and looses over half its weight during the processing. Chicken “meal” has had the water and fat removed and it doesn’t change weight during processing making it 10% water and over 50% protein. So the chicken meal actually provides more protein nutrition by weight. That being said, what if the bag listed the following: chicken (not meal), lamb (not meal), brown rice, barley, white rice, chicken fat: recalling that the identified “meat” (here being chicken and lamb) is 70% water, the brown rice, barley and white rice would out-weigh the meat content making this food grain based. GRAINS: Things to consider: *Anything with a base of corn, soy, and wheat are three of the biggest culprits as far as food allergies go in dogs. These are also called “fillers”. *Watch for “splitting”. This is where the manufacturer “splits” the total amount of a single ingredient into different component parts to make it appear as though there is a lesser amount of the ingredient. The same ingredient may be listed multiple times. Examples of splitting corn: ground yellow corn, corn bran, corn meal, corn gluten meal, corn germ meal, corn flour. Illustration: if the ingredient list on the label read: “chicken meal, ground corn, brown rice, corn meal, corn gluten meal, lamb…” It doesn’t look too bad because the top ingredient is chicken meal. But is it really? Probably not. The manufacturer has “split” the corn content into component parts of ‘ground corn’ “corn meal” and ‘corn gluten meal’. When totaling the whole thing, the corn content is greater than the chicken meal (remember that we don’t know the percentage of each ingredient, only the order of weight). *Pet owners that choose to feed their dog or cat a food that includes grains, must trust that the manufacturer did proper testing for aflatoxin contamination of the grains used (corn, wheat, rice, barley, glutens, gluten meals etc.) Pet food regulations do not require this testing for mycotoxin contamination. It is only recommended. You can contact the dog food company and ask them this specific question. It is possible that day to day minute mycotoxin consumption could have a long term adverse effect on the pet. Want to know more about this subject? http://www.aseanfood.info/Articles/11021372.pdf You may want to consider a kibble with vegetables and fruits included instead of grains. FAT: Fat plays a very important role in a dogs’ diet. It gives him a source of energy, healthy skin and coat, keeps him warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Fat in kibble has to be preserved so that is doesn’t become rancid. On the package you should make sure that it is preserved with safe, natural antioxidants such as Vitamins E (mixed tocopherols) or C, or rosemary or sage extracts that are very effective. Avoid the most commonly used synthetic antioxidants that are used to preserve fat and other items in kibble: BHA, BHT (propyl gallate) or Ethoxyquin (labeled as “E” not vitamin E). There is evidence of cancer, interference with hormone function, liver or kidney damage, possible trigger of severe allergic reactions that constrict breathing, can cause stomach irritations, skin sensitivity and itching. Keeping your pet safe from eating one of these risky preservatives every day for life can be avoided just by reading labels. CAUTION: some of these ingredients may be included in high quality kibble: Sodium Selenite, Vitamin K 3-which is Menadione sodium bisulfate complex (only parts of the name may be used), Copper Sulfate, Propylene Glycol Recommended Reading & Video’s: Food Pets Die For by Ann N. Martin See Spot Live Longer by Steve Brown & Beth Taylor See Spot Live Longer the ABC Way by Steve Brown Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet by Steve Brown Scared Poopless by Jan Rasmusen Orijen White Paper http://files.championpetfoods.com/ORIJEN_White_Paper.pdf Shock To The System by Catherine O’Driscoll Dr. Becker’s Real Food For Healthy Dogs & Cats (3rd edition) By Dr. Karen Becker and Beth Taylor Free download articles and video’s from Dr. Becker: http://www.naturalpetproductions.com/articles-downloads.html http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/dr-karen-becker.aspx My personal comments and opinions are in red. The CHOICE is up to YOU! While it’s true that animals’ need Selenium and Copper, the form that the majority of companies are using are cheaper and toxic forms. “Sodium Selenite” for Selenium and “Copper Sulfate” for Copper. Please see explanations/definitions below the Brands. Manufacturer Brand Organic Ingred. No No Ol’Roy This is an example of what NOT to feed your “Fur Kid” ;-} Simmons & Mars Acana Champion Pet Food in Canada Organic Sea Addiction Previously made at Pied Piper MillsUSA Feb.2012 will be made in Tepuke, New Zeland Artemis Dry = Diamond Canned= Evanger’s Avo Derm Breeder’s Choice & Simmons Back To Basics Ainsworth (a division of Dad’s Dog Food) Ainsworth ANI/Vita-Line Pro Pet Tuffy’s Blue Buffalo California Natural Natura a Proctor & Gamble Company If columns are blank: Information is not available or unclear. Human Grade Ingred. No Ingredients From China Ingrd. are sourced from World Marketing including China Yes: World Markets Undesired Ingred. *By Products *Meat & bone meal *Chicken By-Product Meal *Animal Fat *BHA in some *Medadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex *Copper Sulfate *Sodium Selenite *Dyes *ETHOXYQUIN Undesired In Top 5 Ingred. Notes st 1 Ingrd: Beef ByProducts 2nd Ingrd: High fructose corn syrup! 3rd Ingrd: Soy Grits 4th Ingrd: Soy Flour 6th Ingrd: Animal FatAccording to the FDA Animal Fat contains companion animals! Food is preserved with ETHOXYQUIN! Quote by Dr. Karen Becker: “Soy is estrogenic and can wreak havoc on your dog’s Endocrine system”. No animal should eat soy! See more info below. High Fructose Corn Syrup: REALLY??? Do you want your dog eating SUGAR??? Wolves in the wild may eat a small amount of berries, but you’ll never see them running to a 7-11 to pick up a bag of sugar! This can lead to diabetes! Vegetables Ingred. from Canada & made in Canada Some varieties contain Canola No Yes *Canola in approx. half of their products. *Sodium Selenite in all except Kangaroo. *Copper Sulfate in most. *Medadione Sodium Bisulfate in Lamb Puppy *Dried Eggs in some. Yes *Sodium Selenite *Copper Sulfate in some *Canola in some *Dried Egg in some NOTE: In the Professional Power Formula Application of ethylenediamine dihydriodide: http://www.pestell.com/mineralselect.php?id=186 A nutritional source of iodine for all classes of LIVESTOCK and POULTRY. Then why is it in a DOG food?. Aids in the prevention of foot rot and soft tissue lumpy jaw in beef and dairy cattle. Aids in the prevention of soft tissue lumpy jaw in sheep. An aid in the removal of mucous from the upper respiratory tract following treatment for CRD in chickens and turkeys. Hmmm…Canines are not listed! “Sometimes listed as EDDI, it appears to be used as an iodine supplement. It may react with sulfates and release free iodine. Calcium Iodate (currently in many pet foods) is indicated as the most stable iodine supplement and would appear to be a better choice of iodine supplements.” New Zeland: Lamb Canada and/or South America: Quinoa Tapioca-South America Peas-Norway *Sodium Selenite in all but one. *Copper Sulfate in most. *Dried Egg From Breeders-Choice when talking about Ethoxyquin: "However, because it is found in the food chain, trace amounts cannot easily be eliminated.". AvoDerm Pet Foods "actively seek non GMO ingredients. They did not guarantee GMO free. Sodium Selenite Dried Egg A little heavy in organs for me. Unsure of how Menhaden Fish Oil is preserved. *Some vitamins & minerals from “reputable foreign suppliers” which could be China *Lamb-New Zeland *Venison – New Zeland *Vitamin Pre-Mix component sourced from Europe. *Sodium Selenite *Dried Egg in some *Canola Oil in some “Reputable foreign suppliers” includes China. Any ingredients that are sourced from China are considered a RISK due to the absence of consistent quality control. Pet food manufacturers might test all of their imported ingredients for the known toxins, but the concern would be for the unknown toxins. I believe this is why dogs are sick and even dying from the “Jerkey” NON-Recall. No No Yes: Vitamins & Minerals No No Ingred. From Other Than USA No No Yes, some vitamins *Natural Flavors Canola is in the top 5 ingred. in some! In my opinion, there is too much carbs in their top five ingredients, and too high sugar type ingrd. Example: *Potatoes, Papayas, Figs, Carrots *Oats, Potatoes, Papayas *Potatoes, Papayas, Carrots More MEAT should be listed in the top ingredients. Natural Flavors OR Flavorings: can be ANY leftover parts including infectious lungs, tumors, feces, etc. that has been cooked down. There is no law against this b/c they are animals. Flavors: Variations are natural flavor, natural flavorings, natural beef flavor, natural chicken flavor, malt flavoring, chicken or beef flavoring, seasoning. Natural and Artificial flavors can cause severe illness, and become carcinogenic. Brand Manufacturer Human Grade Ingred. Organic Ingred. Some vegetables fruit & grains No No No *Lamb-New Zeland *Venison-New Zeland *Kelp-Norway Canada Canidade Diamond-Dry Evanger’s-Cans Canine Caviar Pied Piper-Dry Performance PetCanned Carna4 NEW Mountain Country Foods Castor Pollux Organix and Ultramix CJ Foods Chicken Soup For The Petlover’s Soul Darford Intl. Zero/G NEW Diamond No Zero/G manufactured in Minnesota, no factory name available Yes, even the Chicken Meal is “fit for human consumpti on” Eagle Pack Berwin Corp. Earthborn Holistics Midwestern Foods Eukanuba Proctor & Gamble Yes Some Ingredients From China No Ingred. From Other Than USA Undesired Ingred. Undesired In Top 5 Ingred. Some varieties contain one or all of the following: *Canola Oil *Sodium Selenite *Copper Sulfate *Carrageenan *Sodium Selenite *Canola Oil Some varieties contain White rice which is a highly processed ingredient providing little to NO nutrition. Notes Canned contains Carrageenan. Canned contains Carrageenan. Well! This is certainly a fresh new approach to dog food! “Only natural grown food ingredients are used in Carna4 to exceed the nutrients dogs need for all life stages, without adding vitamin/mineral premixes or other synthetic supplements. Carna4 is a minimally processed food with high nutrient, probiotic, and omega 3 levels previously found only in raw diets, but without the risk of pathogens (which are destroyed by baking, though the live nutrients are preserved). Carna4 is made from fresh, table-grade chicken (no meat meals) eggs and salmon, but its nourishing power comes from organic sprouted seeds (flax, barley and lentils) which provide optimum nourishment not possible with meat alone.” Read about the ingredients at http://carna4.com/carna4-story Draw back? Expensive Yes – Some vitamins from China Canada No Yes Some vitamins and minerals from China Yes, the fruit and vegetabl es No No Yes *Some Vit. B’s & Glucosamine *Duck-Germany *Lamb-New Zeland *Sodium Selenite *Dried Egg Product *Ground Yellow Corn *White Rice No No No Flax Seed Canada Canola Oil is the 4th ingredient in Coastal Catch and Meadow Feast Corrections made 1/22/12. No No Yes Ingredients sourced from World Suppliers including China *Canola Oil *Copper Sulfate *Sodium Selenite in Coastal Catch, Great Plains Feast, Meadow Feast *They ALL have ByProducts in them. *Copper Sulfate *Ground Whole Grain Sorghum. *By-Products *Brewer’s Rice *Corn NOTE: All but 3 or 4 products have Chicken By-Products in them. What if your dog is sensitive to chicken? Only 14 out of 53 ingredients are organic *Sodium Selenite *Copper Sulfate in some. *Dried egg product in some. *Natural Ultramix could contain GMO ingredients. *Sodium Selenite *Copper Sulfate *Egg Product GMO =Genetically Modified Organisms or just GM (Genetically Modified) is used. “A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_organism *Sodium Selenite *Copper Sulfate Oh NUTS!…This one sounded SO good when I was reading about it! Then they had to go and use Sodium Selenite & Copper Sulfate!!! Chicken By-Products:These are ground parts from poultry carcasses such as feet, heads, feathers, intestines, tumors, necks and undeveloped eggs and can included any rendered material including cancerous and diseased tissues Brand Manufacturer Evanger’s Dry=Ohio Pet Dry Pheasant @ Fromm’s Evo Natura a Proctor & Gamble Company Evolve Owned by Sunshine Mills Dry foods are manufactured in company owned plants "in various locations in the U.S. and one plant is in Canada." Canned foods are "outsourced" company did not reveal who.-WHY? Fromm’s Company owned plant in Wisc. “It is owned by a co-op of independent pet retailers and 42 of its members”. Made in NY Dad’s Pet Care CJ Foods Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals NEW Harmony Farms Subsidiary of Blue Buffalo Holistic Select Human Grade Ingred. Organic Ingred. Ingredients From China Ingred. From Other Than USA Lamb & Venison from New Zeland No No *Venison=New Zeland *Vitamin Pre-mix Component sourced from Europe Lamb – New Zeland No Undesired Ingred. *Copper Sulfate *Sodium Selenite *Egg Product in Chicken & Rice *Canola in Pheasant & White Fish *Natural Flavors Varieties contain some or all of the following: *Copper Sulfate *Sodium Selenite *Egg Product *Brewer’s Yeast *Canola Oil No Canada *Sodium Selenite Yes No No No Varieties can contain the following: *Dried Egg Product *Brewer’s Yeast *Sodium Selenite *Copper Sulfate No No N/A *Sodium Selenite *Canola Oil *Flavoring *Duck-Germany *Lamb-New Zeland *Sodium Selnite *Canola in Adult Radiant Anchovy. *Dried Egg Product in some Yes: some vitamin B's and glucosamine from China Honest Kitchen Privately owned facility in Southern California YES Iams Proctor & Gamble No YES NO Quote from site: “Whenever possible Natura tries to avoid the use of GMO ingredients in our wholesome and natural foods and treats.” Rice or Rice Flour refers to White rice. It is either the 2nd or 3rd ingredient in some varieties. This provides little to no nutritional value, as it is highly processed. It is simply a CHEAP filler. Canned products are lined with BPA 3rd ingredient in all but two is White Rice which has very little to NO nutritional value due to being highly processed. Honest Kitchen is the ONLY manufacturer in the USA to have written permission from the FDA to use the term “Human-Grade” on its product label! Human-Grade Ingredients and Production - from farm to bowl. All our ingredients are chosen directly from the human food chain - this is a requirement for entry into the human food facility where our products are made. Taste testing is a favorite occupation for many members of the team; humans and pups taste every batch that comes off our production line as part of our Quality Control program, as well as various raw ingredients that are set to be included in new recipes. The Honest Kitchen is a Non-GMO pet food; requires certification from each ingredient supplier to such. *Organic Fair Trade Quinoa – Bolivia *Bananas & Organic Coconut – Phillippines *Organic KelpIceland *Apples-Canada No Ingredients sourced from World Suppliers which includes CHINA Question as to how many ingredients are sourced from World Suppliers. NOTES Only 5 oz. and 6 oz. cans of canned food are BPA free. Large cans are not. ??GMO?? No Owner: Berwin Plant in Indiana Canned by Simmons Undesired In Top 5 Ingredients *Copper Sulfate *Dried Egg Product *Chicken By-Productssee Eukanuba note above about chicken by-products. Iams is made by the same company *Corn *Sorghum Every single product contains Chicken By-Products. What if your dog was allergic to chicken??? Canned has Meat By-Products: Any unidentified meat can contain dying, diseased, or disabled farm animals, rejects from slaughterhouse waste, discarded restaurant trap grease (yes, really), road kill, dead zoo animals (that were probably pumped full of drugs while vets were trying to save them) and euthanized companion animals. Brand Manufacturer Human Grade Ingred. Organic Ingred. Ingredients From China Undesired Ingredients *Venison-New Zeland *Natural Flavors Own their own mfg. plant Venison Lamb *Sodium Selenite *Canola Oil in some *Dried Egg Product Mulligan Stew Dry-Mountain Country Foods Supplements are from both USA and European human grade pharmaceutical manufacturer’s This is great! Natural Balance Diamond No Natural Planet Organics Tuffy’s Some Nature’s Logic Note to readers: please see note below for information on how this dog food company lied to their customers! Uses different mfg. plants: Crosswind Pied Piper Wildlife KS Nature’s Recipe Del Monte Foods Innova Natura a Proctor & Gamble Co. Merrick Vitamin Pre-mix component from Europe Ingredients From Other Than USA Only 12 items out of approx. 55 are organic Vitamin & Mineral Pre-Mix from ASIA which can mean CHINA No No No Possible Undesired In Top 5 Ingredients NOTES 13 oz. can lined with BPA Ground Rice In all but Campfire White rice is a highly processed ingredient providing little to NO nutrition. Mulligan Stew is baked instead of extruded. Mulligan Stew researches and sources all its own ingredients. Ingredients are sourced from North American farms and ranches. Kevin Meehan, a practicing naturopathic, seems to has a good product here, but I would encourage reading all materials on his site before making a commitment. http://www.mulliganstewpetfood.com/products.php http://www.mulliganstewpetfood.com/the-science.php Venison & Lamb *Sodium Selenite *Copper Sulfate From Site: “Backyard Benefits”: Unique blend of complex fiber sources, including psyllium seed husks, oat fiber and beet pulp, for lower stool volume and less backyard clean up”. OK…..What goes in….MUST come out! It’s just not healthy to keep matter in the intestines longer than is natural! It breaks down tissues over time! Since 65% of a dogs’ immune system is in the gut, and that is usually where disease starts, does it make any sense to keep the food in there to ferment for a longer period of time?????? I compare it to humans eating an “Immodium” with each meal! YES *Flavoring ALL canned food contains carrageenan; controversial gum linked to serious illness. Contains Sodium Selenite - potential risk form of selenium. Venison-New Zealand Duck-Canada, Sardine OilNorway, Rabbit-Italy and France, RosemaryMorocco, Millet-Canada *Dried Egg Product *Montmorillonite which is Clay is either the 4th, 5th, 6th & 7th ingredient in the kibbles. *Brewer's Yeast *Chicken Fat *Beef Fat *Montmorillonite Clay: Now, I’d be all for the minerals and nutrients’ in this substance IF it were very low on the list, BUT…my husband has a saying “Just Say It Out Loud” soooo let’s face it….my dog is eating dirt! See the Montmorillonite Clay info below in notes. Do you really want basically, dirt to be one of the main ingredients in your dogs’ food? Also, Clay is used in products like Pepto Bismal and Kayo Pectate to STOP the gut from POOPING! Does that sound healthy on a daily basis? “Long term animal studies and data on Montmorillonite Clay are limited at best.” *Chicken Fat (or any fat): “Research at Purdue University has identified that fat in the top 4 ingredients in dry dog food as a factor that increases the risk of bloat in large breed dogs.” *Brewer’s Yeast: per E-how.com RISK: Some dogs are allergic to yeast and dogs that are allergic to other foods are likely to be allergic to yeast as well. Low quality yeast is especially likely to cause allergic reactions. The quality of their B-Yeast is NOT given. See bottom note. Vitamins & Minerals are sourced from “other countries” Apparently, they are afraid to tell us WHICH country they source from! Different varieties contain more than 3 of the following ingred. *Animal Digest *Lamb Digest *Lamb By-Product *Venison By-Product *Chicken By-Product *Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex is synthetic vitamin K. see note about this below. *Sodium Selenite *Copper Sulfate *Soy *Canola Oil *Ground Rice, in most products, is the 2nd ingredient. Rice is highly processed and has little to NO nutritional value. It’s a CHEAP filler. “Animal Digest” is an ingredient determined by the FDA to possibly contain euthanized Companion Animals! Need I say more???? “unidentified meats” such as this, are made from mostly unknown, nonspecific sources including… Dead (no limit as to how long the animal has been dead and rotting in the sun before the renderer picks it up. The Maggots, Carpet Beetles, Hide Beetles and other parasites crawling all over the body are just a little extra added protein! ), dying, diseased, or disabled farm animals, rejects from slaughterhouse waste, meat byproducts, discarded restaurant trap grease (yes, really), road kill (again, crawling with the little critters I mentioned above), dead zoo animals (that were probably pumped full of drugs while vets were trying to save them) and euthanized companion animals. The FDA writes contradictory statements to allow protection and leeway to the pet food industries. http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dailys/01/Mar01/031501/c004175.pd f Brand Manufacturer Human Grade Ingred. Organic Ingreg. Nature’s Variety Instinct & Prarie Pied Piper No Newman’s Own Organics Under “Private Label”. Maybe they won’t tell us because in the past, they were made by Menu! NutriSource Tuffy’s KLN Only approx. 10 out of 55 ingred. are organic. No Nutro ‘s Products: -Natural Choice -Max -Ultra Mars SCROLL DOWN TO NEXT PAGE No No Ingredients From China YES Possible Ingredients From Other Than U.S. *Rabbit – CHINA *Lamb-New Zeland * Vitamin Mineral Pre-mix from Asia which can be CHINA. *Vitamins & Minerals from Asia which includes CHINA *Lamb & Venison from New Zeland Undesired Ingredients Undesired In Top 5 Ingredients NOTES *Sodium Selenite in all. *Canola Oil in some. *Natural Flavor in some. *Soy Bean Meal *Sodium Selenite In Prairie Varieties, the 6th to 8th ingredient is Montmorillonite Clay Lining of 13.5 oz. cans contain BPA 5.5 oz cans are not lined with BPA *Sodium Selenite in some. *Dried Egg Product in some *Corn Gluten Meal in some *Natural Flavoring in some Different varieties can contain the following: *Menidione Sodium Bisulfate *Dried Egg *Sodium Selenitecontained in all varieties *Soy Bean Oil *Pea Starch in the Grain Free: Lining of the 12 oz. cans contain BPA Soy contains a natural chemical that MIMICS ESTROGEN, the female hormone. Does that sound like something our pets should be eating? Can contain the following in the top 5 *Powdered Cellulose *Rice Flour *Corn Gluten Meal *Rice Flour/Ground Rice Jim Eastin, supplier quality assurance scientist for Nutro Company, presented a seminar titled: “The Importance of Rendered Ingredients in Pet Foods” at the October 26, 2011 Pet Food Industry symposium. He referred to poultry by-products as "value-added ingredients" and described rendering as "environmentally responsible" (REALLY?) by converting byproducts into ingredients Nutro uses in its pet food products. http://www.petfoodindustry.com/News/Nutro_Co__scientist_disc usses_using_poultry_by-products_as_petfood_ingredients.html Is he kidding????? AND he’s proud of it!!!! After knowing what “by-products really are, I would feed this to my loving, trusting pet? This is the stuff that pet parents don’t know. And if they really understood the ramifications of it, they wouldn’t stand for it! It can include any rendered material including cancerous and diseased tissues, putrid rotted meat, infected with insects, animals that have been put down with Phenophenatal (that does NOT disappear by cooking at high temperatures). Even if the source is named, such as, chickenby-products (which can be any fowl including buzzards), are extremely low quality inconsistent ingredients, can include items like feet and heads, multiple organs from different species, even intestines, and manure in variable amounts that are constantly changing. Ever wonder why your dog might love his bag of his food and then turn away from the next bag or less interested?......constantly changing ingredients! Flours/ground Rice: Little to NO nutritional value….Filler Brand Orijen Precise NEW Regular Holistic Plus SCROLL DOWN TO NEXT PAGE Manufacturer Human Grade Ingred. Family owned and operated plant in Canada called Champion. Companies usually hire a production company to process and package their products, but not Orijen. Company Owned Plant In Texas Yes Organic Ingred. Ingredients From China NO Ingredients From Other Than USA Undesired Ingredients Undesired Ingredients In Top 5 NOTES All products sourced from Canada where it is made. Lamb-New Zeland *DL-methionine see note *Dried Egg Product Methionine is a natural occurring amino acid found in meat & fish. DL-methionine is a supplement amino acid. Per Dr. Aldrich, a pet food industry advisor: The starting materials for production of DL-methionine are acrolein (a 3-carbon aldehyde) derived from propylene (a petroleum derivative), methyl mercaptan derived from methanol and various sulfur sources and hydrocyanic acid (HCN) *Per Wikipedia: Acrolein is a severe pulmonary irritant and lachrymatory agent. It was used as a chemical weapon during World War I. It is, however, now outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention. Dermal exposure of acrolein to the eyes (0.3ppm in air) can cause severe irritation. Acrolein is not a suspected human carcinogen; no studies have been conducted on the carcinogenic effects of acrolein on humans, but studies on rats have shown an increase in cancerous tumors from ingestion. Not for my money! I’ll stick to getting it naturally from the food! Brand Manufacturer Human Grade Ingred. Organic Ingred. Ingredients From China Ingredients Other Than From USA Undesired Ingredients Undesired Ingredients In Top 5 NOTES Purina Pro Plan (Purina One & Chow are about the same): Owned by Nestles: I’ll just cut to the chase here: POULTRY BY PRODUCT MEAL: Slaughterhouse waste. The manufacturer does not disclose the species (or the mix of species) of the poultry used. The fowl can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: “4-D animals” (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), turkey, chicken, geese, buzzards, seagulls, miscellaneous road kill crawling with insects and maggots, birds euthanized at shelters and so on. The sodium pentothal used for euthanize is not destroyed by cooking so it remains present in the kibble. ANIMAL DIGEST: This meal is covered with charcoal and labeled “unfit for human consumption” before processing it into pet food. Digest can also include intestines, as well as the contents of those intestines, such as stool, bile, parasites and chemicals. “This ingredient is determined by the FDA to possibly contain euthanized animals”. MENADIONE SODIUM BISULFITE OR SYNTHETIC VITAMIN K: Hazards list “carcinogenic effects” and states “the substance is toxic to kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage.” SODIUM SELENITE: ScienceLab.com states Sodium Selenite “may be toxic to blood, kidneys, liver, skin, central nervous system. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage. ANIMAL FAT: ingredient determined by the FDA to be most likely to contain euthanized animals. Can contain any animal including road kill. DRIED EGG PRODUCT: Eggs rejected for human use are turned into powdered or liquid for use by the pet food industry. Also, condensed information from “Poultry Science Association”: “acidified egg liquids are treated with 92% equivalency of 3.4 N NaOH after which egg meats were cooked and incorporated into a specialty pet food formulations.” NaOH is sodium hydroxide, commonly known as caustic or LYE….a CORROSIVE! CORN GLUTEN MEAL: is inferior grain-based protein used to boost protein percentages in kibble. It is what is left over after the choice part of the corn is used. GM (genetically modified corn) can also be used. This is the second or third ingredient listed in most of the Purina products which means it is one of the main ingredients instead of meat and it’s nutritional value for pets is little to none. FISH OIL: is commonly contaminated with mercury and other heavy metals, and preserved “at sea” with Ethoxyquin (which is a registered pesticide and labeled by the FDA as not fit for human consumption. Ethoxyquin is also a carcinogen). Brand Manufacturer Pura Vita Tuffy’s Royal Canin Mars Who also owns and produces Kal Kan! SCROLL DOWN TO NEXT PAGE Human Grade Ingred. Organic Ingred. Ingredients From China Ingredients From Other Than USA Undesired Ingredients Vitamin & Mineral Pre-Mix from Asia Which can be CHINA No No Not available Not available Different varieties’ can contain the following: *DL-Methionione *Copper Sulfate *Sodium Selenite *Rice Hulls in some I’d be embarrassed to even put this on my label! These are floor sweepings *Dried Egg Product *Dried Brewer’s Yeast *Soy Products Undesired Ingredients In Top 5 *Potato Protein in some: By product of potato processing *Pea Flour in some: Flours provide little to NO nutrition. In top 5 of some” *Brewer’s Rice *Wheat Gluten *Corn Gluten NOTES In Large Puppy the 3rd ingred is rice and the 4th ingred. is corn gluten meal.Compared to meat, glutens are inferior grain-based proteins low in many of the essential amino acids that dogs need for life. Rice has little to NO nutritional value. Puppy 33: Corn Gluten Meal is the 4th ingred. Glutens are a rubbery substance that is left after the good parts have been removed for human consumption. Wheat and corn are proven to cause allergic conditions. Brand new, growing little lives NEED GOOD NUTRITION in order to develop properly! BREED SPECIFIC VARIETIES: I only check two (miniature breed and large breed-see below) and they both had Soy. GSD 24 Adult has Soy Protein Isolate as 8th ingred. Chihuahua has Soy Protein Isolate as 8th ingred. Brand Manufacturer Human Grade Ingred. Organic Ingred. *Science Diet *Hills *Hills Prescription Colgate Palmove No” No Sojo’s Company owned manufacturing facility See note Solid Gold All Varieties viewed Diamond No No Taste Of The Wild High Prairie Wetlands Pacific Stream Diamond N/A No Timber Wolf Organics See Note CJ Foods SCROLL DOWN TO NEXT PAGE Ingredients From China Probal, but not available Ingredients From Other Than USA Undesired Ingredients Yes, but would not state what or where. *Animal Fat in ALL: ingredient determined by the FDA to be most likely to contain euthanized animals. Can contain any animal including road kill. *Sodium Selenite in ALL *Chicken ByProducts in most *Soybean Meal *Dried Egg Product Undesired Ingredients In Top 5 In some: Soybean meal Brewer’s Rice Corn Gluten Meal NOTES THIS IS NOT A HEALTHY CHOICE for your fur kid! Sojo’s Original is a product that you mix in your own meat. If you feed grains, the base of this is oats. This is a great way to feed whole foods including raw or slightly cooked meat! http://www.sojos.com/dogfoodmix They have a product called Europa which is all vegetables that you add your own meat to. GREAT product! http://www.sojos.com/europa.html I would also include a good multiple vitamin for dogs that is termed “human grade” or “pharmaceutical grade” with the above varieties. They have new products complete with meat. SOJOS COMPLETE DOG FOOD MIX is a wholesome GRAIN-FREE pre-mix that you simply combine with water to create your own fresh, homemade pet food. Made with USDA FREEZE-DRIED raw meat and all-natural ingredients. Turkey & Beef available. Only 1 ingredient Yes: Taurine *Taurine from CHINA *Lamb-New Zeland *Potato ProteinGermany *Canola Oil-in most *Copper Sulfate-in ALL *Sodium Selenitein ALL *Natural Flavor *Copper Sulfate-in ALL *Sodium Selenitein ALL *Canola Oil in most *Natural Flavor in ALL *Potato Protein in some *Lamb-New Zeland *Sodium Selenite in ALL. *Dried Egg Product in some *Dried Brewer’s Yeast in some *Natural Flavors * DL-Methionine-in the Wild & Natural *Dried Potato Product Note that the company uses the term “Organic” in their name making customers believe that the ingredients are ORGANIC, which they are not! The ONLY organic ingredient is Organic Quinoa which was only in 2 of their CANNED products. There is no regulation as to the words that pet food companies can use on their products. Dried Potato Product: is a leftover of the potato processing industry containing about 71% carbohydrates. Potato Product is commonly associated with cattle feed. Brand Wellness *Super 5 *Core *Simple Recipes *Small Breed *Puppy Manufacturer Dry mfgd. In company owned facility in IN. Dry Small Breed by American Nutrition Human Grade Ingred. Organic Ingred. No No Ingredients From CHINA Possible Ingredients From Other Than USA Undesired Ingredients Undesired Ingred. In Top 5 NOTES 95% of ingred. sourced from Canada & USA Lamb-New Zeland & less than 2% sourced internationally Which could possibly be CHINA *Sodium SeleniteALL *Copper SulfateALL *Canola Oil- in 13 out of 17 dry foods *Rye Flour in 3: Flours have little to no nutritional value. *Rice is the FIRST ingred. in the Simple Formulas. This has little to no nutritional value. *Simple Duck: Rice Protein Concentrate is ingred #3! Little to NO nutritional value. Ground rice is 1st! and Canola is 4th! The “Rice” items in the Simple Duck (and the others) have no Biological Availability or BA. It’s just there to boost the protein % on the label! NOTE: D i d you know that when a kibble says to feed your dog a certain amount of food for its size, and you cut down the amount to help your dog lose weight, they WILL NOT be getting the recommended AAFCO daily vitamin and mineral levels. NOTE: NOTE: 2/18/12: Fox News @ 9am: Dr. Mark Segal had a segment on Arsenic in Organic Rice Baby Food. In this interview Dr. Segal said that “Arsenic love rice” meaning that while the rice is growing, the Arsenic in the soil is absorbed into the plant. “Rice is grown in soil which can be contaminated more easily by arsenic.” Just an observation, but, what is happening to our dog’s if they are eating food with rice in it every day of their lives? BE AWARE THAT: Manufacturers label their products with terms such as Premium, Ultra Premium, Natural and Holistic. Such terms currently have no legal definitions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_food • Pet Food labels are legally allowed to lie to you. Regulations allow a pet food to make "unqualified claims, either directly or indirectly" on pet food labels. “Healthy Weight” or “Extend Your Pet's Life” might be an "unqualified claim." • Although tainted Chinese imported ingredients were responsible for killing thousands of dogs and cats in 2007, and, China continues to struggle with quality control, many pet food manufacturers continue to purchase cheap ingredients from China. • Modern science has linked many common pet food ingredients to cancer and serious illness. Despite the option of healthier choices (costlier choices), many pet food manufacturers continue to use cheap, risky ingredients. • The FDA, despite Federal law prohibiting it, allows pet food manufacturers to utilize sick, diseased, drugged and even euthanized animals as common pet food ingredients; camouflaged under less offensive sounding ingredient names. (S. Thixton) NOTE: Diets high in refined carbohydrates, such as flours, wheat flour, rice flour, corn meal etc., are almost completely devoid of nutrients or essential fatty acids, and are seen by the dog’s system as sugar. A recent study revealed that within two hours of ingesting a diet high in refined carbohydrates the blood glucose was 50% higher than the basis level. Within four hours it was 50% below the basis level. These wild swings in blood glucose can overtax the pancreas and may possibly lead to hypoglycemia, diabetes or pancreatitis etc. NOTE TO READERS - Nature’s Logic: While researching this brand for you on 8/2/11, I ran across a post from Nature’s Logic quoting Dr. Karen Becker (who is my personal vet). I contacted her to let her know how Nature’s Logic was distorting her words to its trusting customers. If you’ve seen or read Dr. Becker & Beth Taylors book “Real Food For Healthy Dogs and Cats” you would see that the following quote is FAR from the truth and DEFINITELY NOT what she is all about! I received a call back after sending this information to her and I can tell you she was appalled and in the process of contacting Nature’s Logic to demand her name be removed from their food promotion! In her practice, Dr. Becker ONLY recommends fresh meat and vegetables unless a dog has a compromised immune system or other severe health issues, then she does private consults. How Diet Can Help Prevent Heart Disease in Dogs by Nature’s Logic on Friday, July 29, 2011 at 12:17pm One of Dr. Becker’s suggestions for protecting your dog’s heart health is to “feed a high quality, species-appropriate diet, which meets your pet’s nutritional requirements for optimal protein (and amino acid) levels, healthy fat and coenzyme Q10.” Here’s how a diet of Nature’s Logic could help protect your dog from heart disease. Nature’s Logic is a very “high-quality, species-appropriate diet,” just as Dr. Becker (Dr. Becker states that a diet with fresh meat/vegetable/fruit is SPECIES-APPROPRIATE----Not cooked kibble) and other animal professionals recommend. We believe our foods are the ideal diet for your pet’s heart and overall health. Menu Simmons Pet Food Co: Update (June, 2011): Menu Foods was sold to Simmons Pet Food Company in August, 2010. The page that used to contain the recall information (www.menufoods.com/ recall) no longer exists, as the domain menufoods.com now redirects to the Simmons website. That website, as of this update, appears to have no information on Menu Foods or any of the previous recalls. The Simmons Company site does list pet food manufacturing facilities at the former Menu Foods locations (Emporia, Kansas; Pennsauken, New Jersey; and Streetsville, Ontario). Definition/Explanation for Undesired Ingredients NOTE TO READERS: The FDA found the common pet food ingredients, Animal Fat, Meat and Bone Meal, Beef and Bond Meal and Animal Digest “could include euthanized animals”. http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/CVM/CVMFOIAElectronicReadingRoom/ucm129134.htm *Animal By Products: even if the source is named, such as, chicken-by-product (which can be any fowl including buzzards), are extremely low quality inconsistent ingredients, can include items like feet and heads, multiple organs from different species, even intestines, in variable amounts that are constantly changing *Animal Digest: is a cooked down substance made from unspecified parts from unspecified animals. Any type of animal can be included such as pigs, goats, horses, rats, companion animals etc. (you get the picture). The animal parts can be obtained from any source without control over quality or contamination. Digest can also include intestines, as well as the contents of those intestines, such as stool, bile, parasites and chemicals. “This ingredient is determined by the FDA to possibly contain euthanized Companion Animals and or other euthanized animals.” Unidentified Meats or Unidentified Fats: If the species cannot be identified, neither can the quality. Avoid ANY dog food products that use unidentified meats such as ‘Meat and Bone Meal’, ‘Meat Meal’, ‘By-Product Meal’, ‘Animal Digest’, and ANY unidentified fat such as “animal fat ” or “poultry fat” products in their foods. The problem with this is that the “unidentified fat” and “unidentified meats” are made from mostly unknown, non-specific sources including… Dead (no limit as to how long the animal has been dead and rotting in the sun before the renderer picks it up. The Maggots, Carpet Beetles, Hide Beetles and other parasites crawling all over the body are just a little extra added protein! ), dying, diseased, or disabled farm animals, rejects from slaughterhouse waste, meat by-products, discarded restaurant trap grease (yes, really), road kill (again, crawling with the little critters I mentioned above), dead zoo animals (that were probably pumped full of drugs while vets were trying to save them) and euthanized companion animals. The FDA writes contradictory statements to allow protection and leeway to the pet food industries. http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dailys/01/Mar01/031501/c004175.pdf Statement: A http://www.fda.gov/opacom/laws/fdcact/fdcact3.htm Contradiction to Statement A relating to Law 402(a)(5) http://www.fda.gov/ora/compliance_ref/cpg/cpgvet/cpg690-300.html *Animal Fat: Ingredient determined by the FDA to be most likely to contain euthanized animals including euthanized cats and dogs from shelters. *Animal Plasma: Does NOT name the type of animal. Could be one, could be many different animals. Could be elephant could be skunk! What if a dog was allergic to a specific type of meat, and this “animal plasma” contained it???? BHA: Butylated Hydroxyanisole — A preservative: Is a human carcinogen or cancer-causing agent! According to the National Institute of Health, BHA in the diet has been found to consistently produce certain types of tumors in laboratory animals. BHA enhanced stomach and urinary bladder carcinogenesis. Causes squamous-cell carcinomas in stomachsancers of this type are among the most lethal and fastest acting. BHT: Butylated Hydroxytoluene – A preservative: Promoted urinary bladder carcinogenesis. Could be a promoter of thyroid carcinogenesis. Studies have noted that BHA and other antioxidants, particularly Propyl Gallate and ethoxyquin, showed additional effects in inducing stomach hyperplasia and cytotoxicity. According to Dr. Wendell Belfield, DVM, practicing veterinarian for some 26 years, both BHA and BHT are known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction and are banned in some European countries. *BPA or bisphenol A: BPA Used to line canned food: causes precancerous conditions, kidney and developmental problems in animals. *Brewer’s Rice: is a highly processed rice product that is missing many nutrients, resulting in little to no nutritional value. FILLER! *Brewer’s Yeast/Yeast Products: Per E-how.com RISK: Some dogs are allergic to yeast, and dogs that are allergic to other foods are likely to be allergic to yeast as well. Low quality yeast is especially likely to cause allergic reactions. While b-yeast is a source of B Vitamins (biotin) and trace minerals (zinc, proteins and amino acids) sometimes, brewer’s yeast supplements are made from by- products left over from brewing beer. Several references feel the effects of brewer’s yeast for dogs may include bloating, gas and indigestion. *By-Products: Collected matter not fit for human consumption. This can include organs, bones, blood and fatty tissue of ANY animal whether domestic or zoo or road kill! It can also include brains, feet, heads, intestines, feces and any other internal parts. By-products can also contain cancerous or diseased tissue containing parasites. *Canola Oil: The Weston A. Price Foundation article quotes numerous studies of the effects of Canola oil in animals; “These studies all point in the same direction--that canola oil is definitely not healthy for the cardiovascular system. Like rapeseed oil, its predecessor, canola oil is associated with fibrotic lesions of the heart. It also causes vitamin E deficiency, undesirable changes in the blood platelets and shortened life-span in stroke-prone rats when it was the only oil in the animals' diet. Furthermore, it seems to retard growth, which is why the FDA does not allow the use of canola oil in infant formula.” Journalist David Lawrence Dewey quotes research from the University of Florida that “determined that as much as 4.6% of all the fatty acids in unrefined canola are ‘trans’ isomers (which are somewhat like plastic) due to the refining process.” http://www.dldewey.com/columns/canola.htm Dewey also points out that Canola oil is registered with the EPA as an approved pesticide. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/ingredients/index_cd.htm#c * Carrageenan: controversial gum linked to serious illness. * Cassia Gum/Guar Gum: is a binding ingredient; does not provide nutrition to the pet. *Chicken By-Product Meal: These are ground parts from poultry carcasses such as feet, heads, feathers, intestines, necks and undeveloped eggs and can included any rendered materials including cancerous and diseased tissues. *Chicken Fat: *Chicken Fat (or any fat) - “Research at Purdue University has identified that fat in the top 4 ingredients in dry dog food as a factor that increases the risk of bloat in large breed dogs.” *Copper Sulfate: Application sites: Primary use is to control algae growths in impounded waters, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and irrigation and irrigation drainage conveyance systems. Other sites include foliar applications for control of foliar pathogens on fruit, nut, vegetable, and field crops, ornamentals, and agricultural and home garden uses. Copper sulfate is also registered for use as a weed seed treatment, for treatment of tree wounds, for control of fungi and fungal/bacterial slimes occurring in wood, and in water systems, including sewer pumps and force mains, pulp and paper mills, cooling towers and spray ponds. *Corn: See Ground Yellow Corn below. *Corn Gluten Meal: is inferior grain-based protein used to boost protein percentages in kibble. It is what is left over after the choice part of the corn is used. GM (genetically modified corn) can also be used. This is the second or third ingredient listed in most of the Purina products which means it is one of the main ingredients instead of meat and it’s nutritional value for pets is little to none. *DL-methionine is a supplement amino acid. Per Dr. Aldrich, a pet food industry advisor: “The starting materials for production of DL-methionine are acrolein (a 3-carbon aldehyde) derived from propylene (a petroleum derivative), methyl mercaptan derived from methanol and various sulfur sources and hydrocyanic acid (HCN).” *Per Wikipedia: Acrolein is a severe pulmonary irritant and lachrymatory agent. It was used as a chemical weapon during World War I. It is, however, now outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention. Dermal exposure of acrolein to the eyes (0.3ppm in air) can cause severe irritation. Acrolein is not a suspected human carcinogen; no studies have been conducted on the carcinogenic effects of acrolein on humans, but studies on rats have shown an increase in cancerous tumors from ingestion. Not for my money! I’ll stick to getting it naturally from the food! Dried Potato Product: are composed of potato by-products from a food processing plant. The main component is potato skins. components could be misshapen pieces as well as limited amounts of fryer skimmings. The dry material is used as feedstock. This is used as a filler to boost protein percentage in food. “It has 1 ½ times the protein value of corn” (ingredients101.com). *Dyes: Such as yellow #5, red #40, blue #2 – Food dyes in animal studies are linked to everything from tumors to hyperactivity. *Egg Product/Dried Egg Product: Eggs rejected for human use are turned into powdered or liquid for use by the pet food industry. Also, condensed information from “Poultry Science Association”: “acidified egg liquids are treated with 92% equivalency of 3.4 N NaOH after which egg meats were cooked and incorporated into a specialty pet food formulations.” NaOH is sodium hydroxide, commonly known as caustic or LYE….a CORROSIVE! Per ingredients101.com: Pasteurized, spray- dried whole- egg solids, produced from eggs that do not meet the USDA standards for human consumption. *Ethoxyquin: According to US Coast Guard regulations, all fish meal not destined for human consumption must be conserved with Ethoxyquin (unless the manufacturer has a special permit). This preservative is banned from use in foods for human consumption except for the use of very small quantities as a color preservative for spices. So unless the manufacturer either presents a permit or states "human grade" fish or fish meal is used, you can be pretty sure Ethoxyquin is present in the food even if it is not listed. Ethoxyquin: Note: Per Diamond Pet Food Manufacturing: 4/10 Statement “all fish meal, ocean fish meal, and salmon “meal” ingredients are preserved with Ethoxyquin”. There is not any Ethoxyquin added (this means that there is no ADDITIONAL Ethoxyquin added to their recipes). “Fish meal is preserved with Ethoxyquin on the ships prior to entering port. Ethoxyquin is most effective at preventing rancidity in the highly volatile fish meal. “By law, unless a pet food manufacturer directly adds to their foods they are not required to list it on their ingredients, even if the KNOW that a supplier us using Ethoxyquin in the raw materials they get.” On 8/10 Diamond’s statement says: “Fish meal ingredients are preserved with natural tocopherols.” You will have to make your own decision on the conflicting information. Concerning other companies: Unless a pet product specifically state that their fish is being preserved with Vitamin E, Mixed Tocopherols or Natrox, it was probably preserved with Ethoxyquin. But, a company can obtain a special license for a specific preservative to be used for their fish products that are caught at sea. Ethoxyquin: is not only used as a preservative in dog foods but it is also used as a pesticide and as a hardening agent in the manufacture of rubber and tires. Ethoxyquin has been “implicated in birth defects, stillborn puppies, liver failure, infertility and cancer”. Ethoxyquin is a registered pesticide, FDA doesn't allow it to be used as a preservative in food for human consumption, classified as a probable carcinogen. Per Department of Homeland Security regulations, bulk fishmeal is required to be preserved at 400 ppm; ethoxyquin is provided as an example preservative. Section 148.04-9 (c) “At the time of production of the material, it must be treated with at least 400 ppm antioxidant (ethoxyquin); in the case where the material contains more than 12 percent fat by weight, it must be treated with at least 1000 ppm antioxidant (ethoxyquin) at the time of production.” Like with all other animal sources, if a type isn't specified, you never know what type or quality of fish is used. By the way, the FDA based it approval of ethoxyquin in animal feeds on ‘research’ conducted by Monsanto; the manufacturer of ethoxyquin. http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2008/octqtr/46cfr148.04-9.htm Ethoxyquin Quote from Whole Dog Journal: May 10, 2010 By Mary Straus and Nancy Kerns: Yet another matter of trust: In the past, we’ve felt confident in recommending dog foods whose labels do not reflect the inclusion of artificial preservatives. That’s because we were under the impression that the maximum amount of artificial preservatives that could be present in a food whose label did not include them couldn’t possibly be high enough to cause harm. Since “doing the math” on the amount of synthetic antioxidants that can be present in a food whose label does not reflect its inclusion, though, we’ve become uneasy. It no longer seems sufficient to trust that a label review will always reveal the presence of artificial preservatives. How then can a consumer find out if their dog’s food contains ethoxyquin, BHA, BHT, or other artificial preservatives? Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. You can contact the companies or check their websites, in an effort to find out if they use only naturally preserved meat meals in their foods. Some companies have started making “ethoxyquin-free” claims on their labels and product literature. One would have to trust the company’s answer, though; short of conducting expensive laboratory tests, there is no way to verify these claims. And even usually trustworthy companies can be duped by a contract manufacturer or ingredient supplier. If you are adamant about avoiding any amount of artificial preservative in your dog’s diet, you would be well-advised to switch to a diet that does not contain meat meals. Canned foods and frozen diets are generally made with fresh and frozen animal ingredients, which are not usually treated with preservatives. Of course, feeding your dog a well-planned home-prepared diet made of fresh ingredients is the only way to be absolutely certain of ingredient content and quality. http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_5/features/Dog-Food-Preservatives_16221-1.html. *Fish Meal: Like with all other animal sources, if a type isn’t specified, you never know what type or quality of fish is used. According to US Coast Guard regulations, all fish meal not destined for human consumption must be conserved with Ethoxyquin (unless the manufacturer has a special permit). This preservative is banned from use in foods for human consumption except for the use of very small quantities as a color preservative for spices. So unless the manufacturer either presents a permit or states “human grade” fish or fish meal is used, you can be pretty sure Ethoxyquin is present in the food even if it is not listed. Fish Oil: All fish and fish oils are required by the US Coast Guard to be preserved with Ethoxquin unless a special license is obtained to preserve it with a natural preservative. Also, the fish oil is not identified as to which fish are used. http://bestfishoilfordogs.com/ Not all fish oil brands are alike. Many cheaper brands of fish oil and Omega-3 supplements for dogs are not third party tested for contaminants, such as, mercury, PCBs, or other cancer causing agents. Even in the human nutrition industry as recently as March of 2010, several major brands of fish oil (Omega 3 supplements) were found to have contaminants by an independent third-party test. If several major brands in the human nutrition industry were found to be contaminated, what then of the fish oil offered to dogs in a much less regulated industry? *Flavorings: can be ANY leftover parts including infectious lungs, tumors, feces, etc. that has been cooked down. There is no law against this b/c they are animals. Flavors: Variations are natural flavor, natural flavorings, natural beef flavor, natural chicken flavor, malt flavoring, chicken or beef flavoring, seasoning. Natural and Artificial flavors can cause severe illness, and become carcinogenic. Chicken flavors indicates artificial flavor which can be a carcinogen. A common name for MSG is “natural flavoring.” *GMO – Genetically Modified Organisms: Or just GM (Genetically Modified). “A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_organism You may have heard the FDA and food industry claims that genetically modified (GM) foods are safe, properly tested, and necessary to feed a hungry world. UNTRUE! Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are one of the most dangerous and radical changes to our food supply. These largely unregulated ingredients found in 60-70% of the foods in the US, are well worth the effort to avoid them. Many consumers in the US mistakenly believe that the FDA approves GM foods through rigorous, in-depth, long-term studies. In reality, the agency has absolutely no safety testing requirements. Instead the agency relies on research from companies like Monsanto, research that is meticulously designed to avoid finding problems. http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/AboutGeneticallyModifiedFoods/index.cfm Ground Rice, White Rice, Rice etc: Is a cheap filler with little to not nutritional value to a dog making their kidneys work overtime. Filler -- has been linked to diabetes, always indicates white rice, not whole grain but usually floor sweepings from rice industry. *Ground Yellow Corn: In processed animal foods, a filler is an ingredient added to provide dietary fiber, bulk or some other non-nutritive purpose. Products like corn and corncobs, feathers, soy, cottonseed hulls, peanut hulls, citrus pulp, screening, weeds, straw, and cereal by-products are often included as inexpensive fillers or low-grade fiber content. Many dog food companies are famous for using the cheapest grains they can find— usually by-products and rejects of the human food industry—cereal grain leftovers classified as “unfit for human consumption.” Corn has been linked to many dog ailments such as allergies, joint swelling, BLOAT and there have been some cases of aflatoxin contamination associated with corn in dog food. Corn metabolizes in dogs similar to the way sugar metabolizes in humans. It’s like feeding a child food that is high in corn syrup. The dog may experience energy rushes, crashes, hyperactivity and a hard time concentrating. Studies have also shown that high doses of corn can inhibit serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is an important chemical that reduces stress and anxiety. And these dog food companies can also use GM (Genetically Modified) grains without declaring it on the labels! If a dog were lost in the country and starving to death, would he run into a corn field and chow down on ears of corn or would he find some road kill and eat it or a nest of bunnies? In other words, dogs were not meant to eat corn. Effects of the GM corn were mostly concentrated in kidney and liver function, the two major diet detoxification organs, but in detail differed with each GM type. In addition, some effects on heart, adrenal, spleen and blood cells were also frequently noted.” See full report at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793308/?log%24=activity K Vitamin Supplement: SEE MENADION SODIUM BILSULFITE COMPLEX *Lamb By-Products: Contains everything internal but the muscle meat including diseased tissue, tumors, diseased or dying or euthanized, etc. *Lamb Digest: rendered lamb parts including intestines and feces. * Liver Meal: AAFCO: The dried product of ground hepatic glands of mammals. Animal source SHOULD BE IDENTIFIED such as beef liver. This could be ANY animals liver. *Meat: Whenever the word '”meat” or the name of an organ appear by themselves (without a species) on a pet food label, there is no way to know which kind of animal it came from. It could be horse liver, goat, duck, pig, or even skunk or other animals of questionable origin, and in a state other than fresh. *Meat & Bone Meal: AAFCO: The rendered product from mammal tissues, with or without bone, exclusive of any added blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices. The animal parts used can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: "4-D animals" (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. roadkill, animals euthanized at shelters and so on. It can also include pus, cancerous tissue, and decomposed (spoiled) tissue. *Menadione Sodium Bilsulfite Complex, Vitamin K supplement Synthetic Vitamin K, also termed as “Menadione”, ‘Sodium Bisulfate’, “K-3”:Hazard information regarding Menadione lists “carcinogenic effects” and states “the substance is toxic to kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage and abnormal destruction of red blood cells.” http://www.sciencelab.com/xMSDS- Menadione Sodium Bisulfite-9924604 Other Names: Menadione dimethylprimidinol sulfate Menadione dimethylprimidinol sulfite Menadione dimethylprimidinol bisulfite Dimethylprimidinol sulfate Dimethylprimidinol sulfite Dimethylprimidinol bisulfate *Methionine: is a natural occurring amino acid found in meat & fish. *Mortmorillonite Clay: Montmorillonite clay does contain a lot of minerals. If it is used for its mineral properties, it should be towards the bottom of the list of ingredients, NOT in the first 7 to 10 ingredients. 1. It has been an ingredient that livestock feed companies have used for many years as an anti-caking agent and because of the minerals, it binds aflatoxins (poisons from fungi and mold that is in grains) to it so that the pigs and chicken wouldn’t get sick. 2. Clay is used in Kaopectate and Peto-Bismol to stop you from pooping! Also in de-wormers. 3. Clays are popular with naturopathic medicine and natural health trends, but for short term use only. 4. You can purchase clay supplements for people and pets. In human studies, heartburn, gas, loss of appetite, constipation, diarrhea and vomiting are possible. Ingesting clay has also been linked to intestinal blockage and bowel injury, possible rupture, stones, enlarged liver or spleen. Long term animal studies and data are limited at best. 5. A lot of M-clay is harvested in Utah 300 miles from where nuclear testing was done in Nevada in the 40’s. *Natural Flavorings: See “Flavorings” *Pea Flour: Cheap Filler. Little to no nutritional value. *Pea Starch: Cheap Filler. Little to no nutritional value. Potato Product: are composed of potato by-products from a food processing plant. The main component is potato skins. components could be misshapen pieces as well as limited amounts of fryer skimmings. The dry material is used as feedstock. This is used as a filler to boost protein percentage in food. “It has 1 ½ times the protein value of corn” (ingredients101.com). *Poultry Meal: Note how the source is not defined as "slaughtered poultry". The manufacturer does not disclose the species (or the mix of species) of the poultry used. The fowl can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: "4-D animals" (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), turkey, chicken, geese, buzzard, seagulls, misc. road kill, birds euthanized at shelters and so on. *Powered Cellulose: Cheap filler/source of fiber, suspected to include cardboard, causes irritable bowel problems. *Propylene Glycol: is a second cousin to ethylene glycol, which is antifreeze. According to Dr. Wendell Belfield, DVM, states that propylene glycol (a pet food ingredient closely related to anti-freeze) causes destruction of red blood cells. “It decreases the amount of moisture in the digestive tract, which has led to intestinal blockage and a host of serious digestive tract problems such as cancerous intestinal lesions. This is what produces those "small, hard, dry stools" that certainly are easier to clean up, but you are also led to believe this means more product has been digested.” I recommend you find a different brand of kibble. “Reputable foreign suppliers” OR “Purchased Internationally” includes China. Any ingredient sourced from China is considered ‘risk’ due to lack of consistent quality control. While pet food manufacturers might test all imported ingredients for known toxins, the concern would be unknown toxins. (S.Thixton) Rice: Is a cheap filler with little to not nutritional value to a dog making their kidneys work overtime. Filler -- has been linked to diabetes, always indicates white rice, not whole grain but usually floor sweepings from rice industry. * Rice Flour: Rice flour in dog food is commonly a by- product of human food production. Any type of “flours” in dog and cat food has no nutritional value, it is simply a filler. *Rice Hulls: Cheap filler, can be harsh on intestines. Leftovers from rice. *Rye Flour: Flours have little to no nutritional value for dogs. *Sodium Selenite: The Journal of American College of Nutrition reports not much was known about which selenium compounds to approve for use in animal feeds when the decisions were made back in the 1970’s. “At the time the regulatory action was taken, only the inorganic selenium salts (sodium selenite and sodium selenate) were available at a cost permitting their use in animal feed.” http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/20/1/1 Science has since learned that these inorganic selenium sources (sodium selenite most commonly used in pet foods) can be toxic in high doses; effecting an animal’s blood, liver, and muscles. ScienceLab.com states sodium selenite “may be toxic to blood, kidneys, liver, skin, central nervous system. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage. Repeated exposure to a highly toxic material may produce general deterioration of health by an accumulation in one or many human organs.” http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9927277 *Soy & Soy Products: Per Dr. Karen Becker: “Soy is estrogenic and can wreak havoc on your dog’s endocrine system.” Soybeans and/or soy products are not clinically proven to be safe for pets to consume. Soy products are fat-free (defatted) soybean meal and is a primary, low-cost, source of protein for animal feeds: Soybeans also contain potent enzyme-inhibitors. These inhibitors block uptake of trypsin and other enzymes which the body needs for protein digestion. Our pets definitely do not need any interruption with their digestion systems! Soy contains a natural chemical that mimics estrogen, the female hormone. Does that sound like something our pets should be eating? *Venison Digest: All internals including intestines, bowels, and feces. White Rice: Is a cheap filler with little to not nutritional value to a dog making their kidneys work overtime. * Whole Wheat Flour: Corn and WHEAT allergies are showing up as common allergens the same way they’re showing up for people. They’re cheap fillers in pet food and a buildup of them in your pet’s body can cause an allergic reaction.