February 2005 | Whole Health
Do You Know What You’re Feeding Your Pet?
by Ann N. Martin
It was about 15 years ago that I began to question what I was feeding my Saint Bernard, Louie, and my Newfoundland, Charlie, when they became ill after eating a well-known commercial food that I had been using as their sole source of nutrition and sustenance for five years. When I started to seriously investigate, I was shocked at the appalling ingredients that went into pet food, as I had always assumed it was quality-controlled. But in tracing my dogs’ illnesses to their food, I learned that regulations for pet food apply to barebones labeling such as the name and address of the company — with scant regard to the actual quality of the food.
Among the groups associated with the pet food industry, there’s no agency that regulates the sources of protein, fat and grain. The Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), a branch of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, polices health and drug claims used on pet food labels (for example, claims such as “improves skin and coat,” “prevents dry skin” and “hypoallergenic”). The Association of American Feed Control Officials, a nongovernmental agency, approves ingredients that can be used in animal diets. Legally, if the pet food label guarantees 8 percent protein, it must contain that amount — but the source of the protein, (or fat or fiber) can come from some very questionable sources, including, for instance, hydrolyzed hair and dried poultry, swine and ruminant waste.
A trade organization, the Pet Food Institute, described as “the voice of U.S. pet food manufacturers,” lobbies for its industry members, most of whom benefit from a wide and liberal list of approved ingredients.
None of these organizations oversee or test the sources of what’s going into pet foods. Moreover, if your pet becomes ill or dies because of an ingredient in the food, it’s up to you to ascertain the toxic substance and provide documentation and lab tests in order for the CVM to take action. There are a number of concerns that stem from this lack of regulation. Here are the top offenders.
Problem Protein
Quality protein is of prime importance to the wellbeing of our animals but the protein sources used in pet foods are most often the materials condemned for human consumption. This can include animal parts — feet, hooves, viscera, carpal and tarsal joints and feathers. Additionally, other matter such as road kill, the remains of zoo animals, garbage from grocery stores and the body parts of euthanized companion animals can be included. All of this is sent to rendering plants and centrifuged down to what’s described on pet food labels as “meat meal.”
Another term listed on labels is “meat by-products.” These are materials from slaughterhouses that are sent directly to pet food companies. Again, these are materials unfit for human consumption because the animals have died on their way to slaughter and include animals whose lungs are filled with pneumonia, have worm-infested tissue or “stick marks” where drugs have been injected.
Toxic Grains
Grains, another common ingredient listed in pet foods, usually come from the end of the milling process, called shorts or mill ends, and are often sweepings from the mill floor. Grains contaminated with mycotoxins can also be used when mixed with non-contaminated grains.
In 1995, the FDA initiated a recall of dry dog and cat food produced by Nature’s Recipe, a California company, when it found that the food contained levels of mycotoxins that were making dogs sick. Mycotoxin contamination was blamed again in 1998 when 25 dogs died from ingesting foods produced by Texas-based Doane Products and over 50 brands of the pet food it produces were recalled.
Drug-laced Foods
Many of the animals whose remains are used in pet food have been administered drugs prior to their deaths. Although little research has been done on the toxicity of these drugs, there are a couple of revealing studies that lead to nagging questions about drug residues in pet foods being passed on to our companion animals.
Sodium pentobarbital is a barbiturate used to euthanize dogs, cats and to some extent, cattle and horses, many of which go into the making of pet food. According to a 1995 study by the University of Minnesota that looked at sodium pentobarbital in the bodies of dead animals, the drug “survived the rendering without undergoing degradation.” About the same time, the CVM began to receive reports from vets that pentobarbital appeared to be losing its efficacy in dogs being euthanized. A plausible theory was that the dogs had been exposed to pentobarbital through the foods they were ingesting, making them resistant to the drug’s effect.
In 1998, the CVM began testing various dry dog foods to ascertain levels of this drug in pet foods. Seventy-five foods were tested and approximately half of those contained levels of sodium pentobarbital. Some of the brands in which sodium pentobarbital was detected included America’s Choice, Dad’s, Heinz Pet Gold, Ken-L-Ration, Kibble Select, Ol’Roy, ProPlan, Reward, Richfood, Super G, and Weis. Nonetheless, the CVM stated, “[I]t is highly unlikely a dog consuming dry dog food will experience any adverse effects from exposures to low levels of pentobarbital.” Although it admits that any amount found in human food would require the product to be removed from the shelves immediately, the agency said it had no plans to take steps to have this drug removed from commercial pet food.
Animals are no different from us in their vital need for highly nutritional food to support their health. And if the pet food is both devoid of nutrients and laced with drugs and/or pathogens, the assault on the systems of our companion animals can be profound. Much has been written on the correlation between diseases such as arthritis and diabetes in our animal friends and the food they eat.
THE RIGHT PET FOODS
Personally, I have cooked for my pets over the last 15 years and have had very few vet bills. My 10-year-old German shepherd and my teenage cats have never eaten commercial foods. My Siamese, Ben, died last year at age 28.
For those who don’t have time to cook for their pets, there are reputable companies that make human-grade pet food. Look beyond marketing hype and start studiously reading labels — as some of the biggest pet food companies are the worst offenders of ambiguous labeling. Here is a list of what to avoid and what to actually seek out and remember: quality food is going to cost more.
Avoid Pet Foods Containing:
Meat meal, meat by-products, fat, tallow, corn gluten meal, ground corn, wheat shorts, wheat middlings, brewer’s rice, beet pulp, powdered cellulous, preservatives — BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin.
Purchase Pet Foods Containing:
Natural chicken, turkey or beef, organic brown rice, organic oats, rolled oats, organic millet, organic barley, organic whole wheat, organic vegetables, dried kelp, cranberries, flaxseed, sunflower oil, preservatives: mixed tocopherols, vitamin E, vitamin C.
Ann Martin is a leading authority on commercial pet foods and related animal health concerns. She is author of the newly revised and updated Food Pets Die For, as well as Protect Your Pet. Contact Martin by e-mail.
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