Ingredients to Avoid in Your Pet’s Diet
Keep in mind that your pet’s food and treats make up their complete diet. A correct and healthy diet can help your pet if they are itchy, smelly, chew at their paws, or have ear issues (just to name a few examples).
Meat by-products: The “by-products” from the meat, but not including meat: lungs, spleen, kidneys, brains, liver, blood, bone, and intestines, none of which are fit for human consumption. Livers can be infected with worms (liver flukes), lungs with pneumonia, kidneys, and brains can be cancerous. – Ann Martin, Foods Pets Die For, (New Sage Press, 1997.)
Meat meal: Meat meal can consist of just about any conceivable meat source. If the meat is named i.e. chicken meal or beef meal it is a good source of protein. Even destroyed dogs and cats are rendered into meat meal for several name-brand animal foods. Liz Palika, The Consumer’s Guide to Dog Food; states: “Sodium pentobarbital, which is used to euthanize dogs and cats, survives the rendering process and will remain in the meat that is sold to the dog food manufacturers.”
Corn/Wheat: Corn or wheat should not appear as an ingredient in your dog food. “Corn can cause common allergies such as skin disorders, increased chewing on paws or ear infections. Most corn and wheat that are used in dog food are very low grade and often linked to food recalls.” Liz Palika, The Consumer’s Guide to Dog Food. They are also cheap fillers that have little or no nutritional value.
Corn gluten meal: Corn gluten meal is a by-product of the manufacture of corn syrup or starch. The nutritional bran, germ, and starch have been removed.
Soy: Found in treats, vitamins, and some commercial dog foods. Soybeans are planted to draw toxins from the soil. “A dog’s digestive system cannot utilize the amino acids from soy.” Dr. Mindel, Nutrition and Health for Dogs.
Beet Pulp: Beet pulp is the dried residue from the sugar beet. It is a source of sugar and fiber. However, it can seriously bind a dog’s digestive tract. It draws moisture from the intestines, absorbs the moisture, and swells to ten times its dry state. The effect is a slowing of the dog’s natural elimination process, which can lead to very hard stools. – Dr. Mindel, Nutrition and Health for Dogs.
BHT, BHA: Chemical preservatives such as BHT and BHA have caused some concerns when tested on laboratory animals. “Both have been associated with liver damage, fetal abnormalities, and metabolic stress and have a questionable relationship to cancer.” – Liz Palika, The Consumer’s Guide to Dog Food (Simon & Schuster/Macmillan Company, NY, 1996).
Ethoxyquin: Ethoxyquin is a chemical preservative used to prevent spoilage in dog foods. It is a 1950’s Monsanto product manufactured and sold as a chemical for making rubber! It is listed as a pesticide by the USDA and has not been approved for use in foods slated for human consumption. The Animal Protection Institute of America has reported that ethoxyquin may be associated with infertility, neonatal illness and death, skin and hair coat problems, immune disorders and thyroid, pancreas, and liver dysfunctions. – Dr. Goldstein, D.V.M., The Nature of Animal Healing.
Propylene glycol: Propylene glycol is a preservative found in rawhide and dog food. It is also a component of antifreeze and can cause the destruction of red blood cells.
Dyes: Unnecessary additions to dog food or treats, dyes have been linked to skin allergies and reactions in many dogs and cats. Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, Blue 2. “All are inorganic or toxic.” – Dr. Goldstein..
