The 5 worst ingredients in pet food

[pointstar]

http://www.rodalenews.com/pet-food

You may not realize it, but pet food is made primarily from leftovers from human food production, such as animal products that are unwanted or are condemned for human consumption. The type and quality of pet food ingredients can vary widely.
While it's true that, in many cases, you get what you pay for—the cheapest pet food is most likely to contain the lowest-quality ingredients—in some cases you may actually be paying a premium price for mediocre foods from makers who spend a bundle on advertising and promotion.

That said, there are a few ingredients to look for on a pet food label that give a good indication of the food's overall quality.

Animal Fat
Animal fat, also called tallow, is a product of rendering. In the rendering process, pieces, parts, and even whole animals are put through a gigantic grinder, then boiled in vats for 30 minutes to several hours. High heat is necessary to kill bacteria, viruses, molds, and other pathogens. The boiling process also allows the fat to separate and float to the top, where it is skimmed off for use in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, industrial lubricants, and, of course, pet food.

When a pet food company is using fat from a single species, it will say so, but when the ingredient is an inexpensive amalgam of whatever came through the door, the general term "animal fat" must be used. It's not something you want your pet to be eating!

Meat and Bone Meal
Meat and bone meal, or MBM, is another product of rendering. It's a single ingredient, and the term doesn't infer a combination of "meat meal" (which is defined separately) plus bone meal. At the renderer, once the fat is removed from the cooking vat, the remaining material is pressed and dried to yield a fluffy brown powder—that's MBM. It is a high-protein powder commonly used in lower-cost dog and cat foods. MBM is a generic term that can include any one species or a variety.

Both animal fat and MBM may come from any species of animal or from a wide variety of sources, including outdated supermarket meat, livestock that died on the farm, and restaurant waste, such as used grease from deep-fat fryers.

For many years, it's been rumored that euthanized dogs and cats were being processed into pet food, although the pet food industry has always adamantly denied it. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration found no dog or cat DNA in the foods it tested. However, it did conclude that animal fat and meat and bone meal were the ingredients most likely to be associated with the presence of sodium pentobarbital—the drug used by veterinarians and shelters for euthanasia—in the food.

Animal Digest
This ingredient is a flavoring agent commonly sprayed on dry kibbles to make them enticing to dogs and cats. It's made from a stew of animal parts broken down with the use of enzymes or chemicals. Again, the use of the term "animal" means that it may be derived from any one or from many species. This can be a problem if your pet is allergic to a particular animal protein.

Corn Products
Many forms of corn are found in pet foods, including whole grain corn, ground yellow corn (also called corn meal), corn grits, corn bran, corn flour, and corn gluten meal. It's used primarily as a source of "energy," which is simply another word for calories. The vast majority (85 percent) of corn in the U.S. is genetically modified (GMO). Moreover, most poultry and livestock in the U.S. are themselves fed GMO corn, so the chicken, beef, and other meat products in pet food are giving our pets double trouble. Corn gluten meal is especially problematic because it is used primarily as a cheap substitute for meat. Cats and dogs are by nature carnivores and do best with a meat-based diet.

Chemical Preservatives
Many pet foods still contain synthetic preservatives, such as BHA, BHT, propyl gallate, and ethoxyquin. Such chemical preservatives have been linked to a variety of health conditions, including cancer. Opt for foods that use only natural preservatives, such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), tocopherols (vitamin E), and rosemary oil.

Summary
It definitely pays to be a label reader and to choose foods made from good-quality ingredients. It's worth noting that dry foods are more likely to contain rendered ingredients and corn products, and cats in particular are better off with high-moisture foods such as canned, frozen, or homemade. By paying attention to what's in your pet's food, you'll be ensuring your pet a long and healthy life.

[shags]

http://www.rodalenews.com/pet-food

You may not realize it, but pet food is made primarily from leftovers from human food production, such as animal products that are unwanted or are condemned for human consumption. The type and quality of pet food ingredients can vary widely.
While it's true that, in many cases, you get what you pay for—the cheapest pet food is most likely to contain the lowest-quality ingredients—in some cases you may actually be paying a premium price for mediocre foods from makers who spend a bundle on advertising and promotion.

Says the guy who feeds Blue Buffalo. What a good pet parent!

[pointstar]

http://www.rodalenews.com/pet-food

You may not realize it, but pet food is made primarily from leftovers from human food production, such as animal products that are unwanted or are condemned for human consumption. The type and quality of pet food ingredients can vary widely.
While it's true that, in many cases, you get what you pay for—the cheapest pet food is most likely to contain the lowest-quality ingredients—in some cases you may actually be paying a premium price for mediocre foods from makers who spend a bundle on advertising and promotion.

Says the guy who feeds Blue Buffalo. What a good pet parent!

http://bluebuffalo.com/dog-food/wilderness-puppy Thanks, but my dogs food is always at least half beef, chicken, pork or venison.

Is your food on the best dry dog foods list? http://www.consumersearch.com/dog-food/ ... y-dog-food

Blue Buffalo is.......

[whatsnext]

pointstar what did this dead horse do to you that you have to keep on beating it?

[ACooper]

"While food allergies do occur in pets and there are several ingredients commonly known to cause an allergy in sensitive animals, corn is not one of them. Overall only about 3% of dogs and cats have food-related allergies. Of the pets who have a confirmed food allergy, only about 1.5% of them will react to corn. Putting it another way, 98.5% of pets with food allergies don't have a problem with corn. And these are the ones with food hypersensitivites! Corn is actually one of the ingredients least likely to cause a reaction. Wheat, beef and chicken are much more likely to be allergens, yet we don't see people trying to avoid these ingredients in an average pet."

I've got google also dippy.

[ACooper]

http://www.rodalenews.com/pet-food

You may not realize it, but pet food is made primarily from leftovers from human food production, such as animal products that are unwanted or are condemned for human consumption. The type and quality of pet food ingredients can vary widely.
While it's true that, in many cases, you get what you pay for—the cheapest pet food is most likely to contain the lowest-quality ingredients—in some cases you may actually be paying a premium price for mediocre foods from makers who spend a bundle on advertising and promotion.

Says the guy who feeds Blue Buffalo. What a good pet parent!

http://bluebuffalo.com/dog-food/wilderness-puppy Thanks, but my dogs food is always at least half beef, chicken, pork or venison.

Is your food on the best dry dog foods list? http://www.consumersearch.com/dog-food/ ... y-dog-food

Blue Buffalo is.......

Why should be believe the "list" you posted? At least you didn't cite the dentist again but that list looks about at silly, really they base their "choices" on reviews? Many probably from people like you.... I'll pass.

[Gertie]

Uuuuugggggghhhhhhh... Just relentless.

[Cajun Casey]

It isn't about dog food or ingredients. It's about never doing anything good enough to justify owning an animal. It just hasn't gone that far yet here. AR is ramping up their efforts this month. We've been hunting them down all over the WWW. No license required!

[SetterNut]

You could be right. There is something wrong with these two.
To go on and on about how horrible people are for feeding a food they they don't approve of, thats not normal.

[pointstar]

You could be right. There is something wrong with these two.
To go on and on about how horrible people are for feeding a food they they don't approve of, thats not normal.

The people feeding these poor quality foods are not horrible, they are just foolish and do not take the time to understand what they are feeding their animals, and do not understand how awful some pet food companies are. I find it kind of comical, that so many hunters fail so badly at hunting that they never have any meat left over for the dog. Sheesh I thought that at least throwing the dog a leg bone was a standard pastime in America. Apparently all hunting dogs are allowed to eat is MBM meat and bone meal and corn gluten........

This is what you are arguing for, not me!

[ACooper]

I find it kind of comical, that so many hunters fail so badly at hunting that they never have any meat left over for the dog.

Tell us about some of your great hunting conquests.

[Mountaineer]

... I thought that at least throwing the dog a leg bone was a standard pastime in America.....

Has anyone heard of an outfit named PointStar, by any chance?
Just more curiosity....it's a cold day.

[pointstar]

I find it kind of comical, that so many hunters fail so badly at hunting that they never have any meat left over for the dog.

Tell us about some of your great hunting conquests.

Tell us about how you tie up little birds, so your Rover can catch them and be a great hunting dog?????? Then watch this hunting retrieve test, and take a good look at the champion judge that is deciding which doggie wins..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uJ8rm3V7gU Now that is a great specimen of humanity, cane and all.

[ACooper]

I find it kind of comical, that so many hunters fail so badly at hunting that they never have any meat left over for the dog.

Tell us about some of your great hunting conquests.

Tell us about how you tie up little birds, so your Rover can catch them and be a great hunting dog?????? Then watch this hunting retrieve test, and take a good look at the champion judge that is deciding which doggie wins..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uJ8rm3V7gU Now that is a great specimen of humanity, cane and all.

Tie up? How would I tie up a bird so my dog could catch it?

[SetterNut]

That is not hunting.

[Cajun Casey]

... I thought that at least throwing the dog a leg bone was a standard pastime in America.....

Has anyone heard of an outfit named PointStar, by any chance?
Just more curiosity....it's a cold day.

It's an infomining marketing IT startup.

[Vonzeppelinkennels]

That video is a retrieving hunt test only shows the dogs natural abilities & training probably something your dog has none of because you don't even know what your dog is supposed to do.