What Is Your Pet Eating?
Choice cuts of beef, plump whole chickens, fresh vegetables, fruits and grains – all the wholesome nutrition your dog and cat will ever need; these are the images pet food manufacturers have instilled in our minds through advertising and packaging. And it sounds pretty good, right? A little research, however, can illustrate the stark difference between what we think we’re buying and what we’re actually getting.
The pet food industry is an extension of the human food, agriculture and pharmaceutical industries. From a business perspective, multi-national companies owning pet food companies is an ideal relationship. Due to the lack of industry regulations, pet foods can provide a market for by-products and other ingredients unfit for human consumption. According to Ann Martin, author of Food Pets Die For, the by-products in many pet foods in Canada and the United States include diseased and cancerous animal tissue, and even euthanized pets.
Most mass-produced and heavily-marketed brands of pet food are grain-based; the formulas are made with cheap filler ingredients that are unhealthy and often dangerous. Corn, wheat, soy and brewers rice are common in many foods because they’re inexpensive. But beware; these ingredients don’t offer much nutritional value and can actually cause many health issues like allergies and gastro-intestinal problems. Furthermore, chemical preservatives such as BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole), BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) and Ethoxyquin, a pesticide and rubber stabilizer, are widely used despite known health risks and a long history of suspected carcinogenesis. Artificial flavour enhancers and high levels of salt and sugars are added to ensure palatability, and artificial colours complete many ingredient lists to make the food more visually appealing to pet owners (pets don’t care what colour their food is.)
Improper diets provide inadequate nutrition and can lead to disease and disorders, including obesity, allergies, chronic ear infections, skin and coat problems, bladder and kidney stones, inflammatory bowel disease, heart disease, bloat, arthritis, hypo/hyperthyroidism, diabetes and cancer.
Don’t let the clever marketing campaigns and fancy packaging dictate what you buy – do some research and read the labels. You might be surprised.
