Selling Sickness:
Commercial Pet Food and Your Dog's Health

Breeders and veterinarians constantly tell us that commercial dog food won't keep our dogs healthy. So why do we rely on pre-packaged meals, snacks and treats for our best friends? The answer is, convenience. Homemade dog food is not something most of us have ever considered. Until now. We're learning, largely through the internet, about the parts of the dog food process that manufacturers don't advertise. In the words of Colorado veterinarian Jean Hofve, "What I found out about commercial pet food ... absolutely terrified me."

Even the most expensive brands have dangerous, sometimes lethal, contaminants. Diamond Pet Foods is a leading manufacturer of premium food. The online catalog at dogfoodbuyer.com describes Diamond Food as "the choice of top-breeders, kennel owners, working dog owners and family pet owners world wide." In January 2006, researchers at Cornell University estimated that at least a hundred dogs died due to aflatoxin contamination of Diamond food. Aflatoxin gets into dog food from moldy ingredients and causes liver failure. The long term consequences of ingesting non-fatal amounts of aflatoxin–conditions ranging from digestive irritation to cancer–are waiting to make themselves felt.

In February 2006, the French dog food company Royal Canin announced a recall. Royal Canin sells premium food in 85 countries, including the United States. Some cans of its Veterinary Diet were found to be contaminated "with excessive levels of Vitamin D3." The known result in America so far is "eight reported cases ... of hypercalceroia dogs." Symptoms of hypercalcemia in dogs and cats include anorexia, vomiting, and constipation. Among its long term effects, according to the prestigious Merck Veterinary Manual, is the increased occurrence of "diseases to which dogs are genetically predisposed."

Both of these serious contaminations happened in companies whose public image rests on high quality. What goes on in manufacturing plants that produce economy brands? It's scary to think about. Yet deadly mistakes and oversights are not the gravest danger to pets from commercial food. The standard procedure for making pet food would turn anyone's stomach.

Many surprising things are deliberately included in dog food. Deceased pets are an example. Reports California veterinarian Wendell Belfield, "Federal and state agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, and medical groups, such as the American Veterinary Medical Association ... confirm that pets, on a routine basis, are rendered after they die in animal shelters or are disposed of by health authorities, and the end product frequently finds its way into pet food." Rendering creates a hot soup from animal ingredients deemed unfit for human consumption – such as our pets. Also included whole in the soup are livestock dead from whatever cause and road kill in various states of decay. Added to this tempting broth are the outdated meat, poultry and fish from supermarkets, including the Styrofoam and plastic wrap. This is the basis of your dog's dinner. On the package, the rendered protein is identified by the noun "meal," as in "by-products meal" or "meat-and-bone meal." In fact, it's no meal at all.

The daily assumption of dog food manufacturers is that your dog will be just fine eating all of this biological garbage. Not so. The health issues associated with rendered products in commercial pet food are extensive. "Some veterinarians claim that feeding slaughterhouse wastes to animals increases their risk of getting cancer and other degenerative diseases." At the Animal Protection Institute's (API) web site (www.api4animals.org), you'll find good information about the health implications. For instance, a condition known as "garbage gut," in which dogs emit bad smells both orally and anally, is linked to the consumption of commercial dog food. Dogs also suffer from eating trace amounts of drugs, which pass through the rendering process unchanged. The sodium pentobarbital used to euthanize pets is probably in your dog's dinner if it contains meal. Overall, "some veterinarians claim that feeding slaughterhouse wastes to animals increases their risk of getting cancer and other degenerative diseases."

After the hot soup has been dried and pressed into the meal, it's puffed with air to turn it into kibble. Rancid fat is sprayed on for taste. Chemical preservatives are added to increase shelf-life. Depending on the brand, low-end vitamins may be included. Some dogs turn up their noses at kibble. These are wise dogs indeed. During the Diamond aflatoxin tragedy, owners enticed their pets to eat the lethal food by the addition of tasty toppings like gravy.

Even if commercial dog food were safe for our pets as a steady diet, it's generally the wrong diet. The canine's digestive system is designed for eating raw meat. Commercial dog food, especially kibble, is mostly grain. "Cereal and grain products now replace a considerable proportion of the meat that was used in the first commercial pet foods." (API) Dogs are increasingly intolerant of commercial food, as judged by the rising number of diet-related problems seen in veterinary clinics.

If you're ready to BARF now, go for it. Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, sometimes called Bones And Raw Food, is a healthier method of feeding your dog. BARF dinners can be made at home and stored in the freezer. It's also possible to buy BARF food, but preparing meals yourself for your loved ones is very cool. Most folks who BARF will advise you to go slow with the switch and to learn about dogs' nutritional requirements. There's one caveat to consider. In comments made to the FDA, Dr. Hofve warned that "many holistic veterinarians have reassessed the wisdom of the 'raw meaty bones' concept, after seeing bowel perforations and broken teeth due to whole raw bones, and are now recommending that bone be ground before feeding." You'll find more information on natural foods at
http://www.mercola.com/2005/mar/16/natural_pet_foods.htm. Lots of questions about BARF-ing are answered at http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm. There are sample diets and other tips at http://www.api4animals.org/articles?p=360&more=1.