Commercial dog food is made from garbage...

[Retmilleo909]

Since I've got a little dog who's like a member of the family the recent recall of poisoned dog food got me to wondering, how dog food is made and what goes into it.
After reading the following which is only one of many articles I found on the web dealing with the subject, I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to start making my own dog food.
Incidently, I heard over the radio yesterday that there were still
60 million tainted cans still out there, that pet owners bought prior to the warning and recall.

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/jesse.htm

FOOD NOT FIT FOR A PET
Dr Wendell O. Belfield, D.V.M.
Rendering plants process decomposing animal carcasses, large roadkill and euthanised dogs and cats into a dry protein product that is sold to the pet food industry. One small plant in Quebec, Ontario, renders 10 tons (22,000 pounds) of dogs and cats per week. The Quebec Ministry of Agriculture states that "the fur is not removed from dogs and cats" and that "dead animals are cooked together with viscera, bones and fat at 115° C (235° F) for 20 minutes".

The US Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is aware of the use of rendered dogs and cats in pet foods, but has stated: "CVM has not acted to specifically prohibit the rendering of pets. However, that is not to say that the practise of using this material in pet food is condoned by the CVM."

Some of these dead pets - those euthanised by veterinarians - already contain pentobarbital before treatment with the denaturing process. According to University of Minnesota researchers, the sodium pentobarbital used to euthanise pets "survives rendering without undergoing degradation". Fat stabilisers are introduced into the finished rendered product to prevent rancidity. Common chemical stabilisers include BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) - both known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction - and ethoxyquin, a suspected carcinogen. Many semi-moist dog foods contain propylene glycol - first cousin to the anti-freeze agent, ethylene glycol, that destroys red blood-cells. Lead frequently shows up in pet foods, even those made from livestock meat and bone meal. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology study, titled "Lead in Animal Foods", found that a nine-pound cat fed on commercial pet food ingests more lead than the amount considered potentially toxic for children.

Here's some good Info. on how to make your own dog food.

http://www.ehow.com/how_12697_make-homemade-dog.html

[gozling]

nice article...

I did a lot of research on large animal feeds and in that process found out a lot of information regarding small animal feeds as well.

There are a lot of factors to feeding 'holistically'
off the top of my head are some things for large animals but they can easily be applied to small animals with some changes.
If anyone is interested feel free to email me through this site and I will help you out... NC..

Here is the idea behind feeding in a
holistic way. The idea is to have feed and supplements
that are digestively supported with some kind of
probiotic for better assimilation in the digestive
tract. To have only natural preservatives such as
sorbitol or mannitol or none at all. For the minerals
to be chelated for better absorption by the body. To
be sugar free. If you use a supplement I want
it to be made with a high pressure, low heat method so
the nutrients are not cooked out.

Vitamins, minerals, and amino
acids needed. This is made with a high pressure, low
heat technique. The minerals are chelated for better
absorption. It is digestively supported with
probiotic, and it is only preserved with sorbitol or
mannitol which are all natural.

All salts should be in loose form. Blocks were made
for cows and their tongues are much corser than horses
and excessive hard licking by the horses can cause TMJ
or the horses will try to bit it apart, and thats not
good either. And small animals wont get what they need off the block either. I set out a bucket of 1:1, 2:1, NTM salt,
Vitamin/Mineral mix, Izmine. Animals are the ones who
are to regulate themselves and I have no business
being a part of that. It is amazing to see them go to
different things on different days, depending on
climate changes, stresses ect... Most Animals however
do very well if just offered the 2:1, the Izmine and
the Vitamin mineral mix. Because minerals are
classified as bulk or trace- some are always needing
to be replenished constantly when needed.

Remember to always change gradually, after being fed commercial feed for so long the body will freak out if you dont take it slow with a 10% change each week.

I know we don't all have time to make fresh foods for our pets... there is a holistic company that I have and anyone is able to tour the plants ect...

most companies use fillers and those fillers are sweepings and junk off the floor... also know that according to the FDA anything that is added PRIOR to the final processing does NOT have to be on the lable... hmmm wonder why??????

because of that they can pre- preserve foods with ethoxiquin which is a preservative for your CAR tires! Ethoxiquin has proven to cause cancer as well.

if you cant take the time to make your own dog food or cat food drop me a note and i will help you out...

*note.. i get no money from the company i know of etc... this is purely out of my background knowledge to help people on a voluntary basis.