Feeding our pets is conversely as
important as feeding ourselves. Junk in is
junk out. Considering that dogs are carnivores,
meaning they are meat eaters, we must realize this is at most a basic
need. Besides meat, fat is also an
important nutritional source….but not just any fat…not all fats are created
equal. Learning what our canine
companions need in their diet, having not only the understanding, but applying
that knowledge is a first step in truly nurturing our beloved furry critters. That is why I created this blog…to help
educate dog parents, empowering them with tools to utilize that will get and
keep their dogs healthier and more resistant to illness and disease. Believe me, you won’t learn this or hear this
advice from the majority of the pet food industry….they don’t want you to know
this, otherwise their profits would suffer.
I’m not about profiting myself….I’m about caring for my dogs and
teaching other people to care for theirs….that’s my goal. I have no problem calling out these companies…it
is what it is, and if you don’t like what I’m saying…then change your ways,
because I’m not going to back down and I’m not going to tolerate it…and I don’t
and won’t apologize for that. This
attitude comes from a heart of caring and unconditional love for a species of
animal that I am an advocate for. Our
domesticated pets do not know what their needs are. It’s our responsibility as human beings because
we are their caretakers and have brought them from a natural, wild environment into
our toxic surroundings, and they rely totally on us to do many things for them…i.e.,
provide proper food and fresh water, let them out to pottie, keep them in a
safe environment, etc. It is a big
undertaking, and one that should not be taken lightly.
Getting back to nutrition, be
wary of the use of the word ‘natural’. I
believe my definition, and that of the ‘industry’ differs greatly. To me, natural means, unaltered, and as
little processing as necessary, as understandably there has to be a certain
amount of processing at times to make products useful to us. However, what method has been used to get it
to this point is my concern. I believe the ‘industry’ definition is adding
man-made synthetic ingredients and processing procedures to ‘water down’ that
natural, and pump up the imitation to gain monetarily.
I have researched a
comment/question from my blog from a reader regarding Cesar dog food and
Freshpet refrigerated dog food. I love
to explore these things, as this is how I continue to learn, and there is much
information available on the websites of these dog food companies. However,
knowing how to decipher that information can be confusing and overwhelming if
you don’t know what it means. Before I
go into detail of my findings, understand that my comments are in no way meant
to be derogatory or condescending toward anyone, especially one of my readers. I am here to help you and your dog(s); I love
you guys. I am not placing blame or
fault on any consumer, only the majority of the pet food industry for
misleading and deceiving an unassuming and trusting pet owner, which by the way angers me. My conclusion
from the study of Cesar dog food is that I would only feed mine this food if
they were on the verge of literally starving and this was all that was
available to me. And I am about to
explain why. I perused through all the
moist foods listed and studied the ingredients.
Anybody can view this, it is available to the public.
Ingredient lists on dog food
packaging is often long and in small print.
Most pet owners assume that dog food manufacturers know what our dogs
need, and that’s what is in the foods they make. Buyer beware…this is mostly NOT the
case. It is typical that in moist,
canned (or pouch) food that water would be the main ingredient used for the
processing…this is usually the first ingredient. I’m okay with that. However, when you follow that with ‘by-products’
such as beef, meat and chicken….that troubles me. What is a ‘by-product’ in dog food? Well, one
would like to think perhaps these are protein sources. Well, actually it is not a good protein
source, and contains little if any meat.
It is the parts of animals left over after meat has been stripped away
from the bone. Chicken by-product can
contain the head, feet, entrails, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, liver, stomach,
bones, blood and intestines, and other parts not fit for human
consumption. These parts can come from ‘questionable’
sources such as zoo animals, road -kill and 4-D (dead, diseased, disabled and
dying) live stock. This can also include
dogs and cats…imagine that….feeding your pet somebody else’s pet! Moving on…added color. From what source? Perhaps beets? Probably not…most
likely something synthetic. Next carrageenan…which comes from Irish Moss and is
added to processed foods to make them more palatable, which has been linked to
side effects such as colon cancer, inflammation, and depressed immune system
issues. Xanthan Gum…a natural sugar
derived from corn. Bear in mind, most
dogs are allergic to corn….so not a good ingredient for dog food. T-bone steak flavor and rotisserie chicken
flavor…I can guarantee you these are not the drippings off the real meats, but
a synthetic made flavoring. There are
also a few ‘fragmented’ vitamin sources such as A, D3, E and B1…definitely not
a vitamin complex, which would be the whole vitamin. Then there’s soy flour, starch (don’t know
the source of that), wheat flour and wheat gluten…again allergy sources for
most dogs. Still more….Red #3, Yellow
#5, Yellow #6….these are artificial dyes that are contaminated with known
carcinogens (meaning they can cause cancer).
Smoked bacon (It would be a rarity for me to feed my dogs any smoked
meats, like ham or bacon). Egg product….hmmmm….not real eggs, but a ‘product’. I imagine that’s why the Yellow #5 and #6 are
added….eggs are yellow because of the yolk, so an egg product would lack this
natural color that comes from using a real yolk. Animal liver….okay, from what animal? This
should be specific as to what source it comes from, not just ‘meat’ or ‘animal’. See by listing ‘animal’ liver, pet food
manufacturers can use whatever animal is available to them at the cheapest cost
at the time.
As far as the Freshpet Fresh and
Natural pet food, in reviewing it, it seems to be a decent product, as it uses
whole meats and real eggs as ingredients.
It is available in my area at Kroger grocery stores. You can go to their website (http://freshpet.com) and find locations around
you. They do add minerals to their
product, which is not uncommon, however, my only concern about this is the
ratio of the minerals added, are they balanced as they need to be? I am
beginning to learn in my advanced canine nutrition studies about the importance
of minerals in the canine diet and how improper ratios can cause problems. I will be addressing this in future blogs as
I know more. I was unable to obtain
pricing on this product on Kroger’s website, but I imagine it is rather on the
pricey side, which would be a deterrent to many pet people.
Addressing the use of Atopica or
Sulfadene (for itchiness) as was in this comment, my suggestion is this…if it
is not a life or death situation, there’s an herb for that…or a truly natural
remedy. Bear in mind, herbs take weeks to several months to work through your
dog’s system to do their job…so be patient. I have said in past blogs, there is a time and
a place (although not that often in my opinion) for man-made products. Please read my blog from August 12, 2012
titled ‘Natural Help For Itchy Skin’. It
has a great recipe for external itching.
There is also a product I use for one of my dogs who came to me with
severe allergies and numerous trips to the emergency vet for allergic
reactions. In speaking to her vet (which
is also a vet I take my dogs to), the source of her allergies had not been
determined. So, I began at the
nutritional level (getting her off the low-fat prescription dog food), and
utilized a Seasonal Allergy Support product from Vet’s Best (www.vetsbest.com) which contains a plethora
of herbs. This will assist in working
from the inside out. I will be writing a
future blog (Turning Around Maebelle’s Allergies) explaining how I improved a
perpetual allergy issue with this dog, and successfully enriched her
health. I think you will be amazed at
how what I used did the trick, and pulled her out of a cycle of allergic concerns.
I realize this has been a long
blog, understand it is difficult to address such big issues in a short article. There are many factors that enter in when
dealing with nutritional issues, it is very complex, and cannot be easy to
explain or work with. I am also
beginning to learn about fur analysis, and will definitely be posting more
about this as I gain more understanding of this valuable tool that is more
accurate than a blood profile. As a
final conclusion to this comment/question, my answer is, no…I do not believe
that a dog would benefit from a diet of Cesar dog food. Considering what this reader is probably
spending on purchasing it (about $ .75 to $1.04 per 3.5 oz. serving), you’d
fare much better on a home cooked diet for about the same price, and greater
benefit to your dog. Even picky eaters
(like my aforementioned Maebelle), will gobble up chicken, steak, pork, etc.,
as I’ve not met a dog that did not like meat…which should be the mainstay of a
natural diet for canines anyway. I hope
my findings and advice will be of great assistance to the reader who posted
this comment/question and to my other blog readers as well. You love your dog as family, and they deserve
no less than the best…that doesn’t mean that it has to cost an arm and a leg to
fund, this can be done on a reasonable budget.
I do not make near big money, and I have a multi-dog household, and I
can afford to do it. Perhaps it comes
down to where your priorities are. If
you think it is ‘just a dog’, maybe you should reconsider owning one. I am here to be their voice….their advocate…I
hope you will join me in my pursuit of providing proper nutrition to keep your
canine companion well. <3
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