Dog Food: A Toxic Waste Dump

Dog food commercials are fascinating – and they are aimed directly at pet owners, and designed to make the food look yummy to us.  My favorite advertising slogan has to be “New and improved taste!” Who tastes it?

If you really knew what went into most commercial dog food, you wouldn’t be smiling. Lax laws allow unscrupulous manufacturers to get away with filling your pet’s food with all sorts of disgusting and unhealthy ingredients. This has come to the forefront recently with several high profile recalls on pet food, such as that of Diamond Pet Foods a couple of years ago.

Diamond Pet Foods were recalled because tests showed high levels of aflatoxin, a naturally occurring toxic chemical that comes from a fungus found on corn and other grains. Aflatoxin causes severe liver damage in animals, and at least 76 dogs nationwide died because of eating this contaminated food.

As all dog owners know, dogs need proteins, vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates and calories for a well-balanced diet- however, manufacturers routinely add grains such as corn to pet foods, in order to bulk them up. It’s not uncommon for pet food to include corn along with some meat protein, bone meal and other ingredients, in order to have the legal right to label their product as balanced and complete.

However, this is not the whole grain corn you might be envisaging. Dog food contains the leftovers, the parts not fit for human consumption – the nutritious parts of the grain are present only in trace amounts.

What is added to your pet’s food is corn gluten meal or wheat middlings, the leftovers after the grain has been processed for human use. Quite often, it is grain that is too moldy for humans to eat. It is thus a ripe breeding ground for mycotoxins, potentially deadly fungal toxins that multiply in moldy grains.  For example, in 1995, Nature’s Recipe recalled their dog food after dogs became ill from eating their product – it was found to contain vomitoxin, a mycotoxin that damages nervous system function.

Another ingredient that has caused problems and recalls is Melamine. Melamine is an industrial chemical used in manufacture of plastics, so you might wonder why it is in dog food? Manufacturers use it to thicken the gravy in “cuts and gravy” style wet pet foods.

Consuming melamine can lead to kidney stones and kidney failure. Some of the symptoms of possible kidney failure include:

• Vomiting
• Lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Changes in water consumption
• Changes in urination frequency and/or amount

So serious is the problem that many vets now believe that processed pet food (kibbles and canned food) is the main cause of illness and premature death in domestic dogs and cats. According to the British Journal of Small Animal Practice (December 1995), processed pet food suppresses the immune system and leads to liver, kidney, heart and other diseases

Common symptoms found in pets that live on low quality commercial pet foods include:

• Diarrhea
• Increased flatulence
• Dull coat
• Intermittent vomiting
• Prolonged scratching

Dogs are naturally designed meat eaters. As a result, pet food manufacturers are always looking for cheap sources of meat to add to their recipes. Common ingredients include chicken heads, road kill, cancerous material cut from slaughterhouse animals, and meat high in hormone or pesticide residues. However, perhaps the worst ingredient in many dog foods is the carcasses of other pets – such as dogs and cats – that have been euthanized by veterinarians.

Including dead pets in pet food is not only common, it is legal. However, not only are the entire carcasses processed, including fur, nails, etc, but also so are things like metal ID tags and minced flea collars.

Worse still, many of these dead pets contain pentobarbital from where they were put to sleep. According to University of Minnesota researchers, the sodium pentobarbital used to euthanize pets “survives rendering without undergoing degradation”, and is thus consumed by pets when they eat the food.

How common is this? When researchers tested pet food, they found sodium pentobarbital in 31 of 37 dry dog foods! Again, sodium pentobarbital can cause liver and kidney damage.

Many cheap pet foods are mostly carbohydrates and sugars held together with toxic preservatives and additives. Common additives include:

• Chemical stabilizers: BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) – both known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction
• Ethoxyquin: An insecticide that has been linked to liver cancer
• Propylene glycol: Closely related to the anti-freeze agent, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol destroys red blood cells. It is found in many semi-moist dog foods
• Sodium nitrite: A coloring agent, preservative and potential carcinogen

Experts estimate that an average dog can consume as much as 26 pounds of preservatives every year because of consuming commercial dog foods!

So what is the alternative?

Your best option is to look for natural or organic pet foods. They use human grade meat products, rather than the rendered meat that is so harmful. Instead of chemical preservatives, look for meats that are preserved with Vitamin E or Rosemary.

When examining ingredients, the first ingredient should be meat – not “meat by-products,” “chicken or turkey by-products and meal”, but clearly identified meat such as beef, chicken, turkey, lamb etc. The same goes with any animal fat – it should be specified, as in “chicken fat.”

It may be more expensive, but by avoiding rendered meat and additives, you will be making a huge positive step towards improving and maintaining your dog’s well-being.

Guest post by: Dr. Linda Kennedy MS SLP ND: Is a an accomplished researcher, author and Naturopathic “people doctor.” A life-long lover of animals of all kinds, she applies many of the same healthful principles to her pets and passion, the European Doberman. Not a fan of the prolific breeding of animals of any kind, she only has Doberman puppies on occasion.