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Immune System Support, Naturally.
Support your pet’s immune system with a premium quality kibble, one with no
chemical preservatives (Ethoxyquin, BHA or BHT). Opt for naturally
preserved kibbles using mixed tocopherols (from vitamins). It is
believed that the named chemicals are at least partly responsible, if not
very responsible, for the increased incidence of cancer and other serious
illnesses in our pets.
Chemical
Preservatives and Poisons in Pet Foods Many dog and cat foods,
including some if not all of the Science Diet products, have BHA, BHT or
Ethoxyquin (chemical preservatives). To read about how dangerous these
chemicals are, see
http://www.listservice.net/wellpet/nutrition/ethoxyquin2.htm (Science
Diet is mentioned),
http://earthrenewal.org/pet_wellness_and_diet.htm (Science Diet is
mentioned);
http://www.siriuspetfood.com/preservatives.html,
http://www.wholisticanimal.com/commercialfood.html,
http://www.purelypets.com/articles/whatsinfood.htm, and
http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1 . There are many more;
I found most of these by using the search phrase “pet food preservatives”.
See the last paragraph on this page, really drives it home . . .
http://www.woofsports.com/petfoodpreservatives.htm NOTE:
Science Diet is NOT the best food available for your pet!
The Whole Dog Journal's Top Ten link
below (See "For Dogs", below) contains detailed information regarding just what exactly
those ingredients in your dog's food really are. The same ingredients are
found in cat foods, so if you're owned by a cat, please also look at that
link (see "For Cats", below). Reading that information will have you asking yourself questions
about your pet's health. In addition, it has come to light that euthanized
dogs and cats are being included in many kibbles, as evidenced by traces of
pentobarbital (the drug used for euthanizing dogs and cats and sick farm
animals) being found in the kibbles. Even worse, flea collars are not
removed so there is another drug or two or six that is also making its way
into certain kibbles. For more information, read:
http://www.wkyc.com/news/national/020513dogfood.asp May 13, 2002 "FDA:
41 brands of dog food contain anesthetizing agent" article by Kristin
Anderson
http://www.wkyc.com/talent/kanderson.asp. From the article:
The FDA created this list
of brands containing trace amounts of the poison
http://www.wkyc.com/images/news/020513dogfood2.jpg.
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/index/consumer/petlabel.htm and
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/index/consumer/labelint.htm provide information
about how to read food labels and explains what those ingredients really
are.
Related chart listing all
brands of dog food that were tested (Warning: 140 Kb file, Word document)
http://www.wkyc.com/news/national/dogfoodchart.doc
Chart listing all
brands of dog food that were tested (Warning: 250 Kb file, Rich Text Format
file)
http://www.wkyc.com/news/national/dogfoodchart.rtf
Food and Drug
Administration/Center for Veterinary Medicine Report on the risk from
pentobarbital in dog food
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/efoi/DFreport.doc
Center for Veterinary
Medicine
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/default.htm
Food and Drug
Administration http://www.fda.gov
For a site which discusses in to-the-point terms the most common chemicals
in pet foods and their dangers, see
http://www.siriuspetfood.com/preservatives.html.
If you're going to spend the money on a pricy food like Science Diet, spend
it instead on a premium quality food.
Pet food companies spend
untold amounts of money on marketing every year, to convince you that their
brand of food is "the best", "new and improved", "now more meatier than
ever!", or whatever their slogan or catch-phrase is. You'll notice
after reading the list of premium foods that
none of them are found in a grocery store. Most are carried by smaller pet
stores, very few are carried by large chains like PetsMart or Petco. That's because these
premium kibbles are not marketed to the general public . . . the general
public isn't aware of the importance of feeding a truly "clean" kibble. Most
of us don't have time to spend hours researching those ingredients and the
negative impact they can have on our pet's health (everything from allergies
to cancer have been tied to those chemical preservatives, for instance).
And while Hill's Science Diet™ is a popular brand of food offered by
veterinarians, it may not be the healthiest food out there for your pet.
For the cost of that food, you could place your pet on a true premium kibble
or premium canned food like Wellness or Solid Gold or any of the others
mentioned at those sites above, save money, and truly be feeding your
pet the healthiest food you can afford. Taking this step alone will just about guarantee a
reduction in your annual vet bills.
Grains in dog foods are
often a problem for dogs -- they do not eat much if any grain in the wild.
Common allergens are corn, wheat, soy, flax . . . and you'll find one or
more of those ingredients in just about every non-premium kibble out there.
That goes for treats too. Look for treats that are naturally
preserved, or search the Internet for dog treat recipes or cat treat recipes
and make your own. It's actually fun to do! I feel great knowing that I have
control over what Max and Barney eat -- and they sure do love their biscuits!
Kibbles. Note that there is not one premium kibble which is
right for every dog and cat. Read about what those dog food ingredients
really are (which are usually not found in premium kibbles): From NaturesPet.com,
http://www.naturespet.com/flintwhatsin.html
For dogs, following is a
list of manufacturers of the top premium kibbles as determined by The Whole Dog Journal
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/
for 2005. One of the healthiest things you can do for your pet is switching to
one of these premium kibbles. Search these sites for where to purchase.
Artemis
www.artemispetfood.com
Azmira www.azmira.com
Back to Basics www.beowulfs.com
Bench & Field Holistic Natural Canine
www.benchfield.com
Blue Buffalo www.bluebuff.com
Burns www.bpn4u.com
California Natural
www.naturapet.com
Canidae
www.canidae.com
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul
www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com
Drs. Foster & Smith
www.drsfostersmith.com
Eagle Pack Holistic Select
www.eaglepack.com
Flint River Ranch (sold through independent reps)
Foundations
www.petcurean.com
Fromm Four Star Nutritionals
www.frommfamilyfoods.com
Hund-N-Flocken www.solidgoldhealth.com
Innova www.naturapet.com
Karma Organic www.karmaorganic.com
Lick Your Chops
www.healthypetfoodsinc.com
Lifespan www.petguard.com
Limited Diets (sold through veterinarians only)
Merrick Pet Foods www.merrickpetcare.com
Mmillennia www.solidgoldhealth.com
Natural Balance Ultra Premium
www.naturalbalanceinc.com
Newman's Own Organics
www.newmansownorganics.com
Organix www.castorpolluxpet.com
PHD Viand www.phdproducts.com
Pinnacle www.breeders-choice.com
Prairie www.naturesvatiety.com
Prime Life www.ompetproducts.com
Royal Canin Natural Blend www.royalcanin.us
Timberwolf Organics
www.timberwolforganics.com
VeRUS www.veruspetfoods.com
Wellness www.oldmotherhubbard.com
Wysong www.wysong.net
Not Recommended by Whole Dog Journal:
Nature's Best (Hill's Science Diet); Beneful (Nestle Purina Petcare)
Others I've been told are good include:
Seven Protein Source
http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com
Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach
http://www.proplan.com/brands/dog/extra_care/sensitive_skin/sensitive_default.asp
Main ingredients are salmon, tuna and brewers rice.
Nature's Recipe allergy diets,
http://www.naturesrecipe.heinzpetproducts.com/pages/dogproducts/allergy/
Includes venison and rice kibble, and a vegetarian kibble for dogs allergic
to protein.
For
Cats, premium kibbles include Wellness Dry Cat Food, Nutro Natural Choice
for Complete Care, and others. See:
http://cats.about.com/library/reviews/aatpdryfood.htm. For a non-premium
food, see Purina's Pro Plan line for cats
http://www.proplan.com/welcome_cat.asp or Nature's Recipe brand
http://www.naturesrecipe.heinzpetproducts.com/pages/catproducts/.
Treats. Make sure
your treats, if store-bought, do not contain BHA, BHT or Ethoxyquin (chemical
preservatives). They should be naturally preserved with vitamins/mixed
tocopherols. Because treats are usually grain products, store naturally
preserved treats in the freezer and just take out what you need for a week. Keep
them refrigerated. Grains tend to attract bugs, so freezing will kill them and
their eggs. There are many suppliers of natural treats, such as Old Mother
Hubbard brand; and Purina One dog biscuits are naturally preserved as well.
Check at pet stores for options, or search the internet for "natural dog treats"
and similar search strings.
See also:
http://www.doggieconnection.com/recipe/ And consider using Kongs
stuffed with good natural food instead of rawhides and the like. See
www.kongcompany.com for information and
recipes.
Charlee Bear Treats and
Snacks! I found these perfect treats and snacks, especially for
training. Their healthy treat is made of simple all human grade ingredients and
has been reviewed in the Whole Dog Journal several times, each time receiving
their highest "three-bone rating". The snacks are just as nutritious. What I
love about these treats and snacks is that they aren’t greasy or slimy, so you
can carry them in your pocket with no crumbs, stains or smells. They’re a puffy,
crunchy treat dogs love! The treats were developed by Steve Brown about 14 years
ago. Steve has focused on canine nutrition and is a recognized expert in the
area (he is author of the book, “See Spot Live Longer”).
They consulted with food scientists, vets, trainers, canine nutritionist and
dogs. They wanted to make an all natural treat with no artificial preservatives,
sugar, artificial flavors or dyes. They use vitamin E as a natural preservative.
They also wanted to make a low calorie treat so it could be given frequently
without worry of weight gain. These treats and snacks have delicious wholesome
human-grade ingredients dogs love, and they have only three calories per treat.
Charlee Bear Dog Treats are sold in lots of small retail stores, catalogs, and
Petco and Petsmart. Or visit www.charleebear.com or call for more information
1-800-880-2327.
They also offer Charlee Bear Natural Nutrition Snacks, a totally nutritious
complete and balanced snack that is all meat and vegetables. This is meant to be
a one or two a day snack, not a frequent reward. This is a snack for an extra
energy and nutrition lift after a dog has been working or just for an extra
nutrition boost. Steve Brown developed this snack based on nutritional
information from his book “See Spot Live Longer” which deals with the “natural
diet of dogs”. The snacks are sold on several websites and catalogs which are
listed at www.charleebear.com, or call
1-800-880-2327 to find a retailer.
The Dangers of Rawhide
Chews, Hoofs and Pig's Ears For a true story about the dangers
of these items, see
http://www.millennium-ark.net/News_Files/INFO_Files/rawhide.chew.warning.html.
A final word: Please
research with an open mind the idea of feeding a
raw food diet. It's
probably not at all like the rumors you may have heard, or the advice
against doing so probably given to you by your veterinarian. Use
holistic care options whenever possible. Doing so will improve the quality
and length of your animal companion’s life, and can drastically reduce your
veterinary bills. Feeding a raw (or cooked) diet is no more expensive than a
premium bag of kibble every month, and is sometimes cheaper because they
assimilate the nutrients much more easily, which translates into less food
having to be fed over the long run. The same goes for premium kibbles.
When you feed a high quality kibble, the number of cups you need to feed to
maintain weight goes down as their body adjusts to digesting high quality
ingredients. So the cost of a premium bag of kibble is not much more,
when factored out, than the grocery store or pet store brands. Do research
what you're feeding now and compare it against the foods listed above. I
think you'll be surprised at what's really in your dog's or cat's food. |
