Scary dog food brands exposed

[Jestjoan]

www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/the-fda-four.html

 

[AnnaS]

That's a huge list of foods/brands.

 

[SpikeMauler]

My dog's been eating Beneful dry for 10 years with no problems.

 

[Rob&Carol Q]

The doggie version of "Soylant Green"???

Seriously? It's one of those panic sites...if there was any true amount of reality here, the news would be all over it.

 

[Jestjoan]

http://www.homevet.com/petcare/foodbook.html

 

[Jestjoan]

Susan speech to vet school

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXqSLUXDMh0

Perhaps, you should have done some research before dismissing Susan Thixton and Truth About Pet Food.

 

[SpikeMauler]

Being a dog owner I was concerned after reading the article you posted so I did a little research. The article is based on a 1998 FDA study which found unspecified amounts of pentobarbital in certain dog foods. They didn't isolate which species of animal the pentobarbital originated from nor the amount found.
In 2002 the FDA conducted a second study and found no dog or cat DNA in the foods they tested. They theorize that the drug found it's way into the dog food by way of euthanized cattle and horses. They also stated that the level of the drug they found in the dog food was safe.

 

[Don]

My dog's been eating Beneful dry for 10 years with no problems.

My little dog was eating Beneful also for at least six years with no problems, then she got ruined!
We went to a grand opening of a new Pet Supermarket and got a free bag of Nutro. We have been mixing the two together to get her used to the Nutro and she picks the Beneful out and sets it on the floor. She won't eat it until the other is gone.
That list looks like it covers just about every brand of dry pet food on the market. I didn't see where it gave the amount found in the foods. It could be (as was stated before) a panic site, where a infinitesimal amount is treated as if it was a dangerous amount that was killing pets with judicious regularity.

 

[Jestjoan]

from a report from the American Pet Institute

"These fats are sprayed directly onto dried kibbles or extruded pellets to make an otherwise bland or distasteful product palatable. The fat also acts as a binding agent to which manufacturers add other flavor enhancers such as digests. Pet food scientists have discovered that animals love the taste of these sprayed fats. Manufacturers are masters at getting a dog or a cat to eat something she would normally turn up her nose at."

 

[Passepartout]

Being a dog owner I was concerned after reading the article you posted so I did a little research. The article is based on a 1998 FDA study which found unspecified amounts of pentobarbital in certain dog foods. They didn't isolate which species of animal the pentobarbital originated from nor the amount found.
In 2002 the FDA conducted a second study and found no dog or cat DNA in the foods they tested. They theorize that the drug found it's way into the dog food by way of euthanized cattle and horses. They also stated that the level of the drug they found in the dog food was safe.

Thanks for doing more research on this. No one would knowingly feed unsafe food to their four legged loved ones.

My 14 1/2 y.o. Cocker has eaten Beneful both with gusto, and willingly, her whole life. Would she choose high $ canned or table scraps over it, sure, but no one can say she has ever had any malady that could remotely be linked to her diet.

Jim Ricks

 

[stmartinfan]

I found this site helpful when I was trying to choose a dog food for my dog when I needed to switch him because of some allergy problems.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/

I thought the site did a good job of explaining the various ingredients used in dog foods, why they are good - or bad choices. He's careful to get accurate ingredient labels and then analysizes all the ingredients. He also evaluates based on protein level, etc. Under the "about" section, you can read about who he is and his interest in the topic. While he's just a "lay person," he seems to have really done his own thorough research to educate himeself.

Some of the foods that earn the best scores can be hard to find at local stores, but I ended up choosing one of the Dick Van Patten options because it rated decently on the site and was one of the few I could find locally with a single source protein and carbohydrate (important if you're trying to eliminate allergins).

The good news is my dog seems to be doing well, and the ear infection the vet suspected was allergy-related has cleared up.

 

[Jestjoan]

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/animal-by-products/

 

[wackymother]

We switched from Beneful to Kirkland dog food--that's Costco's brand, which comes only in 40-pound bags. Our dog only weighs 14 pounds, so a 40-pound bag is like a six-month supply! But she really likes it. It gets high ratings on pet food review sites and is very reasonably priced, about $25 for that huge bag.

 

[ace2000]

We switched from Beneful to Kirkland dog food--that's Costco's brand, which comes only in 40-pound bags. Our dog only weighs 14 pounds, so a 40-pound bag is like a six-month supply! But she really likes it. It gets high ratings on pet food review sites and is very reasonably priced, about $25 for that huge bag.

Looks like a great choice... we don't have a Costco nearby. I've looked into the above-mentioned web site, and after trying to find the best quality for the cheapest price, we're going with Canidae Dry Dog Food. I can get a 44-pound bag for $42, with free shipping on Amazon. It's not easy to figure it out, but think that's the best deal for high quality.

 

[nightnurse613]

Those manufacturers are pretty crafty. I'm sure there's a reason I love Big Macs but, I don't want to know what's in the secret sauce but, some people might so, Thanks JestJoan!

 

[kenie]

Here is another good site. http://www.dogfoodproject.com/

We feed our 2 mini schnauzers Kirkland brand food.
We are in the process of switching them to a more natural food because 1 of the issues with Kirkland is that although they do not use corn, they use beet pulp which "may" cause skin conditions/allergies. Our 3 year old does have itching issues, so we are going to try a natural food and see if that helps.