Pets – Health Risks of Pet Food by Brittany Andrews
In general, North American dogs and cats are NOT especially healthy- especially when you look at ALL the dollars spent on Veterinary Care.
A number of pretty prevalent diseases, such as Allergies, Arthritis, Diabetes, Urinary Tract Disease, Cancer, Kidney Disease, Liver Disease and Dental Disease ALL have direct connections to Diet.
Dry Kibble was popularized in North America as a CONVENIENCE for Pet Owners…of course foods like cheese Slices also arose at that time.
It was NOT designed with your pet’s health in mind.
For example lets talk about cats.
1. They DON’T chew- they are carnivores, (meat eaters) and they have anatomy designed to bite and swallow their prey. Meaning that those well intentioned Dry ‘Dental’ Diets are not going to be very effective..
2. Cats are obligate carnivores- meaning they NEED the nutrients found in animal protein to SURVIVE.
They lack specific enzymes for carbohydrate digestion and metabolism. For instance cats lack a salivary enzyme called amylase- it’s used to digest carbohydrates.
They can utilize carbohydrates- BUT their digestive tract is SUITED for protein and fat.
Yet MOST dry cat kibble has carbohydrates as the FIRST ingredient.
3. Cats NEED protein in ILLNESS- NOT protein restriction.
In Kidney Failure many Veterinarians will place your cat on a LOW protein diet. But this can result in muscle wasting in your cat, anemia, and a decreased immune function.
The REAL problem is phosphorus, as this is what is damaging the Kidneys. The approach should be to bind the phosphorus to prevent further kidney damage.
Moreover, pet food has a new level of danger hiding behind its labels. Environmental Working Group (EWG) just released a new study
that showed high levels of fluoride in eight of ten pet foods tested. Consuming fluoride can lead to many serious health concerns.
When selecting a pet food, fluoride levels is not something most
people would look for on the label, however when you consider the latest study published by EWG, fluoride contamination appears to be a risk with some pet foods.
“Eight of 10 Dog Food brands tested by an independent laboratory commissioned by Environmental Working Group(EWG) contain fluoride in amounts up to 2.5 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) national drinking water standard.”
The problem is with pet foods and even people foods, is that the fluoride level is not mentioned anywhere on the label.
Most of the fluoride contamination in dog food comes from an unsavory mix of bone meal and various meat byproducts added to dog food. The 8 high-fluoride brands list ingredients that include chicken by-product meal, poultry by-product meal, chicken meal, beef and bone meal.
What can you do as a pet food consumer? First, read the label of your pet food.
If the word By-Product is seen stay away from that pet food, the foods with the highest level of fluoride contained By-products from beef, chicken, or turkey.
Also stay away from mechanically separated chicken, as high levels were also found in this form of protein. Chicken meal was also said to contain high levels of fluoride.
Look for labels that say Chicken Meal made from dehydrated chicken breast. Or choose an alternative protein source like venison, fish, or rabbit which are less likely to have been fed with fluorinated water.
About the Author
Brittany has been writing articles for nearly 1 year. Come visit her latest website over at http://usedropingsaddles.net which helps people find the best used roping saddles and information they are looking for concerning used roping saddles.
More Pet Food Brands Recalled (CBS News)
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