Regulate the Pet Food Industry

[jUmphrey]

Did you know that one of the main ingredients in name brand pet foods is just ground up dogs and cats? I know its quite shocking.
Heres an article on it...
http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/petfood2.html

At a pet rendering plant, dogs and cats are cooked along with other material. This material contains the remains of so-called "4-D" (dead, diseased, dying and disabled) animals, slaughterhouse waste, roadkill, garbage from restaurants and grocery stores, and even zoo animals. Have we turned our pets into cannibals?

As with the sources of proteins used in commercial pet foods, grains used in dry pet foods are materials unfit for human consumption. Often these are listed as middlings or screenings.

In less than 10 years we have seen two major recalls of pet foods because of mycotoxin contamination. Mycotoxins are fungi which grow when grains are stored in damp conditions. Many types of mycotoxins can cause serious illness and even death in both humans and pets.

In 1995, Nature's Recipe pulled thousands of tins of dog food off the shelves after reports came in that dogs were vomiting and would lose their appetite after consuming the food. The fungus in this product was vomitoxin, caused by mouldy wheat used in the food. Although not a deadly toxin, it can cause serious illness in pets.

In late 1998, Doane Products, the manufacturer of a large number of private-label foods including Ol' Roy, recalled over 50 lines of foods it produces. The deaths of approximately 25 dogs were attributed to aflatoxin, a deadly toxin that was found in the corn Doane had used in its products.

We have to wonder how many other pets have become ill or died from eating contaminated pet food. If owners are unaware of other cases, they may never question the illness or death of a pet.

WHAT PET OWNERS CAN DO.

The only way we will see a change in this industry is for pet owners to boycott pet foods that contain inferior ingredients, including drugs which would never be allowed in the human food chain. We must also boycott companies that undertake experiments on animals - not only on dogs and cats but on all animals. It is apparent that the only reason these experiments are undertaken is to ascertain the cheapest, most viable sources of protein, grains and fats that can be used in pet foods.

And if you have a facebook then please join the Cause...
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/7521...ter_id=1209854

[enevitable]

you sound a lot like my aunt, except she only feeds her dog KC strip/filet mignon because of this

are there any actual name brand pet foods that are contaminated, or are you basically making a non point?

[crasstastic]

Originally Posted by jUmphrey

Did you know that one of the main ingredients in name brand pet foods is just ground up dogs and cats? I know its quite shocking.
Heres an article on it...
http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/petfood2.html

At a pet rendering plant, dogs and cats are cooked along with other material. This material contains the remains of so-called "4-D" (dead, diseased, dying and disabled) animals, slaughterhouse waste, roadkill, garbage from restaurants and grocery stores, and even zoo animals. Have we turned our pets into cannibals?

As with the sources of proteins used in commercial pet foods, grains used in dry pet foods are materials unfit for human consumption. Often these are listed as middlings or screenings.

In less than 10 years we have seen two major recalls of pet foods because of mycotoxin contamination. Mycotoxins are fungi which grow when grains are stored in damp conditions. Many types of mycotoxins can cause serious illness and even death in both humans and pets.

In 1995, Nature's Recipe pulled thousands of tins of dog food off the shelves after reports came in that dogs were vomiting and would lose their appetite after consuming the food. The fungus in this product was vomitoxin, caused by mouldy wheat used in the food. Although not a deadly toxin, it can cause serious illness in pets.

In late 1998, Doane Products, the manufacturer of a large number of private-label foods including Ol' Roy, recalled over 50 lines of foods it produces. The deaths of approximately 25 dogs were attributed to aflatoxin, a deadly toxin that was found in the corn Doane had used in its products.

We have to wonder how many other pets have become ill or died from eating contaminated pet food. If owners are unaware of other cases, they may never question the illness or death of a pet.

WHAT PET OWNERS CAN DO.

The only way we will see a change in this industry is for pet owners to boycott pet foods that contain inferior ingredients, including drugs which would never be allowed in the human food chain. We must also boycott companies that undertake experiments on animals - not only on dogs and cats but on all animals. It is apparent that the only reason these experiments are undertaken is to ascertain the cheapest, most viable sources of protein, grains and fats that can be used in pet foods.

And if you have a facebook then please join the Cause...
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/7521...ter_id=1209854

1. the issue with toxins in foods is an issue of outsourcing, so you would have to regulate other countries' health standards because their ingredients go in to all pet foods and are responsible for the contaminations. That's not going to change because we simply can't grow enough grains, and raise enough animals to produce 100% domestic pet food on a large scale

2. I clicked that link and it states that " Undried waste products are excreta from any animal except humans." this is not true. waste products are the leftovers from processing an animal.

3. "private label" dog food brands are the absolute bottom of the barrel of foods available, anyways. private labels are the cheap-as-hell generic brands you see in grocery stores, and as you stated walmart's "Ol Roy" brand.

4. The reason these companies experiment to find the cheapest sources of proteins, grains, and fats is because their target market is people who don't want to spend a lot of money on their pet's food, and/or don't care to educate themselves...but primarily, i think its about the money

Why have government regulations on pet food? the US government already has a corrupt and fucked up human food regulatory agency, what makes you think a pet food regulation would turn out any different?

Its too complex of an issue to resolve with just a boycott. All you can do is try to educate people, and even then the Dollar rules; there will always be people who don't give a shit, or can't afford the pet they have in the first place, or just don't want to pay a lot of money for food for ________ reason

[jUmphrey]

Originally Posted by crasstastic

1. the issue with toxins in foods is an issue of outsourcing, so you would have to regulate other countries' health standards because their ingredients go in to all pet foods and are responsible for the contaminations. That's not going to change because we simply can't grow enough grains, and raise enough animals to produce 100% domestic pet food on a large scale

2. I clicked that link and it states that " Undried waste products are excreta from any animal except humans." this is not true. waste products are the leftovers from processing an animal.

3. "private label" dog food brands are the absolute bottom of the barrel of foods available, anyways. private labels are the cheap-as-hell generic brands you see in grocery stores, and as you stated walmart's "Ol Roy" brand.

4. The reason these companies experiment to find the cheapest sources of proteins, grains, and fats is because their target market is people who don't want to spend a lot of money on their pet's food, and/or don't care to educate themselves...but primarily, i think its about the money

Why have government regulations on pet food? the US government already has a corrupt and fucked up human food regulatory agency, what makes you think a pet food regulation would turn out any different?

Its too complex of an issue to resolve with just a boycott. All you can do is try to educate people, and even then the Dollar rules; there will always be people who don't give a shit, or can't afford the pet they have in the first place, or just don't want to pay a lot of money for food for ________ reason

well i just copied and pasted stuff from that link. I understand the points you make. I guess I mostly just wanted people to know about what they are feeding their pets, because it can be unhealthy. You can either make food at home, or there are special high quality healthy pet foods. Mostly though i just can't stand the thought of all those dead dog carcasses being ground up and fed back to my dog... So i guess a better title would have been "Stop putting dead dogs in dog food"

[Stoner420Chick]

What dog food would you recommend?

[jUmphrey]

Originally Posted by Stoner420Chick

What dog food would you recommend?

Actually I wouldn't know, my dog eats homemade food. Rice, ground lamb, carrots, other vegetables, even yogurt or other healthy ingredients and just mix it all together. He loves it! I'm sure you could find more information on which dog foods are healthy or not through google...

Actually i just googled it myself and found this stuff called "Science Diet" that seems pretty good...
http://www.hillspet.com/hillspet/pro...adioLifestage=

i'm no expert but hope this helps...