Posted on 04/10/2007 5:56:49 PM PDT by Milwaukee_Guy
I consider this a form of terrorism.
Interesting.... actually I’ve cut way back on vitamins for my dogs, starting to trust the healthier grown food is more balanced, but in the case of sick kitty I would probably continue the vitamins you were supplementing with.... I’m thrilled your kitties are liking the healthier food! happy dance!
I already do .. piece of cake really they just want you to think it’s hard.... vets only get two weeks training in nutrition from the vets hired by Hills and Purina to go out and spread the word — feed all your clients Science Diet...
Have you read their FAQ? I just want to make sure they are getting what they need because I think mine needed extra probably due to absorbtion, So, you think It will be alright just with what I am giving now in vitamins?
Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Egg Product, Animal Plasma, Flaxseeds, Montmorillonite, Cottage Cheese, Brewers Yeast, Cod Liver Oil, Egg Shell, Apple, Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Tomato Powder, Parsley, Blueberry, Cranberry, Apricots, Spinach, Artichoke, Broccoli, Carrots, Pumpkin, Kelp, Chicory Root, Rosemary.
So much for “the wet food’s OK”.
So glad I had to transition my fuzzy away from Nutro because of allergies a year ago.
No, the Nutro stuff is most emphatically not the “canned with gravy” food.
I am definitely not liking where this is going.
Potential Contaminants
Given the types of things manufacturers put in pet food, it is not surprising that bad things sometimes happen. Ingredients used in pet food are often highly contaminated with a wide variety of toxic substances. Some of these are destroyed by processing, but others are not.
- Bacteria. Slaughtered animals, as well as those that have died because of disease, injury, or natural causes, are sources of meat, by-products, and rendered meals. An animal that died on the farm might not reach a rendering plant until days after its death. Therefore the carcass is often contaminated with bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli. Dangerous E. Coli bacteria are estimated to contaminate more than 50% of meat meals. While the cooking process may kill bacteria, it does not eliminate the endotoxins some bacteria produce during their growth. These toxins can survive processing, and can cause sickness and disease. Pet food manufacturers do not test their products for bacterial endotoxins. Because sick or dead animals can be processed as pet foods, the drugs that were used to treat or euthanize them may still be present in the end product. Penicillin and pentobarbital are just two examples of drugs that can pass through processing unchanged. Antibiotics used in livestock production are also thought to contribute to antibiotic resistance in humans.
- Mycotoxins. Toxins from mold or fungi are called mycotoxins. Modern farming practices, adverse weather conditions, and improper drying and storage of crops can contribute to mold growth. Pet food ingredients that are most likely to be contaminated with mycotoxins are grains such as wheat and corn, and fish meal.
- Chemical Residue. Pesticides and fertilizers may leave residue on plant products. Grains that are condemned for human consumption by the USDA due to residue may legally be used, without limitation, in pet food.
- GMOs. Genetically modified plant products are also of concern. By 2006, 89% of the planted area of soybeans, 83% of cotton, and 61% of maize (corn) in the U.S. were genetically modified varieties. Cottonseed meal is a common ingredient of cattle feed; soy and corn are used directly in many pet foods.
- Acrylamide. This is a carcinogenic compound formed at cooking temperatures of about 250°F in foods containing certain sugars and the amino acid asparagine (found in large amounts in potatoes and cereal grains). It is formed in a chemical process called the Maillard reaction.4, 5 Most dry pet foods contain cereal grains or potatoes, and they are processed at high temperatures (200–300°F at high pressure during extrusion; baked foods are cooked at well over 500°F); these are perfect conditions for the Maillard reaction. In fact, the Maillard reaction is considered desirable in the production of pet food because it imparts a palatable taste, even though it reduces the bioavailability of some amino acids, including taurine and lysine.6 The content and potential effects of acrylamide formation in pet foods are unknown.
Thanx for that link. I’ve been hesitant to believe that melamine is the culprit...under the impression that labs can find only what they test for. If that’s true, it could be a very long time (or never) before the substance is identified with any degree of comfortable assurance.
I just hesitant to give him anything not made by Bil Jac at this point. Not even the snacks he’s used to getting. It seems like it’s something new with these companies using imported products every time we turn around.
Do you mean the sardine oil? I just remember that another freeper on another thread was worried about the lack of a certian vitamin—I can’t remember what it was. Does anything stick out to you?
I heard about this this morning. If it’s tied in, this is a bad thing.
Check this out!!!!!!!!!
Interesting...........
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070410/menu_foods_070410/20070410?hub=TopStories
No.... did the other person indicate what she/he thought was missing? Looks balanced to me. Like I said with sick kitty I’d still supplement the B-12 and folate.
I foeget, they all sound alike after a while. Mabe A, d or K?
Too much D is dangerous, that was another recall a year or two ago..... a formula changed and too much D in the food and dogs and cats died.
Seems modified food in tests is giving all sorts of health problems in the test animals -- like kidney failure. So how much of this debacle is rat poison, melamine or genetically altered corn?
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