Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:54 pm Post subject: Is pet food poisoning our dogs?
And before anyone says it, I know the article is in the Daily Mail and I know you shouldn't believe all that's written in any tabloid. However I do think there were some interesting parts to the story, especially this bit.....
"The pet-food industry is heavily embedded in the veterinary profession. It runs courses that give veterinary nurses qualifications in animal nutrition; it publishes textbooks on nutrition and hands them out free to veterinary students. And, as Allport explained, it doesn’t stop there.
‘In many cases, the salaries of lecturers in nutrition in veterinary colleges are paid by the pet-food companies,’ he said. ‘So most students today don’t get any information about anything other than commercial pet food.’
Anyway, if anyone else is interested, here's the link.....
I knew two Labs who lived to be 16 and 17 and they were fed all their lives on Chappie complete or Sainsburys own....so I don't think it can be true for all dogs! I will add they are not foods I would choose to feed my own dogs but these two were slim, fit and healthy until not long before they died.
I also know of someones dog on a raw diet who got pancreatitis from too much meat (the fat content)and now has to be fed on a low protein kibble the rest of its life...so I think there can be risks with any diet.
I think we just have to do what we feel is right for our individual dogs, keep an eye on their condition and most importantly just enjoy the precious years we have with them as they soon fly by!
As you say Jules its always hard to know with tabloids anyway...
It's not about ingredients but it's about feeding a balanced diet that suits your dog and aids the role he plays. Working, companion, fun. All need different requirements.
We, the dog owners start it by coming up with our own cranky views and the more the feed companies are asked to withdraw an ingredient the more problems we cause as it has to be replaced by something else.
There are more unqualified dog feed company owners now than ever and if you buy 40 bags there are companies who will make it for you. The market needs regulating to stop false advertising of ingredients and protein levels.
But it is impossible to keep up with all of the new start up almost daily.
It's funny isn't that people say that their dog has a wheat allergy so they change to a grain free diet. Oats now do not seem to be considered as grain. However as the dog performs better on that food the whole country aided by forums campaigns to get wheat removed from food. Nobody considers it may be another ingredient.
The more we pressure feed companies to remove ingredients the easier it will be for the ordinary person to launch a dog food.
Google earth your feed company and see if they have a plant. If not you are buying from a wholesaler who is working towards a range rover and private plate and could not give a stuff about your dogs welfare.
I did a lot of research into kibble 2 years ago when Flora started having head tremors after a change in the recipe of their normal kibble. Obviously, I didn't have the key to as many doors as a journalist would, but I came to many of the conclusions that she has. Thankfully, my vets also support a raw diet and my dogs will never be permanently fed on kibble again.
Unfortunately, Bran *has* to have a hypoallergenic kibble during his IBD flare-ups so that we can keep his usual food "safe" but I hate feeding it to him
____________ Sarah and Bran
Always watched over with love by our angel, Flora, from Rainbow Bridge
Bran Training
It's not kibble that is the problem but what people leave out of kibble.
On a raw feed diet you are in control as raw food and salmon oil is pretty much all that is needed.
The kibble companies just need to be brought to the surface over who does and who does not manufacture and understand dog nutrition and not just fancy bag design.
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