Toy Safety

In June, Chai, a yellow lab mix in NYC was injured by a common toy, a ball with a hole in it (likely intended for treat dispensing or simply to make the ball more squeezable). As Chai was licking the ball he got his tongue into the hole and because there was only one hole in the ball, it created a vacuum, his tongue got stuck and by the time an emergency vet team sedated Chai and cut the toy off, the damage was done, his tongue had to be amputated. Despite heavy medication, Chai is still visibly in a lot of pain. He is essentially handicapped and requires extensive special care. And as you can imagine, the veterinary costs have been enormous, in excess of $5,000 so far.

As it turns out, Chai is not the only one.

The company that manufactured this particular toy is Four Paws, Inc. They are a large pet product manufacturer and most of the people reading this blog likely have at least one of their products at home. The toy in question is called the Pimple Ball with Bell. Chai's owner says that he has contacted Four Paws and provided them with detailed accounts of Chai's injury as well as two other dogs that he personally knows of. Apparently, Four Paws refuses to recall the toy, change the design or acknowledge any wrong doing.

Chai's owner has started a blog to spread the word.

If Four Paws does nothing to help these owners and their dogs and makes no effort to redesign this toy, I will certainly never recommend any of their products or purchase them myself. You may contact Mr. Allen Simon, the CEO of Four Paws at this email address hbirk@fourpaws.com

I would also like to point out that I have seen similar products from other manufacturers both in stores and online, even very upscale brands. This is probably a very common design flaw, but now that word is out, I hope that all pet toy makers will rework their products to include a second hole (I don't hold out much hope though). In the mean time, I suggest that you check your pet's toys, and if you think there's any chance that your dog could get even the tip of their tongue into such a toy, take it away. You can give it to a more appropriately sized dog, recycle it or simply throw it away.

How to turn a yellow lab chocolate in one easy step

OK, so this video is from June, I'm only two months behind!

I couldn't think of a good song to set this to, so you get to hear me fumbling with the camera and walking through squishy muddy grass instead. Let's have some music suggestions, this video needs your help.

Again, I apologize in advance for the quality of my video camera. I am, however, accepting donations ;)

Just a Photo ...

Just a photo today. This is Indy at the UKC Premier, it was taken on 6/14/08. You may marvel at his physical prowess now :)

Class Action Lawsuit Against Pet Food Manufacturers

This came across one of my email lists today and I felt it worthy of sharing with you.
I am very curious to see what the outcome of this lawsuit is. I definitely fall on the side of the plaintiff and hope that this has some impact on the pet food industry or at least on the public perception of it.

This is the press release:

Nationwide Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Pet Food Companies and
Retailers For Misleading Consumers Regarding the Contents of Pet
Food


"Premium" Pet Food Marketed and Sold as "Complete and Balanced" Has
Historically Contained Such Items as Euthanized Dogs and Cats,
Restaurant Grease, Hair, Hooves, and Diseased Animals, and Other
Inedible Garbage


[MIAMI, FLORIDA] A cat and dog owner from Michigan and two cat and
dog owners from Florida have filed a nationwide class action against
food industry giants Mars, Inc., Proctor and Gamble Co., Colgate
Palmolive Company, Del Monte Foods, Co., and Nestle U.S.A. Inc.
These manufacturers have a combined approximate 70% of the market
share in the $16 billion dollar a year pet food industry. The suit
also names as Defendants Nutro Products, Inc., Menu Foods, Wal-Mart
Stores, Inc. Target Corp., Publix Supermarkets, Inc., Winn Dixie
Stores, Inc., as manufacturers and marketers of their own brand pet
food and retailers PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc., Pet Supermarket,
Inc., and Petsmart Inc.


The Plaintiffs maintain that these companies have spent $300 million
a year in making false and misleading marketing statements regarding
the contents of their pet food to the dog and cat loving American
public. While these Defendants tout their pet food products as
choice cuts of prime beef, chunks of chicken, fish, fresh wholesome
vegetables and whole grains to induce consumers to buy them, the
Plaintiffs contend the food is actually made from "inedible"
slaughterhouse waste products of the human food chain such as
spines, heads, tails, hooves, hair, and blood. Rendering companies
who process this waste have also added other inedible "waste" such
as euthanized cats and dogs from veterinarian offices and animal
shelters, road kill, zoo animals, rancid restaurant grease, toxic
chemicals and additives. Additionally, dead animals and those
declared unfit for human consumption due to disease and illness are
also placed in the mix.


The lawsuit was filed in United States District Court for the
Southern District of Florida by attorney Catherine J. MacIvor of the
23 attorney Miami litigation law firm of Maltzman Foreman, PA. The
case is pending before the Honorable Cecilia Altonaga. Class
Counsel, Catherine J. MacIvor says that "The melamine debacle is not
the only serious problem with pet food. The number and frequency of
lethal pet food recalls in the last few years clearly shows the
seriousness and extent of this problem."


The lawsuit alleges that pet food companies market their products as
wholesome, choice cuts of meat, natural and complete and balanced
diets even though they are fully aware that this food is largely
carbohydrates and sugars combined with toxic preservatives and
additives with very little to no meat at all. The lawsuit seeks
damages to consumers for the false representations made in the
Defendants' advertising as well as punitive damages.


"Sadly," MacIvor said, "the Defendant pet food companies and
retailers recognized that American pet owners love their cats and
dogs like members of their family. The Defendants deceptive
advertising specifically marketed premium healthy food to the
American public knowing that they want to buy the best food that
they can for their loved one and knowing that the food consists
largely of garbage, chemicals, additives, diseased meat and even
residual pentobarbital from euthanized animals."

The 58 page lawsuit outlines in grotesque detail the actual manner
in which most commercial pet food in the United States is made. The
lawsuit also attaches and cites numerous news stories and research
articles outlining the real content of the Defendant's pet foods and
the misleading and deceptive advertising undertaken by the
Defendants.

The Defendants targeted in the Complaint produce pet foods under a
wide array of brands and names including: Pedigree(R), Sheba(R),
Goodlife Recipe(R), Royal Canine, Iams(R), Eukanuba(R), Science Diet(R),
Prescription Diet(R), 9 Lives(R), Amore(R), Gravy Train(R), Kibbles-n-Bits(R)
and Nature's Recipe(R), Snausages(R), Milk Bone(R), Pup-Peroni(R), Meaty
Bone(R), Canine's Carry Outs(R), Jerky Treats(R), Wagwells(R), Alpo(R),
Beneful(R), Beggin' Strips(R), Dog, Cat, Puppy and Kitten Chow(R), Fancy
Feast(R), Friskies(R), Mighty Dog(R), Deli-Cat(R), Pro Plan(R), Purina One(R),
Natural Choice(R) Dog and Cat Products, Max(R) Dog Products, Max(R) Cat
Gourmet Classics, Natural Choice(R) Complete Care(R) for cats, UltraTM
Products for dogs, Americas Choice Preferred Pets, Authority, Award,
Best Choice, Big Bet, Big Red, Cadillac, Companion, Compliments,
Demoulus Market Basket, Eukanuba, Fine Feline Cat, Food Lion, Food
Town, Giant Companion, Hannaford, Hill Country Fare, Hy-Vee, Iams,
J.E. Mondou, Laura Lynn, Li'l Red, Loving Meals, Medi-Cal, Meijer's
Main Choice, Mighty Dog Pouch, Mixables, Natural Life, Nutriplan,
Nutro Max, Nutro Max Gourmet Classics, Nutro Natural Choice, Ol'
Roy, Paws, Pet Essentials, Pet Pride, President's Choice, Price
Chopper, Priority US, Publix, Roche Brothers, Save-a-Lot Special
Blend, Schnucks, Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Cans, Sophistacat,
Special Kitty, Springfield Prize, Sprout, Stop and Shop Companion,
Tops Companion, Wegmans, Weis Total Pet, Western family US, White
Rose, Winn Dixie, Your Pet, LIFELongTM, Ol' Roy and Special Kitty
brands of pet food.

The lawsuit alleges, among other claims, that the pet food companies
have fraudulently and/or negligently misrepresented and concealed
what is actually in their pet foods, violated Deceptive and Unfair
Trade Practices, and Failed to Warn the public of the health risks
to animals associated with a diet consisting of their commercial pet
foods. Through the lawsuit, the Plaintiff's hope to recover
financial damages for all pet owners who have been similarly
deceived. "Ultimately we are hopeful that our lawsuit will force the
Defendants to more accurately describe what is in their pet foods
and to offer more healthful pet food options that provide pets with
food quality similar to that provided in human food products."

A copy of the Complaint and supporting research materials is
available at www.mflegal.com/petfoodlawsuit

Dock Jumping Part 2

This past weekend, Indy and I attended the UKC Premier in Kalamazoo, Michigan. We went all four days and competed in every splash we could, 6 total. Having learned many lessons from the Dog Walk in May, I was much better equipped this time around. Namely, I purchased a pair of Crocs shoes, which are awesome! In fact, I've worn them every single day since I bought them, which was well over a month ago :)

Indy was a little monster the first day, he pulled until every muscle in my body ached and I just didn't think I could hang onto that leash a second longer. Having pushed me to my limit, and probably having grown tired himself, he settled down. He did not stop pulling entirely, but we had a dramatic improvement by the middle of day two. By the end of the weekend, other than the occasional jolt in his excitement to get up on the dock, he was much improved. I think that the more events we attend, the more he will settle down.

On day one, Indy jumped 9'11", a new personal best and top of the novice division. Because they had two pools set up at the Premier, Indy and I were able to get a lot of practice and we were able to get help from Gus' owner, Janet. Having two handlers on dock makes a big difference with certain block headed jumping maniacs. One person holds the dock in the right position and gets them riled up while the other person concentrates on making a well timed and straight throw. By Friday morning, Indy shattered his personal best record again, jumping over 13'. On Saturday, he set a new personal best that still stands, 14' 10"! He picked up 5'! That's near the top of the Junior division, only two inches shy of the Senior division. We were in first place going into the Junior finals on Sunday.

Thunderstorms were rolling in just as we started the finals on Sunday afternoon. Indy, Janet and I were the last team on the dock before the remainder of the event was postponed due to weather. We were a little off, and probably more than a little tired at the end of 4 exhausting days, still, Indy managed to jump 14'1", putting him in second place, right behind the other Indy, a White Shepherd that Jumped 14'4". The other Indy had a fantastic weekend, he also finished his UKC Grand Champion conformation title. We were really happy for him and honestly, you can't feel too bad about moving up a whole division and taking second place at your second event :)

As the rain began to fall, we all ran for our cars. I put Indy in the backseat then ran around picking up all our stuff, crammed it into the trunk, then got in the car myself to wait out the storm. There we sat, melting in the hot humid car for the next 30-40 minutes. Once the storm cleared, the weather was gorgeous. Some of the crowd returned to see the conclusion of the finals. Those who didn't return missed one heck of a show. After that storm all of the dogs were making HUGE jumps. I caught most of them on video, which is posted on this You Tube channel.

Indy got a lot of valuable socialization this weekend. He tends to annoy a lot of dogs and their owners with his hyper friendly rush right up and invade your personal space behavior. Waiting in line with other dogs and their owners is a challenge with him, to say the least. He's not very good about taking cues like growling and snapping to mean that he should leave another dog alone. He got a superficial bite on the muzzle which is healing fine and probably went a long way to teaching him to have respect for dogs who warn him off. He did meet a few other dogs that matched his temperament and who tolerated all of his rude behavior. Kya, a sweet little one year old Pit Bull and Teddi, a nearly two year old Golden Retriever. Indy's becoming quite the lady's man ;)

It was a fantastic weekend. I think Indy rested for a good 24 hours, but he was so happy, he's really hooked on jumping now!

Photo courtesy of Brian L. Butler, Grand Rapids, MI

Dock Jumping - Part 1

I've been such a bad blogger lately, but I'm going to recap what's been going on in Indy's life for the past month and a half.

On May 3rd we went to the Kalamazoo Humane Society's Dog Walk and participated in our first official dock jumping competition. Indy was very excited the whole way to the dock, when we finally got up there, he drug me to the end, I tossed the toy in and drug him back to the starting position and let him go, he shot out of my hands like a rocket then skidded to a stop at the end to peer over the edge, then he saw his Water Wubba and belly flopped in at a whopping two feet! Now the only trouble was keeping him off the dock. No, really, he tried repeatedly to drag me onto the dock when other owners and their dogs were on it, and one time, he succeeded. Just when you think the obedience training has been going well, they find new and creative ways to embarrass you.

We entered two splashes, you get two jumps per splash, the better score determines your place. In splash one, Indy jumped 6'2" and 8', finishing 5th place in the novice division. In splash two, Indy jumped 5' and 7'8", finishing 3rd in the novice division. Not bad for a newbie, good enough to progress to the novice finals. According the official record, in the finals, he jumped 8'9" and 7'. Though I could have sworn the judge called a 9'10" jump, but I could be mistaken and 8'9" was still good enough to finish first place in the novice division! I actually didn't realize for a few weeks, until the scores were published online, that Indy had won. I was so distracted trying to handle my wild boy that I didn't hear the announcement. All I knew was that he did well and I was proud of him :) We had a great time, but let me tell you, it was an exhausting day. I went home black and blue, swollen, scraped up, soaking wet and ready to drop. I'll share some valuable lessons that I learned.

#1 Insist on parking near the pool, do not park with the general public. You have too much stuff to haul and handling an 80 pound insane lab that pulls like a runaway horse through a sea of people and dogs is hard enough with out trying haul equipment and supplies that collectively, weigh more than you do. Unpack the car first, set everything up, then get the dog.

#2 Do not, I repeat, do NOT, under any circumstances, wear flip flops. One excitable lab who isn't used to crowds, let alone a thousand other enticing dogs, is going to dance around and spend a lot of time stepping on you. The pictures were too graphic to post, but my feet were not a pretty sight. Cut, bruised and swollen to an unnatural shape, walking the next day was practically out of the question.

#3 Bring a first aid kit. Pretend its for the dog, but really, if you're anything like me, you're gonna need it :)

#4 Bring baby wipes. They're amazingly good for wiping off your leg and shoe when your dog, confronted with a thousand strange dogs, marks his territory, you.

#5 Bring a training collar or slip lead that goes on and off quickly. Unless your dog has been at enough events that they are desensitized and able to remain calm in the face of the ultimate temptation, you're going to need it.

#6 Come equipped with the patience of a saint or a stiff drink. See #5 for the cause.

#7 Don't wash the water bowl and then leave it drying in the dish rack at home. But if you do, use one of the plastic bags that you brought for another purpose, fold over the sides and use it for a temporary water bowl.

#8 Do not place a pop up soft kennel that rolls easily next to an unstaked tent on a windy day. If that tent gets ripped out of the ground by the wind, rolls the kennel over several times with the dog still inside, have multiple people fawn all over him until he forgets that he's traumatized.

#9 Do not plan on moving the next day. You've just discovered about 50 muscles you never knew you had. You want them to rest so that they go away and leave you alone.

#10 Last, but certainly not least. Drink enough water to keep you alive, but not so much that you'll have visit the port-a-potty. Trust me on this.

Photo courtesy of Brian L. Butler, Grand Rapids, MI

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

I know this is a dog blog, however, since Indy cohabitates with two felines and he loves kitties, cute cat videos have been declared on topic :)

So, What Does Indy Eat?

In response to my post on the history of pet food, Chris asked me what I feed Indy. The response is long enough to warrant its own post :)

Indy and the cats eat what is called a prey model diet, affectionately referred to as "frankenprey" because it's made up of many different animals to form one mythical prey animal. The idea is that in the wild, predators eat nearly the whole animal, so the healthiest and most natural diet for them is one that mimics a prey animal. The trouble is that most raw feeders have to rely on food from grocery stores and hunting to feed their pets. It would hardly do to toss Indy an entire cow or deer carcass. Besides what the neighbors would think of the crazy people with the dead deer in the backyard, it just wouldn't be very practical and more than a little bit digusting. I do have my standards :) Instead, I aim for feeding him a variety of meats, bones and organs. The preference of most prey model feeders is to serve up roughly 80% meat and connective tissue, 10% bone and 10% organs, about the ratio of most prey animals.

So, that's the theory behind the diet, now for what he actually eats...

Our big staple is chicken quarters (that's the entire thigh and leg and usually a tiny bit of the liver). I buy the ones packed in only water, no chemicals for us, Indy will turn his discriminating little nose up at chicken packed in a chemical broth, smart boy :) Chicken quarters are great for several reasons, first and foremost, they are dirt cheap! They're also readily available and they contain nearly the perfect ratio of meat, bone and usually organ. However, one part of one animal does not make a balanced diet, so he also gets beef, usually ground or what ever is on sale, same goes for pork, duck and turkey. When whole chickens go on a really good sale I buy a few and over the course of several meals he eats the whole thing including the heart, gizzard, neck and liver. If I have left over fish, he gets that too, but it does not constitute a large part of his diet. Eggs also add some variety and make a great well-rounded meal. When we're very lucky a hunter will share his left overs with us. We've gotten venison, antelope, boar and fish from some very nice people. We've also had small farmers who butcher their own chickens share the feet and other “trimmings” with us. Indy loves the feet (and they're a great source of glucosamine and chondroitin), the rest of it, he'd be happy to do without. As for organs, I used to buy them whole and cut them up and feed little bits with every other meal or so, but, being an incredibly lazy person, when my local pet store started carrying a high quality frozen ground beef organ mix, I immediately converted. It couldn't be easier, I just give him a good size scoop every couple of meals and he gets a wider variety than I was ever able to find in the grocery store. The same pet store also carries frozen ground green tripe (that's the cow's stomach with all the good yucky stuff left in tact) which is highly nutritious and has also become a staple. Fruits and veggies are not part of his diet, though he occasionally gets them as a treat. His favorites are carrots, bananas, apples and pineapple. Indy also takes fish body oil capsules and vitamin E to help with his allergies. And he gets a little yogurt here and there as a treat (it pretty much eliminated what little gas he used to get).

Now, you're probably thinking to yourself, “holy cow that's a lot of food!”. He sure doesn't eat it all in one day :) He eats about 2-2.5% of his body weight per day (that's a general rule of thumb for adult cats and dogs, but it's flexible since every animal is an individual with a different metabolism and activity level). By feeding chicken quarters that I buy for about 49 cents per pound I am able to then add variety to his diet with slightly more expensive meats and still feed him for about $1 per day (sometimes less, sometimes nothing at all if he's getting freezer clean outs; freezer burned meat, hunting leftovers etc.). I spent about the same amount, oftentimes more, when I fed him a premium kibble and store bought treats.

Just a few benefits of the raw diet:

*Better dental health, gnawing on raw bones is great for keeping teeth clean and gums healthy. Please note that raw bones are soft and highly digestible, cooked bones are NOT safe, they are prone to splintering and causing bowel obstructions.

*Easier weight control. Overwhelming anecdotal evidence suggests that dogs that are either chronically over or underweight on kibble (despite dietary control by the owner) seem to reach their ideal weight easily on a raw diet.

*Less poop! Because the raw diet is highly digestible, there's very little waste and no grain or veggies to add bulk and stink to the poop. A raw fed dog's poop also biodegrades very quickly, breaking down and disappearing into the soil within a couple of days (you'll notice when you're out hiking through the woods that wild animal poop does the same thing, when an animal eats what they were designed for, there's not much left over). All of this means that poop patrol is a much less difficult and disgusting chore when your pets are raw fed.

*Bright, clear eyes, less stink and a beautiful shiny coat. The raw diet isn't a miracle, but it sure seems that way to some pet owners. Pets who have struggled with dull flaky coats, goopy eyes, bad breath, body odor and a host of other pesky problems that no expensive diet or supplement seemed to fix, generally find that within 6 weeks of starting raw, their pet looks like a million dollars and doesn't smell like much of anything. This is basically chalked up to a natural species appropriate diet. When animals eat what they're supposed to, they generally look and smell the way they're supposed to.

*Improved digestion, pretty much everything I just said in the last point. Tons of cats and dogs suffer from IBS among other digestive ailments, most of them find relief on a raw diet.

I could go on, but really, I can't even begin to list all of the benefits of a raw diet for a carnivore. See the links in my post on the history of pet food and you'll have more than enough reading material to keep you busy for the next year :)

A Brief History of Pet Food

Well, it's been about a year since the big pet food recalls. The gross corporate and multi-government neglect that precipitated the recalls had some tragic consequences, leaving thousands of pets chronically ill or dead. It had one positive side effect, that more pet owners began to scrutinize what they feed their animals.

For me, like many other pet owners, the journey actually began before the recalls, as a result of a less than healthy pet. For years now, a small but growing segment of the pet owning population has been questioning the value of commercial pet food products and the lack of integrity in the industry. Usually these people have experience with one or more pets made chronically ill by a life time of poor nutrition on a commercial diet. A diet where carnivores are fed primarily grains, sugar, substandard animal by-products and rendered animal waste, fortified by supplements of undetermined value, and preserved with cancer and tumor causing chemical compounds such as BHA and BHT. This unnatural and inappropriate diet has had much the same impact on our pets as processed and inappropriate foods have had on humans. Obesity, diabetes, food allergies, gum disease, kidney failure and cancer have become epidemics. Let's start at the beginning ...

Once upon a time people knew that their cats and dogs were carnivores. Plain common sense dictated that animals that prefer to hunt, catch, kill and eat small prey animals, rather than munch on hay, were carnivores. Common sense told our ancestors that an animal with claws, fangs and a jaw and teeth designed for tearing into flesh, was a carnivore. Common sense said that if a cat or dog could catch and eat a mouse, bird or rabbit, in its entirety, without cooking it first, and not only not get sick, but thrive on such a diet, without human intervention, then it was a carnivore. Without having to debate the merits of supplements, rendered and extruded products with people who have a vested financial interest in the consumption of said products, the average person knew that "give the dog a bone" was darn good advice. Pets, in return for their companionship and performing their job as mouser or defender of the farm and family, were given table scraps; meat, connective tissues, bones, organs, possibly a few left over veggies and as many vermin as they could catch. Barring injury, animals were living long, healthy, useful lives.

Then, in 1860, along came Mr. James Spratt, an entrepreneur who saw an opportunity in marketing and selling a dry biscuits for dogs. It was a convenient and inexpensive way to feed pets. At first the product was snatched up by sportsmen, it could conveniently be tucked in a pocket and taken with them on the hunt. Spratt's invention also happened to coincide with the birth of the industrial revolution, urbanization and a time in Victorian England when owning purebred show dogs became all the rage for city dwellers. As humans began to buy foods from markets rather than the farm (or raising their own), it became less likely that they would have an abundance of scraps to throw to the dog, in the city it was also less likely that a dog would catch some of their own food, especially the new pampered purebred pooches that were being kept by the middle and upper class. These people were quite detached from the countryside, from where their food came from and from the notion that their little Fluffy or Fido was a predator and a meat-eater. There was a demand for cheap and convenient pet food and it was filled by Mr. Spratt and many others after him. By 1890 commercial pet food had spread to the United States. It should be noted that many people continued to feed their pets as they always had or fed table scraps in addition to commercial products, probably more out of habit than knowledge (lucky for their pets).

By the 1940's canning was a very popular means of preserving cooked foods, this extended to dog food, in which meat and veggies were cooked up, fortified and canned, for the convenience of the owners. Canned food could be kept for a long time, meaning it could be mass produced and shipped all over the country, driving prices down. When the war came along and aluminum was rationed, the canned food had to go. Pet food manufacturers focused on producing a dry product that had the shelf-life of canned food, was even cheaper, didn't smell, and could be left out all day, kibble. Due to its low cost and extreme convenience, kibble was a wild success.

Though clever marketing and pretty packaging had been a part of the pet food industry from the start, it really began to flourish after the advent of kibble and the booming sales that it produced. Everyone wanted in on the action. Cereal, soup and candy manufacturers got into the pet food business with names like Campbell, Lipton, Post, General Foods, Nestle, Mars and Carnation. When it came to manufacturing pet food, these companies were subjected to almost no regulation by the federal government.

In an absence of real regulation, pet food manufacturers have produced foods using inferior and often questionable ingredients and labeled them "complete" and "balanced". Labeling regulations by the FDA allow manufacturers to use generic terms like "meat meal" and "meat by-products". In theory by-products aren't bad, in fact organs, ligaments, skin, eyes, etc are quite nutritious. "Meal" is the dry form of parts of the animal. The trouble is that these terms don't tell you exactly what's in there, the nutritional value or the source. The source is often the scariest part. It is common practice that "4-D" animal parts make their way into these rendered products. The term 4-D refers to animals that dead, dying, diseased or disabled before reaching the plant, animals that are rejected for human consumption are forwarded to rendering plants for pet food. This is actually against the law, but the FDA feels little incentive to go up against big pet food manufacturers, and they are under virtually no pressure to do so. The rendering process is harsh and while it destroys most of the nutrients in the food, it does not appear to destroy the hormones, antibiotics and euthanization drugs that were used on the feed animals. Additionally, it is impossible to determine what nutritional value "meals" and "by-products" have because they are such a hodge-podge of rendered animal and plant materials. And of course, whatever nutritional value there might have been prior to the rendering, most of it is destroyed by the process itself. Rendering means, “to extract by melting; to treat so as to convert into industrial fats, oils or fertilizer.” The fat gets scraped off the top and sold to pet food manufacturers as "by-product", it is also used in soap and various cosmetic products. What's left in the vat has the liquid removed and is sold as "meal". Rendering kills most bacteria, but it also destroys most proteins and enzymes. As if you weren't grossed out enough already, I'm going to tell you that when it comes to the rendering vat, anything goes. In short, rendering plants use waste. The 4-D's make the grade and of course any part of the animal that is not fit for human consumption including cancerous tissue, contaminated blood, tumors, injection sites, and any part of the animal that was treated with non-FDA/EPA approved substances. Again, this is technically illegal, disease animals = adulterated materials and that's not allowed in pet food ... but if the FDA won't enforce their own rules, who will? Also showing up in rendering vats are about 6-7 million cats and dogs per year, road kill, expired grocery store meat and dead zoo animals. The meat wrappers, Styrofoam and plastic wrap also make their way into the vat (because its just not reasonable to mandate that they take the time to remove those items from the rotten meat first). The best part is that just because its labeled "chicken meal" doesn't mean that it is, cats and dogs are routinely used because of their similar protein structure. I wish this were conspiracy theory, but its not, it has all be readily admitted by owners and employees of rendering plants and animal control officers. And unfortunately, it's not just gross, it has real consequences. Outbreaks of feline paralysis have been linked to rendered products, diseases have been passed on through rendered products and sodium pentobarbital has been found in finished product dog food ... meaning that they are eating the same product that will someday be used to euthanize them, after their bodies have finally succomed to illness from all the garbage they have been fed.

All of this is before we even consider the questionable quality and safety of the vitamins, minerals, food coloring and chemicals that are added to the food and are virtually unregulated. Propylene glycol was used in canned cat food for years despite the fact that is is a cousin to anti-freeze (incredibly toxic to pets) and that propylene glycol was known to cause Heinz Body Formation, a severe red-blood cell disorder in cats. Under significant pressure, it was finally banned in cat foods, it took over 15 years. Ethoxyquin, a chemical preservative is still commonly used in dog food despite its documented connection to allergies, organ failure, cancer and behavioral issues.

I could go on and on, but this post is long enough already! Let's move along :)

So, what do you about it? Well, there are lots of healthy diet options. Many people, myself included, feed their pets an all natural, all raw, animal based diet. It's not as icky, difficult or expensive as it sounds and it's certainly not dangerous, not any more dangerous than feeding certain commercial products :) Lots of people also cook for their animals, in my humble opinion this is difficult and it can get expensive because when you cook food you break down its nutrients, because carnivores get their nutrition solely from animal products, if you cook those products, most experts agree that then you must supplement for the lost nutrients, and since you can't feed cooked bones, then you need a substitute for that, a real pain the neck in my opinion. But if you want to do it, more power to ya, just do your homework :) There are also good quality canned foods and some decent kibbles. A good rule of thumb when shopping for a commercial pet food is to go to a real pet store, avoid grocery and big box stores, they tend to sell "cheap" food that is way overpriced for its quality (or lack thereof) because it is heavily advertised, advertising costs money. When it comes to pet food, cost per pound should be a secondary consideration because not only is the quality of the food more important but in the case of most high quality pet foods, you actually need to feed a lot less of it. Species appropriate foods are more filling and produce less waste (yes that means less litter box mess and less poop-patrol in the yard, usually less stinky too!). When you read labels, look for foods that do not contain any by-products (they should specify what part of the animal you're getting, same goes for plant by-products, there's just no call for using those), try to avoid "meals" if possible and opt for things that simply say "chicken" or "beef" or "lamb" not "chicken meal" etc... This means you're getting meat, not stuff out of the bottom of the rendering vat that was previously mentioned. Also the first few ingredients on the bag/can should be meat/animal parts, remember, you're feeding a carnivore, grains, fruit and veggies should be way down the list, if they're present at all. Look for products that claim they use only USDA certified human grade ingredients (or something to that effect). Look for products that do NOT use BHA, BHT or Ethoxyquin, instead look for Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Tocopherols, these are natural and safe preservatives that don't cause cancer. And finally, it's a good idea to avoid foods that use corn and soy, these are common allergens and cheap fillers that typically indicate a low quality food. If the food has grain, look for brown rice or barley. Most importantly, be aware of what you are feeding your pets and make an informed decision that you feel comfortable with.

For further reading, documentation etc, you might want to visit the following links.

A very well written and cited abstract from a Harvard Law student on the state of the pet food industry. She basically goes into a lot more detail than I do and provides the documentation to back it up.

Alternative Feeding Practices by Dr. Wynn

Jane Anderson's Raw Learning

Wysong's Pet Food Learning Web Site

The Healthy Pet Journal

Dr. Lisa Pierson's Cat Info Web Site

Dr. Tom Lonsdale's Web Site

Dr. Richard Pitcairn's Web Site

A cool new blog for all your K-9 shopping needs

I found this cool new blog today. Mackenzie and his owner scour the Internet for the most unique dog related things to spend your money on. I was surprised at how many of them I've never seen before. The dog "mood collar" really cracked me up :)

Indy wants a fire hydrant cookie jar, but I have a sneaking suspicion that he only wants it for the cookies contained inside ...

Good thought for the day

Someone I know has this in her email signature, and I like the sentiment, so I'm sharing it with you :)

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion".

-Unknown

A Great Dog Collar

Indy would like to tell the whole world about his wonderful new collar (well, not so new, its almost a month old). He got it from Dublin Dog, it is made of a soft, flexible, durable polymer. It is waterproof, stinkproof and chewproof. It will not stretch or fade and does not need to be washed. Indy's humans agree that the best part about this collar is that it doesn't get stinky (unlike that horrible old nylon collar). It's very smooth and never catches on or rubs his hair. It looks nice too (this picture does not do it justice). Humans and canine agree, this is the perfect collar. Indy can't wait to show it off at dock jumping events.

Our only regret is not buying one with shamrocks for St. Patricks Day.

A New Leash on Life; NFL player dedicates himself to helping animals

This is just such a wonderful story I had to share it. It's so nice to see a professional athlete doing something so good and so selfless and not seeking any acknowledgment for it.

Someone I know, after reading this, commented that it would be wonderful if each NFL team had a player or a group of players who would get together and do something similar in their towns ... what a positive impact that would have in the lives of animals and their communities, not to mention great PR for the football teams, who could definitely use it. Hint, hint :)

Help!

A great YouTube video with an even better message.



If you can't keep your pet from reproducing, please have them spayed or neutered. A disturbingly high number of "oops" litters and "free" pets end up abused, homeless or euthanized. Don't bring a life into this world that you aren't prepared to be responsible for, for life.

Snow!

I took this video with my palm PDA and it was late in the day with very little light so please forgive the low picture quality, but I thought that Indy's fans might enjoy seeing him and his best dog pal Hercules frolicking in the snow.