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ALTERNATIVES TO COMMERCIAL PET FOODS

As the pet food recall list gets longer and longer, more and more people are taking a closer look at the health of their pet.

Local veterinarians say some people have given up on the store-bought brands of food and are now making it themselves.

It's a very good thing if you have a pet owner that is really, really, really devoted, but it is NOT RECOMMENDED because pet food is complicated. Getting the correct “potion” for your pets health and well-being is not an easy task.

People need to realize that there are alternatives. There is something you can do to extend the lives of that extra part of your family.

COMMERCIAL PET FOODS and some pet food ingredients have been implicated in a number of diseases in companion animals. Allergic skin disease, obesity, food intolerance, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic ear infections, cystitis (bladder inflammation), bladder and kidney stones, certain heart diseases, pancreatitis, feline hyperthyroidism, hip dysplasia, canine mammary cancer, bloat, and diabetes all have nutritional components — that is, nutritional factors are suspected or known to play a role in inducing or perpetuating these diseases. Thus, it is crucial that we, as caregivers, pay close attention to what we are feeding our animals and how they are reacting to the food.

One potential problem with commercial pet food is pesticide residues, antibiotics, and molds contained in pet food ingredients. Meat from sick animals may be loaded with drugs, some of which are known to pass unchanged through all the processing done to create a finished pet food (such as penicillin and pentobarbital). Between 1995 and 1999, there were two major recalls of dry dog food by different manufacturers due to mold contamination of grain ingredients. Some fungal toxins are very dangerous.

The “Flavor” Rule: A food may be labeled “Turkey Flavor Cat Food” even if the food does not contain such ingredients, as long as there is a “sufficiently detectable” amount of flavor. This may be derived from meals, by-products, or “digests” of various parts from the animal species indicated on the label.

There are many "Rules" the commercial pet food companies can get away with. Sadly, it's all about the almighty Buck!

MOST COMMERCIAL PET FOODS CONTAIN THESE BASIC INGREDIENTS

*Chicken By-Products (or chicken - as it reads on pet foods)
Chicken By-Products consist of the rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, beaks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines -- exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices.

*Ground Corn
Although Ground Corn is a good quality source of carbohydrates, it is thought to be the #3 common cause of food allergies in pets.

*Rice Bran
Simply a cheap filler in pet foods.

*Rice Gluten (Glue)
Added to pet food to slow down the transition of rancid animal fats (think toxic waste). This holds the waste in. Kidneys and liver work overtime. Dogs may chew their lower backs. Feet may swell, so the dogs lick their feet.

*Soybean Meal
A cheap low protein filler

An Alternative to Processed Dog Foods
Processed dog food is just that - processed. There is no getting away from the fact that natural is of much more beneficial quality all around. Your pet will be happier, healthier, and will be much more likely to live years longer than a pet who has been fed commercial processed pet foods.

Hello, my name is Dawn. I started My Pet Haven along with Healthy Pet Net products because I love pets, and I want to do everything in my power to help other pets to be as happy and as healthy as possible.

My dog’s name was Harry. I had him since he was 6 weeks old. He passed away just short of his 12th birthday.

You see, I found out too late about the risks and the damage caused by commercial pet foods. I will always regret not taking the time to really take a look at what my best friend was consuming for most of his life. My little one had suffered through Canine Urological Syndrome, Thyroid Disease and Cushing's disease, and in the end, I lost the best friend I ever had.

Please take the time to educate yourselves. Your pet depends on the choices you make.

Author: Dawn

Author's Resource:

Website: www.mypethaven.com

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