Proteins are the building blocks of life and must be of good quality in order to sustain it. To survive, your cherished animal companion must be provided with proteins. The pet food industry would have us believe that their foods provide a "complete and balanced diet" for our pets. In reality what we are feeding are the dregs of the human food chain, garbage unfit for human or animal consumption.

What do these proteins consist of and how good are they ? If you really want to know the truth read on ...., if you're not ready for it, you had better stop now.

Animal proteins consist of diseased meat, road kills, contaminated material from slaughterhouses, fecal matter, euthanized cats and dogs, poultry feathers, all prepared together as rendered material. Yes, these are the sources of animal protein presently used in many commercial pet foods.

Vegetable proteins, often the mainstay of dry foods include ground yellow corn, wheat shorts and middlings, soybean meal, rice hulks and peanut meal. All provide very little nutritional value and are nothing more than sweepings and offal from milling room floors left over after processing. The removal of the oil, germ, bran, starch and gluten from those grains eliminate the essential fatty acids and a number of fat soluble vitamins and antioxidants.

The animal proteins used in these foods come from a number of different sources. Dead stock removal operations provide the "4-D" animals: Dead, Diseased,, Dying or Disabled. Most have died or are dying from causes unknown and have been treated with a wide array of drugs before given a lethal injection of a potent drug to euthanize them. The animals are then delivered to a "receiving plant" where the hide (sold to a tannery), skin, fats and meat are removed. The meat from these animals can be sold for pet food after it is completely covered in charcoal (to prevent ingestion by humans)*, and marked "unfit for human consumption".

If the animal arrives at the "receiving plant" in a state of decomposition it is transported to a rendering plant along with road kill which is too large to be buried along the road side. Next we have the condemned material from slaughterhouses. Animals that have died on their way to slaughter, diseased animals or parts, diseased blood, extraneaous matter, hair, feet, head, mammary glands, carpal and tarsal joints or any part of the animal comdemned for human consumption can be rendered for pet food. Before this material leaves the slaughterhouse, it is "denatured" (doused with chemicals) to prevent it from getting back into the human food chain when being transported to the rendering facilities.

In Canada the material used to "denature" is Birkolene b. According to the Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant and Health, the composition of this chemical cannot be disclosed. In the U.S. a number of agents can be used including carbolic acid, fuel or kerosene and citronella.

We now have animal protein classified as "4-D's", road kill and condemned material from the slaughterhouse. Another source of animal protein which the industry vehemently deny they use, are rendered companion animals.

Dogs and cats euthanized at clinics, pounds and shelters are sold to rendering plants, rendered with other material and sold to the pet food industry. One small rendering plant in Quebec was rendering 10 tonnes (11 tons) of dogs and cats per week from Ontario. The Ministry of Agriculture in Quebec, where a number of these plants are located, advised me that "The fur is not removed from dogs and cats and that "Dead animals are cooked together with viscera, bones and fats in 115C (236F) for twenty minutes." One large pet food company in the U.S., with extensive research facilities, used rendered dogs and cats in their food for years and when the information came to light "claimed no knowledge of it." The Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine, in the U.S., is aware of the use of rendered companion animals in pet food and has stated, "CVM has not acted to specifically prohibit the rendering of pets. However, that is not to say that the practice of using this material in pet food is condoned by CVM." In a research paper from the University of Minnesota entitled "Fats of Sodium Pentobarbital in Rendered Products", it stated that the barbiturate, sodium pentobarbital, which is used to euthanize small animals, "survived rendering without undergoing degradation."

In the U.S., as in Canada, the pet food industry is virtually self-regulated. In the U.S. the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) sets guidelines and definitions for animal feed ingredients including pet foods. It is up to each State to adopt and enforce these guidelines. The AAFCO states that there are no restrictions on the type of animals which can be used in meals, tankage, digests, etc.... Any kind of animal can be used including cats and dogs.

The AAFCO "Official Publication", "Feed Ingredient Definitions" is extensive and lists what can be used in animal feeds. The list includes "Spray Dried Animal Blood", "Hydrolyzed Hair", "Dehydrated Garbage", "Unborn Calf Carcasses", "Dried Poultry Litter (means processed animal waste product composed of a processed combination of feces from commercial poultry together with litter that was present in the floor production of poultry)", "Dried Ruminant Waste", "Dried Swine Waste", "Undried Processed Animal Waste Products (means a processed animal waste product composed of excreta, with or without litter, from poultry, ruminants or any other animal except humans)", and the list goes on. I asked if these definitions applied to only livestock feed and was advised that these guidelines and definitions also apply to pet foods.

In Canada there are virtually no regulations in this industry. Other then the "Labeling Act", which states that the label must contain the name and address of the company, weight of the product and if it is made for a dog or cat, there are no set standards. The CVMA (Canadian Veterinary Medical Association) and PFAC (Pet Food Association of Canada) are voluntary organizations and for the most part rely on the integrity of the company which they certify, stating that the ingredients are not below the minimal standards set. Of all the pet food sold in Canada, 85-90% is manufactured by the multi-nationals in te U.S. and neither the CVMA or PFAC have any control over the ingredients used in these foods.

The sad scenario is that it is our pets who are suffering the ills of these inferior ingredients, the lack of a nutritious diet. We have been brainwashed by the industry and some veterinarians, that in order to keep our pets healthy we must feed them a diet formulated for dogs and cats. NO TABLE SCRAPS ! We have pets suffering from cancer, skin problems, allergies, hypertension, kidney and liver failure, heart disease, numerous dental problems, to name but a few. These same individuals can find a myriad of reasons why our pets are inflicted with these problems, the environment, lack of exercise and stress, but never is it attributed to the inferior commercial foods we are feeding. Before the pet industry began to prosper, our pets ate what we did and lived long, happy lives. Most died of old age.

So, if you love and care about your pet, take a few extra minutes when preparing your meal, add a litlle more meat, toss in a few more vegetables, cook a little more brown rice or oatmeal, even a piece of toast. At least you'll know what your pet is eating and I am sure you will see an end to the escalating veterinary bills and have a happier, healthier pet.

The Pet Food Industry, a billion dollar unregulated industry, has evolved from the garbage which would otherwise be disposed of at a land fill site, buried or processed into fertilizer. Our pets are ingesting this stuff on a daily basis. Garbage, laced with additives, preservatives (of a questionable nature), chemicals, excess amounts of sugar and sodium (nearly three teaspoons of salt per kg. of food), and according to the AAFCO ingredient definitions, "Urea Formaldehyde".

I suggest that one addition be made to the labelling of pet foods, a skull and cross-bone insignia on the package.

RESOURCE:
(1) The AAFCO "Official Publication" 1993
(2) The Ontario "Dead Animal Disposal Act".
(3) The Minister of Agriculture, Quebec. (letter stating how dogs and cats are rendered)
(4) The Quebec "Inedible Boned Meat Act".
(5) "Pet Food Certification Program" CVMA.
(6) Letters from the FDA, Center for Veterinary Medicine.

* In Canada, charcoal is always used to "denature" meat which is sold by "receiving plants". Apparently some people were buying it not realizing the condition of the animal it came from, and eating it. The reason that charcoal is used is that it deters people from eating it but it won't harm the animal that is ingesting the stuff.

Editor's note: Charcoal is an antidote and is used by many meat packers when there is a question of chemical residue.

Advice from Nutritionally Oriented Veterinarians

The array of products offered at pet stores and supermarkets can be confusing, so LET'S LIVE asked nutritionally oriented veterinarians for some advice. Here's what they had to say:

Dr. Carvel Tiekert, of Bel Air, Maryland, president of the American Veterinary Hollistic Medical Association, rates food on a 10-point scale.

Near the bottom in quality and nutrition is the commercial semi-moist food. "I give it a two," Dr. Tiekert said. "It is as close to garbage as you can get - full of sugar, propylene glycol and other chemical additives.

"Next, a little better at about three and a half, come the cheap, generic (non-name brands) foods. They are infamous for mineral deficiencies, particularly zinc.

"At about five or six come most name brands. They are adequate, but not optimal. They are reasonably well-researched, but quality comes second to price. They are made to be competitive and are usually loaded with chemicals.

"At about eight come the top name brands. They have higher quality ingredients and nutrients.

"I rate the all-natural pet foods at nine. These high-quality products have no preservatives, chemicals additives, or sugar.

"At 10, the very best, is the home-made diet. You can't do better for your animal. As far as supplementation is concerned, I suggest all animals get extra vitamin C and E.

Dr. Alfred Plechner, of Los Angeles, has a special interest in food alergies and is the author of Pet Allergies: Remedies For An Epidemic. Dr. Plechner believes there is a widespread intolerance to commercial food among many animals. This rejection is expressed as violent illness or chronic health problems, and often triggers a hypersensitivity and overreaction to flea and insect bites, pollens, soaps, sprays, and environmental contaminents.

"Dry food, said Dr. Plechner, is a major offender because it is "a concentrated collection of many of the foods that are the most allergenic for animals. It usually also contains excessive amounts of inferior protein.

"Stay away from high-protein dry food. Your animals' bodies don't need extra amounts of poor-quality protein.

"Many dogs are allergic to beef, and many cats are sensitive to tuna. If you suspect a food allergy, try feeding them lamb and rice or chicken and rice for a week or so. I have found these foods to be the least problematic.

"If your animals do well, you can add other foods singly for a week and look for reactions. In that way, you can soon develop an individualized hypoallergenic menu for your animal.

"If you don't want to go to the trouble of preparing meals yourself, then ask your veterinarian, pet store, or health food store for high-quality hypoallergenic diets.

Dr. Wendell O. Belfield, of San Jose, California, is author of How to Have a Healthier Dog and The Very Healthy Cat Book. While researching the information for his books, he investigated pet-food manifacturing procedures and found many disturbing facts. Among the shockers: A considerable amount of diseased animal tissue, hair, claws, feathers, beaks, and slaughterhouse rejects are used.

"You're not getting sirloin steak", he said. "Ingredients are put through chemical heat and pressure processes to render them commercially sterile. But that doesn't improve original quality and probably doesn't eliminate pesticides and herbicides that killed many of the livestock used for pet food.

"Despite industry claims that pets live long and healthy lives on commercial pet food, we vets are routinely faced with contradictory evidence in the form of sick animals." His advice:

- Read labels. Don't buy products with additives such as BHA, sodium nitrite, propylene glycol and artificial coloring.

- Supplement your animals for optimal health. Vitamin and mineral fortification in pet food usually provides merely minimal levels of nutritents.

Dr. John Limehouse, of North Hollywood, California, recommends a home-made diet that is steam-cooked and consists of 50 percent brown rice, 25 percent meat, and 25 percent vegetables. Cats shoud have about 60 percent meat, either raw or cooked. If an animal has skin conditions or is hyperactive, Dr. Limehouse suggests white meats. If an animal is run down and tends to be cold, he suggests red meats.

He cautions about using organ meats, such as liver or kidney, because of the residues of pesticides and heavy meats that may be diposited in these parts.

Recommended vegetables are broccoli and beans if an animal is often cold, or zucchini, potatoes, carrots and turnips if it has skin conditions.

"Supplementation is important, particularly if you feed an animal commercial food. remember that to-day's food is grown in depleted soil. Animals, as well as people, can benefit from the extra nutrition.

"I believe that cats who eat all day tend to be overweight and less healthy," said Dr. Limehouse. "I tell my clients not to allow their cats free-choice food. Rather, they should come to you, make a fuss and meow for their food. Let them ask for it once or twice a day, according to their individual needs and expressed appetite."

Dr. Michael Lemmon, of Renton, Washington, also warns pet owners about overfeeding their animals.

"Most Americans feed their animals too much," he said. "And that can lead to health problems. Leave the food for 15 or 20 minutes in the morning. Then take it away. Do the same thing in the evening.

"For one thing, overfeeding creates alkalinity in the urine. In cats that is undesirable and may possibly be a factor in the development of urinary tract stones, a common feline problem. It is best to keep a tight rein on both the frequency and amount of feedings.

Dr. Marty Goldstein, of South Salem, New York, urges pet owners not to get "fanatic" about their animals' health.

"Some people I know even test pH balance. If it is just a tad off they become desperate, ring my office as if there were an emergency and want to know what they can do," said Dr. Goldstein.

"It is okay to be concerned about an animal's health and provide the best possible care and diet, but ease up some. Health has its variables. Long-term quality is more important than daily fluctuations, which may be the result of natural detoxification and cycles.

"Keep your animal on a diet that has variety. Use good food without chemicals. Prepare meats, grains, and vegetables and add them to commercial food or use them alone.

"For general maintenance of a healthy animal, I recommend a good multivitamin and mineral formula along, perhaps, with a little extra vitamin C and E. For the healthy animal, fasting one day a week is not a bad idea.

Footnote: For the name of a nutritionally oriented veterinarian near you, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the American Veterinary Hollistic Medical Association, 2214 Old Emmerton Rd., Bel Air, MD 21014