ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — In 2007, the FDA found that contaminated vegetable proteins were being imported from China by a US pet food company. Two Chinese businesses and the US company were charged, but this was not until after cats and dogs had been sickened and killed. The best time to make sure you’re giving your pet proper food and treats is before they get sick.
When it comes to dog food, the terms “natural” and “holistic” are solely marketing terms.
“You might be paying higher quality for the label on the bag, or the color of the bag, but it’s all coming from the same place as your lower quality meat.” Lisa Mason, DVM, CCRT, CVA of FloridaWild Veterinary Hospital explained.
The first ingredient on the bag should be meat. Avoid the ingredients corn and wheat gluten, and look for chemical preservatives which have caused kidney and liver damage in rats. Food dyes and rendered fat can have adverse side effects as well. Stick to natural preservatives such as vitamin C or E. Recently, the FDA warned dog owners about “bone treats” after 70 reports of problems such as choking, vomiting, cuts in the mouth, blockage in the digestive tract, and even 15 deaths were reported.
Petsafe.net says look for products made in the US, and talk to your vet about what’s best for your pet.
Mason said, “There is definitely not one size fits all I mean it’s just like with people, every person’s a little bit different in their metabolism in what they can and can’t eat, every dog’s a little bit different as well.”
The American Kennel Club has instructions on their website for how to understand pet food labels. One example is if a product’s name is “beef”, that means beef must make up 70 percent of the product. The terms “beef dinner,” “beef entrée,” or “beef platter,” requires that beef makes up only ten percent of the product. And if it says “with beef” only three percent of the total product is beef.
Contributors to this news report include: Hayley Hudson, Producer; Roque Correa, Videographer and Editor.
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