Plump whole chickens, choice cuts of beef, fresh grains, and all the wholesome nutrition your dog or cat will ever need.
These are the images dog food manufacturers promulgate through the media and advertising. This is what the $11 billion per year US. dog and allergies from pet food food industry wants consumers to believe they are buying when they purchase their products.
This report explores the differences between what consumers think they are buying and what they are actually getting. It focuses in very general terms on the most visible name brands -- the pet food labels that are mass-distributed to supermarkets and discount stores -- but there are many highly respected brands that may be guilty of the same offenses.
What most consumers don't know is that the dog food industry is an extension of the human food and agriculture industries. dog food provides a market for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered unfit for human consumption, and similar waste products to be turned into profit.
This waste includes intestines, udders, esophagi, and possibly diseased and cancerous animal parts.
Three of the five major dog food companies in the United States are subsidiaries of major multinational companies: Nestlé (Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Mighty Dog, and Ralston Purina products such as Dog Chow, ProPlan, and Purina One), Heinz (9 Lives, Amore, Gravy Train, Kibbles-n-Bits, Nature's Recipe), Colgate-Palmolive (Hill's Science Diet dog food).
Other leading companies include Procter and Gamble (Eukanuba and Iams), Mars (Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba, Waltham's), and Nutro.
DOG FOOD ALLERGIES
From a business standpoint, multinational companies owning dog food manufacturing companies is an ideal relationship. The multinationals have increased bulk-purchasing power; those that make human food products have a captive market in which to capitalize on their waste products, and dog food divisions have a more reliable capital base and, in many cases, a convenient source of ingredients. There are hundreds of different dog foods available in this country. And while many of the foods on the market are similar, not all of the pet food manufacturing companies use poor quality or potentially dangerous ingredients.
Hopefully the questions about commercial dog food I raise here on this site will cause you a moment to pause and decide if commercial dog food is what you really want to feed your dog.
Let me also say that if you have a sick dog the first thing you must do is visit the vet and find out what is wrong. It could be something so serious that a change in diet will not help. Be safe and sure and have your dog checked first.
Now, are you ready for What's really in commercial food?
Copyright 2000 - 2018 All rights reserved www.thelittlefoxes.net
Please Read
Any information contained on this site relating to various medical, health, and fitness conditions of Westies and their treatment is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own veterinarian. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing dog allergies - you should always consult your own veterinarian.
