QUOTE(War-Junkie @ Nov 12 2006, 08:00 PM) [snapback]1424932[/snapback]
well dogs have one of the cleanest mouths
Part true, part wives tale. The only true part would be that dogs diseases and viruses for the most part are not contagious to humans. However they do put their mouths on some of the most disgusting things imaginable, which makes them quite filthy. I've never heard of the chemical thing, will have to look that one up when I have more time.
I've been doing alot of research on this lately. Partly because our almost 7 year old lab got cancer (spleen) and passed so young, and partly because we have a 9 month old and I want what is best for him. I've found that many pet health professionals believe that the increased cancer rates in the last 20 years or so is a direct link to what we now feed our animals - commercial dog food. What kind of "meat" do they get?
QUOTE
In his 1986 book Pet Allergies veterinarian Al Plechner sums up what goes into companion animals food: Condemned parts and animals rejected for human consumption are routinely rerouted for commercial pet foods. A similar fate applies to so-called 4-D animals. These are food animals picked up dead, or that are dying, diseased, or disabled, and do not meet human-food qualifications. They are processed straightaway for companion animal consumption. Little goes to waste. Says Plechner, Food processing refuse of all sorts winds up in your animals dinner bowls. Moldy grains. Rancid foods. Meat meal. The latter is ground-up slaughterhouse discards often containing disease-ridden tissue and high levels of hormones and pesticides, the very things that may have contributed to the death of the steer or hog. A decade later, his words still apply. When cattle, swine, chickens, lambs, or other animals meet their ends at a slaughterhouse, the choice cuts -- lean muscle tissue and organs prized by humans -- are trimmed away from the carcass for human consumption. Whatever remains of the carcass (bones, blood, pus, intestines, ligaments, subcutaneous fat, hooves, horns, beaks, and any other parts not normally consumed by humans) is, according to the pet food industry, perfectly fit as a protein source for cat and dog food.
SourceOther nastiness in commercial dog food may or may not include:
euthanized animals - yes, even dogs and cats have been proven to go into some dog food
brains - safe to eat???
grease - pancreatitis & cancer
grain - most dogs are not tolerant or even have allergies
additives - I won't even GO there...
We can't even blame the pet food companies because the regulations (at least in the states) don't ALLOW them to put the exact ingredients on the bags! Heaven forbid we know what the nasty dog food and good dog food is at the store...
The good news is, there are dog foods that are safer to feed. Table scrapps and butcher items are even safer, as long as you know what table scrapps are acceptable for animals.
Here is a good source for hunting down the right food, but you'll have to dig through some threads. Some of the brands you might find on the forums I've linked have websites with store locators. We have about a 30 minute drive and end up spending about $8 more a month, but also substitute a small portion of food with table scrapps daily. I'll let you know in 5-12 years if the extra effort helps, but at least it's given us peace of mind that he's not eating that garbage.
