Bone appetit: healthy foods for happy pets - natural food products for dogs and cats

"Is there a healthy commercial food I can feed my pet?"

I've been asked this question almost daily since the publication of my first book, Food Pets Die For. But it's a question that far too few pet owners think to ask.

It wasn't until early 1990--when my two dogs became ill after eating a well-known commercial pet food--that I began to question what I was feeding my pets. When I was a child, we always fed our pets table scraps. And it wasn't until I owned pets of my own that I began using commercial pet foods. After all, many veterinarians--and, of course, the pet food industry--advise that these foods are "complete and balanced" and provide all the nutrition pets need.

Before my dogs became ill, I assumed, as do most pet owners, that the pet food industry is well regulated. I couldn't have been more wrong. There are, of course, agencies that oversee the industry. The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) monitors statements regarding health claims and drugs used in pet foods and will investigate if a food causes illness or death in pets. This agency requests either medical documentation or laboratory testing to undertake such an investigation. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), a group of state officials that sets standards for animal feeds, including pet foods, maintains a list of ingredients that can be used in pet foods.

In 1996, I acquired a copy of the AAFCO's list of ingredients allowed for use in pet foods. You might be surprised to find out what's "allowed." The grains used in pet foods, for instance, aren't usually the whole grains we would eat. Rather, they're classified as "shorts" or "mill ends," which provide very little nutrition. And these grains, particularly corn, can become contaminated with mycotoxins, extremely toxic molds that can be deadly when ingested.

By 1995, the CVM had already recalled dry dog and cat foods produced by Nature's Recipe, and in 1998--when 25 dogs died from ingesting foods produced by Doane Products Company--the agency issued a recall of more than 50 different brands of food related to the Doane company. In both cases, the foods in question contained mycotoxins.

Sources of protein are another prime ingredient in dog and cat foods, and what I learned through investigation and research was shocking. When we read "meat meal" on pet food labels we might assume that it's similar to ingredients found in bologna, hot dogs or sausage. To some extent this is true, but the meats used in many pet foods are ones that have been deemed unfit for human consumption. According to the United Nations Environment Program's Assessment in Meat Processing, released in August 2001, this includes "inedible by-products such as bone, fat, heads, hair and condemned offal."

Other sources of protein, listed as meat meal, include roadkill, zoo animals, meat that's no longer fresh, outdated baked goods and rotten fruits and vegetables. Cattle classified as dead, dying, diseased and disabled (4-D) and euthanized companion animals may also be included in the mix. Many of these animals are treated with myriad drugs prior to their demise. One drug in particular, sodium pentobarbital--a barbiturate used to euthanize animals--is of prime concern.

According to a study released by the University of Minnesota in the August 1995 issue of the American Journal of Veterinary Research, sodium pentobarbital "survived the rendering without undergoing degradation." Rendering is a process where meat by-products and other materials are mixed together, cooked and then centrifuged. Meat meal and tallow are the end products.

In the 1990s, the CVM began to receive reports from veterinarians that pentobarbital seemed to be losing its effectiveness in dogs. A plausible theory was that the dogs had been exposed to the drug through their food, so in 1998, the CVM began testing for sodium pentobarbital in dry dog foods. The agency tested 75 different foods and released the results in February 2002.

Approximately half of the foods tested--including or Roy, Richfood, Heinz, Dad's, Pet Gold, Weis, Super G, America's Choice, Kibble Select, Ken-L-Ration, Reward and Proplan--contained levels of sodium pentobarbital. The CVM's report states, however, "that it is highly unlikely a dog consuming dry dog food will experience any adverse effects from exposures to low levels of pentobarbital." Veterinarians have stated that they do not know the long-term effects that the ingestion of this drug could have on dogs. As yet, no studies have been undertaken to ascertain levels of sodium pentobarbital in dry commercial cat foods.

organic pet food options

Fortunately, there are healthy choices for pet owners seeking quality pet foods. Many companies now claim to use all-natural, human-grade meats and grains. While I have fed only a few of the following brands to my dog and cats, I have researched all of the companies mentioned below and, in many cases, discussed ingredients directly with the manufacturers.

Halo, Purely For Pets, based in Palm Harbor, Florida, manufactures a food that I have fed to both my dog and cats. Halo is made in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) kitchens, which are monitored 24 hours a day. Nothing can enter these kitchens that isn't deemed fit for human consumption. Chicken, carrots, zucchini, squash, green beans and celery are the prime ingredients in Halo foods. My dog loved the product, but the cats had a problem with the green beans. Mashing the beans, however, remedied the feline resistance. According to Andi Brown, owner of Halo, the company recently launched a new and improved cat food, which is pureed, making it much easier for cats to ingest.

PetGuard was co-founded in 1979 by Sharon Sherman and her husband, Steven. The company is located in Jacksonville, Florida, and produces lines of both dry and canned dog and cat food. I've spoken with Sharon and learned that all meats used in PetGuard products are USDA-inspected, organic, antibiotic-free and fit for human consumption. Whole chickens, Coleman natural beef, lamb and venison imported from New Zealand provide excellent sources of protein. Plus, PetGuard uses whole grains, brown rice, wheat germ and oatmeal that are free of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Only natural preservatives are used in PetGuard products. These foods are sold only at natural health food stores and upscale pet boutiques.

Azmira, a company located in Tucson, Arizona, produces a line of dry and canned dog and cat foods using the highest quality ingredients. Canned dog food varieties include Beef and Chicken, Lamb and Barley, Ostrich and Emu, Beef and Barley and Ocean Fish. The product doesn't contain added salt, sugar, yeast, artificial colorings, flavorings or preservatives. And Azmira cat food was rated among the best brands by Whole Cat Journal. All Azmira foods use only 100 percent natural preservatives.

Wellness, produced by Lowell, Massachusetts-based Old Mother Hubbard, features dry and canned foods for dogs and cats. Ingredients include nutriceuticals such as garlic, alfalfa, probiotics, shark cartilage and Yucca schidigera. Wellness dry foods are baked, not processed at high temperatures, which preserves important nutrients. The canned foods include a wide range of vegetables and fruits such as sweet potatoes, blueberries, apples, yellow squash, zucchini, peas and carrots. Sources of protein are all listed as "human grade" and include chicken, turkey, lamb, whitefish and herring.

Natura, a Santa Clara, California-based company, produces three different lines of dog and cat foods: Innova--including Regular and Lite cat foods--California Natural and Healthwise. All lines of Natura contain quality ingredients, and the California Natural Lamb and Rice Formula is an excellent choice for dogs that have allergies. The product contains few ingredients: lamb meal, ground brown rice, sunflower oil, vitamins and minerals. Both the Innova Puppy Formula and the Healthwise line contain hemp oil, a good source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. My cats did a personal taste test, and they liked the Innova Regular canned food. However, they refused to eat the Lite foods. It's important to remember that cats--and even some dogs--can be just as finicky as some humans when it comes to personal tastes.

mix and match

If you'd rather add your own sources of protein to your pet's diet, there are several different pet-food mixes you can try.

Sojourner Farms, located in Minneapolis, was one of the first companies to market a pre-mix. Its line includes multigrain dog and cat foods that contain lightly steamed grains, rolled oats, rye flakes, wheat germ, ground nuts, sea vegetables, yellow corn meal and dried herbs such as marjoram, parsley and nettle leaves. The company suggests adding either raw or steamed vegetables and raw meat, although I don't recommend feeding pets raw meat for a variety of reasons-including bacteria- and parasite-related safety issues.

Essex Cottage Farms, a Canadian manufacturer located in Toronto, is a little different than Sojourner Farms. Essex's line of packaged pre-mixes--including Health Food Mix, Hypoallergenic Adult Health Food Mix, Puppy Health Food Mix and Cat Health Food Mix--contains a variety of grains and herbs. These are mixed with fresh ground meat and vegetables, which can be fed raw or formed into a loaf and baked.

making the change

When beginning any new diet for your animal companion, do so gradually. Start by adding the new food to your pet's current food. If your pet experiences any gastrointestinal upset, discontinue the new food for a while and then start again, very slowly. Cats take much longer to adjust to a new diet than do dogs, so perseverance is the key word.

If you aren't feeding your pet one of the natural foods listed above, I strongly recommend that you add some fresh vegetables, meats or grains to the diet. By doing so, you will provide your pet with human-grade, whole foods filled with vitamins and minerals that cannot be found in inferior commercial pet food products. You can try mashed potatoes, pasta, cooked vegetables, cereal or leftover meat. However, avoid giving your pet processed foods, spicy foods and sugary items. I'm sure your pet will be thrilled by any fresh wholesome foods you share. As a treat, try giving you dog carrot sticks or apple slices. Food Pets Die For and Protect Your Pet both offer many delectable recipes. Also look for Home Prepared Dog And Cat Food Diets by Donald R. Strombeck, DVM.

If you're going to continue feeding your pet a commercial pet food, always read the labels and, if possible, ask the manufacturer about ingredients. Make sure that the meat used in the product is USDA inspected and approved as fit for human consumption. However, even the human-grade meat found in grocery stores contains antibiotics, hormones and pesticides. Only free-range animals--raised on sustainable farms using organic feed--are devoid of these chemicals, and this meat is usually available almost exclusively in natural food stores.

When reading labels, make sure that foods contain whole grains. Look for oatmeal, barley, brown rice, rye flakes and wheat germ. Also look for healthy vegetable oils such as flaxseed, sunflower or fish oil. And check to ensure that the ingredients are free of chemical preservatives such as ethoxyquin, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Beware that even though the pet food manufacturer may not add these preservatives to the finished product, suppliers can add them to raw materials--a fact not listed on the label.

Remember, you can't expect your child to be healthy and survive on a diet composed mainly of hamburgers, pizza and other processed fast foods, so don't expect your pet to be healthy on a similar diet. Read labels, avoid foods that contain meat meal and, above all, question the company about the ingredients it uses. You have a right to know. And if the company won't answer your questions, don't buy the food.

RELATED ARTICLE: Pet food past.

In the 1860s, American James Spratt began selling a dry dog biscuit composed of wheat, beetroot, meat and vegetables--but Spratt could not have foreseen the multibillion dollar industry that would spring from his invention.

By the 1920s, canned pet foods made primarily of horsemeat joined dry foods on store shelves. Over the next 40 years--as farm horses gave way to machines and thus became less plentiful--meat and cereal by-products replaced horsemeat as the primary ingredients in pet food. But it wasn't until the 1960s that the industry truly began to flourish.

While meat packers and cereal producers viewed pet foods as a niche for their industries' by-products, the growing popularity of pet products led to the formation of numerous "pet food only" companies. As the industry grew, manufacturers devised intricate processing methods to dry and preserve meats, as well as additives to make the foods more palatable and preservatives to extend shelf life. In October 2000, the Business Communications Co., Inc., released a survey predicting that total US pet food sales would reach a staggering $15.7 billion per year by 2005, so while the health benefits of these processed foods are certainly in question, the industry continues to thrive.

Ann Martin is an international authority on the dangers of commercial pet foods. She has written two books on the subject: Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food (NewSage Press, 1997) and Protect Your Pet: More Shocking Facts (NewSage Press, 2001.) Her latest book, an updated, revised edition of Food Pets Die For, will be available November 2002.

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