Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Dog Health Food – Your German Shepherd Could Be Suffering

by Leave a Comment

Your German Shepherd could be suffering from the side effects of commercial dog food, which is why so many owners are turning to dog health food. With so many potentially toxic ingredients being put into dog food these days, it can be hard to know whether you might be actually harming your best friend with every meal.

First you have to wonder how safe your dog food is from chemical contaminants that accidentally got into the food at some point in the production. Maybe basic ingredients were tainted overseas and nobody picked it up. Especially at the moment with companies all around the world looking to get more profit from less cost, we have to wonder if our dogs welfare is at risk.

How safe is your dog’s food really? It’s not uncommon for there to be chemical contaminants in human foods, which have much more strict controls.

In 2007 there was a widespread recall from over 100 dog food manufacturers after it was discovered that there was melamine (a type of plastic) in much of their dog food. It was eventually traced back to a factory in China which manufactured rice protein and wheat gluten (neither of which have any real nutritional value for a dog). So what that means is that it doesn’t matter what standards the US based company may have for their production plants if the ingredients coming into the plant are already contaminated!

Although this happened a couple of years ago, what has changed to ensure that it can’t happen again? Melamine was recently found in milk powder that was produced under human food standards. So what about the lower standards that pet foods are produced under? While it may a completely accidental, even the possibility of having toxic plastics ending up in dogs food is completely unacceptable.

I know I don’t want to pick up the paper and find out that my dog’s food has plastic in it. We are ultimately responsible for our dogs health, not just that they get the right nutrition, but to make sure that their food is free from harmful chemicals too.

Apart from the accidental chemical additives what else is your German Shepherd really eating? Commonly there’s a carcinogenic preservative called ethoxyquin in many factory made dog foods. This preservative has been banned for decades from human food due to it’s toxic side effects. Workers exposed to it exhibit a wide range of symptoms, not dissimilar to agent orange. But this toxic chemical is still being added to our dog’s food!

You won’t find it listed either, no matter how close you look. This is because fish meal when it is made gets treated with ethoxyquin, while it’s still on the boat. What this means is that fish meal might go into the food but the ingredients of the meal won’t be listed.

In some foods they promote the fact that there’s fish in there as a great source of protein and fatty acids, which is true. However if that fish is in the form of meal, then there’s a whole lot more going in than you bargained for. They could suffer from allergic reactions, cancer and liver failure. And this is something that supposed to be healthy!

For the sake of your German Shepherd it’s vital that you learn about dog health food. Commercially produced food is completely out of your control, you never really know what could be If you make your own then you can be absolutely sure that there’s no nasty chemicals and carcinogenic preservatives in your dog’s food. You can treat them to a variety of gourmet tastes and give them the very best nutrition possible.

Our dogs rely on us to provide them with the best possible food and care. To keep your best friend healthy and add years to their life, subscribe to our dog health food newsletter. You’ll find out exactly what goes into commercial dog food and how to make your own at home, cheaply and easily. Click here to subscribe http://www.dog-health-food.com

Article Source: Dog Health Food – Your German Shepherd Could Be Suffering

Pet Food Recall: Are These Pet Food Manufacturers Purposely Killing Your Animals?

by Leave a Comment

We all want the best for our beloved dogs, especially when it comes to the foods they eat. We want to give them only the healthiest food available to make sure that they will live a long and healthy life. But what if the so-called “healthy pet foods” that are being sold in the market today are not reliable anymore?

What do we do when we can no longer trust the food manufacturers who is supposed to provide us with safe and healthy foods for our animals?

When The Food Is Killing Your Pets, Something Has To Change

The widespread recall of pet food has created a scare to all dog and cat owners who rely on commercial brands to feed their pets. All over the country, contaminated pet food has caused many dogs to become severely sick, while a large number of them have died.

In March alone of this year, Menu foods, an Ontario based manufacturing company, recalled more than 90 brands of “cuts and gravy” moist foods (both dog food and cat food) after more than 14 animals died from eating them. A few weeks later, the same company added 20 more varieties of their brand to be taken off store shelves.

It was later discovered that wheat gluten, an ingredient found in the said pet foods, was contaminated with rat poison. The risk of Salmonella contamination has also been the cause of a recall for two brands of pig ear dog treats.

Cases of toxic pet foods go back to December of 2005, when several dogs died and dozens fell ill after eating kibble manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods. It was later found out that the food was contaminated with aflatoxin; a naturally occurring chemical produced from fungus and can be found on crops such as wheat, corn, rice, and beans. This chemical is also toxic to domestic animals, livestock, and even humans. Other pet food recalls during this past decade also involve the risk for Salmonella contamination.

Are These Pet Food Companies Breaking The Law?

FDA regulations state that pet foods should be manufactured similar to the way human foods are manufactured. They should be processed under a sanitary environment, do not contain any harmful ingredients, accurately labeled, and safe to eat.

All pet food manufacturers are expected to comply with these regulations to ensure that the food is safe and healthy. However, due to limited resources, the FDA can only inspect pet food issues after consumer complaints are made or if the FDA has a reason to believe that there is a threat to animal health. A recall is then announced by the FDA or the manufacturer if a defective product is found.

Recent Blog Posts