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What is the truth about pet foods and the pet food industry?
The pet food industry is one that many pet owners distrust and not without reason. The melamine disaster of several years ago left many pets dead and many pet owners broken-hearted. It should have served as a wake-up call for pet food manufacturers and the government agencies that oversee pet foods. But was the message heard? Have there been any changes made to the system that allowed so many pets to die needlessly?
Pets, Pet Foods and the Pet Food Industry
Today, conscientious pet owners worry about everything that goes into their pet, including their foods. Or maybe especially their foods. But is there reason to worry? Are pet foods safe for our pets? Was the melamine incident simply a freak occurrence or could it happen again?
How Safe Are the Commercial Foods Our Pets Are Eating?
The verdict is still out on that question. Susan Thixton has dedicated herself to discovering The Truth About Pet Food. She crusades to educate the public about pet foods and the pet food industry, or at least her view on the subject.
Susan rails against the pet food industry for many different reasons. Pet food companies, she says, are misleading. They make unqualified claims about their foods with the blessing of the government. She worries about pet food ingredients, claiming that the pet food manufacturers regularly include diseased tissues in pet foods and the pet food industry not only allows but even encourages this practice.
Could your pets be eating road kill? Rodent droppings? Susan claims the answer is yes. She also says that pentobarbital, a chemical used to put sick animals to sleep, has been found in many different dog foods. And, in fact, she appears to have FDA documentation to back up that claim!
What about preservatives? Your pet’s food is not supposed to have ethoxyquin in it. But according to Susan, it might anyway. Furthermore, Susan claims the FDA knows all about this and turns a blind eye to many practices that Susan claims to be unsafe and less than healthy for our pets.
And taking that subject one step further, Susan asks who exactly is in charge of regulating our pet’s food. She alleges that the regulatory bodies that should be in charge knowingly break their own rules and regularly claim lack of responsibility when something does go wrong.
What Is the Truth About Pet Foods and the Pet Food Industry?
I don’t have the answer to that question for you. I would like to believe that the food I feed my cats is safe and not full of harmful products. But Susan raises some issues that are hard to ignore.
You can hear more about what Susan has to say about pet foods, the pet food industry, pet food regulation and much more in the podcasts below. You can also join us in the Chat Cafe on Wednesday, April 27 at 9PM EST to talk to Susan.
Photo Courtesy of Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue/Flickr.com
About Lorie Huston, DVM
Lorie Huston is a veterinarian, pet health and pet care expert, professional writer, blogger, social media and blogging consultant, and SEO strategist.
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Yeah … many doubts. And I’m not the one to get grossed-out by the idea of a road kill…
There was also an argument I head and would love your opinion on: “dogs don’t need ingredients, they need nutrients.” Which I think is interesting – would it mean that it doesn’t matter where the nutrients come from? I believe it does. I think a play with numbers can look pretty and yet …. Curious what you think.
Meanwhile I’m quite happy that I know exactly what goes into Jasmines food.
Hi Jana.
That’s an excellent question but the answer is complex. I have taken the liberty of answering your question in a separate blog post. Please see Pet Foods: Ingredients Versus Nutrients for an answer to your question.
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