Dogs Eating Rancid Meat
Pictured on your left is Beatrice, an eight-year-old Pug who was rescued from the Fulton County pound by Planned Pethood. She was dumped at the pound by the owner of a breeding operation, ostensibly after he no longer had economic use for this older pooch.
We acted as the foster family for Beatrice, and I am happy to announce that she will be adopted today by a kind family from Catawba Island. However, even as an experienced canine foster, I was shocked at the condition of this beautiful dog when the breeder ended his working relationship with Beatrice.
This poor animal suffered from eye infections, ear infections, a cornea ulceration, whipworms, and a half-dozen rotted teeth that neded to be extracted. In addition, it is apparent that Beatrice has had little in the way of socialization in her life, and the dog is quite fearful of humans. It took her three weeks just to venture to the edge of the kitchen, where she spends her days, and even longer for Beatrice to take a treat from a human hand.
Her eyes were so clouded with infection that the poor creature fell down a step on our outdoor deck, as her blinded eyes were unable to recognize that there are two steps down to the ground.
Her health issues appear to be resolved, but Beatrice has a long way to go before she recovers from her long period of canine reproductive slavery. I know that animal rights activists are quick to slap the "puppy mill" label on breeders, but Beatrice is a prototypical example of the utter disregard for the needs of dogs exhibited by the worst sorts of irresponsible breeders.
Long denied basic health care and interaction, Beatrice will begin her life again with her adoptive family. I grew fond of her in the month that she has been with us, and I am glad that I could contribute to her recovery from her years of neglect and abuse.
Yet there is a part of me that rages like an Old Testament prophet at the evils of puppy mills. To white, here is a quote from the Book of Amos (8:4-7) that sums up my fire-and-brimstone mood:
Hear this, you who trample the needyOr perhaps I should just have a cup of coffee, clip some Sports Authority coupons, and chase away the indignation. This kind of stuff will give me ulcers if I stew upon it too long.
and do away with the poor of the land,
saying, "When will the New Moon be over
that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended
that we may market wheat?"—
skimping the measure, boosting the price
and cheating with dishonest scales,
buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat.
The Lord has sworn by the Pride of Jacob: "I will never forget anything they have done."
Hello : ) Well, I can tell you right off that Pedigree is unfortunately one of the worst foods on the market. Not only does it have little to no meat content, it is full of all kinds of filler – indigestible grains and carcinogenic artificial dyes and preservatives. It’s difficult to conceive that a company that is so well-publicized and claims to love dogs would create a food that actually just makes them sick and shortens their life span, but that’s the truth.
Anyways, if you’re concerned about his health, I would suggest you research a raw, BARF or prey model diet. Domestic dogs have only been eating processed foods for a little over a century, thanks to us, and are now afflicted with many of the maladies that sicken humans – all kinds of cancers, arthritis, gastrointestinal disease, etc. I believe that genetics and diet determine your pet’s overall health, and that we should feed our pets what they are designed by Nature to consume – raw organ and muscle meats, fat, and meaty bones. This is what their bodies are created to break down and use, not grain-based pressure-cooked kibble pieces coated in industrial restaurant grease.
If, after researching, you’re still not convinced that the raw diet is the best way to go, at least feed a premium kibble. If you’re worried about price, consider it this way. Better foods are “expensive” only at checkout – your dog will consume less of the food over time (because there are more viable nutrients) and you will not have to buy as much to feed your dog; there will be less backyard waste to clean up; you can help to offset diseases that are triggered and aggravated by a poor diet. Not to mention your dog will feel terrific!
The following are some that I recommend, but this list is by no means exhaustive:
DRY FOODS:
Orijen
Taste of the Wild
Grain Free Surf and Turf (Fromm Family)
Before Grain (different meat sources available, Merrick Pet Care)
EVO (Natura Pet Products)
Wellness Core (Old Mother Hubbard, who also make DELICIOUS dog treats available at PetSmart – yes, I’ve sampled them!)
Go Natural Grain Free (Petcurean)
Timberwolf Wild and Natural Dry
Canidae Grain-Free
Addiction (raw, deyhdrated food)
Bravo! (very short ingredients list, which is good to rule out food allergies)
Honest Kitchen (dehydrated food)
Primal Pet Foods
CANNED/ADDITION FOODS
Wysong
Dick Van Patten’s
Evanger’s
Sojos Europa
Halo
Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl
Merrick Before Grain
Not to mention there are numerous frozen and freeze-dried raw foods available that are an easy way to feed pre-packaged real food (a bit of an oxymoron) but ideal if the thought of handling carcass to feed your dog is daunting.
These are all great foods, but if you really think you won’t be able to swing it finance-wise, then for now go with Blue Buffalo Wilderness or even Authority Harvest-Baked (available at PetSmart). I wouldn’t bother with anything else available in your average supermarket/Big Box retailer (with the exception of Eagle Pack, Diamond, and Solid Gold) because the manufacturers cut corners to keep costs down, which means they use cancer-causing preservatives and the food is primarily grain, which is NOT digestible for dogs and amounts to filler.
When checking out labels, I look at the first 12 ingredients as this will amount to about 90% of the food total. Ingredients are listed by heaviest-weighing item first, but this is actually misleading because if you see ‘chicken’ first and the next 5 ingredients are grain, the food is mostly grain because the grains outweigh the chicken overall. Also, when listing meats, a named meat meal (as in ‘chicken meal’ versus ‘chicken’) is better, because that chicken includes the water and fat weight. When those are removed to create a dry kibble, the actual protein value is decreased by about 75%, possibly more, making that advertised ‘Number 1 Ingredient’ actually about 8th or 10th on the list, if that.
And a named meat source is best because otherwise, that suspicious-sounding ‘meat and bone meal’ and ‘animal fat’ can be sourced from ANYTHING, the most common being rancid roadkill, used greases from restaurants, and the Four D’s of the meat industry – disabled, diseased, dying, and dead cattle that are deemed not fit for human consumption.
And the biggest ick factor? Humane shelters and veterinarians across the country that kill animals with sodium pentobarbital can and do send those animals to rendering plants to be melted and turned into your Fido’s dog food.
This is scary because additives that aren’t EXCLUSIVELY added by the manufacturer itself do NOT have to be disclosed. So that means that all of those doses of sodium pentobarbital in the animal’s system are STILL THERE when they are turned into the next batch of pet food.
So here is an example of a very poor food (first 12 ingredients):
Ground Whole Corn, Meat And Bone Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken By-product Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with BHA/BHT), Wheat Flour, Chicken, Rice, Dried Whole Peas, Dried Beet Pulp, Wheat Mill Run, Natural Flavor
We can determine that this food is mostly grain – you have corn, corn gluten meal, wheat flour, rice, and wheat meal run. Their ‘protein’ is supposed to come from the ‘meat and bone meal,’ ‘chicken by-product meal,’ and ‘chicken.’ The by-products aren’t too bad, in all honesty, but they certainly shouldn’t be 4th on the list – they should be second, since ‘chicken’ is on the list. And since ‘chicken’ is 7th on the list, this means that there is more ‘Natural Flavor’ and vitamins/minerals (not listed here) than real meat.
What food is this?
Pedigree Chicken, Rice and Vegetable.
I’ll wrap up my novel here, but I truly hope this is helpful to you and helps you to make an informed decision. And I would also suggest perhaps finding a veterinarian who has specialized in nutrition – as most vets learn little about nutrition in school and unless on their own volition take additional training, will never research it again – to help you create a suitable diet for your dog.
Good luck to you! : )
