"Quality" Pet Food Makers -- Who are they really?

[joeyjoejoe]

That some informative stuff, 1V4N. Thanks!

If you want to see a documentation on pet food, then search for "Pet Food - A Dog's Breakfast". I watched this about 2 years ago and it opened my eyes and why I started to do a lot of my own research.

You can watch it here: http://www.viddler.com/explore/jenni...dwin/videos/4/

But the video quality is garbage. There might be a torrent available, but you're going to have to find that yourself.

This documentary won't tell you which are the better brands, but it does shed light onto how bad the pet food industry is as a whole. They mention a company called Menu Foods. Here's a list of products that were recalled (link)... connect the dots and big companies like Colgate, Mars and P&G are on there.

The show also notes that vets don't get much training in pet nutrition in school and they become the "experts" to the consumer... Just to add to that lack of knowledge, vets are also brain washed. The companies that do the most promoting in the vet schools (like sponsor events, give out freebies, hand out scholarships) are the pet food companies. On top of that companies will give huge kick backs to vets to sell their product at their clinic. Bottom line most people view vets as pet nutrition experts, but the reality is they lack education, brain washed and bribed. Score another point for big business marketing! (*Note: I know not all vets are bad, but most are... a good way to find out if they know anything about pet nutrition is check if they sell that Hill's Science Diet crap at their clinic. If they do, then don't trust their opinion.)

[1V4N]

What do you guys think of Actr1um? It's a holistic good looking, affordable cat food from Walmart.

6.79 for a bag, uses brown rice instead of corn.

Actr1um is a Walmart house brand.

As for cat food, any grains listed is already bad.

Cats are obligate carnivores, so they should not be fed any grains, its not natural for them!

I couldn't get any information other than this (which is for dogs), which may have been updated:

Crude Protein (min) 24%
Crude Fat (min) 14%
Crude Fibre (max) 5%
Moisture (max) 10%
Ash (max) 10%
Calcium (min) 1.1%
Phosphorus (min) 0.8%
Omega 3 (min) 0.4%
Omega 6 (min) 2.8%

Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Potatoes, Rye, Millet, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of Vit E), Chicken, chicken Cartilage(natural source of glucosamine), natural flavour, tomatoes, salmon meal, salmon oil (a natural source of DHA), whole dried egge, flaxseed, kelp, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, diacalcium phosphate, lecithin, sodium chloride, chicory root extract, cranberries, alfalfa, spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, apples, blueberries, pears, bananas, Vitamins and Minerals: Vit A, Vit D3, Vit E, Niacin, Vit C, Inositol, D-Calcium, Pantothenate, thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Beta Carotene, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vit K, Biotin, Vit B12 supplement, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulphgate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Proteinate, Copper sulphate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite.Probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus casei, enterococcus faecium, bifidobacterium thermophilum), Yucca schidigera extract, dried rosemary, cinnamon, turmeric, capsicum, chamomile, dandelion, paprika, garlic.

I will need to look more into it to be honest, to verify the ingredient list is accurate for the cat version you are acquiring about -- unless you can copy & paste all the information here?

Based on the listing for the dog food however, I would have to assume the actual proteins would originate from any and/or all of the 4D's (Dead, Diseased, Dying, Disabled), plus the Vitamin K is another name for Menadione, which is banned for human consumption because it is a carcinogen and most high quality food makers DO NOT USE IT.

General rule of thumb for any foods, especially private label brand from supermarkets, big box merchants: DO NOT BUY

[1V4N]

I feed TLC to my cat and dog.

http://www.tlcpetfood.com/default.asp?


I hope that it's good for them.

I would say for the price, you can do better by feeding some other premium brands for the pretty much the same costs, without any grains.

Here is a look at TLC Whole Life Dog Food

Ingredients:
Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Whole Grain Barley, Whole Brown Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a Natural Source of Vitamin E), Potato, Chicken, Salmon Meal, Chicken Liver, Salmon Oil (Natural Source of DHA), Calcium Carbonate, Flaxseed, Whole Dried Egg, Potassium Chloride, Cultured Yeast, Kelp, Lecithin, Apple, Tomato, Chicory Root Extract, Mannan-oligosaccharides, Choline Chloride, Vitamins, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Niacin, Vitamin C , Inositol, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Beta Carotene, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin K, Biotin, Vitamin B12, Minerals, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Proteinate , Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Selenium, Taurine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Probiotics, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Casei, Enterococcus Faecium, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum, L-carnitine, Chondroitin Sulphate, Thyme, Cassia, Anise, Chamomile, Horseradish, Juniper, Ginger, Rosemary Extract

This food is quite high in grains: Oatmeal, Whole Grain Barley, Whole Brown Rice, and there are several listings that I would not be comfortable with such as "Vitamins" and Vitamin K which I strongly suspect is Menadione (linked to cancer).

Now a look at TLC Whole Life Cat Food
Ingredients:
Chicken Meal, Chicken, Whole Brown Rice, Whole Grain Barley, Chicken Fat, Pea Fiber, Salmon Meal, Oatmeal, Chicken Liver, Salmon Oil, DHA, Whole Dried Egg, Potassium Chloride, Phosphoric Acid, Yeast Culture, Choline Chloride, Flaxseed, Lecithin, Kelp, Cranberry, Apple, Vitamins, Vitamin E, Vitamin C , Niacin, Inositol, Vitamin A, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin K, Beta Carotene, Vitamin D3, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12, Minerals, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate , Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Taurine, DL-Methionine, L-Lynsine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Thyme, Cassia, Anise, Chamomile, Horseradish, Juniper, Ginger, Rosemary Extract


This cat food has grains, which they do not need: Whole Brown Rice, Whole Grain Barley, and there are several listings (just like the dog formula) that I would not be comfortable with such as "Vitamins" and Vitamin K which I strongly suspect is Menadione (linked to cancer).

[1V4N]

That some informative stuff, 1V4N. Thanks!

If you want to see a documentation on pet food, then search for "Pet Food - A Dog's Breakfast". I watched this about 2 years ago and it opened my eyes and why I started to do a lot of my own research.

You can watch it here: http://www.viddler.com/explore/jenni...dwin/videos/4/

But the video quality is garbage. There might be a torrent available, but you're going to have to find that yourself.

This documentary won't tell you which are the better brands, but it does shed light onto how bad the pet food industry is as a whole. They mention a company called Menu Foods. Here's a list of products that were recalled (link)... connect the dots and big companies like Colgate, Mars and P&G are on there.

The show also notes that vets don't get much training in pet nutrition in school and they become the "experts" to the consumer... Just to add to that lack of knowledge, vets are also brain washed. The companies that do the most promoting in the vet schools (like sponsor events, give out freebies, hand out scholarships) are the pet food companies. On top of that companies will give huge kick backs to vets to sell their product at their clinic. Bottom line most people view vets as pet nutrition experts, but the reality is they lack education, brain washed and bribed. Score another point for big business marketing! (*Note: I know not all vets are bad, but most are... a good way to find out if they know anything about pet nutrition is check if they sell that Hill's Science Diet crap at their clinic. If they do, then don't trust their opinion.)

thanks for the kind words, and for the link to the documentary which I hope people will watch and gain a better understanding of the pet food industry!

[9394]

If you dog liked the food and was also doing well on Orijen, I would suggest switching back to that food.

Most of the comments attributed by traditional vets, regarding higher proteins have been over-blown. There has been numerous research/studies that have proven there is no direct link to health issues in pets with compromised/failing livers being fed a high protein diet.

Check out Orijens FAQ on higher protein:
http://www.championpetfoods.com/faq/

If you need more information and links to other independent studies, please let me know!

You don't always need to feed treats made commercially, you can always give them fresh fruits and veggies (beware of the specific ones which are harmful to them), you can also make your own dehydrated treats, baked goods, etc.

Our dog will eat anything. My fiance was doing most of the research on pet foods, so I'll pass your insight on to her.

Our dog loves pears, bananas, tangerines, red peppers and carrots. When we were at Woofstock, we picked up a bag of dehydrated sweet potato slices for $7. This got me thinking that it would be a lot cheaper making these ourselves...

[soleprovider]

I would say for the price, you can do better by feeding some other premium brands for the pretty much the same costs, without any grains.

Here is a look at TLC Whole Life Dog Food

Ingredients:
Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Whole Grain Barley, Whole Brown Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a Natural Source of Vitamin E), Potato, Chicken, Salmon Meal, Chicken Liver, Salmon Oil (Natural Source of DHA), Calcium Carbonate, Flaxseed, Whole Dried Egg, Potassium Chloride, Cultured Yeast, Kelp, Lecithin, Apple, Tomato, Chicory Root Extract, Mannan-oligosaccharides, Choline Chloride, Vitamins, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Niacin, Vitamin C , Inositol, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Beta Carotene, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin K, Biotin, Vitamin B12, Minerals, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Proteinate , Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Selenium, Taurine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Probiotics, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Casei, Enterococcus Faecium, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum, L-carnitine, Chondroitin Sulphate, Thyme, Cassia, Anise, Chamomile, Horseradish, Juniper, Ginger, Rosemary Extract

This food is quite high in grains: Oatmeal, Whole Grain Barley, Whole Brown Rice, and there are several listings that I would not be comfortable with such as "Vitamins" and Vitamin K which I strongly suspect is Menadione (linked to cancer).

Now a look at TLC Whole Life Cat Food
Ingredients:
Chicken Meal, Chicken, Whole Brown Rice, Whole Grain Barley, Chicken Fat, Pea Fiber, Salmon Meal, Oatmeal, Chicken Liver, Salmon Oil, DHA, Whole Dried Egg, Potassium Chloride, Phosphoric Acid, Yeast Culture, Choline Chloride, Flaxseed, Lecithin, Kelp, Cranberry, Apple, Vitamins, Vitamin E, Vitamin C , Niacin, Inositol, Vitamin A, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin K, Beta Carotene, Vitamin D3, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12, Minerals, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate , Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Taurine, DL-Methionine, L-Lynsine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Thyme, Cassia, Anise, Chamomile, Horseradish, Juniper, Ginger, Rosemary Extract


This cat food has grains, which they do not need: Whole Brown Rice, Whole Grain Barley, and there are several listings (just like the dog formula) that I would not be comfortable with such as "Vitamins" and Vitamin K which I strongly suspect is Menadione (linked to cancer).

Thanks for the info.

What do you feed your pets?

[jackie999]

There is a handy list here that I've printed and refer to when I'm looking for a little something to add to their kibble.
Favorites for my two are sardines in water, no fat yogurt, carrots and microwaved, scrambled eggs..but thinking back, I don't think they've turned their noses up at anything

[lefty09]

thanks for the informative posts, once again, 1v4n.

Thanks OP for the informative post. We feed our dog Wellness Health Super5Mix.

We originally had him on Orijen, but our vet told us that he's heard of puppies/dogs going into renal failure because the protein level was too high.

Dog food/treats are serious $$$. I purchased a 300g bag of PureBites cheezies for $21 @ Petvalu for our dog and then walked across the street and purchased a 300g bag of Cheetos for $3 @ Walmart for us.

here's an article which you might like to read regarding proteins

http://www.thepetcenter.com/article.aspx?id=3408

[jackie999]

here's an article which you might like to read regarding proteins
http://www.thepetcenter.com/article.aspx?id=3408

Nice link lefty

I know what you're thinking! Too much protein! Kidney damage! Well, guess what? The very early research that pointed a finger at protein as being a cause of kidney failure in dogs wasn't even done on dogs! It was done on rats fed unnatural diets for a rodent... diets high in protein. (Were we tinkering with Nature during these “tests”?) Rats have difficulty excreting excess protein in their diets because they are essentially plant eaters, not meat eaters. Dogs are quite able to tolerate diets with protein levels higher than 30% on a dry weight basis. Dogs are meat eaters; that's how Nature made them! Rats are not.

I've feed my dogs Orijen for years now ...some said it was too much protein, but after reading I decided to add it to one of the foods I alternate with. So far they are thriving and their skin is good (which, on a schnauzer is difficult to maintain). Mine get the senior version since I have to keep fat content lower..I think the new 'red' looks good but fat is too high for mine.

[okaywithme]

Our dog loves pears, bananas, tangerines, red peppers and carrots. When we were at Woofstock, we picked up a bag of dehydrated sweet potato slices for $7. This got me thinking that it would be a lot cheaper making these ourselves...

Dogs love dried sweet potato and apple rings. You could try the same with pears and bananas. Just slice them thin, removing all cores from apples and pears, keep the skin on, and then dry them on a cookie sheet in a 200 F. oven for about 2 hours. Watch to ensure they don't over dry. With pears and bananas, they may require a longer drying period. Cool, bag and freeze if doing in large batches. Mine loves them.

[rockthecasbah]

There is a handy list here that I've printed and refer to when I'm looking for a little something to add to their kibble.
Favorites for my two are sardines in water, no fat yogurt, carrots and microwaved, scrambled eggs..but thinking back, I don't think they've turned their noses up at anything

Thanks for the link, going to print it out

What kind of non fat yogurt do you recommend?

[jackie999]

What kind of non fat yogurt do you recommend?

I was told it should be plain non-fat for mini schnauzers..possibly that's not a concern for other breeds? Personally..I don't like unflavored so they get a tablespoon of whatever zero fat flavored yogurt I have in the fridge.

I'll quote here some things to watch for that a couple of breeders on another forum told me when I asked about flavors:

I myself would check the labels. If there is anything listed as "Natural Flavor" in it, its really MSG and "can" cause problems in canines, such as heart palpitations/seizures.

and

Plain yogurt is best for the dogs because many of the flavored ones have sugar or some form of sugar in them. I always buy a generic plain along with what I buy for me. The dogs don't need an expensive yogurt.

[rockthecasbah]

I was told it should be plain non-fat for mini schnauzers..possibly that's not a concern for other breeds? Personally..I don't like unflavored so they get a tablespoon of whatever zero fat flavored yogurt I have in the fridge.

I'll quote here some things to watch for that a couple of breeders on another forum told me when I asked about flavors:

and

Thanks for the info! I'll go pick up some generic non-fat yogurt this weekend (I currently have flavoured Astro yogurt but I don't think it's non-fat) and will give my dog a try of the foods on the list this week.

[Citizen Bmac]

I'll quote here some things to watch for that a couple of breeders on another forum told me when I asked about flavors...

In low quality foods, when the ingredient list says "natural chicken flavour" or the like it is often chicken poop. They add chicken poop because it smells like chickens to make the food seem more attractive to your dog. Iams admits as much on their own web site, except instead of calling it chicken poop, they use the more acceptable term "chicken digest":

http://www.iams.com/iams/pet-health/...n-dog-food.jsp

Adding chicken poop (or other animal poop) to dog food is thought to be part of the reason why some dogs also like to eat dog poop.

[jackie999]

Adding chicken poop (or other animal poop) to dog food is thought to be part of the reason why some dogs also like to eat dog poop.

Ugh..how disgusting is that
I remember reading there was, perhaps still is, a class action suite against dog food makers. They use the 4D's as 1V4N referred to above..they were finding traces of the drug used to euthanize pets, and in some cases, collars, in dog food. This was a one of the sources of 'meat' protein in pet food...pets that had been put down at the vets recycled into dog food. I hope it's still not going on...another reason to check the ingredients.