Junk Food Killing Pets

[whippets]

Herald_Sun_April_6th

THE junk food and poor eating habits affecting humans are also killing their four-legged pals, say veterinary surgeons and experts in Europe.

Allergies and obesity are reducing the life expectancy of dogs and cats nourished worldwide on industrial foodstuffs, said Gerard Lippert, a Belgian acupuncturist for animals who has completed a study on the diets of 600 dead dogs.

"Pets, like humans, are victims of junk food," he said.

Of the corpses he examined, those fed on processed foods died three years earlier than those fed on home-made food.

Mr Lippert said dogs originally were omnivores who shared food with humans.

He said he was increasingly called on to heal skin, motor and digestive problems.

"Dry dog food and cat food croquettes are over-heated, which destroys vitamins, trace elements and other basic nutritional elements," he said.

"We don't know the origin of the proteins in the foods. And there's an excessive amount of cereal, often genetically modified, and very little vegetables."

Laurence Colliard, a veterinary surgeon in Paris, estimates that only 5 per cent of French pet-owners cook food for their four-legged companions.

"I'm seeing an increasing number of allergies, diarrhoea, vomiting, skin dermatitis as well as cases of obesity, especially amid cats," he said.

The pet food industry was born in England where James Spratt produced the world's first dog biscuits in 1860. Many internet sites are now calling for a return to natural foods.

"Your pet should consume foods that are similar to a dog's wild ancestors. This includes bones, fat, meat, and vegetable materials," barf.com says.

Edited April 5, 2010 by whippets

[WreckitWhippet]

I don't agree with the "cooking for dogs" as I feed raw, but agree when it comes to the "processed" foods, there's a hell of a lot of crap food out there on the market, which is full of grains or by products that you could barely class as "meat". Couple those things with the colourings, preservatives and flavourings and it's not good for dogs.

[Aziah]

It's not the junk food killing pets, it's the owners choosing to feed it?!

[centitout]

Then maybe vets need to be educated more,cause a lot of my puppy owners have the premium dry food argument rammed down there throats.Anyone feeding raw are doing the wrong thing because its not "completely" balanced

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I've spoken to a number of people over the years who have honestly believed that they were doing something special for their pets by giving them "My Dog" - all about clever advertising. I've put them right at the time but I can't cover the whole of pet-owning Australia ....

[GeckoTree]

Kibble is convienient, thats the main reason people use it over home made.

[all that glitters]

Kibble is convienient, thats the main reason people use it over home made.

I agree, I used to feed just kibble but feed mostly raw now. Now I look back and think about feeding kibble ONLY and think a lot of lazier people would choose that path... mans best friend is MEANT to eat meaty bones and raw foods!

Although I know theres dogs with allergic issues and this and that that do better on certain kibbles

Edited April 6, 2010 by ~ShelleAndShyla~

[twodoggies2001]

Kibble is convienient, thats the main reason people use it over home made.

I agree, I used to feed just kibble but feed mostly raw now. Now I look back and think about feeding kibble ONLY and think a lot of lazier people would choose that path... mans best friend is MEANT to eat meaty bones and raw foods!

Although I know theres dogs with allergic issues and this and that that do better on certain kibbles

Well put. I feed my two a raw and natural diet. Both came to me with bags of dry food, which slowly went out the door as they were transitioned to the raw diet. Most of the processed foods do not have a large percentage of meat in them, and I just wonder if owners of these commercial diet fed dogs would like to eat processed food day in and day out. I don't have a dog food tin or kibble bag anywhere here. I was dog sitting my cousin's dog a few weeks ago and his kibble was sent over with. When he saw what my boys were fed, he flatly refused to eat his own. After all, raw chunks of meat or fish is much nicer than dry pellets. What a clever boy!!!!!

[Souff]

Then maybe vets need to be educated more,cause a lot of my puppy owners have the premium dry food argument rammed down there throats.Anyone feeding raw are doing the wrong thing because its not "completely" balanced

And then there are the claims about "cleaning teeth" .....

I just laugh when I see the bits of "dental" dog food spat out on the floor around the bowl, no matter how well known the brand.

It wont clean any teeth if the dogs just spit it out!

The message is clear ..... the dogs here prefer to use raw bones as toothbrushes.

15 year old was at the vet last month and had teeth checked - one molar is on the way out, the rest of the teeth are as sound as a drum.

14 year old went to a different vet the month before. Vet called in the young trainee vet to take a look at an old dog with a complete set of teeth.

Raw bones can take the credit for this, not processed dog food. Both vets agree - keep up the bones.

Litter mate of the 14 year old lives in another household and has only a few teeth left.

He doesn't get fed raw bones and has the most disgusting mouth imaginable.

Souff