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- According to "Companion Animal Nutrition: a Survey of
Veterinarians" conducted by Animal Protection Institute (API), greater than 90 % of the
respondents said that they
have concerns about commercial pet food (poor quality of meats/fats/grains,
preservatives, additives, misleading clams, "4D" protein source,
by-product sources, inadequate information, over- processing, contaminants,
inconsistent ingredients);
- "Pet food is manufactured from the following sources: "4-D" animals (dead, diseased, dying and disabled), road kills, spoiled or molding grains, cancerous material cut from slaughterhouse animals tissue high in hormone or pesticides residue, euthanized companion animals, worm infested organs, contaminated blood, rancid grease from restaurants . . . " (from John Anderson's book "The Poisons in Pet Food");
- Many of the worlds foremost holistic veterinarians, including Dr. Pitcairn, Dr. Russell Swift, Dr. Charles Loops, agree that commercial pet food is behind the many chronic diseases being dealt with today in veterinary medicine;
- About 40% of dogs in the US are overweight, according to Earl Mindell, author of "Earl Mindell's Nutrition and Health for Dogs";
- Over 400 pesticides are currently licensed for use on America's foods and over 2.5 billion pounds are dumped on crop lands, forests, and fields annually. They accumulate in pet's bodies (which are more sensitive given their smaller size), weaken their immune systems;
- Recent studies have shown that processed commercial foods is the biggest factor in increasing number of pets suffering from cancer, arthritis, obesity, dental disease and heart disease, comments Dr. Wysong. Dull or unhealthy coats are a common problem with cats and dogs and poor diet is usually the cause, according to many veterinarians and breeders;
- According to Pet Food Investigative Report, pet food is one of the worlds' most synthetic edible products, containing virtually no whole ingredients. Processing can do little more than sterilize the ingredients or transform the pet food into a toxic soup filled with unusable nutrients;
- Grains are the main ingredient in the commercial pet food. According Russel Swift, DVM" they are not part of the natural diet of wild dogs and cats". Grains as a main source of nutrition for carnivorous and omnivorous animals lead to obesity, chronic immune problems, allergies, dental problems;
- According to the Animal Protection Institute, BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin and mixed tocopherol are the most commonly used preservatives used to keep the fat in pet food from turning rancid. Lisa Newman, owner of Holistic Animal Care, describes Ethoxyquin (EQ) as "the cheapest, most powerful preservative available, used in pet food" as very similar to Agent Orange, and notes, "The steady increase in animal cancer and serious diseases has paralleled the increased use of chemical preservatives in the pet food industry during the last twenty five years."