Are You Feeding Your Fur-Baby Dangerous Pet Food?

Since Little Bear has gotten real sick and I've changed his diet, I've learned so much about Pet Food, what's in it, what NOT to feed him and ingredients to completely avoid. Then talking to other pet owners that have sick pets got me thinking...could the pet food I've fed Little Bear in the past be part of the reason he got so sick? Hmmm....who knows? The things I've learned is an eye opener and even though my pup is sick, he's lost weight and his blindness has slowed. According to my groomer, for a dog with Canine Cushings Disease &  Canine Diabetes he's doing really good, has a full coat, no sores and no odor. I only feed Little Bear pet food with the AAFCO ( Association of American Feed Control Officials ) Logo and if it states it's HUMAN GRADE. And I still read the label! I have to share what I've learned and hope it helps you too. After all I've done a blog on what we eat and even have tools to help you shop smarter and healthier! See Tricks, Tips & Tools For A Better Diet


It's your responsibility as a pet owner to look past the pretty pictures of fresh cuts of meat and juicy vegetables, the cute commercials and the misleading, biased information about "proper nutrition" and question the statements the manufacturer makes. You might have read or heard about dog/cat/pet food from online or a friend or Vet and you've thought "Should I be feeding Fido commercial dog food or should he be on an organic or home cooked raw diet? It would be GREAT if we could all afford to feed all our pets home cooked food prepared just for them but it would get very expensive. Not all commercial dog food is prepared with low quality ingredients and cheap byproducts, only meeting the bare minimum of nutritional requirements. Examples are beef or chicken "flavored" corn or rice byproducts. One of the BEST websites I use is The Dog Food Advisor and for the Feline Lovers

The philosophies and ethics of manufacturers alter broadly and it is my goal to make as much data available as likely so you can pattern your own attitude about what is a good nourishment and what isn't. If sufficient pet proprietors make an attentive alternative, bypass the "junk food" and support trustworthy manufacturers by buying their value products, perhaps it will send a message to the businesses who are happy to deal you sacks of beef with added flavor" maize or rice byproducts.

Research the food you're buying your pet

Happily, changes are already happening. More and more smaller, privately owned businesses are entering the market with quality products. Almost every pet food manufacturer that is owned by a corporate giant is following the example of the successful smaller companies, trying to secure themselves a piece of the "natural" or "holistic" segment of the market. Royal Canin offers "Natural Blend" and "Sensible Choice", Heinz Pet Products offers "Nature's Recipe" and Colgate-Palmolive offers Science Diet "Nature's Best" and "Advanced Protection". Even the low-end range on the grocery store shelf has candidates like Purina "Beneful".

In some cases a quick look at the ingredient list reveals whether the product is made of quality components or not, in others it takes more knowledge about individual ingredients to determine which food is the better one. Of course every company is going to tell you that they are using only the best quality ingredients, but the constitutional right to freedom of speech does not require such statements to be truthful.

I have an extensive list here and suggest you jot down these ingredients and take them to the store with you the next time you purchase your pet food. Be sure to check the recall list too! Do not buy pet food containing these ingredients!

ANIMAL DIGEST: Horribly bad stuff! A cooked-down, disgusting broth used for flavor rendered by chemical and/or enzymatic process. It's ANONYMOUS, meaning it does not specify the source animals because the manufacturer does not know what they are! Like ground up carcasses from "4D" animals: DEAD, DISEASED, DISABLED OR DYING PRIOR TO SLAUGHTER! No healthy meat! From zoos, euthanized animals from shelters, and it can contain cancerous, diseased tissue containing parasites, pus, worms, tumors and decomposed (spoiled) tissue. 

ANIMAL FAT Non-descriptive, “generic”, cheap fat source, often rancid prior to preserving with Vitamin E (gimmicky to cover poor quality fat).

Again, this particular ingredient is anonymous, meaning it doesn’t even specify the source animals because the manufacturers don’t know what they are!

Usually contains high levels of rancid restaurant grease or other oils that are deemed inedible for humans. Also from 4D animals! Get this! The FDA says it is probable that animal fat contains the lethal drug Pentobarbital which is used to euthanize cats and dogs!

BEEF and BONE MEAL: Bad, bad stuff! A disgusting byproduct made from pork or beef parts which are not suitable for human consumption. It can incorporate the entire animal, including the bones, but the quality cuts of meat are always removed. This is an inexpensive, low quality ingredient used to boost the protein percentage made by rendering plants.

And again,the FDA says it is probable that beef and bone meal contains the lethal drug pentobarbital which is used to euthanize cats and dogs.

BEEF TALLOW: Terrible source of fat. Nutritionally unfit for dogs or cats.

Includes the fat that comes from the disgusting production of meat meal.

Widely used in the soap and chemical industries to produce household items.

Fat with titer above 40 degrees Celsius, obtained from the tissue of cattle in the commercial process of rendering. Also called beef fat. Pets like the taste so it's most common in low quality food to make it appealing to your pet.

BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole): An additive that is used as a preservative in very low quality pet food. Causes enhanced stomach and urinary bladder carcinogenesis and squamous-cell carcinomas in stomachs (cancers of this type are among the most lethal and fastest acting, the swiftest effects being seen among animals with light colored fur.) Banned for humans! Found in the very lowest quality of pet foods.

BHA is a known carcinogen! As is.....

BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene): An additive that is used as a preservative in very low quality pet food. It accumulates in the body fat and is known to cause cancer in animals and disrupt the body’s hormone balance. Banned for human consumption in most parts of the world.

Laboratory studies have shown BHT causes cancer and results in detrimental reproductive effects in rats. Promoted urinary bladder carcinogenesis and could be a promoter of thyroid carcinogenesis.

BREWER'S RICE: Waste product, pure junk. Waste product from breweries, cheap, non-nutritive filler can be harsh on intestines and lead to diabetes. Useless filler. Major source of pet allergies and a host of other problems in cats and dogs, triggers seizures and skin problems such as itching, excessive shedding, eye and ear infections and causes irritable bowel problems.

BREWER'S YEAST EXTRACT: Condensed liquid left over from brewery process. Can become toxic to the liver.

CHICKEN BY-PRODUCTS, CHICKEN BY-PRODUCTS MEAL, POULTRY BY-PRODUCT: Waste product, pure junk, very cheap protein source. The word “by-product” is an instant NO when it comes to pet food! Yuk! Made from anything from the chicken that is not fit for human consumption, including cancerous tissue.

All parts that is animal is used. This includes unspecified parts such as bones, blood, intestines, lungs, ligaments, heads, feet, ears, neck and teeth!

Ground up chicken carcasses often come from “4-D animals” (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), all internal parts void of healthy meat. I can't stress it enough! chicken by-products can contain cancerous or diseased tissue containing parasites, pus, worms, tumors and decomposed (spoiled) tissue. Don’t forget that chicken by-products consists of any parts of the animal OTHER than meat. There is NO MEAT in chicken by-products!

HIGH QUALITY PET FOODS NEVER, EVER CONTAIN BY-PRODUCTS! 

CORN, CORN MEAL, CORN GRITS, CORN PROTEIN:

Waste products, pure junk, very poor protein source. Corn and corn derivatives are among the worst (and cheapest) ingredients in pet food. It is NOT THE SAME CORN WE EAT AT HUMANS! It's the nasty corn that is filled with mold or fungus that causes death!

DRIED BEET PULP: Waste product, pure junk. Cheap filler/fiber causes sugar rush/addiction to food, hyperactivity and allergies. May cause allergies, seizures, skin problems such as itching and excessive shedding, ear and eye infections. It's known to be an artificial stool hardener. This is dangerous because when the stool remains in the colon too long, it exudes toxins into the blood stream, which could lead to a variety of short term (E.Coli) or long term health problems. Sugar in beet pulp causes diabetes, hypoglycemia, weight gain, nervousness and fearful behavior, cataracts, ill health in general and a host of other symptoms and diseases.

It triggers seizures, skin problems such as itching and excessive shedding, ear and eye infections and causes irritable bowel problems.

DRIED EGG PRODUCT: Waste product, pure junk. Cheap source of protein, waste product of egg industry, can contain undeveloped and diseased eggs, floor sweepings, etc. Not fit for human consumption.

ETHYLENEDIAMINE: A solvent, urinary acidifier and color promoter that can irritate the skin and mucus membranes and may cause asthmatic reactions and allergic skin rashes.

FISH:: Generic product name, waste not fit for human consumption. Often from from rancid fish, high mercury content. This ingredient is anonymous, meaning it doesn’t even specify the fish source because the manufacturers don’t know what they are! Made from unspecified parts of an unspecified fish.

FISH MEAL: Generic product name, waste not fit for human consumption. Often from rancid fish, high mercury content. This ingredient is anonymous, meaning it doesn’t even specify the fish source because the manufacturers don’t know what they are! And According to U.S. law (Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security) fish meal MUST be preserved with ethoxyquin, a know carcinogen (see definition above) to prevent explosion during transport.

FISH OIL: Generic product name, usually waste not fit for human consumption. Could be from rancid fish, high mercury content and may contain ethoxyquin, a known carcinogen. Another anonymous fish source!

GLYCERYL MONOSTEARATE: An emulsifier (breaks down fats), lethal to lab rats, still under investigation by FDA. Widely used in foodstuffs, cosmetic, medicine and plastic processing industries.

Can contain up to 200 ppm butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as a preservative (a known carcinogen).

PROPYLENE GLYCOL – Added as a sweetener.  Used in antifreeze solutions, in hydraulic fluids, and as a solvent. 

So, after you have read this God awful list what kind of diet do you want to feed your furbaby? What I've found in feeding my Little Bear a healthier diet is it's actually less expensive to feed your pet a healthy diet than the bargain brands! I tried and tried to get the weight off of Lil Bear and he'd actually gain at times! On a diet! When I switched him, he lost 6 1/2 lbs!  And he's not hungry all the time. When he was eating a cheaper diet he was hungry all the time. Now I feed Little Bear Grain Free Blue Buffalo or another leading healthy dog food. Take the compare test and get $6 off your purchase! Blue Buffalo Compare DOG Food
Blue Buffalo Compare CAT Food

Remember! Poor diet doesn't always kill. More often it sickens and the cause is rarely associated with the diet.  Poor nutrition often results in chronic skin conditions, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune deficiencies, poor liver and kidney function and a general breakdown of the animals' systems.   Low-quality foods affect their personalities and their ability to learn and even control their bodily functions.  Inadequate diets cause dry, flaky skin (dander) and excessive shedding, both of which are the major reasons people release their animals to pounds and rescue agencies. Poor nutritional values are just a slower and more expensive way to kill our pets than euthanasia injections. 

Are you going for: 

VERY BEST:  A balanced RAW MEAT DIET

BEST:  A High Quality pet food, Wet is best followed by kibble

 Here's a list of foods that are safe for humans but dangerous for pets:

Alcoholic beverages 

Apple seeds 

Apricot pits 

Avocados

Cherry pits

Candy (particularly chocolate—which is toxic to dogs, cats, and ferrets—and any candy containing the toxic sweetener Xylitol) 

Coffee (grounds, beans, and chocolate-covered espresso beans)

Garlic

Grapes 

Gum (can cause blockages and sugar free gums may contain the toxic sweetener Xylitol)

Hops (used in home beer brewing) 

Macadamia nuts 

Moldy foods 

Mushroom plants 

Mustard seeds 

Onions and onion powder 

Peach pits 

Potato leaves and stems (green parts) 

Raisins 

Rhubarb leaves 

Salt 

Tea (because it contains caffeine) 

Tomato leaves and stems (green parts) 

Walnuts 

Xylitol (artificial sweetener that is toxic to pets)

Yeast dough

This information was compiled from various sources.

Accidental poisoning refers to a situation where a pet is exposed to household or environmental toxins that make them sick and can even, in severe cases, cause death. Here is a website that lists everything known to poison your pet and what to do if it happens.

Here is another great site to look up before you go shopping. Just in case there is a recall. Like the infamous Chicken Jerky that kills!

AVMA

Dirty Dozen In Pet Food

Roger Biduk Ingredients to Absolutely Avoid in Pet Foods

Dog Food Project

Humane Society
FDA Pet Food Labels

http://www.petfood.aafco.org

Related articles

• Do's & Don'ts of Pet Nutrition
• Sustainability of Pet Ownership Questioned
• 4D's in your commercial pet food
• Animal Assistance Programs - Pet Food Stamps Ensures Owners Can Keep Them During Economic Hardships (TrendHunter.com)
• Healthy Paws: Pet Food Part I, The Most Important Part of the Label

Tricks, Tips & Tools For A Better Diet (Updated Nov 26, 2015)

Tricks, Tips & Tools For A Better Diet  

Non-GMO / Chemical Food

I’ve been forever online browsing and doing research on what’s happening with our food and water and have found some great tools to do my shopping with and decided to share it with all of my friends and family.  After all, what are friends for?

To start off, I believe everyone should have a crash course in “Codex Alimentarius” and hope you view the entire video below.

Sign the petition - Click on 'Sign Health Freedom Petition:'http://www.iahf.com/index2.html

Also sign the European Anti-Codex petition at: http://www.laleva.cc/petizione/english/intro_eng.html

The only way one can try to stay healthy is to be educated and do your research! From what is in our food and water to the companies that poison it to our lovely government, who never has your back and has already implemented Agenda 21 - Club of Rome, The First Global Revolution, 1991:
“In searching for a new enemy to unite us, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like would fit the bill (this is absolute proof that man made global warming is a fabrication)….
But in designating them as the enemy, we fall into the trap of mistaking symptoms for causes.All these dangers are caused by human intervention and it is only through changed attitudes and behavior that they can be overcome. The real enemy, then, is humanity itself.”
Look at this quote: Jacques Cousteau UNESCO Courier 1991:
“In order to save the planet, it would be necessary to kill 350,000 people per day.”
Jacques Cousteau, Population: Opposing Viewpoints:
“If we want our precarious endeavor to succeed, we must convince all human beings to participate in our adventure, and we must urgently find solutions to curb the population explosion that has a direct influence on the impoverishment of the less-favored communities.
Otherwise, generalized resentment will beget hatred, and the ugliest genocide imaginable, involving billions of people, will become unavoidable.”
“Uncontrolled population growth and poverty must not be fought from inside, from Europe, from North America, or any nation or group of nations; it must be attacked from the outside – by international agencies helped in the formidable job by competent and totally non-governmental organizations.”
Please do your own research and protect yourself and your loved ones. Here is an excellent article, Stephanie R. Pasco - August 27, 2009 - source InfoWars - look it up.

Global Depopulation and the Eugenics Agenda 

So now that you've gotten a crash course in what is happening to the population of the world, and I didn't include our water, drinking, bathing and our oceans and streams or the air we breathe, like CHEMTRAILS and HAARP.

Okay, on to the tools I've found to help you out with your shopping and research.  We'll start with the research first. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has an excellent website with some great resources, from water storage, pretreatment, purification and more to  the proper storage of food and products. Really, check them out. LDS Church - Prepare for emergencies, gardening, food storage and water. Then for some great phone apps, there are:

Honest Label - The Honest Label application takes the guesswork out of healthy eating by instantly providing accurate nutritional information on foods commonly found in the supermarket. Through it, users are able to customize their preferences by highlighting ingredients they want to avoid, a particularly helpful feature for those with specialized diets. Users can also adjust the FDA daily recommendation for calories and other nutritional guidelines to fit their own personal requirements.
To use the Honest Label Foods Scanner, users simply hold the phone steady and aim the camera at the barcode. The phone will automatically recognize the food product. The application then provides an easy-to-read digital label so shoppers can immediately see if a product contains any ingredients they’re trying to avoid, as well as how it fits into their personal daily requirements.
The Honest Label Foods Scanner is free to download, and available through the iTunes Store and Android App Market. The application operates on iPhone and Android phones. For more information on Honest Label go to http://www.honestlabelfoods.com/

CSPI Chemical Cuisine - Have you ever looked at a food label and not known what some of the ingredients were? Shopping was easy when most food came from farms. Now, factory-made foods have made chemical additives part of our diet. Chemical Cuisine, from the Center for Science in Public Interest, features a searchable and filterable list of food additives, their descriptions, and saftey ratings to help you make healthy decisions. Learn about a new additive every time you start up the app on the Home screen. When CSPI updates or adds new information about a food additive, The Chemical Cuisine app will let you know by displaying a badge on the additive

Over 130 food additives with detailed entries and expert evaluation.
No internet connection required to use!
Automatically updated anytime you have an internet connection with latest entry updates.

CSPI Food Additive App

Fooducate - Healthy Food Diet

Diet without a diet: Scan a product, See what's inside, Make healthier choices!
Don't Diet - Eat Healthy with Fooducate! Scan and choose healthy groceries. Over 200,000 unique UPCs!
Features:
✓ Created by dietitians and concerned parents
✓ Uses Android's camera to effortlessly scan UPC barcodes
✓ Over 200,000 unique products and growing daily
✓ Simplified information helps you make better choices
"...Fooducate is like having a dietitian on speed dial..."
Fooducate analyzes information found in each product's nutrition panel and ingredient list. You get to see the stuff manufacturers don't want you to notice, such as
- excessive sugar
- tricky trans fats
- additives and preservatives
- high fructose corn syrup
- controversial food colorings
- confusing serving sizes
- calories per actual serving size
- and more...
Just pick up a product from the shelf, scan it, and let Fooducate do the rest.
Fooducate is NOT funded or influenced by food manufacturers, supplement companies, diets, or any sort of magic diet pill.

http://www.fooducate.com/


Non-GMO Shopping Guide and Info
Health Risk Brochure pdf file

Non-GMO Shopping Tips Brochure
Non-GMO Shopping Tips Brochure

25 Things you Can do Today
25 Things You Can Do TODAY!

Download the Non-GMO Shopping Guide or the APP for your iPhone or Android
Download a copy of the NON-GMO SHOPPING GUIDE Here!

Bottled Water

I have found current info and a list of Bottled Water that is safe to drink. There is a lot of great information at this website (2015). When you go the store to buy water, READ THE LABEL! Here is a guideline to follow:

• Water so labeled has been processed by a method effective against Crypto

• Reverse osmosis treated
• Distilled
• Filtered through an absolute 1 micron or smaller filter
• "One micron absolute"

• Water so labeled MAY NOT have been processed by a method effective against Crypto

• Filtered
• Micro-filtered
• Carbon-filtered
• Particle-filtered
• Multimedia-filtered
• Ozonated
• Ozone-treated
• Ultraviolet light-treated
• Activated carbon-treated
• Carbon dioxide-treated
• Ion exchange-treated
• Deionized
• Purified
• Chlorinated

Commercially-bottled water labels reading "well water," "artesian well water," "spring water," or "mineral water" do not guarantee that the water does not contain Crypto. However, commercially-bottled water that comes from protected wells or protected springs is less likely to contain Crypto than water from less protected sources, such as rivers and lakes. Any bottled water (no matter what the source) that has been treated by one or more of the methods listed in the left column in the table above should be safe.

Here are two great resources for food and water. I suggest you check them out and check back often any new updates and news. 

Organic Consumers

Activist Post

Tricks, Tools & Tips

UPDATE on November 26, 2015

organicslant.com CLICK HERE

Know the difference when it comes to Organic and Non-GMO labels! The labels are altogether different! It's urgent to comprehend the distinction in the event that you need to select the healthiest food for you and your family. Each time we choose to purchase an item, we are supporting far beyond our bodies. We are forming the scene of the whole nourishment framework – everything from the earth, air, water to the agriculturists themselves. Furthermore, this is the reason I need you to know reality about the "Non-GMO" label and what it truly implies.

Difference between Non-GMO and Organic

Other health-harming ingredients. 

I did find some great information on fluoride in our drinking water:

FLUORIDE ACTION NETWORK

FAN’S GROCERY STORE GUIDE: 7 WAYS TO AVOID FLUORIDE IN BEVERAGES AND FOOD

Flouride Grocery Guide

http://www.bottledwater.org/fluoride

Oh! Just as an FYI..... did you know that Pesticides, Herbicides, (the same chemicals you might put on your lawn and let your pets and kids play on}, will eventually cause GI problems, if not cancerous. Stop eating them. GMO corn and soy, which are in infant formula are all GMO if they're not organic. The BT genes replicate in the stomach, causing cell damage. Please buy organic. It's better for you and the environment. 

Thought I'd throw that in the mix of things. From the Journal of Biological Physics and Chemistry, V15(3), Sep 2015: 

Latest study just released: Glyphosate (Roundup) and Cancer

“The increase in glyphosate usage in the United States is extremely well correlated with the concurrent increase in the incidence and/or death rate of multiple diseases, including several cancers. These include thyroid cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer and myeloid leukemia.”

Authors, Anthony Samsel and Stephanie Seneff, document the evidence that glyphosate is likely contributing to the increased prevalence of multiple types of cancer in humans by showing how biological processes associated with cancer are affected by glyphosate in laboratory tests.

Another big NO NO are artificial sweeteners. Since there are a vast number of additives, preservatives and food colorings that can wreak havoc with your health in the long term. However, I would suggest starting with the most obvious culprits, including MSG, artificial sweeteners, and fructose. Here are helpful guidelines for each:

Fructose – Any time you see ‘corn syrup’ or any variation thereof, on the label, avoid it, especially if it’s at the top of the list of ingredients.

In his book, The Sugar Fix, Dr. Richard Johnson reviews the effectiveness of reducing fructose intake to help prevent or treat obesity. His book also provides detailed tables showing the content of fructose in different foods, including whole foods, like fruits – an information base that isn’t readily available elsewhere.

ALL artificial sweeteners should be avoided, including:

Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet, Canderel, and AminoSweet)

Sucralose (Splenda)

Acesulfame K (Sunett, Sweet One)

Saccharin (Sweet ‘N Low, Sugar Twin)

Instead of refined sugar or artificial sweeteners, try STEVIA!

Stevia is a 100% natural, zero calorie sweetener with a number of health benefits that have been confirmed in human studies.

Stevia - Why it's good for you

This is quite a bit trickier, Stevia is a green, leafy plant that is native to South America.

It has been used for medicinal purposes for many centuries. The plant has also been bred for its strong, sweet flavor and used as a sweetener.

However, the refined stevia sweeteners used today often don’t resemble the whole stevia plant at all.

You can buy whole or crushed stevia leaves, but most often you are getting an extract (either liquid or powder), or a refined version of the plant’s isolated sweet compounds.

The two major sweet compounds that are isolated from the stevia leaves are called Stevioside and Rebaudioside A. These two compounds are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar.

Here is an important point… most of the studies use stevioside, the isolated sweet compound. It would be hard to reach pharmacologically active doses of stevioside just by using stevia as a sweetener. Stevia is about 10% stevioside, by weight.

People often confuse stevia with another sweetener called Truvia, but they are not the same. Truvia is a blend of compounds, one of which is extracted from stevia leaves.

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