DobieLuver

Get The Facts

Just doing some research on foods, led me to this link. I read about 3/4 of the article (long read). Its a year old, but shed alot of light on the whole dog food industry.

__________________
"You never stand so tall..... when you bend down to help a child."

katekev04

It just shows how these big players role. Lots of advertising crammed in our faces and some people think they're feeding their dog the best. It's what I call, "perceived value vs. actual value".

faber

thank you...i always bookmark good links and research them during my down time. Much appreciation.

DobieLuver

Your welcome Faber.

I know its not a perfect world and there are many loopholes with everything in life, but to be able to print what they do on the bag, and only having to achieve a small percentage of that is bull...(you know what)! It makes it very difficult for us consumers to make a decision that is in the best interest of our loyal companions. And they wonder why people are becoming more sceptical (sp) in general.

__________________
"You never stand so tall..... when you bend down to help a child."

faber

Agreed-100%. Couldn't have said it better.

berkshire

I can't figure out who wrote the article though...there's no author or original citation.

When it comes to internet information, I generally believe it only if I can document and trust the source. How do we know anything about the author. Was it a former pet food exec with years of knowledge and info, or a disgruntled whistle-blower? None of the additional sources of info that they suggest are in fact nutritionists...if this isn't a biased article, why not include members from all points of view? Also, their list of references is REMARKABLY short given the number of claims they make. I'm not saying that the info is wrong, but just suggesting that people make sure they evaluate the QUALITY of information before taking it at face value.

*Edited to add that I have actually read a lot of their sources, including Pitcairn's book, and am a contributing author to the new (soon to be published) Small Animal Clinical Nutrition.*

__________________
~Candice

DobieLuver

I agree with you on believing what is real and not on the net. What does sticks out to me is the fact (using term loosely......LOL), that we as consumers are getting the raw end of the deal when it comes to these types of things. I don't mean to get on a soap box or start a debate (not my intent, this is just my opinion), but its just getting harder and harder to believe what we are sold and the quality in which the product is made or created. I just wish it wasn't to hard to ask for some truth about what we are really being sold. If that was the case, I would bet alot of the food companies wouldn't be around.

I just want to reiterate that this is just my opinion and not meant to start a great debate, as I'm not a nutritionist, vet, etc.............I'm just a person who loves my girl and wants the best for her.

Berkshire...........could you let us know when that book (Small Animal Clinical Nutrition) will be available, I would be interested in read that. THANKS!

__________________
"You never stand so tall..... when you bend down to help a child."

berkshire

You can probably pick up a used copy of the old edition (4th edition) on eBay or Amazon or Half.com for a song. It was published in 2000, and every vet student gets a free copy. I'll warn you, though - it's a TON of info. Most vet students use it as a door stop - it's a big green boat anchor. I think I'm the only one in my class with a genuinely dog-eared copy. But then again, 1/3 of my textbooks are nutrition books. Here is a link for used copies...

Half.com / Books / Small Animal Clinical Nutrition

In all honesty, there's probably way more info than necessary in there for most pet owners (unless they have an interest/specialty in biochemistry and physiology). For the individual who is interested in nutrition, without lots of extra training, I might recommend Nutrition for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses by Ann Wortinger. The info is pretty accurate, the author reputable, and her sources are well-cited.

Half.com / Books / Nutrition for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses

__________________
~Candice

DobieLuver

Thanks for reply and info/links.

__________________
"You never stand so tall..... when you bend down to help a child."

berkdogg

And people wonder why dogs have such a short life span. I met a lady at the dog park last night with a 12 year old collie that looked like she was 2 and acted as such. I asked her what she fed her, she said that she doesn't feed her anything she would not eat.
In an age where every ingredient in the dog food can come from a different third world country who cares nothing about the welfare of your pet because they are being paid the equivalent of 10 cents an hour, I am inclined to switch to a more natural diet.