You can now search the FDA's web site for a current listing of contaminated pet foods. You may be surprised to find the brands you thought were high-quality ... even those most often recommended by veterinarians, may be the most frequent offenders when it comes to contaminated pet foods.
It is important to recognize that the marketing strategy of many pet food manufacturers is to cut production costs by compromising quality and instead spend millions of dollars on well-produced commercials that entertain us or tug at our heartstrings. What they don't seem to care about is the health of our pets.
We have been aware of this flawed industry for many years and have done all we could to spread the word about deficient and dangerous foods, but people really started to listen when untold thousands of animals were sickened or killed in 2007 by the foods produced by Hill's Science Diet, Blue Buffalo, Iams, Eukanuba, Hartz, Sargents, Doctors Foster & Smith, Diamond, Nutro, Pet Pride, Royal Canin, Special Kitty, Alpo, Gravy Train, Mighty Dog, Master Choice, Ol' Roy and a lot of store brands including Presidents Choice, Winn Dixie, Publix, Food Lion and Dollar General
Even pet treats like Pounce and Jerky Treats are not always safe.
Take a minute to check out the list. The FDA has made it easy. You can now search by brand name.
As the years have passed, more foods are recalled but with little media coverage. Most people we speak with are unaware of the dangers of buying commercial pet foods without investigation.
We are especially sensitive to the problem because we see how it affects nearly every animal who comes to us for help. Poor diet doesn't always kill. More often it sickens and the cause is rarely associated with the diet. Poor nutrional values are just a slower and more expensive way to kill our pets than euthanasia injections.
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 personailties and their ability to learn and even to control their bodily functions. Inadequate diets cause dry, flaky skin (dander) and excessive shedding, both of which are major reasons people release their animals to pounds and rescue agencies.
And the amazing truth is that it is actually less expensive to feed your pets a healthy diet than the "bargain" brands. Now don't misunderstand. We are not recommending that you base your decisions on price. Some of the most expensive dog foods are worse than the cheaper ones because they contain Ethoxyquin, a toxic preservative. This would include products manufactured by Hills Science Diet, Iams. Eukanuba and many more.
At PETS, Inc. the theory about manufacturers is that if they ended up on the recall list once, they are likely to be on it again ... and again, because they have demonstrated their desire to source the cheapest ingredients or employ the most cost efficient processes with no regard for the animals they harm.
Pet owners have to decide if they feel lucky when they purchase food from manufacturers who have marketed contaminated foods in the past ... because who knows when they will do it again.
