In 2004 that I had a little rant in this column about commercial
pet food. Things have changed a little in the west, but those
of us trying to feed dogs well on a budget in Indonesia still
need to be aware of the unpleasant realities.
There is a scandal currently raging in North America about
the recall of contaminated pet food that may have killed hundreds
or even thousands of cats and dogs through kidney failure.
Sixty million cans and pouches of pet food sold under 95 different
brands have been recalled. The culprit is believed to be tainted
wheat gluten from China. A few weeks earlier, pet owners were
warned that rat poison in pet foods may be killing their animals.
No wonder the market for organic and natural pet food has
been growing at 15 to 25% a year.
We all want the best for our animals, and nothing is more
important for their health (or ours) than a nutritious diet.
Commercial dog food producers would like us to believe that
their product is wholesome. But behind the pretty pictures
on the dog food bag is an ugly tale of corporate greed and
irresponsibility. Pet food is Big Business, worth about UD$
14.3 billion in 2005, and extremely profitable.
You may not be aware that diseased and euthanized dogs and
cats are routinely sold to pet food companies; one small pet
food plant in the United States renders several tons of these
animals a week. The ‘animal protein’ used in many
commercial foods may legally include diseased meat of all
kinds, road kill, poultry feathers and contaminated material
from slaughterhouses. According to the Association of American
Feed Control Officials, a US Government Agency, feed ingredients
can include hair, feathers, dehydrated garbage, spoiled meat,
rancid fat and any non-human excreta which may be mixed with
litter. This condemned material (and any other material deemed
unfit for human consumption) is soaked in carbolic acid, fuel
oil, kerosene and citronella to kill the bacteria. Animals
intended for human consumption can’t be slaughtered
until 90 days after their last dose of antibiotics and steroids.
But if the animal dies or is euthanized, the carcass is often
sent to a pet food company. Traces of these medications remain
in the ‘food’, as do pesticides, herbicides and
insecticides. Although pet food comes under the FDA, it only
inspects pet food plants if there is a complaint.
When you read ‘meat by-products’ or ‘beef
by-products’ on a pet food label, be aware that these
euphemisms actually mean diseased tissue, pus, hair, slaughterhouse
rejects and carcasses in various stages of decomposition that
have been sterilized with chemicals, heat and pressure procedures.
Dry dog food sole in Indonesia is imported from the United
States, China and Europe. I’m not aware of the regulations
on pet food ingredients in Europe, but China is unlikely to
have any.
You just have to look at a dog’s teeth to see what it
eats in nature. For millennia, the dog and its cousins the
wolf, dingo and coyote have lived on raw meat, bones, and
the vegetable stomach contents of its prey. A canine wouldn’t
normally eat carbohydrates. But large, active dogs require
large meals, and it’s very expensive to feed them only
meat. The bulk of dry commercial dog food is made up of grain
and other fillers. Again, often this material has been rejected
for human consumption, and has been bathed in chemicals to
remove mould and other contaminants. The fact that the contaminated
gluten from China didn’t show up in human processed
food suggests that it was known to be unfit for human consumption.
On the subject of fillers, I was puzzled to find that in none
of the bags of dry dog food I checked did the analysis of
ingredients add up to more than 60%. Of this, ‘crude
fibre’ ranged between 3.5% and 12%. I look forward to
being enlightened on what constitutes the balance.
It’s no coincidence that major processed food manufactureres
for the human market also make dog food. This allows them
to turn a handsome profit on trash by-products that they would
otherwise have to pay to dispose of. If your vet advises you
to use commercial dog food, remember that most vets are trained
only in medical procedures, not nutrition. (Sadly, the same
goes for most doctors.)
For the past 40 years, processed dog food has been having
a disastrous impact on canine health. Veterinarians and breeders
have observed that dogs are growing weaker with each generation
and manifesting a wide range of health and behavioral problems.
Premature degenerative diseases, high incidences of cancer,
diabetes, heart and autoimmune disease and allergies have
been increasing steadily. One holistic vet states that in
addition to genetic predispositions, the three major contributing
factors to this are poor nutrition, over-vaccination and exposure
to toxins.
Can dogs be vegetarians? Canines are carnivorous by nature.
Dogs need the essential elements taurine and carnitine to
survive, and these are found only in meat. If not given as
a supplement, the dog will be in danger of developing a symptomless
form of heart failure called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
Some dry dog foods are much better than others, but dogs still
require fresh food to maintain their health. Personally, I
don’t believe in spending a lot of money on dog food
in a country where people are going hungry. We cook our dog
food at home. Wayan Manis figures we spend under Rp 2,500
a day per dog to feed our animals, and they’re in great
shape.
Our basic recipe is simple — chicken heads and feet
lightly boiled up with some brown rice or oatmeal. Add garlic,
salt, and any skin and fat trimmings from your meat and maybe
some pumpkin and sweet potato. When serving, mix with about
half a cup of finely chopped raw vegetables (I use the beet/carrot/apple
mush from my morning juice but any will do) and leftovers.
I often crumble in a cake of tofu, break an egg over the food
and add a splash of coconut oil. My dogs love bananas, mangos
and papaya (papaya seeds kill intestinal parasites). Note
that chocolate is toxic to dogs. And limit liver; it retains
toxins.
A dog addicted to commercial crunchies may turn up his nose
at this new regime. Introduce the new food a spoonful at a
time, well mixed in with his regular fare. Make it more tempting
with some meat broth, cheese or peanut butter. In a few days
he should be eating mostly home-cooked food with just a few
crunchies – and you’re likely to see an improvement
in his coat and his personality.
