There has been an alarming rise of pet food recalls in the news recently, including household big brands like Ol’Roy, Kibbles n’ Bits, and more. Since the beginning of 2017, more than twenty-five brands have been recalled across North America, many for containing a drug called Pentobarbital, also known as the euthanasia drug.
Shocking, I know. To make matters worse, this seems to be a growing problem.
Many will remember the massive melamine pet food recall of 2007, where tens of thousands of pets became ill or died as a result of contaminated vegetable proteins imported from China. This recall affected 180 pet food brands and resulted in an unprecedented $24 million class action lawsuit settlement.
With all the uncertainty that surrounds the largely unknown world of pet food manufacturing, how can pet owners ensure their pet’s food is safe? The first step is to do your research and select a brand with transparent manufacturing processes. Proper health begins with the right ingredients.
It is deplorable to learn that a euthanasia drug can be found in pet foods, but as with many things, when it comes to pet food you (generally) get what you pay for.
The use of poor quality meat by-products in pet foods is not new. In fact, up until a few decades ago, it was the norm. Thankfully, with the rise in health-conscious consumers seeking healthier lifestyles for their pets, the demand for high-quality pet foods has skyrocketed. Over the last 30 years, countless super-premium pet food brands have sprouted in North America, Europe, and even as far away as New Zealand.
On one end of the spectrum, there are the lowest quality discount pet foods. Commonly referred to as ‘grocery’, or ‘big box’ pet foods, many of these brands use meats sourced by rendering facilities which commonly contain euthanized horses, dogs, and cats. The animal carcasses are taken by renderers and cooked down into a ‘recycled’ meat product. This Franken-meat is sold to manufacturers at a discounted rate to be used in certain pet foods.
While the amount of Pentobarbital present in pet foods is typically too low to cause serious immediate harm or death, it does still happen. Most consumers are unaware of the potential long-term dangers that come with feeding low-quality pet foods, which may explain why three-quarters of all pet foods sold in North America are grocery pet foods.
Fortunately, pet owners have other options to consider.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are many companies on the cutting edge of pet nutrition, using the highest-quality ingredients available. There are numerous healthful pet food options made south of our border, however prominent Canadian brands are leading the charge and changing not only the way we feed our pets, but changing the manufacturing culture itself.
Canadian brands like Carna4, Acana and Orijen (to name a few) are among the strongest pet foods in today’s marketplace. They exclusively use select ingredients exceeding government standards for human consumption, and are completely free of hormones, antibiotics, and GMOs. Furthermore, these brands select the vast majority of their ingredients from domestic farms instead of importing goods from other countries.
The best way to protect your pet is to support brands that are transparent about their ingredient sources and their manufacturing processes.
Despite popular belief, feeding a high-quality pet food does not cost much more than their grocery-brand counterparts. Healthier diets are more nutritionally dense, meaning your pet requires less food. Oftentimes, a pet on a super-premium diet may require as little as half the amount versus a discount brand. It’s quality versus quantity.
Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Pet owners the world over are waking up to the notion that living a good life begins with good nutrition.
If we want our pets to live long, healthy, and fruitful lives, we – the pet-owning populace – must do our due diligence in making intelligent, informed choices.
Brandon Forder – also known as The Pet Expert – is vice-president of Canadian Pet Connection, a family-owned and -operated business located in Meaford. He has over twenty years’ experience specializing in pet nutrition, behaviour, and lifestyle. Canadian Pet Connection is an industry leader committed to providing their clients with the highest levels of personal, attentive service. Learn more at www.CanadianPetConnection.com.
