When you read that somebody who owns a pet food company is an animal nutritionist, you might breathe a sigh of relief. You think, “finally-someone who makes pet food who actually knows about animal nutrition and applies their knowledge for the good of animals!”

Unfortunately, not all ‘animal nutritionists’ are what they say they are! What do I mean by this? Well, as in any other profession, some people in the pet food manufacturing business puff up their resume; in this case, not to land a plum position, but rather, to increase consumer confidence in their products, which of course helps them make sales and reap larger profits. But, remember: just because something is repeated over and over again, it doesn’t necessarily make it true.

Legitimate animal nutritionists went to school for this and invariably have a degree to show for it (e.g., B.S., M.S., D.V.M., Ph.D.). An animal nutritionist who’s on the level will proudly advertise their degree as proof of their education. Certainly, formal education can only do so much; common sense, continuing education, and hands-on experience are essential in any profession. Nevertheless, formal education is critical. In the case of an educational program in animal nutrition, it gives you a sound scientific background, something which can’t be easily picked up ‘in the field.’

So, the next time somebody presents himself or herself as an animal nutritionist, find out if there’s any credible evidence, such as a formal degree, to substantiate such a claim. If you can’t find any evidence, you are right to be suspicious of this claim, which is most likely little more than a ‘self-proclaimed’ title, rather than one that’s based on formal education.

Another easy way to find out if a pet food manufacturer has a sound knowledge of animal nutrition is to simply check out the ingredient lists on the labels of their products. If, for example, you see that there are substantial amounts of grain in a given cat food (e.g., grains are listed in the first few ingredients), or if honey* is included among a pet food’s ingredients, be aware: the manufacturer of these diets probably doesn’t have a good grasp of the fundamentals of animal nutrition.

Sorry to say that, yet again, it’s up to the consumer to do their ‘homework’ in sorting out the facts from the fiction. But, when it comes to your animal’s health, it’s definitely worth the effort!

* For space reasons, I didn’t even mention here that nobody who is on top of animal nutrition and is really trying to keep pets healthy, would ever sell pet foods that aren’t certified organic. Non-organic ingredients are simply unhealthy considering what goes into their production (e.g., toxin load such as through pesticides and sewage sludge, heavy metals, antibiotics, GMOs) and how they are processed during pet food manufacture (e.g., toxic pesticides, cleaning agents).

Onesta Organics' Raw Dehydrated Pet Food Products

Dehydration is often used to remove water from pet food ingredients. The temperature used for dehydration determines whether the ingredients and consequently the food can still be considered as raw.

Baking is one form of dehydration, as by definition, baking removes the water from the ingredients used in the pet food. However, the temperatures used for baking destroy most nutrients.

Dehydration at temperatures which are low enough to leave most nutrients unaltered is used for truly raw dehydrated pet food products.

Some pet food companies call their dog food or cat food products dehydrated raw, although they are using ingredients, such as meats or meat meals, that have been cooked. They get away with it because they dehydrate the ingredient-water mix that contains the previously cooked ingredients, and because no unbiased third-party checks if their claims actually reflect the reality of their manufacturing processes.

In contrast, organic certification -as we at Onesta Organics understand it- requires, among many other things, the complete disclosure of processing methodsincluding disclosing the temperatures to which ingredients have been exposed to.

In the U.S., arsenic-based additives (in particular, Roxarsone) are frequently included in chicken feed to promote growth, kill parasites, and improve the appearance the meat. In Europe the use of arsenic is strictly prohibited as a feed additive.

It has been shown that most chicken products (including muscle meat, liver, and whole chicken) sold in the U.S. contain detectable arsenic levels. Notably, arsenic was more than twice as prevalent in conventional chicken as it was in a variety of premium brands. It is estimated that at least 70 percent of chickens raised in the U.S. are being fed arsenic-laced feed.

Consumer Reports found no detectable arsenic in USDA certified organic chicken samples. Birds that are certified organic can’t legally be fed food that contains arsenic, and even a few conventional poultry producers (e.g., Tyson Foods) have voluntarily abandoned the use of arsenic-containing feeds.

Since arsenic does not degrade, it tends to accumulate in the body, and when it is excreted, it accumulates in our soil and water. Long-term exposure to arsenic can cause cancer and a number of other diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, paralysis, and neurological disorders.

Although the levels of arsenic found in chicken meat may be comparatively low in a single serving, cumulative exposures to arsenic is, of course, a major issue.

Arsenic feed additives affect not only the health of your pet, they also contribute to the contamination of critical agricultural soils and our water supply.

What you can do:

Apart from supporting efforts to ban arsenic feed additives, you can choose USDA certified organic pet foods, products that, according to regulations and through strict enforcement, cannot include ingredients from arsenic-fed chicken.

If your pet’s food isn’t certified organic,* it most likely contains toxins from sewage sludge that has been used to fertilize the crops grown for ‘conventional’ (i.e., non-certified organic) ingredients or that were fed to the non-organically raised animals used as ingredients.
* [Certified organic pet foods have to be produced without ingredients that were grown with or raised on sewage sludge-treated feed.]

Hm… so what exactly is sewage sludge? It doesn’t sound good for sure…
Here is what Sludgenews says about it:

“Sewage is the mix of water and whatever wastes from domestic and industrial life are flushed into the sewer. To retrieve the precious water, the sewage is then “treated,” that is, “cleaned,” in what are called “treatment plants.” The ideal of the treatment plant is to take out of the sewer water all the “wastes” that sewering put into it. The water is “cleaned” in the degree to which the pollutants which had turned the water into sewage are removed by treatment-primary, secondary, or tertiary-and concentrated in the sludge.
We must note that, though the aim of sewage treatment is to produce clean water, it is never to produce “clean” sludge. Indeed, the “dirtier” the sludge-the more complete its concentration of the noxious wastes-the more the treatment has done its job. If there are industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, hormones, nano particles, prions, hospital wastes including antibiotic-resistant bacteria-and there will be all of these-you want them to end up in the sludge. Every waste produced in our society that can be got rid of down toilets and drains and that can also be got out of the sewage by a given treatment process will be in the sludge.

Sludge is thus inevitably a noxious brew of vastly various and incompatible materials unpredictable in themselves and in the toxicity of their amalgamation, incalculably but certainly wildly dangerous to life.

But the land “application” of sewage sludge represents a clear lose-lose-for people and for the environment-on a scale staggering to contemplate. It will pollute the whole chain of life for which soil is the base.”

What can you do about this?
The first and easiest thing is to inform yourself more about sewage sludge and how it applies to agriculture and the food you and your pet eat. The second step is to avoid adding to the toxicity of the sewage water. The third step is to choose certified organic food products, for yourself and your pet so that neither of you falls victims to hidden toxins in your food. This will also support (certified) organic agriculture and (pet) food manufacturers, which in turn will help put an end to the abundant use of toxic sewage sludge in conventional agriculture. The fourth step is to urge your legislators to prohibit the use of sewage sludge in agriculture and to prevent toxins entering sewage systems to begin with.

As another Green America-approved business friend pointed out: “Non-certified organic products shouldn’t just be called ‘conventional’ products - they’re supposed to be called ‘toxic’ products.” He’s right.

The important thing is to be educated. One needs to understand that many pet foods that aren’t certified organic but marketed as ‘natural’ are more likely pet foods that are laced with many more toxins than pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or GMOs.

More than 500,000 kg of approximately 600 different pesticide chemicals are applied annually in the US, while approximately 2.5 million tons are used throughout the world (Pimentel 1996).

The World Health Organization reported in 1992 that about three million pesticide poisonings occur in humans annually and result in 220,000 deaths worldwide.

Our pets are more vulnerable to pesticide poisoning than their human companions since they are in closer and direct contact to pesticide-treated areas such as the grass in the dog park, and because they keep licking themselves clean.

Lawns
A study published in 1991 found that dogs whose owners’ lawns were treated with the herbicide 2,4-D at least times per year, were twice as likely to develop canine malignant lymphoma than dogs whose owners did not use this herbicide. Exposure to herbicide-treated lawns and gardens also increases the risk of bladder cancer by more than four times in dogs.
Good ways to help prevent pesticide poisoning in your pet is to keep pesticides off your property and to routinely wash your pet’s paws after he spent time outside.

Insect repellants
Many pets are treated with flea and tick repellents. Research studies link hyperthyroidism in cats to flea powders or sprays and lawn pesticides. A World Health Organization study linked allethrin, a common ingredient in home mosquito and other home insect repellant products, to liver disease in dogs. Chronic exposure to abamectin, a commonly insecticide used on fire ants was shown to affect the nervous system of dogs, including lethargy and tremors.
A great way to avoid pesticide poisoning of your pet is to give natural pest control measures a good shot before using synthetic ones in your home or on your pet.

Pet food
Pesticides accumulate in our pets’ bodies also if they eat foods that have been treated with synthetic pesticides (i.e., the non-certified organic pet foods) or fish which have accumulated these toxins in their lives. Pesticide contamination in pet foods has been shown to increase the risk of hyperthyroidism in cats.
The safest way to avoid feeding your pet pesticides along with her food, is to choose certified organic pet foods, which per law have to be grown and processed without toxic chemicals.

Pesticide in water and fish
Pesticides that are applied to agricultural or landscaping areas often wash off through irrigation or rain into our waterways such as rivers, lakes, and oceans. After fish take up the pesticides from the water through their gills, guts, and skin (which also covers the scales), these toxins are stored predominantly in the fish’s fatty tissue. The older the fish gets, the more toxins, including pesticides, accumulate in its fatty tissue.

Omega-3 in fish
Omega-3s offers excellent health benefits; however, if they are derived from fish, they come from the fish’s fatty tissues which accumulate pesticides to a great extent. Problems occur when pet guardians who want to improve their pets’ health naturally, choose omega-3 rich fish-based foods (e.g., those containing fish meal) for their pets which consequently can unknowingly ingest high amounts of pesticides.

Pesticides ingested and accumulated through eating fish can cause significant health problems. Organochlorines are known endocrine disrupters which interrupt normal hormone processes which are essential for every biological process. Organochlorines, even at very low concentrations, interfere with reproduction, growth and development.
To avoid pesticide poisoning when feeding omega-3 rich foods, select foods that are prepared from small fish, give fish oils which have been shown to contain fewer organochlorines, and consider feeding your pet also other omega-3 rich foods such as flax seeds.

If you suspect your pet has been poisoned contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435.

Learn more about pesticide toxicity on the Beyond Pesticides website (www.beyondpesticides.org).

The French authors Vendômois, Roullier, Cellier and Séralini studied how the health of rats was effected when their diet contained three varieties of genetically modified corn (published in International Journal of Biological Sciences, 2009; 5(7):706-726). They found “a clear negative impact on the function of the kidneys and livers in rats consuming GM maize varieties for just 90 days.”

All three GM (genetically modified) corn varieties contain novel pesticide residues that is present in food and feed made from this corn.

The authors summarize their results: “Our analysis clearly reveals for the 3 GMOs new side effects linked with GM maize consumption, which were sex- and often dose-dependent. Effects were mostly associated with the kidney and liver, the dietary detoxifying organs, although different between the 3 GMOs. Other effects were also noticed in the heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system. We conclude that these data highlight signs of hepatorenal toxicity, possibly due to the new pesticides specific to each GM corn. In addition, unintended direct or indirect metabolic consequences of the genetic modification cannot be excluded.”

”Natural” (i.e., non-GM) corn is a great food source for several pet species, but only certified organic corn is verifyably GM-free. Considering the data presented in above study, it is worthwhile to look for organic corn if you want to add it to your pet”s diet.

Sadly, most all US corn is genetically engineered. However, if you see signs of organic certification (either a certified organic claim or the USDA organic seal) on a product, you can be assured that it wasn”t genetically engineered (in addition that it wasn”t doused in pesticides).

Meat, fish, or bone meals are ‘convenient,’ easy-to-process ingredients that are often included in pet foods or pet supplements. But how good is the quality of such meals?

According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), chicken meal “…is the dry rendered product from a combination of clean flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from whole carcasses of chicken thereof, exclusive of feathers, heads, feet and entrails.” [Wikipedia]

To produce commercial meals, animals are slaughtered, and desirable parts are rendered and ground into a meal that is subsequently dried. ‘Wet rendering’ is a less frequently used process employed in the manufacture of feed meals.

A passionate opponent of meals—particularly chicken meal—makes the following claim:
“Chicken meal is never suitable for human consumption as it is rendered. Rendering facilities always process chicken meal using unrefrigerated carcass up to but not limited to 7 days old and may contain maggots.”

More thought-provoking—and stomach-turning—is a Virginia Tech study Virginia Tech study that offered that “dry rendering has been identified to be the most appropriate technology for disposing of animal waste.”

An FDA compliance guidance manual provides a very comprehensive overview about the manufacturing and safety standards applied in the production of meat meals (e.g., fish and chicken meals) for animal feed. Here are some choice excerpts of this guidance manual:

“Rendered animal feed ingredients include the various poultry, meat and marine products which result from the rendering of these animal tissues. Rendering of poultry and other animal tissues has been practiced for over a hundred years as a means of salvaging valuable protein and fat content from otherwise waste material. For many years end products from rendering have been used to feed animals. The rendering industry utilizes packinghouse offal, meat processing waste, restaurant waste and animal tissues from other sources including animals that have died otherwise than by slaughter.”

“…the Center [for Veterinary Medicine] has permitted other aesthetic variables in dealing with animal feed, as for instance the use of properly treated insect or rodent contaminated food for animal feed.”

We at Onesta Organics agree that animals that are raised and killed for meat should be used in the least wasteful manner possible. Unfortunately, although both the taste and nutritional value of organ meats is appreciated in some countries, the same organs are less valued by other cultures, particularly those in the modern West. We at Onesta Organics think that it’s a great idea to use animal parts that would otherwise go to waste during the manufacture of pet foods. But we prefer to use fresh organ meats instead of any rendered, heavily processed meals the quality of which we absolutely couldn’t vouch for. Whenever possible, fresh, minimally processed ingredients—including meat—are always best!

You love your pet. And, if you’re reading this blog, you probably choose to feed your pet foods that are USDA certified organic, not only because they’re the stringently regulated choice, but also because they’re generally more nutritious, safer, healthier, and more environmentally friendly than their conventional counterparts.

So, what’s all this about swimming in fecal soup? To be honest, until recently, I hadn’t heard much about this myself. On most industrial farms and their affiliated processing facilities, the bodies of slaughtered chickens and turkeys are moved through a bath filled with chilled water. While the birds are in the bath, the water accumulates residual fecal matter from their bodies.

The concentration of fecal matter in the bath depends on how frequently the water is changed. Some farms and processors change the bath water frequently—say, after a few birds. But, others might do this only once, at the end of the day! You can imagine that water that is frequently changed yields cleaner bird meat than water that has seen a day’s worth of carcasses. USDA certified organic or not, bird meat that has been washed in regularly changed baths is the safer bet!

Onesta Organics is determined to buy only from farmers who are committed to safe and hygienic processing methods. Rest assured that the bird meat we use in our pet food products is the safest available for your companion animal! We also take all possible precautions to reduce any bacterial contamination when when we make pet foods.

If you buy pet food in bulk, how long do you expect it to stay fresh? And what does fresh mean?

Fresh means that the pet food didn’t sit on a shelf for extended periods of time before it is served. Fresh foods, even when frozen, retain most nutrients including vitamins.

Most kibble and all canned foods are processed at high temperatures which destroy most vitamins. Therefore, these foods are mostly enriched with a surplus of minerals and vitamins (mainly to achieve the AAFCO recommended nutrient levels). However, it is hard to tell how, and if, these supplemented vitamins survive the processing methods. Extruded pet foods are sometimes coated with these supplements after they were heated, but this is obviously not possible in the case of canned foods.

Let’s take the example of kibble that contains the more ideal form of supplementation. When isolated, synthetic vitamins are sprayed on the kibble after it was heat processed, vitamins are still viable when the food is packaged. However, what happens next to these vitamins (and antioxidants)?

Time, temperature, air, and if the package contains a see-though window, light will take their toll on the life of sensitive nutrients.

First, the packaged food sits in a warehouse for some time. After it is delivered to a pet supply store or consumer, the food is stored again for an extended period of time and often at conditions that do not support nutrient stability. Long before the contents of the package is emptied, the nutrients may very well have lost their viability.

According to vitamin supplement manufacturers for the pet food industry, shelf life of their products is 3-6 months (when they are stored properly). Pet food manufacturers don’t just buy a pound of such products and use it up immediately. They buy a ton or at least a half ton of it and use it as small percentage in their products. Until the last ounce of the supplement premix has been used up, the viability of the vitamins has probably already been compromised. Until the last piece of food has reached a pet’s mouth, many vitamins are most likely no longer available in the food as promised on the package description. And this applies also to foods that would initially contain AAFCO recommended nutrient levels.

So, what can you do aside from cooking all your pet’s food and treats fresh at home? Check where the food comes from; is this a company that can turn around half a ton of vitamin supplements at less than one percentage of inclusion in their pet foods from sale of the supplement to your pet eating their product within 3 or 6 months? Check for the manufacturing date if it’s available; I believe this date allows a better estimation about product viability than the usually given expiration date.

Some manufacturers, such as we at Onesta Organics, store our ingredients and products airtight in temperature-controlled, low humidity coolers; but there are not many pet food manufacturers who do the same or recommend this less-convenient way of storage to their customers on their websites or packages. Why not? Well, it takes more effort and it is more expensive to do this at the manufacturer side, and this form of storage is also less convenient and therefore less attractive to consumers.

However, vitamins, especially synthetic and isolated ones, are not viable for as long as we’d wish them to be. If you want to keep dry pet foods or treats fresh and nutritious, you really should store them in air-tight containers in the refrigerator, or long-term, in the freezer. And always try to keep what you don’t give to your pet soon, away from the general vitamin killers, light, high temperature, air & humidity.

Obesity has become an obvious problem for humans and their pets in most industrialized countries. Even skeptics can’t argue that most weight problems are caused by inappropriate nutrition, mostly a combination of too high caloric intake for the individual’s activity level.

Statistics
A study by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention found that nearly half of the dogs and cats in the US are overweight or obese. The specific numbers in their 2008 study shows that 44% of dogs and 57% of cats in the US are estimated to be overweight or obese with an annual increase of 1% and 4% respectively. Obesity rates were found to be 18% in cats and 10% in dogs. Here is the copy of the 2007 National Pet Obesity Awareness Day Study.

Weight-related disorders seem to be more frequent in smaller breeds such as Chihuahuas, Dachshund, or Yorkshire terriers than large-sized breeds. Low activity levels of pets with low activity levels (e.g., indoor living).

Obesity-related Health Risks
Excess fat doesn’t only make your pet look plump and pudgy - it affects his health as well. The most common health risks are diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, arthritis, respiratory problems, tumors and cancers. These diseases compromise a pet’s quality of life and longevity.

The Solution
Since excess glucose is stored in fat, pet guardians should select foods which are low in glucose (which is also the main component in honey) and simple carbohydrates (e.g., refined flours). If you buy commercial convenience pet foods or treats you should read the label carefully and consider your pet’s nutritional needs, total caloric intake, and exercise level, when deciding what and how much to feed to your pet.

P.S.: What about Honey?
Although honey has become a popular ingredient in ‘premium’ or ‘holistic’ pet food products, few pet guardians may know that honey contains 23-41% glucose and 31-44% fructose. While it is already general knowledge that glucose is a primary player in both obesity and diabetes, it is less known that excess dietary fructose also increases the risk of several diseases including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney stones.(1) Fructose is metabolized by the liver and produces excessive amounts of triglycerides, a blood fat which can also interfere with insulin signaling in the brain thereby affecting brain cell survival, plasticity, and memory (Georgia State University, University of Waterloo). Unlike high-fructose containing sweeteners such as corn syrup and honey, fruits have not been linked to these health problems.

(1) Indian J Biochem Biophys 2009 46(1):66-72.