Organic or home-made pet food is the best for your furry family member. Many non-organic pet food brands use fillers made from corn, soybean and grains. These ingredients are often GMOs. Many companies advertise that they are GMO-free but if they feed their cattle GMO grain you are not getting GMO-free. Another hazard to your animals that is pet foods is carrageenan that is used as emulsifier, stabilizer, and thickener. Carrageenan has been linked to intestinal inflammation according to research. Unfortunately, more than 70% of canned pet food contains carrageenan, and it is found even in “premium”, USDA organic, and prescription pet food. And it is also in a lot of human foods including whipped cream. And some healthier pet foods use this anyway.
Also watch out for preservatives like butylatedhydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylatedhydroxytoluene (BHT), propylgallate, propylene glycol, and ethoxyquin. My favorite to cause red flags is propylene glycol which is used as a de-icing fluid for airplanes and considered hazmat! Ethoxyquin, created by the Monsanto Company, has been linked to the damage of the liver, kidney and thyroid, as well as allergic reactions, reproductive issues, embryonic mutations, and carcinogenic effects.*Read the report
What else is in pet food? Sodium pentobarbital is a euthanization drug that has been found in many more types of pet food then you would think. Short-term feeding studies found liver damage caused by this drug, long-term effects have not been studied. Also in cheap pet foods: road kill, shelter animals that have been euthanized and meat products from diseased animals. That’s right… your dog could be eating puppy meat.
So please, if you care about the health of your pet, stop buying cheap pet food and read labels. It may cost a little more to feed them but you will save on vet bills and heartaches.
Keep My Pet Healthy 