Boston Terriers

YesBuiscuit has updated the list of the brands of pet foods that were hit by the recall due to the toxic, poisonous substance of aflatoxin being found in them. As YesBuiscuit points out, aflatoxin, which can cause a variety of cancers (more here), is a fungi that can arise in grains like corn. So called "premium" dog foods such as Iams ProActive Health Smart Puppy food were included in the recall.

So the debate among pet owners and veterinarians who have little training in nutrition other than what the pet food manufacturers tell them continues over feeding a raw meat diet to your dogs and cats. Personally, I don't trust the pet food companies. They of course don't want you to feed a raw meat and bones diet to your dog as they would lose a lot of money – millions upon millions of dollars in North America. They have a vested interested in using scare tactics to keep you away from the real healthy choices you can make when deciding on what to feed your pet.

In 2007, it is estimated that perhaps as many as tens of thousands of pets died as a result of eating poisoned pet food. And guess what? Many brands of pet foods were involved in this, from non-premium to premium. How could this be? Well, because many of the brands of pet foods are simply relabelled. In 2007, melamime, aminopterin (a rat poison), and cyanuric acid (a chlorine stabilizer) was found in pet foods made by Menu Foods, a Canadian based pet food company that made foods for a wide variety of labels including Eukanuba, President's Choice, Wal-Mart (Ol' Roiy) and 17 of the largest pet supply chains. Furthermore, investigators and scientists found little difference in the nutritional value between less expensive and so-called "premium" pet foods.

It's also been discovered that the labelling on pet foods is very deceiving. Pet food manufacturers label the ingredients by weight, and they want you to believe that the meat in their dog food is the main ingredient. However, this is not true because although they may have used a pound of a beef byproduct, they then might add for example, half a pound of corn grits, a third of a pound of some other corn by product, and a quarter of a pound of rice, along with other grains. Ultimately, there is more grain by weight than meat in the pet food.

Pets may be able to "get by" on such a diet, but they are not thriving to the best they can be. It would be like you eating convenient fast foods every day for your entire life. Which ultimately would poison you and probably cause you to have a shortened life span with the increased risks of health issues.  That's what is happening to our pets that are fed most commercial pet foods.

Are veterinarians experts on nutrition and what brands of pet food to recommend? Well according to a documentary recently created, even a staff member at one of the most renowned Veterinarian Schools, located in Saskatoon, SK, Canada, admits that Vets have very little training in real pet nutrition!

You can watch this documentary here – although it is almost 45 minutes in length (come back and read more below once you've watched it):

 

I don't know about you, but I don't want to poison my dog. Interestingly, before switching to a raw meat diet for my dog, I had Beans the Boston Terrier on Iams ProActive Health Smart Puppy food. Am I ever relieved I did some research and switched him over!   This was brought about due to some comments a very good friend made to me after talking about the problem Beans had with his short piggy type tail and his feces often get stuck to it. Green tripe was also mentioned in this conversation, and I began my own extensive research into dog nutrition. 

The more I read, the more I researched, and the more I read the illogical responses of commercial dog food advocates, I decided to give it a try. It did scare me of course, to think that Beans might eat raw chicken bones and other softer bones – but eventually I tried it. I was amazed and quite a bit happy to watch him crunch through some "meaty bones" – lamb riblets. He ate them like we would eat crackers and hard cheese. He loved me for it, too!

Other benefits since putting him on this diet is that the problem with the feces being stuck to his tail has almost been eliminated. His poop is not a gooey, sticky poop like it used to be. In fact, there really is little clean up required! The stool (poop) of a dog fed a raw meat and bones diet for dogs is much different than that of a dog fed commercial dog food. It is more solid but crumbles easily and does not have the same foul odor.

Boston Terriers are known for their flatulence issues, farting quite often; it's become a running joke with Boston Terrier owners. However, since putting Beans on a raw meat diet, I have noticed far less a problem with flatulence as well!

I know if you are reading this, you love your pet like I love Beans! Your pet is a part of your family. Perhaps your pet IS your family!  Would you feed other members of your family poison or a diet that is not the best for them? I think not!

And because you love your dog, you will want to learn more about the best nutrition you can feed it. Your dog can't do it for itself. And because you love your pet, and you're the caretaker of it's life and health, you will want to know more about how best to feed your pet – click here.