Lo Carb Dog
 

Does anyone have any experience or heard about pet owners feeding lo carb diets to pets?

I just had a horrible :tears: experience when I read an article in a natural pet magazine - the journalists claim was that many euthanized pets are combined with other animals found dead and processed back into commerical pet foods. This processing plant was in Canada, but they claim it is a common practice in USA also.

And I thought human food supply was pretty bad - now I am even more disgusted with our "food factories". So I am thinking of switching my dog over to LC - all fresh foods and veggies, no grains etc. Any thoughts?

Ally

I've wondered about doing this for my cat, but haven't yet done any research on it. I'd love to hear what others have to say about it!

I would consult my vet first and see what he or she thinks about this. You want to make sure your pet is getting enough vitamins and not too much protein.

Their bodies don't work exactly like ours, so what's good for us, might not be the best for them. Cats and dogs also have nutritional needs differences. I'm sure there's a natural way to go and some people do make their own pet food, but I'd want to do some research to make sure my beloved companion was getting everything they need to stay strong and healthy.

Right now, I feed my Pug Science Diet only, but I do give her treats of the meat, eggs and cheese I have on occassion. I never heard the story you refer too, but it sounds positively gruesome. :Puke: Has this information been verified for accuracy? It almost sounds like some kind of urban legend.

urban legend...
 

Could be an urban legend--but the article was supposed to have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle. It would not surprise me to learn it is true - look at how feeding sheep to sheep and then feeding sheep to cattle in ireland/england led to mad cow disease.

"San Francisco Chronicle Staff writer John Eckhouse wrote an exposé entitled "How Dogs and Cats Get Recycled into Pet Food".

Eckhouse wrote: "Each year, millions of dead American dogs and cats are processed along with billions of pounds of other animal materials by companies known as renderers. The finished product...tallow and meat meal...serve as raw materials for thousands of items that include cosmetics and pet food."

Pet food company executives made the usual denials. But federal and state agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, and medical groups, such as the American Veterinary Medical Association and the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), confirm that pets, on a routine basis, are rendered after they die in animal shelters or are disposed of by health authorities and the end product frequently finds its way into pet food."

My dog is also a pug--who was put on science diet last year and has gotten nothing but fat! He put her on a lo-cal low fat food and she has gained 6 lbs. He accuses us of giving her "treats" - and we never did or will. She was trained using the Monks of New SKete methods, and no treats were ever used to get her to behave or do tricks. This dog never had a treat in her life, just 2 small meals a day. On Sci-Di she is sleepy and lazy and getting fatter.

Ally

another link to 2002
 

link to LA Times Article

that is a link to a LA Times headline, you have to buy the full article about St. Louis Rendering Plant in the year 2002 caught in the act.

ally

Wow! How horrible! Did they say what brands use this awful stuff or is it impossible to know? Looks like I will definitely be becoming a "homemade dog food" person as soon as I find out what's the best way to do it.

That is also too bad about your Pug gaining weight even on Science Diet. I know the little buggers can end up looking like furry sausages, but it must be frustrating to see no results for your efforts. Maybe you need a new vet! ;)

My pug is only a year old and is at perfect weight and is SUPER energetic...sometimes I wish she'd slow down just a tad! :p So her diet has been good so far, but you have definitely given me food for thought (pardon the pun).

I had a cat that I fed Iams and Science Diet to all her life and she lived to be 22. That's why I went with Science Diet for Beans (my pug), but I never knew this information. It really puts a whole new perspective on things!

I'm going to be doing more research on a better way to feed her. I'll be sure and share any information I come across.

I'm sorry but I don't believe it. I was involved in animal husbandry for most of my life before I took up my present profession. Pets are euthanized with an injection of drugs which would make them very dangerous to feed to anything. Usual practice is to send the bodies to a municipal incinerator if the owner doesn't ask for them back. Any vet not doing this would be struck off.

Pet food is made from farm animals who die anywhere except in a slughter house or of carcases found to be faulty i.e. a tumour was found on the body.

Bear in mind all of you that cats and dogs are carnivourous animals. They certainly should be on a low carb diet anyway - wild animals don't eat wheat!

Robert

omnivores
 

actually, dogs are not pure carnivores, like cats, but are omnivores--opportunistic eaters. here is some information on feeding homecooked foods;

Pugzilla - here is a decent recipe I found and am going to try, but I will cut down on the carb portion a small amount.

According to a recipe adapted from "Prepared Dog and Cat Diets" by Strombeck D. Home, the daily protein for a 25-35 pound dog could include any one of the following: three large hard-boiled eggs, one cup of 2-percent cottage cheese, 1/3 pound cooked lean meat, 2/3 cup tofu, or 1 cup cooked soybeans.

The grain may be 2 cups cooked rice or oats or 2/3 cups of cooked potatoes with the skin. I personally prefer cooked noodles and keep a supply for several days in the refrigerator.

Some people are surprised to learn that dogs need to eat vegetables, but they are omnivores, just like humans. A good source is ½-1 cup of raw or steamed carrots. Broccoli or green beans also are good, but need to be cooked first to make them more digestible.

Alfalfa sprouts have been reported to be good for the skin and can reduce the flaking that come from dry homes.

The supplements include 2 tablespoons canola oil, a multivitamin made for dogs, ¼ teaspoon potassium chloride (salt substitute), and four (human consumption) bonemeal tablets or calcium supplement.
____________________________________________________
robert, i don't really want to argue about this-if you read the article it does not say anything about vets offices, but the st. louis city pound that was caught selling the bodies to rendering plants. furthermore, if i don't want to eat a tumor would i want my pet to eat a tumor? yuck!

altho its true most animals should not be eating grains, the ingredients listed on the feed bags is corn, wheat, etc.

the lethal injection is sodium pentobarbital and the FDA has found low levels in some brands of dog foods. Here is a direct quote from the Los Angeles Times article;

The Food and Drug Administration has found "very, very low levels" of sodium pentobarbital--the chemical used to euthanize animals--in some brands of dog food, said Stephen Sundloff, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. The agency is investigating whether the traces are "of any significance at all," Sundloff said.

I am feeding my dogs a lower carb diet because they gained a lot of weight over the winter. I don't feed them dry food (since it is mostly grains) and mix cooked veggies in their canned prime meat food (alpo or pedigree). So far each of my poochies are slimming down and seem to have more energy. So I think there is nothing wrong in doing it IF the need is there (overweight dogs)

So glad you asked!
 

I strongly urge you to do some research on the benefits of feeding dogs and cats a raw food diet. You can start by going to any search engine and typing in BARF (for Bones and Raw Food). Another classic resource is a book called "Give Your Dog a Bone". Unfortunately, I can't recall the author's name, since I passed my copy on to a friend, but he is an Australian vet who challenges most conventional wisdom regarding dog food and makes some interesting points.

First of all, dogs are not designed to eat grain, yet grain is a major component of many, if not most, commercial dog foods. Starch consumption has many of the same effects on dogs as it does on humans - they're prone to obesity, they have gas, low energy, etc. And keep in mind that pet food companies are trying to push product - they tend to recommend a daily feeding amount that exceeds the dogs caloric needs . In the wild, dog species eat whatever they can get, and I'm pretty sure it's not corn or wheat. Instead, it's bone, meat, ripe fruit that's fallen off the tree, grass, roots. Have you ever given your dog fruit? They love it! Bananas and melons (most cats adore melon, by the way), peeled apples (skins bitter), any stone fruit without the stone - it makes the tail wag big time.

An ever increasing number of top quality breeders are turning to a raw food diet for their dogs, realizing that it produces optimum health. Vets, like doctors, are more resistant to anything that goes against the grain (hah!) of what they've been indoctrinated to believe, so be cautious. Remember, vet schools receive an extraordinary amount of funding from pet food companies, and practices are inundated with samples and promotional incentives for pushing product, it's only natural for them to pitch it. I take my puppies to a holistic vet, who actively encourages a raw food diet for his patients. If you get a negative reaction from your current vet, I urge you to contact a homeopathic, holistic, naturopathic practice and talk to them.

My personal experience? I have two Bernese Mountain Dogs, one almost four, the other just a year. They eat four raw chicken wings and approximately one cup of raw veggie mix a day apiece, plus a couple of biscuits. They also split a banana in the morning when they get their vitamins (omega-3 fatty acids for the skin, E and C for the immune system). Doesn't sound like much food for two ninety pound dogs, does it? Yet they're active, lean, bright-eyed, with glossy coats. Most people, upon first meeting them, remark on how clean their teeth are and that their breath isn't offensive. This breed is prone to overweight, joint problems and immune system deficiency. Once they reach a year old, they tend to become very plodding, but every time we take ours to the off leash area, at least one person remarks on how fit and lean our dogs are. We hear comments like, "I didn't know that breed could run!" and, "Is that dog full grown?" all the time. And when Gus goes in for his annual wellness check up, Dr. does bloodwork to make sure there are no hidden nutrional defiencies, kidney problems, thyroid problems, etc. So far, he's in peak health.

One more thing. My younger dog's breeder was opposed to my feeding him my homemade diet until he was a year old, fearing it wouldn't provide adequate nutrion for proper development. We went to a first year birthday for the litter a few weeks ago. The other owners were amazed at how coordinated and agile Pilgrim was, their pups were still stumbling over their owns paws. And there was only one pup, the lone female, that wasn't heavier than Pilgrim. No development problems here.

Ally:

I went through the same thing as you. In fact, I use the same reference that you quoted above.

BARF diet or home-cooked diet, I believe it's better to prepare our loved ones "live" whole foods as opposed to processed food.

There are also vitamins for pets that I use to supplement his food. I use a multivitamin, an antioxidant mix and we share my fish oil.

That's why so many dogs get cancer!!
 

I did some research on dog food because I thought it was sooo wierd that so many dogs I know have gotten cancer....dogs don't smoke, they don't drink, they usually get exercise, they don't do drugs, they don't have stressful lives, and you would think they would be exposed to less carcinogens since their lifespans are so much shorter...I really think it's the food. .....the dead farm animals that get put into the food...how long do you thinkt hey sat out dead? that meat is highly carcinogenic. BY-PRODUCTS?? that means, chicken legs, eyes, beaks...tthere's also tons of fillers put in the food just to fill them up. it's non-nutritrive, and also, there is very little antioxidants in the food.
Go to a natural pet foods store. there are many good brands if you don't like to cook up dog food yourself (I don't) Highly recommended are : Innova, California Naturals, and Flint River Ranch...just to name a few. Its more expensive than the crap you buy at Petco, but your dog needs to eat less becuase there is more nutrition in the food!! Some dog food companies, like IAMS are involved in a lawsuit that says there is not enough nutrition in their food!!

Not sure I believe the stuff about using animals. My ex husband has worked in factories making people and dog food. The way those plants are monitored, the restrictions are actually tighter in some respects at the dog food plants!

Dogs are omnivores (like us!) and can eat plant and animal matter. Cats need a very high protein diet.

I'm thinking the all natural approach would be great, but it would be best to consult your vet.

I just want to thank you for the information about pet food. I never heard of this, but I took your information and posted it on a Pug forum and asked if anyone there had heard this horrible story.

It turns out MANY have heard it and use the natural products described above including Innova, Nutro, Natura, Flint River, etc.

Fortunately, I was able to find a local pet store that sells some of these brands, and the others, I will buy online.

I think 20/20 or Dateline should do an investigation and either verify the validity of this story and expose these evil companies, or uncover the fact that this is just an untrue rumor.

Until then, I am erring on the side of caution and doing what's best for my Beans.

transition
 

thanks everyone for your responses - i had found BARF and i am not certain i am ready to commit to that program, i need to really read the book.

in the meantime, i started cora on her new homecooked food plan. this morning she got one hard boiled egg with some of her sci-di kibble. i didn't want to rush her into this. for her dinner, i made a dish of pureed broccoli, homemade yogurt, bulghur, and garlic. she got 1/3 cup of that mixture plus 2 sardines, and a crushed egg shell.

for treats, i am planning on making pureed fruit and yogurt and freezing it in cups. and i am going to fool around with some grated carrots, oats and honey and make some biscuits for her.

again thanks for all your support - ally