# Basic stuff



## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Some "Dog Food Ingredients 101" sorta info...

By-Products and Animal Digest: Misunderstood Ingredients | Sporting Dog Library | Pro Plan


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

*Take it for whatever it is worth to you. I know that there will be those who scoff because it is from a "low tier" food company.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Great info-both of my goldens are on PPP SS and doing fantastic. 

Because of your recommendation to another member who posted before and after pictures of her boy, I put my two on PPP SS last year. What an improvement in both of them. 

Thank you to you both!


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

Do you know if PP contains rendered euthanized animals? I just watched a taped interview of an AAFCO official who said unnamed ingredients can contain euthanized animals, or to use his term, Fluffy.


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## Soontobedad (Nov 6, 2011)

You're finding articles supporting purina on PURINA's SITE.

not one company would post negatives on their own site.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

artbuc said:


> Do you know if PP contains rendered euthanized animals? I just watched a taped interview of an AAFCO official who said unnamed ingredients can contain euthanized animals, or to use his term, Fluffy.


http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ap42/ch09/final/c9s05-3.pdf

Food and Drug Administration/Center for Veterinary Medicine Report on the Risk from Pentobarbital in Dog Food :


> Dogs, cats not found in dog food
> 
> Because pentobarbital is used to euthanize dogs and cats at animal shelters, finding pentobarbital in rendered feed ingredients could suggest that the pets were rendered and used in pet food.
> 
> CVM scientists, as part of their investigation, developed a test to detect dog and cat DNA in the protein of the dog food. All samples from the most recent dog food survey (2000) that tested positive for pentobarbital, as well as a subset of samples that tested negative, were examined for the presence of remains derived from dogs or cats. The results demonstrated a complete absence of material that would have been derived from euthanized dogs or cats. The sensitivity of this method is 0.005% on a weight/weight basis; that is, the method can detect a minimum of 5 pounds of rendered remains in 50 tons of finished feed. Presently, it is assumed that the pentobarbital residues are entering pet foods from euthanized, rendered cattle or even horses.


The date of the study above was published in the early 2000s, and I'm not aware of subsequent studies. The samples were tested in 1998 and here is the link to the samples, listed by brand:
Dog Food Survey Results - Survey #1, Qualitative Analyses for Pentobarbital Residue


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

True, the CVM could not detect dog/cat DNA in dog food in the early 2000 study. However, as your other link indicated, animal shelters are an ok source for inedible rendering plants which make products that go into animal feed. So, as I understand it, there are not any laws in place prohibiting the use of euthanized animals in dog food. Call me naive, but if it is legal, it is being done.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Soontobedad said:


> You're finding articles supporting purina on PURINA's SITE.
> 
> not one company would post negatives on their own site.


I did not post it, dear, as a review of Pro Plan, but rather for the definition of certain ingredients used in dog foods.
My *disclaimer must have gotten by you, somehow.


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## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

No they wouldnt post anything negative you are right all the negativity came from these companies trying to sell their Holistic Lines, Organic Lines,Grain free lines that gave the ingredients in PP a bad rap!...Sell sell sell...this whole organic food thing even for humans is a waste. organic tomatoes? milk? fads...food is food to me LOL i just eat it


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

artbuc said:


> True, the CVM could not detect dog/cat DNA in dog food in the early 2000 study. However, as your other link indicated, animal shelters are an ok source for inedible rendering plants which make products that go into animal feed. So, as I understand it, there are not any laws in place prohibiting the use of euthanized animals in dog food. Call me naive, but if it is legal, it is being done.


If it's a concern, best to look for products without animal by-products and digest.


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## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

Some of you feed PP Performance, why is that? Are your dogs very active or do you like the higher protein/fat? i have 4 dogs ages 4, 1,9months,5months they obviously are pretty active running and playing. would the Performance suit them or would the ALS be better??


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

I have to believe, and maybe *I* am naive, that if the food I have been feeding to so many dogs for so many years (close to 20) was so awful and full of euthanized animals and the chemicals used to kill them, that I'd have sickly dogs, suffering early deaths from cancers and any number of other ailments. I haven't. Go figure.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

I am another who switched to ProPlan (I feed All Life Stages) about a year ago after reading all the information that PointGold presented.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I read an interesting article by one of the big dog food companies, although for the life of me I can't remember which or who the author was. It addressed the issue of using euthanized dogs and cats in pet foods. The bottom line was they are expensive to obtain and use compared to more traditional sources of protein, and the pet food industry is such a highly competitive industry that no company would risk their reputation by doing so.
Remember the "worms in the McDonald's hamburgers" rumor that floated around for a while? Go buy worms, they're about $12 a pound! I don't think MickeyD's is grinding them up for their dollar burger!


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

Dallas Gold said:


> If it's a concern, best to look for products without animal by-products and digest.


I'm not suggesting it is unhealthy to feed euthanized animals because I do not know that. It does creep me out though. Is this video authentic or just another internet hoax?

http://coldnosesmag.com/tag/aafco-admits-euthanized-animals-in-pet-food/


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

oakleysmommy said:


> Some of you feed PP Performance, why is that? Are your dogs very active or do you like the higher protein/fat? i have 4 dogs ages 4, 1,9months,5months they obviously are pretty active running and playing. would the Performance suit them or would the ALS be better??


 
I feed it to dogs that are being shown/working, and always to Pointers. The others, who are very active but not on the road, etc, get the ALS Chicken and Rice. I mix both with Salmon and Rice, 50/50.


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

Pointgold said:


> *Take it for whatever it is worth to you. I know that there will be those who scoff because it is from a "low tier" food company.


I don't think you need to be so defensive about the source of your information. You regard the company highly and that's all that should matter to you.

But it is just one company's perspective and viewpoint. All sorts of pet food companies have their own online informational sections.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

MyBentley said:


> I don't think you need to be so defensive about the source of your information. You regard the company highly and that's all that should matter to you.
> 
> But it is just one company's perspective and viewpoint. All sorts of pet food companies have their own online informational sections.


Absolutely not defensive at all. I posted this strictly for the explanation of the ingredients. The "disclaimer" was exactly that - to take it for what it is worth to you. I defend my CHOICE to feed what I feed, and respect other's CHOICE to feed what they feed. I don't call other products "crap", "low tier", starless, whatever. If it works for them, fine. The same courtesy should be afforded to me for feeding Pro Plan. I was actually told by a raw feeder that I was "murdering my dogs by feeding them a commercial kibble such as Pro Plan." Excuse me? That same person continues to lose dogs at a relatively young age to various illnesses/cancers.


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

Pointgold said:


> Absolutely not defensive at all. I posted this strictly for the explanation of the ingredients. The "disclaimer" was exactly that - to take it for what it is worth to you. I defend my CHOICE to feed what I feed, and respect other's CHOICE to feed what they feed. I don't call other products "crap", "low tier", starless, whatever. If it works for them, fine. The same courtesy should be afforded to me for feeding Pro Plan. I was actually told by a raw feeder that I was "murdering my dogs by feeding them a commercial kibble such as Pro Plan." Excuse me? That same person continues to lose dogs at a relatively young age to various illnesses/cancers.


PG, do you think the raw diet is contributing to her/his dogs' health problems?


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## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

my input on raw..would never do it. our dogs are domesticated they arent in the wild..whoever started this trend well i am stopping here..would love to hear Pointgolds thoughts on raw.. and for what its worth every person i have ever met that had dogs live up to 15 years of age are fed foods like ProPlan, Pedigree, etc.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

artbuc said:


> PG, do you think the raw diet is contributing to her/his dogs' health problems?


Nope, I don't _think _so, but I don't know with any certainty. But to tell me that the food I am feeding is "murdering my dogs" and tout raw as the best, most healthy diet a dog can possibly eat, when my dogs are far healthier on the evil kibble than hers on raw, is pretty "funny".


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## Mssjnnfer (Aug 9, 2009)

Not gonna lie. We feed Pro Plan because of PG. (and our dogs do awesome on it! better than the more expensive foods we've tried.)


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## goldhaven (Sep 3, 2009)

Pointgold, does it bother you that purina won't recall the jerky treats that are killing so many dogs? I am just curious. No judgements. I know and respect that you feed what works best for your dogs.:wavey:

I used to feed pro plan as well and never had a problem with it. But it does concern me that they won't recall the jerky treats, that have been suspected of killing over 600 dogs, and that makes me question the company and their ethical practices. :uhoh:


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

goldhaven said:


> Pointgold, does it bother you that purina won't recall the jerky treats that are killing so many dogs? I am just curious. No judgements. I know and respect that you feed what works best for your dogs.
> 
> I used to feed pro plan as well and never had a problem with it. But it does concern me that they won't recall the jerky treats, that have been suspected of killing over 600 dogs, and that makes me q uestion the company and their ethical practices. :uhoh:


Honestly, I don't know much at all about it. I'm very inclined, though, to believe that they must be sure that they are not the cause of these deaths. Purina voluntarily has recalled products that don't meet their standards (i.e. currently one their cat foods has been voluntarily recalled because there is not enough thiamine...) I trust the company, and cannot imagine that they would risk their reputation by allowing a product that has been causing deaths to remain on the market.


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## Zombo (Nov 2, 2010)

Thank you for sharing this information and your personal perspective. Sometimes it can be difficult discerning between fact and marketing hype, even on the internet where everything is true.


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