http://www.krisers.com | A variety of dangers linger in seemingly innocuous ways in many low-grade, commercial pet foods. Carcinogenic additives and other chemically treated food can cause serious health risks to pets. Animal byproducts have also been shown to be full of a variety of extremely dangerous ingredients. Pet diets rich in whole proteins and fats are extremely important in keeping pets healthy for a lifetime.

1. Power in Knowledge: Benefits of a Healthy Pet Diet
Corn is a major ingredient in most regular pet foods. Corn is not only a difficult food to digest it is also
an extremely allergenic food for many cats and dogs. Additionally, it is also one of the most vulnerable
crops to contaminations of aflatoxins, which is a waste product of a specific kind of fungus. Aflatoxin
contamination of corn can easily cause disease and death. Most pets that get sick from such aflatoxins
in their food display symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, jaundice, fever and
lethargy. According to Dr. Karen Becker, a wellness veterinarian, one of the best ways to ensure a pet’s
safety against aflatoxin contamination in food sources is to avoid dry dog food or those foods that
contain grain and corn.
Other chemicals and preservatives commonly found in low-grade commercial dog foods can cause a
smorgasbord of serious and life-threatening problems. Some of these problems include kidney cancer,
bladder cancer, skin cancer, stomach cancer, spleen cancer, leukemia, liver dysfunction, major organ
failure, immune system collapse, severe allergic reactions, birth defects, blindness, chronic diarrhea,
hair loss, and behavior problems such as increased aggressiveness.
Another concern of some of the major ingredients in low-grade, commercial dog food is the byproduct of
animals. Many of the first ingredients listed in dog foods are of some sort of meat: lamb, turkey, chicken,
and beef are all common types of meat usually listed. When these words followed by “byproduct” or
“meal” are used, it means that the parts of these animals not fit for human consumption—like bones,
organs, eyes, brains, hoofs, and others—have been added into this dog food. Unfortunately, what has
been come to known as the “4 D’s” are also included in this group: dead, dying, diseased and disabled
animals as well as road kill, zoo animals and euthanized cats and dogs. What a pet may then be
potentially eating is a cancer-ridden pet, dead deer, or even a previously owned pet that was given up
for adoption and then euthanized.
According to some food experts, euthanized cats and dogs as part of the animal byproduct in pet food
products is a major problem. The sodium pentobarbital that is used to euthanize these animals can
survive the cooking process that the pet food sustains through processing at the factories and is
therefore still inside of the food given to pets.
More studies are required to prove these claims, however, even if they are theoretical, at best, it seems
enough reason to switch to better food sources for pets. According to a variety of sources, most lowend, commercial dog foods are packed full of carbohydrates that dogs and cats’ digestive systems and
bodies as a whole are simply not designed to constantly consume or process. These high-carb diets
can in turn put a lot of unnecessary weight on an animal. Obesity and overweight animals are
vulnerable to many more health problems than those at healthy weights. Heart disease, increased blood
pressure, difficulty breathing, decreased liver function, decreased immunity, skin and coat problems,
reproductive issues, and increased risks of cancer are just a few of the associated health risks of obesity
or overweight animals.

2. Ultimately, a local pet store that sells organic or natural pet food can be key to a lifelong change in a
pet’s diet that is both convenient and healthy for an animal. Many of the brands sold at pet health food
stores can take any doubt out of what has been put in a pet’s food source. Being able to trust in a
variety of brands at trusted stores is a priceless feeling for many pet owners when educated pet parents
are aware of the dangers of various commercial brands of pet foods.
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