Dog manufacturers have a perception problem with their products these days. In 2007 the dog food recalls sent their profits plummeting because of the melamine and rat poison ingredients. Today they still use the same ingredients but they need to be hidden more creatively as well as deceptively.The dog food ads look like they promote dog health but is this advertising truthful or just slick? The manufacturers have new ads to camouflage the real problem with dog food since the last scare. The ingredients haven’t changed much. See ( DIGG.COM)
I have had many discussions with dog owners, many comments here on Dog Health 1, and the consensus is a continued and marked mistrust of pet food. Some owners stated their dog actually threw up after eating commercial dog food and others would not touch these products. There is a rampant epidemic of itchy dogs all over the planet. Skin rashes, sores, flaky skin, and dogs that have real sickness and health issues. The commercialization of our pet foods has threatened our domestic companions and friends.
Last year I did an article on pet treats about a factory where the workers who handled these pet treats, were getting sick just by handling the smoked bones and treats that were made for dogs.
The newest advertising catch phrase to describe pet food is “premium dog food”. This is supposed to make you feel better about what you feed your dog – but your dog will not be feeling very well. Premium does not give you the ingredients. Truth in advertising has never been so misplaced and so misused than in premium dog food which suggests you are buying the best dog food available -which is not true.
The other word dog manufacturers use is the word “natural”. 
photo credit: ThreadedThoughts
There is nothing natural in premium dog food and that includes what is sold at veterinarians’ offices that is called natural by advertisers. Here is one example of what I mean, and I got this right off their website.
Premium dog food also contains the following:
Chicken meal ( another word for animal by products)
Bone Meal ( not really good for your dog)
Protein (usually dead, diseased animals)
Crude Protein ( this could be more of the same)
Crude Fat (just adds grease and fat to your dog’s diet)
Crude Fibre ( this was melamine – last year)
Crude Ash ( filler and very unhealthy)
Sodium ( salt – not good for the kidneys)
Corn (too much sugar and could be GMO’d)
Chicken Digest (Your guess is as good as mine)
Here are some of the added chemicals:
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (I won’t bother looking this up)
Thiamine Mononitrate (If I can’t pronounce it – I don’t want to buy it)
Manganese protein ate (used on heat distressed broiler chickens)
Zinc sulphate (chemical compound preservative for animal feed)
Calcium iodate ( a dough conditioner – I am not kidding here)
This does not sound like a premium dog food to you? Not likely if you want your dog to live long. What the DM have done is to make is seem like they are actually adding nutrients to their premium dog food while still using the diseased meat (called protein) from the slaughterhouses and anything else they can find. They assume you will be fooled by the vitamins and ignore this little exercise I just did for you.
What is missing from this formula that I took from a dog manufacturers website, is the list of additives in the premium pet food industry that is commonly used to treat diseased animals used in your pet’s food. The common additives such as : kerosene, motor oil and some other serious poisons.
Over at Shirley’s Wellness Café -Shirley Lipschutz-Robinson discusses the Poisons in pet food:
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/
Since the commercialization of premium pet food we have seen more pet disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, bone disease, gastrointestinal problems and premium dog diseases.
The real danger lies in the fact that genetically modified foods have found their way into our food chain, for human consumption and you can bet that the corn in dog food, is also genetically modified food. It is time we really stand up for what is right in this country and start demanding better from our government.
I personally recommend you consider the following if you really want to know the truth about Premium Dog food.
Tags: premium dog food, dog manufacturers, Premium dog’s food, Shirley’s Wellness Café, pet disease, commercial pet food, premium pet food, pet food, GMO, GMO’d, Dog Food Dangers, pet food, pet food danger, genetically modified pet food.
Teri, your articles are always so informative and critical information for pet owners. The food and drug industry in the US just doesn’t quit. It’s a matter of the buck only… keep people and animals addicted and diseased, and they’ll make a profit…. I wonder what the leaders are eating?
I make most of my dogs food now. It takes time but there are too many chemicals in the processed foods. I realized many years ago when my one dog had epileptic attacks how bad the processed food was for pets. And now with the imported food and recent recalls? Its just not safe! Great article, Denise
Hello Betty: Thank you for your response to my article and subscribing to my feed reader, it is important to know what is in your dog’s food before you purchase what seems to be “the same old” toxic pet food. There are more small businesses in the holisitic pet food industry starting up- and I am sure you will be able to find them in your area. Supporting smaller organic pet food companies assures you the real quality your dog’s health depends upon and in the long run -saves you on veterinarian bills. Thanks for your comment.
Teri
“Dog Food Hidden Dangers | Dog Health, Just added you to my feed reader. This has been a great read and a help; especially in the current economic climate.
Thank you for post my comment, I am definitely buying only organic dog food for my dog because in the long run it does not contain phony fillers and harmful ingredients. I respect the way you research your articles and are helping dog owners to keep their dogs free from diseased foods and that dog health is totally dependant on what you feed your dog. It also helps with reducing veterinarian bills in the long run -it is more economical to feed your dog only the best organic premium dog food. Thanks again!!
Based on the labels of dog foods I would never feed my dog commercial dog food. The “chemicals” are bad enough but when they try to use vitamins that have questionable quality and they still used diseased, dead, disabled carcasses that goes beyond good judgement. Pet food manufacturers have fooled us long enough and they are making pets sick. Furthermore the crude protein disgused is really by products which means the four D’s that is unacceptable for an animal. The high amounts of sugar and salt can and will give your dog either diabete or hypertension. If you like rendered meat products in your premium dog food, then do what I do and buy organic food only. Thanks for the great article.”
Hi Katrina: thank you for your honest assessment of the state of commercialized pet food which has been steadily deteriorating for the last 20 years due to greed and profits. If your going to make a dog food, any corporation that gets its raw materials for practically nothing, from slaughter houses, and includes refuse from veterinarians from dead animals then throws in chemicals purchased in countries with no standards of quality control is it any wonder that they are subject to greater amounts of criticism and scrutiny by pet owners? There are no health regulations for pet food, yet – however should they continue to use garbage as ingredients to feed to pets I am sure even though these are tough times – their sales will reflect the rejection of their products by consumers.
My dog doesn’t eat garbage.
I couldn’t agree with you more, especially in this volatile economic environment. Companies do want to sell and stay afloat through these difficult times, so it’s highly doubtful they’ll cut every expense possible but product quality. It’s time for them to save every penny and it really scares me the way they could choose to do that… It’s time (like you said) for us parents to choose between good and healthy vs poor and questionable. Great link!
Based on the labels of dog foods I would never feed my dog commercial dog food. The “chemicals” are bad enough but when they try to use vitamins that have questionable quality and they still used diseased, dead, disabled carcasses that goes beyond good judgement. Pet food manufacturers have fooled us long enough and they are making pets sick. Furthermore the crude protein disgused is really by products which means the four D’s that is unacceptable for an animal. The high amounts of sugar and salt can and will give your dog either diabete or hypertension. If you like rendered meat products in your premium dog food, then do what I do and buy organic food only. Thanks for the great article.