One of the most common medical complaint in dogs is the notorious “Hot Spot,” also called “acute moist dermatitis.” There are dozens of causes of hot spots, including allergies, parasites, or just licking and chewing, but the common factor is infection, whether bacterial or fungal or yeast. And hot spots can appear anywhere on the body: Hind leg, feet, rump area, neck, etc. The bottom line for your dog is that there is an infection and intense itching, regardless of how it got that way. Sometimes hot spots seem to appear out of thin air. For example, many dogs are very sensitive to simple lawn grasses. These animals are physically and nutritionally normal, but show signs of inflamed skin and hair loss. Or, a skin lesion can occur as a result of moisture on the skin surface from rain, pond or lake water. Minute scratches on the skin from, for example, a clipper blade, may trigger other cases. Moist eczema is one example of a hot spot type. If the coat is dense or allowed to become matted, moisture on the skin may remain long enough to allow superficial bacteria to reproduce and create an infection. Some cases of moist eczema will spread very rapidly and require rather aggressive therapy to correct.
Rashes and Skin Infections (Infectious Dermatitis)
Bacterial, fungal and yeast organisms are notoriously obnoxious skin and coat pathogens. They can cause skin infections, rashes and other problems in otherwise healthy dogs. Bacterial dermatitis rarely occurs spontaneously. Normal healthy skin has tremendous numbers of a variety of bacteria present all the time. If something upsets the normal balance, such as antibiotics eliminating one or two types, the remaining types proliferate. Any contact with grass, plastic, an abrasion or moisture, or parasitic invasion can bring down the skin’s defensive barriers and opportunistic bacteria then have their way. Fungal infections first appear as one or more small areas of hair loss that may be reddened or inflamed. As infection progresses, crusts may form on the area of hair loss, the patches increase in number and size, and large portions of skin may become involved. Yeast, a type of fungus, can irritate an already diseased skin surface. Yeast infections typically create greasy, odorous and inflamed skin in affected dogs. Symptoms may include blackening of the skin, dry flaky skin or greasy type grit on the skin. As the condition worsens, a bad yeasty smell or odor may accompany this, and the dog will experience severe itching, leading to endless biting, chewing and hair loss.
Parasites and Mange
Skin Problems Caused by Parasites (Fleas, Ticks, Mange Mites and More) A parasite is an organism (a flea, for example) that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism (your pet) and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it. Some parasites are relatively innocuous, some are not, and some can cause serious skin problems. Fleas, Flies, Chiggers, Ticks, and Gnats When a pet parent sees her dog scratching and biting at itself, the first thing she thinks is “Oh no! Fleas!” Chiggers, deer flies, and gnats (sometimes called No-See-Ums) can be considered nuisances and generally do not create remarkable systemic skin problems. But repeated exposure to fleas can trigger a hypersensitivity to the bite of even a single flea, leading to an allergic response, and ultimately to hot spots or worse. Tick bites seldom trigger an allergic reaction, but can leave a slow-healing lesion.
Mighty Mites and MangeMites are microscopic creatures resembling tiny spiders. Among the species that attack animals are members of the Sarcoptic mange mites (family Sarcoptidae), which burrow under the skin. Demodex mites (family Demodicidae) are parasites that live in or near the hair follicles of mammals, including humans. Cheyletiella mites look like tiny spiders under a magnifying glass and are often called “Walking Dandruff” because upon close inspection it seems like little flakes of dry skin are actually moving about. Sarcoptic mites are very nasty critters. Called scabies or red mange, infestations of these mites are highly contagious and produce intense itching, reddening of the skin, thinning of the hair (alopecia) and development of crusts and scabs. Bacterial skin infections commonly occur in the inflamed, irritated skin. Sarcoptic mite infestation, or mange, is frequently misdiagnosed as allergic dermatitis by even very competent and experienced veterinarians. The mites burrow right down into the skin where they are virtually undetectable by skin scrapings. Sarcoptic mites prefer skin with little hair, so they are most numerous on the ears, elbows, abdomen and hocks. As the disease spreads, hair is lost and eventually the mites occupy large areas of skin. Sadly, many dogs are treated with cortisone or prednisone for a supposed allergic dermatitis when in fact these Sarcoptic mites are the cause of the pruritic or inflamed skin, and the unnecessary cortisone eventually makes the condition worse.Then there are Demodectic (or Demodex) mites, which cause another kind of mange. These mites are found in small numbers in the hair follicles of normal pets. In stressful situations, however, they proliferate, and large numbers inhabit the skin and hair follicles. The good news is that Demodex mites can easily be seen on a skin scraping viewed under the microscope. The less good news is that generalized demodicosis is serious and often difficult to treat. Large areas of the body may be affected, and often the affected areas are also infected by bacteria. In these cases, the skin is red, crusty and warm, and has many pustules. It may bleed easily and has a strong, rancid odor.
Why Not Steroids?
Corticosteroid drugs, called "steroids" for short, are potent chemical substances that can reduce swelling and inflammation quickly. Common corticosteroid drugs used to treat skin issues in dogs include cortisone, hydrocortisone, prednisolone and prednisone. These compounds reduce itching by reducing inflammation. In other words, these drugs treat the symptom of itching, but can do nothing about the underlying cause of the itch. Unfortunately, they also affect every organ in the body. Prednisone is the most potent anti - inflammatory and anti-itch steroid and is often used for treating allergies in dogs. It is usually reserved for dogs with moderate to severe skin allergies, or skin diseases that are difficult to diagnose. These medications are often over prescribed without a positive diagnosis and without careful monitoring, and the pet owner can be unaware of the potential seriousness of the side-effects.
Whether a dog has hot spots or mange or allergies, often it’s the secondary infections that cause the worst itching. If steroids are given to treat the symptoms of itching, the bacterial or fungal secondary infections will be given a boost, and will get much worse very quickly. The reason for this is that cortisones depress lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, making it easier for bacterial infections to occur and then to proliferate unchecked. In other words, steroids can compromise, or crash, your pet’s natural immune system. When this happens, your dog will lose hair and his skin will become black with a terrible odor and insane itching. Traditional medicine can no longer help him when the disease reaches this stage, and your vet is likely to recommend euthanasia. Even holistic, naturopathic veterinarians may recommend treatment with small amounts of corticosteroids to give some affected pets relief during the flea season. However, these treatments may be dangerous to your pet if prolonged and only offer temporary relief of symptoms at best.
These treatments may include topical medications, soothing baths, ointments and sprays, oral antihistamines, or steroids. Caution: If you are sent home with a prescription for cortisone, or your dog has been given “a cortisone shot to stop the itching”, your dog may ultimately be worse off than before if the true diagnosis happens to be an unrecognized case of Sarcoptic mites!
We carry at our on-line store a holistic series of products coming from a company called DER Magic. I have tried their products and experienced success with both, our cats as well as our dogs, this stuff really works. You know I don’t like to advertise the products we carry at the on-line store. But sometimes I just can’t help it and feel, if in general it really helps your companions, why not passing on a recommendation. Other stores do it too, even vets make their very specific recommendations when it comes to food, treats and remedies and illness cure. Coming back to DER Magic Skin & Coat Care: This company, as so many within the holistic circle of pet food, treat and supplement suppliers, was started because it’s founder, Dr. Adelie Ritchie, also proud owner of a couple Shih Tzus, tried to figure out how she could help her pups, who often were in need of a quick fix for bug bites, rashes, hot spots or other dermal boo-boos. The doctor’s original prototype product was formulated many years ago, back when Dr. Ritchie was breeding and showing Yorkshire Terriers and teaching organic chemistry at a community college in Florida. At the time, her prize show dog developed a serious skin disease and then progressively got worse under standard veterinary treatments, to the point where her vet suggested euthanasia to put the dog out of her misery. Shenanigan was her name and she had thick black skin by this time, smelled horrible and cried constantly. Back then, as is still the case today, there just weren't any good choices out there for veterinary treatments that weren't loaded with cortisone, steroids, antibiotics or strong chemicals, and even those treatments were not effective enough to save Shenanigan's life. This is when Dr. Ritchie got to work on formulating an effective topical treatment with natural, herbal and organic ingredients. Shenanigan got dunked, slathered, gooped, and drenched in potions, all somewhat effective, but not quite enough. Finally, after a few trials, the prototype DERMagic Hot Spot Lotion was born, and Shenanigan's relief was visible and immediate. She stopped crying and scratching, and her hair was sprouting again within 48 hours of the first treatment. Within six months, she was again in full coat and was parading herself proudly around the show ring. Over the years, Dr. Ritchie used her formulations to treat dogs and cats and horses belonging to family members, friends, and her colleagues in the dog show business, but it was not until much later that a good friend challenged her to make her great products available to every pet owner facing skin problems with their beloved companion animals.
Today, Dr. Ritchie offers a well rounded program of just a few, but extremely effective holistic skin and coat care products. All of them constantly receive very positive recognition in the pet oriented and related media including for example Animal Wellness Magazine to name just one. The line includes a complete 4 step skin care system, a hot spot salve, lotions, soap bars, Dead Sea aromatherapy bath salts and of course shampoos and conditioners.
Besides the very powerful fact that they simply work, what I like the most about Dr. Ritchie’s products is that she enables me to offer yet another effective solution within a well rounded holistic program, from food and treats to supplements and skin & coat care, all together designed to successfully help our customers in their efforts to get rid of their pet’s allergy problems.
Related to today’s comment, here is how Dr. Ritchie (who also by large contributed today’s comment) addresses the task on hand: DER Magic products stop infections associated with parasitic infestations, and kill certain parasites outright. They kill bacteria, yeast and most types of fungus, fast, and are the first line of defense against hot spots. Aside from being immediately effective at relieving itch, fighting fungal and bacterial infestations and promoting healing of affected areas, these products are safe and free from corticosteroids.
Showing posts with label skin problems. Show all posts
Showing posts with label skin problems. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Itching and scratching not necessarily due to just allergies
These days the most common reason for visits to the vet and the most asked question from pet owners at our store is about itching, licking, scratching and skin problems. In this article I am going to discuss some of the possible causes along with same basics for addressing the most common cause: Allergies.
Evaluating the history of your pet's problem is very important in helping to determine the cause. Though allergies are the most common cause of itching and licking, there are some diseases that need to be ruled out before embarking on the path of allergy treatment.
Following are some important details that will help to diagnose the problem:
Where is the animal the itchiest? Face, base of tail, above the hips, neck, belly, feet.... Watch your companion closely and determine his or her worst areas. Flea Allergies typically cause itching above the hips, the base of the tail, groin and thighs on dogs. Cats usually itch around the neck with flea allergies. Airborne and food allergies commonly cause itching around the face, ears, belly and feet. Scabies (Sarcoptic Mange/mites) typically cause lesions and itching around the ears, elbow, belly and hocks. Demodedectic Mange generally initially appears in young dogs on the face or forelegs. Cheyletiella (mites) are characteristically present on the back or sides.
When did it start? How old was the animal? Mange is more common in younger animals. Puppies and kittens are also more susceptible to flea allergies as they have weaker, less developed immune systems. Older or ill animals are also more susceptible due to a weakened immune system.
Is the problem seasonal or year round? Seasonal itching is more indicative of flea or inhalant allergies or insect bite. In many cases, an animal will initially show signs of seasonal allergies that progress to year round problems.
Which came first, the itching or hairless patches and/or skin lesions? If the itchiness appeared before any skin lesions, then allergies or scabies are more likely to be the culprit. If the skin lesions were seen prior to the itchiness, then demodectic mange, ringworm, or bacterial infection caused by a hormonal imbalance might be the problem. However, most bacterial infections of the skin are secondary to the allergy or other issue causing itchiness.
Have you tried any medications or treatments that helped? Certain causes of itchy skin will respond to steroid treatment better than others. Flea allergies and airborne allergies seem to be more responsive than other causes.
Has it been contagious to any other animals or humans in the household? Sarcoptic mange, Cheyletiella and ringworm can be passed on to other animals or humans.
Once the cause of the itchy skin is determined, treatment can begin. Any secondary bacterial or yeast infections must be treated, however, before much progress can be seen in remediation of the underlying cause of the itchy skin. Hot spots occur from self trauma that results when the pet attempts to relieve a pain or itch by excessive scratching, biting and rubbing. These must be controlled with topical treatments while the animal's immune system is recovering.
However, the majority of itchy skin is caused by allergies. In addition to itchy skin, other allergy symptoms may be present such as chronic ear infections or respiratory symptoms such as coughing or nasal congestion, and ocular discharge. Food allergies may also cause symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea that can ultimately progress to inflammatory bowel disease. Some holistic veterinarians also believe that seizures, arthritis, asthma and chronic urinary tract infections can be caused or complicated by food allergies.
Itchy skin and allergy symptoms such as paw chewing have also been linked to over vaccination in a large number of cases. Frequently the symptoms will begin within days or weeks of vaccinations. Educate yourself about vaccinations and the risks involved.
Treating Itchy Skin Caused by Allergies: One of the most common causes of itchy skin is fleas and flea allergies. Flea control is an essential step in the treatment plan for any animal with allergies. Any dog or cat with a compromised immune system is more susceptible to fleas and parasites, so plan to treat the home environment a month before flea season begins. The last thing your pet needs when already battling allergies is a flea infestation to make things worse!
If your pet has been itching for awhile, they may have created bare, red patches in places that can become infected, which is why you need to address these areas right away with topical treatments. Look for hot spot relief remedies, like sprays, baths, shampoos, creams, lotions, etc.. Obviously and ideally all natural and preferably herbal based Should more potent topical treatment become necessary, your vet can prescribe topical treatments and shampoos to help curb the itchiness.
In my mind one of the most important allergy remedies can be your pet’s diet. It is amazing how many pet owners see a dramatic improvement with a change in diet alone. Sometimes this is all what’s needed. With the correct and a good diet you may not even need any further supplements. Allergies are accumulative in the animal's system, even if your pet tends to have seasonal allergies. Food may be adding to the overall load on the system. Transitioning to a more appropriate diet, preferably raw or properly balanced and correct supplemented home prepared food can make a big difference even for pets with seasonal allergies by improving the overall immune system and health of the animal.
While we talk about home cooking for your pet it is necessary to briefly address some supplementation since raw meat by itself is not a complete meal for your pet. The first dietary supplement to consider for an animal with itchy skin are so called essential fatty acids, also known as EFA’s. Fish oil is considered the best source for cats and dogs since the fatty acid chains are readily usable by the animal's system without any conversion process, which is necessary for the utilization of plant sourced essential fatty acids such as flax. EFA’s help reduce inflammation and nourish the skin and coat. They can also be beneficial in assisting the healing process of the digestive system. For older animals, EFAs can help alleviate arthritis symptoms as well.
Allergies are essentially the immune system gone awry. The body starts to attack itself in response to what it perceives as foreign invaders. Supplements to help modulate the immune system are very helpful in treating allergies.
Detoxification/Elimination Support and Healing the Gastrointestinal System: The gastrointestinal system is the first line of defense in an animal's immune system. When a dog or cat has allergies, the gastrointestinal system is usually irritated and inflamed. A leaky gut is the result of this chronic irritation, allowing particles to pass into the blood stream that are too large for the system to manage, this triggers the immune response that manifests as allergies. Antibiotics contribute to the problem by killing the healthy bacteria that aid digestion and maintain a healthy gastrointestinal system. Healing the gut is crucial to the success of allergy treatment.
At a minimum, digestive enzymes and probiotics should be added to each meal to aid in the breakdown of food particles, support the restoration of beneficial gut flora and the healing of the digestive tract.
L-Glutamine is an amino acid essential to the proper function of the gastrointestinal tract. Supplementing the L-Glutamine supports the healing process of the gut and the restoration of healthy gut flora. Look for products designed as a comprehensive intestinal support supplement for dogs and cats, which combines L-glutamine with amino acids, enzymes and probiotics.
Supporting the animal's organs that filter and eliminate waste is another important step when addressing allergies. Liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal system and lymphatic systems are working hard to eliminate the waste produced by the inflammatory process present in allergic reactions, as well as any toxins from medications, the environment and foods. Using natural cleaners around the house and eliminating pesticide and chemical fertilizer use in the yard can go a long way in helping to reduce the load on your pet's system. High quality, preferably organic diets will also reduce the burden of toxin elimination.
Detoxification is essential for any animal that has been treated with multiple courses of medications such as steroids, antibiotics or antihistamines. Steroids, especially, are taxing on the animal's liver. The length of time these supplements may be necessary varies with the severity of the problem and how the individual animal responds. Natural supplements, herbs and remedies are not like prescription medications, they may vary in effectiveness from one animal to the next, and in many instances take time to reach full effectiveness, which could mean weeks or more.
Herbs and supplements designed to relieve the itchy skin and support skin health are another step in your treatment program for chronic allergies. This can help relieve the stress caused by the discomfort, which is supportive of immune function and healing. In addition, reducing the itch helps in the reduction of secondary infections and allows the skin to heal.
Natural treatments do take more time, patience, persistence and effort than a treatment with chemicals and steroids. The long term health and well being of your companion, however, will be far better served by treating the animal's whole system and the underlying cause of the itch, not just the symptoms. Pets can become quite distressed by the itching and can benefit from the addition of stress relieving herbs, supplements, flower essences or homeopathic remedies.
Be persistent in treating the itchiness topically while you are addressing the underlying causes through diet and supplements. This will greatly benefit your pet's ability to heal while at the same time it is reducing stress as well. Secondary infections caused by relentless scratching, licking or biting complicate and slow the healing process.
Evaluating the history of your pet's problem is very important in helping to determine the cause. Though allergies are the most common cause of itching and licking, there are some diseases that need to be ruled out before embarking on the path of allergy treatment.
Following are some important details that will help to diagnose the problem:
Where is the animal the itchiest? Face, base of tail, above the hips, neck, belly, feet.... Watch your companion closely and determine his or her worst areas. Flea Allergies typically cause itching above the hips, the base of the tail, groin and thighs on dogs. Cats usually itch around the neck with flea allergies. Airborne and food allergies commonly cause itching around the face, ears, belly and feet. Scabies (Sarcoptic Mange/mites) typically cause lesions and itching around the ears, elbow, belly and hocks. Demodedectic Mange generally initially appears in young dogs on the face or forelegs. Cheyletiella (mites) are characteristically present on the back or sides.
When did it start? How old was the animal? Mange is more common in younger animals. Puppies and kittens are also more susceptible to flea allergies as they have weaker, less developed immune systems. Older or ill animals are also more susceptible due to a weakened immune system.
Is the problem seasonal or year round? Seasonal itching is more indicative of flea or inhalant allergies or insect bite. In many cases, an animal will initially show signs of seasonal allergies that progress to year round problems.
Which came first, the itching or hairless patches and/or skin lesions? If the itchiness appeared before any skin lesions, then allergies or scabies are more likely to be the culprit. If the skin lesions were seen prior to the itchiness, then demodectic mange, ringworm, or bacterial infection caused by a hormonal imbalance might be the problem. However, most bacterial infections of the skin are secondary to the allergy or other issue causing itchiness.
Have you tried any medications or treatments that helped? Certain causes of itchy skin will respond to steroid treatment better than others. Flea allergies and airborne allergies seem to be more responsive than other causes.
Has it been contagious to any other animals or humans in the household? Sarcoptic mange, Cheyletiella and ringworm can be passed on to other animals or humans.
Once the cause of the itchy skin is determined, treatment can begin. Any secondary bacterial or yeast infections must be treated, however, before much progress can be seen in remediation of the underlying cause of the itchy skin. Hot spots occur from self trauma that results when the pet attempts to relieve a pain or itch by excessive scratching, biting and rubbing. These must be controlled with topical treatments while the animal's immune system is recovering.
However, the majority of itchy skin is caused by allergies. In addition to itchy skin, other allergy symptoms may be present such as chronic ear infections or respiratory symptoms such as coughing or nasal congestion, and ocular discharge. Food allergies may also cause symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea that can ultimately progress to inflammatory bowel disease. Some holistic veterinarians also believe that seizures, arthritis, asthma and chronic urinary tract infections can be caused or complicated by food allergies.
Itchy skin and allergy symptoms such as paw chewing have also been linked to over vaccination in a large number of cases. Frequently the symptoms will begin within days or weeks of vaccinations. Educate yourself about vaccinations and the risks involved.
Treating Itchy Skin Caused by Allergies: One of the most common causes of itchy skin is fleas and flea allergies. Flea control is an essential step in the treatment plan for any animal with allergies. Any dog or cat with a compromised immune system is more susceptible to fleas and parasites, so plan to treat the home environment a month before flea season begins. The last thing your pet needs when already battling allergies is a flea infestation to make things worse!
If your pet has been itching for awhile, they may have created bare, red patches in places that can become infected, which is why you need to address these areas right away with topical treatments. Look for hot spot relief remedies, like sprays, baths, shampoos, creams, lotions, etc.. Obviously and ideally all natural and preferably herbal based Should more potent topical treatment become necessary, your vet can prescribe topical treatments and shampoos to help curb the itchiness.
In my mind one of the most important allergy remedies can be your pet’s diet. It is amazing how many pet owners see a dramatic improvement with a change in diet alone. Sometimes this is all what’s needed. With the correct and a good diet you may not even need any further supplements. Allergies are accumulative in the animal's system, even if your pet tends to have seasonal allergies. Food may be adding to the overall load on the system. Transitioning to a more appropriate diet, preferably raw or properly balanced and correct supplemented home prepared food can make a big difference even for pets with seasonal allergies by improving the overall immune system and health of the animal.
While we talk about home cooking for your pet it is necessary to briefly address some supplementation since raw meat by itself is not a complete meal for your pet. The first dietary supplement to consider for an animal with itchy skin are so called essential fatty acids, also known as EFA’s. Fish oil is considered the best source for cats and dogs since the fatty acid chains are readily usable by the animal's system without any conversion process, which is necessary for the utilization of plant sourced essential fatty acids such as flax. EFA’s help reduce inflammation and nourish the skin and coat. They can also be beneficial in assisting the healing process of the digestive system. For older animals, EFAs can help alleviate arthritis symptoms as well.
Allergies are essentially the immune system gone awry. The body starts to attack itself in response to what it perceives as foreign invaders. Supplements to help modulate the immune system are very helpful in treating allergies.
Detoxification/Elimination Support and Healing the Gastrointestinal System: The gastrointestinal system is the first line of defense in an animal's immune system. When a dog or cat has allergies, the gastrointestinal system is usually irritated and inflamed. A leaky gut is the result of this chronic irritation, allowing particles to pass into the blood stream that are too large for the system to manage, this triggers the immune response that manifests as allergies. Antibiotics contribute to the problem by killing the healthy bacteria that aid digestion and maintain a healthy gastrointestinal system. Healing the gut is crucial to the success of allergy treatment.
At a minimum, digestive enzymes and probiotics should be added to each meal to aid in the breakdown of food particles, support the restoration of beneficial gut flora and the healing of the digestive tract.
L-Glutamine is an amino acid essential to the proper function of the gastrointestinal tract. Supplementing the L-Glutamine supports the healing process of the gut and the restoration of healthy gut flora. Look for products designed as a comprehensive intestinal support supplement for dogs and cats, which combines L-glutamine with amino acids, enzymes and probiotics.
Supporting the animal's organs that filter and eliminate waste is another important step when addressing allergies. Liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal system and lymphatic systems are working hard to eliminate the waste produced by the inflammatory process present in allergic reactions, as well as any toxins from medications, the environment and foods. Using natural cleaners around the house and eliminating pesticide and chemical fertilizer use in the yard can go a long way in helping to reduce the load on your pet's system. High quality, preferably organic diets will also reduce the burden of toxin elimination.
Detoxification is essential for any animal that has been treated with multiple courses of medications such as steroids, antibiotics or antihistamines. Steroids, especially, are taxing on the animal's liver. The length of time these supplements may be necessary varies with the severity of the problem and how the individual animal responds. Natural supplements, herbs and remedies are not like prescription medications, they may vary in effectiveness from one animal to the next, and in many instances take time to reach full effectiveness, which could mean weeks or more.
Herbs and supplements designed to relieve the itchy skin and support skin health are another step in your treatment program for chronic allergies. This can help relieve the stress caused by the discomfort, which is supportive of immune function and healing. In addition, reducing the itch helps in the reduction of secondary infections and allows the skin to heal.
Natural treatments do take more time, patience, persistence and effort than a treatment with chemicals and steroids. The long term health and well being of your companion, however, will be far better served by treating the animal's whole system and the underlying cause of the itch, not just the symptoms. Pets can become quite distressed by the itching and can benefit from the addition of stress relieving herbs, supplements, flower essences or homeopathic remedies.
Be persistent in treating the itchiness topically while you are addressing the underlying causes through diet and supplements. This will greatly benefit your pet's ability to heal while at the same time it is reducing stress as well. Secondary infections caused by relentless scratching, licking or biting complicate and slow the healing process.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Another David vs. Goliath Battle: Now about Pet Food Marketing
Remember my comment dated back the beginning of February this year “David vs. Goliath in 2009 - Let the battle commence: Nestle/Purina vs. the Natural pet food industry (Featuring: Wysong as "David")” and a follow-up comment written on 04/03/09 “Purina vs. Natural Pet Food Industry. It’s all about what? Probiotics? “? No big deal if you don’t, you always can refresh your memory by clicking the links. There is actually no news to report on that subject, I guess the lawyers are diligently working the deal and hopefully get it straightened out before too much money is being thrown out the window and Wysong pet food prices have to go up to cover the additional and unnecessary expense. But while all this has been going on, it appears as if there was another similar battle developing in another corner of the pet food industry. This one is between Hills Science Diet and Blue Buffalo. Susan Thixton of the TruthaboutPetFood.com reported on her site and in her newsletter earlier today on this development
.
Apparently Pet Food giant Hill’s Science Diet has filed a complaint against Blue Buffalo with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) National Advertising Division (NAD). The Science Diet NAD complaint challenges several advertising methods utilized by Blue Buffalo Pet Foods.
Well, whatever it is, we are getting into more details in a second, it must have left a great impression on Susan. She, who usually does not appear to be afraid of anybody and anything (visit her site for her constant ongoing efforts for better pet food regulations taking it all the way up into our government), before she even starts writing her comment, publishes the following disclaimer:
“This article does NOT imply any pet foods discussed are high in quality or inferior in quality. The intent of this article is simply to report on the misgivings of regulations that govern pet foods in the United States.”
After reading this I was thinking that maybe I myself should keep my mouth a little more controlled and be careful with what I am saying in my comments. I know I, or better, our on-line store couldn’t afford having to get involved in a legal dispute with one of the big guns. But then again, sometimes I can’t help it but to scream loud about the misery existing in this industry. And then again, I am not the only one who notices the problems. There have been many experts long before I came along sharing my opinion (or did I share theirs?) And as you all know, it is one of my missions: To educate pet owners so they can make educated decisions when it comes to pet nutrition. So much for freedom of speech, I guess if you dish out you have to be prepared to take the heat.
But let’s come back to the actual topic here. To me the story is highly interesting for various reasons. First the fact that another Goliath is attacking a David in itself to me indicates that the Goliaths out there do take the Davids very serious and are at least to some degree concerned about not just their existence but also their increasingly well doing in the business. And it appears as if they think throwing in some road blocks may change things. Secondly I am interested in what is going on with Blue Buffalo because it is one of the brands I see as fitting the philosophy of our on-line store and offering an outstanding product line. We do not offer this brand in our store yet, emphasizing “yet”. And third, it also shows very clearly that there are problems with the existing rules and regulations, otherwise the entire issue wouldn’t even be one.
Susan, at least on the last point feels the same way. She writes:
“In July 2008, Hill’s Science Diet (third largest pet food producer in the world, owned by Proctor & Gamble), filed a challenge with the NAD against Blue Buffalo Pet Food. The NAD’s mission is “to review national advertising for truthfulness and accuracy”. “Policy and procedures for NAD are established by the National Advertising Review Council (NARC).” No agreement could be made between NAD, Science Diet, and Blue Buffalo; the advertising challenge has been referred to “the appropriate government agency” for possible law enforcement action” (The Federal Trade Commission).
As many pet owners are aware, pet food advertising is not known for its ‘truthfulness and accuracy’. AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials) regulations allow dog food and cat food labels to “include an unqualified claim, directly or indirectly” (PF7a). Thus an advertising challenge from one pet food manufacturer against another, seems difficult at best to prove and quite the oxymoron (a figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms). The Pet Food pot calling the Pet Food kettle black.
Science Diet Pet Food had several ‘beefs’ about Blue Buffalo’s advertising. The he said/she said banter between these two pet food makers is lengthy in documents provided to TruthaboutPetFood.com by the NAD.
The biggest issue challenged by Science Diet was Blue Buffalo’s claim of “No Animal By-Products” in their dog foods and cat foods. “The challenger (Science Diet) took issue with the advertiser’s express claims that none of its pet foods contain animal by-products. It also took issue with the implied claim that BLUE pet foods are healthier for pets than competitive foods that contain by-products.”
Here begins the mass confusion thanks to AAFCO ingredient definitions. AAFCO defines ‘meat’ to be exclusive of any animal material resembling by-products. However, AAFCO’s definition of ‘meat meal’ (such as ‘fish meal’, or ‘lamb meal’) allows any animal part to be included except ‘hair, hoof, horn, hide, manure, and stomach’. One more definition to add to the confusion is ‘poultry meal’ (such as ‘chicken meal’ or ‘turkey meal’); ‘poultry meal’ unlike ‘fish meal’ or ‘lamb meal’, cannot include animal intestines, poultry heads or feet. The term ‘meal’ implies, according to AAFCO regulations, the moisture is removed from the ‘meat’ prior to manufacturing of the pet food. Pet owners would think that a ‘meat meal’ is what AAFCO defines as ‘meat’ with the moisture removed; such is not the case.
In an attempt to explain this confusing ingredient definition mess…’meat’ is nothing similar to by-products, a ‘meat’ meal such as ‘fish meal’ or ‘lamb meal’ can include intestines which anyone in their right mind would consider a by-product, but another type of ‘meat’ meal such as ‘chicken meal’ or ‘turkey meal’ cannot include intestines but can include other internal organs that AAFCO defines as a by-product (liver as example).
Whew! Are you lost yet? Buckle your seat belt, it gets worse…
AAFCO defines ‘meat by-products’ (such as ‘chicken by-products’) to be completely exclusive of meat (“includes but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, stomach, intestines”). Despite by-products having their own definition, by-products can be (at the sole discretion of the pet food manufacturer and without the knowledge of the pet food purchaser) included in other safe sounding pet food ingredient names such as ‘fish meal’ and ‘chicken meal’.
One more twist…all of the above pet food ingredient definitions can come from animals rejected for use in human foods, again at the sole discretion of the pet food manufacturer. Each of the above AAFCO definitions includes “it shall be suitable for use in animal food”; any animal rejected for use in human foods, regardless of why, is ‘suitable for use in animal food’ per regulations. This does NOT mean that all pet foods that contain ‘meat’, or ‘meat meal’ ingredients includes animal intestines or is sourced from diseased, rejected for use in human food animals; it means that some do and some don’t. It also means that those pet foods that do use inferior sources of ‘meat’ and ‘meat meal’ ingredients, don’t have to tell you.
Back to the ‘challenge’ presented by Science Diet. Science Diet stated Blue Buffalo’s ‘no-animal by-products’ advertising is false and thus misleading. The NAD agreed. “NAD therefore recommended that the advertiser discontinue its ‘no animal by-products’ claims when made in reference to pet foods containing fish meal, lamb meal, and/or liver.”
The following statement is provided in the fine print of the Blue Buffalo website (http://www.bluebuff.com/contact.shtml): “In addition, all BLUE healthy canned dog foods contain NO animal by-product, artificial preservatives, corn, wheat or soy. As “by-products” are defined in The 2009 AAFCO Official Publication”
Another advertising ‘challenge’ presented by Science Diet regarding Blue Buffalo is the Blue statement “Because the leading pet foods did not meet our standards, we developed a two-part product that combined a nutrition kibble with our exclusive LifeSource Bits – active nutrients and antioxidants ‘cold formed’ to preserve their potency.” Science Diet claimed the Blue statement was implying Blue Buffalo Pet Foods are superior in nutrition than Science Diet Pet Foods.
The interesting aspect of this part of the ‘challenge’ begins with the following quote from the NAD report: “Although the claim does not explicitly state that Blue pet foods are more nutritious than competing brands, it is established NAD precedent that advertisers must not only substantiate their express claims but also those that are reasonably implied.”
While keeping in mind that Science Diet objected to Blue’s ‘superiority claim’, the Hill’s Science Diet website states the following as the home page title: “Superior Nutrition for the Quality of Life of your Pet.” I personally interpret this statement as Science Diet’s own ‘superiority claim’. Here are a few other claims from leading pet food brands that seem to be making similar superiority claims as Science Diet and Blue Buffalo...
Iams: “Iams is veterinarian recommended.”
Pedigree: “Really good food.”
Nutro: “Natural Super-Premium Dog & Cat Food.”
AAFCO regulations allow pet foods to make all types of ‘superiority claims’. Despite the NAD agreeing with Science Diet that Blue’s ‘superiority claim’ is not substantiated through clinical proof, this is one of countless in the pet food world. For one pet food manufacturer to challenge another pet food manufacturer on this particular issue, consider regulations allowing all to make "unqualified claims" seems…well…ridiculous.
Lastly, Science Diet challenged the Blue claim “Feed your pet like you feed your family”. The issue of concern is the implication of ‘human food’ quality; a big no, no in the pet food world. AAFCO regulations do NOT allow a pet food manufacturer to state the grade or quality of dog food or cat food ingredients. Just to be clear, AAFCO regulations ALLOW dog food and cat food labels to make “unqualified claims, directly or indirectly” yet do NOT ALLOW dog foods and cat food labels to state their use of human grade meats. These regulations, accepted by the FDA, keep pet owners completely in the dark as to the true quality of their pet’s food.
After closely looking at almost 1300 dog foods, cat foods, and pet treats, I can honestly say there are few to none that don’t market (advertise) to the pet lover’s instinct wishing to feed their dog or cat just like the rest of their family. All Pet food manufacturers are well aware of these human instincts and most openly advertise to this instinct.
Regardless of Science Diet’s challenge of Blue Buffalo’s advertising, pet owners continue to be misled by most pet foods advertising and label claims. AAFCO ingredient definitions would be laughable if the issue wasn’t so serious. Top that off with a government agency (the FDA) not enforcing Federal law where pet foods are concerned. In other words, pet owners are left defenseless.
Some pet foods use only the finest ingredients, the very same ingredients you WOULD feed to any member of your family. The pet food that I provide my gang, uses only human grade chicken breast in its chicken meal (no bone, no skin, no by-products, only breast meat), yet they are NOT allowed to tell customers this on their label or in their advertising. Another pet food can imply all types of unqualified health claims on their labels, when they use intestines and diseased chickens in their chicken meal. It doesn’t seem fair does it?
This isn’t quality of potting soil or house paint, this is quality of nutrition that is supposed to enhance the lives of our furry family; family that solely depends on us to provide them with quality nutrition.
Truth in pet food labeling and advertising doesn’t exist. Existing regulations do not require it.
Our pets on the other hand, do tell us the truth. Recently a pet owner shared with me her experience of changing pet foods (from a well known pet food brand to a lesser known brand that uses human grade meats – but can’t advertise they do). As recommended, she slowly introduced the new dog food and cat food; mixing only a partial amount of new food in with the old food. Her cat “ate around” the old food, eating only the new food. Her dog politely spit out every kibble of old food all over the kitchen floor, eating only the new food. When this ‘mom’ followed instructions and did not provide her dog and cat more of the new food for this meal, both animals refused to eat the old food and thus had only a small portion of their regular meal – all new food.
This dog and cat get my vote as President of AAFCO and Director of Pet Food Safety at the FDA. If they were in charge, things would be different.”
Thank you Susan, well done. If anybody thought Wysong’s probiotics story was a complicated one, this one is not less complicated and it is not even scientific. I for my part wish Hills would leave Blue Buffalo alone and let them concentrate on continuing what they are doing best: Making great pet food. It also could be beneficial for Hills to look into the option of making better foods. At the end, it only would benefit our companion animals and what is wrong with that?
To me it’s all a waste of time and money, money which could be spend in much better ways all day long. Let’s hope, with this being the second battle now going on that we are not at the brink of pet food world war.
Please visit Susan’s website to learn more about her opinions and work, her endless efforts on behalf of our pets for better and stricter regulations and also for her greatest accomplishment, the enormous and really eye opening pet food review database “TruthaboutPetFood.com”.
.
Apparently Pet Food giant Hill’s Science Diet has filed a complaint against Blue Buffalo with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) National Advertising Division (NAD). The Science Diet NAD complaint challenges several advertising methods utilized by Blue Buffalo Pet Foods.
Well, whatever it is, we are getting into more details in a second, it must have left a great impression on Susan. She, who usually does not appear to be afraid of anybody and anything (visit her site for her constant ongoing efforts for better pet food regulations taking it all the way up into our government), before she even starts writing her comment, publishes the following disclaimer:
“This article does NOT imply any pet foods discussed are high in quality or inferior in quality. The intent of this article is simply to report on the misgivings of regulations that govern pet foods in the United States.”
After reading this I was thinking that maybe I myself should keep my mouth a little more controlled and be careful with what I am saying in my comments. I know I, or better, our on-line store couldn’t afford having to get involved in a legal dispute with one of the big guns. But then again, sometimes I can’t help it but to scream loud about the misery existing in this industry. And then again, I am not the only one who notices the problems. There have been many experts long before I came along sharing my opinion (or did I share theirs?) And as you all know, it is one of my missions: To educate pet owners so they can make educated decisions when it comes to pet nutrition. So much for freedom of speech, I guess if you dish out you have to be prepared to take the heat.
But let’s come back to the actual topic here. To me the story is highly interesting for various reasons. First the fact that another Goliath is attacking a David in itself to me indicates that the Goliaths out there do take the Davids very serious and are at least to some degree concerned about not just their existence but also their increasingly well doing in the business. And it appears as if they think throwing in some road blocks may change things. Secondly I am interested in what is going on with Blue Buffalo because it is one of the brands I see as fitting the philosophy of our on-line store and offering an outstanding product line. We do not offer this brand in our store yet, emphasizing “yet”. And third, it also shows very clearly that there are problems with the existing rules and regulations, otherwise the entire issue wouldn’t even be one.
Susan, at least on the last point feels the same way. She writes:
“In July 2008, Hill’s Science Diet (third largest pet food producer in the world, owned by Proctor & Gamble), filed a challenge with the NAD against Blue Buffalo Pet Food. The NAD’s mission is “to review national advertising for truthfulness and accuracy”. “Policy and procedures for NAD are established by the National Advertising Review Council (NARC).” No agreement could be made between NAD, Science Diet, and Blue Buffalo; the advertising challenge has been referred to “the appropriate government agency” for possible law enforcement action” (The Federal Trade Commission).
As many pet owners are aware, pet food advertising is not known for its ‘truthfulness and accuracy’. AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials) regulations allow dog food and cat food labels to “include an unqualified claim, directly or indirectly” (PF7a). Thus an advertising challenge from one pet food manufacturer against another, seems difficult at best to prove and quite the oxymoron (a figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms). The Pet Food pot calling the Pet Food kettle black.
Science Diet Pet Food had several ‘beefs’ about Blue Buffalo’s advertising. The he said/she said banter between these two pet food makers is lengthy in documents provided to TruthaboutPetFood.com by the NAD.
The biggest issue challenged by Science Diet was Blue Buffalo’s claim of “No Animal By-Products” in their dog foods and cat foods. “The challenger (Science Diet) took issue with the advertiser’s express claims that none of its pet foods contain animal by-products. It also took issue with the implied claim that BLUE pet foods are healthier for pets than competitive foods that contain by-products.”
Here begins the mass confusion thanks to AAFCO ingredient definitions. AAFCO defines ‘meat’ to be exclusive of any animal material resembling by-products. However, AAFCO’s definition of ‘meat meal’ (such as ‘fish meal’, or ‘lamb meal’) allows any animal part to be included except ‘hair, hoof, horn, hide, manure, and stomach’. One more definition to add to the confusion is ‘poultry meal’ (such as ‘chicken meal’ or ‘turkey meal’); ‘poultry meal’ unlike ‘fish meal’ or ‘lamb meal’, cannot include animal intestines, poultry heads or feet. The term ‘meal’ implies, according to AAFCO regulations, the moisture is removed from the ‘meat’ prior to manufacturing of the pet food. Pet owners would think that a ‘meat meal’ is what AAFCO defines as ‘meat’ with the moisture removed; such is not the case.
In an attempt to explain this confusing ingredient definition mess…’meat’ is nothing similar to by-products, a ‘meat’ meal such as ‘fish meal’ or ‘lamb meal’ can include intestines which anyone in their right mind would consider a by-product, but another type of ‘meat’ meal such as ‘chicken meal’ or ‘turkey meal’ cannot include intestines but can include other internal organs that AAFCO defines as a by-product (liver as example).
Whew! Are you lost yet? Buckle your seat belt, it gets worse…
AAFCO defines ‘meat by-products’ (such as ‘chicken by-products’) to be completely exclusive of meat (“includes but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, stomach, intestines”). Despite by-products having their own definition, by-products can be (at the sole discretion of the pet food manufacturer and without the knowledge of the pet food purchaser) included in other safe sounding pet food ingredient names such as ‘fish meal’ and ‘chicken meal’.
One more twist…all of the above pet food ingredient definitions can come from animals rejected for use in human foods, again at the sole discretion of the pet food manufacturer. Each of the above AAFCO definitions includes “it shall be suitable for use in animal food”; any animal rejected for use in human foods, regardless of why, is ‘suitable for use in animal food’ per regulations. This does NOT mean that all pet foods that contain ‘meat’, or ‘meat meal’ ingredients includes animal intestines or is sourced from diseased, rejected for use in human food animals; it means that some do and some don’t. It also means that those pet foods that do use inferior sources of ‘meat’ and ‘meat meal’ ingredients, don’t have to tell you.
Back to the ‘challenge’ presented by Science Diet. Science Diet stated Blue Buffalo’s ‘no-animal by-products’ advertising is false and thus misleading. The NAD agreed. “NAD therefore recommended that the advertiser discontinue its ‘no animal by-products’ claims when made in reference to pet foods containing fish meal, lamb meal, and/or liver.”
The following statement is provided in the fine print of the Blue Buffalo website (http://www.bluebuff.com/contact.shtml): “In addition, all BLUE healthy canned dog foods contain NO animal by-product, artificial preservatives, corn, wheat or soy. As “by-products” are defined in The 2009 AAFCO Official Publication”
Another advertising ‘challenge’ presented by Science Diet regarding Blue Buffalo is the Blue statement “Because the leading pet foods did not meet our standards, we developed a two-part product that combined a nutrition kibble with our exclusive LifeSource Bits – active nutrients and antioxidants ‘cold formed’ to preserve their potency.” Science Diet claimed the Blue statement was implying Blue Buffalo Pet Foods are superior in nutrition than Science Diet Pet Foods.
The interesting aspect of this part of the ‘challenge’ begins with the following quote from the NAD report: “Although the claim does not explicitly state that Blue pet foods are more nutritious than competing brands, it is established NAD precedent that advertisers must not only substantiate their express claims but also those that are reasonably implied.”
While keeping in mind that Science Diet objected to Blue’s ‘superiority claim’, the Hill’s Science Diet website states the following as the home page title: “Superior Nutrition for the Quality of Life of your Pet.” I personally interpret this statement as Science Diet’s own ‘superiority claim’. Here are a few other claims from leading pet food brands that seem to be making similar superiority claims as Science Diet and Blue Buffalo...
Iams: “Iams is veterinarian recommended.”
Pedigree: “Really good food.”
Nutro: “Natural Super-Premium Dog & Cat Food.”
AAFCO regulations allow pet foods to make all types of ‘superiority claims’. Despite the NAD agreeing with Science Diet that Blue’s ‘superiority claim’ is not substantiated through clinical proof, this is one of countless in the pet food world. For one pet food manufacturer to challenge another pet food manufacturer on this particular issue, consider regulations allowing all to make "unqualified claims" seems…well…ridiculous.
Lastly, Science Diet challenged the Blue claim “Feed your pet like you feed your family”. The issue of concern is the implication of ‘human food’ quality; a big no, no in the pet food world. AAFCO regulations do NOT allow a pet food manufacturer to state the grade or quality of dog food or cat food ingredients. Just to be clear, AAFCO regulations ALLOW dog food and cat food labels to make “unqualified claims, directly or indirectly” yet do NOT ALLOW dog foods and cat food labels to state their use of human grade meats. These regulations, accepted by the FDA, keep pet owners completely in the dark as to the true quality of their pet’s food.
After closely looking at almost 1300 dog foods, cat foods, and pet treats, I can honestly say there are few to none that don’t market (advertise) to the pet lover’s instinct wishing to feed their dog or cat just like the rest of their family. All Pet food manufacturers are well aware of these human instincts and most openly advertise to this instinct.
Regardless of Science Diet’s challenge of Blue Buffalo’s advertising, pet owners continue to be misled by most pet foods advertising and label claims. AAFCO ingredient definitions would be laughable if the issue wasn’t so serious. Top that off with a government agency (the FDA) not enforcing Federal law where pet foods are concerned. In other words, pet owners are left defenseless.
Some pet foods use only the finest ingredients, the very same ingredients you WOULD feed to any member of your family. The pet food that I provide my gang, uses only human grade chicken breast in its chicken meal (no bone, no skin, no by-products, only breast meat), yet they are NOT allowed to tell customers this on their label or in their advertising. Another pet food can imply all types of unqualified health claims on their labels, when they use intestines and diseased chickens in their chicken meal. It doesn’t seem fair does it?
This isn’t quality of potting soil or house paint, this is quality of nutrition that is supposed to enhance the lives of our furry family; family that solely depends on us to provide them with quality nutrition.
Truth in pet food labeling and advertising doesn’t exist. Existing regulations do not require it.
Our pets on the other hand, do tell us the truth. Recently a pet owner shared with me her experience of changing pet foods (from a well known pet food brand to a lesser known brand that uses human grade meats – but can’t advertise they do). As recommended, she slowly introduced the new dog food and cat food; mixing only a partial amount of new food in with the old food. Her cat “ate around” the old food, eating only the new food. Her dog politely spit out every kibble of old food all over the kitchen floor, eating only the new food. When this ‘mom’ followed instructions and did not provide her dog and cat more of the new food for this meal, both animals refused to eat the old food and thus had only a small portion of their regular meal – all new food.
This dog and cat get my vote as President of AAFCO and Director of Pet Food Safety at the FDA. If they were in charge, things would be different.”
Thank you Susan, well done. If anybody thought Wysong’s probiotics story was a complicated one, this one is not less complicated and it is not even scientific. I for my part wish Hills would leave Blue Buffalo alone and let them concentrate on continuing what they are doing best: Making great pet food. It also could be beneficial for Hills to look into the option of making better foods. At the end, it only would benefit our companion animals and what is wrong with that?
To me it’s all a waste of time and money, money which could be spend in much better ways all day long. Let’s hope, with this being the second battle now going on that we are not at the brink of pet food world war.
Please visit Susan’s website to learn more about her opinions and work, her endless efforts on behalf of our pets for better and stricter regulations and also for her greatest accomplishment, the enormous and really eye opening pet food review database “TruthaboutPetFood.com”.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Raw Pet Food Deceptions Exposed
The correct and healthy archetypal diet for pets is foods they are genetically adapted to. For carnivores, that would predominantly consist of raw prey. The logic and evidence for this is unassailable and Wysong has been teaching this for the past thirty years. As public awareness of this important concept grows, marketers and producers see a profit opportunity in the competitive edge this concept could bring. But stuck with manufacturing facilities designed to cook pet foods, what are they to do? I asked Dr. Randy Wysong, DVM and founder, owner and CEO of Wysong, here’s his response:
“Where substance does not work, clever words might. So brochures, labels and product names are crafted in such a way as to lead consumers to believe they are getting raw dog and cat products when in fact they are not. Sadly, these deceptive practices mislead consumers away from the true health benefits that raw diets can bring to their companion animals.
It is important to understand that all conventional dry pet foods are either extruded or baked. Baking, though it may sound innocuous, is just like what is done in an oven at home. Extruding squeezes ingredients through a long tube with a screw under hundreds of pounds of pressure and at temperatures above 300 degrees. Canning (retorting) also requires high temperatures. Finally there is freeze-drying that takes frozen foods directly to a dried state. In order to speed this difficult process along, most freeze-dry pet food processors heat the food and apply vacuum. All such cooking methods are done in order to create sterile products that can safely be held in packaging for months and years without risk of conferring illness or even death from food-borne pathogens and toxins.
How then, using these methods, is a manufacturer going to create a raw processed pet food to satisfy an alert consumer’s desire for convenient raw meat-based foods? It can’t be done with the above methods. Cooking negates raw.
Two options remain for consumers, feed raw foods from the grocery or feed Wysong True Non Thermal (TNT) raw cat and dog foods.* The Wysong TNT process can only be done in relatively small batches, requires extremely expensive equipment, is very labor intensive, and requires days to complete if the pet product is never raised above approximate body temperature ……… To get around the problem of having to renovate manufacturing and revert to very slow and labor intensive methods, manufacturers leave things as they are and simply get creative with words. Words are cheap, building innovative new manufacturing plants is not.
For example, there is a wave of “grain-free” products on the market. The idea here is to lead consumers to believe the problem with cooked foods is the grains. So the grains are removed and replaced with other starches such as from rice, potato or tapioca. Then claims are made that the resulting products have all the merits of raw. The truth is that the foods are still extruded at hundreds of degrees. Grains, potatoes, rice and tapioca are all sources of starch, a long carbohydrate chain of sugars. Grains are added to extruded products because their starches (the dough) help create a formed nugget. Replacing the starch of grains with other starchy ingredients does not make a food raw or remove dough!
Another ploy is to dust an extruded product with some raw ingredients and then make claims of raw. For example some raw freeze-dried meat could be powdered and then dusted on the cooked nuggets. But if the end food is 99.999999999+% cooked, that hardly fills the bill for a raw pet food. To sort this out, look at the ingredient listing. Vitamins and minerals are usually at the tail end of the list because they are only needed in micro amounts. For example, vitamin B12 may only be at a level of one ten-millionth of an ounce in a normal meal of a pet food. Now then, if vitamin B12 is 25 ingredients down from the top of the list, and then the raw freeze dried meats are another 25 or so ingredients down from there, what can be concluded? The raw part of the food could be at billionths of an ounce, trillionths, or just a few molecules per twenty-ton truckload? Yet raw is the clarion cry about the merit of the food! (For example, see …..)
Here is how such an ingredient list looks:
INGREDIENTS(IN ORDER OF RELATIVE AMOUNTS):
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21, 22,23,24 (at one ten-millionths of an ounce per feeding), 25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44, 45,46,47,48 (a raw particle dusted on the outside)
Rather than pay the exorbitant prices for such diets, consumers could buy a cheap generic food and touch a couple of the kibbles with their fingers and get about as much raw protein from their fingerprint (less than one-ten millionth of an ounce) on the food as is evidently present.
The "no-grain" tactic always seems to be a sure winner. Consumers assume the “no” part is bad and that the food that has no something must have a good something instead. In this case, having no grain is meant to imply the food has all the merits of a raw pet diet. Allusions to the “science” that is used to make such products are usually made in an attempt to convince people that cooked is the same thing as raw. Saying something that is cooked is raw is not science, it is science from another dimension! Black is not white, left is not right, up is not down, cooked is not raw.
Further, if these dried and canned foods even hint at being truly raw, dangerous pathogenic organisms such as Clostridium botulinum with its lethal exotoxin could lurk within. Such organisms can flourish in high moisture dried and canned foods if they are not cooked to sterility in processing. (This does not apply to Wysong TNT pet foods because of their extremely low water activity [not the same as % moisture on a label], and other Wysong raw pet food safety precautions - see … and Other Raw Pet Food Safety Innovations at Wysong). In addition, if the foods are truly raw the FDA requires that handling guidelines for safe use be put on the label. If these instructions are not there and the consumer is being led to believe the product is in any way raw, then the product is being sold illegally. (This FDA requirement is on all new Wysong packaging, but not found on any of the cooked foods in the market implying that they are raw.)
The concept of feeding according to genetic context is the most important idea people can embrace if they are concerned about their pet’s health (and their own). With this understanding people are led to raw natural foods and away from the disease-producing mainstay of cooked sugars and starches. For producers to superficially take the words of this idea and run to market with it presenting cooked products containing starches as if they are raw and natural is a travesty and perversion of the healthful concept.
The deception is like the ad offering a sculpted bust of Abraham Lincoln, commissioned and manufactured by the U.S. government, made of certified pure copper alloy and delivered to your home by the U.S. government. Price is only $49.95. When, as promised, the U.S. postal service arrives, it delivers a small envelope. Inside is a penny. The only difference between this and the raw ruses is that here people are only out some money. The raw deception is robbing pets of a tremendous health opportunity.
Consumers should be up in arms, stores and distributors promoting the deception should be embarrassed and the government should be stepping in. Are we at Wysong disappointed? Most certainly. First off, the idea of raw is to bring health back to pets and spare them disease and suffering. It's not just an opportunity to profiteer. (And no, Wysong does not fall in that group because if people were to follow our instructions to a tee, no packaged products would need to be purchased - even Wysong’s.) When consumers submit to gullibility and believe producers will be honest with them there is a double tragedy. People are duped and pets suffer.
Additionally, while fake raw pet products are cheaply spit out of the end of extruders and retorters at tons per hour, we (Wysong) must carefully deep freeze meats (less than -20° F) over extended time to kill potential parasites, spend years developing natural preservatives to help make raw products safe from food-borne pathogens, create a natural antioxidant to preserve fragile fatty acids (such as omega-3’s), hand batch ingredients, install huge specially designed stainless steel machines to draw extremely high levels of vacuum to convert frozen products into shelf stable dry ones (at a rate of a few hundred pounds over several days, not tons per hour), tend these machines 24 hours a day, pay the high utility and maintenance bills to run large compressors and vacuum pumps, wait for days for a batch to be properly dried, and then hand package in oxygen - and light-barrier bags. These products are then sold below their cost (see explanation below) just to give people an affordable option and to educate them on the value of true real food. After all this, when we then tell consumers this is a proper option for raw food feeding, they say something like, “Thanks but we’re already feeding grain-free foods that are just like raw,” referring to the above mentioned pretender products.
Consumers must beware. Anyone can say anything. Walking the walk and building manufacturing facilities that actually produce a pet product that emulates the health-giving natural diet is quite another matter. That is why practically no one is doing it. Pet food producers who are promoting "no grains" as the solution to providing raw diets are merely substituting starches. Raw meats do not equal cooked potato, cooked tapioca, yams, plantains or any other cooked starch. (Neither do such diets qualify as low carb as is also promoted by companies. Starch is carbohydrate whether it is from corn, wheat, rice, potatoes or tapioca.) One must also wonder how producers who make claims about science, nutritionists, veterinary designed, and the like (as nearly all of them do), do not understand the most simple of nutritional and food concepts: cooked is not raw and starch is not no- or low-carbohydrate. They either do understand and are purposely misleading trusting consumers, or, even more unthinkable, they don’t understand.
To protect themselves, consumers must ask the skeptical and hard questions of producers to flush the truth out. Do not believe claims at face value. Be a thinking person. On the other hand, distributors, retailers and veterinarians have a special responsibility. Customers come to them expecting expertise and honesty. Such pet owners are not just buying the cheapest brand at the grocery but are seeking health and quality. Specialty retailers are always looking for a sales edge but they must not be too quick to latch on to the latest marketing gimmick. If that ‘edge’ turns out to be deception and incompetence nobody wins: The customer is not getting what they are paying for, pets are not getting health, and the specialty pet market jeopardizes their reputation and the credibility of their business. Merchandizing does not have to be deceptive. Customers need to be given what they want and need. They deserve the truth, not myths and scams.
The truth is simple. Humans are the only creatures on the planet that cook food. Does nature really have it all wrong? Not likely. Pets need their raw archetypal diet and a variety of honest foods. Some grains and starch in the diet here and there is perfectly fine, but just not meal after meal. Cooked oet foods are fine here and there too, but not day after day, or exclusively. The poorest quality starches are refined dehydrated starches used in pet foods such as from potato and tapioca since they can have almost no nutritional value. They can be fine as well, but not at every meal and certainly not as a substitute for raw.
Raw cat and dog food advantages go way beyond the absence of grains. Cooking, extruding, canning, baking, and freeze drying all create hundreds of changes to the natural food matrix including destroying many nutrients and turning components into dozens of toxins. That’s the issue, not no-grains, or low-carbs, or pretending to be just like raw. Pet owners need to learn how to feed fresh whole foods purchased at the grocery. They also deserve honest products designed and made by competent pet product producers (not marketers) that truly embrace health-first design and offer true non-thermal processing options. Such variety of truly healthy foods is what pets are designed for and the only way for them to achieve long-term optimal health.”
*Comment: …or other raw food products like any of the ones offered in our store for example
Note: Contribution by Dr. R.L.Wysong of Wysong Corporation.
“Where substance does not work, clever words might. So brochures, labels and product names are crafted in such a way as to lead consumers to believe they are getting raw dog and cat products when in fact they are not. Sadly, these deceptive practices mislead consumers away from the true health benefits that raw diets can bring to their companion animals.
It is important to understand that all conventional dry pet foods are either extruded or baked. Baking, though it may sound innocuous, is just like what is done in an oven at home. Extruding squeezes ingredients through a long tube with a screw under hundreds of pounds of pressure and at temperatures above 300 degrees. Canning (retorting) also requires high temperatures. Finally there is freeze-drying that takes frozen foods directly to a dried state. In order to speed this difficult process along, most freeze-dry pet food processors heat the food and apply vacuum. All such cooking methods are done in order to create sterile products that can safely be held in packaging for months and years without risk of conferring illness or even death from food-borne pathogens and toxins.
How then, using these methods, is a manufacturer going to create a raw processed pet food to satisfy an alert consumer’s desire for convenient raw meat-based foods? It can’t be done with the above methods. Cooking negates raw.
Two options remain for consumers, feed raw foods from the grocery or feed Wysong True Non Thermal (TNT) raw cat and dog foods.* The Wysong TNT process can only be done in relatively small batches, requires extremely expensive equipment, is very labor intensive, and requires days to complete if the pet product is never raised above approximate body temperature ……… To get around the problem of having to renovate manufacturing and revert to very slow and labor intensive methods, manufacturers leave things as they are and simply get creative with words. Words are cheap, building innovative new manufacturing plants is not.
For example, there is a wave of “grain-free” products on the market. The idea here is to lead consumers to believe the problem with cooked foods is the grains. So the grains are removed and replaced with other starches such as from rice, potato or tapioca. Then claims are made that the resulting products have all the merits of raw. The truth is that the foods are still extruded at hundreds of degrees. Grains, potatoes, rice and tapioca are all sources of starch, a long carbohydrate chain of sugars. Grains are added to extruded products because their starches (the dough) help create a formed nugget. Replacing the starch of grains with other starchy ingredients does not make a food raw or remove dough!
Another ploy is to dust an extruded product with some raw ingredients and then make claims of raw. For example some raw freeze-dried meat could be powdered and then dusted on the cooked nuggets. But if the end food is 99.999999999+% cooked, that hardly fills the bill for a raw pet food. To sort this out, look at the ingredient listing. Vitamins and minerals are usually at the tail end of the list because they are only needed in micro amounts. For example, vitamin B12 may only be at a level of one ten-millionth of an ounce in a normal meal of a pet food. Now then, if vitamin B12 is 25 ingredients down from the top of the list, and then the raw freeze dried meats are another 25 or so ingredients down from there, what can be concluded? The raw part of the food could be at billionths of an ounce, trillionths, or just a few molecules per twenty-ton truckload? Yet raw is the clarion cry about the merit of the food! (For example, see …..)
Here is how such an ingredient list looks:
INGREDIENTS(IN ORDER OF RELATIVE AMOUNTS):
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21, 22,23,24 (at one ten-millionths of an ounce per feeding), 25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44, 45,46,47,48 (a raw particle dusted on the outside)
Rather than pay the exorbitant prices for such diets, consumers could buy a cheap generic food and touch a couple of the kibbles with their fingers and get about as much raw protein from their fingerprint (less than one-ten millionth of an ounce) on the food as is evidently present.
The "no-grain" tactic always seems to be a sure winner. Consumers assume the “no” part is bad and that the food that has no something must have a good something instead. In this case, having no grain is meant to imply the food has all the merits of a raw pet diet. Allusions to the “science” that is used to make such products are usually made in an attempt to convince people that cooked is the same thing as raw. Saying something that is cooked is raw is not science, it is science from another dimension! Black is not white, left is not right, up is not down, cooked is not raw.
Further, if these dried and canned foods even hint at being truly raw, dangerous pathogenic organisms such as Clostridium botulinum with its lethal exotoxin could lurk within. Such organisms can flourish in high moisture dried and canned foods if they are not cooked to sterility in processing. (This does not apply to Wysong TNT pet foods because of their extremely low water activity [not the same as % moisture on a label], and other Wysong raw pet food safety precautions - see … and Other Raw Pet Food Safety Innovations at Wysong). In addition, if the foods are truly raw the FDA requires that handling guidelines for safe use be put on the label. If these instructions are not there and the consumer is being led to believe the product is in any way raw, then the product is being sold illegally. (This FDA requirement is on all new Wysong packaging, but not found on any of the cooked foods in the market implying that they are raw.)
The concept of feeding according to genetic context is the most important idea people can embrace if they are concerned about their pet’s health (and their own). With this understanding people are led to raw natural foods and away from the disease-producing mainstay of cooked sugars and starches. For producers to superficially take the words of this idea and run to market with it presenting cooked products containing starches as if they are raw and natural is a travesty and perversion of the healthful concept.
The deception is like the ad offering a sculpted bust of Abraham Lincoln, commissioned and manufactured by the U.S. government, made of certified pure copper alloy and delivered to your home by the U.S. government. Price is only $49.95. When, as promised, the U.S. postal service arrives, it delivers a small envelope. Inside is a penny. The only difference between this and the raw ruses is that here people are only out some money. The raw deception is robbing pets of a tremendous health opportunity.
Consumers should be up in arms, stores and distributors promoting the deception should be embarrassed and the government should be stepping in. Are we at Wysong disappointed? Most certainly. First off, the idea of raw is to bring health back to pets and spare them disease and suffering. It's not just an opportunity to profiteer. (And no, Wysong does not fall in that group because if people were to follow our instructions to a tee, no packaged products would need to be purchased - even Wysong’s.) When consumers submit to gullibility and believe producers will be honest with them there is a double tragedy. People are duped and pets suffer.
Additionally, while fake raw pet products are cheaply spit out of the end of extruders and retorters at tons per hour, we (Wysong) must carefully deep freeze meats (less than -20° F) over extended time to kill potential parasites, spend years developing natural preservatives to help make raw products safe from food-borne pathogens, create a natural antioxidant to preserve fragile fatty acids (such as omega-3’s), hand batch ingredients, install huge specially designed stainless steel machines to draw extremely high levels of vacuum to convert frozen products into shelf stable dry ones (at a rate of a few hundred pounds over several days, not tons per hour), tend these machines 24 hours a day, pay the high utility and maintenance bills to run large compressors and vacuum pumps, wait for days for a batch to be properly dried, and then hand package in oxygen - and light-barrier bags. These products are then sold below their cost (see explanation below) just to give people an affordable option and to educate them on the value of true real food. After all this, when we then tell consumers this is a proper option for raw food feeding, they say something like, “Thanks but we’re already feeding grain-free foods that are just like raw,” referring to the above mentioned pretender products.
Consumers must beware. Anyone can say anything. Walking the walk and building manufacturing facilities that actually produce a pet product that emulates the health-giving natural diet is quite another matter. That is why practically no one is doing it. Pet food producers who are promoting "no grains" as the solution to providing raw diets are merely substituting starches. Raw meats do not equal cooked potato, cooked tapioca, yams, plantains or any other cooked starch. (Neither do such diets qualify as low carb as is also promoted by companies. Starch is carbohydrate whether it is from corn, wheat, rice, potatoes or tapioca.) One must also wonder how producers who make claims about science, nutritionists, veterinary designed, and the like (as nearly all of them do), do not understand the most simple of nutritional and food concepts: cooked is not raw and starch is not no- or low-carbohydrate. They either do understand and are purposely misleading trusting consumers, or, even more unthinkable, they don’t understand.
To protect themselves, consumers must ask the skeptical and hard questions of producers to flush the truth out. Do not believe claims at face value. Be a thinking person. On the other hand, distributors, retailers and veterinarians have a special responsibility. Customers come to them expecting expertise and honesty. Such pet owners are not just buying the cheapest brand at the grocery but are seeking health and quality. Specialty retailers are always looking for a sales edge but they must not be too quick to latch on to the latest marketing gimmick. If that ‘edge’ turns out to be deception and incompetence nobody wins: The customer is not getting what they are paying for, pets are not getting health, and the specialty pet market jeopardizes their reputation and the credibility of their business. Merchandizing does not have to be deceptive. Customers need to be given what they want and need. They deserve the truth, not myths and scams.
The truth is simple. Humans are the only creatures on the planet that cook food. Does nature really have it all wrong? Not likely. Pets need their raw archetypal diet and a variety of honest foods. Some grains and starch in the diet here and there is perfectly fine, but just not meal after meal. Cooked oet foods are fine here and there too, but not day after day, or exclusively. The poorest quality starches are refined dehydrated starches used in pet foods such as from potato and tapioca since they can have almost no nutritional value. They can be fine as well, but not at every meal and certainly not as a substitute for raw.
Raw cat and dog food advantages go way beyond the absence of grains. Cooking, extruding, canning, baking, and freeze drying all create hundreds of changes to the natural food matrix including destroying many nutrients and turning components into dozens of toxins. That’s the issue, not no-grains, or low-carbs, or pretending to be just like raw. Pet owners need to learn how to feed fresh whole foods purchased at the grocery. They also deserve honest products designed and made by competent pet product producers (not marketers) that truly embrace health-first design and offer true non-thermal processing options. Such variety of truly healthy foods is what pets are designed for and the only way for them to achieve long-term optimal health.”
*Comment: …or other raw food products like any of the ones offered in our store for example
Note: Contribution by Dr. R.L.Wysong of Wysong Corporation.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Future of pet food: Realistic or ho"rror"listic?
A few weeks ago, PetFoodIndustry.com, the on-line off-spring of Pet Food Industry Magazine, a publication for pet food professionals, published an article written by Stefania Pes, a consultant and writer for Mediatic (www.mediatic.it), a communications and marketing agency based in Italy serving the pet industry. It was titled “Online Extra! Protein alternatives”. In it, Pes had Sonac, a leading supplier of meat derived by-products, explain new types of ingredients it's developing. At its plant in Burgum, Netherlands, Sonac processes innovative pet food ingredients, such hydrolyzed proteins from the slaughter of animal protein and fat by-products. While reading the article I concluded that if we think we have problems now with commercially mass produced pet food, wait what’s in the pipeline. In my opinion absolutely nothing to look forward to. And it appears as if some people never seem to learn and willing to change. For those manufacturers profits seem to remain the number one concern. Forget about the health of our companion animals (or our’s), the diseases which have been brought onto them due to processed diets and the suffering inflicted. I am very thankful that we still have a great number of small pet food manufacturers attempting to do the right thing, if that at all is possible with processed pet food. On the other hand though, this topic is certainly subject to a lot of controversy. We have to carefully plan for our resources (and the depletion thereof) and many other factors when it comes to how we are, together with our pets, surviving well into the future. But does it have to be what these people have in mind? See for yourself:
“European supplier of proteins and fats seeks to add value to food chain
Though worldwide prices of agricultural raw materials—including key pet food ingredients such as corn, rice, animal proteins and fats—have declined in recent months, dramatic increases in the first half of 2008 cascaded to the food and feed chain, resulting in higher prices for foods like pasta, bread, milk, meat as well as pet food.
A number of factors seem to be responsible for the situation, and their effects are still under debate: systemic causes like droughts in grain producing nations, increased demand for meat in developing countries, diversion of farmland or crops for biofuels production, structural changes in trade and more.
The price tension on the market generated by high demand was reinforced in the past years by poor harvests and record oil prices, which also induced escalating energy, transportation and ingredient costs. In short, several industries are competing for the same raw materials and are affected by costs that possibly will rise again as a result of joint increasing demand from food, feed and fuel production.
Increased competition: The greater market interest in animal proteins and fats has increased the competition among players in this segment, according to Sonac, a leading European supplier of ingredients derived from slaughter by-products. This competitive situation has reduced the availability of certain raw materials frequently used in petfood.
Sonac, together with business units Rendac, Rousselot and Ecoson, is part of the Ingredients division of the Vion Food Group, an internationally operating group based in the Netherlands that produces high-quality foods and ingredients for humans and animals. Besides Vion Ingredients, the group’s divisions include Vion Fresh Meat, Vion Convenience and Vion UK. The Ingredients division focuses on optimizing the marketing of slaughter by-products, processing them into ingredients for a variety of applications, including food, petfood, animal feed, aquaculture, pharmaceuticals, photographic, fertilizer and technical products.
Sonac collects and processes slaughter by-products exclusively from animals approved for human consumption (category three material according to European Union, or EU, regulations). Under precise conditions these materials can be placed on the market. By doing so, Sonac adds maximum value to all animal by-products released in the meat chain, according to the company.
Direct guarantees: Sonac aims to be a versatile partner able to supply a wide range of reliable ingredients of animal origin. All its products are produced in various Sonac factories so customer needs such as continuous supplies, quality control, tracking and tracing systems are directly checked and guaranteed.
The plant in Burgum, Netherlands, is the largest European category 3 processing plant. It has a meat meal line (pork and bovine), a poultry line, a blood line, a bone meal line and lines for feathers and pig hair. (This end product is not used in pet food due to very poor digestibility but is suitable for fertilizers). About 100 people work at the Burgum plant. Sonac also has facilities in the Netherlands and Belgium, plus subsidiaries in France, Germany, Spain, Poland and Italy.
The Western European pet food sector is a major buyer of Sonac products manufactured from animal-based raw materials like protein meals, fats and minerals (e.g., phosphates from bones). All can be sourced from Sonac as in a kind of one-stop-shop. Producers of wet pet food or snacks can find a variety of specific products like fresh or frozen organs and carcasses (livers, lungs, hearts, necks), skins (for rawhides treats) and gelatin-based products like binders (for semi-moist treats), which are produced by Rousselot.
To produce its products, Sonac’s plants include state-of-the-art equipment, and operators follow several quality and safety programs, including HACCP, GMP+, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
According to Sonac, its variety of products, combined with ongoing product innovation and the ability to supply tailored products, are of great importance to customers. Its production line specialization and geographical spread mean more accurate separation of raw materials, separate product-specific production lines with resulting higher level of control and the opportunity to fulfill demand for specialty or single-species products.
At the same time Sonac is able to meet customers’ request for high value ingredients—for example, ones with functional properties—or offer cheaper alternatives like mixed meals when producers need to control increased costs. The company can also work with customers to evaluate and develop raw materials best fitting their requirements.
Protein alternatives: “Pet food players are facing unprecedented challenges highly connected to the raw material issue,” states Geert van der Velden, sales manager. Pet food companies need flexible, reliable partners enabling them to fulfill customer requests such as finding alternative solutions, diversifying for competitive advantage, being more creative and looking for a “second generation of raw materials,” van der Velden adds. By offering R&D cooperation and involving customers in every stage of the product development process, Sonac intends to be that kind of partner and to create strong long-lasting business relations, he says.
This is especially true when materials that were available in the past are not as obtainable or have increased greatly in price. For example, Kerapro is a newly developed product from feathers, with much better quality, improved digestibility and bioavailability than feather meal, says Jarig Komrij, sales manager for dry pet food. It’s also high in protein and low in ash content.
In Sonac’s view, innovation also includes picking up on trends and market opportunities, so the company is closely watching the hypoallergenic market. Although Sonac still has “exotic” protein sources such as lamb and duck meal in its portfolio, it’s looking at what it considers the next and best solution: Hydrolized proteins.
These proteins—also called peptides—are cut in small pieces so the body does not recognize them as proteins and the allergic reaction does not occur. “Then we look to functionality,” says van der Velden, citing examples such as plasma powder and gelatin based binders. “We are also focusing on gelatin hydrolizates for joint problems, an alternative to traditional products like chondroitin sulfate. Our hydrolizate has the advantage in that it can be used as a hypoallergenic ingredient and also has positive effects for the joints.”
Quality and safety are key: Product quality, safety and traceability are key items in these processes and of crucial importance in the EU pet food market. Sonac works with state-of-the-art control equipment and adheres to several quality programs such as HACCP, GMP+, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, fulfilling national and international regulations and legislation.
“The big players usually visit our factory once a year,” says Komrij. “Their research people know exactly what happens in our factory or what kind of raw materials we process, how they are produced. They know everything, included the critical control points of our factories.
“Next to fulfilling the high safety and quality standards of the pet food industry, we are now going for something more,” Komrij continues, “trying to put additional attention on freshness, palatability and digestibility of our raw materials, all measurable and of critical importance to our customers.”
Other Vion units’ roles: With respect to sustainability, the Rendac business unit plays a key role between livestock farming and the production of energy, and contributes to protecting and securing public health. This unit collects and processes fallen stock and materials that present a risk, then sends the end products for use in the energy sector or cement industry or for power generation at the Vion group’s plants. Through its fermentation facility and fat refining unit, Ecoson produce biogas (for green electricity) and bio fuels; a part of the refined animal fat is also used by Ecoson itself as raw material in its plant for biodiesel production. In all these cases, the animal origin raw materials for the production of energy are already available (slaughter by-products), instead of being produced for that special purpose as happens with the grain forms. It is therefore a second generation biofuel. Rousselot is a leading global manufacturer of gelatin and hydrolyzed collagen. Its products and services have a broad range of applications in food, pharmaceutical and photographic industries."
“European supplier of proteins and fats seeks to add value to food chain
Though worldwide prices of agricultural raw materials—including key pet food ingredients such as corn, rice, animal proteins and fats—have declined in recent months, dramatic increases in the first half of 2008 cascaded to the food and feed chain, resulting in higher prices for foods like pasta, bread, milk, meat as well as pet food.
A number of factors seem to be responsible for the situation, and their effects are still under debate: systemic causes like droughts in grain producing nations, increased demand for meat in developing countries, diversion of farmland or crops for biofuels production, structural changes in trade and more.
The price tension on the market generated by high demand was reinforced in the past years by poor harvests and record oil prices, which also induced escalating energy, transportation and ingredient costs. In short, several industries are competing for the same raw materials and are affected by costs that possibly will rise again as a result of joint increasing demand from food, feed and fuel production.
Increased competition: The greater market interest in animal proteins and fats has increased the competition among players in this segment, according to Sonac, a leading European supplier of ingredients derived from slaughter by-products. This competitive situation has reduced the availability of certain raw materials frequently used in petfood.
Sonac, together with business units Rendac, Rousselot and Ecoson, is part of the Ingredients division of the Vion Food Group, an internationally operating group based in the Netherlands that produces high-quality foods and ingredients for humans and animals. Besides Vion Ingredients, the group’s divisions include Vion Fresh Meat, Vion Convenience and Vion UK. The Ingredients division focuses on optimizing the marketing of slaughter by-products, processing them into ingredients for a variety of applications, including food, petfood, animal feed, aquaculture, pharmaceuticals, photographic, fertilizer and technical products.
Sonac collects and processes slaughter by-products exclusively from animals approved for human consumption (category three material according to European Union, or EU, regulations). Under precise conditions these materials can be placed on the market. By doing so, Sonac adds maximum value to all animal by-products released in the meat chain, according to the company.
Direct guarantees: Sonac aims to be a versatile partner able to supply a wide range of reliable ingredients of animal origin. All its products are produced in various Sonac factories so customer needs such as continuous supplies, quality control, tracking and tracing systems are directly checked and guaranteed.
The plant in Burgum, Netherlands, is the largest European category 3 processing plant. It has a meat meal line (pork and bovine), a poultry line, a blood line, a bone meal line and lines for feathers and pig hair. (This end product is not used in pet food due to very poor digestibility but is suitable for fertilizers). About 100 people work at the Burgum plant. Sonac also has facilities in the Netherlands and Belgium, plus subsidiaries in France, Germany, Spain, Poland and Italy.
The Western European pet food sector is a major buyer of Sonac products manufactured from animal-based raw materials like protein meals, fats and minerals (e.g., phosphates from bones). All can be sourced from Sonac as in a kind of one-stop-shop. Producers of wet pet food or snacks can find a variety of specific products like fresh or frozen organs and carcasses (livers, lungs, hearts, necks), skins (for rawhides treats) and gelatin-based products like binders (for semi-moist treats), which are produced by Rousselot.
To produce its products, Sonac’s plants include state-of-the-art equipment, and operators follow several quality and safety programs, including HACCP, GMP+, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
According to Sonac, its variety of products, combined with ongoing product innovation and the ability to supply tailored products, are of great importance to customers. Its production line specialization and geographical spread mean more accurate separation of raw materials, separate product-specific production lines with resulting higher level of control and the opportunity to fulfill demand for specialty or single-species products.
At the same time Sonac is able to meet customers’ request for high value ingredients—for example, ones with functional properties—or offer cheaper alternatives like mixed meals when producers need to control increased costs. The company can also work with customers to evaluate and develop raw materials best fitting their requirements.
Protein alternatives: “Pet food players are facing unprecedented challenges highly connected to the raw material issue,” states Geert van der Velden, sales manager. Pet food companies need flexible, reliable partners enabling them to fulfill customer requests such as finding alternative solutions, diversifying for competitive advantage, being more creative and looking for a “second generation of raw materials,” van der Velden adds. By offering R&D cooperation and involving customers in every stage of the product development process, Sonac intends to be that kind of partner and to create strong long-lasting business relations, he says.
This is especially true when materials that were available in the past are not as obtainable or have increased greatly in price. For example, Kerapro is a newly developed product from feathers, with much better quality, improved digestibility and bioavailability than feather meal, says Jarig Komrij, sales manager for dry pet food. It’s also high in protein and low in ash content.
In Sonac’s view, innovation also includes picking up on trends and market opportunities, so the company is closely watching the hypoallergenic market. Although Sonac still has “exotic” protein sources such as lamb and duck meal in its portfolio, it’s looking at what it considers the next and best solution: Hydrolized proteins.
These proteins—also called peptides—are cut in small pieces so the body does not recognize them as proteins and the allergic reaction does not occur. “Then we look to functionality,” says van der Velden, citing examples such as plasma powder and gelatin based binders. “We are also focusing on gelatin hydrolizates for joint problems, an alternative to traditional products like chondroitin sulfate. Our hydrolizate has the advantage in that it can be used as a hypoallergenic ingredient and also has positive effects for the joints.”
Quality and safety are key: Product quality, safety and traceability are key items in these processes and of crucial importance in the EU pet food market. Sonac works with state-of-the-art control equipment and adheres to several quality programs such as HACCP, GMP+, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, fulfilling national and international regulations and legislation.
“The big players usually visit our factory once a year,” says Komrij. “Their research people know exactly what happens in our factory or what kind of raw materials we process, how they are produced. They know everything, included the critical control points of our factories.
“Next to fulfilling the high safety and quality standards of the pet food industry, we are now going for something more,” Komrij continues, “trying to put additional attention on freshness, palatability and digestibility of our raw materials, all measurable and of critical importance to our customers.”
Other Vion units’ roles: With respect to sustainability, the Rendac business unit plays a key role between livestock farming and the production of energy, and contributes to protecting and securing public health. This unit collects and processes fallen stock and materials that present a risk, then sends the end products for use in the energy sector or cement industry or for power generation at the Vion group’s plants. Through its fermentation facility and fat refining unit, Ecoson produce biogas (for green electricity) and bio fuels; a part of the refined animal fat is also used by Ecoson itself as raw material in its plant for biodiesel production. In all these cases, the animal origin raw materials for the production of energy are already available (slaughter by-products), instead of being produced for that special purpose as happens with the grain forms. It is therefore a second generation biofuel. Rousselot is a leading global manufacturer of gelatin and hydrolyzed collagen. Its products and services have a broad range of applications in food, pharmaceutical and photographic industries."
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Call for pet food transparency
Dr. Tim Phillips, DVM and Editor of The Pet Food Industry Magazine the other day under the headline “Whole Dog Journal wants Transparency” picked up on an issue, which is, as so many others, very controversial when it comes to pet food ingredients: Pet food ingredients and specifically by-products. I am going to address this issue at another time. What I also found interesting in the article were his comments about the Whole Dog Journal’s expectations on dog food and the call for more transparency. Dr. Phillips writes:
“In addition to transparency, Whole Dog Journal examines the ingredients listed on the product labels and looks for, among other things, the absence of by-products, added sweeteners and artificial coloring.
Every February, the Whole Dog Journal reviews dry dog foods. This year, for the first time, the magazine has added pet food company transparency to its list of criteria for approving dry dog foods. Editor Nancy Kerns puts it this way: "All companies, whether they own their plants or hire contract manufacturers, should be equally forthcoming about their manufacturing."
In addition to revealing where its products are made, Kerns believes a company should also be transparent about:
Product formulation: Who developed the formula and what are his/her credentials?
Ingredients: Can the company provide full traceability on each ingredient used in its products?
QA processes: Do its plants follow a HACCP food safety program?
Available support: If I feed my dog your food and he gets sick, what support will your company be able to provide for me?
In addition to transparency, Whole Dog Journal examines the ingredients listed on the product labels and looks for the following:
A lot of high-quality animal proteins, "ideally a food will have one or two animal proteins in the first few ingredients."
The absence of meat or poultry by-products, "there is a much wider range of quality in the by-products available for pet food manufacturing than there is for whole meats."
The absence of fat or protein not identified by species.
Whole grains and vegetables.
The absence of artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, "a healthy product full of top-quality ingredients shouldn't need non-nutritive additives to make it look or taste better."
The absence of added sweeteners.
Organic ingredients.
So what do you think of those criteria? Do they make sense?”
Since he asked what we think about WDJ’s criteria, here is my opinion: With regards to transparency, I think their ideas are great and it certainly would be a start into the right direction. Obviously, the manufacturers of mass marketed pet food are most likely not in agreement with those ideas since it would require transparency, seemingly the last thing they are interested in. (Unless someone can explain to me why there is no ingredient listing available for example for Ol’Roy, see my blog comment “Consumer Reports: The place to look for answers on pet food? “)
Well, I went back to my friend Dr. Wysong to see what he has to say about this topic. In his pamphlet “How to apologize to your pet” he writes under the headline “The most critical ingredient – The company” (meaning “the manufacturer”):
“…So how do you make choices with so many competing products out there? We will give you some fair advice and we hope we have earned your ear since this entire brochure is about how you could feed optimally without using any Wysong products at all. Our purpose is health enhancement, and telling you what you need to know and not just what you may want to hear. Additionally, we are insiders. We know manufacturing, distribution, ingredients, marketing and all the other details – and shenanigans – in the pet food industry. That is what uniquely qualifies us to help you in your evaluation.
Now comes a prefacing apology. Much of what we say in this section may be (mis)understood and (mis)construed to be negative. Unfortunately it is very difficult for the layperson to even discern that there is a problem, much less know how to correct it. Companies and products receive much polish to make things appear as appealing as possible on the surface. You must be skeptical, see through the smoke and mirrors – and you can’t do that without information. Research, learn, and probe to be sure you’re doing the best for your beloved pets.
When you purchase a nondescript packaged product like a nugget or mix, you have really no true idea what is in it. Yes, the ingredient label and analysis may say certain things, but terminology is crafted to put the best face forward to you. For example it is possible to say “natural flavors” and yet the product may contain MSG and a whole range of chemicals you might not desire. “Chicken” could mean heads and feet. “Natural,” “holistic,” “organic,” “human grade,” “balanced,” “veterinary recommended,” “science” and “100% complete and balanced” are powerful marketing terms, but not necessarily a true reflection of what is in the product. There is wide latitude on labels and even wider freedom for what can be said in marketing brochures. In the end, you are left with making a decision based upon trust in the company. That trust should not be blind.
These are considerations when deciding who to grant that trust to:
- Do they promote the misleading “100% complete” claim?
- Nutrition is a serious health matter. Are the leaders of the company scientists and doctors, or marketers and business people?
- Do they control their own manufacturing or are they just having a standard formulation with a few “special ingredients” made by a private label company?
- Do they educate (at no cost) to help you control your own and your pet’s health?
- Do they attempt to convince you to buy based on nonsense that has nothing to do with health, such as movie star endorsements?
- Do they have a long history of success in feeding pets?
- Do they provide products that have not been heat processed and degraded – reflecting knowledge of this critical nutritional issue?
- Do they show concern for animal welfare by not fostering unnecessary lab animal testing?
- Do they pander to misleading marketing approaches such as “four food group” feeding, emphasizing so-called special ingredients or trying to create panic about others? Remember, good nutrition is natural and varied, not about singular special or boogeyman ingredients.)
- Do they truly innovate – lead – with formulations and processing methods that enhance health (not just cosmetics) or do they just follow markets?
These are the considerations that will tell you what’s really in the package.”
In my mind, the bottom line is this: As by now everybody is in agreement, the most simple indicator whether you are dealing with a good, better or not so good pet food is if the manufacturer. My take is, is it a Wall Street traded company or is it a privately, possibly family owned, small to medium sized company with direct owner involvement and participation in daily operations (and creations). Because most of the times it is these small companies, which were brought into life because their owners were at one point just as we are today, fed up and frustrated with what is going on in the pet food industry. Fed up with watchning how their companion animals' health kept deterrerating. Fed up with learning day in and day out that what we are supposed to believe is good for our pets at the end of the day only causes harm. These guys will have no problem to live up to either WDJ’s or Dr. Wysong’s ideas of transparency and using the best possible ingredients, because that is what they live already on a daily basis and their products reflect that thinking and transparency. None of them will ever have a problem talking openly about and explaining their products at any length desired by any pet owner. Quite contrary, they proudly will do so. And as we all know, rightfully so.
“In addition to transparency, Whole Dog Journal examines the ingredients listed on the product labels and looks for, among other things, the absence of by-products, added sweeteners and artificial coloring.
Every February, the Whole Dog Journal reviews dry dog foods. This year, for the first time, the magazine has added pet food company transparency to its list of criteria for approving dry dog foods. Editor Nancy Kerns puts it this way: "All companies, whether they own their plants or hire contract manufacturers, should be equally forthcoming about their manufacturing."
In addition to revealing where its products are made, Kerns believes a company should also be transparent about:
Product formulation: Who developed the formula and what are his/her credentials?
Ingredients: Can the company provide full traceability on each ingredient used in its products?
QA processes: Do its plants follow a HACCP food safety program?
Available support: If I feed my dog your food and he gets sick, what support will your company be able to provide for me?
In addition to transparency, Whole Dog Journal examines the ingredients listed on the product labels and looks for the following:
A lot of high-quality animal proteins, "ideally a food will have one or two animal proteins in the first few ingredients."
The absence of meat or poultry by-products, "there is a much wider range of quality in the by-products available for pet food manufacturing than there is for whole meats."
The absence of fat or protein not identified by species.
Whole grains and vegetables.
The absence of artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, "a healthy product full of top-quality ingredients shouldn't need non-nutritive additives to make it look or taste better."
The absence of added sweeteners.
Organic ingredients.
So what do you think of those criteria? Do they make sense?”
Since he asked what we think about WDJ’s criteria, here is my opinion: With regards to transparency, I think their ideas are great and it certainly would be a start into the right direction. Obviously, the manufacturers of mass marketed pet food are most likely not in agreement with those ideas since it would require transparency, seemingly the last thing they are interested in. (Unless someone can explain to me why there is no ingredient listing available for example for Ol’Roy, see my blog comment “Consumer Reports: The place to look for answers on pet food? “)
Well, I went back to my friend Dr. Wysong to see what he has to say about this topic. In his pamphlet “How to apologize to your pet” he writes under the headline “The most critical ingredient – The company” (meaning “the manufacturer”):
“…So how do you make choices with so many competing products out there? We will give you some fair advice and we hope we have earned your ear since this entire brochure is about how you could feed optimally without using any Wysong products at all. Our purpose is health enhancement, and telling you what you need to know and not just what you may want to hear. Additionally, we are insiders. We know manufacturing, distribution, ingredients, marketing and all the other details – and shenanigans – in the pet food industry. That is what uniquely qualifies us to help you in your evaluation.
Now comes a prefacing apology. Much of what we say in this section may be (mis)understood and (mis)construed to be negative. Unfortunately it is very difficult for the layperson to even discern that there is a problem, much less know how to correct it. Companies and products receive much polish to make things appear as appealing as possible on the surface. You must be skeptical, see through the smoke and mirrors – and you can’t do that without information. Research, learn, and probe to be sure you’re doing the best for your beloved pets.
When you purchase a nondescript packaged product like a nugget or mix, you have really no true idea what is in it. Yes, the ingredient label and analysis may say certain things, but terminology is crafted to put the best face forward to you. For example it is possible to say “natural flavors” and yet the product may contain MSG and a whole range of chemicals you might not desire. “Chicken” could mean heads and feet. “Natural,” “holistic,” “organic,” “human grade,” “balanced,” “veterinary recommended,” “science” and “100% complete and balanced” are powerful marketing terms, but not necessarily a true reflection of what is in the product. There is wide latitude on labels and even wider freedom for what can be said in marketing brochures. In the end, you are left with making a decision based upon trust in the company. That trust should not be blind.
These are considerations when deciding who to grant that trust to:
- Do they promote the misleading “100% complete” claim?
- Nutrition is a serious health matter. Are the leaders of the company scientists and doctors, or marketers and business people?
- Do they control their own manufacturing or are they just having a standard formulation with a few “special ingredients” made by a private label company?
- Do they educate (at no cost) to help you control your own and your pet’s health?
- Do they attempt to convince you to buy based on nonsense that has nothing to do with health, such as movie star endorsements?
- Do they have a long history of success in feeding pets?
- Do they provide products that have not been heat processed and degraded – reflecting knowledge of this critical nutritional issue?
- Do they show concern for animal welfare by not fostering unnecessary lab animal testing?
- Do they pander to misleading marketing approaches such as “four food group” feeding, emphasizing so-called special ingredients or trying to create panic about others? Remember, good nutrition is natural and varied, not about singular special or boogeyman ingredients.)
- Do they truly innovate – lead – with formulations and processing methods that enhance health (not just cosmetics) or do they just follow markets?
These are the considerations that will tell you what’s really in the package.”
In my mind, the bottom line is this: As by now everybody is in agreement, the most simple indicator whether you are dealing with a good, better or not so good pet food is if the manufacturer. My take is, is it a Wall Street traded company or is it a privately, possibly family owned, small to medium sized company with direct owner involvement and participation in daily operations (and creations). Because most of the times it is these small companies, which were brought into life because their owners were at one point just as we are today, fed up and frustrated with what is going on in the pet food industry. Fed up with watchning how their companion animals' health kept deterrerating. Fed up with learning day in and day out that what we are supposed to believe is good for our pets at the end of the day only causes harm. These guys will have no problem to live up to either WDJ’s or Dr. Wysong’s ideas of transparency and using the best possible ingredients, because that is what they live already on a daily basis and their products reflect that thinking and transparency. None of them will ever have a problem talking openly about and explaining their products at any length desired by any pet owner. Quite contrary, they proudly will do so. And as we all know, rightfully so.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids: Healthy Dietary Building Blocks with Many Health Benefits
Omega- 3 and Omega- 6 fatty acids are important building blocks of a healthy diet. Learn how these essential fatty acids help prevent heart disease, decrease inflammation and strengthen the immune systems of both dogs and cats.
What are omega-3 fatty acids? Omega-3 fatty acids are a form of polyunsaturated fats, one of four basic types of fats that animals and humans derive from food. (Cholesterol, saturated fat, and monounsaturated fat are the others.) All polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3s, are increasingly recognized as being important to good health. Some doctors and scientists believe that consuming too many foods rich in saturated fats attributes to the development of degenerative diseases, including heart disease and even cancer. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, however, are healthy for animals and humans. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found primarily in cold-water fish, fall into this category, along with omega-6 fatty acids, which are found in grains, most plant-based oils, poultry and eggs.
Omega-3s (and one omega-6) are considered important fatty acids because they are critical for good health. They are essential building blocks your dog and cat needs for a healthy heart and strong immune system.
There are different types of omega-3 fatty acids. Key Omega-3 fatty acids include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA), both found primarily in oily cold water fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. Aside from fresh seaweed, plant foods rarely contain EPA or DHA. A third omega-3, called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), is found primarily in dark green leafy vegetables, flaxseed oil and certain vegetable oils. ALA is not readily accessible to animals, which must use several enzymatic steps in their metabolism to convert it into a useful configuration like EPA. Thus, scientists estimate that only a small fraction of ALA benefits dogs; and cats totally lack one of the metabolic enzymes to utilize ALA. Some dogs, too are extremely poor in utilizing ALA, especially if high amounts of metabolically "competitive" Omega -6 fatty acids are present. These poor dogs constantly suffer with skin problems unless their food is supplemented with EPA from for example salmon oil.
Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to improve heart health in dogs, cats and humans. They play a part in keeping cholesterol levels low, stabilizing irregular heart beat (arrhythmia) and reducing blood pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids are also natural blood thinners, reducing the "stickiness" of blood cells (called platelet aggregation), which can lead to such complications as blood clots and stroke. Specifically, two papers reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with investigators from the University of California at San Francisco have shown levels of omega-3 fatty acids to be inversely correlated with the risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help a dog or cat avoid arthritis and stiff jointsAs dogs and cats' age, their movement may become labored, their joints may stiffen and they may suffer from arthritis. These signs of inflammation can make them less comfortable and can greatly limit the amount of exercise they get. Scientific studies have shown that Omega-3 fatty acids can help to reduce joint stiffness, swelling, tenderness and overall fatigue. Numerous studies report that participants with inflammatory diseases who ingest omega-3s are more successful in combating arthritis.
"Fatty acids contained in fish such as salmon may prove to function as nature's own anti-depressants," says a study of 30 patients conducted by a research team headed by Andrew Stoll, M.D., director of the pharmacology research laboratory at Harvard University. The university's McLean Hospital found that some of the patients' symptoms of manic depression responded favorably to treatment with fish oil supplements. Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University in Toyama, Japan, showed one omega-3 acid, DHA, to prevent an increase in extra aggression during periods of stress.Omega-3 fatty acids, both DHA and EPA, are found in fatty fish, including salmon and cod. They may work by increasing serotonin levels, thus boosting neurotransmitter activity, as do anti-depressants such as Prozac. They may also help by restocking the outer brain cells, which receive chemical signals.
Medical research shows omega fatty acids have health benefits. Scientists made one of the first associations between omega-3 fatty acids and good health while studying the Inuit (Eskimo) people of Greenland in the 1970s. As a group, the Inuit suffered far less from certain diseases (coronary heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, psoriasis) than their European counterparts. Yet their diet is very high in fat from eating whale, seal, salmon and other fish.Eventually researchers realized that these foods were all rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which provided real disease-countering benefits.
Omega 3s help prevent discomforts related to inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Raynaud's disease and other autoimmune diseases greatly decrease quality of life. Diets high in omega-3 fatty acids (such as fish oils) have been shown to increase survival in people with autoimmune diseases. This is probably because the omega-3s help the arteries, as well as many other parts of the body stay inflammation free. EPA and DHA are successful at this because they can be converted into natural anti-inflammatory substances called prostaglandins and leukotrienes, compounds that help decrease inflammation and pain. In 1998, an exciting review of well-designed, randomized clinical trials reported that omega-3 fatty acids were more successful than a placebo ("dummy drug") in improving the condition of people with rheumatoid arthritis. The research also showed that getting more omega-3 fatty acids enabled some participants to reduce their use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
What are omega-3 fatty acids? Omega-3 fatty acids are a form of polyunsaturated fats, one of four basic types of fats that animals and humans derive from food. (Cholesterol, saturated fat, and monounsaturated fat are the others.) All polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3s, are increasingly recognized as being important to good health. Some doctors and scientists believe that consuming too many foods rich in saturated fats attributes to the development of degenerative diseases, including heart disease and even cancer. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, however, are healthy for animals and humans. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found primarily in cold-water fish, fall into this category, along with omega-6 fatty acids, which are found in grains, most plant-based oils, poultry and eggs.
Omega-3s (and one omega-6) are considered important fatty acids because they are critical for good health. They are essential building blocks your dog and cat needs for a healthy heart and strong immune system.
There are different types of omega-3 fatty acids. Key Omega-3 fatty acids include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA), both found primarily in oily cold water fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. Aside from fresh seaweed, plant foods rarely contain EPA or DHA. A third omega-3, called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), is found primarily in dark green leafy vegetables, flaxseed oil and certain vegetable oils. ALA is not readily accessible to animals, which must use several enzymatic steps in their metabolism to convert it into a useful configuration like EPA. Thus, scientists estimate that only a small fraction of ALA benefits dogs; and cats totally lack one of the metabolic enzymes to utilize ALA. Some dogs, too are extremely poor in utilizing ALA, especially if high amounts of metabolically "competitive" Omega -6 fatty acids are present. These poor dogs constantly suffer with skin problems unless their food is supplemented with EPA from for example salmon oil.
Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to improve heart health in dogs, cats and humans. They play a part in keeping cholesterol levels low, stabilizing irregular heart beat (arrhythmia) and reducing blood pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids are also natural blood thinners, reducing the "stickiness" of blood cells (called platelet aggregation), which can lead to such complications as blood clots and stroke. Specifically, two papers reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with investigators from the University of California at San Francisco have shown levels of omega-3 fatty acids to be inversely correlated with the risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help a dog or cat avoid arthritis and stiff jointsAs dogs and cats' age, their movement may become labored, their joints may stiffen and they may suffer from arthritis. These signs of inflammation can make them less comfortable and can greatly limit the amount of exercise they get. Scientific studies have shown that Omega-3 fatty acids can help to reduce joint stiffness, swelling, tenderness and overall fatigue. Numerous studies report that participants with inflammatory diseases who ingest omega-3s are more successful in combating arthritis.
"Fatty acids contained in fish such as salmon may prove to function as nature's own anti-depressants," says a study of 30 patients conducted by a research team headed by Andrew Stoll, M.D., director of the pharmacology research laboratory at Harvard University. The university's McLean Hospital found that some of the patients' symptoms of manic depression responded favorably to treatment with fish oil supplements. Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University in Toyama, Japan, showed one omega-3 acid, DHA, to prevent an increase in extra aggression during periods of stress.Omega-3 fatty acids, both DHA and EPA, are found in fatty fish, including salmon and cod. They may work by increasing serotonin levels, thus boosting neurotransmitter activity, as do anti-depressants such as Prozac. They may also help by restocking the outer brain cells, which receive chemical signals.
Medical research shows omega fatty acids have health benefits. Scientists made one of the first associations between omega-3 fatty acids and good health while studying the Inuit (Eskimo) people of Greenland in the 1970s. As a group, the Inuit suffered far less from certain diseases (coronary heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, psoriasis) than their European counterparts. Yet their diet is very high in fat from eating whale, seal, salmon and other fish.Eventually researchers realized that these foods were all rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which provided real disease-countering benefits.
Omega 3s help prevent discomforts related to inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Raynaud's disease and other autoimmune diseases greatly decrease quality of life. Diets high in omega-3 fatty acids (such as fish oils) have been shown to increase survival in people with autoimmune diseases. This is probably because the omega-3s help the arteries, as well as many other parts of the body stay inflammation free. EPA and DHA are successful at this because they can be converted into natural anti-inflammatory substances called prostaglandins and leukotrienes, compounds that help decrease inflammation and pain. In 1998, an exciting review of well-designed, randomized clinical trials reported that omega-3 fatty acids were more successful than a placebo ("dummy drug") in improving the condition of people with rheumatoid arthritis. The research also showed that getting more omega-3 fatty acids enabled some participants to reduce their use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
