Grain Free Kibble and Heart Disease… the science of kibble-borne disease
Recent reports have been associating grain-free kibble products with an increase in incidence of Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in breeds that historically have never been diagnosed with this disease. In theory, the high levels of lectins found in legumes and non-grain binding ingredients are inhibiting conversion of taurine from cysteine. As dogs are more resilient in taurine conversion than cats, it is not required to add Taurine to their diets.
The question becomes what metabolic processes can we confirm that contribute to DCM and is it specific to grain-free kibble?
How does the body get Taurine if its not added in the food? …
In the absence of Taurine the body utilizes the amino acid Cysteine to manufacture it. Cysteine is prevalent in all high-protein foods. Cysteine is oxidized and decarboxylated to form hypo-taurine. The body transfers ions between Copper and Iron to complete this process.
Since Copper is necessary for this life sustaining function, the presence of sufficient levels of Cysteine is necessary to bind Copper Ions (97% of them) to LDL-cholesterol and reduce Copper and Iron in the blood. (1) This process results in a few by-products, one of which is Hydrogen Peroxide which selectively induces cancer cell death. (2) Inadequate levels of Cysteine stops the synthesis of proteins and glutathione which will result in tissue degradation and a variety of metabolic malfunctions. (3)
What non-grain binders contribute that grains don’t: …
Ingredients in dry kibble food products act as binders to allow a product to be made into a pellet shape. Without these ingredients the product becomes a powder after production. Binders in pet foods can be grains (corn, wheat, soy) or “grain-free” (peas, potatoes, tapioca, and lentils).
All binder ingredients contain assortments of anti-nutrients. Anti-nutrients are responsible for a variety of functions in a plant and/or animal. Trypsin Inhibitors, for example, are found in soy, corn and potato. These anti-nutrients are known to inflame the pancreas which prevents the body from hydrolyzing (digesting) proteins, resulting in Pancreatitis. Phytic Acid, found in beans, grains, nuts and seeds, reduce the absorption of minerals. Lectins, found in beans, grains, nuts, seeds, potatoes and some dairy, mediate attachment and binding to bacteria and viruses. This means (in most cases) that they assist “bad guys” such as Salmonella or Candida in attaching to the epithelial wall of the intestine, increasing the risk of infection and also increasing intestinal permeability. While there are exceptions to this, generally speaking a food must be processed out. Ultimately, grain binders and non-grain binders have similar anti-nutrient capacities and fairly equally contribute to the degradation of health.
To eliminate an anti-nutrient such as a lectin there are a few options:
Soak them in water and baking soda for 12+ hours
Pressure cook them
Peel and De-seed them
Ferment them
Dry kibble pet foods do none of these things to ensure low anti-nutrient densities in your pets food. In some cases, this could prove to be highly toxic. As an example, raw kidney beans contain naturally toxic levels of a lectin called phytohaemagglutinin. (4) Lectins decrease the guts ability to heal itself. This creates a “leaky” condition where bacteria, virus, and pathogens perfuse through the intestinal wall and into the blood. Obviously, this requires a decent amount of cleanup, thus decrease immune resources such as Copper and Vitamin D and increasing inflammatory responses.
On rare occasions, certain lectins are necessary to regulate or remediate specific functions to prevent disease. For example, Mannose-Binding Lectin (MBL) (found in bananas and garlic… foods that dogs and cats don’t eat and if they do they are in insignificant quantities, or manufactured by the body, though sometimes inadequately) were shown in a study published in the American Journal of Pathology in January 2012 to reduce incidence of cardiomyopathy and vascular dysfunction. (5)
You mentioned Copper and Iron earlier… do I need to worry about those in my pets food? Are there other things I should know about metabolism? ….
As noted above, Copper and Iron play a key role in the conversion of Cysteine to Taurine. Albumin, Superoxide Radicals, Zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Thyroid health and Adrenal all play key roles in your pets Cardiac health and proper metabolic functioning.
Copper is one of the most necessary and beneficial minerals in the body. It is responsible for numerous metabolic functions and deficiencies result in severe and life threatening illnesses and disease. Due to its enormous responsibility in the body (all the places it needs to get used, that will suffer if its not available) dietary requirements are fairly high. One could argue that there is no such thing as a copper toxicity, rather, inadequate metabolic functioning will fail to properly use or bind Copper, resulting in unnatural storage of the mineral.
Cupric Copper is primarily bound to ceruloplasmin and albumin, as albumin’s primary binding site has an affinity for copper.
Bound to Albumin, superoxide radicals and ascorbate anions reduce cupric copper to cuprous copper which catalyzes the formation of a highly reactive and destructive molecule called hydroxyl free radicals. When a Hydroxyl Radical is formed it is likely to attack the albumin molecule it is made from, or any biomolecules near the site where it was created, making the album an important sacrificial molecule. However, decreased albumin levels (cannibalized by Hydroxyl Radicals) is strongly linked to DCM diagnosis and results in a thickening of capillary basement membranes (DCM), and edema’s such as nephrotic syndrome and protein losing enteropathies. (6)(7)Patients with DCL and Cataracts have been proven to have elevated levels of Hydroxyl Free Radical damage in damaged tissues. If Hydroxyl Radicals are present in conjunction with Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) it immediately initiates lipid peroxidation in the body. This destabilized membranes, resulting in cell death unless Copper levels are sufficient enough to degrade peroxyl and alkoxyl free radicals. (8)Increased production of Hydroxyl Radicals is known to induce cataract formation, cardiomyopathy, and premature aging. (9) Diets high in PUFA dramatically decrease copper dependent metabolic functions and increase production of dangerous free radicals, which forces cells to essentially adopt a cancer metabolism. (10)
As Ceruloplasmin, copper reacts poorly with other components of liver function. However, in the presence of sufficient ascorbate (Vitamin C) copper stores in the liver decreased 2-3 fold, simply because the cells were able to reduce it into a form that safely incorporated and utilized it. Vitamin C was found to regulate Copper and Iron (serum and hepatic levels, absorption and availability at the gut level), Hepatic Microsomal Cytochrome P-450 and Cytochrome B5, and Blood Heme Parameters. (11)As noted above, improper regulation of Copper and Iron results in inadequate conversion of Cysteine to Taurine, leading to chronic heart and eye diseases, as copper bound to ceruloplasmin catalyzes the oxidation of cysteine. (12)
The structure and integrity of the vascular system is intimately related to copper. Copper is required for the production of an enzyme called Lysyl Oxidase, which is involved in the quality and quantity of elastin formation and collagen cross-linking. Without Lysyl Oxidase the vascular system is likely to develop aneurysms, heart enlargement (DCM), heart failure and infarcts. (13)
Hormones and the Endocrine System:
Adequate activity of the sympathetic endocrines (thyroid, adrenal cortex, adrenal medulla, anterior pituitary) increases copper elimination by normalizing metabolic demands. Copper “toxicity” or “storage” therefore, is primarily a by-product of poor metabolic function, not excessive dietary copper intake.
Modern scientific data continues to confirm the value of quality diet and decreased stress on metabolic function, in particular, on endocrine function.
Excess estrogens (caused from environmental exposure or excessive dietary tryptophan) are known to contribute to gall bladder stasis, as well as cholesterol and calcium stone formation. These blockages cause a retention of copper, again, as they prevent normal functions of the body.
Stress induced adrenal gland fatigue cascades to prevent the liver from sufficiently producing ceruloplasmin, which is, again, required to transfer Cysteine to Taurine to protect heart and eye health. (14)
Copper, like so many nutrients, has a symbiotic relationship with multiple nutrients in the body and diet (15):
Increased Zinc = Decreased Copper
Increased Manganese = Decreased Copper
Increased B-Vitamins = Decreased Copper from adequate use
Increased Vitamin C = Decreased Copper from adequate use
Increased Sodium = Increase in Adrenal Hormone Production = Decreased Copper from adequate use
Increased Potassium = Increase in Adrenal Hormone Production = Decreased Copper from adequate use
Increased Copper is a marker for Low Histamine because histamine and Methyl compete with each other
Whoa! I sort of have a headache. Can you summarize all that?
Sure, I’ll try to make it short and without the confusing words.
Dogs aren’t supplemented with Taurine
Dogs create Taurine from Cysteine
In order for Cysteine to convert to Taurine and protect the heart the body needs the right amount of Copper and Iron
Certain things prevent the body from supporting this conversion process: – Supplementation with Polyunsaturated Fats (oils), – Excess Zinc, – Excess Manganese, – Deficient Vitamin C, – Deficient Vitamin D, – Inadequate Thyroid Function, – Inadequate Adrenal Function, – Deficient Copper, – Blockages, – Deficiency of Mannose-Binding Lectins (which should be manufactured by the body)
Phytic Acids (antinutrients found in grain and non-grain binder ingredients) prevent the absorption of minerals such copper and iron which may result in DCM and other deficient diseases
Trypsin inhibitors (antinutrients found in grain and non-grain binder ingredients) inflame the pancreas and prevent the body from hydrolyzing proteins which may result in a variety of diseases associated with inadequate nutrient absorption or metabolic function
Lectins (antinutrients found in grain and non-grain binder ingredients) contribute to leaky gut, inflammation, and possibly bacteria food poisoning. These conditions require nutrients such as Copper and Vitamin D, thus reducing stores available for metabolic functions such as the conversion of Cysteine into Taurine.
So, is it Grain-Free Kibble that causes Dilated Cardiomyopathy? No. Its Dry Kibble of any kind that can cause metabolic abnormalities that could result in conditions such as low thyroid or adrenal function, digestive disorders and vascular disorders such as Dilated Cardiomyopathy in any dog.
Arnold Ehret once said “Disease is merely Nature’s effort to start performing the process of healing – the elimination of wastes and disease matters that clog up your tissue system.” Vaccinations, medications, pesticides, fertilizers, pollution, poor diet, processed foods… anything that goes in must be cleaned out by the organs. A body not given the proper nutrition and/or supplementation has no choice but to deposit toxins wherever it can, like sweeping trash under a rug. Eventually these built-up toxins manifest as cancer, tumors, systemic yeast infections/skin allergies, and imbalances that might appear in the form of kidney stones, Cushing’s, Diabetes, IBS, liver failure, joint pains and more.
When the body decreases its daily toxic burden (by bettering the diet and decreasing environmental toxins) it often provokes a deep cleaning to empty out anything that has been suppressed or otherwise “settled” in the body. This purge of toxins is an indication that the body is healthy enough to regain a balance; this is called a Healing Crisis. The most common symptoms of a healing crisis include diarrhea, vomiting, nasal discharge, pneumonia, pustules or a rash, and excessive thirst and urination, hair loss, and more. Dr. John Sherman, D.N. notes that the most distinguishing feature of a healing crisis is “The vital force is on the ‘ascendency’ in a healing crisis (your pet feels frisky before a healing crisis), whereas there is a lack of vitality in a disease crisis… when the vital force intrinsic to the body has finally worked up to this acutely reactive event, taking a suppressive medication, even an aspirin, could damage the immunity and vitality of an individual.”
It feels “safe” to reach for a symptom suppressive drug when we, or our pets, feel sick. Fear tells us to listen to the “what if…” and play it safe… that giving a medication is the best option to prevent discomfort of the threat of real illness. However, Dr. Martin Goldstein, D.V.M. said, “Fear is such a terribly destructive force in medical care. So often, it inhibits us from letting the patient heal himself.” Arnold Ehret said if the body could speak it would say, “Give me a chance to eliminate; to repair your bodily mechanism!’ Take time to be ‘sick’ for a few days or even weeks, and I will help you! ‘Remain still, quiet, rest, sleep and DON’T EAT!”
Medications can be suppressive and prevent actual healing. They do have their place and in the case of an old or weak person or pet they should be used sparingly, or when no guidance or alternative is available. But for most, suppressing an uncomfortable illness is like putting all your trash in the closet so you can take it out later when its more convenient. The trash is still there to be dealt with… you are just choosing to deal with it when there is enough for a dump truck rather than a single trash can. In order to regain health, Hering says, “a patient must go through a crisis. Expect it, look for it, and work toward it,” he declares. “No doctor, no patient, no food or medicine can bring it on… The body provokes its own crisis; it does so when it’s ready, and not before. In some instinctive way we don’t begin to understand, it tends to wait until it has enough strength to handle the force of the pain and eliminations associated with a crisis – thus the calm before the storm, that period of improved health after the body has been at it’s weakest – and to match the severity and pace of the crisis to what its own constitution can stand.”
While the stomach capacity of a 42lb child (average 5.5-year-old child) is 11oz. This is equivalent to 5 slices of Pizza Hut Thin & Crispy Pepperoni Pizza.
The stomach capacity of a 42lb dog is 64oz. This is equivalent to 29 slices of Pizza Hut Thin & Crispy Pepperoni Pizza at a time. Below is a summary of how much you would have to feed your dog per day to make him feel full.
Ounces/Cup
Calories per cup
Calories per 64oz fed 2x/day
How much is that?
Calories in excess of necessity
Cost to feed per month
Cost to feed correctly
Pizza Hut Thin & Crispy Pepperoni Pizza
2.2oz/ Slice
200kcals/ Slice
11,636kcals
58 Slices
14.5 x more
$2,178/mo
$149.80/mo
Carna4 Duck
3.3oz
525kcals
20,364kcals
39 cups/day
25.5x more
$1,430/mo
$56.78/mo
Hills W/D
2.9oz
255kcals
11,256kcals
44 cups/day
14.1x more
$739/mo
$52.65/mo
Solutions Pork
8oz
544kcals
8,704kcals
3.2 tubes/day
10.9x more
$1,472/mo
$138/mo
Auntie’s Kitchen Veggie Base Blend
1.75oz
121kcals
8,850kcals
73 cups/day
11x more
$6,838/mo
$628.57/mo
OC Raw Rabbit
8oz
298kcals
2,384kcals
16 patties/day
6x more
$2,404/mo
$406.19/mo
Broccoli
3.2oz
31kcals
1,240kcals
40 cups/day
1.6x more
$636/mo
$263.87/mo
As you can see, if you feed your dog to capacity (enough that you no longer have to complain that he “acts hungry all the time”) you will:
Cause metabolic disease by overfeeding. If you fed only broccoli you would only exceed your dogs daily caloric intake needs by 35.5% but you would cause severe nutritional deficiencies. If you fed only OC Raw Rabbit (which is low calorie and high volume) you would still exceed your dogs daily caloric intake needs by nearly 3 times what is necessary. Metabolic diseases such as Cancer, Diabetes and Obesity occur when you overfeed.
Cause severe diarrhea or bloat. By allowing your dog to eat until they’re full you increase the risk of severe diarrhea or bloat. Bloat is when the stomach flips over, resulting in either death or a need for surgery. (Also, your dog would likely get bad gas)
Spend massively more than you need to. On the low end you’d spend $372 more than necessary per month. On the high end (of this chart) you’d spend $6,209.43/mo more than necessary.
If you are attempting to increase the volume of your pet’s food without causing metabolic injury, death, or breaking the bank, feed raw + broccoli. As you can see, raw food and broccoli provides greater volume with less calories. Additionally, with a commercially available raw food you will not have to concern yourself with nutritional deficiencies. Here is a comparison of how Solutions Pork + Broccoli can more effectively fill your dog up vs Carna4 Duck + Broccoli.
High Pressure Pasteurization (HPP) claims to decrease the potential of pathogens such as Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter and E.Coli in raw meat pet food products while still maintaining the “raw” integrity.
How does HPP work? HPP is a non-thermal, cold processing technique in which the food, in its flexible, plastic, oxygen rich packaging, is subjected to high levels of hydrostatic (water) pressure. In 2012, documents were published stating that pressure greater than 400 MPa is necessary to achieve efficient microbial inactivation. However, Staphylococcus Aureus, Spores, Protease Cathepsin, etc are resistant even above 600MPa (87,000 psi (pounds per square inch)). HPP treatment at subzero temperatures (on frozen raw foods) is not effective in decreasing microbial counts in meats due to lack of plasticity of the product. (1)
How much real life pressure is 87,000psi? When a Scuba Diver is exposed to underwater pressure Boyle’s Law states that effects of pressure cause an increase in the absorption of nitrogen which can lead to oxygen toxicity, nitrogen narcosis, carbon monoxide toxicity and decompression sickness. (19) These physiological effects are usually reversible in a living being because a living being is capable of persistently working to metabolize excess nitrogen and strive for homeostasis, while dead tissue is not. Of course, humans can’t survive the depths of the ocean (17,000 psi) without a submarine. Even a submarine would not survive 30,000psi which bends steel. A Scuba Diver would have to reach 200,685 ft (6.3 times the depth of the Mariana Trench) to reach 87,000psi (21) thus it would take a diver 418 hours of active metabolizing to recover from the physiologic changes caused by the pressure. The tissues of deep water sea-life brought up to shallow surfaces suffer the congealing pressure off its lipids, start to ooze internally and lose integrity in their nerve cell membranes (which get “quite leaky”). (23) Imagine the effects of an animal brought up from 6.3 times that depth!!! Yet that’s what HPP does to your pets’ food.
Mandating (or lack thereof) of HPP Rumor falsely states the FDA will soon mandate HPP. This is a false statement. Since 2009 the FDA has worked with the FSIS (Food Safety & Inspection Service) and FIC (Food Industry Counsel) to enforce HACCP plans (Hazardous Analysis Critical Control Point) to pet food companies (canned food excluded) because the FDA does not have the authority to enforce pathogen stop-gap measures. The 2016 USDA’s FSIS HACCP enforcement program is designed to ensure food safety and quality control by requiring raw and cooked, human and pet food companies to maintain a detailed log of manufacturing processes, standards and tracking. It does not specify or enforce stop gap methods such as HPP, irradiation or cooking. Legally, according to the FSIS authority HACCP, itself, is considered a “stop gap method” just as irradiation, HPP, cooking and “other methods” that are “not yet researched” such as fermentation are (if it can be proven by the company to work) (Answers Pet Food proved to the FDA in a court of law that fermentation is an effective stop gap method).
Damage done by HPP… what does the science say? HPP fractionates the protein molecule and delays rigor mortis, which is useful for tenderizing. It disassociates myosin, actin, albumin, myoglobin and causes coagulation, aggregation or gelation of sarcoplasmic proteins and myofibrils. (1)(12) Muscle proteins are also susceptible to oxidative reactions that involve the loss of essential amino acids and decrease protein digestibility, thus affecting the nutritional value of the meat. (1) HPP can affect protein conformation and lead to protein denaturation, aggregation or gelation. (10) The higher the fat or water content the greater the “whitening effect” caused by protein coagulation (loss of solubility of sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar protein and/or globin deterioration from heme group displacement). Therefore, in addition to beef and other fatty meats (20-25%) being more susceptible to whitening, they are also more susceptible to lipid oxidations. (1) HPP induces meat protein modifications that result in varying effects on meat product texture and water retention. Because of this the meat develops a cooked and sticky look after thawing. Because the muscle proteins and heme groups are displaced the thawing and freezing time is decreased and the meat doesn’t freeze uniformly unless in an oxygen depleted environment (vacuum sealed) (1) which may allow bacteria to re-proliferate and speeds oxidation of lipids. Glutamate/Glutamic Acid (not to be confused with gluten) are naturally present in amino acid rich proteins. Hydrolyzation is a process where proteins are broken down into their component amino acids (accomplished by many methods, including, obviously, HPP). Hydrolyzation releases natural glutamate into its “free form” which results in a by-product of 5-20% MSG. (20)
Lipid oxidation (peroxide and cholesterol) is dramatically increased after HPP especially in oxygen rich environments. Oxidative reactions make meat susceptible to loss of amino acids and decrease protein digestibility. The only ingredients known to limit oxidative damage in HPP products are rosemary, sage, EDTA, or egg white powder. Tocopherols, most commonly used in raw pet foods, are specifically listed as being ineffective. (1) Lipid peroxidation is the oxidative degradation of lipids which results in cell damage and rupture of red blood cell membranes which may be mutagenic and carcinogenic. Tests of toxicity of lipid hydroperoxides done on mice showed they did not survive past embryonic day 8, indicating that the removal of lipid hydroperoxides is essential for mammalian life. (2,3) Considering that most pets stay on a diet of one brand, and often one protein, for their entire life this science makes it seem life-threatening to use HPP meats as the primary source of any animals diet. Studies showed that lipid oxidation was ONLY slowed if the meat was pressure treated at 500MPa or above for 30-60 minutes at 20-70* C (68-158* F) (cooked) and vacuum sealed at the time of processing. Raw Pet Foods HPP for only 3-5 minutes at lower temperatures at 600MPa and do not commonly vacuum seal. Additionally, HPP meats are more stable and resistant to re-proliferation of pathogens ONLY if cooked prior to, or in conjunction with, HPP. (1) Vitamin A has up to 100% loss at 87,000 psi. (1) Vitamin C has 30-40% decrease at only 400MPa and up to 70% at 600MPa (87,000psi) that is only limited by lowering oxygen concentrations. (5) Synthetically supplemented B Vitamins have a 30x greater rate of decay after HPP, especially Thiamine Monophosphate (TMP). (8) TMP deficiency results in the disease called Beriberi which may result in difficulty walking/incoordination, mental confusion, pain, strange eye movements, tingling, vomiting, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, enlarged heart, congestive heart failure and swelling of the lower legs. Lycopene (11) and Carotiniods (7) are damaged by HPP. HPP decreases the pH of meat products. (1) Excessively low pH levels may cause metabolic acidosis, which leads to acidemia, resulting in fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, coma or death. Whether the decrease of pH caused by HPP is significant enough to cause acidemia is debatable but a pet with existing health concerns such as urinary stones/crystals, infections, cancer, etc caused by low pH may be exacerbated by HPP. HPP can inactivate microorganisms and enzymes as well as degrade and denature nutrients. (6) While blood and muscle tissue are void of DIGESTIVE and food enzymes metabolic enzymes are found in other tissues, including blood and muscle. These enzymes are still part of the natural process of carnivore digestion, and are therefore beneficial for health. Just as cooking salad or fruit removes many beneficial enzymes and nutrients from foods, natural enzymes from all raw foods assist with balanced health in people and pets. Studies have shown that polymer packaging material (plastic) that pet food is kept in is modified by high pressure. A significant migration of compounds from the plastic material into the food product has been observed. Traces of n-hexanal and some hydrocarbons have also been found by Schindler and others in 2010. (1) The Ecology Center lists “product packaging and food wrap plastic” under the section for Phthalates (DEHP, DINP, and others) and states that they are Endocrine Disruptors, linked to asthma, developmental and reproductive effects, release of dioxins and mercury, including cancer, birth defects, hormonal changes, decreasing sperm counts, infertility, endometriosis and immune system impairment. (4) Plastic fragments have never been found in raw pet foods. However, plastic fragments have also never been found in plastic water bottles that were left in a 100* car or frozen, though research is wide-spread proving the health detriments of drinking water from a plastic bottle that has been heated or frozen.
Dogs and cats are designed to tolerate pathogens They have pathogen regulating, rather than digestive enzymes in their mouths, their short digestive tracts pass foods quickly, before they can harbor pathogens, their stomach acid is 1, far more acidic than a person. While a dog or cats system is fully capable of tolerating high levels of pathogens, in the case of illness it is unnecessary for the immune system to be forced to endure pathogens when it could be using metabolic and immune resources to heal. So the question becomes, is truly raw or HPP safer for an immune compromised pet??? Studies show that HPP is only highly effective in short and long term pathogen regulation when products are cooked or cured first, and then HPP. HPP alone does not always provide sufficient regulation of pathogens. HPP increases oxidation and free radicals, decreases enzymes and antioxidant capacity and destabilizes the amine matrix. Therefore, an already taxed immune system would have an increased free radical load, decreased contribution of enzymes to regulate health and decreased antioxidants to assist in regaining health. The FDA, FSIS and FIC implemented a Zero Tolerance Policy (24) and “War on Pathogens” in 2009 (though FDA lists NO raw food recalls prior to 2009) on ALL raw pet foods. This means that non-HPP, completely raw pet foods, as well as HPP or other “stop-gap treated” foods, are allowed to have 0% pathogens in the food. Pathogen levels as low as .05% (far below levels that cause illness) will be recalled. For the consumer this means that untreated raw products are just as safe, if not safer than HPP. A non-HPP truly raw product must maintain superior standards because they must rely on the quality of well-sourced ingredients to be capable of testing negative for pathogens. Truly raw products would also maintain their natural bacterium that prevents pathogen proliferation once home with the consumer (22) while HPP pet food could purchase a Salmonella contaminated product and test free of pathogens after HPP, though bacteria needed to regulate the RE-proliferation of Salmonella were killed in the HPP process. It’s therefore safer to feed an immune compromised pet a fully raw product (that is unconditionally regulated for pathogens by FDA, FSIS and FIC) than it is to feed a HPP food product that burdens the body with lipid oxidation, decreased pH (metabolic acidosis), endocrine inhibitors, loss of Vitamin A, Thiamine, Vitamin C, Carotenoids, Enzymes, etc.
What if there ARE pathogens??? Wouldn’t HPP make the food safer? Again, truly raw food is legally required to have substantially lower levels of pathogens than even Grocery Store meats for human food consumption. There have only been 5 recalls caused by the FDA’s Regulatory Offensive “War on Pathogens” that implemented microbiological sampling of over 2,000 raw pet food samples taken from retail stores between 6.1.2015-8.31.2015. FDA was instructed to enforce recalls on all products that tested positive for Salmonella, Listeria, E.Coli or Campylobacter. Despite the sampling of 2,000 raw (and HPP) pet food products only 5 (.002%) were recalled. 80% of the raw food recalls enforced in this time frame were popular HPP products. Only 20% (1 product (.0005%)) were caused by non-HPP, untreated raw pet food. Hundreds of other bags from the same truly raw batch were tested and no others came up positive. Since 2007 there have been 7 recalls on Raw, untreated pet foods (no reported illnesses or death), 16 recalls on HPP pet foods (57% more than that of raw, untreated, non-HPP products), 2 recalls on Dehydrated raw pet foods, and nearly 300 recalls on Dry Kibble (Cooked Dog and Cat Food) and Cans (numerous reported illnesses and deaths), despite FDA’s active efforts to recall raw pet foods. (14) E.coli is highly responsive to HPP, however since 2007 there has only been ONE recall of pet food for e.coli (dry food), making it a moot point for pet food regulation. PASTEURIZED dairy caused one recall. (17) Campylobacter – There is minimal reference to HPP’s ability to regulate Campylobacter. However, NO cases of campylobacter have ever been associated with pet food recall, making it a minimal concern. (18) Listeria monocytogenes has been observed to have a higher survival rate in cooked and HPP meat than in raw meats. (Simpson and Gilmour 1997) (1) From 2011-2016 there have been 10 Outbreaks caused by Listeria. None of them have been caused by pet products, 6 were caused by PASTEURIZED dairy. (15) Salmonella – In September of 2015 Dr. William James, a 28 year Chief Veterinarian of FSIS in charge of pathogen and residue sampling published a document showing his disappointment in FSIS’s ability to decrease Salmonella in food products since 2000 despite changes in policy. He states that FSIS will not change their regulatory strategy for Salmonella, despite its failures. (13) Since 2006 there have been 60 outbreaks caused by Salmonella, TWO of which were caused by COOKED, DRY PET FOOD (none from raw). (16)
REFERENCES: (1) “New Insights into the High-Pressure Processing of Meat and Meat Products.” H. Simonin, F. Duranton, M. de Lamballerie, Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, May, 2012. 10.1111/j.1541.4337.2012.00184 (2) Lipid peroxidiation – DNA damage by malondialdehyde. Marnett LJ. Mutation research 1999 Mar 8;424(1-2):83-95 (3) Muller, F.L. Lustgarten, M.S., Jang, Y., Richardson, A. and Van Remmen, H. (2007), “Trends in oxidative aging theories”. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 43 (4): 477-503 doi:10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2007.03.034. PMID17640558 (4) Ecology Center, “Plastic Task Force Report” Berkeley, CA 1996 http://ecologycenter.org/factsheets/adverse-health-of-plastics/ (5) Indrawati O., Ven der Plancken I., Van Loey A. Hendricks M., “Does High Pressure Processing Influence Nutritional Aspects of Plant Based Systems?” Center for Food and Microbial Technology, Food Science and Technology 2007 (6) M. Hendrickx, L. Ludikhyze, I. Van den Brock, C. Weesmaes, “Effects of High Pressure on enzymes related to food quality” Trends in food Science Technology, 9 (1998), PP. 197-203 (7) A. Fernandez Garcia, P. Butz, B. Tauscher, “Effects of high pressure processing on carotenoid extractability, antioxidant activity, glucose diffusion and water biding of tomato puree.” Journal of Food Science, 66 (7)(2001), pp 1033-1038 (8) P.Butz, A. Bognar, S. Dieterich, B. Tauscher, “Effect of high-pressure processing at elevated temperatures on thiamin and riboflavin in pork and model systems.” Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 55(4)(2007), pp 1289-1294 (9) So YT, Simon RP. Deficiency diseases of the nervous system. In: Daroff RB, Fenichel GM, Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, eds. Bradley’s Neurology in Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2012:chap 57. Updated 2014. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000339.htm (10) W. MEssens, J. Van Camp, A. Huygebaert, “The use of high pressure to modify the functionality of food proteins” Trends in Food Science and Technology, 8(1997), pp 107-112 (11) W. Qui, H. Jiang, H. Wang, Y. Gao, “Effect of high hydrostatic pressure on lycopene stability” Food Chemistry, 97 (2006), pp 516-523 (12) W. MEssens, J. Van Camp, and H. Huyghebaert (1997), The Use of high pressure to modify the functionality of food proteins. Trends in Food Science and Technology (Vol. 8) (13) FSIS’ salmonella policies: actions vs accomplishments (paid document) http://www.meatingplace.com/Industry/Blogs/Bio?forumId=756 (14) www.FDA.gov Search: “_____ recalls” (15) http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/ (16) http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks.html (17) http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks.html (18) http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/diseases/campylobacter/index.html (19) http://www.scubadiverinfo.com/2_physiology.html (20) http://www.scienceofcooking.com/msg.htm (21) http://www.kylesconverter.com/pressure/feet-of-water-to-pounds-per-square-inch (22) Food Industry Counsel, LLC, FDA’s War on Pathogens, Criminal Charges for Food Company Executives and Quality Assurance Managers, S. K. Stevens, Esq. www.foodindustrycounsel.com (23) http://discovermagazine.com/2001/aug/featphysics (24) K&L Gates Docket No FDA-2010-D-0378; Draft Compliance Policy Guide Sec. 690.800, Salmonella in Animal Feed (75 Fed. Reg. 45,130 (August 2, 2010) Zero Tolerance Pathogens
There are many reasons that a pet will get picky about the food they are eating and here are some things to consider. If you suspect any of these issues let us know and we’ll assist you with transition, supplementation and/or behavioral issues.
1) “What the heck is in my bowl?” … Recognition: Sometimes pets don’t recognize new foods with a different appearance as “food”. Many pets are picky about a certain consistency or texture of a food and when a new food varies from what they’re used to they won’t even try it… even if it smells delicious. In many cases making a new food look similar to their old food makes it more appealing to them during transition. Forming new foods into balls or pellets so it looks like kibble, or adding water, or mashing a food to match a consistency can help get your pet started.
2) “Caviar or Grits?” … Consistency: Many pets care more about consistency then flavor. If you have noticed that your pet prefers a certain type of food try a different food in the same consistency but a different flavor.
Some options to adjust consistency are (See “Trying new foods” for more details):
Making a Pate’: make any food into a pate’ consistency by adding a small amount of water and letting it soak then mashing it up.
Making a Chunky mix: Try temporarily adding chunky food blends into the food that you desire to switch your pet to. Try different soaking times or try lightly cooking the new food the first few times you feed it.
Making a Crunchy: Try balling up small amounts of food, or adding dry Ziwi Peak or Simple Food Project (dry), or slightly cooking a blend to get your pet to transition.
Pay attention to the temperature: Many pets don’t like their food too warm or cold. Make sure that if you have a picky eater you take note of your pet’s preferences to temperature. Sometimes its important to check their teeth to make sure they don’t have a dental problem (such as abscess or fracture) that needs attention that is causing their pickiness.
Pay attention to freshness: Many pets can tell once a food has been open for a period of time and no longer want to eat it. There are many reasons for this. With dry food the oils can go rancid after a period of time. With canned food oxygen may begin to break down chemicals used to denature the food and metal/plastics leach into the food over even short periods of time. With dehydrated and raw food they tend to get slightly crunchy around the edges, leaving a partially crunchy and partially squishy texture that some pets don’t like. If your pet doesn’t like their food if it’s been open for more then one meal consider making each meal fresh or switching to a different product.
3) “Steak and Eggs, Please?” …Established Behavior: You may have created a monster. It’s very common for pet owners to worry when their pets don’t eat. Sometimes your pets prefer the attention of your worry over their food. Many owners offer their pets enticements to get them to eat. Enticements given after you pet has snubbed their food just teaches them that snubbing their food means tastier treats. You might even give them additional attention and worry and try hand feeding them. The important thing to remember is that the more you baby your pet through eating the pickier they will be in the future. We’re happy to help you figure out how to get around behavior based pickiness problems. See enticements under number 13 for tips about giving your pet extras without causing behavioral problems.
4) Bringing out the Dinnerware… What’s in a bowl? : Some pets have poor vision and a deep or round bowl makes them nervous because it’s dark and hard for them to see into. Many cats and dogs, don’t like their whiskers touching the sides of the bowl and an oval shaped bowl or plate is the only thing that will make them comfortable eating.
5) “I’m in charge”… a bit of Trickery: Some pets don’t like to feel bossed around. Your pet might feel anxiety and pressure about eating a new food. Often times if you put the food in an area that they don’t normally eat they will feel it was their idea and try it.
6) “My dish stinks?”… Problems with the food: There could be something wrong with their food. Pets have the ability to smell far better than you do. They can smell when a food has an unacceptable odor so perhaps there is a problem with the food that you don’t know about. It never hurts to take a food back to the store, even if you’re not returning it, and ask the people there (that have regular interaction with the product) if it looks and smells how they would expect it to and if they have heard of any problems with the brand. Asking questions is the quickest way to diagnose problems with your pet.
7) Gurgle, Gurgle… Stomachache central: Their food might make them not feel well. Sometimes pets get an upset stomach or abdominal pain without vomiting or diarrhea. Pancreatic issues, stress and anxiety, H.pylori, and MANY other common issues can cause your pet to snub their food simply because they associate eating with a feeling of sickness. Sometimes you have to work them through a transition onto a better food for them to realize that a new food won’t make them feel that way anymore. Adding Goat Milk, Microflora, Fido’s Flora or Optagest is a great option to help with this problem.
8) Dinner and a Show… Playing with your food: Sometimes when pets eat too fast they get sick to their stomach. Slowing down their consumption can be the difference between a picky eater and a great eater. When it comes to cats and dogs playing with food can mean a long, healthy life. For cats it can be helpful to toss freeze dried nuggets that they can feel like they are chasing and catching. Feeding a full meal inside of a toy can slow your dogs’ meal time to a safe, choke and bloat free speed. Ask us for assistance in finding ways to get your pet to play with their food and decrease their pickiness.
Once upon a time, “by-products” from human food meant bruised fruit or half eaten steak. Today, food production involves machinery lubricants, flavor enhancers, chemical stabilizers, food coloring agents, nitrates, sulphites, benzoates, and much more. Farmers used to scrape food straight off the dinner plate into the dogs’ bowl, or throw the cat a chicken egg that was already broken from the coup. Today, high-heat processed kibble and canned pet foods are able to use rancid, expired, chemical-laden and otherwise contaminated “by-products” of human food production. They are now able to advertise these “foods” as “sustainable” and “palatable” for pets – with no consideration for health ramifications.
French fries, chicken strips, cheese sticks and other fried foods are fried in oils. These are unsaturated oils are from canola, soybeans, cottonseeds, corn, sesame, sunflower seeds, and safflower. These oils are high in calories, increasing the calories of 100 grams of potato from 93 to 319 when fried. (1) Trans-fats are produced in high levels when unsaturated fats are hydrogenated (heated to very high temperature). Science links trans-fats to heart disease,(2) Diabetes,(3) and Obesity.(4)Higher cooking temperatures creates more oxidation and more trans-fats. Hydrogenated vegetable oils contain more than 5% trans-fat (5). In order to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, the FDA recommends 0% trans-fats from hydrogenated oil sources in the diet (6).
Some say that trans-fat do not harm health and only improve palatability and acceptance of feeds.(7) Yet, comprehensive research on the topic shows that trans-fats, even in mild or moderate levels, do cause health damage in dogs and cats. In dogs, Pancreatitis, Cushing’s Disease and Kidney Diseases are shown to be caused by elevated VLDL-associated triglycerides from trans-fat consumption. In cats, disorders associated with these fats include Diabetes Mellitus and Nephrotic (Kidney) syndrome. Scientists state, “while cats and dogs are spared the risk of atherogenesis and coronary artery disease, …many of the dyslipoproteinemias seen in dogs and cats appear to be similar to those observed in humans… (including) hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, and pancreatitis.”(8)
Used cooking oil is dumped in bins outside the back doors of restaurants nationwide. This oil can legally be used as an ingredient in your pets’ food:
AAFCO Official Publication, 2020, pages 386-387 (9):
“33.21 Yellow Grease, Feed Grade, is the rendered product from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry blended with used cooking or frying oil from human food preparation, consisting of animal and/or vegetable fats or oils…” and
“33.24 Used Cooking Oil, Feed Grade, is the product of used cooking or frying oil from human food preparation, consisting of animal and/or vegetable fats or oils, collected from commercial human food facilities and then heated to reduce moisture…”
Next to Hero’s Pets there are 3 bins for fried sludge, one behind each restaurant (usually in the smoking area). They sit outdoors, with no safety screens on them to prevent wild animals, rodents or insects from falling in. They are exposed to the elements and picked up only once every 6 months. The bin closest to Hero’s Pets has a sticker on it that says, “Darling Ingredients.” JBS,(10) Cargill,(11) Griffin Industries,(12)and Darling Ingredients (13) are just a few of the rendering companies that supply pet and livestock feed with this sort of recycled waste.
We looked into Darling Ingredients.(14) Their website states that they are an, “animal food manufacturing company.” The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Darling Ingredients since 2003, Randall C. Stuewe, was the Keynote Speaker at AAFCO’s 2020 Mid-year meeting. (15) Their website will show you green, clean looking imagery with cute puppies and beautiful children.
The sector of Darling Ingredients that handles pet feed ingredients and biodiesel ingredients is called Dar Pro Ingredients. Their slogan is, “Transforming your grease and meat by-products into valued feed and fuel ingredients.”(16) They also claim, “DarPro Solutions, part of the Darling Ingredient Family, repurposes used cooking oil and meat byproducts across the United States into renewable biofuels, animal feed ingredients and other household and industrial resources.”(17)
From DarPro Ingredients you can click on “Pet Food Ingredients.”(18) Click “Feed Grade Proteins & Fats” to see that they offer Yellow Grease, Used Cooking Oil, and other ingredients for animal feed use. These ingredients would be illegal to use in human foods.(19)
The Safety Data Sheet created by Darling Ingredients for Yellow Grease states, “Recommended Use: Feed/Pet Food Ingredient, raw material for the manufacture of Chemicals/Biofuels.” And “Synonyms: RCO (Recycled Cooking Oil), Restaurant Grease, Kitchen Grease, Rendered Animal Fat.” And “not to be landfilled. Do not flush to sewer.” (20)
Are there additional contaminants in this type of product?
Yes. Obviously every manufacturer works to ensure that their product does not pose any immediate threat to life or health. They could no longer sell their products if they did. In the case of Yellow Grease it is “made safe” through a process of:
– Water removal
– Sifting of large particles (bone, hair, metal, undecomposed parts of insects, rats, feral cats, etc)
– Heating at high temperatures to sterilize (which causes further oxidation and production of more trans-fats)
– Adding carcinogenic ethoxyquin(21)
– Adding phosphoric acid
– Adding carcinogenic t-butylhydroquinone. T-butylhydroquinone is more toxic than arsenic. T-butylhydroquinone toxicity = 700mg/kg. Arsenic toxicity = 763mg/kg. (22)(23)(24)
Employees of some rendering facilities state that their ingredients are production areas are contaminated with “buckets of dead rats… live rats, a lot of rat droppings… (and) maggots.”(25)
Also, high-temperature cooking results in higher concentrations of acrylamides(1)which are linked to: (26)
– Kidney cancer
– Reproductive tract cancers
– Excessive perspiration
– Muscle weakness
– Tremors
– Organ damage (liver, lungs, kidneys, central nervous system)
– Thyroid neoplasms
Of course, there are plenty of accepted foods and chemicals that are able to match aspects of the toxic profile of Yellow Grease as an ingredient. However, a human is able to choose that risk. Hopefully nobody is knowingly choosing those foods or chemicals as an exclusive food source. In the case of most pets, there is rarely rotation away from any single contaminant or ingredient. Especially since so many high-heat processed brands of food use the same sources for ingredients.
“Yellow grease” is already used to make Biofuels. However, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) states, “Due to competition from these other industrial sectors (feed livestock, soap manufacture, makeup, clothes, rubber and detergents)… less than a third of yellow grease could be spared for biodiesel production annually.”(27)
Biodiesel is nontoxic, renewable, and biodegradable. It can be used in cars, railways, aircrafts, as heating oil, for cleaning oil spills, and in biodiesel generators. Biofuels have the ability to essentially eliminate smog, ozone and sulfur emissions. Biodiesel also use reduces poisonous carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons and particulate matter. Biodiesel indisputably improves environmental health.(28)
Yellow Grease is far from the worst waste ingredient used in high-heat processed pet food. However, we should use it as sustainable fuels rather than disease-inducing ingredients in pet food. It is the responsibility of pet food consumers to reject products made with this profitable waste. Every company is trying to market their products as “good,” “beneficial,” and “safe.” Manufacturers of high-heat processed, shelf-stable junk foods use attractive marketing to do so. Unregulated marketing such as the word “supreme” or “natural” is ubiquitous. Pretty stock photos offset the public perception of feed grade products. The public’s love and support of “green” things is leveraged with misleading advertising. It is an incredibly important lesson in the conditions we live in as consumers.
The world we live in now requires, perhaps more than anything, that we become wise to the intents and purposes behind marketing and branding. Since the beginning of Hero’s Pets we’ve been digging for hidden truths. The grease dumpsters that you can find behind every restaurant in America provide a little insight into the gap we’re trying to close between perception and reality every single day.
Oxford Academic, American Society for Nutrition, Journal of Nutrition – Consumption of Trans Fatty Acids is Related to Plasma Biomarkers of Inflammation and Endothelial Dysfunction – https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/135/3/562/4663700
“Cancer” defines a category of diseases with similar qualities. Like breeds of dogs and cats they can be very different. A Chihuahua and a Great Dane are both “dogs” but are very different. Similarly, Glioblastoma and Leukemia are both “cancers” but are very different. Requiring different tests and different treatments to eliminate or slow. Not every treatment is right, or even necessary, for every cancer. This document is designed to assist you in doing more research on the type of cancer that you are specifically dealing with. You may need to work in tandem with your veterinarian, or travel distances, in order to attain some of these tests or treatments in your area.
Available and Valuable Tests:
Hemoglobin A1C & Glucose – Chronically elevated serum glucose & HgA1C levels are often an indicator of propensity for, or existence of, cancer as glucose is a primary fuel/food source for most cancers.
Imaging – Imaging is one of the most important tools for identifying a cancer’s location and load. PET-CT is most effective for identifying the smallest tumor loads. MRI, CT and Ultrasound are capable of showing location and load of moderately small to large masses. X-Ray can show many types of larger masses as well as locations of bone cancers. Older machines (or CT/MRI with fewer “slices”) are less sensitive and less able to clearly see tumors. It is valuable to ask how old the machine is and how it compares to the current “best” machines available. If no “best” machine is available you may consider requesting discounted imaging.
Calcium – A CBC (Comprehensive Blood Count) will show calcium in levels in your pet. Some cancers cause hypercalcemia, or elevated calcium levels which are often an indicator of the presence of cancer cells as well as a need for additional diagnostics.
Bone Marrow or Punch Biopsy or Aspiration – If there are cancer indicators in blood tests, a biopsy of the affected tissues will be necessary to verify cancer, malignancy and identify what kind it is and how to treat it appropriately.
Nagalase – Nagalase (N-acetyl-galactosamine) is an endogenous enzyme that plays a role in sugar metabolism. It is reported that tumors can produce Nagalase and that nagalase-mediated immune-suppression in cancer patients contributes to the growth of the existing tumor and the formation of metastases. (https://nagalase-test.de/en/questions-and-answers/)
ENOX (Ecto-Nox) 2 – The ONCOblot blood test identifies a specific type of protein in the blood, ENOX2, which exists only on the surface of a malignant cancer cell. The ENOX2 proteins are shed into the circulation and can be detected in the blood. These proteins serve as highly sensitive markers for confirmation of cancer presence.
Serum Vitamin D testing – Vitamin D helps moderate minerals and improve immune function. Studies show that Vitamin D deficiency is almost always associated with cancerous conditions. Synthetic supplementation can be dangerous if current blood levels are not known. Testing is required to ensure dosage is appropriate and effective.
Blood protein testing – This electrophoresis test examines various proteins in blood and can aid in detecting certain abnormal immune system proteins (immunoglobulins) that are sometimes elevated in those with multiple myeloma.
Tumor marker tests – Tumor markers are chemicals made by tumor cells that can be detected in blood. However, tumor markers are also produced by some normal cells in the body, and levels may be significantly elevated in noncancerous conditions. This limits the potential for tumor marker tests to help in diagnosing cancer. The best way to use tumor markers in diagnosing cancer hasn’t been determined. And the use of some tumor marker tests is controversial. Examples of tumor markers include prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for prostate cancer, cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) for ovarian cancer, calcitonin for medullary thyroid cancer, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) for liver cancer and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) for germ cell tumors, such as testicular cancer and ovarian cancer.
EDS (Electrodermal Screening) Bio Survey– identifies cancer cascade
Circulating Tumor Cells & Test – (CTCs) are cells that have detached from the primary tumor and flow into the blood or lymphatic circulation creating a secondary tumor. Despite their rare population, these cells exhibit metastatic attributes and are related to cancer progression. G.C.C. Group has developed CTC tests that can detect different types of cancer, in particular breast, prostate and colorectal. (https://www.rgcc-group.com/)
Oncocount – reports Circulating Cancer Tumor Cells (CTC). It enumerates only the progenitor cells that are relevant to potent relapse and recurrence of the disease.
Oncotrace – reports CTC’s, and any positive Circulating Cancer Stem Cells (CSC) and the immunophenotype of these cells, which may identify their origin.
Oncotrail – tests for a specific type of malignancy such as breast cancer, prostate, sarcoma, and so on. This test includes only markers relevant for a specific type of malignancy which make the test a good tool for follow up control.
Immune-Frame – Immune-Frame uses specific cellular markers and cytokine production to detect the type or types of cells that are responsible for the activation or repression of the immune system of a patient. Two different assays are used for the result export. ELISA assay is used for the detection of cytokines produced by specific cells in serum sample. On the other hand, flow cytometry is used for the enumeration of specific markers on peripheral blood cells.
Supportive Oligonucleotide Technique (SOT) – In this case the patients’ blood is used to make SOT by using the mRNA to induce certain gene expressions. SOT has the ability to induce apoptosis in the CTCs and all primary and metastatic tumors. It can also be used for viruses.
Chemosensitivity Testing – There is a growing interest in personalized cancer treatments and the identification of suitable treatments that may work for each cancer patient. Chemosensitivity testing is one method of doing this. Oncologists primarily rely on the statistical analysis of large treatment trials to decide which drugs to use for specific cancers. Chemosensitivity testing involves testing an individual’s cancer cells in the laboratory to identify which drugs and natural substances demonstrate the best response. The G.C.C Group test is a blood test (or in some cases tissue tests). Tumor cells are identified and isolated from the sample for the following analysis:
Viability testing of chemotherapy drugs • Genetic profiling for guidance about targeted therapies e.g. monoclonal antibodies • Viability testing (and identification of mechanisms of action), of natural substances which may be used as part of a complementary treatment strategy. Our genetic make-up determines whether we are ‘accumulators’ or ‘rapid metabolizers’ of certain drugs. This can play a critical role in determining how effective a specific treatment is likely to be for us, and how significant the side effects will be.
Therapeutic concept – A tumor consists of several subgroups of cells (subpopulations) with different features. One of the subsets actually drives the progress of the disease, the resistance to therapy and the relapse. This subset is called “cancer stem cell like cells” or “tumor initiating cells.” When a patient is treated, cancer cells may be destroyed, then when the compatible diagnostic does not discover any signal, the cancer cells may consist a population of 109 to 1012 cells. This limit defines the remission stage of a patient. At that stage only the cancer stem cells may survive and colonize into distant organs and generate metastases in time. Hence the usage of our test is to detect in which therapeutic approach the cancer cell may respond and also during remission. It is essential to detect, discover and explore the features of the disseminated cancer stem cell like, in order to mitigate the risk of relapse and to generate options to treat even these kinds of cells. The main goal is to discover, analyze and screen the cancer cells in every step of the disease.
Onconomics – Provides information about the efficacy of specific drugs on the cancer cells derived from a single patient. The method incorporates two procedures, the epigenetic analysis and the viability assays, to validate the data. Usage of the test – Chemosensitivity for Cytotoxic drugs and targeted therapies (MOAB & TKI’s)
Tu Onconomics Profile– includes chemosensitivity/chemoresistence assessment for cytotoxic drugs, monoclonal antibodies and small molecules that inhibit specific targets (TKI, etc). No natural substances tested. Like the previous, yet this assessment is based on 3 methods: direct cytotoxic effect, stimulation of the immune system, and the inhibition of proliferative signals in the cancer cells.
HOLISTIC TREATMENTS: *If marked, the associated product is available at Hero’s Pets.
Other holistic vets you may consider following online or contacting are:
Dr. Barbara Royal (Chicago), Dr. Natasha Lilly (Southern California), Dr. Karen Becker (Arizona/Illinois/Canada), Dr. Doug Kneuven, Dr. Ron Schultz, Dr. Jean Dodds.
There is little to no regulation limiting vets from calling themselves “holistic.” Be careful in choosing a vet. Ensure that they are willing to do what’s right for your pet, not just what they know – some vets are opposed to necessary treatments such as pharmaceuticals, whole/fresh foods (including raw milk products), or therapies that they don’t have access to. Interview your vet before choosing them.
Diets:
**Ketogenic Diet – Research done at KetoPet Sanctuary validated that a Ketogenic Diet has the ability to improve and/or eliminate hard tumor cancers, improve the efficacy of other therapies (holistic and allopathic) and prevent metastases. For more information see https://ivcjournal.com/author/ckent/
**Raw Milk Diet – In some cases, the body does not have the energy or resources to metabolize and/or utilize foods and supplements. Like breast feeding an infant, a quality, properly done raw milk diet is capable of providing complete nutrition while not taxing an already struggling system, thus improving cancer outcomes. For more information see https://www.answers4veterinarians.com/cancer
Exercise:
MetCon – Metabolic Conditioning can help prevent cancer related muscle loss and can boost the immune system while fighting cancer. Exercising your pet 20-30 minutes, 2x/day can greatly benefit their health. MetCon regimens should be based on the individual’s physical abilities or limitations.
Nutraceutical Therapies– (Hero’s Pets is able to make custom blends of many of these items to make them more affordable and easier to use)
*Yunnan Baiyao – Yunnan Baiyao is not known for killing cancer – however, it is highly effective in preventing rapid internal (or external) bleeds. Hemangiosarcoma of the Heart, Spleen or Liver, as well as externally visible Mast Cell Cancers notoriously bleed. Often, the bleeding is the cause of death, not the cancer. Regular use of Yunnan Baiyao can improve longevity while you treat your pet with other therapies.
*BCAA – Branched Chain Amino Acids (Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine) have the ability to help prevent cachexia, also called muscle wasting, which is common in cancer patients.
*PolyMVA – Studies show that PolyMVA most greatly benefits sarcomas and osteosarcomas in dogs and lymphoma and leukemia in cats. Additionally, it helps produce energy in the body, prevents cell damage, assists in detoxification, prevents Vitamin B-12 deficiency, and enhances white blood cell function. For more information see https://polymva.com/why/
*CBD and THC Supplementation – The cannabinoid Cannabidiol (CBD) can decrease uncomfortable symptoms associated with cancer, such as inflammation, pain, bone loss, anxiety, etc. Alternatively, THC is chemotactic, or capable of killing cancer cells directly. Please ask us for support on ensuring that you’re using the correct CBD supplement and, if you choose to use a THC product, we can help ensure the dosing is appropriate.
*Berberine and Cinnamon – (may be given in conjunction with Metformin if desired) These herbs help decrease insulin and glucose levels which can starve many types of tumors. Hero’s Pets sells Elemental Provisions Dia-Sweet-Ease for glucose, insulin and HgA1C regulation.
Curcumin (turmeric root isolate) – Curcumin is a component of Turmeric Root. It has anti-cancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antiviral benefits. It modulates growth factors, enzymes, transcription factors, cytokines and proapoptotic and antiapoptotic proteins. It’s particularly beneficial for Lung, Blood, Digestive System, Prostate, Head/Neck/Throat/Mouth and Malignant Mesothelioma cancers. Hero’s Pets sells Elemental Provisions Turmeric/Ginger to improve curcuminoid absorption.
Resveratrol – Resveratrol may prevent certain cancer cells from dividing, enhance chemotherapy or radiation effects, or protect against radiation side effects. It is particularly beneficial for Skin, Breast, Prostate, Colorectal, Liver, Pancreatic, Lung and Head/Neck/Throat/Mouth cancers.
*Niacinamide – This B-Vitamin uniquely helps to metabolize the damaging effects of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (such as those found in most refined fish oils) in the body. It improves liver function, prevents damage to the heart and wards off cancer by improving metabolic efficiency in elimination of harmful free radicals and toxins.
*”Beta-Glucans,” in Turkey Tail (and other) Mushrooms – Polysaccharopeptides (PSP) and polysaccharide-K (PSK) found in certain mushrooms appear to inhibit the growth of some cancer cells as well as stimulate the immune system, especially when combined with other anticancer therapies.
*EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate) – Found most commonly in Green Tea, this plant component promotes cancer cell destruction, particularly in Colon, Kidney, Breast and Brain cancers as well as Leukemia.
*Artesunate / Artemisinin – Also known as Wormwood, this herb has anti-angiogenic and growth inhibition effects on cancer. It also mediates cellular damage from free radicals, particularly in iron-rich cells.
*Colostrum – Also called Bovine Lactoferrin (bLF) or “mother’s first milk” this anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic natural substance is known to have anti-microbial and immunoprotective effects. It enhances the cell killing activity of cytotoxic T and Natural Killer (NK) cells.
*Colloidal Silver – Generally used as an antimicrobial and disinfectant agent, Colloidal Silver has also been proven to have cytotoxic effects on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Also, in some cases, infection in the liver can manifest similar to Lymphoma. Treatment with Colloidal Silver has the potential to eliminate the infection and the perceived cancer.
*Cat’s Claw – This herb can reduce the adverse effects of chemotherapy, decrease inflammation, improve immune markers, and restore cellular DNA damage.
*Homeopathics – Homeopathics merge nature’s substances with the body’s ability to recognize miniscule levels of these substances to gain insight and knowledge into how to better deal with functional issues and disease states, particularly when the body is at its weakest. Particular remedies must be identified on an individual basis. https://www.cancercenterforhealing.com/live-cell-therapy.html
Calcium EDTA – This heavy metal chelation therapy removes lead, iron (which is often contaminated with lead and arsenic), cadmium and other toxins from the body, thus reducing cancers by catalyzing free radical pathology. Additional similar substances include Chlorella and Montmorillonite. Please contact us about safe sourcing and use.
Sodium Bicarbonate – In some cases, baking soda can be useful in cancer treatment by targeting intratumor lactic acidosis-transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) (often associated with parathyroid, liver, thyroid and other endocrine tumors – generally indicated by hypercalcemia). It reduces the formation of spontaneous metastases and the rate of lymph node involvement. Baking soda supplementation can force proper metabolic use of calcium, carbon dioxide, magnesium and pyruvate. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7249593/
O.D. – Superoxide Dismutase play an essential physiological role in mitigating deleterious effects of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). ROS are determinants of cellular signaling – therefore, excessive levels of ROS in the body will increase cancer signaling and travel throughout the body and prevent proper cellular function and survival.
Vitamin D – As stated above, Vitamin D deficiency is common in cancer patients. Blood tests must be done to identify safe dosing unless the supplement is a whole food source such as Solutions liquid products.
Mistletoe Extract Injections (VAE) – This is one of the most widely studied complementary therapies for cancer. This therapy may be effective against hard tumors and should be done by a trained professional (ask for credentials) as side effects may occur. (https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/patient/mistletoe-pdq)
High-dose Vitamin C Therapy with K3 and other additives – some tumors produce larger amounts of catalase which neutralizes the oxidizing effect of hydrogen peroxide. Also, there is sometimes an insufficient number of catalysts to promote the transfer of electrons. Or there is sometimes an insufficient amount of oxygen in the extracellular space, which is needed in order for Vitamin C to produce hydrogen peroxide. Vitamin K3 is a synthetic form of K1 and K2, to block the production of catalase within tumors which can allow Vitamin C therapy to be used in pre and post treatment for low dose chemotherapy as it prevents metastasis. This addition will markedly potentiate generation of hydrogen peroxide tumors, enabling a more substantial cell kill in those cancers that are sufficiently low in catalase activity. This method of treatment is known to temporarily degrade quality of life … it’s a tough treatment… but if you have a young pet the long-term results may be worth it.
Ozone therapy and Autohemotherapy – a non-conventional form of medicine that has been used successfully in the treatment of ischemic disorders and tumor hypoxia. This can be applied orally, rectally, or via respiratory pathways. Additionally, via autohemotherapy one can withdrawal blood, introduce Ozone or Homeopathics, and reinject it back into the body. This treatment is likely ineffective if not done in conjunction with a Ketogenic Diet. This therapy has also shown to be less effective than HBOT (however, it is also less expensive and more accessible). Also, this therapy should only be done in conjunction with Molecular Hydrogen Therapy and effects are boosted when given with S.O.D as well. http://issels.com/treatment-summary/autohemotherapy/
Insulin Potentiated Targeted Low Dose (IPTLD) Chemotherapy – created in 1940, where 1/10th of the normal chemothrapeutic dose can be administered via enhanced insulin infusion. Cancer has 10x the insulin receptors of normal cells. By combining chemotherapy with insulin the drugs become targeted to the cancer site thus decreasing circulation throughout the body and therefore decreasing toxic effects of chemotherapy. (https://www.anoasisofhealing.com/ipt-low-dose-chemotherapy/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhNDzmMfU5wIVDdbACh1SPQytEAAYASAAEgL-OfD_BwE)
Pharmaceutical & Alopathic Options – ** If marked, Hero’s Pets can help guide you through the associated therapy
Metformin – this pharmaceutical medication may prevent or lower the risk of breast, pancreatic, colon and hepatocellular (liver) cancers and metastases by assisting in the regulation and elimination of cancer-feeding sugars.
Rapamycin and mTOR inhibitors – most commonly used to prevent organ transplant rejection, rapamycin has shown promise as a cancer treatment option by inhibiting mTOR complexes 1 and 2. mTOR signals cancer pathways, thus promoting metastases. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5007757/)
Doxycycline – This pharmaceutical targets cancer-associated infections, which has been shown in many cases to lead to a complete pathological response (CPR) or “remission” in patients with MALT Lymphoma (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue – originating from marginal zone B-cells) when micro-organisms are not present. It has shown promise when treating breast, lung, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate carcinomas, glioblastoma and melanoma.
Panacur – This pharmaceutical is primarily used as an anti-parasitic. However, studies show that it has anti-tumorigenic effects, likely through its anti-microtubule activity, meaning it interferes with cellular structures that help move and grow cancer cells.
Benedryl – While Benadryl does not kill cancer cells, histamine affected cancerous tumors such as rapidly growing Mast Cell tumors can be acutely reduced with Benadryl. A beneficial alternative is Ginseng, or medicinal mushrooms.
Anthelmintic Mebendazole (MBZ) – This pharmaceutical is often used on cancers that are resistant to approved therapies, including “cancer stem cells.” It exhibits cytotoxic activity and synergizes with ionizing radiations and other chemotherapeutic agents thus stimulating improved antitumoral immune responses. Alone or in combination with chemotherapy it has lead to the reduction or complete arrest of tumor growth, marked decrease of metastatic spread and improvement of survival.
Dichloroacetate (DCA) – This pharmaceutical targets metabolism of tumor cells and has shown to be most effective in conjunction with conventional therapies such as chemo and radiation. However, it has neurotoxic effects and should be used with care.
Cox-2 Inhibitors – This category of pharmaceuticals promotes angiogenesis, tissue invasion of tumors and resistance to apoptosis and chemotherapy. It promotes NK (natural killer) and T cells, thus potentially overcoming tumors. Turmeric/curcumin is a natural COX-2 inhibitor.
ALA IV/Naltrexone– (LDN = low dose naltrexone therapy) is used as a long-term stabilization and/or gradual reduction of tumor mass volume by enducing metenkephalin (an endorphin produced in large amounts in the adrenal medulla) and beta endorphin in the blood stream, increasing the number and density of opiate receptors on the tumor cell membranes by making them more responsive to the growth-inhibiting effects of the already-present levels of endorphins, which induce apoptosis in cancer cells, and increases the natural killer (NK) cell numbers and activity. Cancers that respond to this therapy include bladder, breast, carcinoid, colon & rectal, glioblastoma, liver, lung (non-small cell), lymphocytic Leukemia (chronic), Lymphoma (Hodgkin’s and non), malignant melanoma, multiple myeloma, neuroblastoma, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, renal cell carcinoma, throat and uterine. (https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-7399/naltrexone-oral/details)
3-Bromopyruvate (3BrPA) – Tumor formation and growth depend on various biological metabolism processes that are distinctly different with normal tissues. Abnormal energy metabolism is one of the typical characteristics of tumors. It has been proven that most tumor cells highly rely on aerobic glycolysis to obtain energy rather than mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) even in the presence of oxygen, a phenomenon called “Warburg effect”. Thus, inhibition of aerobic glycolysis becomes an attractive strategy to specifically kill tumor cells, while normal cells remain unaffected. In recent years, a small molecule alkylating agent, 3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA), being an effective glycolytic inhibitor, has shown great potential as a promising antitumor drug. Not only it targets glycolysis process, but also inhibits mitochondrial OXPHOS in tumor cells. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6468516/
HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy) – Through breathing and skin absorption of pure oxygen in a pressurized room, patients lungs and blood plasma can gather up to 3 times more oxygen than would be possible breathing pure oxygen at normal air pressure. The patients’ blood and plasma carries this pure oxygen throughout the body to stimulate the release of growth factors and stem cells. This form of therapy has been shown to have no effect on cancer if not done in conjunction with a Ketogenic Diet. Results are impressive, though, when done with a Ketogenic Diet. This therapy also improves the efficacy of chemotherapy by more than 25% and reduces healing time. This therapy is significantly more effective than Ozone on cancerous tumors. Further, the correct protocol must be adhered to in order to attain results. Contact Teri Swanson for details. (http://www.hbot2go.org/about-us.html)
Light Beam Generator with Ozone – (LBG) assists with Lymphatic System Detoxification Therapy by relieving lymphatic congestion and toxicity issues. As the lymph is responsible for moderating immunological support elements (macrophages, T-cells, B-cells, lymphocytes, etc) to fight virus, fungus and bacteria, combining this toxin releasing therapy with Ozone to boost the body’s ability to fight these invaders is beneficial in preventing the accumulation or damaging effects of pathogenic material. https://southfloridawellnesscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ST8_Booklet.pdfhttps://www.cancercenterforhealing.com/light-beam-generator-therapy.html
Next Generation Pulsed Electromagnetic Filed Therapy (PEMF) & Class IV Laser – PEMF concentrates nutrients in the tumor area and promotes increased exchange by electrically opening and closing both cancerous and healthy cells. The uptake of nutrients boosts the function of the healthy cells and weakens the cancer, while the elimination of wastes detoxifies the area and promotes proper cellular metabolism. PEMF has been found to shrink melanomas by 90% within 2 weeks of treatment. Meanwhile, laser therapy dilates small blood and lymphatic vessels around the tumor site, allowing the tumor to uptake higher concentrations of Vitamin C and Oxygen, both of which are toxic to cancer. It is important to note that Laser Therapy has the potential to rapidly increase tumor growth. There are some beneficial applications but laser therapy should not be done unless the veterinarian is well-experienced, knowledgeable about the specific cancer and tumor of your pet, and has reason to believe that your specific pet with their specific cancer will benefit from the treatment. Otherwise, the cancer may become significantly worse rapidly enough that it is unrecoverable.
Hyperthermia – I-Wave is a thermowave system that uses ultra-high radiofrequency to penetrate biological tissues and act on the smallest parts of the body, the cells. This ultra-low frequency of the main beam allows hyper-vascularization penetration through epidermal layer and into the cells. This delivers high concentrations of heat to targeted cancer cells, without harming the patient. The ultra-low frequency induces stimuli on cell membrane permeability and polarity. https://www.cancercenterforhealing.com/hyperthermia-therapy.html
What should you NOT be giving your pet if they have cancer?
High-heat processed foods such as kibble, canned and other “junk” foods or treats – Just like humans, high-heat processed junk foods increase homocysteine, carcinogen consumption, free radical consumption and production and so on. Consuming a fresh food diet is known to improve quality of life and longevity in healthy and disease states.
Processed Oils and Fats – Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) are metabolically damaging. Oxidation contributes a massive load of free radicals and the liver is minimally capable of properly metabolizing PUFA. Chronic use of certain fish, vegetable or other unsaturated oils can lead to cancer, heart disease, intestinal inflammation, hormonal imbalance, etc. We recommend Solutions Fish Broth or Coconut Oil instead, and Niacinamide to assist in the metabolism (and decrease the damage done by) any PUFA consumed anywhere in the diet.
If surgery is expected, or if there is a bleeding tumor, do not give blood thinning herbs or medications
Carbohydrates or Sugars – Most cancers prefer sugar/carbs as a food source. Eliminating these macronutrients from the diet helps starve cancer cells – making therapies more effective. Ask us to help if you need to calculate the amount of carbohydrates you’re currently feeding, or would like to feed, your pet.
Science Diet: We originally spoke with Ashley on Hills staff but she couldn’t answer our questions so she transferred us to a Veterinarian on staff.
Royal Canin admitted that it is not required to have any background in nutrition to work for Royal Canin.
“What agency regulates and monitors veterinary prescription diets?” Science Diet’s answer: “No one, the vets regulate it.” The veterinarian will determine who or what animal requires what diet and which is appropriate.” Ashley said, “nobody.”
Royal Canin’s answer: “The FDA regulates it – it’s only the package that makes it a prescription. So if we package something such as “anallergic” we are told it has to be labeled prescription since we are making medical claims on the package. There are no pharmaceuticals…Early cardiac formula has low sodium… other formulas also have low sodium but since low sodium levels in O.T.C. diets don’t SAY “cardiac” they aren’t labeled prescription.”
We also contacted Scott Ziehr at the Colorado Department of Agriculture and asked what the difference is between prescription pet food and pet foods that you purchase at the grocery store. To which he responded that the only difference is that one makes medical claims and one doesn’t – “it’s strictly a marketing term.” You, as a consumer, can contact any department of agriculture and ask this question as well.
Another example is Renal and Liver Diets – they are for “Intermittent and Supplemental Feeding Only.” If fed to a healthy animal (or sick) long term it will cause muscle wasting… muscle wasting is also a symptom of having those diseases. It is not recommended that you feed these diets to healthy animals. A primary cause of muscle wasting (besides existing disease or injury) is malnutrition. Many pet parents are led to believe that kidney and liver disease lead to muscle wasting simply because their pets develop muscle wasting after months or years of being on prescription pet foods – neither are not listed as causes of muscle wasting.
The FDA and State Departments of Agriculture are the only “regulatory” agencies over pet food. They regulate labeling. They don’t care what’s in the ingredients as long as it has been defined by AAFCO. Other ingredients that are accepted by AAFCO include animal feces and litter, hydrolyzed leather, sludge, used restaurant grease/cooking oil, recycled and salvage pet food and much more. Ingredients that are not approved by AAFCO include Milk Thistle, Slippery Elm, Catnip, Mushrooms and Spirulina. To see this in person stop by Hero’s Pets to see our AAFCO book that we keep in the store.
Are prescription foods regulated any differently than any other product out there? Science Diet: “Nope”
Royal Canin: No Answer
If AAFCO standard for complete and balanced is what you abide by, and all companies are required to abide by equal AAFCO standards, what makes Royal Canin “more” complete or healthy than any other brand? Royal Canin: “It does not. We are familiar only with our own practices, not other companies.”
Why are prescription foods allowed to make medical claims? Can any company do that? Why not? Science Diet’s answer: In summary – They aren’t big and scary. “Larger companies that have done the appropriate research and have the data to back up their claims are the ones that do it.” (Hero’s Note: there are not official parameters or limitations to studies. For example, this vet also explained to us that he participated in the “research” that allowed them to manufacture their T/D (dental) diet – they got “some dogs” from a local rescue (obviously creating lots of room for variables) and fed half of them Pedigree for 2 weeks and half T/D for 2 weeks. At the end of 2 weeks they “compared tartar.” This was the entire study)
Royal Canin’s answer: “Any food with similar or the same ingredients could be sold O.T.C. but not be labeled as a prescription food. However, they wouldn’t be sold O.T.C. because the prescription diets are for intermittent and supplemental feeding only and would make a pet sick if fed long term.” E.g. According to Royal Canin treating a specific disease outweighs the harm done to the rest of the body. Ultimately if the disease process doesn’t kill them first, the diet might.
What do you use L-Lysine and L-Threonine for in the food? Science Diet’s answer: “They are essential amino acids.” They are “certainly synthetic” and they “have to add them to their food. “ Royal Canin’s answer: We didn’t ask Royal Canin this question because we didn’t know about why it’s added until after the call with them.
Long term feeding of several of the diets causes muscle wasting. Muscle wasting is “end stage starvation.” Excessively “Low protein” causes the body to eat its own protein. L-Lysine and L-Threonine are also added to decrease already low protein values even more.
This lists, on page 15, the purpose of L-Lysine and L-Threonine being added to food: “Supplementing diets with L-lysine and L-threonine, which reduces dietary crude protein, can also lower nitrogen excretion and improve nitrogen efficiency.” It is also, “primarily used in swine and poultry diets… dairy cattle diets can also benefit from L-lysine supplement.” No note is made of dogs and cats.
What form do you get your vitamins and minerals and amino acids? Are they individually added/purchased or do you use the FDA vitamin/mineral pre-mix pack? Science Diet’s answer: They make their own pre-mix and each one is specific to each diet. They test individual ingredients in the food prior to releasing the final diet. Based on those test results they’ll determine what their pre-mix should be. But the test is only ever done once. “They (the vitamins and minerals) are individually added to the pre-mix.” “It might be a tiny bit off. It’s not perfect.” “It’s always the same pre-mix used though.” Here is an example of one of Hills Science Diets massive recalls caused by their synthetic vitamin/mineral premix that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of dogs and cats. When asked about using whole food sourcing they stated: “Corn has lots of vitamins” they also stated that they did not have any laboratory analysis to validate the claim.
A NOTE ON CORN: Note that RAW corn would NEVER be used in pet food… ever! Corn would not only be cooked but as listed in the ADM manual it is stripped, separated and cooked. So nutrient levels of those listed on NutritionData.com are incapable of determining the actual remaining vitamin/mineral values of a product that is as processed in as many ways and as many times as pet food. This is to compare that raw corn DOES have vitamins and minerals and that cooked corn has substantially less. Not to mention corn is generally high in phosphorus yet it is still used as a primary ingredient in the renal/urinary diets (even though it’s Royal Canin and Science Diet themselves that tell vets that phosphorus levels should be limited in such cases… even though research shows otherwise).
Nutritive values of a variety of corns: White raw corn = 12% fat, 6% saturated fat, 41% carbohydrate, 31% protein, high in (35%=) thiamin, vitamin b6, omega 6, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, selenium, moderate in (20-34%) riboflavin, niacin, iron, zinc, copper, low in (-20%) calcium, potassium, sodium, pantothenic acid. White cooked corn: 2% fat, 1% saturated fat, 19% fiber, 5% protein, low levels (less than 15% but above 5%) of niacin, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese. Yellow raw corn: 3% fat, 1% saturated fat, 17% carbohydrates, 10% protein, low in (5-20%) vitamin c, thiamin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, manganese. Yellow corn cooked: 3% fat, 2% saturated fat, 14% carbohydrate, 18% fiber, 11% protein, 24% thiamine, low levels (5-20%) of vitamin a, vitamin c, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin b6, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, manganese. Yellow corn flour: 7% fat, 3% saturated fat, 30% carbohydrate, 34% fiber, 16% protein, 25-32% phosphorus, magnesium, manganese and selenium, 15-24% thiamin, vitamin b6, iron and 5-14% vitamin a, riboflavin, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, zinc and copper. White corn flour: 7% fat, 3% saturated fat, 30% carbohydrate, 34% fiber, 16% protein, remaining levels are similar to those listed above with the low levels being even lower.
All corn products have no, to virtually no, vitamin d, vitamin e, vitamin k, vitamin b12, betaine, calcium, sodium, selenium and extremely low levels of niacin, folate, zinc and vitamin a.
Also you can see in AAFCO nutritional requirements for cats and dogs document that cats and dogs have ZERO nutritional requirement for carbohydrates/starches. (we don’t know where Science Diet or Royal Canin sources their synthetics – the links are examples of these ingredients).
Science Diet’s Vitamin Pre-Mix: “vitamins (l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin c), vitamin e supplement, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin a supplement, calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin b12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamin d3 supplement)” Science Diet’s Mineral Pre-Mix: “Minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite)” Almost every Science Diet/Hills list of synthetics, not including “vitamins” and “minerals” pre-mixes: Dicalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, DL-Methionine, vitamin E supplement, taurine, L-tryptophan, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid, phosphoric acid, beta-carotene, rosemary extract.
Royal Canin’s answer: The majority of the diets do use those, not all of them. It is case dependent and “part of the recipe.”
Royal Canin’s Vitamin Pre-Mix: “Vitamins [D-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, D-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, niacin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement]” Royal Canin’s Mineral Pre-Mix: “Trace minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, copper proteinate]” Almost every Royal Canin Diet’s list of synthetics, not including “vitamin” and “mineral” pre-mixes: monocalcium phosphate, sodium silico aluminate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, taurine, choline chloride, DL-methionine, L-lysine, marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid
Additional differences in both Science Diet/Hills and Royal Canin formula’s: There are additions in formulas of varying types of calcium, sometimes l-lysine and l-threonine (which, as listed, decrease protein in the diet) and L-methionine (according to pg 24 of the FEDIAF_Nutrition_Guideline2014 methionine values are based on a dog food containing a very low taurine content), also Vitamin K. According to page 30 of the FEDIAF_Nutrition_Guideline2014 “Vitamin K does not need to be added unless diet contains antimicrobial or anti-vitamin compounds.” Such as soy. sodium selenite is 109 times more toxic than Arsenic but is added into these foods and advertised as immune boosting.
The most toxic of the synthetics are of primary note because they prove the necessity of careful moderation of the products and “an exact science” in handling. Additionally, use of multiple of the most toxic synthetics, with repeating chronic indications leads one to assume that it is, in fact, the supplements THEMSELVES that cause the illnesses that the food is trying to prevent by using non-nutritive and anti-nutritive ingredients in their products.
You talk a lot about the antioxidants in Science Diet. The vitamin E, C, Selenium and Beta-Carotene. Do you know how much of each of those is actually in the food? Are those from food sources or synthetic? Science Diet’s answer: When asked if they are synthetic: “My guess… yeah.” Those particular anti-oxidants are “Part of the pre-mix.” “The pre-mix is mixed in the blender. Then the pre-mix of synthetics goes in the mix.” “It’s not an exact Science” … and, as indicated above, Science Diet says no one monitors this… the “vets decide what’s appropriate.”
Royal Canin’s answer: “Some of the raw ingredients are tested at a third party facility, then once they are combined they are retested and then they save a small amount from every batch and retest it at a later date for things like crunchiness.” When asked about testing for aflotoxins she didn’t know what that was.
According to MSDS reports some of the synthetic vitamins and minerals used in Science Diet and Royal Canin blends are extraordinarily toxic in very low dose. Thus, utilizing an “exact science” seems a necessity in creating a safe product. This is proven by the number of recalls caused by Vitamin D toxicity.
Dr. Karen Beker from Mercola notes that, “Pet foods with plant-derived proteins may contain more harmful toxins than pet foods with traditional proteins.” The most common sources of aflatoxin poisoning include maize (corn), sorghum (wheat), pearl millet, rice, wheat cereals, peanuts, soybeans, sunflower seeds and a few types of nuts. According to Science Professor Trevor Smith at Guelph in Canada, who has spent over three decades researching mycotoxins, “Although we have no exact numbers, we can estimate that when half of the food is of vegetable origin, there will almost always be some degree of contamination. If the food is mainly of animal origins, the chances of contamination are greatly reduced.” Aflatoxicosis is more common in dogs than cats because commercial dog food formulas more often contain corn products. Aflatoxicosis is chiefly a disease of the liver, causing GI symptoms, reproductive issues, anemia and jaundice. Certain types of aflatoxins are linked to cancer in animals.
Aflatoxins are one of the single most common causes of pet food recalls. Where do you source your ingredients? Do you know if your corn, soy and wheat are genetically modified? Do you know if your animals are all antibiotic and hormone free and free range? (Knowing it’s illegal to put antibiotics or hormones into chickens)
Science Diet’s answer: 80% of the world’s grain (including corn) is GMO. It’s very hard to get non-GMO. “They purchase Round-up ready corn” Japan and Europe won’t import anything with GMO’s so they get non-GMO for foods that are exported. They don’t know if any of the non-GMO products get mixed into the American supply. If so it’s accidental because they have more than they made for the European or Japanese order.” Chicken is from Tyson = don’t ask about how they’re fed or raised. They also stated that “all canned food (in the world) is made in Topeka, KS” (which is where Science Diet is made). This is absolutely not true – there are many, many canneries in the world that are not in Kansas.
Royal Canin’s answer: “No clue. Our venison is from New Zealand. Our meats are tested for dangerous levels of hormones and antibiotics prior to use…. No clue what the animals are fed.” “We select our ingredients based on multiple factors, including the supplier’s compliance with our food safety and quality requirements, consistent availability and on nutrient contents that meet the dietary needs of the pet…Royal Canin is dedicated to sustainable development and attempts to source raw materials as close to each manufacturing facility as possible. In some cases, we use international suppliers, because only those suppliers can offer raw materials that comply with our quality and food safety standards.”
Round-Up Ready Corn (Round-Up = glyphosate) – According to Monsanto, glyphosates were found to decrease pituitary size and function at as little as 20mg/kg/day in Beagles.
As far as health is concerned,” genetic engineering unleashes a host of unpredictable side effects. Moreover, irrespective of the type of genes that are inserted, the very process of creating an GM plant can result in massive collateral damage that produces new toxins, allergens, carcinogens, and nutritional deficiencies” states the Institute for Responsible Technology.
Raw-Wisdom offers an extensive article regarding the negative health effects of GMO products including 37 recorded deaths caused by GMO L-Tryptophan, near death effects caused by Brazil nuts that were spliced into soybeans, multiple studies showing evidence of allergenic reactions to GMO corn (combined with pork), potato (combined with Cod), peas (causing allergic lung damage in mice) and soy (listing it as being, “among the top ten allergenic foods.”). They also link GMOs directly to cancer (primarily colorectal, prostate and breast) and degenerative diseases such as inflammation, arthritis and lymphoma (a malignant blood disease). Additionally, allergic reactions are misguided defense reactions against incoming parasites and in GM food cases, the body senses an unnatural invasion. Cells in the body recognize this lack of vitality, producing antibodies and white cells in response. This is analogous to our brain’s cells recognizing and rejecting mechanically repeated thoughts – or thinking, “like a broken record.” Intuitively the body cells and the overall immune system seems to reject excess homogeneity (GMO foods… clones). Each new GMO food item products contains many new potentially allergenic proteins.
What type of scientific research do you do? Is it specific to beagles? Isn’t it mostly on WHAT and HOW pets eat? (Do you do your own scientific research or do you just use information from other places that have done studies on things? E.g. Selenium is a good anti-oxidant… do you test that YOUR selenium in the form and levels that YOU use it are a good anti-oxidant source? Science Diet’s answer: “The kidney diet was developed 50 years ago. There’s been no new research done on that diet since then. No changes have been made and no new research regarding low protein in the kidney diet has been considered. That shit is so old.” “Y/D (Iodine deficient thyroid formula) was developed 10 years ago and tested on 150 cats.” “Since 1979 numerous articles have investigated the link between commercial cat foods and the epidemic of hyperthyroidism in cats. To date every epidemiologic study investigating hyperthyroidism in cats has found that consumption of commercial cat foods is a risk factor for developing the disease [10-17]. Both canned and dry cat foods have been implicated as factors in the development of hyperthyroidism in cats [12, 13, 18].” “In a recent case-control study, cats consuming commercial foods without iodine supplementation, according to listed ingredients, were more than four times as likely to develop hyperthyroidism compared with cats that ate iodine-supplemented foods [17].” “It is easy to understand how Hill’s new iodine deficient diet y/d works to lower the circulating thyroid hormone levels in hyperthyroid cats. By starving the follicular cells of the thyroid for the iodine they need to make the thyroid hormones T3 and T4, any iodine deficient diet will lower circulating levels of these hormones.” “Minimally, we know that this diet does nothing to prevent the continued growth of the tumors responsible for hyperthyroidism in cats. Hill’s y/d includes at least two of the dietary factors that appear to contribute to the development of hyperthyroidism including overt iodine deficiency and soy isoflavins that act as goitrogens.” “While publicly acknowledging the potential risks of feeding an iodine deficient diet to cats without established thyroid disease, privately Hill’s representatives encourage veterinarians to recommend feeding y/d to all of the cats in multi-cat households as a means of overcoming this problem (iodine deficiency in healthy cats). They argue that supplementing the cats without hyperthyroidism with small amounts of other foods will overcome the deficiencies of the y/d product. In light of our current knowledge of pervasive iodine deficiencies in many commercially available cat foods, this logic seems flawed. Feeding y/d to every cat in a multi-cat household, just to ensure severe iodine deficiency in a single hyperthyroid cat seems sure to accomplish only one goal, namely increasing the sale of y/d.” “Soy has been shown to contain enzyme inhibitors that impeded normal protein digestion and soy is a known goitrogen suspected as a contributing factor in the development of hyperthyroidism in cats[18, 29-34].” “It is well established, however, that geriatric cats normally have total T4 levels in the lower half of the reference range that was utilized in Hill’s studies [35]. In Hill’s own studies, hyperthyroid cats fed exclusively y/d did not routinely achieve these levels, even after 12 weeks on the diet. Preliminary evaluation suggests that this therapy appears to be more effective in cats with mild to moderate elevations of T4 and is not as effective in cats with severe hyperthyroidism. Furthermore, as an iodine deficient diet does not prevent, and may even encourage growth of the thyroid adenomas responsible for hyperthyroidism in cats, use of an iodine deficient diet appears unlikely to successfully control the thyroid hormone elevations over time.” “As the thyroid adenoma(s) responsible for hyperthyroidism continue to grow, the number of autonomously functional thyroid cells increases and their combined efficiency for extracting iodine from the blood stream with which to make thyroid hormones increases.” http://www.animalendocrine.com/yd/ Written by Dr. Mark E. Peterson, Ph.D. Specialist in animal endocrinology. “J/D used force plates to determine how much pressure the dog was using when walking on the plates. If, after being on the diet, they applied more pressure to the plates when they walked it was considered to be working… Some of the animals in the study were on pain meds.” “We only study on animals that have a naturally occurring disease process… so we won’t induce illness. Science Diet has animals that we own and study on in a facility. We have very strict animal cruelty rules and guidelines that are followed very well.” T/D (this particular doctor was part of this actual study while he was in school) It was “Supposed to be double blind… we fed some of the dogs T/D and some of the dogs Purina Puppy Chow and then we evaluated tarter. It was just a group of rescue dogs; no particular breeds were used.” Leaving multiple variables in question.
Royal Canin’s answer: “We only test on animals that are “owned” … we have a contract in Europe with different veterinary practices … if a patient comes in with a disease through that facility Royal Canin will supply the food in exchange for being able to track the progress of that pet. It does not “cure” – it “slows the progression” of the disease.”
Isn’t the scientific testing you do on the breed specific formulas mostly on WHAT and HOW pets eat, not what’s good for them? Royal Canin’s answer: We test kibble shape and size. We also test on higher levels of glucosamine and chondroitin for large breed dogs and low sodium for boxers because they are predisposed to heart disease” (like the “cardiac” diet).
How much of each ingredient that is touted as a “beneficial property” or ingredient in Science Diet is actually in each bite vs how much is necessary to be a therapeutic dose? Science Diet’s answer: “All the big companies do similar research so it’s just about whichever one you are more comfortable with.” E.g. you could use baytril or another florquinolone and ultimately, you’ll get the same result but the mechanism of action may differ. “Most of the research we do is “ours” (though it may have been 50 years ago). Each company uses their own research to come to their own conclusions and that’s what applies to only their products.”
The EPA levels in the J/D, if they’re feeding the recommended amounts a dog, would be getting about 50mg/kg/day (approximately). “The kibble is not uniform so there is no way to determine if each kibble has the same amount of a nutrient in it.”
Royal Canin’s answer: “We don’t know if there is a therapeutic level. Three ingredients combined having a calming effect. If the dog were to get into too much it could be overdosed but we don’t know what a therapeutic dose would be.”
Do you make your own food in your own facility? Do you make anyone else’s food or is anyone else’s food made there? Science Diet’s answer: “No” Royal Canin’s answer: No answer
I know that denaturing is mandatory. Do you know what you use to denature? Is it the FDA pre-mix, your own mix, or charcoal? Is it detergent or chemicals like carbolic acid? Science Diet’s answer: “Not sure” They rinse all of the cans with hot water prior to shipping. Because the food is cooked at such a high temperature, in the canning process it is “sterile.” He thinks that the sterilization is called, “Detort” Royal Canin’s answer: No answer
What is powdered cellulose besides just a fiber? What is that sourced from? Like sawdust? Science Diet’s answer: “It’s an insoluble fiber like Metamucil. It’s typically food grade. It’s like paper – from the poplar tree, I think.”
Poplars are rapid-growing but relatively short-lived trees… the wood of poplars is relatively soft and hence is mostly used to make cardboard boxes, crates, paper and veneer.
Poplar wood is very flexible. It is widely used for paper and inexpensive hardwood timber. It is also used for pallets and plywood. Camembert cheese is usually sold in boxes made out of poplar. Poplar wood is great for snowboard core because it is flexible wood.
Poplar bark, sap and catkins contain moderately high levels of salicin, one of the components of aspirin, a natural reliever of pain. It also functions as a digestive cleanser and to relieve nausea. While poplar LEAF or “herb” is touted as having anti-aging effects for people, the bark (used in pet and animal feed), sap and catkins are not generally known as being nutritious or even edible. Only in books on living in the wild or third world countries are even minor uses, such as for severe stomach issues associated with diseases such as Malaria, is information even available regarding its use as a consumable product. Certain species of poplar may also be used for urinary concerns, however, with the numerous species of poplar available its hard to know if a “nutritionally beneficial” species is being used… additionally, no species is known for having “nutritive qualities.” Some simply have limited qualities for limit use for acute health conditions.
Royal Canin’s answer: No Answer
ISO … what’s that good for? How does that ensure you’re using good quality ingredients, not just that you have a clean facility? Royal Canin’s answer: “It doesn’t. We do have third party laboratories that test our ingredients for toxins but not for pathogens or quality. We have no idea if it’s free range or grass fed … but it could be depending on the source at the time.”
I thought a lot of animals with allergies were allergic to corn and soy and rice and chicken… why do you use those ingredients in the allergy foods? Royal Canin: “We didn’t know that dogs could be allergic to soy or rice.” When asked, “why do you use hydrolyzed protein?” they said, “the same amino acids are in the food as there would be in a different meat source therefore its fine.”
They also stated, “There are no negative effects to feeding soy long term.” Research clearly shows that soy does damage health over time.
They claim that, “canines and felines don’t assimilate the phytoestrogens like humans do.” Research clearly shows that they do.
Royal Canin uses “Poultry aggregate meal” which they admitted is “ground feathers from assorted birds.”
They state that “Natural flavors” are just a part of the recipe. Click here to see a list of “natural flavors” and their chemical sources.
… but people with allergies to peanuts can’t tolerate them even if they’re in small amounts. Why would that be different for a dog? Isn’t an allergy an allergy? Royal Canin: “They wouldn’t be allergic to those things at all.”
It’s not uncommon for people to be skeptical of the benefits, or even the efficacy, of herbs and homeopathy for themselves and their pets, sometimes leading people to discount their healing potential altogether, or, at the very least, fear that holistic alternatives are not strong or quick enough to handle modern health concerns. If people believed fully in the power and intelligence of the body and the earth’s substances the pharmaceutical industry would most certainly be out of business as it’s illegal to patent and hugely profit off unprocessed earth-made resources. People adopt that herbs/homeopathics are not scientifically proven and, thus, potentially unsafe to use, especially in times of crisis (when you are a vulnerable, emotional caretaker). Disappointingly, modern science obfuscates associations between herbs/homeopathics vs “scientifically researched, documented, placebo controlled, double-blind universally known facts” about synthetically created products (hmm… what do you know… science is often only willing to say that products made by science are scientifically proven… that’s convenient).
What is a Homeopathic? A homeopathic is a product made of the energy of a substance, diluted to indiscernibly small amounts, allowing the body to utilize the non-toxic, rudimentary “information” supplied by herbs and other natural substances.
The science of a digestive tract: Whether pet or human, what is the digestive system, with all its teeth, saliva, acids, enzymes, hormones, prebiotics, probiotics, bacteria (on and on) if not a system to break food down into homeopathics? Elementary science teaches us the process of how the digestive tract breaks foods down, nourishes the body, and then creates stool and urine. We are familiar with the generalities of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and sometimes more complicated hormones and enzymes but education on certain details is commonly neglected.
Did you know that there are trillions of atoms in the smallest speck you can see? According to the Engineers at Washington University there are 100 Trillion atoms in a single human cell (3). One single Vitamin C molecule is the size of a mere 20 atoms (4). On a molecular level, it’s suggested that a person would need an exorbitant 6 x 1023 moles x 34,000 x 1,000 mcls a day of Vitamin A, something the body needs fairly little of!!! To our big eyes though, a 150lb human would reach toxicity at less than 1% of one teaspoon. The digestive system essentially works to peel off the husk of a food substance, pull out the infinitesimal nutrients, their energy, knowledge, “spirit” and discard the rest as “useless” stool and urine combined with now obsolete nutrients and energy from the body.
The digestive system, and organs that support its function, compose the majority of the body, proving that a body (for a pet or a person) is primarily designed to allow us to share homeopathic energies with other living things through an extensive and complicated process called digestion. So, in relating a homeopathic product to the process and function of the digestive system, an oral homeopathic isn’t a “hocus pocus” substance that science doesn’t understand (as scientists would often like you to believe). No, one is giving the body the exact substance that it seeks to remove from a food when it digests, without the effort and resources it normally exerts to do so. This is not only NOT a placebo effect, but it’s something that science understands quite well. As a matter of fact…
What’s in a pharmaceutical? Did you know that many common (and expensive) medications are made of herbs and homeopathics?
Some medications use homeopathic levels of medication in them; Albuterol by inhalation is .083% and Cyclosporine Ophthalmic is .05% (1). Even vaccinations like Rabies contain only .3%mg/1ml dose of antigen stimulating substance (2). To give you an idea of how little that it is, a 1ml dose is 20 drops and contains around ½ of 1 drop of substance to elicit immunity from rabies (titer tests ascertain that this ½ drop can create lasting immunity for 7-15 years (5)).
Atropine, Morphine and many antibiotics are made from flowers like Belladonna, Poppy and Celandine. The CDC recommended treatment for Malaria (and other similar infections) is made from Wormwood bush. Chemotherapy medication is made from a poisonous tree; Japanese Yew. Science has created pricey pharmaceuticals simply by extensive (not always healthy) methods of extracting, refining, binding, processing and bulking up these (and other) substances then pressing them into convenient little pills that can be patented, thus sold for higher prices. Often leaving the public to put little consideration into the basic source of their drugs… herbs, poisons, homeopathics and natural earth substances!!!
If science has proven that these basic natural substances are not only effective, but well researched and highly recommended by pharmaceutical companies and government health officials why don’t they want consumers believing they can purchase these things in herbal or homeopathic form for sometimes as little as 1/10,000th of the cost of a drug?
I believe that a primary reason for this is that, just like with a pharmaceutical, herbs and homeopathics require an educated professional to provide a consultation to users. Herbs are natural, whole-food products used for medicinal reasons. Homeopathics are energetic and require extensive knowledge and precision to find a single remedy that works for that pet or person. They elicit a response within the body that allows it to resolve an imbalance without suppressing the body’s natural healing mechanisms. When using herbal or homeopathic treatments it’s important to understand the body’s natural method of healing and know what to expect from the treatment.
Western medicine would often have us believe that organs work independently of each other, usually failing alone, and treatment, therefore, should be provided to that organ only. Pharmaceuticals are intended to forcefully alter the body’s natural responses to healing, generally suppressing it. These suppressive drugs are sometimes advised without consideration for the imbalances in the rest of the body or the long term effects. In life threatening events this can be invaluable. In non-life threatening events this is counterproductive.
To get the best results out of herbs and homeopathics, like pharmaceuticals, requires a level of refinement and independent case history to get the right remedy. For example, a pet or person diagnosed with elevated liver enzymes may run directly to well-known Milk Thistle. While Milk Thistle is a spectacular, safe and beneficial herb, it, in and of itself, doesn’t address WHY the enzymes are high. Ideally, a holistic practitioner and vet (who is imperative for diagnostics and pharmaceutical fallback, should it be necessary) should work in conjunction to isolate the cause of the issue and treat that. Herbs and homeopathics are no better than harsh pharmaceuticals if they address nothing but a symptom. Rather, an educated holistic practitioner might suggest offering additional or alternative supplements or maybe no supplements at all and a diet change, depending on the case history and diagnostics of the patient. The veterinary industry in particular, but the Western Medical field as a whole, has often gotten avaricious with their patients over the years… hoarding all the health advice to themselves even when they are not educated specialists in some fields. An allopathically trained vet or general physician is just as unethical for giving holistic and nutritional advice that they are uneducated in as a holistic practitioner would be for offering diagnostic and pharmaceutical advice that they are not trained in. Sadly, it’s often left to the patient to create this boundary and seek out a team of professionals to work together on a case.
Where do you get good sources of herbs and homeopathics? Where do I get good advice?
Like any product, just because it has nice packaging or says a lot on the label, or is similar to another product doesn’t make them equal. It’s important to get your herbs and homeopathics from a good source. Consider the location where they were grown, any chemicals used on them, the soil they grew in, the way they were handled prior to packaging, the packaging itself, etc. Ask questions before you purchase a product! Elemental Provisions provides ethically sourced, organic, kosher herbs and blends as well as homeopathics. They are free of nuts, fillers, colors, dyes, preservatives, and other unwanted ingredients.
Elemental Provisions and Hero’s Pets also provides educated advice and support on herbs and homeopathics. In the event that additional assistance (diagnostics or veterinary care) is needed they can also direct you to a variety of allopathic and holistic practitioners.
If you’re like most people you put some thought into choosing your pets’ foods. Maybe you spoke to an authority you trust and they recommended it. The product’s advertising or labeling might seem to align with your criteria and values. Or you might use a product that your family has used for years.
One thing is for sure, you’re picking one that delivers on your values. There might be some garbage products out there, but yours isn’t one of them. You would never choose a product that contains “trash,” or one that’s hazardous to health.
Unfortunately, even expensive “designer,” or “natural” foods may contain ingredients that are literally garbage. Not just low quality or cheap… we mean actual discarded trash. Mass produced foods intended to fill shelves at low cost in locations nationwide are the worst offenders. The following ingredients leave plenty of room for deception and may be damaging your pets’ health:
Aspic
Gravy
Any kind of “Meal”
Any kind of “Fat,” or “Animal Fat” (including pork fat, beef fat, turkey fat, chicken fat, etc)*
Any kind of “Oil,” “Vegetable Oil,” or “Vegetable Fat,” “Hydrolyzed Fat,” or “Hydrolyzed Oil.” (including safflower oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, corn, olive, rapeseed, etc)*
Fish Oil (16)
Flip over your pets’ packages of food and see if those are listed. You might think, “Sure, I see it… but it doesn’t sound that bad.”
The label might be misleading and your pets’ health may be suffering as a result of it. The particular ingredient we’re about to investigate may be one of the primary culprits for increasing rates of heart diseases, cancers, diabetes and obesity in American pets AND PEOPLE.
(WARNING: gross and upsetting facts and imagery about pet food below. Please read through our references to show that the manufacturers of these products are very clear that this trash is used primarily in high-heat processed kibble and canned pet food!)
I first want to acknowledge that humans have fed garbage to dogs and cats since they were first domesticated. It wasn’t such a bad idea before factory farming came along. On a family farm pet food was offal (nutritious organs and connective tissues), excess vegetables, broken eggs and recently soured milk. Food went straight from the dinner table to the bowl. You could see every ingredient. In modern times, food industries grew and so has the processing. Human junk-food manufacturers, expired or recalled grocery meats, restaurant trash, factory farms, and breweries all contribute waste products to the pet food industry. Many arrive at the factory weeks or months after being discarded.
Waste needs to be rendered. Rendering plants do a service by grinding up our trash, cooking it at high-heat, and stabilizing it with chemicals. They care very little about the history of the waste before it gets to them. Their job is to “recycle” it into something that can be used elsewhere, no matter what comes to them. They turn a biohazard into a shelf stable product that can be reused in high-demand industries.
In many cases it is actually illegal to discard these wastes into landfills because they are too toxic or contaminated with pathogens. You can see this on Safety Data Sheets that make statements like, “Not to be landfilled. Do not flush to sewer … Recommended Use: Feed/Pet Food Ingredient, raw material for the manufacture of Chemicals/Biofuels.” (1) Additionally, millions of pounds of food and agricultural wastes in landfills results in an increased rodent and pest population – thus spreading disease.
Now you’re probably thinking, “BIOFUELS?! That’s great that our waste is being used as Biofuel!” Sadly, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) states, “Due to competition from these other industrial sectors (pet and livestock feed, soap manufacture, makeup, clothes, rubber and detergents)… less than a third of yellow grease could be spared for biodiesel production annually.” (2)
Yellow Grease, aka “Used Cooking Oil,” is important to learn about because it is likely to be in your pets’ high-heat processed kibble or canned (even many “natural” and “high quality”) brands.
“Yellow grease” starts in a restaurant fryer. It is often delivered by the same company that picks it up for recycling/rendering. (3)(4) It’s delivered in the form of a nice golden oil, like Canola or soybean, to be used in restaurant fryers at temperatures as high as 600*F. (5)(6) These oils are often Hexane extracted, steam distilled, refined, high-heat bleached, (7) treated with TBHQ, (8) ethoxyquin (9) and/or silicone anti-foaming agents. (10)(3)
Oils/Fats are used for frying French fries, chicken strips, potato chips, and other fried foods… meat and veggies alike are cooked in the grease. The fryers are open to the air which makes it so the grease is slowly oxidizing (going rancid.) This is why there are food safety regulations dictating that it must be discarded after a certain amount of use.
When it becomes too oxidized and contaminated with particles it is discarded into an outdoor open air grease bin out back. The grease dumpsters are kept back there out of sight, often under lock and key. The last thing they want customers to see and associate with their food products is the rancid bin of congealed grease by-product of their preparation.
It gets a little technical (and more graphic) from here on…. (Thank you to everyone who contributed questions and criticism on Facebook which helped flesh out the details on this topic.)
These oils are high in calories, increasing the calories of 100 grams of potato from 93 to 319 when fried. (11) This makes them a valuable commodity to the pet and agricultural food industry. Oils/Fats are an inexpensive source of calories that can be added to animal feeds to make them more affordable to consumers.
At this point you’re probably thinking what most people are:
There’s no way that MY pet’s food contains used cooking oil
There’s no way this stuff is even legal in pet food
If it IS used in pet food, they must do something to it to make it safe – I mean, they can make clean water out of poop, right?
I’m going to address each of these concerns and it will be gross and unpleasant – but it’s imperative to know about it if you want your pet to avoid the most common modern diseases like heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancers.
“THERE’S NO WAY MY PETS FOOD CONTAINS USED COOKING OIL”
The Chicago Tribune posted an article regarding oils used for frying at McDonald’s, stating, “the company’s 13,700 U.S. restaurants alone use more than 75 million pounds of oil each year to prepare the chain’s french fries, chicken McNuggets, chicken strips, and fish fillets.” (12) So, let’s try to make a conservative educated guess how much of this stuff is going into pet food.
There are over 660,700 restaurants in the United States. (13) If on average each US restaurant uses as much oil/fat for frying as the average McDonald’s location uses that leaves over 3.6 TRILLION pounds of used cooking oil/yellow grease available for “recycling” annually. (Some more, some less – but we’re leaving out manufacturers of fried foods that come in boxes, too). As stated above, the EIA says that 2/3rds+ of that (or 2.4 trillion+ pounds) is used in the manufacture of 6 other industrial products, with pet and livestock feed topping the charts for use. If each sector uses an equal amount of recycled oil, pet food alone can use 397,866,788 pounds a year.
Mars Petcare (Pedigree, Iams, Greenies, Eukanuba, Royal Canin, Cesar, Nutro, Sheba, FreshPet, California Naturals, Crave, Innova, Karma, Kumpi),
Diamond Pet Foods (Ainsworth, American Nutrition, Mulligan Stew, Wellness, CJ Foods, Castor & Pollux, Dr. Foster’s & Smith, Nature’s Variety, Rotations, 4Health, Apex, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, Taste of the Wild, Diamond/Diamond Naturals, Kirkland, Nature’s Domain, Country Value, Solid Gold, Premium Edge, Professional, Elmira Pet Products, Happy Paws, Happy Tails, K9 Premium, Nutram, Sigma 7, Petcurean, By Nature, Dogswell, Pet Time, Pure Vita, Natural Planet Organics, Life’s Abundance, and
Blue Buffalo (General Mills) (14)
account for 6 of the top 10 pet food manufacturers in the world. (15)
I’m not claiming to know exactly which companies utilize Used Cooking Oil/ Yellow Grease in their products, or that these companies are the only ones – but these companies alone could each use 60 million pounds a year and there’d still be over 37.8 million pounds leftover for everyone else. The agency that manages statistical data of the pet food industry states that approximately 385.31 million units of dog food were produced in the U.S. in 2019. (52) ** This allows for 0.97lbs of Used Cooking Oil/ Yellow Grease, on average, for each unit sold to American pets.
**the manufacturers listed above comprise this statistical number, while small manufacturers are listed separately.
“THERE’S NO WAY THIS STUFF IS EVEN LEGAL IN PET FOOD”
… actually, it is legal ….
Per FDA instruction, AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials) is responsible for publishing legal ingredient definitions for manufacturers to use as guidelines when producing pet and agricultural feed products. (16)
“33.21 Yellow Grease, Feed Grade, is the rendered product from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry blended with used cooking or frying oil from human food preparation, consisting of animal and/or vegetable fats or oils. It must contain, and be guaranteed for, not less than 90% total fatty acids, not more than 2.5% unsaponifiable matter, and not more than 0.5% insoluble impurities, and not more than 1% moisture. Maximum free fatty acids must also be guaranteed. This product may not include recovered trap grease or material recovered from sanitary sewer sources. If an antioxidant(s) is used, the common name or names must be indicated, followed by the words “used as preservative.” If the product contains tallow (from cattle) containing greater than 0.15% insoluble impurities, then it must be labeled with the BSE* caution statement “do not feed to cattle or other ruminants.”
“33.24 Used Cooking Oil, Feed Grade, is the product of used cooking or frying oil from human food preparation, consisting of animal and/or vegetable fats or oils, collected from commercial human food facilities and then heated to reduce moisture. It must contain, and be guaranteed for, not less than 90% total fatty acids, not more than 1% unsaponifiable matter, and not more than 1% moisture. Maximum free fatty acids must also be guaranteed. This product may not include recovered trap grease or material recovered from sanitary sewer sources. If an antioxidant(s) is used, the common name or names must be indicated, followed by the words “used as preservative.”
We know what you’re thinking: “Right, but ‘yellow grease’ and ‘used cooking oil’ aren’t on the label to my pet’s food so they can’t use it in there.” Actually, this is where you may have been misled –
All of the ingredients listed at the beginning of this article have AAFCO definitions that are
1) either vague enough that virtually anything could be used and approved as those ingredients, OR
2) their definitions almost exactly match the definition of Yellow Grease or Used Cooking Oil.
Here’s one of the many examples:
“33.1 Animal Fat is obtained from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry in commercial processes of rendering or extracting. It consists predominantly of glyceride esters of fatty acids and contains no additions of free fatty acids or other materials obtained from fats. It must contain, and be guaranteed for, not less than 90% total fatty acids, not more than 2.5% unsaponifiable matter, and not more than 1% insoluble impurities. Maximum free fatty acids and moisture must also be guaranteed. If the product bears a name descriptive of its kind or origin, e.g. “beef,” “pork,” “poultry,” it must correspond thereto. Rendered animal fat derived from only pork raw materials can be labeled as white grease. Rendered animal fat derived from only cattle raw materials can be labeled as beef tallow. Tallow containing greater than 0.15% insoluble impurities must be labeled with the BSE caution statement “do not feed to cattle or other ruminants.” If an antioxidant(s) is used, the common name or names must be indicated, followed by the words “used as preservative.”
Therefore, by definition yellow grease and used cooking oil meet the requirements necessary to be labeled as “animal fat,” as well as all of the ingredients listed at the top of this article.
For the remaining ingredient definition examples from the AAFCO 2020 OP see this link
Right behind nearly every restaurant in America there are bins for fried sludge. The bin closest to me for inspection belongs to Darling Ingredients. (17) I decided to look into them to see if they sell to pet food manufacturers because I have proof that they collect used cooking oil, leave their oils outside in the smoking section for months, and have minimal protective cover to prevent rodents, insects or wild animals from falling in… and it stinks like garbage. (18)
Their website states that they are an, “animal food manufacturing company.” The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Darling Ingredients since 2003, Randall C. Stuewe, was the Keynote Speaker at AAFCO’s 2020 Mid-year meeting. (19) Their website will show you green, clean looking imagery with cute puppies and beautiful children.
The sector of Darling Ingredients that handles pet feed and biodiesel ingredients is called Dar Pro Ingredients. Their slogan is, “Transforming your grease and meat by-products into valued feed and fuel ingredients.” (20) They also claim, “DarPro Solutions, part of the Darling Ingredient Family, repurposes used cooking oil and meat by-products across the United States into renewable biofuels, animal feed ingredients and other household and industrial resources.”
From DarPro Ingredients you can click on “Pet Food Ingredients.” (21) Click “Feed Grade Proteins & Fats” to see that they offer Yellow Grease, Used Cooking Oil, and other ingredients for animal feed use. These ingredients would be illegal to use in human foods. (22)
Below are Google Maps satellite view images of the DarPro rendering plant in Denver. It’s at 5701 York street near the Purina Factory. This must at least partially explain why it smells so bad over there.
Obviously every manufacturer works to ensure that their product does not pose any immediate threat to life or health. They could no longer sell their products if they did.
In the case of Yellow Grease it is “made safe” through a process of:
– Water removal
– Sifting of large particles (bone, hair, metal, undecomposed parts of insects, rats, feral animals, etc.)
– Heating at high temperatures to sterilize (causes further oxidation and production of more trans-fats)
– Adding carcinogenic ethoxyquin (9)
– Adding phosphoric acid
– Adding carcinogenic t-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ). T-butylhydroquinone is more toxic than arsenic. T-butylhydroquinone toxicity = 700mg/kg. Arsenic toxicity = 763mg/kg. (8)(23)(24)(25)
– Silicones to reduce foaming (10)(26)
Employees of some rendering facilities state that their production areas are contaminated with “buckets of dead rats… live rats, a lot of rat droppings… (and) maggots.” (27)
There are two ways to make something gross into something use-able:
Filter out toxins and particles thus eliminating dangers
Add numerous chemicals (anti-biotics, preservatives, stabilizers, etc.) and high-heat to sterilize
Obviously there is a dramatic difference. All I can say is that I personally think that method number one sounds much safer and more pleasant. But in the case of oils filtration alone cannot return it to its pre-oxidized state.
What are the health ramifications of this ingredient?
Trans-fats are produced in high levels when fats are hydrogenated (heated to very high temperature). Science links trans-fats to heart disease, (28) diabetes, (29) and obesity. (30) Hydrogenated vegetable oils contain more than 5% trans-fat. (31) In order to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, the FDA recommends 0% trans-fats from hydrogenated oil sources in the diet. (32)
Some say trans-fats don’t harm health in dogs and cats and only improve palatability and acceptance of feeds. (33) Yet, research shows that trans-fats, even in mild or moderate levels, do cause health damage in dogs and cats. In dogs, pancreatitis, Cushing’s disease and kidney diseases are shown to be caused by elevated VLDL-associated triglycerides from trans-fat consumption. In cats, disorders associated with these fats include Diabetes Mellitus and Nephrotic (Kidney) syndrome. Scientists state, “While cats and dogs are spared the risk of atherogenesis and coronary artery disease…many of the dyslipoproteinemias seen in dogs and cats appear to be similar to those observed in humans… (including) hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, and pancreatitis.” (34)
Also, high-temperature cooking results in higher concentrations of acrylamides (11) which are linked to: (35)
– Kidney cancer
– Reproductive tract cancers
– Excessive perspiration
– Muscle weakness
– Tremors
– Organ damage (liver, lungs, kidneys, central nervous system)
– Thyroid neoplasms
How do I find out if the brand of pet food that I’m using uses rendered ingredients or “yellow grease”?
Reconsider buying pet food from a manufacturer who sources their fats or oils from any of the following companies which sell and/or pick-up and recycle yellow grease:
(You might have to read through a bit, but each link to these renderers is to a page that specifically states they gather and render used cooking oil/yellow grease and sell it for use in animal and/or pet feed)
There may be renderers that are not on this list. Ask the manufacturer of the brand that you purchase who they source their oils, fats, gravy’s, aspics, etc from and research the company online to determine if they provide the service of rendering used cooking oil/yellow grease for use in pet food/feed. If they provide you with a document that proves that they are purchasing from a supplier that is not a renderer make sure it’s a RECENT purchase date.
Also, try not to buy products from feedlot or factory farmed animals who have been fed this same grease. Not only do the animals suffer from the toxicity of it but it can impact the quality of their tissues, fats, milk and eggs. Animals can actually store these oils in their fats when they don’t have the large quantities of vitamins D and E necessary to convert them to normal fats. You and your family could still be consuming these ingredients by eating feedlot meats. (49) Also, check soaps and detergents for grease ingredients. These are made with chemical stabilizers which can permeate through the skin and cause irritation and illness according the MSDS sheets.
Which of these seems like a smarter modern solution for recycling food waste?
an engine…. or…
a cat …
I like to feed my cat food.
Well that’s all very depressing. What do I do now?
Of course, there are other widely accepted foods and chemicals as toxic as Yellow Grease. A bucket of fried chicken might have a comparable impact on your body. However, a human is able to make an informed choice to take that risk and possibly suffer the consequences. They’re also able to verbalize their suffering and seek help if it does make them ill.
Hopefully nobody is knowingly choosing those foods or chemicals as an exclusive food source for their pet. In the case of most pets, there is rarely rotation away from any single contaminant or ingredient. Especially since so many high-heat processed brands of food use the same sources for ingredients. That means it can keep building up throughout the pet’s life.
Don’t demonize rendering plants. Rendering is a necessity, a way for us to live in modern civilization with consumable goods without being overloaded with trash. But if we as consumers demand that manufacturers use oil for biodiesel rather than animal feed we’d have a much cleaner environment and better health. If we stuck with this demand we could have almost 398 million more pounds a year available for biofuels!
Biodiesel is nontoxic, renewable, and biodegradable. It can be used in cars, railways, aircrafts, as heating oil, for cleaning oil spills, and in biodiesel generators. Biofuels could dramatically reduce smog, ozone and sulfur emissions. Biodiesel use also reduces poisonous carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons and particulate matter. Biodiesel indisputably improves environmental health. (50)
Increased popularity of Biofuels could create a competitive market for these ingredients – thus decreasing their use in pet foods. This change can help consumers recognize the value of fresh feeding – because the price of buying “trash” in the form of kibble pellets would compete with the price of buying fresh, whole foods. Plus, it will give the sustainable fuel industry the demand and money to purchase these fats for use as fuel. And it will remove toxic ingredients from your pets’ foods, your own meat and dairy products, and your soap and detergent products.
Yellow Grease is far from the worst waste ingredient used in high-heat processed pet food. However, we should use it as sustainable fuels rather than disease-inducing ingredients in pet food. It is the responsibility of pet food consumers to reject products made with this profitable waste.
We also must spread the word. Because every company is trying to market their products as “good,” “beneficial,” and “safe.” Manufacturers of high-heat processed, shelf-stable junk foods use attractive marketing to do so. Unregulated marketing such as the word “supreme” or “natural” is ubiquitous. Beautiful stock photos offset the public perception of feed grade products. The public’s love and support of “green” things is leveraged with misleading advertising.
It is an incredibly important lesson in the conditions we live in as consumers. The world we live in now requires, perhaps more than anything, that we become wise to the intents and purposes behind marketing and branding.
For nearly 20 years I’ve been digging for hidden truths in the pet food industry. The grease dumpsters that you can find behind every restaurant in America provide a little insight into the gap I’m trying to close between perception and reality every single day.
Tell your friends. For the sake of their own health and their pets’ health please pass this information along. There is something we can do about it if we all change our buying habits.
*“Chemically, oils and fats are the same, differing only in melting point…” (51)
Oxford Academic, American Society for Nutrition, Journal of Nutrition – Consumption of Trans Fatty Acids is Related to Plasma Biomarkers of Inflammation and Endothelial Dysfunction – https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/135/3/562/4663700
