The-Truth-About-Pet-Foods

The health benefits of such ingredients depend upon their form, ratio
to other nutrients, and dose. If scientific knowledge is not applied here,
not only may the ingredients be ineffective, they could create toxicities.
For example, the inclusion of omega 3 fatty acids, if not stabilized properly,
could be a source of oxidative chain reactions and free radical cascades.
Free radical pathology underlies just about every serious
degenerative disease known.*
Unfortunately, such toxic effects are not immediate and thus the consumer
will not see a problem until it’s too late. They will feed this “natural,”
“human grade” omega 3 fish oil-containing product contentedly, year after
year, confident they are enhancing the health of their pet. After all, the
package says so, the company’s little marketing brochure says so, and
maybe a pet professional or retail outlet says so, too.
How can the poor pet owner possibly sort through the buzzwords
and decide among all this bounty of goodness What about all the beguiling
advertising where the food can wear as much makeup as the actors
Well, sorry to say, you are pretty much on your own here. As you
now know, regulators can’t save you, the “100% complete” claim can’t,
advertising can’t be trusted, professionals can’t and neither can you rely
upon embroidered labels and pamphlets embellished with all the wholesome
words in the world.
Like so many things in life, it’s just not simple. Good things always
take time and effort. Do you want something good – like health – for you
and your pet Reason, open your mind (but not so much that your brain
falls out), use your intuitive sense, study and learn a little, and be skeptical.
That’s what this book is all about. If you’ve gotten this far, you are a
good candidate for the health dividends that can come.
I wish I could tell you that all you needed to do was find a food
without various nutritional bogeymen or with certain fancy natural
* Wysong RL, Lipid Nutrition – Understanding Fats and Oils in Health and
Disease, 1990. Wysong Health Letter, “Oxidized LDL Antibodies,” 1993;
7(5):3-4. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 2001; 928:226-35. EXS, 1992; 62:411-8. Science,
1983; 221(4617):1256-64. J Toxicol Environ Health, 1981; 7(1):125-38. Lancet,
1992; 339(8798):883-7. N Engl J Med, 1992; 326(21):1444. Science, 1988;
240:640-2. Science, 1988; 240:1302-9. J Am Oil Chem Soc, 1976; 53:673.
Arch Biochem Biophys, 1966; 113:5.
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