Pet food that is made from natural, organic ingredients is considered a wellness pet food. The addition of certain enzymes, vitamins, nutrients and herbs also contribute to promoting wellness in pets.

Unfortunately, most pet food available on the market today does not contain ingredients that support optimum nutrition and health. In fact, some of these ingredients may even undermine the general health and wellness of a pet.

Specific concerns about commercially prepared pet food include:

• Kibble may contain up to 50% grain, which dogs have difficulty digesting because they don’t produce amylase, the enzyme necessary to break down the excess carbohydrates. So, instead, the carbohydrates are converted into sugars. This cycle can lead to many problems, including obesity, diabetes and certain cancers.
• Cats are also negatively affected by a high grain content, which contributes to producing a more alkaline urine and promotes the formation of struvite crystals typical of FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease).
• Ethoxyquin, made by the same company that gave us Agent Orange, is a common preservative in spite of the fact that it has been linked to cancers, liver and kidney disease and birth defects or stillborn litters. The FDA considers this agent to be toxic for human consumption at only 0.5ppm (parts per million), but its use in pet food is approved at 150ppm.
• Commercial pet food may contain the remnants of euthanized animals that are first denatured or rendered in a chemical bath that typically consists of kerosene and carbolic acid. This may sound far-fetched but, in spite of many pet food manufacturers denying the inclusion of deceased cats and dogs in their formulas, the US Federal Drug Administration and the American Veterinary Association has confirmed the presence of pentobarbital, the standard euthanasia drug. While other tests proved negative for canine or feline DNA, one can only speculate how it’s possible pentobarbital can enter the mix. At any rate, pet food manufacturers are permitted to use animals that fall under one of the ‘4D’ categories—dead, dying, diseased or disabled.