36 thoughts on “Healthy and Not Healthy Pet Food Ingredients | Poultry, Fish, Meat and Animal”

1. I find the whole field of pet nutrition utterly confusing, with so much contradictory information from so called “experts” adding to the confusion. It’s so important to read labels and understand what those ingredients are. I find it incredible when I read people praising various brands, when there’s barely a recognisable ingredient in the whole package. I was always surprised by how many vets are not as informed about nutrition as one would expect them to be. I’m happy Red is now on a homemade, whole foods diet. She doesn’t have diarrhea anymore, she doesn’t lose interest in her food anymore, and best of all it was created specifically for her needs, based on blood test results. You can’t get much better than that. Thanks for helping to raise awareness about what people are “really” feeding their animals.

   1. It really is. It’s important for us to keep learning and keep spreading the knowledge. Hopefully, laws will change and pet food, pet supplements and pet treats will change.

2. The Evanger’s recall really opened my eyes to what often goes into pet food. Nasty stuff!

   1. Nothing like a little euthanasia drug in your pet’s food!

3. And….. another reason we make his food from scratch every day from human grade ingredients.

   1. Me too. And it can be in pet supplements and pet treats too.

4. It’s incredible what the pet food industry will put in pet food. We only feed limited ingredient diets, with ingredients that I actually know what they are and where they came from. Plus, a really long time ago, before I knew what I know now about pet food, we found out that our older dog Helo has a “poultry” allergy. Not to actual poultry, because we partially raw feed and he handles chicken, turkey and duck just fine… he, like lots of other dogs, didn’t handle the “rendered poultry” in big brand pet foods very well. That was one of the things that gave me the “kick in the butt” so to speak to better research what I was feeding my dogs. Thanks for the great article revealing what the big food brands don’t want us consumers to know.

   1. Thanks, Debbie. Very good point of rendered meats vs whole meats. Maybe you’ll lean back to a whole, fresh, raw diet! 😉

5. This is why I feed my dogs Dr. Harvey’s and add my own proteins and oils. After the recall due to the euthanasia drug in it, I said “No Way!” This is a REAL eye-opener.

   1. I know, it’s crazy. Dr. Harvey’s is a nice company. Yes, needs a bit more meat. 😉

6. Great article. We scrutinize the food we give our feline Tribe of Five as closely as the food we eat. Each one has special issues (weight, allergies, etc.) so it isn’t easy but they’re our fur kids and it’s well worth the time to keep them healthy, happy and with us for many years!

   1. Absolutely! Yes, our pets are likely to have different dietary needs due to breed needs, activity, health and behavior. Great job!

7. I don’t know what the odds of that happening really are but we try to feed the best food we can afford which at this time is raw food.

   1. Raw is awesome! If it says meat or animal odds are pretty consistent they contain pets that were not cremated or buried. It’s the way we “dispose” of them.

8. Mr. N’s food is all named by species! I always check the ingredient lists.

   1. Wonderful! Great job Mr. N.

9. It’s really important to know and understand ingredients… as well as to know what is best for your particular dog.

   1. Totally agree. Lots of research and digging if you are feeding a processed food.

10. I couldn’t watch the video, but I have read about this and find it so utterly disturbing. I don’t think most people know about this.

    Although for totally different reasons, I also won’t choose food with rabbit in it. I know it is becoming popular in many of the high end pet foods, but as a person with a pet rabbit, I also find that pretty disturbing. Rabbits are the third most popular pet in America and having dog and cat food made out of pets is upsetting. I know this is totally different from what you are talking about in your post, but just thought I would mention it.

    1. Awe. Yes. Darn carnivores. Even farm animals are considered pets by some. I have a dog trainer friend who lives on a farm..

11. In some respects, I think I’m grateful that one of my dog’s has a major food sensitivity because it started me on the path of really reading labels, asking questions and exploring options for healthy foods for all three of my dogs. I am appalled by what companies who claim to be committed to the health of pets, will justify putting in their foods.

    1. I know. It’s scary and we have to research and research again.

12. At firstI thought “I shouldn’t feed my cats chicken?” Thanks for this info.

    1. 😉

13. There was one very VERY angry person who really hates Evanger’s pet food, they were all over the Global Pet Expo feed carefully paced but so full of hate as they had lost their pet through the dangerous stuff in their food.

    It is, frankly massively depressing to read all this – none of us can trusty anyone with anything. What do you feed, what do you risk.

    1. It is really sad. And sad that our pet food industry is horrible. Even the rules are horrible. Then the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) don’t even enforce the crappy rules they have. What do I feed? Fresh food that I prepare myself.

14. This is literally making me physically ill. I always read pet food labels carefully looking for quality ingredients. I know if the label says “with” beef, chicken, etc. it means there isn’t really quality beef or chicken, etc. in it. They’re required by law to say “with” because of that.
    Love & Biscuits,
    Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

    1. Sorry. It’s a horrible truth. I never even care about the front of a label, that means nothing to me. It’s always the ingredient panel.

15. This is interesting and scary. I try to feed the girls a quality food, but realize there is so much I don’t know.

    1. It really is scary. Even thinking about it from in our pet’s food, supplements and treats to the fact that when our pets are euthanized they can be part of the rendering process.

16. Very good point! It is horrible that pet food manufacturers choose rendering as an option for their foods. Though I am sometimes limited financially on what I can do, I do look to make sure the food shows that it contains a specific species of animal’s meat in it and not ____ by-product. Wet cat foods are much easier to get away from the by-products than dry ones (which I never use).

    1. Yes, we can still find ok foods that have named ingredients. Dry food is never a healthy idea for pets. 😉

17. It is so so so important to be able to properly read ingredients on our pets food!

    1. It really is. Even if that means doing a little research. 🙂

18. Another reason we make his food from scratch … Also with mars and other candy industries owning the pet food supply … I mean what could go wrong?

    1. Yes. I cook for Dexter too. 🙂

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