Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn, Susan Hubble Pitcairn Read Free Book Online

conditions in younger animals are “normal.” They do not realize what has happened over the passage of time.
    I believe that, along with poor quality nutrients, the chemical additives in pet food have played a major part in that decline. Just look at the label of a typical burger product for dogs. The ingredients are listed in order of their prominence. (For example, if water is the first ingredient, the product contains more water than anything else.) A popular soft-moist burger lists corn syrup as its third major ingredient. But what is this common sweetener doing in a burger? It’s providing the soft-moistness! The FDA approved the use of corn syrup in its hydrogenated form as a “humectant and plasticizer”—that is, an ingredient that can give the product dampness and flexibility, as well as preserving the food against decay. If this does not seem familiar to you, here is a product you will recognize that uses the same method of preserving food: jam! Food scientists trying to develop similar products for people have acknowledged that despite the American sweet tooth, soft-moist dog food is so sweet that “humans just wouldn’t like it.”
    Chemically derived from cornstarch, corn syrup produces the same energy highs and lows as table sugar and causes the same stress on the pancreas and adrenals, a condition that may result in diabetes. It’s easy to see that corn syrup is an undesirable ingredient, especially when you consider the other shortcomings of such an isolated refined sugar. Not only does it dilute other nutrients in the food by providing “empty calories” devoid of vitamins, minerals, proteins, or fats, but it also can over-stimulate the production of insulin and acidic digestive juices. These interfere with a dog’s ability to absorb the proteins, calcium, and other minerals that are in the food. Moreover, it can inhibit the growth of useful intestinal bacteria.
    The following common ingredients have appeared in soft-moist and other pet foods.
    Propylene glycol. This compound, known to cause illness in dogs, is also used to maintain the right texture and moisture and to tie up the water content, thus inhibiting bacterial growth. Of the commonly used preservatives, it is considered to cause the most health problems in dogs—dry itching skin, hair loss, dehydration, excessive thirst, and tooth and gum problems.
    Potassium sorbate. A commonly used preservative, chemically similar to fat.
    Ammoniated glycyrrhizin. Add this to the list of sweeteners. It is also considered a potent drug that should be tested further for safety.
    Sucrose. Simply table sugar.
    Propyl gallate. Manufacturers add this chemical to retard spoilage, but it is suspected of causing liver damage.
    Ethoxyquin. Originally developed for use in the production of rubber and as an herbicide, this common preservative is among the compounds most suspect as causes of severe health problems in dogs. It has been found to cause liver tumors in newborn mice. The Food & Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA/CVM), has received reports that “include allergic reactions, skin problems, major organ failure, behavior problems and cancer.” This organization, however, did not consider the evidence sufficient to make any changes in the regulation of the substance. A feeding test in dogs commissioned by Monsanto, the manufacturer of ethoxyquin, showed a change in liver color and increased liver enzymes in the dogs fed the chemical, but these changes were not considered significant because the dogs were not observably ill. Ethoxyquin continues to be used as a preservative.
    Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). This poorly tested preservative is implicated by some scientists as a cause of liver damage, metabolic stress, fetal abnormalities, and serum cholesterol increase.
    Sodium nitrite. This compound is widely used as both a preservative and a red coloring agent. Sodium nitrite used in food can produce powerful carcinogenic substances