44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should be required reading for every pet owner!, May 28, 2001
This review is from: Protect Your Pet: More Shocking Facts (Paperback)
In Food Pets Die For, Ann Martin gave pet owners the shocking facts about the quality (rather, the lack of quality) of the ingredients in commercial pet food. One thing is clear from her new book: the situation has not improved. Pet food manufacturers continue to use highly questionable raw materials in their products that include drugs, hormones, diseased livestock, and the carcasses of euthanized pets collected from shelters and animal clinics. That's right. Euthanized dogs and cats are part of the mix in the meat meal used in kibble. Her investigatory revelations of pet food and regulatory deficiencies give us a clear picture as to why chronic disease among our companion animals is so widespread. If you think you are getting sirloin steak in those bags or cans of dog and cat food, think again. What you are getting is something unfit for human consumption that has been doctored by food magicians so your pet will eat it. Read Ann Martin. You'll never believe another pet food commercial again. And you'll learn how to feed your pet healthy.
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40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A MUST READ!!!, February 9, 2006
This review is from: Protect Your Pet: More Shocking Facts (Paperback)
This is by far one of the best books I have ever read on the subject of pet food. Anybody who has a companion animal in their life should read this book.
Ann Martin starts off the book explaining what has led her to doing this investigation and the many years of research that led up to writing this book--and also her first book, "Food Pets Die For". From page one, Ms. Martin makes a credible argument about why people should know more about this topic. Throughout this book, Ms. Martin writes about the past 12 years of research that included interviewing different organizations and people about the topic of pet food. She goes into great detail about her different request to both the US and Canadian governments and pet food industry groups to get more information. Most of these requests end up as dead ends. From here, Ms. Martin does her own research by starting with veterinarian clinics, hospitals and kill shelters asking the simple question of "where do these euthanized animals go from here...?" When she gets that answer, she goes to that source and asks the same questions. In all cases, the trail goes to pet food and livestock food manufacturers.
I already knew the main ingredients of kibble when I borrowed this book from my library. I was more interested in learning more about the BARF (bones and raw food) diet. From the other reviews on this book, I thought that Ann Martin would provide a non-biased viewpoint on this topic--as it seems that most people are very divided on the subject of BARF diets. Even though my interest was primarily on BARF diets and even though I already knew what pet food is made from, it was good to read about one person's investigative experience that spanned over 12 years.
I also read "Food Pets Die For". Between these two books, I preferred this book because of the new information on the BARF diet, vaccinations, puppy mills and the animal fur business. I had also already done a considerable amount of research on these topics as well and I found Ms. Martin's information to be in line with everything I already knew about these industries.
Our beloved 13 year old Chihuahua, Yoda passed away about two weeks ago at UC Davis Veterinary Hospital. When deciding what to do with his remains, we discussed the options with the Hospital staff. We were given the option of letting the hospital "handle his remains". I then ask how they "handle" the remains. I was told that "Yoda would be sent to a rendering plant, where he undergoes a 'chemical process' and then sent to a landfill for burial". The hospital staff worker went on to explain that we could be assured that "...Yoda certainly would not end up as pet food, as this is an urban legend." The next day, I did a quick google search on "rendered dog landfill California". The first link that popped up was a report in PDF format from Los Angeles County. Here is the first paragraph from this report: What happens to the bodies of animals that are euthanized at County shelters? Deceased animals are picked up by D&D Disposal, also known as West Coast Rendering, located in Vernon, Calif. The remains are rendered into animal by-products. D&D processes hundreds of tons of animal carcasses, tissues and by-products that would otherwise end up in landfills. Here's a link to that report: http://animalcontrol.co.la.ca.us/html/pages/for%20the%20record/Rendering%20and%20food%20&%20Ag%20Report%20.pdf . Ironically, Ms. Martin uncovers the same facts about this company, D&D Disposal (AKA West Coast Rendering, located in Vernon, Calif.)
It frightens me that such a respected place like UC Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital is so misinformed.
Another interesting point made in this book that I can also confirm from personal experience. Ms. Martin has found that in most cases, veterinarians acquire knowledge about animal nutrition from "nutritional information" provided by Hill's Company--a well known pet food company. During Yoda's first visit at UC Davis in October 2005, the doctor sent us home with a WHOLE CASE of Hill's canned dog food and instructed us to feed Yoda this instead of the home-cooked diet he was on.
I applaud Ann N. Martin on this very important investigative research and I appreciate that she has made this information available to anyone who is interested in knowing more about what we are feeding the furry members of their family.
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33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Protect your Pet, December 28, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Protect Your Pet: More Shocking Facts (Paperback)
I found the book to be informative, however, I ask those of you who "poo poo" the idea of raw feeding, and still buy into the designer pet foods and "natural human grade" pet foods available...research, research, research. "Human grade" to start...but what about the quality to finish. Then ask yourself this simple question...what would a dog eat in the wild? What did dogs eat before commercial dog food became availible? I have NEVER fed my dogs "dog food". Dogs before commercial brainwashing were fed scraps. My grandmothers dogs always lived well into their late teens or more on that type of diet. My dogs, I am happy to say, have never had to go to the vet for illness...EVER! My oldest living was 23 long, active, healthy years...yep 23! If your dog is suffering from allergies, arthritus, etc....try raw...or quick stir fry for your dog...and watch the change. You can pre-cook or pre pack individual meals and freeze. It is very easy to do...and your pet will thank you for it. As for bones...they are NOT brittle...unless cooked. Look at wolves, foxes, dingo's, coyotes, hyeanas...wild, yes, but no different...they are all canines. The book is informative, but read on..and try real human grade...something you would put into your own, or your childs mouth without hesitation.
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