In dog food such as Purina Puppy Chow, it list "meat by products" as an ingrediant. Is this harmful to my dogs

Answer 1

meat by products are, hooves,horns, beaks, chicken feet.

10 Secrets Pet Food Companies Don't Want You to Know
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1. Pet food is NEVER mostly meat.

     Many ads suggest that it is...      In order to list a meat source
     first on the bag label pet food companies resort to a variety of
     gimmicks.  Here are a few to get you thinking.  1st Listing a "wet"
     ingredient in what ends up being an essentially dry finished product.  
     Wet meat gets a lot lighter when the moisture is cooked out.   This
     labelling loophole is blatantly deceptive to the general public.  All
     ingredients should be weighed and listed in dry weight equivalents
     for you to know truly how much of each makes up the ration.  If the
     label lists, "chicken" it means chicken weighed when wet.  Drop 75%
     of the value.  If, on the other hand, it says, "chicken meal" they
     play fairly.  If it says, "meat (any type) by-product meal" or "meat
     (any type) by-products" it was never meat to begin with.  Find another
     food.    Another gimmick is to "split carbohydrates" (grains) into
     multiple parts to get the "meat" to list first.  Label ingredients are
     listed in descending order by weight.  So, If  you have 10 lbs. of
     chicken meal and 25 lbs. of rice, which should appear first on the
     label?   Chicken of course! (if you want people to buy the stuff).  
     Here's how it's done...
     1st- CHICKEN MEAL, 2nd- GROUND RICE, 3rd- RICE BRAN, 4th- RICE GLUTEN. 
     Pretty sneaky and obviously deceptive unless you know the trick.  Rice
     Flour, Brewer's Rice and Rice ala Ronny could also have been listed if
     they really wanted to be fancy.   A related tactic is to use a variety
     of grains with different names to get meat listed first.  This is
     slightly more valid since they have different amino acid profiles and
     are truly different ingredients.   Grains cost a lot less than meat. 
     Meat "by-products" cost a lot less than meat.  Both also have considerably
     less food value.  The last gimmick for now is the campaign to convince
     the public that meat by-products and meat are just about the same thing. 
     Hmm... "Honey, I'm having a ribeye steak tonight and you're having a nice
     pile of by-products, ok?"   "Would you like the chicken breast or the
     intestine-cartilage-beak medley with your rice, Bob?"  "Well gee Dear,
     doesn't really make any difference to me, they all sound equally delicious,
     nutritious and healthy!"  By definition, by-products may contain anything
     from the specified animal except, (in the case of chicken), feathers and
     feces and, (in the case of beef), hoof, hide and feces.  Meat and fat are
     separated out first because they are costlier and are therefore not
     present in any appreciable quantity.  What's left is the bones, tendons,
     cartilage, beaks, feet and innards. Proudly displayed and masqueraded
     as meat.  A pet food bag is not a place for dumping stuff of unknown 
     nutritional value.  Some foods even use the term  , "SELECT by-products".  
     All these contortions serve one purpose;  To make you think that you're
     getting more meat than you really are in your bag of pet food.  After all,
     who'd pay $35 for a bushel of corn?!  Well, keep reading!


     


2. The cooking process used in pet foods KILLS off a vital component: enzymes.

     In order to eliminate bacteria and make cutesy shapes that pets care
     nothing about, processing temperatures in excess of 160 degrees F are used
     to extrude or bake your pet's food.  So what?  Well, glad you asked.  This
     places the entire burden for digestion on your pet's pancreas to supply the
     enzymes necessary for breaking down nutrients for absorption.  In nature,
     this is far from the case.  Animals naturally follow the path of "least
     digestive resistance" in the wild.  Consider the fox who catches a rabbit. 
     First item on the menu is the contents of the gut.  Let the rabbit do the
     digesting and enjoy!  The rabbit spent hours nibbling grasses and grains
     readying them for the fox's easy absorption of carbohydrates.  Quick and
     cheap fuel.  Next the fox buries or hides the rest to stew a spell.  What
     we call, "turning rancid" the fox calls, "just getting better".  In a couple
     days, the live enzymes in the rabbit meat have broken it down into easily
     digested protein.  Notice how no fire was used in this process?  For dessert,
     a little bone gnawing for the marrow, the calcium, and the teeth cleaning,
     and it's naptime.  Left for the lower animals in the hierarchy are most of
     the by-products and the hide.  Let's get back to your pet.
     In puppies and kittens, the pancreas is usually robust and up to the task
     of supplying sufficient digestive enzymes to make dead food somewhat useable
     and fulfill it's other vital functions.  With age, however, pancreatic
     function is weakened and often can't keep up with this undue burden.  If the
     pet food fed day in and day out is of low nutritional value to begin with,
     the taxing effect on the system will be all the greater and the pancreas
     will most likely give up that much sooner.  The consequences to your pet's
     health are too broad in scope to cover here.


3. Giving "real food" aka "table scraps" is the RIGHT thing to do!

     Stepping on a lot of toes here to smash the myth that you should only
     feed the stuff from the bag and nothing else ever, PERIOD.  What is it
     they are afraid of anyway?  That your pet will learn to beg?  Unlearn
     that.  That your pet won't eat the chaff they call "food" after tasting
     the real deal?  Probably.  Or that it will throw the delicate balance of
     their finely tuned "nutrition" out of whack somehow?  He He Hoo, hardly. 
     Here's the scoop...  Providing real food (not potato chips or other junk
     food) in its raw form counteracts some of the deficit that can be caused
     by only feeding commercially prepared pet food.  It can provide the living
     enzymes to make digestion an easy rather than burdensome process.  But,
     don't just go wild and throw everything in the feeding trough.  Good bets
     for pets are raw carrots, broccoli, yoghurt, cheese, garlic and meats. 
     Cooked oatmeal, rice, corn, squash and the like are fine too.  Don't feed
     raw grains, legumes, potatoes, onions, celery or chocolate which are either
     unusable or unhealthy.  If you aren't comfortable with  raw meat and fish,
     don't do it.  Keep in mind, they aren't people and have an entirely
     different gastro-intestinal system than we do.  Introduce new foods a
     little at a time about three times a week to start and give your pet's
     pancreas a much needed break.


4. Most "vet recommended" foods pay mightily for the "honour".

     Does it matter that the majority of vets know very little about pet
     nutrition?  The public is told to, "Ask your vet".  The vet is told by
     the pet food companies, "we'll send you to Hawaii for a week of golf
     if you sell and endorse XYZ brand pet food".  In school, vets-to-be could
     ELECT to take an overview course in animal nutrition.  Or not.  There have
     been changes of late to make this required study.  AS IT WELL SHOULD BE! 
     You are miles ahead if you understand the pet food label yourself and take
     the time to learn some basic nutritional concepts.  It's not that
     complicated!  Find out for yourself, trust your own judgement and ignore
     what people say who are getting paid to say it.


5. The #1 vet recommended brand is probably the #1 worst pet food value.

     Without mentioning any names, if it lists corn as the first ingredient on
     the label and gets blasted by the competition for it, you know the company. 
     Read the label!  Compare it to the cheapest stuff you can find.  There
     isn't a dimes worth of difference in most cases.  How much does it cost
     them to make a 40 lb. bag of this stuff you may wonder?  Right?  Sit down. 
     How about less than $3 including the cost of the bag?  How much does the
     duped public shell out for the bushel of corn and peanut shells most
     recommended by vets?  About $35.  "Have a nice flight to Maui, Dr. Cutter
     and thanks again for your support".


6. Feeding "Soft-Moist" diets will cut your pet's life expectancy in half.

     Thankfully, these foods are on the steep decline but aren't gone yet. 
     Perhaps killing your customers isn't a good way to develop long term brand
     loyalty.  These toxic morsels are so loaded with chemicals to stay soft
     and prevent molding and so laden with sugar to cover the harsh chemical
     taste, they rip a pet's insides out.  The sweetness is addictive and
     you'll hear owners say, "Fifi just won't eat anything else".  Well, then
     better buy the small bag because who knows how long Fifi will be eating at
     all?  Anybody feeding this garbage should stop at once and the manufacturers
     of it should be faced with a class action.


7. Many companies have "slithered" away from using ETHOXYQUIN.

     The once popular, and staunchly defended as safe, preservative (antioxidant)
     called "Ethoxyquin" has been mostly abandoned  because of "hushed" litigation
     and settlements with professional breeders.  It formerly was championed by
     pet food manufacturers (and others) as an advanced and healthy inclusion in
     pet food in an attempt to hide the fact that it was never intended to be
     eaten,  much less on a daily basis. It was originally formulated as a rubber
     stabilizer and a color retention agent.  Tires stayed pliable and spices
     stayed red.  Despite efforts to get it approved as a food stabilizing agent
     in people food,  it is only allowed for extremely limited application with
     colored spices.  The people who know the devastating truth about this
     ingredient when eaten daily by pets have been paid off and forced to never
     tell their stories.  There are innumerable instances of stillbirth, sudden
     liver failure, kidney dysfunction, permanent pigment changes, tumors and
     death thought to be caused by the addition of this wonder substance to pet
     food starting in about 1987. Much of the talk about ethoxyquin has quieted
     since the major pet food companies jumped off the bandwagon and switched to
     safer (and less legally troublesome) preservatives like forms of vitamins
     E and C.  If they want the trust of the public, they should own up to their
     mistakes and come clean.  Fat chance.  All you'll get is denial.


8. Nature didn't intend for pets to eat dry food devoid of enzymes.

     Convenience is paid for in reduced pet health.  Where is it written
     that your pet's bowl has to be filled with chalk dry nuggets of
     quasi-nutritious ground up brown stuff?  We've been sold on a bad idea.
     We bought it because it made life easier.  Until the real bill comes,
     that is.  But doesn't kibbled food make their teeth shiny and their
     breath fresh?  Won't their teeth fall out if they eat soft stuff?
     Yeah, right.  Ever watch your dog eat?  Does it look like some kind
     of teeth cleaning exercise?  How about the cat?  Really getting the old
     gum line clean huh?  The truth about teeth cleaning is this...
     sticks, rocks, yarn, bones, toys and saliva primarily accomplish this
     task,  not food.  Commercial pet food has to be flavor enhanced with
     digest and sprayed-on fat to be even remotely attractive to your
     pet.  Without these palatability modifications, the old dry kibble
     would just sit there and get dusty.  People get paid big money to
     invent coatings to make your pet dive headfirst into the food bowl. 
     Because then you smile and feel like it must be healthy and that Fifi
     loves the food and you too so you'll buy it again.  Right?   Remember,
     the fox didn't go in search of a crunchy rabbit.  It ate the soft
     one and it has a dazzling smile and a fully charged pancreas.


9. Some companies sneak sugar into pet food to hook your pet.
 
     Watch out for these guys!  They call it other things of course...
     (cane molasses, corn syrup) but it absolutely does not belong in
     your pet's food bowl.  Processed sugars are foreign to dogs and
     cats and over the long term can result in obesity, tooth decay and
     diabetes (along with other maladies).  Until 2 years ago,  propylene
     glycol was being used as a sweet tasting preservative by those who
     must have cared much more about shelf life than about pet health. 
     Thankfully, it has finally been banned.  Pet food companies will
     tell you that the industry is tightly regulated and  that your pet's
     health is being fastidiously protected.  Do you buy that one?  The
     FDA can't even keep up with human food and didn't lift a finger on
     behalf of the pet owners during the ethoxyquin debate.  The regulating
     body for pet food ingredients is AAFCO.   The American Association
     of Feed Control Officials.  The rules and definitions they adopt are
     made by those with vested interests and are enforced through
     "voluntary compliance".  The fox guards the rabbit hutch here.

10. Almost all manufacturers use stool hardening agents in pet food.

     Convenience again triumphs over pet health.  Stool modifiers make
     clean up easier and mask the effects of nutrient malabsorption.  
     Who's going to buy a pet food if you've got to SCRAPE up after
     your dog?  It's easier to just stack those little bricks into a
     pile or kick them elsewhere.  Consider however the strain on your
     pet's innards.  Would you put concrete mix in your pancake batter? 
     How about sawdust?  If you were dieting, would you mix ground peanut
     shells into your breakfast cereal?  Well, they do all that and more
     for your beloved pet.  See if any of these made it into your pet food
     bag:  sodium bentonite, powdered cellulose, beet pulp,  tomato
     (or any other) pomace, ground peanut shells?  The explanation for
     including these usually is that they are fibre sources for your pet's
     well being.  Maybe a little truth there but not the real reason they
     are added.  Whole grains provide great fibre content.   A bit of bran
     would do well too.  The real goal is to make you buy the food again
     because clean up time is so easy and enjoyable with brand XYZ's
     designer stools.  Before you do this to your pet, try it yourself
     for a few days.  One question to ask a company representative is
     this, "Aren't there times when my pet needs to evacuate it's system
     rapidly such as when a toxin is ingested or when the kitty or doggy
     flu comes around?  Is having a cork in there at all times really a
     good idea?  You'll then likely hear mumbling about "Our research..."
     and "regulating intestinal transit time for optimal  nutrient
     absorption".  Do you buy that one?  If the food is good and fed
     properly, stools will be fine without forcing your pet to work a brick
     through their digestive and excretory systems.

Answer 2

I know that in Puppy Chow, that ingredient is pretty close to the top of the list. It's like mystery meat, and I certainly wouldn't want my dogs eating that. No, it is not harmful, but you can do better. Here are the basics for picking your dog food.
1. The first three ingredients on the list will tell you the most. It's best to avoid fillers like corn, wheat, and soy. Corn should NEVER be your first ingredient, as it is on Puppy Chow. It is also the third ingredient. It is best that a meat is listed as your first ingredient.
2. Puppy/Dog Chow, Pedigree, Ol' Roy, etc. are all brands that are called Grocery Brands. These foods are mostly filler, such as corn, and the dogs need more of it to be nutritionally satisfied. So, the food is not as inexpensive as it looks. It also results in more to pick up in the yard. Going up to a premium food is not as pricey as it seems. I always tell my students to look at price per serving, not per pound. A premium food uses better ingredients and less filler so that they need less of the food to get what they need. As an example, my mother-in-law fed some generic grocery brand from Costco for her one dog. It was a 50-lb bag and would last about 6 weeks. Sampson's coat was dull and he was just a lazy lab. When we moved in, we started feeding a higher-quality food, Authority from PetSmart. We also brought our husky into the house. Between the two of them, a 40-lb (approx. $25, depending on formula) bag of food lasts a month. Sampson's caot is in excellent shape and he is trimmer for the switch, as well as more energetic. I switched up to an even better food, Blue Buffalo, and a 30-lb bag lasts the same amount of time (approx. $40).
3. Lastly, it is important to feed your dog an appropriate formula. For example, if it is estimated that your puppy will be 50-lbs or more at maturity then he should be fed a food for Large Breed Puppies. The larger the breed, the longer he needs to be on puppy food. Any dog under 50-lbs should only need to be on puppy food about a year, 50-75 pounds 18 months, 75 pounds and up 24 months or more. As long as your puppy is still growing, keep him on puppy food.
If you want help choosing a food, got to PetSmart and ask for help. PetSmart employees are trained in basic dog nutrition. If you want more info, the store's trainer should have much more information. Good luck!

Answer 3

Meat bye-products may not be harmful to your dog but they are also not great for your dog either. You should not buy your dog food any were eles other than pet store.All these grocery store brand dog foods do have unpleasent side affects, such as a strong pugent odor emitting from the body, gas,and very smelly poop! Try a premium brand dog food like Nutro Ultra, it is an all natrual dog food. I feed my dog this and she has a beuatiful shiny coat, she does not get that dog smell, and you can stand in my back yard with out getting knocked out bye the smel of poop. Try it is ! Good Luck

Answer 4

Meat by-products are safe, but not ideal. The problem is that they can grind up any part of of the animal and call it a by-product. I found Canidae to be the best food, by far. My puppies coat glistens and his muscles are well defined. It also contains no wheat which many dogs are allergic to, no preservatives and is organic. Best of all, it's cheaper than Science Diet. My dog's puking has been completely eliminated since starting on Canidae. They make a wet food, dry food and treats. Good luck. Oh, they also have a web site under their name.

Answer 5

By-products are not the most wholesome ingredients. You would be better off picking an organic pet food that lists lamb meal, or chicken meal, rather than a lamb or chicken by-product. A by-product may be intestines, lips, bones, not SO bad, but it could also be feces or feathers, which have very little nutritional benefit for your pet. Organic pet food is usually made from animals that were not injected with artificial hormones, which is probably healthier for your pet as well. If you decide you want to go organic, I would recommend "Solid GOLD" as it is priced the same as most commercial brands.

Answer 6

Most dog kibble has harmful ingredients in it. Your best bet is to find a holistic or Organic dog food with no by products. By products are actually all parts of the animal that is either diseased, or not edible by humans. If it is unedible to humans it is unhealthy for animals of any kind. Go online and do your own research as I have done. I use Life's Abundance and I have been told by online naturaalists that it is even unhealthy. But If I try to switch him onto any other kind of food..... he loses weight and muscle mass. Plus his coat becomes listless and dull.

Answer 7

"Meat-by-products" are all the things left over after they butcher an animal (cow, sheep, lamb, pig, etc.). They are not harmful to your dog but are an indication that the food is not of the best quality. If Meat-by-products is listed in the ingredients you want to see it as close to the bottom of the list as possible.

Answer 8

Meat by products are not harmful as long as they meet the standards of the AAFCO. Some of the foods we eat are animal by products, and although they may not be the best choice they will no harm you. Check the ingredients of the dog food bag and check to make sure the food is accepted by the AAFCO.

Answer 9

No it's not harmful to your dog! Meat "by products" are all of the leftover parts of the animal that cannot be used for human consumption, but it's okay for animal consumption. Such as the liver, heart, skin, etc. It's fine, really.

Answer 10

So do hot dogs and it hasn't killed us yet. I worked in a chicken plant when I was a teen and at the end of the line was a box that all the scraps went into. Skin, bone, guts, gristle, something that fell on the floor, "by products" The box was than taken over to the dog food part of the plant and ground up with corn meal etc. and voila! dog food (very close to hot dogs)

Answer 11

meat by products are the things that people won't eat. like excess fat cut off of cuts of meat, meat scraps, meat that has been damaged or incorrectly cut. its ok for dogs.

some by-products go into the food we eat as humans. remember the raccoon in the John Candy movie, "The Great Outdoors"? while raiding the trash cans behind the cabin one raccoon asks whats in the hot dogs they're stealing. the other raccoon says "lips and as$holes". lol!