Busderpuddle Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 I have been researching dog foods trying to find a new one for Ruby that is grain free and does not contain beef, due to an allergy. I noticed a lot of the foods have chicken (or beef, turkey, etc.) by-product in them. I had no idea what a by-product is, Googled it, and now I am horrified. Ugh. Nasty. I can't believe that stuff is allowed in any type of food for any animal. I am hoping that I have never fed her one with it in it. How is it companies are allowed to use garbage and rotten and diseased junk to feed our pets ? Quote Karen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubcitypam Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 (edited) Don't dismiss by-products. Some of them are far superior in nutrition to ingredients labeled as meat. Petco just sent me a $7 off coupon for a high end kibble that is hanging its hat on the main ingredients being turkey organ meats. Most of the dried expensive treats people feed their dogs are by products. Think bully sticks, moo tubes (windpipes), tendons, pig ears, beef ears, pig tails.. The majority of my neighbors pay very good money for by-products - for their dinner. The large chain grocery on the corner has turkey necks, chicken backs and necks, feet, kidneys, livers, gizzards, lungs, hearts, green (not honeycomb) tripe etc. They are in the meat case for humans.One of my favorite treats when I go back to west Texas is fried chicken livers. It's hard to find fried livers and gizzards here. Edited May 1, 2014 by Hubcitypam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedHead Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Not all by-products are bad. By legal definition pet food manufacturers can't include things like feathers, intestinal contents, hoofs, hides/feathers etc. in their food. By-products like feet, frames, organs, etc. can have a higher nutritional value than muscle meat. I wouldn't want to feed a food with only by-products (for example, something made up almost entirely of ground up chicken legs is going to be limited in nutritional value), but they are not all bad. I just question the quality of some of the by-products, especially generically labelled ones ("meat" by-products), and am a bit distrusting of the monitoring and quality of by-products intended for animal feeds. I think they can be a sign that a food/brand is trying to get by with the cheapest ingredients possible, but I don't think having by-products makes every food bad. I make my own food, and feed by-products like lung, spleen, tripe, feet/hooves, frames, etc. quite often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FijiHound Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 That's why I feed raw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busderpuddle Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 When I looked at the definition on Google it said that by-products can contain the bodies of diseased animals, road kill, euthanised animals, beaks, etc. I do feed Ruby chicken feet and turkey necks, but that is as far as I am going to go. I understand the use of liver, hearts,tripe and others, just not the other stuff described. How would you ever know what you are really feeding ? ugh,,,,,,,just UGH. Quote Karen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenMichele Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 I feed Holistic to my dog. No by products included. I also try to keep to fish to avoid food allergens. Quote Kristen mom to- Sp FancyPants (Fanny)- 4.20.12 Adopted 3.8.14 Rico's Maggie (Maggie)- 12.3.12 Adopted 1.21.15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitycake Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 I have to kind of smile when thinking about human's reactions to the "diseased animals" in pet food. What do you think that wild canids and felids eat? They're eating the old and the sick animals, because they are the ones that can be caught! Their food also includes the "downed" animals - which are often the ones that have broken legs or are so old that they cannot stand when sent to slaughter and cannot be used for human food. I'm just glad that they're being used for pet food, because I don't want cattle/sheep/other human-food animals eating other diseased animals. THAT is a problem (especially feeding herbivores meat or other animal products - yuck!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmdsmoxie Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 I have to kind of smile when thinking about human's reactions to the "diseased animals" in pet food. What do you think that wild canids and felids eat? They're eating the old and the sick animals, because they are the ones that can be caught! Their food also includes the "downed" animals - which are often the ones that have broken legs or are so old that they cannot stand when sent to slaughter and cannot be used for human food. I'm just glad that they're being used for pet food, because I don't want cattle/sheep/other human-food animals eating other diseased animals. THAT is a problem (especially feeding herbivores meat or other animal products - yuck!). In fact what we call 4D meat is the food of choice in the wild. A lion, cheetah wild/painted dog seek out the old, the weak, the dying or dead animals. Why try and run down a healthy animal when you can take down an easier sick or hurt one. Thinking like a human we go yuk, but thinking like an animal we would go what a score. Think of a leopard making a kill and hauling it up a tree. It is 120 degrees out and he eats the kill over a few days. Think of how rancid that kill is, but the leopard has no problem with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Because they're NOT furry children? Because dogs, even our pets, happily eat dead animals, poop, etc. What you'd serve on your table has nothing to do with what is suitable for animals to eat. Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFullHouse Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Heck, how many of our dogs have eaten dead birds, fish, squirrels, rabbits and their own poop. Dog food has to be better than that! Quote Judy, mom to Darth Vader, Bandita, And Angel Forever in our hearts, DeeYoGee, Dani, Emmy, Andy, Heart, Saint, Valentino, Arrow, Gee, Bebe, Jilly Bean, Bullitt, Pistol, Junior, Sammie, Joey, Gizmo, Do Bee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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