Jump to content

What Is This Blue-Green Sludge In My Pet Mince?


Guest Muscovy

Recommended Posts

Guest Muscovy

Hi folks,

 

As some of you know, I've started buying some raw food for our new pup, as he's had some runny poops after eating various kibbles.

 

As well as meaty bones, chopped beef, and chicken parts, I've purchased some minced beef and minced chicken from the pet butcher. Both of the minces have had a little bit of blue-green sludgy stuff at the top of the bag. It looks like the colour of oxidised copper. I haven't seen it in any of the other meats I've purchased, only the minces.

 

Have any of you raw feeders come across this before? I'm wondering if perhaps they're putting some sort of additive in the mince, and I would very much like to know what it is if that's the case.

 

Thanks :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you called the butcher? No clue otherwise, but I've never seen anything that color in any food I've bought.

Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora)

52592535884_69debcd9b4.jpgsiggy by Chris Harper, on Flickr

Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could it be green tripe? That is the only thing that really should be that colour and it is in a lot of ground raw mixes. It has a horrible smell, but is really nutritious.

 

This is what my pure green tripe looks like (it can range in colour though)...yuck!

c03cedef-0046-4b88-91cf-647067f06e29_zps

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Muscovy

Thanks folks :) I will call the butcher on Monday, but they're closed on weekends. I'm a bit skeptical that they'll tell me what it is, but I will ask anyway. You never know!

 

It's definitely not green tripe, I'm afraid.

 

If someone can point me in the direction of a tutorial that would teach me how to upload pics, I will put one up for all to see,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If someone can point me in the direction of a tutorial that would teach me how to upload pics, I will put one up for all to see,

Jeff has a tutorial over here: http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/121707-how-to-post-a-picture/ People often post test picture links to the end of that thread.

 

You need to have your photos uploaded somewhere on the internet such as flickr or photobucket or facebook. I use photobucket and haven't had issues yet but some people have posted regarding issues with using it. Sometimes mobile devices like ipads give people fits when trying to post pictures. I usually go to a desktop computer when I want to post pics. Just makes it easier for me although you may have no problems. Good luck - although I'm not so sure about wanting to see this blue-green sludge now that I've given you the instructions for posting a pic! ;)

Jennifer, mom to Galen (GableTeletubbie) and Trixie fka Mooch (MostAggressive)
Always missing Connie (Connies Fullofit) and Chase (No Worries aka "Ace") & IG Angels Velvet and Bitsy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Muscovy

Haha thankyou! I'm on an iPad so I will see how I go. If I manage to post a blue-green sludge picture, I promise to follow it up with a cute grey photo to counteract the effect :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In England blue/green dye is sometimes put on animal carcases that aren't suitable for human consumption but which may be legally used for pet food. As I understand it, it's not supposed to end up in the food itself, but if it does it's harmless. Could it be something like that?

 

Trouble is, the dye might be harmless, but carcases which are dyed are, I believe, the equivalent of 4D meat in the US: dead, diseased, dying or disabled.

GTAvatar-2015_zpsb0oqcimj.jpg

The plural of anecdote is not data

Brambleberry Greyhounds My Etsy Shop

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Muscovy

19f50cfc-2330-4262-85a1-31dfcba0c52e_zps

 

Test image.

Thanks silverfish - it's not all through the meat, it's only on the top bit. It's as if they've bagged it up, then put a scoop of this green stuff in the bag, then tied off the bag. So I don't think the meat has been died.

 

Based on the colour I have a sneaking suspicion it's something like copper sulphate, or some sort of copper salts or something....

Oh it worked!!!

 

As promised, here's a pic of our new boy :)

 

imagejpg1_zps5ba49386.jpg

Hope his cuteness can counteract the grossness of the green sludge!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Muscovy

Thanks Melissa, good to hear. Does it look like what you've seen before - just a squirt of blue dye on top?

 

Although I'm in Melbourne too, I've never bought actual pet mince, only human stuff for the dogs.q

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keep in mind that non "human grade" does not necessarily make meat bad. If the meat is handled and prepared properly from fresh sources, it can be fine to feed (dogs don't care if they are eating an old dairy cow vs. a young tender beef cow). I have yet to find a raw ground mix that would pass as "human grade" it has things like tripe, lung and pancreas in it. Of course "pet grade" meats can have some nasty things in it that you don't want, so it is always good to check :)

 

I thought this was a great article that Dennis McKeon wrote about greyhounds and 4D meat:

 

The Myth of 4D Meat

https://www.facebook.com/dennis.mckeon.33/posts/10152126894856829

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't use it myself. I have been feeding raw for years and never seen anything like that from any of the suppliers I have used. Right now I use MPC and I truly belive their meat is probably better than what the grocery sells for humans. As a chemist I can tell you a very small amount of something like a metal can be very bad if it is a contaminent. Quality control these days is not something I take for granted. Always good to check.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Denature also means to make unfit (at least for human) for consumption - as in you can't drink denatured alcohol. That is just the term my friend who was a gh trainer for over 40 years used when explaining the addition of things to let it be known it wasn't for people. He may be wrong.

gallery_8149_3261_283.jpg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't use it myself. I have been feeding raw for years and never seen anything like that from any of the suppliers I have used. Right now I use MPC and I truly belive their meat is probably better than what the grocery sells for humans. As a chemist I can tell you a very small amount of something like a metal can be very bad if it is a contaminent. Quality control these days is not something I take for granted. Always good to check.

 

But you're in Kentucky. Muscovy is in Melbourne, Australia. Regulations and practices are different here, and we don't have the same suppliers or products available to us. So Muscovy is trying to 'translate' information from here into the Australian context, which, I can tell you from experience, isn't always easy.

 

Muscovy, any updates? I've made good friends with my butcher and he sorts my dog food out for me. But it isn't 'pet food' as such, and is run through the same machines as human food.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Muscovy

Brandiandwe, I forgot all about the Melbourne Cup - it's a long weekend here and the butcher is closed until Wednesday. So hopefully they can tell me more tomorrow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...