Saturday, December 20, 2008

Where do you Turn for Your Cat's Nutrition

By Ike Lowe

Many pet owners believe that Veterinarians are thoroughly qualified to dispense nutritional advice. Most believe their nutritional training, without question, is second to none. We have been brainwashed to the point of not even considering the possibility that our Vets may not be as nutritionally trained as we might believe.

When we see commercial pet food ads on TV or read their ads in print, we have no reason to doubt their claims. So we, the trusting public, is so convinced by their ads we put the nutritional needs of our pets in their hands.

Unsuspecting pet owners believe what they hear and buy the advertised pet food. Some commercial pet food companies even place a premium price on their products to convince pet owners their product is superior in quality.

That's what we've been told now let me tell you the truth

In Veterinarian schools across the country, little nutrition training is given and the little that is given is often administered by pet food company's employees. Their main objective is to buy loyalty. They achieve their objective by giving cash, equipment, banners and free food to the schools. The up-and-coming Vets receive greatly discounted or free food to sell in their practice.

If the Veterinarians never question what they've been taught and chooses not to do any independent research, they will continue their loyalty to the pet food industry until they retire.

The claims that the majority of pet food companies make, regarding their food, is false. The diet of our domestic cats should mimic their predecessors but they don't. The commercial Pet food companies use cheap and often harmful ingredients that cats should never eat.

Most pet food company's products contain grains. Cats are obligate carnivores and because of this, commercial pet foods are full of ingredients they should never eat. The digestive physiology of carnivores is ill-suited to digest these ingredients and they often cause illnesses.

Then there are the preservatives both artificial and natural. Ethoxyquin, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are artificial preservatives and all have been linked to cancer and other health-related problems. Although the Food and Drug Administration has received numerous complaints from consumers that fed their pets food containing these preservatives, the FDA has refused to act.

Evidence strongly suggests that many Veterinarians have been bought and paid for by the pet food industry. Moreover, it's unreasonable for us to think they can provide unbias, independent advice regarding our cats' nutritional needs. Vets lack the training to offer nutritional advice on our pets and making money takes presidence over independent research - educating themselves on the proper nutrition required for our pets should be their main concern but it's not.

Selling harmful foode to you for your pets is a blatant disregard to the creed they swore to uphold "First do no harm."

To maintain your cat's health, you have to take control of their diets. You should learn what's beneficial for your cat and the foods to avoid.

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