Burton’s Blog 12/6: Myths and Other Pet B.S.
THE HUMAN MIND BELIEVES WHAT IT WANTS TO BELIEVE: REGARDING MYTHS AND OTHER B.S. REGARDING PETS
Our current era of digital communication is both a curse and blessing. News and information travel at the speed of light and in all directions. A lot of good can come from the availability of information but there is a dark side to the convenience. We’ve seen how young people use the internet to bully other young people, sometimes causing irreparable harm. I assume adults can be part of that mayhem as well, but part of being an adult is being immune to nonsense like that.
The same is true of human and pet nutrition issues. People believe what they want to believe. I present the following topics I have heard from customers over the past few days:
- I don’t feed such and such a food because they use road kill and euthanized pets in their pet food. Once anyone says something like this the information spreads through the universe without the recipients demanding one shred of information to substantiate the claim. Without a true source, there is no one person to ask: Where did you hear or see this? I have heard this from lay people, pet stores peddling a certain brand and pet food manufacturer representatives in past years spinning such tales. I have had pet food representatives asking people if they want their pet to eat rubber guts. They inferred other manufacturers were using very bad stuff for their pet. There are many foods I would never feed an animal and many say veterinarian tested or veterinarian approved. These statements mean nothing, folks. Manufacturers and many stores will say anything to sell their food.
- Yesterday a customer called me upset that a treat she bought was recalled for “possible” salmonella contamination. I asked where she heard this. “The Internet.” We keep pretty close track of these things and we had not heard anything about a recent recall of this product. I investigated a bit further and found out the recall was from 2010 not 2011 and the alert she read was filed by another pet owner mistakenly said the recall was in 2011. Recall hysteria endures indefinitely. Be aware but also be wary of misinformation.
- Another myth involves statements of supplementation in pet foods. As an example, a typical manufacturer ploy is to say a food contains chondroiten and glucosamine. Look on the bag for the levels of these two very helpful supplements for many pets that have or will be prone to getting arthritis. Most of these foods contain 500 mg per kg of food which is negligible regarding a therapeutic dose. A 50 lb. dog probably needs 500mg per day and that dog might not eat more than a few hundred grams of food per day. A kilogram is 2.2 pounds. People want to save money and feel good at the same time. I don’t have an inherent problem with that. We all want the best value for our money; but people don’t want to see reality in the face of what they want to believe. They want to believe that their dog is getting therapeutic levels of the supplement. As a consequence the pet suffers because the believes that this food is all their pet needs. The pet starts to limp and the customer asks me what to do. They claim their pet never responded to glucosamine, chondroiten, MSM, and hyaluronic acid but, in truth, the pet has never received a dose sufficient enough to be therapeutic.
- Greenies Joint formula is another one that ranks high up the ladder on misinformation. Do they contain glucosamine? Yes. But a dog would have to eat a whole kilogram of Greenies to get 500mg of glucosamine. This is pure deception in marketing. We’d have to take out a mortgage on the house to pay for a kilo of Greenies. The response here is that Greenies are a treat, a supplement and not meant to be purely therapeutic. They sure don’t say that on the package.
- We have similar situations with buying pet food. I try to put foods into categories:
- High protein with quality animal meal sources: 38% or more
- Medium protein with quality animal meal sources” 26 to 37%
- Low protein with quality animal meal sources: 21 to 25% protein
- Very low protein with quality animal meal sources: 14 to 21% protein.
People look at that first ingredient. They believe that if it is a protein source then the food is quality. And if it is also cheap they have found the “lost city of gold.” They think fools buy the more expensive pet food. Poor pet foods with 21% (or lower) protein diets can have meat as the first ingredient. What ingredient is in first place on the label is a game of splitting and dividing ingredients. You can’t trust labels unless you know how to read one. Simply looking at the first ingredient tells you nothing.
In dry food the lower the protein the more starch the food contains. Meat can be the first ingredient but the food may still be protein-deficient. It all depends on the way the diet if formulated. Admittedly the ranges in these categories are broad. I prefer high quality animal sources with 38% or more protein with high dry-weight protein supplemental foods like raw and 95% canned meat. Dogs and cats are almost pure carnivores. We can get away for a period of time feeding them high starch diets… but at what cost to our pets health?
In summary: Keep an open mind when hearing information from lay people, manufacturers, and even some veterinarians trying to peddle the profitable product for the day.
For more information about reading pet food labels, check out Burton’s guide to reading pet food labels in two parts:
Reading Pet Food Labels: Part One
Reading Pet Food Labels: Part Two
Puppy Mill Rescue Group @ Greensburg Oct. 22nd
We have a group called the Puppy Mill Rescue Group that visits our Greensburg store every other week. I spoke with one of the four really dedicated ladies yesterday regarding their puppy rescue program. They rescue puppies from the Amish puppy mills. I don't know where these for-profit-only dog breeding facilities are located but I do know there are some in Ohio. Google Amish Puppy Mills and you will find full pages of search results. I'm not sure about the participation in this practice in Pennsylvania but I will report more information as I find it.
Burton’s Blog 10/3: Paws for the Cure 2011
The 2011 Susan G. Komen Paws for the Cure is in the history books and it was a great event despite the really bad weather. In this country great things can be done by community efforts that connect local businesses with folks just enjoying the company of others and our household pet members. This year we added hooves to the paws with a guest appearance by Fiona the miniature Pot Bellied Pig. She loves dogs in between rooting for grubs in the turf.
Burton’s Blog 5/2: Pet Food Cheat Sheet
Over the past three years I have been writing about aspects of pet nutrition. Still some pet owners seem to stumble with some basic concepts – namely that dry diets are quite low in protein and increase in carbohydrate content as the protein and essential fats go down. Many think that there is very little difference between a grocery brand and a more expensive premium food as long as the bag suggests that the food is complete and balanced. It is a war, we, as conscientious sellers of pet food, must wage on a daily basis. Today I would like to provide a pet food cheat sheet to help clear up any potential confusion.
Burton’s Blog 4/24: Holiday Impulse Pets
Cute, but messy.
As I was helping customers at our McIntyre store on the Saturday before Easter, a customer asked me if we had any baby ducks. I told them we don't carry baby ducks or chickens during Easter time. Baby chicks and ducks are very cute (to say the least) but inappropriate as pets for most people in urban settings. They are messy. They eat a lot, and most mothers, as tolerant as they may be, should not be expected to help clean up after fowl, no matter how pleasant they might be. Within a short period of 6 weeks (give or take a few days) these cute little buggers are no longer babies (and most people won’t want to make their pet a dinner for the family when they are no longer capable of providing an animal’s necessary care needs). And then what happens to the pet?
To put an animal through neglect or turning it loose in a park when they are no long wanted is totally inappropriate. These pets are ill equipped to deal with life in urban or suburban areas. We feel the same way about giving out goldfish at carnivals or bettas at weddings in centerpiece arrangements. These practices are cruel and generally doom an animal to a short, unhealthy life.
Every so often we also have to turn someone away from buying parakeets, guinea pigs or and rabbits. These purchases are often impulse buys and not a project for which some customers are prepared. There are more care issues at hand than just being able to supply food and water. People get mad at us for saying they are not ready for the pet, but in the long run we believe we are doing them and the animals a service. I feel it is our job to teach and provide the best quality pets for people to enjoy. We always prefer to avoid confrontation with customers but sometimes it is inevitable.
The next time you want to buy an animal for a pet, do a little research to understand the basic care needs of the species. You’ll be doing yourself and your future pet a favor.
Burton’s Blog 3/31: Thoughts about Digestion
Both people and their pets can have problems with digestion. In humans it is reported that many millions of people visit their physicians annually with complaints of digestive disorders
Heartburn, irritable bowl (from which many pets suffer), acid reflux or ulcers can cause any number of symptoms in us or our pets. Often these otherwise benign maladies, when untreated, can directly lead to more dangerous issues. Acid reflux, many times nothing more than a mild discomfort, can cause gum and rotten teeth due to the acid’s ability to dissolve the enamel on our teeth and create flora (indigenous microbiota) imbalances in the mouth of our pet.
It has been hypothesized that the reason for most of these maladies lies in the nature of prepared foods. Raw food contains enzymes that help our bodies digest food. Cooked products, due to the lack of enzymatic action, may lead to an inability to process food efficiently. A step in the process of digestion has been removed.
There is a healthy body of evidence suggesting that the high-fructose corn syrup in sodas and fruit juices, like lactose, can cause gastric intolerances. Many grocery brand pet foods contain high-fructose corn syrup and artificial food coloring. We don’t need artificial food coloring and we don't need HFCS. Dogs and cats, especially, don’t need sugar of any kind but we serve it up in great doses almost every day. Manufacturers of foods containing HFCS prey on consumers who watch their dogs rabidly devour the food. They must love it! is the natural response. Dogs are suckered into eating sweeter foods because they have a sweet tooth. Cats don’t have the ability to taste sweetness so this They must love it! appeal hasn’t been a problem for cat owners (cute shapes and charming packaging, however, is another matter altogether).
High-fructose corn syrup is big business. Therefore, you’ll find information both confirming and denying the dangers. Big business will protect their investment. I’m not about to test the waters by making a blanket statement about the reputed horrors of HFCS. Every consumer should know, however, that high-fructose corn syrup can be found in many more items than you probably imagine for humans and pets alike. As with any food purchase, I encourage you to read labels and understand what you’re reading. Take an active interest in the food you’re feeding your pets. HFCS might not be as bad as many people say, but we know one thing beyond a reasonable doubt: it is not good for you and it is especially not good for your pets. And if there’s any doubt, wouldn’t you rather be safe than sorry?
Burton’s Blog 3/22: News about Frontline
We are happy to announce that the stranglehold Merial had on Frontline Plus is now over. Apparently the patent ran out and Durvet has picked up the production. They are now manufacturing the same product as Frontline Plus for $10 to $12 less than Frontline Plus and with some luck it may go lower later in the year. Stay tuned. We'll have more details soon.
About the product... it contains the same active ingredients for far less money. If there are questions about the two products please talk to one of our managers. As a side note, Merial's distributors were calling everyone, encouraging stores to stock up on Frontline because they'd heard that the price was increasing by 9%. This is why I do not trust many manufacturers. They are deceitful in many ways. Not all manufacturers, of course, but these tactics are pervasive enough to know that we need to keep our antennas up.
Burton’s Blog 3/21: Gum Disease and Tooth Decay
I'm going to touch on a subject that most manufacturers feel is taboo. Tooth decay and gum disease. And as far as I know the subject of tooth decay and gum disease -- as it relates to dry food -- has not been fully explored.
Burton’s Blog 2/22: An Idle Thought on Nutrition
Complete and balanced does not exist. It doesn't exist for us and it doesn't exist for our pets. The sooner we understand why, the sooner we'll take that first step toward whole body nutrition.
Burton’s Blog 2/18: Stink Bugs, ugh.
Here in Western PA, we've all dealt with Stink bugs. We've all tried to come up with creative solutions on how to get them out of our house or into the toilet without releasing their foul smelling liquid that only attracts more. The news is out that Sterling International has developed a Stink bug trap. The trap will be made available to the public in July. Burton’s Total Pet will carry them. In the meantime, I thought I’d give the readers a bit of a Stink bug summary because for most of us, they just appeared one day and we had to temper our wild determination to squash, for the greater good.