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| Editorial |
| Pet food recall no surprise |
When we launched Animal Wellness eight years ago, one of our mandates was
to reach out with leading edge articles on nutrition and supplementation. In that
timeframe we’ve covered this sweeping topic dozens  of times from every angle, and
still there’s more to write about. In this issue alone, we
feature articles on healthy diet plans (p. 46), what to
feed your geriatric cat (p. 98) and supplemental oils
(p. 70). Nutrition is the foundation of health, but as
Animal Wellness readers, you already know that, don’t
you? Readers often tell us they buy our magazine not
only because of the informative articles but also
because of the advertising. So you’ve seen that there
are many higher quality pet food alternatives to the
grocery store, mass market brands. And chances are
you aren’t fooled by these cheaper brands’ glitzy
television commercials and high profile sponsorships.
When I started hearing about the pet food recall several weeks ago, I was very
upset. But I must admit I wasn’t particularly surprised. Our animals are not
second class citizens to us, so why should there be two food chains – one for
humans and one for animals? Whatever makes it not good for us surely can’t
be healthy for our dogs and cats?
To date, we’ve trusted that the FDA is watching out for the dogs and cats in
North America, but the fact remains that we’ve had two major pet food recalls
in the last several months. Many animals died or got sick as a result. Clearly, the
guidelines currently in place aren’t working (see our story on the pet food recall
on p. 62). And maybe, just maybe, the contaminated products don’t belong in
pet food anyway. In the Diamond recall in December, the culprit was aflatoxin,
a naturally occurring by-product from the growth of a fungus on corn and other
crops. In the most recent recall, it was contaminated wheat gluten. The nutritional
experts I’ve spoken to don’t recommend either corn or wheat in an animal’s diet
since they not only offer little nutritional value, but are known allergens.
So what’s the bottom line? As we’ve said for years, it’s up to us, as the decision
makers for our animal companions, to choose wisely. Read the label, do a little
research, and use your intuition when it comes to selecting products not only for
your animals, but for your family. And by all means, share what you’ve learned,
or better still, hand a friend a back issue of Animal Wellness or give them a gift
subscription. It will be an eye-opening experience and may well save a life.
Live well,
Dana Cox
Editor-in-Chief |
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