Let me tell you a story about dog food. About a year or so ago, our dog, a Shih-Tzu/Poodle mix, was eating Beneful by Purina. She became sick, eating and drinking less, acting very lethargic, and was throwing up often. We didn’t know what was wrong with her, and decided to do research on Beneful.
What we found was horrific.
Beneful is perhaps the biggest problem pet food on the market. There were numerous reports of dogs becoming sick and dying while on Beneful. Some families lost multiple dogs to this food. Snopes confirmed these rumors. We immediately sought out a new food, and settled on Blue Buffalo, which helped my dog bounce back pretty quickly. While talking to the owner of the little pet supply shop in town, we found out that one of his other customers lost her Shih-Tzu a month earlier. It was on Beneful, and displayed all the symptoms we saw described on the internet.
So why is this food so dangerous? It might be toxic because one of the ingredients is Propylene Glycol. While it is used as a preservative in dog food, it’s also the key component in newer versions of antifreeze. Yes. Antifreeze. In dog food. It is actually banned for use in cat food, but for some confounding reason, it is still legal to use this chemical in dog food. Purina has done nothing but deny, deny, deny, and in the face of mounting evidence that they are poisoning dogs left and right, issued an in-house company-sponsored “study” that concluded that Beneful was safe. A class action lawsuit was filed against Purina back in February, and with any luck, it might finally force this toxic food off the shelves.
Blue Buffalo is what I feed my dog now. It’s not cheap, but there’s no antifreeze or other industrial chemicals in it, and the company takes pride in using real, healthy ingredients. My dog is healthier than she’s ever been, and I refuse to feed her anything else, especially since I now know that Purina simply does not care about the health and safety of dogs, and is vigorously defending a product known to have poisoned thousands of them. To hell with Purina.
That’s the story. The comments thread this weekend is reserved for discussion about how we care for our furry friends, and sharing information about giving them long, healthy, happy lives.
By CTNC Fri May 22nd 2015 at 5:11 am
Technically this isn’t about a furry friends, but if you have a koi pond, make sure none of them can swim into the filter. even if the part that catches large debris is roomy enough for the smaller ones to swim in and out of, if the water level gets high enough from rain for one of the larger ones to swim in, it can swim in, but it won’t be able to swim out. Two days ago I saw my favorite one dead in the filter. I now want to put a net in front of the filter to prevent any more fish from getting in.
By maggPi Mon Jan 23rd 2017 at 4:59 pm
The fine mesh net is a great idea, but how about using the mesh to create a bumper bubble? This way, the fish have a buffer zone so that not only do they not get into the filter, but they will be able to escape the mesh screen if the suction is high. Sometimes the suction is not adjustable.
By Pasquirrelio Fri May 22nd 2015 at 6:07 am
Check out the scandal with Blue Buffalo right now…no one is perfect. I feed IVet because my dog has digestive issues and does well on it. Iams is the other brand I’ve heard recommended by multiple vets (besides science diet)
By Otaku Fri May 22nd 2015 at 8:05 am
The issue isn’t settled yet so it may end badly for Blue Buffalo, but Googling “Blue Buffalo News” let me to a news article from May 20th where it pointed out the dispute is over there being some chicken/poultry byproduct in the Blue Buffalo foods, contrary to their advertising/labeling.
The thing is this is coming from Purina and Blue Buffalo is claiming that one of their suppliers (whom it appears they are suing) actually sent them mislabeled ingredients. At this point it is possible that Blue Buffalo is only guilty of being scammed (or at least not showing due diligence/allowing themselves to be fooled by their supplier for convenience). Or it could be a smokescreen.
Still, doesn’t on par with using an alleged poisonous preservative in your dog food a la Purina.
http://www.wxyz.com/news/purina-and-blue-buffalo-battle-in-court-over-contents-of-pet-food
By TheDerangedOne Fri May 22nd 2015 at 8:27 am
And this is why I don’t want pets/want to be responsible for those of others. Too much shit to know and my memory’s not the greatest as is. -_-” But yeah, that sounds like a corporation begging to be boycott’d/consumer black listed. (think black listed employees who can’t find a job anywhere anymore, and flip it to be companies that can’t sell their products in an area anymore due to just flat boycott to oblivion.)
By That_Jedi_Girl Fri May 22nd 2015 at 1:54 pm
When our cat reached 18 1/2, he was diagnosed with CRF (Chronic Renal Failure) and diabetes. Diametrically opposed (in terms of what one should eat). In addition to the insulin, other medications, and frequent lab work, the vet recommended very specialized (and expensive) food. After much consideration (and the realization we couldn’t afford all these treatments), I opted to research and (ultimately) made his food for the next year and a half (so we could swing the insulin (human grade without insurance), other meds (some human (again no insurance) some pet — it was mildly entertaining telling the pharmacist the name of the patient: Mephistopheles), and the labs).
We thought we had been buying “decent” food (the higher end Purina lines). Then I started researching and learning what all those ingredients really are (or why they’re there). And research suggesting that the increase of diabetes in pets is related to the rise of corn/corn products in pet food. Dogs are slightly better evolved to handle it but cats aren’t.
Making pet food was an adventure (time consuming too but we have more time than money) and everyone thought we were crazy, but he really liked it, his fur looked (and felt) good again, he had more spring in his step, the vet was surprised by how well he did and we kept him going until 3 days shy of birthday #20 (and it was a fast growing tumor that was the culprit – not the CRF or the diabetes).
His successor is on one of the lower priced science diet foods (no corn or by-products). I periodically toy with making cat food again, but this one doesn’t like people food offerings (except lettuce) so I haven’t felt too compelled.
By Some Guy Fri May 22nd 2015 at 3:15 pm
We switched from Beneful after our vet described it as “McDonalds for dogs.”
By Marscaleb Fri May 22nd 2015 at 7:33 pm
” It might be toxic because one of the ingredients is Propylene Glycol. While it is used as a preservative in dog food, it’s also the key component in newer versions of antifreeze. Yes. Antifreeze. In dog food.”
Okay, that sounds about as valid as these people who talk about mercury being in vaccines. Anyone with any understanding of chemistry can tell you that just because a chemical is used in one thing doesn’t mean it is dangerous to be used in another, ESPECIALLY when the exact quantities of the chemical are not known, let alone what other chemicals it is interacting with within its formula.
Now I’m not saying the dog food wasn’t dangerous, or that propylene glycol can’t be the key factor. But that is NOT the same thing as saying they put antifreeze in the dog food. And to pin the harm on one chemical without an honest and thorough scientific study is a really bad thing; you are very likely to get people worked up over the wrong thing, and then start demanding the wrong thing to be changed.
Dogs have a peculiar anatomy. They eat lots of things that are thoroughly toxic to other mammals. They will eat poop, for crying out loud. And yet they also cannot eat things that most mammals can, like chocolate.
I support the idea of doing some serious third-party studies on the dog food being sold. But I do not support the idea of casting blame on specific components without a scientific study to confirm their effect.
By zappitcomic Fri May 22nd 2015 at 8:12 pm
I looked at it the same way at first. PG is used as a preservative, and is used in e-cigs as well. But, when I researched the chemical and it’s side effects, that’s when I became worried. It has already been banned by the FDA for use in cat food. Continuous exposure, even in small doses, can very easily cause damage. The side effects are similar to the ones that so many animals have suffered while on Beneful. The thing is, those symptoms can appear relatively quickly in higher doses, which suggests that dogs are either more sensitive to the chemical, or it is used in fairly high doses. That’s the concern.
I also looked at the claims made by Purina. They sponsored the study that caused the scandal and filed suit against Blue Buffalo. Nestlé owns Purina, and Nestle has a history of majorly evil issues, among them using slave labor overseas, and refusing to pledge to use labor from areas where slavery has been documented. They are also pumping and selling their bottled water out of California, which is under the strictest drought restrictions in their history, and, according to NASA, may well run out of water within a year. Nestlé has done nothing to scale back their operations despite massive protests. I don’t trust that company or their study. Purina nearly killed my dog, and she’s healthier than ever on Blue Buffalo.
By maggPi Mon Jan 23rd 2017 at 4:47 pm
I used to work at an independent pet supply shop. Its owner taught me a LOT about pet foods (amongst other things). I now refuse to feed my cats anything Purina, Science Diet, Iams, Royal Canin etc. Fromm, Wellness, Halo are all excellent, high quality foods that are available in both the States and Canada. For Canadians on a budget, I recommend Loblaws’ P.C. line. Also, it is a good habit to mix the kibbles from different flavours and brands. If your pet continually eats only one recipe or protein source (chicken, chicken, chicken all the time… Bleh) it could develop a sensitivity or even a food allergy. This is how grain-free foods became popular. All those bad foods rely heavily on grains and overdose our pets with a food our pets genetically are designed to absorb secondarily through their prey. Thus, many dogs and cats develop sensitivities and allergies to grain-based foods. So if your pet has no allergy etc, then don’t worry. Some grain is fine. Just not to the extent as described. Veggies are very good for our pets too, just like for us. The dark leafy greens are best. Look online for proper serving sizes for breed/size.
And NO. CATS CANNOT BE VEGETARIANS. They are OBLIGATE CARNIVORES. First they will go BLIND. Then they will DIE. Dogs are omnivores like humans, so they could go vegetarian, but it is NOT RECOMMENDED. We rarely feed ourselves proper balanced diets, why screw up our dogs’ diets as well? Unless you are looking to devote yourself to making your pet’s food from scratch and researching optimal nutritional recipes. Hey, your own diet may improve what with all the stuff you’re learning!
Also, if you are looking to feed your dog lamb-based food, don’t bother if it’s any kind of shepherd. A customer taught me that they will not eat what they have been bred to protect.
For stomach upsets, rice and lamb is easy on the tummy, or rice and turkey for shepherds. For getting your dog or cat back to eating after illness or sudden loss of appetite, pumpkin purée (not seasoned!!) works very well. Look in the canned veggie section of your supermarket. Of course, talk to your vet immediately about loss of appetite.
Switching gears a bit, many people buy the kibble or canned recommended by their vet. If it’s not a seriously scary prescription diet, DON’T BOTHER. Like our human G.P.s, vets are not generally dietitians. A food company rep comes in, gives them the lingoed pitch and voilá! You’re buying the same crap as at the supermarket at twice the price. My best friend has worked at an animal clinic for over ten years and has confirmed that most of the foods sold at veterinary clinics are garbage.
All in all, no matter what food you want to start feeding your pet, check out the company’s quality control. While they may seem to have an excellent ingredients list, they might be prone to periodic salmonella breaks. Or quality is excellent, but supply/availability is not great due to occasional drought (Ziwi Peak). And keep in mind: if they’re spending more money on advertising, they’re spending less on their product. The slicker the ad, the slicker the con.
Hope this is helpful to somebody reading the archives!
By maggPi Mon Jan 23rd 2017 at 5:03 pm
Btw, if your pet kibble is different colours, ditch it. The food coloring is for your aesthetic benefit, not Flurry’s nutrition.
By maggPi Mon Jan 23rd 2017 at 5:05 pm
Gah! Fluffy! Not flurry! I spend three to five times as long correcting the autocorrect on this tablet as it takes to actually type and post my comments!!!
By Melfina the Blue Mon Oct 4th 2021 at 5:32 pm
Actually, it is, as I’m hoping to get another dog soon. We always went with the food the vet recommended, but I’d do my research ahead of time, plus all three of our dogs had mitral valve prolapse leading to congestive heart failure (stupid Cavalier King Charles heart gene, they’re such great dogs).
I do have one trick to share… toddler meat sticks. Seriously, the ones for human kids. They’re great for older dogs who need pills or are having a tummy upset, plus I think they taste pretty good too. We had one sweetheart who was a fincky eater, and those and a bit of a White Castle were her favorite treats ever.
By Cloud Tue May 23rd 2017 at 5:08 am
Our large dog was quite underweight when we got him. He refused to eat the Beneful we were giving our smaller dog. We took him to the vet and they said he needed more protean. So we started feeding them Costco brand. He gained to a healthy weight and we have to watch the smaller one cause shes been gaining weight. Only recently have we learned the true dangers of cheep dog food. Lucky we haven’t been feeding them the stuff their entire lives. We even add in a bunch of wet food to it so they enjoy it more. Its a big bag of dog food an quite a few cans of the wet stuff. We as humans spend much more on our diets, even when we have to be on the cheep side of things. But 40$ a month to feed two dogs a healthy diet is a small price for their happiness and health. They cant tell you what to feed them, so don’t feed them something that would hurt them to save a few bucks.
On a side note I love how Chad is finally human again. (Minus the skin, radiation and glowing eyes that is) This is a truly well written comic and I can’t wait to read the rest and follow through.
By Hinoron Sat May 9th 2020 at 2:51 am
I very briefly worked in what I shall politely call a “Chicken DisAssembly Plant”. Our job was to come in after the plant shut down every night, and clean every single surface lower than six feet with an anti-bacterial soap infused firehose.
Turned out my stomach wasn’t up to walking around, stepping on scattered little organs that popped like grapes under my boot. It was actually grosser when I COULD identify them. (“Oh look, a tiny lung! URP!”) Well, Live and learn.
Why I’m mentioning this now, under this strip… is that all those unsellable, unidentifiable chicken bits, shredded skin, and organs we swept up off the floor? They were shoveled up into large bins that would be shipped to another plant to make dog food with.