Dawn Vezie

Corn,wheat,soy.Are these or derivitives of thes ingredients in your pets food? Does your pet have hair loss, lick the inside of its paws,have allergies(to grass?!) immune disorders,body odor,lumps,sparse coat,or even cancer? The problem is that dogs and cats are highly allergic to corn,wheat,soy and their derivitives. When they have symptoms they have become toxic.

Packaging states that corn is a source of energy. Dogs and cats are predators and ideally get their energy from meat and its fat.Ever see a dog grazing in a corn field? (No, dogs hunt rabbits and cats hunt mice in the fields) Yes I have seen dogs eating leftover corn and I have seen my cat eating horse grain,but we eat junk foods too,but they shouldnt be our primary source of nutrition.

Packaging also states the corn as a source of omega 6 and essential fatty acid. The problem comes from the imblalance of omega 6 to omega 3,with the omega 6 being higher. THis imbalance has been linked to cancer and heart disease.

Corn and the oil in them (and vegetable oils) are polyunsaturated and become rancid very quickly. Rancidity produces free radicals and free radicals damage cells,promote aging, and are a precursor to cancer.

When heat is applied to a polyunsaturated oil (i.e. processing) the oil hydrogenates which is fast becoming known as containing trans fats- linked to cancer and heart disease.

I first became aware of these facts when I had a female Jack Russell Terrier that that failed to regrow her coat after a litter of puppies. I saw and add that asked if my dog looked like the chow pictured in the add with no hair! The article explained the allergic properties of corn,wheat and soy. The article also had an after picture of the with a full glorious coat.I read the article did my research and that was it, I had to try this "new" type of food.Eureka, it worked the dog not only grew her coat back, but stopped smelling so hideous,stopped having the runs, and stopped licking her paws.

Another opportunity for experimentation came with a little black barn cat. He was a pitiful sight. Except for his head he was totally bald!But a simple switch of diet to non-corn,wheat or soy based food and whala, a cat with hair. Another great benefit of switching to a meat based kibble was the black cat was black, not orange tinted.

I raise lovely papillons and before the puppies go to their forever homes I always educate their new parents on the benefits of the cornless diet.

Keeping your pet on a better diet by not feeding them what they are allergic to also has the benefit of boosting their immune system. This translates into savings at the vets office.

So what is a person to do? The first line of defense is READ THE LABEL. If the label says anything about corn, wheat or soy, move on. A raw diet is actually the best but that is for another article. Their are wonderful small and large pet stores that stock a plethora of holistic foods. This way is becoming quite mainstream,especially after peoples beloved pets died from poisonous ingredients from other countries.It would be even better if the companies started making foods without so much polyunsatued oils, but progress is being made and we can start asking for it. Since this site is all about educating for better choices and resources there will be a list of resources in the resource section.Sometimes one can think that perhaps holistic foods would be more expensive. While this can be true, I have found that lately they are in the same price category as the regular dog foods.In the long run there will be an enormous savings in health related bills. They just dont have as many health problems.Works for me!