Know more about diarrhea from food poisoning

Putrid food is in 2-6 hours after eating contaminated food. Undercooked viandes, dairy, wash vegetables and mayonnaise contenant food left unrefrigerated are all common to infectious agents. By the water supplies also a main food labor supporters. "Travel (smooth) diarrhea" is a common condition that happens when someone who are drinking water. contaminated with fecal matter. It is common in developed nations you where to find untreated water a.

episodes food supporters knew they protested a condition of life of IBS or purposes. In some rare cases, it can also lead to death. Of the possibility that it's very important to have a general idea of the dangers and symptoms of food poisoning.

Infectious agent: virus

Noroviruses, Rotavirus and hepatitis a are the living form of food poisoning are the long water transmis you produce tainted with Earth. In addition, all three types of viruses can pass of. Noroviruses are the best form of living in old people. This is called "air ship sickness" for yet normally is very dense population like schools, home nursing and cruise ships. The share all the characteristics of Rotavirus but in répandus the. Hepatitis a transmission only the transfere matter oral and in rare cases, blood transfusions. In addition to the nausea, vomiting and diarrhea common ground in the examining poisonous food, hepatitis a, will also cause rashes and fatigue.

Infectious agents: bacteria

Bacterial food poison affecting body examining by producing a toxin that is poisonous to the juice. This usually leads in also nausea and vomiting and possible renal last and deaths. Bacteria can infect all intestins and inflammation and you diarrhea. All these bacteria with normal nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but they each have some features définition.

Bacteria were Salmonelles will be kept in the body and launched a second attack in the form of weeks after initial infection. Campylobacter is ago commonly identifies food borne bacteria. Disease called staphylococcus aureus is usually by the mingling salades and dairy products. Bacillus cereus is still found in racines food like rice. E. coli bacteria will cause watery diarrhea which looks like for bloody diarrhea and worst effort would be produced in renal last. Shigella told as travelers ' diarrhea. It causes diarrhea contenant blood and/or mucus. Normally the by drink, transmis Clostridium botulinum and not to cause diarrhea but the nervous system and it can be released into the air. That is why it is as Biological weapons. Vibrio cholerae have typique symptoms but only in the most violent.

Infectious agent: sponge

Parasites are least common form of food poisoning, but they are by in the same way as can bacteria and alive. Symptoms tend to less hot than your living bacterial food poisoning but last much longer. Parasite Guardia, also known as beaver fever, can cause watery diarrhea for two weeks. Cryptosporidium can make someone sick and water diarrhea lasting for four days.

Prévention AIDS and HIV infection symptoms of weight loss in good nutrition

AIDS which is still cure. Or is a special regime for HIV patients. The virus in children of those who cause trouble, semble in unconquerable. Neanmoins, it is now an established something good nutrition may have made that weight loss and other complications.

Added precautions are necessary for the asymptomatic HIV-infected because the organism the HIV istem defense. The patient is coming for more vulnérables for infection. This includes food putrid two salmonelles, shigella, camphylobacter and some other bacteria. People with reduced protection are of course more the infection and not suitable for food.

Sufficient number of adequate food important for AIDS patients. It's a sickness, death often gaspillage is because of starvation rather than for other side effects of HIV. So, unless there is a big problem, the patient should eat as much as possible without worrying about gaining poids. On the hand for those who are sick and supplémentaires poids when he was in a crisis when he eats very little, you can't eat.

This is an issue having a level of good nutrition for someone who is ill because of HIV/AIDS on the digestive system. Reduction of Absorption Des elements like riboflavin, thiamin, folate, B6 and B12 and antibiotics often cause diarrhea causing you more nutritional loss and the risk of infection and intestinal augmenté. A patient can also suffer from loss of appetite and boots of nausea, be two fee of medicine.

In the event that would lose weight rapidly the patient is administres hyperalimentation (false alimentation), made it as far as alimentation gives you stomach inséré abdominal a line intraveineuse equipment pompage predigested éléments in circulation. That is the only recourse when éléments are not lost.

Food safety is of paramount importance for an AIDS patient. This applies to a HIV positive you a prepare food for a patient with AIDS should be washed before Some food preparation in front and back. Hot food should conserves and cold food cold. Contact between fresh cooked food should be avoided. Eggs should être boil at least for 7 minutes. Meat and fish should be cooked in the oven, and the internal temperature of 165 ° to 212 °). Sushi, And State of the, hamburgers rare steak tartare, as well as home mayonnaise and ice cream made with fresh eggs is to avoid despite commercial mayonnaise and cream says are safe.

Fruits and vegetables are washed as well as they have no chance to cause any trouble as animal products, but not in some precaution prejudice supplementaires. Follow these tips when traveling. Cooked vegetables are just to food and to produce far are concernes food peles, pommes, at all. According to some experts salades and fresh fruits and vegetables that are without but can be difficult to résumé.

Utilisation Des supplements often recommande by nutritionnistes. A multiple vitamin and mineral pill could prevent nutritional lacunes. However, only a doctor can prescribe more than 100 percent Food Recommandé allowance (RDA). Traitement himself in the high-dose and complete not advisable because it can lead to serious problems for you. For instance, a high dose for vitamin c can aggraver diarrhea.

After a macrobiotic traitement is a dangerous approche food particularly one limited to red rice and vegetables some because he actually can not AIDS by not to generate adequate nutrition. Additionally, die fibre can aggraver diarrhea.

A popular care implique herbal and if there is no evidence of efficacité. Recherches across some of the substances present at all, in the medicine that cause serious side effects, interagir with medicine. Always take professional advice before taking all your other bath preparations in what-your alternative medicine treatment.

COUNCIL

Consommer many poultry, delays, milk, and eggs, and other high protein, high calorie food to check muscle and poids lost.

Eat a lot of rice, and other food, racines, til, and cooking vegetables and pommes fries in you to essential antibiotics and minerals.

Put some food in the day.

CONTROL

All grain products and food thanks to if they cause diarrhea.

Boissons caffeinated coffee like, can cause some decrease Absorption Des elements.

AVOID

Especially meat, eggs and Milk. undercooked food, your shout

Alcohol, which can aggravate diarrhea and interagir with HIV medicine.

Practical tips for HIV infected people

Your throat infection to oral ulcer Cook uncomfortable.

Eating mashed potatoes and gravy are easy to drink. Drink liquids with a Straw. Food should be held in room temperature as the hot food could prove to be uncomfortable. Increase the number of adequate boissons-based acid like Apple Juice milk do you.

Nausea and diarrhea, common side effects of HIV to medicine.

Should get plenty of fluids to replace your lost, like water, beer, the brother of ginger on your stomach popsicles. Bland food is a good way to start. There are snacks in day food should être facilitent, ate slowly. Stay away from the Center clean if bothers you, food Diarrhea is food nonirritating améliore as chicken, egg, fish sauce, Apple-and peanut butter have the right to the map.

Often boots diarrhea.

Not consommer raw fruits and vegetables and food fibre high as with the grain of pains and cereales. Also don't eat food flatulent like onions, beans, Cabbage, boissons gazeuses and food hot. From chocolate, kafeyin, alcohol and food wealth.

© 2007 Somnath Mitera

Putrid food and the food industry

Most people are unaware of filthy conditions may cause contamination and subsequent food poisoning. Of your last meal, like yourself is more so to ensure that he was prepared and free of bacteria that can cause harm. Meat poses the biggest risk of contamination, however, and should be prepared with attention supplémentaires.

American meat industry is still struggling to keep cooked by a cloud of animal factory cut expense could increase cows in extrêmement environnements. PIN small, encombrée, allowing is fast like the oxen, disease, hunger and abattoirs volume high, creating potential for flesh to become contaminated with e. coli, a nuisibles dangerous bacteria was found in intestins oxen and the Earth.

Is

Because meat traitement facilities are not required to check for the presence of e. coli in products before the children must attend by meat and suffer food poisoning in the past by an evil.

in 2007, nearly 30 million pounds of beef recalled for possible e. coli contamination. This number increased in 2008, when he arrived and once in the 143 people million pounds.

We give are normally after majority by meat already had consommes

Ob/Gyn

When food by between the market, consumers can suffer catastrophic illness. According to statistics gathered by federal health officials, foods that sick. the production was about 76 million people, cause 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 killed Americans every year.

Symptoms

Symptoms of food poisoning vary in severity from person to person. However, the best way you feel you have.

o Severe abdominal cramps

You Too you bloody stools

o fever

o nausea

o Vomissements

Symptoms of food poisoning to the following options is between 6 and 24 hours of ingestion and can persist for days 1-14, according to the level of contamination and strain bacteria were present at all, birds are additionally., young children and elderly who are more susceptible to food poisoning to their weakened immune systems affaibli.

Treatment

Treatment for food poisoning depends on gravity varicose vein symptoms. The most common problems were associated with food poisoning is dehydration. If symptoms are people may have developed an infection to need hospitalized for observation and treatment. If left, an infection in up to lethal.

Victims of food supporters have a right to sue for compensation for lost. For more information about food poisoning and the product liability law, contact the Office of a victime feazell décret

Living food putrid

Food poisoning is a terrible problem because it's just nothing we can do about it besides waiting for your symptoms will remain. Diseases in the food, caused by viruses, parasites and bacteria that come evil habiter geres you prepared food as well as by water. Living versions of gate be unclean noroviruses, rotavirus, hepatitis and Aiyalam

Noroviruses, often called stomach flu, is a very contagious suitable food illness often famous people who live in the area of population, such as very auxiliary cruiser. That is why they named disease noroviruses croisiere ship, as well as caliciviruses and Norwalk like viruses. These are the best in years.

It shows that common and normally you disgusting thing and feel pain in my stomach, headache, nausea, vomissements, diarrhea and a fever. Heureusement, normally go in two to three days.

This virus carried selles, Et and vegetables that are fears have grown at the water contaminated with norovirus brought the case become contaminated.

Rotaviruses are the most common cooking putrid in children and children. Made vomissements Follow up by diarrhea and fever can be moderate. Because the vomiting and diarrhea can cause a son rapidement to turn destinés, which can être dangerous, children who are admitted in the hospital and diarrhea are almost always tested for this disease as noroviruses, rotaviruses are transmis in fecesfood, fears have grown that you have set up matter-contaminated water from Germany is at risk for being exposed.

Another matter sex disease is Aiyalam hepatitis rather than stomach pains and diarrhea characteristic cause by sexually meals, hepatitis may leave you feeling tired. Additionally, you experience a fever, appetite loss and a Follow up by debut de la. Is because hepatitis a or time, which is in charge of filtrage blood. When times were attacked by hepatitis, he has lost the ability to filter blood as efficacement. , Controlled substance called bilirubin can build in its skin and eyes, making them appear thief.

Normally, doctors will try to gerer symptoms and prevent you from becoming dehydrated and has not taken a single treatment to resolve Aiyalam hepatitis in General, you must wait for the disease is on its own if you have any other time.

If you or someone you know who become infected with a virus that meals, you should keep lax to allow you to turn food contaminated with fecal matter. For more information, talk to a Attorney liability product in Haralson, Miller, Pitt, Feldman & McAnally, P.L.C., today.

Natural food poisoning-food borne illness Recours, Traitements, Complete with possible Remedes

If you are experiencing the following acute (severe or sharp) symptoms, chances are you're feeling the effects of a food poisoning or food borne illness:

Frequent vomiting lasting longer than 1 day (Adult only) Severe diarrhea - loose stool every 1 to 2 hours lasting longer than 2 days. (Adult only. Children would be less than a day) Severe Dehydration dry mouth, very dizzy or lightheaded, fast heartbeat and breathing, very little or no urine, no tears, sunken eyes, very lightheaded or dizzy. Very severe, sudden abdominal pain. Possible botulism symptoms - headache, double vision, vertigo or dizziness, loss of reflex to light. weakness, droopy eyelids, constipation, dry mouth, muscle and respiratory paralysis.

Now, you are asking, or desperately looking for something to minimize, or even cure these horrific pains

Believe it or not, there are a number of pretty good, or at least partially good, natural remedies and treatments for alleviating food poisoning symptoms, pains etc.

The following list is based on my own research, experiences and is of course not a guarantee of anything, but are at least harmless for most normally healthy adults (allergies not included).

I grouped the remedies by general types and noted them in order based on what I believe are their effectiveness and ease of use. Also, I would not recommend mixing or trying more than one of these remedies at a time. Wait at least 1-2 or more hours before trying something else, with the exception of the re-hydrating options, which should be consumed as often as your system will allow.

Liquids

Since liquids are the quickest and easiest thing to take and generally have the quickest affective response to the symptoms, they should be tried first.

Re-Hydrating Options - not necessarily going to alleviate symptoms but are a necessary treatment for replacing loss fluids and electrolytes:

Water, water with electrolytes i.e. commercially prepared products such as Gatorade, fortified bottled water, light fruit juices such as apple juice or young coconut water; Broth or bouillon Popsicle and frozen juice bars may also help.

Teas - both to re-hydrate and to help settle a nauseated stomach:

Ginger tea and ginger extract taken with lemon juice are considered highly effective for controlling nausea; To sooth the digestive tract which has been recently ravaged, good mint tea is recommended, and tannin in tea will help neutralize the poison and all mint calms the stomach; Mint, raspberry, chamomile and blackberry herbal teas.

High Acidic Liquids - believed to help kill off harmful microorganisms and alleviate symptoms. Potentially these are most effective if taken straight or with very little dilution. In either case, drink or sip slowly and also it's recommended to rinse your mouth and teeth with water, or a baking soda water mix right afterwards. The high acid can over time destroy the enamel on your teeth.

Apple cider vinegar - 1 to 2 table spoons diluted with about 8 oz of water, or add more water for drinkability. If possible or tolerable, may be more effective to take the tablespoons straight. The most effective apple cider vinegar is supposedly unpasteurized, undistilled and unfiltered, if you can find it, otherwise try any commercial version you can find.

Soft Drinks, especially coke - provided you drink them flat, otherwise the carbonation can potentially cause further irritation of the stomach. To promptly remove carbonation, quickly pour the soda back and forth between two glasses a number of times. Then drink or sip gradually.

Grapefruit Seed Extract - 2 to 5 drops in a glass of water.

Lemon juice - I've seen different options but primarily take the juice of 2-4 lemons and either drink the juice straight or mix with warm water and sip.

Absorbents

Some form of charcoal or activated charcoal or carbon. Charcoal is natural and provides very good absorption or binding properties. It is used by emergency medical personnel for initial treatment for a variety of poisonings. It can be purchased as a capsule or powder over the counter. Follow the directions on the label. Another simple and quick option is to toast bread until it is brownish if not burnt.

Bread or Crackers. Bread or crackers can soak up poisons thereby possibly minimizing their effects.

Herbs and Natural Antibiotics

These remedies are known for there antibiotic, antiseptic and antioxidant properties:

Garlic - The quickest way to get it into your system is to cut up a small clove, (a half moon shaped piece of the garlic bulb), remove the skin or husk and swallow with water as if swallowing a pill. Other cooked forms should be just as effective. One quick way is to microwave it, (1-2 minutes depending on how much) remove the husk, and mash it to form a paste. Mix the paste with some honey or sugar, salt and spread on toast or bread.

Goldenseal Extract - a root that is related to the buttercup family of plants. Usually mixed with water. Follow directions on label.

Barberry - a shrub where the root, bark and berries have medicinal properties. Can be purchased as capsules, and fluid extracts. Again, follow directions on the label.

Papaya fruit - eaten raw or after boiled in water. Works to smooth digestion and control nausea.

There are a number of other herbs, plant seeds, roots, leaves etc. such as basil, ginseng, astragalus, ginger root, licorice, peony root, cumin, and fenugreek that have also been noted as having some minimal affects on food poisoning symptoms. As with anything new, consult and do your own research as to dosages, or follow directions on labels or advise from doctors or others in the know before trying more exotic remedies.

Other Measures to Take

Room temperature - avoid excessive heat or cold which may exacerbate symptoms such as nausea. Adjust your thermostat for maximum comfort.

Stress - you are already undergoing abnormal stress. You need to minimize all other work, or personal related stresses. Turn on smoothing music or have visitors that will help with pleasant, agreeable conversation.

Sleep - sleep allows your body to divert energy to the problem and to recover from the stress and energy needed to fight against the illness. Even after taking any of the above remedies that may help to alleviate the pain and symptoms, you won't feel close to fully recovered until after a good long sleep.

The Don'ts

Anti-diarrhea products - Do not use over the counter medicines such as Imodium or Lomtil. Diarrhea is actually your body's mechanism of flushing out toxic microorganisms. These medicines may hamper the body's ability to fight the infection. Only after consulting with and getting your doctor's approval or possible prescription should you take something like this.

Antacid products - Stay away from these products as well. As you see above, one common remedy to treat the symptoms of food poisoning is to provide more acid to your system to assist in killing off the pathogens. Antacid products will actually reduce your systems acid response and could provide a more favorable environment for bacteria to multiply, thereby prolonging and possibly worsening your symptoms.

Don't encourage or induce vomiting. At least for food poisoning related symptoms, this is not likely to help your symptoms. Your body already will recognize it has an infection or intoxication and will respond accordingly. See below to determine at what point you think you should see or call a doctor.

Avoid certain foods during initial recovery. During the first few hours to a day or so after the symptoms (i.e. diarrhea and vomiting) have stopped you digestive system will still be sensitive and weak. Stay away from heavy, high-fiber, acidic, spicy, greasy, sugary or dairy foods. Instead try simple light foods such as cereal, crackers, broth, or other light soups.

At What Point Should You See a Doctor or Go to the Emergency Room?

There are certain groups of people that should contact a doctor or go to emergency at the first signs of food poisoning. These include infants or small children, elderly, anyone suffering from a chronic illness or weakened immune system (for example, HIV/AIDS, cancer and undergoing chemotherapy, or has kidney disease). These groups of people have the greatest risk of experiencing the more serious effects of food poisoning including death.

If you don not fall into this category, but you are experiencing the following more severe symptoms, then you need to call or go see your doctor or get yourself to the emergency room immediately:

Difficulty swallowing, speaking, or breathing Slurred speech, double vision or dizziness Muscle weakness or paralysis especially if occurring after eating mushrooms, canned food or shellfish Fever higher than 101degrees F along with abdominal symptoms Vomiting blood or having bloody bowel movements Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea that lasts more than two days even if able to drink fluids Cannot take normal prescribed medications because of vomiting Obvious stomach or abdomen swelling Dark colored urine or complete stop in urination Extreme thirst, a dry mouth, and when you pinch the back of your hand, the skin stays pinched Skin and/or eyes turn yellow Persistent, localized abdominal pain Other family members or friends who ate the same thing are also sick Symptoms begin after recent foreign travel One or more joints swell or a rash breaks out on your skin

If you are unsure, do not take any chances and at least call your doctor. Food Borne illness severely sickens in the hundreds of thousands and kills thousands of people in the U.S. alone every year.

Raw food.

Eat raw in other areas of the culture you today was taken treatment and subsequent bacterial-wikipedia was not food, and Lysol (HTM) and as deklaan, has created a press-phobia of bacteria in culture, and State of form with baceria synonyme rempli in the spirit of most people.

As a matter of fact "raw food" is a misnomer, because food like fresh libellé suggests that it's natural he was County Cook County, and it is not true. Actualité, in study after study bacterial infections is yet in the United States have shown that cooked food are responsible for 97% or more of suitable food bacterial infection. Tacite true food raw food raw so, have gazillions bacteria on them-but not so there were no buy Sin herbivores.

Think about that evolutionarily. He ate food in State for hundreds of thousands of years before the economic fire cooking. In terms of evolutive, were to be a defense against bacteria that exist in of course, we ate. So, from evolution raisonnable not progres in fuel is nearly 100% likely to be defence.

In addition, animals, and the company's food we have to have their own defense against dangerous bacteria, most of which have chemical defense. Scientific exam agent, fraîchement dead meat reveal exactement that enzymes in most animal prevent bacteria of one when you came days after the animal is dead. Put meat in a refrigerator s not protection for weeks.

Bacteria, we don't have a defense, however, are bacteria, which has escalated in the soup by heart, as well as pay and cooking. And the e. coli bacterium that food crises harvest of Jack in the box, Hamburger Spinach and amend. Here is-coli not growth course of any food. He reared in raw sewage. The solution is not to start food food-it is truly conch: any of various large amend and lave Spinach gérés to acquire sewage Christ after Treaty.

Hundreds of diet writings suggest suppression junk food and food very Treaty of régime. We heard it a hundred times. You may not have heard is to eat food that has not been cooked not only more than my food treat cooked food (for more mass. strike, more likely some people decided to cut angles and more than something completely flat allow infection in cooking to the Dominican Republic)but ways to, too, because traitement détruit éléments like vitamins, cofactors and minerals.

For example, nettoyage, '' shout '' letter of vaches grass charge was legitime used as a medicine, as would be the end of the century 19. Letter, is a food made complete and equilibre and a man who could actually live on a amount adequate for several weeks if necessary. For this reason, the Masai of middle Afrique exist almost exclusively on a diet of baby milk, beef, Occasionally glasses fraîchement collect cow blood, but they have some more bodies on the planet.

Staph eat putrid

Staph disgusting thing is a kind of suitable food diseases by infection and bacterial disease we call aureau (staphylococcus aureus s.). Unfortunately, this kind of condition difficult to On since in some cases, may be present in food toxines that no sign of contamination you produits. In addition, this type of illness can multiply and thrive in all conditions, food refrigerated.

If you contract staph spoiled food during food in a restaurant, or other public establishment, you may be able to bring the establishment to court at a trial of personal injury. If the food was not handled in the right way or were kept in the correct temperature, negligence can happen. To learn more about staph putrid food and your rights as a victim, contact an attorney in your area right away.

Foods that are associated with type of infection généralement in particular that include.
Meat, such as poultry Egg Salads made with mayonnaise, such as tuna, œufs, chicken, potato and macaroni Bakery products and ice cream-filling, such as eclairs and off white my phone number at Sandwich filling Several other baby milk, dairy products

Symptoms of an infection staph disgusting inclure.
Nausea Vomiting Cramping sales Diarrhea Dehydration Headache Changes in blood pressure or heart rate

Because the consequences of this kind of food poisoning are so serious, that restaurant, impératif cafétérias and etablissements food with a reasonable operating level of care and providing products that they are safe to consommer. This includes do if food, prepared and handled reasonably the will have, you can être criminal law for financial compensation for all dommages encourus as a result of negligent in behavior.

To speak with an attorney about your experience with eat putrid, visit Attorney personal injury Indianapolis estimates the two to Hankey Law Office, decret today.

Pet food Ingrédient game

About 25 years ago I began formulating pet foods at a time when the entire pet food industry seemed quagmire and focused on such things as protein and fat percentages without any real regard for ingredients. Since boot leather and soap could make a pet food with the "ideal" percentages, it was clear that analytical percentages do not end the story about pet food value. I was convinced then, as I am now, that a food can be no better than the ingredients of which it is composed. Since this ingredient idea has caught on in the pet food industry, it has taken on a commercial life that distorts and perverts the meaning of the underlying philosophy of food quality and proper feeding practices. Is health reducible to which ingredients a commercial product does or does not have As contradictory as it may seem to what I have just said, no it is not. Here's why.

AAFCO Approval

The official Publication of the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) gives wide latitude for ingredients that can be used in animal foods. As I have pointed out in my book, The Truth About Pet Foods, approved ingredients can include

dehydrated garbage

undried processed animal waste products

polyethylene roughage replacement (plastic)

hydrolyzed poultry feathers

hydrolyzed hair

hydrolyzed leather meal

poultry hatchery by-product

meat meal tankage

peanut hulls

ground almond shells

(*Association of American Feed Control Officials, 1998 Official Publication)

Simultaneously, this same regulatory agency prohibits the use of many proven beneficial natural ingredients that one can find readily available for human consumption such as bee pollen, glucosamine, L-carnitine, spirulina and many other nutraceuticals. It would be easy to conclude that reason does not rule when it comes to what officially can or cannot be used in pet foods.

From the regulators standpoint, they operate from the simplistic nutritional idea that the value of food has to do with percentages and that there is no special merit to any particular ingredient. They deny the tens of thousands of scientific research articles proving that the kind of ingredient and its quality can make all the difference in terms of health. They also are silent about the damaging effect of food processing and the impact of time, light, heat, oxygen and packaging on nutritional and health value.

The 100% Complete Myth

Consumers are increasingly becoming alert to the value of more natural foods. Everyone intuitively knows that the closer the diet is to real, fresh, wholesome foods, the better the chance that good health will result. Unfortunately, people do not apply this same common sense to pet foods. Instead they purchase "100% complete" processed foods, perhaps even going the extra mile and selecting "super premium" or "natural" brands, thinking they are doing the best that can be done. They surrender their mind to a commercial ploy (100% completeness) and do to their pets what they would never do to themselves or their family eat the same packaged product at every meal, day in and day out. No processed food can be "100% complete" because there is not a person on the planet who has 100% knowledge of nutrition. The claim on its face is absurd. Understanding this simple principle is more important than any pet food formulation regardless of the merits of its ingredients. Everything that follows will begin with that premise, i.e., no food should be fed exclusively on a continuous basis no matter what the claims of completeness or ingredient quality.

Genetics Is The Key

Pets need the food they are biologically adapted to. It's a matter of context. Just as a fish needs to be in water to stay healthy, a pet needs its natural food milieu to be healthy. All creatures must stay true to their design. What could be more obvious or simple For a carnivore the correct genetic match is prey, carrion and incidental fresh plant material, and even some fur and feathers, as well as the occasional surprise of unmentionables found in decaying matter. It's not a pretty picture to think that "FiFi" with her pink bow and polished toenails would stoop to such fare, but that is precisely the food she is designed to eat. Since that is her design, matching food to that design (minus the more disgusting and unnecessary elements) is also the key to her health.

The Disease Price

We may prefer to feed a packaged, sterile, steam cleaned, dried, farinaceous chunk cleverly shaped like a pork chop, but let's not kid ourselves, that is not the food a pet is designed for regardless of the claims about ingredients on the label making one think it is five star restaurant fare. Pets may tolerate such food for a time, but in the end nature calls to account. The price to be paid is lost health in the form of susceptibility to infections, dental disease, premature aging, obesity, heart and organ disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and other cruel and painful chronic degenerative diseases. Because our pets are not out in the rigors of nature where they would quickly succumb to such conditions and end their misery, they languish in our protected homes and under veterinary care that does not usually cure but merely treats symptoms and extends the time of suffering. That suffering begins with the way in which we are feeding our pets, not the ingredients in a supposed 100% complete pet food.

The Perfect Food

What is the solution It is simple and something I have been preaching for the past 25 years. Return pets to their environmental roots. They need daily interesting activity, fresh air, clean water, romps in nature, lots of love, and food as close to the form they would find in the wild as possible. Fresh, whole natural foods fit for a carnivore and fed in variety are as good as it can get. Anything less than that is a compromise. Compromise the least if health is the goal. (Same principle applies to you and your family.) To get a packaged food as close as possible to that goal requires the right starting philosophy of feeding (described above) and the expertise to design and manufacture such foods.

Enter The Profiteers

Elements of these principles (often distorted or misunderstood) have been taken up by an endless line of pet food entrepreneurs. The low fat craze led to low fat pet foods. The high fiber craze led to high fiber pet foods. The "no corn, wheat or soy" craze led to no corn, wheat or soy pet foods. The "omega 3" craze led to pet foods with fish oil. The “variety” craze led to pet foods supposedly offering variety. The "four food groups" craze led to all four bundled into a package. The "raw" craze has led to raw frozen pet foods. The list is endless and the race for pet owner dollars is at a fever pitch.

One can only feel sympathy for a concerned pet owner as they stroll along the huge array of pet food options in pet food aisles. Unfortunately, armed with only sound bites and lore they may have heard from a friend, breeder, veterinarian or on a commercial, they make choices that not only do not serve the health of their pet but may directly contribute to weakened immunity and disease.

The first thing consumers should keep in mind is the ideal diet for pets as described above. No packaged product regardless of its wild claims is ever going to equal that. The next best thing is to home prepare fresh meals. (Contact Wysong for recipes and instruction.) If that is not always possible, then products should be selected that are as close to the ideal as possible. (More suggestions below.)

Raw Frozen Pet Food Dangers

At first glance, considering the perfect feeding model I have described raw, natural, whole the best food may seem to be one of the raw frozen pet foods now clamoring to capture the "raw" craze. I'm sorry to say that some of these purveyors even use my books and literature to convince pet owners that their frozen products are on track. They take bits and pieces of good information and distort it into something that pretty much misses the point and misleads consumers. Also, these exotic frozen mixtures of ingredients of unknown origin, manufacturing and freezing conditions are most certainly not economical nor the best choice. They may, because of the water content and raw state, be outright dangerous.

Human Grade

Then there are claims about "USDA approved" ingredients, "human grade" ingredients and ingredients purchased right out of the meat counter at the grocery store. Again, at first glance and superficiality is what marketers like to deal with it may seem that such foods would have merit over others. But such labels only create a perception of quality. People would not consider the food pets are designed for in the wild whole, raw prey and carrion "human grade" or "USDA approved." Because something is not "human grade" does not mean it is not healthy or nutritious. For example, chicken viscera is not "human grade" but carries more nutritional value than a clean white chicken breast. Americans think that chicken feet would not be fit for human consumption but many far eastern countries relish them. On the other hand, "human grade" beef steaks fed to pets could cause serious nutritional imbalances and disease if fed exclusively. Pet foods that create the superficial perception of quality (USDA, human grade, etc.) with the intent of getting pet owners to feed a particular food exclusively is not what health is about.

Pet Nutrition Is Serious Health Science

Pet nutrition is not about marketing and who can make the most money quickly. Unfortunately an aspiring pet food mogul off the street can go to any number of private label manufacturers and have a new brand made. These manufacturers have many stock formulas that can be slightly modified to match the current market trend. Voilà! A new pet food wonder brand is created.

Pet foods are about pet nutrition, and nutrition is a serious health matter. There is an implied ethic in going to market with products that can so seriously impact health. But the ethic is by and large absent in the pet food industry. Starting with the 100% claim and on to all the fad driven brands that glut the shelves, health is not being served. Nobody other than our organization is teaching people the principles I am discussing here. Instead, companies headed by people with no real technical, nutritional, food processing or health skills put themselves out to the public as serious about health because that is what the public wants to hear and what sells. Never mind whether producers really understand or can implement healthy principles. The façade sells and selling is the game. Ingredients are important, true, but not less important than the expertise and principles of the producer who is choosing them, preparing, storing, processing and packaging them. Consumers place a lot of trust that nondescript processed nuggets are what consumers are being led to believe they are. Many a slip can occur between the cup and the lip. There are many slips that can occur between the cup of commercial claims and what ends up in the lips of the pet food bowl.

Consumer Blame

The consumer is not without guilt in this unfortunate steady diet of processed pet food approach to pet feeding. They want everything easy and inexpensive. They don't want to learn or have to expend too much effort, and they want something simple to base decisions on like: "corn, wheat and soy are evil," or "USDA approved," or "human grade" or "organic is good." They also want something for nothing and think they can get it in a pet food. People want prime choice meats, organic and fresh foods all wrapped up tidy in an easy open, easy pour package, hopefully for 50 cents a pound. They may even pay $1 or a little more if the producer can convince them about how spectacular their product is or how much cancer their pet will get if they choose another brand.

Are By-Products Evil

In the processing of human foods there are thousands of tons of by-products that cannot be readily sold to humans. Does that make them useless or even inferior No. Such by products could include trimmings, viscera, organs, bones, gristle and anything else that humans do not desire. Should these perfectly nutritious items be buried in a landfill? As I mentioned above, while Earth's resources continue to decline and people starve around the globe, should we feed our pets only "human grade" foods and let perfectly edible and sometimes even more nutritious by products go to waste How is that conscionable or justifiable for either the consumer or the producer

Road Kill and Euthanized Pets

This shift to "human grade" for pet foods is partly due to a variety of myths that have gotten much stronger legs than they deserve. Lore has spread in the marketplace that road kill and euthanized pets are used in pet foods. I have never seen the proof for this outrageous claim and after twenty years surveying ingredient suppliers I have never found a supplier of such. However, fantastic myths easily get life and the more fantastic they are the more life they have. It's the intellectually lazy way and what lies at the root of so much misery. Sloppy superficial thinking is what leads to racism, sexism, religious persecution and wars. People would like to think the world is sharply divided into right-wrong, good-evil, black-white. Marketers capitalize on this by trying to create such sharp distinctions for consumers to easily grab on to: human grade good all others evil organic right or all others wrong rice white or corn and wheat black. Such simplistic and naïve distinctions are quick and simple for advertisers and salespeople to use to sway public opinion. But nobody stepping back and using common sense would ever think that something as complex as health could ever come from what is or is not in a processed bag of food. Reality is not black or white; it is in shades of gray. Grayness requires some knowledge, judgment and discernment before making choices. It's a little more work but is what we all must do if the world is ever to be a better place and people and pet health are to improve.

What To Do

How do concerned pet owners wanting to cut through all the marketing clutter negotiate a path It is very simple if the basic principles I have discussed above are kept in mind. Here are tips on how to implement an intelligent health and feeding philosophy

1. Learn how to feed fresh food. Alternate these with honest processed foods fed in variety, and complement these foods with well- designed supplements.

How To Apologize To Your Pet
http://www.wysong.net/PDFs/apology_pamphlet.pdf

Don't get all particular and paranoid about balancing nutrients and ingredient do's and don'ts. Rotate, vary, mix it up and fast once in a while. Trust in nature, not some marketing hype. (Use the same principles for yourself and your family if you want optimal health as well.)

2. If you must have human grade or organic foods for your pet, go buy the real thing at the grocery meat counter. Take it home, cut it up and feed it raw. Freeze the remainder into small meal portions and use them for subsequent meals. Don't turn your brain off and go buy "organic" or "human grade" pet foods that for their cost could only contain hints of the real thing. Pet food manufacturers may be clever at marketing, but they are not magicians. One thing is certain; they do not buy ingredients and then sell them to you for less than what they buy them for.

3. Use appropriately designed supplements such as Call Of The Wild and Wild Things to balance raw meals and help make them safe if you are not skilled at such meal preparation.

4. The best raw, processed food alternative to fresh foods from the grocer is non thermally processed dry foods - not raw frozen ones. (See Wysong Archetype.) Use this food for alternate meals and as top dressing to heat processed foods.

5. Check the credentials of the person making the decisions in the company whose products you buy. Don't go to a plumber for brain surgery and don't expect serious healthy products from business people.

6. Steer away from brands that are pushing any particular hot buttons such as natural, no by products, exotic ingredients (quail eggs, watermelon, persimmons, etc.), organic, omega 3, rice and the like. Although these features may bring some merit to a food (if they are put in at other than "pinch" levels), they are not an end in themselves and if the packaged food is fed exclusively can cause more harm than good.

7. Steer away from brands that fear monger. For example, there is the no corn or wheat scam "buy our brand; it has no corn or wheat." (Just saying a product has "no" something is enough to scare the non thinking public to the brand that doesn't have the boogeyman ingredient. Profiteers know this and play it to the hilt in the pet food industry.) The truth is, grains are put in dried nugget foods because they contain the starch necessary for the extrusion process. Starch is pretty much starch regardless of whether it comes from corn, wheat, rice, potatoes, millet or whatever. Grains also help decrease the cost of pet foods. They contribute some nutrition but in a properly formulated meat-based pet food the majority of the nutritional value comes from the meat. It is true that animals may develop allergy to corn or wheat but that can happen with rice or any other grain or ingredient as well. Problems are prevented by varying the diet. That is why Wysong has developed the range of formulations it has and puts them in small portion packs so the foods can be rotated. Of all the Wysong formulations, the ones with corn are chosen on almost a 5:1 ratio over all others and are the diets we receive the thousands of raves about, even in those pets supposedly allergic to corn!

[Wysong Testimonials]

http://www.wysong.net/testimonials.shtml

This is not to tout the merit of corn, of any grain in pet food for that matter. They are sort of a necessary evil in dried extruded foods and any of them can bring some benefit if rotated in the diet.

8. Do not feed any product exclusively. Variety is the spice of nutrition and the road to good health.

9. Features to look for in a packaged product would be those that bring the product close to the raw whole fresh natural standard described above: active enzymes, probiotics cultures, natural preservation and protection against food borne pathogens, proper packaging, intelligent formulation and balance, micronutrient dense, freshly produced, fresh ingredient and the expertise to do all of this, not just say so on a package or brochure. (Some brands trying to get on the raw food bandwagon make outright false claims about "cold" processing.)

10. The company should be able to intelligently explain what they are doing in terms of processing, packaging, product preservation and prevention of food-borne pathogens. It is one thing to simply put a certain ingredient into a food, quite another to protect it until it is consumed. For example, Wysong owns its own manufacturing facilities in order to go beyond industry standard techniques. Special portion pack, light and oxygen barrier bags, modified atmosphere flush and natural ingredients to prevent oxidation and food borne pathogens are part of all Wysong products. (See technical monographs on Packaging, Antioxidants and Wyscin.)

11. Most important, learn. Support a company that helps you learn the truth and teaches you how to be at least somewhat independent of commercial products. Demand that producers provide proof for their claims in the form of good logic, evidence and science. Try to discern the company's true motives, your pocketbook or your pet's health. Learn how to go beyond The Pet Food Ingredient Game.

Wysong R. L. (1993). Rationale for Animal Nutrition. Midland, MI: Inquiry Press.

Wysong, R. L. (2002, June 19). Why Modern Medicine is The Greatest Threat to Health. The Wysong e-Health letter. Wysong Institute, Midland, MI.

The Wysong e-Health letter
http://www.wysong.net/health/hl_884.shtml

Wysong, R. L. (2002). The Truth About Pet Foods. Midland, MI: Inquiry Press.

Wysong, R. L. (2004). Nutrition is a Serious Health Matter: The serious responsibility of manufacturing and selling. Midland, MI: Inquiry Press.

Wysong, R. L. (2004). The Thinking Person’s Master Key to Health (60 Minute CD Discussion) Wysong Institute, Midland, MI.

Wysong, R. L. (2005). Comparing Pet Foods Based Upon What Matters: The First Study of its Kind in the Pet Food Industry. Midland, MI: Inquiry Press.

Wysong, R. L. & Savant, V. (2005). The Case AGAINST Raw Frozen Pet Foods. Midland, MI: Inquiry Press.

For further reading, or for more information about, Dr Wysong and the Wysong Corporation please visit http://www.wysong.net or write to wysong@wysong.net. For resources on healthier foods for people including snacks, and breakfast cereals please visit [http://www.cerealwysong.com].

Pet food Ingrédient game

About 25 years ago I began formulating pet foods at a time when the entire pet food industry seemed quagmire and focused on such things as protein and fat percentages without any real regard for ingredients. Since boot leather and soap could make a pet food with the "ideal" percentages, it was clear that analytical percentages do not end the story about pet food value. I was convinced then, as I am now, that a food can be no better than the ingredients of which it is composed. Since this ingredient idea has caught on in the pet food industry, it has taken on a commercial life that distorts and perverts the meaning of the underlying philosophy of food quality and proper feeding practices. Is health reducible to which ingredients a commercial product does or does not have As contradictory as it may seem to what I have just said, no it is not. Here's why.

AAFCO Approval

The official Publication of the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) gives wide latitude for ingredients that can be used in animal foods. As I have pointed out in my book, The Truth About Pet Foods, approved ingredients can include

dehydrated garbage

undried processed animal waste products

polyethylene roughage replacement (plastic)

hydrolyzed poultry feathers

hydrolyzed hair

hydrolyzed leather meal

poultry hatchery by-product

meat meal tankage

peanut hulls

ground almond shells

(*Association of American Feed Control Officials, 1998 Official Publication)

Simultaneously, this same regulatory agency prohibits the use of many proven beneficial natural ingredients that one can find readily available for human consumption such as bee pollen, glucosamine, L-carnitine, spirulina and many other nutraceuticals. It would be easy to conclude that reason does not rule when it comes to what officially can or cannot be used in pet foods.

From the regulators standpoint, they operate from the simplistic nutritional idea that the value of food has to do with percentages and that there is no special merit to any particular ingredient. They deny the tens of thousands of scientific research articles proving that the kind of ingredient and its quality can make all the difference in terms of health. They also are silent about the damaging effect of food processing and the impact of time, light, heat, oxygen and packaging on nutritional and health value.

The 100% Complete Myth

Consumers are increasingly becoming alert to the value of more natural foods. Everyone intuitively knows that the closer the diet is to real, fresh, wholesome foods, the better the chance that good health will result. Unfortunately, people do not apply this same common sense to pet foods. Instead they purchase "100% complete" processed foods, perhaps even going the extra mile and selecting "super premium" or "natural" brands, thinking they are doing the best that can be done. They surrender their mind to a commercial ploy (100% completeness) and do to their pets what they would never do to themselves or their family eat the same packaged product at every meal, day in and day out. No processed food can be "100% complete" because there is not a person on the planet who has 100% knowledge of nutrition. The claim on its face is absurd. Understanding this simple principle is more important than any pet food formulation regardless of the merits of its ingredients. Everything that follows will begin with that premise, i.e., no food should be fed exclusively on a continuous basis no matter what the claims of completeness or ingredient quality.

Genetics Is The Key

Pets need the food they are biologically adapted to. It's a matter of context. Just as a fish needs to be in water to stay healthy, a pet needs its natural food milieu to be healthy. All creatures must stay true to their design. What could be more obvious or simple For a carnivore the correct genetic match is prey, carrion and incidental fresh plant material, and even some fur and feathers, as well as the occasional surprise of unmentionables found in decaying matter. It's not a pretty picture to think that "FiFi" with her pink bow and polished toenails would stoop to such fare, but that is precisely the food she is designed to eat. Since that is her design, matching food to that design (minus the more disgusting and unnecessary elements) is also the key to her health.

The Disease Price

We may prefer to feed a packaged, sterile, steam cleaned, dried, farinaceous chunk cleverly shaped like a pork chop, but let's not kid ourselves, that is not the food a pet is designed for regardless of the claims about ingredients on the label making one think it is five star restaurant fare. Pets may tolerate such food for a time, but in the end nature calls to account. The price to be paid is lost health in the form of susceptibility to infections, dental disease, premature aging, obesity, heart and organ disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and other cruel and painful chronic degenerative diseases. Because our pets are not out in the rigors of nature where they would quickly succumb to such conditions and end their misery, they languish in our protected homes and under veterinary care that does not usually cure but merely treats symptoms and extends the time of suffering. That suffering begins with the way in which we are feeding our pets, not the ingredients in a supposed 100% complete pet food.

The Perfect Food

What is the solution It is simple and something I have been preaching for the past 25 years. Return pets to their environmental roots. They need daily interesting activity, fresh air, clean water, romps in nature, lots of love, and food as close to the form they would find in the wild as possible. Fresh, whole natural foods fit for a carnivore and fed in variety are as good as it can get. Anything less than that is a compromise. Compromise the least if health is the goal. (Same principle applies to you and your family.) To get a packaged food as close as possible to that goal requires the right starting philosophy of feeding (described above) and the expertise to design and manufacture such foods.

Enter The Profiteers

Elements of these principles (often distorted or misunderstood) have been taken up by an endless line of pet food entrepreneurs. The low fat craze led to low fat pet foods. The high fiber craze led to high fiber pet foods. The "no corn, wheat or soy" craze led to no corn, wheat or soy pet foods. The "omega 3" craze led to pet foods with fish oil. The “variety” craze led to pet foods supposedly offering variety. The "four food groups" craze led to all four bundled into a package. The "raw" craze has led to raw frozen pet foods. The list is endless and the race for pet owner dollars is at a fever pitch.

One can only feel sympathy for a concerned pet owner as they stroll along the huge array of pet food options in pet food aisles. Unfortunately, armed with only sound bites and lore they may have heard from a friend, breeder, veterinarian or on a commercial, they make choices that not only do not serve the health of their pet but may directly contribute to weakened immunity and disease.

The first thing consumers should keep in mind is the ideal diet for pets as described above. No packaged product regardless of its wild claims is ever going to equal that. The next best thing is to home prepare fresh meals. (Contact Wysong for recipes and instruction.) If that is not always possible, then products should be selected that are as close to the ideal as possible. (More suggestions below.)

Raw Frozen Pet Food Dangers

At first glance, considering the perfect feeding model I have described raw, natural, whole the best food may seem to be one of the raw frozen pet foods now clamoring to capture the "raw" craze. I'm sorry to say that some of these purveyors even use my books and literature to convince pet owners that their frozen products are on track. They take bits and pieces of good information and distort it into something that pretty much misses the point and misleads consumers. Also, these exotic frozen mixtures of ingredients of unknown origin, manufacturing and freezing conditions are most certainly not economical nor the best choice. They may, because of the water content and raw state, be outright dangerous.

Human Grade

Then there are claims about "USDA approved" ingredients, "human grade" ingredients and ingredients purchased right out of the meat counter at the grocery store. Again, at first glance and superficiality is what marketers like to deal with it may seem that such foods would have merit over others. But such labels only create a perception of quality. People would not consider the food pets are designed for in the wild whole, raw prey and carrion "human grade" or "USDA approved." Because something is not "human grade" does not mean it is not healthy or nutritious. For example, chicken viscera is not "human grade" but carries more nutritional value than a clean white chicken breast. Americans think that chicken feet would not be fit for human consumption but many far eastern countries relish them. On the other hand, "human grade" beef steaks fed to pets could cause serious nutritional imbalances and disease if fed exclusively. Pet foods that create the superficial perception of quality (USDA, human grade, etc.) with the intent of getting pet owners to feed a particular food exclusively is not what health is about.

Pet Nutrition Is Serious Health Science

Pet nutrition is not about marketing and who can make the most money quickly. Unfortunately an aspiring pet food mogul off the street can go to any number of private label manufacturers and have a new brand made. These manufacturers have many stock formulas that can be slightly modified to match the current market trend. Voilà! A new pet food wonder brand is created.

Pet foods are about pet nutrition, and nutrition is a serious health matter. There is an implied ethic in going to market with products that can so seriously impact health. But the ethic is by and large absent in the pet food industry. Starting with the 100% claim and on to all the fad driven brands that glut the shelves, health is not being served. Nobody other than our organization is teaching people the principles I am discussing here. Instead, companies headed by people with no real technical, nutritional, food processing or health skills put themselves out to the public as serious about health because that is what the public wants to hear and what sells. Never mind whether producers really understand or can implement healthy principles. The façade sells and selling is the game. Ingredients are important, true, but not less important than the expertise and principles of the producer who is choosing them, preparing, storing, processing and packaging them. Consumers place a lot of trust that nondescript processed nuggets are what consumers are being led to believe they are. Many a slip can occur between the cup and the lip. There are many slips that can occur between the cup of commercial claims and what ends up in the lips of the pet food bowl.

Consumer Blame

The consumer is not without guilt in this unfortunate steady diet of processed pet food approach to pet feeding. They want everything easy and inexpensive. They don't want to learn or have to expend too much effort, and they want something simple to base decisions on like: "corn, wheat and soy are evil," or "USDA approved," or "human grade" or "organic is good." They also want something for nothing and think they can get it in a pet food. People want prime choice meats, organic and fresh foods all wrapped up tidy in an easy open, easy pour package, hopefully for 50 cents a pound. They may even pay $1 or a little more if the producer can convince them about how spectacular their product is or how much cancer their pet will get if they choose another brand.

Are By-Products Evil

In the processing of human foods there are thousands of tons of by-products that cannot be readily sold to humans. Does that make them useless or even inferior No. Such by products could include trimmings, viscera, organs, bones, gristle and anything else that humans do not desire. Should these perfectly nutritious items be buried in a landfill? As I mentioned above, while Earth's resources continue to decline and people starve around the globe, should we feed our pets only "human grade" foods and let perfectly edible and sometimes even more nutritious by products go to waste How is that conscionable or justifiable for either the consumer or the producer

Road Kill and Euthanized Pets

This shift to "human grade" for pet foods is partly due to a variety of myths that have gotten much stronger legs than they deserve. Lore has spread in the marketplace that road kill and euthanized pets are used in pet foods. I have never seen the proof for this outrageous claim and after twenty years surveying ingredient suppliers I have never found a supplier of such. However, fantastic myths easily get life and the more fantastic they are the more life they have. It's the intellectually lazy way and what lies at the root of so much misery. Sloppy superficial thinking is what leads to racism, sexism, religious persecution and wars. People would like to think the world is sharply divided into right-wrong, good-evil, black-white. Marketers capitalize on this by trying to create such sharp distinctions for consumers to easily grab on to: human grade good all others evil organic right or all others wrong rice white or corn and wheat black. Such simplistic and naïve distinctions are quick and simple for advertisers and salespeople to use to sway public opinion. But nobody stepping back and using common sense would ever think that something as complex as health could ever come from what is or is not in a processed bag of food. Reality is not black or white; it is in shades of gray. Grayness requires some knowledge, judgment and discernment before making choices. It's a little more work but is what we all must do if the world is ever to be a better place and people and pet health are to improve.

What To Do

How do concerned pet owners wanting to cut through all the marketing clutter negotiate a path It is very simple if the basic principles I have discussed above are kept in mind. Here are tips on how to implement an intelligent health and feeding philosophy

1. Learn how to feed fresh food. Alternate these with honest processed foods fed in variety, and complement these foods with well- designed supplements.

How To Apologize To Your Pet
http://www.wysong.net/PDFs/apology_pamphlet.pdf

Don't get all particular and paranoid about balancing nutrients and ingredient do's and don'ts. Rotate, vary, mix it up and fast once in a while. Trust in nature, not some marketing hype. (Use the same principles for yourself and your family if you want optimal health as well.)

2. If you must have human grade or organic foods for your pet, go buy the real thing at the grocery meat counter. Take it home, cut it up and feed it raw. Freeze the remainder into small meal portions and use them for subsequent meals. Don't turn your brain off and go buy "organic" or "human grade" pet foods that for their cost could only contain hints of the real thing. Pet food manufacturers may be clever at marketing, but they are not magicians. One thing is certain; they do not buy ingredients and then sell them to you for less than what they buy them for.

3. Use appropriately designed supplements such as Call Of The Wild and Wild Things to balance raw meals and help make them safe if you are not skilled at such meal preparation.

4. The best raw, processed food alternative to fresh foods from the grocer is non thermally processed dry foods - not raw frozen ones. (See Wysong Archetype.) Use this food for alternate meals and as top dressing to heat processed foods.

5. Check the credentials of the person making the decisions in the company whose products you buy. Don't go to a plumber for brain surgery and don't expect serious healthy products from business people.

6. Steer away from brands that are pushing any particular hot buttons such as natural, no by products, exotic ingredients (quail eggs, watermelon, persimmons, etc.), organic, omega 3, rice and the like. Although these features may bring some merit to a food (if they are put in at other than "pinch" levels), they are not an end in themselves and if the packaged food is fed exclusively can cause more harm than good.

7. Steer away from brands that fear monger. For example, there is the no corn or wheat scam "buy our brand; it has no corn or wheat." (Just saying a product has "no" something is enough to scare the non thinking public to the brand that doesn't have the boogeyman ingredient. Profiteers know this and play it to the hilt in the pet food industry.) The truth is, grains are put in dried nugget foods because they contain the starch necessary for the extrusion process. Starch is pretty much starch regardless of whether it comes from corn, wheat, rice, potatoes, millet or whatever. Grains also help decrease the cost of pet foods. They contribute some nutrition but in a properly formulated meat-based pet food the majority of the nutritional value comes from the meat. It is true that animals may develop allergy to corn or wheat but that can happen with rice or any other grain or ingredient as well. Problems are prevented by varying the diet. That is why Wysong has developed the range of formulations it has and puts them in small portion packs so the foods can be rotated. Of all the Wysong formulations, the ones with corn are chosen on almost a 5:1 ratio over all others and are the diets we receive the thousands of raves about, even in those pets supposedly allergic to corn!

[Wysong Testimonials]

http://www.wysong.net/testimonials.shtml

This is not to tout the merit of corn, of any grain in pet food for that matter. They are sort of a necessary evil in dried extruded foods and any of them can bring some benefit if rotated in the diet.

8. Do not feed any product exclusively. Variety is the spice of nutrition and the road to good health.

9. Features to look for in a packaged product would be those that bring the product close to the raw whole fresh natural standard described above: active enzymes, probiotics cultures, natural preservation and protection against food borne pathogens, proper packaging, intelligent formulation and balance, micronutrient dense, freshly produced, fresh ingredient and the expertise to do all of this, not just say so on a package or brochure. (Some brands trying to get on the raw food bandwagon make outright false claims about "cold" processing.)

10. The company should be able to intelligently explain what they are doing in terms of processing, packaging, product preservation and prevention of food-borne pathogens. It is one thing to simply put a certain ingredient into a food, quite another to protect it until it is consumed. For example, Wysong owns its own manufacturing facilities in order to go beyond industry standard techniques. Special portion pack, light and oxygen barrier bags, modified atmosphere flush and natural ingredients to prevent oxidation and food borne pathogens are part of all Wysong products. (See technical monographs on Packaging, Antioxidants and Wyscin.)

11. Most important, learn. Support a company that helps you learn the truth and teaches you how to be at least somewhat independent of commercial products. Demand that producers provide proof for their claims in the form of good logic, evidence and science. Try to discern the company's true motives, your pocketbook or your pet's health. Learn how to go beyond The Pet Food Ingredient Game.

Wysong R. L. (1993). Rationale for Animal Nutrition. Midland, MI: Inquiry Press.

Wysong, R. L. (2002, June 19). Why Modern Medicine is The Greatest Threat to Health. The Wysong e-Health letter. Wysong Institute, Midland, MI.

The Wysong e-Health letter
http://www.wysong.net/health/hl_884.shtml

Wysong, R. L. (2002). The Truth About Pet Foods. Midland, MI: Inquiry Press.

Wysong, R. L. (2004). Nutrition is a Serious Health Matter: The serious responsibility of manufacturing and selling. Midland, MI: Inquiry Press.

Wysong, R. L. (2004). The Thinking Person’s Master Key to Health (60 Minute CD Discussion) Wysong Institute, Midland, MI.

Wysong, R. L. (2005). Comparing Pet Foods Based Upon What Matters: The First Study of its Kind in the Pet Food Industry. Midland, MI: Inquiry Press.

Wysong, R. L. & Savant, V. (2005). The Case AGAINST Raw Frozen Pet Foods. Midland, MI: Inquiry Press.

For further reading, or for more information about, Dr Wysong and the Wysong Corporation please visit http://www.wysong.net or write to wysong@wysong.net. For resources on healthier foods for people including snacks, and breakfast cereals please visit [http://www.cerealwysong.com].