Hi ALL,
This was in the news today.
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Some Dog Foods May Deliver Toxic Doses of Fluoride
Study raises questions about use of bone meal, animal by-products and
other cheap ingredients.
By Dan Shapley - June 30, 2009 (The Daily Green)
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmen ... e-47063002
With the memory of the melamine pet food scare still fresh in the minds
of many pet owners, a group is publicizing a new threat: potentially
toxic doses of fluoride in dog food.
An Environmental Working Group analysis found concerning levels of
fluoride in 8 of 10 dog foods tested. The concentration of fluoride was
up to 2.5 times higher than the safe level the Environmental Protection
Agency sets for drinking water (there is no standard for pet food).
Together with drinking water from the tap that has been fluoridated,
some puppies may be exposed at five-times the safe limit, according to
Environmental Working Group -- though it must be said that the safe
limits were not designed specifically for dogs.
Fluoride is a controversial substance when it comes to human health.
Every major national health organization -- including the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and the American Dental Association --
endorse the addition of fluoride to drinking water to counteract tooth
decay. But there's a strong undercurrent of dissent: Some claim that
fluoridation does little to help tooth health (owing to the method and
timing of exposure) or worse, that it may contribute to a rare form of
bone cancer found in young boys.
dog food fluoride chart
Does it have positive or negative effects on dogs -- and what is the
appropriate level of exposure for pets? Those are questions without
clear answers.
According to the Environmental Working Group, the fluoride in dog foods
originates in bone meal and animal by-products. EWG recommends choosing
dog food brands free of bone meal and meat by product ingredients like
chicken by-product meal, poultry by-product meal, chicken meal and beef
meal. As EWG puts it: "Any ingredient described as 'animal meal' is
basically ground bones, cooked with steam, dried, and mashed to make a
cheap dog food filler."
For tips on what good ingredients to look for, and how to read a dog
food label, see these tips at dogfoodproject.com
SOURCE: http://tinyurl.com/kpjhb2
NOTE:
In 1999 the PFPC first wrote a letter concerning this issue. You can
view it here:
SEE:
http://home.att.net/~wdcusick/014a.html
It provides a brief history of this problem - apparently long known to
authorities!
A few years later, George Glasser (UK) also wrote an excellent article on this matter.
SEE:
"Dogs, Cats, Osteosarcoma, Dysplasia and Pet Food Fluoride"
http://www.manataka.org/page1854.html
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Please check your pet food...