Waste not, want not: A use for Downer Cattle and rendered by-products

The Middle Ages  Butchers’ fat trimmings are used in soaps and candles, the first significant use of rendered animal products.

19^th Century  The industrial revolution transforms agricultureand the storage of meat. Cattle production increasesand with it comes a burgeoning disposal problem.  Rendering–converting animal byproducts into animal feed and other commodities–becomes the solution.

Early 20^th Century  Fat and water are drained in rendering process and the remaining protein product, called tankage, is used as fertilizer. 

1912 A Chicago company adds blood meal to tankage and uses it as a food ingredient for hogs.  The hogs win first prize at the International Livestock Show in Chicago in 1914.  

WWI and II English farmers feed their cattle cheap, high-protein sources derived largely from slaughterhouse waste, while demand is high in the US for rendered glycerine, used in the manufacture of nitroglycerine explosives.

After the war, with increasingly intensive farming, protein supplements offer accelerated growth of young calves that is too good to resist, and later become a common practice for feeding livestock and poultry.

1947 Chickens’ growth is accelerated by feed mixed with meat and bone meal derived from fish, cattle and other chickens.

1950s  Offal from the concentrated poultry industry in the Southeast is collected and processed, introducing new products including poultry byproduct meal and feather meal. 

The use of fat from animals in soaps disappears with the advent of petroleum-based synthetic soaps.

1960s and 1970s Rendering industry launches research and development for new end uses for their products.  Fats begin to be used extensively as cattle feed, and rendered products find a market in the pet food industry.

Competitive market pressures drive the livestock industry to maximize “efficiency”–cutting costs while increasing growth rates and yields. Innovations in genetics and artificial insemination create super-producing breeds of cows, pigs and chickens. Synthetic hormones and antibiotics also help maximize growth and production levels, while drugs help fend off diseases that might hinder production in growth-stressed animal populations.

To increase production levels of meat and milk, cattle are moved from grazing outside to feeding indoors, where they are force-fed optimum levels of carefully formulated rations–the introduction of the “feedlot.“

1970s At this point, cattle are consuming rendered fats, but their proteins are from grains and soybeans–viewed as costly and wasteful.  A search for alternative substances leads to such ingredients in animal feed as: sewage sludge, treated manure, agricultural wastes, retail food wastes, slaughterhouse and tannery wastes, industrial wastes such as sawdust, wood chips, twigs and even ground-up newspapers and cardboard boxes, cement dust from kilns, sludge from municipal composting plants, water from electric generating plants that used fluidized combustion of coal, and waste water from nuclear power stations, the “Four Ds”–dead, dying, disabled, and diseased animals, moisture-damaged or maggot-infested grains, foods contaminated by rodents, roaches, or bird excreta.

The rendering industry admits at one point that rendered feeds carry detectable levels of salmonella and other disease organisms, but insists the amounts fed are too small to cause a problem.

1986  Cattle in Britain begin to suffer from a condition similar to scrapie in sheep, referred to as “mad cow disease,“ due to the behavior of the sick cows. (Scientific name: Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE). Cause is unknown, though some suspect the feeding of rendered scrapie-infected sheep to cattle.

Early 1990s In Britain, house cats begin dying from beef byproducts in their pet food, while zoo animals are dying from their own feed as well. 

1993 Britain has more than 120,000 cattle infected with BSE.

Mid-1990s Britain bans the feeding of meat and bone meal to animals and its use as farm fertilizer.

1997 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) bans protein made from cows, sheep, deer, and other so-called ruminants in feed for other ruminants. 

It is still legal to feed the rendered protein to non-ruminants, such as pigs and chickens; those animals in turn can be rendered and fed to cows or sheep. Cattle are still being fed composted wastes from chicken coops, including feathers, spilled feed, even feces. Calves are fed beef blood and beef fat.

May 2003  A bull in Canada tests positive for BSE, the first confirmed case in North America.

December 23, 2003 A cow in Washington State tests positive for BSE. 

January 26, 2004  FDA bans feeding cow blood, chicken waste, and restaurant scraps to cattle. Over 180,000 cattle in Britain have been infected.

From the non-profit Center for Food Safety.  Timeline compiled from information in Mad Cow USA, Rampton and Stauber, 1997, except information after 1997, which was compiled from various news sources. 

Downer Cattle – Why I never feed BEEF or BEEF By-Products

The US Department of Agriculture recalled 143 million pounds of beef today, the largest meat recall in history.  It represents the entire production of Westland Meat for the last two years.  The reason?  Too many incidents where Westland and their partner, Hallmark Meat Packing, permitted downer cattle to enter the human food supply. 

See the entire story in the Washingon Post.

Well, never mind that this cements my decision five years ago to become a vegetarian.  Cruelty alone got my attention.  The health benefits did not surface until later.  Folks, the video depicting terrible cruelty that surfaced three weeks ago is generally perceived as being more the rule than the exception.

The question for those us interested in top nutrition for our dogs and cats is this:  Just exactly who was going to eat that downer cattle if it was condemned from the human food supply???

 That’s right.  Holistic pet nutritionists have long warned of that commercially-produced pet foods contain The Four D’s — Dead, Dying, Diseased, Disabled.   There is a very watchable movie that explains what is really in commercial pet food on the HealthyPetNet website:  HealthyPetNet  Don’t worry, it’s not a shocking undercover expose.  It’s just an education about what has traditionally gone into pet foods.

THIS news story confirms that the Four D’s DO exist, that they CANNOT go into the human food supply, and that they DO go somewhere. 

Long ago, I learned not to feed BEEF pet food to my kitties.  Unless you’re feeding expensive raw, organic beef, it’s just too costly to feed human-quality beef to our pets.  Chicken, turkey, yes, it’s possible.  But not beef.  So think about it, what quality of beef goes into the pet’s food supply?  To feed and shelter a cow or a steer for two years costs a lot.  If it’s affordable enough to go into pet food, it’s not in human-food-supply condition.

I have a book on my shelf right now:  Mad Cowboy by Howard F. Lyman.  “Plain truth from the cattle rancher who won’t eat meat”.  He makes a strong case for humans not eating meat… ranging from the overuse of antibiotics to exposure to pesticides and fertilizers.  He doesn’t say much about pets but after reading his book, I knew my cats would never eat beef again.

The Washington Post article notes that downer cattle not only may be diseased, but their flesh is more prone to e-coli and other types of food-borne illness.

I won’t beat this issue to death.  Rather than dredging up all kinds of links and articles, I’ll just ask you to think about it.  The USDA saw a big enough problem to virtually bankrupt a company, to pull all remaining frozen beef from the last two years out of the human food supply. 

Do you really want that type of meat in your pet’s food supply?

Teresa Holladay
The Holistic Pet Food Blog
http://holisticpetfood.wordpress.com

Why Your Dog and Cat Want a Holistic Pet Food

Can you really see any difference in your pet’s health when you feed a holistic dog or cat food vs. a traditional commercial pet food such as an Iams or a Science Diet?

OH MY YES.

The following comments come from those made on this blog and an internal forum for a particular holistic brand in which I participate.  If your pet has digestive problems such as sensitive stomach, diarrhea, constipation, runny stool, you’ll want to see this.  Skin problems, allergies, arthritis, general sluggish health… you must see this.

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Wanted to share this with you all. I have a neighbor with an 7 month old mini Schnauzer. The poor babe has been itching, scratching, chewing himself, vomiting daily, has patches of lost coat and has had a strong odor since he was 10 wks old. His Mom refused to switch from Iams Puppy because they have a friend who is a VP in Sales for Iams.

She has taken the pup to two Vets, who said he had “allergies” and put him on antibiotics. That did not improve the situation in any way shape or form. I have seen this pup every day for months. I gave her a bottle of Soothing Mist, and that helped until it ran out. She just wanted to rely on the Vet and the Iams Sales VP.

I was able to finally convince Mom to try [holistic pet food] - after her husband protested loudly about all the Vet bills. It’s been less than two weeks and the pup has stopped scratching, stopped vomiting, his body odor has decreased significantly – and YES, his Mom says his poop does not smell as bad! Imagine that!

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The subject of Crohn’s disease has hit close to home in my canine family.  One of my dogs has IBD which according to my holistic vet can lead to full blown Crohn’s/and-or is a close relative of Crohn’s. 

I was lucky enough to correspond with [a holistic pet food formulator] who made several suggestions, one of which was to replace the pet’s usual diet with [holistic pet food] because of the probiotics as well as the proper fiber i.e. beet pulp.  His stool is no longer diarrhea, the gas is significantly reduced and he isn’t drooling like a faucet.  (This pet has had to take antibiotics a lot in his life …he is currently on Clavamox 375mgx2 twice a day…laceration under the eye due to being bitten by another dog)  He also has had “bloat” in the past due to his sensitive digestive system…

I  give him extra live probiotic cultures found in the refrigerator section of the health food store, with his diet.  I pump up the amount of acidophilus whenever antibiotics are used for my canine and human family members.

My pet does not have Crohn’s but just wanted to share [how well this worked].

* * *

First, I must tell you that, even though [my dog] was diagnosed by three different veterinaries, at two different hospitals, as having IBS/IBD, I believe that she had something that mimicked it. My reason for feeling this way is that IBS/IBD is lifelong, and the last two tests at the vet indicate she does not have it any longer. [Holistic pet food is not a cure but it does
make you wonder if IBS/IBD are dramatically influenced by good food!]

I tried all of the wonderful chicken and rice and physician’s dog food that you all suggested, and it all helped, yet she did not get better.she did not get worse, she just did not thrive..possibly it’s my cooking. Linsay was always hungry, and one day started eating our tubby Newfoundland’s diet food, and the rest appears to be history. Apparently the balance of [large breed holistic pet food] was what her system needed at the time…along with medication, of course.

She no longer takes Prednisone, and are in the fourth day of not taking Metronidizole, and she is thriving, blitzing and appears to be her old self. There are no stomach rumblings or diarrhea so far, and she has gotten into things.hard dog bones and rawhide chews, with no ill effects so far. Of course, we watch her like a hawk, so whatever she gets is minimal..In hindsight, I believe she had not felt well in awhile, her illness came on slowly, and the family made so many life changes that we did not catch the slight nuances to her behavior earlier.

She is now on [another holistic pet food] which, strangely enough, has a similar composition to huge dog diet food.only the pellets are much smaller and easier to eat.

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I work with another breeder of bengals- basically if it wasn’t for her I would not be in the fancy- she is wonderful. Amazing, ethical and really smart.The only thing we
do not agree on is feed.Two things have happened over the past few weeks. I took home one of her boys- a Supreme Grand Champion male that she had neutered and I am now showing as an alter. She told me he may have loose stools- that he usually does -not diarrhea but not great.She sent feeding instructions- science diet kitten and canned food. Well, I did neither. I offered [holistic pet food] – he ate it- and he has had nothing but normal poops since he got here. No stress at the show either- all fine.Second. She was unable to come to the show this past weekend. So I showed her little 5 month old kitten for her- an exotic short hair. Last show he had terrible diarrhea – he as been on medication…he is healthy except for his stools being loose. Same instructions- same instructions ignored- and he is doing great on [holistic pet food].Nice tiny normal poops. I spoke with her last night- she said- wow ok send me a bag of [holistic pet food]!!!* * *Her health has completely turned around since being on the food……we have especially noticed that her coat has become extremely soft and full . She’s 11 yrs old and her energy level now is so good for her age. We almost lost her a few years ago and had to have her spleen removed. That’s how we found out about [holistic pet food]……I started researching dog foods and after looking at many brands, decided to start her on [this particular brand]. The vet wanted to put her on thyroid meds……we decided against it and she has been doing great ever since.

* * *

I used [steroids and antibiotics] for a period of time  for my cat that has eczema but it did not help. That’s when I found [holistic pet food] and put her on the can and dry food and skin and coat supplement and the eczema is 95% gone.

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Hi everyone.  Last week I took in two cats.  They are adults approx 4 years old.  They of course were eating junk food.  Slowly I have transitioned them over to [holistic canned cat food].  They are now yelling to eat that.  Their coats have gotten absolutely beautiful in just a couple of days. They are white long haired  I think they have some Maine Coon Cat in them.  They are so soft.  Amazing what a healthy diet will do.  Too bad I don’t get that lesson for my own diet!

* * *

I posted a while back that my shep mix of 9 years old was having some pain associated with his rear legs, hips and probably his back too.  I am not sure because I was too afraid to take him to the vet and use Rimidyl or any other harsh Rx from the vet. It was back in August that I was getting very concerned for Lucky.  August was when I received the [holistic pet food and arthritis supplement].  I gave it Lucky instead of trying to sell it. 

I was amazed what just the change in food did for Lucky.  In the beginning when Lucky was first introduced to [this food] I noticed a decrease in his pain within probably one month.  It was about one month after he was eating the food that I started Lucky on the [glucosamine supplement].  I continued to be amazed what the [supplement] did for Lucky in just a short while.  Before the food and the Supplements Lucky was to a point where he couldn’t get on or off of the bed and he cried if he was lucky enough to make it on the sofa.  The [supplement] allowed him to do all of the above and he hasn’t cried or whined since. I didn’t think Lucky could get any better but I thought to put him also on the Skin and Coat formula and Walla!  Lucky is now bounding the steps two at a time.  The way Lucky lays down now while hanging out is he lays flat on his stomach with his front legs in front of him and his back legs stretched out behind him equally with his knees bent in a position that I have not seen him do since he was a puppy.  The best is is that he totally comfortable and he is happy.

I will also add that since Lucky has been eating the food and taking the supplements his coat is wavy.  I have never seen Lucky’s coat look or feel like it does now.  He is beautiful!  All of my dogs are beautiful, I have 9 other dogs…All rescues that never got adopted.  Each one of them has changed for the better.  I have an individual testimony on each dog. * * *

If it wasn’t for the white fur on my 12 year old lab no one would believe she is that age. Her eyes are bright, her coat is so soft, she has good muscle tone, her heart, lungs, and liver are good, and she runs and jumps like a much younger dog.* * *

That’s enough for now but you get the idea!  Holistic pet food rocks!I am not a veterinarian. I am simply an animal rescuer who feeds holistic pet foods and has learned much over the years.  This article is for information only. I hope it encourages you to work with your veterinarian as you seek to improve your pet’s health through better nutrition. © Teresa Holladay 2008
The Holistic Pet Food Blog

http://holisticpetfood.wordpress.com

This article may be reproduced on your pet-related blogs with the above credits included.

How much meat is in dry pet foods?

This ought to feed some interesting dinner table conversations…

1.  Ingredients are listed on the label in order of WEIGHT.

2.  If the weight is the same for various ingredients, the manufacturer gets to choose the order in which they are listed.  (i.e., meat, rice, wheat, barley).

3. “Real meat” contains mostly water.  For example, three pounds of “chicken meal” equals one pound of “real chicken” or “organic chicken”.   So it’s not necessarily better to have a dry food that states “real” anything.  It could simply be marketing.

4.  In a formula such as this one — real chicken, brown rice, barley — it’s reasonable to assume that each is the same weight.  Take the water out of the chicken, which represents 30% of the total weight, and you really have very little real chicken in the formula, maybe 7-15%.

5.  The same formula, substituting chicken meal instead of chicken, retains a 30% value of meat protein because there is no “water weight”.

6.  Having multiple meats on the listing doesn’t necessarily increase the meat protein.  On the other hand, having only one meat doesn’t necessarily mean there is less protein.  A food that states “chicken meal, brown rice, potato” can mean they are there in the same quantities — 30-30-30 — OR that the chicken meal is a much higher percent of the formula, with brown rice and potato there only in enough quantities to form the kibble.  You simply cannot tell.

7.  Watch for “splitting”.  If a label says, “Chicken, brown rice, rice flour, rice gluten, rice protein”, it probably gets its protein from the rice, not the chicken, and there is a lot more rice than meat in the formula.  If they listed simply “rice”, it would be the first ingredient.  Same thing with corn, ground corn meal, corn gluten.

8.  Watch for signs that the protein comes from the grains, not the meats.  In holistic foods, we don’t like to see corn or wheat, but you can also get protein from the “good grains” such as brown rice and barley.  Again, it’s very hard to tell.  Your manufacturer could put 80% chicken meal and 2% brown rice, just enough to form a kibble (this is a good thing), or they could be using equal amounts of rice and chicken meal and choose to list chicken meal first.

The purpose of this article is to help you discard “old wives tales” in the pet food arena.  Many people pick up false “mantras” such as “be sure real meat is the first thing on the label” and “you always want two or more meats in your food”.

Just learn to read the label, educate yourself on the pet food formulator and the company, don’t believe everything you read, and you’ll do just fine!

I am not a veterinarian. I am simply an animal rescuer who feeds holistic pet foods and has learned much over the years.  This article is for information only. I hope it encourages you to work with your veterinarian as you seek to improve your pet’s health through better nutrition.

© Teresa Holladay 2008
The Holistic Pet Food Blog

http://holisticpetfood.wordpress.com

This article may be reproduced on your pet-related blogs with the above credits included.