Pet Stores Petco and Petsmart

The problem is we don't know where most of the ingredients in our dog/cat food/treats are coming from. Just because it's made in the USA doesn't mean it's sourced in the USA. There are foods that have Made in the USA on them, that source some of their ingredients from Chinese rendering plants. I believe even to write "Sourced in the USA" it's only required to have a certain percentage from US suppliers.

ClemmyOddieIndy said:

The problem is we don't know where most of the ingredients in our dog/cat food/treats are coming from. Just because it's made in the USA doesn't mean it's sourced in the USA. There are foods that have Made in the USA on them, that source some of their ingredients from Chinese rendering plants. I believe even to write "Sourced in the USA" it's only required to have a certain percentage from US suppliers.

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Scary. This is the case with human food too especially when there are problems with cost control. All these cases of people getting some kind of virus from food is due to cutting corners of some sort imo.

From the news this morning, they said they were phasing them out by the end of the year. So I guess they don't want to lose any money on stock they have on hand already. So it doesn't sound like they're real concerned about possibly harming some more pets.

It's terrifying learning about all the crazy ingredients in dog and cat food. I always recommend fresh human food as treats instead of store bought junk! My cat and dog are just as happy getting a little piece of meat or a cube of cheese.

I had a diabetic cat so diet is very important with them so I put a lot of research into different canned food. The vast majority of them, even some of the expensive brands, are less than 25% meat!

It's so important for us as consumers and pet guardians to educate ourselves about what's actually in their food.

CavyHouse said:

From the news this morning, they said they were phasing them out by the end of the year. So I guess they don't want to lose any money on stock they have on hand already. So it doesn't sound like they're real concerned about possibly harming some more pets.

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Nice....... I didn't catch that they aren't pulling it off the shelves part. :/

We give my dog milkbone treats. Occasionally we will give her meat or cheese but too much meat makes her stomach get upset.

I don't have dogs or cats, but for dogs, how about giving the traditional chicken drumstick bone? I mean what did folks do for treats before all this commercial stuff hit the market?

Chicken bones aren't good for dogs (or cats for that matter). They splinter very easily and could tear a dog's intestines and cause major internal damage.

Artista said:

I don't have dogs or cats, but for dogs, how about giving the traditional chicken drumstick bone? I mean what did folks do for treats before all this commercial stuff hit the market?

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Yep as MoinkMama mentioned it is dangerous to give chicken bones. Actually most bones are dangerous, and even the currently popular antlers splinter. A lot of people like raw hide, but again it can be dangerous. It can cause digestive problems, and even get stuck in the throat. When people ask me what to offer as a treat I recommend bully sticks. Its a different type of skin than other products are made from. It's softer and more chewy.

The biggest problem with the jerky treats is people misfeeding them. People are feeding them as a food as opposed to a treat. This is causing blockages in the digestive tract. For actual treats I tend to recommend the freeze dried, one ingredient treats that are sourced in the USA. In that instance since it's only one ingredient if it says "source in the USA' it's from a US producer.

Erm bully sticks are typically dried bull penis. Thought you might like to know. Despite their strange origin they are wonderful dog treats.

CritterSlave said:

Erm bully sticks are typically dried bull penis. Thought you might like to know. Despite their strange origin they are wonderful dog treats.

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Yes, that's why they are softer and more chewy. The skin of the penis is different than the hide or other parts of the animal. I think it's interesting some people get grossed out by that, but they are willing to touch: ears, hooves, bones with fat, etc..

I used to give my dog grilled chicken and plain cooked pasta as his treat meal. He loved it.
I remember one time I had a glass of milk on my table, I turned round for a split second (with my dog on the other side of the room) looked back, and he was drinking my milk. Out of my glass. He loved anything dairy!

Artista said:

I don't have dogs or cats, but for dogs, how about giving the traditional chicken drumstick bone? I mean what did folks do for treats before all this commercial stuff hit the market?

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All cooked bones are bad. A raw soup bone for them to slowly get the marrow from is fine.

Princess_Piggie said:

I used to give my dog grilled chicken and plain cooked pasta as his treat meal. He loved it.
I remember one time I had a glass of milk on my table, I turned round for a split second (with my dog on the other side of the room) looked back, and he was drinking my milk. Out of my glass. He loved anything dairy!

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My dog loves greek yogurt and cottage cheese.

@lunarminx that sounds familiar. If I was eating anything with cheese on Chip would give me the most pitiful stares and build up a pool of drool on the floor!

Perrsonally, I am in favor of completely non-processed food for dogs and cats. I would like to try a raw diet with my dog at some point. However, I do understand (and know from experience) that it can be hard and time-consuming to get started.

So, I did do a lot of research, and I think there are a few good brands, where you do know where the ingredients come from, where they don't use any potentially cancer-causing preservatives. Just like for guinea pigs, I wouldn't feed any nasty pet store brand and would only feed Oxbow and Kleenmama, for dogs, I wouldn't feed anything but the best half-a-dozen or so brands like

Orijen (the one I feed my dog)
Innova Evo
Wellness Core
Blue Buffalo Wildernesss

Basically just the 6-start category here, MAYBE 5-star if it's an emergency: https://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showcat.php/cat/8

Most dog foods sold in pet stores are garbage and can lead to serious health problems.

in the U K we have pet smart's sister company all over the U K
the shop in question is called pets at home and i hate going in there
i have no choice though as pets at home is the only pet shop in the town where i live.
i avoid the live stock even though i cant see them i still wont go to where their housed because it makes me sad knowing all the animals have been kept in god knows what kind of conditions ...