Pet Food Danger Gauge - 66% Safe (Dangerous and Toxic To Pets)

Fermentation usually implies that the action of the microorganisms is desirable, and the process is used to produce alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer, and cider. Fermentation is also employed in preservation to create lactic acid in sour foods such as pickled cucumbers, kimchi and yogurt.

Chicory Root - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - It is used as a sweetener in the food industry (with a sweetening power 30% higher than that of sucrose) and is sometimes added to yogurts as a prebiotic. Inulin can be converted to fructose and glucose through hydrolysis. Some beer brewers use roasted chicory to add flavor to their stouts. Inulin - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - aids in the fermentation process.

Yeast Culture - a commercial preparation of yeast cells. Use: brewing, baking, food supplement.

Potatoes - cheap filler, much like the use of beet pulp. Can be dangerous to pets depending on the condition of the potatoes. Potato Peelings and Green Potatoes (Contain Oxalates, which can affect the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems.)

Alfalfa - is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop.

Animal Fats - Used to encourage a pet to eat ingredients they normally would not eat. Ingestion may lead to gastrointestinal upset or even pancreatitis. This can be a very painful condition for dogs. In addition, most companion animals do not need extra fat in their diets.

Choline chloride is mass produced and is an important additive in feed especially for chicken where it accelerates growth. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Zinc chloride, which is very dangerous for animals. - Mike Richards, DVM

Zinc sulfate - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - It is used to supply zinc in animal feeds, fertilizers, and agricultural sprays. Zinc sulfate also has reported uses of deceiving medical drug examinations. Used as wood preservative and crop spray.

Chondroitin Sulfate - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Sugars - can have over 100 individual sugars. Used to encourage pets to eat ingredients they normally would not eat. Sugar - William D. Cusick/The Animal Advocate - all forms of sugar carbohydrates have been found to be detrimental, except for lactose found in the milk of a lactating bitch for her puppy.

Niacin - - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia -Can produce liver toxicity at high doses. Niacin is referred to as Vitamin B₃ because it was the third of the B vitamins to be discovered. It has historically been referred to as "vitamin PP." Used for color retention in foods.

2006, Merrick Pet Care recalled almost 200,000 cans of "Wingalings" dog food when metal tags were found in some samples.

Salt - If eaten in large quantities it may lead to electrolyte imbalances, severe electrolyte imbalances can lead to muscle spasm or even congestive heart failure.

Dicalcium Phosphate - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - also phosphoric acid, dipotassium salt; dipotassium hydrogen orthophosphate; potassium phosphate, dibasic - is a highly water-soluble salt which is often used as a fertilizer, food additive and buffering agent.

Sea Salt - may contain mercury, lead, and other heavy metals.

Lecithin - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - A preservative and emulsifier. A major source of lecithin is soybean oil. The use of Corn, Wheat, and Soy are causing such awful conditions in pets including:

• Abnormal nail growth
• Bad breath
• Blindness
• Bloat
• Cancer
• CRF
• Cushings Disease
• Deafness
• Dental disease
• Dry and itchy skin
• Ear aches
• Ear infections
• Early pet death
• Fever
• Hair loss
• Heart conditions
• Hot Spots on the skin
• IBD
• Kidney conditions
• Liver conditions
• Moles and warts
• Seizures
• Sore feet
• Tumors
• Weight gain

Yucca Schidigera - Used to remove the odor from animal manure. Note: Manure Odor is caused by overfeeding crude protein (plant source). **Isn't this product called Before Grain? What does "Before Gain" mean - I wonder?

Natural Flavors as defined by the FDA With respect to flavors, pet foods often contain "digests," which are materials treated with heat, enzymes and/or acids to form concentrated natural flavors. Only a small amount of a "chicken digest" is needed to produce a "Chicken Flavored Cat Food," even though no actual chicken is added to the food. Stocks or broths are also occasionally added. Whey is often used to add a milk flavor. Often labels will bear a claim of "no artificial flavors." Actually, artificial flavors are rarely used in pet foods. The major exception to that would be artificial smoke or bacon flavors, which are added to some treats. http://www.fda.gov/cvm/petlabel.htm

Animal digest. AAFCO doesn't care that manure is included in the pet food as long as the temperature at the time of cooking is brought to a certain degree.

Now there are those people out there who simply refuse to believe a pet food company would use manure in their pet's foods. Let me ask you to think on this issue for just a minute and then see what you decide. Let's take a person, for instance, When a person begins the "digestion" process food is placed in the mouth for chewing. Digestion continues as the food passes to the stomach and is broken down to pass into the intestines for further digestion. Digestion is complete once the person has had a bowel movement and fully evacuated the food from the human body. Why would obtaining animal digest be any different from human digest?

Pet Food Danger Gauge - Worth 30 Points

Merrick Before Grain Chicken Dry Cat Food Rating

• Animal Digest -
• Animal Fat - Minus 1 point = Chicken Fat, Salmon Oil
• Artificial Flavors/Colors -
• Beet Pulp/Pea Fiber/ Potato - Minus 1 point = Potato Dehydrated, Alfalfa
• BHA/BHT -
• Brewers Yeast/Brewers Rice - Minus 1 point = Yeast Culture (which type of yeast?)
• By-Products -
• Cellulose -
• Class Action -
• Corn -
• Ethoxyquin -
• Fermentation Products - Minus 1 point = Chicory Root, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus
• Flavor - Minus 1 point = Natural Flavor
• Garlic/Grapes/Avocados/Nuts -
• Gluten -
• Hydrochloric Acid -
• Meat -
• Millet -
• Miscellaneous - Minus 1 point = Choline Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (questionable ingredient), Chondroitin Sulfate, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Niacin
• Montmorillonite -
• Oats -
• Pet Food Recalls - Minus 1 point = 2006, Merrick Pet Care recalled almost 200,000 cans of "Wingalings" dog food when metal tags were found in some samples.
• Phosphoric Acid -
• Potassium Chloride -
• Propylene Glycol
• Salt - Minus 1 point = Dicalcium Phosphate, Sea Salt
• Soy - Minus 1 point = Lecithin
• Yucca Schidigera - Minus 1 point = Yucca Schidigera Extract
• Wheat -
• White Rice -

Merrick Before Grain Chicken Dry Cat Food Rating

Healthy Cat Foods Total Score = 20/30 - Pet Food Danger Gauge - 66% Safe (Dangerous and Toxic To Pets)