NewSage Press presents the New Edition of Food Pets Die for: Shocking Facts

Ann Martin is internationally recognized as an authority on the commercial pet food controversy. Since 1990, Martin has investigated and questioned exactly what goes into most commercial pet food and continues to discover more unsavory practices of the pet food industry.

The first edition of Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food, published in 1997, was the first book to expose the hazards of commercial pet food. Ms. Martin’s investigative reporting was selected for special recognition as “one of the most censored news stories of 1997” by Sonoma State University’s Project Censored, which focuses on important news events that are largely ignored by mainstream media. Since then, she has been on numerous television and radio shows internationally, and her book has been translated into Japanese. Ms. Martin was also a columnist for Better Nutrition magazine for four years. In her second book, Protect Your Pet: More Shocking Facts, Ms. Martin continues her investigation of commercial pet food as well as other controversial, pet-related issues.

Ms. Martin graduated with a B.A. in business from the University of Western Ontario, and worked in a tax office for several years. She lives with her family in Ontario, Canada, where she continues to question, research, and write about pet-related issues. She can be reached by email at anmartin1@rogers.com or you can reach her through NewSage Press’s website.

Ann Martin presents information that is informative, eye-opening, and groundbreaking in exposing the truth behind what’s contained in many commercially produced pet foods. While the information contained in Foods Pets Die For may appear controversial and will likely be dismissed by some, it is well-researched information.

She points out the dangers that are often present in many brands of commercial pet food and encourages you to learn more about just what’s contained in that bag or can before you feed it to your pet. In short, Ann Martin presents an answer that at times is not too pleasant to the all-important question I pose, Do you really know what your pet ate last night?

As a practicing holistic veterinarian, I am constantly amazed that diet is often the most neglected part of a pet’s health care. It’s not that most pet owners don’t want to feed their pets properly, it’s just that they think they are doing so simply because they have purchased one of the “recommended premium foods” advertised or promoted by the pet store clerk or even by their own veterinarians.

I used to believe that simply recommending a “premium” food was enough. Somehow my limited knowledge of nutrition qualified me to believe that following the advice of a pet food company and then making that food available to my clients ensured they would feed a healthy diet.

When I decided to change my focus of “treating disease” to “healing pets” and began incorporating a holistic approach at my practice, I realized that the only thing “premium” about the diets I had recommended was the price!

By learning all I could about pet nutrition and the pet food industry, I have changed my recommendation. Now I know better. As Ann Martin discusses here the best diet is a homemade one, using the freshest, most wholesome ingredients. Next best is a diet from a company that truly uses wholesome protein, fat, and carbohydrate sources in the diet, without relying on toxic chemicals and preservatives. Either choice of diet can be made even better with proper nutritional supplementation.

In my pre-veterinary studies I was an animal science major. One of my favorite classes was meat science, where my classmates and I were taught how to properly process meat for the consumer. I was quite impressed that literally nothing from the slaughtered animal carcass was ever wasted. What wasn’t wholesome for human consumption was sold to the pet food industry.

At the time, I appreciated that there was no waste in the processing plant. Now that I have learned more about pet nutrition, I’m not quite so impressed. The “waste” that ends up in our pets’ food would be better used as fertilizer. The same meats that humans eat should be used in preparing a processed food for pets. The reason many companies rely on slaughterhouse waste for raw pet food ingredients is cost: it is simply cheaper to use the trash from the slaughterhouse than whole fresh meats and organs. No thought is given to what feeding waste products might do to a pet’s health.

As a practicing veterinarian, I can honestly say that most of my clients would gladly spend a few extra dollars for their pets’ food if it was made of quality ingredients and contributed to (rather than detracted from) their pets’ health. No longer can we make cost an issue. As Ann Martin clearly explains, “If it had not been for the illness of my two dogs in 1990 I would likely still be feeding commercial pet foods, thinking I was doing what is best for my beloved pets. I would also still be paying vet bills almost on a monthly basis.”

Yes, it’s true: taking a holistic approach to pet care does usually save the pet owner money on veterinary bills. Starting with a wholesome diet is the first concern that should be addressed in any holistic pet care program.

If more people knew what is contained in many processed foods and complained to the manufacturers, my guess is that we would see more wholesome diets produced. One of my personal goals is to work with any of the “big name” pet food companies to create a holistic diet they can be proud of and owners can confidently feed to their pets. Use the information in this informative book and learn to feed your pet the best food possible. Good luck on your road to better pet health!

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(The following introduction is an excerpt from Food Pets Die For. All material is copyrighted by Ann N. Martin and NewSage Press. Permission to reprint must be obtained from NewSage Press.)

Introduction to the New Edition of
Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food

by Ann N. Martin

What I Have Learned

There is information in this book that may not be easy to accept, but if you care about your animal companions, and you want to be informed about what is in most commercial pet foods, then keep reading. I have carefully documented my sources throughout the book because I know some will question if it is really possible that so many disgusting ingredients can be legally added to commercial pet food. I have taken great care to responsibly make my case about the dangers of most commercial pet foods. I have also included in this new edition suggestions on healthy pet foods, and better yet, included more recipes for homemade meals for your companion animals.

Since writing the original edition of Food Pets Die For in 1997 and exposing what can legally go into those attractive cans and bags of commercial pet food, a growing number of consumers are realizing that many of the claims made by commercial pet food companies about their products being “balanced and nutritional” are false.

While researching and writing, there were times that I was absolutely horrified with what I discovered. There were other times when I was extremely frustrated with the run-around I received from government agencies, organizations involved with the pet food industry, the rendering industry, and at times, veterinary research centers. What has kept me going is the hope that pet owners will read my findings and be convinced that their pets’ health is directly related to what they eat—and that most commercial pet foods are garbage.

In 1990 after the illness of my two large dogs, Louie, a Saint Bernard, and Charlie, a Newfoundland, I began to ask questions about the ingredients in commercial pet foods and the manufacturers. I quickly learned that this is a multi-billion dollar industry that operates with virtually no government regulations and in many ways is self-regulated. I also learned that there are many deplorable ingredients that legally can be used in pet foods as sources of protein—in particular, euthanized cats and dogs, diseased cattle and horses, roadkill, dead zoo animals, and meat not fit for human consumption.

In addition, sources of fiber in many foods are composed of the leftovers from the food chain, including beet pulp, the residue of sugar beets, peanut hulls, and even sawdust sweepings from the floor of the rendering plant! Mycotoxins, a fungus produced in moldy grains, can cause severe illness, even death in pets ingesting foods that are contaminated with these organisms. At various times mycotoxins have been detected in some commercial pet foods that resulted in large recalls after numerous pets died from eating the contaminated food.

In the early years of my research, prior to the publication of the first edition of Food Pets Die For, many government officials and people within the industry were willing to provide some insight into what was happening. However, this quickly changed when they realized that I wanted more than the standard answers to my questions. As I began looking for answers beyond the generalized responses, many times my queries went unanswered. I went back repeatedly, asking the same questions. When that elicited no response, I went to the person(s) in charge of the department. These people often directed my questions back to the original recipient. Easily, I could get the run-around for months and never get straight answers. Often, when I did get a response, it was unsatisfactory and vague.

On several occasions, employees at rendering plants or government agencies clandestinely contacted me to let me know that the company’s management had put out the word “not to speak with Ann Martin or answer her questions.”

The latest information in this new edition of Food Pets Die For reflects several years of persistent questioning and research. I have gone back, numerous times, to government agencies in order to obtain the information I requested. In some situations I have had to use the Freedom of Information Act.

What inevitably happens when I am searching for answers about commercial pet foods is that I become aware of other issues. While updating this new edition, I learned about another unsavory part of the pet food industry—animal experimentation. Pet food companies have successfully kept this fact hidden from the public, along with the fact that rendering companies for many years have been rendering euthanized companion animals. A letter from a university student alerted me to the animal experimentation labeled “research” and undertaken and funded by pet food companies and by veterinary colleges. Animals in these experiments are subject to pain and suffering, even death, in order to conduct studies such as calcium/phosphorus levels, weight fluctuations on various diets, fiber in diets, sodium requirements, and the list goes on.

In this new edition, I have also added the latest information on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease, and how this relates to pets and pet food. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, called scrapie in sheep, and in humans, Creutzfeldt-Jacobs Disease (CJD), is an issue I have pursued since 1993. In recent years, a feline form called feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE) has appeared in Europe and from which more than one hundred cats have died.

Although the United States and Canada claim there are no cases of BSE reported in either country, I question if the respective governments are doing an adequate job in detecting this disease. Are cattle displaying symptoms of BSE? Are they being adequately tested? I describe an incident in Texas where cattle who presented BSE symptoms were not tested; instead, they were sent to a rendering plant located on the same premises as a pet food company. This is a frightening scenario considering we could very well be feeding this material to our pets and not know if the cattle are actually infected with BSE.

Readers often ask me with a hopeful tone, “Have there been changes in this industry since Food Pets Die For was first published in 1997?” The answer is, Yes, but the changes have been slow and they have come about primarily because of pet owners expressing their concerns. In 1997 rendering plants denied that they were rendering pets and they denied that the product was finding its way into pet foods. The Pet Food Institute, which represents over twenty-eight commercial pet food companies in the United States and over eighty affiliate members, also adamantly refutes the use of rendered animal companions in pet food. Yet, since then, four rendering companies, three in the United States and one in Canada, publicly announced in 1999 and 2001 that they will no longer render companion animals. Despite the denials by both rendering companies and the Pet Food Institute, it was happening. And I believe it is still happening.

These changes were the result of consumers contacting the media in cities where these plants operate and asking news reporters to investigate these allegations. The outcry of consumers will be what changes practices in the pet food industry, and because of that, I have included a chapter on consumer action.

When you are dealing with a multi-billion dollar industry that wants to continue in the same mode, using the same dubious ingredients, and condoning inhumane research on animals, change will only come in small increments. This is a battle that will continue. Getting answers may take time. Getting changes, and perhaps regulations, will take even more time—but it is something that anyone who cares about their pets must question and hopefully, demand reform.

If it had not been for the illness of my two dogs in 1990 I would likely still be feeding commercial pet foods, thinking I was doing what is best for my beloved pets. I would also still be paying vet bills almost on a monthly basis. And ultimately, I would not have been aware that my pets who have died over the years were ending up at a rendering plant.

I always hold out the hope that in writing these books and in sharing the information I have acquired over many years, pet owners will give their animal companions better nutrition. I also hope that when cats and dogs die, their bodies will not end up in a rendering vat, but rather be cremated or buried in a dignified and respectful manner. This is the least we can do for our animal companions.

—Ann N. Martin
November 2002

Over the years, I have acquired a number of recipes for both dogs and cats, some of which you might enjoy preparing for your pet. Pets are like people, they enjoy variety. Keep in mind that these recipes are not based on scientific studies, but rather on information and common sense that I have accumulated during the past seven years.

Most of these recipes are made in bulk or for one or two dogs. Use as little or as much as your dog requires, depending on size. Beef, chicken, turkey, and lamb can be cut into chunks or you can purchase the ground meat. Cook the meat. Fish and eggs are also cooked or steamed. Once a week, liver, kidney or tripe, all cooked, can be served.

Any grains or pasta must be cooked for proper digestion. Vegetables and fruit can be served raw although some pets prefer them steamed. Chop finely or run them through a mincer.

Rise And Shine
3 cups cooked oatmeal
2 cups cooked ground beef
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 small apple cup in small pieces

Summer Breakfast
4 cups crisp rice cereal
2 scrambled eggs
1 cup grated parsnips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon brewer’s yeast

High Fiber Breakfast
2 cups of all-bran cereal
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup cooked chicken
Top with alfalfa sprouts

Yummy Omelet
Fry two eggs in two tablespoons of vegetable oil
Top with bean sprouts and grated cheese

Macaroni, Liver, and Veggie Dinner
2 cups of elbow macaroni, cooked
2 pieces of beef liver cooked in butter or oil
1 can of mixed vegetables, drained

Chop liver slices in pieces. Add macaroni and vegetables
Sprinkle with garlic powder (not garlic salt)
Serve.

Meat, Potatoes, and Vegetables
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1 pound ground chicken, fried
1 cup grated carrots
3 tablespoons cottage cheese

Mix potatoes, ground chicken, and grated carrots together.
Heat in individual muffin tins (Microwave 3 minutes, oven 10 minutes)
Cool and top with 1 to 3 tablespoons cottage cheese

Project Censored, sponsored by Sonoma State University, California, chose 25 news stories of social significance that have been overlooked, under-reported or self-censored by the United States’ major mainstream media. “Food Pets Die For,” an article by Ann N. Martin, based on her book, Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food, (NewSage Press 1997) was chosen by Project Censored for this journalistic honor in 1998.

Project Censored reviews articles for content, reliability of the source, and national or international significance. Every year Project Censored reviews more than 600 submissions from journalists, scholars, librarians, and concerned citizens worldwide. The goals of this organization are to inform the public, advocate for First Amendment rights, and spark debate on current events involving media monopoly.

“Food Pets Die For” is the result of a seven-year investigation by Martin into the multi-billion dollar pet food industry in the United States and in Canada. Martin uncovers the unsavory ingredients used for commercial pet food, including diseased and contaminated meat, euthanized companion animals, roadkill, moldy grain, and rancid fat, which are admissible according to government regulations.

“Ann Martin is to the pet food industry what Rachel Carson was to the petro-chemical-pesticide industry,” states Dr. Michael W. Fox, a veterinarian and animal-activist. “In the same spirit of rigorous investigation, Martin has revealed what ingredients go into pet food and into the feed of most farm animals, whose meat and other produce we consume.”

Martin’s investigation began in 1990 when her two dogs became sick after eating a popular brand of dog food. Her attempt to understand the cause of their illness led Martin through a maze of government and industry stonewalling, denial, and outright lies.

The Animal Protection Institute of America has also investigated the commercial pet food industry, and has reached conclusions similar to Martin’s. Regarding Martin’s findings, Executive Director of API, Alan Berger, states, “Martin carefully and methodically reveals in great detail the serious problem with the ingredients present in commercial pet food. Even more amazing is that this is an industry that is almost completely unregulated. Martin is to be congratulated and thanked for her tenacity in taking on an industry with $20 billion in worldwide revenues.”

Today Martin is considered one of North America’s leading experts on the subject and is regularly consulted by veterinarians and pet owners worldwide.