Nutrition Q & A: Horse Meat in Pet Food
I understand that horse meat has been used as an ingredient in certain pet foods. If this is true, how can I make sure I’m not feeding pet foods to my cat and dog that contain horse meat?
―Rena
The use of horse meat in foods for human and pet consumption is frowned upon in the United States, Rena. As a result, almost all horses slaughtered in the U.S. are shipped overseas for consumption, which decreases the chance of horse meat being included in products manufactured here. However, if you’re curious about a product's ingredients, the best thing to do is thoroughly check the label. The FDA requires that all ingredients be listed on pet food labels. Foods that list "meat by-product meal,” as one of their ingredients can contain any number of meats, so you may want to watch for that and instead, choose foods that include "chicken by-product meal,” or are more specific with their list of ingredients.
―Rena
The use of horse meat in foods for human and pet consumption is frowned upon in the United States, Rena. As a result, almost all horses slaughtered in the U.S. are shipped overseas for consumption, which decreases the chance of horse meat being included in products manufactured here. However, if you’re curious about a product's ingredients, the best thing to do is thoroughly check the label. The FDA requires that all ingredients be listed on pet food labels. Foods that list "meat by-product meal,” as one of their ingredients can contain any number of meats, so you may want to watch for that and instead, choose foods that include "chicken by-product meal,” or are more specific with their list of ingredients.
Labels: Pet Care
posted by ASPCA at 9:32 AM PERMALINK
17 Comments:
Better yet: why not feed animals foods that don't contain any by-products at all? By-products are lumped together and called by-products because they're too disgusting to list individually. Beaks, eyeballs, and feet aren't very high in quality. I feed my cats human-grade meats from Wellness, Halo, Merrick, Addiction, ZiwiPeak, or Evanger's.
UHH ........how rude!!!!!!!!!
What about the ASPCA feeding their shelter animals IAMS foods???? The first time I read about the atrocities comitted on the IAMS Laboraty Animals was in an ASPCA news letter! NOW YOU SUPPORT THEM en masse! It's time to read the new info at PETA.ORG. I saw this myself when I went to ASPCA in Pinellas County,Fla to volunteer. Nobody knew what I was talking about, do I pull my support now or wait for a reply??? Karin
thats horrible that they put horse meat in pet foods ! i just recently had a horse and it just died actually =[ and i heard people mentioning doing osmehting like that with her and i was disgusted and angry!
I was horrofied to find that horse meat is used in dog food! I thought that went out with the last century! I think they should list ALL ingredients, instead of just saying, "bi-products". then, maybe then someone will do something about this, I hope. Talking about cruelty to animals!!! And what happened in the IAMS laboratory?
After my dog had been suffering from poor quality "dog food," I researched and eventually took him off all commercial dog foods. What I had found legally "acceptable" for ingredients was appalling and not surprising that millions suffer from disease of "unknown" origin. I feed my grumpy and lovable, 12 year old Rottweiler brown rice along with fresh fish (skin on-no bones) and maybe organic chicken stock for moisture. I go with human grade turkey meats as well which is low in fat and has no artificial ingredients nor any preservatives. In 3 weeks, his overall health improved dramatically. He no longer sheds and his coat is vibrant, his attitude youthful and he is happier. It is ALL about the food. I did try many of the diets out there for him including the raw food diet. This is good for dogs whose immune systems are strong, but for my pal, he cannot properly process the microbes sometimes found in uncooked meats. He gets a probiotic and liquid MSM daily along with a powerful mineral supplement that has shrunk his tumors. Locate your foods in stores where you can find them at $1.00/lb. That is the best and lowest price I can find on sale at area stores near me. I buy in bulk to get the discount. I was told by a holisitic vet that he was to die some 2.5 years ago. However, his host of health issues have been corraled so far on this diet and I still have him by my side. I feed my 3 other rescues a similar diet with amazing results. If your dog/cat has health issues, please try this diet and let them live a long, healthy life with you! Regards, Rick Contact Me: 63rik@excite.com
that is messed up we need to be pretecting our our wild life not killen it even 4 food we need to save our enviorment even if it meens sacrafising some of our meats adults even kids need to start eatin more fruits and healthy snacks not steak and meat
Hi good people.
I am Karl Johann Lilliendahl. ASPCA is very important Company and if ASPCA would not exist, then I´m afraid that most NY animals would not live good live as they already does with ASPCA´s help. As I am living in Iceland then I can unfortenately not do much but become an ASPCA Guardian even I´m living far away.
I have a dream i.e. sometime to visit my friends in New York´s ASPCA. I really call them my friends (because they are) as I see them almost every day like Annemarie Lukas, Joann Sandano and many others in NY´s ASPCA in the Channel Animal Planet in Reykjavik.
I am writing this into my Computer IBM Lenovo ThinkPad x41. I open the ASPCA web site every day even two times or three times or even often to follow the news.
I do have a question, is there someone who can tell me where I could find a Stethoscope of good quality? So, It would be fun to have comments from somebody to aspca@internet.is So have a great day. Karl Johann.
Hi! If you don't know already, IAMS is suspected to have HORSE MEAT in its ingrediants. Athough some slaughter houses are being shut down, great and awesome horses are being slaughtered. I wouldn't mind having horse meat in dog food IF:
First, the horse was PUT DOWN with medicine instead of knocked out and having its throat slit.
Second, if the horse was injured beyond repair, the horse is a danger to the public.
IF the horse is sick, it should be put down and buried.
THAT is my opinion, and if you don't like it, well, to bad!
Why are you people horrified that horse meat is used to feed other meat eating animals?
I think youve let your compassion for animals go over the edge of reality.
Meat eating animals need meat and a dead horse can provide a lot of meat.
I heard that iams doesn't have very good ingredients in it. not sure what cat food contained horse meat but not sure about what's supposed to be good for cats, as far as I know Blue is supposed to be really good for cats. right now i am feeding my kitten science diet.
tring to find good cat food
help would be great :)
I'm actually a little disturbed that so many people are disturbed by the prospect that horses are eaten. Horsemeat is rather similar to beef; I've never had it myself, but there's nothing that distinguishes it from beef in any significant way.
The only reason it is frowned upon is because horses are also used as pets. That's also silly; more than a few people have pet cows and beef is still one of the most popular meats on Earth.
Dog meat is also eaten in China -- St. Bernard in particular -- without moral compunction for one specific reason: there's no cultural taboo. It's meat; what animal it comes from doesn't matter, as long as it isn't sapient.
What I basically feel is as follows: if your pet eats it, odds are good that there's nothing wrong with it from a practical standpoint. Animals always think in terms of practicality.
Mind you, I do believe animals can feel pain exactly as humans do, and believe that the slaughter industry needs stronger regulation. However, I feel it's important not to be biased against one form of meat in particular for unpractical reasons. Show bias against all meats, if you're a vegetarian, or none at all, if you're an omnivore, and don't unfairly bias your pets based on what you wouldn't eat yourself unless there's a legitimate reason you wouldn't eat it.
Go to alexbrownracing.com
This is the top horse site in the world where everything equine is discussed. We are a community of horse loves whose main objective is to end horse slaughter. Many US horses, ponies and donkeys including young race horses who didn't win at USA racetracks are sent to Mexico and Canada to be tortured and beheaded to be exported as a delicacy in Japan, France, Italy, and Belgium.
END HORSE SLAUGHTER
Re: Jeremy Gibson. You're absolutely correct. The only reason any of the previous posters have moral compunctions against use of horse meat for any sort of consumption is an emotional attachment to horses in general. Unless someone is a strict vegetarian, they have nowhere to stand speaking against the mere consumption of any animal meat.
Horse is actually a very clean and nutrient filled meat. I am a bodybuilder and ground horse burgers are a vital part of my daily diet. While it is very expensive to get imported, it is well worth it.
The only people who eat horses are heartless. Sorry but as a horse owner I have a very strong opinion on how horses are treated. Aristad, i think you would regret eating horse meat once you have been with horses or if you knew how they die at the horrible slaughter houses. They bleed to death and are shot with nail guns that don't even kill them! They are still conscience!! It disguists me to even think anyone would support that. You people disguist me.
Stop the pain, may horses live a long painless life.
Actually horses aren't considered a food here because of their history for what they've done for mankind, not because of being pets. They kept us alive by doing the hard work and providing transportation. For all they have given us thru out history we have the greatest respect for the animal thus we wont eat anything we have or should have so much respect for. For having done so much its considered a reward. Unless your from france where its served in restaurants but you know them.
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