News

A variety of options for safe pet food
Brandie Kessler
Pottstown Mercury
05/13/2007

NORTH COVENTRY -- In the aftermath of a massive pet food recall in mid-March 2006, the Food and Drug Administration has received more than 10,000 complaints from people around the country who believe their pets may have eaten some of the tainted food.

With the growing concerns over quality pet food, many people are looking for alternatives to the mainstream pet food companies like Alpo and Iams, to ensure the future health of their companions.

According to the FDA Web site, a release from the FDA indicated that it cannot confirm the number of pets that have actually been affected by the recall, as "unlike human food, there is not surveillance network for FDA to rely on to confirm cases" of animals affected, and the FDA has to investigate each case individually.

However, after word of the recall made headlines two months ago, thousands of pet owners were sent clamoring to make an appointment with their veterinarian. Many pet owners, even a few locally, had confirmed cases of kidney failure, which the pet owners attributed to recalled pet food brands.

Since then, with more companies other than Menu Foods -- one of the largest companies to recall food that was sold under brand names such as Iams and Nutro Max -- recalling their products, pet owners have been left wondering what food, other than food they prepare at home, is safe for their pets.

Fortunately, according to one local woman who has owned her own pet care and pet supplies business for more than 15 years, there are a variety of options available for pet owners who want to feed their pets a healthful diet but don’t have time to prepare their pets meals.

Diane Dietch-Silberman, owner of Diane’s Discount Pet Supplies and Adoption Center, 1486 S. Hanover St., who has been working with animals since she was a teenager, is trying to make people aware of what they’re feeding their animals. Specifically, Dietch-Silberman is trying to get the word out about organic and holistic pet foods, a variety of which can be found on her store shelves.

"Just because it says ‘all-natural’ doesn’t mean you’re getting healthy," Dietch-Silberman said, recently standing in the pet food aisles at her store.

"These are real organic foods," she said, looking over the bags of dry organic dog food brands her store carries. "You’re really pretty safe (with these brands). Their standards are just like (standards for) human food."

In addition to the variety of organic food, Dietch-Silberman has several brands of holistic pet foods in her store. Holistic, she said "means it’s good for the whole animal."

Dietch-Silberman, whose husband, Dr. Steve Silberman D.V.M., is also well-versed on pet nutrition, has been very interested in pet nutrition for a number of years, she said.

Owning her store since 1989 she said that she wasn’t always wise to the idea that not all pet foods are good for pets.

"At first, I was deceived just like everybody else," she said. Dietch-Silberman explained that when she first opened her store, one popular pet food company, coincidentally one of the companies involved in the massive recall in March, offered to give her a ton of their food, and she would suggest that brand to her customers.

Dietch-Silberman said she began taking a closer look at what she was feeding her animals, and began to thoroughly read the list of ingredients.

As is the case with food that people eat, while a bottle that reads grape juice should contain grape juice, it can often times contain other fruit juices, added sugar, and even dye to make the liquid more appetizing.

Dietch-Silberman said the same thing is true with pet foods, although sometimes the ingredients are much more vague than "other natural flavors."

Meat meal, one ingredient that can be found on the list of ingredients for a variety of non-holistic and non-organic foods could "just basically be anything," Dietch-Silberman said.

Meat meal, she explained can be beef, chicken or any other meat, and it can be a variety of animal parts, not just the good quality cuts of meat that are healthy for your animal. She also said that ingredients on pet food packaging, as in human food, are listed in order by largest to smallest in terms of how much of that ingredient make up the final product. An ingredient like corn, listed as one of the first ingredients in the list on a package of dog food that identifies itself as a beef dinner is not a good sign, as corn is common filler.

Dietch-Silberman said the pet food recall has convinced many of her customers who weren’t thrilled with switching to holistic or organic before that it’s time for change.

"Basically, with this whole recall, I’ve had people saying ‘Help, I know you’ve always had the good, quality pet food.’

"The upside to this whole recall is we’re finally paying attention. Wake up America."

Dietch-Silberman said that although organic and holistic food for pets, as is the case with people food, can be a bit more expensive, in the long run people often end up spending less, because their animals are healthier and eat less.

She likened it to a person who eats a diet of junk food, filled with empty calories. The more empty calories you eat, the hungrier you become, but ultimately your health can suffer. If you’re eating complete diet, you’re not as hungry as often. Dietch-Silberman said many of her customers who have switched their pets, particularly their dogs, to a holistic or organic diet have noticed that their dogs don’t have to go to the bathroom as often, and when they do there’s not as much to clean up.

Ultimately, Dietch-Silberman doesn’t want people to just take her word for it. "You’ve got to look at it yourself," she said, encouraging people to look at the ingredients on the pet food in their cabinets and cupboards.

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For more information on the variety of holistic and organic pet foods, available for both cats and dogs, visit Diane’s Discount Pet Supplies and Adoption Center, 1486 S. Hanover St., Pottstown. Or, log on to www.ddpets.com where you can learn about a few of the brands Diane’s Discount Pet Supplies carries by clicking on the links option at the top of the screen.