After a long day, there's nothing better than sitting down to a delicious dinner. But what if, upon perusing the ingredient list, you found some unpleasant surprises in your food?
Meat by-product, brewer's yeast and rendered animal fat? Not very appetizing, is it? But for millions of pet owners, those are the main ingredients in their pets' dinner dishes.
And mystery meats and questionable fillers aren't the only potential problem ingredients lurking in your pet's food.
Increasingly, additives used to preserve food and prevent moisture, such as propylene glycol and ethoxyquin, are being scrutinized and questioned. And then there are those additives that don't make it on the ingredient list, because they were never supposed to be there in the first place.
Earlier this year, two brands of dog food were found to contain pentobarbital, a drug used to euthanize animals. Other brands have voluntarily recalled products due to quality control issues, or concerns with suppliers.
With so many questions about pet food, is it time for pet parents to be concerned? According to pet food advocate Susan Thixton, that answer is a resounding "yes." Thixton is the author of "Buyer Beware: The Crimes, Lies and Truth About Pet Food," and owner of the web site Truthaboutpetfood.com.
For more than 25 years, she has been researching what goes into your pet's food. It was an additive in her pet's food that she attributes to the cancer-related death of her beloved dog.
Since then, Thixton has been working to increase regulations in the pet food industry, and educate consumers of the $26 billion-a-year industry. The pet food industry has boomed over the past decade, along with other pet-related businesses, including grooming services, doggy daycare, in-home pet care and specialty veterinary fields.
That indicates a pet-loving populace that will go to great lengths to pamper their pets. And pets' diets are no exception; but conflicting information from food manufacturers, and even veterinarians, have created a confused consumer.
Pet parents in the Burlington County region have the opportunity to get "Up Close and Purrsonal with Susan Thixton" when she visits the PURRsonal Space cat lounge in Palmyra on Monday evening. Learn the "need to know" facts about pet food, how to evaluate your pet's food, and how to choose the best food for your fuzzy family member.
Guests will also be treated to a sneak peak at South Jersey's first cat lounge, set to open later this fall.
PURRsonal Space is the brainchild of Lori Genstein, proprietor of I've Got the 'Scoop', LLC, a pet-sitting and dog walking agency. The lounge will house adoptable cats from Randall's Rescue, a nonprofit animal rescue based in Burlington County.
As a pet owner, provider of pet services, and now an animal rescue advocate, Genstein was naturally alarmed at the recent pet food recalls. Inviting Thixton to speak at the lounge was a perfect — or purrfect — choice. And one that will help the kitties of Randall's Rescue, as all proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the rescue.
The presentation will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at PURRsonal Space, 1005B Market St. Tickets are $18, and must be purchased in advanced due to limited seating. For more details, and to purchase tickets, visit the event's Facebook page: http://ift.tt/2fSWrKE.
For more on Randall's Rescue, visit randallsrescue.com.
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