Why not just give them REAL vegetables?

This product, 'Pegetables', has to be the most ridiculous one I can think of. Another factor is their incredibly bad pronunciation guide to how you should say the name - pej'te-bels. They bin need sum learnin'...

Well actually no, I think Cool Claws is more so. Taking a look at the ingredients of Cool Claws might just be enough to prove the point:

"Water, dried whey, whole egg, chicken fat preserved with BHA, natural and artificial flavors, calcium carbonate, guar gum, mono and diglycerides, cellulose gum, polysorbate 80, calcium sulfate, carrageenan, vitamin E, B12, D3, A supplements, niacin, zinc oxide, manganese sulfate, thiamine hydrochloride (vitamin B1), potassium iodide, taurine. "

I am not doubting for one minute the benefits of some or even all of these under the right circumstance or application. There are perhaps some issues relating to what many other 'normal' uses they are applied to. Let us take 'carrageenan'. Got you thinking? Perhaps a little searching regarding the calls to have it removed from ice cream and other food products might be of benefit to you. Check out the Wikipedia entry here. I particularly noted the entry "Lambda carrageenan is used in animal models of inflammation used to test analgesics, because dilute carrageenan solution (1–2%) injected subcutaneously causes swelling and pain."

BHA? Check what is said about putting it on human skin here. Its hazard rating is 10 out of 10!!!

As far as I can establish from the ingredients 'Pegetables' do contain "real" vegetables along with a whole host of ingredients of indeterminate origin, quality, or real benefit. Here are the ingredients for the 'carrot' Pegetable:

"U.S.A. hydrolyzed wheat protein, glycerin, dehydrated carrot, natural flavor, powdered cellulose, sunflower oil, mono and diglycerides, magnesium stearate, titanium dioxide, calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, flax oil (source of omega 3 fatty acid), vitamin mix (vitamins A, D3, E, and B12 supplements, riboflavin, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, folic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, pyridoxine, thiamin, biotin), yellow 6 lake, preserved with sodium metabisulfite and mixed tocopherols, beta-carotene"

Again, searching for what these are can turn up some disturbing information and facts. If my understanding is correct, the ingredient list is in percentage of content (why is there no requirement for including the percentages themselves?). As far as I can see with regard to this specific product (and the others) it should really be called "Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein with Gluten (and some dried carrot)".

Caveat emptor from their site (note the "may"):

"The real carrot content in Pegetables may provide the following benefits:"

The whole issue of what is fed to our animals in the guise of "food" is disturbing. It is also a nasty indicator of what food producers could/would/do do with food for human consumption. The Environmental Working Group has some big concerns regarding what goes into pet food. See this article here.

Further reading can be done in this PDF here. It is pragmatic and very down to earth regarding what is wrong with the pet food industry. A single quote from a vet:

"The stench of stale blood, dung and pus emanating from the mouths of so many of my patients has finally provoked this eruption of dissent."

Even before the melamine in dog kibble problem (another link here) we chose to make our own dog food. It is not difficult, it can take some time, and advance preparation and a freezer can and do help.

Search this blog for "How to make your own dog food" which I will make as a separate posting. In the meantime, here are some other good dog food recipes as well as cat food recipes. Enjoy your pets and take care of them.