Comments on Organic Pet Food: How Big a Deal? 10 Useful Thoughts

I've always been a little confused about what organic means. I understand a little better now. I'm glad that we are making our food healthier, and I think we can do it for our animals too. I can see how it would be easier on the animals too. Thanks for the info!

Thank you for this great information about organic dog food. I'm trying to improve the diet of my golden retriever because I've heard that they sometimes have more complex dietary needs than other breeds. I really like the idea of cracking some eggs over my dog's food to add nutrition. I'll keep all of this information in mind as I find the best food for him!

When I made the switch it was to whatever my grocery store had on sale. Going from $60/mo in kibble to over $500/mo in organic meat was not even remotely possible. Store bought meat was my gateway.
Then with time I was able to source elsewhere for better quality and price. Today I am able to feed 2 Great Danes a quality raw meat diet for the same price as premium kibble.
For those just getting started - Don't get hung up on "perfection". Non- organic choices should not stop you from making the transition. Imagine if you couldn't find any organic veggies. Would you choose corn chips instead?

GREAT, Great, read. Thanks for writing about this topic. I find the potato story incredible because it just goes to show the pesticides and chemicals that are ON the food are the worst offenders. The innocent potato when grown properly without chemicals is a whole other plant. It does not even cause reactions-very cool story!
I can see the big picture here-getting animals off of kibble and onto real food regardless of its source. Feeding conventional meat is a huge positive thing one can do for their animals' health, if the alternative is kibble. The benefit is extreme.
Personally, having worked on a CAFO, I know what goes on first-hand and I only lasted 3 months. I simply cannot feed those animals to my animals. Having worked the "sick pen" I wish to have ZERO part of that industry. This is not about GMO or Organic, but a more foundational problem of how those animals are treated. If we're going to eat them, we had better respect them and treat them well.
I find it totally acceptable to buy a 4-H or locally raised animal to feed my dogs, even if it was most likely fed GMO grains, but overall had a pretty good life. I have no doubt that GMO meats have effects on animals eating them-but there's no proof yet. I think we have to do the best we can.
Sure, finding local, sometimes grass fed, sometimes wild meats/bones/organs, or other humane sources is not as easy, but I feel good about feeding it to my small pack of two. I also think that the health of that animal who was slaughtered carries over to those who consume it.

I think we all need to be cognizant of this subject and do whatever we can to not support the animal confinement industry where livestock is fed not only GMO's but many other horrifying things (there are dead animals lying all over in those facilities and the operators confide that they grind up these dead, diseased animals and feed them to the other confined animals in the facility. They parrot the big animal confinement corporations like Smithfield and Tyson who say that by feeding the remaining animals these diseased ones, they will receiving immunity from those diseases. Goodness, anyone who believes that needs to have their head examined. Why don't they grind up healthy ones and feed those to the animals? Wouldn't that be a smarter alternative if they had to continue such horrific practices?)
Not supporting that industry means that we make sure the meats we feed to our dogs are from grass-fed, pasture-ranged, hormone-free cattle, pigs, chickens, etc. We owe it to ourselves and to our animals to take a stand.

If you are feeding raw meat and if those animals are raised on 100% GMO corn and soy, as chickens often are, aren't you taking a chance with the same tumors arising as have been shown to arise in the pathetic little lab rats who were force fed GMO corn and soy? Where are the studies at to look at the amount of GMO in the meat of the animal who was fed GMO? I would agree that a diet predominant in grain or with any added grain isn't doing dogs and cats any favor. My concern remains with the meat from the animal that has been fed GMO and what that is doing to the dogs and cats. Especially when it is fed raw to our dogs and cats. Do you have additional information on this concern?