Mad cow and healthy pets

Bear with me. With all that's going on today, I hope to divert at least some of your attention to the issue of food safety -- and pet food safety.

When the news first reported the confirmation of our first domestic case of mad cow disease, the government would not divulge the location of the cow. "That means it's from Texas," I told my girlfriend.

And so it was. Although the government has assured us that our food supply remains trustworthy, I take little comfort from the recent revelation that the infected cow was discovered at Champion Pet Foods, in Waco, Texas. They make food for greyhounds -- and they are located next to a large chicken processing plant. As you surely know, we're dealing with a prion-borne disease which can hop species.

Too many people do not understand that our pet food is a national scandal. After the Reagan administration deregulated the pet food industry, few or no standards apply. "Downer" cows -- and worse -- are commonly sent into the food bowls you place before Fido and Tabby.

By "worse," I refer to Fido and Tabby themselves: Euthanized cats and dogs are commonly recycled into pet foods. They're shipped from the vet to the rendering plant, where people who have even worse jobs than you do toss the corpses into huge vats of reeking slurry.

The former pets enter the food chain whole. Nobody removes the collars and dog tags, so heavy metal contaminants (and whatever the hell goes into flea collars) become "as one" with the stew.

Also tossed in: The phenobarbitol your vet used to put down the animal. Don't presume that the rendering process renders this substance safe.

The government put an end to the practice of feeding cattle to cattle in 1997. Your pet does not receive such protection. Many believe that cannibalistic livestock feed has contributed to Mad Cow disease, the vector for which survives the rendering and cooking processes.

In our household, our dog eats the best-quality kibble our wallets can provide. For years, on alleged expert recommendation, we purchased Nutro. Although the labels on Nutro products indicated that no euthanized pets entered the recipe, I recently learned that phenobarbitol has been found in Nutro's beef-based kibble. Phenobarbitol can have but one source.

Alas, no agency enforces the honest labeling of pet food. This is yet another area in which industry regulates itself.

I avoid all "grocery store" pet foods, especially those featuring "meat and meat by-products." (Translation: Fido eats Fido.) Alas, the expensive stuff isn't necessarily much better than the crap filling those huge bags you see at Wal-Mart. Science Diet has an appealing name and an appalling ingredients list. IAMS should be avoided altogether -- and not least because that company has performed many grisly, and unnecessary, experiments on dogs.

The list of choices thins every year. These days, I'm not sure who to trust.

Bottom line: Our pooch gets a lot of table scraps. We also make special stews for her. She loves chicken the way a crack addict loves crack. Jack mackerel is cheaper than canned pet food, and it is terrific for dogs and cats -- if you can deal with the fishy odor.

The pet food industry tries to convince you that the art of feeding an animal a "nutritionally balanced" meal is beyond the skill of the laity. Poppycock. Anyone who does a little research and who uses common sense can figure out how to feed a child. You can surely prepare a "human food" meal for your dog or cat. Rocket science it ain't.

(Here's a hint. While it can be tempting to feed a dog the beef parts you don't want to put into your own stew, too much gristle and fat can make poochie ill.)

Remember: This administration is in the pocket of industry, and it will therefore do anything to avoid a panic over mad cow disease. Because downer cows are routed toward pet food manufacturers, bad beef may well show up in your pooch's bowl before it is found in the fine products you purchase at Burger King. I suspect that the disease will affect the pet population before it hits human beings.

If you love your pet -- and if you don't, you shouldn't have a pet -- try to know a little something about every morsel he or she consumes.