In recent years, this has definitely become a question that all dog owners ask. Since raw food diets for dogs have become more and more popular, more dog owners are looking to see what kind of raw foods they can give their dogs in order to keep them healthy from the inside out. However, raw feeding is definitely a decision that an owner must make. Even today veterinarians are split on whether or not giving a dog raw food, like a raw egg is healthy, or if in the end it can cause some sort of ailment that may ultimately hurt the dog.

If you decide that raw feeding may be a good option for your dog, it does take a lot of research and time in order to ensure that you are feeding your dog healthy food that won’t hurt his digestive tract. Of course a raw diet for dogs consists of raw meat, fruits, and vegetables, but owners can also feed their dog nuts, dairy products, and even raw eggs. Raw eggs are always on the chopping block so to speak, but many owners that do feed their dog raw eggs report that it does wonders. Since egg products are in most dog foods, owners don’t see why giving their dog a raw egg is a problem.

Owners who give their dog a raw egg once a week say that the egg is extremely helpful when it comes to shaping a dog’s coat and fur. Eggs are a great source of protein and the protein helps to protect the coat and keep it shiny. When you feed your dog a raw egg, even the shell is okay if the dog wants to eat it.

Many people worry about salmonella due to the fact that the egg is raw. But, dogs have great immune systems, and their body doesn’t react the same way a human’s body does when it is introduced to salmonella. If you are extremely concerned, you can always cook the egg by frying it, blanching it, or boiling it.

Dog owners who do feed their dog raw eggs point out that it’s important that the dog is given no more than one raw egg a week. Too many raw eggs can upset a dog’s stomach, as well as affect the dog’s white blood cell count. Too many raw eggs can also cause your dog other ailments as the yolk is extremely fatty and contains a lot of cholesterol. This can be a problem, so be sure not to feed more than one raw egg a week.

I'm sad to say I have ate there and have said some good things about Hump in Santa Monica. When I heard they where serving whale my gut was wrenched. I only hope someone is convicted or if a immigrant they lose their Visa. In my eyes this is no different then killing a innocent person.

Here is the story:

A high-end sushi restaurant in Santa Monica, California,  said on its website Friday that it is closing its doors after criminal charges were filed alleging it served illegal whale meat.

"After twelve years doing business...The Hump will be closing its doors effective March 20th, 2010," the restaurant said in a statement on its website which was monitored in Tokyo.

While admitting and apologizing for its "illegal actions," the restaurant said the closure is "a self-imposed punishment on top of the fine that will be meted out by the court."

U.S. media reported earlier this month that prosecutors had confirmed The Hump had sold Sei whale meat on at least three occasions since October and the chef was facing up to a year in prison and $100,000 (about 9 million yen) in fines while the owner of the restaurant was facing up to $200,000 in fines.

Sei whales are listed as an endangered species.

Crew members who worked on the U.S. film "The Cove," which won this year's Oscar for best documentary for its depiction of a controversial dolphin hunt in a Japanese town, tipped off local authorities about the restaurant, U.S. media reported. They visited the restaurant last year, secretly filming the whale meat in a $600 meal they ordered and pocketed samples.

Learning the basics to dog food is a must for all dog owners.
Please spend 10 minutes and read this honest and helpful article on the basics to dog food and it's ingredients. Don't worry we left the discussing stuff out, this is more about what is good for them to have and not how bad some companies dog food is.

Pet-nutrition experts say that the best dog food is made from human-grade ingredients like meat, whole grains and vegetables. What you don't want is a lot of filler as the primary ingredients; these are items that have less nutritional benefit. According to the Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute website, dogs can absorb almost all the nutrients from white rice, but grains like oats, flour and wheat have almost no nutritional value for dogs. Corn products aren't very valuable either, and peanut hulls have no value at all. Glutens are another group of ingredients that experts say don't provide much nutritional value to dogs, and are a particular concern since 2007's massive recall of pet foods tainted by contaminated wheat and rice gluten from China.

According to reviews, better-quality dog food results in a healthier coat, fewer digestive problems and firmer stools. Since your dog will absorb more nutrients from better-quality dog food, less will be passed as waste.

Dogs love meat and they need protein. Unlike cats, who need high amounts of protein and no carbohydrates at all, dogs need a diet that contains as much as 50 percent carbohydrates. Still, experts say meat should be the first ingredient, followed by healthy carbohydrate sources such as potatoes, or more absorbable grains like rice. If you've read any dog food labels, you might have noticed the term "by-product." Meat by-product consists mainly of animal parts that are not used for human consumption, such as bones, organs, blood, fatty tissue and intestines. If a label says "chicken by-product," all the parts must come from chicken; the same goes for lamb, beef, etc.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to by-products in dog food. Some say that because a dog in the wild would eat the entire animal when killing prey, including skin, organs and bones, some amount of by-products in dog food is just fine. What you don't want, say reviews, is unidentified by-products, often listed as "meat by-products." Experts say this could include zoo animals, road kill and what's often referred to as 4-D livestock (dead, diseased, disabled, dying). Most shockingly, meat by-products can even include euthanized dogs and cats. In 1990 the American Veterinary Medical Association and the FDA confirmed that some pet food companies were using the bodies of euthanized pets as by-products in their foods. It turns out that this practice wasn't widespread, but limited to small rural rendering plants and a few other assorted links in the pet food manufacturing chain. For these reasons, reviews that do approve of some by-products in pet food say that dog owners should look for specific origin, such as chicken by-product or lamb by-product.

Note that in poultry-based dog foods, the term "by-product" is used to identify by-product meals. However, in other types of dog food, by-product meal can be labeled as "meat and bone meal" (MBM) or even "beef and bone meal." This type of labeling is legal, but clearly misleading.

The other -- and prevailing -- school of thought is that by-products should be avoided entirely, and that a dog's diet should contain meat, vegetables and absorbable grains. These critics say that it's simply too hard to know what exactly is included in by-products, and some say that these unwanted animal parts may contain bacteria or even parts from cancerous animals. MBM used in cattle feed is suspected of being the primary agent in the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (also known as "mad cow" disease).

Related to meat by-products is a low-quality ingredient called animal digest, which is the dry or liquid by-product of the meat rendering process. Experts say that while there is meat content in animal digest, it's of little nutritional value as it is not very digestible.

In dry foods, be aware that listing meat at the top of an ingredient list can be misleading, as meat has a high water content that is removed when processed into dry pet food. However, so-called "meat meal" is meat with the water removed, and finding it high up in the ingredient list is a good indication of a high-protein dry food. Again, beware of foods that contain meat and bone meal or beef and bone meal, as those are low-quality ingredients.

Dog food companies are making moves to get away from using artificial preservatives in dog food. Chemicals used as preservatives, like BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin, have been under scrutiny, and many companies are switching to natural preservatives like vitamin C (ascorbate) and vitamin E (tocopherols). Reviews say natural preservatives are much safer.

According to reviews, better-quality dog food results in a healthier coat, fewer digestive problems and firmer stools. Since your dog will absorb more nutrients from better-quality dog food, less will be passed as waste.

Dogs love meat and they need protein. Unlike cats, who need high amounts of protein and no carbohydrates at all, dogs need a diet that contains as much as 50 percent carbohydrates. Still, experts say meat should be the first ingredient, followed by healthy carbohydrate sources such as potatoes, or more absorbable grains like rice. If you've read any dog food labels, you might have noticed the term "by-product." Meat by-product consists mainly of animal parts that are not used for human consumption, such as bones, organs, blood, fatty tissue and intestines. If a label says "chicken by-product," all the parts must come from chicken; the same goes for lamb, beef, etc.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to by-products in dog food. Some say that because a dog in the wild would eat the entire animal when killing prey, including skin, organs and bones, some amount of by-products in dog food is just fine. What you don't want, say reviews, is unidentified by-products, often listed as "meat by-products." Experts say this could include zoo animals, road kill and what's often referred to as 4-D livestock (dead, diseased, disabled, dying). Most shockingly, meat by-products can even include euthanized dogs and cats. In 1990 the American Veterinary Medical Association and the FDA confirmed that some pet food companies were using the bodies of euthanized pets as by-products in their foods. It turns out that this practice wasn't widespread, but limited to small rural rendering plants and a few other assorted links in the pet food manufacturing chain. For these reasons, reviews that do approve of some by-products in pet food say that dog owners should look for specific origin, such as chicken by-product or lamb by-product.

Note that in poultry-based dog foods, the term "by-product" is used to identify by-product meals. However, in other types of dog food, by-product meal can be labeled as "meat and bone meal" (MBM) or even "beef and bone meal." This type of labeling is legal, but clearly misleading.

The other -- and prevailing -- school of thought is that by-products should be avoided entirely, and that a dog's diet should contain meat, vegetables and absorbable grains. These critics say that it's simply too hard to know what exactly is included in by-products, and some say that these unwanted animal parts may contain bacteria or even parts from cancerous animals. MBM used in cattle feed is suspected of being the primary agent in the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (also known as "mad cow" disease).

Related to meat by-products is a low-quality ingredient called animal digest, which is the dry or liquid by-product of the meat rendering process. Experts say that while there is meat content in animal digest, it's of little nutritional value as it is not very digestible.

In dry foods, be aware that listing meat at the top of an ingredient list can be misleading, as meat has a high water content that is removed when processed into dry pet food. However, so-called "meat meal" is meat with the water removed, and finding it high up in the ingredient list is a good indication of a high-protein dry food. Again, beware of foods that contain meat and bone meal or beef and bone meal, as those are low-quality ingredients.

Dog food companies are making moves to get away from using artificial preservatives in dog food. Chemicals used as preservatives, like BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin, have been under scrutiny, and many companies are switching to natural preservatives like vitamin C (ascorbate) and vitamin E (tocopherols). Reviews say natural preservatives are much safer.

To some it up:

1. Make sure the food has meat (unless your dog is a vegetarian) as the first ingredient and that it says a kind of meat, but not with (meat name)meal or bone meal this means it can be almost anything.
2. If it has by-products then it's best to know that the by-products are from a chicken or cow so it should say beef by-products or chicken by-products. If it just says byproducts it could be dogs or roadkill. (But most likely it's not)
3. Corn is o.k. it's just means your dog will poop more and as it's only might have a hard times digesting it.
4. Most foods are fine and most dogs will be healthy on them, but some higher end foods have less risk for for diseased meat or causing digestive problems.

Vegetarian dog food

I would also like to throw in that I believe dogs can be vegetarians and be healthy and happy. At this time there is no food or process that has figured out the needs to compensate for not eating meat. Mainly dogs need lots of protein, so I would imagine they will have a soy high protein dog food with added healthy nutrients coming out in the near future. For now you can give carrots for dog treats and find a way to get him protein without meat. Like your own blend with bulk soy from Costco, or mushrooms have high protein.

Vegan pet food -- and the decision to force one's pet to go vegan -- is suddenly very buzzy. ABC News reports that it's a bit easier for a dog to go vegetarian than it is for a cat, and one person they interviewed said she suspects that "vegan" cats are supplementing their diets by hunting.

But there are some strong proponents of the idea:

Now artists and activists (with one more feline in the family) in Ithaca, N.Y., Moore and her partner, Shira Golding, are part of a relatively small but deeply dedicated group of vegan pet owners who believe their cats' and dogs' diets should reflect their own beliefs about the treatment of animals and environmentally sustainable lifestyles.

Despite the anecdotal evidence the group has amassed that supports vegan pet diets, many veterinarians are reluctant to recommend the meatless option.

eggs

The California ballot initiative on farm animal housing has passed by a fairly large margin with 63% for to 37% against as of 5:30 a.m. Central with 87% of the vote in.

The initiative, listed as Proposition 2, or "Prop 2," closes down the California egg industry -- affecting 95% of the state's egg production and forcing California consumers to buy eggs from other states and from Mexico. Prop 2 will become effective in 2015.

Passage represents a huge victory for Prop 2's supporters, the main two of which are the animal rights groups Farm Sanctuary and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the latter of which supports vegetarianism. It is largely expected that Farm Sanctuary and HSUS will employ momentum from their victory to carry the measure to other states that have ballot initiatives and directly to state assemblies in those states that do not.

HSUS chief executive officer and president Wayne Pacelle, in a statement issued late last night, declared that California voters "have taken a stand for compassion and decency and said systematic mistreatment of animals on factory farms cannot continue. All animals deserve humane treatment, including animals raised for food."

Californians for Safe Food, which opposed Prop 2, issued its own statement last night, saying the coalition led by Farm Sanctuary and HSUS "led an emotionally manipulative, dishonest and often deceptive campaign." Safe Food commended its supporters and listed a number of accomplishments, including the fact that more than 30 of California's major newspapers came out in opposition to Prop 2.

Prop 2 requires that all farm animals, "for all or the majority of any day," not be confined or tethered in a manner that prevents an animal from lying down, standing up, turning around or extending its limbs without touching another animal or an enclosure such as a cage or stall. It specifically addresses modern cage housing for hens and stalls for sows and veal calves. It carries criminal penalties for violations, including fines and jail terms.

The pork and veal industries already have been researching group housing systems to phase out stalls as the science and technology to do so becomes available, and modern cage housing for hens already provides the highest standards of animal welfare as prescribed by animal ethicists and scientists.

Hens in cage housing systems can express almost all natural behavior but cannot extend their wings without touching another hen or their enclosures. Two important studies have concluded that Prop 2 will force all cage and most cage-free egg producers in California to shut down and will cost California thousands of jobs and hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenues.

cow milk

WATERBURY, Vt. -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, cofounders of Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., urging them to replace cow's milk they use in their ice cream products with human breast milk, according to a statement recently released by a PETA spokeswoman."PETA's request comes in the wake of news reports that a Swiss restaurant owner will begin purchasing breast milk from nursing mothers and substituting breast milk for 75 percent of the cow's milk in the food he serves," the statement says.

PETA officials say a move to human breast milk would lessen the suffering of dairy cows and their babies on factory farms and benefit human health.

"The fact that human adults consume huge quantities of dairy products made from milk that was meant for a baby cow just doesn't make sense," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "Everyone knows that 'the breast is best,' so Ben & Jerry's could do consumers and cows a big favor by making the switch to breast milk.""We applaud PETA's novel approach to bringing attention to an issue, but we believe a mother's milk is best used for her child," said a spokesperson for Ben and Jerry's.
Read PETA's letter to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield

September 23, 2008Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, CofoundersBen & Jerry's Homemade Inc.Dear Mr. Cohen and Mr. Greenfield,On behalf of PETA and our more than 2 million members and supporters, I'd like to bring your attention to an innovative new idea from Switzerland that would bring a unique twist to Ben and Jerry's.Storchen restaurant is set to unveil a menu that includes soups, stews, and sauces made with at least 75 percent breast milk procured from human donors who are paid in exchange for their milk. If Ben and Jerry's replaced the cow's milk in its ice cream with breast milk, your customers-and cows-would reap the benefits.Using cow's milk for your ice cream is a hazard to your customer's health. Dairy products have been linked to juvenile diabetes, allergies, constipation, obesity, and prostate and ovarian cancer. The late Dr. Benjamin Spock, America's leading authority on child care, spoke out against feeding cow's milk to children, saying it may play a role in anemia, allergies, and juvenile diabetes and in the long term, will set kids up for obesity and heart disease-America's number one cause of death.Animals will also benefit from the switch to breast milk. Like all mammals, cows only produce milk during and after pregnancy, so to be able to constantly milk them, cows are forcefully impregnated every nine months. After several years of living in filthy conditions and being forced to produce 10 times more milk than they would naturally, their exhausted bodies are turned into hamburgers or ground up for soup.And of course, the veal industry could not survive without the dairy industry. Because male calves can't produce milk, dairy farmers take them from their mothers immediately after birth and sell them to veal farms, where they endure 14 to17 weeks of torment chained inside a crate so small that they can't even turn around.The breast is best! Won't you give cows and their babies a break and our health a boost by switching from cow's milk to breast milk in Ben and Jerry's ice cream? Thank you for your consideration.Sincerely,Tracy ReimanExecutive Vice President