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Celiac.com 02/18/2023 - Chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp....GULP. Slurp, slurp, slurp, slurp....BELCH—this is the sound of "Fido" eating his scientifically formulated, well-balanced dog food. Most people know that you get what you pay for in a pet food and that the higher grade foods come from certain recognizable manufacturers and can only be found at specialty pet supply outlets. But, is that axiom true? Does purchasing the most expensive food guarantee that your pet will be receiving the best in nutrition that the industry has to offer? Chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp....GULP. Slurp, slurp, slurp, slurp....BELCH—this is the sound of "Fido" eating his scientifically formulated, well-balanced dog food. Most people know that you get what you pay for in a pet food and that the higher grade foods come from certain recognizable manufacturers and can only be found at specialty pet supply outlets. But, is that axiom true? Does purchasing the most expensive food guarantee that your pet will be receiving the best in nutrition that the industry has to offer? The wake-up call comes when one realizes that once the meat source is removed from the food, the remaining ingredients are mostly unnatural for the pet. If we exclude the beef, poultry, fish, and lamb, the remaining calorie sources are mostly wheat, barley, corn, rice, and oats, all of which are man-raised crops that the dog and cat would never consume in the wild. I love to inquire of my clients "How would your pet get rice—swim to Viet Nam?" But what is the problem with these complex carbohydrates being in the diet? Humans consume these with every meal and they are doing just fine, aren't they? Ahhhh—are we? If we were, those reading this would likely be reading something else right now, wouldn't they? The problem is that the grains listed above have some universal problems among humans and pets alike, as do a couple of other foods that eclipse even the grains with regard to health issues. To digress for just a moment, I am a recovered celiac. For over forty years, I suffered like most other celiacs from a myriad of symptoms, including allergies, heart burn and intestinal problems, depression/ chronic fatigue, memory and balance difficulties, joint pain, and even fibromyalgia. I was taking at least four drugs twice daily; caffeine addicted, and was quite frankly not having any fun anymore. I am now two and a half years gluten AND casein-free, off all drugs, symptom-free, and feeling better than I did when I was twelve. This miraculous recovery got my attention as a patient and as a doctor. How could this be? How could I be suffering from what millions of people and pets were experiencing but get well in such a short period of time? How could all of these conditions be linked together? The readers of Celiac.com and its publications have read many a testimony like this. Many have experienced similar responses while others are still wondering when wellness is going to happen to them. Those in the latter category have been trying to faithfully adhere to the gluten-free regime but are frustrated by the fact that they are making such huge sacrifices with less than optimal responses. Well, "Fido" is about to teach us all something. The fact is that the celiac is a "who's who" of what is wrong with human beings but the conditions that we suffer from are not limited to those who walk upright. When I read the list of conditions that we as gluten intolerants experience, my first thought was that "This is me—this describes me to a T." My second thought was "...but this describes everything that is wrong with everyone, including their dogs and cats." And it does! Suddenly, medicine through the eyes of celiac disease (and other similar food intolerances) made sense. I tell everyone that it was like someone had finally put the right program into a stalled computer and it began operating at lightning speed. All of the idiopathic conditions that are so poorly understood in medicine became "open season" for this medical headhunter. Soon the answers did come—one after another. I launched into two years of intensive research while applying the newly unveiled principles to my patients as well as myself. Miracles started happening around me. Allergies abated, intestinal problems cleared up, older pets became less painful and more active, and yes, even their epilepsy stopped. "Wait a second! Epileptic seizures stopped?", you may be asking. Yes, 100% of my epileptics have stopped having seizures, just like many celiac children that were placed on gluten-free diets have responded. I got the idea from the celiac literature. How that occurs is totally explainable but beyond the scope of this article. In a nutshell, after all of my research into so many of the medical problems and conditions that plague pets and mankind, I concluded that the center of our health universe lies in that "J-shaped" stretch of intestine known as your duodenum. Most celiacs are aware of the pathophysiology of their condition and are familiar with the terms malabsorption and "leaky gut syndrome". But, many just don't understand all of the fine details. There are three food ingredients that adhere to the villi of the duodenum and induce the change that is characteristic of celiac disease known as villous atrophy. These three substances are gluten (from the grains), casein (from cow milk products), and soy protein. What is it that links these substances together? For one, they are all used as adhesives. Yes, gluten, casein, soy and even corn are all used in industry as adhesives, some even being waterproof. Put "gluten", "casein", "soy protein adhesive" or "corn adhesive" in the search engine of any computer and read the responses. Wow! As it turns out, the foods that are the "stickiest" are the ones that cause the most problems. For instance, casein and gluten are used for the most powerful adhesives. Therefore, it should be not be a shock that they are the number one and number two childhood food allergens according to the FDA. Number four is soy. Number three is egg (This is the first secondary allergen brought about by the damage done to the gut by the first two). Now, imagine these proteins leaving the stomach of a human or their pet. I have always used the illustration of three slices of pizza leaving our stomach. But, for the sake of this article, I will use a wheat, barley, or soy-based pet food to drive the point home. Now that you have an idea of where we are headed, you can imagine the stomach is filled with "glue"-containing food. This "glue" leaves the stomach after it has been worked on as much as possible by that organ. This, I believe, is the origin of most heartburn. As simple-stomached animals, our pets and we are not designed to eat grasses like the ruminants do and all of the grains are in that grass family. By adding extra acid, our stomach is doing its best to break down the "glue". Unfortunately it's just inadequate (Yes, my two years of acid reflux abated after just one week of being gluten-free, which should be no surprise). So, it is this remaining sticky substance that adheres to the villi of the duodenum, which are so vital for the absorption of nutrients. This coating reduces the amount of those essential ingredients absorbed. What are those nutrients? The vital substances are calcium, iron, iodine, all B complex, vitamin C, most water-soluble vitamins, and most of our trace minerals such as zinc, boron, manganese, magnesium, etc. In other words, just about everything that is important other than our proteins, fats, and calories are absorbed by the duodenum. How well can this organ function when it is coated with "glue"? The important thing to realize here is that this happens to everyone and every pet that eats these foods. That bears repeating. This happens to everyone and every simple-stomach creature that eats these foods. We have simply focused on the "worst-of-the-worst"—the celiacs, casein intolerants, and soy intolerants—in which an immune response is mounted against the glue leading to severe villous atrophy. This immune assault also generates the warning antibodies that we call "allergies" to tell you that this process is taking place, otherwise, it would be a "stealth operation" that goes on undetected for years and years until the bottom falls out. Yes, this is all too familiar of a scenario, isn't it? It happens in pets all of the time, I'm afraid. So, the ultimate question is whether pets suffer from celiac disease? My answer now is that it doesn't really matter. In the pet, every bite of the average commercial food has "glue" in it, whether it is of wheat, barley, soy, corn, or rice origin. Yes, there are better glues" than others and they are in line with what we see as the principle allergens in the pet, just as one would expect. Wheat and soy are the worst (now that dairy has been eliminated from pet foods) while oats and rice are the best—they happen to be the least sticky. Corn is in the middle. This is exactly what veterinarians see as the main sources of food allergies in the pet, a problem of huge importance in dogs and cats. Now people can understand why lamb and rice foods have become so popular. It does all make sense. But celiac disease has occurred in the dog. It has been definitively identified in one breed, which is almost extinct now.... the Irish setter. This hapless breed was effectively sent the way of the buffalo when the industry added wheat, the number one dog and cat food allergen, to pet foods about 15 years ago. Thanks to the wheat-glut in this country, corn-based diets were quickly replaced with wheat and the subsequent decline in our pet's health began. Veterinarians found themselves wondering why the immune system of the dog and cat were having such problems, ranging from worsening allergies to a rapid rise in immune-mediated diseases. The answer was right before us. You don't add the number one dog and cat food allergen to the diet without having some major repercussions. The veterinary profession was just as shortsighted as the medical profession is today about the ramifications of consuming the top food allergens as the bulk of the diet. Around 60-70% of the American diet is comprised of cow milk products and wheat alone, with 40-50% being the number one food allergen—dairy products. There is a price to pay for this sort of ignorance and it is heavier than most realize. The main cost is the disruption of duodenal function. Once the essential nutrients have been malabsorbed for a long enough time, Pandora's Box is opened. This may occur very early in life or very late, partly governed by the degree of immune-mediated component. The "worst of the worst" will experience severe problems by the time they are adolescents while the more resilient will not be affected until late in life. But, as I tell my clients, I believe that with the top three foods...wheat, dairy and soy...it is a matter of when they cause problems, not if. The "glue" will eventually affect everyone and every pet with its nutrient-blocking qualities. Suddenly, conditions such as hip dysplasia, elbow and shoulder problems, intervertebral disc syndrome, cruciate ligament ruptures, and even heart valve failure all have better explanations. All of these problems are caused by failing cartilage and connective tissue, both of which are structured similarly and made up of calcium and collagen. Collagen is the building block of most of your skeletal support structures. The principle component of collagen is vitamin C. Therefore, when it is understood that calcium and vitamin C are absorbed by the duodenum, then it is easily seen that inadequate amounts of these in the diet or failure of their absorption will compromise the integrity of these structures—all of them. Now, imagine that a German shepherd puppy begins eating a wheat, barley, corn, or soy-based diet from the moment it is weaned. If inadequate levels of calcium and vitamin C are absorbed, what are the chances that its hips, elbows, spine, and other cartilaginous structures are going to form properly? I would say "not good". Most people familiar with dogs know that this breed has a reputation for horrible hip dysplasia. But, they also have serious allergies and other immune-related disorders. These, we can see now, are all likely to be interrelated. I used to be concerned that the veterinary profession had somehow missed the incidence of celiac disease in breeds other than the Irish setter. But, now that I understand the effects of the "glue" on the absorptive ability of the duodenal villi, I believe this possible oversight to be much less important. I believe the same to be true for humans. The "glues" affect all that consume them. Certainly, the "worst of the worst"— the celiacs, casein intolerants, and soy intolerants—have the most to be concerned about. But with these troubled foods, for all that consume them, it is a matter of when they will create a problem, not if.

Celiac.com 06/09/2022 - We get a lot of questions from celiac community members wondering if certain brands and products are gluten-free. One question we see a lot is about pet products, especially pet food. Specifically, is cat food gluten-free and safe for your cat's diet? Just like people, cats can be sensitive to ingredients in their food, including gluten, and other known allergens. As with food products for people, most mainstream cat foods are not gluten-free. Many commercial cat foods contain grains, and or fillers that include gluten ingredients. Some pet owners like to make sure they are getting cat food that is free of gluten or other known allergens. To do this, it's important to read labels and look for cat foods that are specifically labeled as gluten-free. To make that job a bit easier, here's a list of top brands of gluten-free cat foods.

Celiac.com 02/20/2021 - Does that question seem like a totally absurd notion? Is it possible that the manufacturers of pet foods are so out of touch with animals' nutritional requirements that their formulary blunders are accidental? After studying the effects of gluten, dairy, soy, and corn on human and pet health for the past seven years and reading what researchers have known for years, I have come to the conclusion that there is something seriously wrong in Mudville. After the incredible pet food recall story of the past year, any pet owner with a functional brain has to be questioning why we feed dogs and cats the way we do. Notice that I did not include veterinarians in that last sentence. I am afraid that we have been too thoroughly programmed to look at this situation with innocent eyes. Once again, I cannot throw stones here but simply wish to make a point. When asked what to feed, I used to parrot what we have all been led to believe: "Just stick with a good, name brand of pet food and stay away from the generic brands, especially those that spell it ‘Dog Fude'. Haha. And, do not add table food to your pet's commercial diets because that will simply unbalance the formula that the pet food manufacturers have worked so hard to get right over their years and years of research and manufacturing." Oh, how I hang my head in shame now that I know differently. I have had this discussion with countless clients over the past 28 years of practice. It has only been in the last seven years that I have been awake to the reality of just how unscientifically these foods are formulated and produced. All one has to do is look at the ingredient list and compare it to what we know these pets would consume in the wild. It also helps to know the history of what man has done to the grains and other ingredients that make them even more unnatural and harmful. All of the grains are human-made, human-raised crops that we have cultivated for human consumption starting very early in our agricultural history. People love to point out that man ate wheat and drank milk in Biblical times so these things must be good and healthy. Even well-intentioned, Scripture-oriented books make this claim. But they leave out two key points: The wheat we consume now is no longer "God's wheat" and the milk we drink is no longer "God's milk". The original wheat was "pure in its generations" (no hybrids) and contained 1-2% gluten. This was changed forever by our Northern Germanic ancestors in the mid 400's A.D. when they blended two other plants to "God's wheat", creating a hybrid and one that contained much more gluten...so much more that they were stricken with "coeliac disease" (gluten intolerance). It is this new hybrid wheat, which we term ‘common wheat,' that became the ancestor of today's wheat, which now contains as much as 55% gluten, a far cry from the 1-2% found in original wheat. Our wheat is no longer pure in its generations, as it has become a mutant blend of multiple plants that man has continued to manipulate, especially in the recent past. The parallel to the wheat story is "the tale of two milks". The milk they drank in Biblical days was goat's milk. Remember, they were tending their flocks by night, not their herds. Cattle (oxen) were used for doing work and providing meat. It was not until the middle of the second millennium that man went into the dairy industry utilizing cow's milk. Goat milk...the universal foster milk...has 0-2% casein, gluten's evil twin and a troublesome glycoprotein that has also been tied to numerous immune-mediated disorders. Cow milk contains a whopping 80-86% casein, the protein that Borden uses to make Elmer's glue. Lactose is not the culprit in milk. It is the various proteins in cow milk- including alpha s-1 casein, alpha lactalbumin and beta lactalbumin- that do the harm to cells and stimulate the (appropriate) immune responses. I will leave it to the reader to decide who may have started the lactose myth. Understand that goat milk has plenty of lactose and all mammals can be successfully raised on goat milk provided they have not already developed a serious intolerance to the myriad of proteins in cow's milk. Corn has a very interesting story too. Did you know that corn is the only grain that is not self-propagating? Wheat, for example, produces seeds that will fall and produce more wheat. Corn must be planted by man in order to grow. If left alone, it would cease to exist. It was cultivated in Mesoamerica in the millennia B.C. and went through many changes during its domestication. In other words, man had his hands in the making of corn right from the start. The interesting thing is that wherever this new grain was introduced, pellagra (niacin deficiency) broke out. Many texts will say that it is because the niacin was "locked" inside the corn making this essential vitamin unavailable for absorption, which appears to be true. But, the common characteristic of the "big 4"...gluten (wheat, barley, rye), casein, soy and corn...is their ability to damage the villi of the intestine (duodenum) where many essential nutrients including niacin are absorbed. So, was the pellagra due to the unavailable niacin in the corn or due to the fact that the corn blocked the absorption of niacin from the remainder of their diet? Just how much of this new corn were they eating? Was there no other source of dietary niacin? The fact is that corn proteins can block the absorption of calcium, iron, iodine, B complex (including niacin), C, and numerous trace minerals (e.g. zinc, boron, magnesium, manganese) in the same fashion that gluten, casein, and soy can block absorption in susceptible individuals. Soy was Asia's mistake. After examining the serious ill effects of soy on human health, I can say that with all confidence. Wheat was the Northern Germanic's blunder, cow milk consumption was the Anglo-Saxon's error, corn was the Mesoamerican's faulty creation, and soy was the Asian's serious mistake. They should never have removed soy from the ground, where it was used in crop rotation as a way to fix nitrogen in the soil. I suspect that one fine day, someone asked why this crop could not be eaten. They quickly learned that it had to be processed to be consumed safely, including soaking and fermentation, the latter being the key. If one were to read the rigorous process that soy must undergo to render it safe for human consumption, I dare say that the majority would ask "What is the point?" Even after that complex process is completed, the finished product contains more potentially harmful proteins and estrogens than all others. It is fully capable of inducing villous atrophy of the duodenum and is known to be a powerful factor in the development of thyroid disease and estrogen-related disorders. Soy milk has 16-22, 000 times more phytoestrogens than mothers' milk. The effect on the developing child is both potentially devastating and well-documented. All of the "big 4" are used to make industrial adhesives, but soy is used to make super glue. Yes, they put your car together with soy-based super glues. Now, I must ask the reader- Is a little ol' veterinarian from Alabama really the only one who understands all of this stuff or do the research and development departments of the pet and human food giants know most of what I just wrote? Are the people responsible for making decisions concerning your pet's nutrition blissfully ignorant about how unnatural these man-made, man-raised crops are for your dog and cat or are they making bad decisions in the face of what they know to be true and good? To be honest, I sometimes wrestle with which is actually worse...ignorance or greed. I suspect that greed is worse because, after all, it is the "root of all evil". But the ignorance in the face of available knowledge is really frightening. It implies that all of the other undesirable human traits are in play- laziness, apathy, deception, self-centeredness, etc. At least the greedy are motivated. If they could be motivated for good, we would really have something. So, we can easily see that it is the combination of these two...ignorance and greed...that reduce the world to something very short of ideal. After all is said and done, we are left with questions like "Why do we feed carnivores all of these grains?"; "Why are cats fed dry foods when they are so unlike what they would eat in nature?"; and "Why are the average ages of dogs only 12 years and cats only 13 years in the USA when they have been known to live 30 and 40 years respectively?" "Don't the pet food makers know better than to make these diets with such harmful ingredients?" "Are they ignorant or greedy...or something else?" I've even been asked by thinking clients "Could these food companies be in cahoots with veterinarians so that the pets stay sick and the vets who are pushing these foods make more money?" Or: "Are the pet food makers and the pharmaceutical companies working hand-in-hand to keep each other in business?" Others, including veterinarians, realize that the pet food companies (and pharmaceutical companies) are often responsible for the continuing education of vets and ask how that figures into the grand scheme of things. These are ALL great questions. Some related questions I often hear are: "Why don't more people know what you just told me?" and "Why doesn't my doctor talk to me this way?" Of course, I can write for hours offering answers to these and many other questions, but I would like to leave them with you to think about for a while. How will the public find the answers to these questions and our initial query found in the title of this piece? Quite simply, they will find them on the Internet and by talking with others. Thank God (literally) for the Internet. Sure, the World Wide Web is a mixed blessing. It is a home for the spider and trap for the unsuspecting victim. But the vast majority of what I have written on my ever-expanding Website can be confirmed by doing creative Internet searches. I am constantly amazed at what can be quickly found using a simple search. All we need is an idea and it can be turned into an afternoon, a week, or a lifelong quest. My mission has been to discover truth and make it available to those who need it. I certainly believe that I have had divine guidance in much of my journey, something else that is available to anyone who desires It. But the first step is to wake up and see the startling fact that there is something seriously wrong in Mudville. This awakening can be quite unsettling but well worth the process. We must put our minds in gear and apply our common sense. When we do this, the first thing that happens is the flooding of our thoughts with questions. (That is a good thing.) Then the answers follow. They are out there, but the deeper we go down the rabbit hole the harder the questions become... and frequently, the more disturbing the answers. It can be a painful process. A solid spiritual base is an invaluable asset because the ultimate answer to why things have gone so wrong lies in what is in the hearts of men. Where are the hearts of those who produce the foods that we and our pets consume? Reference: 1. Cellier C, Green P. Review Article: Medical Progress—Celiac Disease. N Engl J Med 2007;357:1731-43.

Celiac.com 07/17/2020 - I am saddened by the recent deaths of affected pets and the trauma this has caused their owners. However, this is the absolute best thing that could happen to the pet food companies. I could not be more excited about the potential for seeing the much-needed changes in pet food manufacturing that may finally come about as a result of this “scandal” in which Menu Foods has recalled a portion of the dog and cat food it manufactured between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. This recall should serve as a huge and important warning. The latest information is that 14 pet deaths have been linked directly to the recalled foods. Six of them were cats that died in the studies conducted by Menu Foods to confirm that their food was the culprit. Mortality and morbidity rates have shown that cats are more susceptible to the effects of this food. This makes sense since cats are more strict carnivores than dogs, and would be less adapted to eating foods derived from grains. The FDA, as of this date, still holds that they do not know what the exact culprit is while the company itself has been quoted as saying that they believe it is the wheat gluten acquired from a new supplier. According to one report I read, the company has replaced the gluten and gone back to the previous formula. If that’s true, they must be convinced that the wheat gluten is the problem. Gluten can cause these health problems and more. Gluten, in sensitized individuals, can induce both chronic and acute kidney failure. This form of kidney failure is typically what we call an IgA nephropathy, in which antibodies and immune complexes formed against gluten are deposited in the kidneys, which leads to damage and ultimately failure. Again, this can be chronic leading to persistent blood (microscopic) and protein in the urine or it can be acute. In most cases of the “tainted” food deaths, the pets had been eating these foods for months before succumbing to its effects. You may have seen the emotion-charged interviews on national news that dealt with owners who thought they were doing the right thing by feeding their pets these foods. They have now learned that they were poisoning their dogs and cats. First, is it a “tainted food -one that contains a poison or a toxin? Or is it one that simply contains a form of gluten that is too powerful for pets’ (or human) consumption? I can easily believe the latter, and that they will find that this new source of gluten came from some genetically modified (GMO) or hybrid wheat that is unsuitable for human consumption and hence, cheaper. That would explain why it was chosen to replace the company’s old source of gluten. It could be the old Starlink (CRY9C) corn story all over again. You remember that one, right? This occurred in 2000 and Taco Bell became the poster child when they had to recall taco shells suspected of having this GMO corn that was intended only for animal feed. Of course that story died quickly (like I am trying to keep this one from doing) and the public never heard about the millions of dollars spent to rid our food supply of this transgenic maize (GMO corn). They recalled over 350 brands of corn products in their attempt to fix this situation. Who knows whether they were really effective? Corn allergies in humans have risen as I certainly believe they have in pets. The expressed concern was that it may cause “allergic reactions.” Well, if you call immune-mediated reactions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and asthma “allergic reactions” then that might be accurate. The story of this recall, and the underlying cause, should be sending shock waves through the public and veterinary communities. But the response thus far has been limited to concern similar to that seen in an E. coli outbreak. However, if we knew that it was the wheat gluten, and if we knew what wheat gluten was capable of (like we who study celiac disease know) then we should be seeing the bigger picture here: This is just the tip of the iceberg. Dogs and cats have been dying from this stuff all along and we just haven’t known it. We need to wake up to the fact that dogs and cats should not be eating these grains to begin with, regardless of the extent to which Humankind has genetically modified these foods. The startling but well established fact is that the lectins of gluten (wheat, barley, rye) dairy products (e.g. casein, lactalbumin) soy, and corn are all capable of inducing serious health issues in those (sensitized) individuals consuming them. I am of the firm belief that these “big 4” are not healthy foods for anyone. They are simply more harmful to some individuals than others. It is a matter of when, not if, they will cause a problem. That’s why I lovingly call them the “four horsemen of the apocalypse”. You may wonder why the problems caused by these proteins do not happen immediately. That is a great question and one that sometimes keeps people from seeing the truth about these harmful glycoproteins/lectins. The fact is that the onset of the lectin-related disorder, whether it be rheumatoid arthritis, type-one diabetes, lupus, etc., is usually preceded by another event such as viral or bacterial infection. Vaccines can also act as triggers. The result of such secondary events is a sudden influx and attachment of these inflammatory proteins to various cells in the body, ushering in what we often refer to as “autoimmune” disorders. I hate that term because it implies an immune system that has gone haywire, attacking the body for no reason. Our bodies and immune systems never make that kind of mistake! These things happen for a reason and these food proteins are often the cause. Viruses also play a role, as described on my web site. All one needs to do is study celiac disease (gluten intolerance) to see how all of this works and appreciate the health implications that accompany this extremely common condition. It does occur in dogs and cats. That has become painfully obvious over the past 7 years I have been studying this issue. The Irish setter is the only known breed to suffer from gluten intolerance but it is clear that gluten is affecting many other breeds of dogs and cats. Why wouldn’t it? It is affecting us and we have had millennia to adapt to eating wheat. Our pets have only been eating wheat-based pet foods for about 20 years now. The fact is that wheat gluten can cause kidney failure. With the relatively small number of deaths that have occurred, gluten is the most likely culprit. Wheat gluten can cause an IgA nephropathy that can either result in chronic or acute kidney failure. There does not have to be another toxin involved. In fact, mold toxins primarily affect the liver and the amount of other toxins that could be present would have to be much higher to cause kidney damage. If so, many more individuals would have been affected. Thus, the FDA is correct in pointing the finger at gluten but very wrong in saying that wheat gluten cannot cause kidney failure. This leads to my final point (other than the fact that many of you are up in arms about so many of your “quality pet foods” being made by one big company in Canada): Are your pet foods really formulated “scientifically”? I used to think so. Hey, I used to parrot what I was taught - that the pet food companies spend millions of dollars and years of intense research coming up with balanced and nutritious foods. I used to warn people not to add any table food so that they did not upset this “balance”. I was one of their biggest fans...patsies. Then I woke up and wrote “Gluten Intolerance and Your Pet”. Why are we feeding dogs and cats with wheat, barley, soy, and corn (and now dairy products...again...after having removed them 20 years ago)? The manufacturers of pet foods either don’t have a clue as to what they are doing or they know better and are doing the wrong thing anyway. If I were in the pet food industry, I’d rather claim ignorance, but I’ll let readers decide for themselves. If the research and development departments of these companies that are starting to use dairy products again truly think that lactose is the culprit (rather than the lectins of casein, lactalbumin, etc), then the executives in charge need to fire the entire lot of them and start afresh. If they really don’t know what gluten can do to the kidneys, joints, intestinal tracts, brains and other organs of our beloved pets, then they all need to go back to school or find another line of work. DO NOT let this story die. It does not matter whether they ever tell us that wheat gluten caused these deaths. The fact is that it can, and does. Thus, gluten has no place in pet food. The gluten found in the non-recalled dry food versions of these foods is only incrementally better, causing sub-clinical issues that shorten our pet’s lives. Do you really want to know why the average dog’s life is 12 years and that of the cat is 13 years (in the USA) when the former can live to be nearly thirty and the latter to 40? Look no further than what we put in their bowls. In a study done in Europe, pets that were fed table scraps lived an average of 3 years longer than those fed commercial diets alone. Why? Highly processed foods cannot possibly contain all of the essential nutrients found in fresh meats, fruits and vegetables. If our veterinarians can’t understand that, then they too need a refresher course. The combination of these foods is woefully deficient in nutrients and the fact that they are downright harmful is an abomination. It is time to change this! Let this recall story be a warning sign but please do not let it die. This increased awareness of the pet food industry and how it works is actually good news for the pets and may also awaken many people to the hazards posed to humans.