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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10061
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| Pellets and their (poisonous) ingredients |
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Read this!
Especially the part about
ethoxyquin
!!!
The following is a list of popular pellets and the artificial ingredients they may contain. More information can be found at the following website that provides a Comparison of Avian Pellet Manufacturers
List of Pellet Comparisons
Abba & Abba 1500A
= ethoxyquin, artificial color and flavor
Avi-Sci Parrot Maintenance Pellets
= ethoxyquin
Hagen Tropical Pellets
= natural color, salt
Hagen Tropical High performance Pellets
= natural flavor, salt
Harrison's Pellets=organic
Kaytee Pellets
= ethoxyquin, artificial color, natural favlor, salt, bht or bha
Kellog Pellets
= ethoxyquin, artificial flavor, salt
Lafeber Pellets
= ethoxyquin
Lafeber Nutriberries
= ethoxyquin
Lefeber Avi Cake Treats
= ethoxyquin
L&M Pellets
= ethoxyquin, artificial color and flavor
Pretty Bird Pellets
= ethoxyquin, artifical flavor, salt, added sugar, BHT or BHA
Roudybush Pellets
= ethoxyquin
ZuPreem Pellets
= all-natural, sugar
Breeders Blend Pellets
= artificial flavor, salt
Scenic
= salt
Goldenfeast
(natural state food) = all natural approx. 23 ingredients
Noah's Kingdom
(natural state food) = all human grade 47 ingredients
Note: Nearly all pellets have synthetic vitamins and minerals and are heat
processed so the nutrient value is substantially gone by the time our birds
eat it.
Ethoxyquin
is listed and identified as a hazardous chemical by OSHA. It has a rating of 3 on a scale of 1 to 6 with 6 being super toxic requiring less than 7 drops to cause death. When mfg. by Monsanto, the containers are marked with the word POISON. The Dept. of Ag. lists and controls Ethoxyquin as a pesticide. The US FDA has announced that ethoxyquin, as currently regulated is no longer safe for use in dog food. Ethoxyquin promotes kidney carcinogenesis, significantly increases the incidence of stomach tumors, enhanced bladder carcinogenesis and urinary bladder carcinogenesis.
Cancers of this type are the most lethal and fastest acting, the swiftest effects being seen among animals.
Artificial colors
: Most people are aware of toxic side effects of artificial colors and flavors from coal tar derivatives such as Red #40, a possible carcinogen and Yellow #6, which causes sensitivity to fatal viruses in animals.
BHA/BHT
: Petroleum products used to stabilize fats in foods. In the process of metabolizing BHA and BHT, chemical changes occur in the body. These changes have caused reduced growth rates and white blood cell stimulation.
Pets can exhibit reactions such as skin blisters, hemorrhaging of the eye,
weakness, discomfort in breathing, a reduction of the body's own antioxidant enzyme and may cause cancer. According to Dr. Wendell Belfield, DVM for some 26 years, both BHA and BHT are known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction and are banned in some European countries.
Pesticides
: Found just about everywhere, they are altering our genetic
makeup and producing animal and bird mutations. Most obvious is the assault to our pets health, manifesting itself as cancer. The EPA now considers many previously approved chemicals to be potentially carcinogenic - 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides and 30% of all insecticides currently being used by farmers. And the pesticides that are banned in this country are shipped to foreign countries who use them on their agriculture and then ship that food back to us for consumption!!!
The fruits and veggies most susceptible to contamination from pesticides are
listed in the order of highest risk of contamination: strawberries, bell
peppers (green, red, yellow), spinach, cherries, peaches, cantaloupe (from
Mexico), celery, apples, apricots, green beans, grapes and cucumbers.
Propylene Glycol
: used as a de-icing fluid for airplanes, this chemical is
added to food and skin products to maintain texture and moisture as well as
inhibiting bacteria growth. It also inhibits the growth of friendly
bacteria in the digestive system by decreasing the amount of moisture in the
intestinal tract leading to constipation and cancer. It can affect the
liver and kidneys and causes the destruction of red blood cells. Read your
labels, on your food and beauty products, as well as your birdie treats.
This stuff is everywhere!
Salt
: added as a preservative, salt can irritate the stomach lining, cause
increased thirst and aggravate heart and kidney problems through fluid
retention.
Sodium Nitrite
: used in the curing of meats, this substance participates in
a chemical reaction in the body that becomes carcinogenic. It is used also
in pet foods to add color.
Sugar and other sweeteners
: most common are beet sugar, corn sugar,
molasses and sucrose. Used as preservatives and have the side effect of
creating sugar addicts in pets. They require almost no digestion and are
rapidly absorbed into the blood streatm. They provide sugar highs and
subsequent lows (moodiness), inhibit the proper growth of friendly
intestinal bacteria and virtually shut down the digestive system while being
processed. Also contribute to diabetes and hypoglycemia, cataract
development, obesity and arthritis.
Note on feather plucking: There are several dietary considerations. One is
the presence of salt in the diet. Many parrots consultants believe that
artifical colors and preservatives contribute to feather grooming disorders.
You may also want to consider that your bird may have an allergic reaction
to some artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.
Our bird's health is only as good as the strength of their immune system.
By enhancing their diets and eliminating the toxic elements in their food
and water and air (smoke from cigarettes, burning food, chemical cleaning
agents, candles, chemical coatings on cookware, irons, toasters, etc.), we
can greatly strengthen their immune systems.
Birds have a high metabolic rate and parrots require a diet rich in complex
carbohydrates such as whole grains, legumes, fruits and veggies with their
abundance of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Enzymes are found in fresh,
uncooked foods (not found in heat processed pellets). Enzymes assist in
proper digestion, maintaining health and proper metabolic function.
The dry, convenient pellets have been denatured, then the essential
synthetic nutrients are added back. They are devoid of enzymes which are
life promoting elements. While they may maintain life, they do not promote
optimum health or longevity. They also produce increased absorption of
water from the digestive system, water than is not easily replaced by just
drinking.
Also something I just ran into recently and have just started writing about is the use of dried fruits in many of our bird mixes. All of the dried fruit is preserved with sulphur dioxide which gives it a very rich pleaseable color. Now because the people that sell bird food usually only mix bags of ingredients together to make a completed mix, by law they can say that there are no additives or preservatives because they did not do the adding but where they buy their dried fruits do add this chemical. Naturally dried fruits have a shelf life of approx. 4-5 weeks, while preserved with sulphur dioxide the fruit will last up to a year and we don't know the long term effects. The "HACSG" (Hyperactive Children's Support Group) strongly recommends not to use this with children and it can cause allergic reactions as well, goodness knows what it could do to our birds. Could be one reason some of our birds are plucking or picking feathers. Now the manufacturers will tell you its harmless but my research tells me to keep this away from our fragile birds. |
Tuesday March 29, 2005 1:10 pm |
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Wings
Fledgeling
Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 247
Location: usa |
This is so scary! I wish they would make parrot's food safer because not everybody can afford harrisons, especially those that have alot of birds. I read where Nutriberries was or did take exthoxlyquin out of them but that they wasn't going to pull the old ones off the shelves...so if you buy them make sure you read the package and see if it's there new bags.....Pam |
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Wednesday April 6, 2005 4:02 pm |
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LaSignoraMusica
Bappie
Joined: 26 Feb 2005
Posts: 62
Location: The Netherlands |
Well, I feed them Harrisson's, though I'm not rich at all. I can hardly meet ends, so to say. But the advantage of giving good food, is that you spend probably less at the veterinarian clinic. In fact, here in europe, it's only 50 eurocent each parrot a day. So I safe on unnessecary luxury things for myself in order to give my animals the best food possible. |
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Wednesday April 6, 2005 8:42 pm |
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Greg Sujecki
Experienced flier
Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 1650
Location: Australia,Melbourne |
Thank you for posting such detailed information. I was unaware of the danger's some pellets have even though my birds are on a fresh fruit and vegie diet also green weeds.I have thought of giving my birds some pellets sometime but now my questions have been answered l'll stick to what l have.  |
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Tuesday April 12, 2005 11:52 pm |
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LaSignoraMusica
Bappie
Joined: 26 Feb 2005
Posts: 62
Location: The Netherlands |
That's why I give the Harrisons: as you can see, they are not on the list: 100% organic, no sugar, no artificial coloring etc. I feed the High Potency Coarse. Especially for a plucker like my Tabu and my adopted old amazon Borre, they both need something more. Apart from this I feed of course fresh fruit, veggies and nuts. |
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Wednesday April 13, 2005 5:24 am |
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Greg Sujecki
Experienced flier
Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 1650
Location: Australia,Melbourne |
yes organic way to go,and fruit veggies and of course still yet to find one parrot that doesn't like nuts!! (a bribe in the form of a seed, l find)my Mylo goes a long way for one... |
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Wednesday April 13, 2005 12:28 pm |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10061
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Harrisons isn't 100 percent organic.. 
According to the Harrisons site:
Note: Under new USDA National Organic Program guidelines, pet food labels are required to specify exactly which ingredients are certified organic.
To be able to claim a "CERTIFIED ORGANIC" status of a specific product, each product must be made up of no less than 95% certified organic ingredients by weight.
All foods listed below meet these criteria and are considered "CERTIFIED ORGANIC". Harrison's Bird Foods goes to great measures to make sure these requirements are met. Companies that claim to be either 100% organic or Certified Organic and do not provide the consumer with the required organic specifics are in violation of the NOP rules and might not even be certified organic at all.
"Iron Sulphate" is not an ingredient currently used in any Harrison's Bird Food product.
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Thursday April 14, 2005 8:01 am |
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LaSignoraMusica
Bappie
Joined: 26 Feb 2005
Posts: 62
Location: The Netherlands |
Ok, sorry for the error. But apart from this, I still think that harrisson's is the best pellet to give to your birds. |
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Thursday April 14, 2005 10:11 am |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10061
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He he he, I should have put a smiley behind my post.. It wasn't meant like that..
Just wanted to point out that Harrisons wasn't 100 percent organic..
I don't know if it's the best pellet, at least the best pellet in the Netherlands..
(My opinion he he he) |
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Thursday April 14, 2005 10:24 am |
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shells picasso
Flier
Joined: 29 May 2005
Posts: 900
Location: Sydney |
My god  What's happening to our food supply when even pet food has this many impurities. Picasso eats mostly pellets, he also has fruit, veg, grain,seed, rice, pasta and sometimes meat or dairy as a treat (since I cook for him I now eat a lot more healthy myself, I'm no longer cooking for one so it's worth preparing a meal) He has vetafarm breeder pellets since he's still young and I put some health grit in rather than give him artificial supliments. It makes me so angry when I see what they do to food. |
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Saturday June 4, 2005 4:41 pm |
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Tia
Fledgeling
Joined: 13 May 2005
Posts: 319
Location: Illinois |
Ok this is scary! I am going to start adding more fresh foods to my birds diets.... |
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Sunday June 5, 2005 3:37 am |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10061
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I was worried too!
But appearantly, toxic stuff is normal when it comes to pet food. Some of the leading dog food brands contain lots of poisonous stuff.
It's troubling! |
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Sunday June 5, 2005 9:06 am |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10061
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You can also give one of the organic diets.
(Along with other fresh stuff) |
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Sunday June 5, 2005 9:07 am |
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lisaandzachary
Flutterer
Joined: 17 Aug 2005
Posts: 161
Location: Canada |
| harrisons |
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can you buy that anywhere? I keep hearing about it so it must be good stuff. I live in canada do you think they sell that hear? what kind of bird is harrisons used for? I have a meyers. |
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Friday August 26, 2005 6:54 pm |
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shirin
Moderator
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7399
Location: Canada, Toronto |
Lisa,
I get mine from a veterinary clinic in Oakville. Harrison's isn't sold in stores, and the only place I've found it is at this clinic. I live in Toronto so it's about an hour drive for me, but it's well worth it. After I started feeding my birds Harrison's I totally noticed a difference in their appearance! Their feathers are a lot brighter and they look a lot healthier
Burloak Animal Clinic
3060 Lakeshore Rd. West
Oakville, Ontario, Canada L6L 1J2
Phone (905) 827-1171 Fax (905) 827-1175
There's a place in Vancouver also that you can order it from, I'll have to look that up |
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Friday August 26, 2005 7:04 pm |
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