STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Veterinarians, bioethicists, pet parents and others are speaking out about the rising epidemic of degenerative diseases in pets, and what’s behind it
- The increasing rates of GI disease, allergies, cancer and other serious conditions in dogs and cats parallel the introduction and ever-increasing presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the U.S. food supply
- GM crops are engineered to survive spraying with the toxin glyphosate, the primary ingredient in Roundup; glyphosate is considered a cancer-causing agent in animals
- Genetically modified foods can actually change the terrain of the GI tract
- The only way change will occur is if pet parents demand the type of foods that will enable our animal companions to live long, healthy lives
Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published July 14, 2018.
The video above is a compendium of voices — the voices of pet parents, veterinarians and bioethicists concerned about how sick so many animal companions are today, and what they believe is causing it. Dr. Barbara Royal of The Royal Treatment Veterinary Center:
"When I first started practicing, I didn't see that much cancer, or allergies, or gastrointestinal (GI) problems. Now? I see them every single day. Also, one in every two animals in this country is obese, and these problems are related to the fact that we're feeding them chemicals."
Dr. Geoffrey Broderick, world-renowned veterinarian:
"There's liver disease, heart disease, kidney disease. Since 1996 I've seen a phenomenal change in the health of pets, and that change is degradation."
Dr. Marlene Siegel, Pasco Veterinary Medical Center:
"Ninety percent of our animals, even as young as 6 to 8 months of age, are showing signs of degenerative disc disease, and the thing I mainly attribute it to is diet."
Dr. Natasha Lilly, Animal Care Clinic:
"I suspect that a lot of the skin conditions I'm seeing more recently are a result of diet."
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) Change the Terrain of the GI Tract
When we're putting toxins into our pets on a daily basis, not only do we negatively influence their GI immunologic health, but we now know that genetically modified foods can actually change the terrain of the GI tract. We're providing a potentially irreversible immunological consequence from feeding tainted diets on a daily basis.
We should be asking ourselves why we're seeing an epidemic of animals suffering from chronic disease. We have to be thinking about the foods we're feeding. Dr. Siegel:
"We know the root cause of all disease is inflammation. The inflammation is coming from the leaky gut that's occurring due to the hormones, chemicals, pesticides, and particularly, the genetically modified ingredients in pet food."
Dr. Michael W. Fox, bioethicist and author:
"One of the main reasons I came to the conclusion we should be blaming GMOs in pet foods for this cluster of health problems we're seeing is that essentially, nothing else in the health background of these animals had been changing from the 1970s to the 1990s to 2000.
There was no other way to account for this cluster of diseases suddenly appearing, in parallel with the appearance and increasing inclusion of genetically engineered ingredients in manufactured dog and cat foods."
GMOs Were Introduced Into the US Food Supply in the Late 1990s
Dr. Jennifer Levitsky, Healing Paws Veterinary Wellness Center:
"GMOs have become much more prevalent in pet foods in the last several years. We're seeing a lot more allergies, we're seeing a lot more cancer, and we're seeing a lot more dogs with GI-type problems."
Jeffrey Smith, founder and executive director, Institute for Responsible Technology:
"GMOs are genetically modified organisms. Scientists take genes from one species, like bacteria or viruses, and force them into other species, like soybeans or corn.
Or they can rearrange the genes within the same species. GMOs were introduced into the food supply in the U.S. in the late 1990s, and since then, many diseases in the human population have been rising in parallel with increased consumption. Many veterinarians are seeing the same kind of thing in their practice."
Dr. Fox:
"I see the creation of GMOs — genetic engineering biotechnology — as the last step for the human species to tamper with the earth's regulatory and creative processes. It's an invasion on the sanctity of life, purely for human profit."
GMO Plants Are Engineered to Tolerate Spraying with Glyphosate, a Carcinogen
When we wean our animals onto species inappropriate, toxic, dry, inorganic, chemically laden foods that have been genetically altered, we cannot expect a health outcome. Dr. Caroline O'Sullivan, veterinarian, Holistic Veterinary Care & Acupuncture Center:
"I believe chronic inflammation of the GI tract is directly to GM diets."
Jeffrey Smith:
"Most GMOs are engineered for the purpose of allowing the crop to be sprayed with Roundup herbicide, and not have the crop die. The Roundup is sprayed on the crops and gets absorbed into the food, which is then consumed.
The primary toxin in Roundup is called glyphosate. The World Health Organization has classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. But they also said that for animals, it's not probable — it does cause cancer."
Dr. Royal:
"When we began looking into what was in pet foods, one of the things we found is there are a lot of pesticides in there. The increase in pesticides and other problematic things that have been slowly, insidiously put into pet food has made a huge difference in the fact that we have this epidemic of sick animals.
We're seeing cancer rates going unbelievably high. I've gone from seeing maybe one cancer case per month to seeing several per day. There has to be some correlation there. I had no idea, and I don't think I really understood it, until I stopped animals from eating food with pesticides in it and saw the difference in their health.
So if we're suddenly seeing cancer develop in every one out of two animals, there's got to be something we're doing, and I'm pretty sure we're feeding carcinogens to our pets, and that's what glyphosate is."
Positive Change Occurs Quickly When We Clean up the Diet
If you have pet who is sick, degenerating or dying, one of the easiest, simplest, most common sense things you can do is get the toxins out of their food, to reduce the chemical burden the animal is having to bear, but also to find an opportunity for detoxification to occur. Dr. O'Sullivan:
"Sometimes if we just simply get rid of everything else and start on a GMO-free diet, over the course of a very short amount of time, you'll see amazing results."
Pet parent Christa Wilson and her dog Minnie:
"Minnie was off the GMO and it just made a complete difference in her whole body — her skin, her allergies, the dryness, the hair, her feeling good. I've never seen her feel this good, ever."
Pet parent Erin Loos Kranzler and her dog Lacy:
"She's now eating much better. She actually runs to the bowl when I put the food in there and she wants to eat it. She never has done that."
Pet parent Emma and her cat Dragonfly:
"The symptoms started to clear up in four to six weeks after putting them on a non-GMO, organic diet."
Pet parent Kim and her dog Murphy:
"By about two weeks we started to see an improvement with Murphy, and his digestive issues cleared up."
Pet parents Paul and Carrie and their dog Finley:
"It was a non-GMO diet and it was strictly organic and it was an amazing result. What's more amazing is his fur. He is shiny. He has the most beautiful coat I've ever seen."
Jeffrey Smith:
"In our survey, 3,256 people reported improvements in 28 different conditions after they switched to non-GMO and largely organic diets. An additional 80 people filled out the survey on behalf of their pets, and they found [eight] conditions improving on a regular basis."
Are You Ready for Change?
Dr. Royal:
"The conditions I've seen improve are allergies, gastrointestinal problems, autoimmune diseases, behavioral problems. There are just so many conditions that have in a very obvious way improved when we take animals off GMO-laden, glyphosate-ridden foods, and put them on something that's more organic and natural.
It's a dramatic change. I recommend we spend less money on medication and more money on food. Feed foods that are organic. Feed foods that are non-GMO. It will make a difference. It matters if you do the right things nutritionally."
Dr. Siegel:
"We need to make changes. We need to think differently. We need to change our belief systems, and we need to create consumer demand for the type of foods that will enable our pets to live the longest, healthiest life possible. And until we make that line in the sand, it's not going to happen."
Jeffrey Smith:
"I love it when I hear a pet owner tell me they've changed the diet, and now the animal is healthier and more vibrant. Veterinarians tell me that many of these animals live much longer. This is exciting news, but not enough people know about it.
That's why, at the Institute for Responsible Technology, we've created a campaign to protect pets from the health dangers of GMOs, Roundup, and other pesticides. We'd like to provide you with free information, including test results, from pet foods.
Go to PetsandGMOs.com and find out if the pet food you're feeding your animal contains GMOs or Roundup or other toxic chemicals. Learn how to read labels. Learn how to make healthier choices. And consider making a donation to our non-profit so we can continue to keep you up-to-date and get this information out to millions of people who love and care for their animals. Safe eating!"
