Are rawhide treats from i-pets.com safe for my pet?
How do I know that rawhide treats are free of poisons?
In light of the horrific news reports, more and more each day,
of pets sickening and dying from tainted additives in pet foods
and pet biscuits, the management of i-pets.com would like to take
this opportunity to explain the processing of rawhide treats and
any imported items we may sell to our customers.
Pets in the US are becoming sick and dying because of melamine,
a chemical found in fertilizers in Asia and which should not be
in pet food in any amounts. Melamine was used as an additive in
wheat gluten and rice gluten used in pet foods. Why? Food and
Drug Administration investigators say the Chinese companies may
have spiked products with the chemical melamine so that they would
appear, in tests, to have more value as protein products.
How do you know melamine additives aren't
in rawhide treats? Because rawhide is almost pure protein - there is no need to add
protein value. Products sold by i-pets.com, which state "USA"
are made entirely in the United States from cattle hides raised
and processed in the United States. No chemicals are used to process
these rawhides - the process involves repeated washes with purified
water to remove fats which can lead to unpleasant odor and spoilage.
In the last water bath, hydrogen peroxide, the same product used
for first aid, is added to the water to retard spoilage.
Rawhide treats made in foreign countries are identifiable because
these are the ultra white ones. Some disreputable companies will
use chemicals to whiten the hides, because it makes them more
attractive to customers. Dogs could care less!
YES, WE SELL PRODUCTS IMPORTED
FROM CHINA!
EACH SHIPMENT IS TESTED AT A PROFESSIONAL LABORATORY, AT OUR
COST, TO BE SURE THAT OUR PRODUCTS ARE SAFE!
i-pets.com sells imported rawhide treats in addition to those
manufactured in the USA. Why? Because consumers like looking for
bargains and it's impossible to manufacture in the USA as cheaply
as overseas. US manufacturing is regulated by countless federal,
state and local agencies, and also required to meet minimum wage
and insurance requirements. Foreign companies are not bound by
these same rules and can produce at much lower cost.
How does a consumer know if an imported pet product is safe?
It's easy to say "Buy from a reputable manufacturer,"
but most consumers are not familiar with foreign companies. So
take it a step further - buy from a reputable retailer. At i-pets.com,
we have seen the gamut of good and bad manufacturing practices.
We have visited factories in Mexico, Thailand, Taiwan, China and
South America. We would not buy a product to sell to the public
that we wouldn't wish to give to our own companion animals.
At i-pets.com, we pride ourselves on our ultra-low prices, but
we will not sacrifice the safety of our customers' companion animals
solely to sell a cheaper product. i-pets.com will only sell imported
products from manufacturers we have personally visited and been
satisfied with. If we can't find an acceptable product at a lower
price than our competitors, we will not carry that product.
i-pets.com will no longer sell imported treats - from
any country - until we have laboratory test certification that
these items contain no harmful additives or chemicals.
PLEASE NOTE:
If you are committed to purchasing
ONLY USA MANUFACTURED products:
USA rawhide bones
and treats
Deer Antler Chews
USA
pig ears
Kristie's Klips hair
bows
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