Behind the glossy ads and hype of the pet care industry lies an inconvenient the industrial diets we feed our dogs and cats are causing a global epidemic of sickness and suffering. From tartar-encrusted teeth and stinking breath to weakened immunity and a host of diseases, our pets are being harmed by the highly processed 'junk pet food' we place in their bowls. Manufacturers and vets selectively disregard scientific facts, pushing money-making products and services that cost us billions and, ultimately, our pets their lives. It's a fraud of epic proportions. Based on decades of rigorous research and astute observation, Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud by whistleblower vet and natural feeding advocate Dr Tom Lonsdale provides the tools and guidance to help you keep your pets healthy and happy. It explains why raw meaty bones are both nutritious and nature's medicine, supported by a wealth of case studies and testimonials from grateful pet owners. And it exposes the shameful failings of pet food manufacturers, veterinary practices and veterinary schools intent on keeping us in the dark. It's time to blow away the smokescreen for your pet's and wallet's sake. Are you ready?
Dr Lonsdale graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London in 1972. And thus began a varied career in veterinary medicine commencing as a volunteer in Nairobi, Kenya followed by work in farm animal, zoo animal and small animal private practice in the United Kingdom. In 1980 he emigrated to Australia and established a group of mixed animal veterinary clinics in Western Sydney.
In the early years Dr Lonsdale adhered to conventional veterinary teaching and practice. However by the late 1980s his career took a different turn. Together with veterinary colleagues, dubbed the Raw Meaty Bones Lobby, a new perception, a new set of values took hold. It became clear to Dr Lonsdale that the modern fashion of feeding dogs and cats industrial, highly processed products was in fact the reason a majority of domestic carnivores suffer from putrid breath and a host of diet related diseases. By changing his patients' diet from packaged food to a diet of raw meaty bones puppies and kittens gained a new vitality. Old dogs and cats gained a new lease on life.
Dr Lonsdale took up the challenge by blowing the whistle on the pet food industry/veterinary profession/fake animal welfare alliance. From 1991 to the present he has been the leader of the Raw Meaty Bones Lobby for better pet health, veterinary teaching and an end to the junk pet food fraud.
“Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud: Hiding in Plain Sight” is a rigorously researched exposition by whistleblower vet and natural feeding advocate, Dr. Tom Lonsdale. In it, he exposes the well-woven web of deceptive and greedy manufacturers of pet food who have little to no regard for good animal health.
In this book, Dr. Lonsdale takes readers on a journey that he believes will illuminate the present-day undeniable junk pet food devastation and the arduous work of trying to disclose and crush it. He believes that it will be useful to know where the modern concept of “pet food” came from and how pet keepers can ultimately revert to healthier options from bygone times.
He begins by recalling a frightening observation during the span of his career: almost every consulting client he ever met had no one to share with them sound, healthy dietary advice for their pets. The reality on the ground was that numerous pet owners had been convinced by marketers and vets that the centuries-old diet of meat and bone should be replaced with big commercial brands. This set in motion a series of diseases in domesticated animals.
Dr. Lonsdale believes that it all starts with the wooing of young, ambitious vets by the junk pet food industry’s nutritional experts to recommend their brands in exchange for a tip here or there. By the time they settle into their practice, they are intoxicated with propaganda without realizing the sad reality that they are being used to generate revenue for pet food companies.
I admired the author’s courage in calling out a vice that has seen many pets experience shortened life spans and diseases such as arthritis and increased rates of cancer. To my mind, the best chapter is “Protecting Your Pets: Everyday Reality in the Consulting Room,” where the doctor explains how junk food chemicals remain in the body of a pet for days, eventually taking a toll on its immune system. The chapter also helped me understand how the industry has managed to keep true, accurate, and useful information from pet owners while simultaneously exposing them to a jumble of erroneous data for the sake of monetary gains.
“Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud: Hiding in Plain Sight” by Dr. Tom Lonsdale is a straightforward, easy-to-read, and practical book that ensures the reader is properly informed on what to feed their pet. I loved the author’s approach to bone meals, which is a lost concept in today’s modern world. I loved every inch of this meticulous exposition, especially for its hard-striking truth, which I’m sure when given thought, will see pets worldwide live longer and healthier lives. This book’s real value is in its delivery of peace of mind to those who are or may have already felt the sting of modern-day commercial foods. I highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to make better decisions for their cherished four-legged friends.Dr. Tom Lonsdale’s Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud: Hiding in Plain Sight is an alarming exposé that challenges the widespread deception within the pet food industry. As a veterinarian and passionate advocate for natural feeding, Lonsdale exposes the dangers of the processed, artificial diets that dominate the market, revealing their detrimental effects on cats and dogs. He convincingly argues that these “junk” pet foods contribute to dental disease, chronic illness, and the premature deaths of our beloved pets. It is shocking to discover that what should be a healthy source of nutrition for our cats and dogs is a health hazard.
Lonsdale condemns what he calls the “blatant junk pet food brainwashing,” exposing collusion between pet food manufacturers, veterinarians, and regulators who profit at the expense of pet health. Drawing on decades of scientific research and clinical experience, he advocates for a return to natural diets—specifically, raw meaty bones—as the optimal nutrition for pets. These foods provide not only essential nutrients but also support dental hygiene and immune health, offering a holistic approach to pet wellness.
The book combines a memoir of Lonsdale’s 30-year campaign to expose the industry’s lies with practical guidance for pet owners eager to improve their pets’ health safely. Testimonials from pet owners who have transitioned to raw diets serve as compelling evidence, challenging ingrained beliefs that store-bought pet foods are enough. He presents compelling photographs that help illustrate his message.
Written in a friendly yet well-referenced style, Lonsdale educates readers about the problems with the pet food industry, making this a valuable resource for both pet owners and professionals. His personal experiences as a veterinarian lend credibility and passion to his arguments. His message resonates deeply: trusting the pet food industry is harming our pets, while they profit. As I read, I thought of a correlation to what we are experiencing in the human food industry. Our foods are overprocessed and chemical-laden. They threaten human health! Pets, unlike humans, have no voice to advocate for themselves, so we must do it for them.
Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud: Hiding in Plain Sight by Dr. Tom Lonsdale is essential for anyone who loves their pets and wants to protect their health. It offers a vital, well-researched critique of the pet food industry, empowering readers to advocate for safer, more natural diets, especially the raw meaty bones diet, for their beloved animals.
Dr Tom is an inspiration in his tireless and unending advocacy for pets. No matter how much he is up against, he never loses hope. His is a moving story, and the book will be life-changing for pets and their owners.
Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud: Hiding in Plain Sight ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
[This review by Dr Jim Euclid, BVSc (Hons) BVBiol (Dist) PhD and posted here by Dr Lonsdale]
Veterinarians generally advise against fresh meat diets because of the risks of zoonotic disease, bacterial contamination, parasitoses, nutritional imbalances, etc. This has led to a global veterinary industry recommendation that the best food for pets is that which is commercialized and regulated; an institutional standard for nearly a century. So entrenched is this dietary paradigm, that if a veterinarian dare suggest feeding cats and dogs fresh meat, organs, bones, etc, it would be considered unprofessional.
Is it any wonder that vets like Tom Lonsdale, a natural food advocate, can lose professional agency for challenging such dogma? Is our profession so fragile that it cannot allow vets to offer alternatives to commercial diets?
There will always be a place for commercial diets in veterinary medicine but to advocate against natural diets in the teaching of nutrition to both vets and their clients is wrong. Especially when human medicine is facing an epidemic of obesity, metabolic disease and spiralling medical costs associated with consumption of highly processed food.
Tom Lonsdale, in this engrossing book " Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud", rightly argues that if vets are ostracized for suggesting fresh food diets, perhaps the paradigm needs adjusting. As a strong advocate myself for advising natural food diets over commercial food wherever practical, it is surprising that such an idea has become a conspiracy in modern veterinary medicine. As a profession, we really need to bring our logic back to first principles; diets that are, or closely resemble, natural foods will always be superior.
Tom Lonsdale has written a valuable, thought-provoking book looking at the commercial pursuit of profits that often comes at the expense of preventative medicine and how scientific truths should always be challenged at the coalface of clinical experience. This book should be a part of every veterinarian's library.
Veterinarian Tom Lonsdale has been advocating for pet dogs and cats to be fed a diet of raw meaty bones for decades. He makes a convincing case that by feeding these companion animals as carnivores, you'll be greatly increasing the quality of life for your pet and lowering your vet bills.
There's a great deal of anecdotal evidence in terms of testimonials from clients. Stomach problems resolved. Tartar and periodontal disease? Gone. Numerous other ailments cured with good food.
Sadly, no research has been done because of the multi-billion dollar kibble industry and their hold on veterinarian education.
Lonsdale includes many letters and emails that he's exchanged with various other vets, politicians, journalists, and others to demonstrate how tight of a grip Mars, Nestle, and Colgate-Palmolive have on veterinarian schools. The conflicts of interest he documents just astound me.
One section struck me hard. He shares comments from a first-year University of Georgia veterinary student that include how "one of only 50 certified veterinary nutritionists in the country" has a mantra she likes the students to repeat, "pets need nutrients, not ingredients," which just horrifies me.
The student goes on to write about this same professor, "She told us about the experiment where they made food out of leather boots, old tires, peanut hulls, whatever, that met the pet food companies' nutrient requirements, but then she stressed that she thought Purina is a really quality brand of food that has an unjustified poor reputation."
Even if you can never imagine yourself feeding your dog or cat raw meaty bones, you should read this book for the copious amount of documentation Lonsdale provides that show how the kibble industry influences veterinary education to the detriment of our companion pets. And most of his documentation focuses on veterinary schools in Australia and the UK. I shudder to think about what could be uncovered about the veterinary schools in the US.
Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud: Hiding in Plain Sight is an enlightening exploration into the complexities and alleged malpractices within the pet food industry. Authored by Tom Lonsdale, a seasoned veterinarian, the book aims to shed light on the problematic relationship between pet food corporations and veterinarians. Lonsdale suggests this alliance has contributed to a significant pet health crisis, largely unnoticed or ignored by the public.
Lonsdale's experience in the veterinary field is evident throughout the book, showcasing his deep affection and concern for animal welfare. His narrative style is engaging, often employing sharp wit and clever anecdotes to underscore his arguments. This approach not only makes for an entertaining read but also reinforces the seriousness of the issues at hand. I found pleasure in reading about the author's journey from the beginning of his veterinary career, which gave me the impression of having a friendly, personal conversation with him. The author's commitment to the subject is palpable; his heartfelt dedication to improving the health of pets resonates on every page. Lonsdale's insights are intriguing and educational and provoke reflection on personal pet care practices. The book encourages readers to reassess their approach to their pets' well-being, underlining the importance of continual improvement in how we care for our animal companions. Lonsdale incorporates a wealth of research and factual information, presenting numerous strategies and approaches that, as a pet owner, I am eager to implement for the well-being of my dogs. The inclusion of images throughout the book added an enjoyable visual element to the reading experience.
Multi-Billion Dollar Pet Food Fraud is not just a critique of the pet food industry; it is a call to action for pet owners to become more informed and conscientious. Lonsdale's passionate and knowledgeable voice makes this book a compelling read for anyone interested in the health and welfare of their pets.
It might be hard to believe that Dr Tom Lonsdale would be so vehement in whistleblowing the vet and pet trade given his profession but for me this just showcases how much he cares for the animals he looks after. This series of meticulously researched books are not only eye-opening but honestly a much needed shake up of the status quo. We all love our pets, to some of us they are our fur babies, so it stands to reason we want the best for them. Normally we would think and be forgiven for thinking that this means find the best pet food, those claimed to be backed by science and approved by vets but Dr Lonsdale shows us this isn’t the case. In fact the best food for our furry friends can often be found in the butcher’s shop rather than inside a can on shelf.
Using his years of training and with research and case studies to back his claims, Dr Lonsdale, offers insight into how we are all being blindsided and it’s our pets that suffer. Since reading these books I have to say we’ve made even more changes to our cats and dogs diets and can already see the benefits. This is a must read for pet lovers and owners. I honestly feel this series of books show be hitting headlines if for no other reason that ensuring our pets have the very best health. I have already recommended this to several friends and they have started their own investigation into changing the diets of their four legged friends.
As always thank you to ZooLoo’s Book Tours, publishers and author for the copy to review. My reviews are always given freely and my honest opinion of the book is given.
This book will open your eyes to a whole new perspective on what you should be feeding your dog. I felt it at times hard to read and comprehend because I had been giving my dog what I had been led to believe was the best for it's health. So while reading this I had to ask myself if what I had been giving was the best why then were his teeth still yellow and his breath stinky? Because I had been told wrong! My dog also suffers from arthritis and diet does contribute to that in some ways. Thankfully after reading Dr Tom Lonsdale books I feel more confident in not giving processed food that has a lot of hidden nasties and providing a more natural diet. The whistle got blown well and truly in this book and I am thankful to the author for the courage to pursue and blow it wide open.
Million Dollar-Dollar Pet Food Fraud: Hiding in Plain Sight by Dr. Tom Lonsdale is another book in the pet series he has written about healthy pets. This book is about the pet food industry and how the pet food industry got started. The author tells us about his career in the beginning of the book and how he started to realize that pets are not fed well and how the 'food' stays in the pets system for the long haul. It doesn't just leave the dog's or pet's body right away, it hovers like gum for human beings. The writing in this book is so well researched and you can tell someone who was a vet or worked with animals for many years. I really like this series and someone who wants the very best for their pets will want to pick these books up and read about keeping your pets healthy!
Those pet food books by Dr Tom Lonsdale have quickly become my favorite non-fiction reads of April. I have always loved stories exposing various industries, but those books take it a step further for me, mostly because I have always known how wrong the whole pet food industry is and how insidious the balanced pet food myth is. And this book goes into that exactly, and does it DEEP. Don’t read it unless you are ready to change the way you look at all the pet food industry in general. Also, don’t be afraid to read those books – don’t worry, the author spells it out what’s actually best for your pets. You don’t have to do any guesswork if you decide to change the way you feed your pets!
We all love our furry family members and we wouldn’t knowingly wish them harm so reading these books have been a real eye opening experience on how the food we spend so much on could actually help causing harm to our furry friends. The pet food industry is a giant so of course they are going to want to make money but this book really blows the lid on the how the food we spend our money on isn’t as great as we think it is. Pet food fraud is right, ‘junk food’ for pets hats off to Tom Lonsdale for trying to fight these giants for so long. This book is filled with testimonials and facts that will get you thinking.
Dr. Tom Lonsdale has a vendetta against the pet food industry. He believes manufactured pet food is ruining pets' health, particularly their dental health. Is he right? Quite possibly. But do you know why we'll never know? Because he only provides anecdotal evidence. There is no peer-reviewed evidence, which is the gold standard of actually proving scientific and medical assertions. Once Dr. Lonsdale actually starts providing this, then we can start reading this book as an authority instead of as a fairly convincing set of anecdotes.
I further took issue with Dr. Lonsdale's insistence on hyperbole throughout. Consistently referring to traditional kibble as poison every single time he mentions it really makes it hard for the reader to cut through the tone and find the message.
Finally, what's new in this book? He regularly refers to his other books, so what is he introducing new in this book that he hasn't expounded in his others?
I found “Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud: Hiding in Plain Sight” by Dr Tom Lonsdale to be an engrossing read that I was completely immersed in and a real eye-opener to the commercial pet food industry. Dr Tom is a fully qualified vet and a natural food advocate. He doesn’t hold back when exposing what he believes is deeply flawed within the pet food production and economy, and it genuinely made me question what we’re feeding our pets. Having two cats and two dogs in my immediate family, this really is a huge concern for me.
Drawing on decades of experience, he argues that highly processed commercial foods are behind many common health problems in cats and dogs and instead promotes a return to natural diets like raw meaty bones (the ‘medicinal modes of action’ list was particularly educating), fresh meat and organs. The photographs/reference charts and diagrams included are particularly powerful - they really drive his message home and make the impact of poor diet hard to ignore. There’s so much more I could delve into but this is one of those books you truly have to experience for yourself. The intensity of the detail, the raw personal emotion and the depth of scientific insight Dr Tom shares, make it a powerful and thought-provoking read for any discerning reader.
Whether you agree with everything or not, whether you’re a professional or simply a pet loving owner, it’s compelling, intellectually engaging and definitely makes you look at pet nutrition differently - it’s potentially life changing!
If you genuinely care about what ends up in your pet’s bowl and ultimately their stomach, this is absolutely worth investing your time reading. I’ll certainly be passing my copy around the family so they can learn from it too.