>Euthanized strays and pets are often sent to rendering plants and sleazy
>pet food companies may indeed buy the resultant product.  However, quality
>pet food co's are sensitive to the fact that people don't want their pet
>food to contain processed dogs and cats.  It is my understanding that
>rendering plants will separate sources of meat such...
 
As a follow up to this, I was thinking about an interesting concept.  Now,
please, before I get a ton of flames, this is only a theory, and I would
never do this in practice, regardless of how well it turns up.
 
Most animals seem to have a 'codon selection bias', which in the genomic
code means that certain codons and certain amino acids turn up more commonly
than other amino acids.  AAs are used to make proteins, of course.  If this
is so, then a logical extension of this would be to feed the animal protein
that come from the nearest evolutionary source as possible, to ensure that
they get the 'right' amino acids.  Problem with this: AAs are not always
required by diet, most organisms can make quite a few amino acids.  But I
don't know of any that can make all amino acids, these must be supplied in
the diet.
 
Well anyways just my $.02.  Comments?
 
-Rob
 
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                      "This space for rent"
   Robert Dejournett             [log in to unmask]
   Graduate Student
   Graduate School of Biomedical Science
   University of Texas Houston
[Posted in FML issue 2123]