What Should You Feed Your Pets?
As a response to the Menu Food’s recall of tons of pet food due to contamination, I am now getting questions about the home preparation of your pet’s food. And the short answer is: don’t do it.
The long answer is that if you dedicate your time to getting a degree in animal nutrition, and you have the time to apply your new degree to your own pets, it can, and is done. But as anyone who owns a pet with food allergies knows, cooking for your pet is time consuming, and requires knowledge beyond boiling hamburger and rice in water.
Long ago, pets were commonly fed table scraps as their main source of food. That meant that whatever was not suitable for the family to eat, was given to the dog or cat. When I think about what is left on my plate after a meal, (think bones, cartilage, chicken skin, and the fruit/veggies that I didn’t like), or the stuff I throw away while cleaning out the fridge, it becomes pretty clear why our pets can not live on table scraps. The stuff we do not consume is either not edible, or very high in fat, or may be toxic to the animals as in the case of the mystery food in the fridge or the grapes your dog loves.
This does not even address the different nutritional needs of dogs and cats. Cats actually require a pretty high fat content in their food, where as a dog will eat fat because it tastes good at the expense of a more nutritional tomato. When Alpo pet food was first marketed, it actually caused nutritional deficiencies because they simply made the food taste good to animals, and did not do the research needed to figure out how to meet the nutritional requirements of a healthy dog. Veterinarians do not see nutritional deficiencies in pets fed with adequate amounts of commercially prepared pet food nowadays. The research has been extensive and the knowledge has been applied to even the cheapest dog foods out in the market. (Not that all foods are the same–on the contrary, some companies do only the bare minimum and others are dedicated to the pets longevity and special breed conditions).
Because of the Alpo situation, laws have been passed that assure that pet food must be able to sustain the health of the pet, and be free of contaminants that harm the pets or people that eat the food. Yes, I said people. The government has known for a long time that poor people eat pet food. That is the reason why the Food and Drug Administration has the regulatory authority over pet food as opposed to the United States Department of Agriculture.
My advise: follow the events as the unfold in the media. Carefully examine the pet food you feed to make sure it is not the affected type. If it is, stop feeding it and take your pet to a veterinarian immediately along with an unopened portion of food. If you do not feed the food involved in the recall, keep using the food you and your pet are happy with.
April 8th, 2007 at 8:01 am
I am sure everyone has heard plenty about the pet food recall.
my dogs ate a 5.3 oz. foil pouch of nutro natural choice turkey and veggie casserole chunks in gravy 79105 32800 before getting sick with vomiting and diahrrea the week of March 17. The recall was expanded yesterday (April 7) to include that number and another one i have in my possession.
However, on March 19 when I saw symptoms, I immediately moved them to a pure cottage cheese and white rice diet that I prepared at home. I have used it for years as a remedy to my toy poodle’s delicate digestion. I think it saved their lives. Also i took them to the vet on the 21st and, although he did not do blood work to check kidney function, he prescribed medicine to calm their stomachs. They improved slowly.
They seem fine now. I still have another packet of the Nutro premium pouches in my possession and I am angry beyond words.
Through research I have found that both Royal Canin (dry food) and Old Mother Hubbard use no wheat gluten to enhance protein levels in their pet foods. OMH and their subsidiary Wellness are manufactured in New Hampshire.
Please be careful. I know most people love their pets like I love mine and I will have nightmares over this forever. I will never know if the quality of their lives has been impacted by the fact that people we trust to provide nutrition to our beloved animals were simply greedy and wanted to make a few bucks quicker and faster.
There are several aspects to this recall that are alarming but which should not be surprising in today’s world. Consumers are at the mercy of businesses who care far less than they claim to about the product they offer for sale. They care more about protecting their own bottom lines financially (why else did it take a month–and I believe we are still counting–to add products to the recall list?) Beyond the actual recall I cannot even begin to address my disgust at a manufacuturer in China or elsewhere, who would plug melamine into pet food hoping to convince the buyer that it contained enhanced protein levels. These people are guilty on so many levels.