Another Recall, What Do We Feed Our Dogs?

Over fifty percent of Americans own a dog and in today's world the big question is what do we feed our dog? With all the recalls what is safe? We need to make sure our dogs are getting all the nutritional value a dog needs. Here are some guides to help you decide what is best to feed your dog.

If you have decided that you will feed your dog or puppy prepared dog food or prepared puppy food, then your next decision is what type of food should you be feeding your puppy? There is much to recommend feeding your dog. I personally feed my dog homemade dog food. This is a very good option if you have the time to prepare it, and make sure you have recipes that give the correct ratio of nutrients, as well as the vitamins and supplements you'll need to add.

Suffice to say that if you're feeding your dog ANY commercially available dog food, you're exposing your dog to a source of chemically enhanced, overprocessed, garbage, the meat source for which includes diseased carcasses which have been left for up to 5 days before being processed. If you decide to go the commercial route, try and choose a good premium dog food since it contains more energy and protein than an economy brand. When feeding your dog you want to make sure that the adult dog food you are feeding is 22-25% protein and 15-19% fat. When considering feeding fat to your dog, the amount you feed varies by the requirements of the dog.

Even if you don't find time out of your hectic work schedule to prepare a home made dog meal, you can still provide your pet with the best dog food. One of the best ways to ensure your dog is receiving optimum nutrition while living on medium quality pet food is to add some kind of nutritional supplement. No matter what the variety of commercial dog food that you purchase, it is imperative that your dog's diet adheres to the National Research Council's guidelines on canine nutrition.

No matter what you choose to feed your dog, be sure to follow the feeding instructions on the packaging as they differ greatly. You know, if you really want your dog to be as healthy as he or she can be, you should stop feeding ANY of the widely available commercial dog foods. Like you, your dog has to deal with the effects of stress, age, exertion, a polluted environment, and foods grown in nutrient-depleted soils.

Those who choose the raw diet also say that they feel they are giving their dog the diet that nature intended, and that commercial dog food kills any real benefits of the proteins in the cooking process. Raw diet advocates also state that the commercial dog food makers put special additives into the food which makes the food more appealing to the dogs so they get addicted to the commercial foods. Raw food advocates concede the diet costs more than traditional dog food, but they argue it's worth it.

There's nothing wrong with feeding your dog a varied diet, but don't keep changing the food because he seems fussy and won't eat it. Don't let your dog "win" the food through his growling, this would reward the very behavior you are trying to eradicate. When your dog is eating, call him over to you, when he gets to you reward him, make it worth his while then let him back to the food bowl.

If we put all the food which has all this stuff in it in the dog food isle, then there would be 22 isles of dog food and 5 isles of real food and of course we would all know what side of the store to shop on to stay healthy and fit. There are many excellent dog foods on the market, and a variety of prices.

Michelle Johnson gives advice on how to care for your dog, dog health, training, feeding your dog and more. To see more articles visit: http://rustydogblog.blogspot.com

The 2007 Pet Food Recall Scandal

There have been other red flags about pet food that should have caught pet owners' attention also. In 2005 the presence of aflatoxin (caused by moldy corn) forced manufactures to recall products. In 1995 another pet food company pulled some 20 million dollar worth of products because of the presence of vomitoxin.

Many animal nutrition advocates have been warning for years about pet food that is mass produced can be harmful to pets and certainly is not good for them.

It is a fact that dogs and cats need certain amount of protein. It is also a fact that pet food companies have resorted to slaughterhouse waste, garbage, and restaurant grease. Don't forget the 4D's dead, diseased, dying and disabled animals. Of course the last fact will be denied but if you think they don't use these; think again.

Is there any wonder why pet owners are concern about which food to feed their pets? Pet owners cannot rely on the FDA who is the regulators or the pet food industry to tell us what is wrong with the food or even fit it for that matter. One thing that is wrong that they could fix immediately is to stop using harmful ingredients. The unsuitable leftovers from "human food" are waste. Waste is waste - not good for our food and should not be good for our pet's food either.

Rendering this waste does not kill bacteria but it does eliminate the healthy enzymes in meat products. Rendering does not get rid of chemicals like the sodium pentobarbital (which is used to euthanize animals, remember the 4 D's).

Other factors to consider are the quality of grains used in pet food. Unless it says "whole Grain" on the label that pet food is probably missing a lot of nutritional value from those grains. Of course we all know by now or at least you should is that you don't want the food you are using to contain; wheat whether it says whole wheat or not and especially corn of any kind no matter what.

The rendering compromises the nutritional value and high toxin exposure from grains that are from the bottom of the barrel so to speak. These grains are exposed to disinfectants, dust husks and metals. Grain such as corn is subject to contamination all by itself by a variety of mycotoxins.

One thing owners could do is to make sure they are giving their pets' nutritional food is to learn how to read the labels on the bags of food they are using and to fully understand the meaning of the ingredient list. Which can be very deceiving to say the least?

Just like humans pets' eating the same food day after day can get rather boring...wouldn't you say? So you can spice up their meals too! Instead of feeding them straight kibble (which should be of high quality) try cooking for them one or two days a week. There are a lot of home cooked meals for dogs and cats you can find on the Internet.

You can also give half kibble and top it off with fruits and veggies, to their liking of course. They would really love chunks of meat or ground beef balls. Green beans and carrots are an excellent source of fiber and the meat is a very good source of protein.

The 2007 pet food scandal educated pet owners that they should be aware of what they are feeding their precious animals and to do research on what is in and who makes the food they are feeding them.

My goal is to provide healthy alternatives for people and pets with natural health products and natural health solutions without harmful side effects and to also keep you up to date with all the news that is happening in your world as well as your pets when it comes to the latest product recalls or new items. Alice Gines, http://www.people-to-pets.com/blog

Don't forget to Claim your Free Dog Food Report.

Pet Food Recall - Are Our Dogs Really Safe?

Recipes for homemade dog foods are popping up all over. More and more pet owners are deciding to make their own homemade dog foods. The pet food recall list is growing by the week. The food that you are feeding your beloved dog that is safe today, may not be tomorrow. Pet owners are in a panic trying to keep their best friend safe...and rightfully so.

The Secrets of the Pet Food industry are coming to light.

The recent pet food recall has left many of us asking about the safety as well as the quality of our pets food. Can the suppliers and manufacturers of pet foods be trusted or has that trust been broken?

Chinese suppliers of animal feed have admitted that for years they have been spiking shipments to pet food companies in the US to make it appear as though the food was a high protein quality product. Before Melamine, there was Urea, another Nitrogen-based chemical that was used until it started making animals sick, then it was quietly discontinued.

Guarding against contaminated products being imported has become quite a problem. According to the Commerce Department, the pet food industry now imports 7 times the amount of animal feed it did in 2000. Wheat gluten and rice protein come in the form of a powder and chemicals like melamine can easily be mixed in (whether intentional or unintentional) and not be detected by the FDA because they are not on its battery of tests.

The FDA oversees a trillion dollars worth of products anually, this includes about half of all imports. The agency regulates about 25% of every dollar that is spent by American consumers annually, so it is impossible for the agency to inspect more than a fraction of all imports. About 99% of all food imports are not inspected.

This massive pet food recall has not only brought to light safety issues with our dog food supply but also quality issues. Little was known about Wheat gluten and rice protein until the recent pet food recall. Now they are everyday words. People have been researching to find out just what they are...and the results are eye-opening.

The chunky bits that we thought were meat in our beloved dog's food we find out are actually wheat gluten, a totally meatless product. Rice Protein is another meatless additive to increase the protein levels in the pet foods. Which leads us to ask just how much meat are our carnivores getting.

A healthy dog's diet consists of 40% meat, 30% protein and 30% starch. It appears that the majority of the pet food products on the market today consist mostly of cheap cereal fillers. Even many of the so called "premium brands" were not immune from the pet food recalls as they also contained wheat gluten and rice protein.

The meat-by-products that are used in these commercial recipes are animal scraps that the FDA has deemed "unfit for human consumption" these include heads, feet, intestines, lungs, spleens, ligaments, and other scary parts. Even when the recipe consists of meat, for the most part, it is scrap meat like backs and necks.

Several companies that got their pet food from one of the manufacturers have said that the rice protein that was included in the recipes for their dog food was without their knowledge or consent (the manufacturer has denied this). How do we know who's telling the truth? Many of us were under the assumption that all of the ingredients for the recipe had to be listed on the package. What else are in the commercial dog food recipes that we don't know about?

Lawmakers are hurrying to change things but everyone knows that takes time. So in the mean time what should you do? The choice is one that every one of us is going to have to make. You can take your chances; you can turn to an even higher priced organic or natural pet food; or you can turn to your own kitchen and use recipes for homemade dog foods [http://www.pipelinebooks.com/visit/dogfoodsecrets/]. After all, how difficult can it be to feed your best friend a well balance diet? We manage to do it for our children everyday.

More information on the pet food recall

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For more information on the pet food recall: http://petfoodrecall-dogs.blogspot.com/ For more information and ebooks: [http://pipelinebooks.com/]

Pet Food Recall! Frequently Asked Questions

What is being recalled?

On March 16, Menu Foods, Inc. of Streetsville, Ontario, Canada initiated a voluntary recall involving a large number of both dog and cat foods produced at its facilities in Emporia, Kansas and Pennsauken, N.J. between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. The products are sold by many different distributors under a number of different brand names. At present, Menu Foods is recalling dog food products marketed by about 50 firms and cat food products marketed by about 40 firms.

What prompted the recall?

Menu Foods, Inc. initiated the voluntary recall after conducting routine tasting trials in which some animals developed kidney failure after eating the product being tested. The company had also received consumer complaints, some of which apparently involved kidney failure. The firm has undertaken extensive testing of the pet food products in question, but has not yet been able to find the source of the problem.

When did Menu Foods first notify FDA of the problem and a possible recall?

On Thursday, March 15, 2007.

What is wrong with the pet foods?

It is unclear what is causing the adverse effects reported by Menu Foods and pet owners. FDA is working with Menu Foods, pet owners, pet food companies, local veterinarians, and diagnostic laboratories to identify the source of the problem.

Are only dog and cat foods involved in the recall?

Yes. The recall is only confined to pet food intended for dogs and cats. The affected products are moist (packaged in pouches) and canned diets. The products have been described as "cuts and gravy" style pet foods.

What should I do if I have cat or dog food at home?

Please check the Menu Foods Recall Information: 1-866-8952708 to see if your pet food is involved in the recall. If your pet food is not listed, the pet food is not affected by the recall and you can continue to feed it to your pets. If the pet food is one of those being recalled, do NOT feed it to your animals. Feed your pets another pet food that is not included in the recall.

Is dry dog or cat food affected by the recall?

At this time, no dry dog or cat food has been implicated in pet injury or death.

What should I do if I have cat and/or dog food included in the recall?

Do NOT feed the pet food to your animals. Return the pet food to the store where you purchased it and ask for a refund. Stores generally have a return and refund policy when a company has announced a recall of its products. If you cannot return the pet food immediately, store the food in a secure place where pets and children cannot get to it.

What if my pet ate one of the dog and cat foods being recalled?

Monitor your pet. If your pet shows signs of illness (such as loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting), you should consult with your veterinarian immediately. If your pet is diagnosed with renal failure, we suggest you hold onto the food if the brand and lot numbers match the recall.

If my dog or cat ate some of the recalled food, how soon after would I see any symptoms?

It's difficult to say for sure, but usually within a couple of days. The important thing is to monitor your pet closely for signs of lethargy, loss of appetite and vomiting. If your pet shows any of these signs, please consult your veterinarian.

What is the FDA doing about the recall?

FDA is conducting an investigation and working with Menu Foods and affected pet food companies to ensure that the recall is effective, and to identify the source of the contaminant. FDA is continuing to collect and analyze product samples in an attempt to identify the source(s) of the contaminant. FDA will continue to release additional information as it becomes available.

How many confirmed pet illnesses and deaths have been reported to the FDA?

It is difficult to determine confirmed illnesses and deaths associated with the recall. Since the recall was announced, FDA has received many complaints and we are following up. The FDA's primary concern is in identifying the source of the contaminant, assuring that the recall is effective and providing information to the public.

What if I need more information about the recall?

Consumers with questions may contact Menu Foods at 1-866-895-2708. Some of the other affected pet food companies whose products are included in the recall may also have consumer question lines. Check the product label of the pet food. Some firms have also notified FDA that they have issued press releases; links to these press releases are available on the FDA internet page.

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Keep Your Clear Of The Next Pet Food Recall - Here Are The 'Red Flags' Of Pet Food

Last year turned out to be the worst in history for pet food recalls. While there is no way to be 100% certain that a pet food is not tainted or will be recalled, there are some red flags to look for when selecting your dog's or cat's food. Avoiding these common pet food ingredients can greatly improve your odds in purchasing a healthy, safe pet food.

Judging the safety or the nutritional value of a pet food starts by ignoring the advertising, the price of the pet food, and ignoring the front of the bag. The real signs to the safety of a dog food or cat food lie on the back or side of the bag or can in the 'Ingredient Listing'. Regardless of what marketing terms ('choice', 'premium', and so on) are on the front of the bag or can of pet food, a pet owner cannot determine the quality or how safe the food is unless they look at the ingredients. With dry foods there can be 90 different ingredients (or more), with canned foods there can be 50 or more different ingredients. But don't panic...you don't have to understand hundreds of different pet food ingredients! You just need to be aware of a few key ingredients...pet food ingredients that you do NOT want to see in a dog food or cat food (or treats).

'Wheat Gluten', 'Corn Gluten', or 'Rice Gluten'. These three ingredients were the bad boy pet food ingredients of 2007. Tainted glutens were found to be the cause of thousands of dogs and cats becoming ill and dying. It is not that glutens themselves are toxic to pets - these ingredients have been used in pet foods for years. The problem was the source or manufacturer of the glutens - imported from countries with far less quality standards than in the US. (The majority of glutens used in the US pet foods are from imported sources.) These imported glutens contained added chemicals that caused crystals to form in the kidneys of dogs and cats.

Not only is it important to avoid dog foods and cat foods (and dog and cat treats) that contain glutens because of the possibility of dangerous added chemicals, it is important because they add no real quality nutrition to the food. Glutens are used as a thickener AND as a source of protein in pet food. Adult maintenance dog foods must provide a minimum of 18% protein, adult maintenance cat foods must provide a minimum of 26% protein. If the meat source of the pet food does not provide enough protein, glutens are often added to boost the protein level of the pet food. The best nutrition for your pet comes from a meat protein pet food not from a gluten protein. Avoid dog foods and cat foods (and treats) that contain 'corn gluten', 'wheat gluten', or 'soy gluten'.

'By Products'. By-products have never been the cause of a pet food recall, but they are definitely ingredients you want to avoid feeding your pet. To give you an understanding of by-products, I'd like to compare this pet food ingredient to pies - you know, the dessert! How many different types of pies you can think of? There are apple pies, cherry pies, chocolate pies, meringue pies, meat pies, mud pies, pie in math, cow pies (yuck!) - I think you get my point. Now imagine if you purchased yourself a prepared ravioli dinner at the grocery and you looked at the ingredients and you see 'pie' listed as the first ingredient in your dinner. Hmmm, pie in ravioli - what kind of pie? You wouldn't know if it was apple pie or mud pie or even cow pie. All you would know is that your dinner contained 'pie'. Considering 'pie' could be anything from apple pie to cow pie - my guess is that you wouldn't be having ravioli for dinner. Same thing with by-products in pet food.

AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials - the organization responsible for all animal feed manufacturing rules and regulations) defines by-products as "meat by-products is the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes, but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low temperature fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth, and hoofs. It shall be suitable for use in animal food. If it bears name descriptive of its kind, it must correspond thereto."

So, with respect to pet food - a by-product is a catch-all ingredient name. All left over meat materials from the human food industry are clumped into one ingredient name - by-product. There is NO certainty of what you are feeding - one batch of pet food might be more intestine by-products while the next batch of pet food might be more liver or bone by-products. There is NO way of knowing what is actually contained in the pet food ingredient by-product (the pet food manufacturers themselves couldn't tell you exactly). Avoid dog foods and cat foods (and treats) that contain By-products of any kind...Chicken By-Products, Beef By-Products, Chicken By-Product Meal, Beef By-Product Meal, and so forth.

'Meat Meal', 'Meat and Bone Meal', or 'Animal Digest'. These three ingredients are similar to by-products. AAFCO defines Meat and Bone Meal as "the rendered product from mammal tissues, including bone, exclusive of any added blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents, except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably to good processing practices." Again, a catch all ingredient name for the left-over parts of animals used for human food. No consistency to what is contained in these ingredients (all three of these pet food ingredient definitions are similar) - no way of knowing what is actually in your pet's food. Avoid dog foods, cat foods, and dog and cat treats that contain 'meat meal', 'meat and bone meal', or 'animal digest'.

'Animal Fat'. In 2002 the FDA tested many different brands of dog food (cat food was not tested) for the presence of the drug pentobarbital. Many brands of dog food tested positive to contain the drug. Pentobarbital is the drug used to euthanize dogs, cats, cattle, and horses.

How can the drug that is used to euthanize animals be found in pet food? The answer - euthanized animals are rendered (cooked) and the end ingredients are placed in pet food. It has long been rumored that euthanized dogs and cats (from animal shelters and veterinarian offices) is the major source of the pentobarbital in pet food. However no one has been able to prove or disprove this rumor to date. The FDA/CVM (Center for Veterinary Management) developed testing methods on two separate occasions to determine the species source of the drug. No results have ever been determined. The pet food manufacturers adamantly deny they use rendered dogs or cats - but NO clinical evidence has ever been released to confirm the pentobarbital is from euthanized cattle and horses in pet food as they claim.

However, the one thing the FDA/CVM has determined through their testing is the pet food ingredient 'animal fat' is the most common ingredient to contain pentobarbital. In other words, if you are feeding a dog food or cat food (or treats) with the ingredient 'animal fat' in the ingredient listing - you are (more than likely) feeding your pet euthanized animals. Not every batch of pet food tested that contained the ingredient 'animal fat' has proved to contain pentobarbital - but why would any pet owner want to take the chance? Avoid dog foods, cat foods, and dog and cat treats that contain the ingredient 'animal fat'.

'BHA', 'BHT', 'TBHQ', and 'Ethoxyquin'. These pet food ingredients are chemical preservatives and you might have to look through the entire ingredient list to find them. It is worth the look because there is plenty of clinical evidence to associate all four of these chemical preservatives with cancer and tumors (simply do a Google search on any one of these chemicals). All four of these chemical preservatives are rarely used to preserve human food and if so, are used in quantities far less than what is allowed in pet food. Avoid any dog food, cat food, or dog and cat treat that contains 'BHA', 'BHT', 'TBHQ', and 'Ethoxyquin' on the label.

'Corn', 'Wheat', 'Soy'. While there is no scientific evidence that proves these ingredients are dangerous to pets - they are potentially dangerous ingredients associated with recalls in the past (1995, 1999, and 2005). These grains are highly prone to a deadly mold (aflatoxin). It is suggested (by AAFCO) that all pet food manufacturers test grains for the mold, but as recalls of the past have proven - that doesn't always happen. I do not think these ingredients are as risky as others mentioned above, but they are ingredients I avoid for my own pets.

There is more to selecting a true healthy pet food for your dog or cat than avoiding the above mentioned ingredients. This is just a start - based on pet food history, AAFCO ingredient definitions, science and opinion of many pet food experts including myself. There are many quality pet foods available that do NOT use the above ingredients and that add health promoting ingredients to their foods and treats. Continue to learn as much as you can about what you are feeding your pet and ALWAYS read the labels!

Susan Thixton has worked in the pet industry for over 20 years helping thousands of pet owners to enjoy their pets. She's produced an internationally distributed dog training video, authored the tell all book Truth About Pet Food, and recently has begun publication of a one-of-a-kind pet owning consumer report Petsumer Report. For more information please visit http://www.TruthAboutPetFood.com