YOUR WALKING BUDDY
Feeding Frenzy:
Finding the Right Food for Our Pets
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| Maya, a 10 year old retriever mix, chowing down her homemade breakfast. At the age of two she developed skin allergies and we (the publisher and her husband) consulted our veterinarian as to what to feed her. We decided to feed her a home cooked recipe. Maya’s last visit to her veterinarian, the doctor was astonished by her beautiful coat, teeth and weight. |
By Julie Cantonwine
We all love our pets, and it is easy to imagine the heartbreak that some pet owners recently endured when they unintentionally fed their animals tainted pet food.
Since mid-March, Menu Foods has recalled wet pet food products sold under more than 100 brand names, including Procter & Gamble’s Iams. Tests conducted by the Food and Drug Administration confirm that wheat flour imported from China was tainted with the industrial chemical melamine. This wheat flour has also been found in food products made by other companies, including animal feed and fish feed.
This issue has made pet owners everywhere ask themselves: “What can I safely feed my pet?” Fortunately, there are numerous options available to ensure that you are feeding your loved one a healthy and non-toxic diet.
What some people may not know is that there are only a handful of US-based canneries, meaning one cannery can prepare pet food products for dozens of different companies. This explains why a problem with one batch of wheat gluten or rice protein will affect many companies, not just one. Consumers should educate themselves as to which pet food companies actually have their own processing plant, therefore producing only their own line of foods.
Generally speaking, if a pet food company is independent of any human food manufacturing company (such as Heinz, Proctor & Gamble, Colgate, etc.) it is likely to be a higher quality pet food made without by-products and chemicals.
What we feed our pets determines their health and longevity; their diet should be our most important consideration.
Healthy alternatives should contain ingredients such as single-source protein meal (think chicken meal
or lamb meal), or just chicken or lamb.
Sometimes the word “meal” gets a bad rap. As long as it is a single-source protein in front of the word “meal,” then it is not a rendered product, and is actually a good source of protein. That said, if you see the phrase “meat meal,” don’t buy it. The words mean “meat byproduct” and this is the worst form of meat protein that can be used in pet foods. This inexpensive form of protein could come from road kill, euthanized animals, or expired grocery store meats.
Other ingredients to avoid include wheat and corn. Cats especially do not need grain in their diets. There are some commercially prepared pet foods on the market that are safe to buy, but if you are still unsure, consider cooking for your pets at home.
Whether you use raw or cooked meat, there are several food mixes available that will help you create nutritionally complete diets. I recommend The Honest Kitchen, Sojourner Farms, Wysong, The Wholistic Pet, and Animal Essentials. Their products are readily available at independently owned pet food stores.
Home-prepared diets are the way to go if you want to give your dog or cat the best diet possible. Cooking for your pets takes time, but the trade-off might be worth the extra effort.
I recommend using a recipe that was prepared by a pet-care professional, because it will be more nutritionally balanced. There are numerous recipes available, many of which contain alternative ingredients for special-needs dogs and cats.
Resources:
www.thehonestkitchen.com
www.sojos.com
www.wysong.net
www.thewholisticpet.com
www.animalessentials.com
Julie Cantonwine owns Healthy Pets Northwest, Inc., located in Portland, OR. She can be reached at www.healthypetsnw.com.
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