As most of us know, the toxic pet food problem is the result of a rat poison present in the food. The sort of scary part (for humans as well as pets) is that it appears that wheat gluten is implicated.

The story is here.

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This IS scary, especially since celiac disease seems to be on the rise...makes me wonder if we have a "which came first" dilemma that we're unaware of.

Aderyn

Now there is a recall on Dingo brand chicken treats for dogs, cats and ferrets. You can find the story here.

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Ozzie's Place

People are now looking into making their own pet foods; however, I saw on Animal Cops once that cats need taurine or they will go blind, so if anyone is looking to feed their cats with homemade foods, make sure they have a source of taurine. (It's an amino acid, so if they are fed meat & fish, they are probably getting plenty.)

This makes me glad I don't have any pets at present.

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Nita

My guys are all raw fed. Have been since I got them as babies (dog and cats). It's sometimes a PITA, but now I'm really glad I've been doing this.

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This whole thing has me terrified beyond belief. My furkids are my family and I have been carefully watching each and every news article regarding the recalls. Maggie, if you have any "raw feed" nutritional recipes you wish to share and how you are feeding your family, I would certainly welcome any advice.

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196/135-135

Well, I've taken what I do from a book by a vet (Ian Billinghurst) the title of which is "Give Your Dog A Bone." I've read other books on "making home made pet food" which strike me as bizarre. I've had pets for years and I've never seen a cat or a dog have any desire to eat brown rice, or whatever.

Brutus, being an omnivore, sometimes gets some of the cat food (below), some table scraps, various veggies (raw and cooked), eggs, a little cheese and some kefir (he loves it, the cats try to bury it. ). But the main part of his diet is lots of meaty bones (chicken wings/necks, beef ribs, beef necks, and like that.) ALWAYS RAW, NEVER FEED A DOG A BONE WHICH HAS BEEN COOKED. As a result of his diet, he's seven years old and has excellent dentition. He has never required any tooth cleaning. ... and no, I DON'T bush his teeth, LOL! Indeed, whenever he goes to the vet, the dr. will generally call in any techs around to invite them to inspect his teeth and give an estimate of his age. They're always off by miles.

For the kitties, who are obligate carnivores, the main part of their diet is turkey, since there are few available prey appropriate things in the grocery store. (... no raw mice or birds. )

Every few weeks I mix up a big batch of other ingredients: gizzards, livers, hearts, a couple of chicken wings or necks - run through my grinder, sometimes and egg. I divvy this into portions of about a cup each and freeze. Each week I get a few pounds of ground turkey (or if it's cheaper, I'll grind some turkey meat myself) and mix in a cup of the "other ingredients" like making a meat loaf. I put this into a big Glad storage box (or two if that's how much I made - in which case, I freeze one) which I keep in the fridge and feed them from it every day. In the winter, I might add a small bit of green leafy to the "other ingredients" since they can't access grass as they might choose. Whenever I'm mixing up a batch of other ingredients, Brutus always hangs at my feet and I throw him some organs.

Sorry this isn't more precise, but I don't think many animals in the wild eat with precision. Some days I feed more, some days less.

HTH!

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Maggie, you would have been a good writer for Mother Earth News!

I'll bet your babies are the healthiest in town.

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Nita

LOL!

In general, they are a pretty healthy bunch. Brutus has some canine hip dysplasia, and the arthritis issues that result. Apparently the tendency is inherited, but I never met his parents, LOL! He's a rescue pup. Erik & Brutus have each had cruciate ligament surgery for injuries. Dr. Ruth had feline eosinophilic granuloma complex (EGC) (it's an inflammatory skin problem, which appears to be auto-immune in origin) as a baby, but since she was a year old she gets only maybe one or two outbreaks in a year and very minor, at that.

Didn't intend to hijack the thread.

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More added to the recall list:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17967533...15773?GT1=9303

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Shelley
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Visit Kassie's Korner



Life deserves a treat now and again, but life also deserves being healthy[with required disipline] to make it worth living!

I am thanking doG that one of my kids is allergic to wheat--so all of their foods are safe-this time. This isn't the first tragic recall, however. A bummer for those of use who can't feed raw.

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BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108