The latest outbreak of dog food and cat food
contamination has shaken the confidence of pet
owners the world over, but nowhere as much as in
the United States where illness and reported
deaths took its highest toll of family pets. Now,
in the aftermath of large scale pet food recalls,
many are asking questions about the ingredients
that they've always trusted to provide optimum
health for their family pets.
It comes as no real surprise now that many pet
owners are choosing to make their own homegrown
variety of pet nutrition. When made properly, it
has to be a better option than all that imported
stuff with unknown ingredients of suspicious
composition and origin. In fact, many say it's
not too difficult at all and fairly inexpensive
to make. But, a number of experts caution that
homemade diets won't work for every pet or its
owner. Some dogs and cats have a more difficult
time adjusting to a new diet and the new process
itself may simply be too labor intensive and
inconvenient for many owners. The choice should
be made only after careful consideration.
For starters, you can have your family vet or a
recommended veterinary nutritionist put together
a starter diet for you to try. On the other hand,
if you prefer, do the nutritional research
yourself. It's unfortunate, but the rap against
vets today, is similar to what doctors
experienced in years past, that they know a lot
about medicine, but were never taught much about
nutrition. And, the veterinary nutritionists are
accused of being little more than puppets, with
the pet food manufacturers pulling the strings.
There may be an element of truth to both, but in
any case you'll have to use your own judgment.
However, having a few sample diets to follow
while getting started will most likely be helpful.
The most responsible advice is to suggest paying
close attention to your dog or cat. You know your
pet better than anyone, so you should quickly
notice changes in the quality of their health,
such as energy levels, condition of their coat
and stool texture. So, keep a close eye out for
any subtle changes during the transition, as you
would with changes to any food. When you decide
to begin with your homemade foods, do it
gradually by mixing the new food into the old
food for a couple of weeks. Slowly increase the
ratio of new to old each day as you monitor your
pet's adjustment.
Another trend of late has some owners feeding
their pets a diet based largely on raw meat,
vegetables and fruits. In fact, many people
believe it's the most natural and therefore the
healthiest choice for pets. Melinda Miller,
president of the North American Raw Pet Food
Association recently stated, "There are a wide
variety of benefits. Animals with arthritis and
longstanding gastrointestinal ailments or skin
problems often improve significantly after being
placed on grain-free raw diets".
For those who might be concerned about
introducing contaminants into their own diets, it'
s important to note here that the more common
phobias and issues related to food borne microbes,
such as salmonella are largely unfounded, with
no real evidence of actual cases of illness to
animals or humans when the meat is fresh and
handled in an appropriate manner. Melinda Miller
added, "no study has ever correlated human
illness with raw-fed dogs or cats." Raw food
diets are popular in Europe and have gained
significant interest in America over the past
twenty years, so it can be considered yet another
possible alternative over the store bought brands.
A Word of Caution:
Don't just think that you can feed your pet table
scraps and assume it to be a viable nutritional
alternative. It's not! Pets have special needs
just as we do, so do your homework. There are
many online resources, and even pet food
cookbooks to help make things a lot easier. But,
in the meantime, don't just feed them what you're
eating. At the very least, they won't be getting
the nutrition they need, and the things you're
giving them could make them sick or even kill
them.
Here's a short list of foods that can be toxic
for animals and should always be avoided, even in
small quantities: chocolate, mushrooms, macadamia
nuts, onions, garlic, leeks, chives, grapes,
raisins, potato peelings, tomatoes (cats) and
drinks containing caffeine or alcohol. The list
for your particular pet may include other
dangerous or sickening foods, so think before you
toss.
Making your own pet foods can certainly be a
loving and caring way to guarantee that your pet
gets the healthy nutrition it deserves and
without the risk of unknown contaminants. But, do
your cost/benefit research first as to ensure a
situation that you're comfortable with including
dollars, time and balanced nutrition. Carefully
weigh the advantages and disadvantages for both
you and your pet before deciding on this trendy
alternative.
For more information and helpful resources,
please visit http://www.wagcentral.com
Copyright 2007 Harry Monell. All rights reserved.
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