Fretful owners whipping up own pet
food

Making balanced meals for animals tricky, vets
warn; some foods dangerous


Updated: 9:35 p.m. ET April 3, 2007

ATLANTA - Some worried pet owners are grinding
up meat in their kitchens and making their own dog
and cat food because of the contamination scare
blamed for numerous animal deaths.

Sales of pet food recipe books have also shot up
since the nationwide pet-food recall began two
weeks ago.

Amy Parish, 40, stopped giving her two aging chow
chows canned food. Instead, Parish mixes dry food
with a mash of chicken, rice, oatmeal and cottage
cheese that she prepares twice a week.

“I’m very suspicious of any large-brand
manufactured dog food,” said Parish, who
lives in the Atlanta suburb of Tucker.

But veterinarians warn that making balanced
meals for pets can be complicated and should
only be a temporary remedy until the scare
passes.

Nearly 100 store and major-brand pet foods were
recalled by manufacturer Menu Foods Inc. on
March 16. Three other companies have recalled
some foods since then.

Wheat gluten contaminated
Food and Drug Administration testing found
that wheat gluten imported from China was
contaminated with a chemical used in the
manufacture of plastics. The FDA has
confirmed about 15 pet deaths, and
anecdotal reports suggest hundreds of
cats and dogs may have died.

Some pet owners are not taking any chances.

After Hills Pet Nutrition Inc. recalled one of
its cat products, John Slavens, 41, of San Diego,
started making homemade food for his two
border collies.

He spent five hours in the kitchen Sunday,
grinding beef and boiling potatoes and pasta
for a week’s worth of stew, supplemented
with an all-in-one vitamin-mineral powder.

“These dogs are my family,” Slavens said.

Common foods can be dangerous The FDA
and the American Veterinary Medical
Association are urging pet owners to switch
brands if they are worried. The veterinarian
group also warned that many common foods
are not safe for pets, including salt, garlic,
onions, grapes and chocolate.

Making pet food at home is “kind of like
canning: You have to think about bacterial
contamination. And how do you make sure
it’s nutritionally appropriate and balanced
for the animal?” said FDA spokeswoman
Julie Zawisza. She added: “We wouldn’t
object. We’d say be knowledgeable about
what you need.”

On Amazon.com, the cookbook “Real Food
for Dogs” moved into the list of top 200
best-sellers this week.

Robert Van Sickle, co-owner of the Polka Dog
Bakery in Boston, said he has received many
inquiries from customers on advice for making
their own dog food. For his German short-
haired pointer, Van Sickle blends carrots,
spinach, salmon oil, apple cider vinegar
and whatever meat is in his freezer.

“What this scare has shown me is that it’s
amazing how many people don’t know what
they are feeding their dogs,” he said. “The
bright side, for me, as someone interested
in animal wellness, is people are asking
questions now.”

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
http://www.associatedpress.com/

Article Link
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This problem with the pet food is just awful. I
had my dog on "Pedigree". I noticed on the can
that it contained Wheat Gluten. He hasn't been
acting right lately. I switched him to "Innova"
brand Senior. It didn't have the Gluten in it. I
saw in the news that the Holistic brands are
alright due to being made different. If you ask
at your pet shop or vet they know what brands
they are. I'll look for the news article link to
post later.

On this article site page is a recipe.

I was watching a show last night that said
people can actually get a disease from
eating Wheat Gluten. I'll look that up to
post later too.