Pet Food Recalls And Dog Treat Warnings! What You Can Do To Keep Your Pet Safe.

Lately there have been a bunch of dog food recalls due to aflatoxin.  Aflatoxin is a mold that grows on cereal grains that are unfortunately the base of many lower end pet foods.  This mold causes fever, jaundice, dark urine, bloody diarrhea and even death.

One of the best ways that I know to avoid feeding your pet a recalled pet food is to sign up for the free email alerts from the Dog Food Advisor.  

The other way is to stop feeding a food that contains cereal grains and if you can't do that, feed the lowest amount that you can.  Dog Food Advisor offers a rating system and can help you find the best food for your dog that is also good for your budget.

Another resource that I recommend all the time is a free educational booklet that you can download from The Honest Kitchen.  The booklet is titled "Feed Your Way To A Healthy Pet".  You will use this booklet over and over again.

And please, please if you have any chicken jerky treats from China throw them away right now. The FDA has been warning against chicken jerky treats from China since 2007 and has continued to do so on and off since then.  

They are not safe.  The common link that all these treats have is that they are from China.  And just about every store sells them.  I have found them at grocery stores, Petco, PetSmart, small local stores, Traders Joe's, WalMart, Target, Costco and a bunch of other places that should know better.

Some of the worst offenders in my opinion are Loving Pets, Dogswell,  PetNShape and Purina.  And they are not the only ones.  They just happen to stick out in my mind right now.

And you must read labels.  I have found the manufacturers with multiple items will have some made in China and some made in the USA.  For example: Duck is USA and Chicken is China or the other way around. So you must read every package.

They are making a lot of $ off these products and they want to continue to do so.  

This has been a problem for over 5 years, so there really are no excuses. If your pet has consumed any chicken jerky treats from China, here is a list of symptoms to look for.

Here is an easy to make recipe that offers you an alternative to store bought chicken treats. Courtesy of Natural News

Chicken Jerky Doggie Treats

Ingredients:

organic, free-range chicken breasts (preferably from a local farm)
organic, extra-virgin coconut oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Lightly grease baking sheet with coconut oil.
3. Prepare breasts by rinsing and removing any excess fat.
4. Slice chicken breasts into strips (with the grain).
5. Place strips on baking sheet and cook until done (around 2 hours). Don't undercook.
6. Remove from oven and cool.
7. Cut strips into pieces appropriate for the size of dog using kitchen shears.

The treats will keep two weeks in the refrigerator (if they last that long). Treats are meant to be given occasionally and are not meant as a meal substitute.

Comments

[adequan]

I have sharing some information about dog foods.Vegetarian dog foods are manufactured by several companies. They are usually balanced and contain ingredients such as oatmeal, pea protein, and potatoes instead of meat to supply protein. A dog owner may choose to feed a vegetarian food for ethical and/or health reasons, or in cases of extreme food allergies.

[atopica for dogs]

I had dogs that simply wouldn't adapt to premium dog food and the best results was achieved with ordinary brands while others wouldn't contemplate cheaper brands. But the aim of this article is to point out the benefits and drawbacks of wet and dry canine foods.

[Liz Moe]

All dogs are different and one food, brand, price point is not right for all dogs. If you research before you buy and use tools like the Dog Food Advisor, you can find a good food at any price.

[Liz Moe]

I have a little problem with vegetarian dog foods, since dogs are not vegetarians and all that stuff. However if a dog has severe allergies, you do what you gotta do.