The Moe Toys Report

Here We Go Again . . . More News On Tainted Dog Food.

Remember the big pet food recall in 2007?  Well this time there is just as many problems and since the FDA has not been able to pinpoint where the problems are coming from, no recall.

Keep your pets healthy and please do not feed pet food from China.  Here is an article that explains in depth what is going on and gives a list of what foods to avoid.  And yes, these products are still on the shelves.

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.

Dreaming of The Pink Poodle Gourmet Cookies . . .

and I am sure that I am not the only one.  The first time that I spied these cookies was at the Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows in Houston, Texas. And I knew that they were something special.

Pickles was traveling with me, so I had to buy some for her right away.  And she loved them.  Boy how she loved them.  As soon as we got home I placed an order with The Pink Poodle Gourmet & Designs.  And I can tell you that I was not disappointed.  Nor was Pickles. Or our clients dogs.

Laura, the owner is caterer and her passion for creating wonderful dog treats comes through.  

When ordering all I can say is order a bit of everything.  Some of the favorites around here have been the Doggone Donuts, Peanut Butter Bonewiches and the Peanut Butter Biscotti.  And I better not forget the Peanut Butter Bon Bons. 

I guess there is some kind of theme going on here.  My guys love cookies, frosting and Peanut Butter.  Though not necessarily in that order. Probably any order and preferably together.  I am quite sure that they would love to see a box of cookies from The Pink Poodle Gourmet & Designs this holiday season. And that your dogs would too!

 

Looking For Something To Make Your Dog For Valentines Day? Look No Further.

Here are two yummy treat ideas, courtesy of The Honest Kitchen. Have fun in the kitchen and let me know if you come up with any great variations!

 

Valentines Liver Nibbles

This recipe uses heart-shaped or other cookie cutters to make pretty treats as a gift for your pet – or his or her boyfriends and girlfriends.

Ingredients

4 cups fresh raw chicken liver, preferably organic
2 free range eggs
¼ cup olive oil
2 cups instant quinoa flakes
3 tbsp applesauce
¼ cup dried cranberries or blueberries
1 clove fresh garlic, crushed
1 tsp of dried basil
Filtered water sufficient to make a batter

What to do
Preheat the oven to 350°F
Process the liver in a blender or food processor, until completely pureed.
Beat the eggs in a bowl and pour in the oil.
Add the pureed liver.
Mix in the dry ingredients slowly, stirring continuously so they are thoroughly combined. Add water gradually, until you have a ‘batter’ consistency.
Pour this batter into a flat 1 ½ to 2” cake tin.
Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes.
Cool in the tin until able to be handled, then gently turn the ‘cake’ out onto a rack and refrigerate* to cool completely. Use heart-shaped cookie cutters** to gently press out individual shapes. Save the scraps as a healthy topper on their next meal!

*The other advantage of cooling this recipe in the refrigerator is that it reduces the risk of thievery by your dog, before you have actually finished making it. This is a frequent occurrence with the dogs in our office.

**If you don’t have a cookie cutter, it’s also perfectly fine just to cut the loaf into bite sized squares. Really tiny squares are excellent as training treats because they have a good aroma and can be consumed quickly without filling up your dog’s tummy.

 

Valentines Pup-Cakes

Ingredients

2 cups Honest Kitchen Force™ dehydrated dog food
1 cup warm water
¾ cup whipped cream cheese
2 eggs
2 tbsp runny honey
½ cup fresh cherries, pitted
Optional: 4 or 5 fresh strawberries

(You will also need a muffin pan and paper cupcake cases for this recipe)

What to do
Preheat oven to 375°F. Insert the cupcake cases into the muffin pan.
Combine the Force, warm water and eggs together in a large mixing bowl.
Stir in ¼ cup only, of the whipped cream cheese, reserving ½ cup for the frosting. Next, gradually add the honey.
Fold in the pitted cherries.
Carefully spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, half filling each one.
Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.
Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
Top with the remaining cream cheese and if using, slice the strawberries lengthways so the slices resemble hearts, and place one or two slices on each finished cake. These cupcakes will store in the refrigerator for three to four days.
Serve them up to your pup and her friends!

Find these and other homemade pet food recipes in Made out of Love!

Berry Yammy's - Berry Good!

Front Porch Pets, the makers of Sam's Yams have done it again.  This time it is with Berry Yammy Herbal Cookies.  As always Berry Yammy's are made with premium ingredients.  They include sweet potato and applesauce, two flavors that we already know that dogs love, and this combination helps "hide" the taste of some of the healthful, but bitter herbs. Next you have berries, herbs and flowers mixed in that contain a full spectrum of colors and flavors.  Each 6 oz container about 30 cookies and each cookie has approximately 1/2 teaspoon of botanicals.  How is that for a healthy snack?

Another Treat That We Love Is Bowser's Best Buffalo Bites.

This low fat, nutritious treat is made with natural Buffalo meat. The handy soft moist strips are contained in vacuum packed packaging.  No preservatives or hormones and the fact that these are all made in the USA in a USDA inspected meat processing plant are additional reasons to try these treats.  Ingredients are:  Bison meat, Fortified Textured Soy Protein, Water, Milk, Soy Flour and Seasonings. $6.00 for 10 - 4 3/4" strips that equal 8 ounces.  Let's Get Some Buffalo Bites . . .

Durango 95's - 95% Meat and 6 Ingredients That You Can Pronounce.

We have found these semi moist treats to be the prefect training treat.  Durango 95's contai n 95% meat (beef, chicken or lamb), chicory, lecithin, sea salts, natural antioxidents and garlic.  These treats are easy to break into small pieces.  And best of all Durango 95's are made in the USA with all USA ingredients.

Each 4 oz resealable pouch is $4.99.  Shop Durango 95's.