The Moe Toys Report

Pet Food Recalls Keep Coming.

More and more pet food and treats are  being recalled everyday.  Dogs,cats and birds have all been affected by recalls in the last 30 days.

To find out about dog and cat food/treat recalls the best site that I have found is Dog Food Advisor.  You can sign up for an email alert for when a recall is announced.

For birds the best thing to do is to go directly to the FDA .  Unfortunately there is not an email system in place at this time.

When a pet food is recalled, do not panic.  Though I know that is what we all want to do.  Right now many companies are acting responsibly and doing a volunteer recall. They have not  had problems, however they use a common factory so they are doing this out of concern for pets and their people.  These are the good guys.

Simply go to the manufacturers site get the information and check your bags.  With the current dog and cat recalls most of the foods that are affected are in the Midwest/East Coast. However this could change.

The food that is being recalled comes from Diamond.  A huge manufacturer that makes the food for many companies.  Most dog food companies do not own their own plant.  

For the birds, it is a nationwide problem.

If you need to switch foods Pet Food Direct has written a great little instruction sheet on how to do it.

I have been really fortunate since I feed The Honest Kitchen and it has not been a part of any of these recalls.  Check out their website and see what they are doing right.  There is a free e book available. While this may not be the right food for everyone out there the information is free and it is worth taking a look at a company that is doing something right.

 

 

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.

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!

What To Feed Your Dog . . .

That is what so many of us dog owners obsess about.  And since most of our dogs like to eat so much, they obsess about it too.

There are so many choices out there, that I think there are healthy options for every dog, owner and lifestyle.  Whether you feed raw, dehydrated or kibble there is information available to help you make better decisions that will benefit you and your pet.

I personally love feeding raw, however due to lifestyle changes I have had to make some adjustments.  So my goal right now is to feed my dogs the best that I can.  Here are some resources that I use on my quest.

One of my favorite books out there is Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats by Kymthy Schultze.  You can purchase this great little book for under $10 and it will get you started.  And be sure to spend some time on Kymthy's web page.  It is a wealth of information.

You should also visit the blog Real Food for Dalmatians.  Even though you may not have a Dal in the family this blog offers sound advice that applies to all dog breeds.  My only complaint is that it is not updated more frequently.

Be sure to go to  The Honest Kitchen website, download their ebook and sign up for the newsletters.  This is a amazing company that is willing to share information.  If you have a pet with a health problem and need help, they have a nutritionist on staff and will give you the information that you need.

No matter what you feed your dog, become a frequent visitor at Dog Food Advisor for information on all types of food, ratings, recalls.  You will get up to date information from people that are more passionate and knowledge about food than anyone else I know!

 

If you have any other great sources that I should add to my "go to" list, please let me know!

 

Wholey Mackerel!!!

This is what Pickles & Olivia had for dinner tonight, whole mackerel, tender carrots, green peas and pasta.  Although it was a little more mushed up than the picture they really enjoyed Evanger's Whole Mackerel & Gravy.

Although I am a raw feeder I keep an eye out for healthy "convenience" foods to use when I am traveling or running late on time. 

I have been so pleased with the Evangers foods that we have tried, that we are going to start selling them at Moe Toys.  Pickles & Olivia really seem to enjoy the hand packed specialties, you can actually see what the food really is, so those will be the ones that we will have in the warehouse first. 

For dogs that are on a restricted diet, Evangers offers an entire line of game meats, including rabbit, pheasant and buffalo to name a few.  If you have any special requests be sure to let us know!

Canine Cuisine Class Was A Hit!

My neighbor Deb and I had a great time and would attend the class again. The presentation by Elinor Silverstein is fun, informative and not only that she is smart.  She has a bachelor's degree in science in both Biology and Zoology and has been cooking for her pets for over 30 years.

The recipe that we made in class was for "Elinor's Delicious Doggy Meatloaf"  and according to Pickles and Olivia, it was.  We got to bring home samples for each of the dogs!

Another recipe that was made in class was "Spring Drink Delight".  Pickles and Olivia did not get to sample this one, but Deb and I did.

It is very simple. You blend Blueberries, Mango and Fresh Ginger in a Blender.  For humans you then put in a splash of green tea, and for the part that is going to be served to your dogs a splash of chicken broth.

"Spring Drink Delight" will gently help detoxify the liver, and help boost you and your canine companions immune system.

Looking For Something To Do And Are In Orange County????

Then join me at Whole Foods Market in Tustin for the Canine Cuisine Class this Wednesday, May 14th. It is 7-8:30, somewhere around the produce aisle.  You will learn how to make your own pet food with local canine chef, Elinor Silverstein.  This is a fun interactive class then head home with recipes and samples for your favorite pet, and best of all, it is FREE!  Call the store for reservations.  The phone number to the store is 714.566.7650, ask for the marketing department.  Hope to see you there!!!