Posted on 03/31/2007 9:49:22 AM PDT by girlangler
In a word: YES. Chocolate contains a chemical that is harmful to dogs Baking chocolate is the most dangerous. I don't believe white chocolate is really chocolae though.
mark for later
The rule of thumb is 1/2 tsp powdered egg shell to one pound of meat. If the calcium isn't added you can end up with too high a phosphorus ratio in the food and end up with kidney issues.
Broccoli is good, but too much can cause thyroid issues... vets get little or no training in pet nutrition in school, I long ago quit taking any kind of nutritional advice from my vet. The training they receive is given by vets hired and trained by Hills and/or Purina.
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/petrapport03_07.html
Being the bearer of good news and all (heavy sarcasm)...I know a lot of dog owners give pig ears to their pets.
There was a recall announced yesterday that some jerkey's (also made in Canada) were recalled for Salmonella... The interesting thing about these recalls is many people are told by their vets not to feed raw because their dogs will get Salmonella, yet we are seeing it in jerkey, pigs ears, etc.... and I feed raw and never had a sick dog (knock on wood)....
Thanks for the ping. I'm getting a bit weary of all this and may just start cooking for my three Bostons.
I once had a boxer that ate a dish full of Hersey's kisses when were away from home. We returned to little scraps of foil all over the floor, and a guilty looking dog. She never showed a problems from it, though. Lucky, I guess.
Years ago I had a toy silver poodle (she eventually died of old age and heart problems).
She wasn't really a dog, she was a baby, and I treated her like one.
Anyway, she loved to go bye bye, and everytime we'd pick up the car keys she'd get all excited.
When I'd go in the grocery store store or something and leave her in the car, she'd get mad and go through my purse if I left it in the car. She'd find Klennexes and shred them, and once chewed up an entire pack of gum.
Yikes, after reading your post and the link to ingredients to avoid, I feel like I've been abusing my poor pets for years by feeding them commercial pet food.
NEVER AGAIN.
Thanks for this info. I've emailed a link to this thread to all my pet loving friends. You know, they say there is a silver lining in every cloud, and I believe this pet food recall is going to wake a lot of people up.
Think about it: Every vet now sells high end, expensive dog food like Iams and Science Diet. They all tell us not to feed our pets people food, yet push a $15 billion industry, the commercial pet food business. And the food they are selling us is made from the same thing we eat, except instead of good quality meat, they use unspecified, unfit meat renderings mixed with lots of chemicals, etc.
This issue also has me reading food labels on the food I eat. And wondering just how vulnerable humans are when it comes to food safety.
Soon after I switched to raw food for their diet. I do feed ground instead of whole like most raw-feeders. Today, unlike nine years ago, people who don't want to feed raw at least have access to a few choices of good quality food that is grain-free. This poisoning of many pets will likely serve to drive the pet-owners who really are concerned, like yourself, to the better food manufacturers and away from grocery/pet-store brands....
We are all very vulnerable. I learned this when I came down with Lupus and read a book on how to regain my health without all the drugs they normally push on us. Like you I became an avid label reader..
You wouldn't believe how much I threw away from my cupboard. Mostly I shop the fresh food aisle at the market and use limited seasonings, opting for those that are preservative-free.
I am growing my own seasonings (basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley, garlic and onions)and veggies in my garden now. Many of these can be grown inside the house in pots year-round. Heck, I even have a huge flower pot with lettuce growing in it (it’ll be my first harvest this year).
When we were growing up my siblings and I ate mostly beans (poor Southern folks), in fact I know folks here that have beans every meal.
Right now I am considering finding a source for ground cornmeal and flour that I can trust. The things we need that we can’t grow are flour, meal, and sugar.
I am also lucky enough to live in the country, so I can kill a squirrel or deer if need (in legal season, of course).
Unfortunately we have horrible soil and high heat in the summer, gardens that I remember as a child in Texas are not possible.
Our local market does have organic vegies and I buy those -- especially green onions, lettuce, etc. There is some healthfood store cornmeal that is organic. When we lived in California we would drive out to a local farmers market for all our fruits and vegetables, one of the few things I miss. If more people demanded healthier food the market would have to provide it.
I did a Google search on homemade pet food and came across a site that uses the BARF diet. It is also part of a web ring. These are foods you can order. I know this thread is about making your own food, but wanted to put this in case anyone was interested.
http://www.ringsurf.com/netring?ring=getBARF;action=list
I’ve already been researching.
Those of us with labs or goldens are pretty lucky in that our doggies will eat anything!
I’d start by researching what vegetables may be toxic or difficult for dogs to digest and steer clear of those.
I’ve always given my doggies boiled chicken and rice as a treat or when they are sick and don’t have an appetite.
She also loves carrots and sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are good for combating constipation as well as diarrhea in puppies. Raw carrots are a wonderful snack for a puppy that loves to gnaw. She also loves granny smith apples and celery. The possibilities are endless and not that expensive.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.