Pet Food News

My cat died of kidney failure early 2005 and was wondering if it had anything to do with the Chinese food adulteration scare that began on 2007.
Does anyone know when the earliest case of possible melamine contamination in pet food in North America was?
I understand that the recall began on 2007, but when is the earliest time a contamination was documented?

Recalls outside of China didn’t begin until 2007, but only after animals started dying. Since animal deaths are not tracked, or investigated as thoroughly as humans, when the actual contamination began is not entirely clear. However, melamine contaminated pet food was discovered in China in early 2006.

Initially, researchers thought that the contaminant was a form of rat poison. It wasn’t until 2007 that independent testing by a pet food maker revealed that it was melamine laced glutens that were poisoning pets.

While it is true that kidney failure was a common side-effect of melamine poisoning, melamine is not the only compound that causes renal failure. Renal failure occurs with many types of illness, and can be a side-effect from commonly used veterinary medicines. When your cat died in 2005, you would have needed a necropsy done to determine the exact cause of death.

I’ve googled a few, but would like to hear from someone who’s actually used the recipes and had good results as far as ease of use, and the pets eating it well. I would like both dog and cat food recipes.

Thanks to all in advance!

I was hoping my star would bring in more answers for you from my contacts, but no luck so far.

I just want to caution you about one thing - do NOT feed your cat a vegan or vegetarian diet. It’s a death sentence.

Although dogs are carnivores, they are not obligate carnivores, which means they can tolerate a vegetarian diet whereas cats really cannot.

Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you. I have seen cat food recipes but I haven’t used them myself. That’s why I didn’t answer. But since you’ve gotten so few responses, what the heck.

There’s a few at this site: http://www.catnutrition.org/foodmaking.php

Also, if you get a copy of Sandy Arora’s book, she has some as well. http://www.amazon.com/Whole-Health-Happy-Cats-Naturally/dp/1592532667

I own this book but I don’t follow recipes - I just feed meat and supplements.

It just came across CNN news that one of the big Company Officials of Pet foods sold his Stock Shares just before the PET FOOD RECALLS! doesn’t it sound like he knew about what was going to happen in the pet food poisoning?

Yeah, I just read about that the other day. I think the company is going to press charges against him. I hope that he loses ALL that money he made off of the poor animals that died when they knew months before they made the recall public!!!

Kamloops prices are almost half of Merritt. I will continue to go to Kamloops despite the drive. I have many cats (I am a breeder) and price of pet food is very important to me. I spend in excess of $150 per month on food, litter, beds, etc. for my cats. When it is kitten season I spend extra on high quality kitten food and cat carriers when I am shipping my kittens world wide. I would hope that all Walmarts would offer the same priceing but obviously not so which means I will take my business elsewhere to get the best value for my dollar. Pet stores in Kamloops charge less than Merritt’s Walmart for a higher quality food.

I thought that Wal-Mart used nationwide pricing too.

Hi..
I have a question or two about cat food,
What’s the best brand for cat food? I’m looking for one who can give my kitty all the nutrition she needs.
I already give her more than one brand, Whiskas, Purina, Kitekat.. but is there a better brand out there that would keep my cat healthy??
Also, how much should I feed her? she’s about one year old.

And, which is better, dry or canned food, & why?

thnx alot
Grocery store brands and Science Diet are all garbage. Read the labels. They are filled with corn and wheat which provide no nutrition for cats and some cats are allergic to them. Look for brands such as Innova, Felidae, Natural Balance, etc. You won’t find them in grocery stores. Most tend to be in specialty pet shops or feed stores. The about.com website as a great review of the top foods. They recommend wet, but a combination of wet and dry is great, because the cats get the wet food but the dry keeps their teeth clean and healthy.

Once your cats taste the good foods, they won’t want the other stuff. I used to feed my cat Science Diet until I knew better. Once I started mixing in the Felidae with the Science Diet, he started eating around the Science Diet.

Just a quick question about dog food.
We’ve got a 14 week old staff, and we feed him james well be-loved biscuits,plus a bit of pedigree from the tin.
I just read in a book that they are both complete food.
Do you think it will ok to give him pedigree for his breakfast and dinner and the james well be-loved for his lunch??
Or would that confuss him??
If not what would think is best for him????

It Shouldn’t be a problem i doubt it would confuse him!

People have told me that wet cat food is best for cats, but when ever we tried it on him he got sick what could cause this??? by sick I mean lots of through up also if it matters he’s half purebred himilain and half purebred nowigeian forset cat. Weve been feeding him natures logic and stuff like that vet recemended He has no food alergies as far as we know
Did you switch him onto the new food slowly? You have to switch your Pets food slowly over a period of 10 to 14 days, if you can. Mixing 25% new to 75% old. Then 50/50… then 75% new to 25% old. And finally switch over to 100% new. Take it slow as not to upset their digestive system. Let me share with you what I have learned about feline nutrition to help you make an informed decision on what diet you should feed your cat. Many brands of manufactured cat foods claiming to be “healthy” really are not. In fact they are made of the lowest ingredients possible. I’m not saying that a cat can’t live off them… just the same as you could live off hot dogs and Mac and cheese forever, but better choices can and should be made for your feline friends. I would not venture to say that any manufactured food is “best” for a cat but a grain free organic wet food would be a good start. Feeding canned is certainly better than feeding dry in all cases. Cats were never meant to eat dry food, also known as cereals or kibble. We, humans, make them eat it for convenience to us. It has nothing to do with them or their nutritional needs. It’s completely species inappropriate. All small domestic cats descended from desert cats. In the wild, desert cats derive their entire liquid intake from their prey. They do not have a thirst mechanism because they don’t need it when eating a species appropriate diet. They get all they need from what they eat. Additionally water was usually not available to them in their desert climate. So they do not often drink water. Regular ol’ house cats have descended from those same wild desert cats. So in a home environment, your kitty does not get the moisture it needs from dry food and it’s almost always in a constant state of dehydration. Water fountains are encouraged to TRY to get your cat to drink more and your kitty may even enjoy it, but it will never meet its water intake needs drinking from a bowl. Deadly feline illnesses such as diabetes, kidney failure, obesity, allergies, Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD), bladder stones, kidney stones, urinary tract blockages and Urinary Tract Infections (FLUTD), with and without deadly crystals run rampant these days. Cats are not taking in enough water to stave them off. Proper water intake through a species appropriate diet alone can prevent most of these conditions. Overall, wet is all around better for any cats diet, be it canned or Raw and they should never be fed dry cereal kibble if we wish to most closely match their wild nutritional and dietary needs. Kibble meets our needs… not our cats. It is also bogus that kibble cleans teeth. DRY FOOD DOES NOT CLEAN TEETH. It’s an old myth that has been scientifically disproved for years, but old-school vets drilled it into people’s heads for so long (and sadly still do) that people still believe it. Cats can not “chew”. They do not have flat “chewing” teeth. Their molars are not for grinding food. They have meat ripping pointy carnivorous teeth. You may see them “crunch” a piece of food once to crack and break it… but they are absolutely unable to chew a hard piece of food. Want your cat to have clean teeth? Give them an appropriately sized raw bone to chew on. :o) I personally feed a Raw Meat and Bones based diet to my cats and they are very healthy on it. I HIGHLY recommend it. Once I got the hang of it and felt comfortable with it it’s a snap to prepare. It’s something you might want to consider someday. Cats are obligate carnivores after all and must derive ALL their nutrients from meat based sources. They are unable to absorb them from any other source. Despite thousands of years of domestication they remain strictly carnivorous. True and honest meat eaters and that is what they need most. Protein from meat! If you are interested in feeding a raw diet some great places to start learning are http://www.catinfo.org/ , http://www.catnutrition.org/ , and http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/ . If you would like to try raw with your cats and don’t want to get all technical about it but want to try a trusted, time tested and balanced raw diet you can order from http://www.felinespride.com/products/catfood.aspx . I purchased this myself when I first started and my cats loved it! Another premade Raw you can try is Natures Varity. I personally have never used this but know many people that do and it’s pretty easy to find http://www.naturesvariety.com/content.lasso?page=1507&-session=naturesvariety:D04EC9250597c11908GJS417647E. If raw is not an option for you please be aware that there are three Categories of manufactured Pet Foods: -”Grocery store” foods – (Generic Brands and cheap name brands) Those foods found in grocery stores and mass-market retailers are made with lower-quality, less-digestible, inexpensive ingredients and are therefore a cheaper alternative. While easy on the pocketbook, “grocery store” foods normally do not provide your cat with the healthiest, most nutrient-dense ingredients. -Premium foods – (Iams/Eukanuba, Purina One, Hills Science Diet, Nutro and such) Foods often found in grocery stores, pet stores, and veterinarian offices that contain higher-grade ingredients, but still include many elements of “grocery store” food, such as artificial colors, artificial flavors, chemical preservatives, and “filler” ingredients such as corn and wheat products, by-products and even animal digest. Yuck! Premium foods are usually more expensive than “grocery store” foods because their ingredients are sometimes of a higher quality, and are therefore somewhat more beneficial and digestible. But don’t be fooled, some of those same so called Premium brands are sometimes worse than grocery store foods, but they charge prices like they are better. They aren’t! -Healthy foods – (Wellness, Merrick, Eagle Pack, Drs Foster & Smith) The newest addition to the pet food market - provide pets with the highest quality, healthiest, and most nutritious ingredients. They are typically available for purchase online or direct from the manufacturer. Some better retailers are starting to carry them now. Complete Petmart carries a few healthy brand foods. Foods in the Healthy class contain nutrient-rich ingredients. Formulated to provide optimum health benefits for pets, these foods often use real meat as the primary protein source, carbohydrate-rich whole grains like brown rice and barley and whole, fresh fruits and vegetables. They should not contain artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. They will almost always be fortified with additional vitamins and minerals, and will use the best natural sources for fatty acids to help build healthy skin and a beautiful coat. Because healthy foods use high quality ingredients, you should expect to pay a little more than you would for other types of pet food. Remember, though, with healthy foods you can feed less since healthy foods are more nutrient-dense than other types of food so it often evens out or cost’s les than feeding foods filled with cheap non-nutritional by-products fillers. With all that information in mind, when you are choosing a new cat food, study the ingredients. All ingredients on pet food labels are listed by weight. Meaning whatever ingredients are listed first on the list, there is more in there. The first ingredients listed should be whole meat ingredients, protein sources, such as Chicken or Turkey. NOT just the word “meat”! Who the heck knows what that is? The word Chicken Meal is ok, but it should be a secondary ingredient, not first. Meal is the meat dehydrated and ground into a powder. The ingredients also should NOT include any by-products or animal digest whatsoever. Those are disgusting left over animal parts that are scraped off the filthy floors of meat and poultry plants. They should just go into the trash but they put them into pet food instead. EW!!!! Also make sure there are no artificial colors or flavors. And make sure there is no BHA and BHT used preservatives. These preservatives have been shown to cause cancer in both cats and dogs. Bad Bad stuff and it’s in almost every cat treat on the market. So, in summery of the ingredients… if you see the words by-products, Animal Digest, the word “meat” alone, Corn, Corn Gluten, Wheat Gluten, or BHA or BHT… stop reading, put down that product and move on to the next. Be aware that when switching to a Healthy, Holistic or Organic food, you will pay for what you get. Good foods are not cheap. They are pricey and will cost you more than cheaper products, just like steak costs more than hotdogs. But again, you will be feeding a better food and improving the over all health of your pet. This in turn leads to less vet visits for illness now and more importantly later in life in their geriatric years. You will also feed less of this food on a per animal basis because a smaller amount of food contains what your cat needs. Overall healthy wet foods are well worth it, if only for the piece of mind that the ingredients are better for your cat than cheap crap. You can start your research for a healthy cat food here if you are not ready to try feeding a Raw diet: http://www.onlynaturalpet.com If you want to buy in a store, Complete Petmart is a good store and carries quite a few natural, organic, and holistic blends. Also check with your local feed/grain stores. I highly recommend you take the time to research for yourself, but the information I have given should get you off to a good start. Good luck choosing a healthy food!

It’s stands to reason tis could happen as it is often rumoured poor people eat pet food sometimes. any stats would be of interest. Or any first hand information would be better.

Not around here they don’t

I have fed my cat dry cat food all his life, he is an indoor cat and health if a little over weight. He is now 13 years old and starting to have trouble with hairballs and puking in my room. I want to switch him to healthier canned indoor cat food for old cats. He has always been able to eat whenever and how much he wants with the open food bucket but now i closed the dry food. My question is how often do i feed him a day from the canned food?

This is going to be long, but this is stuff you need to know, so read up.

First, I’m amazed nobody has asked how big the cans are!
Average store-bought canned cat food ranges between 3oz per can, up to approximately 5.5oz per can. Obviously that’s a huge difference, so this isn’t a question of "how many cans", but rather of "how much volume".

However! There’s the QUALITY of food to consider as well, which is what really counts. High-quality canned cat food with real meat as the primary ingredient will require less volume because the cat is able to more efficiently process the moisture and nutrients contained therein without having to pass through filler and grains. This means they will start to feel satisfied sooner, and eat less per sitting.

High-quality canned food is invariably more expensive than low-grade foods with lots of filler, but if health and longevity are you primary concerns, you want cat food with REAL meat (not byproduct) as the 2nd or 3rd ingredient listed at the absolute least.
First ingredient if you can get it.

Now the important part: as a rule of thumb, it’s recommended that for every pound your cat weighs, you should allow 20 to 30 calories of wet food intake. Pay attention to each food’s nutrition information, and you’ll notice that high-quality food actually provides more calories per ounce (you may need to check nutritional details online, as not all manufacturers list the caloric content on their cans), so you cat will have to eat even less again to satisfy his body’ needs.

As an example, take a cat who weighs approximately 10 pounds. If you want to MAINTAIN that weight, feed a solid 25-30 calories per pound, for about 250-300 calories per day. If you want them to lose weight, 20 calories per pound will help, so try to keep it around 200 calories/day.
Bear in mind that kittens, however, are advised to eat approximately twice the amount of calories as compared to adult cats, since they need that extra nutrition and energy to grow.

Lastly - and I cannot stress this enough - contrary to popular consensus, a cat does NOT require dry food. AT ALL. Period.
It does nothing for their health, and can, in fact, cause more harm. A feline’s digestive system is very straightforward and very efficient at extracting nutrients and water from the meat of their prey. This is why high-quality wet food with meat as a primary ingredient is so vitally important…in nature, cats only eat a very, very, VERY small amount of grains, typically less than 1-2% of their daily intake, and they can get that from the minimal grain and meal content present in all canned foods (if you’re an exceptionally dedicated cat owner you can even buy small pads of live pet grass for them to chew, usually for less than 5 bucks at your local pet store).
Excessive grain intake forces the cat to eat more empty calories in order to get the same amount of nutrition (leading to obesity, which can open the door to ailments like feline diabetes). it also makes them drink much more water to compensate for the moisture they are not getting from fresh meats, and this excessive fluid intake can place strain on their urinary system and kidneys, leading to potential renal (kidney) failure.
In short, cats simply are not designed, digestively, to be omnivores.
They are carnivores. Meat-eaters. That is literally all they need, and any vet worth their salt will tell you so. You may have to get your boy’s teeth cleaned about once per year to keep plaque buildup at bay, but that is a recommended yearly practice for ANY pet owner, regardless. Everyone should pay attention to a pet’s oral health, and that’s no different whether they eat dry, wet, or a combination of the two.

Anyway, I know this was a long read but hopefully it all helps a little to point you in the right direction. Calculate how much volume of food your cats needs, portion it out over 2 or 3 servings per day (depending on how much he wants to eat in one sitting), and go for it.
Your cat will be happy you did.

(P.S. - The advice posted by "Dj F" about weaning him off dry food slowly is absolutely true. Start with about 50/50, drop to about 25/75 after a week or so, then go 100% full canned after the 2nd week. This will give your cat plenty of time to get used to the new diet, both psychologically and intestinally.)

I’m in a dilemma, I have been feeding my dog Nutro Venison and Brown Rice dry food. He has had some pretty bad skin reactions to other food in the past (he’s a lab), but the venison seemed to be very good for him. The problem is that Nutro has not shipped the Venison and Brown Rice food to stores for the past 3+ months, apparently they are having some "packaging issues"? So now I am almost out of his food. Does anyone have any recommendations for another brand of dog food that makes a venison food?

Natural Balance has an excellent Venison formula.

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/VenDog.html

Innova EVO also has a canned version of Venison that I feed to my allergy dog.

http://www.evopet.com/products/default.asp?id=1498