What To Feed Your Pet

     The investigation into melamine-contaminated wheat gluten and rice protein imported from China continues.

     Melamine (the stuff plastic plates are made of) causes crystal formation which can lead to kidney failure.

That doesn't mean we're safe.

     Melamine was just found in livestock feeds as confirmed by the American Association of Swine Veterinarians.

     So far, pig farms in six states are under quarantine, and pork prices have shot up in the supermarket due to anticipated scarcity. 

     For pet owners, there are really only two questions: 

1. How did this happen?

2. What can I do to protect my pet now?

     Answers to the first question are Overwhelmingly complex and still incomplete, and we are all watching current reports as they come in.

     Most people believe the FDA protects us from unsafe medicines and foods and to some extent, this is true.  But not so in other arenas. 

     As proven by the current disaster, there is little if any monitoring of pet food until a problem is reported. 

     Pets continue to die even as manufacturers scramble to ascertain product safety, but we must also accept personal responsibility for what we feed our pets.

     That leads us to the second question. The most obvious way to protect your pet from unsafe ingredients is to feed it "people food"

     Many breeders and owners do just that.

     It may be anything from table food to a structured BARF (biologically available raw food) diet.  The problems are a tendency to include tidbits of starch, sugar, or fats from the table; inconvenience; and achieving proper dietary balance.

     For the determined owner; these problems can be solved by research and through feeding a natural diet of meat, poultry, fish, green vegetables, and eggs.
     Another solution is organic or human-grade pet food and thankfully, there are good products available. Again, attention to labeling and direct contact with the company will help determine whether or not the buzz-words {organic, human-grade) apply to all of the ingredients.
     A note for "indoor" pet owners. Does your pet have access to unpolluted live grass? Wild carnivores derive vegetation from the stomach contents of their prey.
     Domestic dogs, cats, birds, and reptiles need fresh grasses and herbs as part of a balanced diet. Provide your pet with a tiny indoor garden (More on that next edition!)
     We will also provide a list of pet foods made with human-

grade foodstuffs or predominantly organic ingredients, as well as info on where to obtain these foods!

     A "pet food and nutritional section" has been assembled by TheDogPlace.org, one of the web's oldest, largest, and most reliable websites.
     The Science and Advisory Board (SAAB) represents a cross-section of internationally respected Veterinarians, related-field PhDs, and Breeder-Exhibitors.
     Go to www.TheDogplace.org, select Resource Library on Home Page for access to hundreds of pages of exclusive first-hand information on feeding your dog or cat.
     For thousands of owners, the pet food disaster is a wake-up call heard way too late. We trust your pets are still healthy.