The Pet Food Dilemna

[Rovers]

OK, so Alpo, a brand under the Purina umbrella, has the Menu Pet Food Company, the one that bought the big shipment of tainted wheat gluten from China, contracted them to manufacture and private label the canned Alpo products. So.... it takes Purina almost 3 weeks to issue a recall? Claiming that Menu didn't notify them? What a chit load of cow manure. When Menu announced the problem, Purina didn't bother to look into this? What's worse is the people who lost pets can only sue for property damage.... what is a cat or a mutt worth? $15?

 

So, I start poking around. These companies have no liabilty, and are strictly profit motivated. The crap they put in these pet food products is worse than garbage. Then, at 99 cents for a 13 oz can of dog food, I found out I can make pet food at home that is healthier and cheaper than what these crooks get at the retail level.

 

40 to 50% meat (and eggs), and the rest split between veggies and starch. Some cooked chop meat (or poultry), (10% of which should be liver or kidney internal organ stuff), rice, potato or pasta for 25% carb content, raw peas and carrots for 25% veggies..... costs me 79 to 80 cents per 13 ounces. That's not only better, healthier ingredients, it's 10 cents per 13 oz's cheaper to boot. The stuff they put in pet food is rated as not fit for human consumption.

 

Here is one interesting site for making home made pet food:

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_12697_make-homemade-dog.html

 

There are others. It didn't take more than a half hour of surfing to make this decision. Egg shells and veggies should be as pulverized as possible, so it is a little work, but I'm done with these pet food companies. Aside from that, the mutt likes it better than that Alpo crap. One tip... alittle beef or chicken bullion cubes make for a nice gravy. Send a message to these dirt bags.... go home made!

[Sugar Magnolia]

OK, so Alpo, a brand under the Purina umbrella, has the Menu Pet Food Company, the one that bought the big shipment of tainted wheat gluten from China, contracted them to manufacture and private label the canned Alpo products. So.... it takes Purina almost 3 weeks to issue a recall? Claiming that Menu didn't notify them? What a chit load of cow manure. When Menu announced the problem, Purina didn't bother to look into this? What's worse is the people who lost pets can only sue for property damage.... what is a cat or a mutt worth? $15?

 

So, I start poking around. These companies have no liabilty, and are strictly profit motivated. The crap they put in these pet food products is worse than garbage. Then, at 99 cents for a 13 oz can of dog food, I found out I can make pet food at home that is healthier and cheaper than what these crooks get at the retail level.

 

40 to 50% meat (and eggs), and the rest split between veggies and starch. Some cooked chop meat (or poultry), (10% of which should be liver or kidney internal organ stuff), rice, potato or pasta for 25% carb content, raw peas and carrots for 25% veggies..... costs me 79 to 80 cents per 13 ounces. That's not only better, healthier ingredients, it's 10 cents per 13 oz's cheaper to boot. The stuff they put in pet food is rated as not fit for human consumption.

 

Here is one interesting site for making home made pet food:

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_12697_make-homemade-dog.html

 

There are others. It didn't take more than a half hour of surfing to make this decision. Egg shells and veggies should be as pulverized as possible, so it is a little work, but I'm done with these pet food companies. Aside from that, the mutt likes it better than that Alpo crap. One tip... alittle beef or chicken bullion cubes make for a nice gravy. Send a message to these dirt bags.... go home made!

 

 

I agree that Alpo is garbage as are all pet food bought at grocery stores, but there are healthy brands of dog food out there-but you pay for it. These brands are mostly found at specialty pet food stores. Natural Balance, Innova, Wellness, Royal Canin, Chicken Soup, Canidae and Solid Gold are to name a few out there. There are also some great holistic food brands as well.

[Czarina]

My cat has been on prescription cat food for a few months related to a digestive problem he's been having (he's 14yo). I'm deeply suspicious that Science Diet is somehow involved here. He's been eating it exclusively for a couple years without difficulty. Now I see they've recalled one of the SD prescription foods. That stuff is $$ too.

 

I was contemplating making cat food for him...but he eats dry food, not wet. Might be worth a go.

[keggerz]

we use NUTRO

[Mr. Pennypacker]

OK, so Alpo, a brand under the Purina umbrella, has the Menu Pet Food Company, the one that bought the big shipment of tainted wheat gluten from China, contracted them to manufacture and private label the canned Alpo products. So.... it takes Purina almost 3 weeks to issue a recall? Claiming that Menu didn't notify them? What a chit load of cow manure. When Menu announced the problem, Purina didn't bother to look into this? What's worse is the people who lost pets can only sue for property damage.... what is a cat or a mutt worth? $15?

 

 

 

I had been giving my German Shepherd canned Purina Chunks and Gravy food mixed in with her dry food for awhile and stopped a few weeks ago after the recall. I was suspicious of Purina even though they weren't a part of the recall.

 

I had opened one can and mixed in some for a meal or two a few weeks back and my dog starting sneezing a lot over the next few days. After that I said the hell with losing the $4 or $5 I spent on the food, better to play it safe.

[AtomicCEO]

My dog eats blankets, plastic toys, and other dog's poop.

[CaptainHook]

you know what's even cheaper than making your own pet food?

 

not having a pet.

[jaxfactor]

My cat has been on prescription cat food for a few months related to a digestive problem he's been having (he's 14yo). I'm deeply suspicious that Science Diet is somehow involved here. He's been eating it exclusively for a couple years without difficulty. Now I see they've recalled one of the SD prescription foods. That stuff is $$ too.

 

I was contemplating making cat food for him...but he eats dry food, not wet. Might be worth a go.

 

 

My cats eat the prescription stuff also. I was a little worried about this but Science Diet and Prescription Diet are two different animals(no pun intended).

[whomper]

Our dogs eat Eukanuba lamb and rice formula..and crayons..Scooping the poop is like an acid trip of colors

[Rovers]

you know what's even cheaper than making your own pet food?

 

not having a pet.

 

 

I've had a dog all my life... and never been robbed. It's cheaper than paying for a home security system that may or may not prevent a robbery. That's from a purely economic standpoint. Security systems have sirens... dogs growl and have large teeth. No contest as to which is more effective.

[Czarina]

My cats eat the prescription stuff also. I was a little worried about this but Science Diet and Prescription Diet are two different animals(no pun intended).

 

 

Yes, but you do know that Hill's DRY Prescription m/d was just added to the list of recalled foods, right? My cat eats the i/d.

[Grits and Shins]

I have a friend whose pet is on an exclusive meat diet ... mostly chicken. However, this is an expensive option.

[nogohawk]

My dog eats blankets, plastic toys, and other dog's poop.

 

 

 

About blew my coffee all over my desk!

[Rovers]

Ok, so I did some more research, and went shopping. I found out several things that were interesting... wolves get their vegtables from the stomaches of their prey animals. This is why they can digest veggies... because they are already broken down. In home made dog food, the vegtables should be pureed or ... just buy baby food. Based on what I've read, here is the recipe I'll use tomorrow. I bought a small chicken with giblets on sale, and that will also feed me some too!

 

7 cups shredded cooked chicken meat

Boiled giblets (liver, heart etc)

4 cups whole grain brown rice

2 cups assorted baby food veggies

2 cups pulverized peas

2 cod liver soft gel tablets

4 oz sardines

2 hard boiled eggs, including pulverized eggshells

1 cup wheat germ

16 oz turkey stock

half teaspoon of powdered garlic

half teaspoon brewer's yeast

 

That's about 170 ounces of food at a cost of about 11 dollars. A case of 13 oz Alpo (10 cans) is about 10.50. So it works out to about 1.05 for the Alpo vs. about 88 cents per meal for the home made dog food. It takes some time, but at least I know what my dog will be eating. It's a healthier diet too, and the dog loves it. I'll be able to freeze some it, so that's convenient.

 

I mentioned that this was for making dog food at the checkout, and the woman on the register said that an awful lot of people are doing this, which somewhat surpised me, but I guess it shouldn't have. Truth is, I don't find doing this any sort of inconveinnce at all... I rather enjoy it.

[TimC]

Bootsie and Chalkie have always eaten Pedigree dry food. I mix a can of the Pedigree gravy can in twice a week. I haven't heard where Pedigree is on "the" list yet. My dogs have shown no ill effects.

 

I may try making my own if Pedigree gives me any reason not to trust them.

[twiley]

Our dogs eat Eukanuba lamb and rice formula\

 

Same here.. my dog eats Eukanuba light dry because she's a portly little corgi and the cat eats Royal Canin dry..damn near have to take out a loan for the Royal Canin crap.

Edited April 3, 2007 by twiley

[Stingers]

Ok, so I did some more research, and went shopping. I found out several things that were interesting... wolves get their vegtables from the stomaches of their prey animals. This is why they can digest veggies... because they are already broken down. In home made dog food, the vegtables should be pureed or ... just buy baby food. Based on what I've read, here is the recipe I'll use tomorrow. I bought a small chicken with giblets on sale, and that will also feed me some too!

 

7 cups shredded cooked chicken meat

Boiled giblets (liver, heart etc)

4 cups whole grain brown rice

2 cups assorted baby food veggies

2 cups pulverized peas

2 cod liver soft gel tablets

4 oz sardines

2 hard boiled eggs, including pulverized eggshells

1 cup wheat germ

16 oz turkey stock

half teaspoon of powdered garlic

half teaspoon brewer's yeast

 

That's about 170 ounces of food at a cost of about 11 dollars. A case of 13 oz Alpo (10 cans) is about 10.50. So it works out to about 1.05 for the Alpo vs. about 88 cents per meal for the home made dog food. It takes some time, but at least I know what my dog will be eating. It's a healthier diet too, and the dog loves it. I'll be able to freeze some it, so that's convenient.

 

I mentioned that this was for making dog food at the checkout, and the woman on the register said that an awful lot of people are doing this, which somewhat surpised me, but I guess it shouldn't have. Truth is, I don't find doing this any sort of inconveinnce at all... I rather enjoy it.

 

Sounds like a good recipe. Certainly the price is right and if you care about your pet the time to do it would be worthwhile - how long does it take to make that amount and how many days worth of food does that amount to 24 days - 12 days?

[Rovers]

Sounds like a good recipe. Certainly the price is right and if you care about your pet the time to do it would be worthwhile - how long does it take to make that amount and how many days worth of food does that amount to 24 days - 12 days?

 

 

I used a can of food per day, so that's 13 oz. So this is about 13 days worth. I'll freeze some, and start a beef based batch so I can alternate between the two. This should keep in the fridge for 4 days or so, the rest will get frozen. So, I only have to prepare the food about twice a month. The dog still gets a fair amount of Milk Bone biscuits to supplement, I don't think I'll get involved in trying to make freakin biscuits! Although there are recipes out there for dog biscuits.

 

I've put a fair amount of research into this.... not surprisingly, there are a lot of small start up outfits selling "home made pet foods". Some of it has to be sold frozen, and would cost more than twice what I'm paying to make my own. The only other item I may add is a store bough vitamin.... but not sure about that yet. In any case, this is better than what I was buying, without a doubt from about every angle. I may even consider selling some for a small profit to friends and aquantances. This would be the right time to consider something like that, in any case.

[keggerz]

link to the list of bad stuff?

[tonorator]

shouldn't this be in the food & beverage forum?

[H8tank]

I feed my dog chicken bones and old pizza, keeps her nice and mean.

[Rovers]

link to the list of bad stuff?

 

 

Anything with wheat gluten in it is suspect. That's almost every brand. Alpo is actually manufactured by the Menu Foods company... the company that bought and used the tainted wheat gluten. Alpo (owned by Purina) has come off as being innocent, claming Menu was slow to notify them. Well, Purina was doing the see no evil routine until there was a paper trail. Bottom line, these companies can't be trusted.

 

It wasn't until now that I learned that the chunks of potato, carrots and whole peas in canned dog food does nothing for the dog nutritionally. They can't digest that stuff. It's there for only one reason.... to make it look healthier and more appetizing to the pet OWNER, and does nothing for the animal. That was enough for me to write all the pet food companies off. The last thing they care about is the animal... it's all about sales and profits.

[Stingers]

link to the list of bad stuff?

 

I found this after I googled bad pet food

 

http://www.kansascity.com/194/story/57085.html

[twiley]

Cat Food Recall

 

Dog Food Recall

[H8tank]

The last thing they care about is the animal... it's all about sales and profits.

 

 

It took you 87 years to figure this out?

 

Companies don't survive by doing anything other than sales or profits. You want to survive by not selling or creating wealth? Become a lawyer.