Making Your Own Natural Pet Food Saves Money and Reduces Toxins
February 5, 2010 by Tracey
Filed under Sustainable Living
People have become very accustomed to purchasing dog food in bags from the grocery or a specialty pet food store. This hasn’t always been the case, as you might imagine. While there are now lines of “natural” pet food available, you also likely have natural pet food ingredients right in you house, allowing you to actually make the food fresh for your animal.
After the incident where nearly 350 dogs and cats were poisoned in 2007 and a similar incident in Asia (during 2004) where over 1,000 animals perished, people have begun to wonder. Those incidents were caused by a single Chinese company putting a slightly different formulation of a chemical called melamine in the pet food.
Given the low rates of acute toxicity from “agriculturally” treated melamine, it’s very possible that this ingredient has been in pet food for years – this was just the first time the pure chemical mixed with a bit of it’s pesticide form synergistically combined to cause severe damage. With such a batch, usually sent for processing into plastics was substituted, for the usually more pure “feed grade” chemical.
Like many of the other things put in dog and cat food, such as the credible reports of euthanized companion animals being routed back into the pet food supply, the use of malanine is a crass cost saving measure. It is added in an effort to make pet food meal come out with higher protein-levels in a lab analysis.
Most of the deaths in those cases were due to cats suffering acute renal failure, as their kidneys simply gave up when exposed to that adulterated melamine with the “sludge” from the manufacturing process mixed back in.
Regardless of the type of melamine used, there are documented changes in a dog or cat’s bladder response when exposed to this chemical in their food for an extended period of time. There are purported to cause cancers and a very slight amount of internal bleeding. This is, of course, not a problem when you spend a few more dollars and purchase a good-quality natural pet food or ensure the quality by making it yourself.
Of particular concern is the news that inclusion of the less critically toxic form of this chemical is given to farm animals, from shrimp to pigs. Both in China (where it is often used in cakes and pastry without any regulation) and the US, this chemical has migrated into the human food supply, though to what extent is a matter of some hot debate.
What is a person or pet owner to do? If you tend to use one of the larger brands of pet food that is commonly available at discount stores and grocery aisles, the odds are very good that you’ve been giving this dicey chemical to your dog or cat. Natural pet foods vary widely in the amount of nutrition they offer as well as some of the specific protein sources they use. Moreover, they can be very expensive.
The best way to make sure you’re using the sort of quality ingredients you’d feed yourself is to make the food yourself. It’s easier than you might think. There are plenty of natural pet food recipes online – many of them from veterinarians who understand animal nutrition. Often times, this will include a mixture of meats and vegetables or require the addition of vitamin supplements.
However, as you will find when making your own natural pet food, there’s a lot less bulk in these items as you might be used to. Not only does the amount of food you give your animal decrease, but the amount of waste generated is also decreased. This, in and of itself, is enough to sway a lot of people who live in urban areas and need to pick up after their dogs or fish out the litter box.
It is important that you make sure the natural pet food recipes you choose will supply plenty of the nutrition, giving a complete meal. This is either accomplished using a variety of vegetables, oils and seeds or using chemical powders. Calcium is often given in the form of a powder or baked and crushed eggshells. Flax and hemp seed oils are a good source of important Omega-3 fats. Carrots and beets are a very common addition that also add sweetness.
Natural pet food ingredients tend to include things you might have lying around and focus on using good cuts of meat that have a high protein to fat ratio. You can also use organ meats, making this already money-saving venture even more cost effective.
It may be a good idea to avoid a few things when making your own natural pet food recipes. Some pets have the same sort of food allergies that people do. Many natural dog food products, for instance, don’t use corn or wheat. Other types of natural pet food focus on a specific fat and protein source, such as lamb meat and avocados. You can certainly experiment and determine what seems to work best for your pet. Keep an eye on their energy levels, watch to see what makes their eyes bright and coats shiny. Ask a vet, if you want to double check.
Making your own natural pet food is the only way to both save money and ensure that your best friend isn’t being poisoned by some multi-national corporation that doesn’t think taking a few years off your dog or cat’s life is an acceptable risk.
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