Nutrition matters...a LOT.

When you buy regular commercial pet food, you buy preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, synthetic vitamins, inorganic minerals, and a whole lot worse than all that.

Often what you are buying are products with substandard ingredients, like rancid oil, or meat by-products which usually includes food not fit for human (or in my opinion, animal) consumption.

You are also often buying pet food made from meat which has come from animals which have been drugged with not only antibiotics, steroids, and hormones, but also many of the animals used for the meat in pet food are actually euthanized pets, so you're getting the drugs which killed them, as well. Isn't that a nice thing to eat? Would you want to feed that to your pet? There is so much research on the effects of poor quality food on our pets.

When buying organic pet food, you are getting pet food which is made from ingredients which are organically raised, meaning without the use of artificial chemicals, either in the form of animal or plant feed, chemical pesticide controls, drugs of any sort, and only fed organic food. In other words, chemicals are out of the picture and nutrition is in! This is what I want for my pets!

There are clues you can look for in making your choice. One clue is artificial colors. If a pet food company thinks those are beneficial then they're in it for the money and not the pet...be sure. Pets don't care about artificial colors, but the body doesn't like them a bit!

I just go straight for the word "organic." Then I know my standards are met. It might cost a bit more, but it's worth it. In the long run, the cost is far, far less.

I usually alternate between dry organic food and food that I make them from scratch, using fresh quality ingredients and herbs.

Here's a good source for some of your all-natural pet supply needs. The Only Natural Pet Store. It's good!

~Vibraceous, ND

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My veterinarian agrees.

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YAY!!!!  That's what I do, too...Make my own!  (On vegetarian days, sometimes we eat the same thing!  Hahaha!  HEY!  If I ate meat, I'd share meals with them all the time!  They eat pretty darned good!)

I usually alternate back and forth between what I make and what I buy...Some kind of organic dry.  They like the crunch, and it's good for their teeth. 
Sometimes I mix half and half. 
It lasts a lot lonnnnger that way!

Putting fresh garlic in is a really good thing!  Organic and raw...chopped up in wee little bits.  (Exposure to air potentizes it, so little pieces is the best way, and of course raw is best, too, to get the healthiest effect.)

~Vibe

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Hi Vibe,

Could you post some homemade recipes for cats & dogs? That would be really helpful to have posted here.

Thanks.

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I have always used the wellness.my dog loves the lamb and when other dogs come here with there own food,because i dog sit,well they all rather have the wellness.guess i have been on the right track.makes me feel good.

brenda p

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RECIPES

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Commercial pet food and stock feed contain a cocktail of dead domestic animals and deadly environmental toxins.

Warning: these four short articles will make you rethink what you feed to your pets, and even what you and your family eat.

1. THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS AND DOGS

2. FOOD NOT FIT FOR A PET

3. A LOOK INSIDE A RENDERING PLANT

4. THE DARK SIDE OF RECYCLING

Vibe

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When asked, The President of AAFCO said: "If the ingredient say's meat or bone meal, you don't know if it is cattle, or sheep, or horse, . . . or fluffy." then went on to say: ". . . nutritionally, it is still protein." To view the King 5 Television interview with the AAFCO President (Herschel Pendell) CLICK HERE

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Hello, I´m Ingrid,

I´m new to the group, thank you for accepting me.

I have a big dog, 47kg and he eats Royal Canin.

Someone can tell me if it is a good brand?

        Thanks, Ingrid

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  Made me mad, but I was looking at Newmans Own at the local grocery store, all they sell is dog formula. So I decided to buy Brandon Frams Organic, well, mistake. Two of my cats got bleeding gums and UTIs, one almost got crystals in his urine, his PH was so high, the vet had to spin it down to chek it, and sure enough, there were little, minute beginings of crystals, and alot of blood, that I saw for myself, he overshoots the litterbox at times--big cat. Now I am  repoted them to the FDA and the AAFCO, since they are certified? They will eat canned Newmans Own, they love it. I use it to mix in their morning vita mix--yeast, wheat germ, and lecithin for their skin and there health overall. The Tract ease from ONPS worked great again! I love the stuff, keep it around in case of emergencies like this. Now I am rubbing down their gums--they love that, he he, with animal apothacary fidodent, has the righ ingredients, and I am having trouble finding the ingredients to make my own.

   I love organic, I eat organic so why shouldnt they, just stick to the popular brands, I just happened to see this where I work as a vet tech--some clients had it for their cats, I called them also. If it had been one cat, well then I would have figured he just had a reaction, but two cats with UTIs, and another chewing her paws off? I am going back to humangrade till this is over.

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Can dogs have tomatoes?

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I am really hoping for a response!!
I need to know about dogs and tomatoes.
Thanks

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  I have never heard anything bad about tomatoes and dogs, but I would watch the acidity of them. Even people who eat too many get sores in their mouths and lips. I have only ever seen this happen once, but was told about it many, many times. So I would watch how much you dog gets. Just make sure they are organic, and not salted. Dried tomatoes would probably be best, I can see what the vet I work for says about them. I cant find any info on them at all concerning a dogs diet, I even tried the ASPCA site and their poison foods listing, not on it, so that is good.  

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My cat has diabetes.  After switching her to Wellness grain free cat food she is doing so much better. 

I read about this food, and feline diabetes here.

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  I am so glad you posted a link for that. So many people still believe that Hill's and other prescription diets are the best! All my cats, even the strays I rescue and rehome, get Wellness. Canned anyway, they seem to like California Natural dry to nibble on. I made my own a few times for them, so they will get organic, but they seem to prefer store bought, so we compromise. It just has to be humangrade and meet my standards.

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Just throwing in my two cents here! My three canine children (Chihuahua male, Chi-terrier female, and their daughter) eat homemade vegetarian food. A mix of a few kinds of beans, mixed vegetables, wheat germ, oats, and sometimes molasses. Plus, they love raw carrots! Since I started feeding them this, they go crazy when they see me coming with their bowl! I have to feed them with a spoon so they won't eat too fast. And, to be frank, their bowel movements don't stink half as bad as they used to! My oldest, GizmInuYasha, will be five years old in a couple of weeks, and he still jumps around like a puppy! Phoebe, the Chi-terrier, is in excellent health. And the "baby" Pygmyna only had commercial food for the first few months after she was weaned, so no problems there. Since autumn 06, no commercial dog food! No way will I give them that crap with "meal" or "by-products" in it ever again! I looked at that new food from Rachel Ray, but it has chicken meal, I think. Something meal, anyway.

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  Well, I have now sucessfully switched them all to a raw diet that is organic. Two of the cats are still a little picky, the other two love it! It is frozen as I work all day and really have no time to make their own recipes anymore.  The youngest is seeing a holistic vet, but the vet I work for has finally taken it seriously and will operate on her side as soon as I ok this with her holistic vet. I need the discount right now, but as long as she gets no steriods or antibiotics, I am ok with this so far.

   They barley eat dry kibble anymore, and what they do eat is now Nature's Variety, the fat content is high, 22%, so I control feed very carefully. They used to love Wellness, and still like it, but now since they have gottent used to raw and no preservatives, they are doing better.

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  I took in one of my cats for a weight check today, I had to check on the boarders at work, she is finally losing weight! Slowly like she should be, but she is. On Wednesday I am taking in another one for a weight check. Their haircoats look even better than before, they have more energy-even my bf noticed that, and he doesnt notice alot.

   The vet I work for of course insists they should go on Royal Canin weight control! I researched and asked a holistic vet her opinion before I put them all on raw, to make sure it would be ok with all there problems.

   Ok, get this---Clyde has feline asthma, I noticed yesterday he hasnt wheezed in quite awhile, I just put in another order for more of it, Primal Raw Diet, and told the store owner to get a bigger freezer!

   I am just so impressed, I am glad that I tried the sample pack they gave me at the supply store. It took awhile to change them over, but now they dont care for dry anymore, or canned, at least not alone, their raw has to be mixed with it. Everything is organic.

   People say they are too busy to mess with raw, but it takes me 3 minutes to mix up a batch of food fresh, for 4 cats. All I do is take out a few nuggets for each cat, and defrost them the night before, then bfore I leave for work, I defrost some more for supper when I get home. It is always fresh, and very easy to do. The website has a calculator so you can decide the amount to give them, weight loss, maintenance, or weight gain. It is so easy.   I love it and so do they!

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I have a Chihuahua mix pom.  She is 14yrs. I didn't know about the horrors of the dog food on the market until resently. She has some med. problems. But I feel she would do so much better when I change to a healthier eating habit.     

Maggie I would like to know what type of vegetables you are feeding your Chi's.  Also oats---do you mean oatmeal? What type of beans..Where does one find wheat germ? Molasses{how much}

I've heard that  boiled chicken or hamburger and rice is good for them. Also cottage cheese.

Another words I sure could use some help..

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Hi, Sage! I use a mix of different kinds of beans. A good combo is half a cup each blackeyed peas, pinto beans, , lima beans, and red beans. I boil them for an hour, then soak them overnight in a six-quart pot. Sometimes I'll throw in a handful of lentils or split peas as well. Then a mix of a lot of vegetables like carrots, celery, cooked potatoes, brocoli, cauliflower, whatever you want to give them. Then I add a couple of cups of oatmeal, either instant or old-fashioned; you might add more or less, enough so the mixture is thick and not runny. Wheat germ is usually near the oatmeal at the supermarket. I'll add a few tablespoons of it to the pot. That or nutritional yeast, if you find it, usually by the vitamins. If I add molasses, it's just a couple of tablespoonsful to the bowl rather than the whole pot. I'll give them that if I notice they're losing weight or are more active and could use the calories and vitamins and minerals. Or you could use multi-grain baby cereal; that's what I used to put in their food before I found nutritional yeast.

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Oh, and yes, chicken's fine, but not the bones, as they're brittle. Hamburger meat, if it's not greasy. At least, that's what I've heard. My ex's parents have 2 Jack Russels, and one of them got an upset stomach after eating a chunk of hamburger, so that's why I say 'not greasy.' Sometimes I'll use about a cup of rice in their food, in addition to everything else. I haven't heard anything, good or bad, about cottage cheese.

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Thank You! Thank You!  Maggie.... Sounds good to me...Will start this today with what I have here...Than off to the supermarket...

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I know most of YOU will know this but just in case:

US law currently only regulates certified organic pet food claims.  Certified organic pet food products may (and mostly do) carry the USDA organic seal, are marketed with certified organic claims, and have to disclose the name of the certifying agency.

All other (non-certified) organic pet food claims are not verified by an unbiased party; the government doesn't regulate or enforce these claims, even if some companies abuse this giant loophole for their non-organic pet food products.  A Government official says 'it is a buyer beware of any pet foods that aren't certified organic'.  So, it's up to the consumer to check carefully.

BTW: My company (www.onestaorganics.com) has some great certified organic and hypoallergenic dog treats (and also some for 'pocket pets').  Most dogs (I am told 8 out of 10) like these vegetarian, whole food-based and chemical-free treats; our holistic vet recommends them to his customers.  In a few months, we should come out with full diets.

Heidi

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Cool, thanks for sharing that Heidi!

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Here's another recipe I like. It can be made as a loaf or muffins. 1/2 cup applesauce (check the ingredients to make sure there's no high fructose corn syrup!), 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 1/2 cups flour (either wheat or white), 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses a little cinnamon, 1 tsp. baking soda. Mix all together just until blended; don't overmix. Pour into lightly greased cake pan or muffin tins and bake at 325¤ for 15-20 minutes, until set. For a variation, you could also add 1/2 cup oatmeal and a 1/4 cup apple juice. Bake same as above.

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Heidi, Thank You For the information..onestaorganics.com I Will Be Visiting This Real Soon....

Maggie, Yum! Yum!   I'm Not Sure There Would Be Any Left For The Critters......Just Kidding......{maybe}

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Yeah, those muffins are pretty good! And they don't need to be refrigerated! Sometimes I'll put dates and almonds in them for myself. Yumm.

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Hello, my name is Tom. I was so happy to come along this pet forum. I am a classicly trained chef who is now cooking dog and cat food as a personal pet chef. My 11 year old lab mix is now acting like a puppy again. I started this business because my dog JACK was always sick. Also he stopped eating kibble. Now after 5 months of home cooking he hs a clean bill of health.

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Has anyone thought of just feeding a raw meaty bone prey model diet? Yes there are some things to be learned before just jumping in, such as you dont feed weight baring bones of large animals to your pets. But we feed a raw meaty bone diet to our dog and she does great. Her teeth remain white and in great shape, her coat is soft, she is energetic. Much better than cooking for animals. How often does one see a wolf cooking it meal? She also gets very little carbs as wolves do not eat much in the way of carbs in their diets. She does love to eat huckleberries off the bush though. Anything other than raw meaty bones is used more as a treat than as part of her diet.

curious as to whether anyone else in here feeds anything similar to their carnivores.

For those that do cook their food for their carnivores, I dont agree with that way of feeding but i also say to each their own. I also believe it is better than processed foods like kibble.

Well tis late gotta go. I wish you all good health to you and your pets.

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You're right about wild animals eating raw, wild animals. But I'm really not into killing small (or heaven forbid, large) game for my dog.
Todays farmed animals, and meat processing/packaging industry means that for safety's sake the meat must be cooked.
I for one, love raw meat. Or at least I used to. Haven't tried it lately, so I can't say.
In the 50's, when we used to go to a farm and watch our calf being raised, knew what it was fed, knew how it was butchered, things were different.
Yes! I'd love to feed my dog raw meat and eggs, but I can't see it, today.

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I would consider feeding raw organic meats then from a small local farm that you feel you can trues. I would not myself eat raw meat though. I never had that desire. lol But raw veggies, fruits and nuts and seeds........yeah you could talk me into those. lol

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