In the spring of 2007, animal lovers were shocked by the deaths of several dogs and cats, which led to a massive pet food recall. For many weeks people searched frantically for food that was safe to feed their beloved pets. Slowly, the furor died down, and people seemed to assume that all was well again.

Unfortunately, that is not the case. The truth is that most pet foods are full of a variety of toxins that lead to poor health, disease, cancer, behavioral problems, premature aging and an early death. Have you ever wondered why your pets may get diarrhea from switching brands, or even just when you open a new bag? Why should a dog who can eat a rotted fish off the beach & suffer no ill effects (other than bad breath) get sick from different dog food?

You may be surprised to learn that there are no laws controlling what goes into dog and cat food. When you read the label on the bag or can, it looks just like the labels on human food, with an ingredient list, and a breakdown of the protein, fat, vitamins, etc. However, there are some very important differences.

First, the manufacturers are not required to list all the ingredients! There is no equivalent of the “full disclosure” law that applies to human food. This means they can include such things as sawdust – a commonly used “filler”- without listing it on the label.

Secondly, the ingredients are rarely of a quality that could be graded for human consumption. (The recent recall was linked to contaminated rice, from China.) In fact, the meat used in dog & cat food is very often condemned and graded as “4D” – an animal that is already Dead, Dying, Disabled, or Diseased when it gets to the slaughterhouse. To ensure that 4D meat is not covertly sold to stores, the federal government requires it to be “denatured” (soaked in toxic chemicals) presumably so that we would notice if we bought it! The slaughterhouse denatures the meat & sends it to a rendering house, where it is boiled until it turns into mush and then dehydrated, and the result is “meat meal”. (This toxic substance is also fed to chickens, turkeys and other animals raised for human consumption. The infamous “mad cow disease” came from feeding the meat meal from diseased sheep to cows. Cows are herbivores, yet people greedy to maximize profits thought it a good idea to not only feed them meat…but to feed them diseased meat!)

The final hideous fact about meat meal is that it often includes the bodies of dogs, cats and other animals obtained from animal shelters, vets and research laboratories. The animals from the shelters usually died from either euthanasia drugs (some of which are unaffected by the rendering process) or gas poisoning. The animals from vets usually died from euthanasia drugs, cancer or disease. (Not many vets sell bodies to rendering facilities, but it is legal, and some do.) If the animals came from research labs, well, they certainly didn’t die of old age! For example, the LD 50 test, (Lethal Dose 50%) consists of giving the test population of animals an ever increasing dose of the product being tested until half are dead. Since the survivors are unfit for further use, they are killed too and the whole lot can be shipped to the renderers.

Byproducts are another problem. The term “byproduct” means anything that came off the animal during “processing” – that is, the procedure of turning an animal into meat. I’d like to think that these byproducts are just the parts of the animal that we don’t eat in this country, such as brains, udders, and lungs. These are perfectly good food for dogs and cats. However, byproducts also include
hooves, hide, feathers,blood soaked sawdust and even feces. If it came from the animal, it is legitimate to use!

The ingredient lists on dog & cat food are also very difficult to understand. How many people know that D-Alpha Tocopherol is good (Vitamin E) but that Ethyoxyquin (a preservative linked to cancer) is bad?
Even if all the ingredients are clean and healthy, the food is so thoroughly cooked that all of its raw, life energy is gone. We know how important it is for humans to eat primarily fresh, non-processed food…can it be any less important for our pets?

I began feeding home made food to my pets in 1986, & the results have been wonderful! My pets love my cooking, and they are healthy, long lived, and never plagued by the myriad problems so often seen, especially in aging pets. I currently (as of 8/2007) live with a Keeshond (12 years old), a Keeshond-Shepherd (11) and a Chow-Airedale (9), none of whom show any signs of aging beyond a few grey hairs. The vet is always amazed by their vitality at their checkups. Several of my cats have lived to 18, in good shape until very near the end, and one lived to 22! “Rufus” often posed for photo shoots for magazines, and did his last gig, for Ross-Simons, at the age of 20, still glowing with health.

In 1985, Rufus set me on the road to home cooked pet food, when he was constantly ill with urinary tract infections and other health problems, despite the”best” commercial food & endless vet visits. He was only a year old, but he was so sick it didn’t seem he’d live long. I began to look for alternative ways to help him. After several months of research, and with the help of five vets, I created two simple, inexpensive recipes – one for cats, and another for dogs.

Mix all ingredients together & serve slightly warm.
Food can be prepared in advance & stored in the fridge for about 5 days.
Can be frozen, but don't add the yogurt until after defrosting as freezing kills the yogurt culture.

Percentages can be measured in terms of cups: 8 cups of food = 4 cups rice, 2 cups of mixed vegetables, 1 & 3/4 cups of meat & 1/4 cup yogurt.

Don't add vitamins to food ahead of meal time. Either mix in bowl with food or hide in treats and give at meal time. Give half of the daily dose at breakfast, half at dinner.

Pet Tabs - A general vitamin. Get from vet or mail order catalog. Dose by weight.

Vitamin C (found at health food stores) - sold for human use. Powdered form is convenient to mix with food. Start dose at 100 mg (or 25mg for a small puppy) & work up slowly over a few weeks. (Too much too quickly causes diarrhea.)

Vitamin E (found at health food stores) - sold for human use. Dry form can be used daily - oil form should only be given 5 days a week, then not for 2 days, etc. (IU = International Units.)

Calcium-Magnesium Supplement - For dogs under 30 lbs, use a child supplement, dose by weight. For dogs over 30 lbs, use an adult supplement.

Digestive Enzymes - There are several good dog digestive enzymes available from pet stores, health food stores, vets & catalogs. Petzyme, Vetzyme, Prozyme & Dr. Goodpet are all good brands. Dose according to label.

50% meat or fish
about 85% lean & lightly cooked, any kind

25% brown rice
Well cooked, 3 cups water to 1 cup rice
so kernels are fully opened

20% grated, raw vegetables
Half Yellow Vegetables, such as carrots,
winter squash, or yams.
Half Leafy Greens, such as spinach, broccoli, or kale.
You can use frozen instead of fresh, if you wish.

5% yogurt
Plain, active culture, not low fat

Puree all ingredients together & serve slightly warm.
Food can be prepared in advance & stored in the fridge for about 5 days.
Can be frozen, but don't add the yogurt until after defrosting as freezing kills the yogurt culture.

Percentages can be measured in terms of cups: 8 cups of food = 4 cups meat, 2 cups rice,
1 3/4 cups vegetables, and 1/4 cup yogurt.

Don't add vitamins to food ahead of meal time. Either mix in bowl with food or hide in treats and give at meal time. Give half of the daily dose at breakfast, half at dinner.

Pet Tabs - A general vitamin. Get from vet or mail order catalog. Dose by weight.

Vitamin C (found at health food stores) - sold for human use. Powdered form is convenient to mix with food. Start dose low & work up slowly over a few weeks. (Too much too quickly causes diarrhea.)

Vitamin E (found at health food stores) - sold for human use. Dry form can be used daily - oil form should only be given 5 days a week, then not for 2 days, etc. (IU = International Units.)

Calcium-Magnesium Supplement

Digestive Enzymes - There are several good digestive enzymes available from pet stores, health food stores, vets & catalogs. Petzyme, Vetzyme, Prozyme & Dr. Goodpet are all good brands. Dose according to label.