More recalls

2007 was a very bad year; a bad year for dog food companies that is and sadly for many dogs that ate contaminated food before the big recall.  Many dogs were lost because of the dog food we feed them.  Well; there is another big one, Iams.  If you research on the net you will come across lots of good information regarding all the most recent recalls.  It has become very scary purchasing dog food for our companions; as you go through the check out you hope that the bag you throw on the counter is not going to be listed on a recall.  So what are you to do; you love your dog and want the best for him, what food is the best? 

I stumbled upon this website which has a plethora of information regarding pet food; definitely worth a look.  Truth about pet food   There are always going to be food recalls; it happens with our own food often.  But doing some very essential research can minimize recalls done on what you are feeding your dog.  Unfortunately many of the great dog foods out there have gone bad; and by bad I mean that they have been bought up by the big conglomerates.  You know the ones that buy up anything and everything that might turn a buck.  P&G is one of those as is Colgate.   P&G recently purchased Natura Pet foods which make Innova, Evo and California Natural.  Well; you can check those OFF your list of foods to feed now as well.   Another  great read is Pet Food Politics written by Marion Nestle about the 2007 recalls. (link below)

When a great dog food company get's bought up by the big guys; everything changes.  Gone are the small batches; local ingredients and care put into the food.  It becomes the money maker; the conglomerate basically buys the name and trust of all the people who put their faith in that name.  Education is the best protection against poor nutrition for our dogs.  It is a monumental task to stay up with all the company purchases, recipe and source changes but there are groups like Truth about pet food that make it their goal to keep you informed.

As well as keeping informed about pet food you may be interested in looking at a real food diet for your pooch.  I have just finished reading Raw & Natural Food for Dogs by Lew Olson, PhD.; and it is by far the best dog nutrition book I have read to date. (link below)    Lew Olson PhD; explains how to feed  raw, cooked homemade and if you are a kibble feeder, how to add additional nutrition to that as well.  There are diets for specific health issues that many dogs have like joint issues, gastric problems and simply being a senior.  Taking the leap from kibble to real is a scary one; Lew Olson PhD; makes it clear and much less freightening.  It will defintely be my go to book for a long time.  

Whatever you are feeding your dog; read up on the product.  I like the small companies who are using human grade products; it is important to me that they also purchase their ingredients locally.  There are a few organic dog foods out there which is nice to see and that list will be growing quickly in the near future I'm sure.  As they say; you are what you eat, and that goes for our dogs as well.