Beware of what you feed your beloved pet!
In March to April 2007 the pet community was shocked to learn of one of the largest product recalls ever announced. A multinational pet food corporation recalled food from hundreds of brands that had been made at their factories between the dates of December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. (To see the full recall list from the FDA, click here).
The ingredient was a wheat gluten from China contaminated by melamine, which can cause kidney failure in pets. In light of this recall, what should you look for when buying dog food for your pet?
Avoid corn or wheat as an ingredient:
Experts recommend that for the time being to purchase dog foods without any corn or wheat products. Most mass produced food contain some form or corn or wheat, so finding an alternative may be somewhat time consuming.
Invest in your dog’s food:
Buying a higher quality or organic food will give you a better chance of staying away from the tainted ingredients. Of course check the recalled brands against anything that you purchase.
Stick to dry foods:
Less affected by the recall, this is a great time to concentrate on your dog’s teeth and purchase a dry food that will take care of both their teeth and health.
Regardless of the product recall, organic dog foods have not been including wheat or corn in their foods from the beginning. Often claiming that it leads to poor health or bloating, organic dog foods do not have many of the unnecessary additives that the mass produced foods do.