Dog Information

Dog food...?

I have a small dog named Boris. I have been feeding him well, but I've heard on the news that there are "acidental" poisens in some of the dog food brands. Can someone give me a list so i know what not to feed him?

Public Comments

1. Just type in 'dog food recall' and it will take you to the sites that offer that information. You want to keep track because there seem to be quite a few being added to it from time to time.
2. Here's all the info you'll need about the recalled pet foods: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html And here's how I recommend choosing a dog food for your pet: Read the ingredients on the food you buy. Go with a high quality dog food. A grain should not be in the first couple ingredients ingredient (corn and such are mainly fillers, dogs don't digest it well). Avoid foods that have a lot of "by products" listed. Here are some good foods (these are just a few, there are definitely more brands out there that are quality dog food, but it will give you an idea of the ingredients to look for): Chicken Soup Brand - http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/ Merrick - http://www.merrickpetcare.com/ Innova - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.asp Or check this website to find GOOD dog foods, not full of fillers and byproducts, they rate dog foods based on the ingredients, 6 being the best. I would recommend feeding only 4+ star foods. Any food 3 stars or less, I would avoid. http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/index.php --- Here's an ingredient comparison of not-so-good food (in this case, Pedigree), to good food (in this case, Chicken Soup brand): Pedigree: Ground Whole Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with BHA/BHT), Meat and Bone Meal, Natural Poultry Flavor, Wheat Mill Run, Potassium Chloride, Wheat Flour, Salt, Carmel Color, Vegetable Oil (Source of Linoleic Acid), Vitamins (Choline Chloride, dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate [Source of Vitamin E], L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate [Source of Vitamin C*], Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Biotin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement [Vitamin B2], Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide), Added FD&C and Lake Colors (Yellow 6, Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5). Chicken Soup Brand: Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, ocean fish meal, cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, oatmeal, millet, white rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), potatoes, egg product, tomato pomace, duck, salmon, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, choline chloride, dried chicory root, kelp, carrots, peas, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, L-carnitine, Enterococcus faecieum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Saccharomyces cerevesiae fermentation solubles, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid. Notice how the better food has more meats, less grain, and no by-products than the other brand? That's where to start looking for what food is higher quality. Also be aware, just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's a good food. --- Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit and kick-backs from the brands they keep on their shelves, that's why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don't focus a lot on nutrition. It's not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told "this is good food", so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it's good as well. --- When switching foods, do it slowly. I do this over about a two week timespan: 25% food A, 75% food B 50% food A, 50% food B 75% food A, 25% food B 100% food A
3. I am a dog pro. So far the recalls have been for wet foods and treats. Canned and packaged. So far my brand from Costco has been fine. Stricklands DRY food. Basicaly find a food with high insidence of meat and rice up front and very little preservatives and colors added. Get one with herbs and vegetables if you can find it without additives. Costco has a good brand I use for the sensitve Shetland Sheepdogs. it has fish and kelp as well. Only bird dogs do well on gobs of corn and other grains. The more pesticides and aditives the higher the incidence of illness. same as you.
4. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/petfoodrecall/
5. I changed dog food to a holistic brand dog food that is good enough for human consumption. It is a little more expensive but it has no dyes and its not full of sugars and stuff the dogs don't need.
6. Oh for crying out loud, just type the words lazybones and you will get the list.
7. Hills science plan is the best food to feed, it has everything in it that you need for a healthy dog, easy to feed, and hardly any wastage so they don't poop too much!
8. You can go to the site of whatever brand you use and it will show you if any of theirs was on a recall list.
9. Check out the Canidae.. Not on the recall list.. No wheat, no corn, no fillers, human grade meats, no imported products.. no cancer causing preservatives colours or dyes... no sugars... Great food. Forget everything from the grocery store. Forget Iams, Beneful, All Purina, Eukanuba, Kibbles n Bits, Ol Roy, Pedigree, Science Diet etc.. They are all garbage foods that are preserved with cancer causing BHA/BHT or ethoxyquin, or cancer causing dyes, or use a Synthetic Vitamin K which makes the body not be able to normally use K from other sources. Horrible foods.. Good Quality dogfood, might seem like it costs more but they actually eat far less and get their nutrition easier from the quality foods.
10. I heard that it was not accidental and they put the melamine in the wheat flour which it was not wheat Gluten. and you can get the list when you search recall pet food. Purina dry food is ok.