The widespread recall of dozens of brands of dog and cat food - caused by the contamination of a common ingredient, wheat gluten, supplied by a Chinese manufacturer - has prompted a sudden burst of interest in homemade pet food. That’s exactly the expectation we consumers have of commercial pet foods, and that is the responsibility that pet owners take onto themselves when they decide to make their animals’ food at home. The advantages to homemade pet food are you can choose the very best ingredients; you can customize recipes to suit your pet’s individual needs or preferences; and you discover a whole new way of spoiling your furry friend. If there’s a problem with a commercial food - say, just for example, that some contaminated wheat gluten gets mixed in - then the symptoms are likely to show up in multiple pets, and that commonality will ultimately help veterinarians identify the source of the problem. Last year, Lauten conducted a review of more than 100 pet food recipes found in books written by veterinarians. Her survey did not take into account the untold number of pet food recipes found online and in cookbooks that come from unknown or noncredible sources. Read More

[Tags]pet, recipes, food, owners, , pets, natural pet health[/Tags]