Posted on 09/15/2012 10:12:13 AM PDT by chessplayer
At least 360 dogs and one cat reportedly have died in the U.S. after eating chicken jerky pet treats made in China, even as claims of illnesses tied to the products have topped 2,200, federal veterinary health officials said.
(Excerpt) Read more at vitals.nbcnews.com ...
Thanks for that post LADY J.
After the Chinese killed off so many of our pets a few years ago, we did some research and started feeding our dogs the Raw Meaty Bones diet. We read several books on this subject first since it seems to go against everything we'd been told for so long.
This diet is not inexpensive, but we take comfort in knowing what our dogs eat. They are healthy, have beautiful shiny coats, bright eyes, white teeth, no "doggy breath", and so on. The vet remarks on how good they look every time we take them in, though he is nervous about recommending the diet for fear of the bones (I can't convince him that raw bones are different than cooked bones, even though I loaned him one of the books written by a DVM. Oh well. The proof is in the pudding, er, doggie.)
I wish I could get my cats interested. They like fresh fish and rib eye steak, but otherwise, if they don't catch it themselves, seem to not have a lot of interest. Cats expect to be catered to dontcha know...
I had to put my 16 1/2 year basenji to sleep this past July. For a short time, I was giving him “Milo’s Kitchen” chicken jerky treats. You guessed it...made in China, even though the company is owned by Del Monte. (The beef treats from Milo’s say they are made in the US.) Basenjis are extremely prone to Fanconi Syndrome genetically, but these chicken treats INDUCE Fanconi Syndrome. My dog was drinking water like crazy while eating these treats. He also developed asthma from them. If you go to http://www.basenjirescue.org you can order the “Cookbook for Brats”, which has a whole chapter of dog-friendly recipes, as well as recipes for human food. There is also information on the website about Fanconi Syndrome.
My books are on loan at the moment, so I cannot provide a citation, but one of the books (written by a DVM as I recall) touched on the subject of dogs and salmonella. The doc's claim was that, yes, dogs could still be affected, but because their digestive system was shorter than that of humans, and food spent less time in the animal, and thus they had less chance of exposure. I've fed raw meat and bones to the dogs for some time, and as long as I keep the meat in the same way as I would for feeding my family, I've encountered no issues (other than the fact that I need a bigger refrigerator!).
I buy chicken leg quarters by the 10-lb bag at the grocery store, as well as other protein. Turkey drumsticks are most appreciated when they are available for a good deal by the case load, as is beef (roasts, usually) when it is on sale. Gotta watch the sales and make friends with the butcher or the folks at the meat counter.
ITA on raw chicken. We feed our three yorkies raw chicken (and other raw meat and bones) They do wonderfully with it and have clean teeth etc like you said. My goodness, a canine is a canine. They bury their food and eat it days later. Just like a wolf. They eat road kill too. (not mine but they do) A dog does not need anything but meat and bones. THey get all their vitamins etc from that. We’ve humanized them and think they need veggies/fruits like we do. Not so. They may love the veggies/fruits but it is certainly not needed - just like we like sweets. :)
I thought dogs were omnivores and ate both animal products and plants/vegetables so they could survive on a vegetarian diet.
Cats of course are strictly carnivores, although the vegetables in high quality food contain a small amount of fiber which can prevent them from getting constipated. Same reason some outdoor kitties chew on grass. :)
Think about it, dogs have eaten bones for 1000's of years and have survived.
As you probably know, the idea of this diet is to simulate a "prey animal" for dogs that do not otherwise hunt and kill their own prey.
If an animal hunts and eats prey animals in the "wild", they consume (most or all of) the animal, including muscle, bones, entrails and their contents, etc. Nutrients contained in the prey animal, and in the vegetable matter in the prey animal's gut are therefor made available to the predator. Anyone with cats that hunt is already well aware of this, though cats seem quite willing to share if they are not especially hungry.
Since most dogs do not get the opportunity to hunt for their meals very often, this diet builds a prey animal for their meals. It includes raw meat on the bone, raw veggies and other nutrients (and supplements as needed). Variations on the diet keep it interesting and healthy. My dogs like green beans and peas, and will eat okra on occasion, but don't much care for carrots. They also get wheat or whole-grain bread now and then, mainly for the roughage. They really like fresh blackberries and blueberries (and will help themselves to the fruit on the plants if left unattended), but aren't all that interested in bananas. The fruits generally need to be fed as snacks and not with the rest of the meal. Turkey drumsticks are prized, as is any form of beef, though mostly they get chicken leg quarters. I buy raw beef bones for them whenever I can get them from the butcher, but that is relatively rare. Small bones they'll just crunch up and eat, bigger ones will get gnawed on for hours and hours.
All in all, experience shows this to be a healthy diet. It is certainly not as convenient, nor as inexpensive, as feeding store-bough dry food, but the advantage of knowing what the dog is eating, and in seeing how healthy they are is worth it. I encourage anyone who is curious to read up on this. You'll find that it goes against many things you may have been taught, so it may be a bit difficult to trust in, but once you do, armed with the knowledge you gain from research, your animals will show the positive results!
DISCLAIMER: I am not a vet, nor an animal nutritionist, so please take the time to do your own research! There are many well-regarded books and articles available, so spend the time (and in some cases, the dime), and educate yourself. You'll be glad you did.
The problem is that for years we were told the exact opposite
The disclaimer was aimed at anyone who might me reading this thread, not necessarily at you gopheraj.
I just checked the packages of cat treats I have. The label says made in Canada, but who knows where the Canadians bought the ingredients? I may have to start preparing my own stuff for them.
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