The 2007 melamine scare has prompted many pet owners to search for safer food sources. For those of you unfamiliar with the issue, basic ingredients used in pet food were found to be contaminated with melamine. Several animals were poisoned, leading to illness and even death. The source of the melamine was determined to be China. However, since the contaminated food was considered an ingredient, not the finished product, buying food produced elsewhere is no guarantee of safety. A canned product marked “made in the USA” it may still include ingredients produced in another country. It says the problem is fixed, but I’m not sure it won’t happen again.
So what’s a pet owner to do? I decided to make food for my dogs from scratch. Once I realized that the quality of ingredients was suspect even in the best brands, the choice was easy. Mass-produced dog food contains foods that are not considered safe for human consumption. So why do you expect it to be safe for your pet?
There was an added bonus to switching to homemade: it costs a lot less! I don’t buy organic meats for my dogs (too expensive), but I take comfort in knowing that the food is at least considered human grade. This is not true when buying mass-produced pet food. I buy meat in bulk when it’s on sale and freeze it until needed.
When people find out that I prepare my own dog food, they usually assume that I spend a lot of time doing it. Is not true! I have two large dogs (about 80lbs each) and it takes me twenty minutes each week to prepare their food. This wouldn’t be possible without my favorite kitchen appliance: the food processor.
My dogs are on a completely raw diet. This has not only helped his health tremendously, but also makes preparation super fast. I cut the meat I’m using into large chunks and put them in the work bowl of my food processor equipped with the multipurpose blade. Then pulse until almost ground. I use a small amount of vegetables for fiber, usually sweet potatoes. These are shredded using the shredding disc on my food processor. Then I mix the meat and vegetables with ground bone meal, raw eggs, and fish oil. My dogs love it!
I debated including actual recipes in this article, but ultimately decided against it for an important reason. All dogs are different and so are their dietary needs. I came up with a suitable diet after talking with my vet and it works great for my dogs. I would hate for someone to try to duplicate my efforts just to harm their pet’s health. Talk to a professional to determine your pet’s exact needs. If your vet isn’t open to discussing this, find a new vet.