Important Considerations When Choosing Your Cat or Dogs Food

It is 7 am on Saturday morning, and who wants you to get up and fix breakfast?  You wake to a wet tongue panting near your face, or a screeching meow in your ear.  Pets look forward to their every meal.  The happiest part of your pets day, is the moment their bowl hits the floor.  However, it seems times are changing with the recall of menu foods, and additional confusing information.  Therefore, there is much to consider when purchasing your pets food. They get used to the same routine, and look so forward to breakfast,  therefore  it’s awful to have to worry about every single can of food you put before them.

Moreover, it is scary to think your pet may have to lose their life because of something you fed them.  We did not know in the beginning, just who the culprit was, and now that we know who the enemy is, we are still uneasy about feeding our dog or cat.  So far, 1783 cats and 942 dogs have passed away from impure food, fed to them by their owners. The first reports said there were more dogs affected than cats, and now it appears to be the other way around.

The constant changing of information, while watching our animals suffer, is scary and frustrating.  However, we now have a name for the poison- aminopterin.  Aminopterin is highly toxic, even in small doses.  In addition, it suppresses the immune system, and inhibits the growth of cancer cells.  

 According to Donald Smith, dean of the veterinarian school, at Cornell University, in New York City, the number of deaths from contaminated pet food will increase. The chemical, aminopterin, is present in chemotherapy treatments in the United States, and in rat poison in other countries.  It causes renal failure in dogs and cats, which is killing them at an alarming rate.  We are being advised by the company who produced the food responsible  for the animal deaths, that they have expanded the recall to include all 95 brands of the cuts and gravy food, regardless of where it was produced. The Food and Drug Administration stated that aminopterin is in wheat gluten which is in many cans of dog and cat food.  Although, officials will not speculate on how the chemical got into the wheat gluten in the first place, they have at least expanded the recall. Andre Rosowsky, a chemist with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston, stated  that "the substance would not show up in pet food unless somebody put it there" “Unless someone put it there”, suggests they are still investigating the cause for the poisoned food.

We see new information everyday, on how to feed your dog or cat.  Because you cannot trust the manufacturers with the ingredients in dog or cat food, it leaves one no other choice, but to prepare their pets food from their kitchen.  It seems if you want something done right, do it yourself.  This is why we now see advertisements for books on how to prepare your dog or cat’s food.  However, some prepared foods contain unsuitable ingredients for animals.  For instance, most ingredients in the foods we prepare are high in salt and fat content, in addition to additives that are bad for your dog or cat. 

The Food and Drug Administration, has received numerous calls from pet owners, about the deaths of their pets, who died for no apparent reason.  The pet owners believe their pets’ food apparently was the cause of their sudden death.  It seems like a bad horror film for animals.  One of their favorite pastimes, polluted with poison, and we are not sure how to help them.  Our dogs and cats add so much to our community and homes.  They make a huge contribution to the quality of our lives, and hold a special place in all of our hearts.

Therefore, when your pet awakens you in the morning, bring your dog for a long walk, and play with your cat, while keeping these important considerations in mind, and stay informed of recent information, regarding the pet food crisis.   

After all, it is the least any of us can do!  Because on their worst day, our pets are there for us-

Contributing article- CNN.com