The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #100057   Message #2003689
Posted By: Sorcha
21-Mar-07 - 09:13 PM
Thread Name: BS: Poison pet food
Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
Des, so far ALL of the dry kibble foods are OK. I feed either Iams Lamb and Rice (red bag) or Iams Mini Chunks (green bag). Mini is just like Chunks except it doesn't crumble as badly from it's own weight.

If you want 'additives' use your own. Safflower oil for Vit E (and coat gloss), canned pumpkin (NOT pie filling) for Vit A and D (and runny poop control), Plain yogurt or fat free cottage cheese for calcium, etc.

I would not use canned sweet potato (mashed up) instead of pumpkin because of the added sugar content. A real raw sweet potato cook and mased would be OK. Raw or cooked carrot (no sugar added) would be OK too.

You can also research BARF (Bones And Raw Food) but I won't do it. Too chancy and the balance is so important. Get too much of any one thing (protein, carb, fat) and you are in trouble.

I also won't feed 'wet' food because of the digestion/elimination concerns in both dogs and cats, and dry kibble is better for the teeth. (Assuming your critter is young enough to still be able to chew. IF it's an old critter with dental problems, just let the dry kibble stand in hot water til it's soft)

Also, with cats, the canned/wet food has a much higher ash content than the dry, and can cause urinary tract problems, especially in neutered male cats. (High ash content also makes it more attractive to dogs who like 'tootsie rolls')

Most dogs can tolerate liver, raw or cooked (I prefer cooked) but some can't. I also prefer to cook liver and give it in small bites as treats. Too much liver can raise the dogs' own liver enzymes. (Humans too)