Eukanuba has not been recalled.
Indiana Bones, the wonder dog loves this stuff.
Purina One, Bil-Jac, and Eagle Pack aren’t on the recall list, either.
Eukanuba wet food was on the first recall list. One of the dry Hill’s veterinary prescription foods has also been recalled.
The emphasis now is on locating foods that, while not containing the contaminated proteins, were prepared in utensils that had previously contained contained the bad stuff. These cross-contaminated foods are being pulled as they test positive.
I believe there are labs where pet owners can send in samples for analysis, but if they certified something free of contamination that analysis might not hold for batches prepared before the Great Recall, or even batches made later.
I’m down to Googling “brand+productname+recall” before heading down to the vet’s to buy anything. There are so many freaking recalls, and more announced almost daily, that I would have trouble even with a complete list. My cat’s on a Hill’s prescription diet since his bout of poisoning, and every time I go for some I tell the staff “I’m afraid of catfood,” and they say, “We’re concerned too.” My cat is doing well and putting back on some of the weight he lost, so I decided to stay with it.
We’ve been cooking for our two whippets for about six weeks now. We brown two lbs of ground meat (beef, turkey or lamb), add two cups of cooked rice and mix in whatever vegetables we have on hand (carrots, beans, apples, whatever). This lasts two days.
They seem to be doing great on this. If anyone has concerns with this diet I’d like to hear about it.
For short term use I see no problem. Long term, I’d be concerned about calcium levels as well as calcium-phosphorus ratios.
One problem with home brewed diets is that people tend to get lazy. Varying the diet will likely avoid major problems, but making sure you have a variety of fresh veggies, meats, and grains on hand, and the time to cook and mix them up in the right doses with the proper amounts of suppliments twice a day, every day for months and years gets taxing. Many people fall off the wagon and soon the dog is only eating chicken and rice twice a day. If your the kind of person who can be totally dedicated to your dog’s meal plan, awesome. I know I couldn’t.
The other problem with home brew diets is that some folks will start to impose their own personal food philosophies on their pets. Suddenly the cat is on a vegan diet, or the dog is getting eucalyptus extracts. I saw a case once where the owners insisted on feeding their dog nothing but fruit. Now, this happens without a crisis in kibble. But with more people looking for pet food alternatives and more quacks looking to turn a quick buck, I’m betting even money that nutritional problems will go up.
A couple folks have asked if nutritional problems were common in the past. My impression from talking to older veterinarians is that they were more common than they are now. However, the entirety of pet keeping has changed significantly since then. More pets were kept outdoors, where they might catch things to eat or forage. Also, pets were not living as long as they currently do. There were more problems with parasites and injuries. Since a mild nutritional problem can take years to surface, the pet was more likely to die of something else before significant nutritional problems kicked in.
Now, we have pets who live inside full time. We control the parasite burdens, the reproductive demands, and the risk of injury. Pets are living well into their twenties. Suddenly, minor nutritional deficiencies become more important. For a good example, research the discovery of taurine requirements in cats.
Many states have a veterinary school, and these should have the resources to help develop homemade pet diets if you call and ask. If you live near a major city, you can call up the biggest veterinary hospital in the area and ask them for advice. There is a good chance that they have a certified nutritionist on hand. If you live out in the boonies, try calling the biggest place that is closest. Most places should be willing to give you pointers over the phone. Many places will ask for a fee for a throroughly detailed and personalized diet.
Thanks, Pullet. I don’t want to try re-creating the prescription food, but if I should ever have to, it will definitely be with input from a veterinary medicine school.
:smack: We only feed the dry. Sorry for the misinformation. My bad.
It’s nice to ocassionally feel smart/useful on these boards 
Squeeze your kitty for me!
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