Alternative Pet Food Exists Despite Recals

After she lost her 7-year-old golden retriever to cancer last year, Donna Baran did some research and decided to begin feeding her puppy golden retriever Moses holistic dog food.

The holistic dog food costs slightly more, but Baran, of North York, said it is made with vegetables and pure proteins and she trusts its ingredients.

Now, after at least 15 pets died from eating contaminated food and scores of pet food products have been recalled since March 16, Baran said she’s glad she has made the switch.

“I wouldn’t want to lose a pet to (food poisoning),” Baran said. “You should feel safe with your pet food.”

Most of the recalled dog and cat foods have been wet foods manufactured by Canada-based Menu Foods and sold under about 100 different brand names from Wal-Mart Stores to PetSmart.

The easiest way to see what pet foods have been recalled is to call the company or visit its Web site at www.menufoods.com.

Last weekend, Del Monte Pet Products also recalled several products because wheat gluten in them contained melamine, which is not approved for use in food, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

And Purina recalled its Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog food because of possibly contaminated wheat gluten. Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. also recalled its prescription diet m/d feline dry food because of melamine and melamine byproducts found in wheat gluten, according to the FDA.

With so many brands being recalled, Mike Beatty of Springettsbury Township said he had to check to make sure his two German shepherds, Rock and Jazz, weren’t eating the food that caused other dogs to die.

But sales of pet food recipe books have shot up since the nationwide pet-food recall began.

The FDA and the American Veterinary Medical Association are urging pet owners to switch brands if they are worried. The veterinarian group also warned that many common foods are not safe for pets, including salt, garlic, onions, grapes and chocolate.

‘Kind of like canning’: Making pet food at home is “kind of like canning: You have to think about bacterial contamination. And how do you make sure it’s nutritionally appropriate and balanced for the animal?” said FDA spokesman Julie Zawisza. She added: “We wouldn’t object. We’d say be knowledgeable about what you need.”

But for pet owners like Bruce Vick of West York, who owns several dogs and several cats, switching brands has been a bit of a hassle.

Vick said two of his pets are on special diets, so he hasn’t had to worry about their food. But after Purina recalled one of its brands over the weekend, Vick said, he had to be extra careful in buying pet food at PetSmart in Manchester Township