Here in South Africa, we’ve been hit by another scare in the pet food industry. Yesterday, all sales of Vets Choice was halted and the food recalled after 19 dogs in Johannesburg and Cape Town died of renal failure. This is following on another food scare two months prior, which saw another brand being removed, also due to some contaminant.
This is scary. A link was posted in a thread on the myADSL forum to a very interesting article. I’m not sure whether it’s South African or American in origin, but it still raises concerns that any caring pet owner would worry about. What is safe to feed your pets?
If you choose a cheap brand, you risk upsetting your pet’s stomach, since the amount of ingredients may vary from batch to batch. “Organic” food is generally more important to us than our pets. A B.AR.F. diet can work out quite expensive, plus you run the risk of salmonella poisoning. That, and making up a “home-cooked” meal for your pet is time-consuming. In this day and age, who has time? Plus, how do you know your pet is getting a balanced nutritional intake from the cooked meals you’re giving him?
So far, I’ve been quite lucky with my dogs. Fayth eats Hill’s J/D Science Diet and none of the dog’s brands of Hills has been affected. TJ only likes his tinned Husky. He would eat Fayth’s pellets, if he could, but they’re expensive. He will only eat other pellets if he really has to. Tomorrow, we go to the vet. Maybe I’ll find some pellets TJ may like…
It's my life ... 