Food for Dogs and Cats

So sorry, but we were unable to get a booth this year!  Nevertheless, Vegas Pet Expo will be at Cashman center and its free to the public!  Bring your pets and meet up with hundreds of exhibitors that have all kinds of neat animal stuff, from costumes to food, how-to clinics and raffles, and Shorty and Hercules from the Animal Planet show Pit Boss will be there!

We're going to turn to homemade diets soon.  Information about the pet food industry has me concerned about what I've been feeding my dogs and cats over the years.  I'm going to be posting some great recipes at the website and would like to know if you are using something that your pets are eating and also maintaining or improving in their health.  I'll be posting my Helium article that was published a few years back on the ups and downs of the "raw food diet" that has seen a lot of controversy in the decade or so.   As a licensed veterinary technician, I am educated in animal nutrition, so heads up:  I don't support a 'raw' diet.  Here's why:

Salmonella in meats that you buy in the market;  a potentially harmful bacteria.
Digestion: cooked foods are more easily absorbed and have a higher TDN than raw.
Natural is not the same as raw (natural includes bugs, mice, worms, bones, fur, organs, etc)
Access to taurine and other essential amino acids may be limited, reducing nutritional quality.

I elaborate more in my article, but you can see the gist is that most raw food diets will be lacking unless you are willing to go kill wild animals and feed them whole to your pets, which is still not a great idea because of parasites and bacteria life cycles. Seen those feral dogs and cats?  THEY are eating a "natural" diet, along with the cheapest pet food the colony sustainers can buy (because they need a LOT, and no one raises money for them, bless their hearts).

For now, feed the highest quality pet food you can find which does not contain "meat by-products" or large amounts of corn (in any form).  Try poultry based foods whenever possible, and stay tuned for more on the raw meat diet for dogs and cats.  Please feel free to ask questions or post comments on your experiences, or visit www.AllPetsCS.com for more information as it comes in.

happy tails!