Listen Carefully, Grasshopper!

[MaryK]

*-I got so confused and tired of trying to decipher all the pet labels (without first having a PhD) that I very rarely buy treats any more (besides bully sticks - and then only buy grass-fed, etc). I use my own treats for trick, nosework, reactivity, and 'general' training and just use chicken, hot dogs, cheese, beef, or whatever else I come up with. When you really look at the cost of a bag of dog treats, the cost isn't really all that different - only the trouble. And personally, I'd rather know what's going into my dog's mouth. If you want "dried/hard" treats for trick training, someone gave me a tip and it works just fine: cut up string cheese (really easy to cut ) into little bits, spread out on a plate and let dry uncovered in your fridge for a few days, it hardens a bit, and the dogs still love it - heck, it's cheese! I do buy Zukes (not sure how far and wide they're available), and I recently discovered Yummy Chummies - holy cow, the dogs flipped over them, they're dried salmon, made by a small family company in Alaska, and when you open the bag, you're almost overwhelmed by the smell ... if you get my drift. The get those for speciall stuff - they really gotta work hard to earn those treats!!!

Not sure if any of you looked at the site "The truth about pet food" any further (the site where the link I provided above came from) but it's so informative, scary, and all kinds of words that fail me now. Susan Thixton calls herself the red caped crusader, and indeed she is. She's on a mission to inform pet parents as best best she can about all that goes on in the big pet food industry - both good and bad. It's free to subscribe to her newsletter, for anyone who's interested. I've been getting it for a few years and am so glad I do. She's my hero.
http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/about-truthaboutpetfoodcom.html

You sure do need a PhD to decipher the labels. I recall a lady on t.v. talking about diet etc. (human) and she said' if you cannot get it out of your mouth then don't put it in'.

There isn't quite so many choices here, not the natural ones anyway, just the crap. So I don't buy them now. Agree, I like to know what's going into my dog's mouth, that's for sure.

Going to use that idea with the cheese because using 'fresh' cheese, boy does it get sticky, especially when it's hot, in the treat bag. LOL Ra Kismet will not have a single problem - as you say it's CHEESE!

Zukes are not over here, bummer! Neither is Yummy Chummies LOL maybe the smell is too great and would over power the plane crew

Bookmarked the site and will read and subscribe tomorrow, or rather later today, must get to bed now. Thank you for the url.

 

[Dogster]

I wasn't meaning you Dogster, I understand and know you would only buy the GOOD treats for Shivon. I'm lucky, neither dog is fussy, although Zeus just doesn't like really anything other than raw meat or kibble - thinks I'm about to poison him if I offer anything else Oh he will eat cheese, after much sniffing and inspecting it

I know. I was just mentioning that they were for recall, so thankfully Shivon didn't eat lots.

Shivon would much rather eat table scraps too. Her favourite outdoor creatures to snack on are worms, sometimes decomposing ones (YUCK)

 

[MaryK]

Thank you feel relieved now

Yes Ra Kismet loves table scrapes, he does get some, and I suspect a few more than I would allow, partner sneaks him stuff at times Regular little gourmet

Worms OMD!!!!!!!!!! decomposing worms too YUCK but I think worms are high in protein Shivon is at least getting her protein fix Friend has a cat who also eats worms UGH.

Where do our well brought up, nicely mannered dogs (and cats) develop such disgusting eating tastes Call of the wild??????

 

[jackienmutts]

Worms. Aaaack!! But I bet to a dog, they're tasty!! Years ago my mom had a dog who loved snails - so I guess there's just no accounting for some tastes. At least the bugs are better for them than in what's in some of the treats and dog food!

Well, Dogster, you could always use worms for recall, huh?

If you sign up for the Pet Food newsletter, you get updates usually a couple times a week, and I've at least felt really informed since I've been receiving it. Susan Thixton is my hero, she's on top of everything and has a huge following. She's had recalls up that I never heard about elsewhere, she's blown the whistle about several things, and she's not afraid to rattle cages anywhere they need rattling. I think the more we all become educated and spread the word, the more pressure we can put on the Big Pet Food Industry. They will no longer be able to pull the wool over our eyes, as eventually we'll be educated enough to fight back with our choices (and thereby, wallets). Right now, too many of us are still flying blind and hoping we can trust what we're being told - and too often we're finding out (sometimes too late) we're being lied too, or not given straight answers (regarding such things as ingredients, where they're sourced, etc).

Another big issues Susan is tackling - many dog food/treats will say "made in the USA" (or wherever) - but then you find out only if you ask the right questions that yes, the final product is "made" in the USA, but some of the ingredients are sourced from different places in the world. Which means a whole new can of worms just opened up. And so it goes.

Like I said, this site has been a world of information - and I feel much better informed for having joined a couple years ago. In a way it's sad we have to be such informed detectives - but in another way, it's good. It forces us all to be more responsible and informed, for ourselves and for out pets.

 

[648117]

I use hot dog during obedience and agility class usually but this week I bought Black Pudding to mix in with her hotdogs.
It stinks but has way fewer ingredients than the hot dogs and costs about the same. Holly loves it. So I'm thinking that it should be a healthy choice.

I just cut it up and froze most of it so I can get a fresh protion out when I need it. Very easy.

And I just ordered some more bully sticks for Holly (we were running out) and a couple of other natural meat treats for her to try.

 

[MaryK]

Worms. Aaaack!! But I bet to a dog, they're tasty!! Years ago my mom had a dog who loved snails - so I guess there's just no accounting for some tastes. At least the bugs are better for them than in what's in some of the treats and dog food!

Well, Dogster, you could always use worms for recall, huh?

If you sign up for the Pet Food newsletter, you get updates usually a couple times a week, and I've at least felt really informed since I've been receiving it. Susan Thixton is my hero, she's on top of everything and has a huge following. She's had recalls up that I never heard about elsewhere, she's blown the whistle about several things, and she's not afraid to rattle cages anywhere they need rattling. I think the more we all become educated and spread the word, the more pressure we can put on the Big Pet Food Industry. They will no longer be able to pull the wool over our eyes, as eventually we'll be educated enough to fight back with our choices (and thereby, wallets). Right now, too many of us are still flying blind and hoping we can trust what we're being told - and too often we're finding out (sometimes too late) we're being lied too, or not given straight answers (regarding such things as ingredients, where they're sourced, etc).

Another big issues Susan is tackling - many dog food/treats will say "made in the USA" (or wherever) - but then you find out only if you ask the right questions that yes, the final product is "made" in the USA, but some of the ingredients are sourced from different places in the world. Which means a whole new can of worms just opened up. And so it goes.

Like I said, this site has been a world of information - and I feel much better informed for having joined a couple years ago. In a way it's sad we have to be such informed detectives - but in another way, it's good. It forces us all to be more responsible and informed, for ourselves and for out pets.

LOL that's priceless Jackie Snails, that's a new one YUCK but, on reflection I love French Snails and I usually eat vegitarian Maybe the dogs know something we don't, the snails, worms and even decomposing corpses of birds, would have better nutrition than a lot of the dog food!!!!!!!!

Signed up and eagerly awaiting my first copy

Agree with everything you say

Am wondering if it's the same in Australia with the 'made in Australia' label, as the government is acting very palsy with the Chinese, Asia/Pacific ring etc. so no knowing what they're allowing through. Will have to try to get some answers on this one.

Also what annoys me is that, just recently a friend sent me some cat nip, o.k. not dog related I know. It's organic, made in the U.S.A. and imported into the U.K., which is where he sent it from. Customs here confiscated it because it may start growing 'wild', could kill cats (uh organic cat nip kills cats???) and could kill humans!!!!!!!!!!! I was furious.

But they topped it all off by saying if I got an importers license THEN NO PROBLEM, I could import as much as I liked

Yet they legally allow all the crap dog and cat treats through without so much as a blink of an eyelid. Oh of course, silly me the importers are big corporations, pay massive amounts for import licenses, so NO PROBLEMS

 

[MaryK]

Yeah! Have partner on side now, all animals will be fed pure, raw meat Got everyone on this forum to thank for that break-through, all the posts, links and advice has got through to him Thank you everyone

 

[648117]

You can grow cat nip plants.

I had one. But you have to keep it away from the cats and just break off a bit to give them or they destroy the entire plant. And your cat will start to pester you for its daily "fix" and if you don't get it for them you might get a slap from the cat (if they like catnip that is, and if they are anything like Grace). And then when it's destroyed because someone left the door to the room it was in open, if you then put it outside a random ginger cat that you've never seen before will appear in your garden despite owning four cats and two dogs, the ginger cat can not resist catnip....... well that's what happened to me a few years ago anyway

So if you get a catnip plant be careful

 

[MaryK]

OMD!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much I could grow some but after reading what you've said, not sure I will My cats, whom I adore, can manage to pester enough at times, without anything further added And for sure they'd destroy it, have given up with 'ordinary' house plants as it is We're in a very small place at present, so the cats have free reign on where they can go!!!!!!!!!!

Last thing I need, another stray cat or the neighbor's cat coming into the garden at night. My two cats are indoor cats but we do get strays or neighbors cats in the garden, not sure which, and brother do they make a mess Plus the dogs hear them and go nuts

I think, as cats you say get addicted to catnip, I'll give it a miss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe those quarantine officers knew something and actually did me a favor

 

[Dogster]

OMD!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much I could grow some but after reading what you've said, not sure I will My cats, whom I adore, can manage to pester enough at times, without anything further added And for sure they'd destroy it, have given up with 'ordinary' house plants as it is We're in a very small place at present, so the cats have free reign on where they can go!!!!!!!!!!

Last thing I need, another stray cat or the neighbor's cat coming into the garden at night. My two cats are indoor cats but we do get strays or neighbors cats in the garden, not sure which, and brother do they make a mess Plus the dogs hear them and go nuts

I think, as cats you say get addicted to catnip, I'll give it a miss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe those quarantine officers knew something and actually did me a favor

Don't be surprised if they start acting weird....

 

[Dogster]

Worms. Aaaack!! But I bet to a dog, they're tasty!! Years ago my mom had a dog who loved snails - so I guess there's just no accounting for some tastes. At least the bugs are better for them than in what's in some of the treats and dog food!

Well, Dogster, you could always use worms for recall, huh?

As long as I don't have to hold them...

I swear, she's in competition with the birds...

 

[MaryK]

Don't be surprised if they start acting weird....

You mean more than they do already? Mummm stoned cats, could be interesting

 

[MaryK]

As long as I don't have to hold them...

I swear, she's in competition with the birds...

I don't mind holding worms they just wriggle a bit Rakins went one too far late last night. Little terror caught a rat (this area is full of them) don't mind rats alive but half chewed is beyond me

 

[Dogster]

You mean more than they do already? Mummm stoned cats, could be interesting

LOL, depends on the cat.... They shouldn't overdose on catnip, that's for sure.

 

[Dogster]

I don't mind holding worms they just wriggle a bit Rakins went one too far late last night. Little terror caught a rat (this area is full of them) don't mind rats alive but half chewed is beyond me

Yes, live worms are okay...but decomposing ones????

Eeeeeww, a half-chewed rat?!?! Okay, now I'm totally disgusted...

 

[jackienmutts]

Just finished my last bite of dinner ... and read about the 1/2-chewed rat. *sigh* Rakins wins.

 

[sara]

NASTY!!!

I dont use any processed treats at all. 1 they're retarded expensive, and 2 there's no point when hot dogs do so well for stressful situations, and kibble for regular training sessions.

oh and 648117

Orijen is made by Champion pet foods, made about an hour from me using only Western Canadian sourced, human grade ingredients. That means there wont be any scary China ingredients

 

[648117]

Orijen is made by Champion pet foods, made about an hour from me using only Western Canadian sourced, human grade ingredients. That means there wont be any scary China ingredients

I know it's made in Canada, but one of the articles says it's not always the chinese products that are dangerous but also foods containing glycerin that are then irradiated. One of the articles said Orijen food killed a bunch of cats in Australia because of the glycerin and irraditaion. The radiation seems to change the glycerin so that it becomes a bit toxic (especially to cats).

I don't have the packet from Holly's food because we put it in a container so I don't know if it contains glycerin or is irradiated when brought into NZ. Hopefully it's alright, but I'll check next time I'm at the petshop.

 

[sara]

The problem with the cat food in Australia was something to do with being left out in the open in the heat for too long, causing a problem with an ingredient, I do believe. This did not affect any dog food.

 

[MaryK]

LOL, depends on the cat.... They shouldn't overdose on catnip, that's for sure.

Something tells me I'll give cat nip a pass. You never know Rakins just may take a fancy to it OMD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!