Re: More pet product recall
gardenchat@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: More pet product recall
  • From: &* <d*@comcast.net>
  • Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2010 16:44:51 -0400
Kitty,
I think that most recipe writers take themselves too seriously. But if a recipe called for a Tablespoon of chicken fat, I'd do what my aunt's Jewish neighbor used to do. After boiling her chicken for soup, she'd let it cool and then skim off the schmaltz (chicken fat). It wasn't real schmaltz, she explained - that's rendered by frying, but it would do for flavoring and it got it out of her chicken soup. She'd keep it in a jar in the fridge. Looked icky, but it was apparently a good sub for cooking, since she was a great cook. Not as good as my Aunt Annette, but good.
Me, I just chopped up the chicken after it was cooked, and threw some of the fat and broth back into it, then added a bunch of brown rice (they needed a lot of filler because they couldn't handle high protein w/their kidneys, but you wouldn't need to add so much) and cooked that until it was sort of mushy. I'd throw in whatever leftover veggies we had. Sometimes that was sweet potato, sometimes carrots, sometimes peas. The dogs loved it, recovered fairly well from the initial poisoning, and did really well on it until near the end, when nothing worked. The vet said that the variety of foods made sure that there would be enough nourishment.
For the short term elimination diet, your vet may say it's ok to feed chicken and brown rice one week, beef and brown rice the week after, add veggies the third, etc. A lot of vets think that it's the additives in commercial food that are the biggest problem with allergies, not the food itself.
A note for cats - many people say that cats can't process the proteins and some other nutrients in grains - that they're obligate carnivores. Of course, that begs the question that they also eat stomach contents of their prey, which are often herbivores.
The vet that helps the feral cat program here had some recipes and ideas about feeding on her website. The site seems to be down at the moment, but I'll check back later. 

d
----- Original Message ----- From: "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net> 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 4:48 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] More pet product recall
When a recipe calls for a tablespoon of chicken fat, I thought it would need to be liquid or something - in order to mix in. Wasn't sure how to go about that.
The reason the vet wanted z/d for him is that it rules out virtually everything. If we get him to a point that he's not having fits, we can then add in one item at a time to see what he can tolerate.
And just now, as I was weeding, a VOLE JUST SAUNTERED BY A FOOT AWAY FROM ME, without so much as a by your leave, g'day m'am! The gall! 

Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message ----- From: "Daryl" <dp2413@comcast.net> 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 2:18 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] More pet product recall



Kitty,

I don't know anybody who buys the other stuff. They just feed real food.
Like boiled chicken, eggs, vegetables and brown rice mixed together. Most
add cottage cheese or yogurt, but your boy can't have dairy (or is it just 
milk? a lot of cats can't handle milk but can handle cheese and yogurt).
Calcium supplements are available, but some just add back some of the water 
from boiling an egg, or whiz the cooked eggshells in the blender until
they're powdered.

Buy chicken fat? Buy chicken. It comes with the fat. ;-)

d
----- Original Message ----- From: "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net> 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 3:01 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] More pet product recall



YOu've got me interested.  But where does one buy some of these
ingredients like chicken fat and powdered eggshell?

On the other hand...
while searching for recipes I found
Natural Balance L.I.D. Allergy Formula Dry Cat Food 

http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Natural-Balance-LID-Allergy-Formula-Dry-Cat-Food/158185.aspx


                 at less than half the price of z/d.  I don't know why I
didn't find it before.  Perhaps the search paarameters I used were
different. No fish, corn, or dairy in the ingredients list of 2 of their 
formulas.  My understanding of the z/d cost is that the ingredients are
highly refined, repeatedly processed to reduce allergic reaction.  But I
might give this a try after we go through 10# of z/d.




Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message ----- From: "Daryl" <dp2413@comcast.net> 
To: "gardenchat" <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 12:33 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] More pet product recall



Small market for specialty food, so they can.

The main thing with making cat food is getting enough Taurine into it.
It's
fairly easy to supply- available at the health food store and seems to be quite palatable. When our poor kitten was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, 
the
vet recommended additional taurine in case he lived long enough to
benefit
from it. And if you're feeding your cats chicken, beef and liver instead 
of
a vegetarian diet, chances of taurine deficiency are slim.
Your vet may have recipes available, as ours does. I asked our vet why he 
didn't suggest that first, he said that most people just want to open a
can.
Even if he doesn't have recipes available, there are dozens on line.

And remember, when I was a little girl, commercial pet food was just
becoming widely available. Before that, animals ate what their people
ate,
for the most part.

d
----- Original Message ----- From: "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net> 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 1:51 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] More pet product recall



Not separate feeding this time.  Both Seamus & Slugger will eat z/d
canned
and dry.  I see they now also have hypoallergenic treats.  No corn,
dairy,
or fish are the main things I need to look for.  Locally z/d is $6 a
pound. I did find a place on line that, with a discount, I can get it
down
to $5.53. I also found mention on message boards of the abilty to get
coupons from Hills.

Making their food?  That's a thought; I could ask the doctor. I don't
know
how easy or economical that might be to ensure they get all the
nutrients
they need.

I had them on Felidae Platinum for awhile and, though it seemed to
reduce
his fits a bit, it wasn't good enough. It has fish & egg. I'm going to 
have to keep an eye on Seamus while they're on z/d though.  I don't
think
it provides any benefit against FUS.

I just don't understand why ANY cat food has to cost that much.

Kitty
neIN, Zone 5


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