Re: More pet product recall
gardenchat@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: More pet product recall
  • From: &* <k*@comcast.net>
  • Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2010 18:57:00 -0500
Thanks again. I'll save this message. First we need to finish off what's left of the old food and then go through the 10# z/d. Then I'll look into the home-made stuff. 

Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message ----- From: "Daryl" <dp2413@comcast.net> 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 3:44 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] More pet product recall



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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