Homemade Dog Treats: Part One - The Research

This post isn't about literature (gasp!), I know, I know, BUT it is about one of WTD's other passions: dogs! We love them. A lot. This post will be filed under the DIY section. Part One is edcuational and informative and Part Two will teach you how to make your own healthy, homemade dog treats!

 

Picture of Molly taken From Toronto Animal Services's Blog "I Want a Pound Dog"

Feeding a dog in the 21^st century isn’t easy; it requires research and due diligence on the part of the owner in order to discriminate what is truly healthy for our beloved four legged friends. Despite being a dog lover my whole life I got my first dog in January of this year. Being new to the intricacies of dog ownership I have done a lot of research. There is a ton of conflicting information out there whether it’s coming from your vet, the pet store, puppy school, dog trainers or the internet it can be overwhelming for a first time owner. My advice is to be a proactive, informed owner and do what you think is best. 

Even though this post isn’t technically about dog food, what you feed your dog plays an important role in what you treat them. Harley is on Orijen’s adult dog food, which means that she is on a grain free diet. Many of the wheat-heavy treat recipes available on the internet could cause her digestive distress because they are not in line with her regular diet. When I got Harley I was shocked at the amount of commercial crap available for dogs. I decided that I needed to find a dog food I could trust. Orijen is a Canadian company that produces dog food that is natural, biologically appropriate, uses regional ingredients (sourced from Alberta), is sustainably raised and made of ingredients that are fit for human consumption. Orijen is not organic, I wish it were, however it is preservative and additive free. Being a high-end dog food, Orijen is expensive. Not everyone can (or wants to) spend that much on food. There are many alternatives. Despite all the positive factors I’ve listed, Orijen is still a kibble food which is frowned upon by many dog owners. Current alternative trends include feeding raw food, gourmet cooked meals, whole foods and natural, grain-free diets. As I said, the decision is yours as a dog owner. Do what you think is best and make sure to treat in a way that compliments your dog’s diet. What I have learned from finding a great dog food supplier is that I need to find equally responsible dog treat producers and if I can't I need to start making my own.   

Modern Dog Magazine has a helpful list of whole foods that can be fed to dogs. I don’t understand why anyone coined the term “people food” when dogs have been foraging natural food for centuries. In any case, it’s worth checking out their list before making your own dog treats and this helpful list  of foods your don’t CAN’T eat. 

The reason I’ve decided to start making healthy homemade treats is that I recently had a pretty serious dog treat scare. I also learned that pet treats are not regulated by the Canadian government and, unfortunately, the industry is importing more and more treats. When buying treats I always look for all-natural, one-ingredient treats which usually means I buy freeze dried beef liver treats. Two weeks ago I saw some all natural chicken strips at Costco. I don’t normally buy treats from large retailers but I figured hey, they’re all natural and they’re a great value. I told myself it was fine even though I had a funny feeling about it (reminder #189283 to always listen to your gut!). Last week I saw a “warning” on Facebook which led to me to find out about the on-going FDA investigation into jerky treats. Chicken, duck, sweet potato and berries are the ingredients that are being investigated in jerky type treats. The FDA’s message to pet owners in the report is pretty clear; they essentially tell pet owners to avoid feeding treats by stating: “pet treats are not a necessary part of a fully balanced diet, so eliminating them will not harm pets. All the nutrients your pet needs can be found in commercially produced pet food”. Some brands of treats were removed from shelves in January of last year because of antibiotic residue found in the treats produced in China however according to the FDA no treats have been officially recalled because of the recent outbreak of pet sicknesses/deaths. Unfortuantely, companies do not need to list the origin of specific ingredients so some aspects of a treat may be imported from China even if the packaging doesn’t say so. 

Remember that due diligence and education thing I was preaching above? Obviously, I didn’t follow through and I let my dog down by feeding her this crap from China. She only ate about four treats before I found out about the issues. My treats weren’t on the list of companies that I saw on the warning however they were in-line with the problem treats: chicken, jerky and “imported” (even though the package didn't say where from). According to a source: “based on very preliminary information, it appears that this problem is more likely to occur in small-breed dogs that are fed these treats regularly and/or in amounts exceeding the label-recommended frequency or amount.” Harley is feeling fine and it’s been about a week so I’m feeling better about the situation but it was a very real wake-up call for me as a dog owner and inspired me to learn how to make my own healthy, homemade treats.

Buying these treats, as I said, was an exception to the rule for me. Generally I buy a one ingredient treat like Purebites  liver treats or Crumps’ Naturals. Crumps’ have a message to consumers on their homepage stating: “all Crumps' naturals products are made from ingredients sourced in North America only and all our baked treats are made at our facility in Brampton, Ontario. For those concerned with all the recent news about jerky products from China, rest assured our does not source anything from China”. This announcement makes me feel better about Crumps’ and makes me want to research where other treat brands are sourced from. My favourite treats to buy are from a really awesome local company that produces liver treats within 100km of us.

Companies to Avoid in Relation to Recent Recalls/Pet Sicknesses:

Vitalife: a Canadian company that imports dog treats from Thailand. One Ontario dog who passed away (RIP Shelby) ate Vitalife chicken tender and sweet potato wrapped in duck treats every other day for six months. Upon passing away the dog’s kidney enzymes were so high it wouldn’t even read on the blood machine, which her vet says: “tells us her kidneys are irreparably damaged by the toxins in the treats”. If you want to read some total bullshit about Thailand being the “kitchen of the world” on Vitalife’s website go here: http://www.vitalifemadewithlove.com/made_in_Thailand.html

Canyon Creek: Nestle Purina has currently recalled these products. Ranch Duck Tenders were the cause of death of  a dog named Annie from Farady Township. The dog’s vet now immediately asks anyone who’s dog is vomiting or has diarrhea if they have fed their dog treats imported from China or Thailand. (Canyon Creek is imported by Nestle Purina in the States and Normerica in Canada.)

Waggin' Train: Also made my Nestle Purina/Normerica and are currently recalled.

Delmonte: Imports treats from China.

To complicate the matter further many products are made by the same companies but sold under different names. And again, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), has  no legislation requiring pet treat distributors to reveal the country of manufacture on their packaging. The list is endless. To be safe, buy local, all natural treats. If you’re like me and you’re a little thrown off from all of this information stay tuned for Part Two of my healthy, homemade treats post.

Companies to Avoid in General:
(According Roger Biduk from the website Best Cat and Dog Nutrition)
Mars Inc.: Pedigree, Cesar, Goodlife Recipe, Nutro, Whiskas, Royal Canin & Royal Canin Veterinary Diets
Nestlé SA: Purina, Purina One, Alpo, Beneful, Beneful Healthy Harvest, Busy Bone, Chew-rific, Deli-Cat, Dog Chow, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Gourmet Gold, Mon Petit, HiPro, Kibbles and Chunks, Kit ‘N Kaboodle, Mighty Dog, Purina Pro Plan, TBonz, Purina Veterinary Diets, Whisker Lickin’s
Colgate-Palmolive: Hill’s Science Diet, Hill’s Prescription Diet
Procter & Gamble: Eukanuba, Eukanuba Veterinary Diets, Iams and Iams Veterinary Formulas
Del Monte Foods: Meow Mix, Kibbles n’ Bits, 9Lives, Milo’s Kitchen, Milk-Bone, Pup-Peroni, Pounce, Gravy Train, Jerky Treats, Canine Carry Outs, Snausages, Nature’s Recipe (Cat and Dog), Alley Cat and Meaty Bone

Anyone notice that these brands are some of the most heavily advertised brands on the market? 

Further reading: check out this list of ingredients to avoid also according to Roger Biduk.

(Note: if your dog has become ill from these treats contact your vet immediately and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency or FDA. Save the treats and packaging for testing.)

Candy, a happy Boston with a homemade treat sourced from the blog Angie River.

 This is it for the research portion of my dog treats blog. I will share Part Two of my DIY healthy, homemade dog treats post as soon as I have tried out a couple recipes! If you want to prepare, go out and buy some fun cookie cutters – I got farm animals and classic dog biscuits.