Sarah writes:

Subject: Talk to your vet

Before you jump to any conclusions, you should really talk to a veterinarian. Just because a couple of discount pet foods have been found to have questionable ingredients doesn't mean that all commercial dog foods will kill your animal. While the food your pet is on may not be helping your pet's condition, there is probably something not related to nutrition that has caused your pet's illness (which may or may not be exacerbated by the type of food it eats).

You get what you pay for. Feeding your dog Ol' Roy or some cheap grocery brand dog food may not be the best food for your pet (though that hardly means it's poison or "garbage".) But if you purchase a good, quality food like Science Diet or Purina Pro Plan (and your pet is in good health), you shouldn't have anything to worry about. In fact, those types of foods are SAFER for your pet than homemade diets. They have been formulated by veterinarians and nutritionists who have spent decades perfecting the formula for their foods. How much experience do you have? How much trust do you put in those internet recipes? It is very difficult to ensure that a homemade diet is nutritionally complete and, perhaps more importantly, balanced. Feeding too much of certain vitamins and minerals can cause just as much damage as not giving enough.

Rather than making assumptions with no merits and conclusions that have no factual basis (and then posting them on the internet so you can delude other pet owners and prevent their pets from getting the best care--and nutrition--that they deserve), you really should talk to your veterinarian. Especially for an animal who is already sick, eating a homemade diet is probably not the answer for your pet!

Jeff Johnson writes:

Subject: Not just discounted dog foods.

Problem with your theory Sarah, is that it wasn't just "discounted" dog food that had to be recalled. Pricey, brand name dog food was killing dogs too.

Jeff

Ted LaLonde writes:

Subject: Reply to Sarah's comment

Sarah, you are, of course, entitled to your opinion. I don't understand though, why you would attack me for my opinion.

I said at the beginning of my article that I wasn't an "expert", or an authority.

And of course, like my fellow employee Jeff said, "It wasn't just "cheap" dog food that was recalled and proven to contain poison substances.

What exactly are your "merits", and where did you get your "facts"?

What you said in your comment is comparable to saying you can believe everything that a can or bag, (of dog food, or anything else), claims it contains inside.

Do you believe that sugar coated breakfast cereal for children is necessarily good for them, just because the box it comes in says it's fortified with essential vitamins?

Just my 2 cents worth Sarah...

Warmest Regards, Ted LaLonde