Poisonous pet food

I hope that you're not reading about the great pet food recall for the first time here. If you are, and if you own a dog or cat, here's the gist:

Menu Foods, a Canadian-based firm, produces pet food sold under a wide variety of names, including Nutro, Iams and Eukanuba. They also make less pricey food sold under the WalMart, Wegmans, Safeway and Kroger brands.

Menu has recalled its product after the pet food caused kidney failure in an unknown number of dogs and cats, killing at least ten. The recall affects only wet foods. Another supplier produces Wegmans dry kibble, and that may be the case with the other grocery store brands.

I don't feed my dog wet pet foods; she receives lots of table scraps, plus Natural Balance or Artemis kibble. We used to feed her Nutro, until I read that phenobarbitol had been found in the company's beef-based kibble. Phenobarbitol comes from euthanized pets, which is -- sorry to report -- a common ingredient in the cheapest foods made from "meat and meat by-products."

Pet food is something of a conspiracy, as I've written previously. No outside agency regulates the industry, and "downer" cows often end up in the bowls belonging to Tabby and Rover. Don't be surprised to see these shoddy practices catch up with the giant producers.

The best recourse: Research what your animal eats, and consider preparing your own pet food. In fifteen minutes you can whip up enough stew to last a 15 pound dog for a couple of weeks. Just mix in a good but inexpensive meat (liver is fine), oats and/or rice, and some vegetables -- broccoli stalks are good. Resist the temptation to include too much of the fat and gristle you don't want to eat. Ladle into small containers and store all but one in the freezer.