Basic Dog Food recipe.....

Recipe:
4 c. rice
9 c. water
1/4 c. oatmeal
1 tsp. salt
1 T. eggshell, ground fine (about 2 eggshells)

Put all the above in a large cooker and bring to a boil, then add, while stirring:

1/2 c. 2% milk
2 T. parsley, chopped fine
3 oz. liver, chopped fine
8 oz. ground beef (or chicken or lamb)
3 T. corn oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 clove garlic, chopped fine
2 c. vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.), chopped fine

Stir, turn heat to low, and cook for about 20 minutes until all water is absorbed. Then spread out in flat food storage containers, cool and cut into half cup squares. When feeding, add cottage cheese or yogurt, and 1 tsp. supplement mix per 30 lbs of dog weight:

Supplement Mix: Use Missing Links, Missing Links Plus or

1 c. brewer's yeast
1 c. wheat germ
1/8 c. powdered kelp

Missing Link is one of our favorite general vitamin/mineral supplements. Nutritional supplementation is a great thing to add to any pet food, especially for puppies and kittens, older animals, or animals with special nutritional needs. Like Sojos Pet Food Mix, Missing Link derives its nutrition from unprocessed, nutrient-rich, human-quality whole foods. The Missing Link is nitrogen flushed and vacuum-packed for freshness to protect its precious nutrients. For years, veterinarians and pet owners have used Missing Link to promote better digestion, healthy skin and coat, increased energy, quicker recovery, reduced allergies, reduced odor, less joint stiffness and overall health and well being. Available in Missing Link for Cats, Missing Link for Dogs, and now Missing Link Plus for Dogs (with Joint Support).

lil Country Paws

Homemade Doggie Casserole.....

Doggy Casserole

1 cup boiled poultry, chopped
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup boiled mixed vegetables
3 to 4 Tbsp unsalted chicken broth

(Note: Salmon may occasionally be substituted for boiled poultry, with chicken broth omitted.)

Stir together and serve at room temperature. A good doggy multivitamin/mineral supplement (Missing Link) may be added for good measure. Be sure to store unused portions in a covered container in the refrigerator and discard remains after 3 days.

Tip: Make up individual portions and place in freezer bags in freezer. Take out as needed.

Missing Link is one of our favorite general vitamin/mineral supplements. Nutritional supplementation is a great thing to add to any pet food, especially for puppies and kittens, older animals, or animals with special nutritional needs. Like Sojos Pet Food Mix, Missing Link derives its nutrition from unprocessed, nutrient-rich, human-quality whole foods. The Missing Link is nitrogen flushed and vacuum-packed for freshness to protect its precious nutrients. For years, veterinarians and pet owners have used Missing Link to promote better digestion, healthy skin and coat, increased energy, quicker recovery, reduced allergies, reduced odor, less joint stiffness and overall health and well being. Available in Missing Link for Cats, Missing Link for Dogs, and now Missing Link Plus for Dogs (with Joint Support).

lil Country Paws

Bravo! Issued a voluntary recall....

Vernon, CT – Bravo! announces a voluntary recall of select tubes of three of its poultry products for cats and dogs. The pet food is being recalled because two of the products have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, while the other product has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Both Salmonella and Listeria are organisms which can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and if there is cross contamination, in people, especially small children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people with Salmonella infection may only suffer short-term symptoms, such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Long term complications can include arthritis and other more serious ailments. Healthy people with Listeria infection may only suffer short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The company has received no reports of illness in either people or animals associated with any of the three products.

The recalled products are distributed nationwide to distributors, retail stores, internet sales and directly to consumers, and they can be identified by the batch ID code located on the hang tag attached to the bottom of the plastic film tubes. The recalled products should not be sold or fed to pets. Pet owners should return unopened frozen tubes of food to the store where purchased for a full refund. Pet owners should dispose of opened tubes of product in a safe manner (example, a securely covered trash receptacle) and return the washed plastic batch ID tag to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Recalled Pet Food:

Product: Bravo Original Formula Chicken Blend frozen raw food
Product Numbers: 21-102, 21-105, 21-110
Sizes: 2 pound, 5 pound and 10 pound tubes
Batch ID code (on hang tag): 236
Reason for Recall: Salmonella, Listeria

Product: Bravo Original Formula Turkey Blend frozen raw food
Product Numbers: 31-102, 31-105, 31-110
Sizes: 2 pound, 5 pound and 10 pound tubes
Batch ID code (on hang tag): 236
Reason for Recall: Listeria

Product: Bravo Basic Formula Finely Ground Chicken frozen raw food
Product Number: 21-212
Size: 2 pound tube
Batch ID Code (on hang tag): 226
Reason for Recall: Salmonella, Listeria

Other Batch IDs for these same products are not involved in the recall.

Bravo! is issuing this action out of an abundance of caution and sincerely regrets any inconvenience to pet owners as a result of this announcement. This voluntary recall has been issued because the FDA detected the bacteria in samples during a recent review.

In an effort to prevent the transmission of Salmonella from pets to family members and care givers, the FDA recommends that everyone follow appropriate pet food handling guidelines when feeding their pets. A list of safe pet food handling tips can be found at:
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/CVM_Updates/foodbornetips.htm.

People may risk Salmonella infection not only by handling these pet foods, but also by contact with pets or other surfaces exposed to these foods, so it is important that they thoroughly wash their hands with hot water and soap. Anyone who is experiencing the symptoms of Salmonella or Listeria infection after having handled the recalled product should seek medical attention. Consumers may report any complaints to FDA's local District Complaint Coordinator’s located on the FDA website: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html.

Healthy cats and dogs rarely become sick from Salmonella. Animals ill with Salmonella will display symptoms similar to the ones listed above for humans. People who have concerns about whether their pet has Salmonella or not should contact their veterinarian.

For more information on the Bravo recall, please visit www.bravorawdiet.com , or call toll free (866) 922-9222

lil Country Paws

Warning issued on dog treats.....

Warning issued on dog treats
FDA looks into reports of tainted jerky from China


FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — Federal regulators said Friday they are investigating potential contaminants in dog treats made in China, as the nation's leading veterinarian association posted a warning to pet owners that the products might be making animals sick.

The American Veterinary Medical Association, which represents 75,000 vets, issued the statement prompted by members' reports of numerous unusual cases of dogs suffering from a rare kidney ailment after consuming the treats. Most were chicken flavored.

"We want people to know what we are hearing, to pay attention and to monitor their pet's health," said association spokesman Michael San Filippo. "We can't stay quiet, putting our fingers in our ears and ignoring the situation."

While the association stopped short of advising pet owners not to buy Chinese-made dog treats, San Filippo said: "I would be leery, especially if it was something I had not given my pet before."

Sept. 17th, 2007

Vets warn of China-made jerky treats

Veterinary organizations are warning dog owners that their pets could be at risk of illness from some jerky treats made in China.

Six months ago, tainted pet food made from Chinese ingredients sickened and killed dogs and cats and led to a massive recall.

In the last few weeks, dog owners and veterinarians have noticed cases of dogs becoming sick after eating Chinese-made jerky treats. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy. No deaths have been reported.

The number of reported cases is low, but the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine are all tracking the problem.

The AVMA has posted an alert on its website. It hopes to gather information quickly from members on whether there is a problem, and if so, how large it is, spokeswoman Sharon Granskog said.

Affected dogs show maladies that a typical clinic might see just once or twice a year, said Richard Goldstein, a veterinary kidney specialist and professor at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine. He described them as "Fanconi-like syndrome" symptoms. Fanconi's syndrome is an inherited disease that affects the kidney's ability to function.

But suddenly, veterinarians have seen "three in one week," Goldstein said. The contamination appears to be causing damage to a specific area of the animal's kidneys, based on tests of affected dogs, he said.

The AVMA is advising owners to "use their best judgment." Only non-brand-name jerky treats from China have been implicated.

The Food and Drug Administration is aware of consumer complaints related specifically to chicken jerky treats and is actively investigating the matter, spokesman Michael Herndon said. The agency is testing numerous samples of jerky treats for pets for chemical and microbiological contaminants, including melamine, the industrial chemical that led to the pet-food recall earlier this year. Thus far, it has not detected any contaminants.

No other types of pet treats have been implicated. No list of brand or product names of the affected treats is currently available. The Pet Food Institute, an industry organization, is not aware of any problems with pet treats, spokesman Kurt Gallagher said.



Food and Drug Administration spokesman Mike Herndon said the agency is trying to determine whether the jerky treats pose a threat but has not singled out individual brands or requested any recalls.

Veterinary investigators advised pet owners not to panic. Initial tests of the most likely toxic ingredients — including melamine, a component in plastics that was behind the massive Menu Foods recall earlier this year — have come back negative, "and we are continuing to investigate," Herndon said.

Dr. Richard Goldstein, associate professor of veterinary medicine at Cornell University and part of the team assisting the FDA in its investigation, said most of the affected dogs are small breeds that had developed renal problems. Symptoms include vomiting, lethargy and lack of appetite.

"If people have a dog that has exhibited these symptoms in the past few months and they were (being fed) treats, they should take the dog to their vet and make the vet aware of the treat history," he said.

lil Country Paws

Mmmmmmm! Chicken Stew anyone?

Chicken Stew

1 whole chicken, or mix of legs, thighs, or leg quarters (about 4 or 5 lbs or so)

1 or 2 lbs ground turkey or chicken

1 lb or so gizzards and/or hearts. Add a small container of chicken livers to every other batch of stew (too much is not good for dogs).

2 lb or so of mixed vegetables, I typically use the Sojos Europa Grain Free (dehydrated), sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, celery, apples, eggs, flax meal, parsley leafs, calcium carbonate,carob powder, kelp, alfalfa, ginger root, garlic. NO onions!

2 cups uncooked pearled barley or whole brown rice

16 oz cottage cheese or plain yogurt

1/2 cup powdered milk

1/2 cup ground flax seed

1/4 cup vitamin supplement (Missing Link, or Missing Link Plus)


Instructions

Place chicken, all other meats, and vegetables in a large stock pot. Add just enough water to cover*. Cook on medium heat for about an hour, until chicken is falling off the bone. Remove chicken from pot and let cool. While chicken is cooling, add barley or rice to the pot and cook another 45 minutes. Pull all chicken meat and cartlidge from the bones, shred or chop into bite sized pieces and return to pot. Discard the bones. Turn off heat. Stir in cottage cheese or yogurt, powdered milk, flax seed and vitamin supplement. Allow stew to cool completely. Spoon into various containers and freeze all but what you will use in a few days.

Stew can be fed alone, or mixed with a small amount of high quality kibble.

*If stew is too thick, add more water. If it is too soupy, add a bit more barley or rice.

lil Country Paws

Shared pet food recipes.....

Someone sent me this recipe when I was scouring the net for something to feed my 4 rescues. Granted commercial food is so much easier, but is it truly worth the risk? I myself haven't tried this yet, but figured it was worth sharing with our loyal readers. Remember when starting your pets on a new diet, give them small portions mixed with the foods you were feeding them. Then gradually increase the new foods every other day while decreasing their old food, so their systems can adjust. If you have a homemade recipe you'd like to share, please feel free to email it to us here at lil Country Paws.....

1lb Shin Beef

1lb Ground Beef

1lb Talapia

1lb chicken Giblets

4 whole eggs

4 lbs Assorted Veggies (substitute this for our Sojos Europa Grain Free Mix)

1 Cup of Brown Rice and Barley.

Cook the shin and ground beef for 10 mins in boiling water then remove to container.
Cook the fish for 4 mins at boiling and remove
Cook the Giblets for 10 mins at boiling and remove
Chop and cook veggies for 10 mins and remove
Cook Barley for 30 mins drain and remove
Cook rice for 35 mins, drain and remove
Hard boil the eggs, remove shells, and chop, grind down the shells.
Mix everything together and cool in the fridge

This last my two dogs 2.5 to 3 days (dogs weigh 75 lbs and 91 lbs), 2 meals per day.

Top with either cottage cheese or Live plain yogurt, add the oil of 1 codliver oil capsule per meal, and 750 mgs of natural oyster shell calcium per meal. (substitute with Missing Links, our vitamin & mineral supplement for complete nutrition)

**Tips & Tricks for making homemade

A lot of ppl balk at the idea of feeding their pets raw food. Somehow we have the idea that the big bad wolf roasted the little pigs before he ate them so with that in mind here is what I do when preparing food for my critters.

Large pot filled with water, bring it to the boil, when you see it boiling drop the meat of your choice in the pot, cover with a lid and leave for 10 mins, with fish you need to only leave if for about 3- 5 mins. Remove the meat from the pan and put it in a storage container to cool.

Drop prepared veggies into the still boiling water, and leave them for another 10 mins, remove the veggies and allow them to cool, once cooled you can either just mix em in with the meat or you can puree them then add them to the meat.

If you are cooking rice, barley, or raw oats with the meal add a cup to the remaining boiling water and allow it to cook until it is just on the hard side of fully cooked… about 20 mins.

Drain the liquid from the grain into a measuring jug and allow it to cool. Once cooled place it in a bottle and save.
You can add the juice to each meal as you wish.
Add the grain to the rice and veggies and mix well.

There you have a dogs/cats dinner

lil Country Paws Dress-Up

Lab Tests Find Painkiller in Samples of Pet Food

Lab Tests Find Painkiller in Samples of Pet Food
But tests don't find any melamine

September 7, 2007
A sample of pet food -- identified as CANIDAE dog food -- has tested positive for the painkiller acetaminophen, ConsumerAffairs.com has learned.

The findings are contained in a report issued by the ExperTox Inc. Analytical Laboratory earlier this week, which reveals its toxicologists detected acetaminophen in a sample of pet food listed as CANIDAE dog food.

We also confirmed the findings with the manager of the Deer Park, Texas, laboratory. “That is one of our reports,” Donna Coneley, lab manager, told us.

Coneley, however, said the sample arrived in a Ziploc bag and ExperTox cannot confirm the pet food is a CANIDAE product. The lab's customer, who was not identified because of a confidentiality agreement, identified the sample as CANIDAE pet food on ExperTox’s forms.

Coneley also confirmed the lab detected acetaminophen in the dog food, but she pointed out that the report doesn’t show the amount of painkiller found in the sample.
No melamine

ExperTox’s report also reveals its toxicologists did not detect cyanuric acid or melamine in the dog food tested.

Melamine is the chemical that triggered this year’s massive pet food recall. In March, Menu Foods recalled more than 60 million containers of dog and cat food the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said were tainted with melamine. That’s a chemical used to make plastic and fertilizers. It is not allow in pet or human food.

Thousands of dogs and cats nationwide suffered kidney problems or died after eating the tainted food.

The FDA said it found melamine in the imported wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate used to make the pet food. FDA officials traced the source of that contamination to two now-defunct companies in China.
Acetaminophen found in other brands

This latest finding of acetaminophen in dog food comes less than four months after ExperTox discovered the painkiller in about a half a dozen samples of pet food it tested.

The lab did not disclose the brands of pet food that tested positive for acetaminophen in May because of a confidentiality agreement.

But ConsumerAffairs.com learned two of those samples were Menu Foods’ Pet Pride "Turkey and Giblets Dinner" and Pet Pride "Mixed Grill.”

Grieving cat owner Don Earl of Port Townsend, Washington, told us he paid ExperTox to analyze those brands of pet food. He said the samples tested were the same lots and styles of food that he fed his cat, Chuckles, before she died in January 2007 after eating the Pet Pride food.

ConsumerAffairs.com confirmed those samples of cat food tested positive for acetaminophen. They also tested positive for the chemical cyanuric acid -- commonly used in pool chlorination.

But the samples of Pet Pride did not reveal any melamine contamination.
Not surprised

That finding didn’t surprise Earl.

“Melamine has impressed me as being a red herring since day one,” said Earl, who recently asked a federal court to force the FDA to investigate other toxins -- besides melamine -- as the culprit behind the pet food recall.

“The substance has been the subject of credible scientific tests and studies for decades. Nothing supports the theory it could be lethal even in amounts 10 times the highest reported to be present in the food. As to why no one is finding other toxins in the food, the simple explanation is no one is looking for other toxins in the food.”
FDA disputed earlier reports

The FDA disputed ExperTox’s earlier findings of acetaminophen in the pet food, saying it didn’t detect the painkiller in a handful of samples it tested. But ConsumerAffairs.com learned the FDA couldn’t confirm it tested the same lots and brands of pet food in which ExperTox found the pain medication.

ExperTox told us it tested 100 to 150 samples of pet food -- and detected acetaminophen in five of those samples. The FDA tested just a few samples of pet food for the painkiller.

“It’s easier to say that we can’t confirm something by looking at a few samples than to really investigate and continue investigating until you know something for sure,” Coneley told us. “I think this might have been a quick way to get everyone off their (FDA) backs.”

Coneley said her lab is not required to report its latest findings of acetaminophen in the dog food to the FDA.

“The clients consistently have done that,” she said.

We contacted the FDA late Thursday about ExperTox’s latest findings. We also contacted CANIDAE Pet Food, but the company did not return our calls.

CANIDAE Pet Food, which is headquartered in San Luis Obispo, California, states on its Web site that all its products are safe and not part of this year’s massive recall.

“It appears from the latest news within our industry that all recalls were from protein concentrates imported from China,” the company’s Web site states. “CANIDAE does not use any protein concentrates, or grain fractions and we do not import any ingredients from China or overseas.

“All CANIDAE and FELIDAE ingredients are of U.S. origin . . . We pride ourselves on making only the highest quality, all natural pet foods using the finest ingredients available that meet or exceed the nutrient profiles as established by the AAFCO Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles.”

A lil Country Store

ASPCA opens investigation into unexplained dog deaths

Purina Denies Claim on Bichon Frise Deaths
ASPCA opens investigation into unexplained dog deaths

Sept.6, 2007
The insurance company that represents pet food giant Nestle Purina has denied any liability in the deaths of two Bichon Frise with champion bloodlines.

Meanwhile, ConsumerAffairs.com learned the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is now reviewing the dogs’ medical records and their unexpected deaths.

The dogs suddenly died last year – within two months of each other. Their owner, Julie N. of Harlan, Kentucky, blames the deaths on Purina’s dry dog food – specifically Purina One, Purina ProPlan and Purina Dog Chow.

“I think there’s something wrong with the food,” she says. “There’s no other explanation for these dogs to suddenly die.”

They were both healthy. They were bred from champion bloodlines. And one of the dogs -- Beeble -- was just a puppy.

“She was a healthy 12-month-old Bichon Frise,” says Julie, who breeds and shows Bichon Frise. “But then she suddenly started drinking excessive amounts of water, was vomiting, and became very lethargic.”

Julie immediately took Beeble to the veterinarian.

But she died four days after he put her on antibiotics and started I.V. fluids.

“There’s no reason that puppy should have died,” Julie says. “Her parents had genetic clearance. She was a perfectly healthy dog.”

Two months later -- On October 26 -- another one of Julie’s healthy dogs unexpectedly died. In this case, it was her eight-year-old Bichon Frise, Kayla.

“Kayla was a healthy female who did pet therapy,” Julie says. “But then she started drinking enormous amounts of water. At first, I thought she might have diabetes. But the tests were negative on that.”
Autopsy Reveals Possible Link

Heartbroken and baffled by the dogs’ death -- and determined to find answers -- Julie had autopsies performed on Beeble and Kayla at the University of Tennessee’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Knoxville.

The autopsy report on Beeble revealed a possible connection between the puppy’s death and the food she ate.

Pathologists discovered problems with Beeble’s liver that were “consistent with exposure to a hepatotoxin such as aflatoxin.” Aflatoxins are poisons produced by fungus or mold. These toxins are often found in corn and other agriculture crops and commonly cause liver disease.

But how could Beeble become exposed to -- and ingest -- aflatoxins?

Simple.

“The aflatoxins could have come from the (dog) food,” Beeble’s veterinarian, Douglas Mickey, told ConsumerAffairs.com. He reviewed Beeble’s and Kayla’s autopsy reports and -- with Julie’s permission -- agreed to discuss them with us. “Aflatoxins are known to be found in moldy grains, like corn that would be in dog food.”

He added: “If you’re asking me if there’s a possible connection between the pet food and Beeble’s death, the answer is: you can’t rule that out.”

Aflatoxins in pet food have contributed to the deaths of more than 100 dogs in recent year, including:

• The deaths of 25 dogs in 1999. In that case, Doane Pet Care recalled more than one million bags of corn-based dry dog food tainted with aflatoxins. Fifty-four brands of dog food, including Ol’Roy, were part of that recall;

• The deaths of 100 dogs in 2005. In that instance, Diamond Food recalled some of its pet food because the moldy corn in the products contained aflatoxins.

Aflatoxins, however, are not linked to Menu Foods’ massive recall in March of 60 million containers of dog and cat food. That pet food recall -- the largest in U.S. history -- is blamed on melamine contamination in the imported wheat gluten and rice protein used to make the food.

Thousands of dogs and cats nationwide suffered kidney problems or died after eating the melamine-tainted food.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) traced the source of the melamine contamination to two now-defunct companies in China.
Kayla’s Death Remains a Mystery

Aflatoxins also didn’t play a role in Kayla’s death, Dr. Mickey told ConsumerAffairs.com

“That dog didn’t die from anything in her food,” he said. What caused her death remains a medical mystery.

Kayla’s autopsy report revealed she had “multiple organ mineralization,” which Dr. Mickey said was likely caused by an adrenal problem.

“But (the pathologists) couldn’t pinpoint on the autopsy what caused the mineralization of all those organs,” he said. “It would be consistent with adrenal or kidney problems, but her adrenal glands and kidneys were fine.

“Kayla’s death has puzzled everyone who has looked at it.” Everyone, that is, except Julie.

Despite the autopsy report, she’s convinced Purina’s dog food also contributed to Kayla’s death.
Purina Denies Claim

Purina’s insurance company, however, disagrees.

In a letter Julie received from Sedgwick Claims Management Services, a claim examiner states: “After careful review of the records from the University of Tennessee Veterinary Teaching Hospital, I must respectfully deny liability on behalf of Nestle’ Purina PetCare Company for this claim . . . neither Beedle’s (sic) nor Kayla’s medical problems would result from their diets.”

The insurance company, which misspelled Beeble’s name, concluded the puppy died from “severe hemorrhagic bronchopneumonia.” It also stated Kayla’s death “appeared to be steroid induced and most likely the result of Cushing’s syndrome.”

But Julie says the company reached that conclusion -- and sent its letter in mid-August -- without reading the entire autopsy reports.

“I immediately called the insurance company after I received the letter and asked them how they could disregard the pathologist’s finding that the problems with Beeble’s liver were consistent with exposure to aflatoxins,” Julie says. “And the claims adjuster told me she didn’t see that in the report…she admitted that she didn’t have a copy of the last page of the autopsy report.”

Julie re-sent that report.

“But a claim examiner called me later and said the company had reached the same conclusion…it wasn’t Purina’s fault. I asked them again about the aflatoxins and they just said Beeble died from pneumonia. They also said Kayla died from steroid induced Cushing’s syndrome, but she was never on steroids.”
No Comment

A spokesman for Purina declined to comment on the insurance company’s finding.

In a previous interview, spokesman Keith Schopp defended Purina’s handling of Julie’s concerns and said there were no aflatoxins in the company’s products in the Untied States.
ASPCA Reviewing Records

Meanwhile, ConsumerAffairs.com confirmed today that Julie’s case has captured the attention of the ASPCA.

We learned an ASPCA veterinarian is now -- at Julie’s request -- reviewing the medical records and autopsy reports on Beeble and Kayla. A spokeswoman said it’s too early to comment on any findings because the organization just received the documents on Tuesday.
Fighting For Justice for Her Dogs

Julie is also considering legal action, saying she’ll do whatever it takes to get justice for her dogs and other pets that might be at risk.

“I’m not doing this to make a profit,” she says. “I never wanted to pursue legal action in the first place. All I wanted was for Purina to take my information and check its food. But now they need to acknowledge that this has happened and make sure no one else’s pets die. I don’t want any other animals to die like mine.”

She adds: “You know that old (Shakespeare) saying that ‘something is rotten in the state of Denmark?’ Well, something is definitely rotten at Purina.”

lil Country Paws

Site for Feline info......

Know the basics on Feline Diets and home made foods. This site is packed with useful links and info regarding your favorite feline friends.

http://www.catinfo.org/

lil Country Paws

Looking for homemade pet food & treat recipes?

I belong to numerous pet boards and of course I've found time & time again, more and more people are searching the internet for homemade pet treats and food. Having lost one of my own, I can truly understand their fear. The one thing I like to make people aware of, is our pets nutritional needs are different from that of a human. So although some of the recipes I collect and will share with you from time to time and sound absolutely scrumptious, they can be lacking in nutritional value and that's where Sojos can help. Simply by adding a little Europa or Muesli to your pets favorite recipe will add the nutritional value that was missing originally.

Europa Ingredients: Sweet Potatos, Carrots, Broccoli, Celery, Apples, Whole Egg, Flax Meal, Parsley Leaf, Calcium Carbonate, Carob Powder, Kelp Powder, Alfalfa, Ginger Root, Garlic

Monzie's Muesli Ingredients: Organic Oats, Organic Barley, Organic Rye, Organic Quinoa, Organic Flax Seeds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Kelp Powder, Carob Powder, Vegetable Broth Powder, Garlic, Parsley, Organic Alfalfa, Organic Dandelion

Missing Link for Cats & Dogs: One of our favorite general vitamin/mineral supplements. Nutritional supplementation is a great thing to add to any pet food, especially for puppies and kittens, older animals, or animals with special nutritional needs. Like Sojos Pet Food Mix, Missing Link derives its nutrition from unprocessed, nutrient-rich, human-quality whole foods. The Missing Link is nitrogen flushed and vacuum-packed for freshness to protect its precious nutrients. For years, veterinarians and pet owners have used Missing Link to promote better digestion, healthy skin and coat, increased energy, quicker recovery, reduced allergies, reduced odor, less joint stiffness and overall health and well being. Available in Missing Link for Cats, Missing Link for Dogs, and now Missing Link Plus for Dogs (with Joint Support).

Here are some great recipe books to start you down the right path that both you and your pets will enjoy and if you have a recipe your pets would like to share, send it to us here at lil Country Paws and we'll add it to our blog.


BARKER's Grub

A cookbook filled with wholesome, easy-to-prepare meals for your mutt or your pedigreed pooch -- and you'll find all the necessary ingredients in your fridge or at the local supermarket. She includes not only fun everyday meals, but healing meals for specific health problems, as well as special diets for different life stages, such as:
* Lo Mein Barking Style: the doggie alternative for Chinese takeout
* Beef Puppy Food: just the right mix for a growing dog
* Davie's Juicy Jiggly-Wiggly Anemia Diet: a blood-boosting dish of liver, rice, and spinach


Throw Me a Bone

50 delectable recipes for snacks, meals, and treats for your canine companion.

Maybe you're cooking everything because your collie has colitis or your Akita has a wheat allergy or your older dog just isn't thriving on commercial kibble. Maybe you're mixing up the occasional biscuit or treat to help your best fur-bearing friend over that I-just-ate-a-tennis- ball-and-don't-feel-so-good episode. Whatever the reason, the recipes in this book (which have been approved by dog trainer and nutritional consultant Stacy Alldredge) will satisfy the most discerning doggie palate. Many of them, in fact, can be shared with a favorite human (though preferably not from the same dish).


Real Food for Dogs

Instead of scolding your dog for begging at the table, pull up a chair and invite him to sit down! With these 50 vet-approved, easy-to-prepare recipes - from Pooch Pancakes to Gobble-Down Goulash - you can make nutritious and delicious food for your dog, and you'll laugh out loud at Anne Davis's delightful illustrations as you cook. You'll also learn "Canine Nutrition 101" and pick up helpful tips on dog care. A section on prescription diets is included for dogs with special needs.

lil Country Paws

FDA delayed April recall till July

Information obtained by ConsumerAffairs.Com reveals that although a rendering plant in Texas recalled more than one million pounds of melamine-tainted meat and bone meal products in April, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not post information about the recall until July.

Darling International took the action during the height of the largest pet food recall in U.S. history.

When it finally did post the notice, the FDA listed the move as a Class III enforcement action, which means “use of or exposure to a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.”

The FDA’s Web site states Darling issued two separate recalls on April 20 of 682,600 pounds of dry rendered tankage -- or meat and bone meal products -- because the products contained melamine.

That's the chemical that triggered the massive recall in March of millions of containers of pet food, and is blamed for causing kidney disease and deaths in thousands of dogs and cats nationwide.

The FDA said Darling International processed the melamine-tainted bone meal products at its Wichita, Kansas, plant and distributed them in the Sunflower State and in Nebraska.

News of this latest melamine-related recall -- and its delayed posting -- alarmed pet owners nationwide. They fear the tainted products could have made their way back into their pets’ foods.

They also wondered why the FDA didn’t immediately post the recall.

“The FDA made no mention on its site of this recall until July 25th, and it's listed as a Class III recall,” cat owner, Don E. of Washington, told ConsumerAffairs.com. “So a meat and bone meal product, adulterated with melamine that could be used in pet food, is a Class III recall. But melamine in pet food is a Class I recall.”

Pet owner Mike G. of Florida raised similar concerns.

“Why would this firm which deals in rendered animal proteins, not in vegetable proteins, have to recall products containing melamine?” he asked. “This was in late April, about when it was learned that 'salvaged pet foods' had been fed to hogs, chickens, and farm-raised fish.

“Does something not seem right?”

A spokesman for Darling International says his company understands pet owners’ worries.

But Ross Hamilton, international director of governmental affairs and technology for Darling, said none of the melamine-tainted meat and bone meal products wound up in pet food.

“I empathize with pet owners and my message to them is none of this got into pet food,” he told ConsumerAffairs.com.

The contaminated material, however, did get into commercial feed for pigs and chicken.

“The loads that were recalled did go into to animal feed…commercial animal feed,” Hamilton said. “But after it left our facility, it was blended with other feeds, and at that point, the FDA said the melamine wasn’t detectable in the food. It was diluted down through normal procedures and by the time it got into commercial feed, it was so diluted that you couldn’t detect the melamine.”

The FDA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) tested animals that consumed the melamine-tainted feed. Those tests concluded that meat from these animals is safe for humans to eat.

“There is very low risk of human illness from eating such meat,” the FDA states on its Web site.

How did the melamine-tainted materials wind up at Darling’s Irving, Texas, plant?

“One of our facilities inadvertently received it from Menu Foods (Emporia, Kansas) plant and we didn’t find out it contained melamine until after the recall began,” Hamilton said. “When the FDA was doing a trace-out from Menu, they found some of this material -- it’s meat scraps -- that we routinely pick up from Menu.”

He added: “We have manufacturing hazardous plans in place for hazards that we are aware of. But this one (melamine) was one that we weren’t aware of. This was one that we had to add to our list; it was a surprise to us.”

Hamilton said the FDA didn’t “cover-up” this recall, as some pet owners have alleged. He said the agency simply didn’t make it public until it finished its investigation.

“We worked with them on this recall,” Hamilton said. “They’re pretty meticulous and delayed posting this until they had closed out their investigation.”

lil Country Paws

FDA blocked more than 100 Nutro Products

August 28, 2007

• More about Pet Food Recalls ...
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July blocked more than 100 Nutro Products -- various styles and flavors of its dog and cat food -- from entering the United States.

ConsumerAffairs.com learned the FDA took that action at the Port of Los Angeles -- and listed Nutro’s pet food on its Import Refusal Report -- because the products appeared to contain poisonous substances and unsafe additives.

The FDA has authority to block and detain any regulated products from entering the United States if they “appear to be out of compliance with The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.”

Some of Nutro’s pet food on the Import Refusal List include its Adult Turkey with Chicken Liver, Choice Adult Cat w Turkey & Duck, Choice Complete Care Kitten Rich in Chicken with Liver, and Adult Large Breed Chicken & Rice.

News of the FDA’s action alarmed Mike G. of Florida. He owns multiple cats and feeds them Nutro products.

“What isn’t clear is which ‘additive’ it is that is ‘unsafe,’ and which ‘substance’ it is that is poisonous,” he told us. “The three Nutro canned cat products I have in front of me all state ‘Made in USA.’ But they don't say which state or which US territory.”

He added: “I don’t so much care where (the products came from). It’s the 'which' (unsafe additives and substances) that concerns me.”

Mike contacted Nutro about his concerns, but says the company ignored his inquires.

He wasn’t surprised.

“From previous experience, most responses from Nutro have been non-responsive,” he said.

Mike shared with us the message he sent to Nutro, which echoes concerns we’ve heard from other pet owners:

“I want to know, specifically, before I feed any of these foods I have in the house to my cats, exactly where Nutro cat foods are made, exactly where those foods on the FDA Import Refusal Reports were made, and specifically which ‘additive’ it is which is ‘unsafe,’ and which ‘substance’ it is which is deemed ‘poisonous’ or 'deleterious.’ ” “If I do not receive a satisfactory response I will be taking these cans back to where they were purchased, and will never again be purchasing other Nutro products.

“In the aftermath of several thousand pet deaths,” he added, “Nutro and other companies need to demonstrate their commitment to pet safety by answering pet owners' questions satisfactorily.”
Non-responsive

ConsumerAffairs.com also contacted Nutro about the FDA’s action. It took the company more than a week to respond to our repeated calls.

Nutro, however, didn’t answer our specific questions.

The company’s Consumer Services Manager, Tamara Cerven, instead e-mailed us Nutro’s official, canned response.

“It has been brought to our attention that confusion has been caused by the Food and Drug Administration’s (“FDA”) Import Refusal Report,” the company’s statement said. “We wish to assure our customers that this report is in no way a cause for concern about the quality and safety of Nutro pet foods currently on store shelves.”

Nutro said the products listed the FDA’s Import Refusal Report are ones affected by Menu Food’s massive recall in March of melamine-tainted dog and cat food.

“This report lists recalled product(s) that have been returned to Nutro from overseas,” according to the company’s statement. “This product is not intended for sale.”

Nutro said it immediately discontinued all sales of its melamine-tainted products and removed them from retail stores, warehouses, and distribution centers after Menu recalled 60 million containers of contaminated pet food.

“Nutro also ordered recalled product to be shipped back to the U.S. from overseas for proper handling,” the company said in its written statement. “Some of this product is the subject of the FDA report.”

Nutro said customers with questions about the FDA’s action can call its customer service line at 1-800-833-5330 or visit its Web site at www.nutroproducts.com.

Mike doubts pet owners will get any answers, though.

“They failed to respond to my mail, responding only to you,” he told us today.

“My confidence was rattled with both Nutro and Iams in March when I learned that they both used Menu Foods. I'm one who drove further to the ‘pet-superstores’ to purchase what I had believed to have been better, safer' foods . . . only to learn they were made by the same company using some of the same unsafe contaminated ingredients which they also put into the ‘cheaper,’ ‘less-quality’/ ‘less-safe’ foods in the supermarkets.

“So their failure to respond to me now, personally, is the last straw for me. If and when products begin to flow from their own plant and I get a thorough read-through of the label, I might then reconsider purchasing their product. But not before.”

lil Country Paws

Shared pet food recipes.....

This is a great recipe for a homecooked food. 1 cup of Brown Rice, 1/2 cup of turkey, (brown the turkey to take out the pink) add
vegetables, such as spinach, celery, green beans and grate some carrots. Cook these all together, then add to the brown rice. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Very healty, bowel movements are perfect. Also give your pet a multivitamin every day,
and you will see how well your pet will do on this diet. I have been doing this for three months now and it is wonderful. Try it, you will see the difference this makes.

Replace veggies with Sojos Europa....The grain-free alternative to kibble, Europa is a wholesome pre-mix that you combine with meat and water to create a fresh, homemade dog food. Europa works great for dogs with sensitivities to grains, and also as a great fruit and vegetable supplement to our other mixes.

Ingredients: Sweet Potatos, Carrots, Broccoli, Celery, Apples, Whole Egg, Flax Meal, Parsley Leaf, Calcium Carbonate, Carob Powder, Kelp Powder, Alfalfa, Ginger Root,
Garlic

Then use our Missing Links supplement for the perfect balance to all your homemade pet foods....

Missing Link is one of our favorite general vitamin/mineral supplements. Nutritional supplementation is a great thing to add to any pet food, especially for puppies and kittens, older animals, or animals with special nutritional needs. Like Sojos Pet Food Mix, Missing Link derives its nutrition from unprocessed, nutrient-rich, human-quality whole foods. The Missing Link is nitrogen flushed and vacuum-packed for freshness to protect its precious nutrients. For years, veterinarians and pet owners have used Missing Link to promote better digestion, healthy skin and coat, increased energy, quicker recovery, reduced allergies, reduced odor, less joint stiffness and overall health and well being. Available in Missing Link for Cats, Missing Link for Dogs, and now Missing Link Plus for Dogs (with Joint Support).

lil Country Paws

Homemade pet foods are a great alternative...

Homemade pet food is a good alternative as purchasing pet food gets more complicated. But it's not as simple as cooking up some chicken for your kitty.

"Any change in diets should be done cautiously because animals do well on consistent diets, and changing from one diet to another can be upsetting in and of itself," Mahr says. Furthermore, homemade diets don't always meet an animal's nutritional needs, and what's good for a dog may not be good for a cat.

Mahr recommends consulting your veterinarian or a pet nutritionist if you are considering making your own pet food. The American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition may be able to help you locate a pet nutrition expert in your area.

Susan Davis a certified clinical nutritionist in Lake Forest, California, who helps people develop homemade diets, says what she recommends for a 10-year-old senior dog is different from what she recommends for a puppy. Pets with diseases and other health problems also have particular nutritional needs. Some human foods, such as brown rice, lean meats and carrots, are okay to serve pets. But avoid giving animals sweets or junk foods. Some foods, like grapes, raisins, chocolate and mushrooms, are toxic to dogs and cats.

Scrutinizing pet food labels

Davis, who advocates a holistic diet for animals, offers pet owners advice for buying quality, healthy pet food. When reading labels, "the ingredients shouldn't include a lot of chemicals you can't pronounce, like ethoxyquin, which is a potential carcinogen," she says. "Also avoid anything that is called a byproduct or digest, such as fish digest or beef digest."

Try to avoid foods with the additives BHT, BHA and food coloring, Davis says. Look for brands that include canola oil or olive oil rather than animal fat.

The FDA does not consider ethoxyquin, BHT and BHA to pose a health threat to pets. However, the agency has asked pet food companies to voluntarily lower the amount of ethoxyquin they use in their products.

Because ingredients must be listed in weight descending order, look carefully at the label. "A lot of pet foods have fillers like soy, corn or wheat as the first ingredient, but if it is a protein product, the protein source should be the first ingredient," Davis says.

Learn more about Sojos homemade BARF mixes by visiting our store. Make your own in minutes and know your pet is safe. Use raw or cooked meats.

The grain-free alternative to kibble, Europa is a wholesome pre-mix that you combine with meat and water to create a fresh, homemade dog food. Europa works great for dogs with sensitivities to grains, and also as a great fruit and vegetable supplement to our other mixes. Click here to learn more.

Ingredients: Sweet Potatos, Carrots, Broccoli, Celery, Apples, Whole Egg, Flax Meal, Parsley Leaf, Calcium Carbonate, Carob Powder, Kelp Powder, Alfalfa, Ginger Root, Garlic




lil Country Paws

Mars Petcare US, Inc. has voluntary recall......

Dog :: Select Red Flannel Large Breed Adult Formula Dry Dog Food 50lb bags recalled in Pennsylvania

Mars Petcare US, Inc. announces a voluntary recall of select 50 lb bags of Red Flannel Large Breed Adult Formula dry dog food sold in two stores in Pennsylvania. Only three bags of product were actually sold, with only one bag still unaccounted for.
The pet food is being recalled because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, which can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination, in people, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems.

The recalled product should not be sold or fed to pets. Pet owners should dispose of product in a safe manner (example, a securely covered trash receptacle) and return the empty bag to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Recalled pet food
Product: Red Flannel Large Breed Adult Formula dry dog food
Size: 50 pound bag
UPC Code: 4286900062
Best By Date: July 12, 2008
Best By Date Location: Back of bag
Affected Stores: The stores are located in Reedsville, PA and Richlandtown, PA
Mars Petcare is issuing this action out of an abundance of caution and it sincerely regrets any inconvenience to pet owners as a result of this announcement. This voluntary recall has been issued because FDA detected Salmonella in a sample of Red Flannel Large Breed Adult Formula dry dog food with a best by date of July 12, 2008 during a recent review.

In an effort to prevent the transmission of Salmonella from pets to family members and care givers, the FDA recommends that everyone follow appropriate pet food handling guidelines when feeding their pets. A list of safe pet food handling tips can be found at: www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/petfoodtips080307.html

This product UPC has been blocked from retail sale at these locations.

Additional information about the product is available on www.marspetcare.com. Pet owners who have questions about the voluntary recall should call (866) 298-8332, or visit the web site for more information.

Looking for an alternative way to feed your pets. Use our all natural, organic Sojos mixes and make your own pet foods in minutes.

Monzies Organic Muesli for Dogs differs from our other pre-mixes in that it is organic and wheat & corn free. Simply add meat & water and you've got a fresh, organic, homemade dog food in minutes. Click here to learn more.

Ingredients: Organic Oats, Organic Barley, Organic Rye, Organic Quinoa, Organic Flax Seeds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Kelp Powder, Carob Powder, Vegetable Broth Powder, Garlic, Parsley, Organic Alfalfa, Organic Dandelion




lil Country Paws

Castleberry recall includes Natural Balance Dog Food

Augusta, GA---The Castleberry Food Company is now expanding their recall of possibly contaminated foods to include certain Natural Balance brand pet food products which the company co-packs for the dog food company.

It includes certain types of the 15 ounce cans. The flavors are:

* Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs Irish Stew with Beef

* Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs Chinese Take Out with Sauce With Vegetables and Chicken

* Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs HOBO Chili with Chicken and Pasta

* Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs Southern Style Dumplings with Chicken and Vegetables

Dr. Thomas Walker with the Highland Animal Hospital says, "The trouble is it's a toxin that's in there not just a bacterial infection, it can cause problems with the nervous system and brain."

While there haven't been any reported outbreaks in the area much like humans, the results could be fatal. "If you have small dogs it'll effect them more severely, like people botulism effects more children than adults because theres more toxin per pound," he said.

According to the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association, symptoms could appear after 12 to 24 hours or as even long as two weeks. Common symptoms to look for include: muscle paralysis
difficulty breathing, chewing and swallowing, visual disturbances and generalized weakness.

If you notice any of these abnormalities in your pet you should contact your veterinarian immediately. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the disease has only only been seen occasionally in dogs and has not been reported in cats, but ferrets are highly susceptible to the botulinum toxin.

If you have any questions you can visit Castleberry's Web site at www.castleberrys.com or call toll-free at 1-800-203-4412 or 1-888-203-8446.

lil Country Paws

You've seen what's in theirs, now see what's in ours.

Sojos European-Style Dog Food Mix
Our original mix, time-tested since 1985. A blend of grains, herbs, nuts and sea veggies that you mix with your own source of fresh meat and veggies. Like Hamburger Helper for your dog!


Sojos European-Style Dog Food Mix, our original food and the first of its kind, is a wholesome pre-mix that you combine with meat and veggies to create your own fresh, homemade pet food. Now re-formulated to be wheat & corn free. Also now contains added calcium for strong teeth and bones.

Ingredients: Rolled Oats, Rye Flakes, Barley Flakes, Ground Pecans, Natural Calcium Carbonate, Kelp Powder, Carob Powder, Parsley, Nettles Leaf

Dogs are designed to eat raw, unprocessed foods, and holistic vets have been recommending raw foods for dogs for over 20 years. Dry dog foods have been cooked and pelletized, thus robbing them of natural nutrients and enzymes. That's why we blend Sojourner Farms European-Style Dog Food Mix from simple, uncooked, all-natural ingredients. We want it to be as close as possible to dog food the way nature intended. That means no preservatives, no artificial colors or flavors – only wholesome, human-quality ingredients like steamed-rolled oats, ground pecans, and carob powder. And because there are no fillers in Sojourner Farms, there’s much more nutrition in every bite – meaning your dog eats less, and your food lasts typically twice as long as most other brands. If you’d like, you can also add raw or steamed vegetables to Sojourner Farms. It’s a simple, easy way to make your own complete and balanced dog food – and it only takes a couple of minutes a day. In short, we’ve done everything we can to make this food the best thing you can do for your dog. Give it a try. We’re 100% confident that the results will amaze you, and we back it up with a money-back guarantee. Sojourner Farms European-Style Dog Food Mix is the best of both worlds. It offers the superior nutrition of a raw diet, with the ease and convenience that people are looking for.

Feeding Instructions:

Combine Sojos, raw or lightly-cooked meat, and water. Let mixture soak in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes (preferably overnight) and serve. You can mix up to a four-day batch ahead of time and refrigerate in a sealed container or freeze larger batches. For adult and senior dogs we recommend once-a-day feeding. For puppies we recommend twice-a-day feeding. (For twice-a-day feeding, split the amounts below in half.)




Starting Out

It is crucial to start your dog on Sojos gradually. We recommend at least a two-week transition (4-6 weeks for older, sick, or finicky dogs). Start with just a pinch of Sojos, meat, and water added to the food you’re currently using and gradually increase each day as you decrease your pet’s old food.


Adding Variety

We at Sojourner Farms believe variety is an essential part of a dog's diet, and thus encourage adding veggies and other healthy foods, in addition to meat. Try mixing in a teaspoon of chopped greens, carrots, or other natural foods such as cooked rice, yogurt, or eggs. Avoid citrus fruits, onions, and spicy foods. For dogs with special dietary needs, consult a holistic veterinarian. To find a holistic vet in your area, call the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association at (410) 569-0795.
A common misconception that we come across with folks is the assumption that raw pet food diets are more expensive than other pet food. On the surface this appears true. However, look closer and you'll see that you can feed a raw pet food and actually save money. We went to the local pet store and took a look at the competition. Looking at "premium" dry dog food, we compared the cost per day to feed a 50 lb. adult dog and as you can see from the attached chart, Sojos European-Style Dog Food Mix stacks up pretty well. In fact, the most affordable brand we saw cost $0.87 per day. On the other hand, the Sojos raw dog food diet actually costs only $0.85 per day after including the cost of adding meat.

Here's how our math went: If you break it down, a 50 lb. dog will eat $0.45 per day worth of Sojos dog food mix and $0.40 per day worth of meat. (We figured a pound of meat to be $2 and there are 2.5 cups of meat per lb. You'd feed 1/2 cup per day of meat which comes out to cost $0.40 per day.)




As you can see, Sojos dog food is actually less expensive to feed than most premium pet foods. The reason is that dry dog foods contain fillers which result in more cups fed per day, which means a 10 lb bag of kibble won't last as long as a 10 lb bag of Sojos dog food. Not only that, but these fillers, like gluten which holds the kibble together, contain little or no nutritional value. So, for the same cost or less, you can have a fresh, wholesome, natural dog food with no fillers that will also save you more money in the long run on vet bills by avoiding dog health problems. And that's why we see raw pet food as a true value.



Raw Dog Food. Homemade Dog Food. Holistic Dog Food. Natural Dog Food.


Sojos European-Style Cat Food Mix
Just add meat to create your own homemade cat food. Similar to our Sojos original dog food, but formula is customized for the unique needs of a cat.

Ingredients: Oat flakes, Rye Flakes, Yellow Corn Meal, Barley Flakes, Ground Pecans, Kelp Powder, Wheat Flakes, Buttermilk Powder, Marjoram Leaf, Parsley Leaf



Raw cat food. Holistic cat food. Natural cat food. Homemade cat food.

Europa Grain-Free Dog Food Mix
Our Europa "just-add-meat" mix contains a blend of dried veggies, fruits, nuts, herbs and other healthy foods for dogs with sensitivities to grains. Also works as a great supplement to our other diets. Grain-free dog food.

Ingredients: Sweet Potatos, Carrots, Broccoli, Celery, Apples, Whole Egg, Flax Meal, Parsley Leaf, Calcium Carbonate, Carob Powder, Kelp Powder, Alfalfa, Ginger Root, Garlic


Monzies Organic Müesli for Dogs
Made with organic ingredients, this pet food pre-mix consisting of grains, seeds, herbs, and other botanicals is also wheat & corn free for dogs with severe allergies.

Ingredients: Organic Oats, Organic Barley, Organic Rye, Organic Quinoa, Organic Flax Seeds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Kelp Powder, Carob Powder, Vegetable Broth Powder, Garlic, Parsley, Organic Alfalfa, Organic Dandelion.

Isn't it time for you to make the switch for your pets sake.


Create Your Own

lil Country Paws Sojos Store
.... Your pet connection to maintain the health and happiness of your pets.

Flea and Tick season has arrived........

Fighting Fleas
The occasional flea found on your pet may not seem like much
of a burden. However, if left untreated, a few fleas quickly
give rise to more fleas, which give rise to even more, and before
long, your pet will be crawling or jumping with them.

Animals suffering from flea infestation often present with flea
allergy dermatitis, which is an allergic reaction to flea saliva.

Fleas and ticks can transmit diseases to your pets that, in turn,
can be passed on to you. By controlling these parasites, you
protect your whole household.

lil Country Paws carries Frontline Plus, Advantage and now K9-
Advantix.

Tired of the Pet Food Recalls, find out about Sojo Europa Grain Free Dog Food Mix.

The grain-free alternative to kibble, Europa is a wholesome pre-mix that you combine with raw or cooked meat and water to create a fresh, homemade dog food. Europa works great for dogs with sensitivities to grains, and also as a great fruit and vegetable supplement to our other mixes.

Ingredients: Sweet Potatos, Carrots, Broccoli, Celery, Apples, Whole Egg, Flax Meal, Parsley Leaf, Calcium Carbonate, Carob Powder, Kelp Powder, Alfalfa, Ginger Root, Garlic







Dogs by nature are healthiest on fresh, whole foods. Sojos® Europa is made with simple, honest ingredients like dried sweet potatoes, whole eggs, and apples. No preservatives. Nothing artificial. And because Europa is grain-free, it’s great for sensitive dogs. Simply soak it in water and add raw beef, turkey, or chicken. It’s a great way to give your dog a fresh, home-prepared meal in minutes. Europa is also a great fruit & veggie supplement to our other diets.

Instructions

Combine Europa, meat, and water. Let soak in refrigerator (preferably overnight) and serve. You can mix a four-day batch ahead of time and refrigerate in a sealed container or keep larger batches in the freezer. Shake bag occasionally to keep ingredients mixed. For adult and geriatric dogs we recommend once-a-day feeding. For puppies we recommend twice-a-day feeding. (For twice-a-day feeding, split the amounts below in half.) Measurements are listed in cups.





Starting Out

It is crucial to switch your animal to Europa gradually. We recommend at least a two-week transition (4-6 weeks for older, ill, or finicky animals). Start with just a tiny bit of Europa, raw meat, and water mixed with the food you’re currently using and gradually increase each day as you decrease your pet’s old food.

Adding Variety

We at Sojourner Farms® believe in feeding variety, and thus encourage adding veggies and other healthy foods to Europa, in addition to meat. For small animals mix in a teaspoon of chopped veggies per meal. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup or more for larger animals. Recommended vegetables include chopped greens, carrots, and other natural foods such as cooked rice, yogurt, or eggs. Avoid citrus fruits, onions, and spicy foods. Europa also works as a great supplement to our other dog food mixes!
For animals with special dietary needs, consult a holistic veterinarian. To find a holistic vet in your area, call the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association at (410) 569-0795.

lil Country Paws

Human Quality verses Feed Quality

Human-Quality vs. Feed-Quality


More and more these days we’re hearing about pets being considered part of the family. They sleep in our beds, we dress them in clothes, they ride in the front seat – and yet they don’t eat our food. Why is this? Although in our hearts, we feel like our companion animals are like our own children and the commercial pet food industry would like us to believe that pet food is as healthy as the food we eat, the fact is pet food companies have decided for us that companion animals don’t deserve to eat food that is as good as our food. That’s why most pet food contains feed-grade ingredients instead of human-grade, by-products instead of whole ingredients, and other things that would be illegal to sell as human food.

So what exactly does it mean for an ingredient to be feed-grade? Basically feed-grade ingredients are those deemed not fit for human consumption. In other words, ingredients that don’t qualify as “human-grade”. They include expired food, defective food, moldy food, and by-products. By-products are the waste that is left after the production of ingredients for the human food chain. It is the damaged or defective material produced during or left over from a manufacturing or industrial process. When you eat a bowl of peanuts at home, the shells go in the garbage. But at the peanut plant, they’re sometimes sold to pet food manufacturers and wind up in your beloved dog or cat’s dish. Other examples include grain hulls, corn husks, middlings, peels, dust, stems, hair, and other waste products.

A quick look at the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) handbook gives you a glimpse into some of the ingredients that are sanctioned for use in commercial pet food. Imagine any of these “ingredients” at your dinner table … carcass meat trimmings, carcass residue, charcoal, spray-dried animal blood, processed animal waste, raw leather residue, animal digest – and the list goes on. This is not to say that these ingredients are present in every commercial pet food. But it does illustrate that the governing body commissioned to regulate pet food companies may not have your pet’s best interests in mind. The recent pet food recall has brought to light that some producers of animal feed have secretly supplemented their feed with a substance called melamine. Melamine, which is derived from coal, was intentionally added to wheat gluten to make it appear to have a higher protein content. This illustrates the worst-case scenario of what can happen when profits are put ahead of the health and well-being of your pets.

The good news is that there are a few companies, like Sojourner Farms, that only use human-quality ingredients in their natural pet food. The benefits behind using only human-quality ingredients are many. For one, testing protocols for human-quality ingredients are far more stringent than they are for feed-grade ingredients. Secondly, human-quality ingredients do not include any waste or out-dated fragments of anything not fit for human consumption. They are screened for contaminants, visually inspected, and tested for nutritional content before entering the human food chain. This insures that human-quality ingredients are robust and chock-full of naturally-occurring nutrients and enzymes. We at Sojourner Farms have been committed to only using human-quality ingredients in our products since we made our first bag of dog food mix all the way back in 1985.

The bad news for companies like ours is that currently AAFCO rules do not allow the term “human-quality ingredients” on pet food. The official reason is that there is worry that humans will mistakenly or intentionally eat the food. One has to wonder if it has more to do with large commercial pet food companies not wanting smaller companies that use human-grade ingredients to have a competitive advantage. However, even though it can’t be stated on the package, you can always contact pet food companies and ask them if they use human-quality ingredients. Thus far it is not illegal to let customers know that your ingredients are human-quality on websites, promotional literature, or over the phone. That way you can ensure that your furry little “children” are getting nothing but the best ingredients that mother nature has to offer.

Sojos European-Style Dog Food Mix
Our original mix, time-tested since 1985. A blend of grains, herbs, nuts and sea veggies that you mix with your own source of fresh meat and veggies. Like Hamburger Helper for your dog!


Sojos European-Style Dog Food Mix, our original food and the first of its kind, is a wholesome pre-mix that you combine with meat and veggies to create your own fresh, homemade pet food. Now re-formulated to be wheat & corn free. Also now contains added calcium for strong teeth and bones.

Ingredients: Rolled Oats, Rye Flakes, Barley Flakes, Ground Pecans, Natural Calcium Carbonate, Kelp Powder, Carob Powder, Parsley, Nettles Leaf

Dogs are designed to eat raw, unprocessed foods, and holistic vets have been recommending raw foods for dogs for over 20 years. Dry dog foods have been cooked and pelletized, thus robbing them of natural nutrients and enzymes. That's why we blend Sojourner Farms European-Style Dog Food Mix from simple, uncooked, all-natural ingredients. We want it to be as close as possible to dog food the way nature intended. That means no preservatives, no artificial colors or flavors – only wholesome, human-quality ingredients like steamed-rolled oats, ground pecans, and carob powder. And because there are no fillers in Sojourner Farms, there’s much more nutrition in every bite – meaning your dog eats less, and your food lasts typically twice as long as most other brands. If you’d like, you can also add raw or steamed vegetables to Sojourner Farms. It’s a simple, easy way to make your own complete and balanced dog food – and it only takes a couple of minutes a day. In short, we’ve done everything we can to make this food the best thing you can do for your dog. Give it a try. We’re 100% confident that the results will amaze you, and we back it up with a money-back guarantee. Sojourner Farms European-Style Dog Food Mix is the best of both worlds. It offers the superior nutrition of a raw diet, with the ease and convenience that people are looking for.

Feeding Instructions:

Combine Sojos, raw or lightly-cooked meat, and water. Let mixture soak in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes (preferably overnight) and serve. You can mix up to a four-day batch ahead of time and refrigerate in a sealed container or freeze larger batches. For adult and senior dogs we recommend once-a-day feeding. For puppies we recommend twice-a-day feeding. (For twice-a-day feeding, split the amounts below in half.)







Starting Out

It is crucial to start your dog on Sojos gradually. We recommend at least a two-week transition (4-6 weeks for older, sick, or finicky dogs). Start with just a pinch of Sojos, meat, and water added to the food you’re currently using and gradually increase each day as you decrease your pet’s old food.


Adding Variety

We at Sojourner Farms believe variety is an essential part of a dog's diet, and thus encourage adding veggies and other healthy foods, in addition to meat. Try mixing in a teaspoon of chopped greens, carrots, or other natural foods such as cooked rice, yogurt, or eggs. Avoid citrus fruits, onions, and spicy foods. For dogs with special dietary needs, consult a holistic veterinarian. To find a holistic vet in your area, call the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association at (410) 569-0795.
A common misconception that we come across with folks is the assumption that raw pet food diets are more expensive than other pet food. On the surface this appears true. However, look closer and you'll see that you can feed a raw pet food and actually save money. We went to the local pet store and took a look at the competition. Looking at "premium" dry dog food, we compared the cost per day to feed a 50 lb. adult dog and as you can see from the attached chart, Sojos European-Style Dog Food Mix stacks up pretty well. In fact, the most affordable brand we saw cost $0.87 per day. On the other hand, the Sojos raw dog food diet actually costs only $0.85 per day after including the cost of adding meat.

Here's how our math went: If you break it down, a 50 lb. dog will eat $0.45 per day worth of Sojos dog food mix and $0.40 per day worth of meat. (We figured a pound of meat to be $2 and there are 2.5 cups of meat per lb. You'd feed 1/2 cup per day of meat which comes out to cost $0.40 per day.)







As you can see, Sojos dog food is actually less expensive to feed than most premium pet foods. The reason is that dry dog foods contain fillers which result in more cups fed per day, which means a 10 lb bag of kibble won't last as long as a 10 lb bag of Sojos dog food. Not only that, but these fillers, like gluten which holds the kibble together, contain little or no nutritional value. So, for the same cost or less, you can have a fresh, wholesome, natural dog food with no fillers that will also save you more money in the long run on vet bills by avoiding dog health problems. And that's why we see raw pet food as a true value.

lil Country Paws