Would/Have You Ever Fed Your Pets Human Food?

[BlueMolly2006]

I've heard people say that they will be feeding their pets human food ever since the poisoning pet food.
I was wondering if you will be feeding or if you have ever fed your pets human food. I know some foods are dangerous to pets like onions are toxic for cats and dogs, also chocolate is bad for both too.
I know my family used to feed our dogs some human foods, especially on speical occasions.

Here are two good sites if you're not sure what you shouldn't feed your cats and dogs:

Foods You Should Not Feed Your Dog

Foods You Should Not Feed Your Cat

[chooch]

We always feed our pets human food, except the ones that are dangerous

[wavemeister]

We do feed our cats sometimes dairy products like yogurt, cheese or cream (the latter only in small amounts) in addition to the pet food, and from time to time, they get a small piece of cooked meat, too.

Marijuana

Can depress the nervous system, cause vomiting, and changes in the heart rate.

And I do wonder why Shorty is so hot for weed...

[whistledog]

I used to give my Dad's cats the odd leftovers that I never ate at mealtimes

[bookworm]

I've been giving her canned tuna since she got sick, but she eats some dry too and I'm going to try her out on tender vitals soft chewy food (Wal-Mart brand)

Whenever I eat a lunchable with ham, she will not leave me alone until I've torn up little bitty pieces of a slice of ham to share with her.

I make sure she always has alot of water in her dish too. She will drink a wee bit of milk (but not much - maybe a few licks worth) every now and then.

[Colonel Zoidberg]

I give my dog human food all the time, but I am careful about what i give her. Mainly, she gets meat and tortilla chips. She got sick from too much dairy awhile ago, so I avoid dairy.

If I eat anything with meat, my dog gets a nibble at the very least.

[GreenTea]

Sometimes I let Neelix have a few wee pieces of Cheetos (he loves those), or I let him have a nibble from whatever meat product I'm eating (usually turkey deli meat). I don't feed him significant amounts of "people food" on a regular basis. Mainly he gets a cup of Hill's Prescription Diet kibble, along with a few morsels of those Temptations Denta-Bite treats.

[BlueMolly2006]

After recall, raw pet foods more popular but be careful

By JULIE SCHMIT, USA Today
Posted Thursday, March 29, 2007 at 9:48 pm

This month's pet food recall is driving up sales of raw pet foods, but veterinarians urge caution.

Raw pet foods, sold largely by small companies and in independent pet food stores, have gained popularity in recent years, as have organic pet foods.

Generally, raw pet foods contain uncooked beef, poultry or other meats, fruits, vegetables, vitamins and minerals. TheyÕre typically sold frozen in patty or nugget-sized pieces in plastic bags or salami-shaped casings. If frozen, they can last months.

The sector is still small, accounting for less than 1 percent of the estimated $14 billion a year in U.S. pet food sales. Yet interest is building given Menu Foods' recall of more than 90 brands of canned and pouched dog and cat foods, from Wal-Mart's brand to premium-priced sellers Iams and Science Diet.

"People are going to change buying habits," says Mark Witriol, co-owner of Pet Food Express, which has 31 stores in the San Francisco region. He says sales of raw pet foods are up 5 percent to 10 percent since the March 16 recall.

Proponents of raw foods say dogs and cats are natural meat-eaters and are more resistant to bacteria than are humans. They also say processed foods, though convenient to serve, have driven up animal obesity and illness.

"Think about what dogs eat in the park. It doesn't harm them," says Matt Koss, founder of 6-year-old Primal Pet Foods in San Francisco. Primal's orders are up 30 percent since the recall, Koss says.

Bravo, of Manchester, Conn., also expects a bump. It's ramping up production 20 percent for its most popular products, says co-founder Melinda Miller, who also is president of the North American Raw Pet Food Association. She says the industry barely existed four years ago. "It's been grass-roots growth," she says.

Some raw food products meet nutritional standards set by industry oversight officials. Others don't. Costs run about 50 percent to 100 percent more than higher-end dog and cat foods, says Sanford Goodman, CEO of M.I. Industries of Lincoln, Neb.

M.I. makes Nature's Variety pet food, including a raw line that Goodman says is the nation's biggest. While expecting a bump in sales since the Menu recall, he says feeding raw is "a real commitment," and consumers need to be careful.

Raw foods for animals have been on the market for years, but until recently they were used mostly by zoos, dog racing facilities and other professional establishments, the Food and Drug Administration says.

Because more pet owners were buying raw food products, the FDA in 2004 issued manufacturing and labeling guidelines. The FDA said feeding raw meat products carried a "significant" risk because animals and humans could be sickened by pathogens in raw meat. The FDA also expressed concern that animals may not get all the nutrients they need.

To reduce health risks, the FDA recommends that makers of raw pet foods use human-grade meat and poultry; that the product be frozen until used; and that labels contain guidelines for safe handling, including warnings that raw meats be kept separate from other foods and that consumers wash hands, utensils and surfaces after handling meat.

The FDA also has pushed for recalls of raw products, most recently in February after testing found salmonella in Wild Kitty Cat Food of Maine. Wild Kitty owner Stephanie Nadeau notes that salmonella can be found in raw chicken, including that sold for human consumption.

Still, Nadeau says she is retooling her processes so she can sterilize the food without cooking it via a high-pressure system that basically crushes the bacteria's cells. She also is planning to offer a homemade cat food kit in which consumers add their own ground chicken.

"Before the recall, people had a lot of faith in the big brands ... but people are starting to figure out they don't always start with the best ingredients."

Sourse Delaware Online

[80's fanatic]

My bird Sam loves fruits, cereals, pizza crust, potato sticks & bread. We're always finding new things that she likes