Watch Your Pet Treats!

I had a reminder in my email box again today about chicken jerky products for dogs. The long and short of it is to avoid all pet foods (including treats like rawhide and cookies) that are made in China. If you'd like to read more about it, you can read this post here.

I'm rolling up my sleeves and putting on the boxing gloves here. I personally feel we should avoid ALL food products that come from China. They simply do not have the standards we have - hello, melamine in BABY FORMULA?! - and if you love your family, furry members included, you won't feed them junk. Because that's what it really is - JUNK. Cheap, unhealthy junk that can kill you. Read your labels, be aware of the ingredients and what the country of origin is for the food.

I know times are tough - we're struggling ourselves - but cutting corners and playing roulette with foods and even health and body related items (Geez, there was even a recall on tampons recently!) is not a game any of us want to play. That's certainly not to say Made in America items are never recalled - but being proactive and knowing where and how things are made that you put into your body via your mouth or skin is something we need to do.

To get back to the original subject, if your dog adore chicken jerky - and really, what dog doesn't? lol - it's super easy to make. All you need is a dehydrator, a sharp knife, and chicken. I know a dehydrator sounds expensive, but you can ask on Freecycle, or pick up a cheap one like the Nesco American Harvest FD-37 400 Watt Food Dehydrator. It costs a little up front, but you'll actually be saving money because making it yourself is cheaper than buying dog treats at Petco or Petsmart anyways.

(Amazon link is for your convenience, it's not a referral link for me)