Help to Manuever Through Pet Food Recall

It's hard to know where to turn and what might come next in the pet food recall. You used go to the store, grab a case off the shelf, or throw a bag or some cans in your cart, and off you went. Not anymore. A couple of thoughts, some advice and some information as we all go forward:

* This week, we learned that the industrial chemical, melamine, that led to the recall has shown up in a second pet food ingredient, rice protein. And that the contamination might have been intentional, to spike the protein level in the ingredients, making them more valuable. At least that's one FDA theory.

* If you're looking for an easier-to-search database to find out if your pet's food is OK, try this one at our sister paper in Nashville.

* Diane Mayer, owner of the specialty store Happy Dog, Healthy Dog in Wilmington (photo at left), did a segment on cooking for your dog on CN8. She's got the video on the store's Web site and you can find it here.

* We asked vistors to www.delawareonline.com/pets this question: Has the pet food recall changed what you feed your pet? We had 92 responses (biggest response to one of our polls) that broke down this way:

Completely: 21.7 percent
Somewhat: 20.7 percent
A little: 6.5 percent
Not at all: 51.1 percent

Either you have changed what you do, or you think the worst of it is over or you didn't feed your pet wet food. Whatever the explanation, it's an interesting breakdown.

* If you want to make your own food, Diane teaches a class at her store. Check out her Web site for the time, date and cost. If you'd like to try making your own dog treats, try this recipe:

Chunky peanut dog treats
2 cups whole wheat flower
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup chunky natural peanut butter
1 cup nonfat milk

Preheat oven to 375.
In a large bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, combine peanut butter and milk, then add to the dry ingredients and mix well. Turn out on floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out to 1/4-inch thick and cut shapes with cookie cutters. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool, store in airtight containers.
-- From www.gourmetsleuth.com/dogtreats