Greetings!

I am new at this forum, and this is my first thread. Nowadays, I am anxious about pet food companies that are getting food recalls from the FDA. At the beginning of 2019, Hill's got recalled due to elevated vitamin D levels. Now, listening to some recalls about Thogersen Family Farm. I am afraid how these big brands are playing with the lives of pets, especially dogs.

I found this article very helpful about the dog food recalls https://ourfitpets.com/health/nutrition/which-dog-food-companies-have-never-had-recalls/, but I want to know for how long FDA waits to confirm a dog food recall about a company in public?

Secondly, I am looking to know some homemade dog food recipes from you guys if you have some good with chicken and veggies. What about canned food quality? Which organic brand do you use for frozen meat?

I don’t think Fromm has ever been recalled.
Been using it for years. They do have a customer loyalty program.
Barely using it anymore, Fozz wants raw food,
Cats will munch on some kibbles.

I use this site for dog food quality, content and recalls. Not sure on how long FDA takes.

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recalls/dog-food-recalls-by-brand/

Best to do the research and see what fits your time and budget. I don't use any manufactured or canned food, only raw fresh and organic meat. Whatever I get from the butchers Pippi gets some too. Her favourite is chicken and duck, but she also gets a lot of offal, red meat and kangaroo. She also likes trout heads, chicken wings and prawn heads (with the sharp bits removed of course!) Manufactured and processed food is very bad for humans and very bad for animals and you'll pay for it later on with overweight animals and medical problems. If you go looking, you'll find this way of eating can be very inexpensive. She also doesn't get three meals a day, sometimes even one. We're trying to be as close to nature as we can here! That's how it's done in our house and when we walk we often get comments about how in peak condition she is and how glossy her coat.

Many breeders on this forum would disagree with our choice, and they'll say that kibble has the best supplements for your animal, but really, kibble is nothing more than grain and rubbish sprayed with flavourings and colours that are highly addictive. It took us two weeks to wean our rescue cat off kibble - and to even try a small piece of fresh meat. No thanks, we don't do kibble here! We have one very happy and very healthy pooch! and cat!
Alison

If I switch to home cooking, the best is ox cheeks, mixed in with some dried soup mix, (which is lentils, barley, szplit peas, etc). When cooked up is good enough for you to eat. I use canned food, but not for a while. I am cooking kangaroo, (how many other countries kill their coat of arms?) because it is low fat. Some grain-free kibble to top their meals off, and we are away.

Agree with you Pippi. I've also started using raw meat for my dog but in the beginning days, I was thinking canned ones are very safe and good for her health. Yes, my pets love to have boiled chicken but I also give them red meat.
The pet breeders who think kibble is the only choice as pet food, I don't agree with them.

@fateflower said in Pet Food Recalls?:

I use this site for dog food quality, content and recalls. Not sure on how long FDA takes.

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recalls/dog-food-recalls-by-brand/

Thanks a lot. I am going to check the pet food brands there.

@reddie said in Pet Food Recalls?:

I don’t think Fromm has ever been recalled.
Been using it for years. They do have a customer loyalty program.
Barely using it anymore, Fozz wants raw food,
Cats will munch on some kibbles.

Yes, I also didn't found any recall news about Fromm.

Dog food advisor is a good site and you can sign up for alerts which will email you if there are any recalls.

I use Fromm, they had one recall a couple of years ago, which was the first in their history. It was for too much of a vitamin I think, however the recall stated it was only advisory and voluntary. When I spoke to the rep, they said it was only applicable if you fed the wet food exclusively. Both of mine had wet and dry, so did not cause any problems.

Fromm is a smaller family run company, which is also why I use them. I also supplement with steak, fish, eggs, chicken etc, from our human cooking. Be aware that if you switch to your own cooking / diet, you need to add vitamins to supplement.

I liked Orijen but my dogs didn’t like it and wouldn’t eat it. Personally I just like to stay away from the big company’s foods.

I also use Fromms, however that said I use other grain/limited ingredients foods also mixed with some canned and home cooked, veggies, fruits, eggs, meat, etc. I change up all the time this way I never have to worry about not being able to find certain brands especially when traveling to shows or field trials. Note about Fromms it used to be available at Chewy.com but when Petco (or one of the big box stores) bought them out, Fromms would not sell to them to carry their products. I now order through PetFlow.com

Sounds like folks on here have a good mix of fresh and product food and our little basenji community are eating rather well it seems. Just remember that supplements and vitamins in dog food (and human food for that matter) are synthetic human-made chemicals developed to simulate real supplements and vitamins - and basenji's have sensitive stomaches at the best of times (well my girl certainly does) - there's always plenty of the good stuff in fresh raw food for animals.

@pazgawrych Why would you boil the chicken? I just give chicken to my girl raw. She'll do anything for chicken, even behave...sometimes!

@pippi Don't give boiled chicken all the time. Yes, I also provide raw meat both red and white but as my dog has usually loose stool, that's why I give boiled chicken.

@pippi - I totally disagree that Basenjis have sensitive stomaches. Yes, like any dog some do... some do because of poor breeding and some do to poor feeding habits. I have never used puppy food on my litters (been in the breed since 1990), when it comes time for solid foods, they eat the same as the adults. If you are using a good quality food, there is no need for puppy food. As said, I change up foods all the time and in doing so, they are used to different foods. Never a worry about changing brands or adding other foods. I also give them a small tablespoon of yogurt (plain and not fat free) every day. They get all veggies cooked/steamed/raw and fruits. They love tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, etc... and of course fresh meats.

I'm not replying specifically to what you've written, but wanted to share a resource I found on Pet Food from the Tufts Veterinary school

https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/petfoodology/

This site has much useful information on feeding our dogs and cats, I came across it when researching kidney disease in cats.

@redial

I would steer clear of mixing the kibble and raw food.
I brought my Basenji home at 6 weeks old and he has been on a raw diet ever since. He will be six months old on the 27th of this month. His diet consists of a variety of meats, from chicken, rabbit, duck, pork, lamb, beef and he gets whole sardines as well. For meaty bones, he gets chicken necks, Turkey necks, chicken feet, leg quarters, wings, and pork ribs. He is doing phenomenal on this diet.

Avoid taking a pup at 6 weeks, they are still dependent on their family, to learn tricks of the Basenji trade, and to more interact with others. They, at around 12 weeks, are due for their vaccinations, and introduce them to their juvenile worming (both heartworm and intestinal worms, and if you are cursed with them, tapeworm). Make sure you have an independent knowledgeable person, like a vet, check them out at least every year.

Teeth are important, let the independent person, examine the mouth to check for cracked teeth, bad teeth, and other bad breath causing things.

@glenn-jalivay2 - Many use kibble and raw, usually what they do (myself included) is one meal would be kibble and one meal raw.... I agree with Redial about the age and taking a 6wk pup. In the US is is not legal in most all states to place pups less than 8wks. Basenjis in particular do much better at 10wks at least. They learn important lessons from littermates and other adults in the home from 6wks to 10wks. And I as a breeder do not feel they are mature enough to leave their littermates at 8wks. Always exceptions and that would be to an experienced Basenji home with an adult dog... as the adult will teach the pup way more that humans ever can.