| My dog eats Solid Gold Dog Food now. Not because | | | | me about some of the all natural dog foods she had |
| I'm devoted to that particular dog food. I'm devoted | | | | found. She used Innova and mentioned a couple of |
| to my dog. He depends on me to pick what he eats, | | | | places I could find it. I went looking. |
| when he eats, how much he eats, and how often he | | | | To be honest, I had no idea what I was looking at. |
| eats. If I don't get that right, I can create all sorts of | | | | There were all sorts of dog foods with different |
| health problems for him. And I did. In fact, I nearly | | | | ingredients for different situations. The owner started |
| killed him. | | | | asking me questions. Simple questions that started |
| Had the dog food recall not happened, Hunter may | | | | with the obvious, then some that took me by |
| not be alive today. I never paid attention to dog | | | | surprise. Sure, I knew he'd want to know how old |
| food. I bought dog food when I needed it, from | | | | Hunter was or what breed he was, but when he |
| where it was convenient. When I couldn't get to the | | | | asked, "He has a lot of ear infections, right?" I |
| store, I'd feed him table scraps. I think I changed his | | | | paused. What connection could his ear infections |
| food more than I changed channels watching TV. | | | | possibly have. Wait, how did he know that Hunter |
| After all, variety is a good thing, right? | | | | had ear infections? |
| Well, too much of a good thing is usually bad. It was | | | | He handed me a bag of Solid Gold Dog Food, |
| in this case. Had I been paying attention, I would | | | | specifically the Holistique blend for senior dogs. I was |
| have noticed the connection with those mysterious | | | | ready to try anything and this svengali of dog food |
| hot spots. Or how at some times he had loads of | | | | had brought me over to the "natural" side. I started |
| energy, and other times he barely wanted to move. I | | | | slowly converting Hunter's food, so that his stomach |
| thought it was just his personality. And all those ear | | | | wouldn't overreact. He seemed to like it; he was |
| infections! | | | | eager to get his meals. I was waiting for some |
| Then last year, the dog food recall happened. All the | | | | sudden change. Like the graying fur around his muzzle |
| different kinds of dog food I used to feed Hunter | | | | would turn black again, or he'd suddenly lose the limp |
| disappeared. When I read why it was being recalled, I | | | | he'd had for the last year. |
| was shocked. Melamine, the main ingredient that | | | | But the changes were much more subtle than that. I |
| caused the recall, is plastic! One of the things it did | | | | kept feeding him Holistique for the next two months. |
| was give the food a false boost in protein level. And | | | | Over those two months, I began to notice that his |
| my dog was paying with damage to his kidneys. | | | | coat shined more. He lost the hot spots. And |
| I looked at Hunter and promised him that I wouldn't | | | | remarkably, I wasn't buying antibiotics for his ears |
| fall asleep at the wheel again. He didn't understand | | | | nearly as much as I had before. He even lost weight. |
| this. But I knew I may have done permanent | | | | I've been feeding Hunter Solid Gold Dog Food for the |
| damage. It was difficult to look at him every day, | | | | past year. He's still here, and while he's not a puppy |
| knowing that I may have put his life in jeopardy. Had | | | | again, he's got a spring that hadn't been in his step in |
| the recall not happened, he would have been one of | | | | a long time. At some level, I think he understands the |
| the dogs lost to that poison. | | | | change. I understand that deciding what I feed my |
| Now I had to figure out what to feed him. The | | | | dog is the most important decision I can make for |
| stores I usually went to had removed all the dog | | | | him. If you own a dog and you haven't tried one of |
| food from the shelves. I'm not much of a cook, and | | | | these natural foods, please do your dog a favor and |
| I couldn't bring myself to feed him raw food. I asked | | | | give it a try. It could make all the difference in the |
| some of my friends what they were doing. They | | | | quality and length of his life. |
| were finding different sources, but one friend told | | | | |