The pet food scare seems to be behind us. The tainted Diamond dog food we wrote about before in this column has hopefully been removed from store shelves everywhere. This scare does remind us of the need for caution, however. At least 75 dogs died directly as a result of this food. While at home, pet owners usually buys pet food from the same store each time where they know the people, where the store is clean and the product fresh. On the road we generally buy pet food we our stock runs low.

When entering an unknown store, look around. If it's dirty, find another store. Talk to the sales people. Are they knowledgeable about their products? Do they try to switch you to another product? Proceed with caution. But most importantly, look at the bags of your brand of dog food. Are they old, dusty or torn and taped together? Every bag of pet food has a date – normally it's a "use by" date rather than a "sell by" date. Most high quality dry pet foods have a one year shelf life. Some have two years. The brand I buy has a one year shelf life but I only buy food that's no more than three months out of the plant.

Dogs and cats can tell if a food is bad. Old food smells rancid. Trust their judgment. If they do not want to eat a product they have been regularly eating, there's a reason. Check the date and use your own nose to check for freshness.

Many pet owners worry if their dog or cat skips a meal. They may even doctor up the food to make it more appealing. Remember, though, that it's okay if a pet skips a meal as long he's acting normal. If he is lethargic or vomiting, there is cause for concern. Watch him closely and if the condition continues, find a veterinarian.

It's best to feed dogs and cats twice a day. Make a big production out of it. Prepare the pet's food as you are preparing your own whenever possible. Let him watch you and talk to him about how wonderful he is and how much he is going to love his breakfast or dinner. If the weather is cold, heat it in the microwave for a minute or add some hot cereal or hot water.

Set the food down and set the timer for 15 or 20 minutes. For a very slow eater, allow 30 minutes. When the timer rings, pick up the food dish. Your pet will soon realize that the time to eat is limited. Many pet owners think it's good to leave food out all day so that the pet can eat when he wants. Imagine preparing a bowl of food at breakfast and having it sit on the counter all day. When you get hungry, you come and take a few bites. Just how appealing would this be after a few hours? Dog and cat food is best when it is just taken out of the bag. Keep the bag tightly sealed or transfer the food to a sealable container. Put out fresh food at each meal. Valuable nutrients are lost as food is exposed to the air.

Buy the highest quality food you can afford. You get what you pay for. If you knew some of the awful stuff that is put in cheap food, you would avoid it like the plague. Stay with the same brand. If you need to change, change slowly, mixing the two foods together, gradually lessening the amount of the old and increasing the new over a period of a week. Changing food suddenly often causes stomach upset which is not welcome anytime, but especially while on the road.

Eating high quality meals regularly ensures comfy tummies for pets and their people.

With questions or comments, contact Christy Powers at cpwrather@earthlink.net .

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