Dog food recall in the last Spring in 2007 is the largest of its kind in history. You probably have all heard it many times. But do you know what exactly caused this massive dog food recall.

The Food and Drug Administration found that wheat gluten in the pet foods was contaminated with a substance called melamine. It was determined that melamine can cause illnesses and deaths to dogs and cats.

So why is melamine so harmful to your dogs? Melamine is a chemical substance that is used in plastics and other products.

When the dog and cat food recall occurred it was found that wheat gluten and other pet food ingredients imported from China were contaminated by this product.

It is thought that the Chinese add the melamine to make the products appear to have more protein.  Studies that were done in the past came to the conclusion that small amounts of Melamine were not harmful when they were ingested by dogs, cats, humans, and other mammals.



But the new research suggests that the melamine causes crystal to be made in the kidneys that then can cause kidney failure.  After several pets died from eating melamine tainted foods the dog and cat food recall was quickly initiated.

As a dog owner, one of your options to protect your dog is to feed your dog homemade dog food. For step by step measures you can take to protect your dogs from harmful dog food, you can also read a popular practical book called Dog Food Secrets.