The Natural Pet Food Cookbook: Healthful Recipes for Dogs and Cats


Posted on Apr 3, 2009
By Tanya Turgeon


by Wendy Nan Rees with Kevin Schlanger, DVM

REVIEW by Tanya Turgeon

Wiley Publishing, Inc., 20008
110 pages
$14.99

    With Fetchdog's current focus on dog nutrition there is nothing more appropriate to add to the Book Hound library than a cookbook. After all, good nutrition oft starts with a well-balanced diet.
    Wendy Nan Rees needed little more motivation than the pet food recall crisis to create a fourth recipe book entitled The Natural Pet Food Cookbook. With the approval of veterinarian Kevin Schlanger, DVM, she has compiled all-natural recipes for everything from gravies and stews to loaves and pastas. No stranger to the kitchen, Rees surpasses the average dog lover with a cooking hobby by being a culinary school graduate and founder of Lip Smackers, Inc., an all-natural dog treat bakery. Don't let those credentials intimidate you; Rees carefully breaks down the basics of vitamin and mineral benefits, kitchen equipment, food storage, and portion size for those of us lacking her training or experience.    
    Before plunging into ingredient lists and oven temperatures Rees explains the benefits of providing home cooked meals for our four-legged friends. There's the obvious freshness factor and substance control. But were you aware your dog may be as bored as you would be if forced to eat cereal at every meal? Probably not since canines aren't able to verbalize, "Canned food, again?!" Try mixing it up with Rees's Nautical Navy Bean Soup or Tasty Tuna Casserole (which sound good enough for you to sample) and you will have a very happy dog.
    Many dog owners used to dump dry kibble into a bowl once or twice a day with little thought to what was in it or how it was made. Thanks to the pet food recall pet owners have become less trusting of commercially made food and thanks to Rees, we now have not one, not two, but three kibble recipes you can make right at home.
    There are at least 30 recipes for dogs alone and if you also have a cat Part Two conveniently covers felines so you won't have to buy a separate volume. If it still seems too time consuming and complicated, the list of foods NOT to feed your dog or cat found on page xvi of the introduction is reason enough to have this on your shelf. Keep in mind dogs are our finest supporters and would never complain about the cooking (like other people we may know). So even if it's not perfect, they will certainly appreciate your thoughtfulness.

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