If the recent pet food scare makes you want to fire up the stove and fix your own dog and cat cuisine, hear this: "Dogs have nutrient requirements that not all homemade diets are going to meet," says Andy Sokol, a veterinarian at Caldwell Mill Animal Clinic. "Once in a while, cooking for them is not going to cause a problem. But I do not recommend a homemade diet for the life of a dog or cat."
Taurine is a particularly critical component of a cat's diet, Sokol says, so whatever you do, don't leave that out of a recipe. "Without taurine, a cat could develop a heart condition and die within a year." He also recommends two vitamins a day for dogs who get homemade meals.
If you still want to treat your pet, check out these recipes from Liz Palika, author of "The Ultimate Dog Treat Cookbook: Homemade Goodies for Man's Best Friend" (Wiley, $14.99) and "The Ultimate Cat Treat Cookbook: Homemade Goodies for Finicky Felines (Wiley, $14.99):
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