Liver cookies, mackerel surprises and budgie brownies. These are some of the homemade pet treats you can find online. (The budgie brownies are a corn meal delicacy for your bird.)

VIDEO

Tom Murphy reports on feeding your pet safely (Runs 2:16)

But whipping up a well-balanced and safe dinner for Fido can be as complicated as cooking for a human being.

According to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, pet owners take certain risks when making dinner for their animals.

"If you want to home cook for your pet, you really need to do some research into that," says Danny Joffe, a Calgary veterinarian speaking on behalf of the CVMA. "It takes a lot of work to make a well-balanced meal because every species has different nutrient requirements."

Devising a healthy diet for your pet is possible, but time-consuming. Joffe says for some of his clients, cooking properly for themselves and their pets is "a full-time job."

Alternatives to commercial pet foods include raw food diets that use a combination of uncooked meats and vegetables. But raw food diets have been associated with food poisoning risks for animals — and also for humans sharing their space.

In light of a pet food recall by Menu Foods of Streetsville, Ont., and other manufacturers, following at least 14 reported animal deaths, pet owners have lost trust in store-bought pet foods and are searching for substitute cat and dog foods.

But how safe are the alternatives?

What is a raw pet food diet?

Some retailers sell packaged cat and dog meals that contain human grade chicken, beef, venison or other meats mixed with vegetables like lettuce, squash and carrots. Ed Freibauer, owner of Healthy Paws, an Ontario raw pet food manufacturer, says pets on raw food diets have shinier coats, fewer allergies and less obesity.

"They don't need to have their teeth brushed because there's no carbohydrates gumming up their teeth, and they don't smell like smelly dogs or cats," says Freibauer.

Raw food costs can be comparable to canned pet foods. Daily intake depends on the animal's size, breed and level of activity. Less food is usually required, and amounts should be cut back if the pet gains weight. Using Health Paws' model, it costs $6 a day to feed an 80-pound dog.

Is raw pet food safe?

The Canadian Veterinarian Medical Association doesn't recommend feeding pets raw food. Scientific nutritional analysis has yet to be conducted in the same way it has with commercial pet food.

Of more concern is a risk of salmonella poisoning associated with raw pet food diets. A study conducted by Joffe found that 30 per cent of dogs on raw food diets had salmonella in their stool.

"Dogs eating raw chicken will secrete salmonella into the environment," explains Joffe. "It can cause everything from mild flu-like problems to life-threatening illnesses."

Raw food sellers point out that animals in the wild have always eaten and survived on raw flesh. But as Joffe clarifies, "Dogs in nature weren't sleeping in our beds, licking our faces and eating in our kitchens."

Can pet owners make their own nutritious animal food?

Cooking well-balanced meals for pets takes time and effort, as pets need a vitamin-rich diet in the same way humans do. Most veterinarians can provide the information needed to devise proper recipes and diet plans.

The optimal word according to the CMVA is "cooked." Make sure to use recipes that call for cooked meats. A healthy recipe includes cooked meat, such as hamburger or chicken, with potato or rice and a mineral supplement.

What are other foods or toxins pet owners should look out for?

Dogs accidentally fed chocolate, especially semi-sweet, risk cardiac failure. Chocolate can cause the canine heart to go into abnormal rhythms, which can cause a coma.

More recently, grapes and raisins have been found to cause kidney failure in dogs, while Xylitol, an artificial sweetener in chewing gum and diabetic products, can lower a dog's blood sugar and lead to liver failure.

RECIPES

Liver cookies

• Combine 1/2 cup dry milk and 1/2 cup wheat germ; drizzle 1 teaspoon honey on top.
• Add one small. jar of strained liver baby food or homemade blended liver and stir until everything is well mixed.
• Form the mixture into balls and bake on a cookie sheet eight to 10 minutes at 175 C.
• Consistency should be fudgy.

Mackerel dinner

• Heat 1 tsp. corn oil in a skillet and fry 1 small mackerel until it flakes apart easily. Remove and cool.
• Pour 1/2 cup hot water into the pan and scrape the brown bits into it.
• Remove the bones from the fish and mix with the juice.
• For dogs, serve in pieces with kibble; for cats, grind with the pan juices.

Source: HealthRecipes.com

Easter lilies can also cause acute kidney failure in dogs.

When taking a dog out for a walk, watch out for antifreeze flushed out from car radiators. It tastes sweet so dogs are attracted to it, but it is still a poison, same as for humans.

Table scraps should also be avoided, unless they are somehow built into a balanced diet. As a rule, no more than five per cent of a pet's diet should come from the table.

High fat meals can cause pancreatitis, so don't give your dog fat cut from the edges of steak.

Also never feed a pet leftover foods that have gone bad. Animals are at risk for food poisoning the same way humans are.

Can cats and dogs go vegetarian, like humans?

Healthy vegetarian diets can be formulated for cats and dogs.

For cats, it can be more complicated as they are essentially carnivores, whereas dogs are classified as omnivores. As with home-cooked meals, a veterinarian can be consulted on how to properly feed your animal vegetarian foods.

Millet, beans, lentils, grains and legumes are the main source of protein in a vegetarian diet. Dogs appear to require a slightly larger proportion of protein in their diets than humans.