I've been limiting my dog's treats to freeze-dried beef, liver, or beef lung.  I feel safer going this route since the ingredient list always reads:  100% ____.  As far as I know, companies that provide this are:  Halo, Merrick's, Benny Bully's.  Good luck!

Speaking of Kong Toys, and given the number of people here who love them, has anyone used the KongTime Dispenser?  I bought one for my dog a couple of months ago, and it's been a great tool.  Basically, it can hold 4 food-filled kongs and randomly 'spits' them out one at a time over a 4 or 8 hour period.  It's meant to keep your dog occupied during the day when you're at work.  Although my dog Symba doesn't have any separation anxiety issues, I like that he has something fun to do while I'm at work.  Check out the video demo at www.kongtime.com.  It can be pricey, but look around online - the prices vary a LOT. 

Thanks SunHawk for the tip about the babygate.  I did some searching on the internet for 'contraptions' to protect the litterbox, and was amazed at how many options there are!  Feeling inspired, I desired to create my own contraption this evening. 

I try to describe it here:  I used a large cardboard box, leaving the top and one side open.  The box is about 18" tall and is just slightly wider than my littlerbox.  I then slid the bottom of the box under my hooded litterbox, leaving about a foot of space in front of the entrance of the litterbox.  This has created a sort-of protected pathway to the litterbox.  Symba can still stick his into the pathway (since the top is open), but he can't stick his head directly into the entrance anymore (because the sides are so high).  I had left the top of the box open because I was hoping Trooper would jump over the sides of the box to make his way in, but he was not impressed with that idea.  So I cut out a little door on the side of the box, and he seems happier with that option.

It's just been a few hours, but so far so good.....the true test will be when we actually leave the apartment, since Symba won't go near the litterbox when we're home.  If all else fails, the dome litterbox and babygate sound like good back-ups.

Thanks Javas Mom!!  (I will follow-up with you via PM, to keep this thread on topic)

Wow, thanks so much Cindy, Laura and Caylynn for your suggestions.  I appreciate you all taking the time to answer my plea for help on this non-cat topic forum

I live in an apartment, so I'm afraid the basement option is a no-go for now...though I'll definitely keep it mind when we move into a house!  Also, Symba is an 85-lb shepherd-collie cross, so I don't think he would let a little thing like a flap on the opening of the litterbox get in his way - he's been sticking his head in and just, for lack of a better word, 'sucking up' the litter (even as I write this, a wave of revulsion comes over me.  Believe me, I am careful not to disclose this nasty fact to just anyone - but I figure among other pet owners, I am somewhat safe from the judgement).  Also, Trooper (cat) is very particular about how he conducts his business (he likes to prop himself up on the edge of the opening), and I don't think he would like the idea of having to contend with a flap.  However, I will explore the dome box suggestion.

Thanks again for lending me your 'eyes'...I appreciate it!

[Orijen]

So I wanted to share a story here.  Several of you may know that I've been a strong proponent of Orijen on the forums...particularly because it's grain-free .  And I've been having good success with it - both the dog and cat love it, and the dog's stools I've noticed are minimal.  The reason that I raise this particular aspect will become apparent.

In light of the pet food recalls, I thought I would also treat my cat to the best cat litter I could find, and with a name like the World's Best Cat Litter , I was convinced.  Made of corn, clumps, natural, flushable - all very appealing to a cat owner.

However, I was at my wit's end with my dog Symba this week.  Having gone through all the trouble (and expense, mind you), of finding him the best food I could, my husband and I just discovered that he's been going into the cat's litter box and not just eating the cat's stools (which he's done in the past when we had him on a diet), but also EATING THE CAT LITTER ITSELF.  He's been eating so much of it, that we've noticed a significant increase his stools, both in terms of the volume ( I would say at 3-4 x) and frequency.  I'm not kidding - the amount that is going through him is insane.  And the crazy dog - he just can't seem to stop himself!!   

So if anyone ever needs evidence that a grain-based food is not good for a dog, please use this story.

And by the way, if anyone has any advice on how to deal with this situation, I'd really appreciate it!!

Symba and Trooper:

I wrote a horribly constructed sentence, depite being an English teacher   You didn't miss anything.  I just meant that I don't worry about the high protein because he eats dry food once a day, at night.  I know of no connection between protein and evening meals.  Carbs migh metabolize differently at night I would think, but have absolutely no scientific basis for that idea!

Thanks for putting my active imagination to rest, Amy!  Since cat food is so  rich, I've seen what happens when my dog gets into it....it's just not pretty.  I was wondering if that's what you meant....ie high protein diet and litterbox use at night spares you from any unpleasant aftereffect 

But glad to hear there are none!  By the way, my cat's digestive system is just fine on Orijen!  And so's my dog's (when he sticks to his own food, that is). 

[Evangers Hunk of Beef]

Just wanted to say that we've been very happy with the Evangers Hunk of Beef for dogs.  I don't believe it's meant to be used as a complete meal, so we use it as a special treat and mix it in with our dog's dry food occasionally - if we could afford to, we would do it everytime. 

Quite simply, it is a hunk of beef.  The ingredient list reads:  "100% whole beef cooked in its own juices".  They actually have a label that says "Not for human consumption", which makes me think my husband is not the only who's stared longingly at Symba's dinner    I should add that Symba loves it too..but then again, he loves just about anything!

Given the quality of this product, I am encouraged to try their other lines.  Also, I'm pleased that Evangers is on PETA's 'do not test on animals' list. 

... I was impressed with the ingredient list, and since he only eats it at night, not too worried about the high protein. 

Hi Amy - out of curiosity, can you explain your comment?  What's the connection betwen high protein and time of feeding?  I'm sure I'm missing something obvious, but you've piqued my interest!

Orijen is available in just a few states in the US - but if you're interested, I've also found it online at www.only4pets.com.  Alternatively, you might consider approaching your local pet store and asking them to contact Champion Petfoods (or else contact them yourself). 

I am not kidding when I say the company is really responsive! 

I cannot say enough good things about the food or the company.  I just hope they continue to live up to my praise!! 

I live in Toronto, Canada, and this food has been flying off the shelves at Bark 'n' Fitz, and other pet food stores.  What's not to love?  Made from 70% meats (human-grade chicken, fish, and eggs) and 30% fruits & veg, and grain-free.  All ingredients sourced from Western Canada, no chemical preservatives.  It is the premium line of Champion Petfoods, which makes and packages their own foods.

I recently (last 3 weeks) switched my cat and dog to it, and they are just wild about it.  Which is good for me, because I feel really good about feeding it to them (40-45% protein).

One thing I will say though, the company could do a better job of marketing their product.  Several emails to the company that were quickly answered, confirmed that all of their foods are ethoxyquin-free, and rice protein/wheat gluten/rice protein concentrate-free (which I realise may seem obvious through their claim of being grain-free, but I felt the need to check). 

I have been trying to get the word out about this product, because I believe it is a quality product that is not very well-known.  I am in no way affiliated with the company.  Check it out for yourself (try googling it) 

Hi there - thanks for pointing out the errors to my post on Itchmo.  It was early on in the announcement about the Mystery Manufacturers and there was limited info about where manufacturers were located.  So when I stumbled upon the list at the Pet Food Institute, I was anxious to get the information out as quickly as possible.  However, I will admit that I incorrectly made a link between Natural Life and Natural Balance.  However, the URL for Natural Life was provided by the original source fo the information (Pet Food Institute).  That said, I've since updated my original post. 

BTW, as you may have noticed, there have since been more posts on the following Itchmo threads:
"where the rice protein went-companies in those states", and
"the other 4 companies"
and some of these list MANY more manufacturers in those states.