Editor's note: Pets are on everyone's minds, it seems! Today, GNMParents writer Heike Boehmke-Sharp adds to the discussion with her ideas on buying pet food and waste disposal bags. Don't forget to take a look at Jennifer's contribution at GNMParents.

Pets are a man’s best friend! They can be “green” too :)…

I have a 17 year old Husky/Shepard mix, and recently we adopted a new “little” Shepard puppy into our lives. Due the sensitive skin of our Husky, I have always been aware of what kind of food I feed him. Given the recent pet food scare, I am no longer the only person reading pet food labels in the store.

You may think by buying the more expensive brands you are doing your pet a favor. The recent pet food contamination put that myth to rest. Even some of the expensive brands put unfavorable ingredients in their mix. Ingredients you want to steer away from are: animal digets, animal render, or anything with “parts” attached. There are some great brands out there that only use real ingredients and no animal left overs or slush in their food. We have recently switched to “BLUE” (BlueBuff.com), and both my senior and my puppy love it. I only feed dry dog food. Another bonus of good food that is not enhanced wth fillers is “little poops” :)…You can also make your own dog food in a slow cooker. Depending on preference you can cook beef, lamb, or chicken. Add rice, or barley and veggies. If you have a good butcher, you can ask them to save you the waste cuts to mix with a regular cut of meat. One pot is good for about 2 days.

There are also natural treats that do not contain unwelcome by-product. You can get them at doggie bakeries, and Newman’s Own also makes wonderful doggie treats that are affordable. My dogs both like carrots and veggies, so we give them those as treats :).

The other end of the spectrum is doggie bags. We used to save our grocery bags and use them for pooper scooping. Now that we shop with our fabric bags, what’s a girl to do? We use biodegradable waste bags for on the road, and garbage bags at home. I am researching investing into a Doggie Dooley , a type of septic system for my back yard. It breaks everything down with a nontoxic, natural enzyme.

Some more resource for “green pet care”:

• Mountain Rose Herbs I love company for their herbs & spices, but I am impressed with their pet care. Natural flea shampoo, collars, hot spot spray, Tranquality blend…and more. All natural…safe for my senior and my puppy! Oh, and my kids!!
• HomeVet
• Pilgrim's Natural Pet Care (nutrition and raw foods — UK)
• The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care