Have you had to switch pet food brands due to the large-scale recall in the last few weeks? Perhaps you're still worried that whatever you're feeding your dog or cat may not be fully safe for them. Or possibly you're so overwhelmed by all the news reports about wheat gluten and rice protein that you've given up trying to keep it all straight.

The recall of dozens - now hundreds - of varieties of pet food continues, as manufacturers try to keep from sending out contaminated food. Here's the update:

• Food and Drug Administration researchers now think that the problem ingredient is wheat flour contaminated with melamine, rather than the wheat gluten that was previously fingered as the culprit. Just to be safe, the FDA is monitoring all imported wheat and corn gluten and rice protein concentrate.

• One theory about what caused the medical issues in dogs and especially cats is that melamine reacted with cyanuric acid. Cyanuric acid is an organic compound commonly used to treat water in swimming pools and hot tubs - and not something you would not want your pet to eat. Some of the pets that died are showing the acid in their urine samples, and separate tests where scientists mixed it with melamine created the same mystery crystals found in the kidneys of the sick and dead animals.

• Pet food companies are continuing to pull products off the market that may be contaminated. Menu Foods added 220 more products to its recall list just this month, mostly because they were manufactured in the same plants as the contaminated food and could have been cross contaminated. For a full list of the recalled products, see www.menufoods.com/recall.

But Menu Foods isn't the only pet food company with the problem. Check the FDA's web site at fda.gov or the American Veterinary Medical Association's site at avma.org for updated recalls from other companies, which just this month have included some varieties of SmartPak Canine's LiveSmart brand; Blue Buffalo; Canine Caviar; Harmony Farms; Kirkland; Mulligan Stew; Natural Balance; and Diamond Pet Foods. Note that not all of the varieties of these brands have issues. Many do not include gluten or have been getting grain protein from other sources.

• The majority of domestic animals who became ill have recovered after getting fluids and supportive veterinary care. But livestock animals have been eating food that's potentially contaminated as well. According to the FDA, around 2.7 million chickens that ate contaminated food have already made their way into the food chain. Millions more chickens are being held, as well as hogs. There's no recall of the affected animals because the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture don't think there's a high risk to humans.

Now is a great time to re-examine what you're feeding your pet and determine if there's something better.

That's what I did in late March, when the recall was first announced. I had been feeding some high-quality raw food from Nature's Variety and Solid Gold "Just a Wee Bit" kibble for small dogs (my dog weighs less than six pounds, and I'll admit that makes it much easier on the wallet to feed premium foods).

In my research about the recalled pet foods, I learned that Solid Gold had not experienced any problems - and still has not. It's a great brand. But I was a little concerned to find one site that rated the foods and didn't give mine many stars. There were some grain fillers, and the author of the web site didn't like that. So I went to Animal Crackers Pet Supply in Corvallis to ask if there was something better.

They recommended I stay with the Solid Gold brand, since both my dog and I liked it, but to try the "Barking at the Moon" grain-free variety. It cost $2 a bag more, but I tried it. It turned out to be a great choice. I can see that my dog has more energy, and he hasn't had an accident in the house or loose stools since we switched. Taking the time to try something different paid off. (You can check www.solidgoldhealth.com or ask at Animal Crackers for more information.)

What you feed your pet is important. Many of the "supermarket" brands are less expensive, but your pet doesn't get as much nutrition out of each bite. With pet food quality in the news, there's a lot of information out there about good nutrition. Make a switch to a premium food for a month and see for yourself if there's a difference.