So, while scientists work hard to pinpoint the problems, how exactly is a pet owner supposed to feed their pet? Dr. Olson offers these 7 tips:

The dilemma is targeting the exact ingredient and the source, so that we can determine which products are safe and which ones are not.

1. The foods that have been the least incriminated are the dry foods. Stick with the dry foods right now, just to be safe. Pay attention to the labels on all these foods and consider selecting a type of food without wheat gluten. Many semi-moist and canned foods contain wheat gluten, while most dry foods do not.

2. Consider your pet's lifestyle and medical issues. Pay attention to the other ingredients on each bag of food. Note the amount of sodium, especially if there's a heart or kidney problem. Peek at the percentage of protein versus the carbohydrates, etc.

3. Be aware of what's also in pet food TREATS. Apply the same principal to your treats, as you do with the food. Some of those treats are not at all good for your pets. They can be very high in sodium, etc.

4. Home cooking is another option. Home cooking is often easier for feeding dogs, than cats. Dogs are omnivores and often less finicky, making it easier to change foods. Cats, being 100% carnivorous are often very fussy. You can find pet food cookbooks online or at the bookstore. Cats may need vitamins and supplements to make sure their home cooked meals are complete. Cats are very sensitive to having a vitamin D deficiency.

5. Prescription diets have tighter guidelines and controls on their ingredients than other pet food. They are still considered safe. One prescription diet has voluntarily been recalled, as a precaution, while experts determine if the product's wheat gluten, which contains melamine, is contributing to the problem.

6. All natural foods are not necessarily better than other ones. People should pay attention to every bag of food they look at.

7. Talk with your veterinarian, rather than the salespeople at the food store. Your expert is going to be your veterinarian. They know your pet's history and lifestyle. Your vet will be up to date with the latest on the recall and the ingredients of concern.

"This is a huge wake up call to the pet food industry, to veterinarians and to pet owners," adds Dr. Olson. "The problem can only make us better. We're going to be more educated pet parents in terms of what we're feeding our kids. In the vet community, we'll be more educated about pet nutrition. In the pet food industry, you know there are going to be new standards. Unfortunately, it took tragedy to bring us here."

Dr. Sonja Olson is a regular guest on television and radio in the Tampa area. She also provides comment for newspapers, magazines and online media. Dr. Olson is available for media interviews.