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Pet food recall: ChemNutra recalls wheat gluten
By Gina Spadafori
April 4, 2007
- If you have a sick pet or a question on your pet’s health, call your veterinarian.
- If you’re new to the site, please check out our general information page (includes links to recalled foods).
- If you’d like suggestions on what to feed, click here.
- If you want to report a sick or deceased pet, click here.
- If you want to know what you can do, please read our call to action
- If you want to read all our recall-related blog posts, click here.
On the FDA site this morning (thanks, Nadine, Brigette and Valarie):
ChemNutra Announces Nationwide Wheat Gluten Recall
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –Las Vegas, NV — April 3, 2007 — ChemNutra Inc., of Las Vegas, Nevada, yesterday recalled all wheat gluten it had imported from one of its three Chinese wheat gluten suppliers – Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. Ltd.
The wheat gluten ChemNutra recalled was all shipped from China in 25 kg. paper bags, and distributed to customers in the same unopened bags. The bags were all labeled “Wheat Gluten Batch No.: _______ Net Weight: 25 kg Gross Weight: 25.1 kg Made in China”. The batch numbers included in the recall are 20061006, 20061027, 20061101, 20061108, 20061122, 20061126, 20061201, 20061202, 20061203, 20061204, 20061205, 20061206, 20061208, 20061221, 20070106, 20070111, 20070116, and 20070126. Each ChemNutra shipment had the certificate of analysis information from the supplier, including batch number and the supplier’s content analysis and test results. ChemNutra shipped from its Kansas City warehouse to three pet food manufacturers and one distributor who supplies wheat gluten only to the pet food industry. ChemNutra’s shipments commenced November 9, 2006 and ended March 8, 2007. ChemNutra did not ship to facilities that manufacture food for human consumption, and the distributor ChemNutra shipped to supplies wheat gluten only to pet food manufacturers. The total quantity of Xuzhou Anying wheat gluten shipped was 792 metric tons.
ChemNutra learned on March 8 from one pet food manufacturer that the wheat gluten it had sold them – all from the Xuzhou Anying – was among ingredients suspected as a potential cause of pet food problems. ChemNutra immediately quarantined its entire wheat gluten inventory and assisted this customer’s investigation.
After that manufacturer issued a pet food recall, the FDA immediately commenced a thorough investigation of ChemNutra’s wheat gluten, including documentation analysis, inspection, and laboratory testing. ChemNutra cooperated fully with the FDA and immediately notified its other three wheat gluten customers about the FDA’s investigation. Those customers had all purchased smaller amounts of the Xuzhou Anying wheat gluten commencing in January, 2007.
On Friday, March 30, the FDA announced they had found melamine in samples of the wheat gluten ChemNutra had imported from Xuzhou Anying. The FDA did not inform ChemNutra of any other impurities in the Xuzhou Anying wheat gluten, nor of any impurities in the wheat gluten from ChemNutra’s other two Chinese suppliers.
The toxicity of melamine is not clear. However, since melamine is not approved by the FDA for pet food, it should absolutely not have been in wheat gluten. ChemNutra is extremely concerned about the purity of all of its products. The company is particularly troubled that the certificates of analysis provided by the above-named supplier did not report the presence of melamine.
ChemNutra wants to ensure its products are safe. Consequently, in addition to its ongoing cooperation with the FDA, ChemNutra will be conducting its own independent, analytical tests of wheat gluten from all of its suppliers.
Yesterday ChemNutra sent recall notices to all four of its direct customers. If any other company received bags of recalled wheat gluten from the lot numbers referenced above, please call ChemNutra at 702.818.5019.
Consumers who have questions about the pet food they should go to the FDA’s website at www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01590.html. This website lists all brands of petfood involved, with links to the manufacturer who should be contacted with questions.
Release here.
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This Morning On CNN John Varce Was IN CHINA out side the dirty run down building where the wheat gluten came from. all this wheat is just sitting on the dirty ground.it made me sick.
Comment by Mary Ann — April 4, 2007 @ 6:49 am
“ChemNutra wants to ensure its products are safe. Consequently, in addition to its ongoing cooperation with the FDA, ChemNutra will be conducting its own independent, analytical tests of wheat gluten from all of its suppliers.”
They shouldn’t be allowed to do that. Why would anybody in their right mind accept results from a lab that sent bad product the begin with?
I also don’t think they are all that concerned, atleast regarding pets anyway. People in China eat dogs which brings up an interesting question. If people there are feeding their pets foods that contain this crap, I wonder how many people have gotten sick from it as well. Conspiracy is a terrible thing but it does make the mind think beyond the box.
I see their “concern” as nothing more than trying to cover their own butts. If they were that concerned, they’d be hiring labs that have no connnection to them for their independant testing.
Comment by Stacy — April 4, 2007 @ 6:53 am
Stacy,
I’m not sure that Chem Nutra ISN’T hiring labs that have no connection to them to do the testing. Perhaps that’s why they described the tests as “independent”. We’ll have to wait and see.
Do we know the 4 companies who are the “direct customers” of Chem Nutra who received the tainted wheat gluten?
Comment by slt — April 4, 2007 @ 6:57 am
I found the API site very informative. It talks about several different petfood recalls in the last ten years. I wonder if any one has had problems with severe fur matting in their cats?? My six year old angora has always had a beauliful coat, but in the last several months it has really changed. It seemed as if over night, parts of her fur have become like pieces of wood. The groomer did not really know what caused this. My cat has eaten several different brands over the years. Most recently, dry food by purina. If any one has had this problem please give me a little insight on it.Thanks, Ann
Comment by ann gates — April 4, 2007 @ 7:05 am
ChemNutra’s ‘advertisement’ does not change the fact they and the FDA haven’t provided a list of food manufacturers where the toxic wheat gluten was delivered. Forgetting about the human food supply, who’s to say it didn’t go to a pet food company that has not initiated a recall? People could still be feeding this garbage to their pets. What about that other distributor ChemNutra sold it to, we’re supposed to take their word for it too?
Comment by Sandro — April 4, 2007 @ 7:10 am
Did anyone else notice that one of the food products ChemNutra imports from China is taurine? I’d have to assume that goes to the pet industry as well, given ChemNutra’s ties to pet food manufacturers.
Comment by Leigh-Ann — April 4, 2007 @ 7:18 am
I’m also very curious as to whether the Chinese middleman that bought from Anying sold the stuff to anyone besides ChemNutra…does anyone remember if that’s been clarified?
Comment by Laura — April 4, 2007 @ 7:22 am
Is it just me, but why are these human grade food suppliers only publishing press releases now that they’ve been caught by journalists and web sleuths? Their ‘advertisements’ says they knew about it on March 8. And what about their decision to do testing, are they saying they didn’t test their raw materials imported from one of the most polluted countries on Earth prior to this scandal?
Comment by Sandro — April 4, 2007 @ 7:22 am
This may or may not be useful, but I found this. http://www.kswheat.com/general.asp?id=137
It’s a list of all the ways wheat gluten is being used. What caught my attention was this:
“Adhesives (Many types) — Starch is used as an adhesive on postage stamps and is used to hold the bottom of paper grocery sacks together.
Polymers
Packing peanuts
Plastic Bags
Plastic film, eating utensils and molded items (biodegradable)
Packaging, foams and insulation (biodegradable, starch-based)
Reinforcing agents in rubber products (flour-based)
Charcoal
Cups
Fine paper products (carbonless copy paper)
Fuels
Golf Tees
Insulation
Medical swabs
Roofing and other building materials
Skeet pigeons
Textile finishing agents
Wood substitute in composite building materials”
Am I jumping the gun here? Click the link to see more.
Comment by Stacy — April 4, 2007 @ 7:37 am
The whole scandal has completely destroyed our trust in The Pet Food Industry. And we are very knowledgeable about pet foods and probably know more about the subject then most of the CEO’s of these Brands. The issue for us now is we use a brand that is not on recall, and is a quality human grade formula with well chosen ingredients, but you can not imagine what I felt when this recall began and our brand turned out to be associated with Menu. That was a shock. We are not going to continue with this brand if they go on with business as usual with Menu Foods. There is no way. We will find a new brand. As far as imported ingredients that is another problem. We’re not comfortable with it anymore. Not at all.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 7:43 am
OMG taurine is a component of pretty much all commercial cat foods wet or dry. It’s considered very important for their eyes I think. Some recipes for making homemade cat food say to add taurine. Now we need to know where to find info about the source and country of origin of taurine? I wish I’d married a scientist!!!! (Only kidding, hon)
Comment by elizabeth R — April 4, 2007 @ 7:45 am
Hi Ann,
I had a simular problem with dryness in my cats
coat. although dry foods aren’t the best for cats, they seem to like ‘em? i changed from purina and her coats a lot better.. avoderm
wet , or dry is a good coat conditioner.
(contains avocado)an inexpensive food is chicken
soup for pet lovers soul. check the descriptions of each product offered by a food
manufactuer, i think the hollistic food is
probably a better bet?
a change in your dry food is definately warrented .. if the cat’l eat a wet food theirs a bunch of good food that’l help to?
Comment by johnypaycut — April 4, 2007 @ 7:48 am
I was looking at the contents of one of our deceased kitties cans of cat food last night and one thing I noticed was not the content but the can lining. If you scrape the food out, the contents of the can lining comes off, you can see the scrape marks. Is this normal? I can imagine if this happens, we would have fed our kitty bits of can lining also. I was guessing the lining is vegetable based but I have no way of knowing, anyone have any info on can linings & whether its normal for it to come off?
Comment by Sandi K — April 4, 2007 @ 7:49 am
Comment by elizabeth R — April 4, 2007 @ 7:45 am
Taurine or 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid is an organic acid that is abundant in the tissues of many animals (metazoa).[1] Taurine is also found in plants, fungi, and some bacterial species, but at lower levels. Taurine is a derivative of the sulphur-containing (sulfhydryl) amino acid, cysteine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurine
Do NOT be tinkering around with additives of any kind if you do not know what your are doing. You can harm your pet. Study up on your whole foods for pets if that is the route you choose. There is no escaping effort and research to find the right diet for a pet now.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 7:55 am
Comment by Sandi K — April 4, 2007 @ 7:49 am
Thats not acceptable. Keep a record of that. Thats very disturbing.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 7:57 am
From a Bill Moyers report on plastics that someone linked to in the previous blog post:
MOYERS: We can’t live in a risk-free society, can we?
HOFFPAUIR: No, we can’t live in a risk-free society. But we can live in an honest society.
Comment by Cathy — April 4, 2007 @ 7:58 am
Comment by Cathy — April 4, 2007 @ 7:58 am
Honesty. What a revolutionary concept.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 8:02 am
“There is no escaping effort and research to find the right diet for a pet now.”
Steve, the reason for that is humans are increasingly eating processed foods laced with chemicals too sensitive for pet anatomies. From cavemen on, companion animals have been eating alongside humans (table scraps) for ages, it’s quite distressing really…
Comment by Sandro — April 4, 2007 @ 8:03 am
Comment by Sandro — April 4, 2007 @ 8:03 am
This is nothing new. The shock here is discovering the magnitude of this imported food stuffs from a developing country that does not know what they are doing. The after shock is the attitude of Corporations who allowed this poison to get into the mass produced food supply here in the USA.
There needs to be a serious investigation and inquiry into this whole debacle. This is The Pet Food Industries equivalent of the Union Carbide Bhopal Disaster of 1984 in India. Where nearly 3,000 people dead initially and at least 15,000 from related illnesses since, and other sources cite 20,000 total deaths as a conservative estimate.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 8:18 am
Look at this. Can someone explain this to me?
Menu Foods Issues Recall of Specific Can and Small Foil Pouch Wet … April 4, 2007 - 12:18 PM
Drug Newswire (press release), CT - 3 hours ago
http://www.drugnewswire.com/15156/
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 8:22 am
Seems like a rehash of an old press release. I’ve seen this happen before on newswire services.
Comment by Sandro — April 4, 2007 @ 8:26 am
The article talks about THREE pet food manufacturers and an additional distributor to pet food manufacturers. So Menu Foods is one, but who are the other two? could they be dry food manufacturers? and where did the other distributor distribute to?
Comment by Cynthia — April 4, 2007 @ 8:28 am
Thanks for the link to the ChemNutra press release. I have to say, now THERE’s the way you do a press release, by actually issuing information and sounding dutifully contrite, too. Of course, it doesn’t excuse the entire debacle, but at least their PR firm has a brain.
So, ChemNutra was told on March 8 that the wheat gluten was bad… and how long did it after that for Menu Foods to issue a recall? March 16. If I hear Menu Foods say they issued a “precautionary recall” one more time, I’m going to rip my hair out.
Anyway, just an observance. Thanks, petconnection, for speaking on AC360… even if AC wasn’t there last night. I’m glad the word got out about how many suspected deaths there are.
Comment by Elderta — April 4, 2007 @ 8:29 am
Leigh-Ann, Taurine is an essential nutrient for cats. I also took notice of that when I went to the ChemNutra site.
Also, someone wrote about the lining of pet foods cans. I have noticed this in pet food cans before, and I don’t know what the point of the lining is unless it protects the food from the metal can. Maybe someone can enlighten us…
Comment by Elderta — April 4, 2007 @ 8:35 am
John thanks for the info, I appreciate it!! right now with this petfood recall. I have her on tuna and salmon for humans!!
Comment by ann gates — April 4, 2007 @ 8:35 am
Comment by Sandro — April 4, 2007 @ 8:26 am
Yes it is. Any way excuse me for wasting valuable space here. I already knew the answer to the question. It is my jaded side getting the best of my finger tips.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 8:40 am
Comment by Elderta — April 4, 2007 @ 8:29 am
I saw articles dating around March 23 or so and Vets were predicting there could be as high as 10,000 animal deaths and even more.
People still need to take this very seriously.
The manner in which this has been under reported is not encouraging.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 8:44 am
Taurine is an essential nutrient for cats.
Comment by Elderta — April 4, 2007 @ 8:35 am
Animals in the wild get an abundance of this from their kill.
In commercial foods it is added. The question now is, where is that ingredient coming from?
Again, do not be adding supplements to any temp diets for your pet unless you really know what you are doing. Even a vitamin supplement can cause an adverse reaction.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 8:49 am
The real tragedy here is this could have been prevented. If just normal routine quality control measures were maintained. We also now see an industry that is in serious need of restraint and scrutiny. Basically, the whole facade has been blown wide open. With marketing being one of the biggest culprits.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 8:57 am
For those of you that are concerned about pet food containers, check this out. It dates back to 1974 and asks who is to be held accountable should a product be sold in a bad or improper container. The FDA never bothered to reply….
It’s a PDF file http://www.cpsc.gov/LIBRARY/FOIA/advisory/139.pdf
Comment by Stacy — April 4, 2007 @ 9:04 am
I think the bottom line in all this is we, as consumers, have to become more educated about our purchases. We also need to quit being the good little sheep, and start demanding changes thru our legislators. I think this was a big wake up call for many of us. I know a lot of us want heads to roll, and people to fry over this, but taking off those rose colored glasses, shows us the scope and how incredibly large this problem is. I think we need to pick a path, and focus on a strategy that will bring the most change and protection for us and our pets. Suggestions anyone?
I cooked flounder for dinner last night. Before it was done, that article I linked to days ago with comments from the cat fish producers ran thru my head. I grabbed the packaging out of the trash, and guess what? Made in China! This was flounder packaged for Kroger, in the Cincie plant. My son and I didn’t eat it, husband did.
Comment by Jackie — April 4, 2007 @ 9:05 am
on tues. on eary today on cbs, debbie turner showed makeing homemade pet food but she said it’s not a good idea. it’s on cbs news web sit.on peta’s web site they state the fda knows about dry food killing pets but won’t release the name of the co.
Comment by Mary Ann — April 4, 2007 @ 9:06 am
i fed my pets the can ultra that killed the puppy on last night 360 show. thank you pet connection for all your help on this tragic story,
Comment by Mary Ann — April 4, 2007 @ 9:10 am
Steve is 100% right. . .please talk to your Vet before adding any supplements to your pet’s food. You can actually do a lot more harm than good.
I don’t know squat about cat supplements, I do canine. I use Nupro, a complex multi vitamin for dogs. http://www.nuprosupplements.com/ There’s another called “Missing Link” that is readily available at pet stores. My dogs turn their nose up at this one. Again, it is vital that you discuss vitamins or supplements with your Vet prior to using them!
Comment by Jackie — April 4, 2007 @ 9:14 am
Did any of you know about this? Pentobarbital being put in commerical dog foods?
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/FOI/DFreport.htm
Comment by Stacy — April 4, 2007 @ 9:17 am
From a previous posting,
Just to be sure, where are the pet food tin and aluminum cans coming from? what is the composition of the metal and various inner coatings?
Comment by Gary — April 4, 2007 @ 9:22 am
I was just looking over the Nupro site. I buy the product from a Vet, so not real familiar with their website. They do have cat nuggets if you want to read about them. From their site”
“NUPRO HEALTH NUGGETS FOR CATS is made with fresh, premium ingredients, that are human grade quality. Cats love the crunch of the nuggets! They can be added to dry or wet food. If your cat prefers, the nuggets can also be crushed and mixed with water to make a liver/fish gravy.
NUPRO does NOT contain any wheat, corn, sugar, grains, fillers, by-products or preservatives.”
Comment by Jackie — April 4, 2007 @ 9:23 am
I make homemade pet food now for two of my dogs. I don’t use BARF. My two Doberman’s do much better on homemade - but it is time consuming. Their hair is nicer and thicker. I stopped using the SD I/D on my young dog even though it has not been recalled. I don’t trust pet food anymore.
On another note, I’m not comforted about our human food supply being safe or future pet food supply being safe, not while the factory that is making this dirty, poison, junk Gluten is operating and selling to other suppliers.
What about the pets in other countries - are we the only nation with this problem? Maybe this junk Gluten is going into pet food and people food around the globe and soon will be back in ours.
I believe all food products (pet and people food) sold in the U.S. should list the country of origin on all labels for every ingredient, this too for imports - even from Europe - tell us more so we can at least make informed choices.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 9:24 am
In response to Sandi K. comment, all you wanted to know about can linings interesting read,
http://www.ewg.org/reports/bisphenola/execsumm.php
Comment by ken — April 4, 2007 @ 9:30 am
Regarding who the other 3 companies are, that someone here asked about, I think that would be Del Monte, Hill’s, and Purina. Although Purina and Hill’s had some food included in the initial Menu Foods recall, as far as I know the foods they added to the recall last week were not made by Menu Foods, so that would include them in the 3 “other” companies besides Menu Foods that this wheat gluten was shipped to.
Comment by Sandy — April 4, 2007 @ 9:31 am
Steve,
For the last year, I’ve been on the Holisticat and WholeCatHealth Yahoo Groups. I’ve learned a great deal about cat nutrition and have asked lots of questions. There’s much discussion about taurine and other supplements. I do not say anything out of a vacuum when it comes to cats. Thanks.
Comment by Elderta — April 4, 2007 @ 9:33 am
Comment by Stacy — April 4, 2007 @ 9:17 am
“rendered animal products”
More commonly known as By Products.
“What’s Really in Pet Food” report in high demand
http://www.api4animals.org/fac.....038;more=1
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 9:35 am
Thanks so much for keeping all of us up to date and educated about the national tragedy our country is experiencing with the loss of so many of our beloved pets. Our bereaving pet owners can turn this tragedy into a wonderful and meaningful resolution by having every single person experiencing a loss adopt a cat or dog immediately from our shelters. What a better thing to do after grieving a lost one to saving a life of another. What a better week to do so as Easter week is. And every pet adopted should be named Lazarus so we never forget what happened and we all work to stop it from happening again.
Please post this to help the grieving pet parents see that something good can come out of this.
Comment by Cathy Mack — April 4, 2007 @ 9:35 am
I am trying to find a food for my cat that is trying to be a ” survivor”. I went to a specialty store and he gave me 3 different brands to try - before I opened the containers I sent out e-mails to all 3 companies. So far, 2 are made by Menu Foods. Eagle Pack tried to dance around my questions and after numerouse e-mails, the nutritionist confirmed that Menu Foods DOES make their canned and loaf formulas for cats. He said I shouldn’t worry that they do not use wheat gluten or any products from China… Now, how in the world can they make a statement when Menu mass produces for 90 + companies????? Needless to say, my last e-mail was not very nice. Do these companies think we are idiots? I’ve lost 1 cat - I really don’t want to lose my 2nd cat. All I can say, PLEASE if you are going to feed your pet wet food - LOOK and study the label and ask the company who produces their food. We have GOT to stop patronizing Menu Foods!!! Paul Henderson thinks it will be back to normal soon!!!!! HOPEFULLY NOT!!! This just makes me want to vomit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Sandi Schreiber — April 4, 2007 @ 9:40 am
Marketing Magic
A trip down the pet food aisle will boggle the mind with all the wonderful claims made by pet food makers for their repertoire of products. Knowing the nature of the ingredients helps sort out some of the more outrageous claims, but what’s the truth behind all this hype?
* Niche claims. Indoor cat, canine athlete, Persian, 7-year old, Bloodhound, or a pet with a tender tummy, too much flab, arthritis, or itchy feet — no matter what, there’s a food “designed” just for that pet’s personal needs. Niche marketing has arrived in a big way in the pet food industry. People like to feel special, and a product with specific appeal is bound to sell better than a general product like “puppy food.” The reality is that there are only two basic standards against which all pet foods are measured: adult and growth, which includes gestation and lactation. Everything else is marketing.
* “Natural” and “Organic” claims. The definition of “natural” adopted by AAFCO is very broad, and allows for artificially processed ingredients that most of us would consider very unnatural indeed. The term “organic”, on the other hand, has a very strict legal definition under the USDA National Organic Program. However, some companies are adept at evading the intent of both of these rules. For instance, the name of the company or product may be intentionally misleading. Some companies use terms such as “Nature” or “Natural” or even “Organic” in the brand name, whether or not their products fit the definitions. Consumers should also be aware that the term “organic” does not imply anything at all about animal welfare; products from cows and chickens can be organic, yet the animals themselves are still just “production units” in enormous factory farms.
* Ingredient quality claims. A lot of pet foods claim they contain “human grade” ingredients. This is a completely meaningless term — which is why the pet food companies get away with using it. The same applies to “USDA inspected” or similar phrases. The implication is that the food is made using ingredients that are passed by the USDA for human consumption, but there are many ways around this. For instance, a facility might be USDA-inspected during the day, but the pet food is made at night after the inspector goes home. The use of such terms should be viewed as a “Hype Alert.”
* “Meat is the first ingredient” claim. A claim that a named meat (chicken, lamb, etc.) is the #1 ingredient is generally seen for dry food. Ingredients are listed on the label by weight, and raw chicken weighs a lot, since contains a lot of water. If you look further down the list, you’re likely to see ingredients such as chicken or poultry by-product meal, meat-and-bone meal, corn gluten meal, soybean meal, or other high-protein meal. Meals have had the fat and water removed, and basically consist of a dry, lightweight protein powder. It doesn’t take much raw chicken to weigh more than a great big pile of this powder, so in reality the food is based on the protein meal, with very little “chicken” to be found. This has become a very popular marketing gimmick, even in premium and “health food” type brands. Since just about everybody is now using it, any meaning it may have had is so watered-down that you may just as well ignore it.
* Special ingredient claims. Many of the high-end pet foods today rely on the marketing appeal of people-food ingredients such as fruits, herbs, and vegetables. However, the amounts of these items actually present in the food are small; and the items themselves may be scraps and rejects from processors of human foods — not the whole, fresh ingredients they want you to picture. Such ingredients don’t provide a significant health benefit and are really a marketing gimmick.
Pet food marketing and advertising has become extremely sophisticated over the last few years. It’s important to know what is hype and what is real to make informed decisions about what to feed your pets.
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 9:43 am
I don’t know if anyone has posted this before - but the FDA is investigating the dry dog food and testing the samples to discover what if anything is amiss.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 9:44 am
Linda, I hear ya. I used to use a diet for my dogs that was 1/4 homemade, 3/4 kibble. Now, it’s more like 1/4 kibble, 3/4 homemade. However, how safe is what we are buying from the grocery? Last night I cooked extra fish, so I had some for the dogs. Of course that was before I read the bag that said made in China. Sure, we may not get deathly ill from this right away, but what about a 25 lb dog that has been eating this stuff on a regular basis? I cook a lot of fish, and never once looked for that “made in…” statement. It’s just ridiculous.
Comment by Jackie — April 4, 2007 @ 9:46 am
Are we the only country that has received this junk Gluten? I wonder why other countries are not affected - this seems odd to me.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 9:47 am
Jackie,
Yeah fish comes from China. I saw that. I know the hamburger I’m using is from beef raised here in California out of Stockton. I called and asked my supermarkets. It is not imported. And the sweet potatoes are locally grown - etc.
I am trying not to buy packaged anything. The rest I just don’t know about. Even the oil I put in their food needs to be from only CA or locally, not overseas that’s for sure.
Then be careful of baking goods, not just flour, but the corn starch and the baking powder etc.
It’s not easy. And it’s driving me nuts too!
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 9:51 am
Are we the only country that has received this junk Gluten?
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 9:47 am
Probably not. The goal of globalism is free unrestricted trade. Corporate Utopia. Since thats unlikely to ever happen the rules right now look like they are. “There are no rules. Just don’t get caught.”
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 9:55 am
Ditto on that Steve.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 9:57 am
sandy s. go to http://www.petsitusa.com/blog they have a list of food not on recall list and also if food was made by menu foods.hope this helps u
Comment by Mary Ann — April 4, 2007 @ 9:58 am
Call me stupid, but I had no idea we were importing a lot of fish from China. Big awaking last night. . .I was actually nauseated after that.
I have to come up with something consistent, and that’s the dilemma. I have 2 of my guys entered in several shows coming up, and was hoping to finish them in short order. Stress and diet changes does not necessarily equate to a beautiful shiny coat!
Comment by Jackie — April 4, 2007 @ 9:59 am
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 9:51 am
No it is not easy. People should be able to depend on safe, good quality commercially produced food for their pets. That trust has been severely violated. The bubble has burst. BIG TIME.
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 9:59 am
steve i felt like crying after i read whats really in pet food. does anyone care about our pets?
Comment by Mary Ann — April 4, 2007 @ 10:01 am
Thanks Steve for the information. Thanks Mary Ann, I did go to the website that you offered but there are some names that are not on the list - are there any other lists out there?
Comment by Sandi Schreiber — April 4, 2007 @ 10:03 am
Linda, I haven’t looked recently on the dry food recall in Africa. Did they ever determine the cause? You’d think this gluten is all over the World.
Comment by Jackie — April 4, 2007 @ 10:04 am
It seems to me that this junk gluten could be global - why not? China ships worldwide - seems likely.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 10:08 am
Jackie - I think we have to read labels and insist on better labeling standards. The Chinese import market is so large and includes virtually everything - if the Gov. can’t limit it or protect us, at least we can control what we buy and our buying power just may make a difference.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 10:10 am
Comment by Mary Ann — April 4, 2007 @ 10:01 am
Yes pet owners care. And it’s now very personal. I’m the first one to tear up and break down when losing a pet. I’ve been through it. Many times. I’ve had three companions pass away. 99-02-04 At home. And I was with them from kitten to the last breath.
With this debacle I am a man on a mission.
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 10:10 am
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 10:10 am
It’s been out control. For how long I don’t know.
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 10:12 am
Comment I found about South Africa from about.com:
I’ve read the articles on this and find it quite scary. Recently, in South Africa, we had a similar occurrence with Woolworth’s dried pet food. Same symptoms, similar number of deaths. The thing is that this report you show says the food was tainted by gluten. The symptoms displayed, however, are consistent with the poisoning which occurred here in SA. The contaminant in this case was Ethylene Glycol, which is the main component of Anti-Freeze. This info, while it is from a whole different country, may be useful to you. The mjor effect of Ethylene Glycol poisoning is kidney failure. Perhaps your vets can look into this as well.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 10:13 am
it’s 12;12 est put cnn on now they will show the dirty building where wheat came from. ugh!!!
Comment by Mary Ann — April 4, 2007 @ 10:14 am
How is the Regular no name Tuna in the Can?? Isit from there well? I have it in the Fridge since Cuddles died?? You never know?//?
Fish in cans??
Comment by kelly — April 4, 2007 @ 10:15 am
this cnn show is on till 1 pm,
Comment by Mary Ann — April 4, 2007 @ 10:16 am
I guess my question then would be. . .how did the ethylene glycol get into that food supply? I’m searching, and not finding much about it.
Comment by Jackie — April 4, 2007 @ 10:18 am
Comment by kelly — April 4, 2007 @ 10:15 am
Kelly tell me more. Elaborate because I have some comments on tuna.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 10:19 am
My doctors are always pushing vitamin supps on me and truthfully I did not feel any better. Since I gave up eating processed foods I do feel much better. I keep reading about vets insisting pets need vitamins, etc. How do we know that’s true? Isn’t that something they’re taught? It may be true because we have always fed our pets processed food. But would it be true if our pets ate home made real food like more meat and a few veggies? I used to read a lot of old turn-of-the-century sled dog books and they usually fed their dogs fish and potatoes. One of my vets suggested a diet of fish and taters for my german shep who had “black-belly” and matted fur that was falling out. It resembled mange. I spent over $3,000 trying to treat her until the vet suggested this diet. Unfortunately she died last Sept from degenerative mylopathy. She was 12. It’s a horrible disease and I wonder if that too is food related since it is a new disease. Also regarding CHEMNUTRA: Mr CEO is a lawyer, so no excuses for not checking that Chinese shipment. A lawyer with honesty and integrity would not make such a blunder! I’m sure Mr CEO has a political agenda since the company story claims it’s politically-correct global outreach with China is important. And his desire to under-cut other suppliers with a lower price. Don’t think for a minute he did not know about China. Ms CEO (I’m assuming she is the wife since they share the same name) goes to China frequently to “make the deal.” According to Zoominfo they are both highly educated. His contriteness sounds politically “slick” to me. I think he is just profit minded as are the rest of them. Also my shep’s baby who was adopted by a vet died from a mysterious renal failure last August. She was 8. I don’t know what brand of food she ate. Most likely what ever brand the clinic sold.
Comment by Kathi — April 4, 2007 @ 10:20 am
Since I gave up eating processed foods I do feel much better. Comment by Kathi — April 4, 2007 @ 10:20 am
Same here. I will admit though I’ve been cringing the past week with every spoonful with the information that has been discovered.
Get The Facts:
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 10:28 am
Kelly, you have to read the cans. Something I never did in the past, unfortunately.
Just checked several cans and pouches of tuna and salmon I have. These are the high dollar, small cans of albacore and salmon. Chicken of the Sea and Bumble Bee are the brands. Most say from Thailand, and a couple say Chile. Feeling better?
Comment by Jackie — April 4, 2007 @ 10:28 am
I too am struggling with the question of whether or not to add vitamin supplements to my dog’s home cooked foods. I just made up two more batches this morning. I’d like to think the same thing; if the foods aren’t processed, maybe we don’t need to worry about adding extra vitamins. My feeling is, anything is better than commercial dog food right now. Too many questions left unanswered for me.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 10:28 am
Jackie - I wondered the same thing. China at one time had excess anti-freeze and it was being shipped places labeled as something else. I remember the story but can’t remember the details. People were dying. (Not in the U.S.) It was frightful.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 10:29 am
In regards to Linda’s post:
I am trying not to buy packaged anything. The rest I just don’t know about. Even the oil I put in their food needs to be from only CA or locally, not overseas that’s for sure.
That is the problem - there is no “truth-in-packaging”. It is rare to see the SOURCE country listed on anything. We have absolutely know idea where much of anything comes from.
I think there should be a minimum of 3 packaging laws, implimented immediately:
1) Country source — of all products
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 10:30 am
oooops!
2) No “expiration” date coding
3) Minimum AND maximum fat, protein, etc
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 10:33 am
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 10:28 am
I would just stick with the home cooked. That should provide adequate nutrients. Take your time on vitamin supplement research. You may not even need it. Don’t rush into it out of panic.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 10:34 am
Kat - I agree 100% and have said this over and over again here. I will call and write my reps. in D.C. and push for this.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 10:35 am
I meant NO idea… typo..
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 10:36 am
Tuna is not good for a cats urinary system over a long period of time. Commercial brand Tuna should not be a cats steady diet. If you have to use it say as a method to get your cat to take medicines make sure it is low sodium (very important) and in water not oil. Chunk White.
Get The Facts:
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 10:40 am
Good advice… thanks. That’s the last thing I want to do is be making hasty decisions which could possibly cause more problems. I’ve been buying fresh, whole roasting chickens and cooking those up with brown rice and peas/carrots. As you mentioned, there’s time down the road for adding supplements, if needed.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 10:41 am
Mary, you might want to ask your Vet about the Nurpo. I’m not affiliated with the company in any way, just a very satisfied customer. I have seen substantial improvement in coat quality since I stated using it, which is the easiest indicator of pet health in a otherwise very healthy pet. My dogs love the stuff.
Yes Kat. . .packaging laws and full disclosure is what is needed the most, I think.
Great on the anti-freeze shipping and killing pets in Africa. I can’t believe all this is really going on.
Comment by Jackie — April 4, 2007 @ 10:41 am
I like the no more coded exp. or manufactured date too, great idea. I do stock up on stuff, and you’d be surprised how many labels are coded, with no clear exp. date.
Comment by Jackie — April 4, 2007 @ 10:45 am
Jackie and imagine what goes on that we don’t know about. Greed motivates it -
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 10:46 am
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 10:41 am
With that diet they are eating healthier then many people do.
Get The Facts:
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 10:47 am
And I used to be worried about food quality at restaurants. Silly me!
Comment by Jackie — April 4, 2007 @ 10:49 am
Also, someone wrote about the lining of pet foods cans. I have noticed this in pet food cans before, and I don’t know what the point of the lining is unless it protects the food from the metal can. Maybe someone can enlighten us…
Comment by Elderta — April 4, 2007 @ 8:35 am
—————
Aluminum leaches out into acidic canned foods. The lining is to protect that leaching. A long time ago there was problems with canned tomatoes, among other acidic foods.
I saw a news program a long time ago about it.
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 10:50 am
What I am failing grasp here is why no one is considering that the toxic loads in our pets could have already been so high that a slight additional load of a new substance could have put them over the top.
I posted What’s Really in Pet Food on March 21 in hopes readers would see then that the United States is loading our pet food with toxins.
This link http://www.fda.gov/cvm/FOI/DFreport.htm that Stacy posted a while ago should be horrifying to anyone who looked at it.
And while we did get toxic wheat gluten from China, there is enough poison being produced in our own country by our own people going into our own pet food that clean up efforts here could take a lifetime of devoted efforts.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 4, 2007 @ 10:51 am
No, once in a while I gace Cuddles a bit ofTuna as a treat.. shewent nuts over.. made for humans I would giver her a teaspoon.. I remember I tried it, and it had a metallic taste.. I stopped some of it is still in my fridge, it was also on sale Crurious if this stuff is from China it was Equality no name brand.. I also fed Cuddles besidesPresidents choice Special Kitty and Pounce/compliments Equality cat food A&P in Canada andTruly Brand Chicken and Gravey.. Truly Brand Zellers Canada They may need to Be Investigated.. Her Body is Frozen till the Ground unthaws.. She wason the Kithen floor lying there helples/more thirsty/weak hadaseizure anddiedthe next morning.. Her pics are on menufoodsclassaction@yahoo.com
She may need an Autopsy.. More and More Stuffis being Revealed..
So could the Tuna (for humans) No name Equality? metallic taste be Tainted as well.. And the no name Catfood..??
I love and Miss My Cuddles with All my Heart and Soul
GONE too Soon!!
Love Kelly B.
Comment by kelly — April 4, 2007 @ 10:51 am
Has anyone else noticed that the recalled batch numbers are in number order but not sequential?
Does this mean that there is a whole lot more of this tainted wheat from the intermediate batch numbers wandering round the world?
This tainted wheat came via the Netherlands, and no-ones saying if there was more that was transhipped to other places than the USA
Comment by Phil from England — April 4, 2007 @ 10:54 am
Thanks Jackie for the tip. I may inquire sometime in the future. It’s good to know these things for maybe down the road. This site has become a fabulous resource for me.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 10:54 am
Lois - on animaltalknaturally the article “Tip of the Iceberg” they talk about this exact problem. Good point!
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 10:56 am
Phil from England: I wondered about this too. Why haven’t we heard more concern from other countries. Are pets and people at risk there too?
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 10:58 am
I know Steve. After making up two fresh batches for them this morning, I have a sandwich for lunch. What’s wrong with this picture. :))
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 11:02 am
It’s so easy to blame someone else, especially another country, when the fact of the matter is these horrific things have been going on right under our noses for years! Do you know what goes on at rendering plants? Dead animals fall off the truck and lay in the sun for hours on the scorching pavement. They scrape them up and throw them in the vat. It smells like a sewage treatment plant.
And then we see an ad on TV of fresh carrots, chunks of meat and other vege’s falling like little raindrops into a bag.
Why do you think the pet food industry is so secretive? The pentobarbitol thing alone should make us all vomit.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 4, 2007 @ 11:03 am
Lois, this report names names.
http://www.critterchat.net/pentobarbital.htm
Comment by Jackie — April 4, 2007 @ 11:05 am
Please check the calcium level is adequate in some of the natural pet diets. Cheese cubes are a tasty treat.
Comment by Sue Dunn — April 4, 2007 @ 11:05 am
Lois, I get the picture loud and clear. After the bags of (good?) food are gone - it is fresh only for me. I have been reformed. Thank you for the wonderful reminder.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 11:06 am
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 11:02 am
Nothing at all. I am more concerned about my pets then I am myself 99% of the time. On top of that April has turned me into her total slave.
;-)
Get The Facts:
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 11:07 am
I add human grade bone meal - and it is not from China, but I am calling the company and making certain tomorrow!
I believe ground up egg shells work too - but this is just a guess. I have several books on making home cooked dog food. Looks like I need a larger pot!
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 11:08 am
Steve
Glad you are on our side and that there is someone out there who is willing to pursue this for as long as it takes. I’m reading all the comments and have to agree I’m scared too as to what to feed my eskis. One has trouble with pancreatitis. Was using Nutro Lite dry and now switching over to Wysong but not sure if Wysong is the answer. Supplement with veggies and organic chicken, venison, elk. But it worries me with the little one and her problem. Too bad we can’t just stop using any type of dog and cat food and let all these damn companies go out of business. Better yet, to hell.
Comment by Valarie — April 4, 2007 @ 11:08 am
Thanks Sue. I hadn’t even thought of cheese. I will add that to their diets.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 11:09 am
Getting caught with their pants down on this import product run amuck is the least of their worries. We also need to hold their feet to the white hot fire for the rest of the things they have been doing for years.
I believe (disclosure of personal opinion) this is similar to people who have had multiple toxic chemical exposures-i.e. people who work in chemical laden industries. At some point, their glass is so full, one more drop can kill them.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 4, 2007 @ 11:11 am
Valerie - my sentiments exactly. It breaks my heart to hear the sad stories here, over and over again, and the thousands of grieving pet owners. It is a national tragedy - akin to Katrina in my opinion - maybe worse. The companies are doing it with malice aforethought!
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 11:13 am
High quality, human grade bone meal should be from Argentina. And, yes, you can use egg shells instead.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 4, 2007 @ 11:14 am
One of my large dogs, now 5 years old, a Walker Coonhound, had to have his tail removed and several growths cut off, and now every growth has to be watched for Cancer. I shudder to think that his body was taxed beyond its limits with toxic junk.
But no more. And not ever again.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 11:15 am
Ditto there, Steve! I’m right there with you and probably like many others! Linda.. another good tip. This is a good tip day on here.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 11:16 am
Comment by Valarie — April 4, 2007 @ 11:08 am
Thanks. I have been seriously contemplating some kind of an organized effort. Putting it together is going to be major project. Something snapped in me when this disaster occurred. It’s something I think I could really get into. If the Pet Food Industry has a Lobby Group looking out for them why shouldn’t Pet Owners have someone looking out for their best interests and lobbying for them?
Get The Facts:
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 11:17 am
Thanks Gina and Pet connection for your wonderful insight and help here. I appreciate all comments and knowledge. This is a great animal blog.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 11:17 am
When you read the list of foods tested for pentobarbital, look at the position in ingredient list. Nutro Premium was the only one with the number 1 ingredient in their food testing positive. That’s probably a healthy dose!
Also looks like they were focusing on foods with beef if you read thru the list. That would make sense with the rendering.
Stay away from cheap food, and foods with beef.
Comment by Jackie — April 4, 2007 @ 11:19 am
By the way here’s our companion. We adopted April from a Pet Connection shelter two years ago. She was rescued from an abusive shelter by the Pet Connection people.
What a gift she is.
http://thepetconnection.net/HappyTails/April.jpg
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 11:22 am
So Steve, really? Thinking of putting together some kind of organized effort? What an idea!
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 4, 2007 @ 11:22 am
I really hope that something positive can actually come out of this horrible tragedy.
To look ahead for the benefit of the animals is such a wonderful, inspiring idea. I would be interested in future volunteering, if ever needed.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 11:25 am
Beautiful kitty, Steve.
Organized effort is what we need the most.
Comment by Jackie — April 4, 2007 @ 11:27 am
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 4, 2007 @ 11:22 am
Yes I am. It is obvious us Pet Owners in America are grossly under represented. We need some political clout.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 11:28 am
Very sweet kitty, Steve. Thanks for sharing.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 11:31 am
Comment by Jackie — April 4, 2007 @ 11:27 am
Thanks she’s a doll. She’s a Balinese, very tiny and petite. 6.5 Lbs. But in good health. And quite the athlete. I have never seen a cat that leaps like April. She goes airborne and flies for about a second and a half when playing. It’s pretty funny at times.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 11:32 am
I may be way out there in left field, but an eery thing happened last night while i was searching(can’t sleep good since this has happened) and I was searching the word melamine. Melamine and its uses, melamine and powder, I had come across this when I was only about 10 minutes into it. http://www.iranpolymerinstitute.org Then a few minutes later I found this site Alibaba.com .
I typed in the word melamine and they sell sacks of the stuff. Probably no connection but it was so weird how it came up , and I was thinking with all the tension and almost in a war with Iran. You know it makes ya wonder?? And is it in the HUMAN FOOD? they are still keeping so much a secret. Are they trying to avoid mass hysteria? Whyhasn’t our Government addressed this issue with the people yet?
As I said ,just thoughts, and probably way off.
Comment by lori anderson — April 4, 2007 @ 11:32 am
Steve, Just out of curiousity, what has changed your thinking since I suggested it a few days ago and you thought then it was an insurmountable task?
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 4, 2007 @ 11:33 am
Hey Lori - I wondered the same thing several days ago. Sneaky way for a terrorist to attack us - through wheat gluten that gets in the pet food by mistake - and the cats begin to die……
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 11:35 am
Steve, You are undoubtedly the perfect person for the job for a number of reasons. I’m just curious what changed in your reasoning?
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 4, 2007 @ 11:38 am
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 11:35 am
I agree; I’m open to just about any explanation or theory at this point and nothing would surprise me, including a terrorist attack. I’m trying to keep level headed, but at the same time, I guess nobody can really rule anything out.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 11:39 am
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 4, 2007 @ 11:33 am
Well nothing is insurmountable. If you are going to climb everest or put men on the moon there is always more effort involved in putting the plan together then the actual mission itself requires.
But what basically is driving me now is we don’t need to be afraid of these monster conglomerates. History proves time and time again that integrity ultimately wins over greed. It restores the checks and balances.
However greed has to constantly be watched and kept in check. This debacle is the perfect example of the disruption that occurs if it is allowed to run unrestrained.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 11:45 am
Also, about six weeks ago, My grey cat started throwing up and I thought it was just hair balls and yet she never has that problem. My other cat was kinda listless and they both has nasal sinus problems, watery eyes, sniffing, sneezing. Looking up a MSDS sheet it can cause irritate the eyes, nose throat, and skin also. I was giving them there weeklysaturday treat of friskies canned (it contained wheat gluten) the rest of the week they ate dry that had corn gluten in it. check out http://liberty.state.nj.us/hea.....b/2401.pdf.
Comment by lori anderson — April 4, 2007 @ 11:49 am
Lori, did I hear Friskies was not on the list? I have two relatives giving five different cats in the family Friskies right now.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 11:51 am
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 11:45 am
Excellent points. I wish everyone would think that way. The world would be a much better place.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 11:53 am
No friskies isn’t on the list but some varieties have WHEAT GLUTEN IN IT WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE MAIN INGREDIENT THAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM.
Comment by lori anderson — April 4, 2007 @ 11:55 am
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 11:53 am
I want to add it is going to be NOT FOR PROFIT.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 11:56 am
everyone read labels, read labels!!!
Comment by lori anderson — April 4, 2007 @ 11:58 am
Ok, thanks Lori. My parents and another relative have been kind of relying on me to pass on any new updates/info I get on here.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 12:00 pm
Between the four of us, all pet lovers of course, we have five cats and four dogs. My parents followed suit when I was feeding my dogs ‘Blue’. I would do half Blue kibbles and the other half home made. Now they’re making their own dog food, too. I have not told them about the recent post on the issue relating to Blue Buff. I’m not sure who posted it on here or if it was on itchmo? I’m still learning all these sites. Oh… I think it was on howl911. At any rate, I wasn’t pleased to see how Blue Buff was representing themselves and threatening a lawsuit. I read their letter on one of the other sites.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 12:05 pm
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 11:56 am
Steve, that’s the only way I’d go, too! I’m so happy to hear someone else actually willing to pets first!!!
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
I will definitely keep everyone informed. It is going to take time to put a plan together. For now just keeping this issue on the table and in view of the public is going to require continual effort. And this is a good place to “keep it alive”.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
Yes, we must all keep it alive! I truly hope that as the months pass, none of us forget this awful tragedy, myself included. I know it’s sometimes easy to do and time heals. I hope something really beneficial comes out of this though. Our pets and all animals need us to protect them and so many were let down from Menu! Again, I’d be willing to offer volunteer work, if needed.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 12:24 pm
Representation through a non-profit for our pets is a great idea. It will be time consuming with an unknown cost. Let the fire in us spread on the ground like a wild fire with canyon winds. I keep visiting newspapers, blogs, message boards, national and local tv websites and posting links to petconnection.
The fastest way, I believe, is not going to be political pressure (slow grind—you know the drill), but the pocket book. Keep talking to family, friends, coworkers, anybody and everybody. Keep telling them decayed and diseased animals, filthy and unknown junk is what makes commercial pet food. We have been lied to and our pets stepped on.
Money talks. I would be happy if we could reduce their sales by half in a short amount of time. All pet food companies would listen then. It would probably be a bigger story than the recall and get more national exposure.
I am making the cats food now. I will not let another dime go to commercial pet food companies until our demands are met.
Comment by DeeAnn — April 4, 2007 @ 12:25 pm
I agree 100% DeeAnn!!!!!! I just got off the phone this morning with my mother cluing her in on ALL I’ve learned this past week. The dirty lies and secrets of the filthy dog food business! This story has opened up a huge can of worms. I now want to put my time and efforts into doing something positive for the animals. I feel you’re also correct about hitting where it matters most; in their wallets!!!
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 12:31 pm
Comment by DeeAnn — April 4, 2007 @ 12:25 pm
One thing is certain. It cost more to win back customers then it does to keep them. I’m not even sure if it’s possible to win back customers with a debacle of this magnitude. I certainly wouldn’t want to be in that position.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 12:34 pm
I’m not buying their junk anymore. Not one morsel. I cooked some home made treats and they were so good - almost wanted to eat them myself.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 12:36 pm
I just think we gain power with knowledge and the more I learn, the more I share with friends and relatives. My parents have been on this site a few times, but they kind of rely on me now to bring them up to date. Believe me, I certainly have and then some!!
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 12:36 pm
Well the point again is the pet food industry is responsible for causing the deaths and illnesses of an unknown numbers of pets across the U.S here. This is no lightweight matter.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 12:40 pm
The problem I see with labeling everything is how easy it is to falsify labels. It’s just printing. Considering the underhanded things these companies have been doing for years now, falsifying a label would be a piece of cake and they would welcome it as a easy way out.
The absolute bottom line in all this and not just with pet foods but world wide, is the loss of morality and ethics. If a moral person ran these companies, they would make sure every step is right even at a little loss of that sacred god money.
Unfortunately, it’s gotten to the point where every business has the same things going, some more, some less but just haven’t got caught yet.
Lying and covering up has become a finely developed art form.
By the way, what is happening to all that madcow diseased meat? strange how they kept saying, “it did not enter the food chain”.
Comment by Gary — April 4, 2007 @ 12:44 pm
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 12:40 pm
That’s exactly why I’m trying to get word out from what I learn on here. Alot of people don’t know the half of it. I’m fortunate right now that I have extra time during the day to become more involved. I feel the more people I inform, the better.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 12:45 pm
Steve, you are right many of us will not ever go back to commercial pet food. Some will buy less and use people food, or use it in a pinch. But it can be better for those who choose to remain.
Comment by DeeAnn — April 4, 2007 @ 12:46 pm
STEVE:
Word of caution. PETA doesn’t want people to own pets. So if you put together a “Pet Owner’s Coalition”, you will face resistance from PETA. You’ll need to plan for your counter-marketing for that, because many loyal (though uninformed) PETA supporters will take PETA’s word over yours — in the beginning. But yes, the Pet Owners of America definitely need a voice. The Pet Evacuation Bill was a good start, but there’s a long way to go.
Comment by Sarah — April 4, 2007 @ 12:56 pm
Steve and everyone,
I’ve read that after an earthquake, it takes the public only about three months to forget the trauma. It would be easy for that to happen with this incident, too, unless there are more findings to keep it going. As I’ve been scouring the internet, I’ve been finding many different groups desiring change in systems, not just here, but other countries. Their efforts have paid off, although it’s taken years. It will be a long fight, folks, from what I’ve been seeing. Informing and educating all the things we ourselves have learned, even in recent weeks, should be paramount.
Many people doing just one small thing could be so very powerful.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 4, 2007 @ 12:57 pm
Comment by Gary — April 4, 2007 @ 12:44 pm
Not only a loss of morality and ethics but zero wisdom also. There is nothing subtle about greed and the men who are caught up in it’s nasty spell.
Once you take the first step into the descent into hell you will not recognize the rest. Thats as philosophical as I will go since I do not want to distract from the FACTS of this disaster.
Sometimes one sentence speaks volumes.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 1:02 pm
Comment by Nadine Long — April 4, 2007 @ 12:57 pm
That’s a good way to look at it. Many people getting involved in even the smallest of ways. It’s amazing how much you can influence others for the good. I’m pleased that almost all the posts on this site are backed up with a web address link. It helps those trying to spread the word that we’re not just pulling this stuff out of the air.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 1:05 pm
Comment by Sarah — April 4, 2007 @ 12:56 pm
Your correct. I do not want this to be dominated by any organizations agenda or undue influence because this is going to be a people-citizens organization. And those in the professional communities who wish to participate as citizen professionals as well.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 1:06 pm
Hey Lori — regarding this post:
Also, about six weeks ago, My grey cat started throwing up and I thought it was just hair balls and yet she never has that problem. My other cat was kinda listless and they both has nasal sinus problems, watery eyes, sniffing, sneezing. Looking up a MSDS sheet it can cause irritate the eyes, nose throat, and skin also. I was giving them there weeklysaturday treat of friskies canned (it contained wheat gluten) the rest of the week they ate dry that had corn gluten in it. check out http://liberty.state.nj.us/hea.....b/2401.pdf.
Comment by lori anderson — April 4, 2007 @ 11:49 am
That link does not work. I wonder if they shut it down. What was it?
Thanks,
Kat
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 1:09 pm
This is the error message:
ERROR-
The page you have requested can not be displayed because it does not exist, has been moved, or the server has been instructed not to let you view it.
Please try the search option in the navigation menu above to find what you are looking for.
http://liberty.state.nj.us/hea.....b/2401.pdf. no-worky
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 1:11 pm
Comment by Nadine Long — April 4, 2007 @ 12:57 pm
Nadine in the world of public relations one of the first things they advise their clients of is lets wait a bit for it to die out. They expect it in fact.
I think those days are going to be coming to and end though as people feel the pinch and the flaws in the system become more obvious by the day and exposed for what it is and it affects them and their future in an extremely negative manner.
Illusions, smoke and mirrors, never last or endure. People eventually catch on. realize what is happening, and then the jig is up.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 1:12 pm
I hope a Senate Investigational Hearing ensues….
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 1:14 pm
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 1:06 pm
I didn’t mean PETA’s agenda would dominate yours, I meant they would work to discredit and destroy your very existence, any political clout you may begin to attain, sway your members away from you with attacks and false information, etc. PETA does have an agenda, and it does not include pet ownership. They are a well-established organization, but 90% of their members have no idea what PETA’s true agenda is. So PETA members will blindly follow where their leaders tell them to go… and if they are told to “steer clear of the Pet Owner’s Coalition”, you can bet they will wield alot of influence.
In other words, plan for it, but don’t let it stop you: more power to the Pet Owners of America!
Comment by Sarah — April 4, 2007 @ 1:15 pm
Comment by Sarah — April 4, 2007 @ 1:15 pm
I understand. I’ll let PETA do their own thing. I will not have time to participate in their agenda at all anyway. And I also know and expect I will be making enemies who do not like what it is I do.
It goes with the territory. The powers that be feel very threatened by any new citizen driven movement period. If they can not be civil and proactive, they will just be checked off the list as Do Not Do Business With. It’s that simple.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 1:23 pm
Why is it just now they are recalling this?
They have known about where they got the gluten WAY before this.
Will FDA handle a situation like this the same way if humans were/are involved?
I am still not convinced about anything they are telling us.
I hope congress is on the ball on this one, not just the Dems either.
Comment by MonkeyKitty — April 4, 2007 @ 1:36 pm
Brain storming here. I will be strolling down the pet food isles, but not to buy. I’ll try to chit chat with people buying pet food.
What about a business card sized card with info on commercial pet food with a web link to ? Would petconnection like to be the website referred?
I can pay for a batch from said website to use along with my friendly chit chat.
Comment by DeeAnn — April 4, 2007 @ 1:46 pm
Why is it just now they are recalling this?
Comment by MonkeyKitty — April 4, 2007 @ 1:36 pm
We’ve returned to Old School Industrial Age Crony Capitalism only with a high tech twist. The resulting bureaucratic malaise is what we are experiencing. Rank and file dysfunction and incompetence combined with the new need for speed.
Complete the equation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crony_capitalism
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 1:48 pm
Steve,
Today we have the advantage of getting the word out via the Internet, fast and wide! It is a marvelous tool, as we all have been witnessing in recent weeks. The times are changing and these are global issues. Just my recent searches on the net has shown me how many other countries are pleading for health and environmental changes. I feel like a lamb being led to the slaughter, as many do.
This crisis has been a dry-run for the people of our country and a great example of how all systems are not working quickly or well to the benefit of anything on this earth.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 4, 2007 @ 1:49 pm
Gina just posted a new lead story.
Pet-food recall: Sen. Durbin to hold media conference, set hearing.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 1:52 pm
Comment by Nadine Long — April 4, 2007 @ 1:49 pm
Your right. 100% correct and the Internet is an extremely powerful research tool as well as way to connect with people. Without it we would probably be relying on the daily paper and evening news and wouldn’t have a clue as to what is really going on other then, “this is it?” and the day to day drudgery of meaningless work.
Comment by Steve — April 4, 2007 @ 2:00 pm
I was just thinking that earlier today. Can you imagine how far behind we’d all be without the internet? All the more power for us on the good side of the fence.
Comment by Mary — April 4, 2007 @ 2:17 pm
Does anyone have an opinion on NaturalLife cat & dog food? I am soooo skeptical. I’ve been cooking most of the meals & giving them just a bit of their usual dry. But they’ve had a “meeting” & want their kibble back… They look at me like I’m nutzzzz.
The stuff I’m making the dogs love but the cats will hardly touch it.
Comment by Kat — April 4, 2007 @ 2:50 pm
kat,i know how u feel my 3 dogs loved the pouches and cans from nutrO after i stoped the pups refused to eat,now i go to boston market,costco and buy them roasted chicken. i feel so dam bad that my pets almost died on me from menu foods.i mix the chicken in with their dry food,i had to take them in for test because of the recall food my vet told me not to take them off dry food but if nutro puts a recall on dry food i swear i will lose it. BIG TIME!!!!
Comment by Mary Ann — April 4, 2007 @ 3:09 pm
Some here are avoiding wheat gluten and corn gluten in any form - wet or dry food - just to be on the safe side, and some even avoiding the corn and wheat. Like me.
There’s some good books on creating a balanced diet for pets. I have several and my vet shudders when I tell her/him I’m making my own -but after I list the ingredients - they smile. I’ve done my homework.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 3:13 pm
Kat,
I know people have given advice on what to feed hundreds of times on this site, but here’s another from someone who has a recalcitrant cat, too. My dogs would probably eat roofing material, but I’ve taken my cat off Wellness canned chicken formula, which he loved, because it was made at Menu Foods. He’s on Innova/EVO dry food, which he eats in moderation. And I cook up (daily)organic beef (not lean) which I have ground fresh at the butcher’s. I give him a small amt. 2x a day, warm with as much juices from fat juices as accumulate, in a separate dish from his dry food. He likes this regimen a lot. His fur is much softer and he’s not jumping up to check out his dish every hour. And I don’t feed the dogs roofing material really; they get ground beef and chopped steamed veggies on top of their Wellness kibble. I don’t know how long I can keep up the $$$ organic beef, but I think it’s good to get beef or lamb ground fresh by a butcher. I think cats like poached chicken with some juice in their bowl too (not mine, however, nor does he like fresh fish particularly, and I’m not going to experiment with fish over $10/lb!). Hope juicy freshly cooked meats appeal to your cats. Perhaps they can vote at their next meeting. We hate it when they mutiny…
Comment by Maureen Marr — April 4, 2007 @ 3:47 pm
This is what I’ve been saying - until they come clean and investigate all the grains used in these products wet AND dry where pet ARF sickness/deaths have been reported, I wouldn’t feel safe either.
If you’ve found a vet that smiles when you list ingredients in homemade petfood - hang onto that vet. Although I’ll guess they’ll be repackaging their responses on that issue now.
Let’s hope people stay outraged enough to keep asking questions and keep asking questions and keep doing their own homework. It’s wise to be proactive; there are big interests involved in all the pet care businesses and it’s up to little old us to get the facts. I can’t believe anyone could still maintain after the deaths of all these animals that this is not the no-brainer approach.
Comment by 4lgdfriend — April 4, 2007 @ 3:54 pm
Kat I so agree. I drove 45 miles picked up a brand of Natural food in cans for the dogs and they sniffed and walked away. That was the point I started cooking myself for them. I did 10 pounds in total of Ground Turkey, carrots, green beans and peas with brown rice.
I went to Petco and got some vitamins with minerals and also some yogurt. Hopefully its close to what they need. They seem happy eating it but I still think they’d rather have their normal food but it won’t be happening at this point.
The cats are a different story. They need the Ash and Magnesium levels in the Purina One Urinary health food and I can’t find anything in the natural foods that is close in those things. I’m afraid to cook for them because I have no idea what the numbers would be in home cooked food. The Purina One UH has no gluten but it does have wheat and I’m not happy. Feeding time has lost it’s enjoyment for me I can tell you.
Comment by Maureen — April 5, 2007 @ 12:30 am
Thanks for all the advice! Appreciate.
I have been cooking for them for awhile & adding some of their regular dry in. The dogs were on Purina Beneful & the Cats Purina Natural (previously on Special Kitty dry).
I want to get away from the “by-products” entirely. I’ve been skeptical about pet food for a long, long time. Now my fears are realized — and justified. The little trust I (we all) had has been broken & very probably not repairable.
I’ve had a 30 yr hobby in nutrition — for people. I’ve done some on dogs/cats too.
I used to make nutritional dog biscuits several years ago. Then we moved & are still in this never ending building stage at our house, so I stopped doing it. Now, this…so I’m back at it.
I use just about the same base ingredients:
corn meal, oat or barley flour, oats, kelp, canine “The Missing Link”, chondroitin/ glucosamine, several Omega 3 & 6 (various sources),
Then, I either add salmon or tuna for the cats; or, peanut butter, ground beef or ground turkey for the dogs.
I either bake it as biscuits or serve as a “glop”. The dogs go NUTZZZZ over it. The cats — ugh!
I’m going to get an extruder/grinder & start making my own kibble — I hope. We’ll see how that turns out.
Thanks again!
Kat
Comment by Kat — April 5, 2007 @ 9:56 am
Also, I was looking for a dry to switch away from the Beneful & Natural — that’s the reason I was asking about the NaturalLife. Their list “seems” safe. And, that’s what WalMart carries. The health food stores are outrageous…as many know.
My concern is animals getting sick on the dry. I’ve read, in several other blogs, about cats sick from Meow Mix.
Here’s one post: http://cats.about.com/b/a/257790.htm
So, anyway — thanks a bunch!
Comment by Kat — April 5, 2007 @ 10:04 am
“If you believe you can… there-fore you can” It is a quote I read somewhere. and I think Steve is on the right track. SOMEONE has to stand up for our pets because they can not do it themselves. If you believe you can make a differance, then dangit, you can make a differance.
I am thinking of trying to start a non-profit “ASPCA” type thing for abused and naglected pets.
I am also planning on creating an “all natural” pet food and possibly marketing it. It will be a pet food you can trust because I will be growing/raising the ingrediants personally.
Hell, I am just a man, but I am a man with a heart and a mission.
Comment by Sora — April 7, 2007 @ 8:15 am
I forgot to say I really feel bad for all of you that lost a dog or cat due to this irresponsible act of stupidity from the petfood companies.
I feel they should stop messing around and own up to their screw-up. I do not remember if it was here or another blog, but someone said something like “saying sorry and paying veterinary bills may help a little, but it will not bring back the lost animals, and it will not end the pain.” that person is right. Well sorry for the long double post… but I have 4 cats and a dog and a lot on my mind.
Comment by Sora — April 7, 2007 @ 8:27 am
I have been wondering about NaturalLife Pet Products. Here is their stmt:
http://www.nlpp.com/
Comment by Kat — April 7, 2007 @ 11:28 am
Be careful with cat multivitamins. phosphorus is the ENEMY of the kidneys, as I found to my detriment when my cat passed away due to Chronic Renal Failure. READ LABELS CAREFULLY!UNDER 1.0 mg for healthy cats and under 0.5 for cats with early CRF
Comment by KAtriona — October 2, 2008 @ 12:27 am