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Pet-food recall: Wednesday morning eye-opener
By Gina Spadafori
April 11, 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.
This morning very early I dropped one of my dogs off at our veterinarian’s — nothing serious — and while I was filling out the paperwork, a woman came in with her cat. She was bringing him in for tests because, yes, he had been eating one of the brands recalled yesterday (entire recall list is here).
Boy, did that bring things home to me in a big way. Her cat wasn’t showing any symptoms, but you know I’ll be saying a prayer that nothing shows up in the tests. And good on her for caring enough to have him screened.
And speaking of cats, Dr. Patty Khuly on her Dolittler blog wonders if the problems with the pet foods would have been spotted earlier if dogs had been affected more than cats:
[... U.S.] cat owners spend less than half of what dog owners do on their beloved pets: Cats get cheaper food, fewer toys, are far less likely to wear fine collars, get almost no grooming, suffer less frequent and less appropriate healthcare and (as I wrote a few posts ago) they often survive outdoors under squalid [and largely unsafe] conditions.
As a vet I see it every day. Cat owners are generally less aggressive about seeking healthcare for their charges; and when they do, they balk at the estimates with greater alacrity than dog owners do.
[...]
Consider that the vast majority of our so-called “recall” cases have been felines. But who was the index case? A dog. Granted, dogs don’t get renal disease as often as our cats, but how about the young cats dying of kidney disease? Why didn’t any of those provoke a proper look-see?
Ultimately, I’m not surprised that cases of pre-geriatric renal failure in cats went unreported (as potential toxicities) long before one dog hit the skids. It certainly seems there’s less of a personal, political or moral imperative when it comes to cats. Because if our culture as a whole is less aggressive about seeking care for their cats then vets everywhere (whether they admit to it or not) are less likely to go above and beyond to ensure their cats get the same respect dogs do.
Dr. Khuly has also been preparing meals at home for her dogs. Here’s her post on that. Like almost all her work, it’s is a perfect blend of professionalism, skepticism and humor.
***
Too late for letters, but not for e-mails, faxes and phone calls in advance of Thursday’s Congressional hearing. Contact information for your elected representatives is here, and also please contact Sens. Durbin and Kohl expressing your support for this investigation, and tell them what you’d like to see come out of it. (Reader Mike has an sample letter, and I’m pointing to it here in yesterday’s comments.)
The hearing will be webcast on the Senate Appropriations Committee website and televised on C-SPAN. More on this later today.
Update: I forgot to add a link to a piece in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association that’s an overview of the situation. It does read as if it were written by a very cautious committee, but there is some useful info in it. Such as:
The [FDA] has limited resources for inspecting animal food and drugs, so it focuses inspections on manufacturers of drugs and of feed for food-producing animals. The FDA typically inspects manufacturers of pet foods if there is a particular reason, such as a complaint. States also maintain programs for regulating and inspecting manufacturers of pet food. The FDA confirmed that it had never inspected Menu Foods’ Kansas plant before the recent recall.
Federal law does not mandate the frequency of inspections or premarket approval of foods under FDA jurisdiction, unlike the meat and egg products under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture. The FDA regulates much more of the food supply with much less money than the USDA, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Here’s the entire article.
Update No. 2 (and I promise to start a new post before adding anything else): Writing in The Sacramento Bee, science reporter Carrie Peyton Dahlberg on how the actions of a caring pet-lover and an astute veterinarian triggered yesterday’s new recalls:
In light of the new findings, toxicologists at UC Davis’ California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System are stepping up their offer to test other, unrecalled foods to ensure all problems are found.
“There aren’t that many labs that are doing this kind of testing right now. It’s our obligation to follow up,” said Bob Poppenga, a UC Davis professor of veterinary clinical toxicology.
The lab is encouraging veterinarians to contact it through its Web site, http://cahfs.ucdavis.edu/, to arrange testing of food eaten by pets hit with acute kidney failure.
At first, said Poppenga, lab toxicologists had offered to test unrecalled foods in an effort to reassure owners that something else may have caused the kidney failures.
Now that the lab has had a direct role in expanding the recall, its experts are hoping to help get to the bottom of what’s safe and what isn’t.
Here’s the rest (need a log-in?)
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I have to agree with this dog-bias assessment, because I see it every day (I am one of those annoying “aggressive about seeking health care” cat guardians). I was wondering how long it would be before someone mentioned it. Even in shelters, dogs are often monitored more closely than cats, and it constantly upsets me. It also doesn’t help that cats often show very vague symptoms, people are prone to write off things like vomiting as “stuff that cats do,” and people assume that cats are more variable in mood and behavior than dogs, so a cat acting “differently” is just being typically moody. My own cat would have died two years ago if I had not been (very) aggressive in seeking medical attention and if my vet had not been equally concerned that my observations that “something just wasn’t right” had merit.
Just based on people I’ve seen, I am quite sure that dogs are generally more likely to get better food and medical care than cats. However, I also think that there are a lot of veterinarians out there who *do* give equal consideration to all pets, even in the face of that dog-bias.
Comment by Gudewife — April 11, 2007 @ 10:04 am
I went to the FDA page you linked for the entire recall list. At the bottom it said “page updated April 5, 2007” GEEEEZ it’s the 11th and look at what’s happened since the 5th!!!
Comment by dottie — April 11, 2007 @ 10:12 am
I see the opposite of what Dr.Khuly is suggesting. Oh well to each their own.
Anyway our Vet is a Feline Specialist. That is all she does. Cats. The hospital we use is also building a new facility where the cats and dogs will have separate sections of the building. Which is really nice if you have ever sat with your already nervous feline companion with half a dozen dogs surrounding you in a waiting room.
Comment by Steve — April 11, 2007 @ 10:14 am
Love the Dolittler home-feeding entry - thanks! Going food shopping for my two kitties today.
I cooked for them last week and when it was done realized it smelled (and tasted) better than anything I’ve cooked for myself in a long time! We’ll all get healthier together…
Comment by Kim — April 11, 2007 @ 10:16 am
I’ve always taken good care of my cats - if they sleep too much or don’t want their daily little pats on the head - something is amiss.
I believe the reason people might overlook cats more, and I’m not sure they do, is that people are just so much busier these days and cats are rather independent souls - or can be, not all of them.
It doesn’t matter to me if a dog throws up or a kitty does - I’m there wondering what’s going on. I hear a kitty crying at the corner of the street, I stop to investigate - kitty is probably homeless and I gather the lost one up and begin the hunt for its mama.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 11, 2007 @ 10:19 am
Dr.Khuly, as a cat parent for over 28 years, I can honestly say that I’m relieved you never treated any of my cats. Would you have gone the extra mile to help them? I know the vets I have chosen for my pets certainly have. I also have to question your knowledge of feline behavior. Instead of critizing, perhaps your time would be better spent trying to raise the consciousness of your feline parent clientele.
Comment by Joyce — April 11, 2007 @ 11:01 am
I think that what Dr Khuly sees that dogs are more likely to get better health care than cats may be attributable to region/location. Our vet who recently moved to a different state said the care given pets in this other state is worse as compared to where she was practicing before. Dogs are more coveted than cats in this other state she is now in and pet care in general is worse than in the state she worked in previously. And on top of it, cats are able to “hide” their pain, symptoms, etc far more than dogs do which makes it more difficult to know when there is a problem until its too late sometimes. I know our cat was a complete master at hiding her symptoms and we were one of those annoying, hysterical pet owners that some have complained of recently.
Comment by Sandi K — April 11, 2007 @ 11:03 am
It has also been my experience that people care more about dogs than cats, my coworkers routinely say things like ’ just put a bullet in him ’ I can’t even talk to them anymore. I have been spending quite a bit of money on tests and treatments ( that I insisted on ) to try to save my kitty, the vet suggested first thing, to put him to sleep, I am now going to a different vet who is actively trying to help him. And I believe it was tainted Friskies canned that did it, started early March and he began refusing to eat it. It is not on the recall but I know it was bad.
Comment by BW — April 11, 2007 @ 11:08 am
Comment by Sandi K — April 11, 2007 @ 11:03 am
Very true. Felines are a whole different class of “individualist”. Do not expect a cat to be a dog. Cats are incredibly independent minded. They do not like having their routine disrupted, and yes “cats are able to “hide” their pain, symptoms, etc far more than dogs do which makes it more difficult to know when there is a problem until its too late sometimes.” As anyone knows taking a cat to the Vet can be a very stressful experience. Dogs will go out, jump in the car and off you go.
With cats, most of the time you have to take them by surprise, put them in the carrier, and go. I could go off into a long story about feline behavior, but to put it simply if you truly want to understand the feline you have to set all pretenses aside about you being “the boss” and master, and realize it is actually quite the opposite. Then and only then can you truly begin to appreciate the feline psychology and really plunge into the depths of it’s mysteries. It’s so subtle that if you yourself do not tune into that subtlety, you will be completely overlooking the obvious distinctions between the species. Felines are graceful refined creatures. Even survival in the wild depends on their ability to be a master of stealth. And also, spending money is no substitute for love and good care.
Comment by Steve — April 11, 2007 @ 11:25 am
I wonder if UC-Davis would test some of the dry foods that we’ve seen a few complaints about. Yes, I know there’s no wheat gluten and I know that vets all along have been saying that dry food is completely safe. But some people are absolutely swearing that dry foods have made their pets ill over the past few months.
Comment by JM Leong — April 11, 2007 @ 11:34 am
last night i was reading on hub page web site that alot of pets are dying from nutro.
Comment by MARY ANN — April 11, 2007 @ 11:41 am
Nutro wet Mary Ann?
Comment by Linda — April 11, 2007 @ 11:44 am
Independent labs should or need to be testing every brand on the market - and have their results published -
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 11, 2007 @ 11:47 am
I have a small wooden sign given to me by a mutual cat lover and cat parent of many years. It reads, “A DOG ACCEPTS YOU AS THE BOSS… A CAT WANTS TO SEE YOUR RESUME.” Cats are an amazing species. Their intelligence, instincts and their ability to love wisely, are second to none. I also have a very funny and very true little book entitled, “ALL I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM MY CAT.” by Suzy Becker, published in 1990 by Workman Publishing, NYC. All in all, I agree with Steve wholeheartedly with his comment… do not expect a cat to be a dog.
Comment by Joyce — April 11, 2007 @ 12:06 pm
From the International Herald Tribune http://www.iht.com/articles/20.....gluten.php
Excerpt:
“In recent months, Xuzhou Anying appears to have posted several requests on online trading sites seeking to purchase large quantities of melamine.
In one March 29 posting on a trading site operated by Sohu.net, a Chinese Web site, people who said they were with Xuzhou Anying wrote: “Our company buys large quantities of melamine scrap all year around.”
Comment by Lorraine Takahashi — April 11, 2007 @ 12:18 pm
Linda, it was nutro dry, on the recent blog list go to pet food recall ,recall expanded again, the comment was posted by Ashlee @6;46 pm and u can click on to the web site she posted. it freaked me out. esp.since my pups are on nutro.
Comment by MARY ANN — April 11, 2007 @ 12:22 pm
I was feeding my young dog Nutro Dry Natural Choice (Is that the name?) slow growth Puppy - anyway, he didn’t like it - long story short - I threw the bag away and now he is on totally homemade -
The vet put him on SD canned I/D and but I won’t feed it to him. I had several blood tests done as he had a fever and his liver enzymes were high and he was drinking tons of water.
He seems fine now with home cooked. I shudder to think that I may have been poisoning him.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 11, 2007 @ 12:27 pm
Thank you Mary Ann. I checked it out. No wonder I have nightmares.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 11, 2007 @ 12:32 pm
Comment by Lorraine Takahashi — April 11, 2007 @ 12:18 pm
“ChemNutra said Xuzhou Anying provided chemical analysis that indicated there were no impurities or contamination in the product.”
And the Pet Food Institute says there is already enough regulation for the industry! This is what happens when a country allows an industry to be essentially self-regulating.
The PFI says “trust us”.
Right
Comment by MFEMFEM — April 11, 2007 @ 12:38 pm
Thanks for the smoking gun, Lorraine Takahashi.
So they buy scrap melamine all year round? I still say ChemNutra and manufacturers are ultimately responsible. Industry’s infatuation with cheap Chinese products will kill us all.
Comment by Frank — April 11, 2007 @ 12:43 pm
Forgive me if this has been posted, but cook books for our pets are the hottest item and selling out too:
http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/115.....;qs=1;bp=t
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 11, 2007 @ 12:45 pm
This article on MSNBC shows that the entire current system to regulate what consumers are sold is FLAWED. Big brother might be listening to your phone calls, but he’s not paying attention to corporate deceit.
Arthritis supplements often lack key ingredient
Report: Popular remedies put to the test, come up short on chondroitin
Of the 20 joint supplements marketed to people and their pets that were selected by ConsumerLab.com and tested by independent laboratories, 40 percent failed to contain what their labels promised…
No one’s watching
Lack of monitoring is the big problem, said Dr. Joan Von Feldt, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
“These nutraceuticals aren’t monitored or regulated in the same way as prescription drugs are,” said Von Feldt, an arthritis specialist. “And this issue has been identified with a lot of these products. And it’s not just a problem with the dose of the therapeutic agent, but also with the possibility of contaminants.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18027830/
Comment by Shirley — April 11, 2007 @ 12:46 pm
PS
These cat stories - wants to see our Resumes - cute. I miss my kitty so much. I’d get another one but I do believe it wouldn’t be fair to my dogs - Kitty would do fine - but a few long noses would be sorely out of shape.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 11, 2007 @ 12:48 pm
NewsTarget.com printable article
Originally published April 10 2007
Monsanto’s GM corn MON863 shows kidney, liver toxicity in animal studies
by David Gutierrez
A variety of genetically modified corn that was approved for human consumption in 2006 caused signs of liver and kidney toxicity as well as hormonal changes in rats in a study performed by researchers from the independent Committee for Independent Research and Genetic Engineering at the University of Caen in France.
Jump directly to: conventional view | alternative view | resources | bottom line
What you need to know - Conventional View
• The corn in question, MON863, is made by the Monsanto Company and approved for use in Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, and the United States. It has had a gene inserted from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which causes the plant’s cells to produce a pesticide.
• Researchers fed rats either unmodified corn or diets containing 11 or 30 percent MON863 for 90 days. The rats who ate modified corn were found to exhibit signs of liver and kidney toxicity, as well as signs of hormonal changes.
• Male rats lost an average of 3.3 percent of their body weight, and their excretion of phosphorus and sodium decreased. Female rats gained an average of 3.7 percent of their body weight, while their triglyceride levels increased by 24 to 40 percent.
• The mechanism that causes the toxicity is not yet known, but the researchers say there is evidence that the Bt toxin may cause the perforation of blood cells. They expressed concern that the methods used by Monsanto in initial tests of the corn were statistically flawed and called their own tests “the best mammalian toxicity tests available.”
• Greenpeace responded to the study by calling for an immediate recall of all MON863 corn and the reassessment of all genetically modified foods currently approved for the market.
• Quote: “Our counter-evaluation shows that there are signs of toxicity, and nobody can say scientifically and seriously the consumption of the transgenic maize MON863 is safe and good for health.” - Lead Author Gilles Eric Seralini
What you need to know - Alternative View
Statements and opinions by Mike Adams, author of Grocery Warning: How to identify and avoid dangerous food ingredients
• It seems that the more these GM foods are tested, the more frightening the implications seem to be for human health. When companies like Monsanto do their own in-house testing, results are mysteriously favorable in nearly all cases, but when independent labs run their own tests, the results are downright shocking.
• I find it interesting that the FDA believes U.S. consumers should not be allowed to know which foods are genetically modified and which aren’t. The push for honest labeling of GM foods has been blockaded by corporate interests and corrupt federal regulators.
Resources you need to know
The Campaign for labeling of GM foods: http://www.thecampaign.org
Comment by Jim — April 11, 2007 @ 12:50 pm
“It has had a gene inserted from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which causes the plant’s cells to produce a pesticide.”
Could someone enlighten me please, who the heck thinks it’s a good idea for our food to create pesticide while growing? Am I missing something?
Comment by straybaby — April 11, 2007 @ 1:12 pm
I am from Anresco Laboratories in San Francisco and after reading that very few labs test for melamine in wheat gluten, I felt it important to alert pet owners that if they are seeking such help, we do handle this analysis at Anresco. You can contact me directly at 800-359-0920, x17 or 415-822-1100, x17. (You will need at least 500g of the pet food for testing.) Having had pets myself, I am personally very sympathetic to the ongoing tragedy and hope our lab can be of some assistance.
Comment by Charleene Min — April 11, 2007 @ 1:20 pm
I no longer want to give my pets disgusting, vile, putrid, nasty, disease infested, decay laden, maggot ridden, fecal enhanced, drug laced, decayed road-kill, disease producing enhancements and other shocking components that make up pet food.
The pet food companies and others, who have a vested interest, are trying to pull one over on us again, by parroting the line that we couldn’t possibly be able to feed our pets without them.
To the powers that be in the industry: You keep under estimating us—you are idiots.
WE—-DO—-NOT—-NEED—-YOU—-OR—-YOUR—-STINKIN—-PETFOOD. Got it?
Comment by DeeAnn — April 11, 2007 @ 1:29 pm
News Release from the FDA
FDA Consumer Health Information
Consumer Update: FDA’s Response to the Pet Food Recall
April 11, 2007
FDA laboratories have found a substance called melamine in samples of recalled pet food and in the wheat gluten used as an ingredient in the pet food.
Melamine has a number of industrial uses, including use in manufacturing cooking utensils and plates. It has also been used as a fertilizer in some parts of the world, but it is not registered for use as a fertilizer in the United States. Wheat gluten is a mixture of two proteins obtained when wheat flour is washed to remove the starch. It is sometimes used to thicken pet food “gravy.”
Melamine is an ingredient that should not be in pet food at any level. However, the FDA is not fully certain that melamine is the cause of the recent illnesses and deaths in cats and dogs that have eaten certain types of pet food. Research is scarce in the published literature on melamine’s effect on these animals. The FDA is pursuing all available leads and using advanced forensics to try to identify the cause of the problem.
The FDA has traced the source of the wheat gluten to a single supplier, Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology, of China, and has issued an import alert on wheat gluten from China (see http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/o.....a9926.html).
Records reveal that all shipments of wheat gluten from the suspect Chinese supplier were purchased by a U.S. firm, ChemNutra Inc., that supplies ingredients to pet food companies. At this time, no evidence suggests that any of the imported wheat gluten from this supplier has entered the human food supply.
The pet food recall began in mid-March 2007, when Menu Foods Inc. recalled all its “cuts and gravy” style dog and cat food produced at two of its U.S. facilities between Dec. 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007. The recall was prompted by reported instances of cats and dogs in the United States that developed kidney failure after eating the affected products, including nine cats that died during Menu Foods’ routine taste trials. The products are packaged in cans and pouches under numerous brand names.
The FDA’s investigation has determined that other manufacturers used the contaminated wheat gluten, leading to recall action by several other companies and expansion of Menu Foods’ recall to include all products manufactured with wheat gluten purchased from ChemNutra—which Menu Foods’ records show was first used on Nov. 8, 2006, and last used on March 6, 2007.
What pet food has been recalled?
For a list of recalled pet foods and other information, visit http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/h.....tfood.html
What to Do With Recalled Pet Food
Do NOT feed the pet food to your animals. Return the pet food to the store where you purchased it and ask for a refund. If you cannot return the pet food immediately, store it in a secure place where pets and children cannot get to it.
Signs to Look For in Your Pet
Pet owners should be alert to signs of kidney illness, such as:
loss of appetite,
weakness or lack of energy
vomiting
If your pet shows any of these signs, call your veterinarian
How to Report a Reaction to a Pet Food
Call the FDA consumer complaint coordinator for your geographic area. To find your coordinator, visit: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/back.....plain.html. Try to have the following information available before calling:
Brand name, lot numbers, and UPC code for the pet food fed to your dog or cat when it was ill. A lot number is typically stamped on the bag/pouch or on the can lid. Lot numbers usually consist of a series of letters and numbers.
If your pet received treatment by a veterinarian, his/her name, address, and telephone number
Date illness first noticed
Signs displayed
Any veterinary reports available.
What is the FDA Doing About the Pet Food Situation?
The FDA’s investigation remains open and active, and the agency continues to follow leads to get closer to the root cause of the problem and to ensure that all contaminated product is removed from the market.
The FDA has issued press releases, conducted media interviews, and maintains a Web site to provide current information that consumers, veterinarians, and regulatory counterparts need to support animal health. The FDA continues to give updates to broadcast media to keep consumers up to date on the recalled pet foods.
All 20 FDA district offices are involved in taking consumer calls, and conducting inspections and investigations. More than 400 FDA employees are involved in sample pet food collection, monitoring of recall effectiveness, and preparing consumer complaint reports.
At least six field laboratories and the FDA’s Forensic Chemistry Center are directly involved in active sample analyses. All FDA field laboratories are analyzing samples and are standing by to conduct additional analyses as needed.
FDA veterinarians and toxicologists have been researching potential causative agents, analyzing possibilities, evaluating scientific and analytical information, and guiding and supporting the overall efforts.
The FDA is working with its regulatory partners in all 50 state agriculture and health agencies to share information and to collaborate on investigative and analytical efforts.
The FDA’s Emergency Operations Center remains activated. It is managing the incoming information from pet owners, veterinarians, and others, and is making sure the information gets to the FDA’s scientists and inspection teams.
The FDA issued an import alert, and continues to examine all imported wheat gluten from China, in order to prevent any further importations from Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology.
The FDA continues to encourage food manufacturers to implement systems, in accordance with existing laws and regulations, that ensure the quality and safety of their products, including the quality and safety of ingredients purchased from their suppliers.
Comment by Carole — April 11, 2007 @ 1:31 pm
Thanks Lorraine Takahashi
Great info
Thanks Jim Apr 11 2007 12:50 pm
That’s been a real issue here. Great info
Gotta couple things I need to go do.
Keep digging everyone.
Comment by Kathi — April 11, 2007 @ 1:36 pm
Our clinic is a cat only clinic and has two board certified feline specialists. I know their customers take things very seriously (there rates are also higher than several local vets). I’ve spent a ton of money on our three cats between their prescription pet food, regular exams, annual baselines, expensive dental work/extractions, and follow ups for digestive issues unrelated to the recall (one cat has pancreatitis/IBD, and another had some issues eating after his dental work). The third cat will be doing allergy testing in a week or two. I spend plenty of money out there.
One thing that did come out of the recall for me, is not just feeding the cats what the vet says is good. I’m compiled a 40 page document comparing different foods (nutrition, labels, recall status, other info) and am slowly transitioning all three cats over to healthier options. The other advantage is that they won’t be locked to eating one food (or possibly two when the IBD acts up). Cat’s don’t like their diet changed suddenly. I’m glad they didn’t eat any of the recalled food - although their old Royal Canine has corn. I plan on feeding them a mixture of a few foods.
I am, however, dismayed at Dr Khuly’s comments. To copy Joyce’s words above: “I can honestly say that I’m relieved you never treated any of my cats. Would you have gone the extra mile to help them? I know the vets I have chosen for my pets certainly have….”
Jim - aaargh - just what I wanted to hear about corn. Thanks for posting that.
Thanks to petconnection for keeping us in the loop. Also, thanks for making it so easy to send emails to Kohl/Durbin….follow the link, copy/paste, edit and send. Emails are sent. Letters sent a while ago.
Comment by Jenny — April 11, 2007 @ 1:49 pm
DeeAnn,
I agree!
Comment by Linda — April 11, 2007 @ 2:11 pm
Now we all know that we need to be keeping track of what brand was fed and lots numbers and such—but how in the world would anyone necessarily know what
“Brand name, lot numbers, and UPC code for the pet food fed to your dog or cat when it was ill.”
was given back in time to when the first cans came out on the market. The distribution companies need to be providing a timeline of when the affected products would have reached the shelves available to be purchased. You cannot tell from a manfacturing date when the product reached shelves—that is information distributor and point of sale stores would have. People may be assuming a pet illness was related because food was available in say December when actually that product would not on store shelves until much later. Conversely, people may be assuming their pet illness was unrelated, when in fact they could have been feeding a tainted product. Does any site yet contain the timeline info as to when the products actually hit the shelves?
Thanks
Comment by Patricia — April 11, 2007 @ 2:38 pm
Comment by Jenny — April 11, 2007 @ 1:49 pm
“I am, however, dismayed at Dr Khuly’s comments. To copy Joyce’s words above: “I can honestly say that I’m relieved you never treated any of my cats”
I agree with you Jenny.
Comment by MFEMFEM — April 11, 2007 @ 2:47 pm
The bottom line is EVERY ONE who is a professional in the world of pets credibility is under question and scrutiny now.
Comment by Steve — April 11, 2007 @ 3:09 pm
God bless all the professionals but they like everyone else has their opinions, some are just better than others.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 11, 2007 @ 3:13 pm
Dr Khuly’s food making feast for her dog:
I would caution that using lots of organ meat is not a good idea as these can potentially hold contaminants that are not good for our pets. I’ve been reading about it but can’t reference the article right now, some of these problems with GM or GE grains and wheat etc and checmicals are trapped in the organs of our livestock.
I use the highest grade hamburger I can buy and also the best chicken breasts and meat etc. But if cost is a factor, then I suppose one has to cut corners but I wouldn’t do it with Organ meat.
This is just my opinion and I’m not an expert.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 11, 2007 @ 3:43 pm
Purdue is supposed to be free of antibiotics and hormones. I buy free range organs and chicken backs/necks and then use Purdue chicken. i can usually get the whole ones or parts on sale. Also sticking with free range organic eggs when ever i can.
Right now I’m waiting for certified organic supplements to show up. Ordered them when I was researching online. I’ll be asking the stores I frequent around me to look into these brands If I find they don’t have any.
After all the reading over the past couple of weeks and learning how messed up things are in the food industry, I can’t face using anything that doesn’t have full disclosure.
Comment by straybaby — April 11, 2007 @ 4:25 pm
Just in case some have missed the story from The Bee about UC Davis -
“In light of the new findings, toxicologists at UC Davis’ California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System are stepping up their offer to test other, unrecalled foods to ensure all problems are found.
“There aren’t that many labs that are doing this kind of testing right now. It’s our obligation to follow up,” said Bob Poppenga, a UC Davis professor of veterinary clinical toxicology.
The lab is encouraging veterinarians to contact it through its Web site, http://cahfs.ucdavis.edu/, to arrange testing of food eaten by pets hit with acute kidney failure.”
Good for UC Davis and what an excellent opportunity for someone to get a suspected bag of dry food tested….I know there were several people who have saved a suspect bag, maybe they can get their vets to submit it? Thanks, Petconnection for posting that story. I’m glad I don’t have a suspect bag of food to test, but I really hope someone does.
Comment by Becky — April 11, 2007 @ 4:34 pm
I was reading this article and I think it was in the AgriPress where the cows that eat this genetically altered feed collect some odd chemicals and chemical reactions and hold this junk in their organ meats. And when I read the article, I think I posted a link but don’t ask me which thread, I made a mental note not to feed my dogs organ meats. And the article said that the human food supply was safer because generally we don’t eat the organs and stay away from bones as the bones have this junk in it too. I wish I could offer more scientific words and a reference. Sorry. It is not from pesticides it is from the GE or GM grains and feeds.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 11, 2007 @ 4:43 pm
Straybaby,
It’s these grains they eat that causes the chemical reaction and is held in their organs. I don’t think certified organic can help that.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 11, 2007 @ 4:58 pm
I took 4 of my 5 pets in today, for a Chemistry Panel Test — to be tested for BUN creatinine levels, relating to renal failure.
I have 3 cats & 2 dogs. The reason I didn’t include 1 cat is because he needed shots too & I didn’t want to give him inoculations if there was renal disease. Plus, I only have 1 cat carrier. I REALLY would have been a nightmare with all 5 in the car — yikes!
So, summarize:
!!!! ALL FOUR ARE 100% HEALTHY !!!!
!!! yipppppeeeee !!!
I’ll get Schuster in next week & do the full test on him.
All had eaten the recalled items, but not the listed dates. 3 had been “kinda” sick about 6+ weeks ago. But — apparently no damage done.
Comment by Kat — April 11, 2007 @ 5:05 pm
Great news Kat!
Linda MS.
Comment by Linda — April 11, 2007 @ 5:10 pm
By-the-way — NBC National News had a BIT about the recall, but mostly related to overall food safety. We import more food now, than export. There are only 640 USDA inspectors nationwide.
Thanks Brian Williams for at least mentioning! Please get some indepth reporting. More & more pets are getting sick & dying!
All media needs to keep at this. They think if the news isn’t talking about it — it isn’t important. Well, this is HUGE!
I had a woman, working at a store, ask me why I was making my own dog food — as she chuckled.
This just make me fume!!! Get with it NEWS MEDIA!!! STOP READING THE NEWS & INVESTIGATE THE NEWS!!!
Comment by Kat — April 11, 2007 @ 5:24 pm
I’m too tired! Not much sleep worry about my 5 & staying up way too late researching & watching for more news. I’m not even making sense & have too many typos — sorry! :[
Comment by Kat — April 11, 2007 @ 5:27 pm
Hi Linda, I realize they maybe eating some of this, but I figure free range and certified organic will have a lower toxic level in general since it will be minus some of the other things that commercial meat has. And where it comes from and how they are feed etc.
Just in the time I spent looking for safer sources this weekend, you could see a glaring difference in organic sources vs non. The organic ones are more than happy to tell you they do not use GM grains and other Bio processes. I figure that’s a good start. They also are upfront about where they get their raw ingredients.
Just trying to lower the exposure level for myself and my pets with all this new info that’s coming to light.
Comment by straybaby — April 11, 2007 @ 5:37 pm