pet connection

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1. This is heartbreaking to see the new numbers i just stared at the no. and couldn’t stop crying.it’s been a very long a stressfull month.4 friday’s ago today we learned of the recall.we as pet owners need to send menu foods a very strong and loud message and never buy another can or pouch made by menu foods.GOD BLESS the Staff At PET CONNECTION for all your hard work in the last month.

   Comment by MARY ANN — April 13, 2007 @ 8:23 am

2. Washington post article about yesterday’s hearing.

   http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....02101.html

   Comment by Cynthia — April 13, 2007 @ 8:36 am

3. Cynthia, thanks for the Washington Post link to their article about yesterday’s hearing. Unfortunately, the reporter got it right, I fear. The hearing was overshadowed by Senator Byrd’s ramblings: “It had become a dog’s breakfast of a hearing.”

   I read some kind-hearted postings that said we shouldn’t say bad things about Senator Byrd because he loves his dog. Certainly his career is colorful, from his early days starting up a chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, to his years in power as “the pork king,” to the many principled stands he’s made on tough issues, such as a stand against the war in Iraq. And you can read online his fine stand on animal rights.

   He all but shut down the hearing, however, and took valuable time from the issue that is so important to us as pet owners, and on behalf of our beloved cats and dogs. I only say we should honor him for the good things he’s done in his career, and respect him as the elected senator from West Virginia; nonetheless he should not be the chair of the important appropriations committee at this time in his career.

   Comment by Maureen — April 13, 2007 @ 9:02 am

4. It is heartbreaking to see these new numbers but I’m definitely not surprised and I agree with Mary Ann, it’s been a very long and stressful month. My little PooPoo who has been in and out of the hospital since before the recall is back in again and not doing very well at all. He has severe anemia now which is not surprising considering his poor kidney function. My thoughts and prayers continue to remain with all of you and your beloved pets.

   Comment by Adrienne — April 13, 2007 @ 9:08 am

5. Adrienne, I’m sorry to learn about the problems with your little PooPoo. I hope your pet recovers. This is a sad and trying time for all of us.

   Linda MS

   Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 9:10 am

6. This is interesting: If it is a repeat then I’m sorry:

   Notice the companys from China that belong to this Pet Trade Organization: THese are just new mmembers in 2005 - Government & Regulatory Affairs. They have 900 companies as members to promote their interest in the Pet Food Industry.

   Additionally, APPMA has an established Government and Regulatory Affairs Department whose activities are directed towards the advancement of APPMA members and the pet industry through member cooperation and advocacy. The committee also monitors and responds to legislation and regulations. Most recently, APPMA’s Government Affairs team played a key role in getting the Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Health Act (MUMS) signed by President George W. Bush. This is one of the most significant pieces of federal legislation to the pet product industry to be passed in recent history.

   GREENWICH, CT., December 20, 2005— The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) is pleased to welcome 80 new members whose applications were approved by APPMA’s board of directors in October and December. Congratulations to the following members:

   Active Pet Feeds – El Cajon, CA
   ADER Enterprises, Inc. – San Diego, CA
   Alglow, Inc. – Los Angeles, CA
   Apperon dba Complete Natural Nutrition – Toronto, ON, CANADA
   Aqua Ultraviolet – Temecula, CA
   Arjan Impex Pvt. Ltd. – Delhi, INDIA
   ARTICO – San Francisco, CA
   Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. – Hauppauge, NY
   Best Frenz – Woodridge, IL
   Canine Genius – San Diego, CA
   Charlee Bear Products (Div. Of Wixon, Inc.) – Madison, WI
   Country Dog Bakery & Sundries – Waco, TX
   CPR Aquatic, Inc. – Arcata, CA
   Creative Homes – Manalapan, NJ
   Creativity, Inc. – Van Nuys, CA
   Darford Industries, Ltd. – Vernon BC, CANADA
   DogToys.com, Inc. dba RetailPets – West Chester, PA
   Droll Yankees – Danielson, CT
   E. F. Williams & Company – Stowe, VT
   Elias Ceramics – Salem, OR
   Evergreen (China) Limited – Yuen Long, N. T., HONG KONG
   Fab Dog, Inc. – Lodi, NJ
   Farfetched, Inc. – Bozeman, MT
   Firstmate Pet Foods – No. Vancouver, B.C. CANADA
   Flipo Group, Ltd. – LaSalle, IL
   Furniture For Pets – San Ysidro, CA
   Galaxy Products Limited – Kowloon, HONG KONG
   GET SERiOUS! Products – Anaheim, CA
   Gift Link, Inc. – South Plainfield, NJ
   Good L Corp./Big Basket Co. – LaVergne, TN
   GPS Tracks, LLC dba GlobalPetFinder – Jericho, NY
   Halo, Purely For Pets – Palm Harbor, FL
   Hang Zhou Tian Yuan Pet Products Factory – Hang Zhou, Zhejiang, CHINA
   Happy Tails – El Paso, TX
   Hi-Craft, Inc. – Scottsdale, AZ
   Iceland Pure – Oceanside, CA
   Imagilin Technology, LLC – Rockville, MD
   Inline Supply, Ltd. -Chilliwack, BC, CANADA
   International Dental – Rancho Cucamonga, CA
   JMH International Design – Spring Valley, CA
   Juno’s Garden – Pacifica, CA
   Kits ‘N Kaboodle, Inc. – Santa Barbara, CA
   Komfort Pets, LLC – Revere, MA
   Landy Corporation – Federal Way, WA
   Lang Companies, LLC – Delafield, WI
   LIFE4K9 Pet Food Corp. – Atlanta, GA
   Lucky Litter, LLC – Chicago, IL
   Matworks Ltd. (The) – Alpharetta, GA
   Nisway Corp. – Brooklyn, NY
   OllyDog – Berkeley, CA
   Paper Russells, LLC – Belmont, CA
   Paw Paw Pet Products – Paw Paw, MI
   Paws Wholesale – Costa Mesa, CA
   Petacure, Inc. – New York, NY
   Petailing, Inc. – Lake Mary, FL
   Pet I.D., Inc. – Fort Myers, FL
   Pet Ventures, Inc. – Agoura Hills, CA
   PetLift Equipment Corp. – Sarasota, FL
   Petropics, LLC – Chino Hills, CA
   Pets Choice by Innovative Designs – Leominster, MA
   Pingyang Kongying Pet Products Co., Ltd. – Wenzhou, Zhejiang, CHINA
   Planet H, Inc. – Brooklyn, NY
   Regalo International – Prior Lake, MN
   Restoration Products Co., Inc. – The Dalles, OR
   Ruff Wear – Bend, OR
   Shanghai Seahow International Trade Co., Ltd. – Shanghai, CHINA
   Sojourner Farms – Minneapolis, MN
   Solid Gold Health Products For Pets, Inc. – El Cajon, CA
   Swag Company, Inc. – San Diego, CA
   Sweet Petatoes – Vernon Hills, CA
   Trade Winds, Inc. – St. Joseph, MO
   Twelve Timbers – Richfield, UT
   Vet Brands International, Inc. – Miramar, FL
   V. P. Products / Five Star Pet – So. El Monte, CA
   Wilderness Foods Manufacturing Ltd. – Mount Maunganui, NEW ZEALAND
   Xiamen Sundog Import & Export Co., Ltd. – Xiamen, Fujian, CHINA
   Yangzhong Jiangya Artware Co., Ltd. – Yangzhong, Jiangsu, CHINA
   Zhongshan Jia Ying Metal Product Co., Ltd. – Zhongshan, CHINA
   Zuba, LLC – San Mateo, CA
   Members of APPMA have access to the premier trade show of the pet product industry, Global Pet Expo, as well as public relations and legislative representation and state-of-the-art member service programs. For more information on joining APPMA call 1-800-452-1225 or visit http://www.appma.org.

   Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 9:40 am

7. Comment by Maureen

   Having Senator Byrd attend the hearing was a stroke of genius. He symbolized the vital role pets play in society’s oft forgotten elderly who find companionship and sanity through their presence. Unfortunately there were no victims of pet food poisoning. I would of enjoyed seeing Duane Ekedahl, who was only there to brandish the pet food industry’s USA Today ad, hear the heartbreak and destabilization of a family’s losing their beloved pet.

   Comment by Frank — April 13, 2007 @ 9:42 am

8. In fairness, Senator Byrd took time away from what turned out to be largely a line of “everything is fine”. I think Senator Durbin got his point across in the time he had and he indicated he had nothing further to add. No one was asking for more time. I don’t see that Sen. Byrd caused harm.
   Elderly people are slower and sometimes repeat themselves. I hope if I’m lucky enough to make it that long, and still feel I have something to contribute, I won’t be viewed as just taking up valuable time by younger, faster talking folks. I’ll still love my dogs.

   Comment by slt — April 13, 2007 @ 9:43 am

9. I tried to post something but I don’t know what happened? About the APPMA. They have 900 members who promote the concerns of the Pet Food Manufactures, many are from China, they also:

   Government & Regulatory Affairs

   Additionally, APPMA has an established Government and Regulatory Affairs Department whose activities are directed towards the advancement of APPMA members and the pet industry through member cooperation and advocacy. The committee also monitors and responds to legislation and regulations. Most recently, APPMA’s Government Affairs team played a key role in getting the Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Health Act (MUMS) signed by President George W. Bush. This is one of the most significant pieces of federal legislation to the pet product industry to be passed in recent history.

   There web site is very enlightening: http://www.appma.org

   Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 9:44 am

10. This is a great article from Farm and Ranch Guide. Points to one avenue of political pressure we should undertake on behalf of our cats and dogs. Note that Pres. Bush has twice rolled back legislation that passed that would label foods by country of origin.

    http://www.farmandranchguide.c.....tter01.txt

    Pet food mishap shows reason for COOL

    Friday, April 13, 2007 8:58 AM CDT

    Our Views

    Country of Origin Labeling passed several years ago but USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has yet to implement the law.

    Now, it looks like the United States may accept this legislation. Unfortunately, that acceptance may come about because of what happened to some family pets.

    Country of Origin Labeling, or COOL, is an initiative of the 2002 farm bill. It requires country of origin labeling for beef, lamb, pork, fish, perishable ag products and peanuts.

    President Bush signed a public law on Jan. 27, 2004, that called for a delay in implementing COOL for all commodities except wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish until Sept. 30, 2006.

    Then on Nov. 10, 2005, the President signed another public law delaying the implementation until Sept. 30, 2008.

    Fast forward from 2005 to 2007. Public perception of COOL is changing and has become more acceptable.

    Love and compassionate care for family dogs and cats are common themes across the United States now.

    So the recent loss of some pets due to tainted food has worried many people. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on March 31 that wheat gluten supplied to U.S. pet manufacturers from China contained melamine.

    Gluten is a plant protein found in cereal grains. When flour is kneaded, gluten strands provide structure and elasticity that support baked goods. Gluten is used in a wide variety of products, including pet food. Melamine, a synthetic polymer, does not belong in food. Manufacturers use melamine to make floor tiles, kitchenware and fire retardant products. The polymer is a liquid when heated. It is poured into molds where it hardens.

    It’s hard to even imagine why or how melamine would get mixed into the Chinese wheat gluten.

    The Food and Drug Administration has now blocked imports of the cheap wheat gluten from China, but not before the damage occurred. Some beloved pets have died, and manufacturers have called for massive and expensive recalls of dog and cat food.

    The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) recently released a statement indicating why this pet food issue shows a need for a healthy, domestic food supply.

    “NAWG has been closely monitoring the developments involving wheat gluten and recalled pet food products,” said NAWG President John Thaemert. “We grieve with the pet owners who have suffered a loss and understand the anxiety of people who are wondering how this could have happened and what they should feed their pets.

    “Not only is this a truly unfortunate event, but it also highlights the problems that can result from depending on another country for something as fundamental as food.”

    Food manufacturers have long held the belief that American consumers want the cheapest food available.

    This mishap with pet food can serve as a wakeup call that using the cheapest food ingredients can actually become a costly mistake.

    The wheat gluten that caused the deaths of the pets did not come from the United States.

    Country of Origin Labeling is one way to assure that Americans have the opportunity to purchase food raised in the United States.

    U.S. farmers have little reason to fear COOL.

    As former Texas Congressman Charles Stenholm recently told producers at the National Pork Producers Council’s annual meeting - “Far beyond any other country, United States’ farmers produce the most abundant food supply, the best quality of food, and the safest food supply at the lowest cost to the United States’ consumer.”

    We look forward to the implementation of COOL and the opportunity to purchase food and pet food produced by U.S. farmers.

    Comment by Maureen — April 13, 2007 @ 9:49 am

11. Here’s a small portion of their Chinese members:
    • Xiamen Sundog Import & Export Co., Ltd. – Xiamen, Fujian, CHINA
    • Yangzhong Jiangya Artware Co., Ltd. – Yangzhong, Jiangsu, CHINA
    • Zhongshan Jia Ying Metal Product Co., Ltd. – Zhongshan, CHINA
    • Zuba, LLC – San Mateo, CA

    I wonder if China will start importing pet food?

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 9:51 am

12. What if the ingredients are from China and put together here in the U.S. - where exactly is the Country of Origin then?

    China already imports lots of pet treats, lots of them, and vitamins, and fish food etc. I wonder if they will start with organic dog and cat food?

    Linda

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 10:03 am

13. Menu Foods CFO sold shares weeks before pet food recall
    Just wondering if anyone saw this article from USA TODAY
    “TORONTO (AP) — The chief financial officer of Menu Foods sold almost half his shares in the company just three weeks before a massive recall of its pet food products, Canadian insider trading reports show.
    CFO Mark Wiens sold 14,000 shares for $89,900 on Feb. 26 and Feb. 27. The shares are now worth about $54,000.

    “He feels just awful that this link has been made,” company spokesman Sam Bornstein said Wednesday.

    Bornstein said Wiens faced a restricted window in which he could sell his shares.

    A blackout period related to the company’s fourth-quarter results prevented Wiens from trading until Feb. 19, Bornstein said. Wiens sought permission in writing from the CEO to trade then, a standard practice, Bornstein said.”

    I’m sure he feels awful! Managed to prevent loosing $35,900.

    Comment by Maureen (Lilly and Lucy's mom) — April 13, 2007 @ 10:08 am

14. Our poor pets dying, and each story breaks my heart. These men and people who knew and didn’t act fast enough should be in jail. I think maybe even worse for killing our friends and family members - Our loved ones are gone - and they are not just pets - they are souls that deserved better.

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 10:11 am

15. It’s time honest pet food labeling.
    Honest labeling would include the following:

    This product contains the following rendered products:

    This product contains the following products that are considered by the USDA (or FDA) to be unfit for human consumption:

    This product contains the following imported products (list products with country of origin):

    The meat in this product includes (list all animal meat, not just beef, chicken, etc.)

    The following product label claims are not supported by the FDA, USDA or any other federal regulatory agency:

    Nutritious
    Healthy
    Vitamin Enriched
    Tasty
    Wholesome
    Natural
    Organic
    Delicious
    Superior
    .
    .
    .

    REAL truth in labeling tells the truth. Unless the labeling is explicit and mandatory, the pet food industry will make every effort and use every deception to continue to hide the truth and will continue to make false and deceptive claims. The will scream and yell about regulation and complexity and difficulty and the cost of REAL truth in labeling. They will use their power and influence to manipulate their puppets in government and to continue doing business as usual. REAL truth in labeling would end most of the problems we are discovering about pet food and, I believe, contribute significantly to the increased health of our pets.

    IF THE PET FOOD INDUSTRY REALLY CARES LET THEM PROVE IT. Additionally, regulation should include strict penalties for violations, not a slap on the back of their wrists.

    Is it so radical to just know the truth about what pet food really is made of?

    Comment by MFEMFEM — April 13, 2007 @ 10:36 am

16. I am so heartbroken over all of this. I read the stories on howl911 and look at the photos posted. It just seems so unfair. I know life is not fair, but this seems cruel and beyond any sense of decency. What now indeed. I don’t want the pet food companies getting their hand slapped and scolded. We need to demand changes and not just from our lawmakers - we need to stop buying pet food until the companies give us what we want.

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 10:45 am

17. I am sending e-mails and letters to every pet food manufacturer and telling them what I want.

    No wheat or corn anything, no gluten anything. I tell them how unhappy I am with their products and that I will no longer buy them. My first one just went out to Nutro.

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 10:51 am

18. Yesterday I posted on another thread here that Sen. Byrd was harmless although I was sorry his repetitive comments in the hearing took time away from additional questioning. Today, after seeing that the media coverage of the hearing is primarily focusing on this colorful character rather than the issues, I am afraid I was incorrect. His rambling apparently was not harmless. The humorous stories, transcripts and video of him currently going around the internet is instead serving to paint the whole hearing as lightweight and as a poor use of the senators’ (and taxpayers’)time. I am so heartsick because the hearings were a very important spotlight on a very serious subject and I had hoped they would be the start of some meaningful bi-partisan debate on regulation and inspection of imported foods and ingredients for both humans and pets. The PFI must have been positively gleeful when they realized they weren’t going to be the big story that came out of yesterday’s hearing. With all due respect, some people need to stand back to see the big picture, then refocus on the seriousness of the issue rather than spending time defending the Senator from WV because he’s old and he loves his dog. 4000 of our animals have died!!

    Comment by elizabeth R. — April 13, 2007 @ 10:54 am

19. The pet food companies own it all. They have backing by big corporations and also look at the link I posted about about the AAPMA.

    I think our best shot now, besides pressing our lawmakers, is in the power of the dollar. Write companies tell them what we want and stop buying their wet and dry food - at least of the companies that are in this recall and also those that need to do better.

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 10:57 am

20. The numbers are staggering and my heart goes out to each and every one who has lost a loved pet and to those dealing with ill ones. Luckily none of my 8 cats have been affected. I’ve fed them different “cheap” cat foods all their lives, and switched to Purina One about 6 months ago. After the recall and the talk about wheat gluten I looked for something else for them and settled on Blue Buffalo and Natural Balance. Because they don’t contain the wheat gluten crap. I will never buy anything again with wheat or corn gluten in it. If you also feel this way, you need to e-mail or snail mail all these crappy companies who continue to use this crap in their foods and let them know you will not buy another product from them until changes are made. Our animals don’t need this crap in their food. I will no longer buy any food that doesn’t have some kind of meat listed as a first ingredient. I e-mailed Purina last nite and told them I would not be buying anymore of their products until changes are made. They just lost a 20+ year customer. We all need to band together and do this so they realize we are serious. I would rather pay a few extra bucks for my pets food, than pay a few hundred or thousands for a vet bill. I have noticed a huge difference in my cats since I switched their food. They eat less of it, litterbox isn’t as stinky and they have less waste, also their fur is so soft and shiny. I feel like I am doing so much better for them and its a big relief.

    Comment by Tami Carlson — April 13, 2007 @ 11:05 am

21. I would like to see a company manufacture “fit for humans” pet food. Pet food that meets the nutritional requirements of dogs and cat and yet can be labeled as human quality. I suspect that such a product would drive the renderers and garbage collectors out of business, or at least make them clean up their act. I don’t think it would be so expensive looking at the prices of the cheaper canned meats at the grocery store. I know the vitamins, minerals, etc. that cats and dogs need are not expensive commodities.

    Comment by MFEMFEM — April 13, 2007 @ 11:06 am

22. Comment by elizabeth R. — April 13, 2007 @ 10:54 am

    My thoughts exactly. Sen. Byrd is a kindly, accomplished man who deserves a lot of respect. But it was agonizing to listen to him tell the same stories three or four times, and refuse to yield the mike when his time was up.

    I’m sorry, but I don’t believe it was strategy - just old age. (If it WAS strategy, it certainly didn’t work.)

    That time could have been far better spent by Durbin and his tough questions. And that’s what would have been garnering attention today, not Byrd.

    Comment by Laura — April 13, 2007 @ 11:06 am

23. It was a smoke screen - these men are smart men and I don’t believe the I am too old bit - I just don’t.

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 11:08 am

24. Are there petitions going around? I do charity events where thousands of pet lovers attend - we need a petition with actual pen and ink signatures demanding changes. Maybe for each state and then sent to Congress.

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 11:14 am

25. Comment by MFEMFEM

    I would like to see a company manufacture “fit for humans” pet food. Pet food that meets the nutritional requirements of dogs and cat and yet can be labeled as human quality.

    ** There actually ARE some out there like that. Honest Kitchen is one. Unfortunately, the good ol’ boys in the Ohio State Dept. of Agriculture have a regulation that states that no “animal feed” is allowed to be labeled as fit for human consumption. So now we’re not allowed to sell, ship to, or purchase Honest Kitchen products in the state of Ohio. How stupid is that????

    I sell primarily raw commercial foods, and all are labeled “not for human consumption” on them due to the ODA’s regulations. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

    With this round of recalls, I don’t doubt that similar regulations won’t be pressed into usage in other states so that the likes of Menu and other companies can continue to sell their crap foods because it will disallow REAL foods to be sold in those states. I wouldn’t doubt that if the industry pushed for it, they could manage to have “human-grade ingredients” outlawed in the labeling, as well. GRRRR!

    Comment by Tammy K. — April 13, 2007 @ 11:24 am

26. Was Senator Byrd a distraction? Maybe, maybe not. Sen. Bennett was obviously pro-pet food business, and Sen. Kohl was not very tough on the people who were testifying - a group so obviously pro-industry. Not having Sen. Byrd’s time would have given Sen. Durbin a little more time, but it would also have given the industry apologists more time.

    I think almost any publicity about the recall hurts the industry. There were two articles on the hearing in my newspaper this morning, one about Den. Durbin blasting the industry and one about Sen. Byrd. The article about Sen. Byrd was hardly pro-industry. I think the pet food industry wants to minimize coverage of the events and I don’t believe Sen. Byrds appearance helped their goal.

    Comment by MFEMFEM — April 13, 2007 @ 11:25 am

27. Bickering over media reaction to Senator Byrd should be based on facts. Here is a link to Google News pet food hearing articles sorted by date. You will be hard pressed to find stories focusing on the Senator only or even slightly. Political blogs are a different beast.

    Comment by Frank — April 13, 2007 @ 11:27 am

28. I am so disappointed that I didn’t catch anything on cable about the pet food hearing yesterday. It’s all IMUS. IMUS is a creatd story to fill a gap, in my opinion, so the big corporations and their newsmedia friends get off the hook.

    I don’t agree with what IMUS said, not at all, but who would take him seriously? It was an ignorant thing to say, but our pets are dying and our food is not safe - a much greater problem.

    Really tells you who runs the show.

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 11:28 am

29. re: Senator Byrd…

    I didn’t get to see or listen to the hearing, but did read the transcript on Christie’s Dogged Blog. From a reading standpoint, I thought Byrd’s poignant appeal put a HUMAN element to the hearing… it showed that even members of congress DO think of their pets as family members, and seemed to read as a perfect way to impress that fact on the uncaring and unfeeling pet food industry representatives who are too busy backpedaling, evading and just plain lying to our faces.

    While I respect everyone’s opinion that he took up valuable time, I still appreciate the fact that someone stepped up and spoke FOR THE ANIMALS.

    Comment by Tammy K. — April 13, 2007 @ 11:29 am

30. ARGH! This makes my blood boil!
    http://www.petfoodreport.com/

    Quotes:

    The pet food industry remains a partner in the investigation with the FDA and has
    cooperated with state and federal regulators since evidence leading to the recall
    first surfaced. The industry will continue cooperate fully with any other official
    investigations relating to this incident.

    The FDA’s investigation is ongoing and has not reached any conclusions about how
    any foreign substances entered the process. I think it’s presumptuous to additional
    regulatory measures at this time. Only when we have this information can we make
    an accurate and informed decision.

    http://www.petfoodreport.com/whatweknow.htm

    How Pet Foods Are Regulated
    Pet foods are one of the most highly regulated food products. They are required
    by law to provide on their labels more information than most human foods. State
    departments of agriculture provide standards and enforcement policies for regulation
    of manufacture of pet foods resulting in safe foods. Ingredients in pet food must
    be acceptable to state authorities. In the March 23 press conference Sundlof also
    stated that regulation of pet foods is the same as human foods.

    Pet food manufacturers are responsible for producing safe products. The U.S. Food
    and Drug Administration and state governments provide the rules, guidance and oversight
    under which safe pet food is produced. FDA requires pet food to be wholesome, contain
    no harmful or deleterious substances, and to be truthfully labeled.

    How Ingredients and Finished Pet Foods Are Tested
    Pet food ingredients undergo significant testing for safety and quality assurance
    including screening for mycotoxins (including aflatoxin), bacteria (including Salmonella
    and E.Coli) and nutrient content. Furthermore the finished product is analyzed to
    ensure appropriate nutrient levels, evaluating protein (including 11 amino acids),
    fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

    http://www.petfoodreport.com/r.....esting.htm

    A Consumer’s Guide to Pet Food:Valuable Information for Pet Owners
    Click on the links above to get information on the pet food information you are
    interested in!

    Veterinarians agree that pets are living longer, healthier lives since the use of
    commercially prepared pet foods became widespread. Decades of research have gone
    into the development of pet food to make sure the special nutrition needs of pet
    dogs and cats are met.

    Question
    What does “complete and balanced” mean?

    Answer
    Unlike most foods for people, many pet food products are designed to be the sole
    source of nutrition for a pet dog or cat. Products that are labeled “complete
    and balanced,” as defined by the Association of American Feed Control Officials
    (AAFCO), have been tested to make sure they meet the complex nutritional requirements
    of a healthy dog or cat.
    Back to top

    Question
    What does it mean on a pet food label that a product has been tested using animal
    feeding trials?

    Answer
    There are two ways a pet food company can test the nutrition of its products. One
    method is the use of standardized animal feeding trials, designed by the Association
    of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), to make sure their products meet the
    complex nutritional requirements of dogs and cats. The animals in these tests are
    fed the food for six months and are closely monitored to make sure they stay healthy.
    A product using this test will have language similar to the following on the label
    - “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Nancy’s
    Food for Dogs provides complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages.”

    Question
    Are fillers used in pet food?

    Answer
    Every ingredient used in pet food is there for a reason. Decades of research have
    gone into making pet foods that meet the nutritional needs of dogs and cats. The
    makers of pet food do not put in anything that’s not needed.

    Question
    What is ingredient “splitting?”

    Answer
    Some people incorrectly believe pet food makers split up ingredients to give the
    illusion that some ingredients are at higher concentrations than others. Pet food
    makers are required to carefully label their products according to stringent government
    regulations. Just as the case with food for people, pet foods must clearly state
    what ingredients are included in the product. Each ingredient in pet food is there
    for a reason and to serve a nutritional purpose.

    http://www.petfoodreport.com/a.....rnutrition

    LIES and MISLEADING INFORMATION!

    PLEASE email the Senators and let them know we appreciate their efforts! We need CHANGE!

    Updates
    The Problem
    The Solution
    Call to Action
    Learn More

    Mass e-mail campaign! We have a window of opportunity - to garner the attention of Senators before the hearing on Thursday (April 12)….

    We’re looking for a MASSIVE E-MAIL CAMPAIGN

    If each person can send off two simple emails - to Senators Durbin and Kohl - tell them you support their investigation and action related to the pet food industry.

    Contact Senator Durbin: http://durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm

    Contact Senator Kohl: http://kohl.senate.gov/gen_contact.html

    Senator Bennett: http://bennett.senate.gov/contact/emailmain.html

    Senator Byrd: http://byrd.senate.gov/byrd_email.html

    Already emailed? Email again. Email with various topics (agriculture

    Comment by Lynette — April 13, 2007 @ 11:30 am

31. Don Imus
    Anna Nicole Smith
    .
    .
    .

    We are being fed rendered products packaged as NEWS. :(

    Comment by MFEMFEM — April 13, 2007 @ 11:33 am

32. SENATOR BYRD

    The first five minutes of the hearing I practically fell out of my chair sleeping. Then he mentioned “Trouble” [about half a dozen times or so!] and he won me over.

    I think there’s a hidden message with respect to Byrd, intended or not: there are highly professional people who have earned the respect of their peers over the years……and they love dogs. They’ve got the brains, the money, and ultimately, as consumers, they have the power to control the pet food industry.

    So, listen up, pet food manufacturers!

    Comment by Lynn — April 13, 2007 @ 12:15 pm

33. Whoops - re my 12:15 message. Meant to say “dogs and cats.” Sorry, sorry, sorry.

    Comment by Lynn — April 13, 2007 @ 12:16 pm

34. I personally would rather listen to Senator Byrd anytime over the lies that came out of the mouth of the Executive Director of the Pet Food Institute.

    Comment by Sandi K — April 13, 2007 @ 12:41 pm

35. Instead of asking the industry to do this or that, or petition them to please, please let us know what you’re doing, I would rather make an ‘impact’.

    Let’s vote with our wallets!

    Let us hurt them where they really hurt: don’t buy commercial pet food.

    That will get the attention from the industry, as well as from governmental agencies in a hurry.

    No more money. Easy.

    As soon as my two cats have recovered enough I will start to re-train them to homecooked meals.

    Cooking once a week and dividing into portions to freeze can’t be more time costly than sitting at a vet, for hours, while the cat is on IV.

    Probably I will have a small percentage (up to 10%) of commercial pet food as add-on, from those smaller companies who - I hope - label more truthfully, use better ingredients and are willing to conduct business in a responsible way.

    Comment by MaKo — April 13, 2007 @ 12:47 pm

36. Why is rendering the only model for pet food?

    It seems that the vast majority of pet foods are the products of rendering plants. Why? Is there now other model for commercial pet food? Is using scaps, waste, garbage, fillers, carrion, glutens, and the cast off products of human food production the only way to have a viable cat food industry?

    The pet food industry has been able, through some very slick marketing, to turn a sows ear into a silk purse. Besides home cooking, is there a real alternative to rendering plants (which is what pet food plants should be called)?

    Comment by MFEMFEM — April 13, 2007 @ 12:49 pm

37. Someone asked about “human grade” pet food ingredients. The following is from the Wellness pet food website:

    What does “Human Grade” mean? It used to be on your packaging.
    Although our ingredients are in fact “fit for human consumption” thus, “human grade,” we are not currently allowed to use the term on our packaging per AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) regulations. AAFCO needs to officially define the term in order for it to be used. Also, keep in mind that “human grade” is a great way to talk about quality but our formulas are made specifically to meet the nutritional requirements of canines and should not be promoted to be consumed by humans as a low cost diet.

    What percentage of your food is “human grade”?
    At Wellness we believe in using human grade ingredients whenever possible. Our formulas are 80%+ human grade with only two ingredients that are not considered “edible to humans”: chicken meal and fish meal. Interestingly, a division of the UN conducted research during the late 1960’s on fishmeal because of its nutrient-rich properties. They found that although great for the body, humans did not like the taste.

    Comment by Maureen (Tulip, Cammy, Tigger's mom) — April 13, 2007 @ 1:03 pm

38. Comment by MFEMFEM — April 13, 2007 @ 12:49 pm

    Some of the more expensive dry dog foods say they are “slowly oven baked”…

    Comment by Maureen — April 13, 2007 @ 1:10 pm

39. What do you suggest - it could go straight from the farms to a meat factory for pet food I suppose?

    I wonder if people are only willing to pay so much for pet food. Most breeders feed dry Pedigree - that’s pretty cheap.

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 1:10 pm

40. re: Comment by MFEMFEM

    Cooking once a week and dividing into portions to freeze can’t be more time costly than sitting at a vet, for hours, while the cat is on IV.

    ** Better yet… feed raw. No prep time necessary. Take out of freezer, thaw, put in dish. Done.

    No grains, plenty of taurine - especially for cats who are obligate carnivores and will die without it, plenty of free-range/grass-fed or organic sources (even in the commercially prepared foods), no fillers, NO WHEAT GLUTEN.

    I know it’s tough to get cats to switch, but darn, for now, you don’t have to worry about poisoning!

    This whole recall situation has made me immensely grateful and relieved that I’ve fed raw for the past 8 years and have been lucky enough to source plenty of grass-fed, free-range and organic sources. I’m trying very hard to help a few local people who have asked for help to get their cats to switch. It’s not always easy, but they are so terrified to feed ANY dry or canned food now - and I can’t say that I blame them.

    If you don’t have time to do homecooked, consider raw. Talk about making the largest portion of the pet food industry mad! That’d get their goats! Completely! LOL!

    Comment by Tammy K. — April 13, 2007 @ 1:26 pm

41. Our UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT is to blame for this? Did you know that they control how much grain and corn farmers can grow? Even if they have 275 acres OUR GOVERNMENT CONTROLS what and how much they can produce? Even if they have the acreage they won’t let them produce it? This is absurd isn’t it when we have to get our grain from Communist China and not from our own farmers here in the U.S. You know if we allow our farmers to produce it, you know it would be safe?

    Comment by Georgeann Heckman — April 13, 2007 @ 1:36 pm

42. On diet…although I have no data to support it, I can’t help but think that the “obligate carnivore” argument is a little off base. Cats do not eat just meat….they eat meat PLUS whatever’s in the digestive tract of the animal they catch. If that’s a field mouse, it may be a belly full of corn or wheat…if it’s a rabbit, it might be a belly full of leaves/vines shoots/ berries….if it’s a squirrel or a rat, it could be anything from kentucky fried chicken to mushrooms. After decades of being owned by these critters, the only parts of prey I’ve seen them not devour is spleens and the occasional mouse nose and whiskers which I think is just their way of having a good laugh. Anyhoo…as I said…. I don’t have any research to back it up… but cats do eat carbs n grains n veggies in much the same way we eat burritos.

    Comment by GingerTom — April 13, 2007 @ 1:38 pm

43. Whatever became of “The Millers”

    http://www.chemnutra.com/pricipals.htm

    Comment by Steve — April 13, 2007 @ 1:50 pm

44. I think cooking your own pet food is great and I’m doing that now after losing my best friend to a “premium” brand. Actually, I was feeding my cats mostly home cooked meat, but I made the fatal mistake of giving my cats Nutro Max Cat and Nutro Gourmet pouches as supplemental food - I’m still praying that the other cat remains healthy.

    The problem now is I don’t trust any of the pet food companies. This whole poisoned pet food recall has demonstrated that the pet food industry is deceptive and dishonest - they lie and misinform. It’s all marketing smoke and mirrors. Greed appears to be their only motivation.

    I would like to be able to buy some human quality pet food for the times when I run out or cooking is inconvenient. I’ve bought some canned chicken, but I worry about the additional nutritional requirements cats require. If canned chicken for humans can be found for $1.50 - $2.00 a can then why is a similar, non-rendered product for pets not available? I will NEVER buy another rendered, commercial cat food again, NEVER.

    Comment by MFEMFEM — April 13, 2007 @ 1:50 pm

45. Since we know there is no regulation of pet foods and the labeling isn’t transparent, perhaps this can help us as a guide. I believe only “people grade” ingredients bear the USDA Organic seal. (Caveat: organic farmers don’t make the claim that their products are healthier for you…but…)

    Re: how can we know if pet food manufacturers use better grade meats and ingredients? One way is to see if the ingredients bear a USDA Organic seal. “The USDA Organic seal also tells you that a product is at least 95 percent organic.” (“Organic” has a strict meaning according to the USDA.)

    From one premium brand’s website: FAQs

    Q. What does “Human Grade” mean? It used to be on your packaging.

    A. Although our ingredients are in fact “fit for human consumption” thus, “human grade,” we are not currently allowed to use the term on our packaging per AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) regulations. AAFCO needs to officially define the term in order for it to be used. Also, keep in mind that “human grade” is a great way to talk about quality but our formulas are made specifically to meet the nutritional requirements of canines and should not be promoted to be consumed by humans as a low cost diet.

    Q. What percentage of your food is “human grade”?

    A. At Wellness we believe in using human grade ingredients whenever possible. Our formulas are 80%+ human grade with only two ingredients that are not considered “edible to humans”: chicken meal and fish meal. Interestingly, a division of the UN conducted research during the late 1960’s on fishmeal because of its nutrient-rich properties. They found that although great for the body, humans did not like the taste.

    Comment by Maureen — April 13, 2007 @ 1:59 pm

46. Comment by Steve — April 13, 2007 @ 1:50 pm

    Have been wondering about the Millers myself. No one seems to know anything, or do they?

    Comment by Nadine Long — April 13, 2007 @ 2:07 pm

47. Wondering about them also. Did they even get mentioned yesterday? Seems to me they should be called out about how they do business and source product etc.

    Comment by straybaby — April 13, 2007 @ 2:09 pm

48. Comment by Nadine Long — April 13, 2007 @ 2:07 pm

    To say the least they find this outfit rather shady. The company’s office in Los Vegas has only an address (and a locked door). No business name. The company has a business licence in Nevada but hasn’t filed for incorporation in that state. It is presently incorporated in California and Deleware (tax laws I guess). The company claims a 12 year relationship with Chinese companies, but its earliest incorporation was in Delaware in 2003 (California 2005). The company has “surrendered” its incorporation to transact business in California. The company shipped product from the Xuzhou Anying company in China from Nov 9th, 2006 until March 8th, 2007 when it claimed to have learned from Menu Foods that its product was suspected as the source of the pet food contamination.

    Who are these guys? And why would the FDA protect them by refusing to name them? From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

    Comment by Steve — April 13, 2007 @ 2:10 pm

49. CONTAMINATED INGREDIENT: LV importer under scrutiny

    A call to ChemNutra’s Las Vegas office was not returned, and a recording referred reporters to the company’s Web site.

    On Tuesday evening, a locked mirrored door guarded the business, in a small office park on Durango Drive, just north of Charleston Boulevard. The door bears no sign announcing the company’s name or the nature of its business, only an address.

    http://www.lvrj.com/news/6859667.html

    Comment by Steve — April 13, 2007 @ 2:12 pm

50. ChemNutra

    I’d like to know who else they supplied wheat gluten to. These shipments went to the pet food companies, but what about other shipments at other times to other human food manufacturers? I would think this would be of greatest concern to our government in light of this supplier providing tainted (human grade) wheat gluten.

    By the way, was the big question that everyone had of human (food) grade or feed grade confirmed or explained at the Senate hearing?

    Comment by Nadine Long — April 13, 2007 @ 2:30 pm

51. Lynette - thanks for making it so easy to email. Emails sent again!

    Maureen - Wellness is a perfect example of what we need from the industry.

    There are other companies out there that are similar - and I do plan on making a difference with my wallet. I’m in the process of slowly changing my cats food over now. The only sad thing about Wellness - some of their products are made by Menu. So, although they use human grade, have their own quality standards, and are audited - should I give them my money or not? This is one of the foods I started feeding my cats but I’m torn on this one. Thoughts??

    GingerTom - My thoughts too. I have been doing a lot of online research and that is what I have been reading. You have to include what is in the cat’s digestive track. I can’t remember where I copied this from (perhaps Maxhouse): a carnivorous diet is comprised of pimarily protein and fat from animal tissue….The cat obtains small amounts of carbohydrate through the stomach and intestines of her prey.

    MFEMFEM - I’ve also read that a straigh meat diet (i.e. canned chicken) does not provide the nutrients that a cat needs. FROMM uses real human grade meat in their food - but it’s manufactured in China :( For a cat, cooking the chicken removes the Taurine so could be very serious for a cat if it is their main source of food.

    Comment by Jenny — April 13, 2007 @ 2:33 pm

52. Canada Free Press report:

    ChemNutra, China
    Phantoms at large in the poisoned pet food tragedy

    By Judi McLeod

    4/9/07

    ChemNutra, the Las Vegas Nevada company confirmed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the distributor of the contaminant in nearly 100 brands of pet foods has offices in the Communist People’s Republic of China.

    And ChemNutra’s Chinese office is within 50 miles of Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. Ltd., the company fingered as the one with the wheat gluten killing what veterinarian says are hundreds of North America’s pets.

    Even though self-touted as a $10-million-a-year operation, ChemNutra’s Las Vegas office, at Durango and Charleston Streets is “very small” “without even a sign on the door”, according to the enterprising reportage of the Las Vegas Review Journal.

    ChemNutra’s Chinese office is in “a rundown warehouse in rural China”.

    “FDA’s examination of import records and records obtained during follow-up investigations identified the distributor of the contaminated wheat gluten as ChemNutra of Las Vegas, Nevada,” said Stephen Sundlof, director of the agency’s center for veterinary medicine.

    ChemNutra imported wheat gluten from Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. Ltd., the company only 50 miles away from its own Chinese headquarters.

    “We have never exported to the U.S.” we are a trading company. We don’t even know how we became implicated in this matter,” Maso Lijun, Xuzhou Anying’s general manager said on Friday.

    Sundlof admits that one theory being considered by the FDA is that the contaminants could have been added to the pet foods deliberately.

    “Somebody may have added melamine to the wheat gluten in order to increase what appears to be the protein level,” Sundlof said Friday. “Wheat gluten is a high-protein substance and by trying to artificially inflate the protein level, it could command a higher price. But that’s just one theory at this point.”

    Since melamine is not very toxic as a chemical, FDA scientists are wondering why they are seeing the kinds of serious conditions, especially the kidney failure, that they’re seeing in cats and dogs.

    “We are focusing on the melamine right now because we believe that, even if melamine is not the causative agent, it is somehow associated with the causative agent, so it serves as a marker.”

    Perhaps the FDA should be focusing on the phantoms in the poison pet food scare story. Phantoms like million dollar operations without signs on their doors with rundown warehouses in China.

    Phantoms like Xuzhou Anying, which says it does not export to the U.S. when it just did—through a supplier only 50 miles down the road.

    ChemNutra’s China office is located at Jing Sui Bldg. 601, Hangzhou, Zhejiang. The contact person for the China office is listed as Mr. Zhu Hao.

    ChemNutra lists the number of employees at it China operation as “1 to 50” and the number of employees at its Las Vegas operation as “less than five people”. That’s not a lot of employees for a company whose annual sales are above US$100 million.

    ChemNutra is operated by the husband and wife team of Steven S. Miller, 55, and Sally Qing Miller, 40.

    According to previous versions of the ChemNutra website checked by Canada Free Press through Wayback Machine, Steve Miller “has over 20 years experience in business management, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing and law. His experience includes President and COO of a $200 million receivables finance company. He has also served as Vice President at both Smith Barney and EF Hutton, as well as Investment Officer at Citibank. While an investment banker and banker, Steve arranged and closed over $600 million of investments and financings.

    “Steve earned a Law degree as well as an MBA degree at Columbia University, and bachelors degree from Brigham Young University. Steve is a lawyer and licensed member of the New York Bar. He also served as Adjunct Associate Professor of Finance, at New York University.’

    Wife Sally Qing Miller is ChemNutra President.

    “Sally has over 12 years of experience in China as QA Manager and Purchasing Manager, working for various multinational companies who imported and exported chemicals worldwide. As purchasing manager, she was responsible for purchasing and exporting over $100 million of nutraceutival chemicals worldwide.

    “Sally earned an MBA from City University in Seattle, as well as (an) Engineering degree in Food Chemical Engineering at Hanzhou Institute of Commerce in Hanzhou, China. She is a member of the Institute for Supply Management in the U.S., and the China Food Ingredients Association in China. She is certified as an ISO 9000 Chief Auditor.”

    The legal representative listed for ChemNutra is “CEO”.

    To keep the facts separate from the phantoms, there were some 873 tons of wheat gluten shipped to three pet food makers by ChemNutra.

    According to the FDA, “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 Made in China.”

    Facts that fly in the face of The China Inspection and Quarantine Times, which stated in a report on its website that as of March 29, China had “never exported wheat or wheat gluten…to the United States.”

    The http://www.cannonfire.blogspot.com is right on the money when it says Senator Dick Durbin who has announced oversight hearings into the pet food industry should be pressured to investigate the entire industry, “which remains largely unregulated.”

    “The meat supply is of great concern, since “recycled” pets (euthanized cats and dogs) are tossed into the rendering vats, including tags and flea collars and plastic coverings. That’s what you pet is eating when the label reads “meats and meat by-products”.”

    Meanwhile, while phantoms remain at large, the clock is still ticking for Fido and Fluffy.

    Canada Free Press founding editor Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck and The Rant. Judi can be reached at: letters@canadafreepress.com.

    Comment by Nadine Long — April 13, 2007 @ 2:40 pm

53. Hey HOWL mentions a pet food industry conference April 16-19 in Chicago: While the conference is not open to the public, rumblings have begun to circulate that some pet parents are planning to show up outside the Hyatt, to serve as a “greeting committee” of sorts. The address and directions to the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Hotel can be found …

    Would be cool if those around Chicago could show up

    Comment by Jenny — April 13, 2007 @ 2:46 pm

54. There is a PAC for pet owners. I must have missed this somewhere along the line. It was on howl911.com.

    http://tinyurl.com/2lecdm
    Pet Defenders

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 2:46 pm

55. I am so angry. Some of you may recall the Michigan man who cut up his executive wife’s body in Feb. It was announced the confession would be released at 2pm today. What caught my attention on one of the local tv stations was this “our reporters have been pouring over the report”. And then Imus. Did anyone ever hear “turn the other cheek”, “sticks & stones….” Yet the food poisoning not only killed beloved cats & dogs but affected the owners lives as well in the stress, tears, agony, financial loss and that they will never ever recover from feeling they aided in the poisoning by feeding the crap. We are a sick, sick race. Our priorities are in the wrong place. The only reason I have tv news on now is to see what they may “squeak” out about the recall. I have no interest in listening to any of these damn so-called reporters any longer. Sorry, had to get this out. The stress has been building this week.

    Comment by VJ — April 13, 2007 @ 2:49 pm

56. IMUS is a smokescreen - too many big name ads will not allow the hearing to be “news”..

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 2:53 pm

57. On a brighter note although I hope it doesn’t affect my little girl’s tummy (pancreatitis) they got a really good supper. Some sliced apple, asparagus, green beans, yam and ground chicken with a little bit of steak. All in small quantities and boiled. They did get a bit of Holistic Blendz too. All this in small salad bowls. So it isn’t too great a quantity. They licked it all up and the bowls were sliding across the floor. Just thought I’d share. Made me feel good to see they enjoyed.

    Comment by VJ — April 13, 2007 @ 2:53 pm

58. GingerTom - Cats are obligate (strict) carnivores. That’s scientific fact. Carnivores are species that eat meat only (not vegetables, fruit, etc.)

    That is why cats require taurine, among other nutrients, that dogs and humans don’t - because as strict carnivores, their bodies are unable to manufacture nutrients like taurine (available only from meat products or synthetically). Likewise, they’re unable to convert nutrients from plants like dogs and humans can. They lack the enzymes necessary to derive nutrition from plants. Scientific fact.

    The typical prey animals is about 3% carbohydrates - and those carbohydrates are partially digested. Yet, the typical dry cat food is 25% carbohydrates or more. Carbohydrates are linked to obesity, diabetes, and urinary tract crystals in cats.

    A very good scientific read on the subject is an article in the JAVMA by Dr. Zoran - a DVM and PhD and ACVIM.
    http://www.catinfo.org/zorans_article.pdf

    Good lay-persons articles on the subject available at:
    http://www.catinfo.org
    http://www.catnutrition.org

    If you go to petfoodcrusade.com - the pictures of the two cats are mine. Omaha was morbidly obese at over 20 lbs. After vets failed to make any progress on his weight with prescription diets, I found the above information and eliminated all dry food and fed him wet only. He’s lost nearly 8 pounds so far.

    The other picture is Ralph - when I adopted him, he was severely anemic, with a heart murmur, diabetes, jaundice, chronic infections, and chronic ringworm, and slated for euthanasia. I got him off all dry food and on to wet food only. He is now healthy and happy.

    I have personally worked with seven diabetics - five no longer needed insulin once I changed their diet by removing dry food - the others needed less insulin. I have personally worked with four cats with gastro-intestinal disorders and watched them cure “miraculously” with a food change.

    Comment by Lynette — April 13, 2007 @ 2:53 pm

59. Here’s a recap of what Senator Durbin is requesting - now this does look promising.

    http://www.durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=272317

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 2:57 pm

60. The non-partisan U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) has been unequivocal in its recommendation for consolidation of federal food safety programs. In February of this year, the GAO deemed federal oversight of food safety as “high risk” to the economy and public health and safety. Over the past two decades, GAO has also issued numerous reports on topics such as food recalls, food safety inspections and the transport of animal feeds. Each of these reports highlights the current fragmentation and inconsistent organization of the various agencies involved in food safety oversight.

    Durbin and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) have introduced legislation that calls for the development of a single food safety agency and the implementation of a food safety program to standardize American food safety activities (S 654 - The Safe Food Act.). Durbin and DeLauro have worked on this effort for over a decade in Congress and the bill has gained momentum from recent events.

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 2:59 pm

61. If you look on this web site and click the link provided you can see images of the crystals in the cats kidneys.

    http://catmanager.wordpress.co.....-crystals/

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 3:02 pm

62. I was furious at, I’ll call them Mr and Mrs Blinky (you know who I mean), in the hearing dismissing the numbers, and actually producing numbers smaller than the FDA and Menu numbers - I don’t know whether to complement them on that feat or hang them… Also that Mr Blinky was completely unprepared for the hearing, which Durbin properly dressed him down for.

    I was greatful for them to mention that any injuries or deaths before the recall will probably never be proven, I at least feel mentioned now.

    Anyone else notice how half the panel seemed to have really bad eye problems, while the others could look the chair and the cameras in the eye without a problem. Must have been the glare of the spotlight - not the ones for the cameras, the figurative ones…

    Of course, there are bigger issues, like the wars. But there’s no reason only one thing has to be important in the news - except the attention span of the editors…

    Hundreds, perhaps thousands dead; and thousands, perhaps tens of thousands injured. I feel greatful to still be in the latter category, and my eyes well up every time I see the numbers grow. Yet at the hearing the industry only acknowledged 5 or 6 dead…

    Now THERE’S a problem with perspective…

    Comment by steve a — April 13, 2007 @ 3:04 pm

63. Hey Lynette -I read what you said and GingerTom as the same thing (also my response). They do in fact get the contents of the stomach and intestines - which is why feeding just a slab of chicken, for example, is probably not sufficient.

    Comment by Jenny — April 13, 2007 @ 3:05 pm

64. Hills is offering $100 to people that have to have their pets tested:

    http://catmanager.wordpress.co.....r-testing/

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 3:05 pm

65. I wanted to add a funny little story: My son and his three cats moved into a ground floor apartment and his bedroom has a small window just perfect for kittys to go in and out into a fenced small yard.

    Evidently, it’s made a big tom cat so angry to have his turf invaded that the tom chased all three girls inside, pounded on the window with his paws and feet and then proceeded to spray the glass. Tom cat is really bent out of shape -three new girls on the block. Oh my!

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 3:10 pm

66. My sister wrote this:

    An article in today’s New York Times online notes that Mia Farrow, Steven Spielberg, and a coterie of concerned individuals have succeeded where two years of political negotiations have failed: by using the 2008 Olympics, scheduled for China, as an attention-getter, they have persuaded China to get tough with Darfur, Sudan, for whom China is among the major oil importers. Here it is in NYTimes’ words: “Just when it seemed safe to buy a plane ticket to Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games, nongovernmental organizations and other groups appear to have scored a surprising success in an effort to link the Olympics, which the Chinese government holds very dear, to the killings in Darfur, which, until recently, Beijing had not seemed too concerned about. ” The article, citing a March 28 Op-Ed piece from the Wall Street Journal, goes on to point out, “In a March 28 op-ed article in The Wall Street Journal, [Ms. Farrow] warned Mr. Spielberg that he could “go down in history as the Leni Riefenstahl of the Beijing Games,” a reference to a German filmmaker who made Nazi propaganda films. He has taken prompt action, and China is now negotiating to stop the genocide.

    Again in the Times’ words, China has undergone a rapid “turnaround that served as a classic study of how a pressure campaign, aimed to strike Beijing in a vulnerable spot at a vulnerable time, could accomplish what years of diplomacy could not.”

    Could we do likewise? Write to the UN Security Council, to the International Olympics Committee, to President Hu Jintao of China? Spielberg did. He got ACTION. Read the article. And start writing.

    Comment by Linda L. Tinker — April 13, 2007 @ 3:18 pm

67. I’ve been considering home feeding. I have to agree with the testimony at the hearing. Over time I don’t think the quality would be easy to maintain.

    I’ve also been looking at how to meet the real nutritional requirements of our cats and, as an engineer who writes mission-critical software for jet aircraft, I find the task of really meeting an animals nutritional requirements with home cooking a challenge that is best placed with someone smarter - at least smarter in that area.

    It is the expertise and the focus that home preparation probably won’t provide in the long run. There are people who do that well, and I’ll buy from them - from now on.

    In the hearing someone said that the consumer will punish the industry for such a breach of trust as this event represents. The industry only responded that this was an accidental contamination beyond their control, not a breach of trust… Animals are dead from being fed food labeled safe and nutritious, and THAT IS NOT A BREACH OF TRUST??? !!!

    Comment by steve a — April 13, 2007 @ 3:27 pm

68. Wonder if anyone has asked P & G for the numbers of reports of animal sickness due to their pet food. I mailed by information today to P&G today for the Iams foil packs that poisoned my cat. They told me they’d reimburse my vet bills. They could be more forthcoming about how many pet parents have contacted them, and the amount of money in reimbursed vet bills they’ve paid.

    They investigated my case thoroughly - I bet they did for every report.

    These people who are saying “we’ll never know the true numbers” are just using it as an excuse to bury the facts. There’s lots of information that remains secret.

    Comment by Eileen Turner — April 13, 2007 @ 3:32 pm

69. As I said, I probably need to sit down and do much more research..but I am inclined to believe that there is more to kitty nutrition than meets the eye. That at the macro level they are carnivores, I agree 100 percent… but at a more micro level, they do voluntarily eat/seek out other things … thinking of the various things….cantaloupe, bartlett pears… tomato sauce (no meat) lemon meringue pie (okay…THAT cat was a wee bit strange…however *l*), lettuce/cabbage - I have one now that will not let one have a minutes peace if a salad is being made…. Could be kitty pica or neuroses..but I think they are wired to at least have a “taste” for some variety that isn’t meat based….

    Comment by GingerTom — April 13, 2007 @ 3:33 pm

70. It’s only rather recently that cat food has had Taurine in it. UC Davis tried for years to get the pet food manufactures to add it.

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 3:38 pm

71. Not sure if this has been posted yet, but very interesting link.

    http://tinyurl.com/32f7ru

    Comment by Mary — April 13, 2007 @ 3:43 pm

72. History has shown that commercial pet food products can cause disease. An often-fatal heart disease in cats and some dogs is now known to be caused by a deficiency of the amino acid taurine. Blindness is another symptom of taurine deficiency. This deficiency was due to inadequate amounts of taurine in cat food formulas, which itself occurred because of decreased amounts of animal proteins and increased reliance on carbohydrates. Cat foods are now supplemented with taurine. New research suggests that supplementing taurine may also be helpful for dogs, but as yet few manufacturers are adding extra taurine to dog food. Inadequate potassium in certain feline diets also caused kidney failure in young cats; potassium is now added in greater amounts to all cat foods.

    Rapid growth in large breed puppies has been shown to contribute to bone and joint disease. Excess calories and calcium in some manufactured puppy foods promoted rapid growth. There are now special puppy foods for large breed dogs. But this recent change will not help the countless dogs who lived and died with hip and elbow disease.

    There is also evidence that hyperthyroidism in cats may be related to excess iodine in commercial pet food diets.9 This is a new disease that first surfaced in the 1970s, when canned food products appeared on the market. The exact cause and effect are not yet known. This is a serious and sometimes terminal disease, and treatment is expensive.

    Many nutritional problems appeared with the popularity of cereal-based commercial pet foods. Some have occurred because the diet was incomplete. Although several ingredients are now supplemented, we do not know what ingredients future researchers may discover that should have been supplemented in pet foods all along. Other problems may result from reactions to additives. Others are a result of contamination with bacteria, mold, drugs, or other toxins. In some diseases the role of commercial pet food is understood; in others, it is not. The bottom line is that diets composed primarily of low quality cereals and rendered meat meals are not as nutritious or safe as you should expect for your cat or dog.

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 3:43 pm

73. I agree Steve A. The whole thing is just really deep :( I have three older kitties and I’m concerned they aren’t getting what they need. I’ve got them on Dick Van Patten’s food and California Natural but also, we’ve been making their food with vitamin supplements from the vet. I’m worrying myself gray over this. And it’s pretty upsetting when I’m making stuff and they won’t touch it :( Anyway, I’m trying to be understanding because they really are only about 4 weeks out of being poisoned.

    Ginger, I agree with you too. They seem to seek things out at times. Bizarre things. Cleo loves mac and cheese, corn and sometimes peas (not baby peas though). Butter?!?! Dude eats corn and peas. They beg like dogs for this stuff. My Mom’s got a cat who will literally eat whatever food is on your plate if you let her. They must crave those things that their diet is lacking.

    Comment by Sharon — April 13, 2007 @ 3:57 pm

74. I’ve got a very odd question here.

    Two of my three cats are scooting around on their bottoms. Has anyone else noticed their cats doing this?

    Comment by Sharon — April 13, 2007 @ 4:00 pm

75. GingerTom - I would encourage you to do some research - Dr. Zoran’s article, Dr. Pierson’s website, Anne’s website - they are good places to start.

    Sure, some cats like to eat odd non-meat items. I like to eat candy bars and snack cakes. That doesn’t mean those things meet any of my nutritional requirements or that I am not an omnivore but a sugar-ivore.

    Comment by Lynette — April 13, 2007 @ 4:02 pm

76. GingerTom,
    “they do voluntarily eat/seek out other things … thinking of the various things….cantaloupe, bartlett pears… tomato sauce (no meat) lemon meringue pie (okay…THAT cat was a wee bit strange…however *l*), lettuce/cabbage - I have one now that will not let one have a minutes peace if a salad is being made…. Could be kitty pica or neuroses..but I think they are wired to at least have a “taste” for some variety that isn’t meat based…. “

    I have to disagree. Could the “taste” of variety, be from the way WE have been feeding our cats?
    True cats in the wild would not seek out a pineapple, even if it were available. Whatever plant matter etc in the stomach of their prey is minnute at best and already partially digested. Cats lack the enzyme to break down plant matter.
    Feral cats are a different story. Yes, feral cats scavenge for what they can find, because they need to eat something to survive. Feral cats in a city environment face pressure, too many cats, not enough prey and eat whatever they can find. That certainly doesn’t mean it’s optimal nutrition for an obligate carnivore.
    It is scientific fact that cats are obligate carnivores. All you have to do is look at the biology and physiology of a cat.

    Comment by Heather — April 13, 2007 @ 4:10 pm

77. Sorry my 3:43 comment was from this article:

    http://www.sagekeep.com/petfood.htm

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 4:16 pm

78. I am just wating to see what the late friday recall will be this week;(

    Any bets?

    Comment by MonkeyKitty — April 13, 2007 @ 4:18 pm

79. Laura S.

    I can’t bear to look but thank you for reminding us all.

    Lina MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 4:18 pm

80. I’ve been holding my breath waiting for the other shoe to fall!

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 4:21 pm

81. Sharon - your cats might be constipated, or have anal glands that need to be expressed. Consult a vet.

    Comment by Lynette — April 13, 2007 @ 4:25 pm

82. I found this website - it has lots of dogfeeding information, but also lists supplement and then gives phone number for almost every brand of dog food available. I haven’t called the numbers - but there lots of goodies listed in thiese 31 pages:

    http://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html#addfood

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 4:27 pm

83. Geezuz, I’m hitting refresh on the recall pages every few minutes - have been all day - also waiting for more shoes to drop. This is insane!

    Comment by Kim — April 13, 2007 @ 4:28 pm

84. A nice little article about some good supplements for dogs and how cats don’t need grains and how bad they are for cats:

    http://www.doggedblog.com/dogg....._i_wi.html

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 4:32 pm

85. Lynette, I’ve been switching their food around here and we’ve had some “looseness” the past 2 days. I’m thinking it might be that.

    I really wish I could just find something they like to eat. These critters are extremely finicky.

    Comment by Sharon — April 13, 2007 @ 4:35 pm

86. Christie Keith wrote the article I linked at 4:32 - no wonder it was sooooo good.

    I use slippery elm and peppermint and even put peppermint in my large coonhounds homecooked food after IAM gave him such a hard stomach and he was drinking tons of water - something wasn’t right.

    The site I liked is also quite cool.

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 4:45 pm

87. Hey Check out itchmo: New post regarding ChemNutra:

    ChemNutra CEO: Rat Poison Never Found in Wheat Gluten, Cuts Ties With Supplier
    April 13th, 2007
    ChemNutra, the US broker of wheat gluten, sent us an email about their reactions and a timeline related to the pet food recall.

    Interesting items from the ChemNutra timeline:

    Aminopterin (rat poison) identified in Menu Foods products was never found in the wheat gluten. So where did it come from?
    Menu Foods told them they were changing wheat gluten suppliers because of “water absorption factor”, not because of contamination.
    Menu Foods suspected 4 toxins for more than a week before issuing the recall.
    Email highlights are below:

    We are appalled and distressed that Menu Foods took so long to recall its products, although it clearly suspected there was a problem for weeks prior to the first recall. And it wasn’t until eight days before they issued their first recall that Menu Foods told us that wheat gluten was one of many ingredients it was investigating… We had no idea that melamine was an issue until being notified by the FDA on March 29. In fact, we had never heard of melamine before… We assure you that we will never again do business with the supplier of the suspect wheat gluten, XuZhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. Ltd.

    Entire letter after the jump. The timeline they referenced is here.

    Read the rest of this entry »

    Linda MS

    Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 4:58 pm

88. Thanks bloggers. You have given me sooooooo many sites I’d never find on my own.

    Comment by VJ — April 13, 2007 @ 5:11 pm

89. “water absorption factor”?

    Plastics anyone?

    Comment by straybaby — April 13, 2007 @ 5:20 pm

90. Comment by Linda — April 13, 2007 @ 4:58 pm

    “ChemNutra CEO: Rat Poison Never Found in Wheat Gluten, Cuts Ties With Supplier”

    Let the finger pointing begin.

    Comment by MFEMFEM — April 13, 2007 @ 5:24 pm

91. That’s great that Hill’s is offering $100 but apparently they have no idea how much testing actually costs.

    Comment by Carole — April 13, 2007 @ 5:29 pm

92. As for ChemNutra’s timeline….it doesn’t match the other info. If Menu quit using their wheat gluten on March 6, then it only follows that Menu suspected the wheat gluten at that time. I find it hard to believe that ChemNutra was not aware of this until the 8th. In fact, I thought there was a statement published that said Menu had contacted them earlier.

    Comment by Carole — April 13, 2007 @ 5:37 pm

93. Namibia: Pet Food Shock - Manufacturers Recall Stocks

    The Namibian (Windhoek)

    April 13, 2007
    Posted to the web April 13, 2007

    PET owners in South Africa and Namibia are reeling after two major pet-food manufacturers announced that they were recalling products that had caused kidney failure in dogs and cats.

    Royal Canin South Africa, which manufactures Royal Canin premium dog and cat food as well as the cheaper brand Vets Choice, yesterday advised veterinarians in both countries to stop selling Vets Choice until further notice.

    Dog owners who have already bought Vets Choice are advised not to give the food to their dogs until the all-clear is given.

    Laboratory tests are being done to determine whether the food is contaminated.

    The results are expected today and an announcement on the safety of Vets Choice will be made shortly, the Windhoek Veterinary Clinic confirmed yesterday.

    In South Africa, 19 dogs in Cape Town and Johannesburg that had been fed Vets Choice have been diagnosed with acute kidney failure, according to the news24 website.

    According to a statement sent out to veterinary surgeons, it wasn’t clear what had caused the condition.

    “In the interests of patients and pending tests being conducted on Vets Choice products, Royal Canin South Africa has decided to suspend all sales of Vets Choice with immediate effect and vets are requested to advise clients to cease feeding Vets Choice products to their pets until further notice,” the statement said.

    Earlier, the South African subsidiary of Hill’s Pet Nutrition recalled a batch of its Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food after a similar recall in the United States, where hundreds of cats reportedly died from kidney failure after eating contaminated food.

    The product is only available from veterinarians on prescription.

    According to the South African Veterinary Association’s Gerhard Steenkamp, the recall of Hill’s in SA was a precautionary measure, as it hadn’t appeared to affect cats there.

    Dr Guy Fyvie, spokesperson for Hill’s in South Africa, is quoted on the news24 website as saying that the potentially affected product had never been released from the warehouse for South African vet shops and all food sold in that country is safe.

    The US Food and Drug Administration said tests indicated the food was contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine.

    Recently, Woolworths in South Africa had to recall all of its dry dog and cat food due to contamination of certain products.

    Comment by Carole — April 13, 2007 @ 5:46 pm

94. Pasta boss arrested over poison wheat
    By Hilary Clarke in Rome
    Last Updated: 1:18am GMT 12/01/2006

    http://tinyurl.com/33nrn5
    ….. allegedly sold thousands of tons of grain containing a dangerous level of a cancer-causing toxin.

    ….. charged with falsifying safety documents in order to reclaim a shipment of grain imported from Canada.

    The durum wheat was seized by customs police last September because they believed that it contained high quantities of ochratoxin. This is a fungus found naturally in grain, which is a serious health hazard in high concentrations.
    The grain was to be delivered at knock-down prices to pasta makers in Italy and elsewhere. The price of durum wheat futures fell in anticipation of the shipment.

    Snippets only due to Copyright

    Comment by DeeAnn — April 13, 2007 @ 5:48 pm

95. For Sharon with the kitties scooting around on their bottoms…

    Could be impacted anal sacs, male or female,makes no difference. Impaction and infection of the sacs, makes kitty bottoms very itchy. You need the vet to check.

    Could also be round worms. Round worms can come from only 1 flea and the worms make the bottoms itch like crazy.

    I have the pleasure of both experiences.

    For those who have 2 legged non fur babies, please be aware of the Listerine recall out today….pertains to a child mouthrinse loaded with all sorts of horrid bacteria. My question is how does the bacteria get into a product that’s being produced, bottled and sealed. What filth these plants must have.

    http://www.agentcoolblue.com

    Comment by peg — April 13, 2007 @ 5:54 pm

96. We are Pam’s dogs. Tonight, we had our first full meal of our new dog food. We got very sick after eating our first meal from a new bag of Science Diet Adult Small Bites a couple of weeks ago, and since then we’ve been eating yummy home-cooked food (ground turkey, brown rice, brewer’s yeast, bone meal, ground egg shells, and grated sweet potato) mixed with samples of dry food from several brands of grain-free fare. We picked our favorite new kibble, Nature’s Logic Chicken formula (ordered from http://www.onlynaturalpet.com), and have been eating it for the last week, mixed with the homemade food. We ate the kibble all by itself tonight, and we loved it!

    Comment by Pixie, Lucy & Penny — April 13, 2007 @ 6:11 pm

97. Elizabeth R. Please send me to the links about Senator Byrd that you thinking making a mockery about the hearings.

    And if those blogs have comments sections be sure to comment about the REST of the hearings and why they were important. To have a dialog with the people who posted it is important. Find out where they are coming from. Do they just like mocking Byrd because they are partisan or is there another reason?

    I would also like to see the links to those blogs.
    Please send an email to spockosemail at gmail.com

    And by the way, anyone who is talking about ‘how the industry will use its power to make this go away and trivialize it and go back to “business as usual” I want you all to notice things EXACTLY like this.

    The work to reinstate a version of the status quo, with little meaningful change, is a multiphase process that takes place in the office of lobbying firms, law firms, PR firms and advertising firms around the country. They are well funded and highly motivated.

    Your sick or dead pet does not enter into the equation. They think you are stupid and easily duped. They are counting on your loss of focus and short attention spans. They do this for a living, you do it out of passion and love. They are skilled and smart and will use all the various means at their disposal to MAKE THIS STOP.

    Think about it: If you want to make the problem seem small and trivial, find the parts of the story you can mock or trivialize. If you want to discredit the issue, attack the messengers, go after their Strengths, not the weaknesses.

    I know it’s hard to believe that there will be people who will be out there attacking people with dead pets as “hysterical pet owners” Hard to believe that someone would lie for a company that is possibly criminally negligent, but I ask you, have you seen anything or anyone doing that in this case? Do you think that it will stop?

    So part of the process of reform in this world today is understand the forces that are at work against you and who are your allies. Knowing how it works and what to do about it are both critical.

    Do I think that the people in power at the PR firms or law firms are working on this right now? You bet cha. See PFI commission and USA Today ad. The other aspects of the program are still to be determined. I don’t know what all it will look like, but what would YOU be willing to do or say if your 6 figure job was to promote the pet food industry right now?
    How far would you go?

    We all rationalize our actions. No one wants to think of themselves as ‘evil’ but you can spot them by their actions. If they don’t have the self awareness to see what they are really doing, we need to point it out so we can have effective change.

    Sorry for the soapbox, but I trust your intelligence, and your willingness to act against the forces amassed against you.

    And a special note to PR firms, lobbyists, law firms and in-house marketing people. Think about what you are doing. How are you going to do this? What are you willing to do to support a system that is broken? Take a look into the eyes of one of your pets and ask, how best do you show your love for them? You have more positive power than you think.

    Comment by spocko — April 13, 2007 @ 6:17 pm

98. Why should pet foods be more expensive if they were made with human quality ingredients? This is why I don’t think elderly people eat pet food because it’s cheap, I never believed that. So is human food; I have eyes. You can get a can of plain tuna, pink salmon, chunk chicken, ham, etc. for the same price as “good” cat food that size. You can get beef stew, chicken and dumplings, etc. in taller cans for the same price as “good” dog food. Even the little cans of human “potted meat” horror cost a few dimes, but I wouldn’t feed that to an animal. Do those items list 29 added supplements? No. Those supplements in pet food wouldn’t be necessary if there was any food value in the can or bag. Feeding a pet isn’t rocket science; they just want us to think it is so they can sell that crap.

    All you really have to add to good cooked food is taurine for cats, IMO of course. Taurine is in the drugstore or health food store in powder-filled capsules that open easily. It’s only necessary because the food is cooked. The taurine is still there in raw meat. I remember the cans of horse meat people fed their cats 60 years ago that had cats going blind and dying of heart failure because it was cooked and had no taurine. That was just the beginning.

    For that matter, if we really wanted our pets to live on dry kibble cereal, look at human cereals (the few to be found without any junk sugars) and those are comparably priced. Plain old Cheerios might be better than extruded “meat meal” and grain mill floor sweepings. I know we’re told pets need dry kibble for their teeth, but I suspect they thrived for hundreds of years without dental problems, along with all the other health problems, until the rise of the commercial pet food industry. And they didn’t get fat until they were eating pounds and pounds of junk in their bodies’ efforts to get the nutrition they needed from it. Just thoughts.

    Comment by Sharon G — April 13, 2007 @ 6:22 pm

99. Following is a link to a Newsweek International article (courtesy of MSNBC) regarding how the Chinese view their personal pets and on the life of a domestic animal in China.
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18096481/site/newsweek

    Comment by Janet — April 13, 2007 @ 6:45 pm

100. Re: Imus

     Proctor & Gamble was the first advertiser to pull their ads from the Imus program. Food for thought.

     Comment by Garyn — April 13, 2007 @ 6:56 pm

101. I severely edited this to save space:
     Emailed to me on 12 APR 07 @9:17 PM
     From: (on-line store - edited by me)
     Subject: NUTRO - PRODUCT RECALL
     Date: Thurs, Apr 12, 2007 9:17 PM (remember this date)
     ——————————————————————
     (on-line store name)
     MARCH 19, 2007 - (>>THIS NEXT STATEMENT>>>)”I had previously ordered a broader recall of affected products than what Menu Foods had suggested. (

     Comment by Kathi — April 13, 2007 @ 7:23 pm

102. ok, that’s not all of what I said, I guess most got lost when I sent it.
     That statement is by Dave Kravis.

     Comment by Kathi — April 13, 2007 @ 7:30 pm

103. Oh yes, many cats seek out additional tastes and foods, and I agree that it could be instinctive, to provide their bodies what they need, for indoor cats who can’t hunt. Or it could be that they have sophisticated paletes. One of my girls loved pea soup, but my youngest baby (at 15) considers tissue paper, bread wrappers and road maps yummy if she can get at them. They’re all unique and individual but shouldn’t be allowed anything they want to eat. like wool sweaters and straw baskets. It’s been mentioned here the comparatively low amount of veggies or grain they may get from consuming prey, and that bit could be what they’re after. It’s sure easy to let them have a few green beans, those are popular. I still believe the only supplemental neccessity in cooked food is taurine, because the cooking removes it, whether done in a processing plant or your skillet. I think cat food has had taurine added for at least 25 years when my oldest (who died at 19) was eating canned cat food in addition to the canned tamales she loved. But there are some great supplement mixes out there for pets, and that’s never a bad idea to add them.

     Comment by Sharon G — April 13, 2007 @ 7:38 pm

104. Christie or Gina:
     Can I send you an email I received last night and let you edit out personal info? If it’s too long and it is pretty long, I guess I can just post the key elements. I’d like for Senator Durbin to look at some statements made by Dave Kravis.
     Thanks. I’ll wait for your response before sending it to you.

     Comment by Kathi — April 13, 2007 @ 7:46 pm

105. Sure, send to petconnection@gmail.com

     Comment by Christie Keith — April 13, 2007 @ 8:05 pm

106. just to let you all know i lost my best friend from renal failure 2 mo’s ago a beautiful old sheep dog, he was 12 and i wanted to know from my vet if it could have been from eating tainted food and if that was the reason he died sooner than he should have.

     i wanted to know for sure cause if it could have been the food, i wanted to make sure someone was held responsibale for it and sue them for my loss.
     i was told that even if it was the food, that i didnt really have any recourse, i have no food left that he had been eating and the fact that he had a pre condition of prostate cancer and that was the cause of death, even if i had food that was tested toxic i could not prove he died from anything else than from old age.

     i wish i knew for sure, but then maybe i don’t :-(

     so if you have pets that had other health issues you may never know what actually caused them to pass on.

     Comment by Bonnie — April 13, 2007 @ 8:10 pm

107. Bonnie
     I am so very sorry for your loss. God bless you, hon.

     Comment by Kathi — April 13, 2007 @ 8:20 pm

108. Christie
     What bothers me the most is Dave Kravis’ statement that he told Menu Foods to broaden the recall.
     Either he’s lying to cover his butt or Menu decided not to listen.
     Either way, if Kravis knew then why did he not announce the recall himself or tell the FDA to do it.
     It just seems criminal to me to withhold that information.
     You have my permission to send it to Sen. Durbin.

     Comment by Kathi — April 13, 2007 @ 8:26 pm

109. Bonnie - so very sorry for the loss of your beautiful best friend. Know that he lives FOREVER in your heart.

     Comment by elliott — April 13, 2007 @ 8:28 pm

110. MonkeyKitty - I think you are right on. I’ve been pouring over research and you are correct that they are carnivores. But in fact they do get other nutrients from the digestive system of the animals they eat. This would include a small amount of carbs. What I have read seems to agree - they do need some small amount of this other stuff.
     Here is a really good site - it seems to be the most thorough on cat nutrition that I’ve seen. The only issue is that what it states for calorie requirements for many cats is too high - although they do have in small print that neutered/spayed animals will eat less.
     http://www.maxshouse.com/Database_toc.htm

     Comment by Jenny — April 13, 2007 @ 9:27 pm

111. This week I made a difference. Don’t often feel like I can say that out loud, but today I am. Gladly. I’ll try to give you the Reader’s Digest version, in the hope that my actions will maybe prompt someone else to consider doing the same thing.

     I’m not a complainer. I usually just accept and make do, can’t fight every battle. But this week I fought by sending an e-mail to the corporate headquarters of my local (and only for a 30 mile radius) grocery store.

     I went to the grocery this time last week and found recalled food still for sale on the shelves. After requesting that the tainted food be removed from the shelves, which it was immediately, I went home and started thinking.

     We as consumers are having trouble keeping up with these recalls, maybe the stores are, too. The manager of my store was sincerely very appreciative of the information I gave them. They were NOT getting good information from their corporate headquarters and were also having trouble staying on top of the Friday afternoon press releases.

     My point is this — Last week my sadness at my own pet’s recall-related illness and my anger that this junk was still on the shelves waiting to poison someone else’s pet prompted me to contacted the CORPORATE headquarters of our local grocery chain. As a result, I learned today that not only did the ownership of our store and five other stores in our area check their shelves for recalled pet food, but the CORPORATE office has drastically changed the way they are communicating ALL of their recall information the ALL of their franchises, and have also instituted new verification procedures to assure that all recalled products are removed as quickly as possible. Even the Listerine they recalled today.

     So I guess this little fish maybe made a little splash. At least I know there is no way a pet will be eating anymore of this food bought in my town. And maybe not at any other stores in the same chain, either. And maybe since they are dealing with recalls differently, us humans might be a little safer too.

     So if you can, check the shelves. If they are in good shape, thank the store manager and send an e-mail to corporate to say thanks for their effective communication. If they aren’t in good shape, politely ask that the problem be corrected, say thanks after they have, and ask corporate to improve their communication since it apparently is not as effective as it needs to be.

     Worked for me, maybe it will for you too. Don’t think we can depend on the FDA, guess we are just going to have to depend on ourselves.

     Comment by michelle — April 13, 2007 @ 9:44 pm

112. Way to go, Michelle!

     That was huge. We all need to follow your example.

     Comment by Nadine Long — April 13, 2007 @ 10:18 pm

113. Wow, Michelle. That’s fantastic… and inspirational. Just goes to show that speaking up really does make a difference.

     Comment by CatLady — April 14, 2007 @ 5:54 am

114. Re: Comment by Jenny — April 13, 2007 @ 9:27 pm

     Jenny commented on this site which has good information about cats’ nutritional needs:
     http://www.maxshouse.com/Database_toc.htm

     The interesting thing is that Dr. Claudia Kirk is a signatory to the info about nutrition! If this paper is accurate, and it appears to be from everything we are learning about cats’ needs for protein from meat sources, then shame on her for her pro-commercial food statements at the hearing.

     Comment by Maureen — April 14, 2007 @ 7:18 am

115. Maureen, thanks for pointing that out. I hadn’t noticed it previously.

     Comment by Jenny — April 14, 2007 @ 9:23 am

116. One of the things that I have mentioned to my readers is to err on the side of caution with regard to any dog food on the recall list. if you are unsure if your specific type of food is impacted , don’t feed that brand to your dog until you get verifictaion that it is ok from your veterinarian

     Comment by MR Bruno — April 14, 2007 @ 11:16 am

117. Obligate carnivore means that cats MUST have meat in their diets. It doesn’t mean that the only thing they should eat is meat. Cats don’t manufacture taurine in their bodies (taurine is an essential amino acid) and therefore must be fed it as a supplement or in its natural form - raw meat. Feeding it in COOKED meat products and canned foods only provides a small amount of taurine because the heating process destroys most amino acids. For this reason, you will see taurine listed specifically as an ingredient on most canned and dry foods. It has to be added back in.

     Yes, cats can and will eat a wide variety of foods - especially if they eat the exact same brand of food day in and day out. It is actually thought to be better to rotate a 3-4 different brands of food throughout the year because each brand provides a different amount of various nutrients. Rotating through different brands could routinely cover more nutritional bases than feeding the exact same food forever.

     I know cats are much pickier than dogs, but I’m sure most of you with cats feed a variety of “flavors” of canned foods… that’s a good first step in the variety theory. But rotating through brands is even better. Each brand has its own “selling points”, and each brand adds in different vitamins and minerals at different levels.

     Feeding a cat a vegetarian diet with no added taurine is a death sentence. Vegetarian diets for cats can be done, but it takes a lot of supplementation simply because their bodies cannot function indefinately without taurine supplementation.

     Dogs, on the other hand, manufacture some of their own taurine, but still not quite enough - so it, too, is added in to most commercial dry and canned foods.

     Those dogs and cats who eat raw (meaty) foods don’t need the extra supplementation.

     Hope that clears up the idea of “obligate carnivore” a little better. I wasn’t stating that they ONLY eat meat… it means they MUST have meat (i.e. taurine) to survive.

     Comment by Tammy K — April 14, 2007 @ 4:27 pm

118. The Re-enactment:I opened the can Of Alpo(Nestle-Purina),spoonen it into Mittens,our Black and Tan Shepard/Rotti mix’s bowl.She became sick that evening,Vomitting,the shakes,…The next morning she would not eat,could not urinate,did not want water.Took her to the Vet.”2” is a normal reading,her’s is “15”.possible Poison.The next time the Vet(Dr.Bower) called,…”It doesn’t look good.”That Saturday I drove there ,for what would be Mitten’s Last Brave attempt to Walk on her leash out in the doctors yard to look up to the sky at the falling snow.Her tail wagged for the last time.My wife and I ,The next morning were called into Dr.Bower’s office.Mary and I layed Mitten’s in her Favorite Blanket as the Acute Renal Failure was Too much for her.We both got down on our knees,My Wife Mary holding Mitten’s head in her arms,and I Joe, alongside Dr. Bower ,holdingMitten’s around her waist.Mary’s Head And mine touching,the tears flowing as the lethal injection was given.Mitten’s suffering from the Alpo Prime cuts poisoning was over.Our’s was just beginning.We held Mitten’s Sreaming;WHYYYYYY….Our poor dog WhYYYYYY!!!!Mary’s Screams,our tears were burning,Our Heartswere heavy.Even the Doctor wiped away a tear.We kissed our ,now Rigid Mittens,Mary was helped out to our Truck.I had to lift Mitten’s eyelid,had to look into her eye one last time.The Hand that fed her
     Alpo one last time,helped pull it from the market on 3/31/07!Nestle-Purina’s Alpo Killed my Mitten’s,and I haven’t heard from them since 3/31/07-Assured that it was not a December or January Shipment,when they know it was!Gerber Baby Food ,$ 55 BILIION Dollar’s Cash by Nestle,they killed our baby,now allow them to kill yours,….

     Comment by joe Romano — April 15, 2007 @ 6:46 pm

119. >>Quote from Michelle, snipped for brevity:
     This week I made a difference. Don’t often feel like I can say that out loud, but today I am. Gladly. I’ll try to give you the Reader’s Digest version, in the hope that my actions will maybe prompt someone else to consider doing the same thing. So I guess this little fish maybe made a little splash.

     Comment by MaKo — April 16, 2007 @ 6:15 pm

120. Michelle,

     tens of thousands of ‘little fish’ make a mighty BIG SPLASH!

     :)

     Comment by MaKo — April 16, 2007 @ 6:16 pm

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