Pet-food recall: Pet Connection database to remain open
By Gina Spadafori
April 18, 2007
- If you have a sick pet or a question on your pet’s health, call your veterinarian.
- If you’re new to the site, please check out our general information page (includes links to recalled foods).
- If you’d like suggestions on what to feed, click here.
- If you want to report a sick or deceased pet, click here.
- If you want to know what you can do, please read our call to action
- If you want to read all our recall-related blog posts, click here.
With yesterday’s discovery of melamine in a second food source and today’s warning from the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center warning that pet-owners and veterinarians need to remain vigilant, our team has decided not to close the Pet Connection database to future entries. We know that Itchmo is working with a CDC-trained epidemiologist on a new database for all suspected pet food-related illnesses, but it’s not ready yet. So … ours remains up until further notice.
We again stress that our numbers are self-reported by pet-owners. However, multiple sources suggest a range of possible pet deaths in the thousands (here’s more on that) with the number of affected pets possibly in the tens of thousands. The FDA has long admitted its official count of 16 (which includes animals killed in a Menu Foods feeding trial) is low, but says as long as the investigation continues, the agency cannot speculate on how many pets have died or been made ill. They have received more than 15,000 calls on this issue — more than two years’ worth of calls on all other complaints combined.
You must still report to the FDA. And the AVMA is also working on the numbers. But you can still report to us in addition. We still want your pet to count, and be counted.
Update: Hill’s Pet Nutriion has now posted a statement on their Web site regarding rice protein. Purina has an update, too, although it’s about wheat gluten:
Wheat gluten is a rich natural protein extracted from wheat or wheat flour. Purina has been using wheat gluten in its products for nearly twenty years without incident. In fact, the same quality wheat gluten that is used in pet food products is also used in human foods.
Hmmmm. Somehow I’m not finding that very reassuring, although I do get the point that it’s not the wheat gluten per se, but the contamination of it that’s the problem. Anyway, check out the sites for yourself.
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and the self-reported numbers to date are?
Comment by VJ — April 18, 2007 @ 4:28 pm
Thank You Gina For Keeping It Open
Comment by Marry Ann — April 18, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
Yes thank you Gina.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 18, 2007 @ 4:31 pm
March Planned To Honor Pets That Died From Tainted Pet Food.
Boston, MA: A nationwide memorial march is being planned in honor of the animals that died after eating contaminated pet food. The march is scheduled for April 28. So far marches are planned Boston, Reno, Jacksonville, Uniontown, Portland (Maine) San Diego, Orange County (California) and Austin, with more cities likely to be added before the event.
Additionally, marches will be held in Canada in Kitchener and Ottawa. Organizers of the march are hoping to push legislators to protect pets so that tainted ingredients never make it into pet food again.
Since the initial recall announcement over 100 brands of pet food have been recalled, resulting in 60 million containers of food being removed from store shelves. However, despite the massive recall the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that some of the known contaminated pet food is still available for sale, meaning that consumers may still be unknowingly purchasing pet food that is harmful to their pets.
Senator Dick Durbin said at a Senate hearing that there is still a lot that is unknown about the pet food recall. For example, the FDA still has the official number of pet deaths at 16, although many estimates are much higher than that figure. Some estimates put the number of dog and cat deaths at 4,100 and the number of additional illnesses at 12,000. Those numbers are self-reported and therefore unofficial but even if only a portion of those numbers is confirmed many more than 16 animals died because of the contaminated food.
The Senate hearing was called to discuss what went wrong with the Menu Foods recall and how the industry can be more closely regulated to prevent this from happening again.
Other questions also remain about the recall, such as what the source of the contamination was and why the recall occurred at such a slow pace. Menu Foods has come under fire for not alerting the public to the contamination for three weeks after first learning about it. According to Durbin, Menu Foods knew about the contamination on February 20, but did not notify the FDA until March 15.
The FDA is still investigating the contamination. What is known is that wheat gluten, imported from China, was contaminated with melamine. Melamine is a chemical that is used when producing plastic utensils and fertilizer. The chemical acts as an industrial binding agent, flame retardant and a polymer in manufacturing. It is not yet known how the wheat gluten became contaminated or how the generally non-toxic chemical is linked to the animal deaths but the FDA has confirmed that melamine was found in the pet food and also in the urine of cats that died after eating contaminated food.
The FDA website notes that a study was conducted in 1945 in which dogs were given 125 mg of melamine per one kg of body weight. The study found that melamine acted like a diuretic in those dogs but did not cause any toxic effects.
According to an article in the North County Gazette (April 15, 2007) only 30 percent of pet food plants undergo an FDA inspection every three years. The Menu Foods plant that had the contaminated wheat gluten had never had an FDA inspection before the contamination was announced.
There was some concern that the contaminated wheat gluten had entered the human supply chain, but so far no evidence has arisen suggesting that this has indeed happened. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been asked to monitor for any signs that humans have eaten contaminated wheat gluten.
The contaminated pet food has also affected pets in other parts of the world. Contaminated food was sold in Canada resulting in the death of pets and at least two dogs’ deaths in Puerto Rico have been linked to the recalled pet food. The dogs died of kidney failure after eating recalled dog biscuits.
Meanwhile, lawsuits against Menu Foods are piling up. The suits claim Menu Foods was negligent and breached an implied and expressed warranty in allowing the contaminated food to be sold to consumers. A lawsuit that was filed in Illinois has also accused the pet food company of fraud for the alleged delay of the recall. Lawyers in that suit are requesting a court order to prevent the pet food company from destroying the recalled food, which could be used as evidence in the lawsuit.
A fraud complaint may actually make it easier for plaintiffs to win damages in the lawsuit because negligence claims raise the issue of how the law values pets. The law considers pets to be property, similar to a television or a car, which does not take into account the emotional attachment that many people have to their pets or the feeling that a pet is a member of the family. Because a pet is legally viewed as property, plaintiffs cannot sue for emotional damages, they can only sue for the monetary value of the pet.
In addition to filing suit against Menu Foods, some pet owners are suing the companies that sold the contaminated pet food. A class action lawsuit was filed in California earlier this month against Del Monte Foods after the company’s foods were part of the Menu Foods recall. The suit seeks reimbursement for veterinary bills that were paid by pet owners whose animals ate the tainted food.
According to one report, by April 7, Menu Foods faced at least six class action lawsuits related to its pet food recall. The company also faces lawsuits from Canadians whose pets died.
The FDA website has a full list of recalled foods. If your pet has eaten the recalled food, watch the animal for signs of illness. If any signs of illness arise, such as lethargy, loss of appetite, sudden weight loss, diarrhea, changes in frequency or amount of water consumption, changes in frequency or amount of urination, or vomiting contact you veterinarian immediately. If it is caught early enough, acute kidney failure can be reversed. If it is not caught early enough, it is fatal.
Comment by Steve — April 18, 2007 @ 4:38 pm
Thank you Gina and thank you to everyone at Pet Connection! You have been an amazing resource throughout this to myself, my family, and all my friends who have and/or love pets. I update about 30 people, with information I find here and on Itchmo, and several have told me they pass my e-mails along to others who need to know. Your hard work has definately helped keep many people aware. In fact, every new e-mail and notice I send about this includes the most current numbers available from your database. It’s been a godsend! Thanks again!!!!
Comment by Krystal — April 18, 2007 @ 4:38 pm
The self-reported numbers are updated every morning, right here:
http://www.petconnection.com/recall/
Comment by Gina Spadafori — April 18, 2007 @ 4:56 pm
Thank you Gina for keeping the data base open. Thank you to everyone at Pet Connection and all the bloggers for caring about our furry kids so much.
Katie
Comment by Katie — April 18, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
I don’t know how many years back this goes but I believe a woman had sued her landlord for evicting her because she owned a dog. I do remember the case went to court and the judge ruled in her favor that the dog WAS NOT PROPERTY but a member of her family. Any legal people out there who can search the law books on this one. I believe it may have occurred in New York?? If so, wouldn’t the ruling have set a precedent?
Comment by VJ — April 18, 2007 @ 5:04 pm
Thank you Gina. I appreciate your efforts and that of all those that provide input here.
Comment by Jenny — April 18, 2007 @ 5:15 pm
VJ asked for our current numbers:
Update 4/18, 6:56 a.m. PT: 4,294 pets have been reported as deceased to our PetConnection database. Of these, 2,214 are cats, and 2,080 are dogs. Total reports of all owner-suspected cases of food-related illness: 13,158. These are self-reported numbers, and should be in no way be considered confirmed or “official.” But if even a fraction can be confirmed, they show deaths far exceeding the FDA’s count of 16 pets, most of whom died in a manufacturers feeding trial.
Comment by Christie Keith — April 18, 2007 @ 5:20 pm
Somebody just called me & told me something troubling she had just heard. She was in a small pet store looking at holistic pet food & the woman in the store told her that she heard they are trying to pass a law that holistic pet food only be allowed to be sold by vets. I about fell over.
Could it be our favorite big businesses & fat cat pet food company owners are trying to put the little guy out of business so all we have left is their crappy food? If holistic food is only sold by vets, it will double in cost & most of us won’t be able to afford it.
I don’t know of any way to check this out but I know if I post it here, someone out there will know of a way to check it out.
If this is indeed true, here is another case where we have to get busy & mobilize…..we can’t allow these ******** that killed & sickened our animals to force us to buy their food.
Has anyone heard anything about this? Is it possible to pass a law without the general public knowing about it until it’s too late?
Comment by Jan — April 18, 2007 @ 5:34 pm
Let’s hope now that the better companies are getting tired of also carrying the blame and are now stepping forward. Hopefully too they will be instrumental in doing something to change how all pet food companies conduct business.
Comment by VJ — April 18, 2007 @ 5:34 pm
I suppose they are going to wait till late Friday to announce the next round of recalls?
Comment by Steve — April 18, 2007 @ 5:37 pm
Comment by Jan 5:34 pm
Jan this woman may have been referring to the CODEX bill. It is an attempt to declare all supplements and herbal remedies as prescription drugs and to be disbursed only by medical practioneers prescriptions. Another effort by drug manufacturers to get the government to pass a law so the manufacturers can do away with supplements and force us to use the prescription drug garbage that will make us and our pets sicker.
Comment by VJ — April 18, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
Comment by VJ — April 18, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
Big time!
Comment by Steve — April 18, 2007 @ 5:43 pm
VJ:
Would this include holistic pet food? The thing that freaked me out was that if this is sold only by vets, you’re talking a huge jump in price & we’ll be back to choices from the big pet food companies that most of us don’t ever want to buy from again. At least I know I never will.
I knew somebody here would know about this. You are all so well informed…..that’s why I love to sit here & read my little brains out!
Comment by Jan — April 18, 2007 @ 5:52 pm
Jan I’m speculating right now but if the mega drug companies get their way, you can betcha butt that it will affect anything holistic….food, supplements, homopathic, the whole caboddle.
Comment by VJ — April 18, 2007 @ 5:56 pm
Comment by VJ — April 18, 2007 @ 5:56 pm
No doubt they would love to crush the competition and dominate the market with pharmaceuticals. Thats the only option they want people to have. Jack Daniels and Prozac instead of herb teas and vitamin supplements.
Comment by Steve — April 18, 2007 @ 6:21 pm
Steve,Count On More Bad News Fri. How Is Your Cat Doing??
Comment by Marry Ann — April 18, 2007 @ 8:18 pm
I would fight against selling decent food at vets only. I think it is a rip off. There is nothing ‘medical’ about the food I’m feeding my cats. And the stuff I get from the vet that I am replacing is not as good as the stuff I can get in the store. Maybe less recalls, but the byproducts and other such ingredients rule on the vet products. Lots of cheap fillers.
Comment by Jenny — April 18, 2007 @ 8:42 pm
Comment by VJ — April 18, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
Yeah, they tried that nonsense before - didn’t work. Too many people who can’t afford meds if they’re going to eat depend on alternative practitioners.
Comment by CathyA — April 18, 2007 @ 9:18 pm
Actually Steve,
A Jack n’ Prozac may be just what we need about now . . . . ;)
Comment by straybaby — April 18, 2007 @ 10:31 pm
Comment by Steve — April 18, 2007 @ 5:43 pm
Maybe. Maybe not.
1. The dietary supplements market is very possibly the only industry LESS regulated than pet food. A friend of mine who’s a toxicology professor says you would NOT believe what’s in that “vitamin capsule.”
2. The Dietary Supplements industry does NOT want to be regulated, because the required testing would raise their prices. Ergo, their PR spin is that the drug companies want to
“get rid of the competition.”
3. If we’re all jumping up and down (I sure as heck am) to get pet food companies to do more testing, don’t you think human supplements should at least have to adhere to the same standards? i.e., not harmful, at least, if not helpful? Right now, they don’t have to do that.Why? Because they’re unregulated.
4. Where do you think these supplement folks buy most of their ingredients? China.
I don’t like Big Pharma. But I also don’t like being played by their competitors. Make sure you’re asking the same questions about supplements you’re asking about food. You might be surprised to find out how non-holistic they actually are.
Comment by Laura — April 18, 2007 @ 11:02 pm
“Make sure you’re asking the same questions about supplements you’re asking about food. You might be surprised to find out how non-holistic they actually are.”
actually, I have been ever since ChemNutro’s name was releaved and I looked at their product list. Took a little time, but I believe I found non-China Natural sources for everything I need. Some of it is already arriving on my doorstep. And once I’m more familiar with the different brands, I will be speaking with the shops around me that carry natural/organic products. I got lazy there thinking
Comment by straybaby — April 18, 2007 @ 11:17 pm
oops!
. . . my vitamins and supplements were safe :-/
Comment by straybaby — April 18, 2007 @ 11:18 pm
“Where do you think these supplement folks buy most of their ingredients? China.”
It is true that many herbal supplements are grown in China, and I have always been told that they send the poorest quality stuff to us. Wonder if they use melamine as a fertilizer?
Comment by joyce — April 19, 2007 @ 1:14 am
China owns a large amount of the U.S. National Debt. We will never be rid of China. If anything the government just keeps giving them more and more.
Congressman Tanner knew back in 2003 how much power China would have over us. Now we are in so deep there seems to be no end.
http://www.house.gov/tanner/press108-101.htm
Funding 2 wars is expensive. The U.S. Government talks tough but I doubt they will follow through with anything against China and it’s unsavory trading practices.
Found this yesterday:
Trade deficit sets record for fifth consecutive year
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit set a record for the fifth straight year in 2006, reflecting a huge jump in America’s foreign oil bill and a record imbalance with China. The year ended with the December deficit increasing more than had been expected.
The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that the gap between what America sells abroad and what it imports rose to a record $763.6 billion last year, a 6.5 percent increase from the previous record of $716.7 billion set in 2005. For December, the deficit rose a bigger-than-expected 5.3 percent to $61.2 billion.
The Bush administration attributed the string of deficits to the United States outpacing other countries in terms of economic growth. Officials said that President Bush would continue to pursue a strategy of opening foreign markets to U.S. goods rather than erecting protectionist barriers to keep out imports.
Comment by Tammy — April 19, 2007 @ 4:02 am
Re: “The Bush administration attributed the string of deficits to the United States outpacing other countries in terms of economic growth.”
Oh please, sing me another song! It’s simply cheaper for US companies to outsource everything. If the borders were shut down today - nothing in and nothing out - we’d be going hungry mighty fast. Price supports of certain US industries - food, steel, etc. - are a method of insuring our country has a supply of necessary things. It has always been part of national defense. I want to know where that went. I’m sure some economist would try to tell me it doesn’t work quite like that any more - that all country’s economies are so intertwined that we’d all fall down if restrictive policies were put into place, but I’m just not buying that.
Comment by CathyA — April 19, 2007 @ 5:57 am