If you sign up at http://www.itchmo.com
They will send you all the recalls annouements before they go public. There are recalls still going on. The latest is Diamonds dry foods. This is sold to costco.

Excellent web=site

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Share your comments about this story with Animal Wise Radio Listeners. Leave us a voicemail at (888) 668-0687 (Toll free). We may play your comments on the air.

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A whole lotta new recalls since yesterday afternoon - SIX, actually.

If you want to learn about newly recalled products, don't bother with the AVMA link - it takes you to a page of all recalls, and not to just the new ones. They do have the some of new ones listed elsewhere on their site, but they have not been keeping up to date. Neither has HSUS, ASPCA, or the FDA. ASPCA is probably the best of the lot - the others are usually at least a day or two behind.

I've been following this recall closely since mid-March, and only two sources have correct and immediate updates.

http://www.itchmo.com/
This blog reports the recalls as soon as they are announced, often before the manufacturer's own websites are updated. The site is easy to navigate and details are easy to find. All six of the new recalls are listed on this morning's entry, including some helpful background.

http://www.petconnection.com/blog/
This site is more complex, as it usually has multiple daily updates, and the comments to each entry can go into the hundreds. The comments can have interesting and helpful information, but if you're pressed for time, just read the entries.

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I also wrote Sen. Durbin regarding a ban on food imports from China. Is it a matter of time until human beings are affected too? I also stated that our animal companions are familly members and that we take their welfare very seriously. I hope everybody on this network writes, it just takes a minute to be a voice for our best friends.

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To a friend of cats

Thanks for the great info on the web sites It is greatly appreciated.

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FWIW, I did send a letter to the FDA as per Sen. Durbin's website. Today I got a response which I'm sure is sent to everyone who has contacted them. Apparently they have been inundated with calls and e-mails. Good. Perhaps they will wake up and realize this isn't just a concern by a limited group of people who like to pamper and coo over their pets. This is about public health and safety.

I urge others to do the same, if you haven't already done so.

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I agree with you Spucky. How can they do that and call it testing? It sounds like Cruelty to me. I feed my kitties Nutro dry and I am going to write the company and request that they stop using menu foods for that reason. If they don't, I will find another food. Maybe if everyone wrote to their food companies it could make a difference?

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The horrific animal testing by SOME of the pet food industry has been an issue for some time now.

Again, Proctor and Gamble, who own Iams, have had horrific and UNNECESSARY animal testing exposed by whistleblowers

Go on the web and search and you can find lots of info

there is more info, video at iamscruelty.com

This is an issue we all need to get involved in

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I agree with all the comments about pet food quality. What's sad is that so many people don't know anything about what goes into most pet food, and they believe the misinformation and hype from the manufacturers. So many times when I'm shopping, I see another person put some "premium" brand in their basket, and I just want to grab it from them and tell them not to buy it.

The latest trend is for food labels that tout how "natural" the product is - giving the impression that it is therefore "healthy." The manufacturers know that people are at least marginally aware of the need for "quality" pet food, so they manipulate someone who doesn't know how to read labels into buying their product. And the buyer goes home with a bag of ground corn,corn gluten meal, and meat by-products (but, oh, what a pretty bag it comes in!).

What really gets me is that many of the higher-quality brands often aren't any more expensive than the heavily advertised, mass-produced "boutique" brands. Between residents and fosters, I have over a dozen cats to feed, so I have to comparison shop. Every time I crunch the numbers, I can find lots of brands that compare favorably to the chichi stuff that's mostly byproducts and filler. I have to shop around, either at local stores or online, but I have lots of alternatives to the standard fare.

I think it's time for me to start offering homemade meals a few times a week. Tonight's entree will be mostly free-range ground turkey.

I haven't checked the archives - maybe it's already been discussed - but reading pet food labels and/or how to safely feed a homemade diet would be excellent topics for one of the upcoming Special Guest blogs. In the meantime, we could discuss these in the forums - I'm sure there must be at least one forum devoted to this.

Jeannine
A "Chef" to Cats

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Another good source of information is The Whole Dog Journal. In their Feb 07 issue they list their approved dry foods with a great article on how to read the labels and what the ingredients really mean. In March 07 they did the same with wet foods. Next month they are to discuss home-prepared diets. You can subscribe or get back issues at whole-dog-journal.com. They always have great articles on medical conditions, nutrition, care and training. (I don't work there - I'm just a very satisfied subscriber!) Most importantly...educate yourself! I read several books on raw diets before feeding my dog a home prepared diet then started seeing a holistic vet so I could ask questions and tweak the diet appropriately. You can go to ahvma.org (American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association) to search for a holistic vet in your area.

To respond to the sickening reports of animal testing in relation to this recent recall - In my opinion the best thing to do is not to buy from any company that practices or is involved in "unnatural" animal testing. "Unnatural" being anything other than normal feeding trials (which incidently don't prove a lot). End of story. I believe you can find a list of ethical pet food companies at PETA.org.

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Here is a good article on VegEat. (Natural vs Organic).

http://network.bestfriends.org/vegeat/news/5304.html

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Here's a good pet food - Newman's Own Organics Premium Pet Food. Can be bought at stores or from the website. Read the ingredients and you will be confident that you are buying a good food. And they donate profits from all foods to charities each year.

My deepest sympathy to all who have lost a pet.

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I'm another big fan of Whole Dog Journal. I have all the back issues, and whenever something comes up with my dogs I can usually find out about it there. As mentioned below, their ratings of dry and canned foods are excellent. Since the ratings articles include the criteria they use, it's easy to apply that information when I go shopping. The best source I've found in the Chicago area for several brands recommended by Whole Dog Journal is Pet Supplies Plus.

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This just in... rat poison found in recalled pet food.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20070323/D8O1V4G80.html]

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Some pet food retailers are being cautious, and are pulling any canned food that was manufactured by Menu Foods, even if those brands are not part of the recall and have not been associated with any pet illness or deaths.

Trader Joe's has pulled its canned dog and cat food:
http://www.traderjoes.com/action_issues.asp#PetFood

Similarly, Pet Food Express, a retailer with multiple California locations, has placed limitations or advisories on the sale of other food produced by Menu Foods:
http://www.petfoodexpress.com/petfood/default.asp?pageid=78&Section=About

I just checked the websites for PetSmart and Petco, but the recall information appears as it did earlier this week. Now that at least one of the toxins - and its source - has been identified, perhaps other retailers will adopt similar precautions.

I understand Cornell is responsible for ID'ing the rat poison - thanks, Cornell!

Jeannine

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For pets have become sick or have died, and whose families suspect pet food to be the cause, here are some resources:

Banfield, The Pet Hospital, is offering some discounts and has established an emergency fund:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news/index_mail.shtml?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-22-2007/0004551873&EDATE=

Iowa State University is providing postmortems and toxicology for animals and the food they consumed.
http://cvmweb2.cvm.iastate.edu/departments/VDPAM/default.aspx?id=2784

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Um....when does it get to the point where Menu Foods just recalls everything that's still on any shelf in any store? Wouldn't that be better than just adding things every couple of days? They've obviously screwed up royally, so maybe it's time to take back ALL of their products and not release any more products until they figure out what's going on (or never release any products ever again. I honestly wouldn't complain....).

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Can the need for action be any more obvious. What is it going to take? What pet food manufacturer hasn't issued a recall?

If the Chinese won't let us in to inspect then we need to say no more Chinese food imports. It's already been revealed that contaminated grain has made it into the human food production. That really shouldn't be a surprise. I don't like the idea of saying "Buy American" because American is substantially superior in quality, because it probably isn't. But at least inspectors can be sent into American facilities to check for contamination and violations and to try to keep everybody honest.

This is just another example of the drawbacks of outsourcing.

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Thanks for getting this information out there, Michelle. I put a news story in the PA community last night, and updated it this am when the Menu Foods recall website was up. There is an announcement in the Forums now, too.

The website includes a press release, and all the dog and cat food affected by the recall. The foods are listed on Excel spreadsheets , so you have to be able to open Excel, I think, in order to see the information, or have another spreadsheet program that converts Excel for you.

The spreadsheet data is very specific - includes the brand, variety, can size, UPC, etc. The press release states that any brand/variety not listed in the recall can continue to be used.

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Hi,
I you go to the www.fda.gov web site they have posted an updated section in the fda press release, to increase the number of animals Menu Foods has reported as dying as 14- 1 customer dog, 4 customer cats, and 9 feeding trial cats.

The reports seem to indicate that whatever the toxin is in the food, cats seem to be much more susceptible.

Karen Dashfield DVM

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This just breaks my heart - people think they are doing the right thing, buying the best foods such as Iams, etc and then this happens...and they are the ones who fed it to their pets so they are the ones who feel guilty and responsible - so very sad. I hope they get all of this stuff off the shelves before anyone else has to deal with this nightmare - would also like to recommend Blue Buffalo brand, Spa Select is wonderful, all natural and my picky kitties are big fans.

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My sister wrote to Royal Canin, a supposed top notch compamy about the safety of their food. She was told their food was perfective safe, and that they had the highest standards of quality control. So she continued to use the food, the next day, they were on the recall list. They had to have known. They let her keep feeding her cats. Anyone want a copy of their letter, I will show it to you. This is getting worse all the time. Do not buy any Royal Canin they are terrible!!!!!

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Regarding the class action issue: I suspect that the reason there have not been class action suits filed (yet at least) is simply a matter of evidence. When a suit is filed, the person suing must be able to prove what is alleged. I don't know about most people, but we've been feeding our dog the same food for all of his life (which is not on the recall list). Were something to go awry with the brand we use, we would have a hard time proving that it was the dog food which hurt our dog. How many people track what they feed each day and keep "the evidence."

Also, the sad truth is that in the eyes of the legal world, companion animals are considered property in most states and have nominal, if any value, in litigation.

I don't agree, of course, my dogs are my children, my earthbound angels. I'd sue in a heartbeat just to send a message and to take a stand, even if I knew I'd get no compensation. I lost a furchild last year. I know that no amount of money compensates any of us for the loss of someone we love, two legged or four legged.

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Subject: [Animal_Rescue_Certification] Proposed Legislation regarding pet food / please comment & forward on.


Will each of you please cross post this proposed legislation as soon as possible to all of your animal contacts and offer any feedback, comments, recommendations. etc. Send comments to either Janis at drowssap911@ yahoo.com or directly to Jay - email address below. Please do NOT send comments back to me.

Emails listed below have spaces in them so they forward to some addresses - remove spaces for actual address:

Janis (drowssap 911 @ yahoo . com)
Jay (jay @ blimlaw . com)


Jay Edelson <jay@blimlaw. com> wrote:
From Jay Edelson Mon Apr 23 10:21:15 2007
From: "Jay Edelson" <jay@blimlaw. com>
To: jay@blimlaw. com

Dear Animal Rights groups and related experts,

Attached is our working draft of the legislation we will be proposing to Sen. Durbin’s office later today. Thanks for everyone who previously gave suggestions. If anyone has any more comments or changes, they would be very much appreciated.

Ideally we will be able to propose something that will have the support of a number of animal rights groups; please let us know if you believe you will be able to publicly support this bill, either in the current form or with changes.

Best regards,

Jay

Jay Edelson
Blim & Edelson, LLC
53 West Jackson Blvd.
Suite 1642
Chicago , Illinois 60604
Tel.: (312) 913-9400
Fax: (312) 913-9401
www.blimlaw. com www.classactionconn ect.com

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ----
PROPOSED LEGISLATION: FEDERAL PET FOOD SAFETY ACT
PREPARED BY BLIM & EDELSON, LLC
Section 1. Congressional Findings.
(a) This Act may be cited as the "Federal Pet Food Safety Act".
(b) The Congress finds that pets and companion animals and activities that are regulated under this Act are either in interstate or foreign commerce or substantially affect such commerce or the free flow thereof, and that regulation of same as provided in this Act is necessary to prevent and eliminate burdens upon such commerce and to effectively regulate such commerce, in order--
(1) to ensure that the owners of pets and companion animals are provided with prompt and accurate knowledge of problems with the pet food supply as known by the pet food industry;
(2) to protect pets and companion animals from consuming contaminated or poisonous pet food;
(3) to promote consumer confidence in the pet food supply;
(4) to assist the federal and state governments and the public at large in vitiating the detrimental effects of contamination of the pet food supply; and
(5) to alert federal and state governemnts to potential problems that might detrimentally affect the human food supply.

Section 2. Definitions.
When used in this Act--
(a) The term "person" includes any individual, partnership, firm, company, corporation, association, trust, estate, or other legal entity;
(b) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States or his representative in the employ of the United States Department of Agriculture;
(c) The term "commerce" means trade, traffic, transportation, or other commerce
(1) between a place in a State and any place outside of such State, or between points within the same State but through any place outside thereof, or within any territory or possession of the United States, or the District of Columbia;
(2) which affects trade, traffic, transportation, or other commerce described in paragraph (1),
(d) The term "State" means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, or a

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Link to send email to FDA regarding pet food safety

http://ga3.org/campaign/petfoodsafety?rk=C7eiyjF1cMuZE

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If you click on the link for "list of recalled foods" on this site, it allows you to select dog/cat, then the brand. it then provides the UPC, flavor/type, and date information (probably the information in the excel sheets referenced below.)

http://www.allaboutdogs.typepad.com/

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Agree that "big business" doesn't handle pet food quality & issues very well

Note that Iams (owned by Proctor and Gamble) has been involved in horrific, unnecessary, torturous "testing" on beagles

that ends in death for those dogs

Now this

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Hopefully people will start to look at the quality of the food they give their pets! Instead of this mass produced low quality stuff! ( won't call it food) Wheat gluten the suspected cause of the contamination is a low cost filler used by these pet food companies. Years ago I read that IAMS and Eukanuba were exactly the same just different labels now this only confirms it.

There are a number of quality pet foods out there more expensive granted, but wouldn't one rather be pennywise rather pound foolish when it comes to their pets. Over the life of your pet feeding him a high quality food is better for his overall health the less ingredients that the food contains the better no fillers, sweetners, chemicals or the ever mysterious meat by products.

And don't forget you can also go the home made route!

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Hi,
I you go to the www.fda.gov web site they have posted an updated section in the fda press release, to increase the number of animals Menu Foods has reported as dying as 14- 1 customer dog, 4 customer cats, and 9 feeding trial cats.

The reports seem to indicate that whatever the toxin is in the food, cats seem to be much more susceptible.

Karen Dashfield DVM

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A California newspaper has reported melamine has been found in three canned pet foods NOT on the recall list. The veterinarian of a cat who developed acute renal failure in March sent food samples to the University of California - Davis. UC Davis labs have confirmed the presence of melamine in the food.

These are the foods which tested positive for melamine by UC Davis:

Nutro Max Cat Gourmet Classics, 3-oz. cans:
Chicken Cacciatore, UPC 79105352055
California Chicken Supreme, UPC 79105300117
Lamb & Turkey Cutlets, UPC 79105300148

Read the full story here.

http://www.marinij.com/ci_5630208

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South Africa...

Pet food laced with an industrial chemical traced to China has killed 30 dogs in South Africa, the country's veterinary association said Friday.
Click Here

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BEST FRIENDS, can you please contact all Pet Food makers and urge them to PERMANENTLY STOP importing ingredients from China?

While this may not be the sole problem with Pet foods (there are many problems), it is probably the major one.....a recent news story reported that it is a well kept secret in China, that Chinese Wheat Gluten suppliers add dangerous products (such as Melamine) to their Wheat Gluten, in order to save money.

If we exclude China from putting ingredients in our Pet Foods, we will be going a long way towards ensuring the safety of our Companion Animals.

The Pet Food manufacturers need to know this.

Thank You.

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Interesting Pet Food Recall Site:

www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/pet_food_recall_index.html

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I was also very saddened to read that Menu Foods is using cats and dogs to test the tainted food. It made me want to cry. Poor trusting creatures, thinking they were being fed a meal and they were poisoned. I assumed vet care to ease their suffering was refused. All you Best Friends Animal lovers - lets start a boycott of all of the foods & companies associated with Menu Foods!

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Read latest story on the testing.

http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6250550&nav=0nqx

Check out Yummy For Dogs!
http://www.yummyfordogs.org/

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Hi,

I am quite sure the epidemiologists quote at the beginning is a misquote!!!!
Mad cow disease takes a long time to develop, causes little holes in your brain, and HAS NEVER BEEN DOCUMENTED in dogs or cats. It does not cause kidney failure and does not cause instant illness.
I think he was just trying to make a point that initially mad cow disease was thought to be due to a chemical contamination, and instead proved to be an infectious agent.
So don't panic- NO ONE thinks this is mad cow disease!!

Karen Dashfield DVM

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At the risk of providing too much information, here's another database for reporting pet illness and death. It's at Dr. Marty Becker's Pet Connection site (associated with his syndicated weekly pet-care column)
http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/03/21/pet-food-recall-more-than-200-dead/

And just one small clarification to Dr. Dashfield's excellent list of what to do if your pet is sick: the recalled food includes food sold in POUCHES, as well as canned.

Based on the reports that are coming in from across the country, it sounds like a whole lot of this food has been on the shelves for weeks or months.

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Yes I was going to mention "The Whole Dog Journal" as a source of information. This publication has no advertising of any kind. so they are not beholden to any of the corporate interests. Research, research and more research is what pet owners need to do these day not just about what you feed your pet but about the medications that are prescribed etc.

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mikefry,
if you read this, would you mind listing the ingreds. you used for your home made food? How did you address the need for bone as an ingredient, as I'm told is needed (by our new holistic vet)

My Hans has seizures and the phenobarb almost shut down his liver, so we are trying chiro. & chinese herbs. thank you

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Pls read about Pebbles who was the symbol of the pet recall story .

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/03/23/state/n133144D47.DTL

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If everyone calls or emails their reps and Senators and asks them to propose a bill we can get something done. We just called our 2 Senators and rep

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I've been doing the raw food diet thing for 7 years now and it's not all that difficult and if we made people food like the vets have you believe you would have to make pet food at home we as humans would be dead. I mean vets make it sound like if you don't get the exact amount of stuff you'll kill them. Bones are important because that is nature's tooth brush. They should only be uncooked chicken necks for cats and knuckle bones for dogs. Please watch your animals at first to make sure they don't get too over zealous and choke. The best thing about home made food is I know what's in there. Read-Foods Pets Die for by Ann Martin. This pet food thing probably isn't over. It's just a tip of the iceberg. And another thing if they even kind of cared at all about our pets they wouldn't put the crude in the food that they do. If you must buy commercial foods try Innova, Timberwolf Organics, Flint River, Steve's Real Food, Canadie, Felidae, Wellness, California Natural, Wysong, and there's many others.

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It has been some time since I have read or posted on this site. I have reviewed comments from the last few days and would like to offer what information I have and try to address some others.

As I understand it, the rat poison got into the wheat gluten supply which was used to thicken various pet food products because it came from China. Over there the poison is used to kill the rats that infest the fields. The country does not have the same regulations that we do, although that doesn't seem to stop companies in North America from importing products from there and using them.

It is my understanding that there are far more deaths from the tainted food than being reported by Menu Foods. There apparently is a web site posted by Marty Becker DVM, an Idaho vet, TV personality and author, that asks owners who have dogs and cats who have died or have become sick from what they suspect to be tainted food, to report their stories. The consequences of this are far more widespread than some people here think.

As far as food for pets, I have had success feeding my rescued golden Eagle Pack's Holistic Large Breed as well as their holistic lamb and rice. The company is based in Mishawaka, Indiana. It contains no corn meal or gluten, wheat or by-products. Our dog was badly overweight when we got her at 11 months and her coat was course and dry. Through walking, swimming and proper nutrition, she went from 82 to 68 #, and has a thick, soft, shiney coat that, of course, sheds everywhere! I am, though, calling them tomorrow and verifying the sources of their ingredients, and do they make their own products or outsource like so many company's that are on the recall list.

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Woman becomes ill after eating tainted food:

http://www.mississauganews.com/mi/news/story/3922983p-4534345c.html

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FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. This listserv covers mainly Class I (life-threatening) recalls. A complete listing of recalls can be found in the FDA Enforcement Report at: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/Enforce.html

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It is scary. We started using Nutro Natural A premium food for our dogs. A Rep from the Company had told us Nutro was a small Company, and they had complete control over the quality of their food. Now I find out they farm out to other company's. Very upsetting

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When we went to our small local grocery store last night (Mar 17) they were not aware of the recall and my husband told them. How can we be sure that grocery store managers are taking care of this and getting it off the shelves. Not every consumer has access to this information and an uninformed customer could put his or her pets in danger.

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How do we access the Excel spreadsheets referred to below?

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Here are two links to important updates on the recall-
Dog deaths increase despite pet food recall
Deadly toxin has killed at least 100 dogs, scientists say
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10743413/

http://1010wins.com/pages/307071.php?contentType=4&contentId=377120

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There is a lot about the pet food industry that people with pets should look into. This is the second major recall in about a years time.

It is worth noting that many years ago, a combined Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and FDA study tested dog foods for Sodium Pentobarbital (the drug used commonly in animal shelter to "euthanize" animals). A very large percentage of the foods tested positive.

Did they do a recall? Nope. They suppressed the data and did a follow-up study, the protocol for which was questionable, that concluded the Sodium Pentobarbital levels were "safe".

I have looked into this issue for nearly a decade and have concluded that any pet food company that is owned by a large international firm should be avoided. A growing number of smaller pet food companies are puting out much better product.

For more detailed information visit http://www.animalarkshelter.org Scroll to the bottom and click the link for pet food ratings.

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Hi,
Be sure to check the site daily, as they are adding additional brands and additional lot numbers and flavors of foods under the brand names. There doesn't seem to be any labeling of new information when you get there so you have to search the whole list each time. Nutro Ultra, Mighty Dog (only one size packet), and Science Diet Cat Food are brands that were added since yesterday and numerous other brands have had lots more flavors or sizes entered today.

the site is
www.menufoods.com/recall

click on either cat food or dog food, then click on the brand name to see the lot/ scu numbers of the recalled foods.

These are only canned and foil pouched foods- dry food is not affected.

Karen Dashfield DVM

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A few things about the recall. It has been expanded to include some additional brands. It looks like the brands are more of the private-label, grocery-store brands. The complete list is still at the Menu Foods recall website. The list is broken down into cat food and dog food.

Same website as before: http://www.menufoods.com/recall/

Re: soccergirls's question about finding the Excel spreadsheets: It looks like Menu Foods has converted the information into regular tables. Probably getting complaints from people who couldn't open the freaking spreadsheets. I clicked on several brands on the list, and they all opened up in a table, with no problem. So no need for Excel at this point.

Re: randilee's link to the MSNBC site: That's a DIFFERENT recall - it happened over a year ago. Sorry to "shout", but I didn't want people to be unnecessarily alarmed - the current recall is scary enough. The other link - to the WINS radio website - does have a story related to the current recall.

Hope everyone who's reading doesn't find any of this food on their shelves!

Jeannine

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Please note the quote from randilee below about more than 100 dogs dying, and the link to the msn article have nothing to do with this food recall- this refers to a previous recall of totally different DRY dog food.

To date, 1 dog and 9 cats have died, and "an undisclosed number" of animals have been sickened by the canned foods.

Karen Dashfield DVM

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The following are the brands associated with the recall as of 2:30 pm ET on 3/19

Please note that only certain styles and lot numbers are affected- go to the web site and check if you feed any of these brands. www.menufoods.com/recall

DOG FOODS- CANNED/ POUCHES
Americas Choice-Preferred Pets, Authority, Award,
Best Choice, Big Bet, Big Red, Bloom, Wegmans Bruiser, Cadillac, Companion, Demoulas Market Basket, Eukanuba, Food Lion, Giant Companion,
Great Choice, Hannaford, Hill Country Fare, Hy-Vee
Iams, Laura Lynn, Loving Meals, Meijers Main Choice, Mighty Dog Pouch, Mixables, Nutriplan,
Nutro Max, Nutro Natural Choice, Nutro Ultra, Nutro
Ol'Roy Canada, Ol'Roy US, Paws, Pet Essentials,
Pet Pride - Good n Meaty, Presidents Choice, Price Chopper, Priority, Publix, Roche Bros, Save-A-Lot,
Schnucks, Shep Dog, Springsfield Prize, Sprout
Stater Bros, Weis Total Pet, Western Family, White Rose, Winn Dixie, Your Pet

CAT FOODS
Americas Choice-Preferred Pets, Authority, Best Choice, Companion, Compliments, Demoulas Market Basket, Eukanuba, Fine Feline Cat, Food Lion, Foodtown, Giant Companion, Hannaford
Hill Country Fare, Hy-Vee, Iams, Laura Lynn,
Li'l Red, Loving Meals, Meijer's Main Choice,
Nutriplan, Nutro Max Gourmet Classics, Nutro, Natural Choice, Paws, Pet Pride, Presidents Choice
Price Chopper, Priority, Save-A-Lot, Schnucks,
Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Cans, Sophistacat,
Special Kitty Canada, Special Kitty US, Springfield Prize, Sprout, Weis Total Pet, Wegmans, Western Family, White Rose, Winn Dixie

Karen Dashfield DVM

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This is extremely frustrating. Neither of the toll-free numbers rings through properly -- or there is a rapid busy signal. According to the website, it's the pouches (e.g., Nutromax feline chunk food in pouches), not just the cans. I JUST gave some, bought at Petsmart, to my 4 here at home as a treat a few nights ago -- right before the warning came out. Threw out the pouches, of course -- so how would I know what the lot numbers are? The vet's couldn't elaborate -- they gave me an 866 number which doesn't work, nor does the one listed above. The Nightly News talked about "food poisoning," the radio yesterday mentioned "acute renal failure," and no one seems to really know what the heck is going on. I just want to make sure that this supposedly "premium" food that I paid an arm and a leg for can't hurt the little guys at this point. So much for Nutromax...as my dad used to say, "a snare and a delusion."

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This link will take you to a story on today's msn home page:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17650075/wid/11915773?GT1=9145

In the article, it states that the manufacturer is now testing the suspect food on dogs and cats to see what happens. Many animals have died as a result. This is outrageous and certainly animal cruelty. I cannot believe the sophisticated laboratories we have these days couldn't be used to test the food instead of feeding it to trusting pets. SICK SICK SICK. If this is how we figure these things out, why weren't human subjects used to test tainted peanut butter in that recent recall? I hope a major animal rights organization will take the manufacturer to task for this. It's completely and utterly horrible.

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You said it, southerndogmom! The loss of a person, human, canine, feline avian etc. can never be recompensed by $$. But it would sure keep big industries' attention, if it hits them at the bottom line.

I really believe we need an animal bill of rights, or at least the kind of law passed in Scotland recently, defining what "owners" must provide for those in their care. Even better, how about a law recognizing the inherent right to life and personhood for animals? At least starting with domestic ones? Does anyone know if such a movement/organization exists? They are our Angels, let us be worthy of them....

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Thank You Best Friends for continuing to provide us with these updates

It is very much appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The FDA didn't know if the tainted wheat gluten had made its way into plants that process food for humans.

Well, they do - and it did:

http://tinyurl.com/2lbzvy

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Thanks to everyone for their helpful comments and postings. If you have information you want to post, please be sure it is a link to article as opposed to an entire article cut and pasted. Copyright laws prohibit the usage of articles cut and pasted. Thanks again!

Michelle Buckalew
Network News Editor

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Yet another product recalled. See the FDA press release dated April 5, 2007:

http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/sunshinemills04_07.html

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Hills has emailed veterinarians, and is willing to reimburse up to $100 for medical screening for animals that ate any of their products that were recalled, regardless of whether animal actually became sick or not. If you have had previous bloodwork run on a cat that is known to have eaten a recalled product from Hills or Science diet, contact your veterinarian for details

Karen Dashfield DVM

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Ok, as more foods are added, this is getting scarey. I may be feeding something that I beleive to be safe this week only to find out 3 weeks from now that it isn't.I only fed dry to my dogs and cats, but I still am getting concerned as time goes on what to buy.I am not near a "big" store with a lot to choose from either, so this is getting interesting on how to fill their little tummies with something HEALTHY and that they like.

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Well, it's after 5:00 p.m. on Friday - so there must be a new pet food recall announcement.

I was just being impudent, but - heavens! - looks like there is one:

http://www.delmonte.com/petfoodrecall.html

This expanded recall is is not for additional brands, but expands the affected dates for the products that Del Monte recalled last weekend.

Over at the petconnection.com blog, sharp-eyed people (including some journalists) notice something interesting about this press release:
it refers to the "ingredients" from the plant in China - not specifically to "wheat gluten", raising the question of what else might be suspect. Or maybe the phrase "ingredients" is supposed to encompass wheat gluten and melamine. Who knows?

Probably not the FDA, who just yesterday assured us that we should feel "secure" when purchasing pet food.

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Thanks Jeannine! Yeah, the Whiskas is just for one week to be safe while I get the natural. I was just leery of using any of them that had any products even associated w/ the recalled companies (even if they weren't on the list yet). I'm just so paranoid about it. I'm looking at Kimpikat and Felidae but I have to order them online and have them shipped so hopefully they will come in soon. Thanks again so much for the fabulous information!!!

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Salmonella is a constant problem with natural meat/ tendon style jerky treats, rawhides, pigs ears, etc. as these products are not cooked.

Anyone using these products must consider them to be a risk to human health, and on rare occasions to their pets health.

Unfortunately "natural" and "no preservatives" comes with a risk.

Karen Dashfield DVM

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Hi,
If you go to the fda web site www.fda.gov, they have an updated press release from the distributor of the contaminated wheat gluten.
In order for the amount of melamine (6.6%) in the wheat gluten to add up, there was about 52 tons of melamine mixed into the wheat gluten that was shipped from China..... hard to see how this could have happened by accident, that is far from a minor residual contamination of a product!!

Other than the base wheat gluten recall there have been no new recalls since Fridays addition of M/D, Alpo Prime Cuts, and the Del Monte products.

Karen Dashfield DVM

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Note:
Faith Maloney of Best Friends is recommending this great book:

Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
Click Here

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There's an update from the FDA this morning:

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood_update.html

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Ok. so I printed out the list of affected companies (not just foods - with the list growing every day any company remotely associated w/ the recall I'm not buying from) and went to the store for a short term product.

I'm researching holistic/natural brands to order and should have one in by the end of the week hopefully (any suggestion please let me know)...so in the meantime I purchased Whiskas. I've done a bit of research on them and so far they don't seem to be connected in any way with Menu foods or any other company involved. Does anyone know anything different about Whiskas? I know it sounds paranoid but better safe than sorry...

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Christy,

This site lists many pet food companies that are not involved in the recall: http://www.thepetfoodlist.com/
It also indicates if a company has any of their food produced by Menu Foods.

Whiskas is made by Mars - not what you'd call a "premium" label. I took a look at Whiskas' ingredients at petfooddirect.com - they're an online pet supply retailer, and they list the ingredients of most of the products that they sell. I skimmed the ingredients of some of the pouch varieties - they all seem to have by-products as a main ingredient, which coming from a quality/holistic perspective, is not what you're looking for. The dry food is even less impressive: Ground Yellow Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Animal Fat (Preserved with BHA/BHT). These are all considered to be cheap, "filler"-type ingredients.

I'm cautiously impressed with Natura - they make Innova, Innova Evo and California Natural brands. Their dry food is made at their own plants, although Menu Foods had been manufacturing their canned foods for them. The company put out a press release saying that, short-term, they would continue to produce their canned foods at Menu plants, but would institute stricter controls like an on-site rep, etc. They also said that they're going to buy or build their own canning factory, so that they can better control all aspects of production. There's a video on their website: http://www.naturapet.com/

Pet Food Direct carries most or all of the Natura cat food, so if you wanted to try them out, you could order from them. My cats have eaten most of the Natura products, and currently like the EVO very much.

There are some discussions about food over in the Alternative and Natural Pet Care Community - maybe you can get some more ideas over there.

Jeannine

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I have to say, the FDA sounds mighty defensive, and they should!

They bungled this from the beginning!

I read that the head of the FDA tried to claim that the FDA inspects and tests pet food. TOTAL GARBAGE!!

The pet food industries have been allowed to regulate THEMSELVES and it's not working

We need to contact our Senators and Reps and demand federal oversight or this will happen again

(remember the aflatoxin killing pets a couple of years ago? in dry food)

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Try Blue Buffalo - Spa Select - all natural ingredients, no fillers, no wheat gluten from anywhere and my kitties love it!

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MORE product recalls, and it's not just about wheat gluten anymore:

From http://www.petconnection.com/blog/:

Update: Itchmo has confirmed that Natural Balance is pulling additional product, including canned foods and treats.

Update No. 2: The FDA has just posted the T.W. Enterprises recall of some of its dog chews. The problem? Salmonella contamination.

If you check only one resource for developments in the pet food recall, it should be http://www.petconnection.com/blog/

The FDA and AVMA do catch up, but it often takes them DAYS.

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I just got a newsletter from ASPCA saying that they've received a lot of calls from concerned pet owners who want to know more about a homecooked diet. The ASPCA strongly encourages that pet owners fully research a homecooked diet for their pet, problem is, most canine nutritionist are really just advocates for a certain brand of pet food and a certain fad diet.

I have, however, recently found a man who researches canine nutrition. William Cusick has written several books on breed specific homecooked diets. He does not argue that a specific brand of food is the best or that a raw diet is best. Instead, he argues that a breed specific diet based on the nutrients that are found in that breed's homeland is the best way to feed dogs.

I got my copy of "The Best Diet for a Miniature Schnauzer" yesterday, and I'm very pleased with it. You can download a PDF of William Cusick's first book about his canine nutrition research and his philosophy that specific breeds need specific diets from his website (see link at bottom). If you're interested, I strongly recommend that you buy the book for your breed of dog and give the diet a try. The books include a recipe of homecooked dog food for every stage of life for your breed of dog. He also provides a mathematical equation to help you figure out how much to feed your dog if he/she is naturally above or below the AKC breed standard.

Please at least consider William Cusick's books if you are thinking of a homecooked diet for your dog! His arguement that there is no such thing as one "perfect, well balanced, miracle" diet for every single type of dog has made more sense to me than any other bit of canine nutritional information I've ever heard.

http://home.att.net/~wdcusick/06.html

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Another one...Dry Food Recall
Click Here

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I'm really getting tired of coming over here and posting yet another recall announcement:

Blue Buffalo just announced a recall of its Spa Select Kitten Dry Food. Complete information is on their website:

http://www.bluebuff.com/

There were FIVE companies who received the melamine-contaminated RICE protein concentrate from Wilbur-Ellis, but only two have been identified: first, Natural Balance, and now Blue Buffalo. The FDA is holding a press conference as I'm typing this, and they refuse to identify the other companies until product testing is complete.

They're not considering that people who unknowingly feed contaminated products to their pets are conducting some risky "product testing" of their own.

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BREAKING NEWS - IMPORTANT UPDATE:

Test results released on March 23 by New York state researchers indicated that aminopterin, a rodent poison, was found in the contaminated pet food.

On March 29, the FDA announced the results of their own tests. They did not find aminopterin; however, they did find melamine, a chemical used in the plastics industry. Read the full story from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

http://tinyurl.com/yr9ah4

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There will probably be an update to the main story, but in the meantime, Natural Balance is pulling some varieties of their dry foods.

Read the announcement at their website:

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/

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RescuerCA, thank you for posting that article by J. Guiliani. Where was it published? I'd heard many of those things in conversations, but didn't know the source of the info. thanks

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Hi,
Right now an educated pet owner is the best defense for keeping your pet healthy.
It appears that the wheat gluten has within reason been identified as the offending ingredient that is contaminated. Unfortunately it is not clear if all the companies that received the wheat gluten have been publicly identified.
Until the FDA clearly states that all companies that received the wheat gluten have been publicly listed and involved in the recall, the safest thing for your pet is to avoid any foods with wheat gluten as an ingredient.
When you shop, take your reading glasses, and purchase only those foods that don't list wheat gluten as an ingredient. While it is rare for dry foods and chopped styled cans to contain it, check it out anyway.

Karen Dashfield DVM

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Not to go too far off topic, but regarding the last article that rescuerCalifornia posted -

I agree that any suits would bring nominal damages. I'm afraid that in the eyes of the law, most companion animals are considered property and many states do not allow damages for emotional distress unless the "owner" witnessed the death of the animal at the hands of some third-party. I state this based on my experience with legal cases in which an animal was either shot by a law enforcement officer or euthanized when a policy or written agreement was not followed.

Having said that, I would still sue if my dog became chronically ill or died as a result of eating contaminated food. Sometimes it's not about what compensation you receive - no compensation can ever make up for the loss of a person (be it two legged or four legged). Sometimes it's about sending a clear message to someone (in this case, the food industry) that lack of proper regulation (if that's what occurred here) will not be tolerated.

They mean the world to us - they are our Angels on Earth. But in the eyes of the law, they aren't worth much at all. Sad, isn't it...

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"Having said that, I would still sue if my dog became chronically ill or died as a result of eating contaminated food. Sometimes it's not about what compensation you receive - no compensation can ever make up for the loss of a person (be it two legged or four legged). Sometimes it's about sending a clear message to someone (in this case, the food industry) that lack of proper regulation (if that's what occurred here) will not be tolerated."

I agree, southerndogmom! If it was my dog, I'd be pushing as hard as I could for the supreme court to hear my case. Pets aren't property, they're our children. I think it's a violation of my consitutional rights to consider my children as property and as though they don't matter.

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Due to the massive personal devastation this is causing, why have there not been any class action lawsuits filed? Also, China does NOT like or want dogs in their country; articles have reported that China destroys pet dogs (forcing the dogs from owners) and slaughters them on the streets, then throws the dog into an awaiting truck, apparently to stop overpopulation! So, I wonder is this POISON intentional?

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Hi again,
Menu Foods expanded their recall with additional varieties and dates today. You have to go to their original recall list and look for the noted updates to recheck.

Karen Dashfield DVM

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I agree, kenkay! My dog just finished off the last bit of his most recent bag of food this morning, and now I'm worried about going to buy another bag. The last bag seemed to be fine, but how do I know that the next one will be fine too? I'm feeding him holistic food, but I haven't found any statements or anything from Pinnacle (the brand of food) assuring customers that they are in no way connected to this food recall, so how do I know if it's still safe to feed my dog? Is it safe because it's holistic food, or is it safe because it's not on the list, or will I not know until I feed him the food?

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No factual evidence has been presented by anyone that the wheat is the source of the contamination. In fact I believe it has been stated by the NY dept of Ag. and Cornell specifically that the source is not yet determined. It has been stated that it would be highly unlikely and unusual for wheat gluten to be contaminated in this manner with this chemical.

The link to the wheat was made by the company based on the timing of the complaints coinciding with the use of the new wheat gluten supply.

The chemical found in the food is illegal to use as a rodent poison in the US, however it is was used as a chemotherapeutic agent (though it is somewhat outdated in that use), and is undergoing clinical trials for us in leukemia, so could possibly be aquired in the US.
(Like many chemotherapeutics in small doses they produce desired effects on )

A secondary concern is the fact that this chemical is a mutagen and causes fetal abnormalities. This could affect pregnant dogs and cats, causing harm to both the developing fetus, and possibly death of the bitch or queen if the abnormality prevents natural birth and an emergency c-section is not performed. So we may see a second round of harm caused by this food. Imagine the harm if someone was feeding this to a colony of unspayed ferals.....

Karen Dashfield DVM

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Here is another link for pet food recall information.

http://howl911.com/#foods

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Dr. Dashfield, I have appreciated your very reasoned and level-headed comments. It really has helped me sort through this and check my own understanding of what's going on here. Thanks.

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THANK YOU TO THE PREVIOUS POSTER!.I stumbled upon the toxic and shocking information last summer and I still can't understand how this hasn't been exploited. Vets, first of all, under the contingincies of the huge corporations like Iams, keep this under wraps. I have since switched to Innova, thinking that it's a natural food, but at this point, I am so paranoid in trusting these companies, I am considering just going to giving my precious Lhasa human food. Any thoughts/comments would be appreciated... and any way I can help getting the word out. This hideous pet food issue HAS to be dealt with soon. People are unknowingly giving their pets poison every day. It's so sad. I recently read the Best Friends Magazine at the vet the other day, then it brought me to this site. If anyone can help, I hope Best Friends can.

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I thought I was a very well-informed pet owner who understood pet nutrition and the food products on the market. This recall, though, has pointed out to me that I haven't always been asking all the right questions....i.e. who actually makes your products. I think it is a very important piece of information because I believe it is relevant to quality control.

With that in mind, I have begun researching several high-end company's web sites. I have been emailing them, also, and asking if they make their own food. I am surprised to find out that of the companies I have contacted, that none make their own canned food. Some do not even make their own dry. If they own a plant that makes their dry product, I have asked whether all the ingredients used have been grown or produced in the US.

I encourage fellow pet lovers to so the same. A better-educated consumer encourages better products.

To pass along...it is my opinion that one of the best responses posted to the recall has been by Innova at www.naturapet.com. You may wish to check it out. I am not endorsing anyone, although, I do use their treats with great satisfaction. I just felt that the information provided and the importance placed by them on this subject is impressive and thought-provoking. Helps me raise many more questions that I should be asking.

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I found this site pretty helpful.

http://petsitusa.com/blog/?p=210

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bogiedew, thanks for that site, very helpful.

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Hi,
The FDA has stated that they have found melamine in the wheat gluten and the affected food, however no one is 100% sure if this is the chemical that is causing the illness.

Further, they have stated that another UNNAMED company that makes dry dog food purchased the wheat gluten, and the are "checking" to see if it was used.....

Hopefully they name this company soon- as this is a company seperate from Menu Foods.

Karen Dashfield DVM

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This might be what the FDA was talking about, Dr. Dashfield:

Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc. Voluntarily Recalls Single Product, Prescription Diet™ m/d™ Feline Dry Food, Only Product Containing Wheat Gluten

It's worth stating that this product was not produced by Menu Foods. In fact in a Press Conference held today the CEO of the company said:

"Melamine has been found in the finished product that was the subject of recall and has not been found in other Menu Foods pet food outside of the recall. Menu Foods only manufactures wet pet food."

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This just get worse everyday, doesnt it?
I was at Trader Joe's today and they use Menu Foods for their canned pet food..they were not on the recall list, but to be safe they pulled all their canned food off the shelf. I thought that was good of Trader Joe's.

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Hill's has just recalled a single product, Prescription Diet m/d Feline Dry Food. Hill's is also the maker of Science Diet.

Here again is the recalled product: Prescription Diet™ m/d™ Feline Dry Food.

http://www.hillspet.com/menu_foods/Menu_Foods_03302007_en_US.htm

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The article on making dogs and cats into pet food came from this site, url below. I'll post another one from a dog website.

http://www.flintriverranch.org/petfoodarticles.html

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Take what the plant owner says with a grain of salt. His statement that only a small percentage of waste is actualy dogs and cats has to be questioned since his plant is the one doing it. And his other statement, that using dead dogs and cats in pet food is a "public service" and not for profit is an outright lie. As the other article states, when you dispose of dead dogs and cats through means other than grinding them up and making them into food, it is a far greater cost to the rendering company. This is an economical decision on their part and nothing else. Truly deplorable.

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RescuerCa, thanks for the articles and the sources. I'm never feeding commercial foods ever again.

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Foods Not Included on List
Click Here

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My heartfelt prayers and reiki go to Pebbles and his person, and to all those innocents and their families affected by this.

I've signed the petition, but is there a movement to address this in Congress, or should I call on my own?

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We need to put those careless jerks at Menu Foods out of business!
There is NO excuse for this!! No excuse!
On Page 1 of any respectable Pet Food manufacturer's manual, should appear the obvious words: KEEP RAT POISON AWAY FROM PET FOOD!
You dont have to be a Harvard graduate to know that!
I heard those jerks at Menu Foods at their little Press Conference (face saving party), having the nerve to boast about their wonderful "quality assurance" program.
If those careless nitwits had ANY true "quality assurance" program, they would have ENSURED THE QUALITY OF THEIR PET FOODS, BY MAKING SURE THAT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THERE WASNT ANY RAT POISON ENTERING THE FOOD SUPPLY, THAT COULD KILL OUR FOUR-LEGGED FAMILY MEMBERS!!!!!!

Also, those two faced jerks spoke of how bad they felt if anyone lost a pet...yet, did you notice that they did not offer that lady who's dog had died from eating their tainted food, anything close to an apology or even their condolences, after she spoke to them at the press conference?
No, they spoke about their "quality assurance" program instead, so that their business could be spared, and the Dog that died would have to be considered "collateral damage".
These frauds are just businessmen/women preying on the emotions of animal lovers. You want the horrible truth? These greedy jerks dont care about YOUR cat or dog. They care about THEIR money.
That is why we need to boycott their products and put them out of business!

I will not be buying any of their products anymore (This will be easy for me, as I havent bought their products in a long time.)

P.S. Was anyone else horrified when Menu Foods admitted that the two facilities where the rat poison entered our Pets food supply where STILL IN USE?
Do the math. If these facilities had rat poison enter the food supply of our precious four-legged loved ones, and they dont know HOW it happened, and because they continued to make MORE pet food even after knowing this, then that means that there may very well be Pet Food tainted with rat poison hitting the shelves in the months, maybe years to come!!!.
I cannot overstate this: MENU FOODS STATED, THAT THEY ARE, AS YOU READ THIS, CONTINUING TO MAKE PET FOOD AT THE VERY FACILITIES WHERE THE RAT POISON GOT INTO THE FOOD SUPPLY OF OUR PETS!!!
I could not believe it!! Dont they know that the rat poison can STILL be entering our Pets' food supply, which will kill even more Pets in the months, maybe years to come?
I thought I heard it wrong, it sounded so absurd, yet they stated that the facillities where the poison entered the food supply of our Pets' food are STILL IN OPERATION!!
I could be wrong, but common sense tells me that if the rat poison entered the supply then, it can certainly STILL be entering it NOW, since they still dont know HOW it is getting in the food.
If I were you, my fellow Cat/Dog lovers, I would not put my Cats/Dogs in danger, by using any of the foods on the recall list, ever again!
Menu Foods does not have a "quality assurance" program. That is obvious. So why would you feed your cherished furry family member food made by a company that is so careless and so downright stupid, that they allow rat poison to get into the food?
Let's put Menu Foods out of business!!! Until we do, or Cats/Dogs will not be safe!

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From what I've read the rat poison came in wheat from China so the contamination didn't happen from rat poison at their facility. I fully agree that they should test all ingredients. If they had tested the wheat they would have realized in time not to use it in pet food.

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The problem is that there is NOT going to be any real, true "investigation" or charges because the pet food industry is SELF REGULATING

There is not enough government oversight (much like, say, much of the puppy mill industry)

These businesses lobby long and hard AGAINST rules and regulations

The consumer needs to demand government oversight, because it is clear that the pet food industry can't handle things properly on their own

much as say, the breeding industry, cannot

And pets are getting hurt/killed and consumers cheated

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1,200 deceased pets? That's so terrible. It's really scary to think that things like this can happen so easily, but the consumer really has no control over it. And you have no way of knowing that the food is safe until you've already fed it to your pet. I hate the idea that from now on, I will be on pins and needles everytime I open a new bag of food for my dog. Of course, I could always cook his food myself, but as we all learned from the spinach thing last summer, even our food isn't always safe. Yet, ironically, it didn't take nearly as many people to die from the spinach as it took dogs and cats to die from the rat poisoning before they figured out what was going on. This whole thing is very distressing...

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I have no idea about reliability, but the self-reporting on petconnection.com shows that the actual number of deaths is over 1,500. I don't want to be an alarmist but since there is no system I'm aware of for people to report deaths from poisoning to the Big Pet Food Regulator in The Sky, it would not surpise me to know the reported number of 16 is way, way off. I'm not even sure if the FDA has a centralized reporting system.

This is all still quite shocking to me. And I must confess that while I suppose it is not the absolute best in terms of nutritional value, I've been feeding our dogs Pedigree for years and now I'm quite thankful that I have.

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Hi,
Unfortunately much of the self reporting includes animals that have only eaten food that are not included in the recall, eaten ONLY dry food, and not cans or pouches, or who died several months ago and it is unknown whether or not they were really affected by the food. Many older cats die of kidney failure, so a 10, 11 or 12 year old cat that died of kidney failure can't truly be linked to the food unless we know for sure they were eating an affected food. Many animals die suddenly for unknown reasons, bloat, cardiac conditions, etc.

I do believe a lot more that 16 animals have died, but when I spoke to the FDA to report a dog that was eating the recalled food, they indicated the majority of calls they were receiving were from people who either definitely didn't feed any of the Menu Foods products, or didn't know if they had fed them.

I would be interested in seeing pet connection give more scientific validity to the numbers, by giving both the total "self reported" numbers, and the numbers where people were definitely feeding the recalled food.

Karen Dashfield DVM

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The FDA does have a reporting system, and while petconnection is a nice place to report things, the FDA is the appropriate place to report known exposure to the recalled foods resulting in illness. I do not know if the FDA is going to be willing to take second hand reporting from pet connection, so I hope that people are reporting directly to FDA

Go to www.fda.gov click on the pet food recall. It will direct you how to report an ill pet.

Karen Dashfield DVM

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Dr. Dashfield - I agree about petconnection. I guess I kinda took it with a grain of salt, figuring the 16 was too low and the 1,700 was way too high.

I've learned from my interaction in this network that the world is full of less than honest type of folks so those numbers could be inflated. Why someone would self report out of context is a mystery to me but I'm sure tragedies like this can bring out much misinformation.

Thank you for your input.

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I don't believe that most people who are self reporting their sick dogs are meaning to be deceptive. Part of grieving over a sick or deceased pet can include looking for someone or something to blame. It is certainly easier to say that "my dogs pet food must have killed him", then to accept that we just don't always have answers.

As many pets, especially cats seem to hide their illness, thus seeming to get very sick suddenly, and they usually haven't had previous blood work, it is easy to see how the owners would look for a specific cause.

Certainly it is more likely that these are "naturally" ocuring kidney failures or deaths, than it is to believe that just about every dog food or cat food, dry and canned, is contaminated, which is what one would have to believe to connect all these self reported claims to the pet food recall.

Karen Dashfield DVM

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Do we know for sure that the poison came through the wheat gluten from China. It seems to be the likeliest explanation, but it also seems a bit early for anyone to be able to make such a definitive statement.

I'm wondering if the wheat gluten was purchased from China because it was cheaper and whether it was bought with a poor understanding of (or worse a disregard for) production methods in China, including pesticide, herbicide use.

BTW, why exactly is wheat gluten used? Is it the gravy portion? I know people can have gluten sensitivities. Do animals?

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I'm with QMD333 - Menu Foods should not and cannot be trusted - I refuse to ever buy another product from them - ironically, when I was trying out cat foods to see what my crew liked, none of them were fans of Iams or any of that - they chose Blue Buffalo Spa products - thank goodness they're so picky - I hate to think of what may've happened.

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My gang of four LOVES the new enhanced raw diet I'm giving as per MikeFry and the Joanne Carson epi-dog tips. I was astonished how they gobbled it con mucho gusto, even those blueberries!! Best of all, there's no dangerous ingredients.

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Hi,
While it is a small distinction, the current removal from the shelf of all foods of the type being recalled is not in fact a recall based on factual evidence that the foods outside these dates are contaminated. The FDA pointed out to Menu Foods that many recalled foods were still on shelves, (likely due to laziness of stores in properly checking dates and codes, or confusion) Menu Foods took the additional step of asking that ALL foods of the effected variety be pulled from the shelves in an effort to remove any confusion, and ensure that no additional contaminated food could be sold.

Many stores had already pulled all these foods, even though they had no assurance they would be credited for the foods by Menu. The Market withdrawal of all food regardless of date ensures distributors and stores they will reimbursed for using all due caution in removing all cans/ pouches of effected brands/styles, regardless of date and code.

The list indicated by the link below adds some foods not on menu's list where individuals have indicated their pet was sickened. These may be real contaminations or may be people looking to link a pet that otherwise became ill with a wholesome food..... we don't have enough info. to know.

Karen Dashfield DVM

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While everyone is up in arms about rat poison in pet food I would like to give people some equally alarming news. I've known about this for quite some time and I hope Best Friends will do a story on it. Most brands of dog and cat food has something called "animal byproduct". Guess what it is? Well I'll tell ya. In many brands it is ground up dogs and cats. Yes, ground up dogs and cats usually from euthanized animals at shelters. I first heard this from my vet . You can call these pet food manufacturers and find out for yourself. I would think THIS would be as big an outrage as the rat poison. Do you want to feed your pet ground up dogs and cats from shelters? Animals no one wanted or discarded pets are being made into pet chow. I read an article on the danger of putting dog and cat meat into pet food if it came from shelters since the meat could contain dangerous levels of the euthanasia serum. This is for real and it needs to be exposed. I'm sure it would cause just as much outrage as the rat poison did.

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rescuerCalifornia;
You're correct that ground up dog & cat used to be in pet food. However, that's been illegal since 1997. Up to then it was a part of cattle feed as well.

At least that was my understanding. Apparently I've got a lot of reading up to do just to double check things. (Make sure none of that back slid)

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Hi,
Different states have different regulation in regard to rendering of animals, and different areas have different ethical pressures placed on them about sending pet animals to rendering. In the northeast it is quite rare for dogs and cats to end up at rendering plants where they could end up in bone meal and the like. In some states it is still common practice to render dogs and cats. The euthanasia solution can get into rendered meat and bone meal from euthanized large animals.

There are 3 levels where pressure can be applied-
1. legislatively to ban the rendering of pet animals.
2. At the rendering plant level to discourage the acceptance of pet animals as ethically inappropriate.
3. At the veterinary clinic/ shelter level to advise them that we find their use of rendering facilities to be inappropriate and unethical.

You will find most places don't render their dogs and cats, so don't assume they do; however their are still some that are guilty of this practice.

Finally, many pet food companies are very carefull not to knowingly use materials that may contain dog or cat. However as things like bone meal are not always purchased directly from the source, it is possible that any bone meal, including that sold for human useage, could have dog or cat in it. the only way to be sure it doesn't is to get the rendering of dogs and cats nationally banned.

Karen Dashfield DVM

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Dr. Dashfield, can you comment about the practice of "road kill" being rendered into dog/cat food? I live in NJ and am told that some people locally have a license to pick up dead deer, possums etc for this purpose. Is this an urban myth? if true, does it mean rotting meat is used?
Also can you tell us anything about the chemicals BHA and BHT used as preservatives in pet foods? I read somewhere that these commonly used chemicals are known carcinogens.
Thank you for sharing your professional knowledge with us, it is much appreciated. Warm regards, Rita

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Dr Dashfield, can you tell us where to go to find out if our state or city (is this by city ordinance or state law) is rendering dogs and cats for pet or even human food? I have a feeling that even places where this is outlawed it is probably not closely watched and may still be going on.

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Read the Fox News poll/story:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,262460,00.html

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I made a decision to not use any company that is in any way associated with Menu Foods. Not only am I concerned about the way they have handled this whole issue, but I also do not like the invasive animal testing they do. Please check if this concerns you, because it seems that Menu Foods makes wet food for many of the pet food manufacturers ~ including Innova, California Natural, Newmans, etc. My cats are now on Solid Gold. Do your homework.

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Wow.. Mike, valuable info you shared. Thanks!

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I've just been reading a CBS article about the recall, and have been receiving a lot of calls , and their is a lot of panic out there.

IF you think your pet is sick from this food, please do the following.

1. Confirm that your pet was pet a food on the list. Go to www.menufoods.com/recall and check the specific size, flavor, package and lot number. (If you have already thrown it away, it is worth digging through your recycling or garbage to be sure)

2. Call your veterinarian and request that the animal be seen and have bloodwork run. The only real way to diagnose kidney failure or kidney compromise is through bloodwork.

3. Based on the results of the bloodwork and exam- if your dog or cat is showing signs of kidney compromise or failure, call the fda and report the case- giving them all the info off the can or foil pouch. Better yet, have your veterinarian report the case.

4. If your pet was DEFINITELY fed a food from the recall and shows signs of illness other than kidney failure, report this also, it may help to figure out what is going on.

5. Save some sort of PROOF that you had and fed this product. Take the package with you to the vet and have them record the information in the medical record. Save a package in a safe location where you pet cannot get into it. Save your receipt if you can find it showing where and when you purchased the food.

6. Keep a level head. This recall only applies to CANNED foods manufactured from this December (2006) to March at the Menu Foods Plant. It does not apply to ANY dry pet food. If your pet died of kidney failure prior to December, or was not eating one of these specific brands, then it has nothing to do with this recall. There are lots of causes of kidney failure including age, congenital defects, leptospirosis, antifreeze, etc. Not every animal dying of renal failure is due to Menu Foods, and not every animal dying for unknown reasons is due to Menu Foods.

Praying that most of this food hasn't hit the shelves yet.

Karen Dashfield DVM

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-- The Web site http://petconnection.com asks owners to report sick pets there, to build a database, and to the Food and Drug Administration.

-- A list of the recalled products with product codes, descriptions and production dates is available at http://tinyurl.com/2pn6mm.

--FDA pet food recall information: www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/ http://hottopics/petfood.html

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Please contact your Senators and tell them to push for a complete overhaul of the Pet Food Industry.

Tell 'em to knock it down, and start building it again, and do it right this time!

This irresponsible, careless, deadly behavior by the pet food industry should be considered criminal!

Animals are dying cruel deaths because of the industry's incompetence = animal cruelty.

Again, please let your Senators know that you want them to completely change the pet food industry....it clearly is not an industry worth preserving in it's present deadly form.

Thanks, and spread the word!

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Sign the peition protesting Menu Foods using animals to test their poisoned food:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/578295121

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I agree with all the comments below. Especially about the animal testing. I try so hard not to buy products from these companies like Proctor and Gamble but they seem to sneek in everywhere. I am currently feeding my cats and dog Science Diet but now that I know they co manufacture with Menu foods who are also testing on animals, I would like to change. Any suggestions??

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Please check out the pet food ratings at www.animalarkshelter.org. There are several recommended foods, including Solid Gold, Wellness, Sojos, Canidae and others.

My personal belief is that, as syndicated columnist Dr. Michael Fox recommends, learning to make your own, home-made pet food is - by far - your best option. You can use all natural, human-grade, fresh ingredients. Once you know what you are doing, this can be just as convenient as store-bought.

This is what we do at our house. We supplement with foods from these smaller, higher quality manufacturers, especially Solid Gold.

I had a rat terrier that had idopathic seizures until she was about 8 - 9 years old. Vets always said the same thing - nothing we could do about it. She was fed Science Diet (we thought we were doing good by her). After a seizure, she would often have residual pain, and the vets would dose her up with steroids.

Eventually we went to a holistic vet who recommended we take her off the Science Diet and begin making her food with fresh, natural ingredients. She never had another seizure. And she lived to a nice old age.

I have been looking at pet food labels very closely ever since.

In my opinion, Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, and the rest of the "mass market" pet foods are all the same. Their ingredients lists sure read the same - lots of processed grain, filler and potentially toxic preservative (BHA and BHT are known carcinogens that can cause liver and kidney problems).

It was interesting to me to note that these products are all originating, basically, from a common plant. No wonder the ingredients lists all looked the same!

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I knew there must already be people talking about this somewhere else on the Network.

I searched the communities and found "Alternative & Natural Pet Care" Within that community, there is a forum, "Feeding a natural diet." Just last week - before the recall - there were several posts about commercial pet food. And there are also discussions about feeding raw or home-cooked diets.

So let's hop on over there and get some better options for feeding our animal friends.

Jeannine
A Friend to Cats

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I highly recommend reading Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. It is written by Richard Pitcairn

As a real general overview, the higher quality foods use MEAT as top ingredients, not meal or byproducts.

They do NOT use cheap filler like corn, brewer's rice, wheat gluten, etc

Look at labels of products like Newman's Organics (they donate to Best Friends by the way!)

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Group list for those who have lost pets in recall which also includes info on what to do.
Click Here

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I believe that if people are going to prepare home prepared food, they need to do some research. But don't let that scare you off.

I do not believe in one recipe for diet. Variety is the spice of life, and critical to good nutrition.

We have been sold a bill of goods from the pet food industry, and from many vets who tow their line.

We have been told that a pet should get one food for its entire life. Nothing else.

Holistic vets say the opposite is true. The key is variety, variety and more variety. My goal, never make the food exactly the same twice!

For meat, I usually buy ground beef, turkey or lamb. I buy only free-range, organic. I mix that with some sort of fresh grain, rolled oats (uncooked with water added) or steamed rice or wild rice Sometimes I add potatoes in place of grains. I add some veggies like carrots or squash (very finely grated), beans (I vary the kinds) and some fruit, berries, bananas, apple. I supplement with vitamins, including fish oil and calcium. I also vary the supplements. . . I sometimes add Missing Link, and sometimes others like Dream Coat from Halo.

The reasons for doing the “variety thing” are complex. So I do not want to get into them here. But they are important.

Other people have mentioned Whole Dog Journal. I will just throw in this plug that they are an excellent source of good nutrition information.

Other recipes are on the web. I recommend trying many of them!

If your pet has a sensitive GI, try very gradually adding more variety.

Animals that have been fed only 1 food for most of their lives may have a pretty lazy gut. Animals need specific enzymes and bacteria in their GI to digest different foods. A healthy GI will be full of all sorts of these bacteria and enzymes. If you have been feeding nothing but one kind of processed kibble to your dog, these things may be lacking. So start slow and transition to rich variety very gradually.

Bones can be good. When I use them, I give them raw, uncooked knuckle bones with marrow. I personally think some holistic vets over-rate the value of bone. Some calcium supplement provides much of the same nutritional value, other holistic vets have told me. But the dogs sure do like the bones.

A more controversial thing I have done is to feed whole, uncooked chicken necks. The dogs go wild for them. So long as they are not cooked, the neck bones are very digestable. I do not feed these to Chico (the Katrina Chihuahua – because I am afraid they would be too big)

I make up several days of food at one time. . . then stick it in the frig. I make their food when I am making dinner, so it takes no extra time at all to prepare. Feeding the dogs is just as convenient as using store-bought.

Occasionally, I will supplement with commercial food. . . I am VERY picky there about the commercial foods I will offer my dogs even in limited amounts. The foods that pass my test include Solid Gold, Canidae, Azmira and Spots Stew.

Other great products include Honest Kitchen & Steve’s Real Food

Making your own food can be surprisingly cost effective and fun. I consider myself “domestically challenged” yet making my pets food is enjoyable to me.

One final note: My dogs look fantastic, as in way beyond good or great. Barney and Tasha are both seniors. . . 9 and 10 respectively. When people meet them, most people would guess they are 2 or 3 max.

We don't know how old Chico is.

The first cat we fed this way was 18 when we first called the vet to put her to sleep. She was a bag of bones and deteriorating quickly. The holistic get recommended home made food. Within days she was jumping on the counters again. She did great for another 3 years, and eventually just stopped at the ripe age of 21.

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I think everybody is jumping on the bandwagon to condem menu foods a little to fast, nobody knows how or when yet. I beleve menu foods, in that they are pet owners also and use their own product. I am sure a few of them are affected by this. And yes so was I, my cay suffered kidney failure and with regular visits to his vet he may live for another month or 2. I don't blame them, I just hope it does not happen again. Hopefully they will learn something from this.

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We don't have all the facts yet; let's hope that the investigation is thorough and impartial and that the information is used to improve the processes by which pet food is manufactured. Diet decisions should be evidence-based, IMHO, that is based on nutritional studies which are published in peer-reviewed journals and can be replicated. Following fads or the latest article in a popular publication can be problematic. Here's hoping we'll get good information from the investigation results and that it will be put to use by all manufacturers.

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Thanks everyone for the excellent pointers on feeding raw diets. Our trad'l vet is against it, the holistic one adamant that the food must have organ meat and bone in it. I've tried Oma's Pride and Nature's variety raws, but they are expensive so I'm doing my own best I can. I will follow your suggestions, Thank you!
One question, for years I've given my dogs beef marrow bones frozen, not cooked, as a way to clean their teeth (and treat, of course!) Is there any reason not to give beef shin bones (soup bones for human consumption from the market)?

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You might want to start reading some of the holistic pet type books out there and find what's really in your pet food or ask yourself where do all the dead cats and dogs go from the pounds and the vets then tell me your pet food is healthy. And, something else I just thought of............how many shelter animals are dying from these foods and their voice is never,ever,ever going to be heard. They'll be gassed like they were just a sick, useless dog or cat or whatever other creature had the unfortunate bite of this food.

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We deserve an explanation from Menu foods and public health officials as to HOW the H rat poison gets into the food supply. I'm not shocked to find out that there is rat poison in the factory/processing plant because where there is food, there is rats (and mice and flies and roaches). But one would think that there are policies and practices in place to make sure poison doesn't get into the food supply, for crying out loud.

All kinds of scenarios are playing through my mind, but I'm holding off judgment until the facts are known. But I think if this happened to pet food, it's probably not outside the realm of possibility for something like to happen to food for humans as well.

We know it takes time for public health investigators to figure out how something becomes contaminated but once we get a report, when they finally have made their findings and then it's time for us as consumers to act. We need to demand that tighter government regulations and oversight.

I think Menu Foods can probably figure that they are probably damaged, probably beyond repair, but it would be sad to hang them for this if this was a heinous act by an individual or individuals. ( I think the Tylenol deaths and recall was result of a deliberate act of poisoning.)

However, I am livid that animals were used to test the tainted product. What? They lack the laboratory facilities to run analyses? Their actions here were totally unconscionable. Not a chemistry expert here, but I suspect this rat poison would show up in their tests.

I also think this is another case to support our need to strengthen the regulatory powers of the FDA and the USDA as well as our state regulators; Give them the budgets to do the job they are charged with doing, and give them more muscle to step in.

OK, stepping off my soapbox now. I really do feel bad for all directly affected by this recall. May they find comfort and healing the days to come.

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More Natural Balance on the recall list.

http://www.naturalbalance.net/

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