Pet Food Recall: Treats, Iams, Purina, and Science Diet, Now What?

[G_j]

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272612493.shtml

Pet Food Recall: Treats, Iams, Purina, and Science Diet, Now What?
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By Jesse Smith
Apr 2, 2007

What is going on? The makers of Science Diet have recalled one specific brand so far of their dry cat food. Iams, another well known brand has food recalled. Purina has recalled an Alpo brand. In all some 53 brands of dog food and 42 brands of cat food in the recall were wet "cuts-and-gravy" foods packaged in cans and pouches. So - Now what?

It is beyond a confusing and nervous time for pet owners and dog and cat lovers. A list of brands that have been recalled by Menu Foods is lengthy, and other have sporadic recalls but not enough complete answers have been provided. For now, the Food and Drug Administration says it does not plan to expand the dry food recall since there has not been a trend of illnesses from consuming dry food.

***

Results from a New York lab initially identified aminopterin -- rat poison -- as the toxin found in the recalled foods. More recent government testing found melamine, a chemical used to make plastics, but those tests failed to confirm the presence of a rat poison, the Associated Press reported Friday. The direct connection between any chemical in the food and renal failure still is unclear, however, and the Food and Drug Administration says further investigation is necessary.

No matter what the food contaminant may be, the bottom line is that many animals were harmed from eating recalled brands, and pet owners want answers! I'm wondering now if I should trust any store bought foods at all as the recall extends every day and now I'm even concerned about the treats

..more..

[illinoisprogressive]

1. My pets eat Purina friskies and Pedigree. This is due to the republicans

idea of dismantling government. No regulations or anything. That is why NOLA is just sitting there. Because the gop believes in starving the government and doing nothing to help.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

4. you nailed it.

[ComerPerro]

11. well, according to the Church of the Free Market,

this kind of thing will be fixed by the free market, so there is no need for regulations.

Its kind of true, these companies have very bad PR now and may be forced out of business with lawsuits (although, to be fair, FreeMarket True Believers are against lawsuits like that).

Bottom line, after thousands of pets die, these companies will lose their customers and go out of buisness. Maybe. Possibly. Unless they change their name, or form a new company and do it all again...

Sad thing is, what the true believers never really address is: For the free market to fix this, why is it that animals have to die first?

How is that better than regulation?

[ClintonTyree]

16. I imagine they're well insured against this type of thing....

so the Insurance Companies will cover the losses. Of course the Insurance Companies will HAVE TO raise their rates to make up for the huge number of settlements, and guess who will pay those higher rates? The American consumer, so in essence we'll be paying off the pet food companies' settlements ourselves. There will be absolutely no monetary loss for either Menu or their insurers, rest assured.

Isn't capitalism and the free market grand? :puke:

[MsFlorida]

2. Nestle Purina has just completed a new pet food plant in China

They intend to use LOCAL ingredients. Buyer Beware! More info can be found at http://www.howl911.com

[Erika]

3. Ah, W's globalization

When is our food supply next?

[DCKit]

7. You're kidding, right?

A major question about the gluten is whether it was "feed" or "food" grade. You tell me.

But tell me, what are the definition of "is?"

[Critters2]

9. Even if it was "feed" grade, most of that is for feeding "food" animals

Sooner or later, globalization will poison our food supply.

[femmedem]

18. There's no question. It was food grade.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=556053

[hang a left]

12. Sorry it was Nafta

Not exactly W's fault. He is responsible for CAFTA.

[Sapphire Blue]

13. Shhhh...

(Certain truths aren't welcome here; telling the truth about NAFTA is verboten; it's considered trashing Clinton. Much easier to blame it all on bush.)

[fasttense]

17. But partly the crazy king george's fault

he could have implemented NAFTA so it did not harm US labor, or Mexican labor. But he forced it on his own citizens like he forced the "free market" on Iraq.

[caligirl]

5. An excellent diet option, the only way i feed my dog, BARF by Dr. Ian Billinghurst

http://www.drianbillinghurst.com/


If your wondering what options you have now, please look at this diet. My breeder has used this diet exclusively for her Giant Schnauzers. she has bred more than a 1000 champion giants over many years.
After seeing so many diet related health issues in dogs and seeing to many people lose pets to cancer, I chose to use this diet. Now going on 6 years and I still have a healthy giant schnauzer.


BARF is about feeding dogs properly. The aim of BARF is to maximize the health, longevity and reproductive capacity of dogs and by so doing, minimize the need for veterinary intervention. How do you feed a dog properly? You feed it the diet that it evolved to eat. Its evolutionary diet. A Biologically Appropriate Raw Food diet. A BARF diet.

Such a diet, a biologically appropriate diet is simple in philosophy and construction. The very essence of common sense. It looks at the diet of a wild or feral animal and duplicates or mimics that type of feeding regime using available whole raw foodstuffs. These diets may be enhanced with various supplements. Once the principles are understood, anybody can do this. No special credentials are required.

In the case of the cat, which is an obligate carnivore and a hunter, the biologically appropriate diet is based largely upon animal derived foodstuffs like flesh, bones and organs. Basically, whatever nutrition can be derived from a whole fresh raw carcass - in its entirety - constitutes a biologically appropriate diet.

In the case of the dog which is an omnivore, a hunter and a scavenger, the diet can be based on a wider range of whole raw foods of both animal and plant origin, with the further proviso that the foods may be either fresh or auto-decaying via endogenous enzymes.

Both species rely on bones as a major part of their diet for a variety of reasons including teeth cleaning and the myriad of benefits which flow from that together with the nutritional attributes of bones, their psychological benefits and so on.

The BARF movement appears to have started in response to the dietary guidelines outlined in the book "Give Your Dog a Bone" written by yours truly - Ian Billinghurst.

The acronym BARF started out as meaning "Born Again Raw Feeders." Initially, this was a sling off at dog owners who fed raw food to their dogs. When the originator of that term tried a raw food diet on her own dogs, she was so impressed that she began an Internet list advocating the use of raw foods for dogs. Along the way she changed the meaning of the term BARF to the "Bones And Raw Food diet." BARF could also stand for the Billinghurst Australian Real Food diet. In fact anything you like that works!

Next: The BARF Philosophy


we love our giant, he is so worth this effort. but when I tire of the food prep I can get this food at Pet Food Express in their freezers.

http://www.skansen.com/nutrition/

[DCKit]

6. You found your way here, learn how to make your own

Grains, veggies and meat juices. Not as easy as the greasy crap at the grocery store, but WAAAAY better.

[G_j]

8. actually two days ago I threw out my dog's dry food

and began making her food: brown rice, carrots, kale and chicken
tonight I added some broccoli and squash

[DCKit]

10. There you go

You just have to learn what their vitamin/mineral requirements are and you'll be set. I have NO clue, but mine run on acres and acres of land and "find" what they need.

[radfringe]

19. our dogs were getting FAT

we cut back on their regular food by half, and added canned pumpkin to it.

filled them up, helped with fiber needs and they lost weight.

we also make our own dog cookies:

"Pea-Mutt Butter" Dog Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons corn oil
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup water
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine oil, peanut butter, and water.
Add flour, one cup at a time, then knead into firm dough.
Roll dough to 1/4" thickness and cut with cookie cutter.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

[ginnyinWI]

14. is there an updated list of recalled foods?

I've searched around and can't find one. ABC promises one on their homepage but heck if I can find it.

[rainbow4321]

15. Here's the FDA recall/warning website

Looks to be updated pretty frequently.

http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html

[ginnyinWI]

22. thanks! n/t

[Tyler Durden]

20. Pedigree for 3, Wellness for 1.

Our two older boys get Pedigree Maturity, Vinnie the Mouth gets Puppy for another 2 months, and Brigette the Midget gets Wellness due to a food allergy.

We buy an extra bag of Pedigree and get a free bag sent to the local shelter. They have one HELL of a good adoption and shelter support program.

The kitties get Nine Lives wet and dry.

For commercial food, it's pretty damned good.

[hlthe2b]

21. Loosing faith... not only in pet foods, but the human food chain

may well be contaminated with this same wheat gluten... So far FDA has not been able to say conclusively that it has NOT.

I know the reaction for many will be to try to make your own pet food. If you do, please do so with expert advice, as it is extremely easy to set up a life-threatening nutrient deficiency doing this, especially in cats...