BS: Poison pet food

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,Nancy King at work
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 08:43 PM

Interesting article, Kat -- thanks for posting it.

It is gratifying to know some of these folks may be held accountable for this horrible pet food debacle. "...deaths of more than 4,000 cats and dogs." Geez.

I've pretty much given up on ever getting compensation for all the money I've spent on Roscoe's care and special food. Nobody ever got back to me from any of the class-action groups I tried to contact, and I just don't have the time to pursue the matter as vigorously as is clearly necessary. Would be nice, though.

Roscoe continues to be just a little bit better. He's down to once a week for the subcutaneous fluid injections. The only problem is, every time a change is made or contemplated, we have to have blood work done, and that's about $100 a pop. He remains remarkably patient about the whole business. At one point this winter, he contracted a (presumably unrelated) bladder infection, and I had to give him antibiotics. For a week I tried to deal with a liquid dose administered with an eyedropper, and it was a mess! Just when I thought I'd gotten him immobilized and his mouth pried open, and aimed the stupid dropper at the back of his throat, he'd jerk away at the crucial moment and the medicine would go squirting across the room. Aaarrgghh! When I told the vet it wasn't working, she gave me (HA! "gave"! make that "sold") pre-filled syringes of stuff to be injected subcutaneously, just like the NACL. Piece of cake. No clue why he prefers being stuck with a needle to swallowing something.

Anyhow, I hope these folks get the punishment they deserve.

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 04:27 AM

FWIW:

Two small Chinese companies and their U.S. importer were indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury for their roles in producing pet food blamed for the deaths of more than 4,000 cats and dogs.

Facing the prospect of trial in the U.S., assuming Beijing would give them up, are Mao Linzhun, owner and manager of Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development (XAC), a small processor of plant proteins in the city of Xuzhou; and Chen Zhen Hao, president of Suzhou Textiles (SSC) , a Chinese export broker that shipped XAC's products to the U.S.

The grand jury also indicted Sally Qing Miller, a 41-year-old Chinese national, and her American husband, 55-year-old Stephen S. Miller, who own Las Vegas-based ChemNutra, a buyer and importer of food and food components from China.

The indictment was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement into adulterated pet food that left an estimated 1,950 cats and 2,200 dogs dead.

The U.S. doesn't have an extradition treaty with China, but the chances of bringing the two obscure Chinese executives to trial in the U.S. would appear to be higher given the radically changed attitude of late of Chinese officials to a spate of product-safety problems. After an initial period of strenuous denials following the emergence of the pet food scandal in March, in recent months, they have begun taking substantive action.

The sea change in official policy was forced by mounting evidence from abroad of the dubious quality of exported Chinese products, from lead-tainted toys to toothpaste to, most recently, pesticide-contaminated dumplings, causing worldwide damage to the reputation of the "made in China" label. Acting to contain the damage, the government in August appointed Vice Premier Wu Yi, known in China as the Iron Lady, to head a high-profile, Cabinet-level panel (See: " China Cracks Down On Food Safety") that has moved to clamp down on thousands of small factories in its prosperous coastal region.

In the last two weeks, Beijing went a step further, forming a joint investigation team with the Japanese government to probe a case of pesticide-laced dumplings made by a manufacturer in a city near Beijing that have sickened at least 10 Japanese.

In two separate but related indictments, U.S. prosecutors alleged a deliberate cross-border fraud perpetrated by the two Chinese executives and their U.S. importer. The Chinese export broker, SSC, agreed to provide the U.S. importer, ChemNutra, with food-grade wheat gluten with a minimum protein content of 75% and contracted XAC, the Xuzhou wheat gluten manufacturer, to produce it. In order to save money, SSC allegedly mixed in low-cost melamine, a toxic chemical that is banned in human and animal food in the U.S.

Citing information from the Chinese government, one indictment charges that after receiving the adulterated wheat gluten, SSC labeled it with an inaccurate product code that is reserved for products that are not subject to compulsory inspection prior to leaving China, and did not declare the contaminated product it shipped to the U.S. as a raw material for feed or as food. Instead, it was falsely declared to the Chinese government as a product that avoided triggering a mandatory inspection of XAC's manufacturing facilities.

SSC then allegedly provided its U.S. importer, ChemNutra and its owners, the Millers, with documents that used the inaccurate product code. Despite Sally Miller's training and experience as an ISO-9000 chief auditor, she failed to disclose the inaccurate product-labeling to her customers, federal prosecutors allege.

Wednesday's indictment announcement said Miller has an engineering degree in food chemistry from Hangzhou University and worked for more than 10 years in China, mostly as a purchasing manager for U.S. companies. She represented herself to be a certified auditor in China for the internationally recognized ISO quality system.

The three companies exported more than 800 metric tons of wheat gluten to the U.S. in at least 13 separate shipments, with value totaling nearly $850,000, between Nov. 6, 2006, and Feb. 21, 2007, using Kansas City as the port of entry.

The Chinese companies and named parties were charged with 13 felony counts of introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce and 13 felony counts of introduction of misbranded food into interstate commerce. Each felony count is punishable by up to three years in prison.

ChemNutra and the Millers were charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 13 misdemeanor counts of introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce and 13 misdemeanor counts of introduction of misbranded food into interstate commerce. The conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of five years; the misdemeanor counts, up to a year each.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 07 May 07 - 01:59 AM

No evidence that any of the two contaminated batches ...

But there is accumulating evidence that Chinese distributors have made a continuing practice of adulterating food (and pharm) products in export (and for their own domestic distribution).

Reports are vague, but my impression has been that the contaminated stuff used in livestock food, now including at least hog, chicken and probably cattle feed, most likely came from separate batches imported by a number of companies in separate shipments.

Even your pet gerbil probably isn't safe.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: SINSULL
Date: 06 May 07 - 07:18 PM

"There is no evidence that any of the two contaminated batches of wheat gluten and rice protein from China ended up as an ingredient in human food"

But this weekend's news claims that it was put into chicken feed and those chickens have been sold to consumers.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 06 May 07 - 05:50 PM

Toxic medicine in Panama traced to China is a short article that appeared in my local paper today, so probably has had fairly wide publication.

From China to Panama, a Trail of Poisoned Medicine is a longer and more informative article from the New York times that appeared (in an extracted version)yesterday at MSNBC but appeears to be no longer there. (I'd suggest looking soon at the NYT article, as they tend to remove stuff to a "for fee" archive after a week or so.)

Both articles cite numerous cases in which at least one Chinese counterfeiter substituted diethylene glycol for glycerine, labelling the product as 99.5% pure glycerine. Since glycerine is a "universal ingredient" in a vast range of pharmaceuticals, several hundred deaths have been documented and specifically linked to the counterfeit product. Circumstantial evidence indicates that several thousand - and potentially severeal hundred thousand - "unexplained deaths" are due to this counterfeit product.

[Extracted quotes]

Panama is the most recent victim. Last year, government officials there unwittingly mixed diethylene glycol into 260,000 bottles of cold medicine — with devastating results. Families have reported 365 deaths from the poison, 100 of which have been confirmed so far. ... ... ... ... ...

When at least 88 children died in Haiti a decade ago, F.D.A. investigators traced the poison to the Manchurian city of Dalian, but their attempts to visit the suspected manufacturer were repeatedly blocked by Chinese officials, according to internal State Department records. Permission was granted more than a year later, but by then the plant had moved and its records had been destroyed. ... ... ... ...

The Times said investigators in four countries identified Taixing Glycerine Factory as the maker of the poison. That company's certificate of analysis said the shipment was 99.5 percent pure, the Times reported.

The sale of the syrup was brokered by a unit of a state-owned business in Beijing, the article said. From there, it went to a distributor in Barcelona, Spain, and on to a dealer in Panama.
No one in China has been charged with causing the Panamanian deaths.

An unidentified Chinese drug official told the Times that investigators tested the Taixing Glycerine Factory's product and found it contained no glycerine. But a spokeswoman for the drug agency said the company had not broken any laws.

Wan Qigang, the legal representative for the factory, told the Times last year that the company made only industrial-grade glycerin. But more recently it has been advertising 99.5 percent pure glycerine on the Internet, the Times said. Wan declined to answer further questions."

[End quotes]

Glycerine is no less common in pet medications than in human ones, it that makes a difference to anyone.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,Rebel Dog
Date: 06 May 07 - 04:39 PM

On the subject of home cooking, avoid onions and garlic! I have heard all kinds of mis-information on this, including that garlic is a good, natural cat wormer. In fact all members of the lily family are highly toxic to cats, which family includes onions and garlic.

I've tried to cook for my cat and she says she'd rather go hungry, plus everything I eat has onions or garlic, so she happily eats Trader Joes dry. She does like anything made from grain that is thin and crispy, like pizza crust and tortilla chips.

Also avoid fatty foods. Cats don't get a lot of concentrated fat in the wild, and a big glob of cholesteral can clog their pancreatic duct and induce diabetes. My cat never begs/steals food, except for once she ate an entire sink of lamb trimmings. I've caught her checking out grease left in the deep fat fryer. Bottom line, it's not a good idea to leave open grease or fat out.

Same for caffeine and dogs, which they usually get in chocolate. It's like crack to them, physiologically. You will hear debate about this constantly. Do not be fooled. Anyone that insists otherwise is not a fit pet owner. Unfortunately people who have no ability to deal with reality often use animals as a proxy for society.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: beardedbruce
Date: 04 May 07 - 11:35 AM

FDA checks food manufacturers; pet food recall expands
POSTED: 8:34 p.m. EDT, May 3, 2007

Story Highlights• NEW: FDA checking food makers for contaminated products
• NEW: Menu Foods pet food recall expands to cuts and gravy
• NEW: Other Menu products made during contamination period also recalled

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Government inspectors are checking food makers who use protein concentrates to make sure none of the contaminated products found in pet food have reached other products, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.

There is no evidence that any of the two contaminated batches of wheat gluten and rice protein from China ended up as an ingredient in human food, "but it's prudent to look," said Dr. David Acheson, assistant FDA commissioner for food protection.

Acheson said the inspections began this week, covering both human and pet food manufacturers to raise awareness of how important it is to know their supply chain and to make sure none of the contaminated products remain in stock.

The number of facilities to be visited could be in the range of hundreds, based on knowledge of what ingredients go to which manufacturer, Acheson said.

"This is going to go on until we feel satisfied we've got it covered. We're not setting the bar at 50 or 100 or 1,000. We're going to keep doing this until we're confident that we've got our arms around it," he said.

Protein concentrates are used in a number of food products such as baked goods.

The announcement came as pet food manufacturer Menu Foods expanded its recall because of possible cross-contamination between melamine-tainted products and other foods made in the same period.

Another company, SmartPak Canine of Plymouth, Mass., issued a recall for all lots of its LiveSmart Adult Lamb and Brown Rice food, which it said had tested positive for the presence of melamine. The food is shipped directly to about 220 consumers and is not available on store shelves, the company said in a statement.

More than 100 brands of pet food have been recalled since March 16 because they were contaminated with melamine. An unknown number of dogs and cats have been sickened or died after eating chemical-laced pet food.

The Menu Foods expansion includes cuts and gravy pet food, as well as other products that were not made with the contaminated wheat gluten supplied by ChemNutra Inc., but were manufactured during the period the chemical-laced gluten was used.

While Acheson said he remains confident that none of the products contaminated with melamine ended up as an ingredient in human food, he noted that some poultry and hogs ate feed including some of the recalled pet food.

That isn't expected to pose a hazard to humans because of the dilution factor, he explained. (Paging Dr. Gupta blog: Dilution)

Pets that became sickened or died ingested larger dose of melamine because pet food makes up their entire diet.

On the other hand, the contaminated pet food made up only a small part of the hog and poultry feed, meaning they got a lesser amount and none of those animals became ill. In addition, pork and poultry make up only a part of the human diet so the amount anyone might eat would be very small.

Kenneth Peterson of the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service said some meat and poultry made it to the market and "there is just no evidence of any harm to humans from that chicken or that pork."

Animals on farms where the pet food is known to have been used are now being barred from slaughter, he added.

The FDA has inspectors in China working with local officials to trace the sources of the contamination, he said.

The New York Times, meanwhile, reported that Mao Lijun, the manager of the Chinese firm that supplied the wheat gluten, was detained by Chinese authorities.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST, Topsie
Date: 03 May 07 - 05:27 AM

Is it poisonous for humans? Animals differ as to what they can and cannot consume - e.g. chocolate poisons dogs; even small amounts of aspirin can poison cats, whereas we can benefit from small doses.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Greg B
Date: 02 May 07 - 12:54 PM

I'm concerned because I'm wondering about the rice bran sould
at Agway and other outlets to feed to our livestock.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Donuel
Date: 02 May 07 - 12:25 PM

The poison has now been found in 3 million chickens that were sold for human consumption as well as a large number of pigs.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Metchosin
Date: 02 May 07 - 12:20 PM

It has been announced that melamine tainted feed has been fed to hogs in six States in the US, as well as poulty in Indiana. Here in BC it was fed to farmed Atlantic salmon which have already gone to market and been consumed.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 May 07 - 10:05 PM

Latest Pet Food Recall

    Chenango Valley Pet Foods, based in central New York, is voluntarily recalling some of its pet foods that were made with a certain shipment of rice protein concentrate.

    The Food and Drug Administration says the concentrate may be contaminated with melamine - which may lead to illness or even death in animals.

    The pet foods were sold to customers in Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

    Chenango Valley Pet Foods is offering a full refund.

    For more information call [phone].

    The following pet foods are being recalled:

--Doctors Foster & Smith Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Dog Food. It was sold in containers with net weights of 5, 12.5 and 25 lbs. with code dates best used by Jan. 24, 2009, Feb. 8, 2009, Feb. 26, 2009, April 10, 2009, and April 17, 2009.

--Doctors Foster & Smith Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Cat Food. It was sold in containers with net weights of 3 and 7 lbs. with a code date of best used by March 13, 2009.

--Lick Your Chops Lamb Meal, Rice & Egg Cat Food in packages with a net weight of 4 lbs. and a code date best used by April 29, 2008.

--Bulk Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Dog Food sold to one consignee, SmartPak, in a 2,000-pound tote with a ship date of Feb. 9, 2007.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 04:16 PM

"porkbellies will fall"

Good one.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 04:14 PM

The FDA has NO LEGAL AUTHORITY to recall food.

call it quirky but thats the way it is.

Now the poison is linked to US swine.

Maybe a futures bet that porkbellies will fall is in order.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 03:45 PM

We share that interpretation. Like, when is a ton of feathers more than a ton of feathers?

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 03:36 PM

Good one, Peace. That confirms what I thought some of the better articles were hinting at. Apparently the others thought it wasn't polite to say "deliberate criminal fraud."(?)

Of course, that's still just my interpretation, I suppose.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 04:50 PM

Here ya go, JiK.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 26 Apr 07 - 02:16 PM

The melamine addition may be a fairly common thing in China, where the contaminated stuff came from. Some recent articles appear to say that the market for human food is rife with "unapproved adulterants" there. Several non-food approved dyes/colorants have been cited along with the apparently common melamine (fertilizer) additions. Fairly common use of agricultural and industrial chemicals rather than "food grade" materials is claimed, although the reports I've seen lack really credible citations.

A latest in the "pet food" recall cycle appears to be an investigation of melamine spiked agricultural (esp. hog) food, and at least one US hog herd supposedly has been blocked from being slaughtered for market because of alleged confirmation that they were fed melamine doped food. (Note: lots of weasel-words should indicate the quality of reports I've seen.)

I haven't seen details, but some reports imply that the addition of melamine does not actually affect (raise) the protein content, but only makes it appear to have a higher protein content than it actually does when it's tested by ordinary methods. Has anyone seen a clarification on this?

John

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 04:35 PM

And, one more recall...just seems to keep coming, doesn't it:

he U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the voluntary recall of another brand of possibly contaminated dog food.

Massachusetts`s SmartPak Inc. initiated the recall of a single production run of its LiveSmart Weight Management Chicken and Brown Rice Dog Food after determining the product included a rice protein concentrate that was found contaminated with melamine.

The company said no other formulas of LiveSmart dog or cat foods were involved in the recall and every affected pet owner has been notified.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 23 Apr 07 - 08:45 PM

Pay 'em enough and they'll re-certify thalidomide.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 23 Apr 07 - 06:56 PM

Good to hear how he is doing, Nancy.

JohninkS, thanks for the link. After reading the whole article, I found the following alarming:

Although Wyeth has been sued on behalf of dozens of people whose pets took Proheart 6, the company hopes to be vindicated, too. It has kept selling the drug in Canada, Europe and elsewhere, and it has approached the FDA with more data for a possible U.S. comeback.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Nancy King
Date: 23 Apr 07 - 06:41 PM

Guest, thanks for the good wishes and the information. Actually, I was able to get the equipment, etc., for considerably less than I was paying the vet at first. Katlaughing suggested I try Drs. Foster & Smith, which I did, and they had what I needed (NACL bags, tubing & needles) for a reasonable price. The $50-60/week figure was based on the vet's price and also on hydrating Roscoe every day. He's now getting the treatment four times per week, and the cost of the equipment comes to not quite $10/week. Of course I have to take him back to the vet periodically to check that he's doing OK, and what with the necessary blood work and all, that comes to almost $100 per visit. Maybe if he's doing OK this next time I can skip a couple of months between visits.

Anyone see the speculation in the press about the possibility that the melamine -- or whatever it was -- was introduced into the food purposely, to boost protein levels? Sheesh!

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 23 Apr 07 - 06:30 PM

A little off the subject of the pet food, but I note that there are a number of articles popping up with complaints that the FDA, the principal agency charged with assuring safety in both human and pet food, is complaining that they know, and have known, of a number of "problem areas" that they have been unable to handle due to funding limitations. This isn't a subject on which I've started to log the news, so I didn't make notes, but there were a couple of articles at MSNBC in the last day or so.

A related subject, pet medicines, brings up the recent story:

Watchdog risked career over pet-drug warning,

Speaking up about risky medicine sparked Senate inquiry, got vet demoted.

It's difficult to tell if this last article is a bit sensationalized; but I have no difficulty believing that it could easily be true.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 22 Apr 07 - 10:51 PM

Nancy,

I hope Roscoe is doing Ok. I have a cat that has had kidney failure for many years, not because of the recent recall, simply because he is old. We have been giving him subcutaneous fluids for seven years now and, believe it or not, he is 23 and so far so good. It is a pain to do it, but he has a full and normal life because of it.

The cost of $50 to $60 for the subcutaneous fluids your vet is charging you can be reduced to approximatly $6.00 per set-up, if you order directly from a supplier. Ask your vet to give you a perscription for the fluids; Lactated Ringer Bags, IV lines and needles, and then call UPCO at 1-800-254-8726 or Terumo at 1-800-216-3213 and order what you need. Both Upco and Terumo will not fill your order without a perscription, which they will request that you send (fax)to them. Also, the cost will depend on how much you order. If you order more than 12 bags you can get the best deal, (around $2.75 to $3.25 per bag) and be sure to ask them how much you will have to spend to avoid shipping cost. By the way, we like Terumo's 18 G X 1 needle, it seems to go in and stay in easier, but it really depends on your personal preference.

Good Luck

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Metchosin
Date: 19 Apr 07 - 11:18 AM

Well its not just wheat gluten now. Its seems that Natural Balance's rice protein concentrate from China, also contains melamine.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,Dianne
Date: 19 Apr 07 - 09:44 AM

My dogs and cats have always eaten PHD foods. I can't believe how healthy they are! You can read more about their program at www.viandpet.com

Right now I have two Shiloh Shepheds and when this recall happened i am so glad I didn't have to worry about anything.

This is also not a plug but just want to let people know about this life-changing program and how much better your animals will be.

Dianne

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Nancy King
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 09:51 PM

Boy, this just doesn't stop, does it? What a miserable situation.

Roscoe seems to be doing OK at this point, but still needs his subcutaneous fluid injections every other day -- and probably will for the rest of his life. What a drag. BTW, I never have heard back from the class-action lawsuit people, or for that matter, the FDA. Someone from the Maryland FDA did leave a message on my answering machine at one point, saying they'd call back later, but they never did. Maybe I'll try leaving another message, though I doubt I'll ever get any compensation from anybody.

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: beardedbruce
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 11:10 AM

Natural Balance recalls venison dog, cat foods
POSTED: 9:22 a.m. EDT, April 17, 2007

Story Highlights• Natural Balance recalls types of dog, cat food
• Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food , Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Food recalled
• Last month, Menu food recalled 60,000 cans of pet food
• Large veterinary chain sees 30 percent increase in kidney failure

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Natural Balance Pet Foods recalled two kinds of pet food after receiving reports of animals vomiting and experiencing kidney problems, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday.

The recall includes all date codes of Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food and Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Food.

The company does not know the cause of the problem, but said it is focused on one particular lot.

Natural Balance Pet Foods is working with the FDA to investigate the matter and is urging consumers to not feed either pet food product to their animals.

Last month, Menu Foods recalled 60 million cans of dog and cat food after the deaths of 16 pets, mostly cats, that ate its products. (Details on recall)

The FDA said tests indicated the food was contaminated with an industrial chemical, melamine.

At least six pet food companies have recalled products made with imported Chinese wheat gluten tainted with the chemical. The recall involved about 1 percent of the U.S. pet food supply.

FDA spokeswoman Julie Zawisza said the agency had no indication that the Natural Balance case is related to the melamine problem.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Apr 07 - 12:15 AM

This is unfucking believable:

By Julianna Goldman

April 12 (Bloomberg) -- Pet food with contaminated wheat gluten from China is still being sold in stores, U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials said.

``We know that there is not 100 percent of the product off the shelf,'' Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said today at a Senate panel holding a hearing on last month's recall of contaminated pet food.

The FDA is examining tainted pet food that has been linked to the deaths of at least 16 cats and dogs. Canada's Menu Foods Ltd. has recalled more than 60 million cans and pouches of food sold under brand names such Procter & Gamble Co.'s Iams and Nestle SA's Mighty Dog.

The FDA discovered pet food tainted with melamine, a substance used to make plastic kitchen utensils and fertilizer, that was traced to a supply of wheat gluten obtained from China by ChemNutra Inc. of Las Vegas.

PetConnection.com, a Web site that has been tracking the recall, said 3,973 pets deaths from tainted food have been reported as of this morning. About 12,419 cats and dogs have been reported sick. The site says the tally shouldn't be considered official because the numbers are ``self reported.''

Sundlof also told the panel that less than one-third of pet-food processing facilities have been inspected in the last three years.

``Over the past 3 1/2 years, we've inspected approximately 30 percent of all the pet food manufacturers in the United States,'' he said.

Adequate Inspection?

``Do you think that's an adequate inspection to protect the quality and wholesomeness and safety of pet food products?'' asked Senator Richard Durbin, an Illinois Democrat who called for the hearing. ``I think what's happened with pet food contamination is an indication that we are not dedicating the most basic resources to this endeavor, and we've seen the outcome.''

Durbin said he wanted to know why it took Menu Foods at least 22 days to recall the food after it first suspected potential problems.

Earlier this week, Menu Foods, which is based in the Toronto suburb of Streetsville, expanded its recall after finding additional tainted pet food at a plant in Canada.

Menu Foods Income Fund, which owns Menu Foods Ltd., rose 8 cents, or 1.9 percent, to C$4.20 on the Toronto Stock Exchange today. The stock has dropped 43 percent since the day before the recall.

To contact the reporter on this story: Julianna Goldman in Washington at [e-mail]

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Ebbie
Date: 08 Apr 07 - 11:52 AM

This is the kind of problem I'm referring to:

"Chemical scares and mass poisonings are common in China, which has been struggling to improve a dismal food-safety record. Manufacturers often mislabel food products or add illegal substances to them. Cooks routinely disregard hygiene rules or mistakenly use industrial chemicals instead of salt and other ingredients.

"Last year, seven companies were punished for using banned Sudan I dye to color egg yolks red. The industrial dye, a possible carcinogen used for leather, floor polish and other household chemicals, has been found in various consumer products sold in China, such as roasted meat, chili powder and lipstick.

"In 2004, at least 12 infants died from malnutrition after drinking formula with little or no nutritional value in eastern China's Anhui province."

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Metchosin
Date: 08 Apr 07 - 03:32 AM

If I had been a little clearer in my thinking, I would have suggested that subsidies, in general, appear to be the root cause, not corn specifially.....but its late and my brain hurts.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Metchosin
Date: 08 Apr 07 - 03:22 AM

The question has been raised as to why the US imported wheat gluten from China. Almost all of North America's wheat gluten, for both PET and HUMAN CONSUMPTION is imported. It is cheaper than home produced gluten. And we can, to a great extent, blame that on the use of CORN starch as a sweetener in North America. I believe that the corn industry in the US is heavily subsidized.

The largest exporter of wheat gluten to the US is Europe, because Europeans use their heavily subsizied wheat starch to produce their sweeteners and consequently in the manufacturing process, they have a lot of left over gluten, which they export.

More on the story here

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Big Mick
Date: 07 Apr 07 - 03:39 PM

Up until last May, I represented these workers in their labor relations. They are a good bunch, and this company always took quality control and the welfare of the animals, very seriously. I represented numbers of workers (including the one mentioned in my earlier post) in discipline hearing over the issue of quality control. The point the company raised many times was that the health of peoples beloved pets was at stake.

As I said in the earlier post, as a Union Organizer I don't defend corporate interests often, but in every dealing I have had with this company they have been very concerned for the pets of their clients. I believe when this all shakes out, the company will have been blindsided by tainted ingredients.

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Becca72
Date: 07 Apr 07 - 03:20 PM

Ok, thank you for clearing that up, Mick. I didn't hear anything about the NJ plant and thought the trouble was coming out of Ontario. Much appreciated.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Big Mick
Date: 07 Apr 07 - 03:16 PM

Menu Foods is a Canadian company. The plant causing all the fuss, however, is located in Pennsauken, New Jersey.

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Ebbie
Date: 07 Apr 07 - 02:17 PM

Yes, but reportedly the contaminent(s) came from China. Whether the ingredients were put together in Canada or in the US, my point remains.

Given China's record I don't - at all trust the safety of any food it can export, whether for pets or for humans.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Becca72
Date: 07 Apr 07 - 12:25 PM

"I don't understand WHY the US is buying ingestables at all from China"

Maybe I'm being dense here, but Menu Foods is a Canadian company...

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Ebbie
Date: 07 Apr 07 - 12:09 PM

That fact, Charley, doesn't change the fact that China has a continuous battle versus contamination. Read the link I gave.

My point is that if things in China are as bad as that link says, no other country has any business trusting its quality control.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 08:56 PM

Guest Ebbie-

Please reread this thread. China is hardly unique in terms of producing contaminated grain and trying to cover up the contamination.

However, when contamination becomes evident, as it has in this case, it is important that everyone concerned become actively involved so that the source of the contamination is clearly identified by the scientific authorities who might prefer to ignore such "problems." We may yet be able to achieve international safeguards in the manufacturing process. Or maybe not!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST, Ebbie
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 04:56 PM

I don't understand WHY the US is buying ingestables at all from China. It is well documented that China has a deplorable record of contamination in numerous categories. Given that, I would think that export would be barred. Their claim that no tainted foods were sent or will be sent to the US is suspect in the extreme.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17980629/

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: beardedbruce
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 12:41 PM

Thursday, April 05, 2007
On the toxic pet food story....
Our correspondent Joe Johns and his team are breaking some news on the pet food scandal:

Most of us had been assuming that somewhere along the supply-chain the wheat gluten that goes into pet food was accidentally contaminated by the chemical melamine. Testing is still underway, but toxicologists suspect that the crystals containing melamine and found in animals' kidneys is making them ill or killing them.

The phrase to focus on here is "accidentally contaminated." The FDA now tells us it's investigating whether or not the contamination was intentional -- and profit-motivated.

Here's why:

The FDA says it's possible that melamine can be used to raise protein levels in wheat gluten. Higher protein levels make the wheat gluten more valuable. So, based on his conversation with the FDA, here's what Joe is looking at tonight: Was this all about money?

All the companies -- including the Chinese company that the FDA says distributed the tainted gluten, the Xuzhou Anying Biologic Development Co. -- have denied adding melamine to the wheat gluten in the pet food.

Here's another thing:

The FDA has now received more than 12,000 complaints about contaminated pet food. That's more than the total number of complaints the FDA had received over the past two years.
Posted By David Doss, "360" Executive Producer: 7:39 PM ET

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: beardedbruce
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 12:07 PM

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1607483,00.html?xid=site-cnn-partner

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Metchosin
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 11:31 AM

This is the first time I've been really thankful that my dogs are allergic to wheat, beef and chicken. While bits of salmon jerky and goat cheese worked OK for training, our vet didn't even recommend a big ham bone for them to gnaw on, so finding commercially prepared hard dog treats, that were also good for their teeth, was particularly a pain in the ass.

Then we discovered "Lucky Dog" dog biscuits! I figure that any company that would use saskatoon berries in their product has a lot of jam. How's that as a commercial for them? I should own stock. LOL

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Sorcha
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 10:08 AM

A few weeks ago, some one gave us a bag of dog treats...I didn't give them out as I prefer Flavoured Milk Bones. I checked the brand etc last night....Sunshine Mills. Glad I didn't feed them. Just luck, I guess.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 08:53 AM

More recalls:

Sunshine Mills, of Red Bay, Ala., manufactures branded and private label dry pet food and biscuits. The recalled biscuits include Nurture Chicken and Rice Biscuit, Ol' Roy Peanut Butter Biscuit and Pet Life Large Biscuit.

Conrad Pitts, a lawyer for Sunshine Mills, said 80 percent of the tainted biscuits were sold by Wal-Mart, under the Ol' Roy brand. Mr. Pitts said that the company had produced about 24 truckloads of biscuits with the contaminated gluten, and that the majority of the product was large biscuits. He said wheat gluten accounted for less than 1 percent of the total weight of the biscuits.

and,

Menu Foods, which last month recalled more than 90 brands of its "cuts and gravy" pet food, said yesterday that it had extended the period of time covered by its recall to include food made after Nov. 8, 2006. The company, based in Ontario, initially recalled only food made from Dec. 3, 2006, to March 6, 2007.

The company also added 20 additional varieties of those brands to the recall list yesterday. Information about the recalled pet food can be found at www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Nancy King
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 10:12 PM

I'm not concerned with any tainted food with Fancy Feast, but I'm trying to comply with the vet's instructions about Roscoe's nutritional needs. It ain't easy, but I doubt he'll starve.

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Charley Noble
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 09:44 PM

Nancy-

Fancy Feast seems to have eluded any list of suspects that we have found. We're still using the Fancy Feast Medley which our two finicky cats seem to thrieve on.

However, we are not vets or FDA scientists

I bet someone saved a penny a can on the wheat gluten deal they got from China.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 04:33 PM

News of the day. Posted without comment:

Apr 05, 2007 03:12 PM
Curtis Rush
Staff Reporter

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration admitted Thursday that the official number of pet deaths related to tainted food will climb much higher than the 16 reported so far.

"This (16) is a number we recognize is nowhere near the reality and that there are many more animals that have been affected," said Stephen Sundloff, director of the Center of Veterinary Medicine at the FDA.

The FDA said that in the past three weeks it has received more than 12,000 consumer complaints, more than twice the number of complaints it usually receives in a year for any product.

Sundloff was speaking Thursday in a teleconference call from the U.S. to update reporters on the investigation into the suspected melamine at the heart of the massive recall, one of the largest in the FDA's history.

"We're not saying we think that's an accurate number," Sundloff said. "Trying to put an estimate at this time is something we can't do. It's hard to get good clinical evidence. We have no good information what the final number will be or the extent of this tragedy."

Sundloff said the FDA doesn't have the resources necessary to confirm numbers at this time.

Meanwhile, the FDA identified another pet-food company in the U.S. that announced a food recall Thursday, adding to the massive recalled triggered last month by Mississauga-based Menu Foods after 16 animals died of kidney failure in tests.

The FDA said Sunshine Mills Inc. in Alabama is recalling dog biscuits made with imported Chinese wheat gluten, which is believed to have contained melamine.

Melamine is suspected of causing kidney failure in pets, but the FDA doesn't know how melamine, which is used in fertilizer and plastics, got into the pet food.

Also Thursday, Menu Foods expanded its original recall to include a broader range of dates, the FDA said.

Menu Foods spokesperson Sam Bornstein said the expanded recall now dates back to Nov. 8 and involves an additional 20 products, none of which are available in Canada.

Bornstein said this is a precautionary measure.

Menu Foods has being inundated with about 300,000 calls since the recall of 60 millions tins of wet food on March 16, but the company said on its website that its calling centres will be mostly silent this weekend to mark the Easter holiday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration told reporters Thursday that it believes the latest recall will be the last, although it can never be 100 per cent certain.

The FDA's Sundloff said pet owners can be assured that the food their pets are eating today will not likely be part of a recall at a later date.

"The public should feel secure about the products not subject to the recall," Sundloff said. "We don't know of any others that are potentially pending. My recommendation to consumers is that we should have (the recalls) all wrapped up."

Sunshine Mills is now among about six companies that have announced recalls of both wet and dry food. The others include Nestle Purina, Del Monte and Hills Pet Nutrition Inc.

"These recalled products represent less than 1 per cent of the pet food industry," said Sundloff. "There remains an ample supply of pet food through the United States."

The FDA is still identifying melamine, a largely non-toxic chemical normally found in fertilizer and plastics such as kitchenware, as the chief agent responsible for the pet deaths.

Officials said there is no reason to suspect any of the suspect chemical, melamine in the wheat gluten, has entered the human food chain.

A single U.S. supplier imported the wheat gluten from China, according to the FDA.

FDA officials are working with the Chinese authorities to investigate the wheat gluten from one particular company in that country.

Menu Foods said Thursday that ChemNutra Inc. was the former supplier of its wheat gluten. Based in Las Vegas, it no longer supplies Menu Foods. ChemNutra imported the wheat gluten from a company the FDA has identified as Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. in Wangdien, China. Records from Menu Foods show that products from ChemNutra were first used on Nov. 8 and last used on March 6.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Bee
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 07:09 AM

Guest Milky Way, gluten is fine for most omnivorous humans, but we're talking about carnivorous cats, who don't normally consume any more vegetation than might be found in the stomach of a mouse.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 01:16 AM

If you're allergic, yes!

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,Milky Way
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 12:03 AM

What a downer. Sorry about the cat. I was just reading last week about how to make gluten at home. Seriously. Separate it out and all that as some kind of wonder food. But it's bad for you? That part must have been hidden under the Milky Way smear on my monitor. Is gluten really bad for you?

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Nancy King
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 08:15 PM

Finally talked to the vet yesterday. Roscoe's blood work does look a little better, but still not normal. She suggested reducing the subcutaneous fluid injections to every other day, and then checking back in about a month to see how that works.

I did ask about making my own cat food, but she said she did not recommend it. It's very hard to get the proper balance, and there are a number of necessary elements (vitamins and other stuff) that it's very hard to deal with in homemade food. So I guess I'm off the hook on that score. She said if Roscoe doesn't like the prescription food, I should try a Fancy Feast variety with no more than 10% protein. So I went to the store today and squinted at the tiny print on each of 25 or 30 different flavors of Fancy Feast. One -- count 'em, one -- said it contained a minimum of 10% protein. Minimum, not maximum. So I bought a few cans of that, but I think the best deal is just to hope he gets used to the prescription stuff.

Haven't yet heard back from the class-action lawsuit people.

The MD FDA did leave a message once, but hasn't called back since.

To be continued, no doubt...

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Jack Campin
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 05:28 AM

There was no reason except profitability for gluten ever to be used in catfood. Some cats are gluten-intolerant - one of ours has similar symptoms to a human with coeliac disease, and we haven't spotted it in time he would have died years ago.

Barley is no better.

For years now we haven't bought any catfood that lists wheat or "cereals" on the label.

Any Mudcatters near Edinburgh want a couple of kittens? Either Eccles and Siouxsie, or Gerald and Poppy, from the photos here:

http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/Cats/

Those pairs are very attached to each other and we don't want to split them up.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 02:55 PM

Yes, and our local supermarket, along with giving coupons for Purina products at checkout, also gave a coupon for 80% off on vet bills if one purchases ASPCA Pet Insurance. These companies have no conscience even when it stoops to resorting to animal deaths to make yet another profit off it's marketing strategy. Disgraceful.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 02:52 PM

Unfortunately, for human consumption, wheat gluten is in early everything on the inside perimeters of a supermarket. Why is it in pet food? For a filler, they say? Nah, because the carbs increase the appetite...wheat in the human world is a comfort food, releasing endorphins in the brain to "feel good" - and it craves more, not unlike the tobacco companies that put that extra little nicotene in cigarettes - to keep us coming back. As do the dogs and cats.

I would guess the pet food industry has opted to purchase wheat gluten overseas because here in the good old USA where commerce and enterprise takes precedence over well being. The majority of European nations will not import our transgenically and chemically modified wheat, therefore we upped the price since we cannot even give it away. Did you not see the bushels we dumped on the tsumani survivors?

So it is force fed to us in nearly every product on the grocery market shelves, including pet foods, since right now Monsanto and the lot of top-contributing political hand greasers have too much at stake and too much to lose with most nations refusing their pesticide-resistant (thereby allowing it to tolerate more, which we ingest) bioengineered grains which produce sterile seeds.

The FDA has yet to announce a centralized number for reporting these deaths, nor has it adequately listed exact symptoms a pet owner needs to look for. As of this weekend, major retailers still claimed ignorance of the Alpo recall and the products still remained on their shelves.

Once again, as in September 11 and Katrina, we have yet been caught with our pants down one ore time.

The FDA equates to the Keystone Cops once again, but the true villians are the ones who were aware of the deaths and did nothing, placing commerce and profit over our well being. And that is criminal.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Nancy King
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 08:40 PM

Well, I'm not about to feed him anything homemade until I consult with the vet about his nutritional needs. Then we'll see. I'm not really anxious to undertake such a project, but maybe.

Bee, donating the unused food to a food bank is a good idea, but I really don't have that much on hand -- just about 4-5 cans, and I figure if he gets hungry enough...

Hope to talk to the vet tomorrow.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Donuel
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 09:41 AM

Best to just boil a cheap chicken every couple days, debone, bag and feed as needed like my parents did for their dog and cat.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Bee
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 07:33 AM

Nancy, glad Roscoe is a little improved. About the (safe) foods he will not eat: If you are anywhere near a Food Bank or other charity that handles food, pass unused pet food on to them - poor people have pets too. I had two huge bags of dog food left last year when our dog died, and the local food bank divided them into smaller bags to give to people with pets.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Nancy King
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 12:01 AM

Man, this recall just gets worse and worse, doesn't it? What CAN you feed your pet with confidence? I suppose making your own pet food makes more and more sense, but what a hassle! A friend of mine started making her own cat food out of chicken breasts and rice on the advice of a holistic vet, and it does seem to have cured her cats' chronic diarrhea, but it sure is a messy and time-consuming business.

I may have to resort to that myself. I haven't discussed it with my vet yet, so I don't know what would work best for Roscoe's current medical condition, but the cost of the prescription pet food available through their office is pretty daunting -- over $25 for an 8-pound bag of dry food, and $1.00 to 1.30 for a 5.5-ounce can. AND one of the products newly added to the recall list is one of the "prescription" diets. Not the kidney formula, but sheesh -- who can you trust?!

For those of you waiting with bated breath for an update on Roscoe's condition, he seems to be doing just a little bit better. I did take him in last Thursday, and have played phone tag with the vet ever since about the results of the blood work. I gather from the phone messages that it looks a bit better, but clearly not in the normal range. Meanwhile, I'm continuing to give him subcutaneous fluids and trying to find a kidney-formula food he'll eat. It irks me to pay that much for cat food and then have to throw a lot of it out because he doesn't eat it.

I did get a phone message from the Maryland FDA office, but of course haven't been able to talk to anyone in real time yet. They'll probably call back Monday while I'm at work.

And so it goes...

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: bobad
Date: 01 Apr 07 - 04:26 PM

"There are several of us who take rat poison everyday, i.e. warfarin/coumadin"

Not at all comparable to aminopterin.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Apr 07 - 01:08 PM

There are several of us who take rat poison everyday, i.e. warfarin/coumadin. NOT that that diminishes the concern.

As for the fact that melamine is used to make bowls to feed and water cats and dogs, the FDA's Herndon said: "We did say it has a lot of industrial uses, but this is the first I've heard of this. Certainly I'll be passing this information on."

Anyone else remember having "Melamine" dinnerware aka "Melmac?" My folks had some. It was the new miracle set as it didn't break. It is still being sold these days.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: dianavan
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 11:16 PM

I'm worried about products that are made for human consumption. What is on the shelf that use wheat gluten? At this point I suspect all of them.

I did read, though, that cats have a very low tolerance which means that if rats or dogs were used for testing, cats could still be susceptible to some toxins that were thought to be safe.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Mickey191
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 09:38 PM

Just heard on local news that ALPO Canned Beef & gravy is verboten.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 05:32 PM

"Why are we buting any wheat products abroad ? Just another example of firms buying cheap and making a lot of money off unsuspecting consumers. "

One of the sites I read--was I think Menu Foods--stated that they used wheat gluten from abroad because they could not purchase enough of it in North America. However, it wasn't clear to me that they then actually purchased ANY from North America.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Becca72
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 12:10 PM

Thanks for that link, Metchosin...
One of my cats is currently on Hill's Science Diet Prescription C/R for a UTI. Glad to hear this kind doesn't have any gluten in it, though. It's getting to the point where I don't feel safe feeding them anything!

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Big Mick
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 11:53 AM

This really points out a much broader problem. That problem has to do with regulation of food supplies for people and animals. Folks that were raised in the 50's and 60's and 70's were used to having appropriate regulations on industry that regulated and tested what we put in our bodies and those of our pets. But along came the Great Republican lie of the Reagan/Gingrich era that seemed to take the approach that all government interference in business (including controls on air, water, and food supplies) somehow interfered with the God given right of business to make obscene profit without regard to safety. And I shouldn't let the Dems off the hook either. They were paying attention to opinion polls instead of doing the right thing.

Wake up, people. This all goes right back to someone convincing these damn fools that they could have something for nothing.

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Metchosin
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 11:52 AM

Here is the link regarding the new Hill's recall. This one is a dry food.

Prescription Diet™ m/d™ Feline dry food

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 11:33 AM

Why are we buting any wheat products abroad ? Just another example of firms buying cheap and making a lot of money off unsuspecting consumers.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Metchosin
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 11:28 AM

I heard a report on the news yesterday that another company, Hill's Science Diet has now done a recall of one of their products. They discovered that they were using the same wheat gluten supplier as Menu.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 05:23 AM

"The melamine finding came a week after scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory identified a cancer drug and rat poison called aminopterin as the likely culprit in the pet food. But the FDA said it could not confirm that finding, nor have researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey when they looked at tissue samples taken from dead cats. And experts at the University of Guelph detected aminopterin in some samples of the recalled pet food, but only in the parts per billion or trillion range.

"Biologically, that means nothing. It wouldn't do anything," said Grant Maxie, a veterinary pathologist at the Canadian university. "This is a puzzle."

New York officials stuck to their aminopterin finding and pointed out that it was unlikely that melamine could have poisoned any of the animals thought to have died after eating the contaminated pet food. Melamine is used to make plastic kitchen ware and is used as a fertilizer in Asia.

An FDA official acknowledged that it wasn't immediately clear whether the melamine was the culprit. The agency's investigation continues, said Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine."

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 04:58 AM

How fucked up IS this! I googled fda and got the following at the top of the page.

"FDA names cause of bad pet food
Seattle Times, WA - 1 hour ago
In a news conference, Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said the FDA and independent laboratories have found a chemical ...
FDA: Pet food poison not yet identified Wilkes Barre Times-Leader
FDA finds chemical in pet food Boston Globe
FDA finds chemical, but no rat poison, in pet foods; some dry food ... Napa Valley Register"

We got it, we don't got it, we found a chemical, and we found a chemical but no rat poison. Thanks for making that clear. Remember these days when you are counting on the FDA to OK drugs for human use. It begins to look like they don't know what to do without the nod from pharmaceutical companies. And the media is a real help, too.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: dianavan
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 03:21 AM

Melamine???

It makes me wonder if they mixed it in with the wheat gluten to add weight and get a better price.

I took my cat to the vet for a routine check-up and she's fine. As I was leaving, I decided to buy some cat food to save a trip to the supermarket. First I grabbed a bag of Menu but then I switched to another bag of a different brand. What luck! I found out today that the very same Menu product has now been recalled.

I'm starting to worry though because now that dry food is involved, I wonder if any of it is safe.

I don't think its the manufacturers fault. I think the fault lies with whoever supplied the wheat gluten. If that is so, any manufacturer who bought the gluten from China could be contaminated.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Greg B
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 12:24 PM

PETA would claim the sky is pink if it would get them
some publicity. Likely they're using unsubstantiated and
unverified information to get their names in the paper,
again.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: beardedbruce
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 11:09 AM

FDA finds new chemical in tainted pet food, sick animals
POSTED: 10:56 a.m. EDT, March 30, 2007
Story Highlights• NEW: FDA says chemical used in plastics found in food, sick animals
• NEW: Scientists not sure melamine was cause of pets' deaths
• PETA to call Friday for recall of dry pet food it says has sickened dogs, cats
• Manufacturer recalled 100 brands of food after dogs, cats suffered kidney failure

Adjust font size:
RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- Recalled pet foods contained a chemical used to make plastics, but government tests failed to confirm the presence of rat poison, federal officials said Friday.

The Food and Drug Administration said it found melamine in samples of the Menu Foods pet food, as well as in wheat gluten used as an ingredient.

Cornell University scientists also have found the chemical, also used as a fertilizer, in the urine of sick cats, as well as in the kidney of one cat that died after eating the company's wet food.

Menu Foods recalled 60 million containers of cat and dog food earlier this month after animals died of kidney failure after eating the Canadian company's products.

It is not clear how many pets may have been poisoned by the apparently contaminated food, although anecdotal reports suggest hundreds if not thousands have died. The FDA alone has received more than 8,000 complaints.

The new finding comes a week after scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory identified a rat poison and cancer drug called aminopterin as the likely culprit. The FDA said it could not confirm that finding.

New York officials have detected melamine as well, though it's not clear how that chemical would have poisoned pets. It's typically used to produce plastic kitchen wares, though it's apparently used as a fertilizer in Asia, said Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine.

The recall involved nearly 100 brands of "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food made by Menu Foods. The recall covered products carrying names of major brand-name and private-label products sold throughout North America. (Menu Foods recall information)

The apparently melamine-contaminated wheat gluten also was shipped to an unnamed company that manufactures dry pet food. The FDA is attempting to determine if that product, imported from China, was used to make any pet food, Sundlof said.

Menu Foods used wheat gluten, a source of vegetable protein, to thicken the gravy of its pet foods, FDA officials have said.

Meanwhile, animal rights advocates called on federal food safety regulators and pet food companies to expand a nationwide recall of dog and cat food to include dry varieties, claiming they make pets sick.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals plans to make the appeal Friday in Washington after it said it received complaints from pet owners who claim their animals suffered kidney failure after eating dry pet food.

Norfolk, Virginia-based PETA wants the FDA and the companies to extend the recall to foods that have received complaints, chemically test it and perform necropsies on the animals involved. It also wants companies prosecuted if the FDA's probe turns up wrongdoing.

FDA spokeswoman Julie Zawisza said she did not know how many of the complaints the agency has received have concerned dry pet food. Officials at Ontario, Canada-based Menu Foods, which made the recalled pet food, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Veterinarians aren't seeing a trend of pets getting sick off dry food, said Paul Pion, founder of the Veterinarian Information Network. He said since so many people use dry food, you would expect to see many more ill pets if the food was tainted.

The Veterinary Information Network reported Tuesday that at least 471 cases of pet kidney failure have been reported since the recall, and more than 100 pets have died. (Full story) Menu Foods has confirmed 16 pet deaths.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Leadfingers
Date: 29 Mar 07 - 01:37 PM

100 !!

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: leeneia
Date: 29 Mar 07 - 01:20 PM

"Our grain companies often coat seed grain with poisons to protect it from insects and worms. That's another reason, of course, to buy only organic grains and vegetables."

Not so. Organic seed grain could be coated with pesticides if the pesticides came from a so-called "natural source." Present organic foods are treated with pyrethrins and copper salrs, neither of which is good.

If you want your food totally free of pesticides, just wash it in cool water with a tiny bit of soap and rinse well.
----------
I never did accept that theory that it was the gluten. How could simple gluten do such harm?

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Nancy King
Date: 28 Mar 07 - 08:26 PM

Yes, Kat, that Wisconsin one is the one I saw, and in fact I just went to the law group's website and submitted my information. They say they're now getting about 200 submissions per day! Geez. It would probably be better if I could find a group in Maryland, but I haven't heard of any so far. I don't really feel like I can start one myself -- my life is full enough as it is! The Wisconsin lawyer's site says they are looking into finding other responsible law groups and may refer people to them. We'll see how it comes out.

Thanks for your good wishes!

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Mar 07 - 08:12 PM

Nancy, I went to CNN which led me to a story at yahoo about a class action suit in Canada.

Ah, found the one you are talking about, I think: click here. Here is some of the text:

MADISON, Wisconsin (CNN) -- More than 95 pet owners have joined a class-action lawsuit against Menu Foods Inc., saying it produced and distributed pet food that might be dangerous, and possibly deadly, to animals.

Jacqueline Johnson of Madison, Wisconsin, filed the suit Tuesday. The complaint contends her gray tabby, Gumbie, became ill after eating food from an Iams Select Bites pouch in early February. Gumbie became lethargic, refused food and lost weight, she said, and a veterinarian diagnosed acute renal failure. The cat was "pet-hospitalized" and prescribed intravenous fluids.

Johnson told CNN she considers herself lucky. "Thankfully we got her to the vet in time. My cat was very ill, but there are lots of people around the country whose pets have died or been euthanized."

Since coming home, Gumbie has required a great deal of care. "It is stressful to have to stick a needle in the cat every day," said Johnson, who has had to administer daily subcutaneous fluid-and-drip injections since bringing Gumbie home.

Gumbie is likely to require medical tests and monitoring every few months, and Johnson expects this will increase her expenses considerably. She said she already has paid more than $3,000 in veterinary bills.

Johnson's attorney, Frank Jablonski of Progressive Law Group, said more than 95 people have joined the suit since it was filed, and he expects many more.

"We have all the clients we need," he said. "We wouldn't bring a lawsuit that we are not confident we will win." The lawsuit is seeking an unspecified amount of damages. Courts will have to certify the class and what venue will hear the case.

Menu Foods spokesperson Sam Bornstein declined to comment on the lawsuit but said the company has received tens of thousands of consumer inquiries and is doing its best to respond to them. "Our hearts go out to many thousands of pet owners, some of them for their losses and some for their worry," he said.


I'll be sending you more good thoughts, hugs, and energy tomorrow when you and Roscoe go to the vet's.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Mickey191
Date: 28 Mar 07 - 07:53 PM

Has anyone mentioned or heard of animals dying at the many Shelters-such as SPCA? I've not heard of it-yet it would seem logical they would have big losses too.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Desdemona
Date: 28 Mar 07 - 12:27 PM

Greg B--I just love the image of the kitty enjoying tiny morsels of sushi off the end of a chopstick; most pleasing. We sometimes feed our dog bites of stuff from the end of a fork; it's just outrageously cute the way her eyes cross as she approaches her objective!

Nancy--you should *definitely* get involved with that class-action suit; the more people who get on board, the more these ethically challenged wankers will have to sit up and take notice with their pocketbooks.

~D

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,Nancy King at work
Date: 28 Mar 07 - 12:18 PM

Well, yesterday I was FINALLY able to leave a message on the Maryland FDA phone line. We'll see if anything happens as a result of that.

Yesterday CNN.com had a story about somebody who had started proceedings for a class-action lawsuit against Menu Foods. I emailed the story to myself at home, but can't find it on CNN now. Anyhow, I plan to get in touch with the lawyers who are doing it and see if I can get in on it. I sure would like to get back the cost of the vet and all of the special equipment I've bought to give Roscoe his subcutaneous fluids.

I'm taking Roscoe back to the vet for a checkup tomorrow morning. He's not eating very well at the moment, but otherwise seems OK. Sigh.

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Greg B
Date: 27 Mar 07 - 03:00 PM

Wet food without 'gravy' seems to be okay. None of ours was on the
list.

Purina products seem to be okay, along with Friskies and 9-Lives
too, weren't they?

Okay, they're the 'Buicks' of cat foods, but better than rat
poison, you know?

For one our guys who doesn't like the 'pasty' stuff, he gets the
REAL expensive Purina 'Fancy Feast Gourmet' goodies in the can.
Like $US0.70 per tiny can!

However he eats so little of it, with a can lasting a full week,
that it's just a taste, anyway. He does love it--- he's just a
very self-limiting animal in terms of food intake.

He also goes bonkers after he eats it--- wants to play, play
hard, and play NOW. Chase all over, play hide-and-seek, etc.

Same effect with salmon and tuna sashimi... which he eats from
(separate) chopsticks. Two or three little nibbles, and he's had
his treat and goes away happy to digest.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Mar 07 - 08:45 PM

I'm reminded of the PBB (2-bromobiphenyl) contamination of cattle feed that happened in Michigan some 30 years ago. In that case the Michigan Farm Bureau was responsible for mixing cattle feed. What happened is that bags of fire retardent (containing PBB) were stacked next to the bags that were supposed to be mixed with cattle feed. Cattle started behaving strangely all over the state. However, it wasn't until one brave farmer and his veternarian released the results of their private testing to the media that contamination was acknowledged by the Farm Bureau. And the farmer and the veternarian were subject to personal threats by other farmers who were in denial, along with the Farm Bureau, that there was a problem.

Menu, Inc., seems to have done better than the Farm Bureau in trying to quickly evaluate the suspected contamination and then take action. I would caution those who think that relying on imports subjects us to a greater risk of contamination. China appears to be the culprit in this case but when we are talking about a national corporation, domestic sources could also be the source of the problem as it was in Michigan.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Metchosin
Date: 26 Mar 07 - 07:02 PM

Big Mick, from what I read, Menu didn't start getting complaints that something might be amiss with the food until February 20, 2007 and they started their own testing after that date. I don't know how long would be a reasonable time to set up such tests to determine what foods were affected or how long the tests would have to run, until symptoms of poisoning showed up in test animals, but from the time of the first complaint until first recall, by my reckoning, it would appear that it took 24 days.

Considering that the FDA had been warning California spinach farmers to improve their safety practices for a year, prior to the deadly E. coli outbreak, it would seem that the manufacturers of pet foods, without regulation and government testing that human food undergoes, weren't doing a bad job by comparison.....and I too am not usually an apologist for multinational corporations.

While some kinds of testing on animals make me very uncomfortable, until such time as there is no need for the SPCA or other organizations to euthanize unwanted or stray cats and dogs, because there aren't any, using them for tests that may save the lives of other pets, at least means that their imminent deaths have not been in vain. Either way it's a tough call.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 26 Mar 07 - 05:07 PM

Uh, Dr Freud--I meant wheat.

THAT pisses me off.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 26 Mar 07 - 05:06 PM

I would like to ask the stock holders why they are supporting the purchase of China's rice while North America produces more of the stuff than it can use.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 26 Mar 07 - 12:27 PM

I agree with you, Mick.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Big Mick
Date: 26 Mar 07 - 12:24 PM

I am intimately familiar with Menu Foods. I was the Union Representative of the workers at that plant. I must tell you that I think there is an important distinction that must be made and understood. The villan in this is the Chinese wheat, which was treated with the illegal rodenticide. I have seen the quality control procedures in this company's Pennsauken, NJ plant. They take it very serious. I am reminded of the time that I had to represent sanitation worker in the plant who let some of his chemicals get into an area that might have contaminated the food. The company's position was that somebody could lose their pet. They take that very seriously, at least that was my impression. I am no apologist for management, but I think they got blindsided. This is not something that would show up in normal testing.

As to them knowing about it for a month before making it public, I can't understand that. I suspect someone will pay a dear price for that. But they are not callous about animals, in fact they take the health of their clients animals very seriously. When it is all said and done, my guess is some mid level person found out about it and didn't report it to management until it became apparent what was going on.

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Dan Schatz
Date: 26 Mar 07 - 12:06 PM

It's been sad and scary to see what's going on with my Mom and Roscoe. We've been feeding the pouch food to our cats for the last year and a half - they love it - and were frightened to discover some of the tainted lots among the half finished boxes.

On the recommendation of our vet, we've stopped feeding wet food to our cats altogether for awhile. The vet told us that the symptoms would be dramatic - a massive increase in vomiting, lethargy, etc. - not just ordinary cat behavior. By those standards our cats are fine, though it's clear they don't think much of getting just dry food and water.

It's hard to know what to do in the long term - I guess just wait for long enough, or find a pet food that isn't made by Menu Foods. It's appalling to know that all of these different pet foods are essentially the same, that they had rat poison in the food, that they might have had some knowledge which they kept from us. Hopefully within a month or so we'll be able to get some reliably safe pet food.

But mostly I'm sad for my Mom and her pet - nobody should have to go through this.

Dan Schatz

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Mar 07 - 12:28 AM

I posted the following on March 23:

The government says Menu Foods tested suspect dog and cat food on as many as 50 animals after it learned of the problems. Seven test animals died. Menu Foods told the Food and Drug Administration it received the first complaints of kidney failure and deaths among cats and dogs on February 20th.

That's FIFTY and they knew a month before they told anyone!!

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Mar 07 - 10:56 PM

I had also heard that Menu had tested the food in house routinely to access its tastiness only to determine that 6 of the ten test dogs had died. I'm not sure if the results of this experiment were passed on with any alarm until there were public reports of pets dying mysteriously. I'm not really checking this memory of reporting out. So it's possible that I've got the story wrong.

I still think my theory that the pet food was accidently mixed with "seed grain" treated with rodent poison has some merit. No comment?

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 25 Mar 07 - 06:14 PM

I don't see any reference to this in the thread, but I am SURE I heard on NPR that they had tested the food inhouse and about 6 cats had died -- and the bastards STILL put in on the market. NPR interviewed a lady whose 2.5 year old bull mastiff had died -- she used the word murder (legitimately, I think). We have a bull mastiff (5) who is absolutely part of this family.........I cannot imagine the pain of such an unnecessary loss.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 25 Mar 07 - 03:51 PM

"Menu asks stores to remove pet food
by Jyoti Pal - March 25, 2007 - 0 comments

Acting cautiously in the wake of rat poison being found in the pet food, Menu Foods Ltd. has decided to recall all brands irrespective of the date of manufacture. The company had earlier recalled 60 million cans of wet pet food in the U.S. last week.

The decision has been taken amid concerns that tainted products are still being sold in the market. The original recall, announced March 16, was applicable to wet food made at its Emporia, Kansas, and Pennsauken, New Jersey, plants between December 3 and March 6. The recall, however, doesn't include any dry pet food or pet food sold in Canada."


That is from here. (Takes a few secs to load.)



A question for this and other companies that outsource: what the hell is ANYONE or ANY COMPANY doing buying wheat or wheat products from any other country in the world. Jesus H Keriste, Joseph and Mary, we have the stuff comin' out our yinyangs. Rotten bastards are under-cutting our farmers in the name of a bloody profit margin. Goddamned corporate greed. ENOUGH.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Bee
Date: 25 Mar 07 - 11:07 AM

Bobad..."When Missy went to the Alta Vista Animal Hospital for a previously scheduled operation, the vet told Ms. Larabie the dog was severely dehydrated. The dehydration did not go away after the surgery, so Missy went back to the vet.

My BS meter went off. The rest of the story is sort of credible, but what vet would perform a spay surgery on a severely dehydrated small dog?

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Mar 07 - 11:00 AM

Good gawd. I love my pets, but I would NEVER eat their food for them!

Mets, yeah, I agree re' BARF. I just thought some folks might want to see what turned up in a google search. I could never stand the idea or sight of giving my pets raw meat. It turns my vegetarian stomach.:-) They all love jack mackerel out of the can and/or tuna. Plus, every dog I've had seemed more aggressive if given moist food, so they have all had dry for years. Thanks for the biscuit recipe.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: bobad
Date: 25 Mar 07 - 10:40 AM

Pet food sickens woman
Ottawa woman who ate food to convince her picky pet to eat says she and her dog both sickened by tainted food that was recalled
BY MELISSA ARSENIUKWith files from Agence France- Presse
Elaine Larabie doesn't have anything against people food, but admits she did eat dog food to try to convince her terrier to eat — and it made her sick to her stomach.

The Ottawa woman is recovering after becoming violently ill after eating some of her dog's dinner, in a case likely related to the rat- poison- laced pet food that has killed several dogs and cats and sickened dozens more across North America.

Canine and master wound up in hospital — Missy at the Alta Vista Animal Hospital and Ms. Larabie at an after- hours emergency room.

" I thought I caught a virus, but then I realized I ate the food, and put two and two together," Ms. Larabie said.

For three days, she suffered a range of " confusing" and " embarrassing" symptoms, including loss of appetite, vomiting and foaming of the mouth. She also had problems urinating.

She went to the emergency room on Tuesday and had blood work done on Wednesday. She is now awaiting the results of those tests.

It all started with good intentions. After adopting one- year- old Missy six weeks ago, Ms. Larabie discovered the little dog refused to eat anything but table scraps.

" I was trying to get her to eat," Ms. Larabie said, but Missy's protest continued. Desperate, Ms. Larabie tried " just a little bite" of the Iams dog food to make the terrier think it was people food, then gave Missy the rest.

" I said, ' It's not going to kill me to take a little bite' ... but I guess it could have," mused Ms. Larabie, who notes the trick worked.

" When I would take a bite, she'd eat it," Ms. Larabie said.

The mealtime routine continued for about two weeks, until both dog and master got sick on March 17. At the time, Ms. Larabie was unaware of the massive pet food recall that was announced the day before. Two days later, she saw a TV news story about it, and connected the dots.

When Missy went to the Alta Vista Animal Hospital for a previously scheduled operation, the vet told Ms. Larabie the dog was severely dehydrated. The dehydration did not go away after the surgery, so Missy went back to the vet.

The vet explained the symptoms were not associated with the spaying; it was something Missy had eaten, Ms. Larabie said. It was suggested she contact Iams.

The vet that handled Missy could not be reached yesterday, and Alta Vista Animal Hospital declined to comment on the specifics of Missy's symptoms or prognosis, citing client confidentiality.

Ms. Larabie contacted Iams and confirmed the food she and Missy ate was part of the recall and was likely contaminated with aminopterin.

When asked about Ms. Larabie's illness, Iams spokesman Kurt Iverson said Iams and its parent company, P& G Pet Care, " are working directly with her," and will continue to do so until the problem is resolved. He refused to say if any other human illnesses have been reported.

Last week, Menu Foods recalled 60 million cans and pouches of food made in the United States and sold under 95 different brand names after reports that pets were falling sick and dying after eating the some of their products.

Imported wheat gluten from China has since been determined to be the source of contamination at two U. S. manufacturing plants.

Yesterday, the Toronto- based company expanded its recall, saying it was worried consumers could still find the products on store shelves.

The company said store owners should remove all of its products, regardless of the production date.

Ms. Larabie said Iams representatives assured her the company will cover the medical bills resulting from the tainted food.

She has not ruled out legal action, but says her primary concern is Missy's well being.

" I just want my dog better right now," she said.

After an overnight stay at the vet, Missy returned home last night. Ms. Larabie said both of them are on the mend.

As for herself, Ms. Larabie said she has learned her lesson and vows to " never eat dog food again."

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Metchosin
Date: 25 Mar 07 - 03:12 AM

kat, after perusing that site, I'm still not convinced that I would entrust my dogs to BARF over other commercially available foods. I wouldn't knowingly take chances on exposing them to salmonella and other stuff found in uncooked slaughter house meat that had been shipped. Also, if I recall correctly, prior to commercial dog food, when I was young, dogs didn't typically live to great old ages. The only exception I recall was an Australian dog that once made the Guiness Book of Records for longevity, fed primarily on table scraps.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 25 Mar 07 - 02:55 AM

I retract what I said earlier on in this thread. 'They' now strongly suspect that some cases have appeared in Canada as well.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Metchosin
Date: 25 Mar 07 - 02:49 AM

well, except for all the typos, that seems to be correct.....

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Metchosin
Date: 25 Mar 07 - 02:47 AM

Our dogs are allergic to wheat and beef and finding dog biscuits that do not contain those ingredients, particularly wheat, is sometimes difficult. We use the following recipe to make biscuits, as a treat for them and they think they are yummy. I've even tasted a couple myself, but I find I can't get as excited over them as the dogs do. Of course, I've never been seen outside sniffing poo either. LOL

Wheat Free Dog Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 3/4 c. kamut flour (we use spelt flourwhich works too, but you have to use less water and more flour in order to get the dough to a proper consistancy so that you can handle it)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
6 tbsp. olive oil
8-10 tbsp. water (less better is using spelt)
2 small jars of strained baby food ( beef, chicken, lamb or liver)
(We use organic baby foods available here such as turkey/sweet potato and chicken/vegetable)

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and knead for about 3 minutes. Roll out to between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick and cut with a cookie cutter. (you can get bone shaped cookie cutters, but our dogs like the ones we cut up with a pizza wheel just as well). Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 20- 25 min or until slightly browned.

Store in the fridge or they will go moldy otherwise. Will keep for about 2 weeks, if they last that long.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Mar 07 - 12:29 AM

For those who have asked for info on how to make your own dog and cat food, I found a site which has a book on it to print for free, just Click Here. I have not read it all, yet, so cannot vouch for its veracity.

I had a friend who made all of her dogs' and cat's food. She had a great recipe book. I'll see if I can get the name of it from her. I remember she used a lot of rice, kale, and tuna for the cat's eyesight. She was also a strict vegetarian and gave her dogs different kinds of veggie protein instead of meat.

There's more info on This Website.

Guest, Diego, my sympathies on your loss.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,busterleecat
Date: 24 Mar 07 - 06:44 PM

I am upset that the news is not treating this as a more important story. Anna N. Smith news is still an every day thing, but to get the list of poison pet foods you have to go on-line. An old man was walking his little dog by here today. I asked him if he knew about the poison pet food and he hadn't yet heard. Some elderly people may lose their precious companion because they don't keep up on the news. I also thought it absurd that the pet food plant in Kansas was using wheat from China. My uncle, a Kansas wheat farmer, became very ill (he eventually died) from "treating" his own wheat seed. I can't help thinking there may be more to this story.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,diego
Date: 24 Mar 07 - 04:26 PM

hi, first of all i'd like to express my extreme sorrow for all owners who have lost their pet or had their pet sick. i'd like to share with you the story of my dog, who had to be put to sleep because of acute liver failure due to an unknown cause 2 weeks ago. he was a extremely healthy and active lab until january of this year. in january he started rejecting his food and losing weight. he has eaten science diet dry food all his life. he loved the stuff, so i was incredibly surprised when he stopped eating it. we tried everything to get him to eat the stuff. soon he went from weighing 85 pounds to 70 pounds in less then 2 weeks. he also started throwing up and having loose watery stool. the vet told us it was some kind of liver disease, but did not know exactly what. his blood work said the same thing with elevated white cell count and liver enzymes. because of these results the vet decided to put him on the science diet Lg prescription diet which is a wet food. he was also given antibiotics for his liver.
we gave him this diet for several weeks, but instead of recovering he got worse. he kept vomiting and losing weight. he also started to have nose bleeds and started urinating and drinking water frequently. it got so bad that he would wake us up in the middle of the night to go outside. his urine was very loaded and an orange color. and his nose bleeds got worse and his nose started getting blocked up by the blood.
two weeks ago, his condition deteriorated to the point where he had to be fed with a syringe to be kept alive, and then he became bloated, stopped unrinated (classic symptoms of kidney failure). we tried giving him a dieuretic, but the next day he woke up agitated and misreable, and that afternoon he had not moved from where he was laying. when we tried to move him we found he could not walk. we took him to the vet imediately, and the vet said there was nothing she could do for him. later that evening the family got together and with all of us with him we put him to sleep.

it was not until last week that we thought it might have been the dog food that might have killed our dog. we have been doing research all this week and have related all our dog's symptoms with the syptoms described in the news and from cornell university even though his food was not on the recall list (both dry and wet). further more now that we know the culprit is rat poison, we have researched the symptoms for rat poisoning and it matches our dogs symptoms. so although the food our dog ate is not on the list, it still came from menu foods. we have a high suspect that it was the food that ended our dogs life. so far alll we can do is educated guess. we are not specialists in this, but my parents are physicians and biochemists and i am a biology student.

sorry to be long winded but i thought it would be useful for all of you to know my dogs symtoms. we would really appreciate it if any one who reads this and has a dog or cat with the same symptoms contact us through this website or to my personal email at, [e-mail]
please let us know, we would like to see if our suspicions are true
thank you all,
Diego

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Charley Noble
Date: 24 Mar 07 - 03:19 PM

My condolences to those who have already lost a pet and the many others who have to worry now about their pet's health.

I'm thinking about the rat poison "aminopterin" that was said to be found in the pet food and why it might have been incorporated in wheat imported from China. One theory would be that the Chinese mix aminopterin into their seed grain to protect it from rats and other vermin, and that somehow "seed grain" got mixed in with the grain being exported for pet food. Our grain companies often coat seed grain with poisons to protect it from insects and worms. That's another reason, of course, to buy only organic grains and vegetables. I'm wondering if Menu-Inc. is considering this theory.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 11:27 PM

However, am I the only one who is appalled at the fact that the pet food company tested its poison on live dogs and cats.

No, Mary, you are not the only one. It is sickening. People need to STOP buying any products which come from this company. Vote with your pocketbook and let them know this is not acceptable.

As many as one in six animals died in tests of dog and cat food that is part of a big recall. The manufacturer conducted the tests after complaints the products were poisoning pets around the country.

The government says Menu Foods tested suspect dog and cat food on as many as 50 animals after it learned of the problems. Seven test animals died. Menu Foods told the Food and Drug Administration it received the first complaints of kidney failure and deaths among cats and dogs on February 20th.

I find it equally outrageous they knew about it a month earlier before telling the public. That means they willingly let it be sold knowing it had already killed their poor "test" pets, the bastards.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,Mary
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 07:58 PM

Sorry, I accidentally posted before I was finished. As I said in my previous post my cat died a horrible death from rat poison years ago.

    However, am I the only one who is appalled at the fact that the pet food company tested its poison on live dogs and cats. I'm sure they were no one's pet but they are living breathing creatures entitled to the same humane treatment we give our loving pets. Surely there exists some other test that would not involve the torture and death of a dog or a cat?

    I am outraged that pet food companies put our pets at risk but also the inhumane manner they disregard the lives of their test animals.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,Mary
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 07:50 PM

Hi everyone,

I have been lucky in that I have one dog and one cat and both are safe as I have been feeding them Pedigree. I feel the sorrow you all have at losing your pets. When I was 12 years old my beloved cat died of rat poisoning that the City had placed in the alleys where I l
lived. It was a horrible death and I never forgot it.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: bobad
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 07:41 PM

"HOW SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN???"

In one word greed. In order to increase it's profit margin this company buys cheap wheat products from China when it's located in a country that produces a surplus of wheat and farmers are paid to NOT grow wheat in order to keep the prices at a level where farmers can earn a living.

The company's stocks rose in value today - go figure.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Becca72
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 07:30 PM

Unfortunately, Lisa, pets are viewed as property (at least in the eyes of the law of the United States) and their food is not nearly as strictly regulated as that of humans.   Hard to understand for those of us who view our pets as little hairy children, I know.

Subject: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,LISA
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 07:28 PM

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY I AM SOOOO OUTRAGED ABOUT THIS WHOLE POISONOUS PET FOOD SITUATION. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW SOMETHING SO HORRIBLE LIKE THIS CAUSE EVER HAPPEN??? 16 DOGS AND CATS HAVE ALREADY DIED DUE TO THIS IRRESPONSIBLE ACT. THE IMPACT OF THIS CONTAMINATION IS VERY DAMAGING NOT ONLY TO THE PETS BUT ALSO TO THE OWNERS WHO ARE HEARTBROKEN BY THIS IMCOMPETENCE. EXCUSE MY FRENCH BUT I AM REALLY PISSED ABOUT THIS WHOLE CONTROVECE. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW HOW SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN???

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 07:25 PM

Ingrid and I did a fran tic websearch when we found out. No dry catfoods seem to affected and the none of the Science Diet perscription foods are affected.

Stephen Lee

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Bee
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 06:48 PM

This is becoming more and more distressing. Wheat from China (have we no wheat in Canada?) contaminated with rodenticide, and dozens of so-called brands all manufactured in the same plants. It's beginning to look like a lot more pet deaths will be a result of this horrible mess.

And yes, what else do we humans eat that contains wheat from China - likely any number of cheap pasta products, maybe any number of flour containing products like crackers, cookies, candy bars, etc?

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Becca72
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 06:48 PM

Ignoring the trolls trying to spread panic....

I had my 1 year old neutered male cat at the vet's today for a UTI (unrelated to this food scare, thank christ!) and he told me that wet food is actually very good for neutered male cats because the liquid contents help keep everything moving in their urinary tract. The problem is, this cat is the only one of the three I have who doesn't like canned food. I feed my cats wet and dry and am seriously considering making my own wet food from now on. If anyone knows of a good website or personal recipes, I'd appreciate a PM.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,Matt
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 06:32 PM

My dogs eat Nutro DRY Lamb and Rice dog food, and they both have been vomiting and having diarrhea ever since I opened the bag. They stopped eating it, and believe me, they don't miss any meals. One dog seems better now, but won't touch the dog food anymore. The other one is still terribly ill. There is NO WAY this is coincidence, and don't let the company tell you the dry food is alright, because I am absolutely convinced that it is poisoned.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST, Topsie
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 05:43 PM

Now I find myself wondering if Chinese wheat is in any of the food for sale for humans. This could be far worse than the scare about minute quantities of chemicals in Indian spices, a while back.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,Dry food problems?
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 05:41 PM

Has any one else heard of problems with dry food? My 7 month old Black Lab Died suddenly last week and my 5 year old was throwing up on the same day... They have been eating Ol' roy kibbles n chunks.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Desdemona
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 05:19 PM

This just makes me see red; if these rat bastards (pun intended) can't give a damn about the living creatures they've sickened and killed, then they'd better be made to care about their pocketbooks when their corrupt, unethical asses get sued. It's the only thing people like that understand.

Meanwhile, despite the fact that the food my dog eats is not on the list, I still feel reluctant to open that can...Lucy's getting scrambled eggs and rice for dinner tonight! I've been researching homemade dog food, and my primary concern is getting the proper nutritional balance. It's a crying shame that this multi-billion dollar industry can't be trusted to provide us with safe, nutritionally sound pet food.

~D

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: bobad
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 04:13 PM

I agree Peeace, that the use of Chinese wheat is abhorrent, it should be criminal. Any lawsuits will certainly be complicated if it is proved that Chinese wheat was the source of the toxin.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,NancyO
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 04:00 PM

Nancy, I am so sorry that you and Roscoe have to go through this ordeal. I would call the best lawyer you can reach and start a class action suit if there is none. Also, if you have a no kill shelter in your area they may have a less expensive Vet on the staff. They can also tell you about rescue groups who may be able to help you financially. I have found some lists online This one is the one I find easiest to use: http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?action=4. Perhaps you can get some info from them that will make it easier for you to care for your precious cat.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 03:55 PM

"March 23, 2007 — ABC News has learned that investigators have determined that a rodent-killing chemical is the toxin in the tainted pet food that has killed several animals.

A source close to the investigation tells ABC News that the rodenticide, which the source says is illegal to use in the United States, was on wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food."

So, not only do the bastards screw American and Canadian farmers by buying wheat from China, the Chinese don't give a crap what they export. I wonder if China feeds this shit to its human population?

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 03:32 PM

Aminopterin is 'not licensed for use' in the US. I do not know if it is available for purchase in the US, but it is in at least ten countries, including Canada and the UK ( I know the UK is not a country). Google

aminopterin, where to buy

Posted without comment.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 03:22 PM

Articles worth reading.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Ebbie
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 03:06 PM

Thanks for that link, Peace. It's alarming. Rar poison wouldn't seem to have any reason for being on the premises much less in the products.

I don't have time at the moment to do research but does anyone know if 'Menu Foods' has more than one plant? If one plant creates pet food for 95 different brands then I would definitely suspect that someone(s) is an agent of malice, and I think the book should be thrown at her or him or them.

I don't understand why, as it says. there isn't already a criminal investigation.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 02:24 PM

"(CBS/AP) Rat poison has been found in pet food blamed for the deaths of at least 16 cats and dogs, a spokeswoman for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets said Friday.

The toxin was identified as aminopterin, state Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker said in a statement. Aminopterin is used to kill rats in some countries, but it's not registered for that use in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. "

Full story here.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,maire-aine
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 02:20 PM

This is not a "plug", but my cats ate food from PHD Products for most of their lives. Their vet recommended it. It is mostly sold over the internet but some pet-food stores are beginning to carry it under the name VIAND.

A couple years ago, the vet changed them to a specialty food (see above post), but if I were to get another younger cat, I'd certainly use it again.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 10:21 AM

This is very scary news. Does anyone know the source of the contamination. Are all of these brands made by the same supplier. My Cat , I used to ashamed to say, lives well on Fish from the fishmonger, wee bits of cooked meat and pasta. She loves pasta and mashed tts are a favourite. I am now not quite so asahmed about providing home cooking for the cat.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: MaineDog
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 10:11 AM

I used to feed my kitties dry Purina with no problems, unless they were unfixed males, in which case I had to feed them Nine Lives low-ash canned food to keep their plumbing from clogging up. Those problems are all in the past, now that I have become MaineDog and now I only eat Purina lamb and rice kibbles, also with no problems :)
MD

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Sorcha
Date: 22 Mar 07 - 07:17 PM

Which is why I never start any of our animals on wet food at all. Wet seems to increase chances of urinary tract probs all by itsself.

Home made sounds like a good idea until again, you consider balance.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 22 Mar 07 - 07:12 PM

One of my cats, Tabitha, was having skin problems so I switched from Little Friskies to Nutro Max Gourmet Classics about a month ago and it cleared right up! Of course, I'm going to toss the 3 cans that are left. Both Tabitha and Hotspur are very put out that I haven't fed them any wet food in several days- Hotspur in particular has been increasing his contribution to the hairball population of the world. But I'm moving house this weekend (long story) and just can't get to the Agway until after the move. They'll be boarding at the vet's during the move, and she promises to advise me on how to help balance their diet (I hate to agree with trolls, but she advocates creating wet food from scratch!). Oh, well, it might be a good idea. Maybe it'll give me a meaning and purpose in life - just kidding!!

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Ebbie
Date: 22 Mar 07 - 12:16 AM

I feel very fortunate that as it happens, I haven't fed my cat or dog any of the listed items. At least, so far. I hope they have all the contaminated food identified but I suppose more may be put on the list.

http://nightly.msnbc.com gives a lot of information.

Nancy, I had a cat once who had to have the hydration treatment. Like your kitty, he didn't seem to mind it too much. It's quite remarkable that water can be introduced that way.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: BK Lick
Date: 21 Mar 07 - 10:40 PM

Here's a BBC News story about a Chicago resident who has filed a lawsuit against Menu Foods.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Sorcha
Date: 21 Mar 07 - 09:13 PM

Des, so far ALL of the dry kibble foods are OK. I feed either Iams Lamb and Rice (red bag) or Iams Mini Chunks (green bag). Mini is just like Chunks except it doesn't crumble as badly from it's own weight.

If you want 'additives' use your own. Safflower oil for Vit E (and coat gloss), canned pumpkin (NOT pie filling) for Vit A and D (and runny poop control), Plain yogurt or fat free cottage cheese for calcium, etc.

I would not use canned sweet potato (mashed up) instead of pumpkin because of the added sugar content. A real raw sweet potato cook and mased would be OK. Raw or cooked carrot (no sugar added) would be OK too.

You can also research BARF (Bones And Raw Food) but I won't do it. Too chancy and the balance is so important. Get too much of any one thing (protein, carb, fat) and you are in trouble.

I also won't feed 'wet' food because of the digestion/elimination concerns in both dogs and cats, and dry kibble is better for the teeth. (Assuming your critter is young enough to still be able to chew. IF it's an old critter with dental problems, just let the dry kibble stand in hot water til it's soft)

Also, with cats, the canned/wet food has a much higher ash content than the dry, and can cause urinary tract problems, especially in neutered male cats. (High ash content also makes it more attractive to dogs who like 'tootsie rolls')

Most dogs can tolerate liver, raw or cooked (I prefer cooked) but some can't. I also prefer to cook liver and give it in small bites as treats. Too much liver can raise the dogs' own liver enzymes. (Humans too)

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Nancy King
Date: 21 Mar 07 - 08:54 PM

No problem, Bee -- just checking!

BTW, I was finally able to order the supplies for administering the subcutaneous fluid from Drs. Foster & Smith. Had to have the vet fax them the prescription first. Still expensive, but WAY cheaper than buying directly from the vet. Less than 1/3 the cost, in fact.

To my surprise, Roscoe tolerates this miserable treatment pretty well. I try to do it in the evening just before feeding him, and surprisingly he hasn't fought me or tried to hide. It's obvious he doesn't like it (duh!), but he's being really good about it, poor dear.

Desdemona, as far as "safe" food goes, all I can offer is to check the list of recalled brands very carefully and be sure whatever you buy isn't on the list. Or of course you could follow Gargoyle's good (if ungraciously given) advice and make your own.

Thanks to all who have offered sympathy and suggestions!

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Desdemona
Date: 21 Mar 07 - 05:41 PM

Nancy--I am SO SORRY to hear this; I'm thinking of you and your poor kitty...it makes my blood boil. This whole thing has completely freaked us out; whatever info anyone can offer about dog food that is reputedly safe(r) would be *very* much appreciated!

~D

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Bee
Date: 21 Mar 07 - 05:11 PM

Bee, I presume your comment was directed at Gargoyle, not at me, right? - Nancy King

Oh my goodness yes - I should have checked to see if my slow typing had let another post slip in there, sorry.

Bee

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: bobad
Date: 21 Mar 07 - 04:09 PM

A follow up to my previous post re. Royal Canin pet food:

March 21, 2007

Royal Canin Canada Statement Regarding Product Safety

Guelph, Ontario -- Royal Canin Canada wishes to assure customers that no Royal Canin Canada products are linked to any current safety issues regarding Menu Foods.

In early 2006, Royal Canin Canada did voluntarily withdraw seven specific code lots of Canned Waltham Royal Canin Canada Veterinary dog and cat food. They were withdrawn as a precaution because the products contained elevated levels of Vitamin D3 which could cause loss of appetite, lethargy and excessive drinking and urination in pets. The elevated levels occurred due to a vitamin-mineral premix error from a supplier, resulting in excess levels of Vitamin D3 in these code lots.

The recalled lots affected products prescribed exclusively through veterinary clinics. All veterinary clinics were notified and the products were removed from those clinics.

Royal Canin Canada wishes to assure customers that all affected products have been removed and destroyed. No over-the-counter pet food was affected.

Since last year, Royal Canin Canada has changed its premix supplier, put in place systematic Vitamin D3 analysis and enhanced quality checks in finished products. The steps taken are driven by Royal Canin Canada's Pet First philosophy and its commitment to pets and pet owners.

"For close to 40 years, the health, happiness and long lives of our customers' pets have been our number one priority," said Xavier Unkovic, CEO Royal Canin Canada. "We have one of the most stringent quality control processes in the industry."

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Mar 07 - 03:43 PM

My daughter and housemate have four dogs between them. They just found out they have some of the contaminated packets of dog food. Thank goodness they found out in time.

Keeping you and Roscoe in our thoughts, Linda.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,Nancy King at work
Date: 21 Mar 07 - 03:37 PM

Bee, I presume your comment was directed at Gargoyle, not at me, right?

Still haven't been able to contact the MD FDA people. It's amazing how much of my time has been taken up with this business in the last couple of weeks...

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Bee
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 09:09 PM

Not very judgemental, are you?

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Nancy King
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 09:08 PM

Well, I sure do have the vet bills. No problem there. And I have the unused Iams packages (different lot number). But I no longer have the packages from the food I'm convinced poisoned my cat. Who keeps empty pet food packages if they don't know they'll be needed? The symptoms showed up after the trash went out. Sheesh.

Gotta go try that FDA number again.

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 07:10 PM

Lots of recipes on the web - (even vegan) freeze in one quart or pint containers - after home-cooked picky pets never return to tainted cans.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Lazy people don't pick up poop

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 07:07 PM

Everyone I know - that REALLY loves there pets - create there own pet food. Lamb/rice Beef/barley Chicken/kidney Fish/oats not to mention carrots/celery/peas/beets

Lazy people should not have pets.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: bobad
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 05:45 PM

Canadian Class Action Commenced By Pet Owners Against Royal Canin

    TORONTO, March 20 /CNW/ - A national class action has been commenced on
behalf of pet owners who have purchased certain types of dog and cat food
manufactured by Royal Canin Canada Company.
    The claim seeks compensation for all those who have purchased Royal Canin
dog or cat food since August 1, 2004.
    The claim, issued today in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, alleges
that certain types of Royal Canin cat and dog food contain excessive amounts
of Vitamin D, which cause severe illness or death in pets. The claim further
alleges that Royal Canin was negligent in manufacturing and distributing the
pet food, and that it knew or ought to have known that excessive amounts of
Vitamin D are unsafe and leave dogs and cats vulnerable to developing
conditions such as hypercalcaemia and renal failure.
    "Pets are like family members, death or chronic illness can have a
devastating impact," said Joel P. Rochon, co-lead counsel. "It would appear
that some sectors of the pet food industry in Canada operate without any
meaningful quality assurance and that the industry is largely
self-regulating," added David Himelfarb, co-lead counsel.
    The proposed representative plaintiff, Janet Grixti of Whitby, Ontario,
stated: "If Royal Canin properly tested its products and recalled the dog food
in a timely manner, my dog would not have developed chronic renal failure. He
is a very young dog, and now he will have this costly condition for the rest
of his life."
    The allegations raised in the claim have not yet been proven in court.
The plaintiff and the prospective class members are represented by the law
firms of Rochon Genova LLP and Himelfarb Proszanski LLP.




For further information: Rochon Genova LLP, 121 Richmond St. W, Suite
900, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2K1, Telephone: [phone], or toll-free:
1-866-881-2292, Website address: www.rochongenova.com; Himelfarb Proszanski
LLP, 250 Dundas St. W., Suite 401, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2Z5, Telephone: (416)
599-8080, Website address: www.himprolaw.com

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 05:39 PM

I've found some more news which may be of interest:

Reports are already emerging of lawyers commencing legal action.
Emily Gardner, a Honolulu animal law attorney, said she had never heard of a pet food recall this large. Gardner said she would represent a client in some type of litigation to make sure companies improve oversight of their operations.

Also, it may not be the wheat gluten. CLICK HERE for a lengthy report "The Latest Pet Food Recall - As provided by Burton Patrick, Owner, Pet Supplies 'Plus' Pittsburgh"

And, finally, this from menu foods:

Company tells customers to hold onto vet bills

A company spokesman said customers should hold on to packaging and vet bills in case financial compensation is offered in the future.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Becca72
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 04:16 PM

So sorry Nancy that you have to go through this. My heart certainly skipped a beat or three when I heard about this on the news. I feed mine 9 Lives canned and I didn't see them on the list. I have used Wal-mart brand in a pinch in the past, though, so that thought alone makes me sick to my stomach. I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to switch my 3 over to Wysong. It may be more expensive but it's much better for them...and they're worth every dime of it.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,maire-aine
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 12:59 PM

So sorry to hear about Roscoe, Nancy. I hope he improves with treatment. My "gals" eat mostly Purina Veterinary Diet NF Feline Formula (dry food for kidney support) and Friskies canned food (which is not on the recall list yet). Both of my cats have somewhat reduced kidney function because of their age (they're both 18) but they get along very well. In fact, last time Little One had a blood test, her results were better that the time before. Good luck to you both.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: SINSULL
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 12:41 PM

So sorry, Nancy. When Ranger1 called me I immediately checked on line. My cats eat Friskies and so far none of the flavors they like are involved. I too have had cats die of kidney failure and gone through the subcutaneous drips. It revived them but at such a price.
Again, I am sorry Nancy.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,Nancy King at work
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 12:33 PM

Can't call from work. Will try again when I get home late tonight.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 10:40 AM

Yes, you can win. Try every few hours, Nancy.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Nancy King
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 10:13 AM

What a surprise. The FDA line says "no one is available" to answer my call now and would I please leave a message. But it won't accept a message because the mailbox is full. Ya can't win.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Nancy King
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 09:37 AM

When Roscoe was a kitten, the vet told me all he needed to be fed was a good brand (e.g., Iams) of dry cat food, so that's all he had for his first 7 or so years. He seemed healthy enough, but became seriously overweight, and the vet then said he should be switched to canned or "wet" food, because the dry stuff contains too much carbs. I put him on rather short rations of Science Diet canned "light" food and the Iams "weight control" pouches, and he did lose some weight, but remained healthy until quite recently. Little did we know...

As for proof it was the food that caused his kidney failure, no, I probably don't have anything that would stand up in court (it's not like I kept the old pouches with lot numbers on them... who would?), but the vet said it was very rare for a cat as young as Roscoe to get kidney failure. It's common in cats, but almost always in much older animals. And there's no way of knowing what his genetic background might be (got him from the county shelter at 8 weeks). But we can find no other cause for the problem, and he had been fed the Iams pouches regularly for the past year. No question in my mind.

Guess I'll go call that state FDA office.

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 08:23 AM

Topsie, I haven't seen anything for pets anywhere other than North America.

There was this in this morning's news: The FDA is asking those with sick or dead pets to call FDA state complaint coordinators. A list of contacts for such coordinators is available at http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html .

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST, Topsie
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 08:09 AM

Does this only affect North America, or are European pets at risk?

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: ranger1
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 06:58 AM

Nancy, I'm so sorry to hear about your cat.

I don't feed wet food, but when I heard about this on the news, the first thing I did was call SINSULL and give her the URL.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 06:11 AM

I was astounded to find that Purina had one of their products manufactured by the same company. So be careful although Purina's only suspect item is a 5.3 ounce pouch. I have been using their stuff - rabbits, Calves, etc., for more years than I am willing to admit.

Good luck to all with affected Kitties.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 11:11 PM

I could never understand the obsession for feeding lots of wheat, veggies, etc to dogs and cats - other than for the simple reason that the companies can make more money by diluting their expensive meat and fish protein with this 'filler'. Dog's and cat's guts (I have been informed) are the wrong type and length to be capable of ingesting large quantities of 'vegetable matter' (thise who wish to have such 'vegan pets' are thus misguided, at best). Small quantities can be ingested thru consuming the guts of prey - and can be a source of some vitamins, etc.

You have to be careful when feeding dry food - you must always have sufficient water available, or serious damage can be caused.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Sorcha
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 10:13 PM

I am quite sorry too. I went into a major panic when I first saw this, then calmed down (for us and ours) because I have always and only fed dry food (not that that would always save us) with our own additives.

Nancy, I'm so sorry, and I'm sure it doesn't help to know you are not alone.

We feed dry kibble, Iams Lamb and rice, NO wheat or corn, with our own additives of either fat free cottage cheese or fat free plain yogurt, canned pumpkin and safflower oil. People may call me nutso but I don't care. Esp not now.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST,Scoville
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 09:10 PM

Kidney failure is common in cats (as I'm sure your vet also told you), usually older cats but not always. When we saw cats that were doing poorly, the first things for which we tested were FIV, FeLV, kidney failure, and diabetes, and it was almost always one of the above. My own cat went through this when she got older. You have no idea how much time I, when I worked for a vet, spent giving subcutaneous fluids to cats with kidney failure. It sucks, I wholeheartedly agree--it was by far one of my least favorite things to do to a pet even though I knew they needed it--but is there any proof this was caused by the food and wasn't just something that happened?

That said, I'm sorry that the food brands to whom this happened included Nutro, Iams, and Eukanuba because, nutritionally, they are some of the better non-prescription foods. It's hard enough to convince people to stop feeding Ol' Roy, Gravy Train, and Kibbles'N'Bits--the pet equivalents of McDonald's--without something like this. Although I see Ol' Roy is on that list, too.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Metchosin
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 08:54 PM

So sorry to hear about Roscoe, Nancy. I can relate to having to give daily saline injections to a pet. I kept our old dog alive for almost a year with saline injections when his kidneys started to fail. Not fun and he hated my guts. I wouldn't do it again for love nor money. However, I am surprised at your cost. Our vet supplied me with the drip bags and needles for a very reasonable price. My heart goes out to you whatever you decide.

There were two cases regarding cats in the Toronto area reported on tonight's news here in Canada.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: catspaw49
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 08:37 PM

Nancy, I too am very sorry to hear of this. When the story broke a few days ago I wondered then how many of us here would be affected. I'm sorry anyone was..................

BTW.....I use Foster and Smith a lot myself and they are very reliable.

Our best and warmest wishes for something right.

Spaw and his Gang......Jaeger & Sissy (the Weims) and the Cat Clatch of Bix, Roamin, Pepper, Sugar, and Sloop.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Nancy King
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 07:54 PM

Kat, thanks for the hint about Foster & Smith -- they do indeed have what I need, for a lot less than I pay my vet for it. I have prescriptions from the vet, so I'll have to figure out the ordering procedure, but it looks like a good bet. I've bought flea stuff from them, but it never occurred to me to look there for much beyond that and dog beds and cat scratching pads.

Funny thing, though -- my first search term was "NACL," which the site responded to with "search term changed to 'nail'," and a selection of nail clippers...    Ah well, have to get our amusement where we can, I guess.

I think I've dealt with this enough for one night. Time to do something else.

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 07:46 PM

The above remarks is for both cats and dogs.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 07:44 PM

Recalled Dog Product Information
    Recall Information 1-866-895-2708
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 Canada
Priority US
Publix
Roche Brothers
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Shep Dog
Springsfield Prize
Sprout
Stater Brothers
Weis Total Pet
Western Family US
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Your Pet

##################################################

PLEASE NOTE that this pertains to 'wet' foods only. So far, no cases have been reported in Canada.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 07:42 PM

Recalled Cat Product Information
    Recall Information 1-866-895-2708
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 US
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Cans
Sophistacat
Special Kitty Canada
Special Kitty US
Springfield Prize
Sprout
Stop & Shop Companion
Tops Companion
Wegmans
Weis Total Pet
Western Family US
White Rose
Winn Dixie

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Bee
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 07:34 PM

I'm so sorry your cat was one of the victims.

That's a long product list; an enormous number of pet owners must be affected, and although mine's not on the list (Friskies), I'll be examining where it comes from.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 07:20 PM

The last I read they thought it was from some wheat gluten used as a filler and source of protein.

Nancy, you might try Drs. Foster and Smith. I don't know if the NACL can be sold by mail-order or not, but they are a very good company to buy from.

Do you have ranch supply places where you are which carry med. supplies for ranch animals? They might have a better price if the law allows it. I know it varies from state to state.

Best thoughts coming your way,

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Nancy King
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 07:03 PM

Thanks to Mike and Ebbie, too! It took me so long to get that link right that you guys slipped in ahead of me. It really does help a bit to know others are sympathetic and supportive.

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Nancy King
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 06:57 PM

Thanks, Kat and Peace.

By the way, note the word "include" in Peace's quote. There are MANY brands involved. Be extra careful what you feed your pets!

So far the best info I've found on the web starts with this FDA site . Click on "recalls" on the right hand side, and that will get you to a number of different manufacturers, lot numbers, etc. So far have not found any info about any reimbursement for vet costs, etc. Maybe later.

Sigh.

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: GUEST, Ebbie
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 06:55 PM

Whew. A few months ago I nearly switched my dog to Science Diet. HIghly recommended, you know...

I am so sorry, Nancy. that is so sad. Like kat, I've been reading about it and had just about decided that the sanest thing we can do nowadays is to mix our own concoctions. But of course, there can be contamination anywhere along the line.

There should definitely be a class action brought against the supplier(s). But as you said, no matter how hard they try to make it right, they can't make the pain better or restore the health of the pets or bring them back to life.

Does anyone have further information on the calamity? Have they identified the agent that *did* cause it?

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: open mike
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 06:54 PM

This apparently does NOT involve dry dog or cat food, only canned
and moist food pouches.

sorry to hear that any mud kitties or puppies have had problems.

Hope for recovery for Roscoe.

and hugs for Nancy!!

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 06:48 PM

RECALL info including lists . They are saying now it includes over 50 brands.

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: Peace
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 06:45 PM

Sorry to hear that, NK. Further info for pet owners.

'"Affected brands include Iams, Nutro and Science Diet products, as well as store brands by Wal-Mart, Kroger, Schnucks and Meijer's.'

Subject: RE: BS: Poison pet food
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 06:42 PM

Oh, Nancy, I am so sorry to hear about this. I've been following the news about this and have been appalled by what I've read and seen. We went to a ranch supply place on Saturday to get dry food for our cats and dog and I couldn't believe they had Iams and Eukanuba wet food still for sale; in fact they had some pouches on sale! I called the manager when I got home, but she was a weekend peon and assured me they would have pulled the stuff if it had needed to be done. She hadn't even heard about the poisoning, recall or anything when I called.

I have nursed a couple of cats through the same thing you are doing, with the sub-cu IV fluids, etc. It became such a struggle, esp. with my brother's cat who detested being handled and poked, etc., that we finally had to put them down. I am sorry to say now, if I hear a cat of mine is losing kidney function, I will not put them through that kind of misery.

I would hope there will be some kind of compensation from the company which used the spoilt wheat gluten or whatever they find was the cause. If they don't offer it, I hope there will be a class action suit.

You and Roscoe are in my thoughts and thanks givings and I am sending you {{{{{{HUGS}}}}}.

kat, merlee-the-border-collie, Trystan-the-gray-tabby & Kipling - the Siamese

Subject: BS: Poison pet food
From: Nancy King
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 06:23 PM

I need to rant a bit. A little over a week ago, my not-quite-eight-year-old cat Roscoe was diagnosed with primary kidney failure. The diagnosis followed several days of veterinary hospitalization and tests (costing a bundle, you may be sure). After ruling out Addison's disease, which is treatable, the vet concluded it was primary kidney failure, and said the only thing that would keep him alive (and for who knows how long) would be for me to administer subcutaneous fluids every day, and feed him special kidney formula food. We'll probably never know what caused it, the vet said.

Well, now we know what caused it. For the past year Roscoe has been eating -- and enjoying -- Iams "weight control" formula cat food – the kind that comes in a foil pouch. Very easy. But now it turns out that Iams "wet food" in pouches is one of MANY well-respected brands now being recalled because they were found to be tainted with something that causes kidney failure. Terrific.

The condition is irreversible, and treatable only by a procedure that is a royal pain (for both me and the cat) to administer, and involves very expensive equipment. I have to buy hanging pouches of NACL fluid, plus special tubing and needles -- it comes to about $50 or $60 per week. Not to mention the nearly $1000 I have already incurred in vet bills, and the fact that I'm supposed to take him back in for regular checkups. And of course, the treatment may stop working at any point, and then I'll have to have him put down. Sheesh!

I'm not sure how long I can keep this up -- emotionally, logistically, or financially. Of course I'll return my remaining supply of the Iams food back to the store and hope for a refund, but that's a drop in the bucket. I sure would like the manufacturer of this tainted ingredient to reimburse me for my veterinary costs. Of course there's nothing anyone can do to restore my cat's health.

Anyhow, be VERY careful what you feed your pet. There are several websites that list all of the recalled brands. If your dog or cat suddenly loses appetite (Roscoe stopped eating almost entirely, though eating had been his entire raison d'etre previously), starts vomiting, etc. etc., get it checked out immediately!

I'm not really asking for anything here at Mudcat, unless someone knows of a source of cheap veterinary supplies, or knows of any class action suits contemplated against the manufacturer. I just needed to rant.

Nancy :-(