Pets Are Family Too

This seems to be a never ending saga, this pet food recall! Pet owners have to stay on top of the latest pet food recall news which is why I am writing to inform you that Menu Foods have added more products to the pet food recall list! Menu Foods is recalling the cuts and gravy and select other Dog and Cat food products manufactured at any of Menu Foods’ plants during the period that ChemNutra wheat gluten was used at that plant. The new pet foods added to the list have not been subject to a recall, but could be contaminated because of cross-contamination in the plants where ChemNutra was made. The list below show the brands of the pet foods added to the pet food recall list! For more info go to Menu Foods.

The list is includes major brands of Dog and Cat Food so be sure to go here to Menu Foods,Inc. and check it out now!

Remember, if you have any of the Dog Food or Cat Food in the bowls, discard it immediately and stop feeding it to your dog or cat! If your Dog or Cat becomes sick, take it to the vet! I would keep my receipts even if the contaminated dog food or cat food is returned to the store!

You had to suspect it! Our pet food supply was contaminated by poisonous a batch of wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate tainted with melamine, imported from China by Wilbur-Ellis and widely distributed to most of the nation’s major Pet food manufacturers. We had to guess that since our pet food is manufactured by many of the same companies who produce food for human consumption, there would have to be some cross contamination at some point. Like the hogs at American Hog Farms, that were fed pet food products left overs, sold from the pet food makers like Diamond Pet Foods. So far only American Hog Farms is the only known, “stated” supplier of food for human human consumption, who fed contaminated pet food products to it’s stock! The jury is still out on what other meat-processing plants they sold contaminated animals and meat to that produces food products for human consumption! Now there is another animal farm that has fed contaminated feed to it’s poultry, grown for human consumption!

According to the FDA and the USDA, there are about 30 Indiana broiler (chickens) farms that have fed their chicken stock, pet food byproducts(leftovers) contaminated wheat gluten imported from China. The very melamine contaminated wheat gluten, that killed our dogs and cats, are in chicken broilers that may be headed to our dinner tables!

At this time, the investigation indicates that approximately 30 broiler poultry farms and eight breeder poultry farms in Indiana received contaminated feed in early February and fed it to poultry within days of receiving it. All of the broilers believed to have been fed contaminated product have since been processed. The breeders that were fed the contaminated product are under voluntary hold by the flock owners.

As with exposure from hogs fed contaminated pet food and for similar reasons related to the dilution of the contamination, FDA and USDA believe the likelihood of illness after eating chicken fed the contaminated product is very low. Because there is no evidence of harm to humans associated with consumption of chicken fed the contaminated product, no recall of poultry products processed from these animals is being issued. Testing and the joint investigation continue. If any evidence surfaces to indicate there is harm to humans, the appropriate action will be taken.

Read the rest of this entry »

Here goes another one! They are falling like a house of cards, the pet food manufacturers! Diamond Pet Foods of Meta, Missouri, announced a voluntary recall of some of it’s canned dog food made by American Nutrition, inc. The recalled pet food products according to Diamond Pet Food are…

Diamond Lamb & Rice Formula for Dogs 13 oz. cans, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Kitten Formula 5.5 oz. cans, and Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Puppy Formula 13 oz. cans.

Diamond Pet Food says, “No other Diamond brand or Chicken Soup brand canned or dry pet food formulas are affected by the American Nutrition recall. ”

American Nutrition, Inc. has found evidence of the rice protein concentrate contaminated with melamine in it’s pet food products that prompted their pet food recall yesterday! The Federal Food and Drug Administration urged American Nutrition to issue a voluntary recall of pet foods manufactured using Wilbur-Ellis rice protein. None of these pet food products are sold under the American Nutrition brand, but are sold through other independent companies. This is why we have to be on the look out for all commercial pet food ! Below is a list of the American Nutrition, inc., pet food recalled… Read the rest of this entry »

It’s spreading faster than a wildfire in a dry, wooded area! It is the pet food recall, and we pet owners have to stay alert! Again it has happened, another company is recalling it’s pet food products.

Chenango Valley Pet Foods , was informed by Wilbur-Ellis, the rice protein concentrate that they shipped to them came from China, may contain the poisonous melamine. Melamine is an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that may lead to illness or fatalities in animals if consumed. Wilbur-Ellis imported the rice protein from China during the week of April 2, 2007, which has been distributed to many of the major pet food makers and yes, some pork product processing plants for human consumption!

The pet foods were sold to customers in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, who further sold the products to their customers through catalog mail-orders or retail outlets. Below is a breakdown of the Brands affected by the recall so, far, according to the Food and Drug Administration …

Only the following dry pet foods are involved in the recall:

DOCTORS FOSTER & SMITH CHICKEN & BROWN RICE FORMULA ADULT LITE DOG FOOD, NET WT. 5 LBS., 12.5 LBS, and 25 LBS; Code dates: Best Used By Jan 24, 09; Best Used By Feb 8, 09; Best Used By Feb 26, 09; Best Used By April 10, 09; Best Used By April 17, 09;

DOCTORS FOSTER & SMITH CHICKEN & BROWN RICE FORMULA ADULT LITE CAT FOOD, NET WT. 3 LBS. and 7 LBS.; Code date: Best Used By March 13, 09;

LICK YOUR CHOPS LAMB MEAL, RICE & EGG CAT FOOD, 4 LBS. packages,
Code date: Best Used By April 29, 08;

Bulk CHICKEN & BROWN RICE FORMULA ADULT LITE DOG FOOD sold to one consignee (SmartPak) in a 2000 lbs. tote, Ship date: Feb 9, 2007

Purchasers of these brands should stop feeding to your dog or cat immediately! Chenango Valley Pet food, 1-610-821-0608, like the other pet food makers, recommends taking the pet food products back to where purchased for a refund, and take pets to veterinarian if they become sick! Now, if I had to return any contaminated pet food, I would keep my original receipt and if the store needs a receipt, they would have to get a copy! But using Homemade Dog Food Recipes, could alleviate some worry until this pet food recall business is handled!

more info:

Since the March 2007 pet food recall, there have been many of our pet family members, our dogs and cats, sickened and killed by tainted pet food made by popular pet food brands. This prompted a large scale pet food recall that seems to grow almost every day. Recently, as of April 19, 2007, American Hog Farms of Stanislaus County in California, discovered tainted melamine in the urine and food samples of it’s pig livestock. Even though, American Hog Farms is a so called “custom slaughterhouse”, who sells meat to individuals for “private consumption”, they have also provided meat to other meat processing facilities, yet to be named. This is where it gets tricky.

Many pet food companies and manufacturers are the same companies who provide food for people to eat. For example, from api4animals.com, a small breakdown of pet food companies that also provide people food are as follows,

* Nestlé’s bought Purina to form Nestlé Purina Petcare Company (Fancy Feast, Alpo, Friskies, Mighty Dog, Dog Chow, Cat Chow, Puppy Chow, Kitten Chow, Beneful, One, ProPlan, DeliCat, HiPro, Kit’n’Kaboodle, Tender Vittles, Purina Veterinary Diets).
* Del Monte gobbled up Heinz (MeowMix, Gravy Train, Kibbles ’n Bits, Wagwells, 9Lives, Cycle, Skippy, Nature’s Recipe, and pet treats Milk Bone, Pup-Peroni, Snausages, Pounce).
* MasterFoods owns Mars, Inc., which consumed Royal Canin (Pedigree, Waltham’s, Cesar, Sheba, Temptations, Goodlife Recipe, Sensible Choice, Excel).

Just to name a few! Is this our canary in the coal mine for people food? Read the rest of this entry »

Just what we need at a time when we are scrambling to find safe food for our dogs and cats, contaminated people food! Yes, the pet food recall has expanded to food animals for human consumption!

American Hog Farm in Ceres, Ca. was quarantined after melamine, the pet food contaminate , was found in the urine of it’s stock. Tests of seven urine samples and feed, came back positive for melamine, which is the main toxin found in the contaminated pet food that has killed hundreds of pets and been recalled from store shelves.

The problem is, that American Hog Farms sells animals to meat-processing plants and other hog farms. A meat-processing plant, that have not been named, with wider distribution is said to have some of American Hog Farms hogs, but “some official” from the company says that none of that meat is in public distribution?!

Melamine is a plastic used in making kitchenware, floor tiles, fire retardant fabrics, laminates and other commercial everyday products. When melamine is eaten by pets, it causes kidney problem that often lead to their death. So far, we do not know, or have not been told, what happens to humans if eaten. Read the rest of this entry »

Just when you thought that there was a safe place, like your veterinarian’s office, to buy pet food, the tainted pet food recall, cut you off at the pass! Yes, it’s true, some pet food sold at veterinary clinics and specialty pet stores are now added to the dreaded pet food recall list!

On April 19, 2007 there were two pet food companies that announced they were issuing voluntary recalls for their pet food products!

Royal Canin USA, determined there is some melamine in the rice protein concentrate in some of its dry pet food products! They have no confirmed cases of pets getting sick from their foods, but out of concern for the rice protein in their pet food, decided to voluntarily recall the products as a precaution. The kicker is that these foods affected, are sold in veterinary clinics and specialty pet stores! Below, is a brief list of the Royal Canin USA, recalled pet food.

ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIETâ„¢ (available only in veterinary clinics)

Dry Dog Food

* Canine Early Cardiac EC 22â„¢
* Canine Skin Support SS21â„¢

Dry Cat Food

* Feline Hypoallergenic HP23â„¢

ROYAL CANIN SENSIBLE CHOICE® (available in pet specialty stores nationwide)

Dry Dog Food

* Chicken Meal & Rice Formula Senior
* Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Puppy
* Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Adult
* Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Senior
* Rice & Catfish Meal Formula Adult

If you have any of the pet food above, STOP feeding your pets these foods immediately! and for more information on the recalled foods of Royal Canin USA, go to their website here.

In addition Blue Buffalo recalled 3 lb. and 7 lb. bags of Spa Select Kitten dry food have the production code “BEST IF USED BY MAR 07 08 B” printed on the bag. If you have this brand, check if this information is on the bag, which is printed on the back panel below the seal.

For more information on the latest pet food recalled go here to the FDA.gov site.

This just gives you two more reasons, to feed your pet homemade dog food and cat food!