There's Evidence...

...that taking work home with you is hazardous to you...



...and your family's health.

Relax...

And have a great week-end.


later...

When Hype Hurts...

The Oklahoma State Fair will soon be underway and is an event that is looked forward to by tens of thousands of Oklahomans, both young and old. This year the fair will run from September 13th through the 23rd and it is expected to be one of the biggest events of 2007 as the state continues to celebrate its 100th year of statehood.

Many people think that the state fair consists of rodeos, entertainment, and the Midway with its numerous carnival rides and food vendors. However, the state fair has many educational experiences as well throughout its ten day run.

For several years now the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association has sponsored an educational exhibit on the fair grounds.

One of my blogging friends, Shelly, was reviewing the events that were scheduled for this year's fair and ran across the promotional blurb about the OVMA exhibit. Shelly blogged about it and posted her feelings concerning the exhibit. She also left a comment here on my blog asking for my opinion.

Here is the excerpt about the OVMA demonstration exhibit as written by those who are in charge of the State Fair publicity compaign:

VETERINARY SURGICAL CENTER

Can you stomach seeing a live surgery? Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) Veterinarians will perform a live surgery right before your eyes and show the entire spaying process of a female dog. It’s just like being in the operating room with play by play commentating. It’s an educational experience for the whole family. All dogs having this procedure will be available for adoption. So be sure to visit the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter table and find out more about how to take one of these loving pets home.

Monday – Thursday • 6:30 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday • 2:00 & 6:30 p.m.
Location: Barn #3

I assure you that the OVMA is not wanting to sensationalize this intricately planned educational exhibit. There are hours upon hours of planning that goes into pulling such a demonstration together. Additionally, all of this is done on a voluntary basis by veterinarians and their support staff from within the state. My employer, Dr. Tina Neel, serves on the planning committee and some of our doctors and staff volunteer their time to help man the exhibit. There are thousands of dollars of time, equipment, supplies, medicines, and ancillary items that are donated in hopes that the general public will gain an understanding of responsible pet ownership as well as modern veterinary medicine.

It is a committed group of individuals who work tirelessly to bring veterinary medicine out of the dark ages and strive to raise the standards in the field as a whole.

Why are there still hundreds of thousands of unwanted, unspayed, and unneutered pets in this nation?

Public education is imperative.

How many people understand that the technology and equipment is available for our pets unless they are shown?

We have gas anesthesia machines that deliver safe inhalant anesthetics. The days of having an IV anesthetic taped to the leg of a patient using a straight needle should be gone. For some, this is still the norm in the surgical suite; but how is the public going to know there is a better and safer way unless they are taught?

How many individuals expect to have surgery without the basics of screening blood work, or EKG, CO2, and blood pressure monitoring?

How about pain control? Would you like for your doctor to ask you to "bite the bullet" after an extensive orthopedic procedure?

There are many people who are not aware that these things are available for their pets.

Why?

Because they have never been told about it or seen it in use.

It is the hope of many veterinary professionals to stop the uncontrolled repopulation of pets as well as raise the standards of care for your personal pet.

In order to do this, the public has to understand what the standards should be.


That is what this exhibit is all about...

Education.


I apologize for any misunderstanding that may have been caused by the promotional hype by the State Fair organization.

Because that is not our intent at all.


later...

The Development of Cancer Vaccines...

Earlier this year it was announced that a cancer vaccine for canine melanoma had been approved for a conditional license by the USDA.

The vaccine is currently being distributed to selected facilities and has recently arrived at Oklahoma State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The conditional license is valid for one year, which at the conclusion, all the data from the treated animals will be gathered and evaluated. The results of the data will determine whether or not the license will be renewed for further study.

It takes several years of research for medicines of this nature to make it to this stage of development. Additionally, USDA-APHIS (United States Department of Agriculture-Animal Plant Health Inspection Service) reserves the right to issue these special licenses under certain circumstances. According to APHIS, "the vaccine has been shown to aid in cancer treatment for dogs and has demonstrated a reasonable expectation of efficacy to increase the survival time of dogs with oral melanoma."

Probably the most significant aspect of this vaccine is the fact that it has had some very promising preliminary results which led to the conditional licensing. What should be even more encouraging, to the general public as a whole, is that the canine melanoma vaccine could be a significant breakthrough in cancer research. It is hoped that the research associated with this vaccine will be very instrumental in furthering the development and release of cancer vaccines for humans.

Similar vaccines for humans are currently being researched, however the conditional license for the canine cancer vaccine is considered a major breakthrough.






USDA ISSUES CONDITIONAL LICENSE FOR CANINE MELANOMA VACCINE (26Mar2007)

Retrospective Study of 338 Canine Oral Melanomas with Clinical, Histologic, and Immunohistochemical Review of 129 Cases (2000)


Long-Term Survival of Dogs with Advanced Malignant Melanoma after DNA Vaccination with Xenogeneic Human Tyrosinase (2003)

Canine Treatments May Shed Light on Cancer

Melamine and Melamine-Related Compounds...

As time goes on the FDA continues to release information multiple times each week concerning the pet food recall.

We now have the USDA, FSIS (USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service), and the FDA all working on this huge problem. This catastrophic event could run into 100's of millions of dollars.

Especially since contaminated foodstuffs were fed to hogs by pork producers. These were hogs destined for human consumption and have now been quarantined. Not only that, it seems that hog producers will be compensated by the federal government for "depopulation". I felt that this was an interesting statement as well (bold is my emphasis):

The contaminants in question include melamine and melamine-related compounds, including cyanuric acid, the combination of which is a potential source of concern in relation to human and animal health. Scientific research indicates that melamine alone, at detected levels, is not a human health concern. However, no scientific data exist to ascertain the effects of combining melamine and melamine-related compounds. Therefore, a determination has not yet been made regarding the safety of the product.

Hmmm...


As scientists continue to scour the samples and try to identify every possible source of contamination, it's quite possible that they will continue to find more substances in our foods that aren't supposed to be there.


It appears that nearly every major pet food manufacturer has been affected since new recalls continue to be announced. This past week alone gave us these announcements:

*Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc. Recalls Products in Response to American Nutrition Inc. Pet Food Recall (April 27, 2007)

*American Nutrition, Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall (April 26, 2007)

*Blue Buffalo Recalls Can and Biscuit Products Due To Tampering By American Nutrition Inc. (April 26, 2007)

*Diamond Pet Food Withdraws Products in Response to American Nutrition Inc. Pet Food Recall (April 26, 2007)

*Chenango Valley Pet Foods Issues Voluntarily Nationwide Recall of Certain Pet Foods (April 26, 2007)

You can go to the FDA Pet Food Recall page to keep up to date on the changing events.

Now that there are hundreds of pet food labels that have been affected, the FDA has also developed a searchable web page where you can search for your particular pet food in their database. I think that this is probably one of the best things that the FDA could have done as far as getting accurate and reliable information to the public.

All of this information should set aside any deragatory comments or ill-feelings towards Menu Foods Income Fund. Especially those comments about the company purposefully putting poison in the pet foods. Which I personally felt was an absurd and ludicrous thought.

Of course, there are people still wanting to find someone that they can sue over all of this. And a quick search pops up all kinds of lawyers who are just waiting for a phone call or an e-mail.


Nonetheless, I would like to point out how small bits and pieces of information are filtered down to us, the general public. And I would like to draw attention to the fact that we still don't really have a lot of answers concerning this crisis. The pet food companies are limited on the outflow of information to their consumers as well.

Of course, this all makes me begin to wonder why. It could be that there is a government gag order on all of this until all the information has been gathered. It is also possible that there are some major diplomatic problems going on with China. You did hear about the tainted corn gluten in Africa that came from China right?

And that it appears that the addition of melamin to these products appears to be intentional?

So all of this has become quite an international incident. It will be quite interesting to find out what will become of all of this.

If we get to hear about it that is.


As a side note, it seems that there is a new "advertising" website that has been set up to possibly generate some income from all of this. I presume that it is for the purpose of making money as it has several advertisers on it.

How did I find out about it?

Well, it seems that this website has placed a link to one of my posts on their page.

It has this picture:



With the words "Read a Blog and enjoy a Hamburger - DogsCatsKidsLife which is linked back to this post.

*scratches chin*

So this led me to check on my Google Adsense account. You know, to see if my blog has profited from all of this. I haven't checked it in six months or more. Mostly because you don't get a check until your account reaches $100. And I figured that would be somewhere around 2018 at about .01 cent a click.

Of course, it's hard to tell if any of the clicks are directly related to the pet food recall posts. However, it does appear that I have made about .22 cents since it all began.


Maybe I should see if I can get into law school after I graduate.


later...



Pet Food Recall Expands to Rice Protein...

Royal Canin States: We're Not Involved...

The Pet Food Recall Expands... Again.

FDA Announces: Melamine in Tainted Pet Foods...

Menu Foods Posts FAQ's Page...

Pet Food Recall...

Still Looking for Answers on the 2007 Pet Food Recall...

Menu Foods Pet Food Recall Update

Pet Foods = Human Foods... It's All the Same Thing...

Linda in Norman gave me a heads up on this article:

FDA Examines if Pet Food Contaminant in Human Food

The FDA named the six grain products to be inspected as wheat gluten, corn gluten, corn meal, soy protein, rice bran and rice protein.

"We're going to target firms that we know are receiving imported products," said David Acheson, chief medical officer of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in a conference call with reporters. "The goal is obviously to sample as much as we can."

Like I said before, many of these pet food manufacturers have always been proud of the fact that they have been using "human quality" ingredients in their foods.


And that's been my biggest concern about this whole fiasco. This stuff is bound to be in our *people* foods.

On Monday, two U.S. lawmakers said a second company likely imported rice protein from China that was contaminated with Melamine. FDA officials on Tuesday would not say whether there was a second importer.

Those folks who said all of those "not nice" things about Menu Foods should take back what they said.


*darn*

I just now realized that my kids are going to be real upset if they find out that they're going to have to give up their Doritoes.


*geez*


Are we going to have to start trying to eat healthy now and give up all of our over-processed fake foods because of all of this?


later...






Pet Food Recall Expands to Rice Protein...

Royal Canin States: We're Not Involved...

The Pet Food Recall Expands... Again.

FDA Announces: Melamine in Tainted Pet Foods...

Menu Foods Posts FAQ's Page...

Pet Food Recall...

Still Looking for Answers on the 2007 Pet Food Recall...

Menu Foods Pet Food Recall Update

Pet Food Recall Expands to Rice Protein...

If there ever was a silver lining to a bad situation, I would have to say that the "Pet Food Recall(s) of 2007" would have to have one.

Rice protein from China has now been found to contain the contaminant melamine. Another imported food product from China, the FDA is finding itself scrambling for information once again.

Hill's Science Diet has already issued a statement that the rice protein products that they use do not come from the same source as the contaminated product does. However, Natural Balance has several products that are part of the latest recall. This product is not the same as the Natural Life vegetarian product that Menu Foods added to their list yesterday.

As the trail of the rice protein is followed, be assured that more pet food stuffs will be added to the enormously long list of recalled pet foods.

The FDA seems to have hit a roadblock in their investigations since China will not allow FDA inspectors to go investigate the manufacturing facilities that are producing the tainted products. The FDA inspectors are unable to get Visas to China because the government hasn't "invited" them to come. With China dragging its uncooperative feet in this food health crisis, it appears that maybe someone at the FDA may have run across some information which led to the testing of rice proteins.

Both ingredients were imported from China, though by different companies and from different manufacturers.

The FDA on Wednesday began reviewing and sampling all rice protein concentrate imported from China, much as the agency has been doing for wheat gluten, Rogers said.

This news story also shares some interesting information about why melamine would be found in wheat gluten and rice protein:

The Las Vegas importer of the contaminated Chinese wheat gluten, ChemNutra Inc., that led to the original pet food recall has suggested that spiking a product with melamine can make it to appear to be richer in protein during tests, thus increasing its value.

Economics can certainly be a strong motivator for many.


But if economics isn't the motivation behind all of this mess then I can only conjure up one other hypothesis for why their products are contaminated.

I don't know about you, but when I think of big food manufacturing companies I think of big stainless steel vats and gas fueled flames. You know, shiny equipment that's squeaky clean. However, this may not be the case in parts of China.

It's possible that the products have been tainted by the "microwave effect" with huge melamine laden plastic vats receiving extremely hot products into their bowels. The heat and moisture combines with the plastics used in the processing of the foods and therefore leeches chemicals into the food stuffs.

I envision something similar to overheating your leftover pizza on a styrofoam plate.

One can't be extracted from the other.

*yuck*


Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the "silver lining".

Well, the best thing about all of this is...

That FDA officials are now alert to ~something~ wrong in the Chinese food manufacturing process. And something must have sent up a red flag for them to start testing rice protein. Something that we don't yet know about.

So now I would have to logically conclude that (hopefully at least) all food imports from China will be more thoroughly tested.

Especially the human food stuffs.

Next big question:

How will all of this affect the American and Chinese political and economic relations?


Fortune cookie anyone?


later...


***UPDATE***

Blue Buffalo Company Announces Voluntary Recall of One Production Run of Spa Select Kitten Dry Food


Royal Canin has been affected by the rice protein recall.

April 19, 2007

Dear Royal Canin USA Customer,

It is with sincere regret that I inform you of a new and unfortunate development with some of our pet food products.

Although we have no confirmed cases of illness in pets, we have decided to voluntarily remove the following dry pet food products that contain rice protein concentrate due to the presence of a melamine derivative.

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

- Chicken Meal & Rice Formula Senior DRY DOG FOOD
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Puppy DRY DOG FOOD
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Adult DRY DOG FOOD
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Senior DRY DOG FOOD
- Rice & Catfish Meal Formula Adult DRY DOG FOOD

ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIET™ (available only in veterinary clinics)

- Canine Early Cardiac EC 22™
- Canine Skin Support SS21™
- Feline Hypoallergenic HP23™

ALL PRODUCTS WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL 19TH, 2008 ARE MADE WITHOUT CHINESE SOURCED VEGETABLE PROTEINS AND ARE SAFE.

We are taking this proactive stance to voluntarily recall these products to avoid any confusion for our customers about which Royal Canin USA products are safe and which products may be affected.

Pet owners should immediately stop feeding their pets the Royal Canin USA dry pet food products listed above. Pet owners should consult with a veterinarian if they are concerned about the health of their pet. No other Royal Canin diets are affected by this recall and CONTINUE TO BE safe for pets to eat.

In addition, Royal Canin USA will no longer use any Chinese suppliers for any of our vegetable proteins.

This decision to recall some of our dry pet food products is driven by our philosophy that the “Pet Comes First”. The safety and nutritional quality of our pet food is Royal Canin USA’s top priority. Pet owners who have questions about this recall and other Royal Canin USA products should call (800) 513-0041.

On behalf of the entire Royal Canin family, our hearts go out to the pet owners and everyone in the pet community who have been affected by all of the recent recalls. We are as passionate about the health and happiness of our customers’ pets as we are of our own, so we are committed to taking the steps necessary to ensure this never happens again.

Sincerely,

Olivier Amice
President and CEO
Royal Canin USA

Royal Canin States: We're Not Involved...

The Pet Food Recall Expands... Again.

FDA Announces: Melamine in Tainted Pet Foods...

Menu Foods Posts FAQ's Page...

Pet Food Recall...

Still Looking for Answers on the 2007 Pet Food Recall...

Menu Foods Pet Food Recall Update

Royal Canin States: We're Not Involved...

The press has released a story today that states that Royal Canin products have been added to the national recall list of pet foods.

According to Royal Canin this is not true. The FDA announcement has confirmed that some of the tainted wheat gluten had been transferred to a Canadian manufacturing facility. There have been 26 additional products added to the recall list as of yesterday. However, Royal Canin is not on this newly released list of pet foods.

Below is Royal Canin's announcement as found on their web page:

RECALL INFORMATION

Royal Canin USA wishes to assure pet owners that our dry and wet pet food products are not involved in the ongoing FDA investigation related to the recent nationwide pet food recall initiated by Menu Foods and other companies.

We want to inform you that the recent recall announcement by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 10 does not affect any Royal Canin products sold in US retail stores or available in vet clinics.

All of our brands, including Feline Health Nutrition, Canine Health Nutrition, Royal Canin Veterinary Diets, Sensible Choice, and Kasco, continue to be available nationwide.

The safety and nutritional quality of our pet food is our top priority because for many people, their pets are their top priorities.

For details about the recall and affected brands and products, please call Menu Foods at 1-866-895-2708, 1-866-463-6738 or visit the company’s web site at www.menufoods.com/recall for more information.

The Pet Food Recall Expands... Again.

As the trail of wheat gluten continues to be followed, I am sure that there is a great possibility that we will continue to see more recalled products surface.

Today, Sunshine Mills has added their dog biscuit products to the recall list.

Evidently, a "boat load" of wheat gluten has been shipped to the United States. Who knows, there could have been two boats full. While it hasn't happened yet, I'm anticipating the recall to surface somewhere in the human food market.

This idea doesn't sound so far fetched today as it did even a week ago.

At this point, my recommendation for everyone would be to read your ingredient labels.

I've always recommended that pets not be fed products with wheat, dairy products or by-products, or anything with dyes. The reasoning behind this recommendation was to reduce the incidence of allergies in our pets. Not because the foodstuffs were inherently bad. Anyway, everyone I personally know should be okay if they were following the recommendations.

For those who are looking for pet foods, treats, or biscuits that have been recalled, your best resource is at the FDA Recall web page. They have every product listed that has been recalled. There are also associated links that will give you the product codes, lot numbers, and dates.

Below I have copied and pasted the contents on that web page, however you should go there so you can follow the links.

Pet Food Recall

Topics on this Page

Introduction
News Updates
What Pet Foods Have Been Recalled?
Other Companies Voluntarily Withdrawing Products
How Do I Report a Pet Food Complaint?


Introduction
On March 16, Menu Foods, Inc. recalled dog and cat foods produced at two of its facilities between Dec. 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007, and sold under a number of different brand names. Several other companies also have voluntarily withdrawn products from the market. See the links below for complete listings.

Frequently Asked Questions About Menu Foods Pet Food Recall
News Updates
Sunshine Mills, Inc. Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Certain Branded and Private Label Branded Dog Biscuits (April 5, 2007)
ChemNutra Announces Nationwide Wheat Gluten Recall (April 3, 2007)
What Pet Foods Have Been Recalled?
Menu Foods Recalled Products

Dog Food Recalls
Cat Food Recalls


Menu Foods Initiates Market Withdrawal of All Varieties of Recalled Wet Pet Food to Ensure Consumer Protection (March 24, 2007)
Other Companies Voluntarily Withdrawing Products
Sunshine Mills, Inc. Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Certain Branded and Private Label Branded Dog Biscuits (April 5, 2007)
ChemNutra Announces Nationwide Wheat Gluten Recall (April 3, 2007)
Del Monte Pet Products
Del Monte Pet Products Voluntarily Withdraws Specific Product Codes of Pet Treats and Wet Dog Food Products (March 31, 2007)
Hills Pet Nutrition
Prescription Diet m/d Feline Dry Food (FDA Press Release, March 30, 2007)
Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. Select Science Diet Savory Cuts Cat Food (March 17, 2007)
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company
Alpo® Brand Prime Cuts In Gravy Canned Dog Food (March 30, 2007)
Mighty Dog® 5.3 Ounce Pouch Products (March 16, 2007)

How Do I Report a Pet Food Complaint?

Please contact your Consumer Complaint Coordinator

Page last updated April 5, 2007

FDA Announces: Melamine in Tainted Pet Foods...

While the official announcement from the FDA has yet to make it to their website, they have announced that a substance called melamine has been found in the tainted pet foods that were associated with a nationwide recall. Menu Foods' CEO Paul Henderson has made a public statement which has been posted on their website. Melamine is a substance commonly associated with the manufacturing of plastics and is also used as a fertilizer.

The pet food recall has recently been expanded with Hill's Science Diet recalling their dry cat food m/d. Contradicting some of today's news reports that the wheat gluten has not made it into dry pet food products.


Science Diet m/d Recalled March 30, 2007



I'm Just Thinking Out Loud...

I have been thinking quite a bit about the pet food recall but have refrained from posting many of my thoughts about it all. Partly because I have been too busy to do so, but mostly because of a general "wait and see" attitude that I have.

I understand that there have been thousands of anecdotal pet deaths reported across the nation. But that's the biggest problem about it all. They're anecdotal reports. A logical and scientific approach to pets that became ill, or even died, would be that you cannot have a conclusive cause of death without testing, such as is associated with pathology reports and toxicology screening. Additionally, this kind of extensive testing is very time consuming. Even more so when you think about the normal pace of "business as usual" at these laboratories which have most certainly now become inundated with a backlog of tagged specimens.

So for those who are wondering how many pets have died from this recall, there's just not any official numbers out now. And it will probably be quite some time before there are. Especially since another chemical has been identified in the recall. But I am compelled to make a prediction that the official numbers aren't going to be as high as many people want them to be. This certainly puts a kink in the plans of lawyers who are busy filing class action lawsuits, that's for sure.


Now I'm not calling anyone who claims that their pet died or became ill from the recalled pet foods a liar. But one thing that has always been in the forefront of my mind are the cases that I see come in our facility on a daily basis. There are many pet owners who do not seek medical care for their pets at the first onset of their symptoms. Either they simply ignore the symptoms, believe that it is a passing malady, or just don't pay enough attention to their pets to notice the symptoms, until they are pointed out to them by news reports, mass hysteria and fear.

I will venture another prediction. I believe that there is a great possibility that many of the pets who succumbed to the toxins that are present in the recalled foods were already suffering from a chronic illness that had been left undetected. In this compromised state of health, these beloved pets were unable to process these toxins through their natural body processes. In other words, our bodies already have protections in place for events such as these. Both our liver and kidneys are our primary defense. Although they cannot withstand a lethal dose of any poison; neither can our organs operate under "normal" challenges if they are diseased.

If we biopsied our livers and kidneys, who knows what chemicals and compounds could be found there.

There are innumberable pets that are currently suffering from various stages of chronic renal disease. Chronic renal failure that cannot be attributed to the pet food recall. And many of these pets go undiagnosed until there is not any hope for the management of the disease. CRF can be silently progressing for quite some time without obvious symptoms to the casual observer, and that is why we recommend twice a year blood testing and urinalysis for our patients. Catching diseases early means that there will be a greater chance of managing it. I wonder how many of the pets who reportedly became ill from the recalled pet food really did become ill from the food. There are many, many reasons why kidneys can begin to fail, but only laboratory testing will give us these answers.


Another thought that has crossed my mind is the fact that the foods that are being shipped into our country are exposed to many things that aren't commonly used here in the United States. Things that have been deemed to be not healthy. So I wonder what kind of regulations have been placed on the food products that are shipped to the United States. Since many of the pet food companies are proud of the fact that "human grade" products are used in their pet foods it makes me wonder how many of these foreign substances make it into our food supply. And how long have they been there.

Along this train of thought is of course the terrorist aspect of it all. And I certainly couldn't mention something like this without presenting some sort of conspiracy theory. My theory would be that the tainted wheat gluten was destined for human consumption, which some how was diverted to the pet food market instead.


So today we are presented with another substance that was found in the wheat gluten. A substance called melamine. And this raises a whole other train of thought.

First, I would like to say that for some reason I'm not surprised. I just didn't feel that the evidence was there for a nationwide pet poisoning event. We didn't have the influx of critically ill pets in our facility that would have suggested such a problem.

This leads me to the main reason why I am writing this post. Since we did not see any obviously poisoned pets who had consumed the recalled pet foods, I began to think about contaminants that are probably present in all of our foods. Foods that we eat every day.

Let's say we took a food product off of the shelf at our local grocery store. Any product would do, just pick one. And let's say we sent it to a toxicology lab and tested it for every known toxin possible.

How do you think that final report would read?

I think we would be very surprised.


Now for those of you who think that you'll just eat "organic" and fresh foods I have a couple of thoughts.

First of all, organic foods are grown with 'natural' fertilizers. Farmers have to use fertilizers because if they don't produce volume, they can't make any money. These organic fertilizers consist of products such as manure. And manure is laiden with E. coli. Remember the spinach scare?

I personally didn't quit eating spinach. Because I hold a strong belief that the more you limit yourself to exposure to certain things, the more susceptible that you'll be to becoming ill from them. Why else do you think there has been an unprecedented rise in things like childhood asthma in the last few decades? I firmly believe it is because children aren't allowed to play outside and "get dirty". It is only through controlled exposure will you be able to build an immunity to many of the things that are beginning to ail our society.

How about the salmonella in the peanut butter? We had already eaten over two-thirds of the very large jar of peanut butter when the recall came about. And none of us became ill from it.


Now I don't promote poor hygiene or foolish food handling practices. But I don't believe in promoting "germophobia" either. However I do feel that we are causing ourselves more problems than not by trying to become a "sterile society".


With the new information that has come out today concerning the pet food recall, there are certainly a lot more questions and thoughts about the situation that needs to be addressed.

Right now I am beginning to wonder if some kind of radical animal rights or activist group is responsible for this multi-million dollar mess. You know, people like the ones who want to have the rescued polar bear cub, Knut, euthanized. Someone who was upset about the use of test animals in the manufacturing processes of pet food could certainly be the culprit.

Maybe we'll have some definitive answers concerning the "Pet Food Recall of 2007", but I think it will take quite a bit of time before we do.

later...


Menu Foods Posts FAQ's Page...

Pet Food Recall...

Still Looking for Answers on the 2007 Pet Food Recall...

Menu Foods Pet Food Recall Update


If you are concerned about your pet's health you should contact your veterinarian. We have had numerous calls at work from concerned pet owners. There are several pet owners who have brought their animals in as well for laboratory blood testing and a urinalysis. Laboratory testing is the only way that you will be able to tell for sure if your pet's kidneys are functioning properly. Pet owners must also take into consideration that 75% of the kidney is usually damaged before some symptoms and laboratory changes occur. There may be additional testing required as well such as a protein/creatinine ratio test.

Some of the symptoms of renal failure include:

*anorexia (loss of appetitie)
*depression or lack of energy
*vomiting
*increased water intake (polydipsia)
*increased urination (poluria)
*diarrhea

Advanced stages of renal failure will have symptoms of:

*gastrointestinal ulcerations
*oral ulcerations
*bad breath
*weight loss
*weakness
*exercise intolerance
*anuria (no urine output due to complete failure of kidney function)

If your pet is experiencing any of these symptoms it is recommended that you take them to your veterinarian as soon as possible.




**UPDATE**

The FDA announcement has been posted.

FDA News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
P07-57
March 30, 2007

Media Inquiries:
Michael Herndon
Catherine McDermott
301-827-6242

Consumer Inquiries:
888-INFO-FDA



FDA Finds Melamine in Wheat Gluten used by Hill's Pet Nutrition
Company Initiates Recall of Dry Cat Food
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today notified Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., of Topeka, Kansas, that FDA testing has detected melamine and melamine byproducts in wheat gluten received by the company to make dry cat food. FDA is conducting an investigation into pet food products made with wheat gluten that contains melamine and their association with reports of injury and deaths in cats and dogs.

Because the cat food is sold exclusively through veterinarians, Hill's has notified veterinarians, and is voluntarily recalling the pet food containing the wheat gluten and will conduct its own testing.

Consumers who have any bags of Prescription Diet m/d Feline should discontinue use. They should speak with their veterinarian if their pet shows any signs of kidney/renal illness. Such signs include loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting.

"FDA recognizes that pets are very important to the American people and our sympathies go out to those who have lost their beloved pets," said Stephen Sundlof, D.V.M., director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug Administration.

During two months in early 2007, Hill's Pet Nutrition manufactured Prescription Diet m/d Feline using wheat gluten from the same company that has supplied wheat gluten to Menu Foods, Inc. Menu Foods, Inc. (menufoods.com/recall) has also voluntarily recalled products potentially contaminated with melamine. See http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html for more information on the pet food recall.

The Hill’s cat food now being recalled is labeled Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food. The products are:

4 lb. bag, U.S. & Canada UPC code 52742 42770
10 lb. bag, U.S. & Canada UPC code 52742 42790
The agency is continuing to work with Menu Foods, Inc., and Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., to ensure the effectiveness of their recalls.

For more information, consumers may contact Hills Pet Nutrition at 1-800-445-5777 or visit www.HillsPet.com.

Menu Foods Posts FAQ's Page...

***UPDATE*** March 30, 2007

FDA Announces: Melamine in Tainted Pet Foods...




Menu Foods Income Fund has posted a FAQ page for consumers. I have copied and pasted the contents of the page below:

1. What exactly is covered by the Menu Foods Recall and for what timeframe?



The recall is limited to “cuts and gravy” style pet food in cans and foil pouches produced on specific dates and times between December 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007 in two of Menu’s plants. The recall affects 42 brands of cat food and 53 brands of dog food. In order to determine whether cat and dog food that your pet consumed is subject to recall, you should refer to the list of brand names on this website.



2. What should I do if I think my pet may have consumed the recalled product?



If your pet is exhibiting any signs of kidney failure please contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. Symptoms include loss of appetite, vomiting, weakness, disorientation and changes in water consumption and urination. If you suspect that you have fed the recalled pet food to your cat or dog, save any remaining pet food and the can or pouch. Open cans or pouches may be double-bagged in sealable plastic and kept in the freezer.



3. Who is going to pay my vet bills for sickness and death?



If Menu Foods product is the cause of sickness or death, Menu Foods will take responsibility. Menu has engaged a professional firm to manage your concerns and is currently contacting concerned pet owners who have reached our call center. Specific direction will be received from these individuals. Please keep copies of all your vet records and receipts for pet food purchases as well as vet bills.



4. What do I do if I have pet food that has been recalled?



Please return it to the retailer for a refund.



5. Will I be reimbursed for the food that I return to the retailer even if my pet did not get sick?



Yes, if it is a valid product that is subject to the recall.



6. How do I know if the food I bought has been recalled?



The information is contained on this website. Not all date codes are subject to recall so please fully check the information on your can or pouch. The information on the website is organized by cat or dog then by brand and description. None of the traditional “loaf” style products are subject to this recall.



7. I can’t get through to the 1-866 numbers. What is going on?



We apologize for the delay in answering every call; we were simply overwhelmed by the volume of calls. Menu has retained a series of interconnected call centers throughout North America. Even with many regional centers running simultaneously we have not been able to answer every call. As we announced in a press release on March 19, 2007, we have taken steps to significantly upgrade our call centers to handle the volume and we have added this Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQ”) section to our website to provide more information.



8. I feed my pet dry food. Is dry pet food safe?



Menu Foods only manufactures wet pet food in cans and foil pouches. Dry pet food is not part of the Menu Foods recall.



9. I’m just not sure if my dog or cat had any of the food that is being recalled. They act fine and don’t appear to have any symptoms. Should I be worried?



As always, remain alert for any changes in your pet’s health.



10. Are there other ways my pet might get sick and show similar symptoms?



Yes – antifreeze ingestion, certain rodenticides and some medications. Certain lilies have been shown to cause kidney failure if consumed by cats. Grapes have been reported to cause kidney failure in dogs and may affect cats. Physical damage from trauma and cancerous conditions can also cause kidney damage.

There have been several search queries on how to pronounce aminopterin. For those of you who are interested, it is phonetically pronounced the same way it is spelled:

am - in - op' - ter - in


Go here to view the list of recalled cat foods. This list of brands has links to the product codes that are affected.

Recalled Cat Product Information
Recall Information 1-866-895-2708
Variety or Multi-Packs:

If you are in possession of a variety or multi-pack, please be sure to check the individual can or pouch rather than relying solely on the date coding on the side of the carton.

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 Special Blend
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

Go here to view the list of recalled dog foods. This list of brands has links to the product codes that are affected.

Recalled Dog Product Information
Recall Information 1-866-895-2708
Variety or Multi-Packs:

If you are in possession of a variety or multi-pack, please be sure to check the individual can or pouch rather than relying solely on the date coding on the side of the carton.

Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Award
Best Choice
Big Bet
Big Red
Bloom
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 Choice Morsels
Schnucks
Shep Dog
Springsfield Prize
Sprout
Stater Brothers
Stop & Shop Companion
Tops Companion
Wegmans Bruiser
Weis Total Pet
Western Family US
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Your Pet

From what I can tell, the only expansion in the list is the inclusion of the voluntary and precautionary recalls by Iams, Eukanuba, Hill's Science Diet, Purina, and Canadian brands of pet foods. However, Menu Foods has requested that all of the cuts and gravy styles of pet foods be returned, irregardless of date, because some of the tainted foods are still on retailers shelves.




Below is my original post concerning the massive pet food recall. In this post you will also find information concerning foods that were recalled as a precautionary measure by Iams, Science Diet, and Purina. I would like for pet owners to be aware of the fact that these foods WERE NOT part of the original recall. These three companies recalled their products as a precautionary measure. For some reason, the mainstream media has presented their information and reports with a bias towards the Iams Company with pictures of their products as well as statements in their newscasts. I feel that this is irresponsible journalism. I also want to state that the news reports have tried in earnest to fan the flames of panic, anger, and mistrust towards companies who are trying their best to do what is right.

I also would like to make an observation concerning consumers' frustration about the hotline telephone numbers. While I understand their frustrations, all of the information that you need is readily available online. Who in their right mind thinks that ANY call center can handle MILLIONS of telephone calls in one day? Additionally, if the mainstream media truly was concerned about your pets you would have had this information available to you through their newsreports. This would have been the easiest and best way to disseminate information to millions of pet owners. If only the MSM had chosen to do so. Instead we received hype, spin, and inaccuracies just so they could generate income for themselves.


Pet Food Recall...

Still Looking for Answers on the 2007 Pet Food Recall...

Menu Foods Pet Food Recall Update

Menu Foods Pet Food Recall Update...

***UPDATE*** March 30, 2007

FDA Announces: Melamine in Tainted Pet Foods...



The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has announced today that they have identified a toxin in samples of the cat foods that were recalled by Menu Foods. Scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory identified Aminopterin in samples of the recalled products at a level of at least 40 parts per million. Aminopterin is used as a rodenticide (rat/mouse poison) outside of the United states. It is not licensed for use within the United States except as a pharmaceutical which is used in some cancer treatments such as leukemia.

Aminopterin, a derivative of folic acid, can cause cancer and birth defects in humans and can cause kidney damage in dogs and cats. Aminopterin is not permitted for use in the United States.

This quick finding was a collaboration of efforts between Cornell University and the New York Food Laboratory.

New York State is home to two laboratories that are part of federal emergency lab networks, created through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after 9-11 to keep the nation’s animals and food supply safe. The New York State Food Laboratory is part of the Federal Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) and as such, is capable of running a number of unique poison/toxin tests on food, including the test that identified Aminopterin. The New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University is a member of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and thus, is uniquely qualified to investigate the causes of animal health emergencies, like the sudden deaths of dogs and cats from the recently recalled pet food.

It is still unknown how the chemical got into the pet food. It is important to note that Menu Foods states that they will make retribution to owners whose pets were affected by tainted foods. The possibility that only a few of the products manufactured by Menu Foods should be encouraging news to pet owners.

We have already received some telephone calls from clients who have heard that the recall has been expanded to dry pet foods. According to today's New York Agriculture report, this is not the case. The list of pet foods that have been recalled has not been expanded. It is also important to recognize that the poison has only been found, and confirmed, in some of the tested cat food and tissue samples.


Pet Food Recall...

Still Looking for Answers on the 2007 Pet Food Recall...

Still Looking for Answers on the 2007 Pet Food Recall...

***UPDATE*** March 30, 2007

FDA Announces: Melamine in Tainted Pet Foods...



This is an update concerning the March 16, 2007 pet food recall.

Menu Foods Income Fund is still searching for answers concerning the pet deaths associated with their pet food products. Some information was released today about some of the testing that Menu Foods has conducted. According to a story by MSNBC, the first pet deaths were reported on February 20th. The company then started new tests on February 27th which included 40 to 50 animals being fed the "cuts and gravy" product, seven of which died. Veterinarian Stephen F. Sundlof, who works for the Food and Drug Administration(FDA), does not know how many of which species died. However he is quoted as saying that the food appears to be more toxic to cats.

According to an article by the Canadian Broadcasting Company(CBC), a spokesperson for Menu foods Income Fund is advising pet owners to hold on to their pet food labels and any veterinary bills that they may incur. It is suggested that compensation may be paid to pet owners whose pets became ill from eating the tainted foods. The recall has also been expanded to Canadian brands of pet foods such as Loblaw's President's Choice brand, as well as store brands belonging to Dominion and Sobeys.

If you haven't already, it is recommended that you stop feeding any of the recalled foods immediately. If you are not sure if the food you have is part of the recall, you can go here where I have all of the information and associated links available for you.

If you are concerned about your pet's health you should contact your veterinarian. We have had numerous calls at work from concerned pet owners. There are several pet owners who have brought their animals in as well for laboratory blood testing and a urinalysis. Laboratory testing is the only way that you will be able to tell for sure if your pet's kidneys are functioning properly. Pet owners must also take into consideration that 75% of the kidney is usually damaged before some symptoms and laboratory changes occur. There may be additional testing required as well such as a protein/creatinine ratio test.

Some of the symptoms of renal failure include:

*anorexia (loss of appetitie)
*depression or lack of energy
*vomiting
*increased water intake (polydipsia)
*increased urination (poluria)
*diarrhea

Advanced stages of renal failure will have symptoms of:

*gastrointestinal ulcerations
*oral ulcerations
*bad breath
*weight loss
*weakness
*exercise intolerance
*anuria (no urine output due to complete failure of kidney function)

If your pet is experiencing any of these symptoms it is recommended that you take them to your veterinarian as soon as possible.

If your pet has recently died, and you feel that it may be due to the pet food recall, it would be wise to send your pet to a veterinary teaching hospital for a complete necropsy and toxicology testing. This is the only way that you will get the answers to the questions that you have. Call your local veterinary teaching hospital for details and information on how to do this.

Finally, I would like to say that it appears that Menu Foods Income Fund is doing all of the right things concerning this distressing matter. They have voluntarily intitiated the pet food recall without the urging of the FDA. They are reporting their findings to the FDA as well. The situation is upsetting for millions of pet owners across the nation. An answer can be found if everyone works together and shares their laboratory findings within the framework of teamwork and goodwill.

Needless to say there are those among us who are not quite as socially minded as others. I am ashamed to say that there is a litigious mindset within our great country. Individuals who are looking to benefit from a disaster. Because of these types of individuals, I have had to delete a few comments on my post that has the recall information. Of course, the comments were anonymous and unsigned.

The most distressing comment was from this morning when the anonymous individual made statements such as these:

The fact that Menu Foods could get away with selling pet food that has caused the untimely death of so many of our beloved pets is atrocious. There is already a class action lawsuit underway, but here's your chance to contact the CEO of the Menu Foods yourself. Spread the word!

The commentor also included a name, address, and telephone number which they claimed to belong to the CEO of Menu Foods Income Fund along with this statement:

This guy deserves all the complaints he can get, and then some, for endangering the lifes of so many of our pets.

This comment almost made me physically ill. I also felt that it was very irresponsible. I deleted the comment for the following reasons:

First of all, I do not know if the information that the anonymouse* left was correct or not.

Secondly, I do not feel that harassment and threats of a company CEO is the way that this matter should be settled.

Third, I feel that if you are going to leave a comment like this you should be able to stand up and state your name, address, and telephone number as well. In other words, take responsibilty for your words and actions.

Fourth, why don't we give the company the chance to do the right thing? Especially since it appears that they are already doing this.

Fifth, the commentor is promoting a mindset that Menu Foods did all of this on purpose. As if the CEO was being malicious and vindictive, or that he had something to gain by poisoning our pets. This attitude does not seem logical to me at all. Is it possible that the CEO is a psychopath? An intentional act such as this would be like shooting the goose that lays the golden egg. If you kill all of your customers' pets, how would you stay in business?

And finally, I would like the mainstream media to give us the facts, quit the spin, and stop promoting and encouraging a litigious society.

We already have too many lawyers out there who are willing to contribute to this problem.

I don't have a problem with class action lawsuits, or lawsuits in general, if they represent a fair and noble cause and protect individual rights. Of if there is a reason for the lawsuit, such as trying to coerce someone who is doing illegal acts to behave within the law. That's why we have this constitutional right. But I do not like ambulance chasers. Not at all. And if you think you're going to get rich from a class action lawsuit, think again. It's the lawyers who take in the majority of the cash.

Not you.

later...

Pet Food Recall...


**UPDATE** March 23, 2007

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has announced today that they have identified a toxin in samples of the cat foods that were recalled by Menu Foods. Scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory identified Aminopterin in samples of the recalled products at a level of at least 40 parts per million. Aminopterin is used as a rodenticide (rat/mouse poison) outside of the United states. It is not licensed for use within the United States except as a pharmaceutical which is used in some cancer treatments such as leukemia.

Aminopterin, a derivative of folic acid, can cause cancer and birth defects in humans and can cause kidney damage in dogs and cats. Aminopterin is not permitted for use in the United States.

This quick finding was a collaboration of efforts between Cornell University and the New York Food Laboratory.

New York State is home to two laboratories that are part of federal emergency lab networks, created through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after 9-11 to keep the nation’s animals and food supply safe. The New York State Food Laboratory is part of the Federal Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) and as such, is capable of running a number of unique poison/toxin tests on food, including the test that identified Aminopterin. The New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University is a member of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and thus, is uniquely qualified to investigate the causes of animal health emergencies, like the sudden deaths of dogs and cats from the recently recalled pet food.

We have already received some telephone calls from clients who have heard that the recall has been expanded to dry pet foods. According to today's New York Agriculture report, this is not the case. The list of pet foods that have been recalled has not been expanded. It is also important to recognize that the poison has only been found, and confirmed, in some of the tested cat food and tissue samples.

Chronic Renal Failure in Dogs and Cats

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/anatomy/dog_ug.asp#Kidney


Chronic renal failure (CRF) in dogs and cats is the deterioration of renal function to the point where the kidney is no longer able to perform its primary functions. The kidney’s primary functions are to filter metabolic wastes from the bloodstream and excrete them into the urine; perform hemostatic functions such as control red blood cell production, blood pressure; and to perform endocrine functions such as in the degradation of hormones. Additionally, the kidney plays a primary role in the synthesizing of active vitamin D.

Chronic renal failure is a process that occurs over a period of time, longer than a month, and is primarily due to the presence of renal disease. Renal disease often goes undetected in most patients for extended periods of time. Renal disease is usually not discovered until the damage to the kidneys has caused irreversible renal failure to occur.

The causes of chronic renal failure can be due to many factors. Renal failure caused by injury is not as common as congenital and hereditary conditions. However, other metabolic factors that can cause kidney disease other than these are much more commonly found.

Dogs and cats are susceptible to a great variety of poisons that can cause renal failure. Additionally, diseases such as leptospirosis, cancer, amyloidosis, pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, immune-complex disorders, ischemia, hypercalcemia and many others are the more common causes of chronic renal failure in pets today.

Dental disease is a primary factor in kidney disease. The bacterium that develops from advanced dental disease enters the blood stream. These bacteria can settle in multiple organs and damage the kidneys, heart, and liver of dogs and cats.

Age also plays a role in kidney failure. As the pet ages so do the organs that function within the body. Large clusters of proteins are harder for the kidney to process at an older age. These proteins can contribute to renal damage. This is one important reason why special diets are recommended for the senior pet.

The most common clinical presentation of the dog and cat with CRF is dehydration, anorexia and weight loss; but many other symptoms can be exhibited such as diarrhea or constipation and anemia. Neurological impairment is seen clinically in the advanced cases of CRF. It must be noted that these symptoms can be indicative of other disease processes; thus requiring laboratory testing and other diagnostic procedures as the primary methods of the clinical evaluation of CRF.

The progression of CRF is a sequence of events involving the key component of the kidney anatomy. The kidney is most easily described as a primary filtering mechanism of the body. The primary functioning component of the kidney is the nephron. In fact, the number of nephrons that are present in the kidney usually determines kidney size.

The nephron itself is made of several components. The main components of the nephron are the renal corpuscle, proximal tubule, loop of Henle, distal tubule and collecting duct. Each one of these components has additional individual structures within them. When the nephron is damaged it ceases to perform its filtering functions. This leaves the remaining functioning nephrons to carry the burden of filtering the blood that is flowing through the kidney.

After a period of time the disease may continue to damage other nephrons. If it is a congenital or hereditary condition, more than likely the normal nephrons were forced to work under a heavier than normal work load due to the lack of normal kidney cells. This heavy work load can cause additional damage to the kidneys. It must be noted that many animals that have a hereditary or congenital kidney disease usually do not live past one year of age.

More and more nephrons are destroyed as the kidney disease progresses. This destruction of nephrons usually results in the reduction in kidney size also. Even if the kidney disease has been treated sometimes the destruction of the nephrons will continue unchecked. Most clinical signs of CRF usually do not develop until after 70% of the normal kidney function is destroyed. This is why routine laboratory screening tests are vital to the health and well-being of the pet.




The process of chronic renal failure in the dog and cat can be quite complicated, involves many physiological processes, and can be caused by multiple conditions and diseases. While CRF can be managed successfully for a period of time it will eventually result in the death of the patient. However, it must be noted that cats are more responsive to extended periods of CRF management than dogs. The veterinarian in charge of the pet’s care will be able to develop the treatment plan that would be the most beneficial for each individual.

Pet owners can have their dogs and cats teeth cleaned on an annual basis which will help prevent many cases of chronic renal failure. This is probably the single most important thing that a pet owner can do to help prevent kidney disease. Regular bi-annual health checks with a veterinarian that includes laboratory blood testing and urinalysis are additional preventative measures that pet owners can take to help prevent chronic renal failure. At the very least, diagnostic tools will provide early diagnosis that can assist the veterinarian in the management of CRF. Additionally, feeding dogs and cats with a good quality food for the proper stages of its life is an important factor in disease prevention.

With the advances in veterinary medicine, more information on chronic renal failure is being discovered, resulting in the availability of more and better treatments. Kidney transplant procedures in the feline and canine patient are becoming more successful every year. While this method of treatment was first developed successfully in the cat, researchers are now getting favorable results in the canine patient. Currently, there is not a cure for chronic renal disease.