Tuesday, March 20, 2007

A serious problem


The pet food recall is turning out to be much worse than originally reported. For more info and a lists of affected foods check out http://www.howl911.com and http://www.petconnection.com/blog/ It seems there are MANY problem foods on the list. (including those recommended by vets) It also turns out people at certain companies didn't act very quickly upon initial reports. Pet owners were noticing problems back in DECEMBER! How many pets have died from this lack of action? It is all very sad.



For more in depth information on reading pet food labels check out the book "Food pets die for" by Ann Martin. I can't say I agree with all of her views (she doesn't like raw diets at all) but the information on how food is processed and what ingredients really are is invaluable. It isn't a book for the weak of stomach however. There is a section about some abusive animal testing by food companies and another section on the use of euthanised animals in pet foods. (sadly I am not making this up folks) She does explain where and how she got her information as well.


This recall is going to be a huge wake up call for many people on pet food processing. Foods considered high end and safe have been affected because of the fact that ONE company is doing the processing for MANY brands of food. So much for consumers piece of mind in thinking that all companies/brands are seperate.


Please check your cupboards and throw away all food that is on the list. Call your vet if your own pet seems off and you feed any of those foods. It may even behoove you to find out more about where your pets food actually comes from. This recall may shake up the pet food industry in a big way. Hopefully all for the better.


My thoughts are with all the owners and their affected pets. Let's hope everyone gets the news and can act to save their pets lives. Spread the word please. Not everyone watches the news after all.

4 comments:

Hannah said...

I am so worried about other peoples' pets and this recall. It is all over my ferret lists (because a lot of people feed cat or kitten kibble to ferrets) as well, though I haven't yet heard of any deaths.

Our dogs have been on high-end kibble for almost two years now, and I will never go back (even if it means we go broke some day and I have to eat Ramen noodles, the dogs will get their Solid Gold). :) We fed Purina for the first year we had Jenna because we just didn't know better. You see the commercials on TV and the pictures on the bag, and you think that the pet food industry is using fresh vegetables, lean cuts of good meat, and other wholesome ingredients. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I hope this does get the word out! I've had limited success talking friends and family into switching (most people think I'm just dog-crazy), but maybe this will put some metal behind my words.

I am all for raw diets, but my location makes it just about impossible. Keeping meat from spoiling in the summer and trying to truck it out to the island would be difficult and expensive, and the grocery store out here is very limited in what it sells. Dogs can't just eat steak and chicken breast, they need RMBs and organ meats, and we don't have access to those out here. I settle for giving my pups a few raw meals a week in place of their regular dinner. :)

Anonymous said...

I think RAW diets take real dedication to do right. I would love to try it someday too but for now do raw treats when I can instead. (usually meaty deer bones during hunting season or the occassional marrow bones) My issue is lack of storage space for the raw food. So bones along with healthy table scraps and quality kibble is how I feed right now. (Canidae)

Did you get the info I sent you ok?

Hannah said...

Ah, your dogs must love hunting season then. :) All hunting season means to us is that we can't use our own land; too many dogs have been shot in their own yards over the past few years. I realize all hunters aren't so irresponsible. It only takes a few to ruin it.

I did get it, but I am having trouble getting through it. I have to admit that I hate the idea of not petting Apollo when he sits down next to me. Half the time I zone out in front of the TV petting him and not even realizing it. I understand NILIF and its principles somewhat, but I'm not sure how making him work for attention equals out to him wanting strangers to touch him.

I'm not saying this doesn't all have a proper place with some dogs, because it does. He sits for his leash to be put on or taken off, he sits for treats, he does a 30-60 second sit/stay before he can eat each meal while I go around and do a little chore or run to the bathroom (he's getting really good at it). He has never not gotten off the bed/couch when I say "off." I thought this sort of thing was only for dogs who wanted the leadership role?

Anonymous said...

Give me a call. 354-6488 I tried to call you but there was no message machine.