An ABC station in Texas reports that experts warn that the contaminated pet food scare could be far worse than first thought. The doctor in charge of EperTox lab in Deer Park, Texas, who found acetaminophen in dog and cat food samples, believes the problems with pet food are far from over.
Even more disturbing is there are no regulations that require manufacturers or labs to make it public when they find lethal toxins in pet food - in fact, quite the opposite! As the ABC report states,
"Due to a confidentiality agreement, the lab cannot reveal which pet food samples tested positive for the drugs. At least on sample was Pet Pride cat food [Kroger's house brand.] All test results were reported to the pet food makers, which should have been reported to the FDA. [but were NOT.]
"It may be up to owners to police pet food because, according to the lab manager, no one from the FDA has investigated their positive findings. In fact, to date not a single government inspector has asked to look at one of the tainted pet food samples tested in this laboratory."
Showing posts with label Pet food recall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pet food recall. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Oh no! More contaminated pet food!
Texas lab finds pain medicine in pet food
Click on this post's title for the full story, but the FDA is investigating a Texas laboratory’s finding of acetaminophen in cat and dog food … the highest level found is eight times what a 10-pound cat could safely consume!
The story says, "The pain medication is the fifth contaminant found in pet foods during the past 2-1/2 months and can be toxic or lethal to pets, especially cats."
FIVE?? We knew about melamine and cyanuric acid, but what are the other three??
At least five dog and cat food samples tested contained acetaminophen, and these five were NOT among the 150+ brands recalled since March.
The highest level of acetaminophen was found in a dog food sample submitted by a manufacturer ... who got the results well over a month ago and was supposed to notify the FDA, but they DIDN’T DO IT!
I say it's time for a massive uprising against the pet food industry!
Click on this post's title for the full story, but the FDA is investigating a Texas laboratory’s finding of acetaminophen in cat and dog food … the highest level found is eight times what a 10-pound cat could safely consume!
The story says, "The pain medication is the fifth contaminant found in pet foods during the past 2-1/2 months and can be toxic or lethal to pets, especially cats."
FIVE?? We knew about melamine and cyanuric acid, but what are the other three??
At least five dog and cat food samples tested contained acetaminophen, and these five were NOT among the 150+ brands recalled since March.
The highest level of acetaminophen was found in a dog food sample submitted by a manufacturer ... who got the results well over a month ago and was supposed to notify the FDA, but they DIDN’T DO IT!
I say it's time for a massive uprising against the pet food industry!
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Postcards from Endangered Pets - May 3
May 3 is National Hug Your Cat Day, a perfect day for ALL kitties and other pets to protest the lack of safeguards in the pet food industry and the lack of news coverage about this important issue. We urge all kitties and woofies and their humans to join the May 3 Postcards from Endangered Pets blitz!
Be sure to send postcards, not letters, since envelopes will probably not be opened due to security issues. And mail your postcards on May 3, so they'll all arrive at about the same time.
1) Write a polite postcard to your government officials about how the pet food recall has affected you and your humans, and how worried you are about pet food -- and human food, too! As Zippy, Sadie and Speedy suggested, your humans can also say something like, "We agonize about what to feed our cat/dog because of the lack of regulation in the pet food industry. The lives of our companions should not be put at risk for greed." If you've had vet expenses because of the recall, mention that as well. Send your postcards to these addresses:
Marcia K. Larkins, D.V.M.
FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine
Ombudsman
7519 Standish Place HFV-7
Rockville, MD 20855
Senator Richard Durbin
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Your state senators: you can find their addresses here
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
2) Write to the national media asking them why there has been so little news coverage about this major issue. You might mention that pet care is a $40 billion industry and there are more than 70 million homes with pets in the US -- that's a lot of interested viewers! Send your postcards "ATTN: News Director" to these addresses:
NBC News and MSNBC
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, N.Y. 10112
CBS News
Use their web site contact form
CNN
Use their web site contact form
FOX Broadcasting Co.
P.O. Box 900
Beverly Hills, CA 90213
ABC News
7 WEST 66th Street
New York, NY 10023
Newsweek Magazine
251 W. 57th St.
New York, NY 10019
Time Magazine
Email: Letters@Time.com
US News & World Report
1050 Thomas Jefferson Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
And don't forget to SPREAD THE NEWS! If everyone announces this postcard blitz to every pet web site (Catster, Dogster etc.) and in every pet mailing group, message board etc. you can think of, we'll bombard the recipients with thousands of messages! Maybe then they'll take action so that we can feel safer in the future.
Be sure to send postcards, not letters, since envelopes will probably not be opened due to security issues. And mail your postcards on May 3, so they'll all arrive at about the same time.
1) Write a polite postcard to your government officials about how the pet food recall has affected you and your humans, and how worried you are about pet food -- and human food, too! As Zippy, Sadie and Speedy suggested, your humans can also say something like, "We agonize about what to feed our cat/dog because of the lack of regulation in the pet food industry. The lives of our companions should not be put at risk for greed." If you've had vet expenses because of the recall, mention that as well. Send your postcards to these addresses:
Marcia K. Larkins, D.V.M.
FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine
Ombudsman
7519 Standish Place HFV-7
Rockville, MD 20855
Senator Richard Durbin
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Your state senators: you can find their addresses here
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
2) Write to the national media asking them why there has been so little news coverage about this major issue. You might mention that pet care is a $40 billion industry and there are more than 70 million homes with pets in the US -- that's a lot of interested viewers! Send your postcards "ATTN: News Director" to these addresses:
NBC News and MSNBC
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, N.Y. 10112
CBS News
Use their web site contact form
CNN
Use their web site contact form
FOX Broadcasting Co.
P.O. Box 900
Beverly Hills, CA 90213
ABC News
7 WEST 66th Street
New York, NY 10023
Newsweek Magazine
251 W. 57th St.
New York, NY 10019
Time Magazine
Email: Letters@Time.com
US News & World Report
1050 Thomas Jefferson Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
And don't forget to SPREAD THE NEWS! If everyone announces this postcard blitz to every pet web site (Catster, Dogster etc.) and in every pet mailing group, message board etc. you can think of, we'll bombard the recipients with thousands of messages! Maybe then they'll take action so that we can feel safer in the future.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
"My Pet Counts" Postcard Blitz - TODAY!
Because the FDA and the media continue to report only "17 confirmed deaths" from contaminated pet food, a My Pet Counts postcard blitz is taking place today in conjunction with the Keep Our Pets Safe march, to let the authorities know we cannot accept how they are grossly minimizing this disaster.
If you have lost a pet, or your pet has become ill due to tainted food, PLEASE join this effort! Your postcards MUST BE MAILED TODAY so they will arrive all at once and have maximum impact.
Here's what to do:
-- Mail a postcard (NOT a letter) for each affected pet to the following addresses.
-- Use the words "My Pet Counts"; keep it brief; no anger, profanity or rudeness. Just tug at their heartstrings and let them see your grief. Use your pet's name.
POSTCARD MAILING LIST:
Marcia K. Larkins, D.V.M.
FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine
Ombudsman
7519 Standish Place HFV-7
Rockville, MD 20855
Senator Richard Durbin
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Your state senators: you can find their addresses here
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Anderson Cooper
c/o CNN
One CNN Center
Atlanta, Georgia 30303-2762
You might also send postcards to other national media who are seriously underreporting this issue - MSNBC, NBC, CBS, Fox etc.
If you have lost a pet, or your pet has become ill due to tainted food, PLEASE join this effort! Your postcards MUST BE MAILED TODAY so they will arrive all at once and have maximum impact.
Here's what to do:
-- Mail a postcard (NOT a letter) for each affected pet to the following addresses.
-- Use the words "My Pet Counts"; keep it brief; no anger, profanity or rudeness. Just tug at their heartstrings and let them see your grief. Use your pet's name.
POSTCARD MAILING LIST:
Marcia K. Larkins, D.V.M.
FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine
Ombudsman
7519 Standish Place HFV-7
Rockville, MD 20855
Senator Richard Durbin
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Your state senators: you can find their addresses here
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Anderson Cooper
c/o CNN
One CNN Center
Atlanta, Georgia 30303-2762
You might also send postcards to other national media who are seriously underreporting this issue - MSNBC, NBC, CBS, Fox etc.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Fed Up Friday
As I was preparing to post an article here about how cat food is prepared and what actually goes into it, I read on the Cat Blogosphere about yesterday's additional recalls. Enough is enough! I no longer feel safe feeding my babies ANY commercial food of any kind, and I'm developing serious concerns about what I might be feeding myself and my family.
Thank goodness I feed my kitties primarily homemade cat food. But I have been adding some (supposedly) high quality commercial food to it in order to give them a variety of taste and nutrients. I've switched from one food to another as the recalls expand, and most recently have been giving them canned and dry Spa Select. Now all canned Spa Select has been recalled. No doubt if I switch to another brand, it will eventually be recalled as well.
There needs to be an organized effort to penalize the pet food industry for what essentially comes down to poisoning for profit. I don't have the knowledge to undertake such an effort, but merely refunding us for the affected cat food we have on hand and being reimbursed for veterinarian bills is like punishing a mass murderer with a scolding.
Whether or not you have been purchasing food that has subsequently been recalled, I urge everyone to read the article, Cat Food Uncovered, by Sarah Hartwell, who works for UK's Cats Protection and also adopts and cares for aged cats. It's lengthy, but I think it will make clear why I decided to start making my own cat food. Even if a particular cat food is not contaminated with substances such as melamine, I believe that, at best, what goes into commercial foods is disgusting and, at worst, all commercial foods are harming our pets.
Cat Food Uncovered discusses the pet food industries in the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia and other countries and covers such topics as:
- Where Does Cat Food Come From? - The Rendering Process
- Where Do The Ingredients Come From?
- Pet Food Regulatory Bodies
- Pet Food Labeling
- How is Canned Food and Kibble Made?
- The 'Not-So-Hidden' Ingredients
- Meat Based and Plant Based Ingredients
- Colors, Flavors, Preservatives and Other Additives (such as foreign bodies, road kill, racehorses, zoo animals and euthanized pets)
- Diet-Related Problems
- How is Cat Food Tested?
- Fungal and Bacterial Contaminants
- Hormones, Antibiotics and Euthanasia Chemicals
- Prion Disease
Thank goodness I feed my kitties primarily homemade cat food. But I have been adding some (supposedly) high quality commercial food to it in order to give them a variety of taste and nutrients. I've switched from one food to another as the recalls expand, and most recently have been giving them canned and dry Spa Select. Now all canned Spa Select has been recalled. No doubt if I switch to another brand, it will eventually be recalled as well.
There needs to be an organized effort to penalize the pet food industry for what essentially comes down to poisoning for profit. I don't have the knowledge to undertake such an effort, but merely refunding us for the affected cat food we have on hand and being reimbursed for veterinarian bills is like punishing a mass murderer with a scolding.
Whether or not you have been purchasing food that has subsequently been recalled, I urge everyone to read the article, Cat Food Uncovered, by Sarah Hartwell, who works for UK's Cats Protection and also adopts and cares for aged cats. It's lengthy, but I think it will make clear why I decided to start making my own cat food. Even if a particular cat food is not contaminated with substances such as melamine, I believe that, at best, what goes into commercial foods is disgusting and, at worst, all commercial foods are harming our pets.
Cat Food Uncovered discusses the pet food industries in the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia and other countries and covers such topics as:
- Where Does Cat Food Come From? - The Rendering Process
- Where Do The Ingredients Come From?
- Pet Food Regulatory Bodies
- Pet Food Labeling
- How is Canned Food and Kibble Made?
- The 'Not-So-Hidden' Ingredients
- Meat Based and Plant Based Ingredients
- Colors, Flavors, Preservatives and Other Additives (such as foreign bodies, road kill, racehorses, zoo animals and euthanized pets)
- Diet-Related Problems
- How is Cat Food Tested?
- Fungal and Bacterial Contaminants
- Hormones, Antibiotics and Euthanasia Chemicals
- Prion Disease
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