June 13, 2007 Is the dog food recall over now?

June 13, 2007

Is the dog food recall over now?

Funny you should ask, with all the news about Paris Hilton going to jail, getting out of jail and going back to jail, there isn’t much on the news about more important issues such as our pets’ food supply, or our human food supply. The fact is it’s not over. Still daily, I get email updates on the latest recalls and as of today, Sunday, June 10th, there have been 588 different kinds of dog food recalled…that includes, canned, pouched, dry, and treats! In addition, 378 different kinds of cat food recalled! Including the same, canned, pouches, dry and treats!
June 6th - Ol'Roy has SalmonellaMay 17th - Recall of "Lick Your Chops"May 12th - Royal Canin adds 15 itemsMay 11th - Natural Ultramix recalledMay 4th - SmartPak extends recallMay 3rd - Over 200 items recalled by Menu FoodsApril 30th - Sierra Products/Harmony Farms listedApril 27th - Natural Balance recalledApril 27th - Chenango Valley Foods on listApril 27th - Diamond Pet Foods addedApril 26th - American Nutrition and Blue Buffalo addedApril 26th - SmartPak Canine RecalledApril 19th - Blue Buffalo and Royal Canin addedApril 18th - Wilbur-Ellis makes recallApril 17th - Natural Balance, Natural Life, and moreApril 12th - Science Diet extends listApril 10th - Menu Foods Recalls 9 more brandsApril 5th - Over 15 brands add more productsApril 2nd - Dingo recalledMarch 31st - Del Monte Dog treats addedMarch 30th - Alpo pet food recalled
This information is from www.nationalpetfoundation.com; new updates are coming out every day. Subscribe to the "Recall Email Update List" to get additional recall information within the hour it is reported.
New Recalls Coming . . .
There is an investigation by the FDA going on now that has found acetaminophen in pet food, that is the active ingredient in Tylenol® that can be deadly to animals, especially cats. Here’s the interesting part, the FDA wont say which brands of food has acetaminophen in it. They aren’t “releasing” that information yet. Nice, huh?

According to the website www.itchmo.com, there are some private individuals who have had their pet food tested by a lab, and it has shown cyanuric acid, and acetaminophen (Tylenol®) were in the samples they had sent in.

And if that isn’t enough, even your pet Goldfish isn’t safe!
Sergeant’s Pet Care Products is recalling some production lots of Atlantis Goldfish Flake Food and Atlantis Tropical Fish Flake Food due to melamine being found in these specific products (approximately 20-80 parts per million). The fish food that is being recalled is for pet/ornamental fish and not used to feed fish intended for human consumption.
Here are the products that are being recalled:
Atlantis® Tropical Fish Flake Food, 0.88 oz.
Atlantis® Tropical Fish Flake Food, 2.25 oz.
Atlantis® Goldfish Flake Food, 0.75 oz.
Atlantis® Goldfish Flake Food, 2.15 oz.
Atlantis® Color Enhance Tropical Fish Flake Food, 0.88 oz.
Atlantis® Betta Food, 1.2 oz.
Atlantis® Tropical Fish Flake Food, 0.42 oz.
Atlantis® Goldfish Flake Food, 0.42 oz.

So, you thought you’d play it safe and give your dog some hamburger and rice to feed him, because the recalls of pet food have been scaring you. Guess what?
It has been announced the E.Coli has been found in ground beef, and over LOS ANGELES - Southern California meatpacker United Food Group LLC expanded a recall to include 5.7 million pounds of fresh and frozen beef that may be contaminated with the potentially deadly E. coli bacteria, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Saturday.
Fourteen people in six Western states have fallen ill after eating the beef but all have recovered, the department said.
The beef was butchered and shipped in April, and is no longer on store shelves.

You can find that information on this recall on either of the previously listed websites as well.

Frankly, all these recalls are making my blood boil. What really “frosts my flakes” is that none of these recalls seems to be “news worthy.”
I keep talking to my clients, and none of them were aware the recall is still ongoing! I’ve had clients tell me “oh well I’m safe because I feed xyz brand…” then I pull out my fourteen page list of recalled dog food and my 12 page list of recalled cat food and show them that indeed their “xyz” brand is on it.
I know I don’t get to watch much television, or read any news, but I do hear about things from my clients, and my computer, and there just isn’t enough information out there. I’m still feeding my old faithful, mail order dog food brand that is made with human grade ingredients, and so far so good. People assume that because they feed an expensive brand of dog food, that they are safe. They couldn’t be more wrong.
This recall affects expensive brands, inexpensive brands, generics, popular brands, and the list grows and grows. You need to know, WHAT ingredients are in your pet’s food, WHERE it is manufactured, and IF it’s been recalled, or if it may be soon.
If your pet is showing ANY unusual symptoms, please don’t just assume that is because of old age. I have a client with a twenty-year-old toy poodle. They lost their other two dogs because they had been feeding them food that was recalled, but they didn’t know that at the time. When the twenty-year-old dog started going downhill, it was naturally assumed that it was because of his age. Luckily, they found out about the recalls, stopped feeding the dog pet food, and started cooking for him, the formerly lethargic, ancient dog that was dying, started to perk up. He runs around like a puppy now! I don’t think I’ve ever seen him looking or acting so good. In fact, he just turned twenty-one! She jokes that he can now go to a bar and have his first drink. Let’s just hope he doesn’t try to drive home and end up like Paris Hilton.