Exclusive: Lab Finds Toxin In Unopened, Unrecalled Pet Food
The same Texas lab that has reported acetaminophen in pet food, has reported finding cyanuric acid after receiving an unopened container of Hills Science Diet Light Adult canned dog formula. This is the first report we have received that was tested from an unopened container. The picture above shows 2 more cans from the same batch.
Science Diet Light Adult formula has not been recalled by the manufacturer.
The lab report from Expertox obtained by Itchmo states that the tested product had a best before date of 01 2009 and had the lot number T0520917 7048. Cyanuric acid was reportedly found in concentrations of more than 400 ug/g — that’s micrograms/gram.
Hill’s representatives declined to be interviewed over the phone and emailed questions were not returned in time for this deadline.
An Itchmo reader tested the food based on veterinary tests on a dog. The reader’s email is after the jump. It has been edited to remove personal information.
Reader’s email:
I received today the test results on the canned food from the case lot my 4-year old Shih Tzu was eating from when her blood work indicated that she was in kidney failure. We did IV for 4 days, antibiotics for one month, and now fluid therapy once a week. She is still alive, eating home cooked food, has a good appetite, but I don’t know where her kidney levels are at present. Her BUN was 160 before the IV therapy. The BUN came down following 4 days on IV, but was still high when I brought her home.
The reader also said that another dog that did not eat the canned food had normal blood tests.
June 12th, 2007 at 7:38 am
Vindication, go Itchmo. So sorry for the doggy.
June 12th, 2007 at 7:38 am
Should add - just say no to Hills.
June 12th, 2007 at 7:45 am
Isn’t the 7048 the plant this food was made at? Does anyone know which plant that was? I’m going to be very interested to hear what Hills has to say. These pet food companies are a bunch of criminals. Even with food they know is contaminated, they don’t recall. I guess it’s easier to think we’re “over the top.”
June 12th, 2007 at 8:02 am
I took my new kitten to the vet yesterday for an initial exam and told the vet, who still is selling this poison, about the acetaminophen. He was shocked and very upset stating to me “this just will not end.” I told him I would keep him updated and I will send this new finding to him as well. The vets are unaware. I am going to send this to every single vet in the phone book.
I also convinced my husband’s elderly uncle and 15 of his friends in his retirement community to switch off of Hills. They all said the same thing…but the vet sells it so it must be good. I explained why the vet sells it and that it is not a good food at all and in fact it is a horrid food. They were really shocked and angry. They planned a shopping trip together to buy another food that I had suggested.
One vet at a time and one person at a time. We can make a difference.
I have a particular animus towards Hills because I was a sucker to the vet sells it marketing ploy when my six year old dog was a puppy. This little baby pooped 15 times a day (this is not an exaggeration), huge piles and itched. The vet’s response was premium foods do this, add some safflower oil. Instead I researched and switched foods and the poop went to twice a day and no more itching.
The vets are brainwashed and we have to deprogram them.
June 12th, 2007 at 8:05 am
Yeah, it was bound to come. Thanks to all who test their own food, not waiting for the FDA to do it and cover the findings up. Now here is a story that will get your blood boiling! AND the FDA is trying to suppress it!
“Bayer Pharmaceuticals spreading AIDS via drugs on purpose.”
There are documents that were showed to the American Government, proving that Bayer knew, without any doubt, that their product was contaminated with the AIDS virus! Here is the MSNBC news broadcast that broke the story about this cover up where Bayer admits to distributing medication laced with AIDS in America to Americans until they got busted.
http://digg.com/politics/Bayer.....on_purpose
June 12th, 2007 at 8:11 am
I want to file a “NO CONFIDENCE” vote for our government and the FDA. IMO the only way to fix this whole situation is to throw them ALL out and start over.
June 12th, 2007 at 8:15 am
Unfortunately this comes as no surprise. Hills Science Diet was found to be responsible for their products causing cancer in cats several years ago.
They finally pulled some of the affected dry cat food, but it’s still “Business as usual” with them.
Just like with automobile recalls, it is always too little, too late.
Why must it always take massive loss of life and injuries before those in this country in charge of such things finally hold the feet of those responsible to the fire?
Reprehensible! Not to be trusted! Dump them like the plague that they are!
June 12th, 2007 at 8:39 am
The killing goes on and the national media gives the manufacturers and the FDA a free pass. What a shame. Maybe if it were people dieing instead of animals they would think it was important.
June 12th, 2007 at 8:56 am
After posting that link about Bayer I did a little more investigating to find a NY Times article. It was dated May 22, 2003. Guess that happened while I was asleep, cause I would’ve been emailing some ppl had I been aware. Well, no more blindness occuring here. I am wide awake as are most of us. The FDA should by now be on notice that we are watching and will continue to watch.
http://www.eyeonfda.com/eye_on_fda/
June 12th, 2007 at 9:03 am
HomeGrown says: “Bayer Pharmaceuticals spreading AIDS via drugs on purpose.â€
There are documents that were showed to the American Government, proving that Bayer knew, without any doubt, that their product was contaminated with the AIDS virus! Here is the MSNBC news broadcast that broke the story about this cover up where Bayer admits to distributing medication laced with AIDS in America to Americans until they got busted.
http://digg.com/politics/Bayer…..on_purpose
……………………..
I watched the video. This is DEPLORABLE!!! This did not receive a lot of coverage. We can see what pull the pharmaceutical business has with the government. There is NO SAFETY in our country and NO PROSECUTION FOR KILLING PEOPLE, let alone killing pets. Doesn’t the “D” in FDA stand for “DRUG”? The FDA is too closely tied to pharmaceuticals and has no enforcement power, if they even wanted to use it.
Let’s do away with the FDA and form an independent agency that can do the job to protect our food and drug supply. I hope I never get ill and have to take drugs on a regular basis because it looks as if we’re playing Russian roulette every time we have to open our mouths: eating, taking drugs, & even brushing our teeth!
We need to demand the removal of people from various offices. We can’t wait until the new administration comes in. We might be dead by then. The more I read, the sicker I become at learning the depth of corruption large pharma and food companies engage in and the cover-ups that follow.
Thanks, HomeGrown, for giving this horror story some light! This is a Must-See video!
Where’s Steve to say “When do the criminal investigations start?”?
June 12th, 2007 at 9:04 am
From Hill’s website:
“Hill’s Pet Nutrition is a $1.5 billion, global division of Colgate-Palmolive and the maker of Science Diet® and Prescription Diet® brand pet foods.”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Note to pet owners: Beware the global companies that are only interested in their billion dollar revenues. IMHO, such companies are not serious providers of safe, high quality pet foods.
June 12th, 2007 at 9:05 am
I somehow don’t think people would have priority. If it’s taken this kind of
heartache to take a look our four footed companions food, well….
Garyn- good work. Tell them all “way to go!”. Maybe they’ll ask their local grocer or favorite restaurant where their food is coming from as well.
Itchmo- thank you. Also, thank you to the people submitting the report (s).
June 12th, 2007 at 9:18 am
I had a cat Elmo-who I called “my little buddy” . He was 2 1/2 yrs. old, an indoor only cat, never been ill in any way, that all of a sudden stopped eating, became lethargic, and fluid started building in his lungs. Even after he became sick the vet said that he had to eat, so he gave me a syringe (minus the needle of course) to put the Science Diet wet into it to attempt to feed him, which he refused. He did not survive.I had to put him to sleep because his condition became so severe.
This was in the mid 90’s. What was I feeding him? Hills Science Diet dry AND wet. Who rec. the food to me? The vet. The vet was very concerned, and did not one but TWO autopsies on him but could find nothing–no reason for that to have happened to him. Of course back then they did not look for things like this-I’m sure it did not even cross his mind that it may have been the food, much less look for anything in it!
Oh, guess what the logo patch on the vets lab coat was? HILLS SCIENCE DIET.
I fell HORRIBLE about it to this day.
June 12th, 2007 at 9:20 am
FYI - The cans Don Earl sent it were ALSO unopened. They were Pet Pride “Turkey and Giblets Dinner” lot number APR 24 09, and Pet Pride “Mixed Grill” lot number SEP07 09.
And yes, a BIG Thank you to the people who made this report public. That’s what we need everyone to do.
June 12th, 2007 at 9:34 am
Our cat died due to acute renal failure after eating Hill’s Prescription c/d dry food. Recently Hill’s has changed the formula of the c/d and is now calling it Multicare c/d. It makes me wonder about the previous formula. Has anyone received any communication from Hill’s re: reimbursement of vet bills?
June 12th, 2007 at 9:40 am
Hills what is wrong with you people? Yeah you care about animals…sure. Recall this stuff already!
June 12th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Janice,
Sorry about your cat, I hate this whole pet food mess. My littlest cat was on Hilll’s c/d also but I had mixed the dry after awhile with Eukanuba dry. How new was the bag you purchased the bag i had i believe i purchased in Dec, along with a case of c/d wet. Geisha fell ill on March 23rd and my other cat Topaz followed suit March 24th Topaz would not touch the c/d but they both ate the FF w/gravy. So I blame their illness on the new case of FF, anyway Geisha was twice as sick as Topaz and just was wondering about the c/d after reading your statement it gave me chills. They are now both on people food wet diet with Kumpi dry for vitamins.
June 12th, 2007 at 10:07 am
Lori,
We bought a new bag of c/d on Jan. 9th. We were not totally our of the old bag, so we may not have started feeding the new until the 11th. On the 12th my husband took the cat to the vet because he was so lethargic. Not walking around or getting up at all. There was nothing wrong with his bloodwork at that time. We took him back in on the 13th and 14th (a Sun.) and in the middle of the night Sunday night, he started meowing loudly and could not walk. We called the vet who met us at 2:30 in the morning in the pouring rain. On the way to the vet’s office, the cat had a seizure. After a week of IV’s and a bill of $1300, the vet sent him home, but he would not eat or drink unless force fed. Blood work on the 25th and 27th showed worsening values for the kidney functioning, so we agreed (very reluctantly) to his being euthanized on the 27th. He was a companion to my 94 year old mother who has Alzheimer’s. It has been a devastating loss to our family. He slept on the foot of our bed every night. Thanks for your compassion.
June 12th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Mad props to you, Itchmo. You are doing stellar work, a yeoman’s job, and truly merit all of the kudos that you get.
June 12th, 2007 at 10:33 am
Janice,
What a terrible story, so not even 2 days into a new bag of dry your cat became that sick. I am so sorry for your lose, and what your cat had to go thru. Did you vet want to have the food tested ot was he like my vet didn’t want to get invovled.
There is no punishment strong enough for these horrible PF companies, and I really do not think it will ever end.
June 12th, 2007 at 10:34 am
Time to MOVE into Action!
The minute I saw this story on the front page here, I thought just like Garyn.
To CALL as many Vets with this Information of Deadly Contamination as Possible this week {it’s a HUGE city just south of me here}.
I would like to do it buy Email and maybe a jpg attached, of one of the reports proving the Hill’s name in it, but we’ve not gotten that far yet in this.
except for this Email report. {to show the actual NAME of the food Company on the reports}
I will call and give DON’S URL.
It’s easy and simple. The page there for the Lab reports URL specifically.
Then they can click to the other Vital information there themselves.
For you other’s who’d like to do the same here is Don’s MAIN URL, go there and retrieve the Lab page URL {I’m going after I post this to check it}
To have ready to give Out to the Vets Offices!!!
http://www.petfoodrecallfacts.com
We need to do this to Save more lives and to get it Out in the Public more.
I’d like to see it done before Hill’s gets out and does one of their grubby ’silent recalls’ and can Pretend like nothing is wrong! This allows them to look like ‘great’ folks!
Not this time.
THIS is Not “just melamine”!
This is PURE Poison to Our Pets!!!!
You’ll know if you call a Vets and the say they’ve removed it “already”.
That they’ve gotten those calls because of Hill’s reading This Thread!
If you can Call a few Vets on breaks or Lunch or in between working and things etc Please do it.
Pass along Don’s URL verbally to them.
Hill’s has Ignored this Long enough! They’ve continued to ALLOW Pets to get Sick and or Die!
{there is No DUH factor here!}
Call the TV Stations, newpapers an such or Send them an Email with Don’s URL in it; Send Itchmo.com’s Too!
They Want Proof They Got Proof!
{if the Media ignores you, then File that FCC complaint form like EHamilton suggest!}
Nope it’s Not just ‘a lil ol’ melamine’ anymore!
I AM Really Angry, How bout YOU?
{This pet parent and poor little dog have suffered Beyond words for WEEKS! I’m feeling so Badly for them; and so many others too. This Can’t keep going on!}
Call those Vets! Shake them into Reality!
Print out the Story and Deliver a copy to your Vets in your area if you can!
Them Knowing and leaving it Out there on their shelves is Criminal, Imho!
June 12th, 2007 at 10:46 am
Hills should face criminal charges.
June 12th, 2007 at 10:46 am
Itchmo, you will be rewarded. PFI and Hills, your money will not go into the coffin with you, how are you going to re-pay your debts then??
June 12th, 2007 at 10:49 am
Itchmo, you are the BEST.
Now we can print all this out and take it to vets who are selling this crap. Vets turning against Hill’s would be a huge impact, because a vet has a lot of influence on pet owners.
ITCHMO ADMIN: The real credit goes to the pet owners who are getting their food tested.
June 12th, 2007 at 11:02 am
Here is the URL for Don’s LAB Test Result page there. You can send This URL in Email to Vets, or give it to them Verbally on the Phone!
Make a list of those that poo-poo you!
http://www.petfoodrecallfacts.com/lab.html
That’s It, Now Go GET EM!
June 12th, 2007 at 11:14 am
I did a new post *just* for Hill’s Prescription Science Diet reports on my blog… it includes references to the test results posted here and at Don’s. Hopefully vets will pay attention now! The list of foods that should be recalled, but aren’t, is getting way too long.
http://petfoodtracker.blogspot.....e-for.html
June 12th, 2007 at 11:24 am
I KNEW IT. All of us that suspected Hill’s were correct. I hope everyone has kept vet records of their pet’s health before and after beginning the Hill’s foods. Also the receipts for the foods. Should it be proven the Rx is tainted also then I have all my ducks in a row. It won’t surprise me to discover all the wet foods are tainted. Rx and the Science Diet line. When three dogs in the same household all go down eating the same brand of food then something “just ain’t right”. The vet I was taking my girls to will get a copy of this today since he kept saying I was at fault for my second dog becoming sick by feeding her table scraps - which I did not do. All my babies were eating was the Hill’s foods. Had I known in March this was going to happen I would have had a necropsy done on the first baby girl that died on 03/16. Hill’s has never seen such a distraught woman as I was when that dog died. I am having a hard time as it is trying to adjust to her passing, but this just makes it unbearable.
How do I go about - Hill’s reimbursement of vet bills? Does anyone know if I can hit them with cremation cost also? It won’t bring my dog back, but by gawd it can help expose this nightmare. I promised my baby girl that I will not let her death be in vain.
June 12th, 2007 at 11:32 am
[…] Adult formula has not been recalled by the manufacturer.” Read Itchmo’s blog post about Science Diet’s poisoned pet food > Find out which pet foods are unsafe […]
June 12th, 2007 at 11:53 am
time to start pressing criminal charges. (well, it’s way past time, imo)
remember folks, many states have felony animal cruelty laws and intentionally poisoning pets fits the felony description.
has Hill’s made any safety statements, if so, archive those links now! same with any other suspect food. especially ones that have been alerted and denied. these %^&** need to be held accountable.
*censors self yet again so I don’t offend anyone!*
June 12th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
OK, assignment for today in the Alice Army is tell the vets, tell the vets the truth and if this does not break the Hills spell on them then they can go back to being toads!
Garyn Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 8:02 am
Garyn you go! That is wonderful and effective action.
You are a great example!
June 12th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Hill’s - quit killing our pets, you murderous #$%^&%$. You will all go to $%^&!!!
Our country is at it’s lowest point if our goverment cannot stop these people from selling poisonous pet food. I’m beyond shock and dismay. I am profoundly embarrassed to be called an American, if this is what our government is about.
June 12th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
I know it was Hills Z/D that killed My cats. I can’t prove it yet, but it will come out.
June 12th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
YaYa Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 10:34 am
Time and past time, I am with you YaYa !!
June 12th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
I have a question—I thought I read that the cyranuric acid in the wheat “gluten” flour was a “by-product of melamine” ??? (I have lost some intelligence thru this) so please correct me or explain why this has shown up without melamine showing up..???
June 12th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
And don’t forget to spread the word to other pet blogs, pet sites, this news needs to reach every single pet parent you can find!
June 12th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
E,
I will do the assignment!
I went to the Forums yesterday, but decided that this ol’ lady isn’t technically ready for forums! I spent almost an hour on there trying to navigate my way around and got frustrated and decided I am spending enuff of my time on these blogs, so will stick to them!
June 12th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
I posted this on a different thread, but was wondering if there is anyone near Ames, Iowa that could attend this to represent us?
This is a conference to be held in Ames Iowa by a coalition working for food safety and to protect U.S. family farms and ranches.
Look at this website for more info on the group organizing it. Anyone in the area is welcome and encouraged to attend this. Or anyone outside the area that can afford a plane ticket.
Conference Two: Taking Action
Gateway Hotel and Conference Center
2100 Green Hills Drive, Ames, IA 50014
June 19-22, 2007
Click Here to Register Now
Join us to work together across industries, across interests, and across American to strive for better trade policies. The current extreme globalization model is not working, and America is unilaterally giving up its jobs, farms, food safety and environment for the benefit of a few multinational corporations and financiers. This conference will build upon our efforts for a more just trade policy for America.
www.prosperousamerica.org:80/
June 12th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Cyanuric acid has been used for years as a source of NPN (non-protein nitrogen) so it’s sounds like “they” are still spiking the grains.
June 12th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Another thought: If we could organize by “joining” an informal organization, and have someone attend this to represent our concerns?
June 12th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Not good news for MF today—stocks falling down 23%—-about the same number my healthier cat has kidney function! Looks like that pet food company pulling out has had an effect.
June 12th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Thanks Susan–I guess my brain cells are shot.
June 12th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Susan Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
and when they are done spiking, they give it a nice coating of melamine!
and we all know how *that* mixes with cat urine . . .
has anyone tested fish meals? (speaking of Melamine wrapped feed!)
June 12th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Carol Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
“(I have lost some intelligence thru this) ”
many of our brains are on overload with all this new info and research!
June 12th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
So again the question comes up as to which was suppposedly the contaminated ingredient. Hill’s website stated that the recalled food was the only food that had wheat gluten in and therefore the rest was clear. Obviously people with sick pets don’t care at this point exactly how it happened the damage is done. But the manufacturers are once again exposing why partial recalls don’t work, because either they don’t know which ingredients are supposed to be in, and/or they have no control over what someone is putting in their formulations. At first we were assured they had it all under control with recalls, which now mean nothing as unrecalled food is suspect. This is far more serious than OOPS we made a booboo, now see, we’ve fixed it. I stand by my position that no food is safe until the whole mess shakes out. I’ve still heard stories on dog sites of people’s dogs being ill on unrecalled food. There’s still a problem out there.
June 12th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
furmom Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
furmom , those sites NEED to know about this, please tell them quick before Hills puts the strong arm on Ben, everyone make copies of the front page RIGHT now.
June 12th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Garyn said: The vets are brainwashed and we have to deprogram them.
I don’t have time to deprogram vets, especially since I’m supposedly paying them to protect my animals health (NOT). And most are not taking the time to learn what they should already know, since profits as usual are the name of their game. But this may change when petowners start sharing their experiences, getting and exchanging information.
I do have time to study up. I decided long ago that protecting my pet’s health is a do it myself affair. Vet’s cannot be trusted to protect my pet (in fact I feel I must protect my pet from their harm). The information on the ingredients in these foods and their effects on pets is out there (has been out there). The information on harmful vaccines is out there. The information on vet protocols is out there. Change what you are doing and tell other petowners your experience. We need to influence petowners to stop buying the crap. That’s the only thing that’s going to change the system.
Well done Garyn.
June 12th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Please look.
http://www.petfoodindustry-dig.....?u1=friend
If you click on the page the print gets larger. You can also forward or back through the magazine with the arrows at the top.
June 12th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
straybaby said: has anyone tested fish meals? (speaking of Melamine wrapped feed!)
I’m just waiting for this to come up. The “inconsequential” amount in each fish fed tained feed would be concentrated in meals and also processed at high heat (which if I recall, was cited by labs as a factor in making the toxins more potent?). On the other hand, since the FDA whitewashed the danger and the farmed fish can still be sold to humans for higher price, it’s we who may be eating them. But the concentrated meals used in the majority of petfoods are a big if. Aside from the fact that they are not actually “better” than unprocessed protein ingredients.
June 12th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
I just looked at a brand of dry cat food on-line and the first three ingredients were: salmon, salmon meal, whitefish meal. In other brands fish meal was listed near the top. So this stuff will be right back in the pet food again. And we’re seeing from the testing the cyanuric acid is already there. The loathing I have for the PFI, the FDA, and these companies is more than I can say. I don’t think I could stand to go back to 2 months ago!
June 12th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
Urgent Recall on Toothpaste, just posted on the FDA site
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmr.....06_07.html
I’m not familiar with these but if you are, beware
June 12th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
For a friend,has anyone had problems with Nutro dry cat food?
Lorna
June 12th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
I wonder why the toothpaste “Urgent Recall” is dated June 8 and is only showing up now? 4 days more to be able to buy/use product?
June 12th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Carol Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
I wonder why the toothpaste “Urgent Recall†is dated June 8 and is only showing up now? 4 days more to be able to buy/use product?
***************
Could be. All I know is that it wasn’t there earlier. FDA does have a bad habit of taking their time in posting things on their site. Frustrating.
June 12th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
Lorna
These Nutro products have been involved in recall
Dog Canned
Nutro Max
Nutro Natural Choice
Nutro Ultra
Nutro
Cat Canned
Nutro Max Gourmet Classics
Nutro Natural
June 12th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Lorna
Sorry just saw that you said dry food. Duh! I been looking at too much stuff. Eyes not what they were 3 months ago. Turning off computer now. LOL
June 12th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
This is so upsetting!! Makes you want to jump off the roof screaming REVOLUTION !!!! We all know this is far from over, has been going on for a very long time… inform apathetic Americans that not only our furbabies but our human babies are greatly at risk too.. you better believe it is in our food chain too - WAKE UP AMERICA !!!!
June 12th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Lorna,
Here’s an article about Nutro dry.
Lorna –here’s an artcile about Nutro
http://www.consumeraffairs.com.....all53.html
I saw on PetfoodTracker that animals have gotten sick from it.
http://petfoodtracker.blogspot.com
Hope that helps.
Susan
June 12th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
MelaBeef anyone?????
Susan - you are right the cyanuric acid is in the livestock feed.. But check out this patent, that includes melamine as a member in making Biuret that is added to the cyanuric acid. urea mix for cattlefeed.. Do we have melabeef too???? And they wondered why the 2 USA livestock feeds tested positive for melamine!!!
Biuret purification - US Patent 4698443
snip from the above patent link:
The method defined in claim 1 wherein said higher molecular weight urea condensation products comprise a member selected from the group consisting of triuret, melamine, cyanuric acid, ammonium cyanurate, ammelide, methylene diurea, and combinations thereof, and said higher molecular weight urea condensation products constitute less than 5 weight percent of said extract based on biuret.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Then we go to this that allows the combination of biuret , urea and cynauric acid…. (there you go 2 in 1, nitrogen based boosters) The toxic brew!!!
Off the FDA page for cattle/animal feed…Sec. 573.220 Feed-grade biuret.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/.....0.1.1.20.2
————————————————————————
Percent
————————————————————————
Biuret…………………………….. 55 minimum.
Urea………………………………. 15 maximum.
Cyanuric acid and triuret……………. 30 maximum.
Mineral oil………………………… 0.5 maximum.
Total nitrogen (equivalent to 218.75 pct 35 minimum.
crude protein).
FDA permits a certain amount of cyanuric acid to be present in some non-protein nitrogen (NPN) additives used in animal feed and drinking water.[4] Cyanuric acid has been used as NPN. For example, Archer Daniels Midland manufactures a NPN supplement for cattle, which contains biuret, triuret, cyanuric acid and urea.[5]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanuric_acid
June 12th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Lorna - LOTS of reports of Nutro dry foods making pets sick. More than any other food that hasn’t been recalled. An article about them and a bunch of reports can be found in one post, at this link.
http://petfoodtracker.blogspot.....s-for.html
June 12th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Oops, I was typing as Susan posted! The link I posted takes you directly to the Nutro information. I’ve got posts for Nutro, Iams, and now Hills/Science Diet, as well as one for other foods. I’ve still got lots of reports to add.
I wish so much that these companies would just recall all their food and just start clean.
June 12th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Lorna,
Someone on here I think is was Helen that has a sick cat from Nutro dry
Nutro Dry CAT food
From Helen, posting over at itchmo.com:
Kim: Yes you have permission to cross-post my comments about Nutro. My cat DID know there was something wrong with it. She had eaten it all her life and suddenly didn’t like it anymore. She ate very little of it, but got sick anyway: vomiting, which she had never done much before, lethargy, drinking extra water, extra urination, suddenly looking like “an old lady catâ€, difficulty jumping. She continued to have good appetite for the other foods she was eating. I had attributed the above symptoms to her age (until the recalls started), but she is fine now. She is completely herself again. I feel like it is just dumb luck I still have her with me, and if you want to use my comments to help inform other people who are trying to keep their pets safe, please go ahead. As far as I know I am the only “Helen†posting here, and I have made several past comments about this, which you are free to copy.
June 12th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
WHY does the FDA keep telling people to throw this crap away?! (yes, toss the evidence)
aren’t *we* supposed to properly dispose of things like toxins? yet they keep telling people to toss the stuff like it’s safe . . .
June 12th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Has anyone noticed that Menu Foods changed their website to have the recall info now be only a part of their first page. Now they have a section about customers and touting how wonderful the products are they sell and a section on investor relations. They are trying to back away from it all….
June 12th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Lorna, anyone had problems with Nutro dry cat food?
Yes.
June 12th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Has anybody asked Hill’s (or others) what they think happens when the cyanuric acid collides with the melamine *already* in our furkids from this ongoing unspeakable pet food tragedy?
Like crystals -ya think?
June 12th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Thanks everyone for Nutro cat dry info.I did check your great site ,too,Kim. Lots there.
My friend’s cats are fine ….right now….but he’s not sure he should stay with Nutro.
Lorna
June 12th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
As far as ASKING Hills anything- why bother to ASK a proven liar who poisons pets anything at all?
All you will hear is more lies and spin.
You can TELL the vets something though.
Tell your vet, tell ALL the vets that if they sell a known poison then they can STOP being a vet because they are gonna LOSE their license.
As for some “other” companies?
The cops can read them their rights when they slap on the handcuffs.
The pet food company that has delayed recalling a product that they have KNOWN is poisoned for over a month now- that is clear proof of animal cruelty and a criminal offense.
And we are coming for ya!
June 12th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
I have already “fired” three vets who tried to push Hill’s products down my cat’s throat. I told them I would no longer be spending my money when they are serving a master who is driven by greed. They either work for me or they work for Hill’s but they cannot have it both ways. My cat was not sick until the first vet I went to for another problem prescribed that crap.
June 12th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Took them a while, but it seems they may be onto something here (sarcasm)
Camp Lejeune Water Under Scrutiny
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics.....id=3268887
June 12th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
Until the company that has known of the poison they sell for OVER A FREAKING MONTH comes clean - then I say ALL brands take the heat!
ALL brands might be poisoned, how can you know? So ALL BRANDS could be the poison.
If you MUST call a pet food company for ANY reason, ask them the question
“Are you the company that had the product tested and has know of a poison product for over a month?” and if they deny it, well, I STILL would not believe them.
We have proof that somebody is selling poison and has been continuing to sell poison even after getting the lab results, the FDA knows, the only people who DON”T know are the people who NEED to know.
June 12th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Sandi K–I checked the website earlier today (as I do every day) and it was just Recall Info–now they have changed back to the webpage that they took down on March 17-18. I wonder their reasoning—maybe it has something to do with the plummeting of their stock price since this am…
June 12th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Hey Guys, Look at Itchmos’ pics. On the front page is a pic of My hummingbirds. won’t be there long.
June 12th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
The vet I no longer go to? He said my 2 FLUTD cats would die if I didn’t put them on c/d. They got the pukes and bloody poops on that crap. I found extra water and cranberry powder in their food has helped the situation tremendously - normal pH and specific gravity. No crystals, no blockage. Do you think these vets realize that what was Hills, a private company in 1975, is now Hills, branch of Colgate-Palmolive? To be honest, I don’t think they care. IMHO they like the Hills kickbacks.
June 12th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Susan Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Those hills kickbacks won’t look so good when it costs them malpractice lawsuits and the very license they need to BE a vet!
I have HAD it with this lie and spin and all from the pet food companies and the PFI and the whole reeking industry.
If any one had done the right thing, oh I don’t know, say 3 FREAKING months ago- maybe this could have been worked out, but NOW I SAY THEY ALL GO DOWN!
June 12th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
I agree with Krista. It’s time for a REVOUTION.
June 12th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Amen, E. Hamilton. It’s 3 months past time. We will fight to win!
June 12th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
What happened to the end of business day 6/1 deadline for the FDA to turn in complete answers in unredacted form?
WHERE ARE THE ANSWERS? WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY
June 12th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Susan
My littlest cat has crystals and was on Hills c/d mixed with other food, she has been off it since March when she became ill,(not form c/d but from FF) how much cranberry powder do you put in the water and where do you get it?
June 12th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
# 4lgdfriend Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
What happened to the end of business day 6/1 deadline for the FDA to turn in complete answers in unredacted form?
WHERE ARE THE ANSWERS? WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY
Why don’t you ask Senator Durbin and the congress critters that demanded the answers? If they can’t get a straight answer from the FDA and apparently they can’t- then I don’t think giving more money and power to the FDA is a very smart thing to do!
June 12th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
I bought cranberry that was in capsules from the health food story. The capsules open up and the powder drops in. I add that and extra water. I did cranberry (it’s 250 mg capsules) because DL-methionine can cause liver trouble. A lot of drug stores carry it, too; it’s called Windmill Herbals. I called and the cranberry is from Wisconsin. If they don’t like the food diluted with water, you can make “gravy” with organic baby meat. I got pH test paper from the drug store, and once a week I close each cat separately in the laundry room with cut up plastic grocery store bags for litter. Once they pee, I test the pH. That’s how I know it’s 6.5 or under. I take some in to the vet sometimes for specific gravity. If I can keep their urine diluted, they shouldn’t make struvites. Until this is all straightened out, that’s what I have to do. No Hills, no Eukanuba, no Royal Canin, etc.
June 12th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Right now, TODAY, you can get the word out on this news about the poison results to every vet you can reach. Do whatever it takes, call, email , drop off a hard copy if you can.
How they respond will tell you a lot about what kind of vet they are.
If they don’t scream in outrage and pull every bag of food out of their office and put Hills’ to the thumbscrews then that is all you need to know about the vet.
June 12th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
PLEASE if you cannot afford to pay for having foods tested - contact your State Agriculture Departments - Animal Health/Animal Feed Divisions.
I discovered today that my State definitely has pet foods on a **high priority** and are/have set up LC test methods for acetaminophen - they know GC won’t find it.
June 12th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
This never ends. At this point, i’m ready to start following movie scripts (Remember the old Joe Pesci movie where he was a slumlord who refused to clean up his buildings? The judge finally sentenced him to live in those buildings - where is our judge to sentence these ceo’s of the pet food companies to eating this poison-in-a-can)
Does anyone know of any known problems, or even suspected problems with the cans of Mighty Dog Roasted varities? My dog would only eat those, the seared, and the tubs of beneful. For the past two months, she looks at them all like ‘Oh he|| no!’ and refuses to touch them. I trust her smell and taste over the companies and have a horrible suspicion that there is something tainted in these cans.
Not able to test these privately, but if any people are trying to nail down a problem with this brand I would love to hear about it
On a side note, thank you Itchmo. I honestly believe that the numbers of sick, damaged and dead pets would be many times higher then it is already. 1 is too many of course, and mine counts as 1, but the total could very easily be in the hundreds of thousands if not for Itchmo and their dedication
June 12th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Feeding ANY commercial food is like playing russian roulette with a fully loaded gun at this point.
It is no longer IF it will kill - it is how soon.
And beneful is a known poison. I have the dead dog to prove it.
June 12th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
My cat has crystals and has been on c/d for 5 years. When i recently saw all the topxins they put in their food, I found a replacement. He now eats Flint River ranch Adult Lite cat food and is doing great. I also took my dog off Science Diet and wrote Hills a nasty letter.
June 12th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Wendy44 Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
And the vet you have been paying for the fabulous advice to feed your pet this POISON?
They need to hear today about the three positive for poison results!
Can you say MALPRACTICE?
June 12th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
I have to ask this question that just crossed my mind!
WHERE ARE THE BEE FOOD TEST RESULTS??? It’s been at least 2 or even more weeks ago now!
Some-body got some-thing to hide maybe??????????
Usually they are Real Loud about a Negative test {one they’ve know was negative for a while too} I’ve noticed.
{won’t say squat when they now it’s positive either :-P }
Where is the BEE Food Issue Results?????
Time is Up. Gonna Rock the Boat!
Got Melamine TOO????
June 12th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Yep–everyday I feed the commercial crap to my dogs I worry. My friend here at work just adopted a whippet/jack russell mix. They told her he must eat Science Diet adult small bites. I am trying to tell her SD is crap, but she will not listen. This was her response:
“But why would the kennel be feeding their animals SD? They should be the ones to know which are good and which are not.”
Geezzzzzz—–I did send the links to my vet re SD. I’m trying to spread the word as best as I know how. I did get a couple people here to switch from SD to Innova. Whew.
June 12th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
I wonder when it is going to sink in to the minds of our opponents, that rather than rancorous divisiveness, the public wants good-faith cooperation and problem-solving between all parties.
“SERVE THE PUBLIC” . . .. Get it yet?
June 12th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
They are fooling the poor public who is unaware about the dog food problem. Shoot–the dog food bags look real good…all natural, vet recommended-bull crap! I saw a beneful commercial last night. It was a really good commercial (cough, choke) I read these posts daily to get all my information. Thanks to all!
June 12th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Steve said: the public wants good-faith cooperation and problem-solving between all parties.
“SERVE THE PUBLIC†. . .. Get it yet?
Serve profits - all they know. They have demonstrated the OPPOSITE of good faith: LIES. NO COOPERATION. And they have no intention whatsoever of problem solving - only sweeping this huge scandal under the rug and getting back to business as soon as possible - no matter what.
Nope. They don’t get it. And I’m not putting my pets life on the line hoping they ever will.
June 12th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Of course they are continuing to try to fool the public. They have gotten used to it.
Now that their backs are up against the wall we are seeing their true colors shining through.
Not a flattering picture.
June 12th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Steve sums up my complaint from day 1. I have been made to feel like the pain in the a@@ for my continued calls, emails, contacts to senators and the press (mostly unanswered) but the fact of the matter is I was minding my own business in the privacy of my home, a law abiding 4 legged animal lover trying to do the best for her family when POW—sick animals all around me-1 with cancer and 2 with acute renal failure— and no one to call for answers—the message from MF was to call them–the message from the FDA to call them –but nobody wanted to hear it—4 months later I still am tring to keep my 2 cats alive—how ironic to maybe lose my cancer “winning” pup to a dog food due to non-disclosure…and to maybe feed my cats the posion again and not know it…the press may call us “crazy” the FDA may call us “out of control” but I know each of us here call each other a comrade–we know the damage this has done–the domino effect of our everyday life. It’s much more than a “few sick animals in the US”. Thanks again to Itchmo and posters, it is because of you that I have remained (partially ) sane and so far have not fed more posion..
June 12th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
I wonder if Hills is doing their silent recall now. Remove that lot number and not tell anyone.
Those true colors are the most putrid I’ve seen in a long time. I agree, 4lgdfriend. I don’t believe they will ever get it. They will always think they can fool us into buying their product.
June 12th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
On the other side of it, the public needs to learn, as much as is possible, to not be so easy to fool. Pretty sacks, neat but meaningless labels, happy faces on commercials, meaningless apologies - whoever in the public is capable of it MUST move past expecting to be told stuff like a bunch of first graders.
Easier to do that, where possible, than to expect evil doers to quit doing evil. I almost can’t read Itchmo today, because the headline stories are making me either well up with tears, or wanting to find the bas*** vets that punch tiny dogs or food companies that sell through vets only with cans now certified to contain poisons, or people who refuse to make any alternate plan in a real emergency for the pets they responsible for (can’t do that, don’t own the pet. Bet even if asked they wouldn’t leave their kid or grandma behind..well, if so, then put them all out of their misery)…
I am purely sick of stupid and gullible people, who could do better, but just want to remain stupid and gullible. Whether members of the public, of the vet community, of Congress, whoever. I am having a bad day contemplating how depressing I find human kind right now.
June 12th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Debbie4747: The water issue is a very good example. Not only do I want to know what’s in the food, I want to know what’s in the water. Three of the chemicals listed appear to be used in water treatment.
Are they common in our water supply? Do food manufacturer’s use filtered water for processing?
June 12th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
HomeGrown Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
Lorna
These Nutro products have been involved in recall
Dog Canned
Nutro Max
Nutro Natural Choice
Nutro Ultra
Nutro
Cat Canned
Nutro Max Gourmet Classics
Nutro Natural
I just opened a new bag of Swheat litter and guess what was inside? A sample of Nutro Natural Choice. Any takers on whether that package is pure poison? It’s going in the garbage. One recall-related CRF kitty is enough for me.
June 12th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Amy-
If you could swing it, it might be interesting to get the sample tested.
June 12th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
E hamilton, T C , Homegrown, don’t forget to write Your stories for Me? I know you are all busy, as I am too, with the PFC, but when you get some time[haha] please write. and anyone else who would like a letter about what to write if they have gone through all this, please let Me know. magesticats@net-change.com
June 12th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Didn’t you know Ya Ya, it’s too late. Up here in Alberta, we lost almost half of our bees. Its in all the papers here. How does that translate into lost food production for us?? Cut our fruit and veggie production by almost half too by this fall?? That leaves us very little to export to you guys south of the border.
June 12th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
We are the worlds third largest honey producer. Now cut that in half. You can see the trend. Bye bye honey coated cereal.
June 12th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
And YaYa too.
June 12th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
I’m in apple orchard country. The lilacs have come and gone, the honeysuckle have come and gone, and the wild roses are in bloom. There are hardly any bees. Bye, bye fresh fruit, too.
June 12th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
How about a Pet Food Safety Initiative to reduce pet food-related deaths in the United States. ????
FDA PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2007
P07-102
Media Inquiries: 301-827-6242
Press Officer: Michael Herndon
michael.herndon@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
FDA Implementing Initiative to Reduce Tomato-Related Foodborne Illnesses
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will begin a multi-year Tomato Safety Initiative to reduce the incidence of tomato-related foodborne illness in the United States.
“Produce is an important part of a healthy diet and FDA wants to improve its safety by better understanding the causes of foodborne illness and by promoting more effective methods of safe food production, delivery, and preparation,†said Robert Brackett, Ph.D., director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “This initiative is part of a strategy to reduce foodborne illness by focusing food safety assessments on specific products, practices, and growing areas that have been found to be problematic in the past.â€
The initiative, part of FDA’s Produce Safety Action Plan, is a collaborative effort between FDA and state health and agriculture departments in Florida and Virginia. Several universities and members of the produce industry also are part of the effort. It will begin during this year’s growing season for Virginia in the summer and for Florida in the fall.
During the past decade, the consumption of fresh and fresh-cut tomatoes has been linked to 12 different outbreaks of foodborne illness in the United States. Those outbreaks include 1,840 confirmed cases of illness. The majority of these outbreaks have been traced to products from Florida and the eastern shore of Virginia; however, tomato-associated outbreaks also have been traced to tomatoes from California, Georgia, Ohio, and South Carolina. The effort will include identifying practices or conditions that potentially lead to product contamination, which will allow FDA to continue to improve its guidance and policy on tomato safety. The initiative will evaluate the need for additional produce safety research, education, and outreach.
Other components of the initiative include:
· continuing outreach with the industry at all points in the supply chain,
1 facilitating and promoting research on tomato safety,
2 communicating early and often in the event of an outbreak, and
3 continuing to build and strengthen collaborative relationships with federal, state and local public health officials in disease prevention, detection, and outbreak response.
FDA investigators in coordination with their respective state counterparts will visit tomato farms and packing facilities in Florida and Virginia to assess food safety practices and use of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). During their visits, officials will also evaluate a variety of environmental factors including irrigation water, wells, procedures for mixing chemicals, drought and flooding events, and animal proximity to growing fields.
June 12th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Beware the Stevia replacement that the BIG Corps are pushing into production, just in time to replace all that nasty honey.
http://www.cspinet.org/nah/4_00/stevia.html
It can cause Sterility in males and cancer, etc.
June 12th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Menusux - I’m not having it tested but if someone else wants to fund it they’re more than welcome to it.
June 12th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
About 150 illnesses to 12 outbreaks of tomato illness—thousands of illness and deaths to 1 outbreak of dishonest pet food manufacturers and suppliers—it just doesn’t add up to me
June 12th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
I need to correct my post—150 illnesses PER 12 outbreaks—-still doesn’t add up
June 12th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
I KNEW IT I have been posting my suspicions on Hills…as well and Wellness (I hope someone has their ANI foods tested soon) and Purina were way too quiet and my cats ate Hills
June 12th, 2007 at 7:06 pm
Right now, I am not interested in scattering my efforts to the big picture of food safety, plenty of folks are fighting that one, the pets have only us.
For damn sure the pet food companies are not doing anything to make this right.
Yes, we all need to eat and I worry about the bees, have been worried for a while but the fight in front of me, the one still going on after 3 FREAKING months-that is the battle I am putting MY energy into.
June 12th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
xyz & Debbiei 474,
I think your on to something there with the water issue too.. We’ve got toxins coming in from so many different sources.. Add up all the various toxins into pet foods and it blows the lid off of “acceptable tolerance” (if FDA ever thought there was one).. which our furbabies are not holding up to AT ALL, but have probably had lower concentrations from the past.. thus the slower death/illness with build up in their systems and no one really noticed, until NOW when the big spiking started happening.. Just a rise in kidney failures, cancers, etc for our pets from the past with all these chemicals, and people are beginning to wonder what really killed and sickend their pets in the past… and it sure looks like the beef industry has been getting their rations of melamine/cynauric acid too.. Our pets eat that and so do we! Now how much of that dilution factor prinicle is FDA going to sell us? If the melachickens, melahogs were sent out as human grade for consumption, imagine what happens when the organ meats gets recycled back to our pets as human grade? - I just don’t buy the it won’t hurt you BS…
June 12th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Thanks to all of you for your energy to keep up the pressure. I just visited the webside of the Illinois Dept of Agriculture.
http://www.ilga.gov/legislatio.....hapAct=410Â ILCSÂ 620/&ChapterID=35&ChapterName=PUBLIC+HEALTH&ActName=Illinois+Food%2C+Drug+and+Cosmetic+Act%2E
It seems to me that the states all have similar regulations. I found that in Illinois there are regulations that prohibit contaminating food , falsely marketing food’s benefits and other items that apply here.
According to Illinois Law- “Food” means (1) articles used for food or drink for man or other animals, (2) chewing gum, and (3) articles used for components of any such article.
(Source: Laws 1967, p. 959.)
Sounds like the states should be involved.
June 12th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
AMY!!
Please, please call your state agriculture department and ask them to test it.. the probabilities are high, that there isn’t a fee for you in your own state.
June 12th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Did any of you see that MF has a 13 page code of ethics?
http://www.menufoods.com/ir/ethical_conduct.html
Code of Ethical Conduct
January 4, 2006
http://www.menufoods.com/ir/do.....onduct.pdf
Don’t think it was coincidental that this document disappeared from the MF website when the recalls began. The “code” looks like one of a large pharmaceutical company who’s also earned my eternal contempt. The pharma calls it their Red Book. For both of these companies, these are nice things to show their investors–neither of them conduct their business by them, no matter what they say.
June 12th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
We call it “Science Fiction Diet”…. be afraid, be VERY afraid…..
so sorry for the losses.
Also so sorry that vets keep on recommending this (and other)foods that are potentially harmful. I know vets “think” they are doing well, but they need to wake up and smell the cyanuric acid/melamine/acetaminophen, et al…….
People are quite knowledgeable about home-preparing food for their companion animals.
Just Say No to SD.
m
June 12th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Gosh–can’t get over how thoughtful MF is. In an effort to get people to part with their hard-earned cash in exchange for their shares, they’ve provided this handy little link so you can click it and instantly see how much of your investment they’ve managed to flush along with themselves:
http://tinyurl.com/2fjttk
June 12th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Ann H Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
AMY!!
Please, please call your state agriculture department and ask them to test it.. the probabilities are high, that there isn’t a fee for you in your own state.
Ann - no need for shouting; if you would provide me your mailing address I would be more than happy to send you the sample so you can have it tested. I live in a Ag state with a low population no state service is free… believe me… you should see the taxes alone.
June 12th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
HI All
I posted a bit ago. But had to say a bit more about Science Diet and vets.
I am an herbalist, veterinary herbalist and homeopath. I am NOT a vet.
However, in the last 12 years or so, I have spoken to many vets, holistic and not holistic, and been to many seminars/conferences on vet medicine.
In my experience, vets are brainwashed in vet school. The big companies, like SD, come in and give nutrition courses…..well, they say that “independent” nutritionists come in, however, they are most likely previous employees of the big companies.
Vet students are told how wonderful the food is, and are probably given food during their student years.
When the vet graduates, they BELIEVE that the company that came to their particular school is THE best in the world.
Then they carry it in their clinics. THEN, they make a certain percentage from the sales of those products…..it goes on and on.
ANd yes, as someone mentioned, SD is Colgate-Palmolive Inc.
The also EXPERIMENT on animals.
The whole time my dog was/is in renal failure (NOT from food, but elder age), I was going to the vets office for IV fluids for him and at least 2x a week, saw the Hills’ truck making a delivery…….
Get the word out, as one comment said, one vet at a time, but the more and the sooner, the more animals can be saved!
Hugs to all
Mary
June 12th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
TORONTO (CP) - Units in Menu Foods Income Fund (TSX:MEW.UN) shed more than one quarter of their value Tuesday as investors and customers continued to desert a beleaguered pet-food giant still struggling to put a months-old poisoning scandal behind it.
Excellent. I hope their stock collapses and they go out of business. They can take the whole PFI with em too.
http://tinyurl.com/3aourk
June 12th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
Well, golly gee, a pet food company that produces a poison by the ton, harasses the people whose pets they KILLED, lies and waits almost a month to recall a product that killed their own test animals, so the CFO can sell HIS stock at a profit and no one wants to snap up this goldmine?
(yes, sarcasm fully intended)
They are just the FIRST, got plenty of steam left in me to use for the taking down of the other offenders.
And Duane? We have NOT forgotten about you.
June 12th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Amy - sorry was just trying to get your attention.
If you’ve already called them then I guess that’s that for that thought.
I had emailed mine and they contacted me. I called them back & my state inspector is going to try to get my stuff up tomorrow for testing.
June 12th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Steve Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
TORONTO (CP) - Units in Menu Foods Income Fund (TSX:MEW.UN) shed more than one quarter of their value Tuesday as investors and customers continued to desert a beleaguered pet-food giant still struggling to put a months-old poisoning scandal behind it.
Excellent. I hope their stock collapses and they go out of business. They can take the whole PFI with em too.
There’s another gem to be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/3aourk
“The company had said after markets closed Monday that a “significant customer” - reported to be Procter and Gamble - had dropped a contract worth 11 per cent of sales last year.
“With revenues of about $356 million last year, the loss represents a hit worth close to $40 million.
“The customer, which had previously put its order on hold, would continue to purchase “loaf” products or solid canned food, Menu said in brief statement.”
So this may mean that P & G’s canned products will still be made by them, but not the pouched foods. And that falls in line with this UDA Today statement re: P & G’s total MF business:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/.....usat_N.htm
“P&G is Menu’s biggest customer, accounting for 21% of Menu’s 2006 revenue.”
June 12th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Steve Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
Article also says it has been found Menu Foods is not at fault—who the heck thinks that??? IF they had tested their ingredients (from a new supplier) I think they may have found a problem
June 12th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
“Not at fault”. . . . Hilarious.
Silgardo have a stake?
June 12th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
Ann - the point I was trying to make is that even if they did yank all the food off the shelves there are still samples out there floating in the market, stuck in litter bags, etc. There might be people who haven’t followed the recall and have dodged the poison bullet so far who will figure they can give the sample to their pet and think nothing of it and possibly wind up with a very ill pet. Luckily, it’s a single serving sample, however, it didn’t take much Natural Balance to get my girl sick, so, who knows?
June 12th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Everyone who bought and didn’t test is at fault-from the importers on down.
Before he opened his mouth and let the stupid fly out, he made sense:
“Robert Silgardo, an analyst at Dundee Securities Corp. in Toronto, said it’s not surprising customers are fleeing Menu in response to their customers, who are demanding changes to where their pet food comes from.”
CYA as best they can from the PF companies’ standpoint, but they are equally to blame.
Maybe if everyone sent the respective PF company a label or front of bag from their new, non-Menu-made food, with a note re: which Menu produced food this replaces, it would be even more incentive for those who stayed to let the Menu door hit them on the butt on their way out.
June 12th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
TC Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
I am having a bad day contemplating how depressing I find human kind right now.
Ah but TC, all you have to do is look around you on Itchmo’s blog and Pet Connection and see the number of people that can restore your faith in human kind. And there are many more that read but dont post (Im not talking trolls) that are also concerned. Chin up OK?
June 12th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
Even funnier is that if you look at the bottom of the first page of that article there are Google Ads:
Tainted Pet Food
TheDogFoodConspiracy.com
How Not To Kill Your Pet
www.askthepetfoodexperts.com
June 12th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
Well cripes! I can’t believe the Drop in Bees already shwing like that. I think it’s worse than the reports let on {why am I not suprised?}
I still have some fresh honey left from last year in jars from friends. {thank goodness}
And as far as the FDA Tomato Initative! Damn!
I can dip my store bought tomatoes in alcohol then rinse real well, {they Do have a Skin!} BEFORE I cut them up. Can’t others ‘WASH’ their Tomatoes too, so we don’t have to have a Whole Dang Initiative for them????? What a waste!
How bout they spend that money and effort on PET Food ingredients?
My head just exploded for the second time today :-(
June 12th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
From all the reports, it looks like the boycott on P&G and Wal-Mart, as well as the PFI is really working. YEAH!
June 12th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
TC, please hang in there Ok.
You are, We are, doing all we can and I think we are difintely having an effect!
Go out and hug yer horse. That Always makes me feel better, I just sort of wrap my arms around her and hang there. She’s pretty peppy usually, but just stands there and lets me :-)
Generations of Pets will be Safer because of what *we* Do/are doing, now.
Believe it!
June 12th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
TC,
this mess would kill the compassion of Mother Theresa.
And I sure know about the down days.
I had to go bury my dead and cry my eyes out and lick my wounds and then find a way to get up off my whining knees and DO something and it was the folks here that are DOING WHAT HAS TO BE DONE that helped.
And we ARE doing it.
Menu is hurting from our refusal to lay down and die.
All the pet food companies are in trouble.
We have Hills by the balls and the PFI is going down and they KNOW it!
We can’t trust the FDA? Fine, we don’t NEED them.
The media abandons us, cool, we have BECOME the media we need.
This, right here, this site, these people, is a story of heroes!
This is a magnificent epic historic thing happening and don’t you forget it!
And you are part of it.
TC, everyone here, except the paid spies and flunkies for the bad guys , should be proud.
P.S. to the paid spies and flunkies,
I lay it on you that you and your descendants, unto a thousand generations , develop boils on your reproductive organs. Incurable, festering boils.
June 12th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
Bravo E!
Ditto on the festering boils too! :-þ
June 12th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
I owna apet shop and have been telling all of our customers what Hills is not saying. I’m having a hard time convincing them to switch foods. But I am not purchasing Hills any more EVER.
June 13th, 2007 at 1:36 am
Trudy did not hear til you stated boycott of wally world. P&G already doing that but will include wally world too.
E. Hamilton bravo to you. Yes we are all making a huge difference. My local Pet Supplies Plus is putting in another aisle just for the premium food that is not on the recall list. They see the writing on the wall and are doing something about it too.
June 13th, 2007 at 1:37 am
Here is a story that you can comment on. These people have some facts on just how AWARE of all the recalls people really are and some good quotes about it really should have been done.
http://tinyurl.com/2qj8rw
Here is a little thing the entire pet food industry missed.
quote
When a response is called for, the old PR adage goes, ‘tell the truth, tell it all, tell it fast’ is sound advice for shoring up an organization’s reputation. Unquote
Gee, NONE of the pet food companies have told the truth YET!
And another,
quote
A week or even a day wasted trying to figure
out what to do can exact a huge price in terms of loss of trust and reputation. unquote
I don’t think they recommend blowing off your customers for 3 months.
And the worst public relations firm in the world probably would not say that killing your customers pets and THEN harassing them is a smart move.
So comment on just how badly this has been handled.
Oh crap, I forgot to say anything about that lying PFI and Duane!
Well, I am sure someone will.
June 13th, 2007 at 1:45 am
Here is the study about how concerned and AWARE people are of the recalls, pretty much shows you that Duane and the PFI lied through their teeth, as we suspected.
People are far more aware of the pet food problem than the esteemed weasel, Duane, wants to admit.
http://tinyurl.com/2nqd99
Higher numbers of people being aware of the pet food recalls than the spinach, peanut butter or other recalls!
June 13th, 2007 at 4:10 am
[…] Lab says toxin found in sealed, unrecalled Science Diet Adult Light canned dog food. […]
June 13th, 2007 at 10:14 am
I posted this over on Pet Connection, what do you think?
Hey I was thinking of another idea to get Congress or the press to do something about this and I was thinking probably 80% of them dont realize these individual stories that come up such as the new finding of toxins in Hill’s Science Diet or the rest of the newd findings as they arise. Maybe we should get a group of people together that would be willing to either e:mail or write the press person for each Congressperson each time a story like this hits. Eventually you would think, with all the new stories weekly that are still happening, they would get tired of us and start looking into it further. We could even add news media and newspapers to the story along with our old buddy, Duane Eckedahl. It could either be an indivual post of the story or an accumulated list as they occur. I dont know how to organize something like this but if anyone is interested, Im sure Itchmo would let us create a section in his forums and we could brainstorm this if anyone is interested?
June 13th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
E. Hamilton - thanks for the reminder, esp. from you. Your story made my heart hurt when I read it. And had that happened to me, I too would have come up swinging, but fear it would have taken months to get over my bitterness. My story ended differently due to a random act of stupid blind luck by the universe, ie no reason my dogs are not dead too but for luck (I won’t even allow my mind to think about the bad time for now). I think I am just temporarily overcome by the sheer evil inherent in some of human nature (I still see that little dog in his plastic collar that the vet beat to blindness, every time I have some downtime on the computer, and even the death cans of vet recommended S. Diet that are being fed to unsuspecting owners). Thanks for the encouragement, I will be past this in a few days.
SandiK and YaYa - I have my chin up this a.m., and not only have hugged the horses, I plan to go for a ride later. There definitely has been good coming out of this. Been local stories too lately of animal cruelty that I can’t even speak about, it is so bad. I only read headlines and avoid the story itself, but sometimes the headlines just drive me mad seeing what some are capable of doing. That’s all. I am glad to be around people online who feel the bond I do with animals.
June 13th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Does anyone have or can you get a bag of Evangers dry dog pheasant & rice formula 4.4lb bag ?I need the date Oct 19th 2009 with the code 001. 1 of my dogs was sick & another of mine & a neighbors had some of the same symptoms. I have 2 opened bags but not a sealed 1 for testing. I will buy it from you if you can find 1.
June 13th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Trudy - not ignoring the request for my dogs story, but it was traumatic enough that I am just blocking those thoughts for the moment. To concentrate on the fact that I am lucky enough to still be taking long walks with my best friends each day that we have left, when it so easily could have gone the other way. So if ever I can look back at that without being upset, I will.
June 13th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Carol, June 12th, 2007 at 1:54 pm Says: “I wonder why the toothpaste “Urgent Recall†is dated June 8…”
In case you hadn’t noticed, the FDA makes public press releases, as in this case, on June 67/8th announcing the recall. Public press releases will reach many, many more people than a web site posting. Maybe you should be monitoring: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/news/
June 13th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
TC Says:
June 13th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
TC, I am not over the bitterness and you may not have noticed but I am just not the “turn the other cheek” kind of gal, learned some of my tough in Texas so you may be familiar with that. If not, go to the nearest farm, find an old woman who wears her wrinkles and gray hair like she is proud of them and can STILL outwork , outride and outcuss the hands-ask her what happens to those that harm what belongs to her- my answer is the same.
I WISH I could curl up on the couch in a fetal position and whimper, sounds mighty nice some days.
Not happening anytime soon.
I aint letting the folks here down, or the pets, because I am just not that kind of gal either.
Yes, there is plenty of evil to go around, maybe it helps us love the good all the more. I know what side I want to be on, that is all I need to know.
June 13th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Krista & xyz, June 12th, 2007 at 6:05 pm, Says: “Debbie4747: …I want to know what’s in the water. Three of the chemicals listed appear to be used in water treatment.”
“Are they common in our water supply? Do food manufacturer’s use filtered water for processing?”
There are Federal EPA drinking water contaminant limits. Periodic testing of every municipal and community well is required. Since I am on a privately owned community well, every consumer and I gets the test results several times a year. For municipal systems, the municipality gets the reports. Today very low limits are placed on all contaminants. My/our well is slightly over the limit for radon and will be remediated by hooking up to another water system. A near by municipality has had to close a number of wells with industrial solvents in them.
“…beef industry has been getting their rations of melamine/cynauric acid too.. ”
Ruminants can digest these via bacteria in one of their stomachs. Melamine has been tested on ruminants for cost effectiveness and found to not be as cost effective as other cattle feeds. Since then the use of melamine has been discontinued. I think that the FDA as prohibited melamine as a ruminant food, but couldn’t find it in writing on their web site.
June 13th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
TO menusux, June 12th, 2007 at 9:07 pm.
If it makes you feel better, Menu Foods Income Fund, the major owner of Menu Foods Cos., has had their stock price drop 25% yesterday and today, for a total of 69% since last Feb & March.
June 13th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
check out the latest letter to pet owners
http://www.hillspet.com/media/.....lease.html
June 13th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
By the way, the world’s largest producer of honey is China
June 14th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Hi Rockman -
Thank you for addressing the USA patent that allowed melamine to be used in the process of developing Biuret for livestock feed.. Perhaps this is an old patent and it was allowed years ago, but not anymore. hmmm.
I do have a few more questions, hope you can weigh in on this or someone can give an opinion..
It was stopped because of cost effectiness? Too expensive, therefore it was banned because of this? I would think that conclusion (cost) would be a corporate thing, rather than a ban formality by FDA.. Why would FDA go to the trouble, or better yet.. get involved to ban a chemical substance from feed simply because of cost?
I thought they (FDA) were all about health and would leave “cost measures” to the companies that make Biuret. Unless later studies done on Ruminants posed some problems to health safety.. there is where I could see FDA getting involved - and their decision to ban melamine in this process, for health reasons rather than cost reasons.. That would be their appropiate roll… health/safety.. not cost effectivness.. Wonder when that ban date was? Last year, 5 years ago? FDA Dr. A, said it was not allowed in any animal feed… banned, prohibited…
Still we find 2 USA livestock feed manufacturers testing positive for melamine (yet cyanuric acid is already okayed, which that alone makes me sick to think of, I’m damn sick of chemicals in feed, period…) Aren’t we all?
Did the price of melamine go down and they cheated? Something manufacturers have been doing all along anway? You know, self regulation… Or.. is it a play on words? Like scrape melamine vs melamine? What is the real excuse for these feed suppliers using a banned substance even thou a cow can digest it, but was banned by FDA? (per DR. A’s press conference a few weeks ago - his words, not allowed)
Wonder What the FDA health studies showed and why they prohibited it? Did it accumulate in their meat/organs (even thou they can digest it) and consumpuion over time didn’t dilute for us? Just a question
I just don’t understand why melamine was found in livestock feed and the reasons stated above for FDA involment - it was obviously okay years ago, but not anymore.. what’s it doing in there now? and why did the 2 companies get called down for it? If there is no saftey issue, FDA could care less what the cost is.. Then they said it was for export only, and FDA says.. oh, then that is okay?
Something just isn’t right here…
I know, I’m skeptical, but something other than “cost” made FDA ban it, IMO.. Kinda goes along with China stating, “hey, you’ve been using it for a long time”.. And I see kidney dialysis centers all around town, so much more kidney problems and kidney cancer in humans. Not to mention our little poundage furbabies…
I’m thinking of the accumlated chemicals over time for human/pet consumption.. Even if this was supposedly stopped years ago.. (wink, wink)Perhaps FDA should check other livestock feeds to see if they comply with their ban.. cause these 2 suppliers surly didn’t …they scrammbled for answers and explanations.. That quite frankly concerned Americans didn’t accept and should question.. At this point everything is suspect and relevant… Just my questioning mind… hmmm..
June 14th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
I have in my possession 5 packages of food on the recall list from February. I would like to get them all tested in order to have a comparison, with also food purchased in June. I live in Canada and it costs $400 per pouch. If anyone knows of a reasonable lab please let me know as I think it would be a great comparison.
June 15th, 2007 at 12:11 am
Well, Folks:
Look at the first or second ingredient on any Hills brand pet food. It usually reads “Meat By-products”. This is the product of a rendering plant. What goes into rendering plants? Road Kill. Euthanized cats/dogs from animal shelters and vets. Euthanized livestock. Livestock that died before slaughter. All of the drugs and chemicals used to treat the animal or its carcass (incl. Formadehyde and euthanasia drugs). Used cooking oil and fats (PCBs anyone?). Mad cow disease and scrapie. Just name a few. No regulation or oversight.
Earth Island Institute did a great expose back in the mid ’90s about the source and composition of such “by-products” ending up in pet food.
Yes, that euthanized homeless cat or dog is being fed to your pet.
June 15th, 2007 at 12:15 am
I had a feeling last year the pet food industry were crooks. When my cat suddenly developed kidney disease. I thought well cat’s her age (15) get these problems. I looked into it more and I was horrified. I didn’t want to believe it.
I admit I was in denial. Having been taught by mother and grandmother that this was good food the vet said so.
When my cat started getting sick on a regular basis from Friskies gravy and cuts I had a red flag go up. I switched to a homemade diet. I also took her to the vet. While her kidney disease had progressed and was dangerously on the edge of almost being stage 3, with the homemade diet, medicine to bind with the phosphorus in the food, and IV fluids every other day my cat is looking and acting at least five years younger.
My newly adopted kitten is also on a homemade diet as well. More protein, fat and calcium for the kitten, more protein with less phosporus and more calcium for my CRF baby. Both are doing very well.
I hope that this brings the industry to its’ knees. I wouldn’t be sorry to see it go away and a push for balanced homemade meals from veterinary dietitians. The standard that the pet food industry found too expensive to go by and created their own AAFCO standard.
It is always easy to get an A plus when you make yourself your own student.
June 15th, 2007 at 12:33 am
I meant Pet Food Institute found the standards too high and not cost effective and created its’ own group to rate the industries food.
June 15th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
TO Krista, June 14th, 2007 at 12:36 pm, Says:
The effectiveness of melamine as a ruminant feed and the FDA are 2 unrelated things. You are right, the FDA is only empowered in matters of health and safety. I didn’t say the FDA had any interest in cost.
I cannot find any specific references to melamine as a prohibited food substance for animals or humans on the FDA’s web site or via google. The American Veterinary Medical Association web site, www.avma.org does have references that melamine is not approved.
Indirectly, I can see that it is not approved as food for humans or animals (unless ruminants are an exception) because:
a) The gluten imports violated the adulterated food substance law/regulation,
b) Food ingredients and additives are allowed only if they are beneficial to the consumer or aid in preservation.
These Chinese imports violates both of these requirements.
I/we can speculate that melamine, while beneficial to ruminants, has been banned from all foods (human AND animal) in the U.S.,
a) because it was not seen as particularly beneficial or necessary for ruminants,
b) is of no benefit to non-ruminants,
and
c) banning as food would prevent accidental food cross contamination between ruminants and non-ruminants.
In the year 1958, a major change was made to FDA law with respect to food safety for humans AND animals (since animals are part of our food chain). Given that melamine as a dietary nitrogen source for ruminants study was in 1978 (Newton, G. L.; Utley, P. R. 1978 http://olericulture.org/000/298/000298197.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine), I am guessing it was unapproved sometime since 1978.
I did read accounts of China having an excess of melamine, which would explain why it was found desirable as a gluten adulteration source. Melamine is a byproduct of ammonia and urea production and other chemical processes. It becomes scrap whenever it is thrown away. I think we all know what the word scrap means. In terms of chemical process, scrap melamine is only 1 of several undesired byproducts of ammonia snf urea manufacturing. Clearly, it would cost more to separate these individual products than they are worth, hence, they become scrap and sold for disposal purposes. This also can explain why come of the pet food contained cyanuric acid and other analogues of melamine, which together in a single diet can become toxic.
An important point that everyone seems to not realize is that our food supply is safe from toxins, NOT BECAUSE OF EXTENSIVE TESTING OF INGREDIENTS, but because we have extensive regulations on what is permitted in our food. Everyone (in the U. S.) up and down the food production process knows this and abides by the regulations. The U.S. has had 101 years of food safety regulations. China, on the other hand, is where the U.S. was maybe 100 years ago, if even that.
Except for Tembec, animal food producers did not knowingly use melamine as an ingredient. The Chinese even went out of their way to hide the fact that they had adulterated the gluten when they labeled it for export as textile products! They were hoping to avoid Chinese and US testing as a food ingredient.
The FDA does not do health studies. That has to be done by food ingredient producers. The FDA accepts or rejects the studies as proof of safety. The FDA only checks for adulteration, and then probably only when there is a suspicion of adulteration.
Melamine and its analogues do not accumulate but are excreted in the urine. When eaten, some things accumulate, some things are metabolized into something different, some things are excreted.
The Chinese have been using melamine as animal (and human?) feed for years, the U.S. hasn’t. I think you misread something.
Uniscope did test their ingredients from Tembec, that’s how we found out that Tembec was using small amounts of melamine as an adhesive for pellet feed manufacture, to bind the product together.
You should read http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/melamra.html
and http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/miles.html
June 15th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
[…] is reporting that EperTox has found cyanuric acid in Hills Science Diet Light Adult Canned Dog Food. The samples tested had the “best before date” of 01 2009 and the lot number T0520917 […]
June 15th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
I have written Science Diet the Hills Company as my Rat Terrier had been getting ill and having bloody bowels and vomiting and I received a email that said maybe she was having a allergic reaction to turkey or chicken in product. I changed her diet to Maxximum and no problems with the lamb and rice recipe for adult dogs. I also feed her a teaspoon of alpo gourmet a day and now she is doing fine. Then I find this web site about the recall and it really infuriates me alot to know about this. My rat terrier had eaten several cans of the recalled food already. I called the company as they were crumbling and dry and was told to return them to atwoods and exchange for a different sold by date. Oh I am mad now.
June 16th, 2007 at 2:34 am
TO Randy Jay, June 15th, 2007 at 12:11 am
Excuse me for saying so, but you seem to be a fountain of dis-information.
You might want to start with: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/301_pet.html and then look at http://www.api4animals.org/fac.....mp;more=1, The Animal Protection Institute, which reports:
“Because of persistent rumors that rendered by-products contain dead dogs and cats, the FDA conducted a study looking for pentobarbital, the most common euthanasia drug, in pet foods. They found it. Ingredients that were most commonly associated with the presence of pentobarbital were meat-and-bone-meal and animal fat. However, they also used very sensitive tests to look for canine and feline DNA, which were not found. Industry insiders admit that rendered pets and roadkill were used in pet food some years ago. Although there are still no laws or regulations against it, the practice is uncommon today, and pet food companies universally deny that their products contain any such materials.”
Are you aware that fully half of the animal product that enter slaughter houses comes out not as human food, but animal by-product, destined to be animal feed. This will/would far outweigh road kill.
And, PCBs in cooking oil?
Mad cow disease is not transmittable between species, AND cattle parts are not allowed in cattle feed.
You might want to brush up on current human food regulations at FDA web site instead of 10-15 year old information from Earth Island.
June 16th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
Rockman -
It’s the month of May and Tembec delivers/distributes for/to Uniscope it’s product which by their own admission (according to FDA report) contains melamine.. It’s in their formulation and they make and sell to distributors. So because of the pet food recall and the melamine scandal Uniscope decides to test and they find melamine in their livestock feed ingredients.. (well yeah) Tembec didn’t just now start using melamine, especially at a time like this, they have been and they say so…. Time to check the others.. FDA says several comapanies have found it… The gist of this posting is that Dr. A said melamine was not allowed in any form in animal feed..
FDA responds by asking them to please stop and for others to watch for it. Try to avoid it… they say.. not much teeth in this release when you use words like “ask” and “please avoid” in the title…
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/.....01643.html
FDA REPORT - May 30, 2007
Tembec and Uniscope Voluntary Recall Feed Ingredients. FDA ASKS Feed Manufactures to AVOID ingredients containing Melamine.
snip:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is Alerting livestock and fish/shrimp feed manufacturers about a voluntary recall of products used in feed production because SEVERAL have been found to contain melamine and related compounds.
THE FEED INGREDIENTS were MADE by Tembec BTLSR Inc. of Toledo, Ohio and Uniscope, Inc. of Johnstown, Colo.
Tembec, a contract manufacturer for Uniscope, makes AquaBond and Aqua-Tec II, which it distributes for Uniscope. Uniscope makes Xtra-Bond using ingredients supplied by Tembec. All of the products are binding agents that are used to make pelleted feed for cattle, sheep, and goats, or fish and shrimp.
The COMPANIES have confirmed that TEMBAC ADDED MELAMINE as PART OF THE FORMULATION of the products to improve the binding properties of pelleted feed. Melamine is not approved as an additive for animal or fish/shrimp feed.
The companies have stopped adding melamine to the feed products.
TO CONTINUE with this FDA press release click the LINK….
June 18th, 2007 at 3:54 am
To Krista, June 16th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
“Try to avoid it… they say.. not much teeth in this release when you use words like “ask†and “please avoid†in the title…advises…”
I think that you are overlooking something, which is that the FDA is in a strong authority position. I would liken this to the situation of a school principal advising a student to do or not do something. The student knows that this is the highest authority on the school campus and that he/she had better listen and obey, even when the statements are not stridently demanding. People in a position of no authority at all are the ones that resort to making demands and commands of others.
Then too, the levels of melamine in the final animal food product was determined to be very low, so low in fact that there was none detected in the fish meat, which had a much higher concentration in their food than the cattle did. And, the pigs and chickens that had been fed melamine contaminated feed were found to have a nearly non-existent level of melamine in their meat.
Then, too, for all that we know, these terms were different in the press release than what was actually used in communication with the feed manufacturers and feed consumers.
I find that to always assume the worst of everyone and everything to be incorrect much of the time. On a personal level this will often interfere with personal relationships. On a non-personal level, one can worry themselves into an early grave. The degree of melamine contamination in the Swine and Poultry tissue is almost non-existent (
June 18th, 2007 at 4:01 am
To Krista, June 16th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
—finish the incomplete paragraph above, try #3. It doesn’t seem to like a ‘less than’ character.—
The degree of melamine contamination in the Swine and Poultry tissue is almost non-existent (less than 50 PPB). This is 20,000 times less than what was in the pet food. AND, most of the pork and chicken in the food supply were never even fed anything with melamine in it.
Things need to be kept in perspective.
June 18th, 2007 at 6:25 am
Captn Carl, I was very interested to see that you say that some years ago Hills was found to be causing cancer in cats. My 3 cats got cancer having been fed Hills from kittenhood because my Vet wrongly told me it was the best food to feed them. I wonder if you could please give me any more details since I have alays felt that feeding them Hills gave them cancer. On Hills one also got cystits, kidney failure and one got struvite crystals which are caused by the carbohydrate in dry food and veterinary research existed even in 1991 which blamed dry food for causing this but my Vet when I asked if the dry food was the cause assured me it was not the cause and so my cat continued to be fed Hills and got worse and worse and had to be put to sleep. I think Vets and not just pet food companies should be sued because it is the Vets who have let the pet food companies away with this and who have told us to feed the food to our cats and dogs. I would like to see Vets being sued since they are very much to blame along with the pet food companies.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:17 pm
The death of our ll year old miniature schnauzer in 2000 was caused by an auto-immune disease. Our 7 year old’s nails are now breaking off and he is now on medication. Both dogs have been on the dry Hill’s science diet, as recommended by our vets. After reading the blogs, I am suspicious of the dog food. What can I safely feed him?
June 28th, 2007 at 1:34 am
Norma:
I REALLY wish there was something I could recommend — but, I can’t — and won’t.
I’ve been cooking for my five since March. I will not even consider buying anything commercial for one year after the ~last~ reported complaint on these blogs. That is final for me.
They all got sick in Feb., before the recalls, and it’s now out of the question, for me. Good luck! Maybe others are having luck with SOMETHING… Although, in my mind, nothing is to be trusted. You read all the time — “been feeding the same stuff for years, then the next bag or can they get sick & die.”
With the acetaminophen NON-RECALL bull-xxxx — It’s a rotten deal all the way around. There needs to be a class action suit filed against the FDA.
On the positive side (from my view point) — if we DON’T BUY IT — they CAN’T SELL IT — thus, they GO BROKE — YIPPPPPEEEEE!
Good luck in your quest, Norma!
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:32 am
i have 2 dogs one 4 yrs old one 2 yrs old. i was feeding them the recommended dose of hills science diet adult formula for almost a yr. during this year my 4 yr old wouldnt eat the food so i had to feed him a different brand my 2 year old ate the hills diet daily and many health problems excelled like seizures and many as time went on digestive problems constant vomitting and loose frequent stools. i took him to vets which promotes the hills diet food and told me he had sensitive stomach along with not to worry about the siezures as many dogs get this and it isnt a reason to worry. i decided to take him off the hills diet and started him on benefull by purina and his siezures went away completely, normal less stool, and he keeps his food and water down now. hmmm it makes me wonder if hills is all that they claim to be because i dont have no problems with the 25 dollar purina dog food vs the 80 dollar science diet. buyers beware hills is not what they claim to be it would have killed my dog i believe if i didnt discontinue the use of their food.
October 6th, 2009 at 5:42 am
We just had a 5 year old healthy male indoor cat become diagnosed with stomach cancer. The MRI shows he has it all through his stomach and intestines. We are going to put him down soon. The only food he ever ate was Science Diet original formula. My 9 year old dog also died 4 years ago from leukemia cancer, and all she ever ate was Science Diet Lamb and Rice formula. We don’t smoke, have a healthy house and our pets don’t eat table food, they even drink filtered or bottled water. I can’t believe we would be so unlucky as to have 2 pets with cancer at young ages.