Recall Update: Monday
Food Safety News:
- China tests chili and 13 percent fail. Says small companies most likely to fail.
The Food Fight Continues:
- FDA official wonders if China’s pistachio rejection is retaliation or based on real fears.
- Raisins sent back to the US.
Testing Your Own Pet Food?
Here’s our guide to making sure your test results are as accurate and trustworthy as possible. Share your test results with other pet owners and coordinate testing in this thread in our forums.
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June 11th, 2007 at 8:37 am
Mission Foods and Tyson Foods want no more ingredients from China
http://www.mercurynews.com/lif.....ck_check=1
China’s additives pepper U.S. meals
TWO FIRMS WANT TO BAR IMPORTS OVER SAFETY, BUT USE
IS COMMON
By Don LeeLos Angeles Times
Article Launched: 06/11/2007 01:31:14 AM PDT
SHANGHAI, China - As the tainted pet-food recall mushroomed into
an international scandal, two of the largest U.S. food manufacturers
put out a blanket order to their U.S. suppliers: no more ingredients
from China.
The directive from Mission Foods and Tyson Foods, made quietly last
month, underscored consumers’ and manufacturers’ fears about the
safety of imported food ingredients after contaminated wheat products
from China killed and sickened cats and dogs in the United States.
The problem is, what Mission and Tyson want is next to impossible.
In the past decade, China has become the world’s leading supplier of
many food flavorings, vitamins and preservatives. Like fingernail
clippers, playing cards, Christmas ornaments and other items, some
food additives are available in large quantities only from China.
China exported $2.5 billion of food ingredients to the United States
and the rest of the world in 2006, an increase of 150percent from just
two years earlier, according to Chinese industry estimates. It is now
the predominant maker of vanilla flavoring, citric acid and varieties of
Vitamin B such as thiamine, riboflavin and folic acid - nutrients
commonly added to processed flour goods such as Mission tortillas and
Tyson breaded chicken.
“It would be somewhat difficult to move away from all the vitamins in
China,” said Monte White, president of Research Products, a large
supplier of nutrients for flour mixes. He said his Salina,
Kan.-based company was stepping up its testing of imported goods,
despite having had “very consistent results” from China in the past five
years.
China’s overall food safety record is poor. Use of chemical fertilizers
and toxic pesticides is heavy. Fraud and corruption often thwart what
lax controls exist. In recent years, U.S. officials have issued alerts
about Chinese honey tainted with a harmful antibiotic; Chinese candy
containing sulfites that can cause fatal allergic reactions; and infant
formula missing vital nutrients, which in China left a dozen babies
dead in 2004.
A small group of large manufacturers dominate the production of food
ingredients in China, but hundreds if not thousands of small, virtually
anonymous businesses - like the two linked to the pet-food scandal -
operate in an industry lacking tough standards and enforcement.
“Some of them are driven by profits; you can see dollar signs in their
eyes,” said Jan Willem Roben, head of Vision Ingredients, a
Shanghai-based trader of food additives.
In the United States, major food manufacturers often don’t know
where all their ingredients originate. Mission, a Texas-based unit of
Mexican food giant Gruma, would not comment about that or its
directive, but said it was working with its suppliers to ensure the
products were safe. Arkansas-based Tyson, one of the nation’s largest
providers of beef and chicken, did not respond to interview requests.
Many packaged foods contain dozens of items from around the world,
acquired through complex networks of traders and brokers, before
reaching manufacturing plants where companies have more direct
oversight.
“Until now, companies just didn’t care about commodity additives,”
said Laszlo Somogyi, a California authority on food sciences. “But that
might be changing now. This was a warning,” he said, referring to the
pet food scandal.
Somogyi believes tainted food additives pose a relatively low risk to
humans because such ingredients are used in tiny amounts in any given
product. Still, it wasn’t until the pet food poisoning that people learned
that melamine, an industrial chemical banned in foods in the United
States, had been widely added to animal feed in China to artificially
boost its protein level.
“The same thing could have happened in the human food chain,”
Somogyi said.
Chinese-made ingredients are probably found in every aisle of U.S.
supermarkets. Consider that American favorite, the Hostess Twinkie.
Of its 39 ingredients, at least a half-dozen - such as Vitamin B
compounds, the preservative sorbic acid and red and yellow colorings
- are most likely made in China, says Steve Ettlinger, author of the
book “Twinkie, Deconstructed.”
In an interview from New York, Ettlinger said he couldn’t be sure
where Interstate Bakeries, the maker of Twinkies, obtained those
ingredients. The Kansas City company wouldn’t help him with his
research, he said, and food makers rarely list the origin of individual
ingredients on packages. Nor do they necessarily want to know where
it all comes from.
“The more you know, the pickier you get, and the more it costs,”
Ettlinger said.
David Leavitt, Interstate Bakeries’ vice president of snack marketing,
said he wasn’t aware of any Twinkie ingredients made in China. But in
a brief e-mail statement, he indicated that Interstate was polling some
of its smaller vendors to determine whether they obtain any products
from China.
“This process involves gathering and verifying information from
hundreds of companies,” Leavitt said.
That process could eventually lead to a company like Ningbo
Wanglong Group, the world’s largest maker of sorbic acid - a
preservative made from natural gas that helps keep mold off baked
goods and other products. The 14-year-old private company, located
about 120 miles south of Shanghai, produces 1,000 tons of the white
crystals every month. About one-third of that is exported to the United
States, said Li Ming, the company’s office director.
Li welcomed visitors to tour his company’s 80-acre campus, where he
said 400 employees, many of them wearing white gloves and gray
uniforms, work in 20 high-tech facilities.
“We have an analysis room, a quality lab and other quality-control
departments,” he said, adding proudly that 70 workers have advanced
degrees.
But for every additive maker like Ningbo Wanglong, scores of small
operations compete in China, offering cut-rate goods in food industry
journals, at trade fairs and on the Internet. On the Chinese
e-commerce site Alibaba.com, at least 43 businesses claimed to
produce sorbic acid, a complicated compound that requires
considerable investment and government certifications.
For many other ingredients, though, people don’t need much more than
basic knowledge of chemistry and some simple equipment: a kettle, a
scale and a dryer.
“The problem is that many small companies don’t register their
products as food additives, thus avoiding supervision,” said He Jiguo,
director of the food nutrition and safety department at China
Agricultural University in Beijing. Instead, he said, these companies
classify their goods as non-food items. Many food additives also have
industrial applications; citric acid, for example, is used to clean boilers
and etch concrete floors.
He says Chinese government officials should boost enforcement and
penalties. Currently, violators of food-safety rules are subject to fines
of no more than a few thousand dollars and a temporary stop order.
But he doesn’t expect any swift changes. Of the 1,750
government-approved food additives, quality standards have been
established for only about 250, according to a report last year by
Major China, a food-industry consulting firm in Shanghai.
“There is no clear food-classification system, no distinct definition for
the range that the food includes, no related regulation about residues
that additives leave on foods,” the report said. “All these bring
loopholes for additives manufacturing and usage, give illegal traders
opportunities and affect customers’ trust toward food additive safety.”
cr 2007 San Jose Mercury News
June 11th, 2007 at 9:17 am
Just read this from a site in London about organic chicken in the UK:
Poison bug ‘more likely to be found in organic chickens’
Organic chickens sold by leading supermarkets have been labelled a health threat by a damning investigation.
Researchers claim they are more likely to carry the deadly food poisoning bug campylobacter than factory farmed chicken.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/.....oison+bug+‘more+likely+to+be+found+in+organic+chickens’/article.do
The question, though, is who did this research, and are they just trying to put a hurt on “organic” business? Hard to tell…
June 11th, 2007 at 9:32 am
Here’s something on the vitamin, supplement & additives market in China.
http://www.mercurynews.com/hea.....ci_6112240
Concerns rise as Chinese drugs dominate market
By Tim Johnson McClatchy Beijing Bureau 06/11/2007
“If you pop a vitamin C tablet in your mouth, it’s a good bet it came from China. Indeed, many of the world’s vitamins are now made in China.
“In less than a decade, China has captured 90percent of the U.S. market for vitamin C, driving almost everyone else out of business.
“Chinese pharmaceutical companies also have taken over much of the world market in the production of antibiotics, analgesics, enzymes and primary amino acids.
“In the wake of a pet food scandal, in which adulterated wheat gluten from China led to the deaths of thousands of pets in North America, and other instances of food and toothpaste tampering, China’s vitamin producers are reaching out to reassure U.S. consumers that their vitamins are safe.
“Whether that’s true isn’t clear, however. Foreign food-safety experts say China’s larger companies have reputations to protect. The question is how they maintain quality control.
“But the inspectors aren’t exactly neutral guardians of public health. They work for the city government, which is a part-owner of the parent company of Weisheng Pharmaceutical. That kind of relationship between food and drug inspectors and China’s booming agricultural and pharmaceutical industries is coming to the fore as an issue in the food safety debate. The local government in this thriving city of 2 million people would suffer if it did anything to hurt the growth of local vitamin and drug producers, and local officials might be reluctant to admit that a public safety issue had arisen.
“”That’s a conflict of interest right there,” said Kathryn Boor, a food safety expert at Cornell University. “You really need a disinterested party involved in inspections.”
“A survey earlier this year said more than three-fifths of Chinese worry about whether the food they eat is contaminated or adulterated.
“”The industry in China is bifurcated between top-notch companies that are highly skilled and do all the right things, and the second- and third-tier producers, some of which are just sloppy bucket shops,” said Peter Kovacs, a food industry consultant based in Incline Village, Nev.
“Foreign brokers concur that the low end of China’s market has severe problems.
“Because U.S. laws don’t require food and drug sellers to label products with the country of origin of ingredients, it’s impossible for consumers to know where food or supplements are coming from, not to mention what factory produced them.”
June 11th, 2007 at 9:38 am
Here’s something else all of us need to watch for, considering the ethylene glycol toothpaste:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/Arti.....hub=Health
Chinese investigate sale of fake blood protein
Mon. Jun. 11 2007 Associated Press
“Chinese authorities are investigating widespread sale of fake blood protein to hospitals and pharmacies, a practice that deprives desperately ill patients of a crucial medical need, news media reported Monday.
“A newspaper reported one death from the fake albumin but authorities have not officially said whether anyone has taken ill.
“China has a problem with food and drug safety and has come under increasing pressure from the United States and the European Union to improve inspection of exports. Within the country, thousands are sickened or die every year from bad drugs and mass food poisonings.
“A shortage of albumin, a blood protein that chronically ill people often lack, triggered an investigation in March into whether fakes were being sold to meet demand, China Central Television said.
“The report centred around an investigation in the northeastern province Jilin, where 59 hospitals and pharmacies were sold the unusable blood protein. It did not say what the counterfeits were made of but CCTV’s website showed two vials of albumin, the real product looking cloudier and more viscous than the translucent fake.
“The China Business News said the State Food and Drug Administration had seized fake blood protein from other provinces and regions including Shanxi, Hubei, Hunan, Ningxia, Qinghai, and Chongqing.
“The paper said the mother of Zhu Huazheng, from the eastern province Shandong, had died after using fake albumin from Beijing Tiantan Bioproducts Company Ltd. but did not give details.
“A company employee was quoted saying no albumin had been produced since February because of a shortage of raw materials.
“”Many fake product makers have seized the chance and sold bogus blood protein under our name. We are still investigating it,” said the unidentified employee.”
June 11th, 2007 at 9:43 am
menusux Says:
Here’s something on the vitamin, supplement & additives market in China.
I read/posted about this last week, and another part that stood out to me was this from the Miami Herald:
According to an industry group, China makes 70 percent of the world’s penicillin, 50 percent of its aspirin and 35 percent of its acetaminophen (often sold under the brand name Tylenol), as well as the bulk of vitamins A, B12, C and E.
http://www.miamiherald.com/103/story/128699.html
That’s a lot of penicillin!
June 11th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Menusux,
And of course, we have found out the hard way that the importers go to the “a” website and get the cheapest price. I rather doubt if research is done to find out whether the source is reputable or not.
Rick,
The CDC website said most or all chickens and turkeys in the US are positive for campylobacter, organic or factory. Chlorinated water seems to help, so that may be the problem with the organic places.
June 11th, 2007 at 9:49 am
The following is from a blog written by American business attorneys living and operating in China. They have wonderful insight and commentary re many issues there, including food safety. They note “American companies are now on notice the liability for unsafe products REMAINS with the U.S. companies.
http://www.chinalawblog.com/ch.....bably.html
“This post is a portion of what we tell our clients and it is intended to set forth some of the things that you, as a Western business involved in China, must do to minimize the likelihood of your product harming people and to minimize your liability if, after doing everything you reasonably can to prevent a problem, such a problem occurs. Our basic theme is that when you purchase products from China you must take action to ensure the safety and quality of your product; you cannot rely on the Chinese side to do these things.
“Dangerous Chinese products were entering the United States and Europe long before the Melamine pet food tainting hit the news. But that incident and those which quickly followed it (bad toothpaste being the most prominent) mean everyone is now on notice these issues are real. From now on, it will be impossible for any Western company to plead ignorance. Western companies that refuse to take proper action will increasingly be subject to to severe penalties, even including punitive damages, where such damages are available. In other words, any Western company that does nothing to assure the safety of its Chinese products and then steps into court claiming it had every reason to trust its Chinese supplier (based on faith alone), is likely to face real anger and major damages. Plaintiff’s class action lawyers in the United States should be and are salivating.”
Read the entire posting yourselves. It’s good stuff.
June 11th, 2007 at 9:53 am
Susan Says:
The CDC website said most or all chickens and turkeys in the US are positive for campylobacter, organic or factory. Chlorinated water seems to help, so that may be the problem with the organic places.
So do you think this “research” they’ve come out with in the UK is a scare tactic to help the factory chicken bus. since the organic bus. is doing so well?
June 11th, 2007 at 9:54 am
This is a more complete story as to what was substituted for the albumin, how easily certification papers can be forged, and how cutting or substituting even with materials that can harm or kill can greatly increase the profit margin:
http://www.asianews.it/index.p.....amp;size=A
06/11/2007 CHINA
Fake blood product used in public hospitals in Jilin
“Hospitals use bottled drug containing polysorbate 80, a substance that can cause immunological reactions and death. Hospital authorities are faulted for accepting non-certified drugs or sloppily forged documents. Investigations continue but police remains tight-lipped.
“More than 2,000 bottles of fake human albumin have been confiscated in 18 big hospitals in China’s Jilin Province, China Central Television reported yesterday. It is not however known whether any hospital staff is under investigation.
“The Jilin Food and Drug Administration found that the bottles contained a dissolving agent, polysorbate 80, instead of 96 per cent or more concentrated human albumin. Not only did the fake drug have no medical value, but it can cause severe immunological reactions. Since it is administered by injection, allergic patients can even die. It can also harm the liver which produces the albumin.
“The human serum albumin normally constitutes about 60 per cent of human plasma protein and is essential in regulating blood volume by maintaining the osmotic pressure of the blood compartment, i.e. the right vascular and tissue distribution of the body’s liquids.
“Produced at a cost 10-15 yuan per unit, the counterfeit drug was sold to patients for 300 yuan.
“Many hospitals failed to ask for the fake drugs’ certification. Sloppily forged approval papers were even found in one hospital in Shulan City. One batch of drugs it received was identified as coming from West Germany, a country that ceased to exist in 1990.
“China has been fighting counterfeit drugs for a long time. In 2005 the mainland’s top drug administrator, Zheng Xiaoyu, was removed from office for taking a 5 million yuan bribe (US$ 650,000) in order to approve hundreds of fake drugs.
“Last month he was sentenced to death, an unusual move for a high ranking Communist Party official, but one that reflects the authorities’ determination to deal with a situation that seems to be getting worse.
“In recent months several scandals have involved fake food and drugs made in the mainland causing many deaths both in China and abroad.”
Sorry to say, most “pushers” of street drugs have more savvy than this–they’d be absolute fools to use anything to cut their “products” with anything which would kill their customers.
The “pusher” selling his wares on the street or anywhere else is destined for prison if he’s caught, because what he has for sale is considered illegal. Yet it’s quite all right–perfectly legal and in the interest of business–for adulterated Chinese food and medicine products to enter the US without either the end user (US!) or the importer (if he/she doesn’t test for everything) knowing what’s really in the items we allow into this country for the use of everything living in them.
It looks like we know more about what’s in illegal drugs sold on the street–that what’s used to cut them is less likely to harm or kill–than the legally imported food and medicine products from China.
June 11th, 2007 at 10:02 am
Rick,
I honestly believe that the factory food businesses are running scared, especially in the UK. Look what happened to their beef farms with BSE. I suspect the whole truth is you can buy Salmonella, Listeria, and Campylobacter in factory birds. (And possibly with more resistance to antibiotics because they use them more.) That’s my opinion, for what it’s worth.
Susan
June 11th, 2007 at 10:23 am
Why is big business killing us? And could care less?
Thats the Big One.
June 11th, 2007 at 10:25 am
Susan-
I agree. I just put it out there because my initial reaction was that it was a scare tactic-and it’s sad, rather than thinking “this is out of concern for our health”.
June 11th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Just a note… anyone know what preservative is used in chilis? ETHOXYQUIN! Ha, ha… taste of our own medicine, huh?
June 11th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Preying on vulnerable people is a disgusting business model.
June 11th, 2007 at 10:45 am
Chuck,
Sounds like you work for them!
“4. Some still insist on high-risk raw diets and homemade pet foods.”
and *some* of us has been doing this successfully for years and are quite happy with the results, as are our vets.
1. can you tell right off who formulated your new pet food brand?
Yes, Me with the help of prominant vets with years of experience and the blessing of my vets (who do not push SD or any of the other brands)
2. do you know where their ingredients come from?
Yes, local farms.
3. do you know about their inspections standards?
Yes. USDA Organic or better.
4. doesn’t the beef recall send you a red flag warning about raw and homemade pet foods that include beef? Do you feel satisfied with the homemade receipes that have a conflicting opinions?
No. Beef is generally not a heavily used ingredient unless it’s on bone around here. I take the so called *conflicting opinions*, research and use them for variety in the diets around here.
“5. *when did you ever hear of a feral cat or stray dog attack a cow for food?”
my pets don’t attack poultry and fish for food either . . .
6. *when did you ever hear of or know a cat who eats fruits and vegetables?
I have never lived with a cats that didn’t like fruits/veggies. they steal them straight from the bag when I’m putting away the groceries. Also have some that would jump on the counter and nibble on cooked ones over the meat on the same plate.
I did check healthy pet. i didn’t see anything about where their spinach is from (wasn’t there a spinach recall recently?!) or catfish (China laced with Melamine?!) etc. So I would say on that front. MY petfood is better ;) Also don’t know where they get their supplements (China?!) I know my Taurine comes from Japan/Wild Caught Clams from safe waters/Organic Chicken Hearts/and Naturally from the raw meats they eat as it hasn’t been cooked out. They also get some of the other compatible trace items that are thought to be neccessary, which they don’t get from processed sythetic Taurine. Also, the second ingredient in the Dog Food is brown Rice. Not the pest option as a steady diet for my Dalmatian.
“Chicken Meal, the FIRST ingredient in Life’s Abundance®.
Meat is the most natural source of protein for dogs and contains the amino acids most important to pet health. With chicken meal as our first ingredient, you can be assured that not only does your dog get a generous portion of real chicken, but also a superior balance of amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals for muscle development, energy and healthy organs. We use only naturally grown chicken for our chicken meal - every batch is made using a slow roasting method that allows the fat and water to be released as the chicken cooks, creating a concentrated, highly-digestible protein and fat source.”
even though it’s slow roasted, I would be curious has to how many of those precious amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals are retained . . .
I could go on, but I think you get the idea as to where I stand ;) there is no one answer for anyone, nor one brand that works for all. In fact, before all this crap came raining down, vets were suggesting to rotate foods for balanced nutrition over time . . . .
June 11th, 2007 at 10:48 am
please excuse my spelling/etc errors!
June 11th, 2007 at 11:00 am
U.S. Lawmakers Want To Ban Food From China Until The FDA Proves They Are Safe
June 9, 2007 AHN News
“Members of the powerful U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee have asked President Bush to consider a ban on food imports from China until the Food and Drug Administration can prove that they are safe. The Committee is investigating the nation’s food supply. They want to determine if the FDA is doing enough to protect food safety.
“Democratic members of the Committee also wrote a letter to the FDA, asking it to take action. They used examples of recent instances of fish and seafood imported from China that contained banned antibiotics and salmonella. The lawmakers said those incidents caused them to be concerned over food safety.
“But the lawmakers didn’t limit themselves to fish and seafood. They asked Bush to ban all foods from China and cited recent examples of contaminated food from China such as “mislabeled wheat flour contaminated with melamine, filthy juices and fruits, dried apples preserved with a carcinogen and mushrooms laced with illegal pesticides,” the Washington Times reported Thursday.
“House Energy and Commerce Committee would like to hold a hearing on food safety within the next few weeks.
“In the meantime, they have asked for information on how many samples of Chinese food exports were analyzed by private and FDA labs between 2001 and 2006, MarketWatch reported Wednesday.
“”It is quite disturbing to consider that China lacks effective controls to ensure that their exported foods are safe,” the letter to the FDA stated, according to MarketWatch.
“On the same day that U.S. lawmakers asked Bush to ban all Chinese food exports, China’s highest administrative body, the State Council, announced that it would introduce nationwide inspections of its food and drug products.”
Big Thumbs Up for this!!
June 11th, 2007 at 11:02 am
If you haven’t been to PC lately, allow me to provide a link to an article written by a vet that is enough to make you throw up:
http://nwitimes.com/articles/2.....729dd8.txt
Many of us have posted a comment about this article but none have shown up on the site. Perhaps anything that does not agree with that article will not be posted. This is the type of thing that makes me mad as hell. It’s also the type of BS that is getting out to the public. It’s no wonder pet parents are still buying their food off the shelves & feeling confident that it’s fine for their babies. Geez…..I’m about to send a letter to the editor if these posts don’t show up in a while.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:15 am
Chuck - correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t the canned food made by Menu? That’s Life’s Abundance.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Menusux said: from excerpt: “â€It is quite disturbing to consider that China lacks effective controls to ensure that their exported foods are safe,†the letter to the FDA stated, according to MarketWatch.
“On the same day that U.S. lawmakers asked Bush to ban all Chinese food exports, China’s highest administrative body, the State Council, announced that it would introduce nationwide inspections of its food and drug products.â€
HOW? AND why in the world would anyone trust these inspections to be effective - or truthful?
June 11th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Chuck - Me thinks you may be a distributer. I remember a statement made by Dr Blick that no way were they going to change from Menu.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:19 am
JanC,
Maybe the illustious Dr. Randi Olson was paid to say that by that paper or whatever it was an they’re banning comments deliberately to make it look like it’s true…..maybe paid for by the PFI?
Just because it hasn’t been recalled, doesn’t make it safe! I’ll try to post something too.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:21 am
JanC–It looks like the same thing happened on the Consumer Reports blog mentioned here a couple of days ago. Nothing got posted, then some did. The editor responded and it appears they have closed it to new answers. They’d rather say 20 people complained about the “16 deaths” quote, not 378 (or whatever) complained about it. There was a time when the media were independent. Now IMHO it looks like big business has a lot of control.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Life’s Abundance by Healthy Pet Net (verified by company 3/28/07)
One product manufactured by Menu Foods but not in the suspect facility
Most products are manufactured by Ohio Pet Foods
Products do not contain wheat gluten or corn
All products are human quality
June 11th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Jan C
The iste contradicts itself. I poasted and it said my comment was posted, yet it also says all comments will have to be approved (remember Consumers?)
Your comment has been posted!
» Post a comment Thank you for your comments! Once your comments are approved, they will appear on the site.
Maybe sometime tomorrow the comments will appear…..after the fact.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:26 am
Jan, I saw that article and it’s an outrage. I’m glad this vet’s pets and the majority of her patients are ok, but the whole warm and fuzzy “pet food is ok” and “FDA is protecting us” mantra makes me wonder what planet this person is living on. It’s exactly this type of article that trivializes the enormity of the food safety issue and makes unsuspecting pet parents complacent. I too will be writing to the editor if I haven’t seen comments posted by this afternoon. And I’m planning to go a bit beyond the 200-word limit that comment posts impose.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Perhaps Dr. Olson needs some new equipment or a new office…..that sounds like an article straight from the PFI to the public. I cannot believe any vet could be so out of touch with what’s going on & putting that out to the public is disgusting. It’s no wonder people are buying commercial pet food with confidence.
I think we need a few more posts over there…..which is why I posted it here. Go you guys.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:28 am
JanC , Pat
I just posted another comment…..Your site just said my “comment” was posted. Where is it?
Let them display that.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:31 am
Chuck Says:
June 11th, 2007 at 9:45 am
“*Doesn’t it make you wonder why any pet food company woud include beef as a main ingredient?”
I’m too busy wondering why so many PF companies purchased cheap Chinese ingredients without testing them before they were put into use, why MF knew something was radically wrong back in December 2006, yet kept it secret from the public until the which should have started then began in March, 2007, and why acetaminophen, which doesn’t belong in PF any more than melamine or cyanuric acid, has been found in them as well throught tox screens.
And then I wonder why the PF companies want to dodge questions and issues and believe everyone fell off the last turnip truck when it comes to providing “non-answers” to all of us.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Thanks to all of you for posting……this is what I wanted you to do. The more the merrier. If they don’t show in a while, then we can all submit our letters to the editor. I really want the posts to show on that website for the public to see but it looks like if you disagree, you are “edited”. You notice not one post shows over there & it appears a lot of people have posted their comments. We don’t have the money & power of the PFI behind us.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:36 am
Straybaby,
“5. *when did you ever hear of a feral cat or stray dog attack a cow for food?â€
my pets don’t attack poultry and fish for food either . . .
My friend had a manx cat that WOULD CATCH FISH out of a small creek! The cat would sit on the bank and reach under overhaning sod and snag the fish! She caught one about 8-10 inches long.
I knew you all would get a laugh out of this true story.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:38 am
http://nwitimes.com/articles/2.....729dd8.txt
“Post a comment Thank you for your comments! Once your comments are approved, they will appear on the site.”
So we know a differing opinion is not approved.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:38 am
I am sticking to Canidae until this whole dog food mess is cleared up. I was going to change to Timber Wolf, but they would not disclose any info re where their food is made–and the fourth ingredient is chicken fat, not good for large breed dogs to have chicken fat as the 4th ingredient. I believe I read this on the pet food analysis site. There was a study done re the fat in dog food that could casue bloat in large breed dogs. So–no Timberwolf dog food for me. I need to switch because my dogs have been on Canidae forever…so me looking around. I checked out Life’s Abundance–WAS NOT happy to see canola oil, chicken fat as the 4th ingredient, dried potatoe product…geez…Is there a dog food out there with out all that crap in it?
I thought about INnova, but not happy they have their canned food made by menu. Innova would be my first choice though in dry dog food. Well, back to doing more research………….
June 11th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Ok, just sent an email to the editor there:
Dear Sir,
I just posted a comment under your article from 5/9/07 regarding the navigation of pet foods. My comment, nor has other comments I know were posted did not appear. It said my comment was posted on one line, yet on another it says that it has to be approved. Why have a comments section if the comments will not appear?
Also that particular article is just plain wrong. There are still pet foods on the shelf that has not been recalled that should. People have independently tested some of these foods with bad results. The latest contaminant is tylenol found in at least one food that is still on the shelf. The FDA has and is doing little on both the pet foods as well as our own foods in the safety department. I would like to know what the good Dr. Randi Olsen is feeding her own pets and why hasn’t she been keeping up with the latest on the test results people themselves are doing. The blogs are out there. She can also have some of the foods tested, but to just say they are 99% safe is not correct.
Where is my comment?
Debbie4747
I mean really, you either have a commetns section or you don’t.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:42 am
And besides for the cat fishing, I do know from experience that pets WILL attack and kill livestock for feed and fun. We had a herd of sheep and lived next to a small town with no leash laws.
More than once we had a pack of pet dogs kill and injure sheep, and yes they would eat them! To a dog, meat is meat! Dogs LIKE meat, and in the wild would catch bunny rabbits, squirrels, fawns, etc. Dogs eat grass now and then when they feel they need it.
IMO, there is nothing wrong with a meat diet for either dogs or cats.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Regarding Dr. Randi Olson. I do believe her article was written by PFI’s PR firm. It has all the talking points. That said, she might be as good as the majority of vets out there, and as caring to her patients. She’s certainly clueless, though. She “writes” a regular column and I believe has a local radio show, so she can spread a lot of damaging information in her community.
I coudn’t find an e-mail address for her, but write to her at her address:
2606 Valley Dr., Valparaiso, IN 46383. I’m sending her a copy of the letter that I emailed to William Nangle, the managing editor of The Times:
nangle@nwitimes.com
June 11th, 2007 at 11:45 am
Whats up with Ol’ ChemNutra these days?
June 11th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Chuck Says:
June 11th, 2007 at 9:45 am
“2. do you know where their ingredients come from?
“3. do you know about their inspections standards?”
If you’re promoting Life’s Abundance, I see nothing on their website at:
[REDACTED BY ADMIN]
informing us where LA’s ingredients come from or one thing re: testing standards for melamine, cyanuric acid and acetaminophen. Reading the LA label isn’t going to tell me any more about this than those of other brands.
And now I’m also wondering if you are a distributor, why the link you posted here is “Page Not Found”.
http://d12445netzero.com/
ITCHMO ADMIN: We have removed Chucks posts that reference the redacted Web site.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:48 am
I knew I could depend on all of you for help…..you are cracking me up. They’ll be sorry they ever put that article on the internet.
Maureen: post your email……would love to read it.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:49 am
RE: NWI Times…… that’s my home town news paper and I would not hold my breath over getting anywhere with them. I have sent them A LOT of info about the petfood/human food recalls and none of it was ever printed that I know of. The last I read anything was back in April, maybe. I’ve posted to their “Quickly” where you can just vent about anything( without using your name) and they refused to print my vent. They “bash” the Mayor of Gary in there none stop and call him all kinds of names yet when I vent about the petfood recalls and how our government has dropped the ball, they will not print it. I do keep trying though !
June 11th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Menu Food Sues ChemNutra Inc.
???????
Menu get their $75, 000?
June 11th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Elaine Says:
June 11th, 2007 at 11:36 am
that’s great!! i have a couple of kitties that might be good hunters, and a couple who follow my dog’s philosophy:
“Is that a new friend?! Let’s PLAY!”
this is the thought bubble over her head as she play bows to squirrels and other critters . . .
i do know dogs will attack livestock, but i have to wonder if my Dal would. Or would she just try and get them to run with her ;) sadly, i think my *poor* pets are dependent on my *hunting* skills, lol!~
June 11th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
I did a little digging, and I think that Dr. Randi Olson is a veterinary reporter for Veterinary News Network. (I googled her and came across a link to their website).
Here’s a quote from that website:
Becoming a VNN veterinary reporter is a prestigious position of responsibility to the network, the public and to your colleagues.  There is no cost to join or to receive our materials. VNN provides reporters a media tool kit once a month that contains two well-researched and professionally written, shot and edited broadcast news stories done in serveral easy-to-edit formats for customization by you or your station. The video footage can be voiced over by you live on the news set, or re-voiced for use as a “news package”.
For radio show hosts or guests, we provide the same story in show talking points and one-minute scripts.
For the written media, each story is downloadable in a 600 word newspaper or magazine column format. You can easily add your picture, by-line and local experience to every column.
Our goal in all news productions is to provide you high quality news and information tools that save you time and improve the quality of veterinary news contributions nationwide.
===
So, since she gets the story already written and just adds her picture and by-line, there are probably other vets out there stating the exact same thing.
June 11th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
When it comes to food and drugs, following the money is good advice
June 10, 2007–King Features Syndicate
http://www.chron.com/disp/stor.....77878.html
“Follow the money.” This famous line was written by William Goldman for the movie All the President’s Men.
“If you follow the money, you can discover the motivation behind skullduggery. Who profits and who loses?
“When it comes to food and drugs, following the money is good advice. North American manufacturers, looking to save money, have increasingly turned to China for cheap ingredients. The consequences appeared earlier this year when more than 4,000 cats and dogs died as a result of tainted pet food.
“Gao Chun is a Chinese whistle-blower. According to The Wall Street Journal, more than 10 years ago the drug company he worked for used an antibiotic (clarithromycin) made by the American company Abbott to win approval for the Chinese generic equivalent. Gao quit and tried to report this illegal action and the bribes that accompanied the drug’s approval.
“In China, whistle-blowers don’t fare well. Although he gave the faulty pills to drug regulators for testing, they tried to destroy the evidence. His efforts to report corruption ultimately failed, and he now works odd jobs to support himself. The questionable drug is still on the market.
“Most Americans have assumed that counterfeit Chinese drugs are purely a Chinese problem. But what if some of those Chinese drugs were exported? Remember the admonition to follow the money! A surprising number of U.S. pharmaceutical companies buy raw ingredients from China. Why? Because they are cheaper in China.
“We learned that Chinese manufacturers put melamine in wheat gluten. This chemical created the illusion that the gluten had a higher protein concentration, allowing the Chinese manufacturers to charge more for less. Even so, they undercut the price of many other suppliers for pet-food manufacturers. That is why so many companies ended up with contaminated products.
“No one knows whether any of the chemicals used to make pharmaceuticals sold in the U.S. were approved by corrupt Chinese regulators. It could take a long time to sort out the mess created by the Chinese agency.
“The FDA is still struggling with safety issues. Until it is adequately funded so that it can monitor ingredients from places as far away as China, Americans will wonder about the safety of their food and drug supply.”
June 11th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Here is a good article on China products.
www.worldnetdaily.com/news/art.....E_ID=56063
June 11th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
Veterinary News Network-Press Release Re: Pet Food Recall
http://www.myvnn.com/press.php?press=8
Note that this was last updated April 27, 2007
“The Veterinary News Network functions to provide factual information to the more than 320 media veterinarians across the United States. By utilizing this network of veterinarians, local media has access to the most up-to-date and accurate information as explained by well-trained veterinary media professionals.
FAQ’s:
“Q: We’ve seen some outrageous things on the Internet. Yet other sites seem to have good information. How do pet owners know whom to trust?
A: Every veterinarian should have a list of trusted web sites. It is true that in a world of instant communications and bloggers who can write anything – true or false – and it appears legitimate; one has to be very careful. On a blog, you have no idea who is writing, what their background is, or their hidden agenda. They may be interesting entertainment, but they are NOT a source of reliable information. Perhaps the old fashioned way is best - call your family veterinarian who is keeping up with this issue. They would be a good source of trustworthy sites and good solid professional advice.
“Key points to keep in mind:
“1. A very small percentage of pet foods are involved and the vast majority of pets continue to thrive on commercial pet foods. I strongly believe you can have confidence in the high quality brands of commercial pet food – most don’t use wheat, rice or corn gluten.
“8. There is a great deal of mis-information on the internet and blogs. Trust your family veterinarian who is up to date and your source for medical advice.
“9. Blogs might be entertaining, but should come with a warning – nothing you see here has been checked for accuracy! Blogs are typically steeped in emotion and many people use them to simply “ventâ€. Trust the professional advice of your veterinarian.”
Stock pap which hasn’t been updated in about 6 weeks. Yet old, incomplete information is more valid than current blog data, which can be proven by URL links.
June 11th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Barb, GSD MOM mentioned a pet food analysis site earlier. If you haven’t checked it out yet, take a look:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com
They have information about a lot of commercial foods and explanation about why certain ingredients are good or bad. There’s one food that I wish they’d review (it’s mentioned in the forums a lot), but for whatever reason it’s not there yet. I’ve emailed them asking them to add it, though.
June 11th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Alice Army Monday Assignment
All troops need to do three things.
1— Get a Digg account, http://digg.com/
This is free and you will need to make sure you remember your user name and password.
2—-Then file an FCC complaint about any TV station that has refused to cover the story. Here is the link http://tinyurl.com/gc48v
3—Then get out there on ANOTHER place where pets are discussed and post this info and links. Help others to learn how to do this.
Join a new forum or group or blog or tell the people at a place you are already a member . Invite them to join us here if you like.
Alice Army thread is in the forums. Sign up if you want, or just play along as assignments are given.
June 11th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Further digging leads me to believe that Chuck is, indeed, an Independent Field Representative for healthypetnet, as many have speculated.
June 11th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Posts have finally appeared on that site from that vet’s piece about pet food navigating…only four?
June 11th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
Go back to that website: they are now starting to post our comments. I ranted & raved a lot & surprisingly, they left quite a bit of my rant……yeah……
June 11th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
If any of you are following a trail that looks like it’s come to a dead end because you can’t read the language on the website, here’s a tool:
http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en
Copy the website address from your browser and pasting it into the “translate a web page” section on the Google page (be sure to only have one “http://” in it or you’ll get nowhere). Then select the language the page is in to be translated into English. Google will then translate the page. I used Chinese to English BETA for some I was tracking and was very pleased with how the translation made the information clear in English.
June 11th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Sorry if this is long. Jan C asked to have it posted. I am sending a hard copy to Dr. Olson; this is to the editor of this paper. I just now read about the Veterinary News Network and the press releases they write! That explains Olson’s article. This stuff happens in politics all the time. It’s equally unethical in that context to sign your name to something you didn’t write.
e-mail sent to: William Nangle, The Times Executive Editor: nangle@nwitimes.com
I write this as a pet owner who began searching the Web since the pet food recalls began last March for news that will keep my dogs and cat safe. Sadly, I now find that this topic has broadened to an investigation of what will keep us all safe, especially after learning that the USDA and the FDA have no real regulatory powers.
Dr. Randi Olson’s article on nwi.com came up as the first article on a Google search yesterday morning. The article reads like it was written by the Pet Food Institute’s PR firm. I say that with no sarcasm: it simply has all their talking points. Especially this:
“According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, more than 99 percent of pet foods are still deemed safe and have not been recalled. The FDA is testing 100 percent of the wheat gluten, rice protein concentrate, corn gluten, corn meal, soy protein and rice bran being imported from China for contaminants.
The most recent pet food recalls have been undertaken proactively, due to association with involved ingredients and suppliers, rather than as a result of complaints about animals that have consumed the food and become ill.”
Dr. Randi Olson might be a caring vet, but she has signed her name to an article that gives disservice to a profession that promises, hopefully as do M.D.s, to “do no harm.” She should also know that the FDA isn’t testing 100% of anything. In fact they’ve announced in press briefings, which are on their website, http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/h.....food.html.
that they test less than 1% of food exported to the U.S. They test NO ingredients. They are now asking for testing information to be provided by Chinese exporters of those marked ingredients recently found to be tainted. This is hardly comforting to consumers as some toxic ingredients found in pet food were shipped as “non-food†in order to escape even the miniscule chance of discovery!
It is also public knowledge that the FDA is not disclosing some of the brands of pet food that they now know received tainted ingredients but have not been recalled, nor do they have the power to demand recalls. So Dr. Olson is insincere in saying that the recalls have been taken proactively by commercial companies. Nearly 100 class action lawsuits have been filed that may expose what is in these foods and why these companies have been “proactive.â€
It’s a sad commentary that pet owners have resorted to paying for their own testing by private labs after their pets’ died, as the FDA has been secretive; in fact the FDA cannot expose a brand or manufacturer unless the company allows them to! I’m not going to do the homework here that Dr. Olson should have done before she either wrote this article or signed her name to one written for her. Some of these tests turned up positive for acetaminophen (generic ingredient in Tylenol). Dr. Olson only mentioned “melamine†by name as the culprit, which the FDA would have us focus upon. The FDA has yet to acknowledge the acetaminophen findings, which are especially frightening as a single Tylenol dose could kill a cat. This has been reported upon in the press; I hope Dr. Olson and her partners are aware of it if any sick animals present to them with related symptoms.
It must be of special interest in Indiana that the FDA recently allowed more than 20,000,000 chickens found in Indiana poultry operations to be released into the human food chain, though they were fed tainted pet food that supposedly was recalled. The FDA admits that the toxins fed to this poultry was not approved in animal feed or human food; yet they hypothesized that this poultry was “safe†for humans, even though no scientific information exists as to the cumulative effect of eating such tainted meat.
It would be interesting to know how much training Dr. Olson has had in animal nutrition during her veterinary training, and whether she and her partners sell Hill’s Prescription Diet or Science Diet, some types of which have been recalled. It would also be important to know if any of her nutritional ‘education’ came from commercial pet food companies, a too common practice in the industry. Even when not tainted by toxic contaminants, many of these commercial brands are too high in cereal ingredients, rendered 4D animals and worse, as unforgettably described by veterinarian Elizabeth Hodgkins, DVM, before the U.S. House of Representatives last April. (footnote deleted here with powerful quotes from Dr. Hodgkins’ addendum to the House record)
I now cook for my pets and have studied what animal nutritionists say about dogs and cats needs, adding those supplements that are necessary. Certain medical conditions that my animals had that had been unsuccessfully treated by several vets cleared up within days of taking them off of “premium†unrecalled commercial food. One dog was thought to have a “sensitive stomach†and vomited frequently, but is not sensitive to the organic meats and other good quality foods she presently enjoys. The quality of my dogs’ and cat’s coats improved in a short time on their new diet, and they no longer shed as much.
Vets that have been vocal in support of feeding commercial pet food admonish pet owners not to make their own pet food. Some say it’s dangerous to do so. Yet they continue to sell certain expensive brands that any pet owner who can “Google†will soon learn do not meet their pets’ nutritional needs, and are not subject to any testing or regulation. The Animal Protection Institute’s website will convince any reasonable person of this fact with a single reading of what goes into much commercial pet food: http://www.api4animals.org/fac.....amp;more=1
How soon will we learn that many of our pets who suffer from diabetes and compromised kidneys and other conditions became that way through improper and/or contaminated diets? That they can only be controlled through another form of improper diet “prescribed†for them by a veterinarian is sickening. One authoritative veterinarian says that dry cat food is the primary cause of feline obesity and diabetes. (Footnote deleted here with quotes from Dr. Lisa Pierson on diet and diabetes, etc.) Animals’ dietary protein levels, etc. can be addressed with good food and medication. Some will say their pets’ conditions improve to the point that they no longer need medication and their quality of life improves with diet alone.
We need veterinarians to join in the effort to stop what too many commercial pet food and animal feed brands have become, a handy and profitable way for large corporations to dispose of the detritus from their manufacturing processes not fit for human consumption. Sadly, such corporate practice is killing and sickening our pets; and now we learn it’s coming full circle into our human food chain.
June 11th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
E. - got my DIGG account.
These are old articles, but very interesting!
http://www.panasianbiz.com/200.....neral.html
http://www.terradaily.com/repo.....0_999.html
I think people should probably file complaints against their local NBC affiliates. General Electric owns NBC, and as you can see from the above articles, they love doing business in China. Can we trust NBC News to be objective?
I think Westinghouse owns CBS, and, of course, Rupert Murdoch owns Fox News.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
VNN gives every appearance of being a marketing firm. Check out their staff page… the Bawmann group appears to run the show. Wonder how many pet food manufacturers use their services. Wonder who actually owns VNN too.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Chuck -
“Homemade” pet food is the “original” pet food - kibble and canned food is a very recent invention; in fact, it was invented as a way to use up all the garbage leftover from animals slaughtered for human consumption. Despite several decades of supposed improvements from its original shady roots here in the US, the commercial pet food produced is STILL not produced with any more care for nutrition than it was in the beginning. They find cheap, garbage that cannot be safely used for any other human purpose, and package it as “pet food”, both ordinary and premium. No difference from the early days of commercial foods.
Dogs are opportunistic carnivores, just like we are. Sure, a feral pack of dogs would take down a cow or deer in a heartbeat, if there were no garbage cans, or rabbits or berries or what is usually easy and nearby to eat for that day.
This ain’t Disneyland, buddy. “Some” people, and I just say “some”, want to sanitize the food chain process and imagine all the little animals not eating each other, but singing “It’s a Small World After All” while holding paws/hooves/etc and doing group hugs in the wild. But at the end of the day, it is live beings eating dead beings and plant matter. It isn’t pretty, it isn’t ugly, it is just what it is, and just that simple.
Learn about canines, and then maybe you can have a knowledgeable conversation about canine diet.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Maureen Says:
June 11th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Sorry if this is long. Jan C asked to have it posted. I am sending a hard copy to Dr. Olson; this is to the editor of this paper. I just now read about the Veterinary News Network and the press releases they write! That explains Olson’s article. This stuff happens in politics all the time. It’s equally unethical in that context to sign your name to something you didn’t write.
The problem with ghostwriting is that it’s happening all the time in the medical field–many studies are written by someone else and signed by MD’s. In the case of the MD’s, they are willing to do this because they’ve gotten something from the pharma company–monetary or other (like vacation trips, etc.) compensations.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Maureen, that is an awesome letter! Way to go!
June 11th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Something I remember re the organic chicken and camphylbactor (sp?) article of late - I read the exact same warning kind of article several years ago.
I think it is a valid concern, but both for organic and regular chicken. Probably resurrecting it due to the current food scandals, but it is otherwise pretty old and stale news. Originally, it was also viewed as a cheap shot attack on organic poultry.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
YaYa - I have lost track of threads and where I saw things, but in a post, you discussed Purina feeds. If I recall correctly, you/your farm/? found ANOTHER feed that was better.
If that was a horse grain, which one was it that was better in your view? I have used Purina Eq Sr and some Omolene. We too have had a hard time finding it here at the feed stores - not surprised to see that Purina may be the one being dodgy about the restocking process.
I only grain one of my horses and in the winter, but would prefer to change from Purina. Thanks in advance.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Great snooping about VNN by menusux and pat. Here’s a little more that tells the tale. It serves as a great marketing tool for vets to drum up business. All they have to do is reprint the party line from PFI and pharma. Note that the home page for PFI gives a link to a video made by VNN:
From Christie’s site (contrib. editor to petconnection.com):
http://www.doggedblog.com/dogg.....ittle.html
“Gina Spadafori blogged recently about a DVM Magazine article about the new Veterinary News Network, wondering about the ethical implications of pharmaceutical company sponsorship of the network. This comment really struck me:
I fully expect that this issue will not seem important to many because it’s just “pet news,” mere fluff on the journalistic scale of importance.
I wish she were wrong (although I know she isn’t). Because even though on the face of it this is about pets, it isn’t. It’s about ethics. And the ethical quagmire journalism is caught in right now extends from the New York Times to CNN to Fox News to blogs to nationally syndicated columnists to local newspapers to the pages of pet magazines to health reporting to the wall-to-wall consumer programming on the home, garden, and pet cable networks. In other words, it’s everywhere and it’s everything.’
June 11th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
success. comments are up on the nwitimes article! thank you bloggers for skewering this pet food puff piece!
June 11th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Debra–you’re right.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Funny re the cat that snagged the fish:)
When I a kid, we had a cocker spaniel who ate cherries fallen from our orchard trees on a regular basis, AND he spit out the pits, which was really funny to watch! He also ate (plus pitted) the fallen ripe Italian prunes (until they got to the point where bees came to feed on them, and we raked them up).
I never had a dog or cat that wasn’t willing to eat fruits or vegetables, and some did it on their own initiative, like the spaniel. Me and the dog ate so many in season that we just about got sick from it, but I can think of worse addictions than feasting on various cherry varieties:)
June 11th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Ya know…maybe someone with mega money on this blog should come up with a line of cat & dog foods of their own. I can’t believe there is not ANY good commercial pet food on the market today. I have searched and searched….:o( My dogs HATE the Canidae, but they are stuck with it for now. I add half home cooked and then and only then they will eat it. Of course they would rather have bunnies to eat—-
Off to the store I go to buy a shirt that is not made in China.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Maureen Says:
June 11th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Maureen, please contact me by PM here at the itchmo forum, I would like to ask you something.
Man, you ROCK as a letter writer!
June 11th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Anyone know where to get vitamins/bonemeal, not from China? Want to go all home cooked, still feeding 1/2 CA Nat. Wondering what people are using.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Further digging leads me to believe that Chuck is, indeed, an Independent Field Representative for healthypetnet, as many have speculated.
Debra Says: June 11th, 2007 at 12:46 pm ******
Probably correct.
And if it is, why do reps for pet foods continually use stupid arguments when trying to convince people to use their product?
Maybe it worked in the old days; but the last place I would try a really dumb unknowledgable argument now would be on the Internet. Chuck needs to try those lines in the real world with people who still are not paying attention and don’t have two brain cells to rub together.
And Dr. Randi Olson is exactly the kind of vet I am seeking to avoid ever using for my animals. Dated material, out of touch with current events, simply paying no attention to what is going on, and doesn’t appear capable of putting 2 + 2 together and getting 4. No ability to deduce anything.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Menusux
This information is as out of date as a Model T on a freeway. posted on that news comment board
Good one….loved it!
June 11th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
E. Hamilton Says:
June 11th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
“Maureen, please contact me by PM here at the itchmo forum, I would like to ask you something.’
E., I’m new at this blogging thing. How do I contact you? Are you blogging in one particular area in the itchmo forum?
I’m loathe to put my e-mail address online as I use it for biz (I’m a free lance researcher). So give me directions as to how to contact you.
p.s. I admire how you keep going forward here with all that you and your pets have been through. It’s all so horrible and sad.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
TC,
Unlike us humans, most animals eat what their body needs, and will just eat it if it is available.
I had a dog that ate corn on the cob raw! I had picked corn, husked it, washed it and left it on the lawn, and I thought the KIDS had eaten on it–she even ate it a few rows at a time.
I am sure glad she never learned to go to the garden and pick the corn and husk it!
My son’s border collies eat English walnuts that fall from the tree.
These funny pet anecdotes give me a needed break from all this serious news (that isn’t news to the major news media)
Thanks for the post.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
TC Says:
June 11th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
“Chuck needs to try those lines in the real world with people who still are not paying attention and don’t have two brain cells to rub together.”
And here’s a way to contact some of them ;-):
info@petfoodinstitute.org
June 11th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
If anyone wants to cut and paste anything from the letter I wrote to the editor of tmi.com, which published Dr. Randi Olson’s “letter”, here are the footnotes that are the heart of the argument against her statements. I think these two women veterinarians are superb.
I think you can tell where they are to be inserted in the letter as I made a note in what I posted here:
Maureen Says:
June 11th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Footnote 1. Elizabeth Hodgkins, DVM. Supplemental Testimony for the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Hearings, April 12, 2007.
“Pet foods are far from regulated as human foods are. 4D meat (meat from dead, dying, diseased or disabled animals) CANNOT be used for human food, but it CAN be used in pet foods and is used routinely by at least some manufacturers. Other ingredients that would not be allowed in human foods, such as rendered tissues, are allowed in pet foods. Further, human food health claims are very difficult for human food makers to get. Virtually ALL pet foods contain unsubstantiated claims for safety, completeness and balance that NO HUMAN FOOD in the world would ever be able to get. While some pet foods are likely to be adequate food for pets, many are not, yet there is no testing done to differentiate the good from the bad in this self-regulated industry. FDA has delegated the responsibility of pet food regulation to an association known as AAFCO. AAFCO itself ADMITS it has NO regulatory AUTHORITY or enforcement capabilities, so although there are several layers of APPARENT regulation, there is actually no regulation of pet foods today.â€
Footnote 2. Lisa Pierson, DVM. http://www.catinfo.org/
Excerpt: “Diabetes is a very serious – and difficult to manage – disease that is very common in cats. Why is it so common? The species-inappropriate high level of carbohydrates in dry food wreaks havoc on the blood sugar level of an obligate carnivore. The blood sugar level rises significantly upon ingestion of dry food. With chronic hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas down-regulate, or “burn out,†leading to diabetes.
Many cats have been successfully weaned off of insulin - or had the dosage significantly lowered - when transitioned to a low carbohydrate canned food such as Wellness (3-5% carbohydrates). Please see this thread on the Feline Diabetes Board to read about many caregivers’ success with their diabetic cats once all dry food was removed from the diet. It is very important to always discuss a diet change with your veterinarian if your cat is diabetic and on insulin. However, please be aware that many veterinarians underestimate the favorable impact that a low carbohydrate diet has on the insulin needs of the patient. If the insulin is not lowered accordingly, an overdose of insulin will occur which can be life- threatening. I strongly suggest that all caretakers of diabetic cats home-test to monitor blood glucose levels using a standard glucometer as a matter of routine, but careful monitoring is especially important when implementing a diet change.
Many veterinarians prescribe expensive diets such as Purina DM (Diabetes Management) and Science Diet m/d but you can do much better for your cat (and your pocketbook) by feeding other more nutritious - and lower carbohydrate - canned foods(…)â€
June 11th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Go to the forum, sign up there , in the Join the Alice Army thread, section is make a difference, there are plenty of posts by me and you can click the private message thing on any of my posts to send a private message.
I will not even see your email unless you send that to me and quite frankly I would rather you DID NOT send me your email, I don’t need to know your personal email.
DO NOT POST EMAIL ADDRESSES HERE- I will not respond because anyone foolish enough to post a personal email address on an open forum with PFI spies KNOWN to be watching is not going to be much help. I am not trying to be mean but we have work to do and we need people who are over the begging and handholding stage.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0608-04.htm
Feingold Pushes For Access To Locally Grown, Healthier Foods For Kids
Urges Senate Agriculture Committee to Include Parts of his Rural Opportunity Act Farm Bill
June 11th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
Pet Naturals of Vermont is a pet vitamin company willing to work with people. Their website is petnaturals.com and phone is 888-340-1995. I certainly don’t have all the anwers everyone needs, but I spoke to a really nice man named John who is willing to look information up. And he does call back. I was interested in their liquid vitamins because they’re easier to add to homemade pet food. Also, John was very interested in the Itchmo site, because people are always looking for -up-to-date information.
June 11th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Maureen:
Thanks for posting that letter. Boy oh boy, you write a beautiful letter. That’ll make them sit up & take notice.
Lots of comments popping up after Olson’s article. You all did a great job. Now the public gets to see two sides of that subject. Bet me the PFI is pissed.
June 11th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
The PFI has a ways to go to get as pissed as I am but I am working on it!
June 11th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
You go, E. You have good reason to be upset & I cry for you whenever I think of what you’ve lost. You have a ton of people backing you up……me included.
June 11th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
JanC thank you for the kind thoughts.
Everyone, listen up!
I appreciate the good thoughts from everyone but this is not just about MY losses and I have vowed to never let the sun see my tears until this battle is won. My pets are dead, this is a fact.
Crying won’t help make sure it has less chance of happening to others. Fact.
Begging for press coverage has NOT worked. Fact.
I am going to find ways that DO work. Fact.
I need help and action one hell of a lot more than I need or want sympathy.
And ALL our dead and sick pets-ALL OF THEM- need the help and action too.
Sympathy is nice but it won’t raise the dead, heal the sick or change a thing.
So thank you for your sympathy, everyone, and please get up OFF YOUR KNEES and go to work.
Make the PFI cry, better yet, make them broke and gone.
June 11th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
I’m with you, E. It really is time to fight. We can sympathize with each other when we’ve won. There is a whole new crop of junior Senators and Representatives out there. You can find them at Senate.gov and House.gov. You can arrange a meeting with them when they’re in town. They all have local offices. They need to remember–we voted them in and we can vote them out. Big business may be able to give them money, but we can kick them out. That is our power. Don’t let them intimidate you.
June 11th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
This man is so deluded he thinks congress dropped everything to investigate the deaths of a dozen cats!
http://tinyurl.com/3ab9zv
Maybe he should hear from some better informed people?
June 11th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
if Congress was willing to drop everything to investigate the deaths of a dozen cats due to contaminated pet food from China, perhaps bringing all the executives of the companies responsible for this recent rash of outbreaks, recalls, and illnesses to Washington for a few days of questioning (under oath) might help us get to the bottom of this.
From the above artile
***************
who dropped what where? Almost comical if it wasn’t so serious
June 11th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Life’s Abundance Instinctive Choice canned cat & kitten food is made at the Menu plant in South Dakota.
This is the response I got from them when I e-mailed them about where the food is made:
~~~Dr. Jane Bicks, our formulator and in house vet, inspects & tests EVERY batch that comes out of Menu in SD and Ohio Pet. The plant in SD is a specialized plant equipped per her instructions.
We produce small batches of all the foods so we don’t run into the big company problems that big batches cause.
If I can be of any help, please contact me anytime!
Eileen Young~~~
June 11th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
If you go to this page, there is an e-mail address at the bottom to contact Mr. Marler.
http://www.marlerclark.com/victimassistance.htm
June 11th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
TC! I hope you see this Post!
We started using Kents Equine Feeds about 2+ years nearly 3 now.
{I called Kent end of March too about the Melamine and where the “food” came from which I was told is Milled at Evergreen Mills and from Midwest Grains etc}. They even have a statement On their website now for it. Very nice folks too.
The horses love it and we do not get any varitations in “mood” from it like some feeds can cause {the “hot” I talked about}.
They all Glow :-D Despite the mud packs they all have from all the rains here, underneath- brushed up So Beautiful! :-P
{just once I’d like to go out this year and not have to deal with All that mud cake! LOL}
Funny I noticed a couple years ago too that Clinton Anderson began using Kent for his horses too :-)
He’s working on a Champ Cutter and Reining for the near future. He told Us {at a Clinic} he wants/would like to ‘retire’ to do That F-o-r-e-v-e-r :-D
We really like the results with the Kents, TC.
I feel ’safe’ too.
Hey, Purina’s Loss :-) But now I’m Glad they were Soooo
tight and stingy about shelves Full of only Purina products and not allowing Other Brand in a persons store if they wanted Purina AND others to sell. Scheeesch
I’d be Freakin’ if my horse had been on Purina AT THIS TIME! Yikes!
I’m glad you see No woes with yours!
http://www.kentsequine.com
June 11th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
Oh pooh TC! :-P No ’s’
here ya go:
http://www.kentequine.com
Sorry!
June 11th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Gentle reminder, FCC complaints do a lot more good than just complaining that the media is not covering the story.
If you have EVER posted that your local TV station is not responding to your pleas for coverage, DO something about it!
http://tinyurl.com/gc48v
June 11th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
If your newspaper is not giving coverage, check with their website or give them a call. The person you want may be called a News Ombudsman, Readers’ Representative or Public Editor. Some of them are listed on this website: http://www.newsombudsmen.org/usmem.htm.
But please complain!
June 11th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
an article about what happens when people believe the sort of yarns Dr. Olsen is spinning:
http://www.kptv.com/news/13479982/detail.html
note the paragraph about the veterinarian.
June 11th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
So has the Pet Food industry learned anything.
As in . . . trying to spin, cover up, and lie your way out of crisis doesn’t FIX THE PROBLEM?
June 11th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
The vet didn’t know Blue Buffalo was recalled. And his/her head was where? And a kitten died?
June 11th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Susan, i suspect that incidents like this are playing out nationwide. at least this vet had the presence of mind to follow up on the cause of death for this poor kitten, and i doubt that the mistake of assuming “it’s not pet food” will be repeated in that particular practice. but how many times have people been told after losing a pet that contamination wasn’t the problem, when in reality no testing was done? and how many times have animals simply died at home because their owners were not observant enough to realize that something awful was happening? i talk to people *every day* who believe the pet food crisis is past tense, and the media is encouraging that notion by under-reporting, or running tripe pieces like the one with Dr. Olsen’s byline on it. i doubt that this kitten’s story will have much of an impact nationally, but it’s enough to keep me seeing red for yet another day.
June 11th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Steve,
I looked at the PFI website and found:
“PFI is dedicated to:
Promoting the overall care and well-being of pets.
Supporting initiatives to advance the quality of dog and cat food.
Supporting research in pet nutrition and the important role of pets in our society.
Informing and educating the public on pet proper feeding and pet care.
Representing the pet food industry before Federal and State governments.”
I think we need to remind them of their first four goals.
June 11th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
pat, i called a vet hospital with a large feed store attached, asking if I could leave a list of recalled foods for the customers. I was told no, that it would upset the sales reps. The sales reps’ feelings matter more then their customers’ pets? That is messed up. Some vets are great, but others love the money.
June 11th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Susan, that’s totally messed up, and i would make it a point to tell everyone who will listen that they should not bring their pet to that practice. i’ve had many wonderful vets over the years, but there is that certain percentage who look at veterinary medicine as nothing more than a lucrative business. those practices should be identified. have you considered relating that story to the avma or its local chapter?
June 11th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
I have e-mailed the story to the state VMA. I stopped using that vet when they insisted it was not the Royal Canin that made 2 of my cats sick. The Royal Canin was recalled 3 weeks later. I switched to another vet immediately. I KNOW I don’t have antifreeze stored in the house. If I had listened to them, both cats would be dead.
June 11th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
The dying is not done, there is STILL poison out there and getting the news out is a priority only to us.
Shame there are so many clueless vets and even more of a shame that the ones who are doing something about this disaster 3 FREAKING months into it are telling LIES and STILL not mentioning the SYMPTOMS of the poison that pet owners need to know!
Any vet that is selling the big lie that all is safe is in the pay of the poisoners.
Need to lose their license is what they need, see if taking money from the PFI to lie was worth it.
June 11th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Susan, do you have more info on this Vet shop/store? Website, name of major partners please? State it’s in?
I’m FURIUOS about the reson they chose to give, for not allowing Food warning lists! To HELL with the Reps!
I’ve found/am finding public shaming is one route to go. Post the Website and Names and a typed complaint, Like in a Blog, It gets Found {via the Net} and picked up and back to the seat of the Issue.
Got a Chamber of Commerce for them? Look and see if they are members.
What is this kill the pets and save the Reps?!
Its not that hard for a Business to tell a Reps No.
And no because we want to carry a Different Product IF that’s All they are worried about! Good Grief!
As in, we dont NEED You or your product.
What is the Vets office AFRAID OF?!
The Reps btw should be Checking to make sure the Previous Recalled foods Are OFF the shelves!
Why is Anyone “Babysitting and holding the hand of” a Sales Rep??????????
When someone behaves in this manner Call them on the Carpet anyway you can. Even by Internet. As long as it is the truth.
Unbelieveable story Susan.
BTW, Anyone going to Call the Vet whose “Navigating the Pet food Recall****” etc. article is Full of Holes?
Her number was listed in the end. Name of her clinc too. {I think it is a suburb of Chicago}
Call her and tell her she has Lots of replies to her Brillant article, to Read?
She must not mind the “publicity” as all the Info is provided right there- free advertisng- IOW.
Be creative, come up with ways for these types to be Held Accountable!
PROVE what they say.
I left the petfoodrecallfacts.com in my post there, but was not allowed the http: etc part.
Don’t want to upset the sales Rep! HA! That’s a Great one.
WheW, sorry, had to get that off my chest. :-P
June 11th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
An article titled ” Changes made to farm bill “in todays Finger Lakes Times . 2 ammendments it states submitted by Rep. Randy Kuhl, in regards to H.R. 2419, the farm bill extension act of 2007, were passed unaminously. The second ammendment would increase the annual payment limitationsunder TAP(tree assistance program) from $75,000 a year to $150,000!!!! This program is designed to assist growers with costs associated with replacing tree according to Kuhl.
This sounds like another farm welfare program , why not use some of that money to provide clean air , save water and save food for our citizens and pets?
The 2007 Farm Billis to be considered before the full house agriculture committe on June 26 07 according to the article. Please lets write email and call our elected officials and tell them we want money to go toward protecting our water , air and food.
June 11th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
” Tyson requires a pure food guarantee from its ingredient suppliers.”
This was the answer I got from Tyson back on April 24,07, when I wrote asking about how safe their products were to the public.
Guess they didn’t think their story would come out almost 2 months later in the L.A. Times today June 11,07 concerning safe ingredients.
Tyson foods you missed that one on your PR. BS> and you think we are supposed to believe what you say…..and eat your Mela-chickens too.
June 11th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
For all you folks who live out that way…
‘Dog Stew’ delivers pet food alternative
By DAVID KROUGH, kgw.com Staff
With scares about the tainted deadly pet foods in the U.S., a Portland man is finding a way to help concerned pet owners and be convenient at the same time.
…Woodford started his recipes after his dog Jackson was diagnosed with lymphoma. He said raw diets did not boost Jackson’s immune system, so he set out to research what would make the best homemade meals for dogs.
http://www.kgw.com/business/st.....255e3.html
http://www.dogstew.net/
June 11th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Hear Ye!! Hear Ye!!
THAT 1% that Menu Foods Threw in our Faces…
Has turned in 11% choking them!!!!
Menu Foods Income Fund (TSX:MEW.UN) (”Menu Foods”) previously disclosed in its first quarter results that a significant customer had put orders for cuts and gravy product on hold. Menu Foods announced today that it has received notice from that customer, stating that the customer will no longer purchase cuts and gravy products from Menu Foods. The customer continues to purchase “loaf” products from Menu Foods. As also previously disclosed, the cuts and gravy product purchasers from the customer accounted for approximately 11% of total sales in 2006.
http://www.stockhouse.ca/news/.....ick=MEW.UN
June 11th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
Did you know that there is a Consumers Union?
Go here and click on food at the top.
http://www.consumersunion.org/
June 11th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
New Info from Don
http://www.petfoodrecallfacts.com/lab.html
June 11th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
THANK You AnnH!!!!!
Girl You Go!
YiPeEeeeeee! Push em Back-Push em Back-WAAAAAAAAY BACK!
PETS: 100
MENU: 0
PETS WIN!!!!!!!
{well we got a whole lotta more to go Team! but don’t this just Pump the Engine?! :-D }
WoooooHooooo!
Randy, Thanks for the Heads up on the Up-date at Don’s too!
June 12th, 2007 at 12:25 am
YaYa - I lost track of where I posted what, happens at my age! Thanks so much for the link:)
Oh, I am freaking - the one horse still eating a bit of grain is my absolute favorite and yeah, we’ve likely just lucked out. My horses are total air ferns, and get fat as hens on hay/pasture, so given what is going on right now, I think we are going reconsider our options. No point in doing the horses a small “favor” by treating them to grain if it will compromise their health, huh?
I was reading on another board about a rash of horse illnesses/deaths that some posters fear may be grain related. They don’t know yet, so they won’t disclose either the name of the grain or the feed store chain involved due to lawsuit concerns if they are wrong (they did say it started with a T).
I will post results should it turn out that the grain is implicated.
June 12th, 2007 at 12:25 am
Karma - no doubt about it..
Rabies kills 201 people in China in May
BEIJING, June 12 (Reuters) - Rabies killed 201 people in China last month, staying at the top of the list of the most deadly infectious diseases in the country, state media said on Tuesday.
Rabies has topped the list for the last 13 months, except in March when tuberculosis came first, the China Daily said, blaming dogs for spreading the disease.
Beijing has introduced a “one family, one dog” policy and last year launched a campaign against unregistered dogs.
The State Food and Drug Administration also said last year it would severely punish companies that produce fake and poor quality rabies vaccines, after several people reportedly died from substandard vaccines.
Fake or bad drugs have killed dozens of people in China in recent years and raised questions about drug safety.
Last year, Shanghai implanted digital chips in the ears of 65,000 dogs to improve “canine management” and prevent the spread of rabies.
Pet dogs were shunned in the days of Mao Zedong as a symbol of bourgeois decadence but have become increasingly popular in the past decade with improved living standards.
Rabies is an acute viral infection that is nearly always fatal. It can be transmitted by the bite of an infected animal, usually a dog.
Rabies kills about 50,000 people across the world each year.
June 12th, 2007 at 12:57 am
Floridian Says:
June 12th, 2007 at 12:25 am
Karma - no doubt about it..
================
That’s really harsh, Floridian. These poor people who died of such an awful disease probably have nothing to do with the pet death’s in the US or anywhere else. They are probably just victims of a terrible condition. I would not wish that on anyone or think they might cosmically deserve it.
June 12th, 2007 at 1:29 am
TC, could you post the other Forum for horses here so I could have a looksee?
Is it horsecity? What thread if so?
I’d not heard of any specific for sick Horses yet! So this is defintely of interest to me.
Got plenty of horsey friends who need to know to be watchful right now.
I don’t know for sure if maybe TractorSupply has it’s own brand?, there are alot of those stores around now.
Are folks sending feed to be tested???
Wonder if it’s that Binder? {Grrrr}
Wonder what Melamine would do to a horse after digestion. {or any of these other poisons}
And of course it’s Not in the News.
Thanks TC.
June 12th, 2007 at 1:36 am
Homegrown, That CU site is a Wealth of Info! Thank You :-D
June 12th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
YaYa - Took me a minute to track down a board with an actual post from one of the owners (I heard about it on a horse board; the link provided is to another board which I don’t know much about, but bet you could email this person and ask more ?). From what I gathered, the vet is having the food tested and I also guess Tractor Supply, but who knows? This is in Ohio, so that is where Tembec sold the melamine binder to Uniscope, right? I feel pretty unsafe right now, from many directions.
http://mutters.invisionzone.co.....opic=10146
Kent feeds doesn’t have any dealers out where I am, but thanks for that link. My horse is at the end of his Omolene bag, and I just made the executive decision to quit using any grain products for the foreseeable future. We just stacked 4 tons of hay, and am calling to check availability for more, as it is first cutting now here, and I have room. Could be a tricky year, because there quite a bit of rain damage this cutting for certain hay guys who cut at the wrong time.
June 12th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Sounds like a good decision TC with the bagged feed. I know the friend I bought my current horse from had her and the others on Sweet Feed that she had special mixed at the local Mill. Of Coures the horses Luv it ;-) But mine/she has adjusted very well to her bagged Kent after that.
When she was being bred by my friend she got more of the alfalfa for the added protein of course. My friend was pick there too tho wanting the 3rd cutting with the right % of protein. When I moved my horse here I had a hard time find such an alfalfa, but lucked out at a TB farm who grow their own.
Took me a couple month of slow mixing of what’s grown Here with that alfalfa to switch her over entirely.
{had shipped with her, enough for a month to begin with}
Many folks don’t realize you have to really watch switching grain,feed, hay, with Horses closely.
{I always forget- horse can’t? is it Cough or puke? :-P } They get can get colic and colic in a horse Kills.
I’m thinking they can’t Puke, cause my horse has shot/’coughed’ a blob of feed at me when she’s being a PIG and wofin’ it down fast! LOL
Least many other animals can Puke bad stuff up. Or part of it.
I’m Glad to hear they are Testing the bagged feed. Keep a look out for Us! Thanks a Bunch. And thanks for the link too :-)
OH TC, have you ever fed a banana to a Horse? Do you think it’s Ok? {safe?}
I’ve got some that are Too Sweet for me, real yellow, I like them a bit Green still :-p
Thought she might like em!
June 12th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
YaYa - they cannot throw up, so if the bad stuff stays in their gut instead of passing out the other end, they can colic (anything from a mild stomach ache which might go away to violently rolling and causing their intestines to tangle/twist up, and causing their death). These big beasts are actually kind of fragile in some areas, which I always found surprising, but that’s how they are built.
That is why you have to be careful what you put into those tummies! I don’t know about bananas. I do apples and carrots, just because they never give me any issues (colics = spending much vet money). Since the pet food recalls, I buy 25# bags of carrots, making homemade dog stews, human stews & casseroles & freezing some, and giving all the peelings and end pieces to the horses (takes about a week to use them in various things I am cooking).
The only thing I still feed is a supplement, esp. for the selenium, as we live in a selenium deficient area, and one horse actually showed symptoms prior to giving the supplement (the horses don’t seem as affected).
But where does that supplement’s ingredients come from? I am going to email the company. But there is no end to where contaminated ingredients may show up now days.
June 12th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
P.S. I have seen people feed horses all kinds of treats - you name it, I have seen it, and the horses are usually just fine.
This is just me being way careful with an animal that works like a horse:)
June 12th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Oh Yeah! Went through a friends colt with colic and it was the worst thing I/he’d ever been through. Never again.
I did the oil with the Vet for him and everything. The friends had spent alot of money on his breeding and could not stand to watch. Ended up I went out to the big sand arena with him and just rubbed him and talked real gentle to him.
He rolled and rolled. In the end they put him to sleep. It was awful.
Luckly my horse has never coliced. Never want to see that again.
I know bananas are good for the tummy {kids, adults, saw that story here bout the dog and the banana sandwich :-)
I think I’ll give her part of one and see.
Probably will like them cause they are so sweet :-D
Mine is hypothyroid {I supplement} so I should probably look into where it comes from- sheeesh.
They are Huge but Yep, fairly fragile. I am a mother Hawk with her too :-P
March 23rd, 2012 at 2:19 am
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[…]Itchmo: News For Dogs & Cats » Blog Archive » Recall Update: Monday[…]