Pet Food Recall Info

Pet Food Recall 03/30/07 Dry cat food: http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/hills303_07.html ******* the link for the MD science diet recall:  http://www.hillspet.com/menu_foods/Menu_Foods_03302007_en_US.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iva ******* Another recall  http://wbztv.com/topstories/topstories_story_089101540.html  Niki Behrikis Shanahan Author of the following books: The Rainbow Bridge: Pet Loss Is Heaven's Gain ~ E-Book There Is Eternal Life For Animals ~ Your Pet Has A Past, A Present, And A Future! Animal Prayer Guide ~ Prayers To Bless, Heal, And Help Your Pet! For more information, please visit www.eternalanimals.com  www.catwriters.org ******* Melamine video: http://video.ap.org/v/en-ap/fv/fv.htm?g=E2456C82-5C98-47F3-BB86-640816135C45&t=s61&&f=1165353   Sincerely, ~Iva~ ******* Here is the latest Press Release from this morning 11.46 EST. Someone just sent it my way. New news....I think..... .. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Pet-Food-Recall.html?_r=1&oref=s login ******* Click on the heading below to read the latest on contaminants in pet foods.  If you have a pet, it would be wise to read this thoroughly and follow the instructions given. Ellie Waldron President, APLB  http://www.aspca.org/site/R?i=SBfgZHyBmzrh7AXdIWHt5g.. PET FOOD RECALL UPDATE: CONTAMINANTS IN ADDITION TO RAT POISON MAY BE INVOLVED Since the massive pet food recall on March 16, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has been flooded with calls from pet parents and animal professionals alike. Based on data we’ve collected, clinical signs in cats affected by the contaminated foods are not fully consistent with the ingestion of rat poison—suggesting that additional contaminants may be involved.       -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ******* Hi again, Well, the plot thickens. It always does, eh? Now they're saying it's not rat poison after all, but some chemical used in plastics, called melamine. (Anyone remember the old Melmac dishes? The next generation of plastic dishes was actually called Melamine.) Here is a link to read more about this: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070330/ap_on_go_ot/pet_food_recall And a link to a story about switching to organic foods: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070330/ap_on_bi_ge/pet_food_organic Roberta =================================== ******* Contact: Amy Thompson 785-368-5016 Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc. Voluntarily Recalls Single Product, Prescription Diet™ m/d™ Feline Dry Food, Only Product Containing Wheat Gluten Topeka, KS (March 30, 2007) – In accordance with its over-riding commitment to pet health and well-being, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is voluntarily recalling Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food from the market. Hill’s is taking this precautionary action because during a two-month period in early 2007, wheat gluten for this product was provided by a company that also supplied wheat gluten to Menu Foods. U.S. Food and Drug Administration tests of wheat gluten samples from this period show the presence of a small amount of melamine. Prescription Diet m/d Feline Dry represents less than one half of one percent of all Hill’s products. This is the only product Hill’s currently sells in the United States that contains wheat gluten from any supplier. No other Hill’s Prescription Diet® or Science Diet® products are affected by this voluntary recall. Hill’s Science Diet Savory Cuts Feline canned cat foods, manufactured by Menu Foods, were previously withdrawn from the market as a precaution. Together with this earlier withdrawal, less than 1% of all Hill’s products have been affected. The voluntary recall of Hill’s Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food involves discontinuation of all retail sales and product retrieval from sellers. This recall does not include Prescription Diet m/d Feline canned food which contains no wheat gluten. Consumers should stop using this product and return it for a refund. All Hill’s products carry a 100 percent guarantee, and consumers can receive a refund for recalled product. Hill’s expects to resume shipment shortly of a reformulated version of this highly beneficial product that will not contain wheat gluten. Please check with your veterinarian for an alternative Prescription Diet until m/d Feline dry is reformulated and made available again. Following is a list of Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry products included in this recall: Recalled product U.S. & Canada UPC Size Prescription Diet™ m/d™ Feline dry food 52742 42770 (all lot numbers) 4 lb. bag Prescription Diet™ m/d™ Feline dry food 52742 42790 (all lot numbers) 10 lb. bag Hill’s has been fully cooperating with the FDA since the outset of its investigation and made the decision to voluntarily recall these products in consultation with the FDA. We deeply regret any concern that this has caused our valued customers. For more information, consumers can contact the company at 1-800-445-5777 or visit _www.HillsPet.com_ ( http://www.hillspet.com/ ) for details. * * * Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. manufactures Prescription Diet® brand pet foods, therapeutic pet foods available only through veterinarians, and Science Diet® brand pet foods sold through veterinarians and finer pet specialty stores. Founded nearly 60 years ago by one veterinarian’s unique commitment to pet nutrition and well-being, Hill’s has never wavered from their mission to help enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets. Hill ’s produces high-quality, great tasting pet foods, so pet owners can follow the recommendations of the veterinary health care team. This ultimately improves patient health and the health of the practice. Visit HillsVet.com for more information on Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. and Hill’s Evidence-Based Clinical Nutrition™ products. Steve Dale _www.stevedalepetworld.com_ ( http://www.stevedalepetworld.com/) ******* As many of your know, dry foods may now be implied as a concern for pet owners, or not. Aminopterin (the rodenticide previously announced March 23 to be responsible for the tainted food) is no longer being considered by the FDA. Melamine (used in fertilizer in Asia) contained in wheat gluten from China is now being targeted as responsible for the deaths and illness of pets. I attended the press conference - here's much of what was said. _www.stevedalepetworld.com_ ( http://www.stevedalepetworld.com) Rather than hearing from any reporter (including me), hear from the horse's mouth - on my WGN Radio, Sunday night after the 8 p.m (cst). news - Dr. Richard Goldstein, an internal medicine specialist and assistant professor Small Animal Medicine at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine - he's one of the scientistis studying all this. Anyone can listen: _www.wgnradio.com_ ( http://www.wgnradio.com ) and anyone can phone in, 312-591-7200. (We're also talking about dealing with crazy puppies - I think we need some puppy talk right now). Steve Dale _www.stevedalepetworld.com_ ( http://www.stevedalepetworld.com/) ******* http://www.menufoods.com/recall/PRESS%20RELEASE03262007.htm   Sincerely, ~Iva~ ******* 03/23/07 I've been covering this story since last Saturday morning, and have created two articles along with my regular blog coverage. The first is a pet food recall FAQ, which I'm updating regularly, at http://cats.about.com/od/catfoodandnutrition/a/petfoodrecall.htm and the second is a "hub" index of coverage and background, at http://cats.about.com/od/catfoodandnutrition/a/FoodRecallIndex.htm I'll add links to both your articles in the latter today. My own three cats were eating one of the recalled products about 2 weeks ago, and though they seem to be fine now, I'm taking them to the vet next Monday and Tuesday for blood panels. I can sort of relate to the climate of hysteria, but am trying to keep my cool. Franny Syufy _ http://cats.about.com_ (http://cats.about.com) ******* 03/29/07 More nutrition news. Marva Marrow http://tinyurl.com/2ndsr7 Diet Pet Food Warning Associated Press Mar 29, 2007 The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it has issued a warning letter to Iams Co. that says some of its diet pet foods contain an unapproved substance. Eukanuba Veterinary Diets Optimum Weight Control/Canine dry, Optimum Weight Control/Feline dry, Restricted-Calorie/Canine dry and canned, and Restricted-Calorie/Feline dry and canned contain chromium tripicolinate, which is not an approved food supplement, the FDA said. The warning follows a recall of nearly 100 brands of pet food made by Menu Foods after animals suffered kidney failure. That recall included some Iams products made under contract by Menu Foods. Linda Pollack Mercer, M.D. President & Rescue Coordinator CFA Purebred Rescue, Inc., http://cfapurebredrescue.org (501c3) D/B/A Purebred Cat Breed Rescue, http://PurebredCats.org Member, TICA Rescue Committee Director, Operation Noble Foster, http://www.OperationNobleFoster.org Moderator & Owner, The Persian Rescue Email list: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Persian_Rescue/ Phone (rescue emergencies only please): (888) 303-9454 [toll free] Email: < [email protected] >(@purebredcats.org) Any questions or emergencies, call 888-303-9454 toll free ******* Information from the AVMA list of 12 items • On Friday, March 23, 2007 a press release from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets ( www.agmkt.state.ny.us/release ) stated that the New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker and Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Donald F. Smith announced that scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory identified Aminopterin as a toxin present in cat food samples from Menu Foods, the manufacturer of the many brands of dog and cat food that are currently the subject of a nationwide recall. • The Food Laboratory received the pet food samples from a toxicologist at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University, where testing has been underway to try to identify the cause of kidney failure in dogs and cats that consumed the recalled brands of pet food. At Cornell's request, the Food Laboratory tested the samples for poisons and toxins, and identified Aminopterin in the pet food samples at a level of at least 40 parts per million. • Aminopterin is a folic acid inhibitor found in some rodenticides available outside the USA. It is not available in the US as a rodenticide. Aminopterin is a 4-amino analog of folic acid. It was originally used as an antineoplastic agent in the late 1940's but has been superseded by methotrexate, a related but less toxic folic acid analog. At high doses, methotrexate results in acute renal failure and crystalluria due to desposition of 7-hydroxymethotrexate in the renal tubules. Aminopterin toxicity is thought to be similar and dose dependent. • These findings and any relationship to recent pet deaths have not been confirmed by the Food and Drug Administration. An announcement from the FDA is forthcoming. We need to be cautious as the finding of Aminopterin is significant but there could be other compounds yet unknown in the diet as well. • Recommendations for testing animals have essentially not changed. There is no blood test available for Aminopterin. Pets that have eaten the recalled food whether showing signs of illness (lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, etc) or asymptomatic should be seen by their veterinarian and have a complete blood count, biochemistry panel and urinalysis performed. Additional testing may include assessment for significant proteinuria, urine culture, imaging, etc. • Treatment recommendations have not changed. According to Dr. Richard E Goldstein DVM DACVIM DECVIM-CA, Associate Professor of Medicine at Cornell University, azotemic pets should be treated with fluids to promote hydration, and diuresis in order to dissolve and flush out crystals from the tubules. Aminopterin produces crystals within the renal tubules that are most soluble in an alkaline urine pH thus a target urine pH above 7 (achieved with fluid therapy and alkalinizing agents including sodium bicarbonate) might be beneficial in managing these patients. Several medications such as antioxidants and folic acid may be administered but their true beneficial affects are unproven when given long after the initial exposure to the toxin. • Bone-marrow suppression is a concern with any folic acid inhibiting agent and a complete blood cell count should be monitored in these patients as well as renal function. • If a patient with anuric or oliguric acute renal failure is not responding to appropriate therapy, veterinarians should promptly consider contacting a small animal internist with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine ( www.ACVIM.org ) in their local community for case consultation and possible referral. Hemodialysis can be utilized for severely affected patients and is available at a limited number of veterinary teaching hospitals. • Duration of treatment in patients which may have renal failure due to ingestion of the recalled food is unknown at this time and obviously will vary between patients. Long term effects on renal function are unknown but based on limited experience to date, at least partial renal recovery is anticipated. Patients succumbing to illness should be necropsied and tissues saved in formalin for histopathology to determine cause of death. • Samples for histopathology can be submitted to The Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic laboratory ( www.vdpam.iastate.edu ) or The Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) at Cornell University ( www.diag.center.vetcornell.edu). • Samples of the recalled food should be held for possible analysis. Opened food should be disposed of so there is no chance of further consumption. Pet owners can contact the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Consumer Complaint Coordinator at: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html. • The FDA has provided the following case definition for field investigation/cases: veterinary-documented renal failure, necropsy results if animal died, food consumed within 1 week of death (illness), and intact, unopened cans of the food. If veterinarians suspect that a case meets this general case definition, FDA has requested that you contact them at the following e-mail address list end Debbie          *******

Comments

[occulpouTlibgor]

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