Food Recall Information Directly from a Vet - Page 1

I received this from a friend today and a lot of the information we here already know about but I found it interesting what this vet clinic says about home cooked meals and feeding raw. Birdy... Hi Birdy, This is an email we received from our veterinarians, the Westside Family Pet Clinic. In the message are links to two websites that have comprehensive information on the recalls. Dave -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Pet Food Update & Trish McConnell Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:16:05 -0500 From: To: Dear Clients & Friends of WFPC, There have been some recent developments regarding the food recall that we wanted to make you aware of. Recent Developments The following information is from the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) an information service limited to the veterinary profession that we have subscribed to for the past 7 years. We are unable to provide links directly to this site as it is subscriber only and restricted to veterinary professionals, but have provided the highlights for you below. The FDA website that we have been referring you to is still the best for what is happening on the regulatory front. www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html The Menu Foods site is a list of their products that have been recalled--the new list below has foods that were not previously included. Menufoods.com 1) The following foods have recently been recalled and possibly do not show up on the Menu Foods list. Sunshine Mills (recalled April 5, 2007) -Dog Biscuits Nutro Max Cat Gourmet Classics (recalled April 10, 2007) -All Cat Pouch Food Products -Listed Cat 3.0 oz Canned Products -All Dog Pouch Food Products -Listed Dog 12.5 oz Canned Products Medical/Royal Canin Canada (recalled April 10, 2007) -Feline Dissolution Formula Canned Natural Balance Pet Foods (Dick Van Patten's; recalled April 16, 2007) -Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food -Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Food Blue Buffalo Pet Foods (recalled April 18, 2007) -Spa Select: Kitten Dry Food Royal Canin US (recalled April 19, 2007) -Sensible Choice varieties: -Chicken Meal & Rice Formula Senior -Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Puppy -Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Adult -Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Senior -Rice & Catfish Meal Formula Adult -Veterinary Diet varieties: -Canine Early Cardiac EC 22 -Canine Skin Support SS21 -Feline Hypoallergenic HP23 continued-

Page 2 Continued 2) Findings from VIN regarding number of dogs affected The following results were gathered from a survey involving 1415 veterinarians: 512 veterinarians (about 30%) had seen a case of acute renal failure since Dec 2006 481 veterinarians reported seeing cases of renal failure 362 were dogs and 735 were cats for a total of 1097 cases The results show that most veterinarians have seen 1 dog and 1 cat affected. It shows that cats are possibly twice as commonly affected as dogs. It shows that sick pets should be evaluated for other possible underlying causes. 3) What should you feed your pet? DO NOT FEED -Recalled foods with specific listed product codes. AVOID FEEDING -Foods containing wheat gluten, especially if the company does not guarantee that they have investigated the source of their gluten and found no relationship to the implicated gluten source. Some might consider this recommendation "alarmist" but until we know more, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that "wheat gluten" containing products represent a potential risk. · DO FEED -Complete and balanced diets from a major food manufacturer that does not contain wheat gluten. · REMEMBER -There are no guarantees. There are many unanswered questions and at this moment, we base recommendations upon the best available information. -Home cooking for pets is not something to be taken lightly. We encourage you to consult a veterinarian trained in nutrition before considering this as a long-term solution. -Feeding raw food diets is controversial and brings significant concern with ensuring a complete and balanced diet. Also, there are significant risks to human health resulting from exposure of children and adults to improperly prepared and handled raw foods. 4) Which pets should be tested? Currently, it would seem reasonable to test all potentially exposed patients. We do not at this time know how many of the recalled foods are truly a risk so we feel it would be in any exposed pet's best interests to be tested. Also, ANY pet with clinical signs (i.e. increased water intake, lethargy, lack of appetite) suggestive of kidney disease should be tested regardless of known exposure. 5) What can we do for you and your pet? 1) Keep you informed. 2) Test your pet if you have any concerns. 3) Veterinarians & Staff of WFPC will stay informed on food quality and safety issues. Dr. Lambrecht presented a "Food Safety & Quality" presentation to clients & dog business owners in April (can be re-presented to groups of 10 or more upon request). He has been in contact with veterinarians at Hills & Nutramax for more information regarding quality & safety issues He will attend a Natural & Organic Foods Convention in Chicago (that will include dog and cat foods). 6) What can we do together? Share information--thank you to our very dedicated clients for sharing all of the great websites & updates! Keep the focus on scientifically proven ingredients. Demand more quality control in the future for our pets (and our food sources). Continuing education to staff regarding food safety and quality issues. Maintain perspective (only 1% of pet foods produced have been recalled). Westside Family Pet Clinic 643 Struck Street Madison, WI 53719 (608) 271-5277

I'm just waiting to hear that the two bags of Royal Canin German Shepherd I fed half my dogs last month has been recalled... Scary stuff. SS

There are very few vets who can even comprehend of feeding raw.. I do agree that a vet who trained in the area of nutrition would be the one to consult and that would be the one who would understand what raw feeding is..not one who was trained in Hills Science Diet!! Please do not ever believe that the bag of whatever you have there is complete and balanced for the life of your dog or any other animal.. those feeding studies are conducted for 6 months and if nobody dies they call them successful!! Meals must be balanced over time and that is whats important.. even we don't eat completely balanced in each meal.. it's over time.... If your dog had to feed itself, it would find the kind of food its body needed as it needed it.... How ridiculous that someone would think we are not smart enough to control h ow we feed our dogs and the disease thing?? Give me a break.. it is important to be careful, wash hands and utensils, use stainless bowls.... your kid probably gets more germs from the bathroom doorhandle at school or the doctors office than your cleaned kitchen!!

DKiah my sentiments exactly. How in one statement they can talk about all these contaminated dog foods killing pets and then say to be careful about homecooked or RAW diets! At least I know I didn't feed any chemicals to my dogs but I guess nobody knows for sure "all" the ingredients in dog food! At least I never saw melamine on any ingredient list.

No kidding, that just drives me me nuts!!