What's Killing Our Pets

[5CatMom]

The PET FOOD RECALL of 2007 began because pets were sick and many had died.  The offical explanation was that pet food was contaminated with melamine and cyanuric acid.

This official explanation wanted us to believe that if melamine and cyanuric acid could be eliminated from pet food, the pet food supply would be "safe".

However, questions continue to be raised concerning the safety of US pet food.  Pet owners have submitted foods samples to testing labs, and lab reports indicate the presence of cyanuric acid, acetaminophen, and/or melamine.

See the results of food testing at Pet Food Products Safety Alliance:
http://www.pfpsa.org/news.html

In April 2007, Darling National, LLC, a rendering company in Wichita, Kansas, recalled 682,600 lbs of dry rendered tankage due to melamine contamination.  Dry rendered tankage (also known as "crax") can be used as a filler in low cost pet food.  

Although some US pet food companies are now testing for melamine, the threat is not over.  Pet owners are concerned about the LONG TERM effects of feeding food that may be contaminated with low level toxins, and food that may have poor nutritional value.  

Consequently, pet owners are developing new diet strategies and making new food choices.  Real Food, either raw or home cooked, is now on the menu for many pets.  

Is the pet food supply contaminated with low levels of toxins?  Are pet food nutrients inadequate?

There seems to be waaaay too much cancer, GI, liver and kidney disease in pets.

WHAT'S KILLING OUR PETS?  


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Cathy Brown re:  Asia Recall of 2004
http://jvdi.org/cgi/content/full/19/5/525


New York Laboratories Identify Toxin [Aminopterin] in Recalled Pet Food
http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/AD/release.asp?ReleaseID=1598

FDA report shows how company [Diamond] missed toxin that killed dogs
http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/mar06/060315b.asp

The 2006 Aflatoxin Recall
Dogs keep dying: Too many owners remain unaware of toxic dog food
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Jan06/dogs.dying.ssl.html

US House Subcommitte on Oversight and Investigations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F3sXXwSVWE&mode=related&search=

Harvard Law School Student, Re:  Pet Food Industry
http://leda.law.harvard.edu/leda/data/784/Patrick06.html

Chronic Heavy Metal Poisoning - Silent Killer in Pets, Dr. Gloria Todd
http://www.byregion.net/articles-healers/HeavyMetal_Pets.html

The Dog Food Project's Ingredients to Avoid
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

Animal Protection Institute:  Get the Facts:  What's Really in Pet Food
http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1

May 10, 2007:  USA Today:  Pet food probe: Who was watching suppliers?  
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/2007-05-10-pet-food-cover-usat_N.htm

March 17, 2008:  A year after pet food recall, still buyer beware
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23505218/

May 12, 2008:  Anatomy of a Pet Food Catastrophy
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/86/8619sci3.html

May 13, 2008:  Another website dedicated to victims:
http://www.petfoodnightmares.com/

August 19, 2008:  See Food Testing Results at Pet Food Products Safety Alliance
http://www.pfpsa.org/news.html

August 20, 2008:  Dr. Michael W. Fox:  Why Most Manufacturered Pet Foods Should Not Be Fed to Dogs & Cats
http://tedeboy.tripod.com/drmichaelwfox/id81.html
 

[5CatMom]

For the past two years, I've researched this subject.

To save starting so many topics, I'll post new info here.  Some of it may seem unrelated 'cause it includes thoughts, theories and brainstorming - but there's a method to the madness.

All comments welcome!

5CatMom
₌^..^₌  

[coontuffy]

5CatMom........not madness.

Just you contributing more valuable information to a very valuable site.

Thank you to you and all others who work so hard to help us protect our furkids and ourselves.

[Bonkers]

 Just wanted to add that in the years 1998 and 2000, a few brands of dog foods, including Nutro (in 1998), were found by the FDA to contain pentobarbital residue. The cause of which has never been determined.   http://www.fda.gov/cvm/FOI/DFappend.htm                                                         http://www.fda.gov/cvm/FOI/dfchart.htm

[5CatMom]

Coontuffy,

It's very much a group effort.  Those combined efforts are sooo important.

A good example - all those 800 pet owners who contacted Consumer Affairs.  The FDA can dismiss one, but not 800.  LOL, even though they'd like to.

[5CatMom]

That's as far back as my memory goes.  Wonder if there were even earlier problems?

Just wanted to add that in the years 1998 and 2000, a few brands of dog foods, including Nutro (in 1998), were found by the FDA to contain pentobarbital residue. The cause of which has never been determined.   http://www.fda.gov/cvm/FOI/DFappend.htm                                                         http://www.fda.gov/cvm/FOI/dfchart.htm

[GreyGhost]

It makes me think the problems have been there all along.

[5CatMom]

Here’s an update from PFPSA.

PFPSA has been testing food for 2 years. If you’d like to help the testing effort, please go to http://www.pfpsa.org/news.html

Indeed, who will guard us from the guardians?

Well said, my friend.

“May 26, 2009: What a difference an international border makes! The European Union sets a maximum of 250 ppm zinc in all animal foods, with a recommended maximum of 150 ppm (mg/kg). (Scroll down to page 43) Compare that to the AAFCO maximum of 1,000 ppm in dog food and 2,000 ppm in cat food. By any measure of such things, the EU is light years ahead of the US in food safety. It makes a difference when food safety is regulated by industry lobbyists versus responsible professionals who recognize the fact they may have to consume the products they regulate.

Most of us remember the deadly pet food recalls of 2007. What few pet owners realize, however, is that AAFCO aggressively lobbied for allowing nonprotein nitrogen in pet food and in fact was able to slip the allowance past numerous state legislatures, including Washington State. By AAFCO standards, melamine and cyanuric acid in pet food was nothing more than a labeling violation, as AAFCO sees nothing wrong with including those substances in pet food at up to 1.25%. Using cyanuric acid, for example, by AAFCO standards, would allow 5,875 ppm cyanuric acid content in pet food, provided the label included a decidedly deceptive disclaimer of “This includes not more than 1.25% equivalent crude protein, which is not nutritionally available as protein”. The reckless and incompetent disregard for pet food safety by AAFCO is monumentally staggering. In one study, as little as 30 mg/kg day destroyed the kidneys of lab animals in six months. As an ancient Roman once said, “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” Who will guard us from the guardians?”

http://www.pfpsa.org/news.html

[Hannie]

I think the problems with commercial food have been going on for a lot longer than anyone cares to admit. 

A lot of disease & death in the past would never have been attributed to any kind of toxins in pet food.  I mean, who would ever think about that?  I hate to sound like a dummy but it's the last thing I would've thought of......I mean really!

Once the rolling recalls were in full swing, my mind wandered back to a lot of things that happened in the past.  Now I believe it's been going on for a very long time.  I just think, because they got away with it for so long, they got careless & allowed either a lot more or substances that they were unsure about (as to a dog or cat's reaction to it).  How sad to even be thinking this way.  Shows how much I trust them.....& I don't think I'm alone in my thinking.

I hate to think that any human being would put profits ahead of the health & welfare of other living things but now that our food has become unsafe, it certainly seems that they just don't care......about animals or other people.  This is just one person's opinion but it's a very scary thought.

I just hope they sleep well.....

[kaffe]

May I contribute to this thread, 5Cat? 

[Bonkers]

I think the problems with commercial food have been going on for a lot longer than anyone cares to admit. 

A lot of disease & death in the past would never have been attributed to any kind of toxins in pet food.  I mean, who would ever think about that?  I hate to sound like a dummy but it's the last thing I would've thought of......I mean really!

Once the rolling recalls were in full swing, my mind wandered back to a lot of things that happened in the past.  Now I believe it's been going on for a very long time.  I just think, because they got away with it for so long, they got careless & allowed either a lot more or substances that they were unsure about (as to a dog or cat's reaction to it).  How sad to even be thinking this way.  Shows how much I trust them.....& I don't think I'm alone in my thinking.

I hate to think that any human being would put profits ahead of the health & welfare of other living things but now that our food has become unsafe, it certainly seems that they just don't care......about animals or other people.  This is just one person's opinion but it's a very scary thought.

I just hope they sleep well.....

  You are most likely correct Hannie. The same could probably be said for processed food for people also. And you do not sound like a dummy. Too often people do not make the connection between food and illness, especially for pets. I believe pets are more suseptible because of their size. Just read Angel Persephone's post at The Pet Food List blog. Very sad but very common prior and during the recalls of 2007. Pet owners who experienced that tragedy first hand will always be leary of the food they feed. Others seem to just not make the connection. I'm sure the PFI has been careless for a very long time, they just never got caught.

[Perseus]

I just hope they sleep well.....

Oh, I have a feeling they sleep just fine.  But there's still a heaven and a hell to deal with....

[Perseus]

May I contribute to this thread, 5Cat? 

Permission to post?  Kaffe, am I missing something here?

[kaffe]

hee hee hee

Hi there Perseus!  Been away toooo long, I guess... anyway, this is what I've been dying to post, written by Dr. Wysong (who owns the Wysong brand of petfood):

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Myth-of-100%-Complete-Processed-Pet-Foods&id=45992

The interesting part of his article is this:

"For the past 25 years I have been a lonely voice in the wilderness trying to get people to understand the deadly health consequences of feeding processed pet foods exclusively. People want convenience in a bag and the industry wants the flow of billions to continue uninterrupted. In the meantime the scientific literature offers compelling proof that millions of animals have been maimed and died as a result of feeding thoroughly tested “100% complete” foods with the full imprimatur of government regulation. (Exactly the same thing that abounds in the FDA-pharmaceutical industry.) Examples of pet food disasters include dilated cardiomyopathy from taurine deficiency, potassium imbalances, fatty acid and carnitine deficiencies and numerous other problems that would be expected on a steady diet of dead, devitalized, carbohydrate-based processed foods. Moreover, the whole panoply of human chronic degenerative diseases such as cancer, obesity, arthritis, autoimmunities, dental deterioration and organ failure are at epidemic levels in the pet population … as should be expected on such a diet."

[Bonkers]

That's as far back as my memory goes.  Wonder if there were even earlier problems?

Just wanted to add that in the years 1998 and 2000, a few brands of dog foods, including Nutro (in 1998), were found by the FDA to contain pentobarbital residue. The cause of which has never been determined.   http://www.fda.gov/cvm/FOI/DFappend.htm                                                         http://www.fda.gov/cvm/FOI/dfchart.htm

I am sure there were 5cat. But unfortunately there is no way to know for certain.      That is unless you or someone else is able to dig something up.