Dog Food Recalls

Avoid The Dog Pounds

2008-03-28T03:32:00.000-04:00

Your dog may be overweight - and you may not realize it.

That lack of awareness could jeopardize the health of your favorite four-legged friend.

To help combat canine obesity, Pfizer Animal Health has joined forces with the American Kennel Club Humane Fund and veterinarians across the country to launch The National Canine Weight Check, a free and simple way to find out whether your dog is overweight.

To get a realistic picture of your dog's health, you can take your dog to participating veterinary clinics throughout February for a free weight check.

Numerous local veterinarians are participating, so go to www.stopcanineobesity.com to find the one nearest to you.

The Van Dyke Animal Clinic, at 6066 Van Dyke Road, is among those taking part.

Prosthesis provides mobility for puppy born with only two legs

2008-03-21T19:10:00.000-04:00

For a two-legged puppy, Hope gets around.

The sprightly Maltese can bounce across a room at a break-neck pace. Rounding her small back, she uses her hind legs to propel her body forward onto her chest, which has small wriggling nubs where her front legs should be.

“She gets around fine,” said the puppy’s rehabilitation specialist, Cassy Englert of River Veterinary Emergency Clinic on Amnicola Highway. “She never knew anything other than hopping like she did. ... The hardest thing is teaching her a new way to get around that’s going to actually be better for her.”

A Chattanooga orthotist with Dynamic Prosthetic & Orthotic on McCallie Avenue created a device he hoped would give Hope a more normal gait.

“Once she quits growing and gets to her full size, she will need another one,” local orthotist David Turnbill said. “Prosthetic care is an ongoing cycle.”

Good dog! Have a treat at Just Dogs! Gourmet

2008-03-13T02:57:00.001-04:00

At Just Dogs! Gourmet in Randolph, the proprietor is Elvine Tsang, self-proclaimed dogaholic. The quality control supervisors are Sydney, 6, and Ada, 4. They are German pinschers.

"I don't sell anything Sydney and Ada don't like," said Tsang, originally from Thailand.

The shop, which carries dozens of fun items from dog spa products and designer pet tags to easy-walk harnesses and rhinestone starlet necklaces, is mostly about healthy dog food. Customer traffic has been brisk at the 2-month-old Route 10 location.

"After last year's recall of pet food made with ingredients imported from China, dog owners are more educated," said the 34-year-old Tsang, who opened the shop of her dreams after downsizing ended a 10-year career in corporate graphic design. "Today people ask me where our products are made -- here or abroad."

The answer is "here." To be precise, the company makes its own treats in its Pennsylvania "barkery" using human grade ingredients in a facility inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Ask AP: Product Recalls, Obama's Faith

2008-03-02T00:52:00.002-05:00

You've just gotten word of a product recall, so you grab the offending toy _ or packet of meat, or can of dog food _ and bring it back to the store.

What happens next? What does the future hold for a turkey sausage deemed unfit for human consumption?

That's one of the four questions being answered in this installment of "Ask AP," a weekly Q&A column where AP journalists respond to readers' questions about the news.

If you have your own news-related question that you'd like to see answered by an AP reporter or editor, send it to newsquestions@ap.org, with "Ask AP" in the subject line.

___

What becomes of all the recalled poisonous pet food, lead-tainted toys and antifreeze-flavored toothpaste? Are they incinerated? Buried?

New Website Focuses On Animal Charities and Safe Pet Food Shopping

2008-02-18T17:59:00.002-05:00

Pet Commerce Direct launches the Animal Shelter Store, designed exclusively for animal shelters and rescues to use as an online fundraising program. The Animal Shelter Store marketplace features more than 600 recall-free pet foods, treats, vitamins and natural remedies.

Germantown, NY (PRWEB) February 7, 2008 -- Pet Commerce Direct, a New York LLC, has launched the Animal Shelter Store, the first of three unique programs created exclusively to enhance online fundraising and increase donations for animal shelters and rescues.

The first program released February 1, 2008 is the Animal Shelter Store.com, which features more than 600 dog and cat recall-free food, treats, vitamins and natural remedies. None of the companies listed in the store are contained in the FDA's January 2008 updated list of companies who were part of the 2007-2008 recall.

U.S., Chinese companies charged in pet food case

2008-02-13T02:42:00.002-05:00

A U.S. company, ChemNutra Inc., and two Chinese businesses were charged by a federal grand jury with manufacturing and importing tainted ingredients used in pet food that may have killed thousands of cats and dogs last year.

Top executives from the companies were also indicted. The U.S. accused them of importing 800 metric tons of wheat gluten poisoned with melamine, an unsafe food additive.

The shipments were mislabeled to avoid inspection in China, prosecutors said.

Last March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was alerted to the deaths of 14 cats and dogs that appeared to suffer from kidney failure after eating.

Ultimately, manufacturers recalled more than 150 brands of dog and cat food.

Consumer reports received by the FDA suggested about 1,950 cats and 2,200 dogs died after eating contaminated pet food, the Justice Department said.

It's Back to Business as Usual !

2007-06-28T17:55:00.000-04:00

It seems too quick to get back to business as usual. We’d rather hear that Diamond is helping people with their veterinary bills or starting a program to help people overcome their grief and anger. We’d prefer that the prize isn’t dog food, but some more compassion and understanding.

More on this story here.

That shows how most of these commercial dog food manufacturers just think and care for their profits and not for their customers.But we cannot forget the agony most dog owners had to go through and the grief for those who lost their beloved pets.
This last dog food recall should be a wake up call on how dog owners should be vigilant in what they feed their dogs.

Check out the best online dog food tips and ensure you feed your dog with healthy homemade dog food which are provided with ready recipes for easy cooking. Frequently pass by here to keep informed on any dog food recall news.

Avoid feeding your dog these foodstuff!

2007-06-23T17:19:00.002-04:00

What's good for you is not always good for Fido or Boots. Here are some foods to avoid putting in the food bowls:

Potato, rhubarb, tomato and potato leaves and stems contain oxalates, which can affect the digestive, nervous and urinary systems.

Macadamia nuts, moldy or spoiled food and mushrooms have toxins in them that can be fatal to our four-legged friends.

Grapes and raisins have an unknown toxin that can cause kidney damage.

Chocolate contains theobromine, which can cause a dog's heart to fatally increase or beat irregularly. Dogs will eat chocolate, but it's unlikely that a cat would swallow it.

Garlic, onions and onion powder can be fatal because of the sulfoxides and disulfides that can damage the red blood cells. Also avoid feeding your pet baby food, which contains these substances.
The above list of foods to avoid feeding your dog was published here in an article on how pet owners are now preparing for their pets homemade food.

Visit the Best Online Dog Food Tips for your homemade dog food recipes.

Fifth Contaminant Discovered in Dog Food Samples !

2007-06-07T13:44:00.001-04:00

Another dog food recall due to Salmonella.
Doane Pet Care a Virginia company is recalling their dry dog food that they had sold to Walmart.They claim that the dog food may be contaminated with salmonella.There has not been any fatality reported and they have pointed out that this recall is not connected to the recent national pet food recall.

In yet another shocking story was the discovery of pain reliever acetaminophen in some dog food samples.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating a Texas laboratory's finding of acetaminophen in dog and cat food, an agency spokesman said.
The pain medication is the fifth contaminant found in pet foods during the past 2 1/2 months and can be toxic or lethal to pets, especially cats. It is not known if any animals became sick with acetaminophen poisoning, or died from it.

Be on the safe side and feed your dog healthy homemade dog food recipes which are readily available and easy to prepare.

Will the pet food recall ever end?

2007-05-23T06:19:00.000-04:00

The dry dog food Nutra Nuggets, made by Diamond Pet Foods of Meta, Missouri has been recalled after samples have tested positive for melamine. Melamine is a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers. It is not approved for use in human or pet food. A veterinary in Visalia, California became suspicious of the dog food after four of his client's dogs went into kidney failure. After some investigation he was able to find that all these dogs were fed with Nutra Nuggets dry food which had been bought from the same Costco store in Visalia, California sometime in mid April. The doctor had the dog food tested and those samples tested positive for melamine.

One dog owner from La Fontaine, Indiana, says her two dogs became sick twice after eating Diamond’s Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul. When asked if she could feed her dogs with commercial dog food she emphatically said No! Her advice is for dog owners to cook their own dog food.

This recall comes only days after another pet food manufacturer Chenango Valley Pet Foods had recalled more of their pet food to include those pet foods that do not contain rice protein concentrate but were manufactured during periods when rice protein concentrate formulas were processed to avoid cross-contamination.

The pet food industry through the Pet Food Institute have formed the National Pet Food Commission to investigate the cause of the current pet food recall and come up with recommendations for the industry.

We hope Pet Food Institute will get to the root of this matter but in the meantime your best solution is to prepare food for your dog.
Check this website for healthy homemade dog food recipes.

The New Pet Food Commission

2007-05-19T06:48:00.001-04:00

The Pet Food Institute has formed the National Pet Food Commission, an industry-government partnership composed of government officials, veterinarians, toxicologists and food scientists who are committed to maintaining and enhancing the high standards we have set in this country that protect our pets.

The purpose of the new commission is two-fold: 1)To investigate the cause of the current pet food recall, and 2) To recommend steps the industry and government should take to further build on safety and quality standards already in place. [read more on PFI's consumer site, PetFoodReport.com...]

Visit us for more updates on dog food recalls and also for dog food tips.

Stop Feeding Your Dog These Commercial Dog Food !

2007-05-17T14:56:00.000-04:00

Are you still feeding your dog with these commercial dog food ?
Stop it Now!
Two days ago Royal Canin recalled an additional fifteen varieties of dry dog food and one additional variety of dry cat food.The company,headquartered in Aimargues in southern France, said it found trace amounts of an industrial chemical in a vegetable protein used in the products.
Another company Costco’s has also recalled their “Kirkland Signature Lamb and Rice canned dog food” because it may contain melamine, an industrial chemical that was found in other recently recalled pet foods.

Consumers should stop using these products with immediate effect.This nationwide pet food recall crisis should be a wake up call which dog owners must take seriously and seek alternative sources for their dog food.
Many owners are under the impression that preparing dog food is laborious and expensive.But that is not so.Dog owners are changing the way they prepare their dog food by making healthy meals at home.

Most of these recipes can be made in only 30 minutes and are affordable.One of the greatest advantage is the definite visible changes in the animal with the dog coat skin shining and the dog being more active after feeding them these homemade dog food recipes.

Pet food recall drives natural pet food sales up!

2007-05-06T16:50:00.000-04:00

"All Natural Pet" in Vancouver was packed with dogs and their owners.

Natural food sales were up nearly forty-percent in the six weeks since the first Nationwide Pet Food Recall was announced in March.
This is what Dr. Bob Ulbrich, VMD had to say "we've been recommending raw foods for a long time for general health. Now with the pet food recall, there's an extra reason, because of the fact you don't know exactly what's going in the foods."
For the rest of the article click here.

Now, the best recipes and techniques... can be found in this condensed, practical, complete and immediately exploitable ebook "Healthy Food for Dogs: Homemade Recipes" available for immediate download!

Vet calming pet owners after food recall

2007-05-06T16:20:00.000-04:00

Ahwatukee veterinarian Alex MacKenzie is almost as busy calming worried pet owners as he is treating their pets in the wake of the recent pet food recall.

"In general, what we're seeing is a lot of concern from people about the quality of their pet food," said MacKenzie, of Foothills Animal Hospital.

The concern follows the recall of about 100 brands of dog and cat food thought to be contaminated with melamine, a chemical used for industrial purposes and, when ingested, causes kidney failure in some animals, particularly cats.
Read the rest of the article Here for the telltale signs to look out for in your pets.

In the wake of the scare, some pet owners have decided to make their own dog and cat food.
John Miller, professional dog-fancier, reveals his Secret Recipes.
I invite you to Download over 240 dog food recipes.

What to Do With Recalled Pet Food

2007-05-01T10:31:00.000-04:00

Do NOT feed the recalled pet food to your animals. Return the pet food to the store where you purchased it and ask for a refund. If you cannot return the pet food immediately, store it in a secure place where pets and children cannot get to it.

Signs to Look For in Your Pet

Pet owners should be alert to signs of kidney illness, such as:

* loss of appetite
* weakness or lack of energy
* vomiting

If your pet shows any of these signs, call your veterinarian.

How to Report a Reaction to a Pet Food

Call the FDA consumer complaint coordinator for your geographic area. To find your coordinator, visit: FDA Website. Try to have the following information available before calling:

* Brand name, lot numbers, and UPC code for the pet food fed to your dog or cat when it was ill. A lot number is typically stamped on the bag/pouch or on the can lid. Lot numbers usually consist of a series of letters and numbers.
* If your pet received treatment by a veterinarian, his/her name, address, and telephone number
* Date illness first noticed
* Signs displayed
* Any veterinary reports available.

We have found over 250 homemade dog food recipes which we recommend you make for your dog to be sure you are giving him or her healthy food.

Updates On Pet Food Recalls

2007-04-30T05:36:00.000-04:00

The FDA is following a theory that the imported ingredient used in the recently recalled pet food may have been intentionally spiked with an industrial chemical to enhance their protein content.A second pet food ingredient rice protein concentrate have now been found to be contaminated with melamine together with the previous ingredient of wheat gluten. With this new theory the list of pet food to be recalled continues to grow. The FDA have already received more than 14,000 reports of pet illness with 16 deaths confirmed,though the number could end up being higher.
A complete list of recalled pet food can be viewed at www.fda.gov.

The situation is getting rather worrying for pet owners and there is an urgent need to look into alternative sources of dog food and avoid buying the processed food.The best food we can give our pets is one which we have made ourselves.

Check out this websites and discover over 180 delicious gourmet dog recipes which are fast and easy and yet won't cost you an arm and a leg to make.

If you want frequent updates on the pet food recalls then visit http://alldogfoodrecalls.blogspot.com/ and http://www.squidoo.com/dogfoodtraining often.

Recall of pet and dog food could expand

2007-04-27T07:30:00.000-04:00

According to an article in USA Today more pet-food makers could join the four that have already recalled cat and dog food which set off a panic among pet owners throughout the country.The FDA continues to track where contaminated wheat gluten used in pet food went after it was exported to the USA from China. The contaminant, melamine, is not allowed in food but is used in Asia as a fertilizer, the FDA says.
The number of confirmed pet deaths linked to recalled food remains at roughly 15, but there are unconfirmed reports of many more.This is causing anxiety to many pet owners who are not sure what to pick at the supermarket for their pets.

If you have questions and need to talk to someone, the Menu Foods has a consumer hot line at 1-866-463-6738 and 1-866-895-2708. The FDA is asking those with sick or dead pets to call FDA state complaint coordinators. A list of contacts for such coordinators is available at http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html.

Here is a list of more deadly ingredients to look out for if you have to buy commercial dog food.
Otherwise homemade dog food are simple to make with easy dog food recipes available here.

Click here to see a video on Pet Food Recall Frustrations.

Facts On Pet and Dog Food Recall!

2007-04-27T06:43:00.000-04:00

The Food and Drug Administration has taken action against manufacturers of pet food by recalling more than 100 Brands due to chemically contaminated ingredients.The pet food, tainted with the chemical melamine, apparently has resulted in kidney failure in an unknown number of animals across the country.
The list of tainted canned foods keep increasing every year as more brands are under investigation.More companies have recalled more food and treats with the contaminated ingredient.
A complete list of the recalled products along with product codes, descriptions and production dates is available as reported in the FDA Pet Food Recall
Update of April 26, 2007 here.

What then can we give our dogs which is safe and healthy to avoid poisoning them? One solution is to give them homemade dog food which is relatively simple to make and cheaper too.
Click here for some of our dog food recipes you can make at home.