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Post by Nicole on Mar 17, 2007 10:40:13 GMT -5
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Post by willow on Mar 17, 2007 12:20:54 GMT -5
It makes me just furious that this happens! If I am understanding correctly, the dry foods are not affected....just canned or pouched foods, right?
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Post by Nicole on Mar 17, 2007 15:02:36 GMT -5
If I am understanding correctly, the dry foods are not affected....just canned or pouched foods, right? Yes it seems so at least for the time being anyway. From what I am reading, wheat gluten is used as a protein source (in the "flavored" foods that have no actual real meat or have very very little) and also it acts as a glue in the wet chunk and canned foods to make the garbage product stick together so that it actually looks like a chunk of meat when in fact the chunk is not a meat product at all. I think Purina has recalled only Mighty Dog pouches. Hills Science Diet has also recalled some food because they bought their wheat gluten from the same manufacturer. In the end, I think this is going to be huge and I can only hope that this forces the makers to use better ingredients and test the ingredients before it is put in the food. But that cost money so I won't hold my breath. The president of the involved manufacturer says we are now going to test our ingredients and finished product. Why does it take such a catastrophe for them to do this. It should be common practice and it is with many of the premium food manufacturers.
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Post by willow on Mar 22, 2007 7:38:21 GMT -5
This is really weird! The food manufacturer is saying they can't find anything in the food. I am wondering if it could be something else, like in a vaccination or flea/tick preventative?
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Post by Nicole on Mar 22, 2007 20:38:25 GMT -5
The more I read, the more horrifying and nauseating this whole situation is. The 10 confirmed dead were animals that the company fed its food to during testing and they died. They were hoping that people would say oh just 10 dead, no big deal. But reported illnesses and deaths which aren’t “confirmed” (no recall numbers because cans thrown away, pets dying before the recall, no necropsy) is now around 1,700. Of those around 850 are dead. Of those dead, it is 500 cats and 455 dogs. These are self reported cases with recall numbers and a vet reference but you know the company will not acknowledge a link. This is reported to one site so I am sure the actual numbers are higher. That they can’t find the offending ingredient is alarming because that leaves open the possibility that it could be anything in the food from various suppliers and that it could be in other foods not recalled as well. It could be in any food. But it does seem to be the food as opposed to some other product. It also allows them to minimize their liability...if you can’t prove what caused it you are out of luck. Delaying the recall by almost a month also makes sure that most of the offending cans are already in the landfill so how can you prove you fed the food. They got complaints beginning in December. Then reports of deaths on February 20, 2007. They didn’t test until February 27. They tested by feeding dogs and cats the food (they claim it was a quarterly taste test and that they did not deliberately feed tainted food...yeah right ) and this is where they got the 10 confirmed dead from. They didn’t recall until March 16. Then they reported it on a Friday night as a business press release like some electronic is being recalled hoping that by Monday the story would be dead. But it isn’t by a long shot. I am a bit surprised that of the 600 plus members we have here that no one but you and me has a single comment about this. I know we don't generally as a group feed this crap but nothing...not even a oh that is awful or a hey guys, it is time to feed raw. It seems a bit weird to me. It probably shouldn't. I feel sick about this for many reasons and the fact that my neighbors beloved young beauitiful cat was found dead in the morning as a result of this murder by food. And by the way for those who feel safe...Wellness, Innova and many other "premium" brands outsource their wet foods...guess to who...Menufoods. They claim they are not involved in the recall which at this point they are not but new brands are being added daily so we will see in the end what is involved. I wouldn't feed any canned right now at all. My heart goes out to all of the deceased pets and also the ones that survived that will have to live the rest of their lives coping with renal failure issues.
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Post by willow on Mar 23, 2007 9:17:48 GMT -5
Thank you for the posts. I have not been able to follow all the news reports on this. It has been busy here...spring is here and people are getting restless and wanting to move....which means our house is being shown. Anyway, I wasn't aware of what you said about the manufacturer! All I have heard on the news is that animals are dying, but the manufacturer says they tested for mold and metal contamination and have not found anything. I did hear that about even the "premium" brands coming from this manufacturer and not being any safer than the cheap brands. Normally I would take this opportunity to remind every one that raw is best, but even that is not perfect unless you can feed organic, because of all the chemicals, hormones etc. in meat/poultry. I don't know if that is the reason, but Kara is unable to eat raw beef now and gets really sick from it. She can, however, tolerate beef/rice kibble. Go figure. As to no one commenting on this thread...that seems to be the way now of all threads. I think the "short bussers" have moved on to other sites and only pop in occassionally here to see what is going on. I have often wondered why, with so many member's now, there is so little "traffic" here? I keep trying to "beat a dead horse" and get a discussion going from time to time, and I know it's all been said before and is probably boring to everyone, but I hate to give up. I have also entertained the possibility that if I no longer post here, things will pick up. It seems to be that way and pick up if I don't post for awhile, but as I said, I don't like to give up. I think it's time to "bury the dead horse", at least as far as my posting here anymore goes.
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Post by sibemom on Mar 23, 2007 14:27:11 GMT -5
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Post by Nicole on Mar 23, 2007 16:38:32 GMT -5
They found that the toxin is rat poison in wheat imported from China. The chemical is illegal in the US and is used as a chemotherapy agent. I won't get into China's agriculture practices which are disgusting. Why would a company buy wheat from China? We have wheat. Because it is cheap!!
So it is not just wheat gluten but wheat. And menu bought it from a third party supplier. So until they figure out where all the wheat went and that this toxin is the only problem I wouldn't feed any food with wheat, dry or canned. There are reports of animals getting sick and dying from foods not on the recall. It just isn't reported by the news. You have to read the websites. I don't think that in the end this will be limited to the recall. What about the foods manufactured at the plant not on the recall that have no wheat. How can we be sure that the food wasn't contaminated during processing from remnants of rat poison. It is sick.
Loey, I agree with you. From Websters: Apathy: a psychological term for a state of indifference — where an individual is unresponsive or "indifferent" to aspects of emotional, social, or physical life.
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Post by Dom on Mar 23, 2007 16:44:35 GMT -5
I just heard about the rat poison myself. Well back to Sadie's Raw diet.....
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Post by sibemom on Mar 23, 2007 16:56:35 GMT -5
We must have ESP Nicki I just talked to the owner of where I now buy my dog food, and he just told me that. He said even though is says made in the USA they buy the wheat from China. I am very glad there is no wheat glutin in the dry, and he said his distributor gauranteed that the dry is SAFE WHEWWWWW!
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Post by sibemom on Mar 23, 2007 17:01:50 GMT -5
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Post by Dom on Mar 23, 2007 17:26:57 GMT -5
I didn't post here after you made the original post because you pretty much covered everything. Links and all! I am glad you posted though. I didn't hear anything about it in the news till Tuesday. I had told everyone I knew after seeing it here. My husband was very upset and tossed out all the canned. I am glad he did because even though the brand I had wasn't on the list, it did have wheat gluten in it. He said I have to open up the " doggie diner" and start feeding more raw again. I must say I didn't read up on it. We recently had a peanut butter recall and all of those jars in the house were tossed out as well. I am really surprised at how the company handled everything. Well surprised isn't the right word....I am infuriated! I am even more upset about how our local stores handled the recall. Foodlion hadn't pulled any of the canned food off their shelves until late this week. Even now, the only food that is pulled is their brand which I noticed today. Everything was pulled during the peanut butter recall. Now the only question I have is...should I be worried about what Sadie and Elsie have already eaten? I am not sure if the poisoning happens gradually or should I know almost immediately after they ate a tainted can or two?
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Post by Nicole on Mar 23, 2007 17:46:35 GMT -5
Dom, if the dogs ate recalled food I would have them blood tested. They will test the BUN level to see if there are any kidney issues. If the food isn't recalled but taken off as a precautionary measure, then it is really up to you. Some animals don't show symptoms and some do right away so i really don't know what to suggest. If the failure is caught early it can be treated with IV fluids. If Sunny hadn't just had a blood test last week for his follow up and even though I feed nothing with wheat except some of his treats, I would have him tested because when he was in the vet for his neck and they decided not to resuture under anesthesia they fed him because he hadn't eaten. And they fed him Iams which is recalled. But even without that I think I would test just so that I am not watching his every breath every second of the day!! What kind of food was it that you had. Ann, menufoods makes all Nutro brand wet food and it is on the recall. Alot of animals have gotten sick and died from this brand of wet.
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Post by Nicole on Mar 23, 2007 18:20:02 GMT -5
And Ann just so there is no confusion, you called the food Nutra Max, but it is Nutro Max and as I said all Nutro wet is manufactured by menufoods and recalled. Is there another food called Nutra Max? I don't think so. But there is a nutrisource which is not nutro.
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Post by sibemom on Mar 23, 2007 18:24:31 GMT -5
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