Author |
Message |
Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Friday, April 13, 2007 - 9:30 am
Yeah, I know. I still worry about Costa, even though if I had fed him "bad" food, it would've been in January (and only one can, but of course, the can got tossed then!).
|
Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Friday, April 13, 2007 - 9:35 am
Worry? I had two cases of Science Diet Select Cuts here when the recall started. Turned out not to be in the original recall, but this is such insanity. We all just want to make sure we are buying "safe" products, and that's like a daily investigation. I love this thread. 
|
Cdbga
Member
10-04-2004
| Friday, April 13, 2007 - 9:58 am
I'm with you all on the worry. I've got 3 cases (not trying to one-up you Bonza!) of Science Diet Canned food in "deep storage" right now, along with tons of Fancy Feast. Even once this is all over, I don't know if I'll feel 100% safe feeding it to them. And I still have the Nutro packs that were on the recall to return. I just read that Menu Foods has expanded the recall a 5th time, but am having a hard time finding any details on it. I will keep trying to get the info and will come back and post later. I'm actually not sure whether this is new or is the expanded list I posted Wednesday. It can be really hard to tell sometimes...and it doesn't seem like Menu is trying to make it very easy for us. Looking at the Cat Food list, it looks like they added/updated the Science Diet Select Cuts (wow, Bonza, you JUST posted about that not being in the recall!). Check the list posted here: Menu Cat Food list to see their whole list OR just go to the Hill's Science Diet List In South Africa, they are reporting 19 cases of Acute Kidney failure in dogs, which I thought was interesting since here it has been a bigger issue with cats.
|
Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Friday, April 13, 2007 - 10:03 am
Cdbga - I accept your "one-up". I tossed those two cases of SD Select Cuts when the original recall began, because all the other foods were "cuts & gravy" style and I could see the writing on the wall. Then it was added. My date codes had been safe ones but I didn't want to take any chances. Now we all know how the recall has grown... and grown. Thank you for all the updates!
|
Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Friday, April 13, 2007 - 4:32 pm
They updated the Pet Pride brand to included Flaked Tuna (dammit, I think I'd been feeding my cats that, too!) as well as the Science Diet Savory Cuts. Those are the two that I'd noticed at another site earlier today. I was on a mission today to find canned food for the kids. Even though I usually use Fancy Feast (which has been safe), I thought I'd look for a few different options. So I bought a couple cans of Wellness, and a can of Brandon Farms Organics (which is made with organic chicken and natural well water!). They get only 1/4 can each every night, but still...
|
Goddessatlaw
Member
07-19-2002
| Friday, April 13, 2007 - 4:51 pm
So far none of my cats' canned or dry foods have been on the list. Nonetheless, they're both going to have to go without canned food from here into the foreseeable future. I can spring for turkey treats from the deli. Other than that, they're out of luck. I'm sure they will thank me later. Or not, I don't care. I can play the mean mommy with the best of them. Both are going to the vet on Monday and I refuse to let them make me feel bad about it. Right.
|
Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Friday, April 13, 2007 - 4:59 pm
i bought all 3 kinds of dry cat food from Trader Joe's - not a one has wheat gluten.
|
Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Friday, April 13, 2007 - 5:13 pm
Unfortunately, I can't forgo canned food. Costa's meds get mixed into a 1/4 of a small can of food each night, for dinner. Kassie gets 1/4, also, so she doesn't feel left out. Since I refuse to "pill" my little man, I'm just gonna have to keep feeding 'em canned food. Most of the food I buy them isn't even a brand on the list (Fancy Feast, Pro Plan), so I'll stick to those brands, plus I'll supplement with the occasional $2/can. Wellness looks pretty good, and it's only $.75/can. We'll see which of the three new foods I bought they like best, and I'll let them decide what they wanna eat. Sometimes, they just don't really like the fancy stuff (I think it was Merrick... they didn't eat that food at all!).
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, April 13, 2007 - 6:56 pm
Costa, I've been using Blue brand Spa Select.. canned and dry the ingredients seem pretty good: Deboned Chicken,Salmon or Lamb Wholsome whole grains Garden veggies & fruit LifeSource Bits (nutreients and antioxidants) All Natural No wheat gluten No animal by-products No corn or soy protein (I think it has brown rice in it) Angelina enjoyed it the last couple of weeks when she couldn't have had THAT much of an appetite. www.feedblue.com I know they have it at PetSmart and Pet Supply (not Petco) but you can get a list online at that site. The Nutro Max dry I was feeding had no wheat gluten.
|
Cdbga
Member
10-04-2004
| Saturday, April 14, 2007 - 2:48 am
Costa, I've been using Brandon's Farm, too. I started with the dry and am trying out the canned now for Naiya. She didn't care at all for the chicken and mackerel, but things went better with the Chicken and Turkey we tried last night. And both girls like the dry (I've been mixing it with the food I'm cooking for Whitney, to gradually get her off the home-cooked and back on the dry stuff, but yesterday, I actually put it in a baggie and used it as a treat when we were out. She seemed as happy with it as she is with any of her treats). I got such a great deal on them, too. For cats, they have the dry in l-lb bags, which are more like a trial size. They sell for $2.99, but all have a $3 coupon on the bag (to use when you buy a larger bag). So, when you use the coupon it is like the small bag was free. Well, Kroger has had those small bags on sale for $2.24, still with the $3 coupon, so it is like I'm coming out 76 cents ahead. I use the small bags for Naiya, then use the coupons on the larger bags for Whitney (because dog food only comes in the larger bags). And the coupons are good through 2008. I've been holding on to all the food I'm not feeding them rather than throwing out. If it does end up on a recall list, then I'll be able to return it and get my money back. I need to do that with the Nutro packs now. I just have a lot of money invested in all that food. I'll be back in a bit with the morning update. So far it looks like I'll just have interesting links, I don't see any recall additions!
|
Cdbga
Member
10-04-2004
| Saturday, April 14, 2007 - 3:50 am
Some links of interest today: Itchmo has published a letter they received from ChemNutra about the Menu Foods timeline. I'm posting a little of it below, but you can find the full timeline here: ChemNutra timeline. February 20, 2007: Menu Foods learns of contamination in pet food (Source: Senate Hearing) March 6, 2007: Menu Foods informs ChemNutra to stop shipments of wheat gluten, ostensibly because of a specification change relating to the water absorption factor. March 8, 2007: Menu Foods informs ChemNutra that wheat gluten was one of many ingredients it was investigating as suspect in cat illnesses. Menu Foods wanted information as to whether XuZhou Anying’s wheat gluten had any of four substances that Menu Foods suspected might cause renal failure: propylene glycol, heavy metals, Ochratoxin or Easter Lily Flower. Menu Foods never asks about melamine. ChemNutra, notwithstanding what it believed to be a remote risk at that time, quarantines all wheat gluten – from all sources -- in its possession. March 16, 2007: Menu Foods issues first product recall and related press release, which does not ID wheat gluten as the primary suspect source. So, for those of you keeping score at home, Menu knew about the pet illnesses 6 days before the CFO sold his stock and a full 24 days before notifying the FDA. They notified ChemNutra that they suspected Wheat Gluten 8 days before notifying the FDA and issuing the recall. I had never put the 2 and 2 together of the manufacturing range of the products stopping March 8. They knew there was enough of a problem to stop using the product, but didn't feel it was important enough to stop selling what they had already produced? Or to notify the public? Yesterday the Pet Food Institute released a statement and Q&A as a response to the Senate Hearing. Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins, who also testified at the Hearing, released this rebuttal to that response: Rebuttal to Pet Food Industry Response to Hearings Held April 12, 2007 -- She is kind of awesome (I'm not posting the original release by the PFI, because a] I can't find it and b]they are a bunch of lying liars who lie...oh, and c]she includes their responses in her's, so you don't really need it)! Also, if you want to watch the Senate hearing, they have the video available here: C-SPAN Senate Hearing Video Okay, once again, I am at work, so I should probably get to work. I'll be back later to post some links.
|
Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Saturday, April 14, 2007 - 3:27 pm
I seem to recall Costa didn't like the Spa Select too well. And since HE is the reason they get canned food... Little brat. I'm trying the Brandon Farms chicken and mackerel tonight. Really weird (me) but I almost always try to get just fish type food for them. So they don't usually eat chicken food, and I dunno how they'll be. Mom's a vegetarian; I wish the monsters were, too! I can't try any other dry food. Both kids get different diets from the vet (Hills Science Diet) -- Costa is on g/d and Kassie is (forever) on r/d.
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Saturday, April 14, 2007 - 5:44 pm
That indeed is the bottom line, isn't it.. what the little darlings will eat! Yeah they really cannot be vegetarians, as the above mentioned Dr Hodgkins points out, cats are obligatory carnivores and must have meat. Dr Hodgkins is local, in Orange County, by the way. I got the spa select sample bag and two little cans and a bunch of other goodies from Joely when her friend opened the pet supply place in San Diego. I had been giving the dry spa select (salmon and rice) to Critter for treats and she loved it. Back then, Angelina's greatest glee was rushing into the middle bedroom and glomming onto Critter's Nutro for seniors, regardless that she had an endless supply of Nutro for regular age cats in the very same flavors.. forbidden kibble is much better, ya know. But after she was diagnosed with cancer I let her have some of the spa select and later opened the little cans, one was chicken and the other was salmon. I bought a couple more and she ate most of the tuna can and liked that too. Critter doesn't know about the wet food, so far. I was lucky and was able to get Angelina's medicine made up in the triple fish flavored liquid and she came to really look forward to it, so much so that I took it with me the day I had to make a decision on her at the vet and gave her a last "treat" I'm glad you still can give them the special diets they need.
|
Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Saturday, April 14, 2007 - 5:57 pm
Well, Costa absolutely LOVED the Brandon Farms organic chicken and mackeral. He finished off his serving, and then went to go lick Kassie's plate clean! I think it's a wee bit expensive though, so I may just use it on weekends (they get "special" weekend "dinners"). I've gotta do a PetSmart run tomorrow, so I'll check out Spa Select again. The problem is that I'll buy a few different brands, for variety for the brats, and I never remember what they like other than Authority, Fancy Feast, and Pro Plan. <sigh> There's a small independent pet store right by my grocery store, and that's where I got the Wellness. So if they like that, I may start using that in addition to the Fancy Feast and Pro Plan (since those were the only two that were NOT on the list in any form for any animal).
|
Cdbga
Member
10-04-2004
| Monday, April 16, 2007 - 9:32 am
Very little recall news, which is always good news. However, Itchmo.com is reporting that Natural Balance is pulling a couple of foods due to reports of gastric upset. These do not contain Wheat Gluten and are not part of the big recall. Natural Balance is just pulling them while they investigate. You hear that, they are pulling them while they investigate, not waiting 3 weeks to do so. Anyway, here's the link to that: Natural Balance pulls 2 formulas Add Puerto Rico to our list of countries affected. They are reporting their first 2 dog deaths (they expect more). And the recall has been added to Wikipedia: 2007 North American Pet Food Recall
|
Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Monday, April 16, 2007 - 9:44 am
I noticed that there were signs on the shelves at PetSmart yesterday, where the Natural Balance foods had been located. So they'd pulled them before yesterday morning.
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - 12:52 am
Another notice about Natural Balance http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01610.html
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - 12:54 am
I have all of my cuts foods bagged up. I think they are prior to the original dates and I hadn't fed them to Angelina for months, but they won't be fed to any cat, ever. I suppose I could return them to Petco.
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - 1:19 am
This may have been mentioned, but my cat sitter says she doesn't see it on the main list. http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/eightinone03_07.html It is about Eight In One announces recall of all Dingo Chick'N Jerky treats for dogs, cats and ferrets
|
Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - 3:59 am
Once again, just to reassure myself... We feed our gals only DRY cat food - Science Diet for Seniors and IAMS MultiCat. These are still okay, right??
|
Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - 6:35 am
Mame, you're OK. If you are ever worried, go directly to the Hills or IAMS sites... they'll list the foods they've recalled.
|
Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - 6:57 am
Thanks Costa, much appreciated! 
|
Cdbga
Member
10-04-2004
| Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - 5:30 pm
Oh great, well it is looking like the Nature's Balance may be connected after all. USA Today is reporting that Melamine has been found in the recalled varieties. The scary part? They don't use Wheat Gluten. They suspect the melamine was in Rice Protein, the only new ingredient used. See the full story here: Premium pet food company recalls dry foods They have also expanded the earlier recall to cover the following items for all dates: * Venison and Brown Rice Treats for Dogs (New today) * Venison and Brown Rice Canned Formula for Dogs (New today) * Venison and Brown Rice Dry Food for Dogs (Reported Sunday) * Venison and Green Pea Dry Food for Cats (Reported Sunday) See the press release here: Natural Balance Issues Nationwide Recall on Specific Venison Dog & Cat Food Products. And, as if that wasn't enough, Menu Foods has once again expanded their list. Natural Life Vegetarian has been added, along with expanded dates of 8 products that were already on the list. Here's an article about this: Menu Foods adds to pet food recall list. You can see the lists at the Menu Foods site. Well, it is late for me, so I need to pack up the laptop and get in bed. I'll check back in the morning and see if there are any further updates to post.
|
Cdbga
Member
10-04-2004
| Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - 5:36 pm
With all the new news to post, I forgot to post what I came in here for in the first place: T.W. Enterprises Issues Nationwide Recall of Dog Chews Due to Salmonella Contamination The following is a list of the recalled products (Product Name/ A.B. Dog Chew - Size / UPC): * A.B. Small Chew, 3 - 4 inch / 833234001105 * A. B. Puppy Chew, 4 - 6 inch / 83323401112 * A.B. Dog Chew Medium, 6 inch / 833234001051 * A.B. Dog Chew Large, 10 inch / 833234001068 * A. B. Dog Chew XL, 13 inch / 833234001075 * A. B. Dog Chew Mega, 16 inch / 833234001082 * A. B. Dog Chew Jumbo, 26 inch / 833234001099
|
Cdbga
Member
10-04-2004
| Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 4:15 am
Good morning everyone. Lets start the posting day with some details on the 8 products that had dates expanded on the menu list: Dog Food: * Ol Roy * Pet Pride Cat food: * Best Choice * Hill Country Fare * Pet Pride * Sophistacat You can get the specific date info at the menu foods site. Notes on the Natural Balance recall: -The tainted rice protein also came from China (from Binzhou Futian Biology Technology, imported by Wilbur-Ellis a San Francisco firm.). -Wilbur-Ellis says it sold the rice protein to 5 pet food manufacturers, most to 2 major manufacturers, of which only Diamond Pet Foods (which packs Natural Balance) is named. The other major manufacturer says it has tested the rice protein it received and found no melamine. -Since Wheat Gluten and Rice Protein are both used to increase the protein content of the foods, it is interesting that they both had melamine added. I think this supports the notion that this was done intentionally. Apparently, manufacturers go by nitrogen content to determine the level of protein in an ingredient. Melamine would increase the nitrogen level without actually adding any protein. But the companies selling it would be able to get a higher price because the nitrogen content would make it seem like the protein content was higher. So, basically, a scam. -Less than a week ago, Natural Balance didn't even list rice protein as an ingredient on its website. Does anyone here use the recalled foods? If so, could you check your labels and tell us whether rice protein is listed there? Just wondering if someone was just slow updating their website, or if their products were incorrectly labelled, too. That is all I have so far this morning. I'm sure we'll see more info coming in as the day goes on, and the news people are awake and at work.
|
|