Mars Petcare US Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall

Today, Mars Petcare US announced a voluntary recall of products manufactured at its Everson, Pennsylvania facility. The pet food is being voluntarily recalled because of potential contamination with Salmonella serotype Schwarzengrund. This voluntary recall only affects the United States.

Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination caused by handling of the pet food, in people as well, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems. Healthy people potentially infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. On rare occasions, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible symptoms and can potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

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Shedding — Is this a problem that you have; dog fur on the furniture, on the floors, coating your clothes? Trust me, this is something I know all about and if you’re a dog owner you probably know more about it than you want to as well.Most of the time, shedding is a normal part of life, but there are other times when it can be a symptom of other underlying problems. So, for your dog’s sake, let’s take a look at shedding.

The bottom line is that all dogs shed, some more, some less but all dogs shed. It’s just a normal, healthy part of life. Dogs do not grow hair continuously, but rather in cycles. Each cycle has a growing phase, a transitional phase and a resting phase. These cycles are controlled by such factors as nutrition, hormones, health and the amount of light (called photoperiod) and changes in the surrounding temperature. Old hair falls out, new hair grows in. It’s an unending cycle. The amount of a dog’s shedding is also tied to breed genetics.

Outdoor dogs usually shed their thick undercoat in the spring to prepare for warmer weather. Indoor dogs shed all year long but in smaller amounts, since they are exposed to a more constant temperature and consistent light source.

Longer haired dogs will seem to shed more because of the length of the fur when shorter haired dogs and clipped dogs will appear to shed less. Breeds like poodle and poodle mixes fall in the ‘low shed’ category along with many others.

Since I initially wrote about problems with Nutro dog food in May, there has continued to be illnesses and even dog deaths possibly related to Nutro. Numerous people commented on the story, talking about illnesses related to what they feel was feeding their dogs Nutro.

The company continues to deny that there’s any problems with their food and the illnesses and deaths are just a coincidence.

Here’s the latest from Consumer Affairs on Nutro. Read well and carefully!

Illness, Death Dog Nutro Pet Food

Company denies a link to scores of sudden illness

A series of mysterious illness and death dogs Nutro pet food. Scores of pet owners report their animals became ill while eating Nutro products, then recovered when they were switched to another brand.

At least six dogs have died in the past two months, according to an analysis of complaints to ConsumerAffairs.com. The company discounts the reports, saying they are isolated and unconfirmed; at least one Nutro employee, sickened by the company’s response, told us she resigned.

In related developments, ConsumerAffairs.com has learned:

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently investigated the April deaths of two dogs in Indiana. The FDA tested samples of the Nutro food those dogs ate, but did not find any toxins. No one, however, has tested the Nutro food the other dogs ate before they died;

• A pet nutrition specialist for Nutro confirmed she’s heard complaints about the company’s food making dogs and cats sick. She reported those concerns to her supervisor, but said they were ignored. She recently resigned;

• There is a shortage of some varieties of Nutro dog food. The company says this is a supply problem – not a safety or quality issue;

• Some consumers have sent their pets’ food to Nutro for testing. They have not received any results. Other pet owners plan to hire private labs to test their food and report their concerns to the FDA and the Animal Poison Control Center run by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

The six dogs that recently died include two Italian Greyhounds in Indiana, a Beagle/Whippet mix in Pennsylvania, two German Shepherd puppies in North Carolina, and a Doberman Pinscher in Texas.

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The latest press release from the FDA, more scary news for pet owners about pet food products.

FDA Requests Seizure of Animal Food Products at PETCO Distribution Center

Today, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Marshals seized various animal food products stored under unsanitary conditions at the PETCO Animal Supplies Distribution Center located in Joliet, Ill., pursuant to a warrant issued by the United States District Court in Chicago.

U.S. Marshals seized all FDA-regulated animal food susceptible to rodent and pest contamination. The seized products violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because it was alleged in a case filed by the United States Attorney that they were being held under unsanitary conditions. (The Act uses the term “insanitary” to describe such conditions).

During an FDA inspection of a PETCO distribution center in April, widespread and active rodent and bird infestation was found. The FDA inspected the facility again in May and found continuing and widespread infestation.

“We simply will not allow a company to store foods under filthy and unsanitary conditions that occur as a direct result of the company’s failure to adequately control and prevent pests in its facility,” said Margaret O’K. Glavin, associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. “Consumers expect that such safeguards will be in place not only for human food, but for pet food as well.”

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Hearing that your beloved canine companion has been diagnosed with cancer has got to be one of the most heartbreaking things that can happen to a pet parent. You want to know if there’s anything you can do and what. You search for help and advise from any source available.

Here’s some wonderful advise and something you can do to help.

A Healing Diet for Dogs with Cancer

You never want to get the news that your dog has cancer. However, it’s good to know there are many effective treatments available to dogs now. One of the simplest and most affordable is a good diet. While the food you give your dog won’t necessarily cure cancer, it can make a significant difference in your dog’s ability to fight the disease.

If your dog is diagnosed with cancer, you should make it a priority to help him maintain as healthy a body as possible with a sound immune system. This may require some adjustments to his diet, because many cancers cause dogs to lose weight and muscle mass. This condition, called ‘cachexia,’ can be caused directly by the cancer or it can be the side effect of some cancer treatments.

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Please take note of this latest dog food recall from
Timberwolf Organics!

Dakota Bison/Ocean Blue Reported Issues

Timberwolf Organics Customer,

Due to recent reports from some customers, we have ordered that two formulas from three specific dates be pulled from the shelves. These are:

Dakota Bison with ‘best by date’ of 12 Feb 2009
Ocean Blue with ‘best by date’ of 20 Feb 2009
Ocean Blue with best by date’ of 8 March 2009

The reported symptoms include dogs refusing to eat, diarrhea or vomiting. While the problem is inconsistent (not every dog eating food from those dates/bag show the symptoms and not every bag), to err on the side of caution have decided to pull the formulas produced with the above dates. Initial testing has come back negative for problems and further testing is pending results.

As soon as the cause of this reported problem is determined procedures will be put into place to ensure that an event like this cannot happen again. Please be assured that no other formulas and Ocean Blue and Dakota Bison with dates other than ones listed above are not affected.

We apologize for any inconvenience or problems that this may have resulted in. If you do have a bag with those dates please contact the retailer you purchased it from for an exchange or credit. If you purchased it directly from us please give us a call or email us at customer.support@timberwolforganics.com, or you can download the Customer Complaint Form below and fax it to 866.796.8814.

Thank you for choosing Timberwolf Organics.

Sincerely,

Timberwolf Organics Team

This is for those of you who may be thinking about rawfeeding or are just interested in the subject I wanted to take some time to tell you about some myths and realities of raw feeding.

One thing that I can tell you, since I’ve had my Jezzie and Bruti on a combination raw/home-cooked diet, they are now in the best health they’ve ever been in. They’ve shed those few extra pounds, their skin and coats are wonderful, their energy level is high, much fewer allergies and ear infections, fresher breath, clean teeth. No, it’s not a cure all, but it has made an amazing difference.

Myth: DOGS ARE OMNIVORES

This is false. Dogs are carnivores, not omnivores. Dogs ARE very adaptable, but just because they can survive on an omnivorous diet does not mean it is the best diet for them. The assumption that dogs are natural omnivores remains to be proven, whereas the truth about dogs being natural carnivores is very well-supported by the evidence available to us.

1.) Dentition

Look into your dog or cat’s mouth. Those huge impressive teeth (or tiny needle sharp teeth) are designed for grabbing, ripping, tearing, shredding, and shearing meat (Feldhamer, G.A. 1999. Mammology: Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. McGraw-Hill. pg 258.). They are not equipped with large flat molars for grinding up plant matter. Their molars are pointed and situated in a scissors bite (along with the rest of their teeth) that powerfully disposes of meat, bone, and hide. Carnivores are equipped with a peculiar set of teeth that includes the presence of carnassial teeth: the fourth upper premolar and first lower molar. Read more… »

You’ve heard this before - “You are what you eat.” The same goes for your dog.

So, how’d you like to be a “meat by-product?” Well, of course you wouldn’t, it just sounds nasty, doesn’t it?

But what is this whole “by-product” business all about?

Unfortunately, that’s just it — business. By-products are generally defined as animal parts that are not fit for human consumption, such as bones, organs, blood, fatty tissue and intestines. So, in essence, someone got the great idea to process all the leftover garbage in the meatpacking plant and call it, “Dog Food.”

And, if that alone wasn’t bad enough, the offal is processed in varying degrees of nauseating. For example, while “chicken by-product” may encompass heads, necks, feet and intestines, at the very least, all the parts must come from chicken. The same is true for lamb by-products, beef by-products, etc.

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If you’ve read my ‘Dog Food 101′ series, you’re probably waking up to what’s really in the ‘commercial’ foods that are manufactured for our pets to eat and to be honest, the more research I do, the scarier it gets.

One thing that I mentioned in Part 2, in discussing proteins and meats that were used in pet foods, was the usage of 4-D animals; dead, diseased, disabled or dying. One aspect that I touched lightly on is the fact in the past, the use of rendered euthanized shelter animals was an ‘open secret’ in the pet food manufacturing industry. As for now, it is highly denied but since it’s not against the law, who knows? Some say that no source of protein, regardless of the source or quality goes unused.

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Most than a year later, after the recalls, thousands of pets dead and sickened, the number of which will never truly be known, lives changed forever, Menu Foods and others involved in the massive recall will finally be ponying up the green. Not that any amount of money will ever bring back the lives lost but maybe it will help the people whose pets will suffer and continue to need expensive vet care for the rest of their lives.

Maybe it will help pay off the vet bills for those who lost their beloved furry family members and are still paying. It will never erase the hurt, pain and sorrow but if it can help to ease some of the financial burden these people are still facing. And maybe it will wake these manufacturers up that they can’t get away with not giving a damn anymore. This hits them where it hurts, the wallets. Since this is all they care about, their bottom line, this is the only way to make a point to them!

Menu Foods, other pet food makers and retailers involved in last year’s massive pet food recall will set up a $24 million cash fund to compensate pet owners, according to a proposed settlement filed Thursday in federal court.

The fund is expected to compensate thousands of pet owners in the U.S. and Canada who bought recalled pet foods made by Menu and 11 others. The products had a contaminated ingredient from China that sickened dogs and cats.

The $24 million is in addition to $8 million that pet food makers have already paid to pet owners. Legal fees and expenses, which haven’t been determined, will come out of the fund. The settlement, negotiated over the past seven months, would resolve more than 100 lawsuits by more than 250 plaintiffs brought in the U.S. and a dozen in Canada.

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An enjoyable jaunt around the neighborhood with your dog can take a decidedly unpleasant turn when your beloved pet enthusiastically buries his nose in garbage, rotten food or . . . something worse. Repulsed, you wonder, what’s wrong with this animal?The answer: probably nothing. As off-putting as this behavior is to us humans, it’s normal for dogs, according to Tina Cheng, DVM of the Animal Clinic of Encino, Calif. “Dogs explore their world through their noses,” she says. “They want to check everything out.” That includes all kinds of garbage, waste products of other dogs or animals, rotten food and dirty water. Read more… »

A vet passed this info along to me and I did some checking and wanted to pass it along to you. There is no recall and Nutro insists their food is fine but Consumer Affairs is getting an awful lot of complaints and with just a little searching, I’m finding there are probably many, many more not even making it onto the Consumer Affairs website. There complaints are recent and many are from people who have been using NUTRO for years. Not every dog or cat eating NUTRO is experiencing problems but there are enough problems and complaints to be concerned, especially if you are feeding your pet NUTRO and they have become sick and you can’t figure out why.

From Consumer Affairs article dated April 18, 2008

A worrisome health trend among dogs and cats across the country has surfaced in the past few months. Scores of pets from California to South Carolina have experienced sudden and recurring bouts of diarrhea, vomiting, and other digestive problems.

Through an examination of reports submitted by readers, ConsumerAffairs.com has uncovered a common link among these pets: They all ate the same brand of food: NUTRO pet food.

In all of the cases we’ve examined, the animals’ conditions improved once their owners switched them to another brand of food.

“I’ve been feeding my chocolate Lab, Indy, NUTRO for almost four years,” said Laura F. of Las Vegas, Nevada. “He’s always been happy, healthy, and big. Recently I switched him to NUTRO (Natural Choice) Lite at my vet’s request. Three weeks ago, he started vomiting uncontrollably.”

Laura said her veterinarian initially thought Indy had pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas. The vet prescribed some medication and Indy’s condition gradually improved.

“Now, three weeks later, he started vomiting again,” she said, adding she continued to feed her dog NUTRO. “He’s now lost about 8 pounds in three weeks and is weak and lethargic.

“The vet believes — as do I — that it is the food,” she said.

Laura switched brands of dog food and Indy’s health improved. After a while, Laura tried mixing in the NUTRO with the new food. But that turned out to be a bad idea.

“The vomiting started again,” Laura said. “I also noticed that he only ate about half his food and was actually dropping the NUTRO out and trying to only eat the Science Diet. I think even my dog knows there is something wrong with the NUTRO food.

“I will never feed any of my pets NUTRO again.”

Similar stories

We’ve heard similar stories and sentiment from scores of pet owners nationwide — many of whom are loyal NUTRO customers. We’ve also heard from a pet store employee, who noticed these same digestive problems with her clients’ pets that ate NUTRO products.

A pet owner in South Carolina told us that she found foreign objects in her last few bags of NUTRO foods.

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