The Washington Post is reporting that the FDA has (finally!!!) opened a criminal investigation.

The Food and Drug Administration has opened a criminal investigation in the widening pet food contamination scandal, officials said yesterday, as it was confirmed that tainted pork might have made its way onto human dinner plates in California.

More than 100 hogs that ate contaminated food at a custom slaughterhouse in California's Central Valley were sold to private individuals and to an unnamed licensed facility in Northern California during the past 2 1/2 weeks. The hogs consumed feed that contained rice protein tainted with melamine, the industrial chemical that has sickened and killed dogs and cats around the world.

Almost a dozen companies have found that they have used melamine-contaminated ingredients from China in their animal foods, either wheat gluten, corn gluten or rice protein concentrate. In the United States, more than 60 million containers of cat and dog food have been pulled from the market in the past five weeks.

People who bought pork from the American Hog Farm, a 1,500-animal facility in Ceres, Calif., between April 3 and April 18 are being advised not to eat the meat, California health officials said yesterday, although there have been no reports of illness in either people or the hogs. Authorities are tracking down all the purchasers.

Full story here.

The Boston Globe reports:

WASHINGTON -- An industrial chemical linked to kidney failure in dogs and cats has found its way into the human food supply chain. California officials quarantined 1,500 animals at the American Hog Farm and are tracking who purchased nearly 100 hogs from the farm this month, when the animals' feed included pet food that had been tainted with melamine .

In addition, 26 hogs were sold and slaughtered at an unnamed processing plant in northern California . Federal authorities quarantined those unprocessed carcasses at that plant, but state officials expect to identify more California processing plants that purchased the hogs.

You can fetch the rest of the article here.

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Portland has joined KOPS the Nationwide March to Keep Our Pets Safe
April 28th 12:00 noon
Meet in the field across from Hannafords on the Back Cove-Portlland

You can view and print the flyer here.

Please help to spread the word by distributing flyers in your area

The Washington Post is reporting that the FDA has (finally!!!) opened a criminal investigation.

The Food and Drug Administration has opened a criminal investigation in the widening pet food contamination scandal, officials said yesterday, as it was confirmed that tainted pork might have made its way onto human dinner plates in California.

More than 100 hogs that ate contaminated food at a custom slaughterhouse in California's Central Valley were sold to private individuals and to an unnamed licensed facility in Northern California during the past 2 1/2 weeks. The hogs consumed feed that contained rice protein tainted with melamine, the industrial chemical that has sickened and killed dogs and cats around the world.

Almost a dozen companies have found that they have used melamine-contaminated ingredients from China in their animal foods, either wheat gluten, corn gluten or rice protein concentrate. In the United States, more than 60 million containers of cat and dog food have been pulled from the market in the past five weeks.

People who bought pork from the American Hog Farm, a 1,500-animal facility in Ceres, Calif., between April 3 and April 18 are being advised not to eat the meat, California health officials said yesterday, although there have been no reports of illness in either people or the hogs. Authorities are tracking down all the purchasers.

Full story here.

The Boston Globe reports:

WASHINGTON -- An industrial chemical linked to kidney failure in dogs and cats has found its way into the human food supply chain. California officials quarantined 1,500 animals at the American Hog Farm and are tracking who purchased nearly 100 hogs from the farm this month, when the animals' feed included pet food that had been tainted with melamine .

In addition, 26 hogs were sold and slaughtered at an unnamed processing plant in northern California . Federal authorities quarantined those unprocessed carcasses at that plant, but state officials expect to identify more California processing plants that purchased the hogs.

You can fetch the rest of the article here.

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Portland has joined KOPS the Nationwide March to Keep Our Pets Safe
April 28th 12:00 noon
Meet in the field across from Hannafords on the Back Cove-Portlland

You can view and print the flyer here.

Please help to spread the word by distributing flyers in your area

Update, 4/19: 4,346 pets have been reported as deceased into the Pet Connection database.

If your head is starting to spin in regards to pet food and pet food recalls--- join the club. Mine is to.

Here is a very brief overview of the current situation.

The FDA is testing 5 companies' food for tainted RICE protein concentrate contaminated with melamine that has been traced to the San Francisco company Wilbur-Ellis who imported it from China. Wilbur Ellis has voluntarily recalled all their products using the rice protein concentrate , but no companies have come forward to do so (yet) and we the buying public have no way to find out who they sold it to.
Go now and check your pet food (again) for rice protein concentrate.

Nutro says it ain't them in this press release.

CORN gluten contaminated with melamine has been recalled in South Africa after 29 pets report renal failure.

As we have come to expect, Pet Connection, Itchmo.com and Howl911.com are all on top this breaking story. Be sure to check them all for the latest and for more in depth information.

Thanks to Silvia, who tipped me off that Everlasting Treat Balls seen here, list wheat gluten as the # 1 ingredient. A Premier toy, the Bouncy Bone, that I highly recommended not too long ago also lists wheat gluten as an ingredient for it's nawhide. Pill Pickets do to.
Of course not all wheat gluten is contaminated, however, at this time, it is advisable to store items with wheat gluten until we get to the route of the problem of our contaminated food source.

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It is more important than ever to join the Nationwide pet walk in Portland
Walk to Keep our Pets Safe (KOPS)
Saturday April 28th @ 12:00 noon on the Back cove.
Meet across from Hannafords.

You can view and print the flyer here.
Please help to spread the word by distributing flyers in your area.

Update 9:00 pm-Blue Buffalo recalled a cat formula
That's one company--- 3 more to go.

Christie Keith live blogged the FDA news conference on Pet Connection, where we learned that melamine may have been fed to hogs which in turn may have been eaten by humans.

The massive pet food recall has lots of people scrambling for healthy alternatives to store bought pet food for their dogs. People are even more nervous now that Natural Balance has recalled food due to a problem with rice protein.
The Sacramento Bee is reporting that:

Local veterinarians who’ve been tracking kidney ailments nationwide also have tentatively identified five more foods, not at this point under any recall, that they plan to have tested as soon as possible.

This months free online version of Housepet Magazine has several recipes and ideas to help to get you started.

The chicken soup recipe listed below is from their latest issue, available on line.

Click here to view the latest House Magazine. It's free!

Chicken Soup For Me and My Dog

Makes 8 servings


1 (4-pund) package chicken pieces OR 1 WHOLE CHICKEN
1 TABLESPOON CRUMBLED DRIED SEAWEED, SEAKELP, or SEA VEGETABLE (find in natural food stores, in the ASIAN products aisle or where condiments are sold)

6 CLOVES GARLIC, PEELED AND SMASHED
KOSHER SALT ABD FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE
1 (16 ounce) CAN CHICKEN BROTH (LOW SODIUM)

3 RIBS CELERY, CHOPPED
3 CARROTS, SCRAPED AND CUT INTO ROUNDS
1 CUP BROWN RICE OR WHEAT PASTA OR BARLEY


Season the chicken with the seaweed, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Place it in the Crock-pot, and add the broth and enough water to cover. Cook on high until tender, about 5 hours. Add the celery, carrots, and rice (or other leftover veggies) and cook for 45 minutes more. remove bones from the chicken. Adjust the seasoning and serve.

I have been hesitant to post any recipes because I do not want people to take only a little nutritional information and run with it in the wrong direction. These recipes do not stand alone, and there is quite a bit to learn you will need to learn before you can meet your dog's nutritional needs. You will need to purchase a book to learn how to meet your dog nutritional needs correctly.

Dog cook books have been flying off the shelf and a great place to start is

Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats.
If you plan to prepare your dogs diet, I urge you to buy this book.

If you have recommendations for other home prepared dog food books, you can post them in the comment section.
Bone appetite!

Don't forget Portland is walking to KEEP OUR PETS SAFE on April 28th, 12 noon on the Back cove.
I am looking for help in organizing this event.

You can view and print the flyer here.

Email me! march@goodogztraing.com if you would like to get invovled.

Natural Balance has recalled the following:

* 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)

You can read the rest here on Itchmo.com, and here on Usa Today.

Update: 4/11: 3,907 pets have been reported as deceased into the Pet Connection database.

Update 4/12 -Menu Foods says clerical error is the reason behind latest recall From Usa Today

Less than a week after the FDA assured us of this:

"We are pretty much coming to a conclusion on this," Stephen Sundlof, head of the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine, had said in a news conference Thursday. "The public should feel secure in purchasing pet foods that are not subject to this recall."

The recall expands again! Menu Foods apparently shipped tainted wheat gluten to their Canadian plant, but only came forward to inform the public YESTERDAY.

It is getting very hard to keep up to what is safe and what is not. As a precaution, many pet owners are not feeding any foods with the ingredient wheat gluten. Please remember that this is still an ongoing investigation and the sources of contamination have not been 100% identified at this time.

* There is also much speculation that wheat gluten is not the sole contaminant.

Dr. Richard Goldstein, associate professor of medicine at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine and a kidney specialist who is researching the outbreak's health impact on pets, said he and other researchers saw what they believe is a second contaminant in the gluten and the urine of infected animals, but have yet to identify it. Cornell is among labs working with the FDA.

* Nutro has recalled all wet foods with the ingredient wheat gluten. Press release here.
* ">A list of all Nutro recalled products can be found here.
* Royal Canin Canada has recalled Medi-Cal Feline Dissolution Formula canned food
* The AVMA has posted a very easy to read recall list here.

* Senate hearings begin tomorrow! Thank you Senator Durbin.

Udate-
Click here to email Senator Durbin
and Senator Kohl to express your support.

Thank you Monique for the picture of your adorable Border Collie puppy -Blizzard.

*Chicken Cacciatore, UPC 79105352055
*California Chicken Supreme, UPC 79105300117
*Lamb & Turkey Cutlets, UPC 79105300148
Three 3-ounce varieties of Nutra Max Cat Gourmet Classics tested positive for melamine by UC Davis

For the third time in less than a week, I received an email recall alert from Itchmo about more tainted pet food.

You can read the story here in the Marin Journal, a first hand account from a pet owner here on Itchmo, and on of course great coverage also on
Pet Connection.

And it looks like executives at Menu Foods will be in more trouble than just the tainted food. Check out it this article about insider trading and stocks sold just before the press release. Interesting to note that a reader of A Dog's Life posted the same thing on this blog two weeks ago. Money and greed airs it's ugly head yet again. Anyone surprised?

Sunshine Mills has recalled treats made with wheat gluten, and Menu Foods has pushed their recall date back to November 8th.

To view products from Sunshine Mills, click here to be taken to their web site.. Due to heavy usage, that site may be down. Itchmo.com also has pictures of the treats on their blog. Ol'Roy Biscuits are included in this recall.

More info as it becomes available.

UPDATE- 5:35pm
product code info on the FDA site here.
Sunshine Mill Biscuit brands: Nurture Chicken & Rice, Nurture Lamb & Rice, Pet Life Large, Pet Life Extra Large, Pet Life Large Variety, Pet Life Large Peanut Butter, Lassie Lamb and Rice, and Pet Life People Pleasers Dog Treats

Private label: Companion’s Best Multi Flavor Biscuit, Stater Brothers Large Biscuit, Ol’Roy Peanut Butter Biscuit, Ol’Roy 4 Flavor Large Biscuit, Ol’Roy Puppy Biscuit, Champion Breed Peanut Butter Biscuit, Champion Breed Large Biscuit, Perfect Pals Large Biscuit, Stater Brothers Large Biscuit

For those ofyou who missed Anderson Cooper 360 with Pet Connection's Christie Keith last night click here for a transcript and scroll way down.

Christie Keith has written a wonderful article for the San Francisco Gate that pretty much sums up the whole tainted pet food mess. Says Christie:

Because kidney failure causes nausea, it's often hard to get recovering pets to eat. So a lot of these owners got down on their hands and knees and coaxed and begged and eventually hand-fed their pets the very same food that had made them sick. Those animals ended up right back in the hospital and died, because their loving owners didn't know that the food was tainted.

To many pet owners, the pet food recall story is a personal tragedy about the potentially avoidable loss of a beloved dog or cat. Others have a hard time seeing the story as anything more than that -- with implications beyond the feelings of those grieving pet owners. Which brings us to the bigger picture, and questions -- not about what happened but about the system.

How did this problem, now involving almost every large pet food company in the United States, including some of the most trusted -- and expensive -- brands, get so out of hand? How come pet owners weren't informed more rapidly about the contaminated pet food? Why is it so hard to get accurate numbers of affected animals? Why didn't veterinarians get any notification? Where did the system break down?

The issue may not be that the system broke down, but that there isn't really a system.

Read the rest here.

Just prior to the whole pet food story breaking, she wrote a wonderful piece on home prepared dog food.

And just after that, she wrote a story called The Cost of Miracles. Very moving-must read.

Chem Nutra recalls wheat gluten. Press release here. Just about a month too late, don't ya think?

UPDATE!
CNN goes to China research the Wheat gluten source. Video here

Thanks to P. Burns, AKA Terrierman for posting in the comment section pointing A Dog's Life readers to his blog about Wheat Gluten and PETA. I have been reading his blog for some time and I especially like his articles about breeding and what we have done to working dog breeds in the name of dog shows.

From the blog:

The poor quality of the reporting on this dog food story is amazing. For example, in all of the writing, no one has taken the time to ask a basic question: What the hell is wheat gluten, and why is it in our dog food?

Here's the answer: Wheat gluten is synthetic meat made from processed wheat.

In vegetarian cuisine, this stuff is called Seiten, and if PETA had its way, not only would your dogs and cats be eating nothing else, but so would you.

The picture at the top of this post is a Taiwanese can of "mock duck" made from 100 percent wheat gluten.

Kind of makes you wonder even a more about the human food supply doesn't it?

Update 4/2 (7:35 a.m. PT): More than 2,900 pets have been reported as deceased to the self reported PetConnection database.

oh brother!

Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company Ltd. was named in a notice issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the source of wheat gluten containing a chemical found in plastics and pesticides.

Geng Xiujuan, Xuzhou Anying’s sales manager, said the company was aware of the notice and was looking into the accusation that large concentrations of melamine had been found in its wheat gluten, a protein source used as an ingredient in the pet food.

However, Geng said the company based in the eastern province of Jiangsu had not manufactured the gluten but had instead bought it from companies in neighbouring provinces. She said Xuzhou Anying sold it onward to another Jiangsu company, Suzhou Textile Import and Export Co.

“There are many other exporters and I don’t see why they would just blame us,” Geng said.The rest of the story is here.

Read about it in the Huffington Post and here at USA Today.

Hill's adds Prescription Diet™ m/d™ Feline Dry Food

As of midnight last night, Purina recalled ALPO(R) Brand Prime Cuts in Gravy Canned Dog.

As always Pet Connection is the source for current information. Last nights self reported numbers fom the PetConnection database (5:30 p.m. PT):
2,603 deceased pets
1,449 cats and 1154 dogs.

For the last week since the news that our pets have been made sick by Rat Poison found in Menu Foods, the Internet has been a hot bed of debate. During this on going investigation, Vets have gone on record saying that what they were seeing was not consistent with the rat poison Aminopterin. Remember this is an ongoing investigation and you all should still be exercising much caution in your choice of pet foods. The source has yet to be found.

The FDA announced they found the chemical melamine and no trace of rat poison in the samples of food they tested.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration testing found a chemical commonly used in plastics, but no rat poison, in the recalled pet food that has killed and sickened cats and dogs nationwide, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review learned Thursday.

Testing by the FDA and at least one lab independent of the agency found melamine, a chemical used in plastics and household textiles, in samples of the recalled pet food and in one of its ingredients -- wheat gluten -- said an FDA official and another source close to the investigation. Neither wanted to be identified prior to the FDA's formal announcement this morning.

You can read the rest here. There is a FDA press conference scheduled for 10 AM this morning. As always, check Pet Connection for the latest news.

I am not even sure how legal it is to do this, but I have cut and pasted Gina's Spadafori's entire blog from last night to be certain that Maine Today's readers were kept current on the Menu Foods Recall.

Sorry if I broke any copy laws Gina. Keep up the superior job you and your co-workers are doing over on Pet Connection.

Pet-food recall: Again, the numbers
Gina Spadafori

If you are just coming to the site, we have prepared a page of basic information. Click here to get there.
The Associated Press continues to report 16 dead pets, without even mentioning the possibility that there are hundreds if not thousands more. So does Newsweek, in this otherwise excellent piece on how to feed pets, featuring the esteemed Dr. Tony Buffington of the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
So far, both the Animal Medical Center (the “Mayo Clinic” of veterinary hospitals) and Banfield The Pet Hospital, with more than 600 locations all connected by a central database, have both gone on the record saying there could be thousands of pets sickened or killed by recalled food.

So what’s up, AP?

This afternoon, we got an e-mail from a person in the news department of a radio station, who pointed out to his boss that other media — such as USA Today and ABC News — have been reporting a potentially much higher death rate, and asked to change the AP’s “rip-and-read” radio copy. He was told he could not, and until the AP decides to do more than parrot the FDA line, the story will remain largely under-reported. That means it will soon die.

From tomorrow’s edition of USA Today, now up on its Web site:

The Food and Drug Administration has received more than 4,400 calls from pet owners about the recalled, contaminated dog and cat food that has reportedly sickened and injured animals across the USA.

But the agency has yet to follow up on the calls, so it doesn’t know how many represent sick animals or simply concerned owners, says Stephen Sundlof, director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine.

Many pet owners are questioning the reported number of animals that have died from consuming contaminated pet food found in some of the more than 60 million recalled cans and pouches.

Menu Foods, which produced the food, has listed 16 deaths: 15 cats and one dog. The FDA is listing only 14 confirmed dead.

[…]

There are still questions about how many animals have died. With no national reporting system for animal injury or death, official numbers are impossible to come by.

However, data from the nation’s largest chain of pet hospitals, Banfield, suggest it is as high as hundreds a week during the three months the food was on the market.

During that time, the more than 600 Banfield hospitals in 43 states saw 200 to 250 cases of kidney failure in cats above the usual number that would have been expected, says Hugh Lewis, president of Data Savant, Banfield’s data collection arm.

During that period, Banfield vets saw 100,000 cats. Extrapolating to the entire cat population of the USA, that could mean “we’re probably talking several hundred cats a week across the country being affected,” Lewis says.

Our self-reported database, by the way, is now reporting 1,716 dead pets as of 9 p.m. PT.I honestly have to wonder: Would the Associated Press accept only official government information if the deaths were people? Is this because these are “just pets”?

As long as the AP continues to report only 15 dead pets, the story will not be taken seriously. And that means there will be little interest in changes.

Report your pet’s loss to the FDA. Also, ask your veterinarian to report your pet’s loss to the state veterinarian for reporting to the FDA. Additionally, if your pet has eaten one of the recalled foods and become sick, add your pet to our database.

And yes, Menu Foods has now recalled all of its previously recalled labels, regardless of manufacturing date. Here’s a longer explanation of why, from the American Veterinary Medical Association. The AVMA says it’s not because foods beyond the recall range are suspected of being tainted, but because it’s easier to pull entire brands off the shelves instead of checking each can or pouch. In any case: Don’t buy or feed these brands, regardless of manufacture date.
Bottom line: We want your pet to be counted, everywhere. And we want your pet’s death to count for something, in hopes that in realizing the true scope of the problem changes will be made so something like this is less likely to happen again.

A must read.

By now you all know about the rat poison from China found in pet food from Menu foods.

In yesterday's news conference, the President of Menu Foods had the following to say:

"We have the support of our customers, we have the support of our employees," Henderson said. "We're confident in the future and we remain confident we can put this behind us."

Mr Henderson and I obviously do not travel in the same circles. Pet owners I know have no brand loyalty to brands that kill pets in the name of making a few bucks. Pet owners I know have no brand loyalty to companies who wait until not one but two Friday afternoons to try to bury a story in a press release. Pet owners I know have no brand loyalty to companies who very possibly have no idea what actually goes on with or into their own product. Pet owners that I know do not take kindly to a story as big as this one, being dribbled into our news media at a snails pace when in fact many lives could have been saved long ago if we only got the truth in the first place.

.
Nutro has added ALL wet food to the recall list.

I have had numerous requests from folks wanting to know what is safe to feed our pets.
Here is a list from Petsits of foods NOT made at Menu Foods.
This is an FYI.
I am not personally recommending any food on the list.

As always Pet Conneciton is the place to go for up to the minute information.

I can not express my gratitude to my friends at Pet Connection.com, for putting together a data base logging people's sick and dead animals caused by eating poisoned food produced at Menu Foods. The exact cause still unknown. Last night I am sickened to say, Pet Connection passed a grim milestone,and reached the thousand death mark. While the information is self reported, and not confirmed by the FDA, most of the people reporting have included lot numbers and Vet information.
Think about it. One in 7 test animals died at the factory. 1 in 7. The official count of 14 is expected to climb into the thousands reports ABC.
People I spoke to yesterday had not even heard of the Pet Connection Data base. I urge you all to tell every pet owner you know and help to spread the word. This is citizen advocacy at it's best.
Here again is the link to the data base on Pet Connection. Pass it on.

To quote Gina Spadafori, award winning syndicated Pet Columnist;

They (Menu Foods) dropped their news release late on a Friday, the day when smart businesses and politicians always report bad news, in hopes that by Monday, the impact is lessened, or the story even forgotten. Further, they put their news release out to the business press, in hopes that the recall would be seen as a business story, like the recall of an MP3 player with a bad battery.

Due to their diligence, sweeping change will surely follow in the pet industry. Big media outlets are (now) following their lead in predicting unprecedented numbers of sick and dead animals. Many people, myself included, were shocked to learn that several higher end pet foods were made in the same plant as the cheapest of the cheap. There is currently nothing on the packages to inform consumers of this and surely this will be part of the sweeping change. Stricter pet food regulations will be coming and there are several petitions going already to get that ball rolling.

For up to the minute coverage on this tragedy, keep reading Pet Connection. FMI try the following blogs who are all following this situation very closely-

Itchmo and Howl911 , Vetcetera,
and of course this blog.

I have been trying to stop myself from obsessing about the horrific Menu Foods story of hundreds of sick and dead pets.

But I just can't.

While the self reporting data base over on Pet Connection is anecdotal, over 500 deaths have been reported by owners. Clearly not all posters claims will ever be able to be substantiated. Many never will able to prove foul due to time elapsed, and lack of physical evidence; bodies and food already disposed of. No doubt after reading the heart wrenching comments on the site, that the official death toll of 16 is insulting to all of us with brains in our heads. Clearly we have not heard a realistic number from the FDA.
Perhaps we never will.

Over on Icthmo they have done a rudimentary math analysis of the situation. Check it out, it is very interesting.
Do a goggle search for Menu Pets and click on any of the local media outlets covering their local Vet hospitals with sick and dying pets and law suits. The enormity will blow your mind as it has mine.

I am sickened that the official number is 16, with most of those being from the companies own test lab. We will be reading about this story for a long long time.

Thursday pet Connection update-

Cats, deceased: 500
Dogs, deceased: 345

Over on Pet Connection, the wonderful pet writers have been busy analyzing data that people have been reporting to their web log data base. They URGE people whose pets have been made sick or have died by the recalled food to do the following.

Contact the manufacturer.
Contact the FDA and
PLEASE take a minute to fill out the information on their data base.
As of last night the total reported directly to them was well over 200 with more cats than dogs invovled. Keep in mind the original number reported in the press release was from the companies own test lab.
A study of this kind is very self limiting, and far from perfect, but it is a start, and Pet Connection should be commended for taking on such a huge undertaking.
For a great read on a Vet's take on all this check Dr Patty over on her blog Dolittler. Did you know that Vets got no heads up?

Direct from Dr Patty---

"This kitty probably won’t make it, though her kidney values are moving in the right direction. Treatment on Thursday might well have made all the difference in this case. Her owner is heartbroken. And the internist is beside herself with guilt. If only…

…they had told us sooner. Just one day. Even one day could have saved lives".

Where mad as hell and we are not going to take it any more!

Update-Link to the the press release

Pet Connection is putting forth a monumental effort covering the poison pet food story and to expose it for what it truly is- greed, cover ups, and very bad business. My head is still spinning after reading Gina's latest blogs where timelines, profit margins and dead lab animals have all the makings of a bad 'made for TV movie'. In February, Menu Food had a mortality rate of nearly 20 % in their tested lab animals, yet waited 1 month to go public! That sickens me on so many levels.

But, sadly this is the reality of Menu Foods. It is enough to inspire even the most die hard convenience food shopper to question their choices.

It seems that at a minimum, Menu Foods was aware of problems February 20th, and even possibly as early as DECEMBER!
According to the Canadian Press:

Starting in December, concerns began filtering back to the company through toll-free customer lines about the “cuts and gravy” style pet food.

One large customer in the United States initiated its own recall after receiving complaints and put future orders for the products on hold.

Be sure to read Pet Connection. Follow the links and read the comments.
If your pet has been affected, please enter your information into the data base form over on the Pet Connection Blog. You will be doing pets everywhere a huge service.

Please! Contact your neighbors who may not have heard of the recall and help to spread the word.

If you have been affected click here and join the class action law suit over on yahoo.

For a list of food affected click here to be taken to the FDA web site.

Thanks to Shaggy's folks for the picture

The pet food recall is bigger than originally reported on Friday. Only wet food is invovled, but Science Diet, Mighty Dog, Iams, Eukanuba and Nutro among others have been added to the massive list over the weekend. The best information site is over on the ever wonderful Pet Connection.

You can get advice from Dr. Marty Becker, find current list of foods invovled and report problems to the database.

Now go!

60 million cans of pet food recalled

Leave it to Gina, ace syndicated pet columnist to get to the bottom of the "Beneful is killing dogs with moldy dog food purchased at Walmart" rumor that has been flying around the Internet. Several days ago the Net started buzzing with such claims, and then many of you started asking me why I hadn't blogged it yet. I didn't blog it because it was all rumor, and could not be substantiated. On Pet Connection yesterday, Gina linked to the Texas article that started it all. Apparently a few dogs have died under very similar circumstances after eating the product. You can read the article here.

For questions or concerns, call the company direct at:
(888) BENEFUL (236-3385)

The Internet has been rife with warnings of paper shedders vs. doggie tongues these last few weeks. Yesterday, we got a visual. Ouch!
Please use caution with paper shredders and pets.

Lots of people have contacted me to share their horror stories after reading my Xylitol blog from a year ago. Apparently Xylitol, a sweetener, is becoming more and more common.

Over on the always fabulous Vet blog Dolittler, Dr Patty in Miami has written a wonderful blog on the subject. This is a must read.

Dr Patty says: Rimadyl, raw onions and Tylenol have nothing on this sweetener. It only takes a few cupcakes left unobserved on the kitchen counter to kill even a large dog. Your three-pound Yorkie? A fraction of one offered surreptitiously by a well-meaning guest might suffice.

If your dog does consume xylitol, inform your vet immediately.

Xylitol is very toxic to dogs and it is found and in more and more products all the time. Wrigley's gum, and Sarah Lee cakes to name a few.

Please read labels and take precautions!

Remember, forewarned is forearmed.

Brewster's lymph nodes are larger than golf balls and he is well passed his projected 2-6 months to live. Two nights ago he brought my son a tennis ball and played tug-o-war with him, wagging his tail and barking in delight, and basically acting like a normal and very happy dog.
Yet there have been mornings when he didn't go outside until nearly lunch time.

I am well aware, as you all should be, that animals are often stoic about pain. The more pain, the more stoic. It is a built in defense mechanism. I am quite sure that Brewster has a very high pain threshold, and I am questioning just how much pain he is actually in.
For the first time this morning I started him on pain medication, and not because of any one thing.

Last night, while I was watching a movie with the girls ,he asked to come up on the bed and cuddle for a little while. He was all snuggles and sweetness and he had a good roll about the bed , obviously loving every minute of it. He isn't usually allowed on furniture and I can't help but think he came up to thank us for being his buddy, or maybe it was just to ask for a good scratch.

There was huge news in my inbox last Monday morning from Kris Chistine and I have been sitting on my hands in anticipation of when I can finally post my biggest story ever. You all remember Kris, she is the person from Alna Maine who challenged Maine's two year out dated rabies law and had it changed to three, after her dog Meadow became ill from a rabies shot. Kris didn't stop there and she was instrumental in starting the Rabies Challenge Fund study.
While many pet owners and even some Veterinarians felt that the rabies vaccine given even every three years was not necessary, previously there was no way to verify, as it takes a lot of money to scientifically prove something. In adding even more years inbetween rabies vaccines, there will even less money to be made by drug companies, the ones who usually funds such studies.

This year for the holidays I will not be posting any gift guides or ideas. Instead, I am listing the challenge study and the challenge study only. It is truly the gift of health and a gift that keeps on giving not only to your current pets but to future ones as well.

So what's the big news already? The big news is that the University of Wisconsin and Dr. Schultz a veterinary vaccine research scientist, is conducting concurrent 5 and 7 year challenge studies to determine if the vaccine protects for 5, then 7 years. They have agree to conduct the study and have waived the usual 48 % overhead fee. Many people had voiced concerns to me that they were all for the study, but that they wanted to know where the money was being spent. Now you know-the money is going directly to the study itself!

Below is the press release.

NOW GO AND GET YOUR WALLET!!!

I am sending my twenty bucks, and that is roughly what I would have spent on my two dogs presents. Don't worry about them, they do not want for anything and will of course still get a little extra something for the holidays.

World-Famous Scientists Donate Services to

The Rabies Challenge Fund Charitable Trust

Two world-renowned giants of veterinary vaccine research -- Dr. W. Jean Dodds of Hemopet and Co-Trustee of The Rabies Challenge Fund and Dr. Ronald Schultz of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine -- have volunteered their time to ensure that critical 5 and 7 year rabies challenge studies are conducted in the United States. The studies are to be financed by The Rabies Challenge Fund Charitable Trust, a tax-exemption organization founded by pet vaccine disclosure advocate Kris L. Christine of Maine in 2005, and will be performed by Dr. Schultz at the University of Wisconsin. The University has waived its usual 48% overhead fee for these studies.

The concurrent challenge studies will determine the duration of immunity conveyed by the canine rabies vaccine, with the goal of extending the state-mandated interval for boosters to 5, and then to 7 years. According to Dr. Dodds, “This is one of the most important projects in veterinary medicine. It will benefit all dogs by providing evidence that protection from rabies vaccination lasts at least 5 years, thereby avoiding unnecessary revaccination with its attendant risk of debilitating adverse reactions. "

Scientific data indicate that vaccinating dogs against rabies every three years, as most states require, is unnecessary. Studies have shown the duration of protective immunity as measured by serum antibody titers against rabies virus to persist for seven years post-vaccination, and results of a 1992 French challenge study led by Michel Aubert demonstrated dogs were immune to rabies five years after vaccination. Researchers believe the rabies vaccine causes the most and worst adverse reactions in animals and concur that it should not be given more often than is necessary to maintain immunity. Adverse reactions to rabies vaccination can include autoimmune diseases affecting the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites.

Dr. Schultz states that “[s]howing that a vaccine for rabies can provide 5 or preferably 7 years of immunity would have great significance not only in controlling rabies but more importantly in reducing the adverse vaccine reactions that can occur in dogs and cats after vaccination."

More information on The Rabies Challenge Fund and the concurrent 5 and 7 year challenge studies it will finance can be found at the fund’s newly established website designed by volunteer Andrea Brin at: www.rabieschallengefund.org.

In case you have noticed the lack of blogs this week, here is why.

Lots of germs pass through my home. I have three kids. Need I say more?
Last week one of my kids had an early case of the flu. The rest of us got sick but didn't miss work or school.
One of my client's dogs was diagnosed with Kennel Cough (Bordatella) at the same time. I am getting sicker with a nasty cough that is barky and quite distinctive.

Three people yesterday jokingly asked me if I had Kennel Cough, but not before I wondered the same thing myself.

So I came home and goggled Kennel Cough, and yes apparently humans can get it! Usually it is those with compromised immune systems. I had pneumonia two years ago, so I guess I fit the bill for that. If I am worse tomorrow I will go to the doctors but it got me thinking...

If I do have Kennel Cough, can I pass it on to my client's dogs? Tomorrow (Monday) I would come in contact with about 15 client's dogs so I need to know!

Comments most welcome!

This afternoon I was shopping at Loews for fence material (more on the fence soon), and I bought Gorilla Glue to try to fix the crack in my xtra large plastic crate. Replacing the crate would be very expensive, and my impulse purchase of Gorilla Glue is worth a shot. My Dad says you can fix anything with the stuff.
I happened to mention Gorilla Glue in training class tonight, and was informed of a dog who swallowed glue and nearly died. Apparently when Gorilla Glue comes in contact with liquid it expands and the poor dog had glue the size of a basketball in his belly.

First thing tomorrow I am going to try to fix the crate, and then throw the stuff away before I end up in the ER with the kids or the dogs, or with my luck, both.

You can fetch the whole story here.

Read Vet info here

Monday night was Charlee's first night back to work since my car accident two months ago. She does a great job helping to get people excited about positive reinforcement and clicker training and I have truly missed her at my side during orientation classes. It was apparent to everyone in attendance at Monday's new class, just how much Charlee loves her job. What's not to like? She gets lots of butt scratches, from wonderful people, and as a bonus, she gets delicious treats for a job well done.

This time last year I wrote that my birthday gift to her was to help her shed more than a few pounds, and that she was going on a strict diet combined with lots more exercise. I did follow through as promised, but despite my best efforts, Charlee continued to gain weight. I brought this up at her spring Vet check, and we did a complete thyroid panel where she tested low. Once on the thyroid medication, her weight dropped, and her coat improved, as well as her over all demeanor with other dogs. To learn more about thyroid, click here.

For her birthday this year, I will continue to provide her with an excellent diet, and with a new puppy in the house, the exercise part is a breeze. After 6 years, we have decided to get her a new collar. Charlee won her current Lupine collar at The Angell Memorials annual pet walk for best trick when I had her for only 5 weeks. She did one heck of a break dance!
After six (yes 6!) years, the metal loop on her otherwise still great looking collar has started to rust, which in turn is turning her white scruff brown. I contacted Lupine and their wonderful products are guaranteed for life, (even if chewed!) and they are replacing her collar - no charge.
There will be no cake and no party for Charlee, but she will get an extra special walk in the woods later on today to splash around in her favorite mud hole.

It is extra sweet to have Charlee with us and doing so well, especially after we came so close to loosing her. This is a good day (as is every day!) to give extra hugs all around to those you love, both human and animal.

Did you know that Wolf hybrids are not protected from rabies with the canine rabies vaccine? I didn't.

Read the entire Portland Press Herald article here.

Update-
After reading several emails I have learned that it is not proven that hybrids do not benefit from a rabies vaccine. There is no acceptable standard due to the small percentage of hybrids and the high expense it would take to test.

Read about this and more from Wolf Park here

A few people have asked me if I had seriously thought about how much I would/could pay in Veterinary bills for Charlee. Many well meaning people gently reminded me that the veterinary medical profession may seem to forget that we need to put food on our tables. They reminded me that Vets just keep testing and poking and prodding so I need to have a clear "end" as to how many bills my family can absorb.

Sorry... I don't feel that way.

I have a young dog in great health and I plan on doing whatever it takes. If that means getting a second job or maybe even a second morgage, so be it.
Several folks have suggested that I put a cap of $5,000 on what I can pay. I'm already nearing the $2,000 mark; I don't see how that is possible.

While I sat in the Emergency Clinic's waiting room on Friday, I saw a couple have this very same conversation right there in front of me, when they were handed the estimate for their dog's emergency care.

Remember 1/2 the money up front.

My heart ached for them. I won't tell you what kind of dog they had to protect their privacy, and besides, I don't think it really matters.

In this case, the husband and wife were not in agreement. The husband looked at the situation from a practical standpoint. I could hear him slowly raising his voice to make sure his concerns were heard.

"Think about how keeping our dog at the vet will traumatize him and how much he will hate it here without us. He won't like being near the other dogs in a kennel. He is old and very sick, and that is one very expensive bill. There goes our vacation plans for the next few years. I think his time has come. What good will spending all this money do for the overall quality of his life".

The wife on the other hand didn't really hear a word he said and for each syllable of his that became louder, hers became softer and more determined. She looked at with steely eyes and softly told him the discussion was over and to hand over his credit card.

He did.

That was my cue to take another walk in parking lot to have a good cry.

Do you know about Care Credit? I was surprised to find that most of my friends and no one in my family knew that Care Credit existed.

Did you know that you can get interest free loans for some medical and most Veterinary bills? Good thing the ER clinic takes it because they want 1/2 the high estimate up front, as do most Vet clinics these days.

You may want to take a few minutes and apply now so you know you have it if/when you need it.

Karla - one of Portland's finest!

Many many thanks to all you well wishers out there, both on my blog and privately. Car accidents sure are scary. Talk about a reality check! I am banged, bruised, stiff and sore, and more than a little freaked out, but we are all basicially ok.

While getting a few ducks in a row today, I had the pleasure of meeting Karla, Portland's working bomb dog. She goes home with a PPD employee at night and spends most days hanging out in the office when she is not working on location. At 7 years old, she is nearing retirement.

And to answer the most asked question of the week, no my dog was not restrained, she was in the far back seat of my van. In this particular case, if she had been restrained, I think she would have been seriously hurt.

I am a firm believer of car restraints for dogs and often tell my clients to do as I say, not as I do. One of my all time biggest pet peeves-- people who drive with their dogs riding on their laps, or with their dogs jumping all over the car and barking incessantly, jumping from window to window.
Both of those scenarios are inherently dangerous to both dog and owner.

I do have car restraints and often use them on visiting dogs, or rescue dogs. Usually with unknown dogs, I crate or knot the leash and close it outside the car door, so the dog cannot get away when the car door is open and to contain them during the ride.

It is a bit grayer with the dog who rides well in a car. One of the reasons I didn't restrain my dog was so that she can get away from my youngest and not be put in a position where she was hurt and felt the need to bite.
Now now, here me out.
Yes-you do need to supervise dogs and children, but there is no way that a parent can protect a dog every minute of every second of every day. Sometimes when I am driving, my little one reaches back to pet the dog, and my dog knows to step aside if she has had enough. Dogs will fight or fight and I have chosen to give Charlee the option of flight. I have done everything to kid proof my dog, but she is still an animal and a sensitive one at that.
All dogs have the potential to bite, don't ever kid yourself about that.
When little ones are not in my car will I now restrain my dog? Yes, I know so many horrific car/dog accident stories, that I can't choose otherwise.

Update!

I have had quite a few people write to tell me that their dogs can get out of a harness restraint. For a complete review of good harness products check out this article over at the Whole Dog Journal. Articles are available for purchase at the WDJ for a small fee.
Or just bite the bullet and subscribe already.
What are you waiting for?

Simmons dog food, most commonly sold by Walmart as Ol' Roy, is being recalled for "flaking",
and
Fort Dodge is recalling 330,000 doses of it's rabies vaccine, after a dog in Kansas got rabies after being vaccinated.

I had planned to write a big huge article on why I do not vaccinate my dog for lyme. However, I never seem to be able to find the time to write it up properly and I can't in good conscience keep letting this topic slide to the back burner day after day.

Many of my clients, friends, and family are shocked to find out that I do NOT vaccinate for lyme, while their Vets are insisting that they do.
Back in April, The Portland Press Herald ran an article telling everyone to run out and be sure their pets are vaccinated for lyme and do it right away because this is going to be a bumper year for ticks.
I have said this before on this blog and it needs repeating. When it comes to health care, whether it be yours or your pets, do the research and find out all you can and make your own choices.

At the prompting from Kris Cristine (you all remember Kris, she changed Maine's outdated Rabies law from 1 to 3 years) I contacted Dr. Ronald Shultz,
a highly respected immunologist from the University of Wisconsin Veterinary School, and asked him if he thought all dogs in Maine should be vaccinated against Lyme as the article suggested.

Here is his email to me in it's entirety. Please read it all!
Your dog says thank you!

Nancy

R.D. Schultz
_______________________________
Ronald D. Schultz, Professor and Chair
Department of Pathobiological Sciences
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of Wisconsin-Madison
2015 Linden Drive West
Madison, WI 53706

Update! 9/19/06
I am hearing of an increasing number of Lyme fatalities in Maine, and I will revisit this issue again in the spring.

You are responsible for YOUR dog.
Please read an email I received from a Bridgton Vet. who has a special interest in Canine Dentistry.
He reminds us that brushing our dog's teeth works great and without the risk.

Gary Wheeler, DVM

Charlee just had her yearly Vet appointment and our Vet was thrilled with her teeth! Last year we discussed having her put under to have her teeth scraped due to excess tarter, but this year Charlee's teeth are tarter free!

So what you ask is my secret?
No secret-Charlee chews raw marrow meat bones from the supermarket.

My dog gets a marrow nearly every day and she loves them!

As with anything you give your dog, please use caution. Do not buy bones small enough for your dog to swallow. Do not cook it, because they can splinter, and wash your hands after handling. If you have a power chewer it is possible for larger pieces to break off, but for most dogs they are fine.
One last word of warning: If you have a dog with guarding tendencies use extreme care. Marrow bones are at the top of the "love list" for most dogs. Use extreme caution with multiple dogs, and children.

Last year I caused quite a stir when I blogged that I was not vaccinating my dog. You can read more about it here.
Sorry if some of the links are no longer are active. This year due to a low Parvo titer I did give her the Parvo vaccine, but she will also have the titer repeated in month to check for her baseline.

I am not telling YOU what to do, but I am strongly suggesting that you do your own research and make your decisions concerning your pets health and well being.

Vaccines CAN be harmful.

I am also happy to report that the Rabies Challenge Fund has received tax exempt status. Please consider donating to this worthy study. If we don't fund it, nobody will.

Here is my latest email from Kris Christine:

Hi Nancy!
UPDATE on The Rabies Challenge Fund!!

Cheers, Kris

Trainers tip:
I keep the old empty marrow bones and stuff and freeze them for a special treat. Great idea for dogs that need some busy time.

Sample bonicle recipe:
Try soaking kibble in water and adding plain yogurt, peanut butter or leftovers in a bowl.
Stuff into bone and freeze!

The morning article in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle regarding pets and hazardous lawn chemicals reminded me of a phone conversation I had this spring. Upon hearing of this phone call, all my friends exclaimed, "You've got to blog it! Poor guy, did he get the wrong house!"

Me "Hello"

Them "Good morning Mrs Smith, I am calling from the 'Name intentionally left out chemical company' and I have a special offer for your household today."

Me "Sorry but we don't put toxins on our lawn."

Them "If I could just have a minute of your time, I would like to tell you about some of our chemicals that are less toxic and mostly organic."

Me (I pause, not really sure I heard what I just heard)

Them "Mrs Smith..."

Me "Less toxic and MOSTLY organic? Isn't that like being a little pregnant!!! Sorry but we are not interested. What is it about Americans that they need to have uniformed little green pieces of grass that all match. It's unnatural. Maybe I like weeds! Weeds are good for the eco system, and water from my yard empties into Capisic pond, and then out to sea. I love my 3 kids and my dog and I will not risk their health for an unnatural lawn that is not found anywhere in nature. What is wrong with you people? Aren't you concerned about your own health spraying toxins all day? Have you seen the studies about bladder cancers in Scottish Terriers from the University of Perdue?
Hello? You still there?"

For more info try these links:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4797699/
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?2476&printview

This blog is dedicated to Shelby, a Lab/Aussie mix who died from cancer.