Pet Food Recall Update: "For Years to Come, We'll be Taking Care of Pets Who Have Suffered..."

[piesRsquare]

From the New York Post:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03252007/news/regionalnews/killer_pet_food__toll_soars_in_n_y__regionalnews_jennifer_kirsten__brian_farber_and_cathy_burke.htm

Dr. Louise Murray, director of medicine for the ASPCA at the Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital on East 92nd Street, said she suspected the contamination would have an effect beyond the staggering death toll.

"There's going to be a wide spectrum of kidney damage seen, ranging from mild to moderate and severe and up to death," she said. "For years to come, we'll be taking care of pets who have suffered to some degree and will require their owners to get nursing care."

Entire article at link.

:cry:

Updated pet food recall information, including updated list of links: http://2blackcats.wordpress.com

[shaniqua6392]

1. They are still saying only 16 pets died!

www.petconnection.com tells a different story. I don't like that they are not telling us the truth. It is far worse than they are saying.

[piesRsquare]

4. The FDA spokesman sez (more or less) that 16 dead isn't accurate

From the Houston Chronicle:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4659238.html

The FDA is focusing on finding the source of the contamination and getting information to consumers, rather than tracking the cases of sick pets, agency spokesman Mike Herndon said in an e-mailed statement on Saturday.

"We do not have enough information on the number of sick or dead pets to provide a number," he said.

Entire article at link.

http://2blackcats.wordpress.com

[progdonkey]

17. I think the news orgs are just trying to avoid their own lawsuits...

If they start throwing numbers like 150 dead pets, or something, and their only proof is a self-reported list at a website, they're opening themselves up to slander charges from Menu Foods, and maybe even criticism for "fomenting panic."

If they just stay with official numbers from the FDA, they're completely safe. Certainly, that's a much lower number than the actual toll, but it's a confirmed number.

Besides, is it really necessary for the news organizations at this time to have an absolute death toll? The food's off the shelves, the culprit in the food has been identified, etc. The issue of a death toll really only needs to be zealously accounted for when it comes to class action lawsuits and (perhaps) criminal action against Menu Foods and maybe also the brands themselves. Furthermore, as the OP's article points out, death isn't the only possible outcome from this poisoning: there are countless more animals who've been exposed and didn't die but will still need a lot of medical care, so only focusing on a death toll is just as bad as not fully acknowledging the death toll.

The news organizations haven't been hiding that; they just don't want to get backed into a corner by citing absolute numbers that have only appeared on a website.

[w4rma]

2. 'free' trade and poor regulations and enforcement of regulations. (nt)

[Junkdrawer]

5. htuttle has an interesting theory:

Or, you're growing wheat in China, and demand is outstripping supply, so you look at the bins of rodentcide-treated seed wheat sitting there, and decide that what the heck -- wheat is wheat. So you send the treated seeds to the gluten processing plant, bypassing the growing cycle and maximizing production.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=493757&mesg_id=493812

[piesRsquare]

7. Worth investigating, but

my opinion is that we shouldn't be getting wheat--or wheat gluten, for that matter--from China!

Not that I think htuttle thinks we should, it's just that I'm just so pissed off about the getting-wheat-from-China deal that I'm not at the point yet (emotionally) where I'm able to speculate how the wheat was poisoned in China (especially since we'll never know...MenuFoods won't even disclose the name of the supplier!)

The Breadbasket of the World, importing wheat from China! I don't know exactly why, but I just find this so absolutely appalling and repulsive!

[Junkdrawer]

15. Treated seeds are usually dyed a distinctive color to prevent their use in food...

but if I shipped OLD treated seed to China and had it reprocessed as wheat gluten....

I wonder if we'll ever get the full story on this incident.

[TZ]

3. can we HOPE something good comes of this?

I would like to think that maybe there will now be more oversight on pet food manufacturing, but in this political climate (Bush doesn't care about a lot of people, let alone animals) I am not hopeful. I think we are going to see Menu Foods, and maybe even Iams disappear because of this. That can be a good or bad as we have seen with Menu foods making so many,many types of food. But its going to be people like you pies, who are going to be seeing the biggest and longest impact. And after watching my old cat, Turtle go through this I am incredibly sad for you vet/tech people who will definitely see the larger picture.
My heart goes out to everyone touched by this horrible event:grouphug:

[sasha031]

9. the only good that can come out of it

we take care of the problem, *UCK THE GOVERNMENT! don't buy pet food anymore, cook for your pets, if they need other nutrients and supplements in their diet I am sure the vet will have them.

maybe we all should consider growing our own food, and beware where you get your seeds GM.

we have to take back our country, both Dem's and repukes have lined their pocket's with corp donations, (with the exception of a few.)

we have no regulation and they don't care, buy only what you need with caution, unplug that thing called a Tvveee, open your window and throw it out.

at this time we have the internet...

[sasha031]

6. in a period of 6yrs I have had 2 cats die of kidney failure

my last one Sasha has it, going on 2yrs, I give her fluids, lots of vet check ups, constant UTI's...

yrs ago I was claiming it had to be the food, but vet's would reassure me it wasn't.

I believe this has been going on for a long time, and this was a case of it coming to a head.

The expense of keeping a pet with kidney failure is not cheap, but Sasha seems to have the will to live, where the other 2 it was just overtaken by the disease.

What are we eating, I am so sick to death of china, it's impossible to know where anything comes from.

what I recommend for new healthy pet owners is get your cats on baby food or cook yourself for them.

for my little Sash, she's still on Fancy Feast(which she should not have) but I also cook for her.

once a cat developers a pallet for certain foods, it's close to impossible to get them to change.

[aquart]

8. Me, also. Two to kidney failure. Another to cancer.

Well-cared for house cats have no reason to die at ten years old.

[sasha031]

10. it's like losing part of you

I'm still not over it:cry:

[TZ]

16. Yes- my cat Turtle died in 2005

and I still cry when I think of it. Which is often this week because although she lived a good lifespan (17 years) She had liver/kidney/pancreatic issues which turned into cancer (it seemed to be some sort of infection at first because antibiotics really helped) for the last 1.5 years of her life. I spent a lot of money helping her and while sometimes she had difficult patches, for the most part it did help and it did extend her life. But I am all too familiar with the symptoms the poisoned pets have. I can't cook, am afraid of poisoning myself let alone my kitties but I try to feed them pretty decent food. Its the best I can do for them under the circumstances.:cry: :hug:

[shaniqua6392]

20. We have a cat that will only eat Friskies Turkey and Cheese!!

He would not even eat the turkey without the cheese. We really thought we were stuck. But with this pet food recall we thought we would try again. We researched for companies that manufacture and package their own food and do not farm out any of their products. We came up with the company Merrick. They are one of only a couple of companies who make their own. So we went and bought three cans of their cat food. He absolutely loves it!! They have so many varieties to choose from. We could not believe it. He gobbled up the whole can. There are no fillers at all. They use all natural ingredients. Next time you are at the pet store, pick up a few and give it a try. Our dogs are on a raw (barf) diet and they get a little Merrick Kibble. BTW...I am really sick of China too.

[qanda]

11. I found out yesterday that one of my friends lost a pet to this

There's no way it's limited to just 18 pets.

[youngdem]

12. Has someone created a website where the public can post pet victim testimony and photos?

If not, it seems that this would be a very good way to attempt to track the extent.

[DawgHouse]

13. www.petconnection.com

Post info there.

[youngdem]

14. Thanks very much.

:hi:

[bluedawg12]

18. I have several cats and 2 doggers- the irony is

that the very companies involved in the tragic and hideous deaths and suffering of beloved little creatures are the very companies that run ads that cleary play to the love that Americans have for their pets and on the emotional attachment we feel for these intelligent little creatures who have an intellect and have emotions.

But, when it comes to being forth right and transparent about what happened and announcing it in a timely manner ina a clear fashion they acted like it was no big deal.

I saw one lousy crawler on the TV screen last Fri, night about animal food recall. I had to hunt down the web site on the net to get the brand names of items that were pulled.

I never heard one news outlet give out an 800 number to call for folks who didn't have acess to a 'puter. @ss holes!

[piesRsquare]

19. Kick...

Miao!

Updated pet food recall info: http://2blackcats.wordpress.com

[knitter4democracy]

21. It was a good thing I made my mom re-check her cans.

They're in the newly expanded re-call, and she's going to have to take her two dogs in to get checked. *sigh*

This thing is huge, and we started seeing it on a knitting board I hang out on a lot in January. All of a sudden, several board members' cats were getting kidney problems, and a few cats have died. We were all wondering what was going on, and now we know--it was the damn food that should've been safe.

I tried switching my dog to an even safer food, and he tried to roll in it and then refused to eat anything the rest of the day. So much for that. I'm hoping my cat will more amenable to a switch.

[piesRsquare]

22. The Recall Itself Wasn't Expanded

Menu Foods is having everything pulled because of confusion. Now it seems there's MORE confusion...

"The company said Saturday the recall still applies only to products packaged from Dec. 3 to March 6. Retailers were advised Friday to remove all the products from their shelves in order to verify the dates they were packaged, but products not made between those dates can still be sold."