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MVAH goes Green! April 2008
Pet Food Recall Resources April 2007 (Click here for printable word document.) The US Food and Drug Administration is a clearinghouse for all recalled foods and general information. The majority of the first recalled foods were "cuts in gravy" type food, mostly packaged in pouches, manufactured by Menu Foods under a variety of brand names, including: Priority, Authority, Special Kitty, Hill's Science Diet, Purina Mighty Dog, Nutro, Eukanuba and Iams, among others. An estimated 60 million pouches were recalled. New Recalls 4-27-07 (Expanded 5-1-07) American Nutrition Inc, has recalled the following foods that contained rice protein concentrate that may have been contaminated with melamine. The dates following each formula are the "Best By" dates. Canned Cat Foods: Blue Buffalo Blue Spa Selects ALL FLAVORS of canned cat and kitten food Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Kitten Formula 5.5oz 15 AUG 08 15 APR 09 Harmony Farms ALL FLAVORS of canned cat and kitten food Natural Balance Ocean Fish Formula 3oz and 6 oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10 Canned Dog Foods: Blue Buffalo ALL FLAVORS of canned dog and puppy food Canine Caviar Gourmet Beaver 13.2oz AUG 21 08 APR 15 09 Canine Caviar Gourmet Turkey 13.2oz AUG 21 08 APR 15 09 Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Puppy Formula 13oz 21 AUG 08 15 APR 09 Diamond Lamb & Rice 13oz 21 AUG 09 15 APR 10 Harmony Farms ALL FLAVORS of canned dog and puppy food Kirkland Signature Premium Dog 2-Flavor Variety Pack 14oz (24-pack) AUG 21 08 APR 15 09 Mulligan Stew Chicken 13.2oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10 Mulligan Stew Turkey 13.2oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10 Natural Balance Beef Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10 Natural Balance Chicken Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10 Natural Balance Lamb Formula 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10 Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice 13oz AUG 21 09 APR 15 10 Baked Dog Treats: Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice Formula Baked Dog Treats 14oz AUG 21 07 APR 15 08 Blue Buffalo ALL Blue Dog Treats Harmony Farms ALL Dog Treats New Recalls 4-26-07 Chenango Valley Pet Foods has recalled the following foods which may contain rice protein concentrate contaminated with melamine: Doctors Foster & Smith Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Dog Food, Net Wt. 5 lbs., 12.5 lbs, and 25 lbs; Code dates: Best Used By Jan 24, 09; Best Used By Feb 8, 09; Best Used By Feb 26, 09; Best Used By April 10, 09; Best Used By April 17, 09; Doctors Foster & Smith Chicken & Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Cat Food, NET WT. 3 lbs. and 7 lbs.; Code date: Best Used By March 13, 09; Lick Your Chops Lamb Meal, Rice & Egg Cat Food, 4 lbs. packages, Code date: Best Used By April 29, 08 New Recalls 4-19-07 Royal Canin recalls 8 additional diets. Blue Buffalo recalls Spa Select dry kitten food, one batch marked "Best used by March.07 08 B." Dog Products: Menu Foods Dog products recalled Nutro products recalled Purina Mighty Dog pouches recalled Cat Products: Menu Foods Cat products recalled Science Diet cat products recalled Nutro products recalled Additionally, some foods that contained wheat gluten obtained from the same source as Menu Foods or were found to contain melamine were recalled: Hill's Prescription Diet M/D Feline Dry Del Monte recalled Jerky Treats, Gravy Train Beef Sticks and Pounce Meaty Morsels Sunshine Mills, a manufacturer of many brands of biscuit treats including Pet Life and Nurture Royal Canin recalled the Feline Dissolution Formula Canned Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice dry and canned dog food and treats and Venison and Green Pea dry cat food What's the culprit? We wish we knew for sure! Initially, imported wheat gluten in the suspect foods were found to contain a rat poison, aminopterin, but subsequent tests by the FDA have not confirmed this. Many of the foods implicated were found to contain melamine, a non-protein nitrogen fertilizer, but the toxicity of melamine is generally thought to be low. So the bottom line is no one knows if the melamine is the culprit or just a marker for the unidentified toxin. And clearly, wheat gluten is not the only substance to be contaminated. What we do know is that the toxin affects the kidneys and damages them. How do I know if my pet is affected? If your pet has eaten any of the recalled diets, especially if the codes match those in the recall information, we advise checking your pet's urine. Urine concentration can give us a lot of insight into the kidney function and may immediately tell us your pet is not affected. If the urine concentration is such that we're not sure how the kidney function is, we may recommend blood testing to evaluate further. If your pet is sick, do not delay seeking treatment. If you have noticed an increase in the amount of water your pet is drinking or the amount of urine being produced, that may be a sign of kidney disease. How is this treated? Kidney disease is treated with fluids, supportive care, occasionally antibiotics (if there is a secondary infection) and diet. The treatment plan depends on how severely the kidneys are affected. How serious is the problem? Very. Pet Connection, a pet blog, and Veterinary Information Network (www.vin.com), a professional veterinary education site, are surveying cases and estimate that over 4,000 pets have died from this toxin. Please note, these are numbers obtained from pet owners and veterinarians, and may not be 100% accurate. So what can I feed my pet? Good question! Now rice protein concentrate has been implicated, we can't just exclude foods containing wheat gluten. We recommend examining the list of recalled foods and choosing one not on that list, preferably one not containing wheat gluten or rice protein concentrate. What about home cooking my pet's food? That's okay - short term. Over the long term (longer than 2 months) you may run into dietary deficiencies from an unbalanced diet. Cats especially are dependent on their food for the essential amino acid, Taurine. Home cooked diets are hard to balance correctly, but there are websites that can help. BalanceIT is a commercial site (which also sells supplements) that provides balanced diets for dogs and cats using readily available protein sources and grains. During this pet food recall, you may choose your pet food recipe and use the promotional code "VIN" to get one recipe for free (normal price $20). You must follow the recipe exactly, especially regarding the supplements (you can buy them yourself at the drugstore or get them pre-mixed from BalanceIT). Pet DIETS is another commercial site that sells recipes for balanced homemade diets for dogs and cats. Here is a short term "generic" diet that can be used for up to 2 months (recipe courtesy of www.vin.com). Standard Pet Formula - adequate for healthy dogs and cats over 6 months of age 1 pound fresh boneless skinless chicken breast 2 and 2/3 cup cooked white rice 1 Tablespoon safflower oil 1/4 tsp Morton's lite salt 1/4 tsp iodinated salt 3 grams of calcium carbonate without vitamin D (regular Tums - check size) 1 Centrum adult multivitamin-mineral supplement (no special senior, ocular, women's or other versions) 1/4 tsp taurine powder (or 500 mg tablet) (taurine is optional for dogs - essential for cats) * * * * * * Sauté chopped chicken breast in oil until thoroughly cooked. Add rice and salt. Grind Tums (calcium carbonate), multi vitamin/mineral tab, and taurine supplement together. Add to cooled mixture. Store in refrigerator. Larger batches may be prepared in advance and stored in the freezer. Nutritional profile: 40% protein Dry matter basis (DMB) 12% fat DMB 6% calcium DMB 4.3% phosphorus 1.4:1.0 calcium:phosphorus Calories: 1046 kcal per batch or 1.12 kcal/gram Batch size: 932 grams * * * * * * To feed, calculate caloric needs and divide into twice daily feeding. One recipe batch should provide adequate intake for a 40-45 pound dog for 1 day. Caloric requirements for adult, neutered, house pets: Average 6 lb neutered cat needs about 180 kcal/day Average 10 lb neutered cat needs about 260 kcal/day Average 15 lb neutered cat needs about 320 kcal/day Average 10 lb neutered dog needs about 350 kcal/day Average 20 lb neutered dog needs about 580 kcal/day Average 30 lb neutered dog needs about 800 kcal/day Average 40 lb neutered dog needs about 980 kcal/day Average 50 lb neutered dog needs about 1150 kcal/day Average 60 lb neutered dog needs about 1300 kcal/day Average 70 lb neutered dog needs about 1500 kcal/day Average 80 lb neutered dog needs about 1650 kcal/day Always take into account your pet's activity level and body condition and adjust the quantity fed if you notice any unusual weight gain or loss. Hurricane Katrina October 2005 We here at Mt. Vernon Animal Hospital are very concerned about the people and animals that have lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina. The stories of people having to abandon their animals when evacuating are heart-rending. We are glad to provide links to some of the wonderful organizations offering help to these animals in the aftermath of the disaster. Many animals from Gulf Cost animal hospitals and shelters have been evacuated to the Louisiana State University Veterinary School. They are sheltering pets and also actively rescuing animals that are still in the disaster area. They have established hotlines for people seeking to be reunited with their pets; for companion animals the number is (225) 578-9900 and for horses it is (225) 578-9501. A number of other organizations are also making significant contributions to animal welfare in the Katrina aftermath. Noah’s Wish is a unique not-for-profit animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to rescuing and sheltering animals during and after disasters in the United States and Canada. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has also established a force in the Gulf to help evacuate animals and reunite them with their owners. The American Kennel Club (AKC), the nation’s largest purebred dog registry group, has established the AKC CAR Canine support and relief fund. 100% of all donations will be used to assist animal victims of natural disasters. Additional links can be found on the USDA’s site for local groups as well as national efforts to aid animals affected by the hurricane. |
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