New Pet Food and Treats Recalls, Over 600 Pets Dead

[HDRock]

I just wanted to pass this along





Hi there – It's Dr. Jon here. I wanted to give you an update on the recent deadly treat issue.

You may have heard in the news today that over 600 dogs have died and over 3,500 so far are sick which is linked to jerky treats made in China, as per federal animal health officials (this was released 10/22/13).

They have also identified that this affects cats – with more than a dozen being affected to date.

Dogs affected have been of all ages, sizes and breeds. They believe the illness occurs after eating chicken, duck and sweet potato jerky treats made in China. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials are trying to determine the specific brands of treats affected and the causative agent.

I received a letter from the FDA asking for my help. They want veterinarians that treat a pet they believed are ill due to jerky treats – to send any detailed information including blood and urine test results.
Signs of illness can include Gastrointestinal upset in 60% of the affected pets and about 30% show signs of kidney failure or urinary problems.

For more information – please read:

• (broken link removed to http://link.petplace.com/r/Y8G05UM/IJYO8/YM0M7/JE8IXR/ONUS8/JS/h?a=DrJonHealthAlerts&b=PetFoodRecalls&c=DJHA-20131024-FoodRecallTreats-Cat-%5BT%5D&[email protected])
• (broken link removed to http://link.petplace.com/r/Y8G05UM/IJYO8/YM0M7/JE8IXR/FYQWP/JS/h?a=DrJonHealthAlerts&b=PetFoodRecalls&c=DJHA-20131024-FoodRecallTreats-Cat-%5BT%5D&[email protected])
• (broken link removed to http://link.petplace.com/r/Y8G05UM/IJYO8/YM0M7/JE8IXR/KSFIB/JS/h?a=DrJonHealthAlerts&b=PetFoodRecalls&c=DJHA-20131024-FoodRecallTreats-Cat-%5BT%5D&[email protected])

Signs may include vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, increased thirst, increased urinations, lethargy, or weakness.

Officials from the FDA are seeking help form pet owners and veterinarians to help figure out what and why this is happening. According to the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, testing for contaminants have not identified the causes for the illness.

If you have had a recall, and you are concerned, please contact your veterinarian. I have a link to (broken link removed to http://link.petplace.com/r/Y8G05UM/IJYO8/YM0M7/JE8IXR/VH8UM/JS/h?a=DrJonHealthAlerts&b=PetFoodRecalls&c=DJHA-20131024-FoodRecallTreats-Cat-%5BT%5D&[email protected]).
Here is a list of recent recalls:

(broken link removed to http://link.petplace.com/r/Y8G05UM/IJYO8/YM0M7/JE8IXR/ONUSC/JS/h?a=DrJonHealthAlerts&b=PetFoodRecalls&c=DJHA-20131024-FoodRecallTreats-Cat-%5BT%5D&[email protected])

As daunting as it may seem, people are working very hard to isolate these issues, and resolve them quickly.

For details on this newest recall – go to (broken link removed to http://link.petplace.com/r/Y8G05UM/IJYO8/YM0M7/JE8IXR/774VR/JS/h?a=DrJonHealthAlerts&b=PetFoodRecalls&c=DJHA-20131024-FoodRecallTreats-Cat-%5BT%5D&[email protected]).

This is just a reminder for you to check the list frequently. I'd recommend that you review it each time you buy new pet food or treats just to be safe.

I'll keep you updated as more information develops.

Until next time,

Dr. Jon

P.S. Please forward this to a friend – I'd really like to get the word out.

P.P.S. For some general information about dog nutrition, and why it is important, read the following article: (broken link removed to http://link.petplace.com/r/Y8G05UM/IJYO8/YM0M7/JE8IXR/WB61X/JS/h?a=DrJonHealthAlerts&b=PetFoodRecalls&c=DJHA-20131024-FoodRecallTreats-Cat-%5BT%5D&[email protected]).

 

[stoveguy2esw]

hi HD,

thanks for passing this along, im going to copy and paste in my facebook page as well.

good of you to pass on the heads up!

 

[Flatbedford]

Scary stuff. We have been preparing our dog's food from scratch at home. His treats are home made beef jerky. I only buy rawhide from USA. Our JJ is a cancer survivor. Not gonna risk losing him for something we can easily prevent after all we have been through.

 

[mithesaint]

Steve, Be very careful with that home cooked diet. It's really easy to have nutritional imbalances in a home cooked diet, and they don't show up right away. It's more critical in younger dogs than older dogs. I had a young patient that was eating a home cooked diet and broke his leg running through the park because his bones were so brittle. I had another client with a puppy that broke every single major bone in both back legs due to nutritional deficiency from a poor diet. Good luck.

 

[Flatbedford]

Our guy is going to be 10 in a couple weeks. His food is beef, chicken, turkey, and tofu with cabbage, broccoli, kale, tomatoes, garlic, eggs, and ground flax seed. My wife did lots of research on canine cancer diet. The idea is too remove grains and carbs because cancer feeds on them. Our vets have not been concerned about his nutrition. It is our understanding that dogs aren't really carnivores, but are actually omnivores.

 

[mithesaint]

Our guy is going to be 10 in a couple weeks. His food is beef, chicken, turkey, and tofu with cabbage, broccoli, kale, tomatoes, garlic, eggs, and ground flax seed. My wife did lots of research on canine cancer diet. The idea is too remove grains and carbs because cancer feeds on them. Our vets have not been concerned about his nutrition. It is our understanding that dogs aren't really carnivores, but are actually omnivores.

Sounds good. You might consider adding an adult multivitamin to the diet if you aren't already doing so, and maybe consider adding some dairy proteins. FWIW, I'm not familiar with the "cancer diet", so I apologize if dairy is off the list. The omnivore thing is absolutely correct. Good luck.

 

[DuckDog]

Crazy stuff. You really have to pay attention to pet food. We will not purchase any food from China (human or dog). If they think melamine is ok to put into human baby formula, than can you imagine what would be acceptable in dog food? I'm not on the grain free wagon but sourced a food with a low gi grain, steel cut oats, and no corn or wheat. We're in Canada so we feed a Canadian food. Acana Chicken and Burbank Potato made by Champion Pet Foods in Alberta. Costs a little under $65 / 30lb but that lasts 2 months. To put it into perspective, it's a dollar a day to feed my son's best friend. All ingredients are locally sourced. If this food and company did not exist I would 100% be feeding Fromm out of Wisconsin. It has a very similar product and philosophy. We follow the same rules on treats.