Melamine in Natural Balance rice protein

[dcole]

I'm starting a new thread on this topic just so everyone notices it:

USAToday is reporting that melamine was found in the samples of the Venison and Peas and Venison and Brown Rice, associated with the NB recall. It is suspected that the melamine is in the rice protein...

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/2007-04-17-premium-pet-food-recalled_N.htm

If you need to keep up with the latest on this subject, they're doing a pretty good job of it over at Itchmo:

http://www.itchmo.com/read/natural-balance-pulling-venison-dry-dog-formula_20070415

When will this end?:confused:

-Debi

[darci]

I just saw this.... A few hours ago on another board.

Natural Balance seems to be more cautious and up front about the recall and thier foods.

A big but there....

I just bought my moms dog NB vension on Sunday..... Argh...

I also bought NB treats for mine, I know that they said it was only the venison and I bought potatoe and duck treats, but now I am concerned about all foods.

We all need to stay on our toes and watch the FDA recall sites.

[corgimom]

This bothers me as I have been feeding two of my cats that venison and green pea for months now and also Cody up unitl 3 weeks ago. I thought that Natural Balance said it was a certain "lot number" that contained this - was that mentioned anywhere at all?

And I see that the Canned Dog food is now also included - Just to be safe, I am not going to feed my cats the canned Venison and Green pea until I hear more about this.

Thanks for posting that Deb

[darci]

Linda as far as I know they have not narrowed it down to any lot numbers.

I know I too was very upset by this.

[Dillydoodle]

Linda, I would stay away from it for right now until you get a green light that it is safe again. This is the kind of stuff that makes me wonder if i should just cook for my dogs myself... it is very scarey... You had blood test done recently on Billy and his blood work seemed ok ( thinking kidney function) but what about Ernie? is he acting ok? I would probably get them all blood tested to be sure... you know, as a precaution... very scarey...
Emilie

[corgimom]

You know Emilie,

Ernie has been vomiting here and there, but he has IBD also, so it doesn't seem so different than what he has done at other times - but a blood test may be a good idea. I am actually seeing my vet tomorrow with my senior cat and will ask him what he thinks about doing a blood test on Ernie. And I did leave him a voice message yesterday about the Natural Balance recall since he knows I have been feeding it to my two cats.

I have to go through my treats this morning, as I have the same treats(Venison and Brown Rice) for Cody and they have the Rice protein in them also.

[Flying Aces]

I just read the press release from natural balance here: http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/press_release.html

It says the canned venison cat food is not involved in the recall. I don't know if that will reassure you or not.

It sure is scary with all of these food recalls. Everytime you turn around they are recalling another one it seems. We are currently feeding Ace Wellness brand, and we keep our fingers crossed that stays safe.

[corgimom]

Jim and Bethany,

Thanks for posting that, I tried to call and naturally the line has been busy, although yesterday I got through - Although they say the canned cat is fine, I still am a bit afaid to continue feeding it - I do have some California Natural Vension and Brown rice that I can feed until Natural Balance gets more answers.

It is hard when you have a cat with food allergies and are very limited on choices of what you can feed.

[Fluffypants]

Please let us know what the vet says about Ernie Linda.

[corgimom]

I just got back from the store and bought their remaining supply of the canned California Natural Venison and Brown Rice for my cats - lots of empty shelves at this store. The person said people have been coming in looking for alternatives now to the Natural Balance; but she said she was sorry to hear that because they are a good company and it was only those two products that are affected(so far)

[Fluffypants]

I just breathed another sigh of relief when I checked the Nature's Variety website. They don't use rice protein in any of their foods either, and it's also not used anywhere in the manufacturing facility. So that's another one I dodged. This is like playing musical chairs . . . I am terrified that the next time the music stops . . . I won't have a seat!:eek:

BARF never looked so good. :p

[corgimom]

It said on their website, due to the many calls they are getting they posted an question and answer page: here they are:


Natural Balance Pet Foods,® Inc. Voluntary Nationwide Recall on Specific Venison Dog & Cat Food Products

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I’ve heard the brown rice is the problem, is this true?

NO. The rice and brown rice are not a problem. The problem is rice protein concentrate that is only used in the four products involved in the recall.

I’ve heard the venison is a problem, is this true?

NO. The rice protein concentrate is the problem, and is only used in the the Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, Venison & Brown Rice Canned Dog Food, the Venison & Brown Rice Formula Dog Treats and the Venison & Green Pea Cat Food. These are the only products involved in the recall.

What products are affected?

Venison and Brown Rice Dry Dog Formula
Venison and Brown Rice Canned Dog Food
Venison & Brown Rice Formula Dog Treats
Venison and Green Pea Dry Cat Formula

What products are NOT AFFECTED?

None of our other products are affected:

Ultra Premium Formula Dry Dog Food
Reduced Calorie Formula Dry Dog Food
Ultra Premium Formula Dry Cat Food
Reduced Calorie Formula Dry Cat Food
Sweet Potato & Fish Dry Dog Food
Potato & Duck Formula Dry Dog Food
Organic Formula Dry Dog Food
Vegetarian Formula Dry Dog Food
Turkey Formula Dog Food Rolls
Beef Formula Dog Food Rolls
Lamb Formula Dog Food Rolls
Beef Formula canned dog food
Chicken Formula canned dog food
Lamb Formula canned dog food
Liver Formula canned dog food
Duck and Potato Formula canned dog food
Sweet Potato & Fish canned dog food
Eatables Irish Stew canned dog food
Eatables Hobo Chili canned dog food
Eatables Southern Style Dumplin’s with Gravy
Chinese Take-Out W/Sauce
Ultra Formula canned cat food
Turkey & Giblets Formula canned cat food
Ocean Fish Formula canned cat food
Venison & Green Pea canned cat food
Chicken &Liver Pate Formula canned cat food
Tuna w/ Shrimp Formula canned cat food
Salmon Formula canned cat food
Indoor Cat Formula canned cat food
Roll-A-Rounds Dog Treats
Sweet Potato & Fish Formula Treats
Potato & Duck Formula Treats
Crunch-E-Bones Treats
Lamb Formula Frozen Loaf
Beef Formula Frozen Loaf
Chicken Formula Frozen Loaf
Raw Chicken Formula
Raw Beef Formula

What products have rice protein concentrate?

Venison and Brown Rice Dry Dog Formula
Venison and Brown Rice Canned Dog Food
Venison & Brown Rice Formula Dog Treats
Venison and Green Pea Dry Cat Formula

How did this happen?

From time to time we evaluate our formulas and look for ways to improve them. We recently looked at the Venison dry formulas and thought that adding another protein source would improve the formula. Unfortunately, the rice protein concentrate was contaminated with melamine.

How can we trust your other foods?

We do NOT use rice protein concentrate in any other products in our product line.
We do NOT use wheat gluten in any of our dog or cat foods, except for Crunch-E-Bones, which is being discontinued.

Why don’t you make your own food?

There is virtually no company, large or small in the U.S. that makes 100% of its own food because
There are many expert companies that specialize in contract manufacturing, and we work with two of the best.
These co-packers make the food under contract to the company’s specifications of proprietary formulas.
We have been working with the same manufacturers for over 10 years.

Why aren’t you using lot codes for the recall?

Ignoring lot numbers and date codes is the fastest way for us to get potentially affected product off the shelves.
Waiting for lot numbers and date codes would have been more precise but would have delayed the process.
The Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, Venison & Brown Rice Canned Dog Food, the Venison & Brown Rice Formula Dog Treats and the Venison & Green Pea Cat Food contain the rice protein concentrate that is linked to the problem.

How were you able to act so quickly?

We acted so quickly because our Registered Veterinary Technician/ Customer Service Representative received six calls on April 12th (Thursday) and April 13th (Friday) all from dog families who had started using a “new” bag of our Venison & Brown Rice Formula Dry Dog Food.

Because we never see a cluster of six phone calls about one of our products we decided Friday afternoon that there must be a problem with the newest batch of the dog formula even though we did not know what the problem was.

We decided at that time to initiate testing to try to determine the problem, but at the same time, we decided to stop the further distribution of the Venison Dog and Venison Cat dry formulas even though we had not received any calls from cat households on Thursday or Friday.

Calls were made to Pet Co and our distributors to stop distribution of the food and to start contacting our retailers to pull the affected foods off the shelves, while we monitored calls over the weekend.

What is melamine?

Melamine is a strong organic base with the chemical formula C3H6N6.
Melamine is used in the production of plastic ware and as a long acting nitrogen source for fertilizer.
Melamine is not used in the production of human or pet food.
Melamine is considered a contaminant in any food production

How did melamine get into your food?

We don’t know. It appears that the rice protein concentrate used was contaminated by an unknown source. This is an ongoing FDA investigation.

When will you have new Venison products available?

Venison & Brown Rice Canned Dog Food:
We expect to be able to have test results clearing our Venison Canned Dog food within a few days. The product will be available after these results are confirmed.

Venison & Brown Rice Formula Dog Treats:
We expect to be able to have test results clearing our Venison & Brown Rice Formula Dog Treats within a few days. The product will be available after these results are confirmed.

Venison & Brown Rice Formula Dry Dog Food:
Two to three weeks.

Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Food:
Four to six weeks.

Are Rice, Rice Flour, Rice Bran and Brown Rice affected by the contaminated rice protein concentrate?

NO.
Rice, rice flour, rice bran and brown rice have no relationship to the rice protein concentrate.
The concentrate is a specially prepared product and is not associated with the rice, rice flour, rice bran and brown rice.

[The Chipmunk's Mom]

I checked Natures Recipe website and they don't use it either. This is getting scarier by the day. You are right, it's like playing musical chairs. Hopefully it will stop soon

[The Chipmunk's Mom]

Not sure if this is a double post or not but I just got this in an email.



Chemical found in second pet-food ingredient
Nationwide recall expands to include rice protein, FDA says
Updated: 10:40 a.m. ET April 18, 2007
WASHINGTON - An industrial chemical that led to a nationwide recall of more than 100 brands of cat and dog foods has been found to contaminate a second pet food ingredient, expanding the recall further.
The chemical, melamine, is believed to have contaminated rice protein concentrate used to make a variety of Natural Balance Pet Foods products for both dogs and cats, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday. Previously, the chemical was found to contaminate another ingredient, wheat gluten, used by at least six other pet food and treat manufacturers.
Natural Balance said it was recalling all its Venison and Brown Rice canned and bagged dog foods, its Venison and Brown Rice dog treats and its Venison and Green Pea dry cat food.
The Pacoima, Calif., company said recent laboratory tests showed the products contain melamine. It believes the source of the contaminant was rice protein concentrate, which the company recently added to the dry venison formulas. Natural Balance does not use wheat gluten, which was associated with the previous melamine contamination, it said.
Last month, Menu Foods recalled 60 million cans of dog and cat food after the deaths of 16 pets, mostly cats, that ate its products. The FDA said tests indicated the food was contaminated with melamine, used in making plastics and other industrial processes. Five other companies later recalled pet products also made with wheat gluten tainted by the chemical.
The FDA has since blocked Chinese imports of wheat gluten. An FDA spokeswoman did not immediately return messages left seeking comment.

[dcole]

Just up today on Itchmo - Melamine found in Chinese corn gluten imported into South Africa - reports say 30 pets have died. :(

http://www.itchmo.com/

Furthermore, Wilber-Ellis (the rice protein importer) nor the FDA have STILL not released the names of the other four pet food manufacturer's besides Diamond that received shipments of the rice gluten!! :mad:

[corgimom]

Well, let's hope this is the end of this recall stuff, I am feeding California Natural now and since my cat has food allergies, I am running out of choices.:(

[dcole]

Linda, I think you were taking one or more of your kitties to the vet? How are they doing?

[corgimom]

So there are more companies besides Diamond now with questionable rice gluten and or rice protein? I was just reading that link you provided and see lots of people posting names of dog foods that could possibly be connected.

[corgimom]

Sorry Deb, I just saw your question; we were posting at the same time. Senior Kitty is fine for now(not food related what he has; but it is still a worry.

Now my 3rd kitty, Owen vomited today and didn't eat his lunch(he loves to eat) He has been eating the Natural Balance Venison and Green pea mixed in with other stuff also - anyway, I am not too worried as he may just have a stomach upset because my other cats were eating it also and nothing has come of it. However, my vet said if he seems to not be feeling better by tomorrow to bring him in so they can run a blood test on him.

Thanks for asking; I wish this recall would just end; it is getting ridiculous

[corgimom]

Deb,

Two interesting articles out of that link you provided.

http://www.durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=272635

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.petfood19apr19,0,4141728.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlines

[dcole]

Sorry Deb, I just saw your question; we were posting at the same time. Senior Kitty is fine for now(not food related what he has; but it is still a worry.

Now my 3rd kitty, Owen vomited today and didn't eat his lunch(he loves to eat) He has been eating the Natural Balance Venison and Green pea mixed in with other stuff also - anyway, I am not too worried as he may just have a stomach upset because my other cats were eating it also and nothing has come of it. However, my vet said if he seems to not be feeling better by tomorrow to bring him in so they can run a blood test on him.

Thanks for asking; I wish this recall would just end; it is getting ridiculous

Sigh, no kidding - I am exhausted trying to keep up with and stay one step ahead of this whole mess! If I have to switch foods just one more time, that's it - I'm cooking for everybody!!!

Glad the kitties are well and hope that your Owen just has an upset tummy. :)

[corgimom]

Hey,

I am going to go check another brand of food I have to see if there is something regarding Rice Protein in there(the one Owen also eats) and by the way, my blood sugar is low right about now also - I need some chocolate:D from being stressed reading all of this.:(

[dcole]

Hey,

I am going to go check another brand of food I have to see if there is something regarding Rice Protein in there(the one Owen also eats) and by the way, my blood sugar is low right about now also - I need some chocolate:D from being stressed reading all of this.:(

I had my "medicinal" chocolate when I got home from work this evening. Mmmm... leftover Cadbury chocolate Easter eggs! :D

[corgimom]

Here are some questions and answers regarding recalled foods. I am actually going to take my youngest cat in for blood work today as he has been vomiting since yesterday, and he never vomits, and he does not want to eat and he has also been eating some of the venison and Green pea. He is not one to turn his nose up at food. But my question is, could it affect one animal and not the others? Hopefully, whatever is bothering him is not related to this.



ACTION STEPS
Q: What steps should I take if I think my pet has eaten the recalled food or is not acting normally?

A: Check to see if you have any of the recalled foods. (Go to www.menufoods.com/ recall, and click on Dog or Cat Product Information. If you see your brand listed, click on the name to see what kind of food made by that brand -- particularly its UPC code -- is being recalled.) If your pet may have eaten some of the recalled foods, take your pet to a veterinarian. The tests to determine if a pet is in renal failure are simple blood and urine tests -- they take 24 hours or less for results and have no side effects. Here are recommendations based on three possible scenarios:

If your pet has not eaten any of the recalled foods and is normal, you should not worry.


If your pet has eaten a recalled pet food, he or she should be seen by a veterinarian, whether or not the pet is sick. Some pets appear well but have abnormal tests. Because the drug found in the recalled pet food appears to affect the kidneys and causes low white blood cell counts in humans, blood tests should be done to check the blood cell count, in addition to blood tests to check kidney function. A urine test is also needed to monitor kidney function.


If your pet is sick and has eaten the recalled foods, your veterinarian will make a determination if hospitalization is required.



Q: My animals were on a steady diet of one of the recalled brands. I switched brands approximately six weeks ago. Are my pets still in danger?


A: The time course between eating the recalled food and developing renal failure is currently unknown. Some cases appear to have a rapid onset of kidney failure, while others seem to have kidney damage occurring slowly over time. You should have your pet tested if it consumed the recalled diets.

DEFINITION OF RENAL FAILURE AND SYMPTOMS
Q: What exactly is renal failure? Can my pet have renal failure and still be alive?
A: Renal failure means that the kidneys are not working to remove toxins from your pet's body. Your pet can be alive and be in renal failure. Most of the time, the symptoms of renal failure are decreased appetite, lethargy, vomiting, maybe diarrhea; increased water consumption, increased or decreased urine production. In cats that use a litter box, you may notice a need to change the box more often than usual. Dogs may ask to go outside more often or the well housebroken dog may have accidents. It is important to note that animals can be in renal failure and NOT exhibit any of the above symptoms. Again, if you suspect that your pet ate some of the recalled foods, take him or her to a veterinarian.

TREATMENT OPTIONS
Q: If my pet ate the recalled food and is not well, what are the treatment options?


A: Fluid therapy - flushing the kidneys with fluids to remove the toxins - is the mainstay of treatment, as it is for practically all kidney failure. Adequate hydration is important in preventing toxicity from the toxic agent, aminopterin, in people, and most of the dogs and cats treated have been very responsive to fluid treatment. Dialysis, in which the function of the kidneys is taken over mechanically, is recommended when the kidneys are seriously compromised.

[Fluffypants]

Keeping my paws crossed Linda - please update us when you know more. :(

[corgimom]

Well, $200 later, which was urine test, x-rays and blood work - all looked okay(as far as how the kidneys are functioning) - although they did send some blood work out(something to do with checking electrolytes) and will have those results by Saturday. But he felt I should not be concerned about it being food related, but that it was wise to bring him in since he was eating the recalled food and exhibiting symptoms. So he thinks it just may be Gastric upset and gave me some meds to calm his gut and told me to call him around supper time to see if he has more of an appetite.

[Fluffypants]

Well . . . at least it wasn't bad news. Still keeping our paws crossed that he feels better soon. Thanks for the update!

[corgimom]

Well . . . at least it wasn't bad news. Still keeping our paws crossed that he feels better soon. Thanks for the update!

You are right Jessica, I am so relieved as far as it not being food related:)

[Dillydoodle]

me too!!! i was getting worried about it this morning with him still throwing up. So very glad that it isnt becuase of this recalled food.. Now hopefully his little tummy will settle down and he will start to feel better.. Gentle hugs for owen from me.
Emilie

[mtoy]

Oh, poor Owen, and poor mom for having to clean it all up.:(

[dcole]

Linda,

Glad to hear that your kitty is alright. :)

[darci]

Linda,
Glad Kitty is doing better. Keep us posted when the rest of the labs come back.

[corgimom]

Linda,
Glad Kitty is doing better. Keep us posted when the rest of the labs come back.


Thank you everyone, and I will - he still does not have much of an appetite. I made him a chicken breast tonight and got him to eat a bit of that, but otherwise, he turns his nose up at everything:confused: and I have him in a bathroom tonight monitoring exactly how much he is peeing.

[darci]

Bless your heart it sounds like you have your hands full.

[corgimom]

Darci,

He has been licking at his genital area a lot which made me think maybe there was some infection or blockage,(I was reading on line about it and it can be serious), but my vet said his Urine sample was "good" and did not indicate that - still has me wondering.

Are you familiar with any of this in cats?

[ZdogZ]

Linda ~ I'm not familiar with that, but just wanted to let you know that I hope your kitties get better!

[darci]

I know they will lick a lot when they have a UTI, but your vet said his urine was normal? He hasnt been drinking as much though right, maybe thats part of it.

Poor little guy.

[Dillydoodle]

Blockage may not be urinary, it might be a large hairball obstruction somwhere in the digestive tract... Misty had that when she was about 10. They should show up on x-rays. She was vomiting more than usual, but still eating- not as much as normal but still eating, but she was seeming to strain in the litter box to go... I brought her to the vet, they xrayed her and found a hairball blockage, and they gave her a mega dose of lactulouse ( an oral med that reminds me of a greasy brown vasaline in a tube! LOL) and a bit later an enema ( aww poor KITTY!) and everything just came Right out and blockage solved... she felt GREAT afterwards... so i would see if the xtrays they did show anything ( or if they were focused completely on her kidneys and didnt look for the possiblity of a hairball blockage. Misty was back to normal the next day.

I sure hope Owen is feeling better today, did he manage to keep the chicken breast down last night?
Em

[corgimom]

I sure hope Owen is feeling better today, did he manage to keep the chicken breast down last night?


Thanks for asking and it is a urinary infection and he does have crystals which can cause vomiting - so for now, he will be getting 2 meds to help with this for the next 2 weeks and I will be using the Royal Canin Dissolution formula food just for a month to help in disolving those crystals(per my vet,only used for a month) and then he will need something for maintenance to help prevent them again.

I started a Low Ash thread on that, and maybe someone can give me ideas of what types of food would be low ash in that thread. I would like to use a different brand for maintenance as Royal Canin has digest and corn gluten in their foods.

[Dillydoodle]

make sure that the Royal Canin that you are going to be feeding is not on the recall list ( i posted they just made the recall list as well). I am glad that owen is not sick from the food. Hopefully the meds for his urinary crystals will help him feel better fast ( i woudl imagein it would be quite uncomfortable.. poor little guy.

[Fluffypants]

Ouch! Poor Owen! Get well soon kitty!!!!

Em - my last cat had the same thing, and she got the brown vaseline too. Yucky stuff - but better than cat vomit!!!! (and the easiest of all meds to give - why can't they all be that easy?)

[Dillydoodle]

Much easier to wipe a glob of that medicine on the roof of their mouth as they will lick lick lick until it is all swallowed... now pilling my cats, that is just awful! Misty was really hard to pill ...I got good at pilling but she was a tough nut to crack!
Emilie

[dcole]

Poor Owen! Get well soon, little guy!

[Fluffypants]

The vet told me just to put a blob on her nose and she will lick it off . . . and she did! SO EASY! :)

[Dillydoodle]

I tried the blob on the nose only once... see Misty shook her head... the blob went flying and ended up on my kitchen cabinets and floor LOL!
Emilie

[corgimom]

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN23332213

WASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) - "A second company likely imported rice protein from China that was contaminated with a chemical linked to a major pet food recall, two U.S. lawmakers said on Monday.

Rice protein tainted with the chemical melamine was used in pet foods from at least five manufacturers who obtained the protein from one supplier, U.S. officials have said. It also made its way into feed used at a California hog farm.

Now, another company is suspected of importing rice protein from China, Democratic Sens. Richard Durbin of Illinois and Maria Cantwell of Washington said in a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"We have learned that in addition to Wilbur-Ellis, a second United States company imported a shipment of rice protein from China that is also likely to be contaminated with melamine," the senators wrote. "We request the FDA identify this second importer as well as those manufacturers to which it may have sold the contaminated product."

An aide to Durbin said the senators found out about the second importer from industry sources.

If confirmed, that could further expand a pet food recall that so far includes more than 100 brands. FDA officials have confirmed 16 deaths of cats and dogs from kidney failure and have received more than 15,000 reports of illnesses.

The senators' letter came ahead of a congressional hearing on Tuesday to examine the pet food scare as well as the larger issue of human food safety before a U.S. House of Representatives committee.

FDA spokeswoman Cathy McDermott said so far the agency is only aware of one rice protein importer, Wilbur-Ellis Co., but the investigation is ongoing.

The agency has said the rice protein was supplied by China-based Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd. but the company has denied involvement.

Last week, privately held Wilbur-Ellis said contaminated rice protein was distributed to several pet food makers. Three of them -- Natural Balance Pet Foods, the Blue Buffalo Co. and Diamond Pet Foods -- have pulled some of their products.

Wilbur-Ellis and the FDA declined to name the other two makers. Durbin and Cantwell called on the agency to make those two companies publicly known."

[dcole]

I got this alert tonight, too, Linda. Thanks for posting it.

Yet again, the FDA is refusing to name the recipients of the tainted protein, and still have not named the last two pet food manufacturers that received the tainted product from Wilbur-Ellis.

I am tired of these corporations and the political sycophants at the FDA that protect them over us or our pets. I'm picking up Pitcarin's book tomorrow and will begin cooking this weekend...

[Dillydoodle]

Just outrageous... they should be protecting US and our PETS not these million dollar corporations... they should be printing the names of the companies that have this tainted product...so basically it could be anything...great...that is not comforting to me at all...

Emilie

[corgimom]

I got this alert tonight, too, Linda. Thanks for posting it.

Yet again, the FDA is refusing to name the recipients of the tainted protein, and still have not named the last two pet food manufacturers that received the tainted product from Wilbur-Ellis.

I am tired of these corporations and the political sycophants at the FDA that protect them over us or our pets. I'm picking up Pitcarin's book tomorrow and will begin cooking this weekend...

Deb,

I am enjoying that site you posted - it is one I have to visit everyday now to get the "scoop" on what is going on - even passed it on to my vet.:)

[Milosmom]

Eek! This recall issue is driving me nuts. I bought a bag of Natural Balance but it made Milo's poo kind of soft and ewwww. All of this makes me wonder what is in the human food supply?? I read an article on MSNBC that the FDA can't begin to inspect and test all shipments coming in and wheat gluten and the like are used in human foods. Makes going organic and home made diets all the more appealing.

I switched Milo and Mieko to Eagle pack and they state on their website that they use USA made products and don't use wheat gluten or rice protein or whatever it is called. I am feeling pretty good about Eagle pack.

[mtoy]

Eek! This recall issue is driving me nuts. I bought a bag of Natural Balance but it made Milo's poo kind of soft and ewwww. All of this makes me wonder what is in the human food supply?? I read an article on MSNBC that the FDA can't begin to inspect and test all shipments coming in and wheat gluten and the like are used in human foods. Makes going organic and home made diets all the more appealing.

I switched Milo and Mieko to Eagle pack and they state on their website that they use USA made products and don't use wheat gluten or rice protein or whatever it is called. I am feeling pretty good about Eagle pack.

I just read that it is suspected in pig and chicken feed and will be testing pork & chicken meat to see if it's in there. I can imagine beef will be in there too - think of it, eggs, milk, butter.... this is way too scary.

Time to go vegan?

[darci]

Eek! This recall issue is driving me nuts. I bought a bag of Natural Balance but it made Milo's poo kind of soft and ewwww. All of this makes me wonder what is in the human food supply?? I read an article on MSNBC that the FDA can't begin to inspect and test all shipments coming in and wheat gluten and the like are used in human foods. Makes going organic and home made diets all the more appealing.

I switched Milo and Mieko to Eagle pack and they state on their website that they use USA made products and don't use wheat gluten or rice protein or whatever it is called. I am feeling pretty good about Eagle pack.

EP is a great company IMO. I have read several e-mails from John their nutrionist, explaining where their ingredients come from.
I prefer their holistic line though.

You can e-mail John with any questions, found on their website. He was great to reccomend different foods for me when Darci had UTI problems.

[corgimom]

Cindy,

I just bought Felidae and will be feeding this to two of my cats. I was on ITCHMO and found this link about the manufacture that makes Felidae/Canidae which is good, but according to the link is says Dry dog and cat food, I wonder who does their canned?

http://www.piedpiperpetfood.net/Home_Page.html

[darci]

Linda,

How do your cats like the Felidae ?

[mtoy]

I switched Millie to Canidae dry from Nutro Natural Choice dry about 2 weeks before the very first recall this year. Before the switch she would frequently vomit bile in the afternoon. Since the switch she no longer vomits, and her coat - which was ok before (or so we thought) - is now silky soft and has a sheen I never saw on her before. The vet noticed the change too. I am so amazed at the difference, and so glad I did this so maybe now the better food is helping her body deal with the stress of adding Link to the family.

I'm not stopping there though, I'm starting to supplement her diet with fresh foods and a joint support powder. Link's too. The recall is a horrible, horrible thing, but at least many of us are learning something from it.

[corgimom]

Linda,

How do your cats like the Felidae ?

They seem to love it - and I like the mild smell:BIGGRIN" - I like California Natural, but the odor of the canned is strong - everyone in the household complains about it.

[mtoy]

http://www.itchmo.com/
Melanine spiking was going on for years.

[dcole]

http://www.itchmo.com/
Melanine spiking was going on for years.

Yep, just saw it, too. Going to email it to everyone I know. :CHATTERBOX:

[darci]

Linda I tried to find out who makes canidae's canned food but so far havent found anything.

But from everything I've read I would feel more comfortable with Menue as opposed to American Nutrition.

[corgimom]

Linda I tried to find out who makes canidae's canned food but so far havent found anything.

But from everything I've read I would feel more comfortable with Menue as opposed to American Nutrition.

cindy, I emailed them and asked, I wonder if I will get a response. I still feel good about using Canidae.

[dcole]

I'm pretty sure I read that Evanger's makes Canidae/Felidae canned foods.

[corgimom]

I did get an email from Canidae and although they do not say who their cannery is, they do mention a small company in IL; isn't that where Evangers is? - so Deb, you may be right. - I do feel safe using this food for my cats.

"Unfortunately, we are being inundated by recall questions, and we may not be able to return all e-mails in a timely manner. To reiterate, CANIDAE in no way is affiliated, nor has any common characteristics with the current pet food re-calls. We do not use soy, wheat gluten, rice gluten, rice protein concentrate or corn gluten in any fashion, and we are not produced in any of the recalled facilities. All ingredients are proudly raised and grown in the USA.

To reiterate, CANIDAE Pet Foods is in no way is affected by the current can re-call, and we aren't, or have never been, produced at any of the recalled facilities. We do not produce Cuts and Gravy, Pouches, and none of our products contain wheat, or wheat gluten.

With the current cuts and gravy recall by a large co-packer, and all the misleading information, we thought we would help explain the production of canned foods. There are only a hand full of co-packers that are located in the US and they produce most canned foods. A few companies choose to have their cans made outside the US, and may or may not disclose that information to you. The pet food industry co-packers are no different from the human products we ourselves eat or drink on a daily basis. Each formula is different and unique to the specific pet food company in which the formulas are owned. Ingredients, quality grade of meats, grade of carbohydrates, vitamin and mineral formulations, to name a few, are all at the discretion of the pet food company in which the products are produced for, and are apparent by the governmental regulated labels. Our heartfelt concerns go out to all involved and or affected by the re-call.


All Canidae products are produced in the USA. We do not purchase ingredients from any suppliers outside of the US. All Canidae ingredients are grown &/or raised in the USA. In addition, we only purchase the absolute best USDA grade "A" hormone and antibiotic free meats. Our rice is also grade "A" Pesticide free. Our fish is FDA inspected and passed residual free of ethoxiquin.

Our cannery is a small facility located in IL. and able to produce the highest quality products. This small family operated facility only produces products that are of the highest quality human grade ingredients. Our formulations were created by an outside nutritionist that has been developing canned foods for over 35 years. You can feel assured by our quality and product performance that our cannery holds the highest standards in production, and is regulated by AAFCO by (NRC), USDA, FDA, IDA, EU Approved and is Organically Certified."

[dcole]

Linda,

Yep, Evanger's is in Wheeling, IL:

http://www.evangersdogfood.com/

For some interesting reading, click on "About Our Products" in the above link,
then "Recent Press", then "Innovation Leads to Growth For Dogs." You are now looking at the online version of "Petfood Industry" magazine. You can use the drop-down box and read searchable versions of the current or back issues. Haven't found any smoking guns yet, but I'm still looking! :BIGGRIN"