Urgent Information for Pet Owners
This post has been edited, to clarify or update certain information; added portions are highlighted in red.
If you have a pet, or know someone who has a pet, please take a moment to read this post. The pet food recall keeps widening, with a new announcement today! And there is no assurance the recalls are over. Many people think they've heard about this already, but many new foods have been recalled. Every pet owner needs to read the most up-to-date information!
While mostly wet food is affected, there are dry foods listed as well. The ASPCA recommends rejecting any food, even if it is not on the recalled list, if it contains any of the ingredients found to be contaminated to date. Personally, I think that is the safest course. I urge every concerned pet owner to at least read the ASPCA's FAQs on this subject. Some significant points include: their caution that it is not known if more ingredients are contaminated, the fact that even dogs seem to be affected, and their note that cats are especially sensitive to this danger.
Also, I won't name my vet, since he didn't agree to be quoted, but I've spoken with him on this subject. I have had good and bad experiences with vets; with good cause, I travel a significant extra distance to visit this particular vet. My three cats ate some of the recalled food; I had to have them tested. On my vet's recommendation, since he found one affected dog who almost 'slipped through the cracks', I had both blood and urine testing done. The tests came back with no indication of any damage. In spite of that, my vet explicitly and pointedly told me to continue monitoring them for any signs of illness. This may be partly an instinct for caution on his part - but I rely on his instincts to keep my cats healthy and safe.
Therefore, I'm posting links to some of the most important sites where you can learn more, and my own comments about those sites. I would prefer that you link to this post, since I intend to keep it as up-to-date as I can, but please, however you do it, get the word out!
Bookmark this post, send anyone you know who has pets here, steal my post - I hereby place the one post which includes this statement in the public domain - or create your own better version, but make sure every pet owner has access to this information. Kidney failure is a horrible way to die.
If you know of a resource you think I should add, please mention it in the comments. If you have a question, leave that too, and I'll try to find the answer for you. (I can't promise an answer, but any possibility an innocent animal might die of kidney failure is more than enough to guarantee I'll give it everything I have.)
American Veterinary Medical Association They're working harder than the FDA to provide up-to-date information. This is the main page, with links to a list of recalled foods, links to manufacturer's sites, and many other important resources. I highlight a few below.
AVMA: Recalled Products List This list is not guaranteed to be complete - I suggest every pet owner read their and the ASPCA's FAQs and the ingredients of their pet's food carefully. However, this list is far more up-to-date than the FDA's own site.
AVMA: Resources for Pet Owners A list of links to useful resources for pet owners.
ASPCA: Recall FAQ: Every pet owner should read, and take to heart, all the advice here.
ASPCA: List of Recalled Foods Another attempt to list every recalled brand and type of pet food. Again, it seems to be more up-to-date than the FDA. It is a very good idea to check this and the AVMA list at least daily.
ASPCA: Recall - Recent Updates If you're in a hurry, this lets you quickly scan the most recent news. Don't rely on it until you've checked the full list at least once.
FDA: Official Recall Information It is very clear the FDA is more concerned with protecting company profits than animals' lives - still, since they're so reluctant to release information, this may be the first place you'll learn an important detail.
FDA: (Outdated) List of Recalled Foods Although when I checked, the list did not include foods for which a recall had been announced on the date the list was supposedly updated, this is an additional list to double-check, just in case.
If you have a pet, or know someone who has a pet, please take a moment to read this post. The pet food recall keeps widening, with a new announcement today! And there is no assurance the recalls are over. Many people think they've heard about this already, but many new foods have been recalled. Every pet owner needs to read the most up-to-date information!
While mostly wet food is affected, there are dry foods listed as well. The ASPCA recommends rejecting any food, even if it is not on the recalled list, if it contains any of the ingredients found to be contaminated to date. Personally, I think that is the safest course. I urge every concerned pet owner to at least read the ASPCA's FAQs on this subject. Some significant points include: their caution that it is not known if more ingredients are contaminated, the fact that even dogs seem to be affected, and their note that cats are especially sensitive to this danger.
Also, I won't name my vet, since he didn't agree to be quoted, but I've spoken with him on this subject. I have had good and bad experiences with vets; with good cause, I travel a significant extra distance to visit this particular vet. My three cats ate some of the recalled food; I had to have them tested. On my vet's recommendation, since he found one affected dog who almost 'slipped through the cracks', I had both blood and urine testing done. The tests came back with no indication of any damage. In spite of that, my vet explicitly and pointedly told me to continue monitoring them for any signs of illness. This may be partly an instinct for caution on his part - but I rely on his instincts to keep my cats healthy and safe.
Therefore, I'm posting links to some of the most important sites where you can learn more, and my own comments about those sites. I would prefer that you link to this post, since I intend to keep it as up-to-date as I can, but please, however you do it, get the word out!
Bookmark this post, send anyone you know who has pets here, steal my post - I hereby place the one post which includes this statement in the public domain - or create your own better version, but make sure every pet owner has access to this information. Kidney failure is a horrible way to die.
If you know of a resource you think I should add, please mention it in the comments. If you have a question, leave that too, and I'll try to find the answer for you. (I can't promise an answer, but any possibility an innocent animal might die of kidney failure is more than enough to guarantee I'll give it everything I have.)
American Veterinary Medical Association They're working harder than the FDA to provide up-to-date information. This is the main page, with links to a list of recalled foods, links to manufacturer's sites, and many other important resources. I highlight a few below.
AVMA: Recalled Products List This list is not guaranteed to be complete - I suggest every pet owner read their and the ASPCA's FAQs and the ingredients of their pet's food carefully. However, this list is far more up-to-date than the FDA's own site.
AVMA: Resources for Pet Owners A list of links to useful resources for pet owners.
ASPCA: Recall FAQ: Every pet owner should read, and take to heart, all the advice here.
ASPCA: List of Recalled Foods Another attempt to list every recalled brand and type of pet food. Again, it seems to be more up-to-date than the FDA. It is a very good idea to check this and the AVMA list at least daily.
ASPCA: Recall - Recent Updates If you're in a hurry, this lets you quickly scan the most recent news. Don't rely on it until you've checked the full list at least once.
FDA: Official Recall Information It is very clear the FDA is more concerned with protecting company profits than animals' lives - still, since they're so reluctant to release information, this may be the first place you'll learn an important detail.
FDA: (Outdated) List of Recalled Foods Although when I checked, the list did not include foods for which a recall had been announced on the date the list was supposedly updated, this is an additional list to double-check, just in case.
Labels: animals, cats, dogs, food recall, pets
posted by The Wandering Author | Permalink: 4:05 PM
3 Comments:
Good luck with your efforts to help speed up justice for this issue, Ray.
I hope your cats & everyone elses' stay safe.
Thanks for the info. I just recently bought food for my two kitties and I felt like I was playing russian roulette. This is mostly wet food being affected, no? I usually stick to dry, but still...
Great post. I submitted it to Digg for others to see. :)
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