Cat and Dog Food recall

Hey guys-

I came across this while reading the news tonight and wanted to pass it on in case any of you have pets. One of the brands I feed my cat occasionally was on the list and the serial numbers on the cans in my cabinet match the ones recalled, so it scares me a little bit! A lot of popular brands are on the list so please take a look, twice!! -.q. (andreaq)

Link

Sun. Mar 18, 12:08am

My question is..why am I paying extra for what is supposed to be high quality dog and cat food (Iams) if it is on the same recall list with store brands and dog food such as Ol Roy that is supposedly low quality??

Sunday, March 18, 2007, 7:37 AM

I have and will Never feed my cats Iams.

Monday, March 19, 2007, 6:52 AM

A couple of comments...
FIrst, what's a high or low quality food is a subject of debate, akin to religious warfare. Advertising, needless to say, doesn't help. That said, Iams was widely talked of as taking a step down the ladder a few years ago when they moved into non-pet distribution channels. You run across fanciers, though, who seem to feel that feeding Science Diet/Iams/... or indeed anything other than ground fresh raw organic chickens (meat and bone) is pretty much the same as whipping Fido with a claw hammer. Can't say that I agree.
Second, lots of animal foods, and human foods, are made to order by contract manufacturers, and Menu (the company in question this time) is in that business. Their customer tells them, in greater or lesser detail as they choose, what to put into it and how to prepare and package it. They may offer a standard line for private label packaging, but part of the business is custom products. For the right price, and assuming their equipment can handle it, they don't much care whether the recipe calls for ground organic sirloin, or minced uranium tailings. Part of the contract manufacturer's "value add" is to hunt down the suppliers and try to get good terms. So far as the recipes allow, they will use the same ingredient supply for all the products that call for it. A bad batch of an ingredient could end up in all the products they produce with that ingredient during a period of time.
Publications like Whole Dog Journal run articles periodically with information about the foods they deem OK.
In case you wondered... we feed Solid Gold Hund-n-flocken, which is a bit pricey, but I don't consider it abuse to feed any old feed if the animal seems OK with it.

Monday, March 19, 2007, 1:45 PM

Additionally, the recall only involved "wet," canned food. Ask any veterinarian and they'll advise against feeding that to your dogs anyway (I don't know what the story is with cats, as I've never had one). Wet food makes dogs poop more, have diarrhea more often, and become pickier eaters in general.

Of course there are some reasons for canned food - your dog has no teeth, or is having trouble eating kibble for some other reason.

But, in short, most people probably feed their dogs dry food, and if you do, you have no need to worry!

Monday, March 19, 2007, 3:37 PM

Rhanks for the info, althought i dont feed my dog anything thats not natural.
As for the cats and wet food question, it has been linked that feeding only dry cereal based dry kibble to cats, who are by nature, carnivores, predisposes them to diabetes and overall not the best for them.. So, i say feed wet ;)
Brands i highly suggest:
Wysong, Innova, California natural, From, ect ect- the more natural , the better ;)

Monday, March 19, 2007, 5:49 PM

Add Wellness to the list of good dog foods! I've worked at a dog kennel and with many dog professionals for two years and it has turned me into a big dog food advocate. All my dogs and cat eat are Wellness or California Natural and I have seen a big difference in their behavior, health and coats...barely any shedding anymore! But if your interested their is a lot of good info on the internet....here's a few links to get started.

http://www.dogboys.com/documents/dietsheet.pdf

http://www.belfield.com/article3.html

Monday, March 19, 2007, 6:27 PM

Geez, guys, I was just trying to pass on some helpful info-not start a debate about what people should be feeding their cats/dogs. Hopefully no one on PT's pets get sick regardless of what they eat. -.q.

Monday, March 19, 2007, 8:23 PM

I don't think has turned into a heated debate, just a few recommendations of other foods to feed our beloved pets. Frankly, I have never heard of these foods, as I thought Max Natural was good quality, so I welcome these new options!

Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 11:49 AM

Agree with 11:49, this is just casual chatter, much nicer than the sourness that breaks out on some of these threads.
The variety of pet foods is really rather amusing. Apparently there are even outfits that will ship you frozen organic animal carcasses so you can thaw them for your carnivore's pleasure (or just eat them like a popsicle I guess - sounds perfect for a teething puppy?)
Of the gazillion brands mentioned in my doggie newsletters, I only remember one that is a brand both for pet food and people food: Newman's Own.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 12:38 PM

mmmm...organic ratsicles and mousicles. yummy

Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 1:52 PM

Here are one of those outfits...their food does help (we used to feed it to one of our dogs that had severe allergies). I agree, though, that the variety of choices (and opinions about those choices) for pet food is astounding!

Link

Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 2:51 PM

Did you see this? Cats are more susceptible to the contaminant in the recalled pet food.

Link

Saturday, March 31, 2007, 6:50 PM

Related Content: How To Lose Weight- The Basics Weight Watchers Points System The Fat Smash Diet The Eat To Live Diet The Beck Diet Solution How To Get The Motivation To Lose Weight		How To Be Successful Using PEERtrainer How To Burn Fat Online Weight Loss Support- How It Works Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight? Tips On Using PEERtrainer Visit The PEERtrainer Community Diet and Fitness Resources
Fitness Weight Watchers Meetings Learning To Inspire Others: You Already Are Writing Down Your Daily Workouts Spending Money On A Personal Trainer? How I Became A Marathon Runner		Preventive Health How To Prevent Injuries During Your Workout Flu Season: Should You Take The Flu Shot? Are You Really Ready To Start PEERtrainer? Super Foods That Can Boost Your Energy Reversing Disease Through Nutrition
New Diet and Fitness Articles: Weight Watchers Points Plus How To Adjust Your Body To Exercise New: Weight Watchers Momentum Program New: PEERtrainer Blog Archive Review Of The New Weight Watchers Momentum Program		Weight Loss Motivation by Joshua Wayne: Why Simple Goal Setting Is Not Enough How To Delay Short Term Gratification How To Stay Motivated How To Exercise With A Busy Schedule
Real World Nutrition and Fitness Questions Can Weight Lifting Help You Lose Weight? Are Protein Drinks Safe? Nutrition As Medicine?		Everyday Weight Loss Tips How To Eat Healthy At A Party How To Eat Out And Still Lose Weight The Three Bite Rule Tips On How To Stop A Binge