[biscuit]

According to Pet Connection (once again - those people are amazing!), the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center has issued an advisory to pet owners that they should confirm with the manufacturer of their pet foods that all protein sources in that food are of American origin - that is, born, raised, etc. in this country. This means not only the meat, but rice proteins, glutens, etc.

"Given the fact that there is new evidence of cross-contamination in ingredients that may have been considered safe prior to this news, we need to be much more aware of where the ingredients in our pets' food are coming from," said Dr. Steven Hansen, a board-certified toxicologist and senior vice president with the ASPCA, who manages the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), located in its Midwest Office in Urbana, Ill.

"We are strongly recommending that pet parents immediately investigate, via their pet food manufacturer's Web site or by calling them directly, where the ingredients, specifically protein supplements, are sourced from."

Given the current situation and until this crisis is resolved, the ASPCA is recommending pets be fed products containing U. S.-sourced protein supplements only.

"The continued expansion of the recall is extremely worrying," said Dr. Louise Murray, director of medicine at the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital (BMAH) in New York City, and a board-certified internist. "The magnitude of this crisis leaves us frustrated as to how to best protect pets and prevent any more illnesses or deaths."[/b]

So there it is. I will be switching to homemade for a while, as the meat I eat is raised just 40-50 miles south of me, and grass fed supplemented by grains grown by the ranchers. And I will be using that meat as a base for a homemade food because I give up. Fortunately, Pet Connection is apparently working with some veterinary nutritionists on a homemade food, but I figure my guys can live for a few weeks on a somewhat unbalanced diet of local meat, beans, pumpkin, dairy and, of course, their beloved carrots.

Please go read the entire thing because there's also info for people with sick pets and a link to the complete release.

 

[murraysmom]

Not a broken record at all, this is a crisis, the recalls are still growing, and a lot of people aren't aware of this fact.

You've been providing valuable information from the beginning, and I know I'm not the only one on the forum who appreciates it.

Thank you for taking the time to keep us all updated-

 

[biscuit]

But it's not me. All I'm doing is copying and pasting. Meanwhile, I don't think the people at Pet Connection and a few other places have had a decent night's sleep since this whole mess started. And I really really appreciate their willingness to be so forthcoming because they have such extraordinary access to the FDA, etc., and haven't missed a beat getting the info out. In fact, they and a couple other blogs (Itchmo, Howl911, etc) have beat the FDA in getting info out on recalls.

 

[pinehawk]

i read this morning on yahoo fianance that the Chinese Govt. is stepping in and arresting the people who run the plant that made the products involved with the recall.i couldn't find it or i would have tried to link it up here and i would not try to do it on my work computer.

 

[twobassets]

We are cooking for our two. I just purchased a great book with a ton of recipes and it is proving to be invaluable. It's 'Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats'. I wanted to make sure they were getting the right vitamins and minerals and this book contains some great info. The dogs are no longer having food allergy issues and truth be told it's probably because the diet is so simple. They love it and can't wait to eat! Not that this was a huge problem before...

I would rather be safe so I'm thinking this is the long term plan.

 

[Beverly Anne]

Oh, this is all so horrible. Francis has been switching over to Newman's Own Organic which wasn't on the list but I still worry. I don't even cook for me so forget about it for Franny. But if I have to, I will. I can't believe the FDA has let us down so badly.

 

[Betsy Iole]

I can't believe the FDA has let us down so badly.[/b]

It's not the FDA, so much as lack of funding at FDA. It might also reflect politicization at FDA, similar to the current Dept. of Justice scandal. This would, of course, be the same administration and Congress that so competently managed the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Jeebus, don't get me started; there aren't bad enough swear words...

 

[dhatt]

Ah, but now the questions is: cooking what? See the current headline at MSNBC.com

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18496438/

 

[biscuit]

Ah, but now the questions is: cooking what? See the current headline at MSNBC.com

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18496438/[/b]

Ah, but see - that's why you develop relationships with local farmers and ranchers instead of depending on The Big Four Agribusiness Food Corporations (who hold equal responsibility for this mess, as they're the ones who benefit from this "Show the public government doesn't work, let's drown it in the bathtub!" act).

Because when you develop those relationship, you know what your food is eating.

And it's not that much more expensive. I received an email last week, for example, from a producer letting people know he was now taking orders for free ranged, antibiotic free, hormone free chickens not raised on commercial feeds: $2.50/pound, average weight of chickens 5 pounds, meaning, yes, $12 for a chicken. But consider that agribusiness chickens are selling for $1.89-$2.40/pound in the stores here. And the agribusiness chickens are kept confined in cages their entire lives, fed gawd knows what, covered in sh*t, can't even walk and look almost as bad as they taste.

There are local coops and buying clubs opening up all over the country. I belong to three coops already but am fortunate to be able to get my certified buffalo at my local grocery. And so many people are turning to local foods because so many of us have seen the writing on the wall about this for so long that it only takes a bit of investigation to find a source within your price range. In other words, you don't have to break the bank shopping at Wild Oats or some gourmet food boutique to get meats that you are as certain as it is possible to be (without raising them yourself) are safe.