tainted dog food

[strmrdr]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051231/ap_on_go_ot/toxic_dog_food

Check whats on your shelf for brand names Diamond, Country Value and Professional

 

[Kaleigh]

Oh that''s awful, thanks for the heads up Storm.

 

[MiniMouse]

It''s tragic and so sad. Thanks for the warning Storm.

 

[stretch4]

That is absolutely tragic.

You can read more info on their website.

 

[aphisiglovessae]

I''ve never heard of these brands before? Are they from vets or are they in stores?

 

[Mara]

I''ve never heard of them either, but then saw that CA is not on the list of the states that the dog foods were sent to...

I only buy P recommended foods from the WDJ''s top 10....so far the top contender for a mix of meats and oils and grains for her is Candidae which has 4 protein sources and relatively little ''corn'' filler (which can make them fat just like us!)...

The funniest thing that this ''specialty'' dog food is seemingly not any more expensive than the typical stuff at the pet stores or supermarkets!

Greg read a story a few months ago about someone who was putting out tainted poisoned chicken on the streets and whatnot for dogs to eat and get sick from...

 

[njc]

I have never seen these products before, but thank you for the heads up!

Mara - what is WDJ? There was someone around here in DC that was going to dog parks and giving out tainted treats. So sad.

 

[Mara]

njc..that is just so absolutely sick and wrong!! if i came across that person, oh you can bet my kickboxing skills would come in very handy!

WDJ is whole dog journal, they publish a top 10 list of dog foods after 'extensive research', when we first got P i got this printout from a dog store and it was very interesting reading on what the dogs should be eating vs what is actually in some of the brand name pet store foods vs some of the more specialty foods. alot of the typical store brands have corn filler which makes up a large part of the food and has no added health benefits and just packs on the pounds for the dogs if they are not very active. you want multiple sources of protein (as long as the dog doesn't have allergies, in which case a lamb based diet is typically best) and relatively little vegetable 'filler' as well, a few veggies or fruits is fine but they even said to steer clear from foods that had TOO MANY types of veggies which is more like the 'kitchen sink' approach. Flaxseed and Sunflower seed oils are great for skin and coat, as well as any fish oils like the Salmon oil (which I give P as a supplement sometimes like in winter when the air is very dry). You want to see whole grains, oils, and proteins as the top 10 ingredients on the list of ingredients, rather than fillers or vegetables and the like.

Other great foods on the list were Natural Balance, Innova, Millennium, California Natural, Flint River, Eagle Pack, Prime Life, Wellness and Pinnacle. I also get Portia the Wellness dog treats which she LOVES...they have things like peanut butter and honey whole grain biscuits.

Blah blah I could go on forever, the article was interesting to a new dog owner who didn't know much about what to feed her dog...anyway I am not sure if you can find the article online but one of the top foods was Candidae for all the positive attributes they were looking for...I also gave P California Natural for a while but she did not like it as much and it only had 1 source of protein and I wanted to see how she did with multiples....so far I have been feeding her Candidae for over a year now!

 

[ep6585]

I saw the recall notice over the holidays and was really worried since I feed my two dogs Diamond Green Premium. After about 30 minutes of looking on the internet and on the codes on the half used bag we were relieved to find out that our bag was manufactured at a different location.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 1/4/2006 2:37:21 PM
Author: ep6585
I saw the recall notice over the holidays and was really worried since I feed my two dogs Diamond Green Premium. After about 30 minutes of looking on the internet and on the codes on the half used bag we were relieved to find out that our bag was manufactured at a different location.

whew, Thank God.

 

[MissAva]

Family Cares for Ill Dog

They are now saying 76 dogs.

Customers can contact the Diamond Pet Foods Customer Information Center toll free at 1-866-214-6945 to receive complete information on pet health concerns, along with a listing of the products and specific eastern states included in the recall.

From Diamond Pet PR

"Meanwhile, if your pet is showing any symptoms of illness, including sluggishness or lethargy combined with a reluctance to eat, yellowish tint to the eyes and/or gums, and severe or bloody diarrhea, please consult your veterinarian immediately."
" The Gaston facility date codes are unique from other Diamond facility codes in that either the eleventh or twelfth character in the date code will be a capital “G” (in reference to Gaston). The range of date codes being reviewed are “Best By 01-March-07” through Best By “11-June-07”."

 

[pricescope]

Mara, did WDJ investigated "Solid Gold" brand? That''s the one many pros here are using.
I still prefer to cook for my dog - raw beef and oatmeal mostly, fruits and vegetable thru the day.

 

[monarch64]

I would love it if my dog would eat veggies and fruit. When I took him to obedience training last year, the instructor couldn''t emphasize enough how good some fresh fruit and veggies were for the canine diet. Alas, no matter how much I try to disguise greens or fruit in with "regular" doggie food, my little beagle picks it out, carries it over by the back door, and leaves it. Hmmph. We have completely discouraged begging and never give him table scraps, but he still tends to be VERY interested in our human dining habits. So the instructor told me last year to not give him anything from our plates until we were finished eating and to give him "leftovers" from the kitchen sink. Tried it, didn''t work. Beagles are a breed who love to eat so much that they will eat and eat and eat until they make themselves sick, but this guy is just not an omnivore! Any suggestions anyone has in incorporating fresh foods?

Also, I was told never to feed a dog grapes of any kind because the skins can really mess up their digestive tract.

 

[pricescope]

Carrots are not good for dog too, they just don''t get digested.

Why don''t try to make a small chunk of apple a reward for some sit/stay play? This will make it desirable as a treat, let your dog work for it - they are a lot like humans.

 

[Mara]

Irina...the article says that MMillennia is the same as Solid Gold I guess so it WAS in the their top 10. www.solidgoldhealth.com.

1st 10 ingredients...beef meal, ground barley, ground brown rice, fish meal, flax seed oil, salmon oil, rice bran oil, garlic, parsley, thyme...

they liked: two quality proteins in top four ingredients...date of manufacture printed on label

they did not like: maker does not add preservatives, but does not disclose preservatives added to fat sources BEFORE manufacturing, either.

comments: 'stay fresh' packaging supposedly provides oxygen and light-barrier, preventing oxidation, unsaturated soils used offer a balanced Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

The one we feed P is Candidae www.candidae.com.

1st 10 ingredients: chicken meal, turkey meal, brown rice, white rice, lamb meal, chicken fat (natural), fish meal, flax seed, suncured alfalfa meal, sunflower oil.

they liked: four major proteins ensure complete amino acid profile. all ingredients are whole, not fragments. date of manuf. printed on label.

they did not like: none

comments: in some locations, dealers sell food scooped out of a bin and placed in your bag, aka eco friendly (and I guess can buy smaller quantities so it's fresher?)

i also tried california natural which got great reviews, no dislikes, but Portia did not like it as much.


here also is some information on what they DO like to see in a dog food:

--superior sources of protein, aka whole fresh meats or single-source meat meal, aka chicken meal rather than just 'poultry' meal.
--whole meat source as one of the first 2 ingreidents. if a list of ingredients begins with whole chicken, followed by three or more grains and no other meat proteins and no other meat, it's likely that the food contains way more grain than meat (BAD)...
--whole unprocessed grains, veggies and other foods.
--high quality, dry foods should contain a minimum (aka not much) of the following: food fragments (aka brewer's rice, a waste product of the alcohol industry; and wheat bran) which can disguise a cheap product; and meat by-products.


high quality dry foods should NOT contain:
--generic fats or proteins (aka animal fat which can just be recycled grease from restaurants or an unknown mix)
--artificial preservatives (including BHA, BHT or Ethoxyquia)
--aritifical colors
--proplyene glycol
--sweeteners

you also don't want too much of a fatty food in terms of % but you DO need a minimum amount of fat and also protein, most of these seem to be around a min of ~15% fat and ~25% protein.

it's funny that you mention giving the dogs veggies and fruits, Portia has kind of a weak stomach so she can't really eat too many things that we eat...also she can't digest apples, isn't that funny? she loves some other fruits, so i sometimes give her watermelon in the summer (she adores it and its mostly water), but apples she scarfs and then ALWAYS barfs it back up totally undigested, even if it's 8 hours later. so bizarre. so we've found a nice mix of things she CAN eat in terms of dry foods, meats (aka shredded chicken and she loves breakfast sausage on weekends!), treats (aka oven baked honey and peanut butter biscuits) and her body likes and try to stick with that so we don't have any surprises.

 

[pricescope]

Thank you Mara - you are the source!

I see mostly poultry in Portia''s diet, you may want to investigate further because i had seen a lot of cases when dogs developed allergy to chicken over time which was pretty severe.

Fruits, berries are the best, my friend''s boxer was picking her own from the bushes every time she has the opportunity, it was very funny to watch.

 

[Mara]

I will have to keep an eye on that, but it seems like chicken is the easiest thing for her body to digest, especially when we were still figuring out what was best to feed her for her body to like and not try to expel, the vet suggested chicken and rice as the easiest for digestion esp with small dogs. Also I give her these dried chicken strips for breakfast every morning, they have vitamins in them for things like healthy hips and another one is vitality, one is for good breath and there is a 4th one for senior dogs to try to pep them up. They are awesome, she adores them and it''s just chicken with vitamins. For the most part her daily diet is 2 chicken strips for breakfast, one or two baked dry peanut and honey or similar treats during the day and then she gets the Candidae kibble at night mixed with water (and if we are eating turkey or chicken or something, she gets a little bit of it mixed in). On the weekends her treat is a breakfast sausage mixed in with kibble.

I also give her a little bit more of everything in the summer when she is REALLY active outside. Right now it''s chilly so she''s more sedentary with sleeping more often.

She also likes lamb and liver so she does get lamb or liver treats as well. There are lots of lamb dry foods out there for those who are allergic to other types of meat, so at least there is another option. Wonder what the deal is with actually developing an allergy to poultry? That''s interesting.

I also have a list of what not to feed dogs which is key, on the fridge. In the summer I do give her some of my fruits but I didn''t think of berries, that''s a good idea! I also try not to give her dairy or too many veggies because then she gets GAS. Phew!

 

[partgypsy]

I read that story and it''s terrible. After reading Fast Food Nation, makes you less lassie faire about what you put in your mouth. I am a convert to Flint River Ranch. Prior I felt all dog food was the same. We started it after Mel, our older dog, started refusing his food (Purina) when he was around 12 years old. The FRR food gave him his appetite back, and another lease on life. Sadly, he passed away at age 14 (almost 15). Betty, our chow mix is on it and I feel her health is better for it. She does not have a weight problem or skin problems like alot of chows and chow mixes I know.