New Wellness(R) WellBars(R) Dog Snack Flavors Receive a Round of ‘Paw-pplause’ April 17, 2009

Source: PRWeb.com

All-Natural Chicken & Cheddar Cheese and Grain-free Lamb & Apples WellBars Guaranteed to Make Dogs Even Happier at Snack Time

TEWKSBURY, Mass., April 16 /PRNewswire/ — Now loving and responsible pet parents who want to show their dogs a little extra love have an even greater assortment of Wellness WellBars flavors to choose from. The Wellness brand of natural food and snacks for pets today announces the availability of two NEW meat-based varieties of their crunchy oven-baked snacks for dogs – Chicken & Cheddar Cheese and Grain-free Lamb & Apples.

WellBars are oven-baked to crunchy perfection using wholesome, real-food ingredients like New Zealand lamb, oatmeal and apples. These wheat-free, bite-sized nuggets are power-packed with vitamins E, C and Beta-Carotene and are perfect for dogs both large and small. Now available in five tasty flavors — Chicken & Cheddar Cheese, Grain-free Lamb & Apples, Whitefish & Sweet Potato, Crunchy Peanut & Honey and Yogurt, Apples & Bananas — WellBars offer the same quality natural nutrition consumers and their canine companions have come to expect from Wellness at snack time or anytime, and are a natural complement to a healthy diet.

“Happy dogs deserve real good snacks, though it’s important to indulge and reward them responsibly,” said Mark Shuster, vice president of marketing at Wellness. “We are delighted to offer consumers (and their dogs) an even greater selection of healthy and guilt-free reward options with our two new flavors of WellBars snacks.”

Formulated as part of a healthy diet, WellBars are packed with pure meat, fresh fruits, healthy grains, and beneficial supplements. And just as with all Wellness natural pet food and snacks, WellBars contain no meat by-products, wheat, corn, soy, artificial preservatives, colors or flavors. Health conscious consumers know that rewarding their dogs with WellBars will ensure health, happiness and well-being to the animals who depend upon them.

New WellBars Chicken & Cheddar Cheese and Grain-free Lamb & Apples Dog Snacks are available nationwide in independent pet specialty retail shops and natural food stores in 20 oz. boxes. To find an authorized Wellness retailer, please visit www.wellnesspetfood.com.

Wellness(R) – Guaranteed Natural Nutrition for the Life of Your Pet

Wellness, a proud member of the WellPet family of brands, delivers lifelong, natural nutrition for pets — guaranteed. The pet professionals at Wellness carefully select all-natural, human-grade ingredients proven to deliver 100% of a pet’s lifetime nutritional needs. To ensure pets enjoy a long and loving life, Wellness guarantees the best natural ingredient sourcing, most meticulous quality assurance and production standards, and nutritional analysis in the industry. Wellness is sold in pet specialty stores and natural food stores across North America and internationally. Visit www.wellnesspetfood.com to learn more.

Natura Dedicated to Quality and Safety at All Costs February 5, 2009

Source: PRNewsWire.com, Feb 5, 2009

FREMONT, Neb., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ — Despite the higher costs of quality ingredients, Natura Pet Products, makers of Innova, EVO, California Natural, HealthWise, Karma and Mother Nature, remains resolute in producing the highest quality, natural pet food on the market for the good health and safety of companion animals. The company is reiterating this commitment in response to questions posed by consumers and some media members about the plummeting cost of commodities, and why Natura product prices are higher than some of their competitors.

Natura foods do not contain commodity grains, such as corn. Rather than use lower-grade, cheaper ingredients, Natura is dedicated to only using the highest-quality, domestically-produced ingredients whenever possible.

“The price of Natura products reflects the quality of the ingredients, and the nutritional and manufacturing processing required to produce the safest and healthiest pet food,” said Don Scott, President of Natura. “We exercise the strictest control measures in the industry, employ a full-time team of nutritionists, which is not done by many pet food manufacturers, and continue to use fresh fruits and vegetables and the finest USDA-inspected meats.”

Natura owns and operates two dry food manufacturing facilities in Nebraska and California where superior manufacturing processes and strict quality control programs set it apart from all other pet food companies. In addition to becoming the first pet food company to guarantee its products are 100% safe from melamine and cyanuric acid, Natura was the first to guarantee that none of the ingredients it uses are sourced from China. Natura’s Quality Control Program has helped the company achieve many certifications, most recently including ISO 22000:2005 Food Safety Management compliance. The only pet food manufacturer in the United States to receive this superior distinction, Natura ensures its products meet strict standards for food safety starting with raw ingredients and ending with finished products on store shelves.

All of this is backed by a team of highly-trained professionals and board-certified veterinary nutritionists. With less than 40 board-certified small animal veterinary nutritionists in the world, Natura employs the largest number in the pet food industry. These dedicated nutritionists take the lead in enhancing our existing products and developing new healthful foods. “My nutritionist colleagues at Natura and I feel very fortunate to work at company completely dedicated to creating the most healthful pet foods in the world,” said Sean Delaney, DVM, MS, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition, Chief Nutrition Officer at Natura.

Continued Scott, “Since Natura is a family-owned business dedicated to our loyal customers and independent retailers rather than outside shareholders, we are able to implement the most minimal price increases we can to continue this standard of quality without sacrificing our industry-leading philosophies. This intense focus on safety and quality consistency is because we choose not to take a cheaper route that would be less healthful. Our products are for pet owners who share this belief.”

For more information about Natura Pet Products please visit www.naturapet.com.

About Natura Pet Products

Founded in 1989 by John and Ann Rademakers and Peter Atkins, Natura is recognized as the most trusted name behind the healthiest dog and cat food products in the world. Natura’s products are formulated, manufactured, and prepared to the highest standards of quality in the industry. Lines include: Innova, California Natural, EVO, HealthWise, Mother Nature, and Karma. For more information visit www.naturapet.com or call (800) 532-7261.

Website: http://www.naturapet.com/

PetSmart Voluntarily Recalls Grreat Choice(R) Dog Biscuits January 22, 2009

Source: CNNMoney.com, Jan 20, 2009

PetSmart (NASDAQ: PETM) is voluntarily recalling seven of its Grreat Choice® Dog Biscuit products that contain peanut paste made by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). PCA is the focus of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation into potential salmonella contamination of peanut butter and paste made at its Blakely, Georgia facility.

Although PetSmart is not aware of any reported cases of illness related to these products, it has removed these products from its store shelves and website and is conducting the recall as a precautionary measure.

The recalled products include only the following types of Grreat Choice Dog Biscuits sold between Aug. 21, 2008 and Jan. 19, 2009:

• Small Assorted 32 oz., UPC 73725702900
• Small/Medium Assorted 4 lb., UPC 73725700601
• Small/Medium Assorted 8 lb., UPC 73725700605
• Small/Medium Assorted 10 lb., UPC 73725702755
• Large Assorted 8 lb., UPC 73725700638
• Extra Large Assorted 8 lb., UPC 73725700779
• Peanut Butter 4 lb., UPC 73725700766

Customers who purchased the recalled dog biscuit products should discontinue use immediately and can return the product to any PetSmart store for a complete refund or exchange. Customers can visit www.petsmartfacts.com for more information or contact PetSmart Customer Service at 1-888-839-9638.

No other products or flavors are included in this recall.

PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. The company operates more than 1,107 pet stores in the United States and Canada, 132 in-store PetSmart PetsHotels® cat and dog boarding facilities, and is a leading online provider of pet supplies and pet care information (www.petsmart.com). PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and pet products; and offers complete pet training, pet grooming, pet boarding, doggie day camp and pet adoption services. Since 1994, PetSmart Charities®, Inc., an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization, has funded more than $70 million in grants and programs benefiting animal welfare organizations and, through its in-store pet adoption programs, has helped save the lives of more than 3 million pets.

CUSTOMER INFORMATION AND CONTACTS:
www.petsmartfacts.com
customercare@petsmart.com
1-888-839-9638
NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
Jennifer Ericsson
PetSmart Media Line (623) 587-2177
mediarelations@ssg.petsmart.com

One thousand stray dogs die of contaminated food, Taiwan January 6, 2009

Source: www.chinaview.cn, Jan 5, 2009

TAIPEI, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) — Moldy food killed more than one thousand stray dogs in shelters, Taiwan’s agricultural department said on Monday.

The dog food was contaminated with aflatoxin, a chemical produced by fungus, which caused liver damage in the dogs.

On Dec. 22, 2008, the agricultural authority received a report which said more than 300 dogs died at two shelters in Taipei county.

Staff with the shelters said the dogs were extremely weak, jaundice, and had blood in their urine. The symptoms are typical of liver damage.

According to Taiwan media, another 1,000 dogs, with the same symptoms, reportedly died in Yunlin, Tainan and Kaohsiung counties.

The agricultural department did not give any details on when any of the dogs died or how many others might be affected by the tainted food.

The dead dogs were fed with food produced by Ji-Tai Forage Company. The brand name was “Peter’s Kind-Hearted Dog Food”.

The food only went to pet shelters on the island. It was never exported or sold by retailers, the agricultural authority said.

The company, located in Yunlin, made the dog food with 1,500 tonnes of moldy corn which was imported from Pakistan last November.

The company produced 50 tonnes of dog food with that corn. Twenty tonnes of it went to dog shelters on the island.

The agricultural authority ordered Ji-Tai to reclaim and destroy the other 30 tonnes of tainted dog food on Dec. 30, 2008. It said this has already been done, although it did not give a date.

Ji-Tai also produced 1,450 tonnes of pig food with the moldy corn However, Yunlin county authorities found no toxic pig food in spot tests.

It is unknown whether any of the pig feed was exported off the island.

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), samples taken from thed og food showed it contained up to 150 ppb (parts per billion) of aflatoxin. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the level should not exceed 20 ppb for animal feeds.

In a statement released Monday, Ji-Tai apologized for the contaminated dog food and said it would not shy away from it’s responsibility.

Pet Food You’d Eat, VT December 27, 2008

Manchester, Vermont – December 26, 2008

An industrial kitchen in Manchester is stocked with many of the ingredients any bakery would have, but this business is for the dogs.

Neil Reilly of Wagatha’s Dog Treats explains, “People are using pets almost as surrogates for children.”

Wagatha’s produces organic dog biscuits. They’re part of a large and growing pet food and gift market estimated at about $41 billion a year. Reilly says, “Of that, the organic section is the fastest-growing segment, so we’re in the sweet spot, it’s really nice.”

Reilly was a Wall Street commodities trader who gave up the city life for a quiet Vermont venture. He renovated Burton Snowboards’ former plant and partnered with a professional chef, Norman Levitz. Levitz says, “Most often, pet food is made from food not edible for human beings.”

But because he had years and years of restaurant experience, Levitz designed recipes using ingredients from human food. Whole wheat flour and allspice are just some of them. He explains, “I just didn’t feel right about producing something I wasn’t proud of and wouldn’t eat myself.”

So he does eat his own dog treats, and offered me one. I have to admit, it wasn’t bad at all. They taste like thick gourmet crackers. With flavors like Tuscan tomato & herb, cranberry cheddar, and maple oatmeal with bananas and apples, the biscuits sound like human food too.

Rabbis have even certified them Kosher for observant Jewish households. Levitz says, “We’re one of the few in the industry doing that.”

When some Chinese-made pet food was found to contain harmful chemicals, the safe, all-natural approach here paid off in a big way. Business, both direct and wholesale, has quadrupled since 2007. You can find Wagatha’s in 48 states and countries as far away as the Middle East.

Neil Reilly beams, “It really matters in the business world when you say something’s Made in Vermont.”

Buoyed by the strength of the organics industry, Wagatha’s expects continued growth for their Made in Vermont treats from buyers who pamper their pets, and wouldn’t give them anything they wouldn’t eat themselves.

Most organic products including these biscuits come at a premium price. Wagatha’s treats are about $8 per container, and are sold at retailers around the state. Some include City Market and Scribbles in Burlington, Healthy Living in South Burlington, Noah’s Ark in Colchester, the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op, and Catamount Pet Supply in Rutland. Wagatha’s also sells treats direct from its website.

Mars Extends Pet Food Recall November 29, 2008

Source: Consumer Affairs, by Lisa Wade McCormick, Nov 26, 2008

Mars Petcare US is extending a recall of dry pet food after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported finding Salmonella in additional samples of the company’s SPECIAL KITTY Gourmet Blend cat food.

The earlier recall, issued October 27, was for cat food produced at Mars’ Allenton, Pa., plant on August 11, 2008. The recall is now being extended to cover all dry pet food produced at the plant with a “best by” date between August 11, 2009 and October 3, 2009.

The recall affects only products sold at BJ’s Wholesale Club, ShopRite Supermarkets, and Wal-Mart locations in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia. No other customers and no other states are affected.

Retailers have been notified of the recall and asked to remove the products from their shelves. The recalled pet food should not be fed to pets and should be handled carefully by consumers. Consumers should wear disposable gloves and wash their hands carefully when handling any food product thought to carry Salmonella.

Mars makes a variety of pet foods, including Nutro dog food, which has been the target of hundreds of complaints from angry pet ownes who have written to ConsumerAffairs.com.

Eric of Lowell, Mass., said his dog became ill when he switched to Nutro.

“We rushed him to the vet who initially thought it might be leptospirosis, but those tests came back negative,” Eric said. “After four days at the vet, with IV’s, a negative Lepto test, and multiple medications, he was sent home and seems to be doing much better.”

“Bottom line? He became sick after eating Nutro. He got better after stopping eating Nutro,” Eric said.

Salmonella

Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, experts say. People can also be infected if they handle the tainted food. Children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection in humans include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Salmonella can, in rare cases, cause such serious illnesses as arterial infections, arthritis, muscle pain, and urinary tract symptoms.

Pets infected with Salmonella may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets, however, may only have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain.

Pet owners whose cats ate the recalled food and have these symptoms should contact their veterinarian.

Mars said it was trying to get ahead of the problem.

“We are continuously monitoring and updating our processes to be at the forefront of product quality, innovation, customer responsiveness, and manufacturing efficiency. In recent months, we have invested tens of millions of dollars in plant upgrades, new testing protocols, advanced associate training, and a new state of the art testing facility that will open in mid-2009,” the company said in a statement.

For more information about the recall, pet owners can contact the company at 1-877-568-4463 or visit the company’s Web site.

Buying a ‘Natural’ Pet Food Product is Like Buying Fool’s Gold November 15, 2008

Source: (NaturalNews) By SusanThixton, Nov 12, 2008

A recent survey from the GoodLife Recipe Pet Food company provided by (www.mediapost.com)
website states that two-thirds of pet owners don’t consider cost when
selecting a dog food or cat food. Their survey states that nearly 60%
of pet owners said that “natural ingredients” are the most important
issue to influence a pet food purchase. The problem for pet owners is
that searching for a pet food labeled ‘Natural’ can be like finding
fool’s gold.

AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control
Officials) and the FDA has no official definition for the word
‘natural’ in pet food regulations. ‘Natural’ on a pet food label
implies the food should be free of risky chemicals, colors, or any
ingredient considered treated or disguised. You know… natural. But
instead, under current pet food regulations, any pet food manufacturer
can make the claim ‘natural’ on the label, yet the food could contain
many ingredients most would not consider natural; such as added
chemicals, colors, and other unnatural ingredients. Even though there
are no survey results to substantiate this, my guess would be that
almost every pet owner who seeks out ‘natural ingredients’ in their dog
food or cat food choices, firmly believes the food is natural.

The power of advertising

A northern California newspaper InsideBayArea.com
puts advertising of pet food into a realistic light — “Playful puppies
and adorable kittens almost seem to jump out of the colorful packages,
beckoning pet owners to choose their very special brands of food. Large
pallets containing bags of dry food, stacks of orderly cans and rows of
moist pouches often leave pet owners literally dazed and confused with
the overwhelming selection. Marketing ideas leap off the products
claiming to be “organic”, to have “no by-products” and to have “real,
wholesome ingredients.” All of these speak to us as ways to provide the
very best for our family members. But in light of pet food recalls and
concerns about pet food manufacturing, how can pet owners really know
they are providing the best?

That’s a difficult question; really
knowing you are providing the best food for your dog or cat is not as
easy as it should be. It should be that a pet owner can read the pet
food label claiming ‘natural’ or ‘real wholesome ingredients’ knowing
that label is providing true and accurate information. It should be
that pet owners are provided with ingredient country of origin
information on the label. It should be that pet food labels clearly
state if dangerous chemicals or inferior ingredients are used. ‘Should
be’ is not what ‘is’ however.

What ‘is’ legally allowed on pet food labels:

Unqualified
claims (either directly or indirectly) – Pictures displaying choice
cuts of meat even if no meat is provided in the food. Misleading pet
food names such as Albacore Tuna ‘Flavor’ or Sirloin Steak ‘Flavor’ –
no tuna or steak is required to be in the pet food. The list goes on
and on.

You can imagine that dog foods and cat foods providing
accurate information on the label such as ‘Chemical Preservatives
inside linked to tumors and cancer’ or ‘Includes By-Products rejected
for use in human food’ wouldn’t be top sellers at the pet store. The
pet food companies that use these types of ingredients are not forced
by regulations to tell you; which in turn hurts the companies that
wouldn’t consider using risky chemicals or inferior by-products in
their foods. One pet food might actually contain natural ingredients
yet because of existing rules and regulations, they can’t tell you
anything different than the pet food who claims natural while using
added colors and risky chemicals. All pet food labels must stay within
particular parameters, hiding the truth from pet owners. Hiding the
truth of quality ingredients and hiding the truth of risky ingredients.

Pet
food regulations need to be changed — yesterday. As the research shows
the majority of pet owners are actively seeking out dog and cat foods
that are natural. That’s great news and would be beneficial to millions
of pets if only someone could decide what ‘natural’ means. But since
AAFCO and the FDA give pet owners no official definition for ‘natural’,
pet owners might as well be searching for Fool’s Gold. Current pet food
regulations designate ‘Fool’s Gold’ and ‘Natural Pet Food’ to have an
equal value.

Ongoing Pet Food Recalls Have this Pet Sitter Barking Mad November 15, 2008

Source: PRWeb, Pub. Nov 15, 2008
Happy Trails & Wag’n Tails is doing their part to find natural products to keep pets safe from pet food recalls and heartbreaking medical problems such as cancer and kidney failure. Some common factors are poor quality pet food, toxic chemicals in household cleaners and pet vaccination overload.

Glendora, CA (PRWEB) November 15, 2008 — The pet food recalls in 2007 had many pet parents concerned over their pet foods safety. Unfortunately, many have resorted back to the same food or something similar, setting themselves up for more possible problems occurring in the pet food industry.

HSUS has reported more than 10 recalls since the major pet food recall involving Menu Foods.

For the last year, I have made it my mission to find why pets are experiencing organ failure or suffering from things like allergies and how they are linked to common pet products or practices like vaccines.

Knowing that my holistic veterinarian recommends this food, I know I have found a premium pet food to offer my dog and customers

Even in this struggling economy, you can save money on your pet expenses!

Ms. Madden of Happy Trails & Wag’n Tails says, “For the last year, I have made it my mission to find why pets are experiencing organ failure or suffering from things like allergies and how they are linked to common pet products or practices like vaccines.”

Sorting through the hundreds of pet foods can be quite a daunting task for pet parents. To address this issue, Happy Trails & Wag’n Tails spent countless hours researching things such as pet food recalls and what makes a quality meal for pets. Home made diets can be an intimidating task, although excellent if done correctly. For that reason, this should only be done under the guidance of a vet. Realizing many pet guardians will not cook for their pets, finding a premium pet food kibble is the next best thing.

Holistic or organic pet food is an excellent choice since it does not have by-products or chemical preservatives like BHT and BHA. An added bonus, is it human grade quality. However, not all natural and holistic pet foods are created equal. Here are a few very important questions you should ask yourself.

1) Is manufacturing and packaging kept in house or is it outsourced to another company? This is relevant due to possibility of cross contamination.
2) What are the ingredients used in the food, and are they coming from trusted sources with the United States?
3) Is the food oven baked or extruded? Oven baking makes for easier digestion. It also aids in the prevention of bloat.
4) Does is contain a healthy balance of protein, vitamins, minerals, and omega fatty acids?
5) Is it bagged in smaller quantities? Ex: 40 lbs of dog food is packaged as two 20 lb bags. Importance? Once a bag is opened, freshness starts to decrease.

Flint River Ranch Natural Pet Food meets all these criteria. “Knowing that my holistic veterinarian recommends this food, I know I have found a premium pet food to offer my dog and customers,” said Ms. Madden, Flint River Ranch Independent Distributor.

“Even in this struggling economy, you can save money on your pet expenses!” exclaimed Madden. Flint River Ranch pet food, whose price includes UPS shipping, is super concentrated so you can feed 20-25% less of this food compared to commercial pet food while still maintaining proper nutrition. Therefore, the cost breakdown of FRR pet food is the same or less than the brand you are currently feeding. Specifically, Flint River Ranch Dog Food is $1.74 p/lb (based on 40 lb bag) and Flint River Ranch Cat Food is $2.25 p/lb (based on 20 lb bag). Bottom-line, prevention is cheaper than a cure!

Whether your canine needs a hypoallergenic formula or your feline is a picky eater, FRR has a variety of types and sizes of natural food and treats for cats and dogs. They offer the convenience of on-line ordering, 3-5 days UPS nationwide shipping of fresh food and optional automated shipping. FRR is so confident you will see positive results in your pet such as reduction in itchy dry skin and hot spots; they offer a 30-day guarantee.

Happy Trails & Wag’n Tails owner, Ms. Madden, is a life long pet lover and pet parent. H.T.W.T, has applied a strict selection process to all products in order to provide pet products that stand out from the crowd. Our priorities are to pets with holistic and eco-friendly products and practices in mind.

Is it Ethical for Veterinarians to Recommend Pet Foods? November 15, 2008

Almost every Veterinarian Clinic across the country offers dog and cat food for sale. Some only offer prescription foods specifically for pets needing a diet to address a disease; however, many others offer for sale maintenance dog and cat foods to their clients. Do veterinarians know enough about pet food to ethically recommend a particular brand of food to their clients?

The Canadian Veterinary Journal website posts medical ethics questions from member veterinarians. In June of 2007, shortly after the deadly pet food recall, veterinarian Dr. Lea Stogdale posted the following ethical question: “Many veterinarians sell nonprescription pet foods along with prescription pet foods as a service to their clientele. Some pet food companies insist that if their products are sold through a veterinary clinic, then no other brand of pet food can be sold through that clinic. Does the exclusive marketing of only one brand of pet food by a veterinary clinic imply a professional endorsement of that product over all other products on the market? Are pet food companies indirectly using veterinarians´ good reputations to market their products?”

Her question received two replies from veterinarians on the website. Dr. Marion Smart responded: “When a client purchases any product or service from his or her veterinarian, he or she trusts that the veterinarian has knowledge of its efficacy and safety. Advertisements by the pet food companies and magazine and newspaper columns invariably advise pet owners to “ask their veterinarian” for correct nutritional information. The recent recalls involving Diamond Pet Foods, Medi-Cal, and other pet foods manufactured by Menu Foods has made it clear how complex the pet food industry is, and that blind faith in pet food manufacturers can be a mistake. If a veterinarian is selling pet food, he or she must accept a degree of responsibility for the products´ efficacy and safety. This is particularly true if a veterinarian is endorsing one brand of pet food exclusively at his or her practice.”

The next reply posted to the ethical question, is from veterinarian Dr. Clayton MacKay – Directory of Veterinary Affairs, Hill´s Pet Nutrition Canada – one of the most commonly recommended pet diets by veterinarians, Science Diet: “Professional endorsement of any product or service could take place when the veterinarian has investigated the particular product or service to the best of his or her ability. The professional should use an “evidence-based approach” matched with his or her own knowledge, use, and experience. In fact, most clients want exactly this kind of recommendation, that is why they seek advice from a professional. Pet food companies (like pharmaceutical/biological/equipment companies, etc.), do indeed believe that appropriate recommendations of their products/services are of value in the compliance use by the public/client. However, I am unaware of nutrition companies that demand exclusivity of their product in a particular clinic. For certain, demanding exclusivity is not the practice of Hill´s Pet Nutrition, Inc.”

Dr. MacKay´s response, again, a representative of Science Diet pet foods, is interpreted to tell veterinarians that clients WANT the recommendation of a pet food brand from their veterinarian. However, most veterinarians are NOT animal nutritionists. At almost every Vet School across the U.S., dog and cat nutrition classes are known to be very brief, most lasting only a couple of hours in total. Furthermore, most of these classes are taught by representatives from Science Diet, Iams/Eukanuba, and/or Purina pet foods. In other words, most veterinarian´s knowledge of pet food, ingredients, use of chemical preservatives, and so forth – is extremely limited.

Dr. MacKay also recommends to veterinarians to use an ´evidence-based approach matched with his/her own knowledge, use, and experience´ in recommending a dog food or cat food. Most pet owners would find this statement close to ridiculous. Would ´evidence´ be countless pets dying from melamine tainted imported ingredients? Would evidence be photos of prime choice cuts of meat on pet food labels when NO prime cuts of meat are contained within the pet food?

While US pet owners continue to seek pet food advice from veterinarians, Europe has taken legal steps to prevent veterinarians from misleading clients into pet food purchases. New European Consumer laws put into effect in June of 2008, veterinarians must not hard sell pet food, vaccinations, or drugs and must not make any health claims for anything they sell, unless they have veterinary research to back it up.

Pet owners DO want their veterinarian to recommend a healthy pet food for their dog or cat, unfortunately many pet owners have learned the hard way that most vets do not understand the ´truth´ of many commercial pet foods. The continued veterinarian recommendations of dog foods and cat foods that contain by-products, chemical preservatives, and various risky ingredients has caused countless pet owners to ignore the advice of a ´should be´ trusted partner in their pet´s care, and search for healthier options on their own. What a shame for the veterinarian/client bond.

Pet Food Recipe Changes and Challenges November 11, 2008

Source: NaturalNews  Tuesday, November 11, 2008 by: Susan Thixton

(NaturalNews) If you haven’t seen it yet with your brand of dog food or cat food, you probably will soon. Prices of pet food ingredients are rising just like the prices of your groceries in recent months. Many pet food manufacturers are scrambling to stay competitive; some changing the formulation or recipe of their products trying to save money. What is going to happen to our pet foods is a question on many pet owners minds.

The rules of pet food manufacturing state that a company can change the ingredients in a pet food at any time yet they are not required to show the changes on the label for six months. With rising prices of ingredients in a very competitive market, every pet food manufacturer is facing the decision of a formula change using less costly ingredients or risk raising product prices and losing customers. The worry for pet owners is the quality and nutritional value of those ‘cheaper ingredients’. And of course they worry if more pet food companies will turn to countries with little to no quality control as a supplier of ‘cheaper ingredients’.

After the six months label change has been made, reflecting the new list of ingredients, do you think you would notice it? Do you examine the ingredient list every time you purchase a new food? If you are like most consumers, you don’t. And you shouldn’t have to.

I am not sure what can be done about this, but it’s certainly time that all food regulations – pet and people – are developed to protect the consumer or petsumer instead of business. The pet owning customers are solely responsible for the profits and the existence of pet food companies. It’s time we are treated far better than how you are treating us. We’ll be glad to take our money elsewhere if you continue this way.

Here is an example of how important it is that rules of pet food manufacturing and labeling be changed; proving the point that the existing non-disclosure is of no benefit to pet owners and to quality minded pet food companies. In 1938 when the world listened to radio, a 60 minute broadcast of the H.G. Wells’ novel The War of the Worlds terrified listeners all over the country. Excerpts of the book were presented as news bulletins, suggesting to listeners than an actual Martian invasion was in progress. Listeners panicked assuming the broadcast was real and an invasion was actually happening. In reality it was just Wells’ novel being read as a ‘show’. Fast forward to the present; multiply the H.G. Wells reaction by millions with the Internet. One unknowing pet owner’s dog has a reaction to the ingredient changes in their pet food. The dog gets loose stool and is showing signs of ‘tummy’ problems. With all the recalls in the last few years, the owner justifiably panics and turns to the Internet; posting the information about her dogs reaction to the food. She discovers that other pets have suffered the same experience; more tummy problems. And naturally everyone – NOT knowing the pet food company changed their recipe – assume the next recall is on the way! Then later when they discover the pet food had an ingredient change – without their knowledge. They feel duped. Taken advantage of. Misled and mistreated for years of customer loyalty. This pet food company, by NOT being upfront with customers regarding ingredient changes, just put many pet owners through great worry and concern. Because they did not put the concern of the pet first, they just lost customers.

You should know that pet food companies CAN choose to alert their customers to any ingredient changes or supplier changes, but they do not have to. The existing regulations do NOT deny them the opportunity to alert their customers to any changes in the pet food.

Pet owners should also be aware that some pet food companies have hired representatives all over the globe to secretly post good reports about their products on blogs and forums all across the Internet. Some of these representatives have blogs of their own – pretending to be a faithful fan of a particular pet food line; spreading nothing but positive information. Others are sent to post comments on forums regarding the pet food line they work for. Take great caution with any information you read.

Add everything together – pet food regulations protecting pet food instead of petsumers, higher ingredient prices, non-disclosure of recipe changes, non-disclosure of ingredient sources, and the rapid spread of information on the Internet – pet owners continue to fret and worry what to do about pet food. Unlike pet food companies, pet owners don’t look at their dog or cat as a business. They are family to us. Without changes to pet food regulations demanding timely and truthful information, without responsible pet food manufacturers taking the fight on themselves for changes in existing regulations (instead of letting consumers groups do all the work), pet owners continue to worry and stress over which pet food products they can trust. Surely somebody will ‘get’ this.

Responsible pet food manufacturers should be the ones lobbying AAFCO and the FDA to demand changes in pet food regulations instead of leaving all this work to a few pet consumer groups. It is time things change and the few responsible pet food companies out there that DO care about producing high quality pet foods instead of high quality commercials should step up and take the bull by the horns. Demanding changes to the extremely lax laws governing pet food will not only benefit pet owners, it will benefit reputable pet food manufacturers as well. Are you listening?

In the meantime, changes in a pet food, even small changes, can affect your pet; dogs especially. Most dogs need to change foods – even change of a new recipe of the same food – slowly. I suggest to pet owners to add ¼ new food to ¾ old food for 4 to 7 days, ½ to ½ for another 4 to 7 days, and so on. Cats can typically change foods quickly without problems. But should you notice any problems in elimination or behavior with your dog or cat, immediately call the pet food manufacturer and ask of the ‘formulation’ or recipe has been altered. Slight changes of ingredients will probably only affect your pet for a few days. Don’t wait to see if ‘things’ improve in a few days, call the manufacturer right away. If they tell you no changes have been made in the food’s formulation, you should probably consult your veterinarian just to be safe.