Posted on 05/05/2012 9:13:43 AM PDT by ColdOne
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Fourteen people in at least nine states have been sickened by salmonella after handling tainted dog food from a South Carolina plant that a few years ago produced food contaminated by toxic mold that killed dozens of dogs, federal officials said Friday.
At least five people were hospitalized because of the dog food, which was made by Diamond Pet Foods at its plant in Gaston, S.C., the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. No pets were sickened, according to the Meta, Mo.-based company.
"People who became ill, the thing that was common among them was that they had fed their pets Diamond Pet Foods," said CDC spokeswoman Lola Russell.
Three people each were infected in Missouri and North Carolina; two people in Ohio; and one person each in Alabama, Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia, the CDC said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I had a puppy go into anaphylactic shock from a lepto shot years ago. Fortunately we were able to get him back to the vet in time. I don’t vaccinate for it now.
That’s what I feed my Border Collie/Sheltie mix.. even they have had recalls, but not as serious.. There’s was too much vitamin D in their product.. http://bluebuffalo.com/news/vitamin-d-voluntary-recall.shtml
I’m so glad he made it out of that ok! Scary stuff.
Whew! I thought the headline meant they were eating dog food!
Where have I insulted YOU? Meanwhile, you started with me.
I don’t like the “raw” opinion, indeed; I think it’s foolhardy. But I didn’t insult you personally.
I’ve seen alot of stuff about quackery. If you are neither a nutritionist nor veterinarian nor doctor, I doubt you are much more informed than I. “Raw” falls under the whole hippie “organic” (which in science, means “living”, and that’s all), “whole”, “natural” (hemlock is natural) foolishness for me.
I don’t argue with “human food” - I argue with raw. Why can’t the dogs have cooked food?
“Don’t you think it a bit silly to get into a snark squabble about what we feed our dogs? Aren’t there bigger problems to fight?”
BTW, YOU are the 1 who had to interject your view of raw in a thread about a food recall.
Don’t worry, I still have plenty time to fight on more important issues. You had time to come in and tell people “I told you so” about prepared kibble, why not debate it?
‘so many firmly believe that what they call “human food” is actually bad for domestic animals.’
No, you misrepresent. It’s RAW that I object to. People want to spoil their animals with real regular food, fine, but raw is foolhardy. Why not cook it for the animals? Is that so terrible?
I don’t take offense from reasonable people. I don’t mean to offend, either, especially you, FRiend.
I am hard-headed and opinionated. So, sometimes I come off “offensive”. I state exactly what I think, and it upsets people. Especially if I answer them on their beliefs because I believe what they say spreads falsehoods and danger, and I think it needs to be rebutted.
Rebel, you are free to feed your dogs any way you want to - but, if you leave them alone to hunt for their food, as dogs can do...
Notice what they eat first, then next, and notice what they leave.
but please let me know when you see them building a fire to cook whatever prey they have managed to take down.
I say again, feed your dogs whatever you want. I do not have to pay your vet bills, and while I feel sorry for your dogs, it is none of my business.
I offered my opinion, based on over 65 years of living with, training, and feeding a variety of breeds.
And, you have no right to insult my years of experience, my opinion, and my observations of what keeps a dog energetic, healthy, and happy.
“Hippie”? I am the farthest one can get from that ad-hominem cheap shot. I was raised on a good farm, back in the day, and know much more about animal husbandry than you could even imagine.
But, you are correct. I am not credentialed in any of the professions you find trustworthy. So be it. Disregard my opinion. I have no problem with that.
To each his own, ok?
My understanding on the latest lepto vax is they now include coverage of all four types that can infect a dog. I still think there are issues with high rates of reactions. And I still think there is the issue with it only being effective for about 9 months. I think that’s because it’s a bacterial infection versus a viral infection like most other diseases that are vaxed for.
How again did I insult your “years of experience”, of which somehow I am supposed to know?
Please don’t feel sorry for my Tara. Despite being “the most allergic dog ever seen” by 2 specialists, she is beautiful and turns 10 tomorrow. I do feel sorry for her because she is allergic to about everything. Mondays are bath days for her, with 2 medicated shampoos. She has had to be vegetarian since we found by 1 year old she was allergic to all animal protein - forget your diet altogether. So she gets only prescription veg diet. Since the vet declared her problem “incorrigible” finally the other year, she is basically only on steroids. Before that, I gave her shots every week and ran through whole gamuts of pill cocktails trying to contain her itchiness and infections and MRS-type infections (which needed deadly pills - dangerous to us). She has had tons of effort and $ks poured into her alone for 10 years.
Never mind her side-effect troubles and hip dysplasia.
Don’t feel sorry for her because of me. No-one except my sister has had the experience I have had with just 1 dog.
I feel sorry for her because of her expansive list of allergies. She can’t have treats or bones or anything to chew on. No snacks, just toys. We have to be careful of dropping food and cleaning up the floors.
I’m damn proud of the effort I’ve made for her.
It isn’t terrible (nor did I say it was) - but it’s not the best for them (this according to holistic vets and those who have objectively studied nutrition from sources other than the big pet food companies) and no, I’m not misrepresenting. Many here and elsewhere DO think it’s a bad thing to feed what they term “human food” to their pets.
There IS a difference between the bioavailability of raw versus cooked, though. Many if not most of the nutrients get cooked out when food is heated - which is why they need to be “added back in” afterwards either directly to the food (in a sprayed on form which the pet food companies use) or in supplements (which need to be administered to them along with the food on a daily basis).
Before commercial food and processed food, what did they eat? Think about it. They caught their meals and ate them (and I don’t know of anyone who calls “poison control” when their dog or cat picks at a dead carcass or eats a mouse). They do not need their food cooked unless they are seriously immuno-suppressed and maybe not even then.
I do know that I’ve *never* allowed any of my dogs to get it and none of them ever got Lepto.
However, one worthless vet vaxed my Dobermann for Lepto *after* I told them to specifically NOT to and he had a bad reaction to it.
They were too cheap/lazy/know it all to give individual shots like my regular vet does but we just happened to be there for something else when they noticed it was time for his 4th puppy shot series.
[Dobes require an extra Parvo shot]
Nine months of *possible* protection is not worth the risk.
I resent the Lyme vax only being effective for 6 months max but in my area, it’s pretty much a necessity.
Another raw feeding advocate to add to the fray! :-)
I switched my dogs to the raw diet about 6 months ago and can attest to the amazing turnaround in their health, energy and appearance.
My 8 year old yellow lab used to be obese, lethargic and allergy-ridden. And had chronic ear infections too! Every one of those issues has disappeared.
My 6 year old border collie mix has also improved dramatically in terms of energy, coat and even her behavior.
And did I mention - no bad breath, small odorless stool and clean white teeth?!
Now it is important to note that I feed my dogs a raw diet based primarily on chicken, so I treat their food prep exactly as I would my own. I supplement with canned pumpkin, fish, turkey necks and organ meat - and 1500mg a day of Glucosamine Chrondrotin for those creaky joints.
And with all those items, we wash our hands, bowls and work surfaces religiously.
I doubt people ever ate dog food - feels of urban liberal myth. For one thing, dog food's not cheap. A can of dog food costs the same or more than a can of ravioli - most will pick the ravioli... And dry dog food is mostly cheap grains with meat flavorings. Again, corn meal and a can of beef bouillon's cheaper. Who knows - maybe the less creative eat dogfood ... better than eating dog - like our President.
When I was in college and broke, one time my roommate and I tried cat food. We said "Hey, how different can it be from tuna?" Believe me, it can be A LOT different!
Thanks for the info.
I heard that the Blue Buffalo recall was perhaps for containing too much vitamin D. Is that what you are referring to?
Please advise.
Regards,
Riptides.
That was one of the recalls and dogs died from it.
Dogs can OD on Vit D quite easily.
Some of the other recalls involved melamine tainted glutens.
[from China, of course]
I got it for my dogs *once* and the ones who eventually did eat it got diarrhea.
[nobody actually liked the stuff at all]
I took the bag back to PetSmart for a refund and got TOTW High Prairie instead.
A friend who has my dog’s sister tried BB too and gave it up, as well.
I don’t think much of the brand.
HALO is pricey but also *very* good and made with human food grade ingredients -only-.
Go read the ingredients of HALO’s Spot’s Stew and tell me it doesn’t sound yummy....LOL
[I guess if I were ever desperate enough that’s what *I* would eat]
;D
HALO’s Spot’s Stew - at almost $2 a can? Food for much loved dogs by a rather wealthy dog owners? High class stuff. I suspect when the homeless eat dog food, it's not that quality... Two bucks ain't chicken feed...
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