Hi Fellow Cat Lover,
Just when we thought the powers that be were
getting a handle on the pet food situation, we
find out it's only gotten worse... again.
While the Feds continue to claim only 16 deaths
from the tainted foods since March 16, many other
sources have cited it in the thousands, with many
more thousands affected.
And now we find it's not just wheat gluten!
The poison, melamine, is also being found in the
rice and corn glutens used in some brands as well.
The corn gluten foods seem to be going only to
South Africa, while the rice glutens are being found
in many of the so-called "natural" brands.
One news source I found has even claimed that this
has been done intentionally. The reason? Not to hurt
any animals... but a very basic motive: Greed.
Foods with higher protein levels can be given higher
price tags.
Melamine added to a substance causes that substance
to test out at a higher level of protein. It's a fake
result, though, as the tests are only looking for nitrogen.
This is being used as a "marker" to indicate that
there is a certain protein level. But it's not the most
reliable way to measure protein.
Rather than list all the new foods just added to
the recall list, this web site seems to be THE place
to keep handy lately:
http://www.menufoods.com/recall
For those of you using Whiskas brands, you can all
relax. They use different ingredient sources, none of
which have even been mentioned during this mess. We
have to applaud a company that uses caution and good sense.
For now, a pet owner's best course of action is to:
1. Inspect the ingredients listed on the product package
(make sure protein is the first ingredient listed).
It won't SAY protein... it will say something like,
chicken, meat, chicken meal, meat byproducts (though
I'm not sure about that stuff, nutritionally)...anything
but corn, corn meal, rice, grain, etc.
2. Check the recall list often to see if you have any
of the brands at home. Be watchful at the store, too.
Some of them have NOT removed all the suspicious
products from their shelves.
3. Prepare pet food at home, using your own wholesome
ingredients.
4. Switch to raw meats or supplement your pet's diets
with it. But do some research... it's not nutritionally
balanced to simply use steaks or chicken meat. Animals
also need the nutrients found in the organs and bones.
There are many good web sites that address the issues
of feeding raw, and how to do it correctly. Just do a
search on "raw pet food."
===================================
OK, summer is just around the corner, and most folks are
already working in their yards. It's a good time to do an
inventory of your lawn and garden care products still on
hand, and to start making a list of what you need to buy.
If you have pets that spend time in your yard, you need to
be sure you don't cause any deaths due to toxic substances.
The pet food situation is bad enough, but many animals also
die every summer due to accidental poisoning with yard care
substances, most notably pest control and weed control items.
The short story is to read all instructions for their use,
to be sure you don't use too much, or let your pets back
outside too soon. And you might even consider refraining from
using toxic substances at all if you have animals in the yard
all the time.
Think of it this way: would you let a child play on
the grass after you sprayed for dandelions?
Would YOU like to roll around on the grass after a spray?
Have a great warm season with your yard and garden, and
remember to be SAFE.
===================================
Here's something new: Help our Animal Shelter!
If you want to help our animal shelter, a company in Las
Vegas, Nevada has offered to contribute a portion of their
book sales to our rescue work. It's a nifty little book and
can be found here:
http://www.neverhaveanothercold.com
It's small, but powerful... and inexpensive. Only 5.95.
When you make a purchase, just be sure to name our shelter in the
comments box on the order form. We are called HiPlains Animal
Welfare Society. If you happen to forget our name, that's OK,
too. Just put "for the animals" in that space. They will know
who you mean.
Thanks!
=======================================
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