Fw: Pet Food Recall Deadlines Approaching

November 11, 2008

Pet Food Recall Deadlines Approaching

The Healing Connection Dr. Elizabeth Severino

November 8, 2008

Dear Jill,

Deadlines for filing claims for the largest pet food recall and one of the saddest events in companion animal history, are approaching. The dates for filing forms are November 24th, 2008 in the U.S. and January 2, 2009 in Canada. The web-site to reach for claims information, forms, guidelines, and deadlines for both countries is: http://www.petfoodsettlement.com. This web-site also contains the lists of recalled foods and defendants in this huge class action suit.

Although some VERY good things have come from this horrific event, we are not out of the woods. Recalls continue to happen. PLEASE memorize and pay attention to possible pet food toxicity signs. More on what to look for and what to do about it, appear later in this Announcement. Also, PLEASE feed your pets the highest-quality, freshest, whole foods you can. We will soon be distributing more information to help you with this, too.

Our animals have not died entirely in vain. The investigations into the pet food recall situation opened up an entire scandal involving Chinese food manufacture. Read on. And more and more of you are choosing whole, healthy food diets for our animal friends. So there is some good here.

PET FOOD RECALL UPDATE AND INFORMATION

Contaminated pet foods killed many of our animal friends in 2006 and 2007. Menu Foods Income Fund, who are a major Canadian-based manufacturer of dog, cat, and other pet foods sold in the United States & Canada, along with several other pet food manufacturers, beginning in March 2007 and over the course of 2007 even unto the present, have announced massive recalls ultimately implicating over 150 brands of pet foods and 5,300 individual pet food products. Most foods were manufactured between November 8, 2006 and March 6, 2007.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states it has received reports of approximately 8,500 animal deaths, including at least 1,950 cats and 2,200 dogs who died after eating contaminated foods. Most U.S. State Veterinary Associations estimate the number of deaths to be much higher.

Early investigations showed that the foods were contamined with the industrial chemical melamine. The melamine was added by Chinese suppliers of wheat gluten, a vegetable protein. Melamine was added to affect the chemical nutritional analysis of the food. The presence of melamine chemically makes any food product under analysis appear richer in protein than it actually is. The Chinese were in a serious surplus situation with melamine in 2006 and 2007 and were looking for places to "dump" the surplus.

Melamine was not the only ingredient of contamination. Cyanuric acid was also found. Melamine, along with cyanuric acid, combines to form crystals in those eating it. Crystals lead to kidney disease. In a number of cases, this leads to renal failure and death.

One month after the initial recall in March 2007, contaminated rice protein from a different source in China was also identified as being associated with kidney failure in pets in the United States. At the same time, contaminated corn gluten also from China was associated with kidney failure with pets in South Africa.

As a result of investigating the 2007 pet food recalls a broader Chinese protein export contamination investigation unfolded, raising concerns about the safety of the human food supply. Melamine is a frequent additive to live stock foods, and humans eating such live stock or products from them, have become sickened. Melamine is also used by the Chinese as an ingredient in baking, including cakes and other baked goods, and baby formula, again, to raise the chemcial analysis of the foods' protein content. As of this writing, over 53,000 Chinese babies were sickened, 6,000 were hospitalized, and four died as a result of melamine in their baby formula.

The following is from one of the Announcements I sent out last year on the pet food recall. I include it here, with some updating, for those who may not have received the earlier Announcement:

What countries are involved?

Primarily the United States, Canada, and South Africa. Over 60 million containers were shipped in the United States alone to various pet-food stores and veterinarians, including veterinarian prescription foods.

What happened?

Menu Foods contracted with U.S. supplier(s) for pet food manufacture. The U.S. supplier(s) contracted with ChemNutra Inc. in China to supply ingredients, including wheat gluten. According to the U.S. FDA, the wheat gluten was contaminated with melamine. Some was also contamined with cyanuric acid.

What is melamine?

Melamine is a toxic substance usually used to make hard plastics such as whiteboards, floor tiles, kitchenware, fire retardant fabrics, and commercial filters. It can also be used as a fertilizer. Melamine is manufactured by mixing urea with formaldehyde under heat and pressure.

What is wheat gluten?

Wheat gluten is the ingredient that remains when the starch is washed away from wheat. It is used as a protein source in foods. Gluten also affects the texture of foods. Some pets, particularly cats, are sensitive to these proteins in their diet.

Why did it take so long to get the word out?

The FDA (US) has found that first complaints from consumers to Menu Foods came in early November, 2006. Menu Foods moved to respond to reports of kidney failure and deaths among cats and dogs from pet owners on February 20, 2007. It would appear they responded because of a Toronto Star article on the deaths of pets linked to Menu Foods products. Menu Foods began new tests on live animals beginning February 27. It fed its product to approximately four dozen dogs and cats. "Some seven animals died," the company said. "More cats died than dogs," the company reported.

Why does the name, "Menu Foods", sound familiar?

1. Menu Foods is the leading North American producer of wet pet food products.

2. Menu Foods has been implicated by Peta and other animal rights organizations in horrific and unconscionable animal abuse including the inhumane use of live animals in testing, arbitrary debarking of live test dogs (sadly for me, since I live in New Jersey, this debarking was authorized by a NJ official of Menu Foods), withholding veterinary attention, and extreme neglect. A report on Menu Foods including events observed by an under-cover Peta agent employed by Menu Foods for nine months is available here: http://www.peta.org/feat/iams/menu-pain.html

What should I do?

1. If you think your animal is exhibiting any of the signs of kidney failure, contact a veterinary health professional immediately. Symptoms include loss of appetite, vomiting, weakness, disorientation, and changes in water consumption and urination. These symptoms may also occur in antifreeze ingestions; trauma; certain cancers; ingestion of or contact with some rodenticides; and some medications. Other possible causes of kidney failure include some lilies when ingested by cats; and grapes when ingested by dogs.

2. Make sure you always have plenty of good water available for your animal to drink! Save any remaining food that you have been giving your animal. Opened foods may be double-bagged in sealable plastic and frozen. If you have unopened, recalled food, return it to your retailer for a refund. If the food is a recalled food, you will be reimbursed even if your pet did not get sick.

3. Investigate and consider buying prepared foods that don't contain wheat gluten, since many cats and some dogs are sensitive to this ingredient. Or better yet, do what I've been telling people to do for over 20 years: feed your animal a raw foods, or organic foods, or a natural foods diet.

4. There is a class action suit underway for animals who experienced injury or death as a result of the recalled foods. The web-site is: http://www.petfoodsettlement.com. The web-site contains information for both the U.S. and Canada. It also contains a list of all foods recalled and all defendents in the class action suit.

Who is going to pay for my vet bills for sickness and death?

Menu Foods and the other implicated food suppliers have embraced responsibility if a contaminated food product was the cause of sickness or death. You will need copies of your vet records, vet bills, and receipts for all pet food purchases. There is provision for a dollar value award of "unreceipted" items. Read the web-site for the details. http://www.petfoodsettlement.com. Act now if you haven't already. The deadlines are approaching.

Dr. Elizabeth Severino is a World-Renowned Animal Communicator, Best-Selling Author, Quantum Biofeedback Specialist, Ordained Spiritual Healer, and Energy Therapist. Her Mission is Creating a Happier, Healthier, more Spirit-Filled World for People and Animals. Her web-site is: http://www.elizabethseverino.com.

Yours in the health and well-being of our animals,Elizabeth Severino, D.R.S.The Healing Connection