Pet Nutrition - Pet Blog

The latest products recalled in the Salmonella outbreak at the Peanut Corporation of America manufacturing plant in Georgia, USA, are American Health Kennels Inc. baked dog treats, according to an article on www.ConsumerAffairs.com.

American Kennel said it has not received any reports of illnesses linked to these products.

“We are affecting this recall in the interest of public safety even though we know our product is safe,” the company said in a press release.

Several varieties of Carolina Prime dog treats may contain Salmonella-tainted peanut butter as well, according to an article on www.Examiner.com.

As a result, a handful of Carolina Prime dog treats have been added to the FDA’s recall list.

The first veterinary case of a dog sickened from tainted peanut products has been reported on the US West Coast, according to DVM Newsmagazine.

The dog, a 3-year-old mixed breed from Oakland, Oregon, USA, developed diarrhea after its owners fed it Happy Tails Multi-Flavored Dog Biscuits, a treat containing peanuts from the Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) that was included on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recall list and sold at Albertson’s grocery stores.

The sickened dog was treated with fluids and antibiotics and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the state veterinarian.

PCA shut down the Blakely, Georgia, USA, plant, and the FDA is conducting a criminal investigation after discovering that the company shipped products even after receiving positive Salmonella tests on the lot. PCA announced Feb. 10 that is also was shutting down operations at one of its subsidiary plants in Plainview, Texas, USA.

Natura Pet Products announced that its EVO canned dog food has been selected as first place winner in the first annual Pet Lovers’ Choice Awards, according to a Natura press release.

The award was presented by www.ZooToo.com, the online community and resource for pet owners, and the American Pet Products Association (APPA), the leading pet products trade association.

Announced at the 2009 Global Pet Expo, Orlando, Florida, USA in February, the awards highlighted the best products and services in the pet world in a variety of categories, rated by hundreds of thousands of pet owners and consumers on the ZooToo.com community.

“We are extremely honored to receive this award from two such prestigious groups. But most importantly, we are grateful for our customers’ loyalty and support,” stated Don Scott, president of Natura.

Bravo! and Nature’s Variety, leading brands in the raw petfood diet category, are teaming up to offer a free educational seminar at the H.H. Backer Spring Show in Baltimore, Maryland, USA on Saturday, April 4, according to a Bravo! news release.

The seminar will focus on the explosive growth of the raw diet category and the business opportunities for petfood retailers.

“Bottom Line Raw” is an introductory educational seminar targeted toward retailers who are contemplating carrying raw diet product lines, or those who are beginning to explore the raw diet category.

Registration for the seminar is now open:. Please send your request to seminar@bravorawdiet.com.

In an article on www.TheStar.com, suggestions are made on how pet owners can cut back on costs when it comes to petfood and treats.

Several tips in the article are: choose food based on nutritional value, not price; take advantage of frequent-buyer programs; buy smoked bones at substantial savings from local, independent butchers; be cautious when feeding raw homemade food as it can carry Salmonella; and calculate the actual cost of the petfood based on the daily serving.

Two law firms are gearing up for possible class action lawsuits against Canidae and Nutro, whose products allegedly caused pet illnesses, according to a story from Consumer Affairs.

Canidae has never issued a voluntary recall of its foods; it has responded to the allegations by Consumer Affairs on its website.

Menu Foods, which makes some Nutro petfood products, issued a series of recalls in 2007, after reports of dog illnesses where at least 10 deaths occurred. The Pet Food Products Safety Alliance says it found high levels of copper and zinc when it tested Nutro petfood in August 2008.

Another class action lawsuit against Menu Foods recently settled for US$24 million.

Formulating the right nutritional balance for your cat necessitates care, research and tremendous forethought, according to an article appearing in The Daily Cat.

"Cats are true carnivores and balanced nutrition for them means twice the amount of protein as dogs," explains Sally Perea, DVM and certified veterinary nutritionist in Davis, California.

Perea recommends feeding felines a commercially-prepared cat food that meets the standards established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) for kittens or adult cats. Look for AAFCO statements on the food’s packaging to guarantee the appropriate nutritional content.

Perea explains in the article the six important nutritional needs cats require: animal protein, fat, fiber, taurine, vitamin A and niacin.

"If you think of the nutrient makeup of a mouse, you have a pretty good idea of what your cat needs," she said.