A recent pet food recall has affected over 130 brands of food. The Food and Drug Administration announced that melamine, a chemical used in fertilizer was found in tested food samples. There are many unanswered questions but what is agreed is that the tainted food causes kidney failure in cats or dogs. What are pet owners doing? According to a recent survey conducted by Petplace.com, pet owners are turning to table scraps and homemade foods to avoid contaminated foods.
Boca Raton, Florida (PRWEB) April 27, 2007 -- In late March a dog and cat food recall distressed pet lovers across the country as 60 million containers of food, distributed by 95 brands of food were swept from the shelves across the United States and Canada in a preemptive effort to save the lives of pets. Since that time, more brands have been added now representing over 130 recalled.
Although initially, the announcement was that the foods produced by Menu Foods and distributed around North America were tainted with rat poison, specifically Aminopterin, the story has changed. On March 30th, the Food and Drug Administration announced that melamine, a chemical used in fertilizer was found in tested samples of recalled pet foods. Still, one is sure how melamine affects animals. What is agreed is that the tainted food causes kidney failure in cats or dogs.
According to the FDA, "Melamine is primarily used in Asia as a fertilizer but is not approved for that use in the United States. It is used in plastic kitchenware in this country." They believe melamine was contaminating wheat gluten in the foods, which were distributed to both the U.S. and Canada. Although the true cause of the poisoning of our pets' food is still under investigation, one thing is certain, pet lovers are frightened.
In an effort to give terrified pet owners an outlet for their opinions and experiences, Petplace.com, a heavily trafficked pet website, offered their visitors the opportunity to participate in a survey. The response was astounding.
In a short period of time over 3,500 respondents expressed their fears about feeding pre-packed dog and cat food. The number of pet lovers concerned about what they were feeding their pets tallied in at 67.5% with more than half of these individuals being extremely concerned. In fact, over 22.2% are either making their own food or feeding table scraps.
Dr. Jon Rappaport, who is the CEO and founder of Petplace.com, notes that there are many unanswered questions in this recall and encourages pet owners to watch their pets for symptoms of kidney failure. Tainted food causes problems such as vomiting, refusing to eat, excessive drinking of water, increased frequency of urination and lethargy.
Dr. Jon also encourages pet owners to stay abreast of the current information by checking our updated pet food recall information on our website at Pet Food Recall Update. Recipes for homemade foods are also included on the website.
About PetPlace.com
With over 1,000,000 visitors per month, Petplace.com is the definitive web destination for PetCrazy people. We know that the number one priority of PetCrazy people is their pet's health and well being. Over 85 veterinarians, including many veterinary specialists, have written for PetPlace.com. With a library of over 10,000 veterinarian approved articles we offer the largest and most complete source of pet information available anywhere. We not only offer the most comprehensive resource for Pet Health and Wellness, but we also have over 4,000 heartwarming "Pet Stories" that will make you, laugh, make you cry and make you feel good inside. Are you PetCrazy? Then Petplace.com is for you!
PetPlace was founded in 1999. The mission of PetPlace.com was to create and maintain the largest, most complete, and highest quality pet health and wellness reference information library on the web. Our vision is to help pet owners have healthier and happier pets through education. The Staff at PetPlace.com continually strives to provide up-to-date information to enrich the lives of pets.
Contact:
Debra Primovic DVM
20283 State Road 7, Suite 107 `t
Boca Raton, FL 33498
USA
Phone -- 614.657.5689
Email- daprimovic @ aol.com
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