Emergency: Pet Food Recall!!!

[stevengregory]

...If that occured, it would most likely be an act of terrorism, most likely perpetrated by a splinter cell of PETA. PETA thinks that ALL domesticated animals should be killed, as it is "unnatural" to have pets. They fail to realize that domesticated dogs have been with us for well over 100,000 years.

Actually, that thought had occured to me, also. I wouldn't put it past those kind of people. They aren't too far removed from your garden variety Islamic terrorist, who believes murder is an acceptable form of social protest. Eco-terrorists, so-called Animal Rights terrorists and Political terrorists are all the same breed.

Not to argue with you, but it is believed that the canine domestication process started between thirty and forty thousand years ago. The first job dogs had was as hunting partners for human beings. (Vegetarians please take note ) Human beings were hunters, first and adopting canids as hunting companions made human/dog hunting groups into a kind of super-predator. The dogs would help track the prey and eventually corner a large beast, holding it at bay, but not able to kill it by themselves. Human beings would then use spears to wound the animal enough to kill it. This partnership allowed humans to more easily hunt and kill much larger game than he would have been able to all by himself. I could write a lot more about the domestication process, but that's basically the start.

 

[tyr_shadowblade]

Not to argue with you, but it is believed that the canine domestication process started between thirty and forty thousand years ago.

I stand corrected. I knew that canine remains had been found at Cro Magnon gravesites, and thought that they were older than that. Google sez earliest homo sapiens sapiens skeletons found are estimated to be about 40,000 years old.

Some animal behaviorists are of the opinion that, unlike wolves who shun human contact and roam in structured packs, some dogs would seek out human settlements when they were ready to give birth to a litter. Shortly after the pups' eyes opened and they were weaned, bitch would let the humans take care of the pups so she could return to the woods. It is believed that this led to their domestication. After all, puppies are cute and everyone loves puppies . . . even cavemen.

 

[DaveH]

There's a russian scientist that was able to create different species of minks I think it was, or maybe rats, in a little as 40 generations. The point in his work was that it didn't take thousands of years to domesticate animals.

 

[tyr_shadowblade]

The point in his work was that it didn't take thousands of years to domesticate animals.

You can "domesticate" (tame) many wild animals if you get 'em as babies. It has been done with deer, racoons, and bear. Of course, this pretty much ruins any chance they'll have of being released back into the wild -- won't be able to forage or look after themselves properly, and will think all people are "friendly."

 

[powernoodle]

There is no basis for concluding that any of the 60,000,000 cans of recalled food caused the 13 animal deaths.

Other than that, its an emergency.

cheers

 

[FullerH]

Thanks, Tyr, The Science Diet that we feed our cats was on that list and we had to check to see if the specific ones that we had were on it. They weren't, thank heavens.

 

[B Finnigan]

They found rat poison in it.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2975912&page=1&US=true

 

[Gollnick]

The chemical found in the food is aminopterin. It has, in the past, been used as a rat poison but has not been approved for or sold for that purpose in the US for some years. In the not so distant past, it has been used as a chemotherapy agent, but it is not used for that purpose anymore either. So, it's appearance is mysterious to say the least. It could have been put into the food deliberately; but contaminated samples have been found in food made in two different plants.

Keep in mind that it seems unlikely right now that Menu Foods is responsible for this.

 

[tyr_shadowblade]

Aminopterin is not lawful to use as a rodenticide in the US or Canada. It is freely available as a rat poison in China, however. Adulterated wheat gluten used by Menu Foods originated in China. This would seem to rule out PETA as the perpetrator. Wheat gluten is used for human consumption as well. Many food products intended for human consumption are imported from China -- and if they are bulk products used commercially, we the consumers have no clue that the ingredients in common food items manufactured domestically may have originated overseas. China does not hate us as much as the Middle East and Africa -- both of whom also export bulk food ingredients to the US. My guess is incompetance rather than terrorism -- but it just takes one multinational corporation more concerned about the "bottom line" than consumer safety (i.e., McDonalds, Coca-Cola, etc.) to make one questionable "bargain" purchase from overseas sources, to potentially poison 100.000+ American citizens.

The last I knew, the US had a wheat surplus -- we are giving it away to other countries it is so cheap -- I see no reason to purchase wheat gluten from China.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

There's a russian scientist that was able to create different species of minks I think it was, or maybe rats, in a little as 40 generations. The point in his work was that it didn't take thousands of years to domesticate animals.

Photo in the News: Baby Foxes Going to the Dogs

Young foxes, or kits, scamper in a cage in Siberia, Russia, where they are part of a 45-year research project to domesticate foxes. Each generation has been selectively bred for tameness—fearlessness and nonaggression toward humans. By now the foxes in the project behave like pet dogs, barking and wagging their tails at humans.​

Domestication by scientific experiment isn't quite the same thing as domestication of the basic animal stocks in prehistory. Some animals seem to domesticate naturally while close relatives may not. Evidently, rigorous culling can accomplish this even for recalcitrant species.

Habituating orphaned animals to humans was probably the first step towards domestication.

 

[Bob W]

New brands added to list as a second factory is involved:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/31/pet.food.recall.ap/index.html
The chemical Melamine is identified as another possible cause.

There is no basis for concluding that any of the 60,000,000 cans of recalled food caused the 13 animal deaths.

Other than that, its an emergency.

Thanks for your informed contribution. But one estimate is that thousands of animals have died; the USDA has received 8,000 complaints about sick or dead animals and the pet food company has received 300,000 complaints.

In contrast, how many people died during the Tylanol recall several years ago?

-Bob

 

[Grob]

Sounds like they still really have no idea what it is so far its been blamed on three seperate causes. Hopefully not the Melamine as that would effect some dry foods as well. My dog will be happy she'll be eating table scraps for a while.

 

[Bob W]

Hopefully not the Melamine as that would effect some dry foods as well.

There is one brand of dried food that has been recalled, according to the latest CNN coverage. It's just cat food though, so probably no one cares.

-Bob

 

[DaveH]

I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, have you eaten anything with wheat gluten from china? How would you know? Why haven't they released the source name? hmmmmmm.....

 

[Jeff Clark]

One thing that magnifies the problem is that owners feed their pets the exact same product month after month. A chemical that is minimally dangerous can kill a pet that consumes small amounts every day. I'm not too worried about humans in a practical sense. We will probably have a big food scare, but it won't be a realistic danger.

The other shoe to drop is all the other pet food brands that probably use the same imported wheat gluten. It is used as a thickener for products with "gravy". I would worry about any brand that comes with "gravy".

 

[Esav Benyamin]

China probing tainted wheat gluten claim

It's an interesting article, not so much for what the Chinese propose to investigate, as for the problems they've been having all along in their own country -- and the problems we have in tracking the safety of all kinds of food coming into the US.

 

[roughedges]

As someone else mentioned a few days ago, I'd really like to know why we are even buying wheat from China- especially when we are having as much problems controlling the stuff as the Chinese are having keeping it hygenic.

I seem to recall hearing something, once upon a time, about amber waves of grain also...

 

[steelnut]

Just found out my dogs cookies are on the list. They are fed Eukanuba so I was not worried until I saw Jerky Treats on the list. If my dog gets sick you will see me on CNN!!!!!