Vet News Anniversary blues: The pet food recall’s year-end review

OK, so here’s the obligatory year-end review post on the largest pet food recall in history and what its angry public aftermath ultimately means for you and your pets.

In a couple of words?…not much.

Naughty, nasty companies. Let’s punish ‘em good. Never buy their food again. Make sure they shrivel up and die for what they did to our babies—or might have done.

One year later, though, I’m still asking what my clients are feeding and they’re still rattling off the names of the major manufacturers involved in the recall.

And these are the same folks that reported dutifully for bloodwork in the weeks post-recall…the same clients who researched recipes and turned their kitchens upside-down for a month afterwards…even the ones who swore up and down they’d sue for the stress of it all.

Back to kibbles,…

…pouches and cans of the same old s---.

Is it that we’re so convinced everything’s changed in the wake of the industry’s negative publicity? Chinese official hangings? New laboratory procedures? Indictments?

Call me cynical but in my estimation it’s business as usual for the pet food manufacturers. Why? Because there have been no major developments at the regulatory level when it comes to pet foods.

So could it happen again? Christie Keith of PetConnection effectively says “why not?” She provided a detailed rationale defending her position in Friday's San Francisco Chronicle.

“The reason is simple: None of the changes that might prevent a repeat have been implemented. Inspections of pet food plants haven't improved; the patchwork of state, federal and industry manufacturing standards and regulations haven't been overhauled; transparency and accountability haven't increased - not even something as simple as printing the name and contact information of the actual manufacturer on pet food labels - and pet food labeling laws haven't been revised. The FDA still does not have mandatory-recall authority.”

It’s true…

Any of last year’s positive changes we’ve observed in how foods are labeled, tested and manufactured have been voluntary on the part of the pet food companies. And how long will that last? At least until public scrutiny of our pet food’s safety dies down.

And that’s what really scares me. Based on my clients’ attitudes consumer apathy has been in full swing as of a few months ago.

So what does this mean for the safety of our pet food? Unless we can pull our heads up out of the cozy, kibble-lined hole we like to hide in, it’s back to the same old blind-eyed ways for the corner-cutting multinationals feeding most of our pets.

That is…

…until the FDA bucks up and convenes the blue-ribbon panel it’s been promising us. ‘Till then I’ll just keep holding my breath. Promise me you’ll pick me up off the floor if anything ever comes of it.

March 16th, 2008

Add Comment21 Comments

Not everyone is doing things the same way, though.

The last year I have alternated -- switched everyone to Merrick (they can their own food), but continued intermittently feeding Fancy Feast (Purina also cans its own food and these were not involved in the recall -- I get only wheat gluten free varieties anyway). Then I started ordering Felines Pride (http://www.felinespride.com); then making the food at home (after a paid consultation with a veterinary nutritionist); now I am back to Merrick and Felines Pride.

I will probably give the home-making another try this year as well if the Feline's Pride dents my budget too much.

Although I haven't stopped feeding canned, I am limiting the varieties to the ones above and have also started buying known source (Felines Pride) and homemaking food. It isn't a 360, but it's definitely a 180.

Stef

Stefani March 16th, 2008 05:06:00 PM

After all these years I still can't get most people to consider changing from dry cat food to cans so I don't hold out too much hope if the public's motivation plays any part in whether or not the FDA steps up to the plate.

Jules March 16th, 2008 05:09:00 PM

Oh good, a chance to vent on dog food! There's way too much advice out there...it's hard to know where to turn.

My vet has had me go with Science Diet, because he says Hills & Purina are the only ones that have enough money to do real scientific research on pet food.

Then a few months ago I went to a "premium" pet store (read expensive) and they thought Science Diet was about as good as feeding my dog skittles for every meal.

They steered me to Innova or Blue Buffalo. Which at least have ingredients I've heard of. (and none of those nasty glutens that might be flaring up my dogs allergies)

Then there are the people I meet online that insist the only way to go is 'raw' or to cook my own dog food. I don't cook my OWN food!

So you see my frustration. I'm on the Blue Buffalo dry for now because pooch needs to lose some weight. And she gets plenty of human supplements from my parents that basically treat her as a walking garbage disposal when she's at their house.

Thank you for listening and good night.

Larry March 17th, 2008 12:44:00 AM

First, it will happen again. Until the regulations arein place to prevent it, our pets will continue to be given whatever foodstuffs are most inexpensive to put into their foods, because ti's cost effective.

The one thing I wish would have come out of this, the one thing that frustrated me the most, was labeling. If nothing else, if I could look at a pet food label and know that the manufacturer was required to label it with the ingredients that are actually in it, at least I could feel like I'm making an informed decision. But several times the recall, canned cat food (in my pantry, that i was feeding to cat who had hyperthyroid/congestive heart failure/chronic renal failure) was recalled because it contained ingredients that weren't on the label.

I don't have any illusions that many pet food companies are going to stop putting poor quality or undesirable ingredients into their foods. I can only hope that someday the pet food industry will be required to actually say what's in that can or bag so that I can decide for myself if it is fit for my cats to eat.

Feline March 17th, 2008 06:48:00 AM

"My vet has had me go with Science Diet, because he says Hills & Purina are the only ones that have enough money to do real scientific research on pet food."

That's like saying we should all go eat at McDonald's because they spend the most on R&D.

Dr. Patty Khuly March 17th, 2008 07:51:00 AM

Have you heard that the AHVMA and AAVN are holding the Pet Food 2008 Symposium in conjunction with the AHVMA annual conference in October? The symposium will be held on 10/11/2008, and the conference runs from 10/11 through 10/14. Should be an interesting discussion...

Megan March 17th, 2008 09:25:00 AM

Thank you for being one of the Vets who tells it like it is! I appreciate this post and am enjoying reading your blog. I think that unfortunately, people were only too happy to regain a false sense of security over the issues of toxic pet food, and go back to their old habits. Clearly the Pet Food Institute members and other recalled manufacturers were counting on this.

slt March 17th, 2008 09:56:00 AM

"That's like saying we should all go eat at McDonald's because they spend the most on R&D."

But that's what my vet said too! And since I frequent message boards and forums where people are *really* in to their dogs' health and well-being, most people report their vets say the same sorts of things. We go in to the vet all proud of something we've done positive for our dog's health by ponying up the extra money and feeding a premium food only to get laughed out of the exam room. And none of us can understand why vets say these things. And if you mention you feed your dog or cat raw anything, prepare for a long pedantic lecture.

So Dr. K could you clear this up? Some people say it's because vets are all in the pockets of Hill's, others say that it's just that they're unfamiliar with the product, or that they don't receive enough instruction on the topic in vet school. I don't know what it is. But what I do know is that when I wanted to talk to my vet about switching my cats off the Royal Canin RX diet they are currently on to something higher quality I got the riot act read to me about how the only pet foods you should feed are from the Big Three companies because they're the only ones that do research and she proudly feeds her cats Purina. What she was saying about the other brands (I mentioned Innova specifically) led me to believe that she actually had no idea what is even in them.

cressid March 17th, 2008 11:42:00 AM

>> "My vet has had me go with Science Diet, because he says Hills & Purina are the only ones that
>> have enough money to do real scientific research on pet food."

>That's like saying we should all go eat at McDonald's because they spend the most on R&D.

Oh come on, we have the FDA that does millions ($400M or so) in research on human nutrition. I'm sure the same is not true with canine nutrition. Maybe there is an independent canine nutrition in institute....if so I'd like to know what they recommend.

You're Wharton education is failing you. I'm just going to chalk it up to post-cruise delusion. :-)

On a serious note, *nobody* can tell me what to feed my dog. Or, more accurately, everybody tells me something different. I've never been so confused about a topic since teenage girls.

Larry March 17th, 2008 12:07:00 PM

I changed my dogs' food about two months before the recall (to Innova and Merrick canned and some home-cooked), so I can't say that my choices are directly as a result of the recall BUT.... every time I'm tempted to go back to Nutro because of expense, I remind myself of the recall and stick with what I'm doing.

Deanna March 17th, 2008 12:15:00 PM

Larry: Of course the snarkiness of my comment was intentional. And of course the reality of human nutrition is very different from that of pets, research-wise. But I'd hasten to add that most of the research conducted by the Hills' and Purinas of this world is not confined to their corporate walls, as it were. Lots of the great research they fund is done so through grants to universities--all that knowledge is readily accessible to all, as is a lot of their in-house work. The most closely guarded "secrets" are more likely to be those conducted in the highly competitive cost-cutting arena I mentioned in this post.

Dr. Patty Khuly March 17th, 2008 02:16:00 PM

I lost a foster puppy to either the recalled food or some sort of congenital liver defect- by the time my vet thought to run a parvo test and confirmed we weren't treating parvo, he was too far gone to save and a necroscopy seemed pointless- the recall news broke a few days later and we'd been feeding donated food. I've changed my feeding habits some, but not as much as I probaby should have. I wish I could make homecooked work, but my super-picky collie boy is hard to feed, and I'm worried about balancing nutrition for my younger dog, a spitz puppy. Still, it's a scary, scary thought.

Cait March 17th, 2008 04:34:00 PM

I haven't changed very much in the dog food department. I have tried a few premium brands, but still always come back to the tried and true Wellness brand. I like their new "all meat" canned to mix in with the kibble. I've always been paranoid about pet food in general, wondering if i am getting a bag defective with unseen molds, contamination, etc.
I remember the Nutro recall in 1995 for wheat 'molds' , and all the hazards surrounding foreign made "rawhide chews". We can't even keep our human food supply 100% safe.

Barb Albright March 17th, 2008 06:44:00 PM

cressida: No. Nothing so sinister as that--not intenionally anyway. We are in their pockets only because they offer us a service and a product we don't understand well enough--and because we're swayed by the huge dollars they have to conduct research. Still, it should be obvious that research money conts for very little when the quality of the ingredients isn't there. (Hence my McDonald's comment.)

If you want a more thorough discussion of this topic, I wrote a three-part series half a year or so ago on how vets recommend pet foods. Here's the third one:
http://www.dolittler.com/index.cfm/2007/6/17/pet.v...%20food.6.17.07

Dr. Patty Khuly March 18th, 2008 07:58:00 AM

Here's a great idea from Larry who experienced some trouble posting his comment (damned RSS bug!):

He's curious about what we all feed our dogs so he put together a poll at:

http://www.micropoll.com/akira/mpview/400488-77334...

Dr. Patty Khuly March 18th, 2008 08:19:00 AM

The Pet food recall (and my dog's food allergies) led me to a Homeopath and muscle reflex testing and now she is on a custom, homemade diet. I make everything from scratch from whole ingredients (meanwhile I stuff my face with Doritos.....lol...).

Whole Dog Journal does an excellent job of navigating the food questions for you. They explain what to look for and they list foods that make their 'list' of acceptable practices. Most importantly, transparency on the production process and ingredient sourcing issues as well as wholesome, nutritional ingredients.

Creature of Habit March 18th, 2008 10:58:00 AM

Also- because WDJ does not accept advertisements, their research is 100% objective and un-lobbied (IMO).

Creature of Habit March 18th, 2008 10:59:00 AM

I have done so much research trying to find the best food that I am almost ready to give up. I started out with Purina dry products which my puppy was on when I got her. Then switched to Science diet per my vet. Then tried Nutro (wet)till I found the recall information. Advoderm dry was well liked but I have concern that a manufacturing slip could result in my dog getting avocado peal instead of meat...so next I tried Innova, ( wet and dry) but one of the dogs just hates it and flatly refused to eat. So off I go again to the premium pet food store and was told to Merrick's wet food ( stew type products. I thought there was hope, that is till a few hours ago when I started researching it. One web site rates it high and another mentions that it contains such bad things as contains calcium carbonate & Potassium Chloride ( as being really bad) and then just as bad or worse, a google search pulled up a lot of quality control issues that scare me to death. Now I am thinking about Innova EVO red meat bites, that is if the google into out there on foreign objects found in it is just a hoax. Oh and I plan on feeding wet and dry, but that is another debate where some say dry is more nutritious but then there is the possible bloat issues with dry.. So maybe, just maybe, at some point it just gets to be such over load that people give up and just buy what is convenient and readily eaten? PS-I am still researching and still trying....