Although no illnesses associated with the products have been reported, the FDA advises pet-owners not to handle or feed them to their pets. A routine testing of the dog treats in December turned up a positive finding for salmonella. Follow-up investigations found deficiencies in the packaging and manufacturing process.

The affected Merrick Beef Filet Squares were packaged in a 10-ounce green, red and tan re-sealable plastic bag. The “best by” date is printed on the top portion of the bag, which is usually torn off when the bag is opened. If you are unable to determine the “best by” date, discontinue use of the product.

Salmonella can affect both humans and animals. Infected pets may become lethargic and have diarrhea, fever and vomiting. If your pet has consumed the recalled product or exhibits any of the above symptoms, contact a veterinarian immediately.

Some dog treats made by Merrick Pet Care have been recalled because they may be contaminated with salmonella bacteria and pose a risk of serious illness to pets and their human owners alike.

Merrick Beef Filet Squares for dogs were sold across the United States in retail stores and over the Internet. Food and Drug Administration testing confirmed some of the products carried potentially dangerous bacteria that can cause mild to severe symptoms ranging from fever, nausea and vomiting in people and diarrhea, loss of appetite, and loss of appetite in dogs.

So far, no illnesses have been reported linked to the products, according to the FDA. However, dogs who consume the treats and people who handle the products may become ill.

The recalled Merrick Beef Filet Squares were packaged in a 10-ounce green, red and tan resealable plastic bag labeled “Best By 111911.”

The 29-year-old man sought medical treatment after one eye became red and watery. When the symptoms persisted for three weeks, he recalled how his pet Chilean Rose tarantula had reacted when he was cleaning its glass tank. The tarantula “released a mist of hairs” which hit his eyes and face, presumably as a self-defense mechanism. Doctors prescribed steroid drops to dislodge the hairs from the patient’s cornea.

This isn’t the first tarantula incident: doctors were able to find three similar case reports dating back to 1988. The treating physicians advised that tarantula owners exhibit caution with their beloved pets. They also suggested that tarantula keepers routinely wear eye protection when handling the animals.

The widget is a portable application embedded in the FDA website that can be copied onto any other website or blog. Users can access content without leaving the FDA page. Topics include how to report a problem with pet food, purchasing pet drugs online, and caring for your pet in a disaster. In order to add content to your own site, click on “Grab this” and cut and paste the html code.

Consumers can select the Tips tab to read pet health and safety articles. The Updates tab provides recent recall notices and veterinary drug news. Find more information at www.fda.gov/PetHealthWidget.

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There have been 21 reports of thiamine deficiency in cats in New York and Pennsylvania, officials said. Testing of samples of the products confirmed the food is low in thiamine, a B vitamin that is necessary for healthy cats.

Symptoms of the disorder commonly begin with decreased appetite, salivation, vomiting, and weight loss, the FDA said. If the condition is not properly treated, serous neurologic signs can develop, including ventriflexion (bending towards the floor) of the neck, wobbly walking, circling, falling, and seizures.

The recall announced this week by the Food and Drug Administration and Diamond Pet Foods affects specific date codes of cat food distributed in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

The following date codes of packages of Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat and Premium Edge Hairball cat food are included in the recall:

• RAF0501A22X 18lb. (BB28NOV10)

• RAF0501A2X 6 lb. (BB28NOV10)

• RAF0802B12X 18lb (BB30FEB11)

• RAH0501A22X 18 lb. (BB28NOV10)

• RAH0501A2X 6lb. (BB28NOV10, BB30NOV10, BB08DEC10)

Consumers who have purchased the affected lots are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund, the FDA said.

Flunixin is an anti-inflammatory drug injected into cattle to control abnormal rise in body temperature associated with bovine respiratory disease. The meat that Nickle sold contained unsafe levels of the drug that might have impacted human health. The FDA requires animals to be withdrawn from drug treatments prior to slaughter, so the drug is depleted from edible tissue.

This isn’t Nickle’s first run-in with the FDA. He has received several oral and written warnings in the past and continued to disobey the law.

In September 2009, the FDA discovered salmonella during a routine testing of Pet Carousel pig ears. The positive reading of salmonella prompted an inspection of Pet Carousel’s facilities, which turned up salmonella in beef hooves, pig ears and the manufacturing environment. The affected pig ear products were packaged under the brand names Doggie Delight and Pet Carousel, while the beef hooves were packaged under Choo Hooves, Dentley’s, Doggie Delight and Pet Carousel.

The FDA is advising consumers in possession of these products to avoid handling or feeding them to pets. Dispose of the treats safely by placing them in a covered trash receptacle. If your pet has consumed any of the affected products and is displaying fever, vomiting, or any other symptom of salmonella, contact your veterinarian immediately.

The Rescue Center was founded by Tia Maria Torres in 1995 in reaction to the high number of pit bulls who are destroyed every year in dog fights and pounds. It houses up to 250 dogs, helping rehabilitate traumatized animals, and providing obedience classes for pit bull owners.

Torres also offers a new start for another group that has a hard time being accepted by society: ex-cons. Villalobos’ “Underdawgs” program provides room, board, and job training for parolees. The humans and the dogs help each other open up because they understand each other, says Torres.

“The dogs bring out the best in these guys,” Torres explains.

According to Animal Planet, the show is about “a chance at redemption, rehabilitation and rebirth for both man and man’s best friend.”

Approximately 4.7 million people in the United States suffer dog bites every year, more than half of them children. Insurance companies paid out over $350 million for dog bite claims in 2007 alone. So insurers are biting back, extending the list of uninsurable breeds to include:

• Wolf mixes
• Akitas
• Mastiffs
• Boerboels
• Chow-chows
• Doberman pinchers
• Olde English bulldogs
• Rottweilers
• Pit bulls and pit bull mixes including many terriers
• Any dog mixed with any of the above

Dog owners and organizations like the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals protest insurance companies’ decision, saying that it is not the breed of dog but the way it is raised that makes it aggressive. Dogs are more likely to bite if they have not been neutered, or if they are not properly socialized. Dogs that are kept chained or tied up are three times as likely to bite, regardless of breed.

But for now, breed profiling is a legal and anyone considering adopting a dog should check with their insurance company first to avoid a bite in the wallet.

Teva is the largest U.S. manufacturer of generic drugs for the animal health market, according to its website. The FDA’s court order will prevent the president and two principals at the company from resuming production until an independent inspector finds that the plant meets industry standards. Additional violations by Teva could cost them $45,000 in fines per day, or $7.5 million per year. “The FDA will not tolerate the manufacture and distribution of adulterated animal drugs,” said FDA Associate Commissioner Michael Chappell.

Teva spokesperson Denise Bradley said that consent decree and the halt to producing drugs would not have any “material impact” on the company. She added that Teva does not disclose sales for the animal health unit. “[Teva] regrets the deficiencies in our manufacturing practices, and we have already initiated corrective actions to ensure that we will swiftly meet all regulatory requirements,” Bradley said.

Teva Animal Health sells medicines for dogs, cattle, horses, sheep, cattle and swine. They also market the DVM Pharmaceuticals dermatologic products for animals. The company will now analyze each product, retrain production employees and revalidate equipment and processes, according to Bradley.

University of Guelph researchers tested 26 therapy dogs and their handlers for three kinds of infection-causing bacteria: Methicillin-resistant Staphylcoccus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Although the dogs’ forepaws did not test positive for the bacteria before the hospital visits, they were contaminated afterwards. A pug with MRSA on its fur had been kissed and cuddled, while a greyhound with C. difficile had shaken paws with several patients. MRSA was also found on the hands of the handler who petted the pug.

The dogs may have picked up germs as they trotted through medical facilities. Doctors say it isn’t realistic to sanitize dogs between visits to each hospital room. Instead, they said the responsibility lies with humans to wash their hands with warm, soapy water after spending time with furry friends. Others say that the study is yet another reason to practice good hygiene, regardless of whether animals are present.

Researchers said that hospital patients and dog handlers should follow recommended hand sanitation procedures in order to contain the spreading of germs. The findings were reported in a letter published in March 28, 2009 issue of the Journal of Hospital Infection.

The “Unhappy Meal” is a part of PETA’s McCruelty campaign, which is meant to warn children about the cruelty that PETA says is behind every Happy Meal. From animal cruelty to manipulating advertising that targets children, the charges that PETA is accusing McDonald’s of are expressed through this mock meal. According to Slashfood.com, PETA discontinued campaigns like the McCruelty one for the past nine years because it was working with McDonald’s behind the scene.

Each “Unhappy Meal” consists of an image of a knife wielding Ronald McDonald, pictures of mutilated chickens, a “blood” stained Happy Meal box and a complementary T-Shirt that reads “Chicken McCruelty.” A parent told a local news station that she felt what PETA was doing was unfair to children and young people shouldn’t be exposed to the messages that PETA is trying to get across.

Spokesperson for PETA, Lindsay Rajt, told Slashfood.com, “Kids deserve to be told the truth and we really do need to give them credit,” she says. “The bottom line is that they’ve really seen much worse in movies and videogames, and we all know that kids empathize with animals.”

A lot of red cosmetics owe their luster to a certain beetle. Red lipstick in particular contains the liquid that comes from crushing the cochineal beetle. This beetle is an easy source of carmine, the red dye that is very popular with the manufacturers of red lipsticks and some eyeshadows as well. But it doesn’t end there, because this same derivative is also used as food coloring in raspberry or strawberry yogurts, ice creams, or popsicles.

Animal fat is often rendered to create the base for lipstick, which is an oil-based cosmetic. This activity is regulated but still often incorporates animal byproducts. Some of these byproducts are fairly innocuous however, such as lanolin. Lanolin is a derivative of sheep’s wool, which can be harvested without harm to the animal.

Some fragrances have some not-so-fragrant, not to mention vegetarian, ingredients. Ambergris is a fixative in many modern perfumes, used as a kind of preservative for smell. What is it? A digestive chemical found in the stomachs of whales. Another more surprising ingredient in some perfumes is cow dung. Apparently, when heated under high pressure, cow dung can be used to create the soft warm scent of vanilla. While this does not harm the cow, one can hardly argue that it is a vegetarian ingredient.

The late Hunter S. Thompson wrote about the 1970 Kentucky Derby with a specific angle in mind. In fact to warn his readers of his unique point view, Thompson wrote, “And unlike most of the others in the press box, we didn’t give a hoot in hell what was happening on the track. We had come there to watch the real beasts perform.”

Thompson’s essay on the Kentucky Derby was not transfixed on the horses but rather on the spectators that rushed to Churchill Downs. By the end of his grotesque account of the traditional horse race, Thompson perceived patrons of the Derby as ravenous monsters.

I bring attention to Thompson’s famous report on horse racing in America because it reveals the true dangers of the sport -those in the industry who go to any length to gain a profit. American horse racing is not necessarily wrong but it’s an industry that can foster greed and overlook abuse.

There are those who passionately feel that horse racing should be banned on the basis of animal cruelty but I think there many horse breeders, trainers and jockeys who would be the first to say they are animal lovers not torturers.

From the ancient Romans to modern Americans, racing horses is a sport that has a lengthy timeline. And along with being a popular equestrian sport, “The Sport of Kings” is also a game of odds. Gambling is major part of horse racing. It drives revenue for everyone involved in the industry along with contributing to the economy. The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) stated in their 2008 report, that it collected $35,868,519 from horse races for the state of California.

Animal activists say that since states get money generated from horse races the sport is not heavily regulated. But in a 2008 report CHRB chairman Richard Shapiro says that his board is pushing to test more horses for steroids and other illegal drugs.

This may sound like a mere talking point since increase testing doesn’t necessarily stop the use of performance enhancing drugs. But CHRB’s intolerance for drug use and other illegal acts shows some autonomy between horse racing and the state’s regulatory board.

The image of Eight Belles falling to her knees and soon after to her death during last year’s Kentucky Derby put the darker side of horse racing into the spotlight. Besides the physical stress that racing can place on a horse, Eight Belles’ demise revealed that injury or poor performance can lead to death.

In fact, ESPN sports writer Willem Marx reported there was an average 1.5 deaths for every 1,000 starts in American racing, according to studies conducted at around 10 American racecourses over more than one season.

American horse racing in comparison to other countries yields a higher volume of horse fatalities. Many experts say that there are looser regulations when it comes to drugs in the US compared to other countries.

For example, administering drugs such as Salix, which is used to control hemorrhaging in a horse’s lungs during a race, is legal in the US but illegal in Europe and Asia. Other drugs being used are designed for humans while other drugs like actual snake venom is used purely because it can’t be detected. These are the atrocities that should be outright banned.

In all its glory, horse racing can be an exciting sport that link spectators to ancient civilizations, but at its lowest, American horse racing is a science of greed, drugs and death.

Although there is a definite dark side to horse racing, a side that Thompson could see all too clearly, I believe there are good people in the industry who love horses, who know horses better than I ever would and who committed their life to breeding and training horses.

I think the high stakes that American horse racing prides itself on is the same driving force behind doping horses up with a buffet of illegal drugs. We need not chastise the sport itself but demand more regulations like probing tests that can detect a wider range of drugs and harsher repercussions for those who administer drugs. We, as spectators, should demand that our country’s horse racing industry have a stricter stance on drugs so trainers and owners are guided by common goals rather than greed.