Animals
Posted on January 21, 2010 in Animals, Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine, Recalls
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to stop using Merrick Beef Filet Squares for Dogs with a package date of “Best by 111911″. The products may be contaminated with salmonella.
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.
Posted on January 15, 2010 in Animals, Consumer Goods, Recalls
The next time your beloved four-legged friend sits, plays dead, or stays when you ask, be careful about what you’re handing out as a reward.
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.”
Posted on January 6, 2010 in Animals, Health & Medicine
Thousands of people in the United States have chosen tarantulas as their pet of choice. But a recent incident involving a British tarantula owner offers a reminder about practicing pet safety.
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.
Posted on December 15, 2009 in Animals, Health & Medicine, Technology
The latest development in pet health is designed to be user-friendly. The FDA recently launched a pet health and safety widget in order to provide timely health information. “Our new pet health and safety widget provides users with information to help them in managing their pets’ health,” said Joshua Sharfstein, the FDA’s principal deputy commissioner.
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.
Posted on December 4, 2009 in Animals, Consumer Goods, Recalls
Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat and Premium Edge Hairball cat food has been recalled because the pet food may result in thiamine deficiency, a potentially deadly condition for cats.
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.
Posted on November 21, 2009 in Animals, Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking action against a Maryland veal calf dealer who sold drug-tainted meat for human consumption. William F. Nickle allegedly was responsible for the drug flunixin being found in edible tissue of veal calves.
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.
Posted on November 10, 2009 in Animals, Health & Medicine, Recent Studies
You may want to find a new treat for Fido: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning for Pig Ears and Beef Hooves pet treats manufactured by Pet Carousel. The products may be contaminated with salmonella, which can affect both animals and humans.
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.
Posted on August 19, 2009 in Animals
Next month a new reality show titled “Pit Bulls and Parolees” debuts on Animal Planet. The program is already winning hearts and headlines for its compelling depiction of the Villalobos Rescue Center. This small desert kennel in Canyon Country, California, is a haven for abandoned, abused, and rescued pit bulls.
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.”
Posted on August 14, 2009 in Animals, Business/Law
Insurance profiling isn’t just about health problems or bad driving records, insurance companies may also have a problem with your pet. Insurers are increasingly charging premiums, or denying coverage, to dog owners with breeds considered dangerous.
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.
Posted on August 10, 2009 in Animals, Business/Law, Health & Medicine
Teva Pharmaceuticals is to be barred from selling veterinary drugs until it fixes manufacturing practices, the Food and Drug Administration said on Friday. The FDA found evidence that Missouri-headquartered Teva violated manufacturing standards during inspections from 2007 to 2009. The FDA did not cite the safety violations specifically.
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.
