Pet Parents Beware

As I was reading the news off the internet, I came across this story. In one of my earlier posts, you’ll see where I talk about the recalls of dog food (and toys) made in China. Well, here we go again (not that there have been any recalls). Canyon Creek Ranch and Waggin’ Train brands produced under the parent company Nestle Purina PetCare Co., and Milo’s Kitchen Home-Style Dog Treats produced under the parent company of Del Monte Corp., have been linked to 900 dogs deaths since 2007. Yet there hasn’t been a recall done regarding these products.

According to Waggin’ Trains website:
“Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders are a wholesome, healthy treat for your dog. They are made with premium chicken breast filets and have only two main ingredients: natural chicken filets, and glycerin (a natural preservative to retain moisture and texture). These high-protein, low-fat treats are slow-baked to seal in the natural flavors for a healthy and wholesome snack. Chicken jerky treats are popular because they are a high-quality, great-tasting treat that dogs love.”
And:
“These treats are made in China at facilities that are modeled after U.S. Department of Agriculture standards for quality and safety. In China, dark meat chicken is more popular with consumers than white meat chicken, and so the supply of quality, white meat chicken used in our products is more readily available for dog treats. The factories are under stringent safety and sanitary guidelines and monitored by a dedicated team of quality control inspectors, who are in the plants where the products are being produced. The benefit to our consumers is a premium dog treat at an affordable price.”

Petitions have been started by these heartbroken and outraged pet parents (Please sign below, started by Terry on Change.org). A Facebook page has been created Animal Parents Against Pet Treats and Food Made in China with more and more pet parents sharing their heartbreaking stories, but all of this still doesn’t bring back their lost family members and friends.

As a pet parent myself, I can only speak for me, and never pass judgment. When Made In China has had a proven track record of toxic products and our USDA has deemed “Pink Slime” safe to consume; I make it a point to check out the products I’m purchasing. We as consumers must ask the questions and not give the companies our money, if we don’t get the right answers. Make the time to make your treats for our four legged furry babies. IT does take time, but you have the control over the ingredients, and the treats become Made With Love instead of the scary Made In China. My heart goes out to all of the pet parents and families that have lost a loved one due to the negligence of corporations out to make money for them and their stock holders instead of making quality products for consumers.

A question I ask myself is: If this is a wholesome treat with simple ingredients, why does it need to be made in China?

Change.org|The Proven Petition Site

Healthy Pets, Healthy Home, Healthy Family

We’re all aware of the lead scare from a few years ago, and I must admit, that I've made a HUGE effort in purchasing items Made in America (for me and my dogs-see shopping with a cause). In my efforts to keep my carbon footprint low, as well as my four legged furry babies, I found some information that was helpful...

Tennis balls designed for dogs have been tested and found that there are trace amounts of lead in them; however tennis balls for humans don't have any traces of lead. From that scare, the parts per million (ppm) measurement used in the testing was reduced to 300ppm in tests for children toys. To date there are still no regulations regarding the use of lead in dog toys. So, what does a responsible pet parent do? (I feel better about Choxie’s love of human tennis balls after doing this blog post.)

We start to check the label. Maybe go with rawhides (which gross me out, but I did) or you go with pig ears. Well, it seems even with checking the label that this isn’t the best for our four legged furry babies. The chemicals that go into making a rawhide chew bone are dangerous to say the least (capable of burning, or corroding), and at one time rawhide was used as “sheet metal”, nails and other building materials for Native Americans and early Europeans.

The Chemicals and how it’s made: (Cliff Notes Version)
Lye made from wood ash is potassium hydroxide, not sodium hydroxide -- there's 10 times as much potassium as sodium in wood ash.
hydrated lime is a caustic substance produced by heating limestone
Once the flesh has been cleaned the hide is soaked 1-3 days to soften the hair and then scraped off, usually repeating the process. When this is completed, to get rid of the chemicals from the previous step, manufactures will sanitize the hides by soaking them in a bleach solution before shaping it into an enticing shape. (I’m never buying these again!)

There has been a link between pig ears and Salmonella according to the FDA. In 2011 there were 3 companies that had to recall pig ears due to Salmonella contamination.

We, as consumers, have to advocate for our families. We have to ask for better products from the manufactures and for harsher laws when there is an outbreak. This is not just about dogs, but about those we love that are around us. Below are some great sources for more on how to change your purchase choices.

www.ehow.com
www.greenpaws.org
www.animalhealthfoundation.net
www.healthystuff.org