Into Other Dimensions

I only got to watch like the last fifteen minutes or so of Oprah yesterday, but I’m glad I caught that much - though yes, I wish I’d gotten home in time to see the entire show. It was on dogs.

I didn’t know this until yesterday, but apparently her pretty girl Sophie has been diagnosed with kidney failure, and my heart and prayers go out for her. And I have to wonder, with kidney failure being the ultimate effect of these poisonous pet foods, whether it has anything to do with Sophie’s condition. Oprah didn’t specify the cause, but she proceeded to have a pet health expert, Dr. Marty Goldstein, address how to safely feed our doggy-babes in this time of commercial food crisis.

Sophie is under the care of Dr. Goldstein, and he said that dogs need meat, cooked or raw, because they are carnivores. Oprah showed us exactly what she feeds her canine-kids. In a bowl she put cooked lamb, brown rice, chopped cooked potatoes, and carrots. Then she proceeded to stick her hand in the mixture and mash up the potato! You gotta love it! I’m sure her pups do. Oprah alternates the lamb with chicken or beef.

So there you have it. Table scraps, table scraps, table scraps. It’s what I’ve been saying all along. Ban commercial pet foods and especially Menu Foods, until they get their shit together, and somehow make restitution for all the pain and suffering they’ve caused. In the meantime, set a placemat under the table for Fifi. Maybe even a permanent placemat.

To visit Dr. Marty Goldstein’s website: www.drmarty.com

God bless us all.

The latest news on the tainted pet food issue warns that the poisonous tainting may have been intentional. Not only that! But it may be working it’s way into human food supply! In California, state agriculture officials placed a hog farm under quarantine after melamine (the pet food poison) was found in pig urine there. Additional testing was under way to determine whether the chemical was present in the meat produced by American Hog Farm in Ceres since April 3, the state Department of Food and Agriculture said. So far, melamine’s been found in both wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from China. Media reports from South Africa suggest a third pet food ingredient, corn gluten, used in that country also was contaminated with melamine. That tainted ingredient has not been found in the United States, the FDA said. We are to expect further pet food recalls. http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/pet-food-may-have-been-intentionally/20070412155809990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

On a personal note, I’ve quit feeding my precious Maltese commercial dog food and treats. The whole tainted dog food issue is getting bigger by the minute, and I will not take any chances with the health of my canine-son. He who makes a fiesta of my coming home every evening. He who is but a bundle of unconditional love and joy. He who is the cutest, cuddliest little doll! His vet told me I could feed him chicken and rice, hamburger and rice, cottage cheese and rice, foods like that. I just have to avoid letting him eat onion, chocolate, grapes, and…something else, I can’t recall right now. Years ago people didn’t even buy special dog food for their dogs, they simply ate scraps. We had a Cockapoo who from day one ate whatever we had for dinner, and he lived a very healthy life until he passed at almost seventeen years old. There are websites with pet food recipes, for meals and treats - for cats and dogs. One of my clients even found a nice recipe for a doggy birthday cake that she made for her spaniel baby’s birthday party! Take care of yourselves and your critter-kids!

Till soon, Gina

I am so sad to report the latest I have been reading about the REAL number of cats and dogs that have been affected by this tainted dog food. Menu foods, in their “precautionary recall” report 16 deaths, but according to the latest news reports there may be many, many more.

I have two beloved dogs and I am just horrified at thinking I could’ve fed them RAT POISON tainted dog food - which is possible because I buy their food from Walmart. Fortunately, I generally give them DRY food, which hasn’t been affected. (Menu Foods doesn’t do dry pet food.) 

The following is an excerpt, but you can read the entire article by clicking the link below.

“…There are still questions about how many animals have died. With no national reporting system for animal injury or death, official numbers are impossible to come by.

However, data from the nation’s largest chain of pet hospitals, Banfield, suggest it is as high as hundreds a week during the three months the food was on the market.

During that time, the more than 600 Banfield hospitals in 43 states saw 200 to 250 cases of kidney failure in cats above the usual number that would have been expected, says Hugh Lewis, president of Data Savant, Banfield’s data collection arm.

During that period, Banfield vets saw 100,000 cats. Extrapolating to the entire cat population of the USA, that could mean “we’re probably talking several hundred cats a week across the country being affected,” Lewis says.

Another possible indicator is a database compiled by PetConnection.com. As of Sunday, owners reported 1,626 deceased pets - 941 cats and 685 dogs, says Gina Spadafori, one of the website’s writers.

She cautions that those figures were self-reported by pet owners and had not been confirmed by veterinarians. Menu Foods said on Friday it would compensate owners for their pets’ medical bills.

“To the extent that we identify that the cause of any expenses incurred are related to the food, Menu will take responsibility for that,” said Menu Foods chief executive Paul Henderson.

Despite some complaints by pet owners that animals have been sickened or died after eating dry food, FDA does not believe any dry food was involved in the contamination. Menu does not make dry pet food. “

For the whole story click link:

http://news.aol.com/partners/usa-today/_a/pet-owners-question-death-count-in/20070326081909990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

I have two gripes. Major issues that really irritate me these days.

1) Menu Foods. Ring a bell? They’re the F-ing company poisoning our beloved little pussNboots and fido-pets. Have you read their press release Dog Food Recall? http://www.menufoods.com/recall/Press_Recall_03162007.pdf

It really bites the big one. They call it a “precautionary” recall, even though 16 ( and they expect more) cats and dogs have died of kidney failure due to the RAT POISON found in their canned pet foods. In this Precautionary Recall, they mention that they pretty much decided to do the recall since their largest consumer (probably walmart) initiated their own recall of the Menu Foods products, AND furthermore put future orders from Menu Foods on hold. Bravo, Walmart - or whoever you are “largest consumer”!

I haven’t heard of any heartfelt apologies coming from the Menu Foods camp, have you? On the other hand, they seem rather cold, and reluctant to take responsibility. Well, duh. You ARE, Menu Foods, responsible for the suffering of AT LEAST 16 pets’s families. Have the decency to show some compassion. You suck and I ban you.

Click on link to their website for the list of recalled labels, (everything from Walmart’s OlRoy to Eukanuba, to IAMS, Etc):  http://www.menufoods.com/recall/product_dog.html

2) Sci-Fi. What’s up with no longer showing Ghost Hunters? I know they’re coming back, but I have had to suffer since…well, was it Halloween or thereabouts when their last new episode aired. They keep showing these rerun marathons, but it’s not the same. I’ve had to go through massive Jason and Grant withdrawals. Sci-Fi is really sucking, too. Wake up Sci-Fi, they’re the best thing going on your boring channel. AARghhh. AND Bring back DARK SHADOWS, it’s the least you can do.

Got to go. Thanks for listening to me rant.

Luv, Gina