The FDA is checking soybean meal for melamine, along with the glutens that are known to have caused thousands of dog and cat deaths... are all of the pellets we use safe??? UZ, I remember you posting about the brand you use and the favorable response you received. I could switch,I've tried to convert them to others before all this came out, I gave up because they wanted *their* pellets. I may have to try again, with more determination this time. I don't want to mention a brand, but the one I use has soybean meal in it. I called the Company, they said they only buy ingredients from the US, but....so do most of the premium dog/cat food companies. ANI was adding rice protein to some of Blue Buffalo's pet foods without their knowledge. And now, since hogs and poultry were fed pet foods from some of the Companies (and it may be in some fish feed) it's in *our* food (along with some of the grains we eat). I've stopped giving my birds any table food except for fruit and veggies. This has been going on longer than was first thought, only now, in the last few months (or more!) increased levels of melamine were added.

Here is a link to a site that keeps up with all the latest news....scary! Some of you may read there regularly?

http://www.itchmo.com/

Now, homecooking for dogs and cats is dangerous?! Lower levels(?) but kidney damage eventually?? Which brand of pet food will be next?! Even the Companies who produce their own, when they buy the ingredients do they actually know for sure what they are getting at this point??
I know some may think I'm paranoid, and I do feel paranoid...it's our kids, pets and our lives on the line here!
The melamine didn't kill the chickens/turkeys, so would our fids not immediately show kidney damage if exposed? Too many questions and not enough answers.

I may eventually go to seed with lots of veggies and some fruit.

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01620.html
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01621.html

well all the updates are found here
http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/pet....html#situation


The EU has did a ban on imports from china http://www.businesstoday.com.mt/2002/03/13/l2a.html but not really sure why the US has yet to do the same? I am kind of guessing after the april 30th findings they might actually become more proactive about keeping our food supplies safe let alone companies whose livelyhood is dependant on consumer confidence might start to voluntarily go to sources other than china for their foods used in their products.

The one thing that makes me angry about it is that it was a deliberate act and it wasnt an accident.


and the kicker is china is arguing that they dont believe the substance is what killed animals http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/3322

I am not really sure what to say about the pellets you use other than you could contact the manufacturer to ask them if they use imported products over us products etc...shrugs.

As far as preparing ones own dog and cat food to ensure its healthy for them is alot of work yet it is possible to do.

You know I feel the same way you do. I actually posted a similar question on a different bird forum when the first dog food recalls started and was pretty much shot down by the managers saying that I was paranoid and "let's not start up gossip and panick" Well, a month later, I don't think I was too paranoid. So far over 100 brands/formulas of dog and cat foods have been recalled!

If you read the ingredient list on the pellets, most pellet brands do contain soybean meal in them. I think however the main concern is where do the companies get their grains and ingredients from.



UZ, I believe wrote to Roudybush and received a positive response that all their ingredients are grown here in the US and I think they even grow some of their own??? (not sure about that)



As for dog/cat food. Yes you can cook your own. Many people have done that for years. I did occasionally, it is just a bit time consuming if you have a busy schedule. There are severeral good books out there about this subject written by holistic vets etc. and they include different recipes that state what type of supplements you should use and how much depending on the size, age of dog etc.



I'm lucky so far, because the dog food I use doesn't include any glutens etc and all their ingredients, meats and grains are grown by US farmers and the company has its own manufacturing and packaging plants.



I think that is the key to prevention of a lot of the problems. Have as few middlemen as possible in the production of the foods. I.E. get ingredients grown here in the US, use all natural, human grade or organic products and produce and package yourself (the company that is).

Here is the letter I got from Roudybush.


http://www.quakerparrots.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=23912


Personally, I've decided to stay with them. I found the letter reasuring, but the reason for staying with their product had more to do with me not wanting to let fear dictate what I do.

There are no guarantees anywhere in life, so we gotta live with some risk anyway.

This was posted on a Pet Nutrition group I'm on. There was no link posted, I'm trying to find it, and I asked the poster if she had it, but until then no more pellets and no more kibble here! I almost didn't post this without a link, I don't want to be an alarmist, but this is scary. I'm not trying to persuade anyone on what and how to feed, these are just my thoughts and decisions for my babies at this point.

Here is part of it:

BREAKING: FDA says thousands of pets dead, Chinese import alert expands

In an import alert buried deep on its website, and just uncovered tonight, the FDA last Friday expanded its hold on imported foods from China ingredients including Wheat Gluten, Rice Gluten, Rice Protein, Rice Protein Concentrate, Corn Gluten, Corn Gluten Meal, Corn By-Products, Soy Protein, Soy Gluten, Mung Bean Protein, Soy Bean Meal/Powder/ Gluten/Protein Isolate, Soy Protein Powder, Wheat Gluten, Wheat Flour Gluten, Wheat Gluten, RiceProtein, Rice Gluten, Rice Protein, Corn Gluten, Milled Rice Products, Amino acids and protein hydrosylates.

And this, again, no link, I'm looking for that one also.

USA Today had this to say:

The Food and Drug Administration is enforcing a new import alert that greatly expands its curtailment of some food ingredients imported from China, authorizing border inspectors to detain ingredients used in everything from noodles to breakfast bars.

The new restriction is likely to cause delays in the delivery of raw ingredients for the production of many commonly used products.

The move reflects the FDA's growing unease with what the alert announcement called China's "manufacturing control issues" issues and that country's inability to ascertain what controls are in place to prevent food contamination. For example, the agency says that, after weeks of investigation, it still does not know what regions of China are affected, or what firms there are major manufacturers of vegetable proteins.

Inspectors are now allowed to detain vegetable-protein imports from China because they may contain the chemical melamine. Melamine, used in the manufacture of plastics, was found in the wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate that has led to the recall of 5,300 pet food products.

Mods, if you feel this is inappropriate without a link from a reputable source, please delete.




Hi UZ, that is very reassuring. I don't like to let fear dictate what I do either, but at this point, with my dog being sick the end of last year(vomiting, shaking, not eating..the Vet said upset tummy, which she sometimes does get, but not to that extent) I'm wondering if it was from her food, at that time she was eating a brand that is on the recall list now. And, since some Companies blends have had rice protein with melamine added without their knowledge, I guess I am being on the far side of cautious. Like I said in my post, I'm not trying to persuade anyone on what to do. I may order some Roudybush, but no more dog/cat kibble at this point, for mine.

Dixie Darlin, I totally understand. I have a lot of info on books/authors that people have been using for years. One review of a particular book states that this lady has been using the recipes for homecooked dog food for the past 10 years and her dogs are doing great. If you are interested, let me know. You can also just browse through Amazon and see different ones for yourself.



However, if you are willing to still give kibble a try, check out www.canidae.com -they are not on any lists- (I don't know if it is okay to post this link) that is what I feed and I have received a detailed email from them when I asked very specific questions concerning pet recalls. That is the food that I was describing in my previous post. I feel very safe with them. I just wish they would also make bird food

I talked again with Zupreem, and they assured me again that they only use ingredients grown in the US and that they have had no problems at all.

I should probably move this to "non avian pet" discussion. I called Natura, who makes the California Natural I'm feeding my dog and cat, and they also assured me that they test each batch, even the dry, which they make themselves. They feed it to their dogs and cats that live at their site. They say they are rigorous in testing everything. They buy their hulled rice from some of the Southern States in the US, so the imports that the FDA is holding (hulled rice) doesn't affect them.

Seasa, I've heard that Canidae/Felidae is very good also, and not part of any of this.

Thanks everyone for listening to my concerns. I worry too much sometimes about keeping them all healthy, birds, dog and cat.
I can't let it drive me nutty though.