FDA Releases Preliminary Report About Diamond Pet Foods Factory
I just learned from my colleague Susan Thixton, pet food activist and author of the TruthaboutPetFood blog, that the FDA has just released a report about some of the goings on at the Diamond Pet Foods plant in Gaston, N.C., where pet foods involved in the recent recall were made.
Click this link to access it.
As you'll see, it's brief, yet highly revealing. I was particularly intrigued by Observation #1. (Ick!)
As anyone who frequents my site knows, I have been covering this on a seemingly non-stop basis for weeks.
Not surprisingly, many pet food experts (including Susan) are demanding a full investigation.
So stay tuned for more about this ongoing saga.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
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Get Set for Flea and Tick Season
Now that flea and tick season is on the horizon, I am getting questions from retailers about the best products to carry.
I always emphasize the importance of natural products for this purpose, because some of these treatments can be toxic to pets.
Some good natural brands are:
- Ark Naturals
- Doc Ackerman's
- Only Natural
- Sentry Natural Defense
Meanwhile, the UK's Company of Animals has come out with an innovative, dual-action Tick & Flea Comb.
This consists of a fine-toothed comb to remove flea residue and eggs on one side, while the other side features a slit designed to remove whole ticks.
The comb also has a small opening in the corner, which can be attached to a keychain for added convenience.
It's an ideal, holistic alternative for parents who prefer not to use harsh sprays or chemicals on their pet.
The suggested retail price of $1.49 US is also an attractive selling point.
These are all excellent, safe products for flea and tick control.
Photo courtesy of The Company of Animals
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Super Cute Cat Products
One of the great fringe benefits of Omar's job is that he receives a seemingly never-ending supply of pet products to review.
He most recently received two that he is especially fond of: PURRfect Pouncer Cat Toy from Vee Enterprises of Los Angeles, and the Thundershirt anti-anxiety pet garment from the North Carolina company of the same name, which is now available for cats.
He also reviewed the adorable cat playhouses from British company suckUK. (Although he didn't 
receive one for review, he saw these on the Internet and loved them.)
You can read his reviews by clicking on my story "Cute New Cat Supplies."
Meanwhile, he just received a bunch of other new pet products to review. (Every day is kitty Christmas in our house!) So stay tuned for more.
Photos courtesy of Alissa Wolf and Thundershirt Company
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Join Alissa: Facebook|TwitterSophisticated Pup to Put on the Dog at MTV Movie Awards
Humans won't be the only ones to hit the red carpet in grand style during this year's MTV Movie Awards, taking place in Los Angeles on June 3. Posh pooches will also be strutting their stuff, in designs from Sophisticated Pup!
Each celebrity pup will receive a canine chic flower collar made from top designer fabrics and fitted with a hot pink crystal peony, hand-crafted by company owner Michelle Cleek O'Hollaren.
Chicago-based Sophisticated Pup has been dressing dogs in stylish canine clothing and accessories since 2006.
Congrats to Michelle on her doggone great achievements!
Photo courtesy of Sophisticated Pup
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Have a 'Furry' Happy Mother's Day!
I would like to wish all of the moms; human moms; pet moms; moms who are pets; and my own wonderful mom a very happy Mother's Day.
May your days be filled with the very same joy, laughter and love you bring to the world, all year long!
Photo courtesy of Cheezburger Network
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Nestle Canned Cat Food Recalled; Diamond Update
In case you thought that the recent spate of recalls would slack off any time soon, now comes word that Nestle is voluntarily recalling one lot of its Nestle Purina PetCare's Veterinary Diets OM Overweight Management canned cat food due to too low levels of thiamine (vitamin B1), an essential nutrient for cats.
This brand of therapeutic cat food, which is available through prescription only and not sold through retail outlets, was distributed to veterinary clinics in the U.S. and Canada between June 2011 and May 2012.
The recall is in response to one complaint the FDA received from a pet parent, after which the FDA conducted a product sample that revealed a low level of thiamine.
For more details and contact information, please see the Purina website.
Meanwhile, in more Diamond Pet Foods recall news, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that two more people have reportedly become ill from salmonella infections related to the recalled pet foods, one in the U.S. and another in Canada, bringing the total to 16. So far, the recall has affected 39 states.
For an update, please refer to the CDC site.
Photo courtesy of FDA
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REPTILES Hosts Steppe Runner Raffle
In honor of its 20th anniversary, and to celebrate a hot new lizard that is just entering the pet herp scene, REPTILES is hosting a special Steppe Runner Raffle.
In case you didn't know, steppe runners are cool lizards that industry insiders claim are about to dethrone the bearded dragon as the hottest herps around.
These cute little devils are said to be highly personable, hardy and fun pets.
In an effort to promote this new star of the scene, REPTILES and Reptile Channel have partnered with Armstrong's Cricket Farm, Exo Terra, PetSmart, Reptile Industries, Timberline and Zoo Med to offer entrants a chance to win a steppe runner and all of the supplies needed to keep it, with 20 winners in all.
For more info, you may visit the official Reptile Channel contest link.
For more info about steppe runners, please see this link.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
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A Chat with Animal Planet Star Jackson Galaxy About his New Book
It's the moment all cat lovers and Animal Planet fans have been waiting for!
Yes, today marks the official release date of Jackson Galaxy's highly anticipated book, "Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love and Coming Clean."
The host of the hit Animal Planet show "My Cat From Hell" pulls no punches about his often rocky road to acclaim as a leading cat behavior expert in his book, a deeply personal tale of cats and drugs and rock and roll.
It's a real page-turner, which I personally couldn't put down.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Galaxy who (despite his Hell Angel-ish appearance, as The New York Times described him) is a virtual pussycat.
Be sure to check out my interview with him with my article "Animal Planet Cat TV Star Jackson Galaxy Publishes Book."
It's simply meow-velous!
Photo courtesy of Jackson Galaxy
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Solid Gold Added to Pet Food Recall List
I just learned that some Solid Gold products have been added to the ever-growing list of recently recalled pet foods.
These, too, were manufactured at the Diamond Pet Foods plant in Gaston, S.C., and are being voluntarily recalled by their company for (surprise!) salmonella concerns.
Solid Gold posted information to the company's Facebook page to address this. Click here to access this. You may also call (800) 364-4863, or e-mail dane@solidgoldhealth.com with any questions.
As I reported yesterday, via posting links to the FDA recall information site, some Apex, Canidae and WellPet (maker of Wellness) products were added to the list.
This brings the list of recalled products to a total of 14 so far:
- Apex
- Canidae
- Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul
- Country Value
- Diamond
- Diamond Naturals
- 4Health
- Kirkland (Costco brand)
- Natural Balance
- Premium Edge
- Professional
- Solid Gold
- Taste of the Wild
- Wellness
As I mentioned previously, most of these are highly respected natural brands. Just a few weeks ago, I reported that Solid Gold had broken a record for shelter donations.
This truly is a shame, and I pray that it ends soon. (But my gut tells me otherwise...sigh!)
Stay tuned...
Photo courtesy of Price.Grabber.com
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Farewell, Meow
Meow, the hugely fat kitty from New Mexico who became a poster boy for the woes of pet obesity, has died.
Meow, who was believed to have been between 2 and 5 years of age, was taken in by the Sante Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society when his elderly owner could no longer care for him.
He weighed a whopping 39 pounds, the equivalent to a 600-pound human!
Meow then went on to become a bit of a kitty celebrity, appearing on national TV and hobnobbing with such celebs as Anderson Cooper, in an effort to draw attention to the dangers of pet obesity.
The shelter put him on a diet, and he did succeed in losing a few pounds. He was said to be doing well, and had been placed in foster care.
Alas, he succumbed to pulmonary failure during the weekend, a direct result of his extreme weight.
This is all the more reason for retailers to learn as much as they can about healthy pet nutrition, as pet obesity has become epidemic in many societies.
Hopefully, poor Meow's passing will serve as an important reminder about the importance of proper pet diet and exercise, so that his life was not in vain.
Photo courtesy of Sante Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society
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