Hi,
My greyhound has pancreatitis.  The vet is talking about putting her on Science Diet if episodes reoccur.  I don't need to convince you guys why I don't want her on that food, but what effective arguements could I give the vet?  (by-products and glutens enough?)
I am currently feeding half raw and half Canidae.  Any diet recommendations?
I read the feline pancreatitis topic and I found a product form the local natural pet food store that has slippery elm and marshmallow root.  Should I be adding anything else like enzymes?
Thanks for your ideas!

I'm very happy with my Roomba.  They do make one with a different brush for pet hair, but I'm amazed at how much the regular one picks up.  It doesn't do a good job along the baseboards so I have to do that with the regular vacuum but that's fine because I use the Roomba more often than I would have time to vaccum myself.  Now if I could just program it to vacuum the couch....

Thanks for all the great posts on this subject.
I just spent some time online trying to find something to improve my dog's tartar and ginjivitis to try and avoid the anesthesia.  Glad to hear what not to waste my money and time on.  I saw the Luba product.  Has anybody had success with that?
Petzlife sounds pretty good.

What is our next step?

(Pat, not sure if you got my return email)

So many of you have posted links to great websites of different groups working for safe food, better labeling, COOL, etc.  I thought it would help to have one place to find them all.  Please add organizations working toward these goals.

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/

http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/index.cfm

http://www.truefoodnow.org/

http://www.americansforlabeling.org/

If you are looking for an alternative to Greenies, this company responded to my email and diclosed their gluten source.  My dog does love them. 
 


We appreciate your inquiry about Ripples dog treats and our ingredient
source for wheat gluten.  All of our Ripples dog treats are manufactured
for us exclusively by MGP Ingredients (MGPI). 

I have attached a letter that was sent to us by MGP Ingredients
verifying that they use only North American grown wheat in their
processes.  We feel very fortunate that Ripples dog treats are
guaranteed 100% "Made in the USA" and completely safe for dogs to
consume.

Thanks,
Mark Renick
Product Manager - Ripples
American Colloid Company     

Attached letter here:
April 3, 2007
Dear Valued Customer:
As you are aware, imported wheat gluten has been associated with the recent recall of contaminated pet
foods. MGP Ingredients, Inc. (MGPI) wants to add reassurance regarding the safety and quality of our
wheat gluten and specialty wheat proteins by providing the following:
• All of our wheat-based ingredients are produced in the U.S. from North American wheat.
• All of the wheat gluten we produce is manufactured by standards classified as food grade.
• We are not importing any wheat gluten for redistribution or use in the U.S. or other markets.
• Chemicals such as melamine and aminopterin, which have been found in pet foods manufactured
by Menu, are not used in any of our processes and, in fact, are not allowed for such applications in
the U.S.
MGP Ingredients has the largest wheat gluten production capacity in the U.S. Our leadership position was
built over an extensive history that began in the 1950s and has since evolved into a sophisticated portfolio of
protein isolates, concentrates and fractionates, as well as textured proteins that deliver both functional and
nutritional benefits to a wide range of ingestible products.
With this history in manufacturing comes thorough knowledge of and strict adherence to FDA guidelines.
We additionally have developed expertise in implementing quality control parameters throughout our
processes. These parameters include raw material quality tests as well as in-line product performance
testing during the production process. Each production lot is further tested in-house for functionality and
microbiological activity prior to being shipped. Proactive outside auditing by the American Institute of
Baking, as well as customers, further helps to ensure that our products are safe and meet customer
expectations. The integration of these measures is an assurance that MGPI stands behind its reputation as
a U.S. producer and supplier of high quality wheat gluten and specialty wheat proteins, as well as wheat
starches.
MGPI stands ready to help the industry alleviate current market concerns and ongoing requirements for
wheat gluten. With some incremental capacity available, we are capable of accepting new business from
quality-driven customers. Please contact Keval Bassi, Corporate Sales Director of Heritage Ingredients, at
630-922-5782, to discuss how we can meet your needs. In the meantime, we appreciate your continued
confidence in MGPI’s ability to provide safe, functional, high quality ingredients.
Sincerely,
Timothy W. Newkirk
President and COO
 

I think the ads are looking good.  Just tossing out a few additional ideas here, hope that is OK.
Possible headline: My food wasn't safe, Is yours?
Maybe a section on what happened? More than 100 brands and more than 5600 products recalled, slowness of recalls, FDA does not have authority to recall and wouldn't name known companies, tainted product entered the human food chain and fed to chickens, hogs, fish.
Maybe a section on what we want? We want imported products to be safe for our pets and families. Accurate labeling of pet food, full disclosure of manufacturer, contry of origin labeling for all ingredients.
Which websites would allow us to give links to their recalled food lists?
A section with what can people do now, where to read more is important.

Here is a letter I received regarding Ripples dog treats. 


We appreciate your inquiry about Ripples dog treats and our ingredient
source for wheat gluten.  All of our Ripples dog treats are manufactured
for us exclusively by MGP Ingredients (MGPI). 

I have attached a letter that was sent to us by MGP Ingredients
verifying that they use only North American grown wheat in their
processes.  We feel very fortunate that Ripples dog treats are
guaranteed 100% "Made in the USA" and completely safe for dogs to
consume.

Thanks,
Mark Renick
Product Manager - Ripples
American Colloid Company     

Attached letter here:
April 3, 2007
Dear Valued Customer:
As you are aware, imported wheat gluten has been associated with the recent recall of contaminated pet
foods. MGP Ingredients, Inc. (MGPI) wants to add reassurance regarding the safety and quality of our
wheat gluten and specialty wheat proteins by providing the following:
• All of our wheat-based ingredients are produced in the U.S. from North American wheat.
• All of the wheat gluten we produce is manufactured by standards classified as food grade.
• We are not importing any wheat gluten for redistribution or use in the U.S. or other markets.
• Chemicals such as melamine and aminopterin, which have been found in pet foods manufactured
by Menu, are not used in any of our processes and, in fact, are not allowed for such applications in
the U.S.
MGP Ingredients has the largest wheat gluten production capacity in the U.S. Our leadership position was
built over an extensive history that began in the 1950s and has since evolved into a sophisticated portfolio of
protein isolates, concentrates and fractionates, as well as textured proteins that deliver both functional and
nutritional benefits to a wide range of ingestible products.
With this history in manufacturing comes thorough knowledge of and strict adherence to FDA guidelines.
We additionally have developed expertise in implementing quality control parameters throughout our
processes. These parameters include raw material quality tests as well as in-line product performance
testing during the production process. Each production lot is further tested in-house for functionality and
microbiological activity prior to being shipped. Proactive outside auditing by the American Institute of
Baking, as well as customers, further helps to ensure that our products are safe and meet customer
expectations. The integration of these measures is an assurance that MGPI stands behind its reputation as
a U.S. producer and supplier of high quality wheat gluten and specialty wheat proteins, as well as wheat
starches.
MGPI stands ready to help the industry alleviate current market concerns and ongoing requirements for
wheat gluten. With some incremental capacity available, we are capable of accepting new business from
quality-driven customers. Please contact Keval Bassi, Corporate Sales Director of Heritage Ingredients, at
630-922-5782, to discuss how we can meet your needs. In the meantime, we appreciate your continued
confidence in MGPI’s ability to provide safe, functional, high quality ingredients.
Sincerely,
Timothy W. Newkirk
President and COO

Another COOL website, haven't had a chance to finish looking at it yet.
http://www.americansforlabeling.org/

Nermalsmom made a lot of great points.  Most people just scan stuff.  So an ad with an attention getting headline, bullet points for scanners and then a paragraph for readers might reach more people.  I think we should stick to the pet food recall crisis, but show how it exposed the problems in our food supply, or some people may not think they are affected.  We all have so much information on the extent of this crisis that it is probably going to be hard for us to not try to cram it all in one ad.  Let's keep trying to put this together.       

KING5, the NBC affiliate in Seattle, did a story on the 5pm news this evening. 
FDA under fire amid reports of tainted food
May 1st, 2007The investigation into tainted pet food blamed for killing animals has evolved into a serious look at our entire food safety system, and experts say there is a serious problem. KING 5's Gary Chittim reports.

There is a video link to the story as well.

http://tinyurl.com/2z5hq8

Are thyroid problems being seen as a result of the tainted food?  None of the food my dog ate has been recalled, but I'm still suspicious.  She was drinking lots of water, urinating frequently, had a couple of accidents.  Vet found her urine was not concentrated, low white blood count.  Couldn't tell me if it was from bad food or not, but said it was a bladder or kidney issue.  Those problems have resolved but now she has a very low T4 level.  Could this be a result of the tainted product? 

I'll donate too.
Will this just be about the pet food issues?  If so, then can we do another one for the people food problems?