“Last week the Proctor & Gamble Company (P&G) announced the recall of specific lots of its Iams Veterinary Formulas Feline Renal dry cat food due to possible salmonella contamination.

This week, P&G have decided to expand their voluntary pet food recall to include more of their brands; specifically Iams & Eukanuba dry pet food.

The recalled brands include:

• Iams Veterinary Dry Formulas
• Eukanuba Naturally Wild dry food
• Eukanuba Pure dry food
• Eukanuba Custom Care Sensitive Skin dry food

Since the FDA conducted an analysis of Iams Veterinary Formulas Feline Renal dry cat food and found some lots of it to test positive for salmonella, P&G has decided to extend their recall to include the above-mentioned pet food as these brands and formulas were all manufactured in the same facility.

This expanded recall is applicable to every size and variety of the affected pet food products that have ‘Best Buy’ date stamps of between 1 July 2010 and 1 December 2010.

P&G has vehemently stated that none of its canned or wet pet food, treats, biscuits or supplements are affected by this recall.

The pet foods listed above are purchasable with a prescription from a veterinarian through veterinary clinics, such as Willow Creek Veterinary Center in Cottonwood Heights, or at specialty pet retailers, such as Ma & Paws. This recall expands the entire USA and Canada.

Although there have been no reported cases of either pets or humans becoming ill after coming into contact with either of these pet food products, salmonella can cause serious health risks for pets who have consumed the pet food as well as to humans who have handled the dry pet food. Pets can also be carriers of salmonella with no outwards signs of the contamination. But those pets who have been infected may have signs of lethargy, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, vomiting, lack of appetite and abdominal pain. Seek medical attention immediately if you or your pet are sick.

This is merely a precautionary measure by P&G, but if you have purchased any of these dry pet food products you are advised to immediately discontinue using it and dispose of it properly. You should also telephone P&G to request a refund and to ask any questions.”

We were fostering him after a fire at the shelter. We fell in love with him. Indy (one of our other dogs who passed on a year ago) felt like a long-lost brother was found. Bear made his home with us. Gentle, part-Golden, part-Chow, he usually refuses to have his picture taken. This time he humored us.

Bear taught us that he loved everybody, anything and everything. He was amazing for his gentleness, appetite and cast-iron stomach.

Bear passed on July 15, 2010 from Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA). An extremely fast illness. Please see this link for more info.

We thank the vets who helped us during this time. Unexpected … caught flat-footed, caught in the headlights, surprise. you’re-losing-one-of-your-own … Bear was a fast-passing. To our trusted and loved-ones vets: Dr. Michelle Sherman and Dr. Barbara Royal! Thank you to Dr. Jean Dodds for setting up “HemoPet” … a way for dogs to get blood transfusions. We also thank all our family, friends and customers who are helping us through Bear’s run to the Rainbow Bridge!

At least 3 local vet offices (Northlake, River Grove, & Oak Park) are
verbally warning customers as well as posting signs to beware of a
new threat level of dog fighting. If you tend to leave your dog
unattended in the yard for long periods of time, please, PLEASE at
least check on the dog every 5-10 minutes to make sure there is no
suspicious activity going on in your backyard. There have been at
least 8 reports just at the Northlake Animal Hospital in since May
1st of dogs being forcibly taken from their yards by dog fighting
trainers to use the dogs as “training” for the larger dogs (usually
pitbulls). This is especially happening with younger dogs, such as
terriers, chihuahuas, or daschunds, but when desperate, even dogs as
large as German Shepherds have been marked as “desired training.”

This is just a precautionary e-mail to watch your dogs. Even if you
think your yard is secluded or that your dog will bark to warn you,
dogs are sometimes quietly bribed with dog treats to keep quiet.

If you have ANY suspicions of dog fighting in your area or witness
anything that sets off any type of warning, PLEASE, in the event of
an emergency (such as witnessing the forcible removal of a dog), call
911

If you wish to report dog fighting, please call 311 with as much
information as you can and as close to the experience of suspicious
events as possible.

Dog fighting is one of the most despicable and inhumane “sports”
around. Let’s try to stop it!

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:26:00 -0500

Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc., of Pacoima, CA, announces a voluntary recall of Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Food with the “Best By” date of June 17, 2011, in 5-lb. and 28-lb. bags because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. No illnesses have been reported to date.

**** not sold in Sirius Cooks **** please pass information to friends

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:05:00 -0500

United Pet Group, Cincinnati, Ohio is voluntarily recalling all unexpired lots of its PRO-PET ADULT DAILY VITAMIN Supplement tablets for Dogs due to possible Salmonella contamination. The Food and Drug Administration is aware of this recall.

**** not sold in Sirius Cooks ***** Please pass information on to friends

If you do a “Google” search, a pyramid-scheme food is listing some information which we are still checking out. Stay tuned, as when we learn anything we will let you know.

For more information: http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3975840

2. Did you know Sirius Cooks always highlights a local business on Harrison Street? Look at your receipts and see if some business is offering a special for our customers. This month, it’s Briejo Restaurant offering a free desert!

Thanks for keeping the support local!

Concordia University Chicago junior and biology/pre-veterinary major Virginia Dunlap along with Rebecca Trueman, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology at the River Forest university, want to help you answer that question—through a study analyzing the sources of ingredients in dog food.

Inviting dog-owners to submit two pieces of dog food for analysis by Jan. 31, Dunlap and Trueman will analyze the samples and provide a report back to each owner on exactly what his or her dog is eating.

High-priced dog food does not necessarily mean high quality, Trueman says. As price varies widely, she explains, so do ingredients—such as inexpensive fillers or low-grade fiber content with little or no nutritional value added simply to increase food volume.

That filler can include corn and corncobs, feathers, soy, cottonseed hulls, peanut hulls, citrus pulp, weeds and straw. And for Fido, they can result in allergic reactions, skin irritation or gastrointestinal symptom upset.

“I want people to be aware of what they are feeding their dogs and that that can impact their pet’s health. There’s nothing worse than a sick dog.”

If you would like to submit dog food for analysis through Trueman and Dunlap’s study, submit two pieces of dog food with your name, the name brand and variety of dog food to Rebecca Trueman, Department of Natural Science, Concordia University Chicago, 7400 Augusta St., River Forest, IL 60305.”