FDA Orders Shutdown Of Castleberry Food Plant

By Emily Huh on Cats

The Food and Drug Administration has shut down Castleberry’s food plant in Augusta, Georgia. In July 2007, Castleberry went through a massive recall of canned chili linked to botulism poisoning. Castleberry Foods produces Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs.  (Natural Balance also recalled cans of Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs for possible botulism risk during the canned chili recall.) The suspension of its operating permit and shutdown was ordered on Friday, and a FDA spokesperson said that part of the processing lines used to make food were not being operated properly and this could result in underprocessed cans of food. Here is the FDA press release: In July 2007, over 80 types of canned food products  and 4 types of dog food produced by Castleberry Foods were recalled due to possible contamination with Clostridium botulinum. FDA issued an ‘Order of Need for Emergency Permit’ to  the firm at that time. This means that the firm was not able to ship its products in interstate commerce until it received a permit from FDA. The agency issues an  ‘Order of Need for Emergency Permit’ if it determines that a firm does not meet requirements of the  regulations pertaining to the manufacture of  thermally processed low-acid foods or acidified foods, such that the safety of the food is in question. FDA believes the company remedied the previously existing food safety problems and the processing procedures will result in a finished product that does not present a health hazard. The firm requested an emergency permit and FDA issued an emergency permit after a review of a firm’s documented corrective actions and processing procedures. In September 2007, FDA issued a permit that allowed the firm to ship products that were processed  using the firm’s machinery (the vertical still retorts) not  associated with the recalled product. None of these retorts  was believed to be linked to the previous C. botulinum  contamination. During a recent inspection of these processing lines FDA  found that the vertical still retorts were not being operated  in a manner as required, raising the possibility that some cans processed in these retorts could be under-processed. On March 7, 2008 FDA sent a letter to the company suspending the temporary emergency permit. No products have been identified as contaminated. FDA has asked the firm to verify the safety of all  products produced since the emergency permit was issued. Source: WJBF (Thanks menusux)

Pathologists Determine Contaminated Pet Food Outbreak In Asia

 In 2004 Similar To 2007 Recalls

By Emily Huh on Cats

In 2004, an outbreak of contaminated pet foods made more than 6,000 dogs and a number of cats ill across Asia.Kidney failure in the animals was connected to Pedigree dog food and Whiskas cat food that had been manufactured in Thailand by Mars Inc. Asian newspapers reported that thousands of pets died from the contaminated pet food. The problems with the pet food were blamed on fungal toxins, which was also one of the first suspicions when the pet food recalls in the US broke out last year. During the 2007 pet food recalls, a Korean graduate student told Cathy Brown, a specialist in renal pathology at Georgia’s Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, that massive pet food recalls had happened before. Brown was able to track down tissue samples from pets that died in 2004. From USA Today: The sample contained the same type of insoluble crystals found in U.S. pets in the 2007 outbreak, which killed at least 347 cats and dogs, according to preliminary data gathered by Wilson Rumbeiha at Michigan State University-Lansing. The exact number is believed to be much higher but in the absence of a structured reporting system has not been determined. The Georgia researchers weren’t the first to link the two outbreaks. In March 2007, soon after it became known that melamine and cyanuric acid were the culprits in the U.S. outbreak, Mars scientists made the link. Using the new information and improved analytical techniques, Mars scientists were able to “draw parallels” between the two outbreaks, says Mars spokeswoman Alice Nathanson. “As a responsible company, Mars immediately shared this information with the veterinary community and regulators in Asia and the United States,” she says. The Food and Drug Administration acknowledged being informed. Major veterinary organizations, however, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, the Pet Food Institute and the American Feed Control Officials, say they were never told by Mars of any link between two outbreaks. Greg Aldrich, a consultant with Pet Food & Ingredient Technology in Topeka, says he doesn’t believe that the information would have made any difference. The ingredients in the pet food linked to the 2004 Asian outbreak all came from Thailand, says Mars’ Nathanson. Source: USA Today (Thanks Carol!)

Expanded Recall: Hartz Mountain cat vitamins

By nospam@example.com (Therese Kopiwoda) on CatHobbyist News

The Hartz Mountain Corporation Recalls Vitamin Care for Cats Because of Possible Health Risk Contact: Mr. John Mullane (914) 391-0943 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — March 7, 2008 — The Hartz Mountain Corporation is voluntarily recalling a second specific lot of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats due to concerns that bottles within the lot may have been potentially contaminated with Salmonella. Hartz is fully cooperating with the US Food and Drug Administration in this voluntary recall. Hartz recalled a specific lot code of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats last November due to similar concerns. Both lot codes were manufactured for Hartz by UFAC (USA) Inc. in 2007, and were removed from distribution last November. However, bottles from the second lot had been shipped to customers prior to their having been removed from distribution. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, all of whom are at particular risk from exposure and should avoid handling these products. Salmonella symptoms may include fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea in both cats and humans. Anyone experiencing the symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek immediate medical attention. Owners of cats exhibiting these symptoms should also seek veterinary assistance. The product involved is 739 bottles of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats, lot code SZ 22771, UPC number 32700-97701. While normal testing conducted by Hartz and UFAC has not revealed the presence of Salmonella in any Hartz products, recent sampling conducted by the FDA did detect the presence of Salmonella. Although the company has not received any reports of animals or humans becoming ill as a result of coming into contact with this product, Hartz is taking immediate steps to recover this product from consumers. Cat owners should check the lot code on their bottles, and, if the code is not visible, or if the bottle has lot code SZ 22771 or lot code SZ-16371 imprinted thereon, they should immediately discontinue use of the product and discard it in a proper manner. Consumers can contact Hartz at 1-800-275-1414 with any questions they may have and to obtain reimbursement for purchased product. From the FDA website.

Expanded Recall: Hartz Mountain cat vitamins

By nospam@example.com (Therese Kopiwoda) on CatHobbyist News

The Hartz Mountain Corporation Recalls Vitamin Care for Cats Because of Possible Health Risk Contact: Mr. John Mullane (914) 391-0943 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — March 7, 2008 — The Hartz Mountain Corporation is voluntarily recalling a second specific lot of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats due to concerns that bottles within the lot may have been potentially contaminated with Salmonella. Hartz is fully cooperating with the US Food and Drug Administration in this voluntary recall. Hartz recalled a specific lot code of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats last November due to similar concerns. Both lot codes were manufactured for Hartz by UFAC (USA) Inc. in 2007, and were removed from distribution last November. However, bottles from the second lot had been shipped to customers prior to their having been removed from distribution. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, all of whom are at particular risk from exposure and should avoid handling these products. Salmonella symptoms may include fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea in both cats and humans. Anyone experiencing the symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek immediate medical attention. Owners of cats exhibiting these symptoms should also seek veterinary assistance. The product involved is 739 bottles of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats, lot code SZ 22771, UPC number 32700-97701. While normal testing conducted by Hartz and UFAC has not revealed the presence of Salmonella in any Hartz products, recent sampling conducted by the FDA did detect the presence of Salmonella. Although the company has not received any reports of animals or humans becoming ill as a result of coming into contact with this product, Hartz is taking immediate steps to recover this product from consumers. Cat owners should check the lot code on their bottles, and, if the code is not visible, or if the bottle has lot code SZ 22771 or lot code SZ-16371 imprinted thereon, they should immediately discontinue use of the product and discard it in a proper manner. Consumers can contact Hartz at 1-800-275-1414 with any questions they may have and to obtain reimbursement for purchased product. From the FDA website.

Cat Crazy Newsletter Cats Don’t Stay Young Forever

Yes, not even cats stay young forever! It may even surprise many of you that cats are considered “seniors” at 7 and “geriatric” at 14.  

I recently I talked to a woman on the phone who was very concerned about her cat. A friend of hers told her that her cat is a “senior” because it had just turned 10 years of age.  She was afraid her cat was going to die. It took me several minutes to figure out if something serious was going on.

The cat was fine. Eating well, still playful and maintaining a good weight. But she was worried and asked me several questions about what to expect as her cat gets older – what is normal and when aging changes occur.

So…today, I’ll try to give you a little information about what to expect.

As you know, like us, cats don’t stay young forever – they age. And, like us, some cats age more gracefully than others. When a cat reaches around 10 years of age, he will likely start acting and feeling like a senior cat.

The effects of the aging process are both physical and mental. Physically, all organ systems throughout the body will undergo some structural and functional change, affecting vision, hearing, stamina, susceptibility to drugs and locomotor activity. Mental changes are secondary to decreasing brain size and a reduced number of brain cells.

Aging does not affect all cats of a certain age in precisely the same way. Some cats are more successful agers than others. Some, even at the age of 15 years, may still be full of the joys of spring and have no noticeable physical or mental incapacitation. Others of the same age, however, are already beginning to be handicapped by age-related internal organ failure, failing senses or orthopedic problems.

I hope this helps you understand a little more about the cat aging process.

In addition to feeding you cats the very best possible diet and taking her to the vet for her check-ups, I always recommend pet insurance. Pet insurance really helps cat lovers be able to do the best for their cat when an unplanned illness is not in the “budget”. Also keep in mind that Pet insurance plans cover both wellness care (including flea control products) and medical problems.

Take 2 minutes of your time to learn the benefits of pet insurance for your cat:

Go to: www.petinsurance.com

Next week I will talk some more about how to recognize the diseases that come with age, and how to tell if the pet is in pain or discomfort.

Until next time…

Dr. Jon

P.S. – I also suggest that you get a policy while yourcat is still relatively young as some policies may become more expensive for “older” cats.

Remember not even cats stay young forever…

Go to: www.petinsurance.com to learn if pet insurance is right for your cat.

CANINE RABIES CHALLENGE STUDIES BEGIN !

One of the most important vaccine research studies in veterinary
medicine is underway at the University of Wisconsin School of
Veterinary Medicine in Madison. Dr. Ronald Schultz, a leading
authority on veterinary vaccines and Chair of the Department of
Pathobiological Sciences, has begun concurrent 5 and 7 year challenge
studies to determine the long-term duration of immunity of the canine
rabies vaccine, with the goal of extending the state-mandated
interval for boosters. These will be the first long-term challenge
studies on the canine rabies vaccine to be published in the United
States.

Dr. Schultz comments that: “We are all very excited to start
this study that will hopefully demonstrate that rabies vaccines can
provide a minimum of 7 years of immunity.”

This research is being financed by The Rabies Challenge Fund, a
charitable trust founded by pet vaccine disclosure advocate Kris L.
Christine of Maine, who serves as Co-Trustee with world-renowned
veterinary research scientist and practicing clinician, Dr. W. Jean
Dodds of Hemopet in California. The Rabies Challenge Fund recently
met its goal of $177,000 to fund the studies’ first year budget with
contributions from dog owners, canine groups, trainers,
veterinarians, and small businesses. Annual budget goals of $150,000
for the studies must be met in the future.

Dr. Jean Dodds, DVM states: “This is the first time in my 43
years of involvement in veterinary issues that what started as a
grass-roots effort to change an outmoded regulation affecting animals
will be addressed scientifically by an acknowledged expert to benefit
all canines in the future.”

Scientific data published in 1992 by Michel Aubert and his
research team demonstrated that dogs were immune to a rabies ch
challenge 5 years after vaccination, while Dr. Schultz’s serological
studies documented antibody titer counts at levels known to confer
immunity to rabies 7 years post-vaccination. This data strongly
suggests that state laws requiring annual or triennial rabies
boosters for dogs are redundant. Because the rabies vaccine is the
most potent of the veterinary vaccines and associated with
significant adverse reactions, it should not be given more often than
is necessary to maintain immunity. Adverse reactions such autoimmune
diseases affecting the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney,
liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic shock;
aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites
are linked to rabies vaccinations.

Study co-trustee Kris Christine adds: “Because the USDA does not
require vaccine manufacturers to provide long-term duration of
immunity studies documenting maximum effectiveness when licensing
their products, concerned dog owners have contributed the money to
fund this research themselves. We want to ensure that rabies
immunization laws are based upon independent, long-term scientific
data.”

More information and regular updates on The Rabies Challenge
Fund and the concurrent 5 and 7 year challenge studies it is
financing can be found at the fund’s website designed by volunteer
Andrea Brin at: http://www.RabiesChallengeFund.org

Best Wishes,

Dr Andrew Jones, DVM
Copyright 2008 Four Paws Online Ltd.
Tel: 1-800-396-1534
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support@veterinarysecretsrevealed.com

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http://www.thepetfoodrecallreport.com

Cat Crazy Newsletter Is Your Cat Happy? Is your cat happy? Is it even possible to make your cat happy? The answer is: Yes, it is possible to make your cat happy. The goal of today’s newsletter is to give you some tips on how to keep you cat happy.   Even “low maintenance” cats need love and attention!   Dr. Debra Primovic, our Managing Editor, and a long time cat lover shares a list of excellent tips and suggestions on how to keep your cat happy. The article includes excellent suggestions on toys.  For example do you have different types of toys for your cat? At a very minimum you should have toys that roll, something with catnip and something on a string. Do you know what is the minimum amount of time that you must spend with your cat on a daily basis for them to be happy? To learn this and many other excellent tips read Dr. Primovic’s excellent article titled  ” What Indoor Cats Need to be Happy“. To read the full article go to: www.petplace.com. One of the things that make cats “UN-happy” is a dirty litter box! Yesterday I talked about making sure that you have enough litter boxes in your house. The general rule of thumb is that you should have one litter box per cat plus one OR one litter box per floor or level of your house, whichever is more. You should also keep the box with fresh litter. There are many good options for the litter that you can use in your boxes – including scoopable, flushable, clay, and paper. There is even a new litter that alerts you to smells before it actually starts to smell! This new litter alerts you when you should scoop by turning blue ! The product is called Odor Alert by Arm & Hammer. To learn more go to: www.odoralert.com. I am very interested in learning about some creative ways that you have come up to make your cat happy.  Please share them with me so I can share them with the rest of our wonderful newsletter subscribers. Until next time… Dr. Jon P.S. Arm & Hammer is offering a coupon for their Odor Alert litter - This is a great way to save money if you want to try it. Go here to get your coupon: www.odoralert.com.

Reports Of China Sending Cats To “Death Camps”

Posted on Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 at 3:19 am in News for Cats, Dogs & Owners, National Dog, Cat & Pet Info, Cats.
By Emily Huh

Warning: This story may disturb some readers.

The Daily Mail is reporting that China has started an aggressive plan to clean up Beijing before the Olympics by rounding up cats and putting them in “death camps” on the edges of the city.

The government has been warning citizens of the diseases that cats carry and have been ordering residents to help remove the cats from the street.

Owners have been dumping their cats in the streets because of the warnings, and the hundreds of abandoned cats are then picked up by special collection teams.

The cats are kept in small cages at the death camps. Disease spreads quickly among the cats, and the government simply waits for the cats to die.

Animal welfare groups are protesting the rounding up of cats and bringing them to the death camps, but they are afraid what authorities will do to them.

Qi Yan, the founder of a cat lovers’ group, negotiated the release of 30 cats from one of the compounds, but the cats were in such horrible conditions that half of them died after being released.

Yan said, “These cats are being left to die. It is very inhumane. People don’t want to keep cats in Beijing any more so they abandon them or send them to the compounds. When we went inside, we saw about 70 cats being kept in cages stacked one on top of the other in two tiny rooms. Disease spreads quickly among them and they die slowly in agony and distress. The government won’t even do the cats the kindness of giving them lethal injections when they become sick. They just wait for them to die.”

She added, “We have tried to negotiate with the government to stop the round-ups and to introduce cut-price neutering services so that people can afford to keep their pets but they won’t listen to us. They are not thinking about the cats. They just want to get results in the quickest way possible, by clearing as many cats from the city as they can.”

Hu Yuan (pictured here) has been running one of the few refuges in the city for abandoned pets. She has taken in 70 cats over the past year and is caring for 250 abandoned cats.

Yuan said that if she doesn’t take them in, the cats will surely die. She added that cats are dumped on her doorstep frequently.

The round-up has been particularly intense in areas around Olympic venues and in streets and alleys surrounding five-star hotels where guests will stay during the summer games.

Animal welfare groups estimate that tens of thousands of cats have been collected in the past few months.

Christie Yang of the charity Animals Asia, said, “We understand that with the Olympic Games the Beijing government is eager to show the world the city in a good light. But capturing and dealing with cats in such an inhumane way will seriously tarnish the image of Beijing and the Games.”

Source: Daily Mail(Thanks Amanda and to many readers)

Ear Mites in Cats

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Ear mites in cats are a common occurrence in the United States. An ear mite infestation can be unpleasant for your cat, and, at the very least, inconvenient for you. It can also be a little scary, being that the ear is first, a way into the body, and second, so close to the brain and the eyes.

So, What The Heck Are Ear Mites?

Ear mites are tiny crab like parasites that usually live in and around a cat’s ears. They often live on the cat’s head, however, and can live on other parts of the body or in the environment.

If left untreated, they can cause bacterial and yeast infections in your cat. In extreme cases, they can cause a rupture of the ear drum, which may lead to seizures and deafness.

Feline ear mites (Otodectes cynotis) are the most common cause of outer-ear inflammation in cats. Kittens and young cats are especially susceptible. Frequent ear scratching and head shaking are the most often seen symptoms.

The entire life cycle of the parasite occurs in the cat, and takes about three weeks to complete. As such, to fully eradicate them, the treatment for ear mites should be continued for a full month.

Signs and Symptoms Of Ear Mites In Cats

Ear mites in cats cause severe irritation of the ear canal. This then leads to the classic sign of ear mites in cats: the production of dry, black, waxy exudates. This basically is an oozing build up of wax that dries out and can look something like coffee grounds. As can happen with parasites, secondary bacterial infection is not uncommon.

Symptoms, in addition to the black crusty exudates in the ear canal, consist of constant scratching at the ears, head shaking, and loss of hair around the ears. In addition, the wax build up itself can cause your cat even more irritation and discomfort.

In severe cases there can be ulceration at the back of the ear as a result of excessive scratching. When a mite infested cat constantly scratches its ear, it can tear open tiny blood vessels in the ear flap, which can lead to permanent disfigurement.

Some cats don’t seem to be at all bothered by a severe mite infestation, while others can be very agitated by the presence of only a few mites. Younger cats are typically more bothered than older cats. In addition, an initial infestation of ear mites in cats is typically more bothersome than subsequent occurrences. This may be explained by a seeming build up of immunity over time.

Transmission Of Ear Mites In Cats

Ear mites in cats and dogs are very contagious. They can be passed easily from cat to cat, as well as from cat to dog and back. Some mites are species specific, but ear mites can even be passed to humans as transient carriers to other animals, including other cats.

Diagnosis Of Ear Mites In Cats

There are other causes of ear diseases in cats, and since treatment follows diagnosis, a professional diagnosis should be made. If you suspect that your cat has ear mites, then your vet should do a proper diagnosis before any treatment is administered.

Your vet may use the warmth of a light to draw the mites out of the wax in order to see the white mites crawling on the dark wax. Magnifying instruments may be used as well in order to get confirmation of the infestation.

Treatment Of Ear Mites In Cats

Treating ear mites in cats starts with cleaning out the cat’s ears. The dry crusty wax may be softened with mineral oil prior to the cleaning. Flushing out the ears removes a large number of mites and dislodges the crusty wax. This should be done only by a veterinarian, as damage to the ear could result if it is done improperly.

After the ears are cleaned, an actual ear mite treatment can be used. It is important to also use a flea control medication on the rest of the body at the same time. This is to take care of any mites that have migrated to some place other than the ear. Doing this will lessen the chances of a recurring infestation.

While they can be effective, over-the-counter remedies will typically take longer to work than the ear mite treatment preparations from your veterinarian. Take note of the recommendation to treat your cat with flea medication above. Chronic infestations of ear mites in cats can be due to the mites migrating to another part of the body.

When ear mites are discovered in one cat, any other cats and dogs in the home should be examined and treated accordingly.

Containment is vital if you want to avoid spending your time treating one animal after another for mites. Since ear mites in cats can also be spread to humans and back to your cats, it is necessary to take some precautions.

Until the parasites have been eradicated completely, which can take about one month, physical contact should be limited. Do not cuddle affected cats and kittens close to your face, or let them sleep on or near your pillow. This is sometimes easier said than done!

An occurrence of ear mites in your cat is unpleasant for your cat, and inconvenient for you. Treatment takes quite some time, but the good news is that this is a very treatable condition. In more stubborn cases, “off-label” drugs may be used. This means that a drug that is not normally designed or approved for treating ear mites in cats will be administered. Your veterinarian can tell you if this is a recommended course of treatment based on your individual circumstances.

Cat Crazy Newsletter

 Do You Have Enough Litter Boxes?

As I mentioned in previous newsletters, a common

reason cats will “go” outside the litter box is having

too few litter boxes. So how many litter boxes should

you have? The general rule of thumb is that you should

have one litter box per cat PLUS one OR one litter

 box per floor or level of your house, whichever is more.

If you have two cats in a one level apartment, you should

ideally have 3 litter boxes. If you have a two-story house

and one cat, you should have 3 litter boxes.  If you have 4

cats in a three level house, you should have 5 litter boxes.

I know that sounds like a lot of litter boxes (and it is) but too

few litter boxes is a common reason for cats to inappropriately

eliminate. This is especially true in large home, homes with

multiple levels or in multi-cat households. So check to see that

you have enough littler boxes based on the number of cats

and the type and size of home you live in. There many good

options for the litter that you use in your boxes – including

scoopable, flushable, clay, and paper. There is even a new

 litter that alerts you about smells before it actually starts to

 smell!  The product is called Odor Alert by Arm & Hammer.

This new litter alerts you when you should scoop by turning blue!

To learn more about Odor Alert  – go to www.odoralert.com

I hope this helps you understand how many litter boxes you

need to minimize  behavioral problems. Next week, I’ll talk

about the best locations for a litter box.

Until then,

Dr. Jon

P.S.  Arm & Hammer is offering a coupon for their Odor Alert litter

 if you want to try the litter. Go here to get

your coupon: www.odoralert.com.P.P.S. – Another reason

for having multiple litter boxes is that some cats prefer to

urinate in one box and defecate in another.  Also, multiple

litter boxes are needed because a more  dominant cat may

block the pathway to the litter box to a submissive cat forcing

the more timid cat to look somewhere else for a litter box. 

These are very subtle behavioral  things cats do that you

may not notice but can force a cat to inappropriately urinate

outside of the box.