Pet Food Recall Knowledge is King When it Comes to Pet Food
By: Kelly Marshall
Submitted: 2008-10-13 00:26:20 | Word Count: 535
Due to current pet food recalls, several of pet owners are left feeling alarmed and bewildered as to why this incident happened. Several dogs and cats were left sick and worse yet—several more died. Since the many of pet owners depend solely on commercial pet food to feed their pets, they are now cynical about which brand of food to buy and what type of food that they can eat without getting sick.
Who Can The Pet Owners Depend On?
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Commercial pet foods have been tainted with harmful chemicals, including mycotoxins (toxins produced by fungi). According to the FDA and food manufacturers have authorized several recalls after a tainted food is found. In addition the FDA and the food company join together to find out the main cause of the problem and prevent it from happening again.
When Protecting Your Pet Knowledge Is Power
When it comes to getting the healthiest dog food possible, all you really need to know what to look for and what to avoid. The following are a few ways to monitor the food you are giving your dog to ensure its safety:
• Make sure that you check the expiration date on all foods and treats before giving them to your dog. This will help you avoid any items that are scheduled to go bad. While this is a wise consumer action on your part, ironically enough the food could still be tainted because of preservatives and other chemicals that are added for taste, longevity, and texture. We recommend shopping organic if possible.
• If the pet food or treat is not have an expired but appears to be stale or has a foul odor, do not feed it to your dog and contact the company/manufacturer. There probably isn t much you can do as far as getting your money back, but by calling the producer of the food themselves, you may be a small part of an effective action to have a recall initiated. Think of it this way, if nobody complains that nothing gets done.
• Always consult with your vet if your pet shows any symptoms of abnormal or unusual behavior. Early treatment will result in a greater chance of full recovery. It s safe to say that some of the dogs and cats that die from tainted pet food may have survived had the owners brought them to the vet the first signs of sickness. Make sure that you take the situation seriously if you sense that you are dog is having a bad reaction—the threat is real and many dogs and cats have died.
• To guarantee the safety of the food that your pet is eating, keep informed of current news on pet food recalls. The fastest way to do this is to go online and type in “pet food recall”. Read as many articles as possible about pet food recalls.
Avoid information at all costs that is put out by pet food manufacturers themselves. It s not that the information is not accurate, but consider the fact that these companies are going to sugarcoat the dangers of pet food. Plus, it is their livelihood after all and they are in the money making business!
