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Q: Does the problem affect dogs and cats equally? A: To date, it appears that cats are more commonly-affected than dogs, and small dogs may be more affected than larger dogs. This may be because cats and smaller dogs are more sensitive to the causative substance, or because they are more likely to be fed the types of food involved in the recall.
Q: I’ve heard news reports about melamine found in hogs. Do you know any details?
A: A hog farm called American Hog Farm in California was placed under quarantine after the industrial chemical, melamine was found in hog urine at this location. The FDA and the farm are investigating whether the melamine is in the meat. The 1,500-pig farm operates as a “custom slaughterhouse” which means it generally does not supply meat to commercial outlets. However, officials are recommending that anyone that purchased a hog from American Hog Farm should not eat the meat.
Q: What are Pet food manufacturers doing to protect the safety of the food?
A: The Pet Food Institute (PFI) announced the formation of the National Pet Food Commission, an industry-government partnership composed of government officials, veterinarians, toxicologists and food scientists who are committed to maintaining and enhancing the high standards established in this country to protect Pets. The purpose of the new commission is two-fold: (1) to investigate the cause of the current Pet food recall, and (2) to recommend steps the industry and government should take to further build on safety and quality standards already in place.
Phone Numbers to provide Pet owners affected by the recall:
FDA (800) 877-8339
Menu Foods (866) 895-2708
Royal Canin: (800) 592-6687 or (800) 513-0041
Hill’s Pet Nutrition: (800) 445-5777
American Veterinary Medical Association (847) 925-8070
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