Dog Food Damage

[Boronia]

"Laced" is perhaps a little OTT but the article is interesting.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/pet-food-laced-with-dangerously-high-levels-of-sulphur-dioxode-tests-reveal/story-e6freoof-1226095928053

this is the video link to an affected dog (I hope it works)

http://video.couriermail.com.au/2056026475/Dog-food-damage

A pet dog in Western Australia affected by thiamine deficiency after eating fresh pet food with high levels of the preservative sulphur dio...

Courier Mail15 July 2011

SOME pet food is being laced with high levels of a preservative that can trigger severe neurological conditions in cats and dogs, Sunday Mail tests reveal.

Companies are allowed to use the preservative, sulphur dioxide, in pet meat products with impunity because there are no rules about labelling or how much can be added.

One product tested by The Sunday Mail last week had 435 times the sulphur dioxide level claimed on the packet, while others included the preservative without any mention.

"The problem is because often it is the cheapest thing you can get to feed an animal, ill-informed people or pensioners feed that," University of Sydney veterinary specialist Professor Richard Malik said yesterday.

After being alerted to the test results by The Sunday Mail, one major supplier to Coles and Woolworths withdrew its website claims about the preservative.

The results come as a wider debate rages over whether pets are being harmed by an exclusive diet of canned and dry food.

Clinical studies over the past two decades have proven that sulphur dioxide can destroy Vitamin B (thiamine) levels in food, which is essential to animal health.

Scientists have warned that thiamine deficiency can cause neurological breakdown in cats and dogs.

The RSPCA has been pushing for new laws to ensure there is enough thiamine in pet food and last week said it was alarmed at The Sunday Mail's test results.

"If you want to feed your pet raw meat, our recommendation is to use human-grade products until we have adequate safeguards," scientific officer Dr Jade Norris said.

Vet and nutritional expert Linda Fleeman treated a cat for thiamine deficiency at her Victorian clinic in April.

"It happens very suddenly and is extremely severe. They get neurological signs that are over a very short period of time," Dr Fleeman said. "It may appear that the animal has a brain tumour or other neurological condition."

Confusing symptoms could lead owners to have their pets put down unnecessarily, she said.

A new Australian Standard requires that pet food has adequate thiamine but the voluntary system does not apply to fresh pet meat.

Sulphur dioxide is used in red wine and dried fruits but in pet food can cause illness when the animal's entire diet consists of products high in sulphur dioxide with no thiamine added.

The Sunday Mail last week bought 10 products, selected at random, from Woolworths, Coles and a pet store chain and passed them to Biotech Laboratories for testing.

VIP Pet Foods Supreme Steak Mince for Dogs had the highest sulphur dioxide level at 1140mg/kg. Published research says a level of 1000mg/kg depletes thiamine levels in pets by 95 per cent.

Paws Fresh Roo Mince for dogs and cats - part of the VIP group - had a level of 870mg/kg, despite the brand's website claiming it "keeps sulphur dioxide at a minimum, at just 2mg/kg".

The brand withdrew the website claim after being contacted by The Sunday Mail and said it accepted consumers could have been "confused".

VIP's Supreme Steak Mince for Dogs and Gourmet Fresh Mince for cats did not mention preservatives on their packs. The company says all its packaging will have a preservative statement by the end of next month.

A VIP company spokesman said extra thiamine was added to all its products to make up for any lost through the use of sulphur dioxide. He said VIP conducts regular tests which show the thiamine levels in their products meets or exceeds international standards.

"The sulphur dioxide we use is a food-grade product; it's no different to what you'd consume in wine," he said.

Pet Cafe Fresh Meal for cats, manufactured by Sydney Pet Foods, had a level of 715mg/kg. A Sydney Pet Foods spokesman said levels were safe, however the company would soon sell products free of preservatives after developing a process where sulphur dioxide was not needed.

Vet Dr Bruce Syme from Vet's All Natural helped develop the product some years ago and continued to receive a "small royalty" but his company withdrew its endorsement after being told of the test result last week.

"I don't know if that's safe, unsafe or not an issue, but we don't have preservatives in our pet foods," said Vet's All Natural managing director Andrew Gleeson.

A spokesman for Coles said the company would contact manufacturers of the pet food it stocks to "have them verify that their products are appropriate for sale".

"The Coles product you've tested contains appropriate and safe levels of sulphur dioxide and is fortified to counter the effect of the sulphur dioxide on thiamine," the spokesman said.

"There is no current Australian standard for pet food so we follow the American one."

Woolworths has begun running its own tests on a range of pet food it stocks, including its own brand. All products will remain on the shelves until testing is finished.

Edited July 16, 2011 by Boronia

[Mags]

We feed human grade raw for this reason to both our cats and dogs and only from our local butcher not from the supermarket chains. We buy meat in bulk and break it down ourselves - much cheaper and the quality is so very much better.

I do not know how our governments thinks it OK to let these companies continue to self regulate - when they have proved time and again they can not be trusted to do the correct thing. Truth in labelling should be mandated and these companies should be prosecuted when they do not comply, they should also be forced to pay for the damages they cause. At the moment there is absolutely no consequences for their failure to provide a safe product fit for the use for which it is being sold.

Interesting that guide dogs are now using raw only and are marketing their product - has anyone tried it? and is it sulphur dioxide free?

[mish13]

My next door neighbour is a guide dog puppy raiser plus she has a guide dog that didn't make it. She has been talking to me about leading raw diet for a while. She also gave me some samples to try, the main thing that she says is the skin and coat on her golden retriever has improved heaps since feeding her on this diet.

For me its just the cost involved in feeding four dogs on this diet, I will definitely be looking at ways to improve their diet since reading the articles in todays paper.

[GeckoTree]

And vets like the chesty bonds wannabe pushing this stuff.

Poor dog.

[Atanquin]

I feed my puppy free range organic human consuption mince for this reason. I only eat raw or organic food myself because of the stuff thy Put in OUR food!!

[Mags]

Had a look at leading raw - not readily available in NSW even if I wanted to use it.

[Elise+Hudson]

This is why I warn all my clients about the supermarket foods, particularly the packaged meats that come in the rolls. How sad for the poor dogs.

[jakeyjangels]

Had a look at leading raw - not readily available in NSW even if I wanted to use it.

BARF or Big Dog patties is very similar - BARF has 3kgs to a box v Leading Raw 2.72 kg

[jakeyjangels]

Long overdue this 'Special investigation'

[bianca.a]

I only feed my girl human grade and she has never been healthier.

[Mags]

Had a look at leading raw - not readily available in NSW even if I wanted to use it.

BARF or Big Dog patties is very similar - BARF has 3kgs to a box v Leading Raw 2.72 kg

Have tried BARF and the formula really seems to have changed so do not use it anymore - have gone back to human grade raw plus dry which seems to be working well for our dogs.

[Maddy]

"If you want to feed your pet raw meat, our recommendation is to use human-grade products until we have adequate safeguards," scientific officer Dr Jade Norris said.

I wouldn't consider commercially produced dog food to be "raw" anyway. I've bought the chunks of meat (VIP, from memory) for Kiff and the meat was bright pink-purple and very obviously dyed.

We buy our dog meat from a local pet meat supplier and the processing is absolutely minimal- kill it, gut it, remove offal (as it's illegal to feed offal to dogs down here), cut it into ~1kg pieces and bag it. Nothing else is added and nothing else needs to be added.

I think the RSPCA needs to perhaps clarify their position and provide a better definition of "raw". Raw food should always be safe for human consumption anyway, fresh meat should be just that- fresh meat. Things like the VIP pet food are the furthest thing imaginable from fresh meat and really shouldn't be included in the definition of raw.

[Staranais]

I've done work experience at two slaughterhouses, and have toured behind the scenes at two pet food factories, and so I've seen first hand what type of thing gets made into pet foods. The type of ingredients that got used, and especially the lack of hygiene with how the pet food was stored and handled, really appalled me. Really put me off feeding certain products to my animals.

The factories made both raw and cooked pet food products, by the way.

[GeckoTree]

Ugh I bought that VIP roll only once, it stank my house out when I cut it open, threw it out straight away it smelled so toxic, I reckon they must have left it sit in the sun or something it sure was rancid.

[TessiesTracey]

Do we know which other dog food brands were tested? (Other than the supermarket brands & VIP).

Be interesting to see the results.

[kitkatswing]

Would like to know which brands they tested.. Everyone I know that has dogs has fed them canned food, I feed ours canned. Never once had a problem at all.

[Maddy]

Would like to know which brands they tested.. Everyone I know that has dogs has fed them canned food, I feed ours canned. Never once had a problem at all.

From the article..

VIP Pet Foods Supreme Steak Mince for Dogs

Paws Fresh Roo Mince for dogs and cats - part of the VIP group

Pet Cafe Fresh Meal for cats, manufactured by Sydney Pet Foods

Coles brand

Woolworths brand

Five others either not mentioned or cat versions of the above brands.

I've seen the result of greyhounds fed on processed food so I'd never feed it to any of my dogs as anything other than an emergency food if for some reason, we ran out of fresh meat. Dental problems caused by canned food might not become apparent until it's too late to really do anything about it and poor condition may simply be considered "normal" if the owner has nothing else to compare it to.

Fresh meat may require a bit more effort from the owner but I've seen a huge improvement in my dogs after switching from a "super premium" dry food to a combination of fresh lamb, chicken and roo.

It all comes down to what your dog does best on but if you've never tried anything other than canned, you're not really giving your dog a chance to find out what it does do best on.