Diamond Dog Food Recall

CROSS POST

According to some people on a list the food has been contaminated with moldy corn or aflatoxin and dogs have died. I knew corn was no good, but I had no idea that moldy corn could be so serious Here's the link for the details.

http://homesteadingtoday.com/vb/showthread.php?p=1116428#post1116428

 

I'm glad i switched foods. I use to feed Diamond

 

good thing ive never used that,but i havent seen it around for a while

 

ewwwi read that whole thread and im glad im using nutro.

 

I used it for along time but changed about a year ago to science diet and have had better luck w/sd

 

Whew I just swithed from Diamond to Authority.
Thank God- I think I'm going for Kasko though.

 

Eww. . . Even more reason to love Canidae.

Thanx for the heads up. Sending this to people who feed Diamond.

 

I've never had a problem w/Diamond at all , I use the L & R and never had a bad result. And it could happen to more than just Diamond. There is corn in most feeds these days. I would just assume to feed a BARF diet anyway. For those of you that only have 2-4 dogs there is NO EXCUSE as why you don't feed BARF. . . .. ...

 

Good thing I got the Diamond Lamb and Rice with no corn, wheat, or by-products.

 

Yeah same here. I feed the diamond Lamb & Rice.

 

Diamond is okay if it comes from other plants besides the Georgia? one. It says to look at the 12 digit # in the back of the bag, if it has a G at the end, THROW IT OUT. That is the only plant that was affected. Thank God my feed comes from CA. I am going to call my pet store though, and make sure they don't get their Diamond from other plants.

 

There are plenty of reasons to not feed a BARF diet.

And almost every commercial dog food company has issued recalls at one time or another due to bad ingredients.

 

Don't feed it. Gave my dogs the runs!

 

I totally disagree with that statement, but to each his own. I've NEVER heard of a KIBBLE KEEP and there's good reason behind that. Dogs never went shopping at the store either,LOL !! And if mine did, I BET he'd be buying PorterHouse Angus ! Do some research about kibble and then come back and tell me again that there are PLENTY of reasons why NOT TO feed BARF. I bet table scraps are ok though ?? And if you dog is getting "runny" on BARF maybe you weren't adding it in slowly. Never had a problem with that either, although I know they do have to accustom to the feed. GREENTRIPE is considered by most vets to be the PERFECT dog food out there. Again do some more research about kibble and then compare to all natural feed and tell me why a person shouldn't be feeding BARF if they only own a handful of dogs. Two reasons #1 LAZINESS #2 Not financially capable, and heah I can really undersatnd that, been there myself. and possibly #3 dog is simply allergic to most feed, not it's owners/his fault. This JMO, though a feeble as it may be I feel I am quite informed on the topic of conditioning and feeding a dog. Always like to learn more though.

www.thegrandchamp.com

 

The Truth about Kibble part #1 of 4

Plump whole chickens, choice cuts of beef, fresh grains, and all the wholesome nutrition your dog or cat will ever need.

These are the images pet food manufacturers promulgate through the media and advertising. This is what the $11 billion per year U.S. pet food industry wants consumers to believe they are buying when they purchase their products.

This report explores the differences between what consumers think they are buying and what they are actually getting. It focuses in very general terms on the most visible name brands -- the pet food labels that are mass-distributed to supermarkets and discount stores -- but there are many highly respected brands that may be guilty of the same offenses.

What most consumers don't know is that the pet food industry is an extension of the human food and agriculture industries. Pet food provides a market for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered "unfit for human consumption," and similar waste products to be turned into profit. This waste includes intestines, udders, esophagi, and possibly diseased and cancerous animal parts.

Three of the five major pet food companies in the United States are subsidiaries of major multinational companies: Nestlé (Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Mighty Dog, and Ralston Purina products such as Dog Chow, ProPlan, and Purina One), Heinz (9 Lives, Amore, Gravy Train, Kibbles-n-Bits, Nature's Recipe), Colgate-Palmolive (Hill's Science Diet Pet Food). Other leading companies include Procter & Gamble (Eukanuba and Iams), Mars (Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba, Waltham's), and Nutro. From a business standpoint, multinational companies owning pet food manufacturing companies is an ideal relationship. The multinationals have increased bulk-purchasing power; those that make human food products have a captive market in which to capitalize on their waste products, and pet food divisions have a more reliable capital base and, in many cases, a convenient source of ingredients.

There are hundreds of different pet foods available in this country. And while many of the foods on the market are similar, not all of the pet food manufacturing companies use poor quality or potentially dangerous ingredients.

Ingredients

Although the purchase price of pet food does not always determine whether a pet food is good or bad, the price is often a good indicator of quality. It would be impossible for a company that sells a generic brand of dog food at $9.95 for a 40-lb. bag to use quality protein and grain in its food. The cost of purchasing quality ingredients would be much higher than the selling price.

The protein used in pet food comes from a variety of sources. When cattle, swine, chickens, lambs, or other animals are slaughtered, the choice cuts such as lean muscle tissue are trimmed away from the carcass for human consumption. However, about 50% of every food-producing animal does not get used in human foods. Whatever remains of the carcass -- bones, blood, intestines, lungs, ligaments, and almost all the other parts not generally consumed by humans -- is used in pet food, animal feed, and other products. These "other parts" are known as "by-products," "meat-and-bone-meal," or similar names on pet food labels.

The Pet Food Institute -- the trade association of pet food manufacturers -- acknowledges the use of by-products in pet foods as additional income for processors and farmers: "The growth of the pet food industry not only provided pet owners with better foods for their pets, but also created profitable additional markets for American farm products and for the byproducts of the meat packing, poultry, and other food industries which prepare food for human consumption."1

Many of these remnants provide a questionable source of nourishment for our animals. The nutritional quality of meat and poultry by-products, meals, and digests can vary from batch to batch. James Morris and Quinton Rogers, two professors with the Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California at Davis Veterinary School of Medicine, assert that, "There is virtually no information on the bioavailability of nutrients for companion animals in many of the common dietary ingredients used in pet foods. These ingredients are generally by-products of the meat, poultry and fishing industries, with the potential for a wide variation in nutrient composition. Claims of nutritional adequacy of pet foods based on the current Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrient allowances ('profiles') do not give assurances of nutritional adequacy and will not until ingredients are analyzed and bioavailability values are incorporated."2

Meat and poultry meals, by-product meals, and meat-and-bone meal are common ingredients in pet foods. The term "meal" means that these materials are not used fresh, but have been rendered. What is rendering? Rendering, as defined by Webster's Dictionary, is "to process as for industrial use: to render livestock carcasses and to extract oil from fat, blubber, etc., by melting." Home-made chicken soup, with its thick layer of fat that forms over the top when the soup is cooled, is a sort of mini-rendering process. Rendering separates fat-soluble from water-soluble and solid materials, removes most of the water, and kills bacterial contaminants, but may alter or destroy some of the natural enzymes and proteins found in the raw ingredients. Meat and poultry by-products, while not rendered, vary widely in composition and quality.

What can the feeding of such products do to your companion animal? Some veterinarians claim that feeding slaughterhouse wastes to animals increases their risk of getting cancer and other degenerative diseases. The cooking methods used by pet food manufacturers -- such as rendering, extruding (a heat-and-pressure system used to "puff" dry foods into nuggets or kibbles), and baking -- do not necessarily destroy the hormones used to fatten livestock or increase milk production, or drugs such as antibiotics or the barbiturates used to euthanize animals.

Animal and Poultry Fat

You may have noticed a unique, pungent odor when you open a new bag of pet food -- what is the source of that delightful smell? It is most often rendered animal fat, restaurant grease, or other oils too rancid or deemed inedible for humans.

Restaurant grease has become a major component of feed grade animal fat over the last fifteen years. This grease, often held in fifty-gallon drums, may be kept outside for weeks, exposed to extreme temperatures with no regard for its future use. "Fat blenders" or rendering companies then pick up this used grease and mix the different types of fat together, stabilize them with powerful antioxidants to retard further spoilage, and then sell the blended products to pet food companies and other end users.

These fats are sprayed directly onto extruded kibbles and pellets to make an otherwise bland or distasteful product palatable. The fat also acts as a binding agent to which manufacturers add other flavor enhancers such as digests. Pet food scientists have discovered that animals love the taste of these sprayed fats. Manufacturers are masters at getting a dog or a cat to eat something she would normally turn up her nose at.


http://angryeraser.proboards28.com/index.cgi?board=one&action=display&thread=1115759904


www.thegrandchamp.com

Just a small part of one article that tells it like it is.

 

Switching to RAW FEED >>


Switching to Raw Food
Healthy Paws is made from government inspected, human-grade ingredients, and where possible we’ve used organic products. We have the widest variety of protein sources available. We recommend chicken (necks) comprise about 50 per cent of the meat portion your pet’s diet. We also suggest you provide a variety of other protein sources a couple of times a week.

The ingredients in our veggie packs will vary. We try to use vegetables and fruits that are in season. By doing this, we help ensure your pet receives the widest possible variety of nutrients.

When feeding a raw diet, we do want to remind you of a few things:

Never feed cooked bones to your pet.
The object is balance over time, by using a variety of proteins, vegetables and fruits over the period of a month, you probably have everything covered. Balance over time.
No matter what the pet food companies try to tell you, you don’t need a degree in science or nutrition to feed your dog or cat.
Because processed and cooked foods digest at a different rate than raw food, it is recommended that you don’t feed a combination of kibble and raw.
Dogs and cats weren’t designed to get a complete and balanced diet every meal of every day. What you want to achieve is a balance over time. There is no need to micromanage a raw food diet.
Most dogs and cats can make the switch to raw foods cold turkey. It is best to start with a few days of ground chicken only. Get their bodies used to raw foods with few variations, we can add variety in time. You should also include a digestive enzyme, which can be purchased at your pet supply store or health food store. Sprinkle this on the raw food, to help with digestion.

After two or three days on chicken only, start including vegetables and fruit. Start with half the recommended portion of vegetable matter. Increase slightly every few days, until you’re at the recommended portion. Mix the vegetable content with the meat portion for each meal.

If your pet is straining to defecate, increase the vegetable content and reduce the meaty bone portion of the diet. Conversely, if your pet is having too many loose stools, reduce the vegetable content and increase the meaty bone content.

Add supplements, such as kelp and an essential fatty acid after getting your pet settled on raw foods. We recommend adding back digestive enzymes for a couple of days each time you introduce a new protein source.

You know your pet best, if you feel your pet suffers from any severe illnesses, it may be best to make a slower transition. Talk to your veterinarian (who is not opposed to raw food feeding) on how to make the switch.

Never fast cats in order to make the transition to raw foods. Cats should never go more than ½ a day without food. If your cat is not accepting the raw food, just add the tiniest amount to their kibble or canned meal and try to make the transition slowly. Some cats can be tricky to switch to raw food. The benefits to cats are well worth the trouble. Please refer to our Feline Feeding and Information Guide for additional cat information.

IMPORTANT: Always use safe handling practices when feeding raw meat products. Never cook products that contain bone. Information contained herein does not substitute veterinary advise. Healthy Paws does not assume responsibility for the care and handling of one's pets.


Recommended supplements
Kelp contains vitamins A, B1, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, C and E, plus zinc, biotin, bromine, calcium, choline, copper, inositol, iodine, PABA, potassium, selenium, sodium and sulphur. Its iodine content is very good for glands and organs, especially the thyroid and liver. It can bind with chemical pollutants in the gastrointestinal tract and prevent their absorption by the body. It increases the contractile force of the heart, improves circulation and is often used for hair loss, goiter, ulcers, obesity and mineral defi­ciency.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are extremely important for health and vitality. EFA deficiencies are correlated with degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, skin afflictions, dry skin, behavioral problems, poor wound healing, arthritis, and weakened immune functions.

Alfalfa For dogs, if you’re not feeding a variety of vegetables and fruit, we suggest supplementing with alfalfa, which contains vitamins A, B1, B6, B12, C, D, E, K and U, plus beta-carotene, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, protein, amino acids, trace elements and fibre.

How to feed a raw food diet
You will want to feed between 2 - 3 % of your pet’s ideal body weight, 2% for less active pets and 3% for more active pets. Puppies require anywhere from 5-10% of their body weight. You'll have to keep checking that s/he's not walking away from food or getting a big belly. If your pup walks away from food, it might be time to start reducing his/her daily intake.

We recommend chicken (necks and backs) comprise about 50% of the meat portion your pet’s diet. You can also substitute chicken necks with duck (necks) or turkey necks. Muscle meats should be about 40% and organ meats at least 10% of the meat portion of the diet. The meat (meat, bone & organ meat) will be about 60% of your dog's food intake.

Vegetable matter will make up 40% of a dog's diet, while only make up about 15% of a cat’s diet. The ingredients in our veggie packs will vary. We try to use vegeta­bles and fruits that are in season. By doing this, we help ensure your pet receives the widest possible variety of nutrients.

If your dog likes chewing on “recreational” bones, simply substitute a chicken (neck) meal with a muscle meat meal and let them get their bone content from the recreational beef bone. A recreational bone would be a beef, lamb pork, or any other large mammal bone. Along with regular exercise, recreational chewing will round out a well-balanced, healthy dog’s life.

If you have access to fresh/frozen fish, you can include that in the diet.

Variety will help ensure your pet is getting all the nutrients it needs to live a long and healthy life.

If this is your first foray into raw diets there are plenty of sources of information. Check out our testimonials and reference material.
Feeding Table
Weight
in Pounds Total
Daily Amount Raw Meat/Bone Portions Veggie Portion
10 1/4 lb 2 heaping Tbsp 1 level Tbsp
20 1/2 lb 4 heaping Tbsp 2 level Tbsp
30 3/4 lb 6 heaping Tbsp 3 level Tbsp
40 1 lb 2/3 lb 1/3 lb
50 1 1/4 lb 3/4 lb 1/2 lb
60 1 1/2 lb 1 lb 1/2 lb
70 1 3/4 lb 1 lb 3/4 lb
80 2 lb 1 1/4 lb 3/4 lb
90 2 1/4 lb 1 1/3 lb 3/4 lb
100 2 1/2 lb 1 1/2 lb 1 lb
110 2 2/3 lb 1 2/3 lb 1 lb
120 2 3/4 lb 1 1/2 lb 1 1/4 lb



Add offal to the veggie mix once a week. Substitute the RMB portion of the meal with the offal mix. The ratio should be 2 parts veggie to 1 part offal. Also feed muscle meat and eggs (with the shell) once a week. Just crush the egg shells with your hand or a fork and mix it in with the veggies for breakfast. Add yogurt or kefir for friendly bacteria and variety.


www.thegrandchamp.com

 

Diamond is crap anyhow..... to get better performance... switch FOOD
if performance doesnt matter to ya, feed the cheap stuff. If premium is to expensive, the you have too many dogs!
JTWO-

 

You can always supplement the feed with hardboiled eggs, wheat germ oil, greens etc .. . . . .. which are cheap and easy. ...

 

I don't want to get into a lengthy debate over this, so I'll share my opinion on the matter and bow out gracefully.
First, I don't feed table scraps to my dogs...never have, never will. Next, I don't feed kibble during a keep, and I don't believe there's any question that natural food is a far better choice than the best kibble money can buy. My argument is for cooked food, as opposed to raw. Sure, most foods undergo a breakdown in nutrient retention during the cooking process, but the loss is rarely that great, particularly when the food is cooked to a minimum. Disregarding the fact that wild canines usually live less than half as long as domestics, when a wild dog eats raw meat it's most often straight off the bones of a fresh kill, lessening the level of contamination from endless variants of microbes and such. When the average dog owner feeds Fido a steak from the butcher's market, it's highly probable that the meat has already been exposed to an untold miscellanea of chemicals and bacteria before it enters the dog's mouth. Ever work in a kill plant or meat-packing facility? Some of that stuff, uncooked would make a billygoat puke. There's no one that can make me believe it's good for a dog raw, especially in the long term.
Then there's the issue of evolution. The domestic canine has been eating cooked food for hundreds, probably thousands of years. It's logical to assume that the digestive system has adapted to it quite efficiently, and evolved away (to at least some extent) from raw food diets. They aren't wolves, jackyls, or coyotes anymore.
Feasibility: most (yes, I said most) dog owners don't have a clue about the nutritional essentials of a dog in general, let alone individual requirements. Just because someone lists some rough directions on the internet, it doesn't mean it'll be adequate for all dogs, or even the majority. And it just isn't realistic for most people to "measure out" a proper ratio of protein, carbs, fat, etc every time they feed their dog. It doesn't mean someone is lazy.
Anyway, just some of my thoughts in a nutshell, based on ample research in history, biology, and other relevant material. As was said, to each his own.

 

glad i seen this!