FDA proposes strict new safety rules for animal food

From NBC News this morning;

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/fda-proposes-strict-new-safety-rules-animal-food-8C11462915

FDA proposes strict new safety rules for animal food

JoNel AlecciaNBC News

Food produced for domestic pets and other animals will have to follow strict new standards under a proposed rule issued Friday by the Food and Drug Administration.2 hours ago

The new regulation, part of the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act, would require for the first time that companies that make pet food and animal feed follow good manufacturing practices that encompass basic issues such as sanitation and hazard analysis.
“We have been pushing feed safety for a number of years,” said Daniel McChesney, director of the office of surveillance and compliance at the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. “It’s not, ‘Oh, we’re just making food for animals.’ They’re the first part of the food chain. We're a part of the overall food industry.”
The new rules will be open for public comment for 120 days, and would be adopted as law within 60 days after the comment period closes.
They would apply to all domestic and imported animal food, including pet food, pet treats, animal feed, and the raw ingredients that make those products.
That means, for instance, that the producers of chicken, corn and sweet potato jerky treats made in China and blamed for the deaths of 600 pets and illnesses in about 3,600, will have to meet strict new requirements before their products can be sold, officials said.
FDA has always had rules in place that prohibit adulterants in pet food. That’s why the agency has issued company-initiated recalls for salmonella-tainted bird food, for instance, or dog food contaminated with aflatoxin, a naturally occurring mold by-product.
But, until now, there’s been no requirement that companies analyze the potential food safety hazards of their products or that they follow current good manufacturing practices, or CGMPs, that specifically address animal food.
“We’re not starting completely from scratch,” said Michael Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine. “What’s important is that FDA take a comprehensive approach to food safety that covers the food supply comprehensively.”
The challenge for firms that produce animal foods and pet products will be in meeting the deadlines for compliance, McChesney said. Times will vary according to the size of an operation, with small and very small businesses being allowed more leeway.
The FDA will hold three public meetings in November and December to seek input on the proposed rule.

LeoniaDog Database

One of my goals with this blog was to create a database of all the dogs that come to the park. This database would make it easy for the authorities to reunite dogs that have become separated from their owners. Through out my tenure as custodian of LeoniaDog, LDog, I have been asked many times to assist in locating the owners of a dog that has been found strolling through Leonia unattended.

It is my hope with LeoniaDog maintaining a complete databases of owners and their dogs we will be able to reunite the wayward canine with their frantic owner. 

By clicking on this link;  Dog Owner's Information Form

and filling it in, we will have the necessary information to assist in reuniting you with your loved ones.

Barry 

Reasons for Dog Treat Deaths Remain a Mystery, FDA Says

This was a story on NBC news yesterday. The topic of these jerky treats has come up before. I thought you would like to see that the FDA is still working on it.

The FDA is still investigating a mystery illness linked to pet jerky treats that has killed almost 600 dogs and sickened over 3,000 more.

The treats in question are sold as jerky tenders or strips made of chicken, duck, sweet potatoes and dried fruit and have been linked to Chinese manufacturers, according to the FDA.

Despite rigorous testing, U.S. officials cannot find the reason the foods are causing symptoms as severe as kidney failure, gastrointestinal bleeding and urinary issues.

"This is one of the most elusive and mysterious outbreaks we've encountered," Center for Veterinary Medicine Director Bernadette Dunham said in the FDA release. "Our beloved four-legged companions deserve our best effort, and we are giving it."

With no known leads as to what is causing the sickness, the FDA is asking consumers to be wary when feeding pets treats.

Owners are also encouraged to reduce the amount of dog treats given to pets because "treats are a treat" and not a "necessary part of a fully-balanced diet," according to an FDA consumer fact sheet.

Since 2011, more than 1,200 treats have been tested for contaminants known to cause symptoms and illnesses reported in pets including salmonella, metals, pesticides and antibiotics. Trace amounts of antibiotics have been found on some treats but they are negligible according to the FDA and likely not a cause for the mystery illness.

Hoping to prevent future cases, some retailers launched self-imposed recalls in January due to the antibiotic residue found on treats. While the FDA claims the antibiotics are not an issue, recalls on brands like Nestle Purina Pet Care Co's Waggin Train and Del Monte's Milo's Kitchen Chicken Jerky have had positive effects none the less.

The recall has put fewer treats on the market which may be part of the reason under 400 jerky-related illness cases have been reported in 2013, the first notable decline since the link between illness and the treats was made in 2007.

The FDA has also inspected the facilities in China that produce the jerky treats in question but, like the lab tests, no cause of illness could be identified. Now, the organization is launching an investigation into the ingredient supply chain with regulators in China.

An effected pet is likely to display symptoms such as decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea and increased urination that, if untreated, could lead to death.

The problem has mainly impacted dogs but ten cats have also fallen ill. No cat deaths have been reported to date.

Effects of deforestation

Global warming is one thing, but see below and look at what might happen if we continue to clear our

forests. We have to stop cutting down trees before it’s too late!

Thanks David Shapiro for the levity.

Somethings should just be seen and not commented on.

Arthur sent this link.
Somethings just need to be seen. Words just don't have a place.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/13/jerk-cats-love-stealing-dog-beds_n_4093467.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

NOVEMBER 3, 2013 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS

Please remember to set you clocks back one hour Saturday night November 2, so that you don't get to the park too early on Sunday November 3.

Daylight Savings Time ends at 2AM on Sunday November 3, 2013

As a reminder the off leash hours are;

Morning hours;

Weekdays 7:30AM to 10:30AM

Weekends 8:30AM to 11:00AM

Evening hours;

EST 3:30PM to Sunset

EDST 5:00PM to Sunset

Ok, I'd really like to make this whole blog thing a little more useful.

An idea has been put forth by a few people; Through the years the Leonia Police have been very helpful in reuniting dogs with their owners. It has been suggested that it would be helpful if there was a central listing of pictures of our dogs with their owner's information, it would speed up the process of locating stray owners.

What I would like to ask is that you take the time to send to leoniadog@gmail.com, a picture of your companion, your contact information, and chip ID number. I will make this a part of our LeoniaDog data base, and if the need arises will make the information available to the police.

Along the lines of making this blog useful to all of us; please feel free to send in your helpful hints, secrets, suggestions.

Barry
LeoniaDog@gmail.com

Sarah took these the other day, just got around to seeing them.

Dixie guards her ball

Glory looking for someone to pet her.

Molly on vacation from her owners. Molly shared quality time with Dixie for a few days.

Swain, it always looks like she wants to ask you a question.

Zooie was not happy, but she needed the trim and she did look better afterwards.

Some more Pictures

It is nice to get all these pictures from Deborah Shapiro. Anybody else like to contribute? How about sending in the names of the groomers you use?

I'm not really sure who all these guys are! 

Cheyenne, Maybe?

This looks like Moose with his short hair cut

Teaching a Wippet to sit

Looks like success.