Belle

Good reading for our new posters. :)

It was just a matter of time..... ChemNutra Announces Nationwide Wheat Gluten Recall FINALLY, they released the name of the US Supplier of the imported gluten! WHY was this company "protected" from exposure for so long??? WHY won't they tell us who all they shipped the gluten to? Why don't we know who all received this gluten? Too many people trying to CYA while pets, and possibly humans, are affected by this?? The Food and Drug Administration said it’s beginning an “across the board” investigation into human foods that contain wheat gluten. Tainted wheat gluten that triggered a massive nationwide pet food recall also ended up in processing plants that prepare food consumed by people, the Food and Drug Administration said yesterday. While agency leaders offered assurances that the nation's food supply remains safe, they said they cannot yet completely rule out contamination of human food by the suspect wheat gluten (click on quotes for links to sources) Here's my post from an earlier thread before ChemNutra was identified. I still maintain the companies involved and the FDA are not doing enough fast enough. ********* Wheat gluten is used in a majority of human processed foods as well and this wheat gluten was sold as "food grade", not "feed grade" meaning it was deemed acceptable for human foods as well. You'd be surprised at how much "human" food also has wheat gluten in it. They cannot guarantee that contaminated gluten was not used in any "human" food and I wouldn't take their word for it, either based on how much this recall continues to expand. <_< "Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine said the FDA is not aware of any contaminated gluten that went into human food but said he could not confirm this "with 100 percent certainty." Wheat gluten is a common food additive used as a thickener, dough conditioner, and meat substitute. It is widely used as an additive in commercial bakery items and special purpose flours." (source) Humans vary our diet on a daily basis and our systems are much larger and much more durable in the face of contamination than a small dog or cat who eats the same thing every day, so it *could* just be a matter of time before there's even more bad news to come down the pike. There are at least 17 companies in China who supply wheat gluten to the US. BUT Menu Foods got this gluten from a US DISTRIBUTOR who bought the gluten from the Chinese distributor: "The head of Menu Foods, the manufacturer of the recalled pet food, said today it had dropped the U.S. supplier of the imported ingredient. Paul Henderson also suggested his company would sue the unnamed supplier." Source "The FDA announced today that it has traced the contaminated wheat gluten to a single processor, Xuzhou Anying Biological Technology of Peixian, China, but has not released the name of the U.S. distributor who supplied the product to Del Monte, Menu Foods, Nestle Purina, and Hills Nutritional." Source Who else does this US DISTRIBUTOR ship the wheat gluten to? This wheat gluten is used in everything from human food and pharmaceuticals to cosmetics. Here is a sampling of things that contain gluten. I use Bil Jac and recommend it. (WW, I switched from Eukanuba after they sold out.) Frankly, right now, Bil Jac is just about the only thing I do trust outside of cooking my own food from scratch - I wouldn't even trust baby food for my fur-baby right now. Bil Jac doesn't use any gluten in their products. Here's a great list of alternative safer foods for your pet. And another site with good information. I like to think that I'm not an alarmist, but in this case, I am very carefully considering my own diet as carefully as I am considering Vixen's. It's not just that I don't trust the FDA (I don't), but I have zero confidence in their ability to investigate and act quickly when/if they are alerted to any additional danger.

Wheat gluten is used in a majority of human processed foods as well and this wheat gluten was sold as "food grade", not "feed grade" meaning it was deemed acceptable for human foods as well. You'd be surprised at how much "human" food also has wheat gluten in it. They cannot guarantee that contaminated gluten was not used in any "human" food and I wouldn't take their word for it, either based on how much this recall continues to expand. <_< "Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine said the FDA is not aware of any contaminated gluten that went into human food but said he could not confirm this "with 100 percent certainty." Wheat gluten is a common food additive used as a thickener, dough conditioner, and meat substitute. It is widely used as an additive in commercial bakery items and special purpose flours." (source) Humans vary our diet on a daily basis and our systems are much larger and much more durable in the face of contamination than a small dog or cat who eats the same thing every day, so it *could* just be a matter of time before there's even more bad news to come down the pike. There are at least 17 companies in China who supply wheat gluten to the US. BUT Menu Foods got this gluten from a US DISTRIBUTOR who bought the gluten from the Chinese distributor: "The head of Menu Foods, the manufacturer of the recalled pet food, said today it had dropped the U.S. supplier of the imported ingredient. Paul Henderson also suggested his company would sue the unnamed supplier." Source "The FDA announced today that it has traced the contaminated wheat gluten to a single processor, Xuzhou Anying Biological Technology of Peixian, China, but has not released the name of the U.S. distributor who supplied the product to Del Monte, Menu Foods, Nestle Purina, and Hills Nutritional." Source Who else does this US DISTRIBUTOR ship the wheat gluten to? This wheat gluten is used in everything from human food and pharmaceuticals to cosmetics. Here is a sampling of things that contain gluten. I use Bil Jac and recommend it. (WW, I switched from Eukanuba after they sold out.) Frankly, right now, Bil Jac is just about the only thing I do trust outside of cooking my own food from scratch - I wouldn't even trust baby food for my fur-baby right now. Bil Jac doesn't use any gluten in their products. Here's a great list of alternative safer foods for your pet. And another site with good information. I like to think that I'm not an alarmist, but in this case, I am very carefully considering my own diet as carefully as I am considering Vixen's. It's not just that I don't trust the FDA (I don't), but I have zero confidence in their ability to investigate and act quickly when/if they are alerted to any additional danger.

Urban Dictionary This is a good site to bookmark for when things like that come up. It should be SOP for things like that, much like SNOPES should be for outlandish e-mails.

WOW!!! That's amazing, MStar. :o I hope all our Greasespots are doing well and staying warm, dry and healthy in all this awful weather.

YEPPERS!! One of the biggest gripes I had with TWI. They weren't "servants of men", they made US "servants of them". They sat in the "high places"; went first in all the lines; were waited on hand and foot and expected it. How many people got chewed out for "missing a detail" in taking care of things for "leadership"? How many actually received any help from these bozos? When someone needed help, we and they were told, "they need the Word.... they need to believe God...." NO!! Sometimes people need a few bucks, a shirt off someone's back, a helping hand.... NOT to merely be told, "GO and believe God." My last year of being fully immersed in TWI I had surgery and was laid up for at least a week. NOT ONE PERSON brought us anything and ONLY ONE PERSON called to even see how I was doing after my surgery. My own branch coordinator called, but it was just to see if we would purchase his secular services.... not the least bit concerned about my well-being or how my ex was handling having to take care of me and everything else all by himself. <_< My co-workers and neighbors, you know - those egg sucking empties floating by - they sent cards, called to check on me and one of them even brought over dinner one night so my ex wouldn't have to cook or clean dishes. Give me an egg sucker over a TWIt any day.

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS, DOT!!!

((((Free))))) Married men who cheat are VERY GOOD at what they do, even when it's just playing a game like he was with you. :( I've been there. Had the home, cell and work phone numbers. His secretary even knew what he was doing and never said a word. Heck, he even met my parents! Never wore a ring. We would go out with my friends all the time and he'd pick me up at work for lunch dates..... Just no way to know really. It makes you not want to trust people, but we can't live like that.

OMG!! Linda, I'm in totally unproductive Heaven!! THANK YOU!! :love3:

Then you should go Egosurfing, my friend. That'll make you feel even better (or worse)... Scanning the Net, databases, etc., for one’s own name. But it sure as heck beats a salmon day any day! The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream only to get screwed in the end.

Anal Glaucoma - a condition causing statements such as "I just can't see my foot going to work today."

Daddy is very big into sports - all kinds, all levels - He loves watching the high school kids, especially those destined for "big things". (He refereed high school football for years as well as college football and is really good friends with a couple of NFL referees, one of whom has had the privilege of refereeing the Super Bowl.) Yesterday he got to go to a game loaded with excellent high school players and, since I know we have a sports fan contingency here at the cafe, I thought I'd share his recap with y'all. ************* ....Huntington TV yesterday afternoon announced that 5 of the nation's top 150 HS basketball players would be playing in the game last night between Huntington HS and St. Patrick HS, New Jersey. St. Patrick won 78-76 in OT. OJ Mayo scored 47 for Huntington .... Corey Fisher (soon to be Villanova) had 37 for St. Patrick. James Robinson (soon to be Memphis) had 23 for St. Patrick. Patterson had bunches of rebounds and blocked shots for Huntington .... Patterson to choose UK, Duke or Florida .... Billy Donovan was present.... The game had all the electricity of a major college or pro game. ESPN2 present. Those guys were very good.... I'm certain either team could beat several college teams. OJ played hard at both ends of the floor - he has a nice shot from inside or outside. The Fisher kid was incredibly fast and quick, with a beautiful soft shot. It was a fun time! .... all this excitement right here in "River City"!

Great ideas and feedback here. Sounds like getting folks organized, (which you will be excellent at, Dot) and making some unified noise, requiring, encouraging and helping elected officials to step up to the plate will really make a huge difference in the safety of your neighborhood.

Grunchy Store - where one goes to get food for the family. Frankenfood - What one can buy at the grunchy store.... Food derived from genetically modified plants and animals. Seagull Manager - A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves. Blamestorming - Sitting around in a group discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed and who was responsible. Rectal Database - The very private location from which instantaneous answers to questions may be retrieved. "I pulled that one from my rectal database." Attentional Blink - The momentary lapse in awareness that occurs after a stimulus catches the brain's attention.

My favorite: 3) "Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar." --Drew Carey I love Paula Poundstone and wish she was still doing stand up.

(((((Dot))))) Would writing and putting pressure on your congressmen and representatives help? Obviously the department needs more money to be safely staffed and able to get a handle on this stuff before it gets out of hand. If law enforcement doesn't step in right away it will only get worse. :unsure:

I refuse to answer on the grounds that I would incriminate myself.

Yes, I am very confident in that list. That's not to say that dogs respond differently to different things, just like humans - they have differing tolerances and some of the things on that list are relatively safe at smaller doses, but over time or in large quantities can be fatal. Regarding salt: Too much salt can cause kidney problems and walking on salt, especially the salt used on roads & sidewalks during snow season can cause burns to the pads of a dog's feet. Our pets need salt to stay healthy and to keep electrolytes balanced. But we need to know how much, too much salt can cause a dog to gulp down water and cause a life threatening condition called bloat, which causes the stomach to fill with gas and twist, leading to a most painful death unless emergency medical help is received immediately. Also it is very important to what kind of salt. Normal table salt is basically white poison for humans and animals a like. Table salt is chemically cleansed and heated at extreme temperatures. The excessive heat damages and alters the natural chemical structure. Table salt is also filled with absorbents and iodine. Notta, cheese in moderation should be safe for doggies IF they can digest dairy. I've used cheese and hot dog pieces for training treats with Vixen and, as long as it's not every day and doesn't comprise most of the food for that day, it should be safe. Vixen weighs 14 lbs. so what's dangerous to her may be safer for a larger dog. Also, some dogs are more sensitive to dairy products and can't digest them. It gives them gas and diarrhea. Another problem is that dairy products are usually high in fat which causes pancreatitis. Regarding potato skins: It's the raw potato and most especially the "eyes" of the potato that are the most dangerous. Solanum alkaloids can be found in green sprouts and green potato skins, which occurs when the tubers are exposed to sunlight during growth or after harvest. The relatively rare occurrence of actual poisoning is due to several factors: solanine is poorly absorbed; it is mostly hydrolyzed into less toxic solanidinel; and the metabolites are quickly eliminated. Cooked, mashed potatoes are fine for dogs, actually quite nutritious and digestible. ASPCA is where I got the list I posted originally, but any knowledgeable vet or reputable breeder would be able to confirm this information. I would not go to the one in Dove's original post. The list is not comprehensive and does not include specifics on "why" or amounts. I really just meant for it to be a "heads up" - I'm no expert, just an over-protective dog lover with one very spoiled border terrier. Obviously it's possible to go totally overboard on all this, but it is wise to be informed.

Just wanted to add, that list is not comprehensive. The Merck Veterinary Manual online is a valuable resource for all kinds of information on keeping one's pet healthy and safe.

That's really sad, Dove. Frankly, I'm surprised a vet didn't believe that raisins and grapes are poisonous just because she hadn't read a "formal" paper on the subject. :huh: When someone buys a border terrier they are given a list of things that are poisonous to dogs as well as information on what other kinds of things to be aware of to keep the dog safe, sound and alive. We are also given a list of items to keep on hand for a doggie emergency kit, what each item is for and how to use them. We are also given the phone numbers and directions for the emergency vets in our area. I would hope that any pet owner would gather that information on their own if it's not provided. Other things that are poisonous to dogs are: Chocolate (Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate being the most toxic) Onions Garlic in large amounts Macadamia Nuts Pear pips, the kernels of plums, peaches and apricots, apple core pips (contain cyanogenic glycosides resulting in cyanide posioning) Potato peelings and green looking potatoes Rhubarb leaves Mouldy/spoiled foods Alcohol Yeast dough Coffee grounds, beans & tea (caffeine) Hops (used in home brewing) Tomato leaves & stems (green parts) Broccoli (in large amounts) Cigarettes, tobacco, cigars Salt Products sweetened with xylitol Blue-green algae in ponds Citronella candles Cocoa mulch Compost piles Fertilizers Flea products Swimming-pool treatment supplies Fly baits containing methomyl Slug and snail baits containing metaldehyde Pain killers Cold medicines Anti-cancer drugs Antidepressants Vitamins Diet Pills Antifreeze Liquid potpourri Ice melting products Rat and mouse bait Fabric softener sheets Mothballs Post-1982 pennies (due to high concentration of zinc) Mosquito Repellent for humans There are also a lot of plants that are poisonous to our beloved pets. I hate to hear of accidents like this that could have so easily been avoided. :( Regarding vet care..... I highly recommend that pets only be taken to an AAHA Certified Hospital (American Animal Hospital Association). AAHA is the world's leading association of companion animal practitioners. To achieve AAHA distinction, a hospital has to pass comprehensive inspections of the veterinary practice, management, facilities, and medical equipment. To keep up with the growing wealth of knowledge in veterinary care, veterinarians and support staff should also participate in continuing education and training on a regular basis. This is the only kind of facility I will entrust with my beloved Vixen's care.

So much for global warming, eh? Glad everyone's safe and tucked away. I heard on the news this morning that there are folks stuck in their cars on the roads since noon yesterday. I hope all our patrons here continue to be safe.

As the ex-wife of an officer, I can really relate to that! Too well, I'm afraid......

I love "Can't Keep a Good Man Down" and this one: What If Cartoons Got Saved?

Beau Williams I'd love to hear it! :)

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The South (and the bar goes all the way to the end) That's a Southern accent you've got there. You may love it, you may hate it, you may swear you don't have it, but whatever the case, we can hear it. But I'm told all the time I don't sound like I'm from the south......