In July 2018, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began investigating reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods, many labeled as “grain-free” and containing a high proportion of peas, lentils, other legume seeds (pulses), and/or potatoes in various forms. While the FDA and veterinary scientists have yet to
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I recently experienced a first in my veterinary career: I was invited to tour a pet food manufacturing plant, along with a number of veterinary colleagues. The plant manufactures only dry food and treats using four extrusion lines and three packaging lines. (Manufacturing canned food requires an entirely different plant.) I went with my journalistic
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I started 2022 with my suggestions for choosing the right food for your pet. This week I want to follow up with some tips for safe handling of pet food and treats, based on the United States Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Guidelines. These guidelines are designed to protect pets and pet owners against infectious
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Many of us look at the new year as an opportunity to improve our health. Pet owners should consider the same for their pets. To help you get 2022 off on the right paw, I am devoting January’s blog posts to healthy living suggestions for pets. The first blog post focused on your pet’s annual
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Pet foods can be recalled for a variety of reasons, including: contamination with something toxic, bacterial contamination, inadequate amounts of vitamins, or the presence of inedible contaminants. Since I have practiced veterinary medicine through multiple pet food recalls, I have learned a few things about feeding pets despite recalls and what pet owners can do
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