Pet owners and their veterinarians need to work together and be better informed now more than ever in light of recent Diamond (and co-brands) salmonella recalls to keep our pets healthy & safe. We need better pet food, treat & supplement labeling so we can all make better decisions for our beloved pets.

1. Ken Lambrecht DVM
Medical Director
Westside Family Pet Clinic
r
Presented June 2nd, 2012
At the Howlin’ Hoopla
Fundraiser for the Dane County Humane Society
www.westsidefamilypet.com
klambdvm@gmail.com
www.slideshare.net

2. Our buddies deserve the truth!
Bug Lance

3. Pet Food is an emotional issue!

4. The top 5 concerns of pet owners
1) What are the best ingredients for my dog or
cat? (corn vs chicken vs beef, byproducts, salt,
sugar etc)
2) How do I read a pet food label?
3) Can I trust the manufacturer?
4) Will my dog/cat like it?
5) Will it be healthy for my dog/cat?

5. 5 top concerns of veterinarians
1) Feeding study performed & verified by an
American Association of Feed Control Officials
(AAFCO) statement on label
2) Good manufacturer quality controls & integrity
3) Appropriate life stage
4) Appropriate protein and calorie levels
5) Preventive ingredients

6. Why as pet owners are we
concerned?
 Menu foods melamine recalls of 2007
 Diamond foods salmonella recalls of 2012
 Distrust of “big box” companies
 Over processing of human food
 Organic, locally sourced food movement

7. Team work!

8. Have a veterinarian do a full nutritional
assessment before you make your final choice

9. Our role as veterinarians
1. We are the trusted advisors/scientists
2. We want to avoid interactions/side effects
3. Be preventive if possible
4. Pet owners want us to make a recommendation
5. Above all we need to be educators!

10. What do dogs need?
 They are omnivorous (like humans)
 Are NOT apex predators like wolf (more
like foxes = scavengers)
 Scavengers eat small prey, plant
material, berries, carrion, intestinal
contents, etc
 Variation in dog breeds (over 300!)
 Has eaten what man has given him/her
since domestication

11. What do cats need?
 They are true or obligate carnivores
 Natural diet: mice, birds, lizards, crickets
etc ,which are 55-58% protein
 Evolutionarily have not changed in over
9000 years!
 Have always eaten what they can kill!

12. A pet food label is:
 FDA & AAFCO regulated
 Is a legal document
 Difficult to read!!!!!
Our pet food label checklist
http://www.westsidefamilypet.com/nutrition-
introduction/nutrition/

13. Pet Food Label Ingredient List
A. Ingredients must be listed in order by weight
B. Meat protein source should be in first three
C. Salt divides Major from Minor ingredients
D. Many unusual terms with specific definitions
E. Need better labeling!

14. What are best ingredients?
1. Are grains bad?
2. What is best protein source?
3. Are “byproducts” safe?
4. What about holistic, organic or human grade claims
5. Are pet foods over processed?

15. 1) Are grains (corn, wheat & soy)
evil? “The great grain debate”
opponents proponents
CORN a filler and a poor corn meal is good
protein source of protein
source
digestible
poorly digestible
doesn’t cause
causes allergies more allergies
than any other
protein
SOY cheap source of fine if used w/
inferior protein complementary
grains
WHEAT allergenic not allergenic

16. Most common ingredients to cause
allergies or adverse reactions
Dogs (n= 198) Cats (n=89)
1. Beef (36%) 1. Beef (20%)
2. Dairy (28%)
2. Dairy (14.6%)
3. Wheat (15%)
4. Egg (10%) 3. Fish (13%)
5. Chicken (9.6%) 4. Lamb (6.7%)
6. Lamb (6.6%) 5. Poultry (4.5%)
7. Soy (6%) 6. Barley/wheat (4.5%)
Verlinden A, Hesta M, Millet S et al Food Allergy in Cats &
Dogs a review Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2006;259-273

17. Allergies in pets are fairly common &
difficult to identify causative protein
 Only about 5% of pets are allergic to food proteins
 With multiple protein ingredients in food & treats
almost impossible to tell which one (blood tests
correlate poorly)
 Many more pets are allergic to environmental
proteins 20-30% (house dust, pollens, and even
grain storage mites)

18. Why do corn (and other grains) get
such negative reviews online?
 High fructose corn syrup?
 Aflatoxins?
 Grain storage mites?
 Others?

19. 2) What is best protein source and
how much protein does my pet need?
 Crude protein (listed on bag)
 Digestible protein (from feeding study)
 Shouldn’t all pet foods be required to tell
us how digestible the protein is?

20. How much protein is
needed in a healthy pet?
2 omnivores (dogs & humans)
1 carnivore (cat)
 Humans typically need 14% protein
 Dogs typically need 18 to 25% protein
 Cats need 40 to 50% protein
Zoran, Debra L., and C.A. Tony Buffington. “Effects of
Nutrition Choices and Lifestyle Changes on the Well-being of
Cats, a Carnivore That Has Moved Indoors.” JAVMA 239.5
(2011): 596-606

22. Protein digestibility
 Poultry by product meal 65 to 70%
 Chicken meal 63 to 67%
 Fish meal 60 to 65%
 Corn gluten meal 60 to 64%
 Meat & bone meal 50 to 55%
 Soybean meal 46 to 50%

23. 3) Are byproducts safe and necessary?
 Simply defined… a byproduct is anything left over in
the manufacture of a food product.
 These products IF HANDLED PROPERLY are
perfectly good sources of protein, fat &
carbohydrates.
 What would we do with all the leftovers from animal
& plant processing if we didn’t produce?
“Feed Your Pet Right” Marion Nestle & Malden
Nesheim

24. 4) What about natural, holistic,
organic, & human grade claims?
There are currently no legal
definitions for “holistic” or
“human grade” label claims

25. 5) Are pet foods over processed?
 The real issue is complex vs simple carbs
 Refined & processed carbohydrates
(simple carbs & sugars) should be avoided
in pet foods just like in people
 How do we tell that from a pet label?
Currently we can’t anymore than in human
food labels!

27. 5 top concerns of veterinarians
1) American Association of Feed Control
Officials (AAFCO) statement
2) Manufacturer quality controls & integrity
3) Appropriate life stage
4) Appropriate protein & calorie levels
5) Preventive ingredients

28. Our role as veterinarians
1. We are the trusted advisors/scientists
2. We want to avoid interactions/side effects
3. Be preventive whenever possible
4. Pet owners want us to make a recommendation
5. Above all we need to educate!

29. 1) AAFCO Statement
 “Feeding study performed” BEST
 “Meets established levels” GOOD
 “To be used under supervision of a
veterinarian” RX FOODS
 No statement = BEWARE

30. AAFCO feeding study
 At least 8 dogs
 6 months
 Blood work, physical exams
 Only way to tell protein digestibility/quality
digestibility=metabolizable (usable) energy
from protein

31. 2) Manufacturer details
 Phone number
 Ability to track & recall
 Does internal controls & quality checks
 Follows all FDA rules
 Has Board Certified Veterinary
Nutritionist (DACVN) on staff
 Optional: Does research & shares freely
with veterinary profession

32. Branding vs Manufacturing
 MANY foods are not made by who we
think
 Mom & Pop vs “Big Box” pet foods
 Co-branding is fine if done with good
partners
 Are manufacturer details listed clearly
enough for consumers to know where
the food was actually made?

33. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
(FFDCA) requires that all animal foods, like
human foods, be safe to eat, produced
under sanitary conditions, contain no
harmful substances, and be truthfully
labeled.
In addition, canned pet foods must be
processed in conformance with the low
acid canned food regulations to ensure the
pet food is free of viable microorganisms

34. These companies had food recalls related
to the Diamond Foods Recall of 2012
 Wellness
 Chicken Soup for Pet Lovers Soul
 Taste of the Wild
 Kirkland Dog Food
 Kirkland Cat Food
 Solid Gold
 Canidae
 Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance
 Diamond

35. Recalls in 2011
 Petrus Dog Food Recall Dec 2011
 Arrow Brand DFR Dec 2011
 Cargill Dec 2011
 Iams Puppy Food Dec 2011
 FDA Dog Treat Warning Nov 2011
 Merrick Dog Treat Recall Aug 2011
 Bravo Pig ears Salmonella June 2011

36. More Recalls in 2010 & 2011
 Prime Time & KC Beef hide Pig Ears May 2011
 Diggers Natural Treats Salmonella May 2011
 Pig Ears due to possible Salmonella
 Merrick Pet Treats Salmonella Jan 2011
 Kroger Dog Food Aflatoxin Dec 2010
 Blue Buffalo Dog Food Vit D Oct 2010
 Hartz Dog Treats Sept 2010
 Merrick Dog Treats Aug 2010

37. Recalls for pet foods & treats
are usually due to:
 Salmonella (or other bacteria) from
animal fat or product
 Aflatoxins (a plant fungus) from grain
 Toxins (melamine in 2007)
 Ingredient deficiencies or excesses
(2010 Blue Buffalo Vit D excess, 2012
Purina Rx OM Thiamine deficiency)

38. A closer look at the Diamond
salmonella recall…
 8 separate recalls over 2 months (new
foods added weekly for over 4 weeks)
 Now affects 2 plants (Gaston SC &
Meta, Mo)
 Triggered 2 FDA investigations
 Has sickened pets worldwide and at
least 16 people

39. 4 FDA Violations to date
1. No microbiological analysis conducted or no
assurance that incoming animal fat will not
introduce pathogens
2. No facilities for hand washing or sanitizing in
area where there is direct contact with
exposed finished food
3. Paddles in conveyor leading to screens
going to packaging were observed to have
gouges & cuts which exhibited feed residues
4. Firm uses cardboard, duct tape & other non-
cleanable surfaces on equipment.

40. 4 FDA Violation #1
 1) All reasonable precautions not taken to
ensure contamination from any source
 Violation: No microbiological analysis
conducted or no assurance that incoming
animal fat will not introduce pathogens .
Also current sampling procedure for animal
digest not adequate. Employee observed
touching filter with bare hands

41. FDA Violation #2
 2) Failure to provide hand washing &
sanitizing facilities at each location in
plant where needed
 Specifically no facilities for hand
washing sanitizing in area where there is
direct contact with exposed finished food

42. FDA Violation #3
 3) Failure to maintain equipment,
containers & utensils in a manner that
protects against contamination.
 Specifically paddles in conveyor leading
to screens going to packaging were
observed to have gouges & cuts which
exhibited feed residues which could
harbor microbes (like salmonella)

43. FDA Violation #4
 Failure to maintain equipment so as to
facilitate cleaning of equipment
 Specifically firm uses cardboard, duct
tape & other non-cleanable surfaces on
equipment. These materials were
observed to have residues adhering.

44. These foods were all produced at
Diamond’s plants
 Wellness
 Chicken Soup for Pet Lovers Soul
 Taste of the Wild
 Kirkland Dog Food
 Kirkland Cat Food
 Solid Gold
 Canidae
 Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance
 Diamond’s own brands
 More details at link below
Summary article of 2012 Diamond Salmonella recall as of 6/2/2012

45. Can we trust the manufacturer of
the food we have chosen to feed?
We need to ask the tough questions always for the
safety & benefit of our buddies!

46. 3) Life stage statement
 Growth/lactation for puppies &
lactating bitches
 Maintenance for all others
 Light Formula food to be less than 320
Cal/cup
 Senior and all others have no AAFCO
definition!

47. 4) Correct amt to feed and how
much protein
 Always need to know Calories/cup
 Protein (plant or animal) levels are
important especially for cats 40-50%
 Only crude protein levels listed (need to
know digestibility-only comes from
feeding trial like AAFCO)

48. 5) Preventive ingredients
A. Fish oils
B. Joint Supplements (Glucosamine, Chondroitin,
Perna Green lipped mussel, ASU)
C. Probiotics
D. Higher Protein (for cats)
E. Antioxidants, isoflavones, others

49. What are we trying to prevent?
 Overweight dogs & cats (even 10%
overweight is not Ideal!)
 Dental disease
 Arthritis
 Cancer
 Immune system diseases

50. Treating & preventing obesity in
pets has to be done now!

51. Pets Reducing for Rescues 2012
 55 participants (36 dogs & 19 cats)
 DCHS, Grey Muzzle, FOF, & LEARN top rescues
 DCHS Contestants Lilly & Teena were winners!
 $1000 in prizes awarded
 $1020 donated to rescues
Clover

52. Fish oils (EPA & DHA)
 Anti-inflammatory dose = 20mg/lb of EPA/day
 60 lb dog will need 1200 mg (typical human
capsule is 180mg) will need to give 7
capsules daily or feed Rx diet
 Sources: Can get at Wal-Mart, Costco etc or
in Rx foods (Purina, Hills & Royal Canin)
 Flax oil does NOT = fish oil
 www.consumerlab.com
 www.westsidefamilypet.com

53. Joint supplements
 Serious quality & quantity concerns!
 www.consumerlab.com
 Glucosamine (not enough in food by law)
 Perna Green lipped Mussel (not regulated)
 Chondroitin sulfate (expensive)
 www.westsidefamilypet.com
Use veterinary label products only!

54. Probiotics = The future is bright!
 LIVE organisms (need to know which ones
and how many)
 Killed by heat
 Dose very important 5 billion CFU/capsule
 Human products up to 450 billion!
 www.consumerlab.com
 www.westsidefamilypet.com

55. WFPC team’s favorite references
 “Feed Your Pet Right” Marion Nestle
 “Chow Hounds” Dr Ernie Ward
 www.consumerlab.com
 FDA Pet food site

56. To minimize concerns lets work
together to be educated!
and be as concerned about the calorie
content & ideal weight, manufacturer
details, the preventive value of evidence
based ingredients & supplements as any
single ingredient

57. Thank you for your attention! Questions?
www.westsidefamilypet.com
klambdvm@gmail.com
www.slideshare.net