Nestle Purina PetCare is recalling one lot of Purina Veterinary Diets ® OM Overweight Management canned cat food after a consumer complaint to the Food and Drug Administration. Testing by the FDA indicated low thiamine (vitamin B1) levels in the product sample.

Though there is no immediate danger to cats consuming the product, a thiamine deficiency can result after several weeks of consumption. Thiamine is essential for cats, and symptoms of thiamine deficiency may present as either neurological or gastrointestinal in nature. Symptoms of thiamine deficiency can include decreased appetite, vomiting, salivation, and weight loss. As the cat becomes more deficient in vitamin B1, neurological signs will often be displayed that can include seizures, circling, bending the neck toward the floor and unsteady gait. With treatment, thiamine deficiency can often be corrected.

The recalled lot of Purina Veterinary Diets ® OM Overweight Management Feline Formula is packaged in a 5.5oz can. Consumers should check the bottom of the can for a best-by date of June 2013 and a production code of 11721159. The UPC code on the can is 38100-13810.

If you are in possession of a recalled lot of Purina Veterinary Diets ® OM Overweight Management Feline Formula, Nestle Purina PetCare recommends you discontinue feeding the product and discard it. For further information, or to obtain a product refund, United States consumers and veterinarians can contact the company by calling 1-800-982-8837 Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central time, or visit their website online at www.purinaveterinarydiets.com. If are a consumer or veterinarian in Canada, you can contact the company by calling 1-866-884-8387 Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, or visiting www.purina.ca online.

Holistic veterinarian and researcher, Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM is available for pet health care consultations and pet health questions. Call Dr. Carol’s office toll free at 1-866-372-2765 to make an appointment for your pet. Bookmark www.carolonpets.com for the latest news, tips and pet anti-aging longevity updates for your dogs and cats.

Should we really be surprised that the pet food recall continues to expand? At least two more individuals have been reportedly sickened due to contact with pet food that was contaminated with a strain of salmonella. The pet food recall currently affects 21 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada; however, because some of the food may have been sold online to additional vendors, those in other states should be mindful of the recall and check food packages to ensure the safety of both humans and pets.

To determine if your pet’s food is included in this recall, check by brand. Information below is taken directly from the Diamond Pet Food’s Recall website.

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul: Check the production code on the product bag. Look for a “2” or “3” in the 9^th position AND an “x” in the 10^th or 11^th position and a best-before date between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013.

Country Value: Check the production code on the product bag. Look for a “2” or “3” in the 9^th position AND an “x” in the 10^th or 11^th position and a best-before date between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013.

Diamond: Check the production code on the product bag. Look for a “2” or “3” in the 9^th position AND an “x” in the 10^th or 11^th position and a best-before date between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013.

Diamond Naturals: Check the production code on the product bag. Look for a “2” or “3” in the 9^th position AND an “x” in the 10^th or 11^th position and a best-before date between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013.

Premium Edge: Check the production code on the product bag. Look for a “2” or “3” in the 9^th position AND an “x” in the 10^th or 11^th position and a best-before date between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013.

Professional: Check the production code on the product bag. Look for a “2” or “3” in the 9^th position AND an “x” in the 10^th or 11^th position and a best-before date between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013.

4Health: Check the production code on the product bag. Look for a “2” or “3” in the 9^th position AND an “x” in the 10^th or 11^th position and a best-before date between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013.

Taste of the Wild: Check the production code on the product bag. Look for a “2” or “3” in the 9^th position AND an “x” in the 10^th or 11^th position and a best-before date between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013.

Apex: Twenty (20) and forty (40) pound bags of Apex Chicken and Rice Dog Food with a production code of ACD0101B32 and a best-by date of January 24, 2013.

Kirkland: Kirkland brands affected include: Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Lamb, Rice & Vegetable Formula; Kirkland Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula; Kirkland Signature Super Premium Mature Dog Chicken, Rice & Egg Formula; Kirkland Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Formulated with Chicken & Vegetables; Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula; Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Cat Formula; and Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula for Dogs.
All Kirkland brands affected by the recall will have a best-before date range of December 9, 2012 – January 31, 2013 AND have BOTH a “3” in the 9^th position and an “X” in the 11^th position of the product code.  For Kirkland Signature brand products sold in Taiwan, the best-before date range is June 9, 2012 – July 31, 2012 and the product code is the same as above.

Canidae: Affected Canidae brands include: Canidae Dog (All Life Stages); Canidae Dog Chicken Meal & Rice; Canidae Dog, Lamb Meal & Rice; and Canidae Dog Platinum. Check the production code on the bag of dog food and look for a “3” in the 9^th position AND an “x” in the 10^th or 11^th position. Best-before dates on the recalled Canidae pet foods are December 9, 2012 – January 31, 2012.

Several brands are being recalled as a precaution only at this time; however this should not give pet owners a false sense of security that the food within the package is safe. If you believe you have purchased one of the potentially tainted packages of pet food that is being recalled the manufacturer recommends that you carefully dispose of the product in a secured plastic bag. Consumers can request a refund or coupon for a replacement bag of pet food can visit the Refund Protocol page at Diamond Pet Recall.

Solid Gold: Affected brands include one batch of WolfCub Large Breed Puppy Food and one batch of WolfKing Large Breed Adult Dog Food. Both brands have a best-before date of December 30, 2012 and an “X” in the 11^th digit of the product code. Bag sizes include 4lb, 15lb, and 33lb bags.

Pet owners concerned about their Solid Gold products can call 1-800-364-4863, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time.

Holistic veterinarian and researcher, Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM is available for pet health care consultations and pet health questions. Call Dr. Carol’s office toll free at 1-866-372-2765 to make an appointment for your pet. Bookmark www.carolonpets.com for the latest news, tips and pet anti-aging longevity updates for your dogs and cats.

The number of bags of pet food being recalled by Diamond Pet Foods continues to expand as at least fourteen people across the United States have become ill from salmonella after handling the pet food or pets who have consumed the tainted products. At the time of this writing, no deaths have been reported, though five individuals have been hospitalized, including a four-month old baby. The Centers for Disease Control are currently involved in an investigation along with the US Food and Drug Administration regarding the contaminated pet foods.

Brands produced by Diamond Pet Foods that are involved in the recall include: Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, Country Value, Diamond, Diamond Naturals, Premium Edge, Professional, 4Health, Taste of the Wild, Apex, Kirkland Signature / Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain, and Canidae. Diamond Pet Foods has created a website page dedicated to listing their pet foods involved in this recall. Pet owners who are in possession of bagged dog food under one of the above listed names can consult the Diamond Pet Foods Recall Information page to determine if their particular bag of food is listed in the recall.

Diamond Pet Foods stresses on their site that many of the brands of recalled food are only due to precautionary measures and most brands have not tested positive for salmonella.  If you find that you are in possession of one of the recalled brands, however, the company urges pet owners to safely dispose of the remaining food.

Holistic veterinarian Dr Carol Osborne is the leading authority in America on pet longevity topics. Dr Carol is the world’s only veterinarian who is certified in anti-aging medicine. Dr Carol created and patented PAAWS pet longevity supplements to lengthen the number of healthy years you can spend with your pet. Schedule a personal pet health consultation with Dr Carol through her website, at www.drcarol.com.

Missouri based Diamond Pet Foods has issued a voluntary recall of one run of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food. After one bag of the dog food tested positive for salmonella, the company announced a recall of four production codes as a preventative measure. A health alert was issued, but at this time there are no reports of sickness in dogs.

Diamond Pet Foods is no stranger to recalls, as this is the second dog food recall within a month. Earlier this month the company announced a recall of certain batches of their Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice product, also due to salmonella contamination. Production at the processing plant in Gaston, South Carolina was suspended two days after the first recall – the same processing plant where mold contamination in dog food was responsible for the deaths of many dogs nationwide in 2005.

A company official reports that the current dog food being recalled was shipped to ten states: Virginia, Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina, Ohio, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Pets in other states may also be affected, as it is believed that the dog food may have been distributed after shipping by the company.

Recalled production codes:

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula – 35 lb bag:
CLF0102B31XCW –  Best By Date: Jan 27, 2013
CLF0102B31XCW –  Best By Date: Jan 28, 2013
CLF0102B32XWR  - Best By Date: Jan 28, 2013

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula – 6 lb bag:
CLF0102B3XALW –  Best By Date: Jan 28, 2013

Diamond Pet Foods recommends that if you have this product in your home, you should discard it immediately. You can contact their offices with any questions at 800-442-0402.

Salmonella is a zoonotic illness, meaning that it can be spread between animals and humans. Pet owners are advised to avoid touching the possibly contaminated food or any food containers that could be contaminated, and hands should be washed thoroughly after properly disposing of any of the recalled dog food.

Holistic veterinarian and pet health researcher,  Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM., is available for pet health questions and pet health consultations for dogs and/ or cats.
Contact Dr. Carol’s veterinary office toll free at 1-866-372-2765 to make an appointment for your dog and/or cat today.

Myself and other pet health professionals have been speaking out against the chicken jerky treats from Waggin’ Train for months, warning consumers that these treats have been linked to illness and death in several dogs. Now, a $5 million class action lawsuit has been filed against Nestle’ Purina and Wal-Mart by a pet owner whose beloved dog passed away after eating the Yam Good Waggin’ Train treats.

According to one report, over 500 reports were sent to Nestle’ Purina and Wagon Train LLC of pets who became ill after eating the jerky treat products. The company responded by placing a warning on their website regarding the complaints. Meanwhile, thousands of packages of potentially deadly treats remained on store shelves and in pet homes where they would be purchased and fed to defenseless pets day after day.

The legal complaint against Nestle’ Purina, Wagon Train, LLC,  and Wal-Mart can be found here.

Please, my dear pet-loving friends, do not take any chances with your pet’s life. Warn other pet lovers you know, too, about the potential danger with these treats. After all, how many pet owners really look at the website of a company producing treats before making that impulse purchase at Wal-Mart? And, for the record, Wal-Mart is still selling the Wagon Train treats on their shelves across the country.

For more details on the class action suit, please see this article or this article.

Holistic veterinarian and pet health researcher,  Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM., is available for pet health questions and pet health consultations for dogs and/ or cats.
Contact Dr. Carol’s veterinary office toll free at 1-866-372-2765 to make an appointment for your dog and/or cat today.

A grieving pet owner recently reached out to Holistic veterinarian, Dr Carol Osborne, DVM, after her 2 beloved dogs ate Wagon Train Chicken Treats, experienced Fanconi Syndrome signs mimicking diabetes and both of her dogs died within the last 2 months.

Dear Dr. Carol,

I am sending this to you after losing two of my dogs within the last two months.My first dog, Dakota, was a bischon poo mix and was 9 1/2 years old. Within a 4 week time frame he had lost 5 lbs.

He began to have excessive thirst and drinking of water, diarrhea and vomiting. On December 5th, 2011,   I took him to my vet, who admitted him and kept him for testing.

He diagnosed him with diabetes and was trying to lower his glucose levels which had reached 500. He started him on insulin but he could not keep anything down. The Dr. placed him on an IV on Tuesday and checked throughout the day.

On Wednesday, December 7th, 2011, the vet stayed after with him because he was not doing well, and by 11:15 to 11:30 pm he passed away.

His kidneys had shut down. Dakota had never had any health issues associated with diabetes or his kidneys prior to this. My vet was at a total loss as to why he had gone down so quickly with no prior episodes.

He had even stated that he had had other dogs come in that were far worse off than Dakota and had made it through it and lived.

My second dog, Kaylee, was a teacup poodle and was 4 years old. On February 6th, 2012, she started to experience the same symptoms that Dakota had experienced.

She started at 5 am on the 6th with diarrhea and vomitting. She started drinking excessive amounts of water to make herself throw up. She had no appetite at all. She slept through the night .

By 8:45 am,on the 7th, she had labored breathing, and died with me on my bed.

All of my dogs are very well taking care of and have always been updated with vaccinations and check-ups. They had not been ill prior to this.

I am extremely concerned due to the fact I have given all my dogs Wagon Train Chicken Wraps.

I have had two dogs die and I have three remaining that I am very worried about. All of them have had diarrhea .

Read the rest of this entry »

Since the FDA issued an initial warning 3 years ago, complaints are on the rise yet again. Today, November 18, 2011 the FDA issued another warning to dog owners.

Dogs affected may show signs ranging from a mild illness to Fanconi Syndrome.

Over the last year, increasing numbers of complaints have been reported to the FDA due to dogs eating chicken jerky products imported from China.

These complaints have been reported to FDA by both dog owners as well as veterinarians.

Pet owners feeding their dogs chicken jerky treats are advised to watch their dogs for any of these signs which may occur within hours or even several days after feeding  jerky pet products: loss of appetite, sluggish, vomiting and/or diarrhea with or without blood.

Some dogs may also show signs of canine kidney failure such as increased water consumption and/or increased urination.

If your pet shows any of these signs, stop feeding  dog chicken jerky’s, report this to the FDA and see your veterinarian.

Pet Blood tests may indicate canine kidney failure and urine tests may reveal sugar indicative of Fanconi syndrome.

Although most canines seem to recover, some dogs have died.

Holistic veterinarian and pet health researcher,  Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM., is available for pet health questions and pet health consultations for dogs and/ or cats.

Contact Dr. Carol’s veterinary office toll free at 1-866-372-2765 to make an appointment for your dog and/or cat today.

About Dr Carol:

CAROL OSBORNE, D.V.M., is recognized as an authority on alternative and holistic veterinary medicine and the new clinical science of aging-related pet diseases. A Board Certified Diplomat of the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine, she has pioneered the exploration of new therapies for the treatment and prevention of age-related degenerative disease, as well as promotion of optimum health and performance for pets.

Dr. Osborne created and patented PAAWS, Pet Anti-Aging Wellness System and authored Naturally Healthy Dogs and Naturally Healthy Cats. She has been featured in USA Today, The Los Angeles Times and the New York Daily News.

An Emmy-nominated television journalist, Dr. Osborne has gained national prominence through her frequent appearances on popular shows including Today in New York, Good Day L.A., and Discovery’s Animal Planet.

Currently, she devotes much of her time to the research and development of advanced biosciences for the benefit of animal health and welfare.

Pet Talk Radio Welcome’s Holistic Veterinarian:

Anti-Aging Pet Health Diplomat  & Fellow Pet Lover

Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM: Pet Talk’s New Host & Pet Expert

Join Dr. Carol & Ask Pet Questions Live ON AIR!

Where: Pet Lovers: Log onto www.allpawspettalk.com

When: Wednesday September 14, 2011 Time: 1:00-1:40 PM EST

Dr. Carol’s mission is to educate and entertain our pet

listeners and to help save the lives of all animals in need.

All Paws Pet Talk Radio is informative,entertaining and provides

pet loving listeners a reason to tune in every week!

Dr Carol’s Pet Talk Radio show targets millions of pet lovers,

animal attics and dog and cat owners with a fun, informative format similar to most talk

radio. Dr Carol takes phone calls live on air and answers pet questions emailed in to her on the question and answer portion of her show.

Pet Loving Listeners just log on and ASK Dr. Carol your Pet Questions FREE- live ON AIR.

Dr Carol offers all kinds of pet news tips and information and answers pet questions live on air, offers free pet behavior and holistic pet health advice.

Dr Carol will also keep pet listeners up to date on the latest pet events and pet entertainment opportunities taking place in communities throughout our national listening areas.

Stay tuned every week for the latest holistic pet health news, tips and trends along with Dr Carol’s weekly homemade pet recipes and nutrition tips to keep your best 4-legged friend in tip-top shape naturally.

If any of our pet loving listeners miss Dr. Carol’s segment….just log onto www.allpettalk.com and listen to her audio podcasts FREE on i Tunes!

Join Dr. Carol & Ask Pet Questions Live ON AIR!

Pet Lovers: Log onto www.allpawspettalk.com

When: Wednesday September 14, 2011

Time: 1:00-1:40 PM EST

“All Paws Pet Talk Radio is the BEST pet information talk show in the Universe!” -Deep Space Communication Network

Join Dr. Carol & Ask Pet Questions Live ON AIR!

Pet Lovers: Log onto www.allpawspettalk.com

When: Wednesday September 14, 2011

Time: 1:00-1:40 PM EST

For more about Dr Carol, Visit her online: www.carolonpets.com.

About Dr Carol:
CAROL OSBORNE, D.V.M., is recognized as an authority on alternative and holistic veterinary medicine and the new clinical science of aging-related pet diseases. A Board Certified Diplomat of the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine, she has pioneered the exploration of new therapies for the treatment and prevention of age-related degenerative disease, as well as promotion of optimum health and performance for pets.

Dr. Osborne created and patented PAAWS, Pet Anti-Aging Wellness System and authored Naturally Healthy Dogs and Naturally Healthy Cats. She has been featured in USA Today, The Los Angeles Times and the New York Daily News.

An Emmy-nominated television journalist, Dr. Osborne has gained national prominence through her frequent appearances on popular shows including Today in New York, Good Day L.A., and Discovery’s Animal Planet.

Currently, she devotes much of her time to the research and development of advanced biosciences for the benefit of animal health and welfare.