Author: Susan Thixton

The FDA and every US State pet food regulatory authority allow condemned poultry and livestock, as well as non-slaughtered animals (those that die before slaughter) to be processed into pet food. without warning or disclosure to pet owners. In April of 2019, the FDA CVM stated: “we do not believe that the use of diseased animals or animals that have died other than slaughter for animal feed poses a safety concern and we intend to continue to exercise enforcement discretion.” In addition to not requiring disclosure of pet food use of condemned or unkilled decomposing animal material on pet food…

There has been an ongoing dramatic increase in sick and dead pets believed to be linked to many brands of pet foods. The reports continued for at least three months. And for three long months the FDA has NOT released any statement on what they are doing or not doing to investigate. Why? We do not know how many reports of sick pets the FDA has received. Based on the numbers collected, we estimate that several thousand reports have been submitted to the agency in the past three months, with several hundred pet deaths. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests…

SC Pet Food Solutions located in Saluda County South Carolina was fined $20,000 for polluting area streams. From Yahoo News: “A large creek downstream of the pet food plant – Mine Creek – was coated with pea green slime and carried an odor that neighbors said was nauseating. Before the scum formed, the water turned black, residents said.” Image source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/stinky-dark-discharges-drained-pet-110000296.html “The Pet Food Solutions plant, in the small Saluda County community of Ward, is a large factory that processes byproducts from poultry processing plants into protein food for pet food..” From Google Earth, below is the plant ingredient for…

On March 11, 2024 the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) division of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released proposed regulations for organic pet food. The USDA says the standards are necessary “to resolve inconsistency and uncertainty” in the organic pet food market. The USDA admits that there are currently inconsistent interpretations of organic pet food regulations such as “Some pet food manufacturers are allowed to use slaughter by-products where others are not.” We agree that a uniform organic pet food standard is necessary, however we disagree with some of the recommendations from the USDA AMS for pet food. Such…

This post is a rare exception to the topics we usually cover. The regulatory failure involved is important for pet owners to know to protect their pets. Recently a lawsuit against Seresto flea collars was settled for $15 million. Pet owners will be eligible for “up to $13” for each collar purchased, and “If your pet dies in a manner ‘allegedly related’ to wearing a Seresto product, you are eligible for $300 plus medical expenses and burial or cremation fees..” At the same time the lawsuit was settled, the US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General released a damning…

What we know… Reports of sick and dying pets continue to come in from pet owners. Reports of sick and dying pets continue to be linked to many brands and types (both wet and dry) of pet foods. The symptoms of sick pets remain constant; diarrhea – often bloody, vomiting – often bloody, in many cases seizures, in many cases death. Reports of pet food being dumped in landfills continue to come in from pet owners (putting wildlife at risk of illness and death). Reports of empty pet store shelves continue to come in from pet owners, unavailability of brands…

The Pet Food Institute – the trade organization representing the largest US pet food manufacturers – is behind a newly proposed bill in Congress. In other words, the pet food industry itself is pushing for these proposed pet food changes. When reading the bill, it is clear who will benefit from the bill and who will not benefit from the bill. History behind the bill… Pet foods are currently regulated by state laws and federal laws. Specifically with state laws regulating pet foods, most US states implement AAFCO regulations – but not all. Some of the states that adopt the…

In most states in the US, raw (un-pasteurized) milk is allowed to be sold for pet food. But, raw pet milk products are required to disclose that they are ‘raw’. AAFCO has specific regulations for raw milk pet products that require the following disclosure “displayed in a striking way” on the label: “WARNING: NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION – THIS PRODUCT IS UNPASTEURIZED AND MAY CONTAIN BACTERIA.” This label disclosure requirement is fair. Most consumers are familiar with pasteurized milk products, so when a product is not pasteurized it is necessary to disclose it to the consumer. Pet owners should be…

In early January 2024, reports of sick pets and pet deaths began to increase, initially linked to various Purina pet foods but many brands have since been added to the list of suspected. Purina quickly tried to silence the voices of pet owners in the mainstream media citing sick and dead pet reports as “rumors”and”false statements”. But pet owners were undeterred by Purina’s harsh words, continuing to report their pet’s illness or death to regulatory authorities. And then pet owners experienced some harsh words directly from the regulation. Authorities from two different states – when collecting samples of suspected pet…

The legal complaint, filed in Kansas on February 6, 2024, is 124 pages of compelling evidence against Hill’s Pet Food, Morris Animal Foundation, Mark Morris Institute, Dr. Lisa Freeman, Dr. Joshua Stern, Dr. Darcy Adin and others are said to be all involved in “a horrific, extensive, and damaging campaign of coordinated, for-profit, fake scientific disinformation by a large corporation” to lead veterinarians and pet owners to believe (wrongly – according to the lawsuit) that grain-free pet foods are dangerous, linked to dog heart disease. “Using the tools of professional science and Hill’s extensive network of veterinary influence, the method’s…