Articles by Susan Thixton:

FDA Alert: Detention of Chinese Imports (NewsTarget) The FDA issued an import alert, 11/12/08, detaining ALL milk products, milk derived ingredients and finished food products containing milk from China due to the presence of melamine. Close to two years after melamine tainted wheat, rice,...

Ethical Question of Veterinarian Food Recommendations (NewsTarget) Almost every Veterinarian Clinic across the country offers dog and cat food for sale. Some only offer prescription foods specifically for pets needing a diet to address a disease; however, many others offer for sale maintenance dog and cat...

Variety Plan for Feeding Your Dog or Cat (NewsTarget) If the worst would happen, and the pet food you provide your pet is recalled, do you have a back up pet food? Getting prepared for a recall isn’t being paranoid; it might prove to be the safest move you can make for the health of your pet. No...

Buying a 'Natural' Pet Food Product is Like Buying Fool's Gold (NewsTarget) A recent survey from the GoodLife Recipe Pet Food company provided by (www.mediapost.com) website states that two-thirds of pet owners don’t consider cost when selecting a dog food or cat food. Their survey states that nearly 60% of pet...

FDA Set to Approve Genetically Engineered Animals (NewsTarget) Genetically Engineered grains have been in existence for several years, amidst many concerns from various organizations and individuals. Now, the FDA is set to approve Genetically Engineered Animals to be introduced into the food chain. Ever...

Pet Food Recipe Changes and Challenges (NewsTarget) If you haven’t seen it yet with your brand of dog food or cat food, you probably will soon. Prices of pet food ingredients are rising just like the prices of your groceries in recent months. Many pet food manufacturers are scrambling to...

Could Risky Meat By-Products Be Turned Into Energy? (NewsTarget) I have discovered a possible means for the inferior garbage that gets dumped into pet food to be turned into valuable energy. Something that seems to be a far better method to discard of left over animal waste materials than becoming dog...

Veterinary Medical Association Meeting Shows Pet Safety Is Not a Priority (NewsTarget) Recently the AMVA (American Veterinary Medical Association) held its annual meeting; reports of the topics discussed are discouraging. Per an article reported in MedicalNewsToday.com several veterinary speakers clearly continue to support...

Undeniable Proof the FDA Allows Pet Food to Break the Law (NewsTarget) The FDA website, on a page regarding pet foods, proudly cites the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). With reading just a few of the FD&C Act laws, and a little reading on the FDA website, there is absolute proof that the FDA ignores...

Feeding Your Pet Treats Could Be Harmful - Give Them a Nutritional Bonus Instead (NewsTarget) We all do it; we give our pets treats as a reward or just because we love them. And many times pet owners don’t think about the extra calories in treats or worse yet, consider if the treat contains harmful ingredients. It’s a treat, it won’t...

COOL Law Proves Ineffective in Reducing Melamine Risks (NewsTarget) Since the 2007 pet food recall, melamine has been discovered in many ‘people’ products from infant formula to candy to powdered cheese to coffee creamers; recalls continue worldwide. Although the Chinese government assures the world they...

Higher Profits for Big Pharma: Selling Drugs to Pets (NewsTarget) Within the last few years, large Pharmaceutical companies have introduced several ‘people’ drugs into the pet field. Many new drugs from doggie Prozac to weight loss drugs are already approved by the FDA. For pharmaceutical companies to...

Protect Pets from Salmonella with Electrolyzed Water (NewsTarget) The most recent pet food recall from Mars Pet Care - due to salmonella contamination - appears to be becoming habit. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Mars Pet Care products have been having Salmonella problems for several...

FDA Proposal for Safer Imported Food (NewsTarget) The FDA issued a proposal to design new legislation to reduce a practice known as “port shopping.” This is a small step forward towards safer imports into the US; a little slow in development, but better late than never. Currently there...

FDA Gives Pet Food Companies a Loophole to By-Pass Law (NewsTarget) The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) is a set of laws passed by Congress in 1938 giving authority to the FDA to oversee and take legal action to protect the safety of food, drugs, and cosmetics –- there have been many revisions...

Is BPA in Canned Pet Food Linings a Concern for Pets? (NewsTarget) Bisphenol A or BPA is an ingredient used to make hard, clear plastics and is also found in the lining of many canned products including pet foods. BPA is known to seep into food or liquids. The FDA, in typical fashion has waffled on its...

Buying the Presumably More Expensive Dog Food or Cat Food Can Save You Money (NewsTarget) It’s almost overwhelming when you visit a pet store and wander down the mile long aisles of pet food. Thousands of pet food brands all seem to say the very same thing -- 100% Complete Nutrition and ‘Premium’ and ‘Choice’. The brand your...

Canned or Kibble - Deciding Which Pet Food Is Best for Your Pet (NewsTarget) As if it isn’t difficult enough for pet parents to decide on which brand or variety of dog food or cat food to choose, you also have to decide if you should be feeding dry or canned pet food. Walk into any pet store and you are staring at...

Pets Can’t Lie, but Pet Food Manufacturers Legally Can (NewsTarget) You come home from work and notice your dog or cat peeping at you from around the corner, you immediately know something’s up. Regardless whether you discover a ‘present’ left on the living room rug or a broken vase from the cabinet they...

Former Pet Food Contaminant Melamine Now Surfacing in Baby Formula (NewsTarget) Melamine is raising its ugly head again, this time reports are saying traces of melamine were found in a Chinese brand of baby formula. The Canadian Broadcasting Company is reporting (September 11, 2008)that 14 babies developed kidney stones...

Menadione Sodium Bisulfate: A Pet Food Ingredient to Be Wary of (NewsTarget) While it’s a little noticed pet food ingredient, Menadione Sodium Bisulfate (and its many named variations) is one ingredient to look out for and avoid. This ingredient is commonly found in many dog foods, cat foods, and treats. Unfortunately,...

Mars Pet Food Recall Announced on September 12th, 2008 (NewsTarget) Mars Pet Food announced a voluntary recall of many brands of dog food and cat food on September 12th, 2008 due to “potential contamination with Salmonella”. The recall only affects products sold in the United States. Products affected...

Cigarettes, Lies, and Pet Food Advertising (NewsTarget) It’s difficult to imagine that cigarettes and lies have any connection with pet food -- but when you look closely at the advertising tactics of some pet foods, look closely at the ingredients in those pet foods -- you’ll find cigarettes,...

U.S. and China Announce Food Safety Progress for Pet Food? (NewsTarget) The U.S. Health and Human Services announced, on June 18, 2008, progress between China and the U.S. stating, “strong and sustained cooperation by both nations to strengthen the safety of food products exported to the United States from China.”...

FDA Pet Food Safety Policies Comprised of Twisted Logic (NewsTarget) The FDA is supposed to protect our pet’s food. Congress took note of the deadly pet food recall last year and mandated the FDA to clean up its act. Human food and pet food regulations are supposed to be updated and in working order by September...

To Raise a Healthy Pet, Read Between the Lines of Its Behavior (NewsTarget) Not to sound too ‘out there’ but I’m a big believer that pet food manufacturers and our pets show us ‘signs’. The point being to urge you to always be aware of the signs presented to you with your pets and the products they consume. Earlier...

Are the Ingredients in Pet Food 'People' Safe? (NewsTarget) When I officially began reviewing pet foods, companies I contacted shared without hesitation if their foods used human grade or pet grade meat ingredients. Now I am seeing a shift in that. These days many are telling me they use human grade/quality...

Safety Tips for Placing Your Pet in the Care of Others (NewsTarget) I recently read an article about a Dog Day Care who had the unfortunate experience of a dog escaping the facility in the middle of the day and no one noticed. At the end of the day, the dog’s owners (brand new to this daycare) returned to...

Study Finds Pets Suffer From Household Pollutants (NewsTarget) A recent study performed by Environmental Working Group (EWG) proves our pets are exposed to chemicals and toxins in far greater amounts than people. In a ground breaking study, EWG found dogs and cats to be contaminated with 48 different...

FDA Seizes Pet Foods From Petco Distribution Center (NewsTarget) Warehousing and storage of pet foods is out of the manufacturer’s control once it leaves their facilities. Pet owners must rely on conscientious distributors to warehouse the food properly. Unfortunately, not every distributor is conscientious....

When It Comes to Pet Food Safety Reform, the FDA Is Full of Excuses (NewsTarget) You are well aware of the pet food recall of 2007. You are well aware that due to that recall thousands of pets died, and thousands more became ill. You are probably aware that the FDA held a public meeting on May 13, 2008 to seek input...

The Recent Limited Recall of Pedigree Dog Food (NewsTarget) Mars Petcare issued a limited recall of Pedigree dog food. The recall is limited to Southern California and Las Vegas, NV. A “component” of the food that tested positive for Salmonella contamination “was inadvertently shipped to our Tracy,...

Monitor Your Pet's Litter Box or Back Yard Deposits for Clues to Their Health (NewsTarget) As much ‘fun’ as it is to clean the litter box or pick up the ‘land mines’ in the back yard, the clean up provides you with an opportunity to monitor your pet’s health. The trick is to first learn what normal elimination behavior is, and...

Certain Pets Targeted for Euthanization Because of Breed Profiling (NewsTarget) A recent article in the Leaf Chronicle, Clarksville, TN newspaper has got the fur flying. The Leaf Chronicle reported on euthanizing procedures for the county Animal Control. Horrendous standard procedures flatly euthanize particular breeds...

FDA Warning Issued to Meat Producer One Year Too Late (NewsTarget) The recent batch of warning letters issued by the FDA once again causes me to worry about eating anything. One in particular –- FDA warning letter dated July, 2 2008 to Chief Operating Officer at Full Circle Dairy in Lee, FL proves the FDA...

Pentobarbital Is Killing Eagles But the FDA Says It's Safe for Pets (NewsTarget) Just when you think you’ve seen it all and nothing would be too shocking to learn or read about the pet food industry, you stumble across something that causes your jaw to drop. I stumbled across something that proves once again –- you can’t...

Shopping for Your Pet: How to Compare Pet Food Prices (NewsTarget) I recently received an email asking my opinion about a couple of different types of pet foods –- what I thought about the quality of the foods. Both of the pet foods he asked about (which he was feeding his 'family') were what I considered...

Why the 'Best By' Date Label on Pet Foods Is So Important (NewsTarget) A recent article posted on The Consumerist website brings up a very good point (and lesson) that pet owners should take note of. The article comes from a pet owner whose Yorkie became ill, and after a couple of days in the vet’s office,...

A Trip Down the Pet Food Aisle Reveals Harmful Food Additives (NewsTarget) I took a little field trip yesterday to Walmart and paid a visit to the pet food aisle. It was one of the most discouraging field trips I’ve ever taken. I’m not going to mention any product names but do I have some interesting pet food sales...

Say Bye, Bye to Pet Foods With By-Products (NewsTarget) A common ingredient found in dog food and cat food is by-products. When you look at your pet food or pet treat label, you might see by-product, chicken by-product, turkey by-product meal, or a few more variations. Most pet owners have never...

FDA Pet Food Safety Meeting Proves No One Is Watching Out for Pets (NewsTarget) If you heard a thud last week it was the ball dropping... the $26 Billion dollar a year pet food industry ball being dropped by the FDA and every major pet organization in the U.S. Finally, fourteen months after the world’s largest pet food...

One Simple Question That Could Save Your Pet’s Life (NewsTarget) There is a lot to know in order to properly care for the four legged love of your life. But there is one question that every dog and cat owner needs to ask –- and deserves to know the answer to. It’s simple and it should take less than 3...