Friday, March 23, 2007

One Thing Leads to Another

Re: Menu Foods

Further testing of some of the recalled pet foods has shown the presence of rat poison. Officials haven't identified the actual chemical or its source beyond saying it was "a" rat poison." The FDA has, of course, said the investigation was focusing on wheat gluten in the food. Wheat gluten alone, however, would not cause kidney failure. Still, the common ingredient could have been contaminated by heavy metals or mold toxins, according to the FDA.

If it is, in fact, rat poison, this begs the question -- was it an accidental contamination, or was it a deliberate act by party or parties unknown?

At the grocery store yesterday, the shelves were nearly completely denuded of "wet" dog food. Those little square packages of gourmet dog food were still up, and the Pedigree pouches. Pedigree, thank God, is still safe as far as I know. At any rate, it's not on the recall list. That's what I bought. The checkout lady asked me if the Pedigree was safe, to which I responded that since it wasn't on the list, I hoped so. Then she told me she was feeding her dog Mighty Dog. Alas, Mighty Dog was still on the store shelves, and -- it's on the recall list. When I told her, she was horrified. She did say she'd throw it out when she got home and keep an eye on her dog.

Update, 4:20 P.M.:

The toxin has now been identified as aminopterin, which is used to kill rats in some countries. Aminopterin is not registered for killing rodents in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, though it is used as a cancer drug. Officials aren't officially speculatating on how the chemical got into Menu Foods products.

Scientists at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell and at the New York State Food Laboratory tested three cat food samples provided by Menu Foods and found Aminopterin in two of them. Scientists said they would test individual components of the pet food, as well. The early test results were released to give veterinarians a better idea of how to treat sick animals.

"Any amount of this product is too much in food," lab personnel said.

Aminopterin, also used as a cancer drug, is highly toxic in high doses. It inhibits the growth of malignant cells and suppresses the immune system and, as we now know, it can cause kidney failure in cats and dogs.

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It's such a gorgeous day around here that I've lost my mind a little bit. I'm actually -- Spring cleaning. You know how that goes -- one chore completed necessitates another. When something is nice and clean, after all, you can't in good conscience put it back in place until the space where it goes is also cleaned. Therefore, I had to figure out how to turn on the vacuum cleaner. My bedroom curtains are in the washing machine, along with the comforter.

My bedroom looks much neater, I've rearranged the clutter in the den, and the kitchen is cleaner than it was yesterday. I hope this nonsense stops before I remember how the stove works.

The dog has been walked, and neither of us wanted to come back in. Everything is budding in shades of green. The pear trees are in bloom, as are some kind of trees with pink blossoms. Cherry? Redbud? I'm not sure, but they're beautiful to see. The birds are chirping merrily and the squirrels are playing tag in the back yard. Even the neighborhood stray cats are laid back and grinning today. I love Spring.

Friday with Twisted Linguistics

problem which I believe you were eluding to - Running away from your troubles.

The primerose path - Mush-brain caused by prime-time TV.

visa versa - Reverse the charges, and charge it.

Least I not forget - Loosely translated as "At least, I will not forget."


What time of day are you?



You Are Noon

You are upbeat, ambitious, and never at loss for energy.
You have a lot that drives you in life. The desire to be the best, and a secret hope of fame and power.
And while you definitely have a Type A personality, you are still fun to be around.
You have a ton of charisma and a genuine interest in others. You are adored by many.





*Disclaimer: I am decidedly not a Type-A personality; I'm barely above slug status.


4I'm taking a break from blogging this weekend. I'll be out and about, and also paying more attention to this site than I have been lately. You're welcome to join me.

29 comments:

MXI said...

Sunrise?
I am not a morning person, or at least I didn't think I was till this quiz.
I should try getting up in the morning and see how that goes.

Anonymous said...

You are Midnight.
You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits.
Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle.
Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it.
You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.


This whole dog food thing makes me think of something I saw on a late night comedy show. (Hm, guess the midnight thing was pretty close to the mark.) Some guy was ranting about illegal immigrant workers at a processed meat facility having access to America's food supply, and wondered what would happen if some of those illegal employees had nefarious intentions.

Not that I'm saying terrorists are killing peoples dogs. (It was likely just a quality control thing. They probably don't test for rat poison in their QC process.) I just keep thinking of that comedy skit every time I hear about the dog food thing.

rkfinnell said...

***You Are Midnight***


You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits.
Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle.
Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it.
You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

That is SO me. LOL

Serena said...

MXI, you don't get up in the morning? I want to do what you do, because I purely hate getting up early in the morning.

You Midnight People are very cool. I wish I'd gotten that.:)

Seeley, in light of the information contained in the update, you might not be that far off the mark. The chemical in the food is not used in this country.

Corn Dog said...

I'm just sitting arounding searching the internet for one horror story after another about the rat poison and crying. I can't imagine. I have to stop and go hug my two. Then I must vacuum before the hair actually accumulates into another creature that I have to buy a license for.

Serena said...

It is a horror story, CD. Who in the hell would put rat poison in pet food? I'd hate to think it was deliberate, but you sure do have to wonder. I can envision all sorts of ancillary scenarios.

I vacuumed today. I don't mind the dog hair multiplying, but it's heating up and it was getting annoying sticking to my bare feet. LOL.

Camille Alexa said...

***You Are Midnight***


You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits....



--The primerose path--
the direction prime interest rates are going: UP.

Serena said...

Why am I not surprised that you're another Midnight, Littlebird?

Good call on the primerose path.

Lee said...

I read somewhere this morning, Serena, that it was contaminated wheat imported from China. Let's hope they get to the bottom of this, and quickly.

Lee said...

I don't always do these but I did today and this is what it came up with! And it's pretty close to the mark...or perhaps I just marked the right spots!

You Are Sunrise
You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary.
You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward.
Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts.
All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

Serena said...

From what I know of you, Lee, I'd say the quiz pegged you perfectly. You are a Sunrise.

I know, I hope the pet food problem is resolved quickly, too, whatever the source.

Pink said...

whats a stove? (!)

if this doesn't stop, I think you should see a doctor.

I, too, am taking a blog break - getting packed and then going to Africa - but everyone needs a wee break now and then...will check in on you while I'm on my blogoliday!

Enjoy spring!
xx
pinks

puerileuwaite said...

I am 5 AM, I am.

Serena said...

Don't worry, Rev. Pinks, I'll call the doctor if the strange kitchen symptoms continue. YOU have a fantastic journey and enjoy every minute in Africa!

Pug's another Sunrise. Hmmm.:)

Hale McKay said...

With two dogs and three cats, we obviously have been paying very close attention to this story.

Fortunately, none of the pet food stuf we use appear on any of the lists. We are, however, concerned that there might be additions to the lists.

It behooves every pet owner to stay up to date with the list and any new developments on this matter.

Serena said...

Absolutely, Mike. I'm checking the list frequently for updates because here's what concerns me. If the source of the contamination was through the grain, then the same grain might show up in dry food. Maybe it's a needless worry, but it's one I can't help but think about.

ThatGreenyFlower said...

Oh, that's weird--I'm midnight. I would have pegged myself as the 14:30 type.

I'd rather accidentally feed my dog poisoned dog food than have one other six-year-old boy kidnapped and tortured. Truthfully. I'd even throw in accidentally poisoning other people's dogs. Heck, I'd poison my own dog on purpose if it would save a baby.

Anonymous said...

The saga of the tainted pet food continues.

astrologymemphis.blogspot.com said...

It's 86 degrees here today. I'm feeling it.

Hey, I got banned from Misplaced Man in Japan's blog. Was it something I said? And I guess Scary doesn't carey about me anymore, either. Gee, I'm really winning friends and influencing people all over the world. :-(

Serena said...

Low 80s here, and muggy. It's going to rain, I think. It's great having the windows flung open, though.

I think that when a blog goes private, you have to e-mail the owner for access. Scary's gone to Hawaii, but I'm pretty sure he adores you.

Serena said...

I hope that never becomes necessary, Greeny.

It is still ongoing, Steve; probably will be for some time.

Rain said...

Thanks for posting the pet food info, I am scared to use any of it. I am sticking to dry food and meat scraps for now.

Serena said...

Hey, Rain, I was just at your site and saw your birthday present. He is PRECIOUS!

I think everybody's scared of their pet food right now, and it's a good idea to not use any of it. You can buy stew meat cheap and cook it 'til it's tender, then store it in the fridge to feed as you need it. I know people say it's not a good idea to feed dogs meat, but my thinking is this: if dogs were in the wild and not domesticated, what would they be eating? MEAT.

MXI said...

I am self-employed and work everyday, sitting here day after day, my one bright spot is taking a break and visiting a few blogs..and you take the weekend off??????
Now what am I supposed to do? I guess I'm gonna have to get some work done...

Serena said...

Working on a Saturday night, MXI? No, say it ain't so! It's true, I didn't feel like writing a post today. But -- you can follow the link to where I AM trying to get some work done.:)

MXI said...

A room for writers? I don't belong in there...I'm ellit...illit...illitur.....can't write!

Serena said...

Oh, nonsense. You blog. That's writing. We all write different things. Besides, we spend more time bitching and moaning about everything BUT writing and talking about Anna Nicole Smith. Come on over.:)

astrologymemphis.blogspot.com said...

You Are Midnight
You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits.
Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle.
Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it.
You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

It got me right.

Serena said...

You Midnight People are so damn cool.:)