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Sick as a Dog - Pet Food Recalled across the Country!
Dogs and cats around the United States are having a rough time lately! Many are falling ill - even dying! - because of the food they are eating.
Back in February, pet food maker Menu Foods told the Food and Drug Administration that its food was making animals sick. The Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA for short, is the government office that makes sure everything is healthy to eat. To be safe, Menu Foods removed many of its pet food brands from store shelves.
FDA scientists soon discovered aminopterin, a chemical used in rat poison! It was found in wheat gluten that was made in China. Wheat gluten is used to thicken the gravy found in many pet foods.
Even after Menu Foods recalled its brands, dogs and cats were STILL getting sick. The FDA got over 12,000 complaints in the last week, that's more than they usually hear in a year. So other pet food makers like Del Monte and Hills pulled their food from the shelves, too.
More testing turned up another toxic chemical called melamine. In response, over 100 of the most popular brands are now on the recall list. You can find the list on the FDA's Web site.
Signs that your pet might've eaten the bad food include vomiting, being tired, and thirsty.
The FDA still isn't sure how the chemicals got into the food and is still investigating. In the meantime, make sure your pet food isn't one of the recalled brands. Or be like thousands of pet owners who decided to cook for their pets instead!
I'm Ben and that's what happened in our nation this week!
Do you know enough about this problem to keep your pet healthy? Let's find out and play Just the Facts!
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