fish n dog

Some people with a soul might say that Diamond was wrong to sell that tainted feed to a pig farm knowing it was under re-call.. You make it sound like all people in the business world act this way.. I would like to believe you are wrong but I am beginning to see that if I buy dog food no one cares what goes into it as long as you get away with it.... Very very sad.

My soul is alive and well, thank you for your concern. My comments were directed towards the discussion in general and I said nothing to warrant such a remark. It's not my fault that America functions the way it does. I'm simply stating facts. Diamond was just doing what any other company would do and you will find that many super-premium pet food manufacturers also sell their wastes to pig farmers. From what I know Diamond did not knowingly sell the tainted food to those farmers. In the manufacture of dog food things happen, ingredients aren't added in properly, something malfunctions with the extruder, all of this "waste" product is a common everyday occurance and has to go somewhere. I believe Diamond sold off the tainted NB (the product that had been messed up in other ways during it's manufacture) to pig farmers before any consumers started to complain to NB that there was a problem with the food. (think about this logically, local pig farmers would have picked up the food and fed it to their pigs days before the finished product hit the shelves, purchased by consumers, fed to their dogs, and the problems noticed.) If my observations on this situation and the economic system as a whole means that I am lacking a soul then surely your rude comment implies that no one should think logically about the situation. Do some more research and I think you'll find that the whole dog food business is extremely cut throat and many lies, myths and rumors abound, spread by some despicable companies and some companies that many would put on a pedestal. There is not a definite line between the companies that are "good" and the companies that are "evil," and the companies that many would consider "good" have had their fair share of recalls that have killed pets. I've talked to many vets and I know that a certain brand of cat food that everyone loves to pieces has caused many cats to develop life-threatening UTIs, including my own. Their ingredients may be "human-grade" but their formulation with it's high ash content is certainly very dangerous to cats. Oi! I knew there was a reason I was avoiding this thread and I should have followed my hunch.

I have attempted to stay out of this one,

First off my soul is doing great.  Many people (at least I think there are some others out there) do not have the time, or perhaps the funds to feed raw diets or to take the time to write to companies and get a complete list of all ingredients, where they come from and what their individual expiration date might be. I have always had dogs that had no issues with eating. Now I have Hektor whom I have tossed out bag after bag of food because it upsets his stomach or it makes him itchy. TOW is the first one that he has done very well on. So I feed it to him, because it works. I buy it at the local dog day care and training facility. They do not carry many brands and they seem to be pretty picky about what they carry. So I trust them and purchase the food. I will continue to purchase it until I hear "proof" that it is tainted, poisoned or that they are using 8 year olds as factory workers. What they did in the past is in the past.

  I think comments stating that perhaps people buying it are "dumb" and perhaps have no "souls" are a bit much. For me it is dog food. It is not the normal cheap brands that one buys in the grocery stores. It works, the dogs like it, they do well on it, the vet likes it, the people at the training place like it, so why is there the need to research every occurrence in the past in order to be certain that a food is "okay" to feed your dog. My hat is off to those who have the time and energy and resources to intensely research every thing that passes their dogs lips. Alas I just do not have the time or inclination to get that detailed.

iggypop

If my observations on this situation and the economic system as a whole means that I am lacking a soul then surely your rude comment implies that no one should think logically about the situation. Do some more research and I think you'll find that the whole dog food business is extremely cut throat and many lies, myths and rumors abound, spread by some despicable companies and some companies that many would put on a pedestal.

Maybe I should have said it just like you just did...   Bravo.. I've been doing this research for some time and agree with you.. Any problem I have with Diamond Pet Food is that they Talk The Talk... but quality has been absent from their products.. TOW look's good... I only wish a company to make what they say...and don't lie and have some ethics like you suggested.  Perhaps our system in the USA is broken ... Ever since Ronald Reagan de-regulated all our business sectors quality has gone down.  Greed has gone up... I think you got Soul...you took it personally.

I just want a healthy dog not to get sick from eating waste. Just think how healthy we all could be by eating better..

fish n dog

iggypop

If my observations on this situation and the economic system as a whole means that I am lacking a soul then surely your rude comment implies that no one should think logically about the situation. Do some more research and I think you'll find that the whole dog food business is extremely cut throat and many lies, myths and rumors abound, spread by some despicable companies and some companies that many would put on a pedestal.

Maybe I should have said it just like you just did...   Bravo.. I've been doing this research for some time and agree with you.. Any problem I have with Diamond Pet Food is that they Talk The Talk... but quality has been absent from their products.. TOW look's good... I only wish a company to make what they say...and don't lie and have some ethics like you suggested.  Perhaps our system in the USA is broken ... Ever since Ronald Reagan de-regulated all our business sectors quality has gone down.  Greed has gone up... I think you got Soul...you took it personally.

I just want a healthy dog not to get sick from eating waste. Just think how healthy we all could be by eating better..

1. How do you know that quality is absent from Diamond's products? 2. when does Diamond not make what they say? 3. When did Diamond ever lie? If you are so concerned about the NB recalls then take it out on NB. It was their product after all made with ingredients they sourced themselves and it was their job to test those ingredients, not Diamond. If quality fell through on NB then it is that company's fault. And I don't know how anyone could not have taken that remark you made toward me personally. It was below the belt, immature and not condusive to the general discussion. Not to mention the slight tone of condescention that I still detect. Look, I don't like Diamond any more or any less than any other dog food company. I just don't understand your utter hostility toward that company. Whenever a recall has happened with Diamond products they have always been up front about it and very eager to remedy the situation. And really, you'd better see what companies have had recalls in the past, because I'm telling you that some companies that I know you love so much have had recalls. You talk the talk too, Fish n Dog, but what are you doing to change the situation? What about your ethics? Because you know it starts with the individual first. Have you switched to a raw diet yourself full of organic non-GMO fruits and vegetables, Organic milk, organic free-range eggs, organic free-range meats that do not contain antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, grown locally so that you are not aiding in the squandering of our earth's precious recources? Or better yet have you become a vegetarian? Are you eating all of your foods raw? Are you avoiding major supermarket chains that knock out all the competition with their low prices only to raise those prices after all the competition has been erased? Are you buying clothing that was made in America, not made by children in sweatshops owned by imperialist corporations of the western world? Are you voting in every election to ensure that your voice is heard? Marching in protests? Are you using solar power and wind power and producing little waste, no paper towels, no toilet paper, no boxes of cereal laced with BHT to protect the freshness of the product inside? Don't just blame it on the dog food companies. There is a bigger picture. What are you doing to fix the situation other than being hostile on an internet forum?

Absolutely, I agree with Iggypop about there being a much bigger picture outside the dog community in general. Halleluja. Let me tell you, speaking of below the belt, immature, not conducive to to general discussion, condescension... I am one of those people who marches, eats non gmo organic fruits and veggies, free range eggs, free range chicken AND wheatgrass! I also vote, my voice gets heard plenty, **content removed**

1. How do you know that quality is absent from Diamond's products? (IGGYPOP)

Past performance in the market place. My only point in any of this issue is Has Diamond cleaned up its act. Keep to the subject. What I do in my life is not the issue.. It's a company that has been careless in the past. If the quality of their product has improved great for them and their customers. I would have trouble trusting them. To each his own.  I get the feeling this post was suppose to get TOW up and running and I am interfering with the plan... I didn't realize that til today... Sorry guys... I am done... Got to go make some Picket signs and head for Woodstock...

Recall -- Firm Press Release

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Diamond Pet Food Recalled Due to Aflatoxin

Contact:
Mark Brinkman
573-229-4203

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- December 20, 2005 -- Diamond Pet Food has discovered aflatoxin in a product manufactured at our facility in Gaston, South Carolina. Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring toxic chemical by-product from the growth of the fungus Aspergillus flavus, on corn and other crops.

Out of an abundance of caution, we have notified our distributors and recommended they hold the sale of all Diamond Pet Food products formulated with corn that were produced out of our Gaston facility (see complete list below). Please note that products manufactured at our facilities in Meta, Missouri and Lathrop, California are not affected. The Gaston facility date codes are unique from other Diamond facility codes in that either the eleventh or twelfth character in the date code will be a capital "G" (in reference to Gaston). The range of date codes being reviewed are "Best By 01-March-07" through Best By " 11-June-07". Diamond's quantitative analysis records substantiate that Diamond's corn shipments were definitively clear of aflatoxin after December 10. As such, "Best By 11-June-07" date codes or later are not affected by this notice.

States serviced by our Gaston facility include Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky (eastern), Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Vermont, and Virginia.

We are rapidly analyzing retained samples of all products produced in Gaston so we can isolate specific lot numbers impacted and provide this information to our distributors, retailers and customers as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, if your pet is showing any symptoms of illness, including sluggishness or lethargy combined with a reluctance to eat, yellowish tint to the eyes and/or gums, and severe or bloody diarrhea, please consult your veterinarian immediately.

Product quality and customer satisfaction are important to us. We pledge to keep you updated as new developments occur.

Gaston Facility Products Removed From Sale

Diamond Low Fat Dog Food
Diamond Hi-Energy Dog Food
Diamond Maintenance Dog Food
Diamond Performance Dog Food
Diamond Premium Adult Dog Food
Diamond Puppy Food
Diamond Maintenance Cat Food
Diamond Professional Cat Food
Country Value Puppy
Country Value Adult Dog
Country Value High Energy Dog
Country Value Adult Cat Food
Professional Chicken & Rice Senior Dog Food
Professional Reduced Fat Chicken & Rice Dog Food
Professional Adult Dog Food
Professional Large-Breed Puppy Food
Professional Puppy Food
Professional Reduced Fat Cat Food
Professional Adult Cat Food

as far as I know, only Eaglepack routinely tests their grains for aflatoxin BEFORE making the food. It's hard to blame Diamond for that one- the grain distributors are supposed to make sure their grain isn't tainted. And since TOW doesn't contain grain, well, the point is moot, isn't it?

Apparently "FishNChip" really hit the nail on the head with the "no soul" comment.

mudpuppy

as far as I know, only Eaglepack routinely tests their grains for aflatoxin BEFORE making the food. It's hard to blame Diamond for that one- the grain distributors are supposed to make sure their grain isn't tainted. And since TOW doesn't contain grain, well, the point is moot, isn't it?

 

 Science diet tests for multiple things, including aflatoxin before the ingredients are even unloaded from the trucks at the shipping center. As far as I know, most of the big companies do this.
 

it would be nice if these big companies would actually invest some of their profits in producing a food with species-appropriate ingredients. Good quality control is a start, but who really cares considering the awful ingredients? kill your dog fast with aflatoxin, or kill him slow with Science Death's bags of corn or purina's latest venture into destroying the health of dogs with that nasty Beneful.

 

What? Corn is deadly?? I should really tell my dogs to quit eating corn off the cob on our daily runs then... We live in Iowa and they are allowed to eat the corn from the fields to their hearts content until first snowfall. My friends dog would pull down a stalk to get the cob every day, my own dogs just wait for the harvest and pick the leftovers off the ground.

um yeah, corn as an occasional treat or a calorie boost for the skinny, fine, but I presume you feed them some MEAT most of the time. Unlike diets of science diet and beneful that have zero to minimal amounts of meat.

 You cant compare the odd windfall or whatever,to the grain/corn heavy bags of food from which dogs get fed for each and every meal.

 

And if i hear the phrase "oh i should really tell my dog not to" do this or that one more time i'm gonna scream!!!! 

Meat is in the top three ingredients, and in some formulas is the top ingredient. I take it personally because my cats eat science diet, and it just happens to be the ONLY formula they've done well on (and I've tried several so called super-premiums). If I hear one more "corn this, corn that" widely encompassing and degrading statement... I might just scream too! Science diet makes many formulas that are highly digestable and even healthy in many circumstances and statements like that make people scared to feed their dog a good prescription food when they need it. It makes me sick that you judge so quickly when EVERY DOG FOOD SHOULD BE SELECTED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. Corn this or wheat that should have nothing to do with it unless the dog has a PROVEN food allergy to that ingredient.

 

I do think many times it is more about the name than the ingredients.  It makes no difference how well SD works--and it worked for both of mine when they had to be on it--some will never admit it could be a good thing....becauase or the name, Hills Science Diet. 

 My two didn't care for it much and it isn't something I would feed them all the time as they don't care for it.  But I certainly think it has it's place and many, many dogs--including my vets champion English Setter--do very well on it.

I have never had a dog in 51 years that had a problem with corn.  But I have a nephew who can't eat it.  Any dog, any human can be allergic to almost anything and if so, they should avoid that product.    But if a dog isn't allergic to corn, dose great on the food--no matter the brand--then there is no reason for it not to eat that food.