Not less than 4 and a half months have handed since critical pet sickness and demise stories started – believed to be linked to a number of pet meals manufacturers. The FDA has stated nothing to pet house owners, refusing to even present Freedom of Data Act requests (for extra info). No public warning, no replace, nothing.
A number of requests by advocates and shoppers have been despatched to FDA Heart for Veterinary Medication (CVM) asking the company to replace the pet proudly owning public. All requests have fallen on deaf ears.
Left with no different possibility, we now have filed a Citizen Petition requesting the FDA CVM to correctly and promptly replace the general public.
A Citizen Petition is a authorized course of for people or business to request the FDA to take motion, chorus from taking motion, and/or request the company to make modifications to coverage. Citizen Petitions are required to comply with a particular format, are printed publicly on the Rules.gov web site, and the company is legally required to supply a response inside 120 days.
The next Citizen Petition was submitted to FDA on 4/17/24.
The undersigned submits this petition to request the Commissioner of Meals and Medication to promptly inform the general public to present pet meals investigations in the identical method the company has up to date the general public prior to now.
A. Motion Requested
Starting in roughly December 2023, pet meals shoppers started reporting critical well being points with their pets (cats and canines) straight associated to pet meals. Up to now of this Petition, greater than 2,600 pet house owners have reported critical well being issues with their cat or canine. Signs reported are very comparable; bloody diarrhea, bloody vomiting, in lots of cases seizures. Greater than 500 pet deaths have been reported by pet house owners. One model of pet meals particularly, pet house owners have reported 1,679 cat and canine diseases, 23% of these stories (390) resulted within the demise of the pet.
Pet house owners themselves have reported critical well being points, much like the identical well being issues their pets skilled. A complete of 21 pet house owners have reported rectal bleeding, nasal bleeding, and/or chest ache.
Previously 4 and one-half months since pet house owners started reporting these critical pet and human well being points, the FDA CVM has not issued any public alert, the FDA CVM has not responded to FOIA requests concerning opposed occasions the company has acquired, the FDA CVM has not offered the general public with any info to their investigation (if any) into these critical animal and human well being stories.
We’re asking the company to supply the general public with an replace(s) to their investigation of this present pet meals concern, present the general public with comparable info on this present problem because the company has traditionally offered the general public with previous (and different present) points.
We’re requesting the FDA CVM to promptly problem a public discover into their investigation of present and ongoing stories of pets experiencing bloody vomiting, bloody diarrhea, seizures, and demise linked to a number of pet meals manufacturers. We request the company to incorporate on this public discover comparable info the company as offered the general public prior to now with different investigations together with:
- the variety of opposed occasions acquired;
- the signs reported;
- the variety of pet deaths;
- the variety of human diseases reported;
- the manufacturers reported linked to pet or human sickness;
- the testing the company has carried out; and
- encourage the general public to report any sickness to the company.
B. Assertion of Grounds
In October 2023, the FDA issued a public discover a couple of “creating investigation” into applesauce merchandise that have been linked to 4 youngsters with elevated blood lead ranges. Inside days following this preliminary public discover, the FDA issued one other public discover warning shoppers “To not Purchase or Feed” one explicit applesauce product. Since these first two updates, the FDA has continued to replace the general public into their investigation of lead contaminated applesauce merchandise 20 extra occasions (a complete of twenty-two public notices inside 7 months).
These many public updates concerned a complete of 519 complaints acquired by the FDA and CDC, with no stories of deaths linked to the applesauce merchandise.
In 2018, the FDA CVM issued a public discover concerning “FDA Investigation Potential Connection Between Food plan and Circumstances of Canine Coronary heart Illness”. Per this preliminary FDA discover, it seems the company made this public announcement based mostly on 8 circumstances of identified canines. Following this preliminary public discover, the FDA issued three extra updates to the general public concerning the company’s investigation into this pet meals problem. The company knowledgeable the general public to the variety of circumstances reported, the names of the manufacturers concerned, the diagnostic testing carried out by the company, and urged the general public to report any associated sickness to the company.
The full variety of complaints FDA acquired throughout this investigation was 524, together with 124 pet deaths.
Starting in 2011 (we imagine), the FDA CVM offered shoppers many updates into the company’s investigation into pet sickness and deaths associated to jerky treats. In a 2015 replace from FDA CVM, the company knowledgeable the general public to what number of client complaints the company acquired, the pet signs, the testing the company had carried out and urged the general public to report any sickness to the company.
Per the 2015 replace, the FDA reported greater than 5,200 complaints involving greater than 6,200 canines, 26 cats, three folks, and embrace greater than 1,140 canine deaths.
As we now have evidenced, traditionally the FDA CVM has issued a number of public statements concerning investigations of varied pet meals merchandise for a number of causes. Of significance, within the occasion of the FDA investigation into weight loss plan and canine coronary heart illness and within the occasion of the FDA investigation into jerky treats, the company stored the general public knowledgeable despite the fact that the company had no confirmed trigger for the stories of sickness and deaths of pets.
The preliminary FDA public assertion concerning their investigation into a possible hyperlink of weight loss plan and canine coronary heart illness, the company alerted the general public of their investigation based mostly on solely eight circumstances of sickness. As comparability, within the present pet meals problem pet house owners have documented greater than 2,600 diseases and over 500 pet deaths (as of the date of this Petition) but the company has not issued any public updates. A number of events have filed FOIA requests with the company in makes an attempt to be supplied with present company info to the variety of opposed occasions acquired, signs reported, variety of deaths, and types concerned. To our information and perception, the company has not responded to any of those FOIA requests.
We advise to FDA CVM that that pet meals shoppers in 2024 need to be supplied with company updates on this present pet meals investigation simply as in different company investigations. Pet meals shoppers in 2024 request the FDA CVM to maintain them knowledgeable within the present pet meals concern in the identical method the company has up to date the general public prior to now, even when the company has not confirmed a trigger for the numerous sickness and demise stories (in the identical method the company has up to date the general public prior to now with out a recognized trigger).
C. Setting Impression
There isn’t a recognized environmental affect of our request for the company to maintain the general public up to date. Nevertheless, there seems to be potential environmental affect associated to contaminated pet meals disposal. Reported by pet house owners in Illinois, a number of truck a great deal of pet meals have been disposed of in a rural landfill adjoining to a wildlife protect. Inside days of the dumping, pet house owners reported (and documented) 17 useless coyotes within the adjoining wildlife protect.
Though the coyote deaths can’t be confirmed to be linked to the pet meals disposed of within the landfill, it stays a regarding risk. This concern extends to who/what can be uncovered to doubtlessly toxic pet meals when disposed of by pet house owners, retailer house owners, and pet meals producers.
This potential environmental affect emphasizes the necessity to correctly inform the general public.
D. Financial Impression
Not requested to be offered.
E. Certification
The undersigned certifies, that, to the very best information and perception of the undersigned, this petition contains all info and views on which the petition depends, and that it contains consultant information and data recognized to the petitioner that are unfavorable to the petition.
Representing pet meals shoppers,
Susan Thixton
(digital signature)
Susan Thixton
TruthaboutPetFood.com
AssociationforTruthinPetFood.com
Usually the Rules.gov web site offers the chance for public feedback on Citizen Petitions. For unknown causes, our Citizen Petition doesn’t present alternative for pet house owners to supply remark. However, pet house owners are inspired to submit a touch upon the petition on to FDA by emailing the company at:
Electronic mail: AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov
Topic Line: Docket ID FDA-2024-P-1916-0001
Pet house owners are additionally inspired to share the Citizen Petition with their elected officers asking your representatives to comply with up with FDA to why pet house owners haven’t been up to date concerning this present pet meals investigation.
And pet house owners are inspired to share the Citizen Petition with their native media, asking media to comply with up with FDA to why no public replace has been offered.
The Citizen Petition will be downloaded on the Rules.gov web site; https://www.laws.gov/docket/FDA-2024-P-1916/doc.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the very best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Meals Security Advocate
Creator Purchaser Beware, Co-Creator Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Affiliation for Fact in Pet Meals
Turn into a member of our pet meals client Affiliation. Affiliation for Fact in Pet Meals is a a stakeholder group representing the voice of pet meals shoppers at AAFCO and with FDA. Your membership helps representatives attend conferences and voice client issues with regulatory authorities. Click on Right here to study extra.
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