I am glad that they are doing the recall after vets have been finding
dogs with calcium deposits in their kidneys and hearts.

The link you gave did not go to their recall statement. This the is
direct link I found:

http://www.bluebuffalo.com/news/vitamin-d-voluntary-recall.shtml

which says
>While the potential of increased Vitamin D presents no serious
>health risk

which is not true since high levels of Vitamin D cause hypercalcemia
and calcium deposits in organs which can be fatal in ferrets and dogs.
Oh, and according to this ref kidneys stones are also a possible result
and we all know what urinary blockage can do:
<http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/veterinarians-reporting-possible-blue-buffalo-dog-food-concerns.html>
so as written that statement is iffy, though it may be a poor editing
of a longer and more accurate statement.

Is it possible that the dogs involved are more genetically susceptible
than most? Yes. Is it possible that ones less susceptible might show
problems with a continued of the recalled food? Yes, because Vitamin D
is one of the ones that is fat soluble, also because there may be
lower levels of hypercalcemia forming, so without more testing it is
feel-good statement but a misleading one. Also, who knows if some
ferrets may be more vulnerable since they have similar hypercalcemia
problems as dogs? (With so much more still to understand about ferret
health you know the answer to that.)

Hopefully, it was only that one batch involved and no more. Are they
testing other batches of the same foods and other foods they make which
use the product from that supplier?

Initial veterinary reports:
http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=16468

VIN article on the recall itself:
http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=16727

>Short quotes: The makers of Blue Buffalo pet foods are recalling
>certain lots of the company's Wilderness Chicken-Dog, Basics
>Salmon-Dog and Large Breed Adult Dog products... The problem,
>officials say, likely stems from what appears to be a glitch tied to
>one of the company's dry ingredients suppliers concerning a form of
>vitamin D that's not supposed to be in the Blue Buffalo foods in
>question.
>
>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to soon issue a
>public notice on the recall. According to the company, the following
>production runs distributed to pet specialty stores nationwide are
>involved:
>
> -- 4.5-, 11- and 24-pound bags of Blue Wilderness Chicken dry dog
>  food with best-if-used-by dates of JUL1211B, JUL1311B, JUL2611Z,
>  JUL2711Z and JUL2811Z;
> -- 11- and 24-pound bags of Blue Basics Salmon and Potato Recipe dry
>  dog food with best-if-used-by dates of AUG2111B and AUG2211B;
> -- 30-pound bags of Blue Large Breed Adult Chicken dry dog food with
>  best-if-used-by dates of SEP 22 11 P, SEP 23 11 P, OCT 26 11 P.

...
>In an announcement issued this afternoon, officials with Wilton-
>Conn.-based Blue Buffalo reveal 36 cases nationwide of dogs with
>symptoms consistent with elevated levels of vitamin D in their systems
>while on the diets, with symptoms resolving after being switched to a
>different brand of food. Practitioners have reported many of those
>cases on the Veterinary Information Network, or VIN...
>
>Hypervitaminosis D induces bone loss and abnormally high serum calcium
>levels, which could result in kidney stones and the calcification of
>organs like the heart and kidneys if left untreated. Hypercalcemia
>often is associated with certain forms of cancer, which could lead a
>pet owner to choose euthanasia upon hearing such a potentially grave
>diagnosis.
>
>
>Veterinarians who belong to VIN can also go to
>http://www.vin.com/Members/Boards/DiscussionViewer.aspx?ThreadId--3781&MessageId=5602679#Msg127

for information which i do not have.

>In a news release issued on Friday to the Associated Press, Blue
>Buffalo's Richard MacLean, vice president of business affairs,
>instructs owners with dogs that show signs of lethargy or exhibit
>unusually frequent water consumption or urination to immediately
>contact a veterinarian.
>
>"In all cases the symptoms have subsided upon discontinuing feeding
>these products with no apparent long-term health consequences," the
>release states.
>
>Consumers who have incurred expenses for veterinary services and/or
>laboratory testing fees related to the recalled products can call the
>Blue Buffalo customer service department at (877) 523-9114 for
>reimbursement.

Company profile from BW which seems to be usually pretty accurate in
the ones I've seen:
<http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=49372845>
another (but I don't know about the reliability of the ref):
http://www.manta.com/c/mmlxj02/the-blue-buffalo-company-llc

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)

[Posted in FML 6846]