I was reading the AKC Gazette (a dog mag) yesterday, and came across an interesting ad. The ad was hard-core propaganda for a certain kind of dog food that did not use wheat, corn, white rice or chicken. Note that I said "hard-core propaganada", as I am doing a disservice to pass this on without that warning ;-) Anyhow, it suggested a problem that has affected the wheat and corn harvest this year, which *may* explain the problems someone out there was having with a vomiting ferret and Purina Pro Plan. (Note, I had a severe barfing cat problem with PPP myself; I don't wish to defame PPP but this *may* be part of the puzzle...) Before you read this, remember: I am not an expert; the ad is definately propaganda; there is no concrete conection between PPP and the named problem that is mentioned. I simply found this ad interesting. Here is an excerpt: "Recent television programs and newspapers have made the public aware of toxins found in some wheat or corn-based dog foods that have made animals sick. "Due to the recent heavy rains, some wheats developed toxins that made dogs vomit. The FDA permits 1/2 parts per million. The affected dog food conatined 2-3 p.p.m., well over the federal law. The toxic food had to be recalled and buried under 18" of dirt in a landfill or incinerated. The toxic food was removed from the shelves May, June, and July. By September, it was still not back on the shelves. By then, over 5 000 tons had been recalled. "The nerve gas that killed people in the Japanese subway was made from aflatoxins grown on wheat. This toxic fungus grows so rapidly that it could wipe out an entire city within a few days. "Some other wheat-based dog food companies voluntarily removed their dog food from the shelves since they bought the wheat from the same area. Then, the Dept. of Agriculture sent out warning letters that the aflatoxin now appeared on corn. The aflatoxin levels were in excess of 300 p.p.m. The technical name of this toxin is vomitoxin since it makes the dogs severely vomit and become dehydrated. The FDA will not authorize its use for feed." ...And so on; the ad next targets white rice and chicken in a sell-by-fear campaign. The company would gladly send you more propaganda if you call 1-800-DOG-HUND. Lynn. [Posted in FML issue 1487] [Posted in FML issue 1487]