# Natural Balance UPDATE 4/17



## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

www.naturalbalance.net What next!!!! 



UPDATE: 4/17

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance® Pet Foods: Press Release



Alllllllllll Venison products from NB are recalled.


Here's another link regarding the gluten (both rice and wheat) from China.

Natural Balance pet food recalled - USATODAY.com


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

OMG!!!!!!! That is too close for comfort!! We feed the duck and potato dry formula.

This is making me wonder about Ollie's drooling incident last weekend...although we were feeding him both the canned duck & potato and the dry of the same and we were at the end of the bag...

Thanks for posting this....


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## lillady (Jan 25, 2007)

Crap-now what? I feed Kosmo the Duck and Potato but like Pam said, this is too close for comfort. What do you think Jamie? Should we switch to something else?


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## nikkivong (Aug 25, 2006)

omg.. otis switches between the brown rice and venison and the duck and potatoe... i was just about to go out and buy another bag of food for him... what should i feed him now?!!!


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

Oh no, [attachment=21641:attachment]. I can't believe this. Mine don't eat the venison, they eat the reduced calorie with chicken,turkey & rice. Boo didn't care for the venison.This is really, really scary.







I'm about ready to start cooking for them now & I never thought I would feel forced into that.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

I tried calling NB to verify this as I wonder sometimes if the websites are legit. I got the phone number off the bag of food and noticed the website is the same. Darn! I called but they put me on hold FOREVER.

I guess they're probably deluged with calls.

I am wondering if people are switching too late and it appears dogs are sick from the new foods. Funny it would just be this week that sick dogs have been reported that are fed NB.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> I tried calling NB to verify this as I wonder sometimes if the websites are legit. I got the phone number off the bag of food and noticed the website is the same. Darn! I called but they put me on hold FOREVER.
> 
> I guess they're probably deluged with calls.
> 
> I am wondering if people are switching too late and it appears dogs are sick from the new foods. Funny it would just be this week that sick dogs have been reported that are fed NB.[/B]


That would make sense.

Last time I emailed NB (last weekend) I mentioned to them as an aside that coincidentally Ollie was sick. When someone emailed me back they made no mention of it at all and, of course, I didn't think of it either. But who knows....one of the causes of excessive drooling is toxicity...


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## nikkivong (Aug 25, 2006)

i really hope that the sick dogs are not a result from eating NB. I would really hate to look for another brand of dog food for Otis and then possibly having to switch again. I am also hesitant to feed him home cooked food because I don't want him to get used to eating a cooked diet










































grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr


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## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

Oh, no! Here I was feeling so safe with Natural Balance foods.







I don't have the dry venison, but I just tried the canned Venison and Rice and Frosty did vomitt it up night before last. I had fed him two other times from that can already but he didn't like it and it took him all day to eat part of a small serving. He has NB Organic dry, that better be O.K.!!







I just don't get it. Why is dog food suddenly unsafe!?


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## Krystal (Feb 3, 2007)

Great now what!







Mia eats duck and potato but Im still mixing it with the old stuff (puppy pro plan) because she hasnt finished the bag. What should we do!? Like everyone else said, this is WAY too close for comfort!


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

I talked to Petco and they said it has been yanked but due to quality control issues and not what the other brands had going on. Welllllllllllllllll, if the symptoms are gastric upset and kidney problems it IS the same. Why isn't NB being honest? Where do we go from here? What the heck is going on!


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

This really has me worried. All six of mine eat NB "Duck and Potato" (Dry and Wet).

What the he** is going on???!!!!!


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

I use Solid Gold Hundenflocken (spelling??) dry food and Merrick Turducken canned ....with Organic chicken broth - just as a little extra "something". I worry every time I feed them. This is getting too scary. I hate to start cooking for them full time, because then I worry about the correct nutrients they're getting. 

UGGGG





















What's happening!!!!?????


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## Krystal (Feb 3, 2007)

I think that cooking for our babies right now is the safest way to go until all of this crap gets figured out. Seems like dog food isnt safe for our babies anymore! And we all thought that we were safe with NB! Geeze, now look!


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## Gemma (Jan 19, 2006)

unbelievable







that one is the last food I would suspect. this is not good. I'm not even trusting human food now.


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

Although neither Lacie nor Tilly seem to be having any problems, I started home cooking for them a little over a week ago. I order Missing Link to add to the food for now.

I just don't trust ANY of the pet food companies and don't want to take a chance.

I am hoping that this ends soon as I do not want to continue home cooking for the rest of the girls' life. I don't think it is the best thing for them, but right now, it's my last resort.

The Black Lab continues to eat her Pedgree dry and canned with no problem.


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## ClaBec Maltese (Feb 19, 2007)

OMG what next







Thank You for posting this, I have emailed all of my babies parents because this is the food that I recommend. This mess is getting so discouraging.


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## msmagnolia (Sep 8, 2004)

You gotta give the NB credit for immediately asking that the food be stopped, instead of hoping it would all go away like Menu foods did. What a mess!


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

<span style="font-family:Comic Sans Ms">Well I have Zoe on NB Sweet Potato & Fish kibble, and the NB Lamb Roll. I am also giving her the NB Sweet Potato & Fish treats. She can't have too many of them or it upsets her tummy. The NB Venison treats made her vomit & diahrea the next day with even just one treat. I just chalked it up to her sensitive tummy, but now with her elevated liver enzymes...</span>


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## Malteseluv (Feb 6, 2007)

> I talked to Petco and they said it has been yanked but due to quality control issues and not what the other brands had going on. Welllllllllllllllll, if the symptoms are gastric upset and kidney problems it IS the same. Why isn't NB being honest? Where do we go from here? What the heck is going on![/B]


This is how it started with menu foods too...when people were calling in with sick dogs, they didn't pull the foods immediately. It was like a month or more later! 
But at least Natural Balance is pulling the items now and not later...

They're saying that it's not the same thing as the other brands, but even if that's true, SOMETHING is making the dogs sick. you know?


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## lillady (Jan 25, 2007)

I'm just up in arms here. I don't know what to do














I cannot stand to lose another dog. This has gotten so ridiculous. I read an article today that said the FDA said we just can't trust any food being imported because it is not tested properly. Ok, what the??? What is going on????


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> I'm just up in arms here. I don't know what to do
> 
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I read that article today too--about how the FDA only inspects less than 2% (I think it was 1.3%) of all imported foods!!!!!! That's insane!!

I'm not sure what to do now. I really can't home cook Ollie's food--it's more involved that just boiling chicken and making some rice. These little guys need the correct balance of vitamins and nutrients and I'd REALLY want to read up on it before I did anything--and I just don't have time for that!! I have to cook for my family of 4 every night AND cook something else for the dog? I would certainly do it if I had to--it almost looks like it's coming to that. Anyway, I'm just talking out loud here...I'm not sure what to do.....


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## patsan (Mar 2, 2006)

The only thing I find strange is that page is a .net and the natural balance web page is a .com

Check it out and see.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> The only thing I find strange is that page is a .net and the natural balance web page is a .com
> 
> Check it out and see.[/B]


But if you look at http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com, the same warning is there...


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## patsan (Mar 2, 2006)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=364732
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Where? I don't see it. This is what I get at the link you just supplied:
NOTICE:
Natural Balance® products are
NOT involved in the Pet Food Recall.
NO Natural Balance® products are associated with
Menu Foods, or any other company involved.

For more information, go to www.fda.gov.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=364735
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That's weird--when I click (or type in) the link I provided, I get this in bold red:

NOTICE:
We are receiving consumer complaints regarding the Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, and Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Foods. We do not know what is wrong with the food at this time, but we have heard that animals are vomiting and experiencing kidney problems. Please discontinue feeding all Venison and Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, and Venison and Green Pea Dry Cat Food. 

We are working closely with the FDA.
We will update this website today, as more information comes available.

THIS ONLY AFFECTS OUR VENISON & BROWN RICE & 

VENISON & GREEN PEA DRY DOG AND CAT FOODS


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## lillady (Jan 25, 2007)

I'm with Pam-this is what I get with the link she provided:

NOTICE:
We are receiving consumer complaints regarding the Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, and Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Foods. We do not know what is wrong with the food at this time, but we have heard that animals are vomiting and experiencing kidney problems. Please discontinue feeding all Venison and Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, and Venison and Green Pea Dry Cat Food. 

We are working closely with the FDA.
We will update this website today, as more information comes available.

THIS ONLY AFFECTS OUR VENISON & BROWN RICE & 

VENISON & GREEN PEA DRY DOG AND CAT FOODS


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

> unbelievable
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Pat, it's .net - not .com. If you want you can call your local petco or petsmart. They pulled it too.

The link I gave is the web address off the NB food bag.


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## Malteseluv (Feb 6, 2007)

NOTICE:
We are receiving consumer complaints regarding the Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, and Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Foods. We do not know what is wrong with the food at this time, but we have heard that animals are vomiting and experiencing kidney problems. Please discontinue feeding all Venison and Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, and Venison and Green Pea Dry Cat Food. 

We are working closely with the FDA.
We will update this website today, as more information comes available.

THIS ONLY AFFECTS OUR VENISON & BROWN RICE & 

VENISON & GREEN PEA DRY DOG AND CAT FOODS

This is the message I get when I go to www.naturalbalanceinc.com 
Try again! Maybe they're updating the website.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=364661
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For me BOTH the .net and the .com come up with the same, exact warning. And the .net one is the one that's on the bag too...I'm going to call my Petco and see what they say...


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## patsan (Mar 2, 2006)

Ok, it's not like I don't believe you on this, but do a google search of dick van patten natural balance. The page that comes up is a .com

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance® Pet Foods :1
Dick Van Patten's all-natural, complete and balanced nutrition for dogs, cats and zoo carnivores.
www.naturalbalanceinc.com/ - 16k - Cached - Similar pages
Store Locator - www.naturalbalanceinc.com/home/locator.tpl
Dog Formulas - www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/home.html
Cat Food - www.naturalbalanceinc.com/catformulas/home.html
Puppy and Kitten Formulas - www.naturalbalanceinc.com/.../allstagesfood.html
More results from www.naturalbalanceinc.com »
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance® Allergy Formulas for Dogs and Cats
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance® Pet Food is truly "The Food for A Lifetime"! SM. Choose a formula to read more about it, see ingredient listing, ...
www.naturalbalanceinc.com/allergy/home.html - 22k - Cached - Similar pages

When I click on "those" links, which are from google, there is no message about the possible bad food.


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## Malteseluv (Feb 6, 2007)

I have started doing a little home cooking the past couple of weeks or so with all these things going on. As long as you get a good supplement to give your dogs and some good recipes, they should get all the vitamins and nutrients their bodies need. There are some good book on it, and you make the food in advance, not everyday. Make a big batch that will last a couple of weeks to a month and freeze what you won't be using in the next couple of days in individual freezer bags. I'm still reading up on this and trying to learn as much as possible. 
I pray that they get the pet food industry under control because all of the recalls are just ridiculous!


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## lillady (Jan 25, 2007)

I just called our Petco and she said it was a quality control issue and not contamination (she said it's not a recall)they pulled theirs off the shelves-which could mean the temperure it was cooked at our whatever. She said that the other foods are completely safe and she considers NB the best food out there right now. I'm still leery but it made me feel a bit better.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> Ok, it's not like I don't believe you on this, but do a google search of dick van patten natural balance. The page that comes up is a .com
> 
> Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance® Pet Foods :1
> Dick Van Patten's all-natural, complete and balanced nutrition for dogs, cats and zoo carnivores.
> ...


That's bizarre. again, when I type in www.naturalbalanceinc.com I get the recall warning.

Anyway, it is true--I just called my local Petco and they told me the same thing that they told Brit--that they did have to pull the Venison & Rice kibble it was a "quality control" issue and she emphasized that it had nothing to do with the Menu Foods issues (yeah, right, who knows...) She said no other brands of the dog food were effected. The NB website says that it's supposed to be updated later today......




> I have started doing a little home cooking the past couple of weeks or so with all these things going on. As long as you get a good supplement to give your dogs and some good recipes, they should get all the vitamins and nutrients their bodies need. There are some good book on it, and you make the food in advance, not everyday. Make a big batch that will last a couple of weeks to a month and freeze what you won't be using in the next couple of days in individual freezer bags. I'm still reading up on this and trying to learn as much as possible.
> I pray that they get the pet food industry under control because all of the recalls are just ridiculous![/B]


That's a good idea about making large batches and freezing it.....

I've gotta go bring my kids to a b-day party and I'll be gone for several hours--hope to hear more later....


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## Malteseluv (Feb 6, 2007)

That's a little better, but...

Even if it's quality control issues and not contamination, on their website it says reports of kidney problems...So if they cooked it at the wrong temperatures or whatever is different, it's making some dogs sick


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

> Ok, it's not like I don't believe you on this, but do a google search of dick van patten natural balance. The page that comes up is a .com
> 
> Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance® Pet Foods :1
> Dick Van Patten's all-natural, complete and balanced nutrition for dogs, cats and zoo carnivores.
> ...


If you click on Home, from those links, the warning does come up.


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## patsan (Mar 2, 2006)

Ok, I cleared my cache on the computer and I do see it now.
I was going crazy because it just wasn't there!!
Thanks, and hopefully this isn't the start of something bad for this company. I've loved their foods so far.

I do have to admit, that I switched to EVO 2 weeks ago, so I can get them off the grains. Just this morning, I added a good handful of the NB organic to the EVO.


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## SassyLuv (Mar 9, 2006)

Sassy eats NB vension and rice.







She hasn't been sick but I am about sick on my stomach now thinking about this. She has allergies so it hard to just run out and pick something else up for her. I don't know what to do. I just got another bag in the mail Friday. Help!!


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## lillady (Jan 25, 2007)

> Sassy eats NB vension and rice.
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I guess I'd say for now-do not feed her any more of the food. Who knows if the bag you had was affected, but better safe than sorry! I know that is not comforting. If you are really worried you could always get a blood test done just to put your mind at ease. This is frustrating, I agree!


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## MissMelanie (Feb 13, 2006)

> I tried calling NB to verify this as I wonder sometimes if the websites are legit. I got the phone number off the bag of food and noticed the website is the same. Darn! I called but they put me on hold FOREVER.
> 
> I guess they're probably deluged with calls.
> 
> I am wondering if people are switching too late and it appears dogs are sick from the new foods. Funny it would just be this week that sick dogs have been reported that are fed NB.[/B]


 

Dear Brit, 



We were in a store today to get a new bag of food and the clerk told us about the Venison being recalled. I was a bit upset and right away called the Company, I was put on hold for only about three mintues then a woman picked up. I told her I feed our doggies Ultra and she told me right away that their recall of both Venison types was NOT related to the Menu Foods recall at all. The reason they have recalled the Venison foods is because they have had some customers write or call with complaints of upset stomach in their dogs. She assured me this has nothing to do with the Menu Foods recall. She offered to send me a total refund of the money I spent today, and to buy a bag of any other food I wanted, but told me again this did not have anything to do with the wide recall. Just poor timing.



I HOPE she is RIGHT!

Melanie


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=364632
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I wouldn't place my dog's life in the hands of that statement, Mel. Even the website says due to gastric AND Kidney problems. Quality control can mean anything from tainted ingredients to accidental pesticide spraying. Who knows! What I do know is, pet food companies do NOT pull foods without good reason.


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## lillady (Jan 25, 2007)

I need to get Kosmo some new food tonight? Any suggestions? What's even safe anymore? I hate to switch him cold turkey, but do not want to take the chance of him getting sick!








Any ideas greatly appreciated!


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## MissMelanie (Feb 13, 2006)

This is an e-mail I got in late March from Natural Balance in reply to one I wrote to them. Every day as the Menu Foods recall got larger and larger I was feel worse and worse for those affected.

OH are they gonna get STUNG if the Ultra turns out to be recalled as well. My prayers are with all those that feed the Venison to their doggies. God bless and watch over you all!

Melanie



800-829-4493




<blockquote>*From:* Melanie Salzgeber [mailto:[email protected]]
*To:* [email protected]
*Sent:* Sun, 25 Mar 2007 16:03:00 -0800
*Subject:* Thank you from South Florida

Dear Natural Balance Dog Food Makers, I wanted to thank you for caring about MY pets! With this nightmare going on about the Menu Foods Pet Food Recall. I have been able to rest easy every day the news gets worse. I KNOW my dogs are not affected. All three of our doggies eat Natural Balance Ultra. YEAH for us and them! I just feel so bad for those who's pets have become ill due to their food. We are a happy household. God Bless you all,Melanie"</blockquote>


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

Sophie has been on NB Venison and Brown Rice for a while now. It's the only one she'll eat - in fact this week she's been a little piggy for it which is very unusual for her. I called the Vet today after seeing this thread. He hadn't heard of it yet, but said to stop feeding it to her immediately and for the time being put her on boiled rice and chicken and if she starts vomiting or has diareah to bring her in immediately. So far she's her spunky self and has no signs of being sick. I'm going to go in for a consult to start feeding her a home cooked diet. He said several of their vets feed home cooked diets.

Anyway, tonight I boiled some chicken, fixed brown rice, boiled some sweet potatoes, steamed some fresh green beans, mixed it all up in the food processor and she gobbled it up. The batch I fixed was one cup of each ingredient measured after cooking. It didn't take anytime at all. Does anyone know if I can freeze this? It made quite a bit, more than she can eat in a couple of days. 

I'm going to call back tomorrow to make the consult appointment. I just don't feel comfortable feeding her any of the manufactured foods right now.


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## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

I just borrowed some Blue food from my next door neighbor. I am just heart sick over this...V'doggie eats the brown rice and venison kibbles.


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

Omg I am so mad now







I made Scooby some home made treats because he wouldn't eat the NB venison & brown rice dry, I added it to the treats and have been feeding it to him now for a while in the mornings. He is not showing signs outwardly of being sick, but, I had his blood panel done today and his BUN keeps going up it started at 13.6 when he was first ill, it went up to 38 at the reading before this one and it was 91 today. I am now worried that I have been feeding him the dry food involved in the recall, geeeeeeeeez this makes me so angry after all that he has been through now THIS







I have to take a urine sample in tomorrow for testing to see if his kidneys are functioning properly.
I have just thrown out all the dry food and what I made grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr poor Scooby, he has been through enough and now I have to worry that all along I may have been doing him further harm









Of all the foods, I thought I could at least trust NB


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> Omg I am so mad now
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> 
> ...


Oh Janet--I'm so sorry to hear that! You do NOT need that!! Please let us know how Scoobie's tests go tomorrow....


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## luvmyfurbaby (Feb 11, 2007)

> Sophie has been on NB Venison and Brown Rice for a while now. It's the only one she'll eat - in fact this week she's been a little piggy for it which is very unusual for her. I called the Vet today after seeing this thread. He hadn't heard of it yet, but said to stop feeding it to her immediately and for the time being put her on boiled rice and chicken and if she starts vomiting or has diareah to bring her in immediately. So far she's her spunky self and has no signs of being sick. I'm going to go in for a consult to start feeding her a home cooked diet. He said several of their vets feed home cooked diets.
> 
> Anyway, tonight I boiled some chicken, fixed brown rice, boiled some sweet potatoes, steamed some fresh green beans, mixed it all up in the food processor and she gobbled it up. The batch I fixed was one cup of each ingredient measured after cooking. It didn't take anytime at all. Does anyone know if I can freeze this? It made quite a bit, more than she can eat in a couple of days.
> 
> I'm going to call back tomorrow to make the consult appointment. I just don't feel comfortable feeding her any of the manufactured foods right now.[/B]


Yes you can freeze the food. Make sure it is in sealed tupperware or freezer bag. I would section it in portions. I have been cooking for Mia for the last month. I make enough for 2 to 3 weeks. I leave out 1 portion and freeze the rest. I remove a new one from the freezer the night before she finishes the last of the 1st container. Let it defrost in the fridge. She loves it and it contains all the veggies, meat & grains. I add Flax seed oil and she gets a vitamin. 

I know when I was growing up my Mom use feed our dogs table scraps and were healthy and were around for 12-14 years. Just my 2 cents.


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=364895
> 
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Thank you Pam, I will, it's just so puzzling that Scooby is doing so well yet his blood panel is still not 100% but I guess I will just have to feed him home cooked now that I have The Missing Link that I can add to make sure he gets all he needs.
Even though his blood work wasn't 100% Barb isn't really that worried, but that was before I read about the food recall







Luckily he isn't vomiting or anything like that, actually he is looking really good, as Barb said today, but the BUN elevation really concerns me


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=364888
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Thanks, I will freeze it in the freezer bag. What size portion are you feeding Mia? I've been free feeding the dry food since the beginning and she would just pick at throughout the day - I don't want to overfeed her the homecooked food. She gobbles this up and licks the plate. 




> Omg I am so mad now
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Oh, Janet, I will pray for Scooby - let us know how he is doing. I too thought NB was the best - have been recommending it to people who didn't even know there were foods other than grocery store foods.


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

> Ok, it's not like I don't believe you on this, but do a google search of dick van patten natural balance. The page that comes up is a .com
> 
> Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance® Pet Foods :1
> Dick Van Patten's all-natural, complete and balanced nutrition for dogs, cats and zoo carnivores.
> ...


I agree that something is fishy. I went to Networksolutions.com and clicked the "whois" link. This is where you can find out who owns various domains. Here is what it said:

*http://www.naturalbalance.com*
Registrant: *NOTE from K/C: This isn't the dog food company* 
Nutraceutical Corporation
1500 Kearns Blvd. Ste-B200
Park City, Utah 84060
United States

Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: NATURALBALANCE.COM
Created on: 02-Mar-99
Expires on: 31-Jan-11
Last Updated on: 03-Aug-04

Administrative Contact:
Warnick, Robert [email protected]
1500 Kearns Blvd. Ste-B200
Park City, Utah 84060
United States
4356556000 Fax -- 

Technical Contact:
Warnick, Robert [email protected]
1500 Kearns Blvd. Ste-B200
Park City, Utah 84060
United States
4356556000 Fax -- 

Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.NUTRACORP.COM
NS2.NUTRACORP.COM
====================================

*http://www.naturalbalance.net*
Registrant:
thewwwstores, corp
38216d village center dr.
westlake village, ca 91361
US

Registrar: ALLINDOM
Domain Name: NATURALBALANCE.NET
Created on: 30-JUN-01
Expires on: 30-JUN-12
Last Updated on: 04-APR-06

Administrative, Technical Contact:
markbreiter, ross [email protected]
thewwwstores, corp
38216d village center dr.
westlake village, ca 91361
US
1818-707-1234
1818-707-3131


Domain servers in listed order:
SMTP.THEWWWSTORE.COM 
SMTP2.THEWWWSTORE.COM 
BU2.THEWWWSTORE.COM 
BU.THEWWWSTORE.COM 
================
*http://www.naturalbalanceinc.net*
Registrant:
Web Advertising, Corp. (NATURALBALANCEINC-NET-DOM)
Kings Court, Bay Street
P.O. Box N-3944
Nassau, 
BS
+852.30162320
+852.30162320
[email protected]

Domain Name: NATURALBALANCEINC.NET
Status: PROTECTED

Administrative Contact:
Web Advertising, Corp. [email protected]
Kings Court, Bay Street
Main Street
Nassau, 
BS
+852.30162320
Fax- +852.30162320

Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
Web Advertising, Corp. [email protected]
Kings Court, Bay Street
Main Street
Nassau, 
BS
+852.30162320
Fax- +852.30162320

Record last updated on 13-Apr-2007.
Record expires on 12-Apr-2008.
Record created on 12-Apr-2007.

Domain servers in listed order:
Name Server: NS-1.UNIXPARKING.COM
Name Server: NS-2.UNIXPARKING.COM
Name Server: NS-3.UNIXPARKING.COM

=======================
*http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com*
Registrant: 
Natural Balance Pet foods, Inc. 
12924 Pierce St. 
Pacoima, CA 91331 
US 

Domain Name: NATURALBALANCEINC.COM 

Administrative Contact : 
Herrick, Joey 
[email protected] 
12924 Pierce St. 
Pacoima, CA 91331 
US 
Phone: 818-897-2521 
Fax: 818-897-4740 

Technical Contact : 
Markbreiter, Ross 
[email protected] 
31826D Village Center Dr. 
Westlake Village, CA 91361 
US 
Phone: 818-707-1234 
Fax: 818-707-1234 

Record expires on 25-Jun-2008 
Record created on 25-Jun-1999 
Database last updated on 05-Oct-2006 

Domain servers in listed order: Manage DNS 

SMTP.THEWWWSTORE.COM 
SMTP2.THEWWWSTORE.COM 
BU.THEWWWSTORE.COM 
BU2.THEWWWSTORE.COM 

Something fishy is going on but I can't tell for sure what it is!!!







The WWW company may just be the web developers for the Natural Balance company... ????


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## My2Furbabies (Oct 2, 2006)

So I just got Bentley switched over to NB, the duck formula one and now this!







Do you think it is safe to keep feeding it?


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=364745
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That's weird. Unless all those names/places are related to NB and they just wanted the rights to ALL of the domains and did it that way? I don't know enough about those things to know.


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

Naturalbalanceinc.com appears to be a correct domain for the dog food and there is indeed a warning on the site. I was hoping it was a hoax.


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## luvmyfurbaby (Feb 11, 2007)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=364745
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I give her a custard dish full...or half a cup in the morning & again at night...The domain names were not purchased at the same time that's why you see different owners. When you purchase a domain you have the option of buying .com, .net, .biz, ect. If you don't buy them all anyone can buy it and use it as they please.


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## Krystal (Feb 3, 2007)

Does anyone or has anyone feed Blue?


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## Westerfluf (Apr 1, 2006)

OMG!!! I can't believe this is happening. I feed my Seelow the blue NB but I wonder if it is ok. You know that my Snowy died suddenly a few weeks ago and I'm beginning to wonder if the food had anything to do with it. Actually, Seelow has been refusing to eat the dry food and I've been feeding him home cooked food.....


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

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I got the NB address off the NB bag I have. It's www.naturalbalance.net. I don't think the bags of food would give a false address leading to this type of info.


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## joe (Jan 5, 2003)

> I got the NB address off the NB bag I have. It's www.naturalbalance.net. I don't think the bags of food would give a false address leading to this type of info.[/B]


it appears to me that http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com & www.naturalbalance.net are managed by the same technical contact & the IP's resolve to the same place, so most likely they are related


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## joe (Jan 5, 2003)

> Does anyone or has anyone feed Blue?[/B]


I believe we may try the Blue but havent yet, http://www.bluebuff.com/


ps: I'm sorry for those going through this with NB and hope everyones fluffbutts are fine, when nutro came out on the recall list we were going to switch to NB but our local pet store doesnt have NB in a canned (if there is one at all) so we made a temp switch to chicken soup for dogs soul, even though i'm not happy with all the ingredients in it, it wasnt part of the recall, now i am leaning towards the Blue, we'll see, as someone else said, its hard to feel confident anything is really safe but that goes for most everything in life these days


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

I freeze the food all the time. When I need a portion, I warm it up in the microwave. 

I sure am glad that Alex eats people food. I have a question for all you ladies who think that you have to feed them a perfectly balanced diet. DO YOU EAT YOURSELF A PERFECTLY BALANCED DIET ? DO YOU FEED YOUR CHILDREN A PERFECTLY BALANCED DIET ? Frankly I don't think so. NOBODY EATS A PERFECTLY BALANCED DIET. *Soooooo why on earth do you think your DOG should eat a MORE BALANCED DIET then you do ? *And if you think that the vitamin pills you are swallowing do you any good, think twice. More and more it comes out that either they don't work or that they do more harm then good. If you want vitamins, eat fresh fruits and vegetables. It's the only way to get good and useful vitamins.


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## lillady (Jan 25, 2007)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=364936
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I got the blue tonight and am trying it-gave Kosmo a couple as a treat and he loved it.


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## TheButtercup (Mar 3, 2005)

> I freeze the food all the time. When I need a portion, I warm it up in the microwave.
> 
> I sure am glad that Alex eats people food. I have a question for all you ladies who think that you have to feed them a perfectly balanced diet. DO YOU EAT YOURSELF A PERFECTLY BALANCED DIET ? DO YOU FEED YOUR CHILDREN A PERFECTLY BALANCED DIET ? Frankly I don't think so. NOBODY EATS A PERFECTLY BALANCED DIET. *Soooooo why on earth do you think your DOG should eat a MORE BALANCED DIET then you do ? *And if you think that the vitamin pills you are swallowing do you any good, think twice. More and more it comes out that either they don't work or that they do more harm then good. If you want vitamins, eat fresh fruits and vegetables. It's the only way to get good and useful vitamins.[/B]


nope, you're right. i dont eat a perfectly balanced diet. i choose to eat the crap i eat. i am fully aware of how bad each and every thing i eat is. i am perfectly informed that i should probably skip the next 274 helpings of mcdonald's french fries and ANYTHING with salt. i am a walking heart attack. 

that said, i want a BETTER life for my dog. i want BETTER health for her. she cannot drive herself thru the mcdonald's drive thru and get deepfried re-processed fake-chicken nuggets on her own. she can't even speak english. therefore, she gets what i can best afford and get for her. 

you've clearly been in everyone else's shoes, and since you have, then you must know what it's like to live hovering above the nation's poverty level, you know that healthy food is much more pricey than fast food or preservative-filled processed by-product crap. i eat the best crap i can afford. my dog eats better than i do. and she always will. 

anyone who wants to buy us some carrots, i'm always up for that! buttercup and i love us sum carrots!


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=364959
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Is wine a fruit? I could sure use some tonite.


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## TheButtercup (Mar 3, 2005)

> Is wine a fruit? I could sure use some tonite.
> 
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haha brit, you know my work well









i think this might be a case where buttercup gets to experiment with wine as well!


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

This is very upsetting news. I am (was?) very confident in the NB company- I feel strongly about buying from a company that does not test on animals, that manufactures their own food, and that uses human grade food.

I am please that they are being honest in saying they don't know what is wrong with it right now, but have pulled it from the shelves. My two eat the Fish and Sweet Potato. I guess all I can do is watch the website and hope it is nothing serious and that it gets resolved soon. If it does get serious I hope that NB handles it better than Menu Foods. 

Brit, thanks for posting this.


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## luvmyfurbaby (Feb 11, 2007)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=364959
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LOL...ok some of us are getting a little worked up here.







I am not a salad eater and I hate veggies except for the bad starchy ones mainly potatos & corn.







If I go out of my way to make Mia food as I did when my human children were babies. Yeap....I made them food also...I burned out 3 blenders doing so.







I stuck and currently stick all those veggies in their food (kids & Mia's) that I don't like because I know they are good for them. I take a little extra time to make her a "batch" of food. 

I don't bash people who don't want to, are scared to or can't cook for their furbabies. It's their decision. Each of us have to decide what we think is best for the little furbutts...I got backlash when I shared that I sometimes feed her raw. NB is now making raw food too. So I guess we all need to play it by ear until all this blows over.








My 3 cents worth!


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## TheButtercup (Mar 3, 2005)

> LOL...ok some of us are getting a little worked up here.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


nope, not worked up here. just in amazement to read that it's apparently "bad" or "wrong" or "hypocritical" to feed your little ones better than you eat. who knew?!? i eat crap and it's my decision. i wont do the same to buttercup.

i admire anyone with the patience and ability to feed raw. i know of a handful of malts and yorkies that eat raw and do super on it. me, i dont have the time, ability, patience, or understanding of it to go there. it seems like one big science project to me LOL 

that, and i think buttercup may actually give me the, "um, i'll eat this when it's DONE, okay? when it becomes dry, crunchy stuff, okay?" look LOL







that's my baby, the food snob.

we still love carrots!


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## NC's Mom (Oct 23, 2004)

I don't think that MalteseJane was trying to say that it is bad, wrong or hypocritical to feed your dogs better than you feed yourself. I think she was pointing out that we do NOT need to stress ourselves out about feeding the absolute perfectly balanced diet. None of us are eating that way and we are all still alive and kicking. If given their way, how many dogs are going to slurp their way through the cat's puke, eat a crunchy they find in the street, and lick their own rear ends? Hardly part of a balanced diet, and yet they live on.

As we have all seen, feeding our dogs processed kibble is also not the best balanced diet...it can even kill. Really, how many of us can afford to buy, prepare, and serve ONLY organic whole foods? Even that is not as nutritious as the whole foods people ate a hundred years ago. 

All any of us can do, is the best we can. 

Personally, I'm going to be watching this whole Natural Balance thing VERY closely as mine eat the vegan formula and we are close to running out of the bag we have now. I'm very nervous about buying another bag and plan to start giving them a lot MORE homecooked (or raw) food than I have been. Ideally, I would like for them to eat strictly homecooked/home prepared, but I don't have the time for that nor do I have the freezer space.

I really hope that all this turns out to be just a few isolated cases and natural balance comes out ahead and no more dogs get sick.

And I hope that with all these recalls and scares, inspections will be stepped up (or, started) so that food becomes safer for our dogs AND for ourselves. (Have you read about how little imported food is actually inspected?)

Wishing more and more I didn't need to eat to live.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> I freeze the food all the time. When I need a portion, I warm it up in the microwave.
> 
> I sure am glad that Alex eats people food. I have a question for all you ladies who think that you have to feed them a perfectly balanced diet. DO YOU EAT YOURSELF A PERFECTLY BALANCED DIET ? DO YOU FEED YOUR CHILDREN A PERFECTLY BALANCED DIET ? Frankly I don't think so. NOBODY EATS A PERFECTLY BALANCED DIET. *Soooooo why on earth do you think your DOG should eat a MORE BALANCED DIET then you do ? *And if you think that the vitamin pills you are swallowing do you any good, think twice. More and more it comes out that either they don't work or that they do more harm then good. If you want vitamins, eat fresh fruits and vegetables. It's the only way to get good and useful vitamins.[/B]


I can see your point...but the way I look at it--you can sure bet that when my skin kids were newborns and infants that I breastfed them (which is darn challenging to say the least) and then when it was time for solids I MADE my own babyfood from organic vegatables and free-range meats--went out and bought myself a book on how to do it, made batches in my food processor and then put it in ice cubes trays to freeze in individual portions and stored them frozen until ready to use, etc. etc. I wanted the absolute best nutrition for my kids and it took hard work. I like to think that it paid off--my kids are never very sick (I freak when they are because I'm so not used to it)--my 5 year old may have been born with hip displacia but she's never needed antibiotics in her life and that's pretty impressive. I TRY to eat a very balanced diet myself and know a lot about vitamins, nutrition etc. I also used to work as a fitness instructor. I do think our animals need as much care, but I do NOT have the time to do that for Ollie. And let me tell you, if you know me well you know I can do about 315 things all at one time, lol. I DID count on the pet food industry, with it's fancy, wholesome and complete ingredient lists on the bags to be safe for my pet. Maybe it is too good to be true?? Anyway, I do believe that a balanced diet DOES take a whole lot of planning--I think especially for a growing skin kid or puppy (Ollie is 7 months old). Why is America obese?? Because we don't take the time, or maybe it's that our lifestyles are too complicated, to prepare wholesome, balanced foods. I know as good as my intentions are, now that I have a family w/ small kids I do my best for them but for me, personally, I could do MUCH better. Anyway, I don't even know if all I said makes any sense, lol. But that is my 2 cents.....I hope the NB things blows over as not a big deal but it sure looks pretty serious....


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=364977
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One reason I think it makes sense to feed a balanced diet to our fluffs is because they are so small, and I just don't think there is as much room for "error" as with humans, or maybe even larger dogs. Just my .02.


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## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

Are margaritas considered part of a balanced diet? How about a martini w/olives? Hey, aren't olives a green vegetable? 

We tried Blue last night...some of our neighbor's stash...and V'doggie loved it. Now I'm off to find it at Petco.


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

> I don't think that MalteseJane was trying to say that it is bad, wrong or hypocritical to feed your dogs better than you feed yourself. I think she was pointing out that we do NOT need to stress ourselves out about feeding the absolute perfectly balanced diet. None of us are eating that way and we are all still alive and kicking. If given their way, how many dogs are going to slurp their way through the cat's puke, eat a crunchy they find in the street, and lick their own rear ends? Hardly part of a balanced diet, and yet they live on.[/B]


 

That's exactly what I meant. You said it better then I did.


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## lillady (Jan 25, 2007)

> Are margaritas considered part of a balanced diet? How about a martini w/olives? Hey, aren't olives a green vegetable?
> 
> We tried Blue last night...some of our neighbor's stash...and V'doggie loved it. Now I'm off to find it at Petco.[/B]


I got Blue at Petsmart last night. Kosmo just loves it. Loves it so much when I left this morning and he was in his exercise pen-he didn't even notice I left







The pieces are smaller than NB so it seems a little easier for him to eat-although he does love NB Duck and Potato as well! I'm just wanting to be safe-I couldn't live with myself if I bought a whole new bag of NB and come to find out there is something wrong with all of it


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=365069
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Hmmm....well, we just started a few bag of Natural Balance Duck and potato over the weekend and Ollie has had several helpings of it so far and this bag seems fine. As far as switching, I won't need another bag probably for 3-4 weeks so I'm gonna play it by ear with NB and see what happens. I will maybe try the Blue Buffalo brand next if I need to--I was just looking at their website....Edited to add...I was just trying to check NB's website and I'm getting an error message. Tried the .com and .net. I wonder what's up.....


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## lillady (Jan 25, 2007)

Hmmm....well, we just started a few bag of Natural Balance Duck and potato over the weekend and Ollie has had several helpings of it so far and this bag seems fine. As far as switching, I won't need another bag probably for 3-4 weeks so I'm gonna play it by ear with NB and see what happens. I will maybe try the Blue Buffalo brand next if I need to--I was just looking at their website....Edited to add...I was just trying to check NB's website and I'm getting an error message. Tried the .com and .net. I wonder what's up.....
[/QUOTE]
Hopefully they are updating it like they said they were going to yesterday!


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## Malteseluv (Feb 6, 2007)

Check the www.fda.gov website...They're saying that they think only one lot of the Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice was affected, but that they're still looking into all of this. 
Go to www.fda.gov and on the right hand side, it will say "Hot Topics" and "Pet Food Recall" 
Click on that and then you will see "Information on Natural Balance" towards the middle of the page.


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

> One reason I think it makes sense to feed a balanced diet to our fluffs is because they are so small, and I just don't think there is as much room for "error" as with humans, or maybe even larger dogs. Just my .02.[/B]


 

K/C why do you think that small dogs are more sensitive then big dogs ? Small dogs live longer (14-16 years) then big dogs. So in a way they are stronger then the big ones. Big dogs are at risk for gastric bloat and torsion (some breeds more then others). I know a poodle/terrier mix that reached the nice age of 21. Of course this is exceptional. And guess what, he was mostly fed people food. And the owner did not go out of her way to make a perfectly balanced diet. 



I try to eat healthy. Is it balanced ? probably not. For one thing, I hate salads. I am like Alex (lol), I want my veggies cooked. And there is a lot of healthy stuff I don't eat because I don't like it. Like cheese, I don't eat cheese.


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## Howren06 (Nov 29, 2005)

I spoke to someone at Natural Balance today. She told me that the FDA just finished the investigation and they found something (sorry can't remember...it was earlier today) in the rice protein that is in the Venison and rice formulas. It was not in any of their other foods. She also said that both Natural Balance and the FDA were shocked because the rice protein comes from a very reputable ditributor in the United States...it did not come from over seas. She said that it was only found to be in a batch that went out last week, but that if you felt uncomfortable feeding it to your dog then you could take it back to the store where you purchased it. I took what I had left (which was about 6 pounds) back to Petco and they gave me a store credit for a 5 pound bag.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

> I spoke to someone at Natural Balance today. She told me that the FDA just finished the investigation and they found something (sorry can't remember...it was earlier today) in the rice protein that is in the Venison and rice formulas. It was not in any of their other foods. She also said that both Natural Balance and the FDA were shocked because the rice protein comes from a very reputable ditributor in the United States...it did not come from over seas. She said that it was only found to be in a batch that went out last week, but that if you felt uncomfortable feeding it to your dog then you could take it back to the store where you purchased it. I took what I had left (which was about 6 pounds) back to Petco and they gave me a store credit for a 5 pound bag.[/B]


 

I did the same thing and Petco was very nice about it. I'm glad they got to the problem in record time.

I just wonder how that problem got there. If the FDA was shocked it worries me.


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

Yep, I also heard it was the rice. Here's an article:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/2...ed_N.htm?csp=34


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## nikkivong (Aug 25, 2006)

i just went out and bought a bag of blue dog food... so... ugh... dont know if i want to return it now and go back to natural balance potatoe and duck... what should i do?


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## lillady (Jan 25, 2007)

> i just went out and bought a bag of blue dog food... so... ugh... dont know if i want to return it now and go back to natural balance potatoe and duck... what should i do?[/B]


Argh-I bought the Blue last night and now that I find it's the rice in the Venison I worry about the Blue. I'm so skeptical now because of all the recalls! If the rice came from a "trusted" place in the US-who's to say that it's not used in the Blue food too? Man-this all just makes my head spin!


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## LMJ (Feb 16, 2006)

Has Natural Balance offered the lot numbers or batches of the affected food? I feed Jeffery the "regular" natural balance, I just bought a bag today. I am also keeping the old bag incase the publish the batch numbers.


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## lillady (Jan 25, 2007)

> Has Natural Balance offered the lot numbers or batches of the affected food? I feed Jeffery the "regular" natural balance, I just bought a bag today. I am also keeping the old bag incase the publish the batch numbers.[/B]


It's just the Venison variations they recalled.


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## Krystal (Feb 3, 2007)

> Has Natural Balance offered the lot numbers or batches of the affected food? I feed Jeffery the "regular" natural balance, I just bought a bag today. I am also keeping the old bag incase the publish the batch numbers.[/B]


No they said they are pulling ALL of the vension. The Dog food, treats, etc.


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

This is really shocking. I wish they would give the lot numbers so I could check the bag of Sophie's food. I'm not feeding it to her anymore, I'm cooking for her, now. I have an appointment Saturday with the vet for a consult to make sure I'm doing the home cooked diet correctly.


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

Well I called the FDA today and asked about the NB venison and brown rice, they called me back and I had a long conversation with a really nice lady, but still am none the wiser really. She took my name and address and phone # and our vet's details and said they will contact her just to make sure Scooby is ok. She also took the lot # and use by date from the package as I kept it just in case and threw out the contents.
She also asked when and where we bought it and how much we had used, I also had to throw out all the food I made for Scooby because I had put some of the kibble in that too.
I spent 2 hours cooking up a new batch of food for the boys today, I just cannot trust NB and we also use Evangers chicken and brown rice kibble and now I am wondering how long till they recall their food







I read that NB venison and brown rice is made at Diamond Foods, they have had problems before themselves with their corn filler having an algie contaminant so why would NB continue to use them to process their dry food?


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## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

From the article posted, it appears that NB has traced it to Venison and Rice food made on March 28. Fortunately, the bag I have is quite a bit older than that...V'doggie just doesn't eat that much food, so a bag lasts us several months. I still am not going to feed her the Venison formula until all this clears. I could not find a bag of Blue...it was sold out in Petco (or was it Petsmart...my day is a blur) so I bought the regular formula of NB. They didn't have any NB duck and potato either. 

Scoobydoo, the way I read the article, the rice protein was from a new source. Maybe NB just recently began dealings with Diamond Foods? I will say this, it appears that NB has been very proactive on the issue. As soon as reports came in, they took action. Compare that to Menu Foods which waited months to take any action.


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## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

Here is an update to the USA Today article: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/2...ed_N.htm?csp=34


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

BUMPING THIS UP ... PLEASE READ UPDATE ON THE FIRST POST.


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

I just spoke to a customer service rep at NB and asked about this "particular production period." He wouldn't say what period, but when I told him I bought the last bag about a month ago, he said they were looking at a "very recent" production batch and the bag I bought would not be affected. I'm assuming that's because they just "recently" added the rice protein concentrate to the ingredients. He said they are advising everyone to stop feeding it, but to feel safe to feed her their other products including the duck and potatoe. He also said that they haven't had any reports of sick animals on the east coast and that those who have taken sick showed immediate signs of vomiting and feeling ill. He took my name and address and is sending me a coupon by Federal Express for the duck and potatoe. I'm not sure if I'm going to use it though. When I expressed my surprise that they were open this late, he said it was only because of the recall that they were staying late to take calls. Overall, the conversation left me with the feeling that NB is still a good company, but I hesitate to say with a good product at this time.

PS: excuse me if I'm pulling a Dan Quayle with the spelling of potatoe/potato - my brain is working at half power today after finishing up my taxes.


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## Malteseluv (Feb 6, 2007)

They found melamine in the rice protein concentratein the Venison & Brown Rice dry, canned, and treats...Melamine is the same toxin that they found in the wheat gluten with the Menu Foods dog foods that killed and made so many dogs sick







This is what I found on their website this evening...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Pacoima, CA -- April 17, 2007-- Natural Balance, Pacoima, CA, is issuing a voluntary nationwide recall for all of its Venison dog products and the dry Venison cat food only, regardless of date codes. The recalled products include Venison and Brown Rice canned and bagged dog foods, Venison and Brown Rice dog treats, and Venison and Green Pea dry cat food. Recent laboratory results show that the products contain melamine. We believe the source of the melamine is a rice protein concentrate. Natural Balance has confirmed this morning that some production batches of these products may contain melamine.

The recall was prompted by consumer complaints received by Natural Balance involving a small number of cats and dogs that developed kidney failure after eating the affected product. 

Dogs or cats who have consumed the suspect food and show signs of kidney failure (such as loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting) should be seen by a veterinarian. We recommend our customers immediately stop feeding our recalled venison products regardless of date code and return unused product to their retailer for a full refund.

The products are packaged in bags, cans and zip lock treat bags and sold in pet specialty stores and PetCo nationally.
No other Natural Balance products are involved in this voluntary recall as none of our other formulas include the rice protein concentrate.

Although the problems seem to be focused on a particular production period of the venison products, over the last four days we have notified our distributors and retailers by phone and e-mail to immediately stop selling and return all recalled Venison dog foods and treats and the Venison dry cat food. Venison canned cat food is not involved.

The source of the melamine appears to be a rice protein concentrate, which was recently added to the dry venison formulas. Natural Balance does not use wheat gluten, which was associated with the previous melamine contamination.

None of Natural Balance’s other dry formulas, none of our other canned or roll products and none of our other treats are involved with this voluntary recall. 

We continue to work closely with the FDA in their ongoing investigation.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-829-4493 or email [email protected].


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

Is it just me or does anyone else feel that one boo-boo is one boo-boo too many??


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## Theresa (Mar 10, 2005)

I switched to the potatoe and duck we've used 1/2 the bag







they really didn't like it anyway.. 
so I called Nature's Select today and ordered the lamb and rice for sensitive stomachs , they deliver to the house
top ingredients
lamb meal, whole ground white rice,whole ground brown rice, chicken fat, ( preserved with rosemary extract and mixed tocopherol a source of vit, E and citric acid) chicken meal trukey meal and whole ground flaxseed, no by -products, corn, wheat, or chemical preservatives

I have a friend that uses it and his dog is beautiful and healthy.

I hope this is the one I hate switching the food, Summer always gets a little upset stomach. 
Has anyone else heard of this brand? It was started by a family in 1994 .
www.naturesselectpetproducts.com
let me know if you've tried it on your little ones.


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## Chyna's Mommie (Feb 23, 2007)

I'm not switching from the duck & sweet potato formula...not yet anyways. I haven't seen any problems in Scoobie or Chyna since I put them on it. Hopefully once this is over they will implement stricter quality control measures. 

If I do switch it would be to Innova. I just found a local carrier.


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

I would like to know if there is a brand that doesn't use any imported ingredients in their dogfood. If this melamine is used as a fertilizer or pesticide in China, & the U.S. companys are importing grains & grain products & selling it to dogfood manufacturers, how will we ever be sure that we aren't feeding contaminated food to our pets?


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

momtoboo- this rice protein was purchased domestically (I think I read that, but I can't find where I read that)!!!! 

I just don't understand how melamine could have gotten into the rice?? I wonder if its used to process the rice (and the wheat glutton) and didn't get rinsed out- or if its used to coat the containers it's stored in- something like that??

I am not switching Wilson and Molly from the fish and sweet potato, I still believe NB is one of the best pet food companies out there. Wilson has horrible allergies and the sweet potato and fish recipes seem to be the best for him- and I have banned Wellness since the majority of their food is processed by Menu Foods--- I can't seem to find any other brand that has a sweet potato/fish allergy recipe with human grade foods. So until I hear of someting else I will continue to feed it.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> momtoboo- this rice protein was purchased domestically (I think I read that, but I can't find where I read that)!!!!
> 
> I just don't understand how melamine could have gotten into the rice?? I wonder if its used to process the rice (and the wheat glutton) and didn't get rinsed out- or if its used to coat the containers it's stored in- something like that??
> 
> I am not switching Wilson and Molly from the fish and sweet potato, I still believe NB is one of the best pet food companies out there. Wilson has horrible allergies and the sweet potato and fish recipes seem to be the best for him- and I have banned Wellness since the majority of their food is processed by Menu Foods--- I can't seem to find any other brand that has a sweet potato/fish allergy recipe with human grade foods. So until I hear of someting else I will continue to feed it.[/B]


What about this stuff? http://www.bluebuff.com/# check out their fish and sweet potato dog kibble--it sounds very good "human" grade ingredients, etc. It's also sold in Petco/Petsmart...I didn't notice who manufactured it, though, gonna go look......


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

> momtoboo- this rice protein was purchased domestically (I think I read that, but I can't find where I read that)!!!!
> 
> I just don't understand how melamine could have gotten into the rice?? I wonder if its used to process the rice (and the wheat glutton) and didn't get rinsed out- or if its used to coat the containers it's stored in- something like that??
> 
> I am not switching Wilson and Molly from the fish and sweet potato, I still believe NB is one of the best pet food companies out there. Wilson has horrible allergies and the sweet potato and fish recipes seem to be the best for him- and I have banned Wellness since the majority of their food is processed by Menu Foods--- I can't seem to find any other brand that has a sweet potato/fish allergy recipe with human grade foods. So until I hear of someting else I will continue to feed it.[/B]


 

According to this article, the rice protein concentrate was imported from China by a San Francisco based co. who then sold it to the makers of Natural Balance. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/2...ed_N.htm?csp=34 Is there an article I missed that disputes this?


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## lillady (Jan 25, 2007)

What about this stuff? http://www.bluebuff.com/# check out their fish and sweet potato dog kibble--it sounds very good "human" grade ingredients, etc. It's also sold in Petco/Petsmart...I didn't notice who manufactured it, though, gonna go look......
[/quo

I have Kosmo on Blue now-switched from NB-I just can't trust it right now. I couldn't live with myself if something happened. Just a personal preference. He really seems to like it and the ingredients look great. I did leave a message for them to call me to let me know that they don't use rice concentrate from Diamond Foods like NB does. On the bag it says whole ground brown rice-so I don't think so. We have enough to worry about with our babies, what we feed them shouldn't be one of them!


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

Thank you Gena, but it has rice in it and Wilson can't have rice, corn or any wheat products. Although, I have never tested to see if he is allergic to brown rice.... I only tested white rice, but I don't think I should chance it. 

As far as I have been able to find Wellness and NB are the only two allergy formulas that don't have rice, corn or wheat in them. 

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> What about this stuff? http://www.bluebuff.com/# check out their fish and sweet potato dog kibble--it sounds very good "human" grade ingredients, etc. It's also sold in Petco/Petsmart...I didn't notice who manufactured it, though, gonna go look......
> [/quo
> 
> I have Kosmo on Blue now-switched from NB-I just can't trust it right now. I couldn't live with myself if something happened. Just a personal preference. He really seems to like it and the ingredients look great. I did leave a message for them to call me to let me know that they don't use rice concentrate from Diamond Foods like NB does. On the bag it says whole ground brown rice-so I don't think so. We have enough to worry about with our babies, what we feed them shouldn't be one of them!
> ...


Hi Gena--you are the one that mention the Blue Buffalo brand the other day--I should have given you the credit!! Which of the formulas are you giving him?

Like I said in an earlier post--one boo-boo is one boo-boo too many I think. I mean if I were giving my skin kids something that was contaminated and found out I would completely boycott anything made by that company from then on out. At least I think I would, you know? I'm still thinking about it...I understand accidents happen but when it comes to food and ingesting poison that can kill you we have to draw the line!!


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

> What about this stuff? http://www.bluebuff.com/# check out their fish and sweet potato dog kibble--it sounds very good "human" grade ingredients, etc. It's also sold in Petco/Petsmart...I didn't notice who manufactured it, though, gonna go look......
> [/quo
> 
> I have Kosmo on Blue now-switched from NB-I just can't trust it right now. I couldn't live with myself if something happened. Just a personal preference. He really seems to like it and the ingredients look great. I did leave a message for them to call me to let me know that they don't use rice concentrate from Diamond Foods like NB does. On the bag it says whole ground brown rice-so I don't think so. We have enough to worry about with our babies, what we feed them shouldn't be one of them!
> ...



Gena, how large are the pieces of kibble? Ut oh..just read wheat? corn? noooo can do.


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## Alvar's Mom (Mar 5, 2007)

> Thank you Gena, but it has rice in it and Wilson can't have rice, corn or any wheat products. Although, I have never tested to see if he is allergic to brown rice.... I only tested white rice, but I don't think I should chance it.
> 
> As far as I have been able to find Wellness and NB are the only two allergy formulas that don't have rice, corn or wheat in them.
> 
> ...


Check out Flint River Ranch they have a "fish&chips" (aka fish & sweet potato) recipe and I don't think it has rice, corn or wheat in it. I've been feeding the "original" and Alvar loves it! www.frrco.com


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

I am going to start a new thread about alternative foods.

Thanks!


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

I'm not planning on switching from the Duck and Potato. With everything going on, you never know, something may end up in the new food as well, and not reported/investigated as quickly as DVP's.

I trust they would never "sweep" anything under the rug, and that the quality control will be even better than ever.


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## lillady (Jan 25, 2007)

Hi Gena--you are the one that mention the Blue Buffalo brand the other day--I should have given you the credit!! Which of the formulas are you giving him?

Like I said in an earlier post--one boo-boo is one boo-boo too many I think. I mean if I were giving my skin kids something that was contaminated and found out I would completely boycott anything made by that company from then on out. At least I think I would, you know? I'm still thinking about it...I understand accidents happen but when it comes to food and ingesting poison that can kill you we have to draw the line!!
[/QUOTE]

I have him on the Chicken and Brown Rice:

http://www.bluebuff.com/products/dogs_puppies.shtml

I had nothing against NB before this, but one thing that is nice, the pieces are smaller and easier for Kosmo to eat.


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

Please consider Castor & Pollux Organix. I am very pleased with it. I particularly like the fact that they use a lot of organic ingredients. I don't trust "conventional" as it likely has pesticide residue.

http://www.castorpolluxpet.com/

*Castor & Pollux Organix Dry Dog Food Ingredients*
Organic Chicken, Chicken Meal, Organic Peas, Organic Barley, Organic Brown Rice, Organic Oats, Chicken Fat preserved with Mixed Tochopherols (form of Vitamin E), Salmon Meal, Organic Whole Flaxseed, Natural Chicken Liver Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Dried Whole Egg, Potassium Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Proteinate, Calcium Iodate), Choline Chloride, Organic Carrots, Organic Apples, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Phosphate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Yeast Culture (Sacccharomyces Cerevisiae), Dried Enterococcus Faecum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Trichoderma Longbrachiatum Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract and Fermentation Solubles, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min) 25.00% 
Crude Fat (min) 13.00% 
Crude Fiber (max) 4.50% 
Moisture (max) 10.00% 
Calcium (min) 1.00% 
Phosphorus (min) 0.90% 
Omega 6 Fatty Acid* (min) 2.00%
Omega 3 Fatty Acid* (min) 0.28% 
Glucosamine* (min) 150 ppm 
Chondroitin Sulfate* (min) 75 ppm


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## patsan (Mar 2, 2006)

This is a really good article and worth the read....


Link supplied by Consumer World:


http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

> This is a really good article and worth the read....
> 
> 
> Link supplied by Consumer World:
> ...


That is a good article. Is it okay to pass it on to my rescue list??


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## patsan (Mar 2, 2006)

Sure, I just passed it on from one of my lists.

It is a good article, and sure get you thinking about what the heck is good and not good for them. Actually made me more confused....


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

> I'm not planning on switching from the Duck and Potato. With everything going on, you never know, something may end up in the new food as well, and not reported/investigated as quickly as DVP's.
> 
> I trust they would never "sweep" anything under the rug, and that the quality control will be even better than ever.[/B]


I tend to agree with you Deb, DVP has a reputation to uphold and I am sure they will do all they can to ensure their food is safe in the future, I am still going to feed the boys the canned Lamb because they are not getting sick on it so I think it must be ok, I am sure if it were a problem we would have known by now









Edit: well after reading that article, I am thinking I might just cook fresh home cooked food for the boys, at least that way we know all the nutrients we add are fresh, clean, and SAFE


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=365635
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Janet ~ I'm sure they will go through everything with a fine tooth comb. I think we'll be okay


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## lillady (Jan 25, 2007)

FYI:

Wilbur-Ellis Voluntarily Recalls Rice Protein Concentrate
Contact:
Ann Barlow 
415-438-9826; 925-200-6539 
Deborah Brown
212-931-6113

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- San Francisco, CA -- April 18, 2007 -- Wilbur-Ellis Company is voluntarily recalling all lots of the rice protein concentrate the San Francisco company’s Feed Division has shipped to pet-food manufacturers because of a risk that rice protein concentrate may have been contaminated by melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers that can lead to illness or fatalities in animals if consumed.

Wilbur-Ellis noted that it obtained rice protein from a single source in China and shipped to a total of five U.S. pet-food manufacturers located in Utah, N.Y., Kansas and two in Missouri.

Last Sunday, April 15, Wilbur-Ellis notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that a single bag in a recent shipment of rice protein concentrate from its Chinese supplier, Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd., had tested positive for melamine. Unlike the other white-colored bags in that shipment, the bag in question was pink and had the word “melamine” stenciled upon it. Wilbur-Ellis separated that bag and quarantined the entire shipment for further testing and since that time, no further deliveries of rice protein concentrate have been made. Samples from the white bags tested negative for melamine. However, subsequent and potentially more sensitive tests by the FDA came back positive for melamine, leading Wilbur-Ellis to voluntarily issue the recall.

Wilbur-Ellis began importing rice protein concentrate from Binzhou Futian Biology Technology in July 2006. A total of 14 containers holding 336 metric tons of rice protein concentrate were sent from Futian to Wilbur-Ellis. Wilbur-Ellis has distributed 155 metric tons to date.

On Monday (April 16), a pet food distributor issued a voluntary recall of its pet food, believing the source of contamination to be rice protein concentrate supplied by Wilbur-Ellis. As an additional precaution, Wilbur-Ellis is urging all pet food manufacturers using rice protein concentrate supplied through Wilbur-Ellis to recall any pet food that may be on supermarket shelves. 

Lovely, eh?


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## precious paws (Jun 7, 2006)

> FYI:
> 
> Wilbur-Ellis Voluntarily Recalls Rice Protein Concentrate
> Contact:
> ...



Thanks for posting this. I had a bag of kibble (not natural balance) that contained rice protein concentrate in my cabinate. I threw it away yesterday.


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

http://www.bluebuff.com/#
IMPORTANT NOTICE

Voluntary Recall of Spa Select Kitten Dry Food 

Dear Pet Parents: 

The Blue Buffalo Company has undertaken a voluntary recall of one production run of our Spa Select Kitten dry food. The production code on the recalled product is:
"Best Used By Mar. 07 08 B." 

We have taken this action because the rice protein concentrate used for this run was obtained from Wilbur-Ellis, the same company who supplied this ingredient to Natural Balance. Test results received late last evening (4/18) indicated that this rice protein concentrate tested positive for melamine. This is the first and only time our manufacturing partner sourced an ingredient from Wilbur-Ellis, and we had no knowledge that they had imported the ingredients from China. 

We have advised the FDA of this finding and will be working closely with them on this issue. 

Of the 4,752 bags produced in this one run, we were able to prevent the majority from ever entering retail distribution. We are working closely with our retail partners to remove this product immediately and will be re-stocking the shelves with Spa Select Kitten dry food that was produced without any rice protein sourced from Wilbur-Ellis as soon as possible. 

If you currently have a bag of Spa Select Kitten dry food, please check the code date and if it matches the one shown above discontinue use immediately and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. If your cat has eaten any of the recalled food, please call your veterinarian immediately to discuss if there are any risks to your pet. 

Should you have a specific question call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-919-2833 or email us at [email protected]. We understand your desire for immediate answers and we will be working to get back to you as quickly as we can. 

No other Spa Select cat food or dog food, canned or dry, is included in this recall.

As a family owned company whose reason for being is to provide cats and dogs with the highest quality natural foods, we are extremely upset by this recall and can't begin to apologize enough to our customers. From our perspective, it is unacceptable to produce even one bag of food with the potential to cause a pet to become ill, and we will further tighten our ingredient sourcing and quality assurance procedures as a result of this incident. 

Sincerely, 

Bill Bishop
President
The Blue Buffalo Company













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