This pet food recall thing is becoming a rather dangerous situation.  First we had to worry about foods containing wheat gluten.

Guess what?

It’s now been expanded to include foods containing rice protein concentrate… also from China.  It too appears contaminated with melamine.

That recall was added just yesterday.

Unfortunately at this point, I don’t believe any food is safe.  The food The Kids eat contains neither wheat gluten nor rice protein concentrate (although some of Hill’s prescription foods do contain one or both ingredients).  Although I’m thrilled this latest discovery does not affect them, I fear the tip of the iceberg has only just been discovered.

What’s next?  What ingredient soon will be added to the growing list as being contaminated, poisoned, dangerous?

And what foods and other animal feed products will similarly have to be recalled because they likewise threaten the lives of the creatures who depend on us?

The entire situation is more than disgusting and disheartening.  It’s more than troublesome and worrying.

It’s pathetic.

Where’s the testing?  Where’s the quality control?

And how soon before something like this happens to the human supply?

So little of our imported food is tested.  At all.  In fact, it’s a fraction of a fraction of what comes in and winds up on our tables or offered to our animal family members.

Yes, poppets, we’re all in serious danger.

At this point, I’m beginning a diligent search for alternative foods for The Kids.  Given Kako‘s need for a special diet to control her pH in order to avoid the deadly UTI problem she has, I doubt my quest will be as simple as it would be for others without the immediate medical concerns.

I can easily find many resources to help with this issue, though, and I expect to utilize as many of them as necessary in order to find a way to move them from manufactured foods to fresher—and obviously safer—alternatives.

I will reiterate what I have said all along: Visit the FDA’s pet food recall page.  Go daily.  Go several times per day.  Check the growing list, search for anything you give the beasts in your home, and take immediate action if you find you’re the latest statistic in a nightmare of hemorrhaging threats lurking in every bag and every can and every box.

Thankfully, the FDA has now added a searchable list of all affected products.  Rather than being forced to search through each vendor’s inadequately clear announcements and releases on the issue, our government has finally done something useful by taking all that gobbledygook and turning it into a useful resource.

While it doesn’t contain anything on the rice protein recall yet, I suspect that information will be added as it becomes available.

Again, check it constantly.  Ensure the safety of your entire family.

While you’re at it, start looking into ways to more safely feed your dog or cat—or other animals—that doesn’t involve such treachery, not to mention all the crap that goes into these processed foods.