In the US ASPCA believes acetaminophen contamination unfounded
Fears of petfood contaminated with acetaminophen are unfounded, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
The ASPCA has been in close touch with veterinary toxicologists at the University of California (Davis), who have conducted independent tests on cat food to determine if they contain acetaminophen. The results, like those by the US Food and Drug Administration, came back negative.
“A few weeks ago, CAHFS received three cans of cat food supplied to it for testing by an individual pet owner. We were told that this was the same food that had tested positive for acetaminophen and cyanuric acid at a private laboratory in Texas,” said Dr. Robert H. Poppenga, who runs the Toxicology Section of the California Animal Health and Food Safety System (CAHFS) at UC Davis’ School of Veterinary Medicine. “Further, the cat in question had been diagnosed with acute renal failure, but there was no evidence of liver failure, which is what we see with acetaminophen poisoning. We immediately began conducting our own rigorous tests on these foods, which are in line with nationally accepted guidelines for such testing. All the samples came back negative for this type of contamination.”
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UK pets shops living in the ‘70s
While the rest of the world has cottoned on to the 24% rise in pet spending in the last 5 years, it would seem that UK pet shops have failed to seize the trend – at least according to Paul Sutton, Director of The Pet Extraordinarium in Wallingford, Oxfordshire.
"We seem to have stirred up a lively debate about the way that pet shops have traditionally been presented and the sorts of products that dog, cat and rabbit owners have had access to,” said Sutton, speaking about his recently launched pet store. “Judging from people's reactions, a well-presented shop selling good quality, stylish products where people can quite happily browse is long overdue, and we're delighted that pet owners share our vision.”
He believes that as much time, thought and money should be put into the interior design of a pet store as is usually spent on the look and feel of a person’s home. “We’ve put a lot of effort into the look and feel of the store and have used chrome fittings, wooden floors and an open plan approach to give the shop a contemporary, ‘high street fashion’ appeal.”
“As far as we're concerned there's no reason why they [the customers] should have to put up with poorly designed and tacky beds and bowls bought from cold, smelly, dingy stores stacked to the rafters with out-dated products,” he said. When designing The Pet Extraordinarium, Sutton intentionally tried to steer clear of what people would expect a pet store to look like.
Hopefully other UK pet shops will do the same.
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More UK news
Beaphar acquires Sinclair Animal & Household Care
Sinclair Animal & Household Care Ltd (SAHC) has been acquired by Beaphar BV for an undisclosed sum, combining the expertise of Beaphar in anti-parasitics, care products and feedstuffs with Sinclair’s knowledge of aquatics, accessories and cat and dog flea control products.
"This acquisition is good news for Beaphar, Sinclair and the pet trade,” said Henk Aa, CEO of Beaphar Group. “Internationally, Beaphar gains a complete range of premium quality aquatic products, together with a UK GMP-approved manufacturing base.”
“Sinclair joins the biggest over-the-counter pet healthcare business in Europe, significantly increasing the distribution of its extensive product portfolio. The pet trade can depend upon the continued support of businesses dedicated to the specialist sector, whose over-riding objectives are quality and service."
The two businesses will continue to operate as separate businesses in the UK, and anticipate no noticeable changes from their customers’ perspective.____________________
