Pet owners are tired of their pets get sick while companies recall their products.

Part 1.  Just this past week the CDC reported the count of salmonella poisonings rose yet again. And the FDA released findings about Chinese-made chicken jerky dog treats.

Contaminated pet shampoo, radioactive dog food bowls, dangerous levels of vitamin D and lead, salmonella poisonings–what’s a pet parent to do?  The massive recalls and contaminated pet products of 2012 are enough to make consumers swear off manufactured pet products.  While that’s not an option for most of us, keep reading and I’ll share what’s working for breeders and healthy pet parents.

Two people were hospitalized in Texas for salmonella poisoning, bringing the total count of human illnesses to 49.  Dog and cat illnesses and deaths are not being tracked by the US government.

The FDA released five and a half years of testing results on Chinese made chicken jerky dog treats.  Over 1,000 complaints were filed starting in 2007.  The bottom line: the FDA cannot determine what causes problems in dogs that eat the treats. Regardless, the investigation will continue and the agency is still receiving new complaints from dog owners, said FDA spokeswoman Laura Alvey in an email to Food Safety News.

Our companion animals are sentinels for our health and the health of the planet. “They are trying their best to warn us,” reports The Environmental Working Group.

Pets are polluted with even higher levels of many of the same synthetic industrial chemicals that researchers have recently found in people, according to a recent EWG study.  Scientists increasingly link this chemical contamination to a growing array of health problems across a wide range of animals—wild, domesticated and human.  Anyone who’s lost a pet to cancer, the sweeping epidemic of thyroid disease, or a reaction to contaminated products knows how the role of animal sentinel becomes a devastating personal loss.

With underfunded government agencies failing to find answers and corporations failing to put our pet’s health over costs, it falls on us to be informed about the hazards and preventative measures. Read my post tomorrow with 5 strategies increase your pet’s healthspan by preventing decreasing exposure to toxic products and chemicals. 

Related: Part 2 of this article, Tips For Staying Safe The Nine Most Important Words on Your Bag of Dog Food; 5 Ways to Increase Your Pet’s Life Through Nutrition

Sources: Chicago Sun Times; Center for Disease Control; HealthyStuff.org; NBC News; Food Safety News; Environmental Working Group Pet Study

–Dana G. Mayer Copyright 2012