Merrick dog treats recalled due to elevated thyroid hormone

[helvella]

Probably not relevant to many readers - or their best friends - as this is USA news. However, I thought of broad interest to realise that this issue keeps occurring, whether in dog food, Spanish sausage, or hamburgers.

Merrick dog treats recalled due to elevated thyroid hormone

By Phyllis Entis | May 24, 2018

fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm6...

Merrick Pet Care has announced a voluntary recall of certain Castor & Pollux and Merrick Backcountry dog treats after one of the products was found to contain elevated levels of beef thyroid hormone.

The problem was discovered as a result of a consumer complaint lodged with the US Food and Drug Administration.

foodsafetynews.com/2018/05/...

[shaws]

So we have the option of 'dog treats' if we need thyroid hormones which wont be prescribed

[Mamapea1 in reply to shaws]

I'd rather have them than Levo! they should ship them over here, solve a few financial headaches for the NHS lol! 😄 xx

[Gigi216]

I appreciate the info my daughter buys those for her dog. I am in the US but I follow some of you because the conversations on the thyroid forums in the UK are so much more informative. You folks know your stuff!

[LAHs]

Interesting, did you know that hyperthyroidism is very rare in cats but hypothyroidism is very common. It is thought (amongst other theories) that some thyroid disrupter gets leached out of the can lining. Hypo is very rare in dogs, but, if they get thyroid problems at all it is likely to be hyperthyroidism - and now we know why.

[helvella in reply to LAHs]

I actually thought it was exactly the opposite!

Cats -> hyper

Dogs -> hypo

(Hence, the veterinarian who misguidedly ended up severely overdosing when she switched to her dog's tablets (she though 0.50 mg was 50 micrograms - which it isn't)

[LAHs in reply to helvella]

Oh my gosh, yes, the other way round folks - sorry! And here I am about to give my second hyperthyroid cat it's medicine. Not only that but a neighbour's can just died - of old age more that anything - she was also hyperthyroid so she gave me it's left over medicine, yes I know that's terrible but we had the same vet, the same medicine and cats with the same illness.

But anyway, thx Helvella, Hyper for cats and rarely Hypo. dogs, if they ever get it it's hypo. Phew, glad we sorted that out.

[greygoose in reply to LAHs]

Actually, hypothyroidism is not that rare in dogs. They can have Hashi's, too.

[LAHs in reply to greygoose]

Hi gg, I don't know beans about dogs I was just quoting our vet. I have had three cats that had hyperthyroidism so I stand by that but dogs, I don't know. Maybe my vet's information only applies to central coast of California dogs - could be different in other places in the world.

[Marz in reply to LAHs]

Just take a moment to think of those lovely old Labs that seem to suffer from being Hypo more than other breeds. Rather portly and with dodgy hips ! My beautiful Greek dog was Hypo ....

[greygoose in reply to LAHs]

I don't know if there are geographical differences, but my experience is that vets are as reluctant to test for hypo in dogs as doctors are in humans! So, of course, if you don't test for something, it's always going to be rare! It's a self-perpetuating myth. I had to really fight just to get my dog tested! And, yet, as I suffer myself, it was just so obvious to me that he was hypo.

[TSH110 in reply to greygoose]

Same with me gg. I looked at one of mine one day looking so tired and I thought I know that feeling - she’s got hypothyrodism. The vet tested her without question and it was overt so she was treated immediately and improved a lot. Her mother had it and her brother. I felt bad I had not realised much earlier on.

[greygoose in reply to TSH110]

The first vet I asked to test him sneered at me : you're just over-feeding him and don't realise it! I said, call me stupid while you're at it! Twice I went to see that vet and got nowhere, he wouldn't even entertain the idea of doing the test. Second vet laughed at the dog! Oh, he's so fat! Ha ha ha I looked at her and thought : pot calling kettle black! But I said nothing. Finally persuaded her to test his T4 and she was absolutely amazed that it came back under-range! Wow! Who'd a thunk it! Well, me, and I'm not even a vet. I could have taken the two of them and smacked their heads together!

[TSH110 in reply to greygoose]

That is awful - why can’t they just test them as requested and keep their ridiculous prejudices to themselves? Luckily our vets are very good and never sneer at us. There is a good article by a US vet called Dodds about correct protocol for thyroid testing in dogs I did post a link to it a long while back. Those vet as well as a head bashing session owe you a big apology. Best avoided.

[greygoose in reply to TSH110]

Yes, problem is, not much choice in vets, around here. I'll google that vet and see what I can find. Thank you.

[TSH110 in reply to greygoose]

This article is very interesting (not the one I posted before but it might be in the references): homevet.com/thyroid-disease...

It has interesting ramifications for breeding of pedigree dogs. Mind you I am not sure how I feel about those having hypothyroidism being viewed as ideally an evolutionary dead end! I am a bit more that hypothyroidism surely, artistically gifted and very fit physically...and more 😂🤣😂 - mind you I am an evolutionary dead end, but a brother and a sister are not. Should their children be banned from parenthood just in case they pass it on? Poor dogs, just manipulated for human design then paying the consequences and no longer valued. I adored my three hypothyroid dogs, they were wonderful companions.

She has a tumblr blog that looks good.

[greygoose in reply to TSH110]

Totally agree with you! I think the world would be a sadder place without me! lol But, seriously, I had two boys and one girl, so the line is secured. And none of them show any problems, so far.

Thank you for the link, I will have a look.

[TSH110 in reply to greygoose]

Yes my three had hashis

[TSH110 in reply to LAHs]

Hypothyroidism is a known condition to afflict sighthounds. I have had 3 with it out of 10, the three were closely related. I have suspected it in two others (not related) but tests were inconclusive. I understood dogs seldom if ever get hyperthyroidism. In my experience hypothyroidism in whippets is not rare. I understand their very low body fat is related to why they get it.

[LAHs]

You know, it just dawned on me, my cats are the fussiest things in the world. Their food has to be fish but cannot contain salmon or shrimp, and it has to be pate. But, you know what? now I come to think about it they wouldn't touch Merrick brand, I have to walk straight past those cans on the aisle. I think thyroid hormones are not the only weird stuff they are putting in their food.