Feline's Pride food recalled due to salmonella

To contact us Click HERE

Feline’s Pride Issues Nationwide Recall of its Natural Chicken Formula Cat Food Due to Salmonella Contamination

Contact:
Shelby Gomas,
Tel: 1-716-580-3096

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 1, 2010 - Buffalo, NY – Feline’s Pride is announcing a voluntary recall of Feline’s Pride Raw food with ground bone for cats and kittens, Natural Chicken Formula, Net Wt. 2.5 lbs. (1.13 kg., 40 oz.) produced on 6/10/10, because it may be contaminated with Salmonella. People handling raw pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the raw pet food or any surfaces exposed to the product.

When consumed by humans, Salmonella can cause an infection, salmonellosis. The symptoms of salmonellosis include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, minimal diarrhea, fever, and headache. Certain vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems, are particularly susceptible to acquiring salmonellosis from such pet food products and may experience more severe symptoms.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The product is packaged in uncoded plastic containers and sold frozen to private consumers nationwide. Once thawed, the pet food has a shelf life of about 1 week. The firm manufactures the pet food by an as-ordered basis. This recall affects only those orders placed and shipped from June 10 through June 17, 2010.

The firm and FDA are investigating this matter to determine the source of this problem, and will take any additional steps necessary to protect the public health.

To date, both the firm and the FDA have received no reports of Salmonella infection relating to this product.

This product should not be fed to pets but should instead be disposed of in a safe manner (e.g., in a securely covered trash receptacle). People who are experiencing the symptoms of Salmonella infection after having handled the pet food product should seek medical attention, and report their use of the product and illness to the nearest FDA office.

People should thoroughly wash their hands after handling the pet food – especially those made from raw animal protein such as meat or fish -- to help prevent infection. People may risk bacterial infection not only by handling pet foods, but by contact with pets or surfaces exposed to these foods, so it is important that they thoroughly wash their hands with hot water and soap.

Since certain vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems, are particularly at risk from exposure they should avoid handling this product.

Consumers with questions should contact the company at (716) 580-3096, Monday –Friday from 10 am - 4 pm EDT.

Feline's Pride expands food recall due to salmonella

To contact us Click HERE
From FDA:

Feline’s Pride Expands Nationwide Recall of its Natural Chicken Formula Cat Food Due to Salmonella Contamination

Contact:
Shelby Gomas,
Tel: 1-716-580-3096

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 15, 2010 - Buffalo, NY – Feline’s Pride is expanding its July 1, 2010 voluntary recall of Feline’s Pride Raw food with ground bone for cats and kittens, Natural Chicken Formula, Net Wt. 2.5 lbs. (1.13 kg., 40 oz.) produced on 6/10/10 to include the product produced on 6/21/10, because it may be contaminated with Salmonella. People handling raw pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the raw pet food or any surfaces exposed to the product.

When consumed by humans, Salmonella can cause an infection, salmonellosis. The symptoms of salmonellosis include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, minimal diarrhea, fever, and headache. Certain vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems, are particularly susceptible to acquiring salmonellosis from such pet food products and may experience more severe symptoms.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The product is packaged in uncoded plastic containers and sold frozen to private consumers nationwide. Once thawed, the pet food has a shelf life of about 1 week. The firm manufactures the pet food by an as-ordered basis. This expansion of the recall affects those orders placed and shipped from June 21 through June 26, 2010 (produced on 6/21/10).

The firm and FDA are investigating this matter to determine the source of this problem, and will take any additional steps necessary to protect the public health.

To date, both the firm and the FDA have received no reports of Salmonella infection relating to this product.

People who are experiencing the symptoms of Salmonella infection after having handled the pet food product should seek medical attention, and report their use of the product and illness to the nearest FDA office.

People should thoroughly wash their hands after handling the pet food – especially those made from raw animal protein such as meat or fish -- to help prevent infection. People may risk bacterial infection not only by handling pet foods, but by contact with pets or surfaces exposed to these foods, so it is important that they thoroughly wash their hands with hot water and soap.

Since certain vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems, are particularly at risk from exposure they should avoid handling this product.

Consumers with questions should contact the company at (716) 580-3096, Monday -Friday from 10 am - 4 pm EDT.

Cats don't Prefer Sweets

To contact us Click HERE

Cats taste the world very differently than humans

One thing that I found fascinating during my undergraduate studies was my Modern Biology class. It involved learning about and implementing numerous techniques that are rather new to the field of biology. Thanks to this class, I isolated a number of different cell components, ran various biological molecules through a gel electrophoresis machine, and performed polymerase chain reaction. I also took my own DNA and prepared it for sequencing, which involved refining and isolating the material, cutting out the gene we wanted to look at, then replicating it so that it could be sent off for the actual sequencing process to be performed.

The gene that we looked at was one of the two that go into making the receptors on your tongue that register sweetness. Specifically, the TAS1R2 (taste receptor, type 1, member 2) gene. TAS1R2 must join up with a second protein to signal that sweet flavor. Here is the TAS1R2 gene (specifically, my copy) in its three hundred fifty-five nucleotide entirety: 

GCTGCGTACCACACCCAGCGCCGACCACCACATCGAGGCCATGGTGCAGCTGATGCTGCACTTCCGCTGGAACTGGATCATTGTGCTGGTGAGCAGCGACACCTATGGCCGCGACAATGGCCAGCTGCTTGGCGAGCGCGTGGCCCGGCGCGACATCTGCATCGCCTTCCAGGAGACGCTGCCCACACTGCAGCCCAACCAGAACATGACGTCAGAGGAGCGCCAGCGCCTGGTGACCATTGTGGACAAGCTGCAGCAGAGCACAGCGCGCGTCGTGGTCGTGTTCTCGCCCGACCTGACCCTGTACCACTTCTTCAATGAGGTGCTGCGCCAGAACTTCACTGGCGCCGTGTGG

...not really that interesting.

This is your average TAS1R2 gene for Homo sapiens, nothing special. Just about every human out there has this exact sequence, with few exceptions (one of my classmates, for example, had a single point mutation). However, it is one gene crucial to why humans like sweets so much. This is what the gene looks like after it's been translated into its protein form (the letters are standard for amino acids):

Query  2    LRTTPSADHHIEAMVQLMLHFRWNWIIVLVSSDTYGRDNGQLLGERVARRDICIAFQETL  181            LRTTPSADHHIEAMVQLMLHFRWNWIIVLVSSDTYGRDNGQLLGERVARRDICIAFQETLSbjct  82   LRTTPSADHHIEAMVQLMLHFRWNWIIVLVSSDTYGRDNGQLLGERVARRDICIAFQETL  141Query  182  PTLQPNQNMTSEERQRLVTIVDKLQQSTARVVVVFSPDLTLYHFFNEVLRQNFTGAVW  355            PTLQPNQNMTSEERQRLVTIVDKLQQSTARVVVVFSPDLTLYHFFNEVLRQNFTGAVWSbjct  142  PTLQPNQNMTSEERQRLVTIVDKLQQSTARVVVVFSPDLTLYHFFNEVLRQNFTGAVW  199 

This is a comparison showing my own protein versus the average human. It's a perfect match and codes for a fully functional receptor protein. This gene is seen in a very wide variety of different animals, and the shared genetic material is quite astounding, allowing for countless species to have the ability to taste sweetness.

A cat enjoying a fresh fish

So, why am I talking about humans a post about cats? Well, let's compare the sequence above to the equivalent gene in a cat. The "query"line is the human gene again, and the "sbjct" or subject line is the equivalent gene in Felis silvestris catus.

Query  2    LRTTPSADHHIEAMVQLMLHFRWNWIIVLVSSDTYGRDNGQLLGERVARRDICIAFQETL  181            LRT P+ +H   AM  ++ +FRWNW+  + + D YGR   +   E    RDICI F E +Sbjct  184  LRTIPNDEHQATAMADIIEYFRWNWVGTIAADDDYGRPGIEKFREEAEERDICIDFSELI  243Query  182  PTLQPNQNMTSEERQRLVTIVDKLQQSTARVVVVFSPDLTLYHFFNEVLRQNFTGAVW  355                 +Q    EE Q++V ++   Q STA+V+VVFS    L     E++R+N TG +WSbjct  244  -----SQYSDEEEIQQVVEVI---QNSTAKVIVVFSSGPDLEPLIKEIVRRNITGRIW  293

Cat tongue anatomy

Overall, the genes are fairly similar, but with one major difference. I'm not going to get too complicated with this, but the dashes you see indicate amino acids that are absent in the final protein found in cats but present in humans: a deletion. Changes in a protein don't necessarily result in a change in its functionality, but that deletion is enough to result in the cat's protein being non-functional. Since the protein cannot bond to molecules of sugars or sweeteners, cats simply cannot register the sensation of sweetness. This deletion seems to be unique to the cat family, since other carnivores, such as dogs and bears, have a functioning gene. From what I remember, big cats have this non-functioning gene as well, but it isn't known whether or not the cat allies (such as civets and genets) share this unusual feature.

Though cats aren't able to taste sweetness, this doesn't mean they will avoid it. They are, in fact, completely indifferent to the flavor. So, if your kitty likes something sweet, it's probably going after something other than the sugar. They're quite fond of certain amino acids, so it's possible that's what your kitty enjoys.

Sources Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST), PLOS Genetics, Journal of Nutrition, and GeneCards. Images are from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licenses: one, two, three.

By the way, BLAST is an amazing tool. Feel free to plug in the ATCG sequence above into their databases to compare the gene for yourself. The programs I used for this post are nucleotide blast and blastx.

Ebon's Mother

To contact us Click HERE
I was finally able to snag a good picture of her for the blog. Most of the pictures I have or can find aren't so great (example). This is Ebon's mother, Hellon, who will be fifteen this Christmas. She has some mobility issues (what dog this age doesn't?), but she's still doing pretty well. I kept miscalculating her age, but I know for sure now. She has the most fascinating graying pattern. I love looking at old dogs and seeing where and when they gray. A lot of them aren't as extensive as this!

Hellon is about sixty pounds and is a retired working dog, retrieving ducks regularly in her younger days. Ebon was the runt from her last litter and ended up being the biggest of them when he finished growing. She was spayed when he was about a year old. She currently lives with a Shih Tzu, but when Ebon was born she had an elderly Pekingese companion. Image is from her owner, used with permission.

 I bet Ebon will look like this one day.

What I've Been Up To

To contact us Click HERE

Obligatory picture of dog being cute

I've been preparing for and taking the GRE.

When I first started this blog I was still intending to go through with my decision to become a high school teacher. One of my main reasons for wanting to do this was that I thought our country needed more well-qualified teachers. My own high school Biology teacher was terrible and made many of my classmates hate the subject, but my senior Zoology teacher (yes, my high school offered it) was amazing. She made me want to be like her. I got into a post-baccalaureate program, began taking courses, and even took the GACE (Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators). I did well. I thought it was even kind of fun. Then, I actually got into a classroom full of high school freshmen to observe and realized I hated it. The kids were impossible. It actually depressed me. So, I pulled myself out of the program.

Now, I'm working on applying to PhD programs. My hope is to get a PhD in genetics. I had some apprehension about the teaching program even before I applied to it, but the concept of me going into genetics research is just plain exciting. It's going to be challenging, sure, and I'm going to have to move far away from everyone I know, but that's okay.

I'm hoping to get some new blog posts up quite soon.

Feline's Pride food recalled due to salmonella

To contact us Click HERE

Feline’s Pride Issues Nationwide Recall of its Natural Chicken Formula Cat Food Due to Salmonella Contamination

Contact:
Shelby Gomas,
Tel: 1-716-580-3096

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 1, 2010 - Buffalo, NY – Feline’s Pride is announcing a voluntary recall of Feline’s Pride Raw food with ground bone for cats and kittens, Natural Chicken Formula, Net Wt. 2.5 lbs. (1.13 kg., 40 oz.) produced on 6/10/10, because it may be contaminated with Salmonella. People handling raw pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the raw pet food or any surfaces exposed to the product.

When consumed by humans, Salmonella can cause an infection, salmonellosis. The symptoms of salmonellosis include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, minimal diarrhea, fever, and headache. Certain vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems, are particularly susceptible to acquiring salmonellosis from such pet food products and may experience more severe symptoms.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The product is packaged in uncoded plastic containers and sold frozen to private consumers nationwide. Once thawed, the pet food has a shelf life of about 1 week. The firm manufactures the pet food by an as-ordered basis. This recall affects only those orders placed and shipped from June 10 through June 17, 2010.

The firm and FDA are investigating this matter to determine the source of this problem, and will take any additional steps necessary to protect the public health.

To date, both the firm and the FDA have received no reports of Salmonella infection relating to this product.

This product should not be fed to pets but should instead be disposed of in a safe manner (e.g., in a securely covered trash receptacle). People who are experiencing the symptoms of Salmonella infection after having handled the pet food product should seek medical attention, and report their use of the product and illness to the nearest FDA office.

People should thoroughly wash their hands after handling the pet food – especially those made from raw animal protein such as meat or fish -- to help prevent infection. People may risk bacterial infection not only by handling pet foods, but by contact with pets or surfaces exposed to these foods, so it is important that they thoroughly wash their hands with hot water and soap.

Since certain vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems, are particularly at risk from exposure they should avoid handling this product.

Consumers with questions should contact the company at (716) 580-3096, Monday –Friday from 10 am - 4 pm EDT.

Feline's Pride expands food recall due to salmonella

To contact us Click HERE
From FDA:

Feline’s Pride Expands Nationwide Recall of its Natural Chicken Formula Cat Food Due to Salmonella Contamination

Contact:
Shelby Gomas,
Tel: 1-716-580-3096

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 15, 2010 - Buffalo, NY – Feline’s Pride is expanding its July 1, 2010 voluntary recall of Feline’s Pride Raw food with ground bone for cats and kittens, Natural Chicken Formula, Net Wt. 2.5 lbs. (1.13 kg., 40 oz.) produced on 6/10/10 to include the product produced on 6/21/10, because it may be contaminated with Salmonella. People handling raw pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the raw pet food or any surfaces exposed to the product.

When consumed by humans, Salmonella can cause an infection, salmonellosis. The symptoms of salmonellosis include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, minimal diarrhea, fever, and headache. Certain vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems, are particularly susceptible to acquiring salmonellosis from such pet food products and may experience more severe symptoms.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The product is packaged in uncoded plastic containers and sold frozen to private consumers nationwide. Once thawed, the pet food has a shelf life of about 1 week. The firm manufactures the pet food by an as-ordered basis. This expansion of the recall affects those orders placed and shipped from June 21 through June 26, 2010 (produced on 6/21/10).

The firm and FDA are investigating this matter to determine the source of this problem, and will take any additional steps necessary to protect the public health.

To date, both the firm and the FDA have received no reports of Salmonella infection relating to this product.

People who are experiencing the symptoms of Salmonella infection after having handled the pet food product should seek medical attention, and report their use of the product and illness to the nearest FDA office.

People should thoroughly wash their hands after handling the pet food – especially those made from raw animal protein such as meat or fish -- to help prevent infection. People may risk bacterial infection not only by handling pet foods, but by contact with pets or surfaces exposed to these foods, so it is important that they thoroughly wash their hands with hot water and soap.

Since certain vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems, are particularly at risk from exposure they should avoid handling this product.

Consumers with questions should contact the company at (716) 580-3096, Monday -Friday from 10 am - 4 pm EDT.

Cats don't Prefer Sweets

To contact us Click HERE

Cats taste the world very differently than humans

One thing that I found fascinating during my undergraduate studies was my Modern Biology class. It involved learning about and implementing numerous techniques that are rather new to the field of biology. Thanks to this class, I isolated a number of different cell components, ran various biological molecules through a gel electrophoresis machine, and performed polymerase chain reaction. I also took my own DNA and prepared it for sequencing, which involved refining and isolating the material, cutting out the gene we wanted to look at, then replicating it so that it could be sent off for the actual sequencing process to be performed.

The gene that we looked at was one of the two that go into making the receptors on your tongue that register sweetness. Specifically, the TAS1R2 (taste receptor, type 1, member 2) gene. TAS1R2 must join up with a second protein to signal that sweet flavor. Here is the TAS1R2 gene (specifically, my copy) in its three hundred fifty-five nucleotide entirety: 

GCTGCGTACCACACCCAGCGCCGACCACCACATCGAGGCCATGGTGCAGCTGATGCTGCACTTCCGCTGGAACTGGATCATTGTGCTGGTGAGCAGCGACACCTATGGCCGCGACAATGGCCAGCTGCTTGGCGAGCGCGTGGCCCGGCGCGACATCTGCATCGCCTTCCAGGAGACGCTGCCCACACTGCAGCCCAACCAGAACATGACGTCAGAGGAGCGCCAGCGCCTGGTGACCATTGTGGACAAGCTGCAGCAGAGCACAGCGCGCGTCGTGGTCGTGTTCTCGCCCGACCTGACCCTGTACCACTTCTTCAATGAGGTGCTGCGCCAGAACTTCACTGGCGCCGTGTGG

...not really that interesting.

This is your average TAS1R2 gene for Homo sapiens, nothing special. Just about every human out there has this exact sequence, with few exceptions (one of my classmates, for example, had a single point mutation). However, it is one gene crucial to why humans like sweets so much. This is what the gene looks like after it's been translated into its protein form (the letters are standard for amino acids):

Query  2    LRTTPSADHHIEAMVQLMLHFRWNWIIVLVSSDTYGRDNGQLLGERVARRDICIAFQETL  181            LRTTPSADHHIEAMVQLMLHFRWNWIIVLVSSDTYGRDNGQLLGERVARRDICIAFQETLSbjct  82   LRTTPSADHHIEAMVQLMLHFRWNWIIVLVSSDTYGRDNGQLLGERVARRDICIAFQETL  141Query  182  PTLQPNQNMTSEERQRLVTIVDKLQQSTARVVVVFSPDLTLYHFFNEVLRQNFTGAVW  355            PTLQPNQNMTSEERQRLVTIVDKLQQSTARVVVVFSPDLTLYHFFNEVLRQNFTGAVWSbjct  142  PTLQPNQNMTSEERQRLVTIVDKLQQSTARVVVVFSPDLTLYHFFNEVLRQNFTGAVW  199 

This is a comparison showing my own protein versus the average human. It's a perfect match and codes for a fully functional receptor protein. This gene is seen in a very wide variety of different animals, and the shared genetic material is quite astounding, allowing for countless species to have the ability to taste sweetness.

A cat enjoying a fresh fish

So, why am I talking about humans a post about cats? Well, let's compare the sequence above to the equivalent gene in a cat. The "query"line is the human gene again, and the "sbjct" or subject line is the equivalent gene in Felis silvestris catus.

Query  2    LRTTPSADHHIEAMVQLMLHFRWNWIIVLVSSDTYGRDNGQLLGERVARRDICIAFQETL  181            LRT P+ +H   AM  ++ +FRWNW+  + + D YGR   +   E    RDICI F E +Sbjct  184  LRTIPNDEHQATAMADIIEYFRWNWVGTIAADDDYGRPGIEKFREEAEERDICIDFSELI  243Query  182  PTLQPNQNMTSEERQRLVTIVDKLQQSTARVVVVFSPDLTLYHFFNEVLRQNFTGAVW  355                 +Q    EE Q++V ++   Q STA+V+VVFS    L     E++R+N TG +WSbjct  244  -----SQYSDEEEIQQVVEVI---QNSTAKVIVVFSSGPDLEPLIKEIVRRNITGRIW  293

Cat tongue anatomy

Overall, the genes are fairly similar, but with one major difference. I'm not going to get too complicated with this, but the dashes you see indicate amino acids that are absent in the final protein found in cats but present in humans: a deletion. Changes in a protein don't necessarily result in a change in its functionality, but that deletion is enough to result in the cat's protein being non-functional. Since the protein cannot bond to molecules of sugars or sweeteners, cats simply cannot register the sensation of sweetness. This deletion seems to be unique to the cat family, since other carnivores, such as dogs and bears, have a functioning gene. From what I remember, big cats have this non-functioning gene as well, but it isn't known whether or not the cat allies (such as civets and genets) share this unusual feature.

Though cats aren't able to taste sweetness, this doesn't mean they will avoid it. They are, in fact, completely indifferent to the flavor. So, if your kitty likes something sweet, it's probably going after something other than the sugar. They're quite fond of certain amino acids, so it's possible that's what your kitty enjoys.

Sources Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST), PLOS Genetics, Journal of Nutrition, and GeneCards. Images are from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licenses: one, two, three.

By the way, BLAST is an amazing tool. Feel free to plug in the ATCG sequence above into their databases to compare the gene for yourself. The programs I used for this post are nucleotide blast and blastx.

Ebon's Mother

To contact us Click HERE
I was finally able to snag a good picture of her for the blog. Most of the pictures I have or can find aren't so great (example). This is Ebon's mother, Hellon, who will be fifteen this Christmas. She has some mobility issues (what dog this age doesn't?), but she's still doing pretty well. I kept miscalculating her age, but I know for sure now. She has the most fascinating graying pattern. I love looking at old dogs and seeing where and when they gray. A lot of them aren't as extensive as this!

Hellon is about sixty pounds and is a retired working dog, retrieving ducks regularly in her younger days. Ebon was the runt from her last litter and ended up being the biggest of them when he finished growing. She was spayed when he was about a year old. She currently lives with a Shih Tzu, but when Ebon was born she had an elderly Pekingese companion. Image is from her owner, used with permission.

 I bet Ebon will look like this one day.

What I've Been Up To

To contact us Click HERE

Obligatory picture of dog being cute

I've been preparing for and taking the GRE.

When I first started this blog I was still intending to go through with my decision to become a high school teacher. One of my main reasons for wanting to do this was that I thought our country needed more well-qualified teachers. My own high school Biology teacher was terrible and made many of my classmates hate the subject, but my senior Zoology teacher (yes, my high school offered it) was amazing. She made me want to be like her. I got into a post-baccalaureate program, began taking courses, and even took the GACE (Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators). I did well. I thought it was even kind of fun. Then, I actually got into a classroom full of high school freshmen to observe and realized I hated it. The kids were impossible. It actually depressed me. So, I pulled myself out of the program.

Now, I'm working on applying to PhD programs. My hope is to get a PhD in genetics. I had some apprehension about the teaching program even before I applied to it, but the concept of me going into genetics research is just plain exciting. It's going to be challenging, sure, and I'm going to have to move far away from everyone I know, but that's okay.

I'm hoping to get some new blog posts up quite soon.

Feline's Pride food recalled due to salmonella

To contact us Click HERE

Feline’s Pride Issues Nationwide Recall of its Natural Chicken Formula Cat Food Due to Salmonella Contamination

Contact:
Shelby Gomas,
Tel: 1-716-580-3096

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 1, 2010 - Buffalo, NY – Feline’s Pride is announcing a voluntary recall of Feline’s Pride Raw food with ground bone for cats and kittens, Natural Chicken Formula, Net Wt. 2.5 lbs. (1.13 kg., 40 oz.) produced on 6/10/10, because it may be contaminated with Salmonella. People handling raw pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the raw pet food or any surfaces exposed to the product.

When consumed by humans, Salmonella can cause an infection, salmonellosis. The symptoms of salmonellosis include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, minimal diarrhea, fever, and headache. Certain vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems, are particularly susceptible to acquiring salmonellosis from such pet food products and may experience more severe symptoms.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The product is packaged in uncoded plastic containers and sold frozen to private consumers nationwide. Once thawed, the pet food has a shelf life of about 1 week. The firm manufactures the pet food by an as-ordered basis. This recall affects only those orders placed and shipped from June 10 through June 17, 2010.

The firm and FDA are investigating this matter to determine the source of this problem, and will take any additional steps necessary to protect the public health.

To date, both the firm and the FDA have received no reports of Salmonella infection relating to this product.

This product should not be fed to pets but should instead be disposed of in a safe manner (e.g., in a securely covered trash receptacle). People who are experiencing the symptoms of Salmonella infection after having handled the pet food product should seek medical attention, and report their use of the product and illness to the nearest FDA office.

People should thoroughly wash their hands after handling the pet food – especially those made from raw animal protein such as meat or fish -- to help prevent infection. People may risk bacterial infection not only by handling pet foods, but by contact with pets or surfaces exposed to these foods, so it is important that they thoroughly wash their hands with hot water and soap.

Since certain vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems, are particularly at risk from exposure they should avoid handling this product.

Consumers with questions should contact the company at (716) 580-3096, Monday –Friday from 10 am - 4 pm EDT.

Feline's Pride expands food recall due to salmonella

To contact us Click HERE
From FDA:

Feline’s Pride Expands Nationwide Recall of its Natural Chicken Formula Cat Food Due to Salmonella Contamination

Contact:
Shelby Gomas,
Tel: 1-716-580-3096

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 15, 2010 - Buffalo, NY – Feline’s Pride is expanding its July 1, 2010 voluntary recall of Feline’s Pride Raw food with ground bone for cats and kittens, Natural Chicken Formula, Net Wt. 2.5 lbs. (1.13 kg., 40 oz.) produced on 6/10/10 to include the product produced on 6/21/10, because it may be contaminated with Salmonella. People handling raw pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the raw pet food or any surfaces exposed to the product.

When consumed by humans, Salmonella can cause an infection, salmonellosis. The symptoms of salmonellosis include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, minimal diarrhea, fever, and headache. Certain vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems, are particularly susceptible to acquiring salmonellosis from such pet food products and may experience more severe symptoms.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The product is packaged in uncoded plastic containers and sold frozen to private consumers nationwide. Once thawed, the pet food has a shelf life of about 1 week. The firm manufactures the pet food by an as-ordered basis. This expansion of the recall affects those orders placed and shipped from June 21 through June 26, 2010 (produced on 6/21/10).

The firm and FDA are investigating this matter to determine the source of this problem, and will take any additional steps necessary to protect the public health.

To date, both the firm and the FDA have received no reports of Salmonella infection relating to this product.

People who are experiencing the symptoms of Salmonella infection after having handled the pet food product should seek medical attention, and report their use of the product and illness to the nearest FDA office.

People should thoroughly wash their hands after handling the pet food – especially those made from raw animal protein such as meat or fish -- to help prevent infection. People may risk bacterial infection not only by handling pet foods, but by contact with pets or surfaces exposed to these foods, so it is important that they thoroughly wash their hands with hot water and soap.

Since certain vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems, are particularly at risk from exposure they should avoid handling this product.

Consumers with questions should contact the company at (716) 580-3096, Monday -Friday from 10 am - 4 pm EDT.

Cats don't Prefer Sweets

To contact us Click HERE

Cats taste the world very differently than humans

One thing that I found fascinating during my undergraduate studies was my Modern Biology class. It involved learning about and implementing numerous techniques that are rather new to the field of biology. Thanks to this class, I isolated a number of different cell components, ran various biological molecules through a gel electrophoresis machine, and performed polymerase chain reaction. I also took my own DNA and prepared it for sequencing, which involved refining and isolating the material, cutting out the gene we wanted to look at, then replicating it so that it could be sent off for the actual sequencing process to be performed.

The gene that we looked at was one of the two that go into making the receptors on your tongue that register sweetness. Specifically, the TAS1R2 (taste receptor, type 1, member 2) gene. TAS1R2 must join up with a second protein to signal that sweet flavor. Here is the TAS1R2 gene (specifically, my copy) in its three hundred fifty-five nucleotide entirety: 

GCTGCGTACCACACCCAGCGCCGACCACCACATCGAGGCCATGGTGCAGCTGATGCTGCACTTCCGCTGGAACTGGATCATTGTGCTGGTGAGCAGCGACACCTATGGCCGCGACAATGGCCAGCTGCTTGGCGAGCGCGTGGCCCGGCGCGACATCTGCATCGCCTTCCAGGAGACGCTGCCCACACTGCAGCCCAACCAGAACATGACGTCAGAGGAGCGCCAGCGCCTGGTGACCATTGTGGACAAGCTGCAGCAGAGCACAGCGCGCGTCGTGGTCGTGTTCTCGCCCGACCTGACCCTGTACCACTTCTTCAATGAGGTGCTGCGCCAGAACTTCACTGGCGCCGTGTGG

...not really that interesting.

This is your average TAS1R2 gene for Homo sapiens, nothing special. Just about every human out there has this exact sequence, with few exceptions (one of my classmates, for example, had a single point mutation). However, it is one gene crucial to why humans like sweets so much. This is what the gene looks like after it's been translated into its protein form (the letters are standard for amino acids):

Query  2    LRTTPSADHHIEAMVQLMLHFRWNWIIVLVSSDTYGRDNGQLLGERVARRDICIAFQETL  181            LRTTPSADHHIEAMVQLMLHFRWNWIIVLVSSDTYGRDNGQLLGERVARRDICIAFQETLSbjct  82   LRTTPSADHHIEAMVQLMLHFRWNWIIVLVSSDTYGRDNGQLLGERVARRDICIAFQETL  141Query  182  PTLQPNQNMTSEERQRLVTIVDKLQQSTARVVVVFSPDLTLYHFFNEVLRQNFTGAVW  355            PTLQPNQNMTSEERQRLVTIVDKLQQSTARVVVVFSPDLTLYHFFNEVLRQNFTGAVWSbjct  142  PTLQPNQNMTSEERQRLVTIVDKLQQSTARVVVVFSPDLTLYHFFNEVLRQNFTGAVW  199 

This is a comparison showing my own protein versus the average human. It's a perfect match and codes for a fully functional receptor protein. This gene is seen in a very wide variety of different animals, and the shared genetic material is quite astounding, allowing for countless species to have the ability to taste sweetness.

A cat enjoying a fresh fish

So, why am I talking about humans a post about cats? Well, let's compare the sequence above to the equivalent gene in a cat. The "query"line is the human gene again, and the "sbjct" or subject line is the equivalent gene in Felis silvestris catus.

Query  2    LRTTPSADHHIEAMVQLMLHFRWNWIIVLVSSDTYGRDNGQLLGERVARRDICIAFQETL  181            LRT P+ +H   AM  ++ +FRWNW+  + + D YGR   +   E    RDICI F E +Sbjct  184  LRTIPNDEHQATAMADIIEYFRWNWVGTIAADDDYGRPGIEKFREEAEERDICIDFSELI  243Query  182  PTLQPNQNMTSEERQRLVTIVDKLQQSTARVVVVFSPDLTLYHFFNEVLRQNFTGAVW  355                 +Q    EE Q++V ++   Q STA+V+VVFS    L     E++R+N TG +WSbjct  244  -----SQYSDEEEIQQVVEVI---QNSTAKVIVVFSSGPDLEPLIKEIVRRNITGRIW  293

Cat tongue anatomy

Overall, the genes are fairly similar, but with one major difference. I'm not going to get too complicated with this, but the dashes you see indicate amino acids that are absent in the final protein found in cats but present in humans: a deletion. Changes in a protein don't necessarily result in a change in its functionality, but that deletion is enough to result in the cat's protein being non-functional. Since the protein cannot bond to molecules of sugars or sweeteners, cats simply cannot register the sensation of sweetness. This deletion seems to be unique to the cat family, since other carnivores, such as dogs and bears, have a functioning gene. From what I remember, big cats have this non-functioning gene as well, but it isn't known whether or not the cat allies (such as civets and genets) share this unusual feature.

Though cats aren't able to taste sweetness, this doesn't mean they will avoid it. They are, in fact, completely indifferent to the flavor. So, if your kitty likes something sweet, it's probably going after something other than the sugar. They're quite fond of certain amino acids, so it's possible that's what your kitty enjoys.

Sources Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST), PLOS Genetics, Journal of Nutrition, and GeneCards. Images are from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licenses: one, two, three.

By the way, BLAST is an amazing tool. Feel free to plug in the ATCG sequence above into their databases to compare the gene for yourself. The programs I used for this post are nucleotide blast and blastx.

Ebon's Mother

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I was finally able to snag a good picture of her for the blog. Most of the pictures I have or can find aren't so great (example). This is Ebon's mother, Hellon, who will be fifteen this Christmas. She has some mobility issues (what dog this age doesn't?), but she's still doing pretty well. I kept miscalculating her age, but I know for sure now. She has the most fascinating graying pattern. I love looking at old dogs and seeing where and when they gray. A lot of them aren't as extensive as this!

Hellon is about sixty pounds and is a retired working dog, retrieving ducks regularly in her younger days. Ebon was the runt from her last litter and ended up being the biggest of them when he finished growing. She was spayed when he was about a year old. She currently lives with a Shih Tzu, but when Ebon was born she had an elderly Pekingese companion. Image is from her owner, used with permission.

 I bet Ebon will look like this one day.

What I've Been Up To

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Obligatory picture of dog being cute

I've been preparing for and taking the GRE.

When I first started this blog I was still intending to go through with my decision to become a high school teacher. One of my main reasons for wanting to do this was that I thought our country needed more well-qualified teachers. My own high school Biology teacher was terrible and made many of my classmates hate the subject, but my senior Zoology teacher (yes, my high school offered it) was amazing. She made me want to be like her. I got into a post-baccalaureate program, began taking courses, and even took the GACE (Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators). I did well. I thought it was even kind of fun. Then, I actually got into a classroom full of high school freshmen to observe and realized I hated it. The kids were impossible. It actually depressed me. So, I pulled myself out of the program.

Now, I'm working on applying to PhD programs. My hope is to get a PhD in genetics. I had some apprehension about the teaching program even before I applied to it, but the concept of me going into genetics research is just plain exciting. It's going to be challenging, sure, and I'm going to have to move far away from everyone I know, but that's okay.

I'm hoping to get some new blog posts up quite soon.