Recently, a Mouse Print* reader (Faith) who had purchased a bottle of 21st Century K-9 Maximum Joint Formula, wrote a note of concern about a warning she found on the back of the bottle.
This product is primarily a glucosamine and chondroitin pill to help make a dog’s joints more flexible.
In addition to warning that this product should not be given to dogs that are diabetic, pregnant, or allergic to shellfish (what misfortune it must be to own a dog that can’t eat lobster and shrimp), the label also says:
*MOUSE PRINT:
Faith was concerned by that startling warning that seeming suggested the product was okay for animals but not for humans.
When asked to explain this odd warning, the company said:
Pet Nutrition labels are regulated by AAFCO and require certain wording. In simpler terms, the warning means not to give the supplements to animals such as cattle, hogs, chickens, etc., that will be butchered (human consumption). -- 21st Century Vitamins customer service
That doesn’t exactly explain what the possible harm could be, but as Faith joked in her email, “now that we have been giving our dog the formula, I guess we won’t be able to barbeque him this spring. Darn!â€
Different legal standards apply for animals (in general), animals for human consumption, and for people. For example, certain animal feed standards were tightened following the outbreaks of BSE (aka “mad cow disease”) because of concerns that the disease might be transmitted to humans (as Creutzfeld-Jacob), so obviously those standards wouldn’t need to apply to animals that will not be consumed. Likewise, standards are tighter for human consumption products than for non-human consumption products. We may think of our pets as family, but we do feed them things that we would never eat.
People eat dogs in some countries. Maybe this is a universal label…
I think you two may have missed the point a bit. The label is just funny, it was an off the wall bit of mouseprint according to my thinking. You have to remember the site is about highlighting mouseprint, not always pointing out how the consumer is getting screwed by mouseprint. This is a nice lighter side bit just like the store that sells shirts by the button that Edgar highlighted awhile back.
I believe you may find that the label was required and approved by the Food & Drug Administration.
The labeling for all drugs, both animal and human, muust be approved by the FDA. If the drug has not been tested and approved for use in animals intended for human consumption, then such a disclaimer will be required.
Actually, all drugs intended for animals used for food have to be tested for residue issues- IOW, after the animal takes the drug, how long does it take to get out of the animal’s system? For animals bound for slaughter, withdrawl periods can range from 7 to 60 days, and it’s against the law to knowingly sell an animal for slaughter that could possibly have drug residues.
If the drug is targeted towards pets (dogs or cats) this testing is not necessary, but the warning must be put on the label.
Some Fillipinos eat dog. (I understand it is now against the lasw.) I found a recipe for wedding stew that even includes instructions on skinning the poor fellow. Perhaps, it is a universal label. Is it sold in the Philippines?