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LASTING EFFECTS Pet food recall scare

ATLANTA A recall of potentially deadly pet food has dog and cat owners studying their animals for even the slightest hint of illness and swamping veterinarians nationwide with calls about symptoms both real and imagined.

"It's like we're on pins and needles," said Brian Paone, a 27-year-old loan auditor in Knoxville, Tenn., who scheduled a blood test with his vet after realizing both of his cats had eaten brands on the recall list.

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WASHINGTON (AP) ? The pet food linked to the deaths of 16 animals has shown no signs of contamination, the manufacturer says, and the company cannot explain why the cats and dog developed acute kidney failure and died.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Paul Henderson, the chief executive and president of Menu Foods, said Wednesday the company was looking at a single ingredient. He wouldn't identify it, but the Food and Drug Administration has said the investigation was focusing on wheat gluten.

"Our hypothesis is that it is that ingredient that in fact represents the highest probability as to the cause," Henderson said. "But we have been unable to prove that through scientific information."

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WASHINGTON -- The pet food linked to the deaths of 16 animals has shown no signs of contamination, the manufacturer says, and the company cannot explain why the cats and dog developed acute kidney failure and died.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Paul Henderson, the chief executive and president of Menu Foods, said Wednesday the company was looking at a single ingredient. He wouldn't identify it, but the Food and Drug Administration has said the investigation was focusing on wheat gluten.

"Our hypothesis is that it is that ingredient that in fact represents the highest probability as to the cause," Henderson said. "But we have been unable to prove that through scientific information."

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WASHINGTON - Outside experts with more than $50,000 in ties to drug and medical device companies regulated by the Food and Drug Administration would be barred from advising the agency under draft guidelines issued Wednesday. The conflict-of-interest guidelines would allow scientific experts who accept less than $50,000 in corporate grants, contracts and consulting fees - or hold less than that amount in company stock - to still serve on the FDA's advisory committees. But that could happen on...

Applebee's will close 24 eateries

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Applebee's said Wednesday it will close 24 company-owned restaurants that aren't meeting performance goals. The Overland Park, Kan., company typically closes one or two restaurants a year. The big jump comes as Applebee's International Inc. is struggling with declining sales and a shareholder activist demanding the company sell off many of its 528 corporate-owned locations. Ten of the marked restaurants are in two New England states and the remainder are spread over nine states. No Florida locations are affected.

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ATLANTA - A recall of potentially deadly pet food has dog and cat owners studying their animals for even the slightest hint of illness and swamping veterinarians nationwide with calls about symptoms both real and imagined.

"It's like we're on pins and needles," said Brian Paone, a 27-year-old loan auditor in Knoxville, Tenn., who scheduled a blood test with his vet after realizing both of his cats had eaten brands on the recall list.

"You kind of sit there and wonder - it's terrible to say this - you wonder if this is going to be your last moments with your pet. It's not pleasant."

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ATLANTA - A recall of potentially deadly pet food has dog and cat owners studying their animals for even the slightest hint of illness and swamping veterinarians nationwide with calls about symptoms both real and imagined. "It's like we're on pins and needles," said Brian Paone, a 27-year-old loan auditor in Knoxville, Tenn., who scheduled a blood test with his vet after realizing both of his cats had eaten brands on the recall list.

"You kind of sit there and wonder - it's terrible to say this - you wonder if this is going to be your last moments with your pet. It's not pleasant."

Some of the 60 million cans and pouches of food have been blamed for kidney failure in scores of animals and killed at least 16 pets. Neither the manufacturer nor authorities have been able to determine why the pets died.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Pebbles, a sweet-faced Yorkshire terrier, has been battling kidney failure since eating dog food that was later recalled. Her story, told in newspaper and TV reports, has made her fight for life a symbol of the food scare's impact on pets and owners nationwide. "It's just terrible to see her go through this," Pebbles owner, Jeff Kerner, said Wednesday. Since Friday, the 7-year-old normally healthy pooch has been treated at Sylmar's Collett Veterinary Clinic. Even hooked t...

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WASHINGTON (AP) Federal health officials used a flawed analysis when they gave preliminary approval to food from cloned animals, a consumer group charged Wednesday.

In its report, the Center for Food Safety said the conclusions the Food and Drug Administration drew late last year were based on "scant data from few peer-reviewed studies" and failed to consider possible side effects of cloning.

"There isn't the science to show that these foods are safe," said Charles Margulis, a spokesman for the Washington-based center and author of the report. "I think the agency was heavily influenced by the biotechnology industry."

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WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it would bar outside medical experts with a financial interest in a manufacturer from voting on advisory panels assessing whether drugs or other products made by that company are safe and effective.

The proposed restrictions also would apply to experts with ties to competing companies. They would significantly strengthen the FDA's conflict-of-interest policy. A recent study suggests more than one-fourth of FDA advisers may be prohibited from voting.

Industry supporters reacted cautiously to the announcement, saying it may limit the pool of qualified advisers the FDA can draw on.

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WASHINGTON The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it would bar outside medical experts with a financial interest in a manufacturer from voting on advisory panels assessing whether drugs or other products made by that company are safe and effective.

The proposed restrictions which would also apply to experts with ties to competing companies would significantly strengthen the FDA's conflict-of-interest policy. One recent study suggests that more than one-fourth of FDA advisers may be prohibited from voting.

Industry supporters reacted cautiously to the announcement, saying it may limit the pool of qualified advisers the FDA can draw on. Consumer groups welcomed the move, although some said the proposed policy comes with a considerable loophole.

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Outside experts with more than $50,000 in ties to drug and medical device companies regulated by the Food and Drug Administration would be barred from advising the agency under draft guidelines issued Wednesday. The conflict-of-interest guidelines would allow scientific experts who accept less than $50,000 in corporate grants, contracts and consulting fees - or hold less than that amount in company stock - to still serve on the FDA's advisory committees. But that could happen only if the nee...

House approves caller ID fraud bill

The House voted 413-1 Wednesday to make phone "spoofing," the use of fake caller ID information to defraud people, a felony subject to up to five years in prison. The practice involves using a false caller ID to hide the true identity of the caller in order to commit fraud. Exemptions are made for the activities of law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

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PROVO, Utah (U-WIRE) - Students might find a new over-the-counter version of a diet pill that blocks fat effectively, but should still focus on eating healthy foods and exercising, a Brigham Young University physician and a nutrition expert said.

Alli, the first non-prescription diet pill, was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration and will be available to anyone over 18 this summer.

"It may not be a bad option because it helps people eat a better diet and does block that fat," said Dr. Keith Willmore, medical director of the student health center.

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Full list of brands that have been recalled

Mary Dabney and her family mourned last week when their sprightly, 2-year-old Pomeranian, Racy, suddenly fell ill and died from kidney failure.

Now the Riverside family is outraged. They -- and Racy's veterinarians -- have learned that two small pouches of Iams dog food might have killed the family pet. The pouches are part of a massive recall of pet food made between Dec. 3 and March 6 by Menu Foods of Ontario, Canada, and sold under store brands and private labels such as Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba.

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WASHINGTON - Federal health officials used a flawed analysis when they gave preliminary approval to food from cloned animals, a consumer group charged Wednesday.

In its report, the Center for Food Safety said the conclusions the Food and Drug Administration drew late last year were based on "scant data from few peer-reviewed studies" and failed to consider possible side effects of cloning.

"There isn't the science to show that these foods are safe," said Charles Margulis, a spokesman for the Washington-based center and author of the report. "I think the agency was heavily influenced by the biotechnology industry."

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WASHINGTON (AP) ? Federal health officials used a flawed analysis when they gave preliminary approval to food from cloned animals, a consumer group charged Wednesday.

In its report, the Center for Food Safety said the conclusions the Food and Drug Administration drew late last year were based on "scant data from few peer-reviewed studies" and failed to consider possible side effects of cloning.

"There isn't the science to show that these foods are safe," said Charles Margulis, a spokesman for the Washington-based center and author of the report. "I think the agency was heavily influenced by the biotechnology industry."

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TOKYO — Japanese doctors were warned on Wednesday against prescribing Tamiflu to teenagers after several young patients taking the bird flu-fighting drug reportedly exhibited dangerous behavior.

The Health Ministry issued emergency instructions Tuesday to a Japanese Tamiflu distributor, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., to warn doctors not to give the drug to teenagers, a Chugai official said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol.

Chugai began distributing warnings to doctors, hospitals and pharmacies across Japan on Wednesday, the official said. A relationship between the drug and abnormal behavior among young people has not been established, the official said.

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A Chicago woman sued Menu Foods on Tuesday, alleging the pet food manufacturer delayed announcing a recall of 60 million containers of dog and cat food despite knowing its products were contaminated and potentially deadly.

Dawn Majerczyk, 43, said her orange tabby, Phoenix, fell sick last week just two days after he ate a single package of Special Kitty. It is one of 95 cat and dog food brands recalled by Menu Foods of Canada. Friday's recall came two weeks after nine cats died during routine company taste tests of its products, the Food and Drug Administration said.

Majerczyk said she took the 9-year-old cat to its first-ever veterinarian visit the day of the recall. The cat had lost six pounds in four days and was lethargic, dehydrated and nearly blind. She returned over the weekend to have him put down after his organs began to fail. Her suit, filed by Chicago attorney Jay Edelson, seeks class-action status.

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OAKLAND, Calif. - Despite an unprecedented investigation over the last six months, federal and state health officials said Tuesday that it is unlikely they will ever pinpoint the exact cause of bacterial contamination that caused a nationwide outbreak of illness from tainted spinach last year.

The disclosure, just weeks before a final report on the investigation is expected to be released, came at a hearing where representatives from consumer groups and a national trade association for the produce industry called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to set mandatory rules to assure that fruit and vegetables are safe to eat.

FDA and state health officials, however, said they favor voluntary guidelines and industry self-policing, including a set of standards that California growers are expected to adopt next week. The government officials said they would not rule out mandatory regulation in the future.

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Millions of doses of flu vaccine will expire at midnight June 30, unsold during this year's mild flu season and written off as trash. Still perfectly good, and possibly useful for a few more years, the vaccine will wind up being destroyed. This annual ritual is supposed to ensure that Americans get the most up-to-date vaccine, but the leftovers ? more than 10 million of a record 110 million doses produced ? will be destroyed before a new supply is guaranteed.

An Associated Press examination of this long-standing practice raises questions about its consequences. For years, policymakers have talked about letting doctors keep unused vaccine until new doses are in hand, donating leftover supplies to poor countries, or pushing back the expiration date. Wasted vaccine means lost money for drug companies and one stopped making flu shots because of it ? setting the stage for a flu shot shortage in 2004.

Having no vaccine in the summer deprives travelers of the chance to get a shot before they visit places where flu is in season. It also prevents summer vaccinations for children, who need two doses the first time around.

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Claire's Stores says yes to offerMIAMI Claire's Stores agreed to a $3.1 billion takeover proposal from New York-based private equity firm Apollo Management, the costume jewelry retailer said Tuesday.

Claire's, which operates 3,000 stores under the names Claire's and Icing by Claire's, sells low-cost costume jewelry and accessories primarily to tweens, teens and young adults.

Bonnie and Marla Schaefer, Claire's co-chairwomen and chief executives, issued a joint statement saying the Apollo offer is "in the best interests of our shareholders."

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Federal authorities acknowledged Tuesday that there potentially could be a large number of deaths from the 90 pet foods recalled last week, but said few numbers are available now to gauge the scope of the problem.

The Food and Drug Administration is still tallying phone calls that have come in to multiple offices, said Stephen F. Sundlof, head of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. The center offered no summary beyond what it has been told by Menu Foods, the Canadian company that launched the recall.

The company now knows of 14 deaths, up from an earlier count of 10. They include nine cats in a product testing program, and five pets - four cats and one dog, Sundlof said.

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TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese doctors were warned on Wednesday against prescribing Tamiflu to teenagers after several young patients taking the bird flu-fighting drug reportedly exhibited dangerous behavior. The Health Ministry issued emergency instructions Tuesday to a Japanese Tamiflu distributor, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., to warn doctors not to give the drug to teenagers, a Chugai official said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol. Chugai began distributing warnings to doctors, hospitals ...

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UNDATED Millions of doses of flu vaccine will expire at midnight on June 30th and then be destroyed before a new supply is guaranteed.This is supposed to ensure that Americans get the most up-to-date flu vaccine. But an Associated Press examination of the practice raises questions about its consequences.Wasted vaccine means lost money for drug companies. And no vaccine in the summer means travelers won't have the chance to get a shot before they visit places where flu is in season. Plus, it prev...

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Millions of doses of flu vaccine will expire at midnight June 30, unsold during this year's mild flu season and written off as trash. Still good, and possibly useful for a few more years, the vaccine will be destroyed.

This annual ritual is supposed to ensure that Americans get the most up-to-date vaccine, but the leftovers - more than 10-million of a record 110-million doses produced - will be destroyed before a new supply is guaranteed.

An Associated Press examination of this long-standing practice raises questions about its consequences. For years, policymakers have talked about letting doctors keep unused vaccine until new doses are in hand, donating leftover supplies to poor countries, or pushing back the expiration date.

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Okay, I am on a diet right now, and I am sure at least 30 percent of my female readership is currently on some sort of a diet as well. The media has brainwashed us into being these zero-fat, aerodynamic beings, but that's a different discussion altogether.

I've tried healthy diets with lots of fruits and vegetables and I've tried these unhealthy ones with diet products. Then there's the famous (or infamous) Atkins diet. It certainly is an attractive idea to lose unheard amounts of weight in a few days but is it really healthy?

I have tried Atkins and apart from midnight dreams about white bread, I have often wondered if this would really help people lose weight in a healthy manner. Just recently I saw an article about Atkins being the best result-oriented diet of all and Ornish claiming that the Atkins study is flawed.

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FAIRFIELD — The nationwide recall of more than 40 different brands of cat and pet food has left area veterinarians inundated with calls from concerned owners.

At the Animal Care Center on Acme Drive in Fairfield Tuesday, Hal Hollingsworth said he was worried about his two dogs, cat and newly adopted hound-mix Maggie. Although his pets don't eat any of the recalled brands, Hollingsworth said it's better to err on the side of caution.Extras

Latest headlines

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A hybrid cochlear implant like this one can help patients with less-significant hearing loss.

Twenty-eight million Americans are hard of hearing. Many have trouble hearing higher frequencies. Unfortunately, hearing aids don't always help, and devices like cochlear implants have been reserved for extreme cases, until today. Cochlear implants are typically a last resort because they can destroy any hearing patients do have.

The cochlear implant procedure involves inserting electronics into the inner ear through a hole in the skull to replace a patient's entire range of hearing. But the procedure usually eliminates any natural hearing abilities. Until now, people couldn't get them if they had too much hearing left to benefit.

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UNDATED Millions of doses of flu vaccine will expire at midnight on June 30th and then be destroyed before a new supply is guaranteed.This is supposed to ensure that Americans get the most up-to-date flu vaccine. But an Associated Press examination of the practice raises questions about its consequences.Wasted vaccine means lost money for drug companies. And no vaccine in the summer means travelers won't have the chance to get a shot before they visit places where flu is in season. Plus, it prev...

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TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese doctors were warned on Wednesday against prescribing Tamiflu to teenagers after several young patients taking the bird flu-fighting drug reportedly exhibited dangerous behavior. The Health Ministry issued emergency instructions Tuesday to a Japanese Tamiflu distributor, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., to warn doctors not to give the drug to teenagers, a Chugai official said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol. Chugai began distributing warnings to doctors, hospitals ...

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TUESDAY, March 20 (HealthDay News) -- The official pet death toll inched up Tuesday as U.S. health officials continued to look for the contamination source that spurred a massive recall of moist dog and cat food involving some of the top brand names.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, so far there have been 14 dogs and cats that died within a few days of consuming the pet food made by a Canadian company.

The toll included nine cats in the manufacturer's quarterly taste test that involved up to 50 animals, along with four pet dogs and one pet cat, according to the FDA's lead veterinarian. However, he added, the toll is expected to rise.

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WASHINGTON - As many as one in six animals died in tests of suspect dog and cat food by the manufacturer after complaints the products were poisoning pets around the country, the government said Monday.

A federal investigation is focusing on wheat gluten as the likely source of contamination that sparked a recall last Friday of 60 million cans and pouches of the suspect food, said Stephen F. Sundlof, the Food and Drug Administration's top veterinarian.

The ingredient, a protein source, is commonly used as filler.

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MONDAY, March 19 (HealthDay News) -- Family caregivers of patients suffering from debilitating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are at higher risk for depression than the patients they care for, Italian researchers report.

"Caregivers of ALS patients tend to be progressively more depressed and more burdened over time, whereas the patients remain more or less stable in term of depression and quality of life, even if they present a worsening of their clinical status," study co-author Dr. Adriano Chio from the department of neuroscience at the University of Torino in Italy.

The findings are published in the March 20 issue of Neurology.

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ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- When a migraine strikes someone at work, it can cause a decline in productivity. Now, researchers report a medication can help.

Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia analyzed data from 325 working adults with histories of migraines. In the study, researchers gave half the participants topiramate (Topamax), which can prevent migraines, and the other half a placebo. Researchers found participants taking topiramate only missed an average work time of one hour, while patients in the placebo group missed 1.5 hours.

In addition to helping with missed work, researchers report topiramate also decreased "presenteeism," or days the employee was at work but performing at less than full capacity because of a migraine. When absenteeism and presenteeism reductions were combined, the participants taking topiramate lost 5.1 hours per month, compared to 14.6 hours for those taking the placebo.

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MONDAY, March 19 (HealthDay News) -- Officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday said they are "still very early" into their investigation of as many as nine domestic cats and one dog died within a few days of consuming moist pet food made by a Canadian company.

The deaths have spurred a massive recall of more than 60 million packages of "cuts-and-gravy" style dog and cat food involving some of the best-known brand names.

The company, Ontario-based Menu Foods Inc., had suggested the illnesses might be linked to their use of a new supplier of wheat gluten, a protein used in the foods. The FDA officials said they weren't sure if wheat gluten is responsible or which company supplied the wheat gluten.

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UNION, N.J. -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says seven animals died in tests of suspect dog and cat food performed by Canadian manufacturer Menu Foods after the company fielded complaints the products were killing pets around the country.

Recall: Q&A | Dog Products | Cat Products

NOTE: Site is experiencing heavy traffic.

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For owner Elizabeth Krottinger, it's been a difficult week: All five of her dogs have been sickened.

"I've just been one big stress ball," she told CBS News.

Menu Foods, a Canadian company based outside Toronto that produces pet food, said Saturday it was recalling dog food sold throughout North America under 51 brands and cat food sold under 40 brands including Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba. The food was distributed by major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Kroger and Safeway.

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The federal government on Monday released new, troubling details about manufacturer tests that prompted the recall of 60 million cans and pouches of potentially fatal pet food from store shelves throughout North America.

That manufacturer -- Ontario, Canada-based Menu Foods -- tested its moist pet food beginning in late February, feeding the product to 40 to 50 dogs and cats after a series of complaints from pet owners. Seven of those test animals died, according to Stephen Sundlof, the Food and Drug Administration's top veterinarian. The mix of species was not immediately known.

Those tests prompted a massive product recall begun last Friday. A federal investigation is focusing on wheat gluten, a common filler, as the likely source of contamination.

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Portrait Skin Regeneration is a new type of treatment used to fight wrinkles. The therapy uses plasma, which is the fourth state of matter. The plasma replaces old, damaged collagen with significant amounts of new collagen. In addition to wrinkles, the therapy can be used to improve skin texture, minimize acne scars, reduce pore size, improve surface discoloration and tighten skin.

The Portrait therapy is unique because changes occur beneath the skin. Plasma energy is used to change the underlying layers of the skin but does not affect the outer layer during treatment. It works by transferring nitrogen plasma energy into the collagen layers beneath the skin's surface. New collagen growth is triggered, and the facial architecture develops new contours. Portrait is the only treatment that has been clinically proven to regenerate skin.

The process takes about 30 minutes or so for a whole face treatment. Typically, doctors will apply a lubricating element to the patient's face as well as a topical anesthesia. In some cases, doctors will also recommend local anesthesia to maximize the patient's comfort.

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Less than ten percent of women are unaffected by a skin condition in which fluid retention, enlargement of fat cells, and loss of elasticity of the skin contribute to the development of, cellulite. The condition can be identified in areas of the body where fatty tissue tends most often to develop resulting in that 'clumpy' appearance in the skin. Due to the ever-changing hormonal environment of a woman's body, cellular activity often becomes sluggish and does not efficiently rid the tissue of wa...

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WFAA-TV Will and Grace became sick after eating a Natural Choice brand pet food, which is one of 40 brands recalled. Also Online

Debbie Denmon reports

North Texas pets ill from contaminated food

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Sensing the public needs to feel safe when picking out fresh-cut produce, the Food and Drug Administration has come up with new guidelines for preventing food poisoning.

The guidelines include training workers in basic hygiene, methods of rinsing cut produce and detailed record-keeping to help trace contaminated produce.

All of that could help restore public confidence after several food contaminations in recent months involving spinach, tomatoes, lettuce and cantaloupes.

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WASHINGTON (AP) - Seven animals died in tests of suspect dog and cat food by the manufacturer after complaints the products were poisoning pets around the country, the government said Monday.

A federal investigation is focusing on wheat gluten as the likely source of contamination that sparked a recall last Friday of 60 million cans and pouches of the suspect food, said Stephen F. Sundlof, the Food and Drug Administration's top veterinarian.

The ingredient, a protein source, is commonly used as filler. Agency investigators are looking at other ingredients as well. The wet-style pet food was made by Menu Foods, an Ontario, Canada-based company.

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Alice Reed of Melbourne is angry -- angry that her cat is near death, and angry that so few people know about the recall of the bad pet food Missy ate.

"It's got me mad. It's really got me mad, and it's got us all hurt," Reed said Monday. "Your animals are like your children, and then, when you know what they're going to have to go through. . . . We're the ones who are going to have to go put them to sleep. These people aren't going to do it."

At issue is a recall of 51 brands of dog food and 40 brands of cat food produced by Menu Foods of Ontario, Canada, and sold throughout North America. Among the brands affected are Iams, Eukanuba and Nutro, and only "wet-style" pet food is affected.

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WASHINGTON | Seven animals died in tests of suspect dog and cat food by the manufacturer after complaints the products were poisoning pets throughout the country, the government said Monday.

A federal investigation is focusing on wheat gluten as the possible source of contamination that sparked a recall Friday of 60 million cans and pouches of the suspect food, said Stephen F. Sundlof, the Food and Drug Administration’s top veterinarian. The ingredient, a protein source, is commonly used as filler.

Agency investigators are also looking at other ingredients. The wet-style pet food was made by Menu Foods, an Ontario, Canada-based company.

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It's been said that "prevention is the best medicine." Unfortunately for cervical cancer, politics has gotten in the way of prevention.

I was thrilled earlier this semester when I found out about Gardasil; a vaccine that protects against four types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Types 16 and 18 of HPV can cause up to 70 percent of all cases of cervical cancer. I consider Gardasil a medical breakthrough so significant for women that it's comparable to Viagra's significance for men.

The American Cancer Society has estimated that this year alone 11,150 cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed. This year 3,760 women will die from cervical cancer. Countless more will go through the pain of invasive surgery, chemo and the possibility of losing their ability to have children.

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Worries about food safety hit America's pet owners last weekend as they came to grips with a dog and cat food recall affecting 88 brands of mostly canned "cuts and gravy" selections.

In all, about 60 million cans and foil pouches of items made by Streetsville, Canada-based Menu Foods Income Fund were being recalled.

As the food became linked to at least 10 recent animal deaths, pet owners began making nervous calls to their veterinarians and flooding the Canadian company's phone lines. Many of the best-known U.S. brands of pet food are on the recall list.

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EVANSVILLE - Jars of peanut butter have the people at the Tri-State Food Bank searching for all the extra hands they can find.

35-thousand pounds of food packed and ready to ship out. But  volunteers with the Tri-State Food Bank have to sort through all of the boxes, just to find the recalled peanut butter. The FDA warns the jars may be tainted with Salmonella.

"One of the items we always stress that we need because it's high in protein, is peanut butter so now we're concerned we might have some peanut butter that came through and we want to make sure none of it gets out of the building," says Mary Blair, Executive Director of the Tri-State Food Bank.

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The variety of symbols and claims on food products has become confusing for consumers, they say.

March 19, 2007

FOR the nutritionally conscious food shopper, a stroll down the supermarket aisle has become the visual equivalent of a frenetic day at the carnival: With each visit, new nutritional claims leap from boxes and packaging to hawk their products' healthful attributes, a cacophony of urgent and eye-catching messages.

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Heightened safety concerns over Amgen Inc.?s popular anemia drugs Aranesp and Epogen, as well as Johnson & Johnson?s Procrit has prompted a review by federal health insurance officials.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will study ?off-label? uses of the drugs, such as treatment of anemia in cancer patients not undergoing chemotherapy, to determine whether the Medicare program will continue paying for them.

Combined sales of Aranesp and Epogen totaled more than $6 billion worldwide for Amgen in 2006.

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WASHINGTON — One day last week, the entire Federal Communications Commission was summoned for the first time in three years before a House committee, where its members were grilled for five hours and told to expect to be "frequent guests."

On another day, Congress authorized subpoenas for Justice Department officials in its escalating investigation into the murky reasons offered by the Bush administration for its decision to fire eight U.S. attorneys.

And on yet another day, former covert CIA operative Valerie Plame was the star witness at a hearing where she accused White House officials of "recklessly" blowing her cover and destroying her career.

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Desperate to deal with her dog's destructive behavior, Leah Grape turned to popping pills -- not for herself but for her pooch. A generic form of the antidepressant Prozac was a way to calm Kobe, a Doberman mix who suffered from severe separation anxiety.

"When he broke off his canine teeth in the crate and he was urinating every time I left the house and it was getting worse as he got older, I had to do something," the Phoenix resident said.

Prescribing human-type antidepressants such as Prozac, Valium, Zanex and Buspar for dogs and cats is becoming more common, according to veterinarians.

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Desperate to deal with her dog's destructive behavior, Leah Grape turned to popping pills - not for herself but for her pooch. An antidepressant generic form of Prozac was a way to calm Kobe, a Doberman mix who suffered from severe separation anxiety.

"When he broke off his canine teeth in the crate and he was urinating every time I left the house and it was getting worse as he got older, I had to do something," the Phoenix resident says.

Prescribing human-type antidepressants such as Prozac, Valium, Zanex and Buspar for dogs and cats is becoming more common, according to veterinarians.

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More buyout deals in the medical testing market could reach out and touch Beckman Coulter Inc. in the near term, according to an analyst who recently started following the Fullerton maker of testing equipment and supplies.

Bruce Jackson of RBC Capital Markets wrote in a report that Beckman, which he said has ?turned the corner following a change in its lease accounting and a corporate reorganization,? could figure into recent merger and acquisition activity in the medical testing sector.

Beckman more likely would be a buyer rather than an acquisition target, according to Jackson.

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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments,

compiled by editors of HealthDay:

60 Million Units of Pet Food Recalled After Unexplained Kidney Failure Reports

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