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The pet food recall again expanded and now dog and cat owners are being urged to keep an eye on their pets and to remain diligent and look for symptoms of their pets being poisoned by the tainted pet food. The ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) issued a release and warned pet parents that this crisis is far from over, and urged them to watch their pets closely for any symptoms that may be related to the recall. A release from the group said, "Given the current situation and until this crisis is resolved, the ASPCA is recommending pets be fed products containing US - sourced protein supplements only. Good advice.

Pet Food Recall: Dog & Cat Owners Urged to Use US Sourced Food Only

The expansion that was announced on Tuesday now brings the number over 100 of brands recalled and the new items includes cuts and gravy pet food, as well as other products that were not made with the contaminated wheat gluten supplied by ChemNutra Inc., but were manufactured during the period the chemical-laced gluten was used.

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"Given the fact that there is new evidence of cross-contamination in ingredients that may have been considered safe prior to this news, we need to be much more aware of where the ingredients in our pets’ food are coming from,” said Dr. Steven Hansen, a board-certified toxicologist and senior vice president with the ASPCA, who manages the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), located in its Midwest Office in Urbana, Ill.

“We are strongly recommending that pet parents immediately investigate, via their pet food manufacturer’s Web site or by calling them directly, where the ingredients—specifically protein supplements—are sourced from.”

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The release also notes that recent media reports that laboratory experiments on the interaction of melamine and cyanuric acid in cat urine showed the formation of crystals, are not surprising to ASPCA experts, and offer a glimmer of hope to veterinarians who have been worrying about how to save sick animals who have ingested the contaminated food.

“The fact that we have started to learn how the presence of melamine may be impacting these animals, gives us a small glimmer of hope—that at least we know we are on the right track when it comes to treating the animals affected,” said Dr. Hansen. “These findings really start putting everything else we have seen into perspective.”

ASPCA website has more information here.