Private Be aware: I personally know a number of individuals who have contracted tularemia, confirmed by the CDC to have been uncovered to the micro organism whereas working at a pet meals plant (from rendered pet meals substances). As a consequence of this expertise with the illness, I’ve a greater than a mean concern when tularemia instances are reported publicly.
Minnesota Division of Well being acknowledged the next in a press launch dated July 24, 2025:
“It’s necessary for pet homeowners to concentrate on this illness of their pets, as a result of it’s attainable for an individual to develop into contaminated as effectively,” stated Maria Bye, senior epidemiologist within the Zoonotic Ailments Unit at MDH.
The illness: tularemia.
The Minnesota Division of Well being and the Minnesota Board of Animal Well being (BAH) “are monitoring a rise of tularemia instances in people and companion animals (particularly cats) throughout Minnesota.” The state is reporting 5 instances of tularemia in people thus far this 12 months (2025), however they didn’t disclose what number of pets have been recognized this 12 months.
In 2024, the state of Minnesota had a complete of 5 human diseases and 27 animal diseases reported. “Twenty-one animal instances have been in home cats, 5 in home canine, and one in a wild rabbit.”
The Minnesota press launch states: “Tularemia is a doubtlessly critical sickness of animals and other people and happens naturally in Minnesota. It’s attributable to the bacterium Francisella tularensis, which will be present in wildlife, significantly rabbits, squirrels, beavers, muskrats and different rodents. Pets are most frequently uncovered to tularemia by looking these animals however may also be uncovered by way of tick or fly bites. Though many animals will be affected by tularemia, cats that spend time outdoor are at an elevated danger.”
However…
My private expertise proves there’s one other attainable publicity to tularemia that’s being ignored by the medical group and the pet meals regulatory group…rendered sick animals into pet meals substances. In 2017, the Facilities for Illness Management (CDC) confirmed to a number of pet meals manufacturing staff their publicity to tularemia was rendered pet meals substances on the pet meals plant.
Regardless of the FDA being totally conscious that a number of pet meals manufacturing staff have been uncovered to and sickened by tularemia from pet meals substances, the company nonetheless permits sick animals, useless/non-slaughtered animals with unknown diseases to be rendered into pet meals substances and bought to pet homeowners with no warning or disclosure.
We’ve petitioned the FDA up to now concerning their allowance of diseased/sick animals processed as pet meals substances. The FDA’s response:
“We don’t imagine that the usage of diseased animals or animals that died in any other case than by slaughter to make animal meals poses a security concern and we intend to proceed to train enforcement discretion.”
We’ve requested FDA for his or her science that evidences the company’s “perception” that pet meals substances sourced from diseased animals are secure for pets to eat. Their response to our request for scientific proof: “we couldn’t discover the requested paperwork.”
We filed one other Citizen Petition with FDA in June 2022 – based mostly on necessities of federal regulation – to require disclosure on pet meals labels when substances are feed grade (potential to be of inferior high quality together with sourced from diseased animals). Three years later, the FDA has not responded to our petition.
We assume the medical group that displays tularemia – identical to so many pet homeowners – has no information that the FDA permits diseased animals and animals which have died apart from by slaughter to be (illegally) processed as pet meals substances. We assume the medical group is totally unaware that rendered pet meals substances have been accountable for human tularemia diseases up to now.
We despatched an e mail to Minnesota Board of Animal Well being urging the company to hint the pet meals consumed by recognized animals. It’s unknown if the company will take our recommendation.
Whereas we wait for somebody of authority to do the best factor (equivalent to implement federal regulation, correctly inform pet meals customers to what they’re buying, and correctly hint tularemia instances), please concentrate on the signs of tularemia.
Signs in pets: “Indicators of sickness in animals embody a excessive fever, weak spot, lack of urge for food, pores and skin or mouth ulcers and swollen lymph nodes.”
Signs in people: “All types of tularemia in people are accompanied by a sudden onset of fever. Different indicators and signs can embody pores and skin wounds or ulcers, swollen lymph nodes, complications, chills, joint and muscle ache and nausea. Signs in individuals typically seem three to 5 days after publicity however could happen as quickly as the subsequent day or as much as 14 days after publicity.”
Susan ThixtonPet Meals Security AdvocateAuthor Purchaser Beware, Co-Writer Dinner PAWsibleTruthaboutPetFood.comAssociation for Reality in Pet Meals
Change into a member of our pet meals shopper Affiliation. Affiliation for Reality in Pet Meals is a a stakeholder group representing the voice of pet meals customers at AAFCO and with FDA. Your membership helps representatives attend conferences and voice shopper issues with regulatory authorities. Click on Right here to be taught extra.
What’s in Your Pet’s Meals?Is your canine or cat consuming danger substances? Chinese language imports? Petsumer Report tells the ‘remainder of the story’ on over 5,000 cat meals, canine meals, and pet treats. 30 Day Satisfaction Assure. Click on Right here to preview Petsumer Report. www.PetsumerReport.com
Discover Wholesome Pet Meals in Your Space Click on Right here
The 2025 ListSusan’s Listing of trusted pet meals. Click on Right here to be taught extra.
The 2025/26 Deal with ListSusan’s Listing of trusted pet deal with producers. Click on Right here to be taught extra.
