NPR.org is reporting pertinent FDA staff members at the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) have been fired. “The cuts hit the Center for Veterinary Medicine, an arm of the Food and Drug Administration that regulates the safety and efficacy of drugs, food and medical devices for animals.”
“Some of those who lost their jobs were responsible for reviewing data-heavy material from companies that manufacture veterinary drugs to determine whether those are safe and effective, the sources told NPR.”
NPR.org stated they spoke with three former CVM employees on condition of anonymity.
TruthaboutPetFood.com sent the FDA CVM the following questions on 2/19/25:
NPR is reporting that the CVM has experienced staff cuts at the request of the new administration; “One casualty of the mass firings across federal health agencies are regulators who ensure drugs for pets and livestock are safe and effective.”
My questions are:
Can CVM confirm these staff cuts?
Have any employee cuts been related to CVM’s oversight of pet food? Such as inspection staff, adverse event reporting/investigating staff?
Can CVM assure pet food consumers that regardless to staff cuts, pet foods in the U.S. will remain safe?
Should we receive a response to our questions, it will be shared with pet owners.
In the meantime – we encourage all pet owners (of all political views) – to write your Representatives in Congress asking them to investigate the CVM staff cuts, and ask them to provide you assurances that your pet’s medications and food (and your food) will be properly regulated.
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
Become a member of our pet food consumer Association. Association for Truth in Pet Food is a a stakeholder organization representing the voice of pet food consumers at AAFCO and with FDA. Your membership helps representatives attend meetings and voice consumer concerns with regulatory authorities. Click Here to learn more.
What’s in Your Pet’s Food?
Is your dog or cat eating risk ingredients? Chinese imports? Petsumer Report tells the ‘rest of the story’ on over 5,000 cat foods, dog foods, and pet treats. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Click Here to preview Petsumer Report. www.PetsumerReport.com
Find Healthy Pet Foods in Your Area Click Here
The 2025 List
Susan’s List of trusted pet foods. Click Here to learn more.
The 2024/25 Treat List
Susan’s List of trusted pet treat manufacturers. Click Here to learn more.
Concerned
February 19, 2025 at 1:57 pm
It’s not even just pet food, it would be the animal feed that is fed to the food we eat, and our pets eat if we home cook for them.
Marianne Richmond
February 19, 2025 at 2:45 pm
Respectfully, do you believe that pet foods in this country are safe now? I have been following you since 2013, maybe longer and I never got the impression that you thought they did a very good job.
Susan Thixton
February 19, 2025 at 4:06 pm
I absolutely don’t think pet foods are 100% safe now, but I know some (emphasis some) of the people at CVM are trying to do a good job (from associations with them at regulatory meetings) with the small staff they have. I worry greatly what might happen if their short staff is cut even shorter – not only for pet food, but for human food too.
Robin
February 19, 2025 at 2:55 pm
I have a very low opinion of NPR as a propaganda outlet. I have a very low opinion of FDA/CVM based on their track record regarding pet food vs feed and their inability or unwillingness to conduct investigations with transparency. Therefore, I would not consider this a loss for pet parents.
Caroline Snyder
February 22, 2025 at 12:48 pm
I am in 100% agreement with you! NPR and PBS will, thankfully, no longer be funded by the feds and will likely die. The FDA must be restructured to focus on US and our animals’ health, using the BEST research for ALL food and drugs, rather than providing a revolving door into Big Pharma.
WHY is BHT and BHA and ETHOXYQUIN and other powerful carcinogens still allowed in food when these things have been banned almost everywhere else?
WHY is the Convenia shot still pushed? TWO of my own cats DIED! The drug ELURA almost killed my Bengal Rescue, Lily. Thank GOD I am a nurse and Nutritional Biochemist and was able to monitor her! Elanco were useless! This drug was NEVER approved for humans so it was quickly approved for dogs and cats! Elanco couldn’t even tell me the HALF-LIFE of this poison in a cat! It tasted of Raspberries and chocolate from its days of human testing in the elderly. Frothing at the mouth was listed as the commonest side effect in cats.. well, No S+++ Sherlock! Rant Over!
Deb Morgan
February 26, 2025 at 6:20 pm
Caroline, thank you so much for your post especially your remarks on Convenia. I had a dog that passed away after having been (unknown own to me) injected with this for a dental cleaning. Without going into detail, I had to discover what caused his death on my own. The vet didn’t don’t know. I downloaded the pkg insert and was alarmed by what I read. My dog should never have been given this shot. It got it’s for ‘convenience.’ I had posted my comment RE the topic of NPR along with other concerns which you and others here have mentioned only to have it removed and I’m not sure why except that I mentioned a forbidden name. I’m sorry for the loss of you pets. It hurts when we cannot trust the entities that are suppose to look out for our animals.
Susan Hayes
February 26, 2025 at 10:22 pm
No, NPR/PBS will *not* die, thankfully. Because the
government fails to provide anything like adequate funding
for public broadcasting, both PBS and NPR depend upon
foundations, corporations, and wealthy individuals to pay for much of their programming. So, no it will *not* die.
I do agree that the FDA needs to be more focussed on animal health and not be influenced by AAFCO and pet food manufacturers and “big Pharma.”
NCC
April 1, 2025 at 8:18 pm
You are so deep into disinformation, it is hard to see the surface girl. These are incredible scientists who work tirelessly to insure your little family member critters receive safe medicine – a primary role of FDA’s CVM You make a claim with ZERO evidence, as if to just try and stir up skepticism. I know for a fact, as I KNOW WELL the highly skilled scientists working in CVM, that they are dedicated to ensuring that drug and animal feed companies meet federal and safety standards for animal medicine.
And don’t get me started about a claim of propaganda re NPR. There isn’t a more trusted news (distinctly difference from opinion) in the media today. Now I am think you are a bot, or at least an energetic consumer of FOX new, right wing media or on social media.
Susan Porter
February 19, 2025 at 3:00 pm
NPR is a very left leaning news agency so their sensational articles should be taken with a lot of grains of salt. Government workers were told they had to work on site and not from home. Those choosing not to comply were let go with a generous severance. Boo hoo. These same employees are the ones who approved Metacam for long term use and have not bothered to amend that given the current data which shows extreme GI ulceration from very short term use of Metacam and the other veterinary NSAIDS. So, no, I’m not going to write any Congressmen to complain about the overall of this agency.
Susan Thixton
February 19, 2025 at 4:12 pm
I don’t know the details of who was cut at CVM or why. Which is why I sent the agency questions. I cannot speculate to why at this point.
Sassilou
February 19, 2025 at 11:25 pm
I AGREE…Haven’t trusted NPR for years!
Once you see it…you cannot unsee it!
Susan
February 19, 2025 at 11:33 pm
NPR is a *neutral* news agency. You clearly choose not to be well informed. “Boo hoo” on you.
Dick McWay
February 19, 2025 at 5:54 pm
What is the difference between veterinary drugs and human drugs? Not much. Most do not provide a cure. Most have side effects. Most result in more drugs being prescribed. The “safe and effective” mantra is anything but. Just look at what passes for food, both human and canine. Health is the last thing this agency is concerned with. Follow the money. One last thing to keep in mind: ill health, sickness, disease is not the result of a pharmaceutical deficiency.