Wheat/rice gluten in Heartworm chewables???

I received an alert that Heartguard chewables are going to be recalled due to gluten as the binder. I'm skeptical of these kinds of rumors, so I called Merial. Their response was they don't use wheat or rice gluten in their chewables "to their knowledge". So take that for what it's worth. They did say there were no "immediate plans" for recall.

Schering-Plough makes Tri Heart Plus, which is slightly less expensive than Heartguard, so I called them too. They have yet to return my call with an answer. I'll post more when I know it.

The alert also said the gluten used in Heartguard was HUMAN GRADE and could affect human meds. I suggest if you take any kind of pills, to call the manufacturer and ask about any kind of gluten used as binders. This may very well be incorrect information, but considering the lapse in timing in Menu Foods' recall, I would suggest being pro-active instead of waiting for recalls.

It's "proprietary". I would assume some are, or they would put it in their advertising and be shouting it from roof tops.

This damn tainted food mess!

about the pet food manufacturers. There seems to be no real way to discover what country they actually buy the ingredients from.

or the product would have been recalled.

Much ado about nothing. The amount of gluten in there, combined with it being a ONCE-A-MONTH product given in a tiny amount, makes it virtually irrelevant.

wheat gluten. There are more recalls over the last few days that are regarding rice gluten containing Melamine, thus prompting the Natural Balance Dog Food recall. There are also many treats getting recalled that are not made by Menu Foods. Natural Balance does not have food made by Menu Foods. This is bigger than we think and I would rather people err on the side of caution that to just think anything about it is irrelevant.

From a friend's vet's email:

i have become aware that one of the heartgard products does contain wheat
gluten...... however, the word from Meriel is that the HG itself does NOT contain
wheat gluten...... ....it is the "trial" products, some sort of non-medicated
flavor chew they give to vets to use as a taste-test for animals that contains
it.......... THEY say, no wheat gluten in HG!!! (not only did my office call
them, but i have support for this info via VIN)

From another friend:

When I called our Merial rep today, he confirmed that the Heartguard treat medication DOES have wheat gluten in the product, however none of the Merial Heartguard products have the wheat gluten from China used.

From yet another friend:

It seems like everyone who calls Merial gets a different answer from whoever they talk to.

My friend who called - spoke to Kelle in the media department. She said emphatically NO wheat gluten in Heartguard. Period. (She spoke to someone named Justin before Kelle, who said the same thing.)

Someone else called - Yes, wheat gluten in the Chewables, but it's grown and processed in the US.

Yet someone else called - No wheat gluten in Heartguard, just in some trial run treats?

Does anyone in this company really know the truth? And exactly what IS the truth? The package insert sure doesn't say.

...

I haven't received a return call yet from Schering-Plough regarding Tri Heart Plus.....