Pet food recall: Check your cupboards now
By Gina Spadafori
March 16, 2007
Update: The manufacturer has now posted the frighteningly long list of brands. Click to see the lists of foods for dogs and cats. And note the recall does not affect dry food at this time.
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Seems like these just come more frequently than ever, both for human and for pet food:
A major manufacturer of dog and cat food sold under Wal-Mart, Safeway, Kroger and other store brands recalled 60 million containers of wet pet food Friday after reports of kidney failure and deaths.
An unknown number of cats and dogs suffered kidney failure and about 10 died after eating the affected pet food, Menu Foods said in announcing the North American recall. Product testing has not revealed a link explaining the reported cases of illness and death, the company said.
[...]
The recall covers the company’s “cuts and gravy” style food, which consists of chunks of meat in gravy, sold in cans and small foil pouches between Dec. 3 and March 6. The pet food was sold by stores operated by the Kroger Company, Safeway Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and PetSmart Inc., among others, Henderson said.
Menu Foods did not immediately provide a full list of brand names and lot numbers covered by the recall, saying they would be posted on its Web site — www.menufoods.com/recall — early Saturday. Consumers with questions can call (866) 463-6738.
The company said it manufacturers for 17 of the top 20 North American retailers. It is also a contract manufacturer for the top branded pet food companies. Its three U.S. and one Canadian factory produce more than 1 billion containers of wet pet food a year. The recall covers pet food made at company plants in Emporia, Kan., and Pennsauken, N.J., Henderson said.
Here’s the rest.
Go to the latest blog post | Go to the PetConnection home page
It’s not just the brands listed on the Menu Foods Recall site either…
Iams/Eukanuba Recall (these are mentioned in the list, but here’s the product info that isn’t listed there):
FDA Press Release
Product List
Hill’s Science Diet Recall:
FDA Press Release and Product List
Purina Recall:
FDA Press Release and Product List
Comment by Janine — March 17, 2007 @ 9:33 pm
About this time last year I was being scolded by a vet at the emergency hospital where I had taken Bella for back pain because I noted on the intake form that she ate a raw diet. Wonder what she’s telling people tonight about their pets’ diets?
Comment by Kim — March 17, 2007 @ 11:25 pm
Does anyone have any info on IAMs being recalled. ITs listed on the munufood website, but they only refer you to iams.com (Which is down for maintenance). They could not offer a phone number for IAMS either. They also insisted that IAMs is not on the recall list, but every website including menufoods is showing IAMS…
Comment by Joe Wellman — March 18, 2007 @ 7:59 am
The Iams/Eukanuba Web sites are still down. Here’s the info from the FDA on the affected products:
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/pg03_07.html
If I were the Web folks at Proctor and Gamble (which owns Iams/Euk), I’d be figuring to get fired about now. Absolutely unacceptable for a company this large to not be able to react in an emergency.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — March 18, 2007 @ 8:21 am
In regard to the IAMS—our cat was euthanized Friday before last due to kidney failure. This came out of the blue. She was 8 years old. She was eating the IAMS with the codes listed on the Proctor and Gamble site.
Comment by Gloria Rose — March 18, 2007 @ 12:02 pm
Sorry, I should have added this. Our newspaper listed the information about the IAMS. The codes are 6339 through 7073, followed by 4197, the plant code. If anyone is insisting that IAMS is not on the list, they are wrong. Menu Foods is not listing it, but Proctor and Gamble is. And if anyone thinks no animals have died because of the IAMS, I beg to differ. I believe there will be hundreds before all is said and done. The problem for us was by the time our cat showed symptoms, her kidneys were beyond saving.
Comment by Gloria Rose — March 18, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
On 3-14-07, I euthanized my 10 year old sweet cat suffering with kidney failure. He was fed Iams and Max gourmet classics. He was happy and healthy but got so sick so fast. The loss is hard enough this makes it unbearable.
Comment by Jean Hollenbeck — March 19, 2007 @ 9:45 am
Gloria Rose, I am sorry to hear about your cat’s death. It’s so sad, the number of pets who have been affected by this problem. Our kitty, Sadie, was also euthanized in late December — a healthy middle aged cat who had shown absolutely NO signs of kidney disease - or any disease — until then. She died 7 days after showing symptoms of acute kidney failure out of the blue. We could not save her, though we tried for 7 days, giving her sub-cue fluids and nursing her round the clock. She was eating the “Special Kitty” meat in a pouch with the listed codes on the MenuFoods site.
I was totally puzzled by her illness. Now I know what may have caused it.
Comment by Maureen Shaughnessy — March 19, 2007 @ 4:59 pm
I actually have a question… On Saturday I discovered that I had the recalled Nutro packs and that my one cat Peaches had eaten them, while my other two cats, Maggie & Hacoona, may have eaten some. Peaches already has kidney stones (diagnosed a year ago this April) and I had removed all dry food from her diet. Right now all 3 cats seem healthy, but should I worry? Peaches also eats Halo Spot’s Stew, Evo Cat & Kitten Canned and Merrick food (I called all 3 companies yesterday to make sure their food was okay and all assured me they were). However, Peaches, who already has the kidney stones, ate about 2 pouches a day in addition to the other food she gets. They are all being seen by my Vet this Friday, but should I worry now? So far no one seems any different (they are all still eating, drinking normally and using the litter box). Just a note, I had actually returned the recalled products and exchanged them for Merrick canned, as well as other Nutro packs not included in the recall. I’m tempted to not feed any Nutro at all, but am trusting that the packs I have are safe. Just looking for opinions, thoughts, comments, etc. Thank you.
Comment by Lisa Clay — March 20, 2007 @ 7:57 am
I have a cat and my mother has a dog and when I saw this I got very angry and scared and I sent Purina an email and I have not heard yet from them to find out if the dry food is ok. My mother’s dog food is on the list but, she checked with the store. Can’t any one check for (Aflatoxin) in the cat food and dog food to make sure it is not in it. Please have some check for it PLEASE. I am so scared for the animals. I don’t want to lose my cat again. And I don’t want my mother to lose her dog and that goes for everyone else. I FEEL FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LOST THEIR PET. Please check for (AFLATOXIN) in the food.
Comment by jill — March 21, 2007 @ 5:28 pm
what about doggie treats from iams
Comment by helen — March 23, 2007 @ 4:53 pm
Sorry to all of those who have lost their beloved pets. This is a total outrage.
Comment by charlie — April 3, 2007 @ 12:36 pm
Day One
Comment by Steve — May 5, 2007 @ 7:31 am