Pet-food recall: The help you need, in one place
By Gina Spadafori
March 18, 2007
We’re continuing to track information on the voluntary recall of “wet” dog and cat foods in cans and pouches. The manufacturer, Menu Foods, produces house brands for many retailers and grocers, including Wal-Mart and Kroger. According to the FDA, the recall also includes some products from pet-food companies Iam’s/Eukanuba and Hills Pet Nutrition (Science Diet). So far, reports we have received suggest that more cats than dogs have become ill.
Pet Connection’s Dr. Marty Becker offers important advice for pet-lovers, and is making himself available for media interviews to help spread the word.
The Pet Connection team has also put in place a database to allow pet-lovers to report the illness or death of their pets. If your pet has been made ill by a recalled product, please help us to report on the story by taking a couple of minutes to fill out this simple form.
We don’t yet know exactly what is wrong with the recalled food, but we intend to spend the days to come talking to the companies involved and to other expert veterinarians as the detective work moves forward.
You can be assured that when we have news, you’ll have news.
To sum it all up:
- Read Dr. Marty Becker’s advice for pet-lovers
- Check your pets’ food against the recall lists
- If you have a sick pet, please help us by telling us what happened.
And keep checking PetConnection.com as we continue to report on developments.
Go to the latest blog post | Go to the PetConnection home page
Both of my dogs have been affected. One is still at the vets in kidney failure with little improvement and the other was released tody.
Comment by Patti Buess — March 18, 2007 @ 10:19 pm
Patti — and others — please put your information in our database. It’ll just take a minute, and it’ll help us to understand how extensive the problem is and how best to help.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — March 18, 2007 @ 10:26 pm
If you have experienced a pet death go to:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com.....assAction/
Comment by Rob — March 18, 2007 @ 10:33 pm
Rob, I think your class is too small, especially given that only 10 or so deaths have been documented. A class action suit ought to include anyone whose pet became ill from eating the food, or better yet anyone who bought it.
Comment by N — March 19, 2007 @ 5:55 am
Are these companies going to pay the vet bills to have our animal tested. I have a new kitten that has been feed Science Diet Ocean Fish at the rescue and when I brought him home. He started throwing up so I stopped feeding him the canned food. He has a vet appointment so I will have him tested. The test is expensive and I feel should be payed for by Science Diet.
Comment by Joyce Watson — March 19, 2007 @ 9:33 am
My vet keeps saying it would be very helpful for them to know what was in the food that caused this and it would help them to consider the fate of my cat’s kidney damage - this has been the worst time. I miss my cat so much and want him to come home. The thought of losing him is too much. I wish they would tell us what happened. I also wish I was actually able to reach Menu Foods and that they were doing more outreach to people. I found out yesterday my coworkers dog is in kidney failure from eating the food. This seems bigger than they are reporting…
Comment by Rio — March 19, 2007 @ 9:39 am
Does anyone know how long it takes for the food to affect the animal? My cat had some of the wet food about a week ago - are symptoms immediate, or do they take a while to show up? Any info would help - thanks!
Comment by Cara — March 19, 2007 @ 10:05 am
As a person who already had a cat with chronic renal failure (who has eaten some of the recalled foods!) I recommend that anyone whose cat has become ill from the recalled foods visit a couple of wonderful websites with a wealth of information on feline kidney disease. http://www.felinecrf.com and http://www.felinecrf.org
I pray eating these foods hasn’t damaged her kidney’s further or harmed any of my other three cats.
Comment by Brandi — March 19, 2007 @ 10:52 am
Menu food’s website is down. Is there another place to get a complete list of recalled pet food?
Comment by Donna — March 19, 2007 @ 11:07 am
The sad part about this is some Vet recommended pet food is on the list! As pet owners, we pay good money to make sure our pets are getting the best of everything. Unfortunately this is the outcome.
Comment by Rachel — March 19, 2007 @ 11:32 am
In response to Rachel, yes, there are “Vet recommended” diets on the list, and we are just as blind-sided by this as you are. No veterinarians had any prior knowledge of this, and we are in the dark as to what is causing the problem. Please, do not go and blame the veterinary industry for this, we are here to help!
Comment by Ward Phillips, DVM — March 19, 2007 @ 12:13 pm
You can see a list of the recalled brands here. http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....01412.html
It’s the “cuts and gravy” style of these brands. The info in this article is not as detailed as the information on the manufacturer’s website.
Comment by modthinglet — March 19, 2007 @ 12:24 pm
Regarding the comment from Rob about who should be included in a class action suit. If all you need are the names of people who bought some, I am one of those people. I got six cans off of my shelf. One of those I fed to my cats, one hour before I got online for the first time in days, and read about the recall.
That was last night. This morning the cats seem fine, but this at least constitutes endangerment of some sort, wouldn’t you think?
Comment by Laura Osanitch — March 19, 2007 @ 1:02 pm
My 5 year old pug was diagnosed in renal failure last Monday, 3/12. Since that time, he has been on Antibiotics, and gets an sub-cutaneous IV twice a day at home. He seems to be better, but it was touch and go for a few days.
The important thing for folks to do is also contact the “Brand” of food company in addition to Menu Foods. We talked to the Nutro people last night and they have a 7x24 hotline set up. They can continue the pressure on Menu Foods to get to the bottom of the problem.
Also, many folks were under the impression that this was only private label foods (like Wal-mart), but it includes high end, vet recommended foods as well.
Comment by Dave Finlay — March 19, 2007 @ 3:31 pm
David
I actually reported Rupert’s illness to Menu foods 800 number. They seem to have someone on 24 hours a day. I haven’t been able to get through again, however, and I have never been able to get through on Nutro’s phone. You can email Nutro, but I havne’t heard back from that yet
Comment by Joyce Finlay — March 19, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
Yes - my cat was on NUTRO. I wish they would stop saying on their website they have had no reports of their products potentially making pets sick. I have reported and know others have. I have a case # and everything.
Comment by Rio — March 19, 2007 @ 3:54 pm
I’ve put together a comprehensive webpage for the recall. Please check it out and bookmark it, as it is being updated continually.
http://www.howl911.com contains the list of all the brands in the recall, with company and product links, as well as important phone numbers, how to report an incident, kidney failure signs and symptoms, and more.
There is also a link to Pet Connections online submission form for reporting your pet’s illness or death as a result of eating one of the recalled foods. I cannot stress enough how critically important it is for pet parents to report ANY adverse effects their pet has experienced, even if it is only SUSPECTED to be linked to the foods. The number of pet deaths initially reported by Menu Foods—10—is grossly understated. In just the last 24 hours I’ve come across far more than 10 food-related deaths, all reported by pet parents on various blogs and forums, by vets’ offices and in emails sent to me via the http://www.howl911.com webpage. It is vital that all these scattered reports find their way into Pet Connections’ centralized database AND that they be reported to the FDA so that Menu Foods (and their corporate lawyers) cannot whitewash or deny the scope of this tragedy. Contact info for the FDA is also on the http://www.howl911.com webpage.
http://www.howl911.com also includes a link to a page which explains the steps to take if you suspect your pet has been poisoned by the recalled food. It is important for pet parents to save all vet reports and receipts, empty food cans and/or foil-pack containers AND document in a journal EVERYTHING you observe regarding your pet’s suspected poisoning. It should also be stressed that your pet does not have to die in order for you to enter into a class action suit. Any level of illness is a qualifying factor, so long as you document everything and are able to prove your case. Already, in one case in Texas, the local PetSmart has agreed to pay for one family’s $7,000 vet bill.
Nikki Weidner
Webmaster, http://www.howl911.com
Comment by Nikki — March 19, 2007 @ 4:40 pm
i still can’t get thru on either phone number they have published for the recall. do you know if they are still testing the food to see if any of the dry food is infected? i put my cat to sleep due to kidney failure on the 10th and can’t get any answers!!!
Comment by carol — March 19, 2007 @ 5:08 pm
what I’d like to know is what else Menu Foods makes. (Do they make my pets’ dry food, too? Is there a way to avoid giving them money in the future?)
Comment by Laura — March 19, 2007 @ 5:45 pm
I had 2 cats in renal failure the week of 1/19. I knew it had to be the food. They are 2 of 11 & the thing they had in common was the Nutro pouch food. None of the others eat it or got sick. Thank god! Close to 3k later & thanks to an excellent vet both are recovering I hope. It has been a slow recovery. I contacted Nutro 2/1/07 & they took a report, gave me a report number & sent me a prepaid envelope to mail some pouches for testing. I mailed 2 & still have 4 & they were all have the 12/04/08 expiration. I have been unsucessful on my effots to contact Menu Foods. But after many calls to the Nutro 800# busy, I was able to contact them at 626-968-0532. They were very concerned & able to pull up my intial report with the number & said I would hear back from them by the end of the week. I just wish this had come to light sooner! Alot of time has passed that they continued to manufacture until 3/07!
Comment by Teresa — March 19, 2007 @ 6:20 pm
Just for information—we had to put our 10 yr old cat to sleep last night after her kidneys shut down. Wal Mart Special Kitty pouch foods were all she ate. From healthy and happy to gone in 3 days.
Mike Bingham
Brandon, Ms.
Comment by Mike Bingham — March 19, 2007 @ 8:35 pm
Dear Mike,
Im so sorry to hear that, bless you.
My one cat, I have three, eats the special kitty pouch foods. He seems fine, but I took him to the vet today for test on his kidneys.
Im so sorry for your loss.
Cheri
Comment by Cheri — March 20, 2007 @ 10:27 am
PS. Purchased food from Walmart in Sherman and gainesville TX
Comment by Cheri — March 20, 2007 @ 10:27 am
Our Cat died here in Phoenix, and I know of at least 1 other dog here on local news that also died from the POISON FOOD” they wont say what happend and trying to blame their “new” supplier” I think its time to hit them where it hurts $$$ lawsuit time…
Comment by Cat and Dog lover — March 20, 2007 @ 10:39 am
Id like to know the name of the new supplier.
Comment by Cheri — March 20, 2007 @ 11:29 am
can anyone tell me the name of the antibiotics given to the dogs.. My baby has been sick for a week and was in the vet all week… After purchasing the Hills Diet KD food she was eating and not drinking too much… Now she is back to not eating unless its people food and excessive drinking.. No vomit or diareahea… my baby has been eating two pouches a day for 4 years and now this! THIS IS CRAZY? She has been on IV at the vet and her levels were better as of last week but now it seems like its starting again… we are off to the vet again in the am.? But a name of the antibitics would sure help
Comment by aj elworthy — March 20, 2007 @ 12:02 pm
http://groups.myspace.com/petfoodrecall
I started a myspace group to help organize people as well. My baby was KILLED BY MENU FOODS. I am doing everything I can to get this class-action lawsuit going or to get in on one.
Please join my myspace group to help share info there as well.
Comment by julie kramer — March 20, 2007 @ 12:12 pm
I feel your pain Mike. My Snuggles had to be euthanized for complete renal failure 3 days after eating Iams canned. He also showed no signs of illness and went downhill overnight. Unfortunately there is nothing that can make us all feel better right now but there has to be a light at the end of the tunnel somewhere. I just keep hugging my other kitties tight every night and pray for menu foods to not be allowed to get away with this. More and more people are speaking up about thier cats and dogs being their kids and I firmly believe this should be treated no differently than human children dying. My sister also had a cat die within 3 days of eating the Iams canned but he died in the end of Nov 2006 so the FDA won’t cosider him a part of the affected food recall because it was prior to December. Sad… just sad!
Comment by Chrissy — March 20, 2007 @ 12:14 pm
That “special Kitty” duck with wild rice in the pouches seems to be a major culprit.
Notice how most of the problems were in late Feb 07 (when my baby was poisoned) but they wited weeks until we got rid of most of the remaining packets??
http://groups.myspace.com/petfoodrecall
Please share info and post links on my Myspace page as well.
Comment by julie kramer — March 20, 2007 @ 12:15 pm
I lost my beagle on January 31, 2007. He took ill in December but was improving. We gave him some of the cuts and gravy Iams pouch food as a “treat.” He was put down within 72 hours of having ingested this food! I have 2 pouches left that are within 100 digits of the recalled food pouches and are FROM the recalled food plant. He was my son. Not a dog. I lost my uterus in an emergency surgery years prior, Ozzie was my kid before then. But after the finality of having surgery he filled the gap made by surgery. It was the most horrific illness I have ever seen. Menu Foods should be run out of business and chased out of town — so to speak. I would love to see their execs on IV’s and steroids and going through everything Ozzie went through. Maybe they would understand what they have caused for the price of some wheat gluten!
Comment by Heather — March 20, 2007 @ 12:48 pm
I also called Iams and gave them all his information and our vets information. Hopefully this will help!
Comment by Heather — March 20, 2007 @ 12:50 pm
My husband took our pug into the vet today for a follow up of his renal failure (nutro ultra). He was talking to the staff about it, and apparently one of the staff members told him “most of our patients dont’ feed their animals THAT KIND of food” (apparently they’re superior?) He turned around and looked at their shelf stocked with Science Diet, and told them that Science had recalls too.
Comment by Joyce Finlay — March 20, 2007 @ 1:31 pm
Hi, can anyone tell me what the kidneys look like? I gave my cat 3 or 4 cans of Max Cat around Christmas. He loved the first couple, but refused to eat the last one, so I exchanged the remaining food for his regular brand (mother’s hubbard.) Two weeks ago my vet said our cat had irregularly shaped kidneys, lumpy. He said it could be four (very bad) things, but he doesn’t have standard symptoms for any of them (renal failure, cancer, FIP, Cronic infection.) We’re doing a Fine Needle Aspirate on Monday to see if we can tell what’s going on.
Comments please? He didn’t throw-up on eating the food.
Comment by Liz — March 20, 2007 @ 1:35 pm
Our dog stopped eating a few weeks ago. We took her to the vet, they ran tests, and said everything looked fine. Then she developed what looked like a urinary tract infection, so we took her again. They gave us medication. This morning she vomited again.
She has been on Nutro Ultra for about 6 months and always seemed to love it, up until the time she just stopped eating.
We have an appointment with our vet in an hour. This has just been so hard for everyone. I am sorry to all the other parents who are dealing with this.
Comment by Lauren Mason — March 20, 2007 @ 1:39 pm
our cat is at the vet now trying to save her from Kidney failure. Yes she has ate Special Kitty for years.
Comment by Hazel Cooper — March 20, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
Lauren
My dog LOVED Nutro Ultra. He stopped eating the dry first, then the canned. I wouldn’t give him even the dry ever again.. Don’t let your doctor try to treat her just for a UTI. Insist on a blood panel for kidney failure. You need to have her BUN, creatinine, and phosphorus checked, plus you need a CBC to prove that it’s not chronic renal failure. My thoughts are with you. Rupert seems to be improving, but who knows?
Comment by Joyce Finlay — March 20, 2007 @ 2:19 pm
Dear Hazel,
I took mine cat in today for test..he seems fine…but he has been eating that crap for years..and the packs I checked this weekend were on the recall list.Im so worried I dont know what to expect.
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Cheri
PS IM MAD
Comment by Cheri — March 20, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
Would it help other worried individuals if we exchanged Product..UPC..brand info and if our animals ate it..and if so how is their health now. Special Kitty Pouch UPS 681131575419 681131742443 681131575423 681131742429 681131742450 681131742436 681131575447 681131575430. These are the recalls for Special Kitty Pouch meals…and my cat ate them. He went for test today..but so far I know nothing. And he seems to be doing good.
Cheri
Comment by Cheri — March 20, 2007 @ 3:13 pm
Any company that tests on animals should not be a company we buy pet food from. Menu Foods has been testing their product on innocent cats & dogs now that many are falling ill, to see what is making them ill and/or killing them! This is just an atrocity!They said their tests indicated “more cats than dogs died” so obviously their tests KILLED those poor innocent fur kids! IAMS is not only a company that tests foods but does other horrible, cruel & gruesome tests on animals. There are so many disreputable pet food companies it makes it very difficult to find a healthy & safe food for our beloved fur kids. I pray the culprit will soon be found and no more pets will suffer or die, no more pet parents hearts broken. These are our children and we want the very best for them!
P.S. WHAT TOOK THEM SO LONG TO RECALL THE PRODUCTS!? WHAT A SICKENING SHAME! HAD THEY DONE IT IMMEDIATELY, PERHAPS MANY FUR KIDS LIVES WOULD HAVE BEEN SAVED! THIS COMPANY NEEDS TO FACE UP TO WHAT THEY’VE DONE…BUT NO AMOUNT OF MONEY COULD EVER MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS OF THOSE PRECIOUS LIVES. I STILL THINK THEY SHOULD BE PUNISHED SEVERELY AND SUED SO THAT IT MAY PREVENT THIS TYPE OF COVER-UP FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, BY THEM OR ANY OTHER PET FOOD COMPANY. THEY SHOULD HAVE MADE THE INFORMATION PUBLIC IMMEDIATELY! THEY OWE IT TO OUR FUR KIDS AND TO US!
Comment by KITTY — March 20, 2007 @ 5:30 pm
has anyone been able to contact the FDA, Nutro or Menu foods today or yesterday? I tried the (626) 968 0532 number today, and got an operator who would only take a message, I’m sure that will do a lot of good. The voice mail for the Southern California FDA department is full….so much for our tax dollars at work.
I read a post today about kidney failure on dry Nutro Max cat. Has anyone heard anything about this?
Comment by Joyce Finlay — March 20, 2007 @ 5:38 pm
My 10 year old, healthy (never been sick a day) cat suddenly stopped eating and drinking and vomiting yellow, foamy bile 4 times a day. On day 3 I took her to her vet who did an exam and blood tests and could not find anything wrong with her. He gave her an appetite stimulant shot and sent her home. On day 5 she was no better so I took her back. They did x-rays which showed nothing. The vet said I should immediately take her to the specialty clinic where they have 24 hour care and specialists and could put her on IV and monitor her. She stayed on IV (with electrolytes, etc.) for 2 days. She finally stopped vomiting so they let her come home (with appetite stimulants). None of them had a clue as to what was wrong with her. She is slowly getting back to normal. This starting happening to her February 23rd, before the recall; she only eats Iams pouches and Iams dry food, so I have no pouches with numbers. The vet bills are almost two thousand dollars, but at least I still have my baby. I feel so bad for those who lost their precious pets.
Comment by Sharon in AZ — March 20, 2007 @ 6:10 pm
I am lucky my animals are fine, because I feed them better quality food, wellness, but I did have a client’s dog that I was his pet sitter that all of a sudden got sick and had kidney failure, he died. I am so sad that this has happened and I really feel for everyone that has lost their beloved pet. Do your research and find a better quality food out there, most of the foods mentioned have so much bad suff in them and by-products. The more you do your homework the better informed you will be. Don’t ever buy store brand foods, go to the better speicality pet stores to get your pets their food. This is unfortunate that this has happened.
Comment by Peggy — March 20, 2007 @ 6:36 pm
Our puppy had her 1-year checkup on 2/14 and we were advised to change her to adult food, so that night I bought Nutro Ultra and started her on it the next day. Within 2 days she was lethargic and vomiting, within 2 more days she was in the hospital with renal failure. Luckily she survived, but we have spent over $1,100, not to mention the trauma to our children for almost losing their Sadie. Sadly, other owners have not been so fortunate, and my heart goes out to them.
Ultimately, I’m furious at Nutro — nowhere on their labels does it say that their ‘premium’ food is manufactured at a pet food ‘aggregator’ in another country. Their website continues to claim they have not been affected when I and others have provided them ample information to know that they are indeed responsible for pet illness and perhaps death.
Where are the lawyers? I can’t believe I typed that :}
Comment by Ophelia Galindo — March 20, 2007 @ 6:37 pm
I buried my dog CJ March 16th 2007. He was hospitalized for kidney failure after consuming Nutro Ultra Holistic canned food. My vet was very aggressive with treatment, but there was no response. Cj’s kidney values continued to elevate each day and never could stop the vomiting. By the 5th day all his levels(kidney,bun,phosphorous) were of the charts so I had no choice, I did not want him to suffer anymore. He was at the point of no return and I knew it. Kidney failure is a horrible death for pet and owner.
I do have receipts for petsmart and also have a can of tainted food. I ‘m going to start looking into what my rights are legally. I would imagine that if the pet owners that have lost a pet due to this negligence stood together we might have a better chance of making a difference> I don’t want CJ’s suffering and death to be in vain.
Jennifer
Comment by Jennifer Eckhart — March 20, 2007 @ 7:07 pm
I took my cat to the vet on Monday because he was not eating, sleeping all the time, and you could just tell he did not feel good. The vet asked me if he could have eaten something he shouldn’t have. I couldn’t think of anything. He was jaundice, and she informed me that was a sign of liver problems. We tried to get blood, but the weak little kitty fought us pretty good, and she could not get a good blood sample. The vet was a fraid of sedating him if he had a liver problem it could be fatal. We had him on a pill, an IV, and force feeding him with a spoon. The next evening he was so weak he could not even hold his head up, so i had to make the horrible decision to put him to sleep.
Comment by Samanth — March 20, 2007 @ 8:59 pm
ran out of room. I found out Sat. morning about the recall both flavors he eats of Iams was on there. The cans I haave in the cupboard do not match the numbers of the recall, but I do not have the cans he has consumed. I am going to try to trace my receipt at the grocery store to see if they had been purchased. They keep talking of kidney failure, my vet believes it had something to do with the liver, I know the two work together. Is my cat a victim of this horrible night mare?My heart goes out to all that has been affected by this.
Comment by Samanth — March 20, 2007 @ 9:04 pm
Kitty- the FDA is now reporting that Menu’s ‘animal test’ (which resulted in 10 fatalities) was not related to the customer complaints.. in other words, the animals weren’t intentionally fed tainted products.
Apparently, they were conducting a palatability test to see if the animals liked the food.. a new line, I believe. Three days into the study, they experienced the first food-related death.
Apart from that, the FDA hasn’t given us much to go on. Am I the only one who wishes they’d release information about the 80% of the dogs and cats subjected to the taste test who didn’t die? It’s all fine and good that they’ve reported the 20% fatality rate, but what I’d REALLY like to know is- what about the survivors? How many were spared? How many became sick, but recovered? Were those sickened primarily cats (this seems to be the case), primarily dogs, or a fairly even mix? Were any particular variables associated with those who survived vs. those who didn’t? Did all the test pets consume the same foods, or was there some difference between what was served to those who became ill and what was served to those who did not? Among those who survived, did they all eat the tainted food, or did some of them refuse it as two of mine did? Etc., etc., etc….
Comment by Gwen — March 20, 2007 @ 11:57 pm
Has anyone reported problems with Purina’s Kit n Kaboodle dry food? My cat vomits violently every time she is fed it. The vet thinks it might be a food allergy. But if others report this then it should be noted by your website.
Comment by Leonard Campos — March 21, 2007 @ 11:13 am
My dog has eaten Mighty Dog cans for 12 years, and MD was not one of the listed brands (although they DID voluntarily recall pouches).
In any case, she had instant urinary problems about two months ago (had to be walked every hour or two during the night and hardly urinated). She was tested and had no trace of urinary infection. She subsequently had severe bloody diarrhea and has had it on and off every other week or two since. She has been to the vet 4-5 times in the past 2 months and is currently eating only Hill’s ID.
Has anyone out there who feeds Mighty Dog seen the reported symptoms in their dog?
Comment by Ross — March 21, 2007 @ 11:24 am
My dogs took a visit with my boyfriend and I to my parents. I’ve been feeding them the “raw diet” but my parents took feeding them in their own hands. They fed them ol’ roy twice a day for three days. Now my dogs are throwing up, have horrible gas and diarrhea, and it has to be because of that food. They were in perfect health before hand on the raw diet and now they are suffering because of this crap people buy.
Comment by Brianne McCabe — July 16, 2007 @ 8:17 pm
I started feeding my puppy the nutra holistic foods, but after reading these comments, I took it back along with every can and biscuit. They gave me a store credit for everything. I am now cooking food with veggies and brown rice, etc for him. I pray he will not be affected at all from this food, he was eating it for only 9 days, but boy does this give an animal lover the scare! I will never give him dog food ever again.
Thanks for all your comments, they helped me tremendously.
Comment by Yahaloma — October 19, 2007 @ 5:11 pm