Pet-food recall: The ’same vat’ theory
By Gina Spadafori
March 21, 2007
A business professor looks at how the “top shelf” brands have had their reputations damaged as part of the recall:
One of the most disturbing aspects of the national pet food recall is the illusion of superiority it has shattered for buyers of expensive pet-foods. Processor Menu Foods not only makes store brand petfood for stores as diverse as Wal-Mart, Winn-Dixie and Wegmans but also premium brand pet-foods including two Procter & Gamble brands, Iams and Eukanuba. In all, 53 brands of dogfood and 42 brands of catfood are affected.
Why is this so disturbing to consumers? Not just because Fluffy or Sparky might die from kidney failure. The other bad news from the consumer point of view is that the premium food that they have been lovingly feeding to these extended family members is no different from generic store brands.
How did this happen? A combination of greed and laziness was to blame. For much of the petfood industry, co-packaging (or producing generic products using a third party manufacturer alongside branded products with identical ingredients and a higher pricepoint) has been a fact of life for years. This is greed plain and simple, and the brands engaging in this practice surely deserve the fate they will experience.
I guess I’d not agree with the assessment of damage to a “brand” being “one of the most disturbing aspects” of the recall. Me? I’d go with pet deaths. But the article is interesting, nonetheless.
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I’m just devastated by what’s happening, and fear the coming days and weeks…but, please consider moving UP in quality when you buy pet food…There are at least six independantly owned a operated companies that really DO care about what you feed and have amazing quality and quality-controls…Some of these, off the top of my head, are: Natura( Innova and California Natural), Nature’s Variety, Natural Balance, Wellness, and Solid Gold…I’m sure there are many others out there, and would they were available to everyone in general…usually you have to go to a specialty store like your local groomer, or feed store…Unfortunately, these foods cost more…but……….. May there be mercy soon!I am so sad for everyone who’s lost a pet and is grieving.
Comment by kit brooking — March 21, 2007 @ 5:34 pm
I just wanted everyone to know, and I will be posting on other websites, I just got in touch with Menu Foods! Yes, believe it or not, I did. Only not with the number listed on the website. Somewhere in my research on this tragedy I found another number. That number is 1-866-463-6738. I was put on hold for about 2 minutes and talked with a nice woman. She asked for information about the food, which I used 2 kinds, she only took 1 number, and the info about my 2 cats, one who died, and the other that is currently being treated. She said that the company would be contacting me for more information(yea right). Good luck to all my friends who are dealing with their losses. Sharon from Oviedo, FL
Comment by Sharon Gilbert — March 21, 2007 @ 6:12 pm
Kit
As I posted elsewhere, Wellness is made by Menu foods. Sorry it was actually confirmed by them, in a response to an email I sent asking about out sourcing. However, I agree re Innova. I don’t know if the others are outsourced or not. I’m trying to figure it out myself
Comment by Joyce — March 21, 2007 @ 6:14 pm
I’ve read that Nature’s Variety and Wellness do have some of their food produced by Menu Foods [source]. I’m not sure what this would mean for these companies though…are they just using the plants, but are overseeing the ingredients themselves? They obviously have better ingredient lists than most, so I’m not really sure what to think.
Comment by Janine — March 21, 2007 @ 6:15 pm
I think the brands will be damaged, but in reality, the same vats theory is bogus. Contract manufacturers use different ingredients and have different quality inspection levels which are specified by the Brand.
Ingredients are graded, and the Brand specifies what kind of meats/fillers/etc. are used in each product. So, thinking Wal-Mart canned is the same as Nutro or Science Diet could be hazardous to your pet’s health.
In some cases Contract manaufacturers have their own recipes, which they may “license” multiple Brands, and these are, of course the same.
The Menu Foods debacle appears to be caused by a common ingredient that is used across a lot of Brands (Wheat Gluten).
BTW… My pug, Rupert just got a “normal” blood test after 10 days on IV/meds. So, I agree, the pet deaths are much more disturbing.
Comment by Dave Finlay — March 21, 2007 @ 6:25 pm
David,
I was just about to say that….but if someone doesn’t like the thought of their “natural” pet food being outsourced to someone like Menu Foods, they will need to do their homework very carefully. Nutro is organic and “holistic”. And, unfortunately, the batch we had was poison. Natural really doesn’t always = safe. Look at Oleander, practically indigenous to southern california. One leaf will kill you.
Comment by Joyce — March 21, 2007 @ 6:33 pm
Actually, Innova is made by Natura(Calf. Natural is also made by them) and I called and Menu does make their canned foods. They told me that the Menu company that they use is in Ca. and that it was not involved in the recall. I AM NOT FEEDING ANY CANNED DOG FOOD TO MY DOGS.
Emma
Comment by Emma — March 21, 2007 @ 8:18 pm
I was shocked and horrified yesterday to find out that in addition to Wellness, Natura (Innova and California Natural) also use Menu Foods. They say their products don’t include wheat gluten so they’re not affected. Source was petfoodexpress.com yesterday, and it’s also on http://petsitusa.com/blog/?p=208. today. It’s scary how many foods are outsourced.
Comment by Kim — March 21, 2007 @ 8:23 pm
Can anyone direct me to a listing of ALL products made by MENU FOODS? The last thing I want to do is give these b*st*rds any income! I thank God one of my cats is allergic to most commercial food! I have had some luck with California Naturals Herring and sweet potato and Royal Canin Skin , but I have fed some Nutro Senior Lamb…it’s hard to know what ELSE Menu makes…..
Comment by Lori Lee — March 21, 2007 @ 8:26 pm
One “Cartman” Under treatment a few times even a 3 night stay with the veterinarian. Now sub~Q fluids at home (in renal failure)……our other two need to be seen. one of our others may be affected “China” has symptoms……I have been treating her at home…..The kitten will need to be seen as a precaution to see if any damage has been done. “Cartman” is 10 yrs old and had a hearty food intake….he weighed about 23 pounds, and in a a number of weeks is now 14 pounds, which is a significant amout of loss. He has been given 6 days to 6 months….I can not bare to comprehend that….I am doing all that I can. Pet or not, some one should be held accounted for…..to everyone whom has already lost a loved one to this, I am saddend for your loss.
Comment by Erica — March 21, 2007 @ 8:37 pm
I just found a news piece that says Purina has pulled ALL of it’s wet/canned food….
http://www.wthr.com/Global/sto.....p;nav=9Tai
Comment by Lori Lee — March 21, 2007 @ 9:13 pm
CORRECTION!CORRECTION!CORRECTION!CORRECTION!
P&G is pulling ALL wet/canned.
Comment by Lori Lee — March 21, 2007 @ 9:19 pm
My heart is breaking for all of us……those who have lost a beloved pet or those waiting and wondering what if ours is next. I do want to let you know our rescue puppy has eaten nothing, basically, but Nutro his life while we have had him and I just realized we have some of the canned food that has been recalled. Our vet has taken swift action with him/Jake. We are in a wait and see game as today he was more tired than normal and did throw up a tiny bit…..am praying he will be fine. On the other hand for CAT people…I know you are at your wits ends. Our 6 year old burmese just started early kidney failure and we have an incredible vet…..started fluids at home early with medicine/oral…..and he said to feed her turkey, chicken, tuna, cottage cheese, anything protein she would eat. So she was eating tons of tuna and salmon..then kind of slowed up with her intake of foods….I watched the fluid video from the vet which showed purina Fancy Feast(flaked-our cats choice) for some of the pickier eaters……. so I went out and bought some…because she does not like the R/D we bought for the kidney failure. She cannot seem to get enough of it and has gobbled it down like crazy. Her weight has been put back on and she is feeling better and more frisky than ever. I know she did not have foods on the recall list prior to this but for those of you out there who do not know what to do to feed your precious feline friends I have to say this canned food has been a blessing and her blood work all came back in normal ranges yesterday. Our vet said the wet food is also good for her kidneys…She will still be on fluids now only 2 times a week for a month and we are hoping — as well as our vet— we have been able to save her kidney function —what is left and she will not need the fluids after that or shortly after. Fancy Feast. Also, we do need to hang in there together…..pray….I also got a call into the 866 number and spoke with a person who said someone would get back to me and to return the food to the store. Our vet took blood from our dog/Jake and is freezing it. He had a history work up done on him and said to start logging everything, the calls—call the 866 number so they have a note or documentation, the foods—do not give back —the empty cans with the numbers on them…wash out and save….receipts…..whatever…he said this was going to be big! We have to stick together. If Jake is not his bouncy self tomorrow, he is going in first thing in the morning…..immediately to try to catch this early. God bless you all and your critters as we watch and wait.
Comment by Dina — March 21, 2007 @ 10:25 pm
As per Lori’s earlier info, here is PG’s list of recalled food.
IAMS CAT
1. Select Bites 3 oz Pouches
� Adult with Beef in Gravy
� Adult with Chicken and Wild Rice in Gravy
� Adult with Chicken in Gravy
� Adult with Turkey in Gravy
� Adult with Salmon in Sauce
� Adult with Tuna in Sauce
� Kitten with Chicken in Gravy
� Weight Control with Tuna in Sauce
� Active Maturity with Chicken in Gravy
� Variety Pack with Beef, Chicken & Turkey
� Variety Pack with Salmon and Tuna
� Variety Pack with Chicken and Turkey
2. Cat Slices and Flakes in Cans
� Slices with Turkey in Gravy 3/6 oz
� Slices with Beef in Gravy 3/6 oz
� Slices with Chicken in Gravy 3/6 oz
� Kitten Slices with Turkey in Gravy 3 oz
� Flakes with Tuna & Ocean White Fish in Sauce 3/6 oz
� Flakes with Salmon in Sauce 3/6 oz
� Variety Pack Slices with Chicken and Beef in Gravy 3 oz
� Variety Pack Flakes with Tuna & Ocean White Fish and Salmon in Sauce 3 oz
IAMS DOG
1. Select Bites 5.3 oz Pouches
� Puppy with Chicken in Gravy
� Adult with Beef in Gravy
� Adult with Beef, Potatoes and Carrots in Gravy
� Adult with Chicken in Gravy
� Adult with Turkey in Gravy
� Adult with Lamb and Wild Rice in Gravy
� Weight Control with Chicken in Gravy
� Active Maturity with Beef in Gravy
� Variety Pack with Beef, Chicken, Lamb & Rice
� Variety Pack with Beef and Chicken
2. Small Bites 6 oz Cans
� Puppy with Beef & Chicken in Gravy
� Small Dogs with Chicken in Gravy
� Small Dogs with Beef & Vegetables in Gravy
� Variety Pack for Small Dogs with Beef & Vegetables and Chicken in Gravy
3. Chunks 13.2 oz Cans
� Beef & Vegetables in Gravy
� Chicken in Gravy
� Active Maturity with Beef in Gravy
� Weight Control with Beef in Gravy
� Puppy with Beef & Chicken in Gravy
� Variety Pack for with Beef & Vegetables and Chicken in Gravy
� Multipack with Beef & Vegetables in Gravy
� Multipack with Beef & Chicken in Gravy
� Multipack with Chicken in Gravy
EUKANUBA CAT
1. Morsels in Gravy 3 oz� Pouches
� Kitten with Savory Chicken
� Adult with Savory Chicken
� Adult with Savory Turkey
� Adult with Select Tuna
� Adult with Select White Fish
� Mature with Savory Chicken
� Adult with Shrimp and Cod
2. Cat Cuts and Flaked in 3 oz Cans
� Kitten Cuts with Savory Chicken in Gravy
� Adult Cuts with Chicken & Liver in Gravy
� Adult Flaked with Select Tuna in Sauce
� Adult Flaked with Select Seafood in Sauce
� Mature Cuts with Savory Chicken in Gravy
EUKANUBA DOG
1. Bites in Gravy 5.3 oz Pouches
� Puppy with Savory Chicken
� Puppy with Hearty Beef
� Adult with Savory Chicken
� Adult with Hearty Beef
� Adult with Lamb and Rice
� Adult with Beef, Pasta and Vegetables
� Reduced Fat with Savory Chicken
� Senior with Savory Chicken
2. Chunks in Gravy 5.5 oz Cans
� Puppy with Savory Chicken
� Adult with Savory Chicken
� Adult with Hearty Beef
� Adult with Hearty Stew with Beef
� Senior with Hearty Beef
Sorry its so long, but figured it was helpful!
Comment by Amy Boda — March 21, 2007 @ 11:16 pm
I have a question. Why does noone independently test some of this pet food? Enough people have it in their homes, and enough people, some of them vets, have the remains of food that sickened or killed their pets.
I flat out do not believe that Menu Foods has tested pet food that kills such a high proportion of animals it is fed to, thoroughly, and found nothing wrong with it. Whatever the answer is, it should be pretty easy to find.
I further do not trust the Bush FDA to do a proper investigation and inform the public of the results. Why, two days ago, the head vet for the FDA, making statements to the news media, stated that is sole knowledge of whether humans are at risk from the possibly contaminated wheat gluten, comes from teh company’s web site! In other words, the FDA has not so much as interviewed that company, and nobody has tested their wheat gluten for contamination.
Comment by Dora Smith — March 22, 2007 @ 2:32 am
We are having a can of Nutro Puppy that killed our 4 month old Pekingnese test by the Vetrinary Pathology Lab at Michigan State University. The pathologist was VERY happy to do it. They are also performing a Necropsy on Zipper to try to find the toxin. I will keep you all posted!
Comment by Natalie Sharpes — March 22, 2007 @ 8:45 am
Ive taken my cats off of all WET food…they dont like it, but thats just the way it has to be for now. I dont trust anything or anybody. One cat ate alot of the tainted special kitty, but so far he is doing good. I should be getting his test back tommorrow.
I think Im driving my cats and husband crazy but checking on them constantly.
Comment by Cheri — March 22, 2007 @ 8:53 am
I had one 5 year old cat die from kidney failure last week on the way to the vet.Today I have another 10 year old cat on IV’s at the vets office.My third cat is being tested today.
I can’t beleive that the recall information is just now coming out.My three cats have always eaten Special Kitty.Who is going to pay my vet bills? What about people who can’t afford treatment for their 4 legged family members?
The total on just 2 of my cats so far is way over $500.I am afraid people are going to have to put down their pets in leiu of the cost of treatment. this is just plain wrong and negligante.
Comment by Vickie Dykes — March 22, 2007 @ 11:47 am
I’m so sorry to say I stand corrected…I always understood that Natura had their own plant for processing…!!!I have yet to make the phone call, but I plan to in the morning! As far as I’m concerned, If Natura ain’t safe, ain’t no one safe…we have to all cook for our pets!!! I apologize for putting info out there that I believed to be true…Kit
Comment by kit brooking — March 22, 2007 @ 8:20 pm
My cat ate only a little of the tainted food and he is very sick. I watch him like a hawk so I caught the signs immediately and took him to the vet. We started treating him with fuids under the skin, antibiotics, pepcid, barium for xrays (which he vomited) and he an an enema (sorry for all details), but all this was before was starting March 15th before we knew about the recall. The aggressive treatment may have saved his life. Once we found out what it was my vet retested his blood and his kidneys had deteriorated. The vet then put him on continuous IV fluids to flush his system of the toxins and he has shown some improvement in kidney function in the past 24 hours. My kitty ate from the Iams Select Bites Tuna - serial number 63394197W63. I have three cases of the stuff, but I noticed that the last three numbers (W63) changed even within the case. It also contains 63394197W53. In either case, I have enough uneaten extra packages for a legitimate unbiased laboratory to test. Be sure to check your package numbers. And don’t worry. If your pet ate the food, you will definitely know it. The effects are immediate - within 24 hours, just like food poisoning. I kept saying to my Vet, even before the recall, “he’s eaten something bad,” I’ve had food poisoniing before and it’s just like this. The sadest thing is that our pets our not only our best friends and our children, but they are defenseless and cannot speak for themselves. It’s up to us to protect them.
Comment by Chris Walkowicz — March 22, 2007 @ 9:04 pm
At this point, I’d like to know if that company has tested its PACKAGING. Another woman who lost her cat to Special Kitty (in Arizona; I’m in California) mentioned that she’d found the last few packages harder to open … as did I. I’m wondering if there isn’t something in the packaging leaching into the food? I think THAT needs to be tested.
Comment by Linda L. Tinker — March 22, 2007 @ 9:21 pm
In response to an earlier comment up above on the higher end foods—please be aware that Wellness, Natura(Innova & California Naturals), Nature’s Variety are all processed by Menu Foods. In fact, I had called nature’s Variety this morning to confirm that they were made by Menu Foods. The lady who i spoke with told me that yes, their canned food was made by Menu. She attempted to “reassure” me that their foods were made in a different room and with different machinery, and did not contain wheat at all or wheat gluten…
of course—we all know that Menu or the FDA still does not know what is causing the illness and death of our beloved furry family members…
anyway—I asked the lady if she would continue to feed Nature’s Variety to ehr own pets knowing that it was coming from this contaminated plant…
her answer shocked me…
she started crying, then said to me, “we did continue to feed Nature’s Variety, and we just lost our dog last night”…
so please—BEWARE—and do not feed anything that comes from Menu Foods.
Cindy
Comment by Cindy — March 22, 2007 @ 9:42 pm
Hello, I must confess that I am not nearly as knowledgeable as many of you are so I am wondering if you can tell me if Kirkland ( Costco) brand dog food in cans is safe. My 5 dogs were eating Nutro Natural Choice dry with 1/2 can of Olroy mixed into it. The Olroy was the small cans of gourmet style with blue line on top of can. Our one large dog, a golden retriever ate Olroy country stew ( chunks in gravy which isn’t recalled but does have wheat gluten). My dogs seem fine but should I have them tested anyway? Is a kidney function test very expensive? I have switched to the Kirkland brand since the recall. My 41/2 pound Pomeranian did not like it so I fed her Gerber baby food ( Turkey ) and she loved it. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank You, Peg
Comment by Peggy Fonseca — March 22, 2007 @ 10:08 pm
I am the CEO of Nature’s Variety.
The comment from our customer service employee has been misunderstood.
She did lose a dog unexpectedly this week, BUT IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH FEEDING NATURE’S VARIETY CANNED PET FOOD. When the caller posed the question to her, she could not answer the question as posed because she had recently lost her dog and was still emotional about it.
We sympathize with everyone who has lost a pet, whether related to the Menu recall or otherwise. But our products are not involved in the recall and are safe.
I have two wonderful, beloved Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Izzie and Grover. I have been feeding and continue to feed them Nature’s Variety canned pet food. They are healthy and happy.
Sanford M. Goodman
Comment by Sanford M. Goodman — March 23, 2007 @ 8:19 am
Kit - I believed Natura Pet to be above reproach. I got an email response from them yesterday in response to my asking them to confirm or deny some of their food is made at Menu. Here’s their response:
Natura Pet Products owns and operates two manufacturing facilities, including a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Fremont, Nebraska. Our plants are AIB Certified “Superior”, Organic Certified, USDA APHIS Registered and ISO 9001:2001 compliant.
Natura does utilize Menu Foods to manufacture canned products; however, Natura maintains final review and strict approval of all formulation designs, including the types and quality of ingredients included. Menu Foods is responsible for quality control in its facilities, based upon their Good Manufacturing Practice process; a copy of which is on file in our offices. Natura has a complete and documented Product Quality reference on hand detailing the quality standards for each formula and can size produced under Natura’s labels. Each of our canned products are routinely reviewed and compared to the standards set out in this reference material. It is important to emphasize that: 1) the Menu Foods recall is specific to “cuts and gravy” products WHICH NATURA DOES NOT SELL, and; 2) Natura’s canned products are made at a facility which has NOT BEEN IMPLICATED IN THE RECALL. Since being notified of the recall, Natura has been in direct contact with Menu Foods management and have a 100% confidence level that our canned products in the market are healthful and safe.
Comment by Kim — March 23, 2007 @ 8:50 am
Oops, posted too soon. Here’s my thinking about Natura Pet (Innova)
No one knows what caused the contamination. So how could ANY company who has ANY products made by Menu Foods have 100% confidence in their product? I’ve been recommending Innova to everyone for a couple of years. No longer. They’re probably safe, but 1) I’m not taking a chance and 2) I will never spend a single dollar with a company that contracts out their food production.
Comment by Kim — March 23, 2007 @ 8:51 am
We’ve all been fed a bunch of baloney about high-end pet food. A few months ago I was trying to upgrade my cat’s food because I thought the food I was feeding her might have contributed to her bacterial infection. After reading about 20 labels, I came to the conclusion that they were all the same stuff! They try to make you think it is the “mix” of food that makes the difference. But they never list the % of the major ingredients. And they all have a bunch of gluten - whether it be corn or wheat. This discovery that all the food is made at one plant just confirms what I already thought. I also think we are just lucky that it isn’t dry food too (or, they may be lying to us about that) - the dry food could just as easily use poisoned wheat gluten - read the labels!
Comment by Melinda — March 24, 2007 @ 2:14 am
To clarify the above post, I was told by a Natura customer service representative that all of Natura’s dry foods are produced in their own plants in Nebraska and California. They only contract Menu Foods for production of their canned food.
My question is: if you vow to not use any food that contracts out their production, what’s left as far as canned/wet food? It seems that almost all canned foods are contracted out.
Comment by Lynn — March 24, 2007 @ 6:10 am
My cat died January 27th. The test animals (reported by Menu Foods) died in March. Why THAT discrepancy? How many of those pouches are involved. We purchase Iams all through January. Please e-mail your local news channels if you have a sick or dead pet. This is being minimized by reporting only 16/17 dead animals.
Comment by Sally Callahan — March 24, 2007 @ 8:22 am
The premium brands have been “outed” by this disaster. And they are still trying to maintain secrecy about what else is manuractured by menu foods. Does dry food come from there also? I suspect that some of the old names on the list will disappear and “new” names will appear for the premium foods but will just be the same stuff marketed by the same companies - trying to make us believe there is something different and better on the market. Well, I suppose we have to buy our pet food from someone. I am just not going to pay premium prices anymore *unless* the premium companies list the % of the major ingredients on their packaging. In absence of that, I have to assume their percentage is no better than the less expensive brands.
Comment by Melinda — March 24, 2007 @ 12:57 pm
I want to share a resource for those looking for information on dog food quality and how to assess it (sorry, I don’t know of a comparable one for cat food). Whole Dog Journal (www.whole-dog-journal.com) conducts an independent annual review of dog foods. They publish a list of 50+ recommended brands each for wet and dry foods. Even better, they accompany this list with information: explanations of how to interpret what’s on the label of any food, how to tell high quality foods from low quality, and what to keep in mind when choosing. I’ve found it to be a fantastically helpful resource. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s pretty good: only one of the brands they’ve ever recommended has a product affected by this recall. Thanks to them, I learned a few years ago at that many of these so-called premium brands are really pretty bad, even if they are better than the grocery store generics. I’m feeling *really* appreciative of that right now, and wanted to share.
Comment by Amanda — March 24, 2007 @ 5:28 pm
At least one company who manufactures wheat gluten is Archer Daniels Midland. ADM does manufacture wheat gluten, though this doesn’t say if they manufacture it in China. However, questions can be raised based on Reuter’s description of ADM’s business ventures: this refers to one of ADM’s joint ventures in China (and Indonesia:
“Golden Peanut Company LLC, a joint venture between the Company (ADM) and Alimenta (U.S.A.), Inc., supplies peanuts to both the domestic and export markets. The Company has a 50% ownership interest in this joint venture. The Company participates in various joint ventures in China and Indonesia that operate palm plantations; soybean, rapeseed, cottonseed, sunflower, peanut, palm kernel and sesame crushing facilities and related vegetable oil refineries and packaging facilities; an oleochemical plant that produces fatty acids, glycerin and soap noodles; a soy protein plant; wheat flour mills; rice mills; feed mills; fertilizer operations, and related silos and storage facilities.”
Source: http://stocks.us.reuters.com/s.....ticlePage1
Comment by Maureen — March 30, 2007 @ 11:11 am
So sad to hear about all you affected by this menace. I have 10 dogs and a cat myself. I highly recommend doing some reading at the site I have listed. While I understand that sometimes drastic measures are needed, consider what the chemicals from the vet are doing to your pet on top of the poison that’s already in their system from the contaminated foods. Very interesting and informative. I have been using them/their products for 3 1/2 years, which is ever since a vet told me my 6 month old pup wouldn’t be able to walk by the time she’s an adult. She’ll be 4 on 19 April and runs and jumps with all the rest. READ-READ-READ-and then call the number they provide for free consultation. It all makes sense.
Comment by Christel Johnson — April 9, 2007 @ 5:12 pm
Well, the site didn’t show, so here it is again:
http://www.formypet.biz
Comment by Christel Johnson — April 9, 2007 @ 5:14 pm
I feed Natura Innova and also the EVO (grain free)I use dry foods for my dogs and canned and dry for my cats. I almost lost my 13 year old cat in Jan. I had tried a sample of an all Natural food on her and the 2 other cats. She got very ill. I then switched her to EVO canned only, after the week of no foods and fluid support, and she regrew her hair coat and is back to her normal self. I now give them Evo dry and canned and will continue to. EVO Has NO GRAINS. Nutura makes its dry foods in its own plant. Wet foods were made at a menu foods plant, again, NOT the ones implicated by the wheat and now rice concentrate issue and using NUTURAS ingred. Only Nutura’s Karma uses rice concentrate and it uses only DOMESTIC products. They do not use wheat in any product. I also feed EVO to my german shepard, 2 skips and standard poodle. No canned for them. Nutura is seeking to start their ownn canned plant. I DO NOT work for NUTURA, I DO believe it saved my cats life.
Comment by Lori — April 18, 2007 @ 10:22 am
I just wanted to share a brand of dog food that is still made by the people who originated it.
It’s called Timberwolf Organics.
More information can be gotten at timberwolforganics.com
Comment by Kay Jackson — April 23, 2007 @ 4:39 pm
We have two cats 5 and 7 years of age. We have fed Innova dry cat food exclusively to them their whole lives with the exception of Innova canned, California Natural Lamb & Rice canned, and we did purchase 1 bag of Evo dry cat food. Our 7 year old cat lost a lot of weight on just one bag of Evo so I went back to Innova for him. He still has not gained back the weight and now is showing signs of renal failure. I have an appointment later this week for him to see what’s going on. Our other cat’s weight never changed on Evo and he’s a chubby boy. We do animal rescue and currently have 9 bottle baby kittens and 5 more just being weaned of the mother. We are weaning them with a mixture of KMR feline mothers replacement milk and California Lamb & Rice feline canned. So far they are doing great but I’m concerned since what I’m reading here is that Menu Foods produces Natura’s canned foods. I’m going to purchase some fresh chicken and start feeding it instead of any canned products. I thought Natura was safe. Now I don’t trust any prepared pet products.
Comment by Jj Jones — April 24, 2007 @ 4:22 pm