Pet-food recall: Thursday-morning numbers
By Gina Spadafori
March 22, 2007
From the PetConnection.com database. 6 a.m. PT:
- Total reports of sick or dead pets: 1529
- Deceased pets: 769
Of those:
- Cats, deceased: 460
- Dogs, deceased: 309
As we’ve written before, these are self-reported numbers. But we asked people to check the food against the recall list, to list the food and give us the names of their veterinarians. The majority did all of this.
To us, this means that although the death toll reported here will never match any “official” FDA number, it strongly suggests the numbers will grow far higher than what has been released so far. Some of these pets probably died from something else, but those numbers are more than offset, we believe, by the numbers of pets who died eating tainted food who will never meet any official standard, because they died before the recall was announced, and the cans and pouches they ate from have long ago been send to the landfills, their batch numbers unchecked.
I got an e-mail from someone this morning who said we were fueling hysteria. I don’t think we are. I think we’re reporting something that was on its way to being pretty much ignored: “A recall? 10 pets? Oh, that’s not so bad. Next story.”
Which, by the way, is exactly what Menu Foods was hoping for. They dropped their news release late on a Friday, the day when smart businesses and politicians always report bad news, in hopes that by Monday, the impact is lessened, or the story even forgotten. Further, they put their news release out to the business press, in hopes that the recall would be seen as a business story, like the recall of an MP3 player with a bad battery.
The team at PetConnection has decades of combined media experience. We know how this works. And it might have worked. The food would have been recalled, and the dead pets mourned without their owners every imagining what the real story might have been.
Except … except … in addition to hundreds of anecdotal reports from pet-lovers that were flooding the Internet, we became aware that veterinarians were alarmed. Nearly every veterinary practice we know has a pet affected by this. That would put the number far higher than what we have now, even if you figure that many of those pets are at the vet’s for other causative factors, such as ingesting anti-freeze.
Fueling hystery? We don’t think so here at the PetConnection.com. We admit to fueling something else, though: A fire under the rumps of some complacent entities. We hope in the memory of those pets who have died and the people who loved them that we will see changes in inspections and labeling that will help to prevent this from happening again.
That, my friends, is citizen action at its best.
We’re now working on stories offering you options for feeding your pets, now and in the future. Many have asked about home-prepared diets, and we’ll give you some information to start your research. But we also do believe there are and will continue to be high-quality commercial products from good companies, and in the days to come we’ll write about those, too.
If you came here to report a pet, please: Use the database. We can’t count your pet if all you do is leave a comment.
We’ll release new numbers at 6 p.m. PT today.
Remember to also keep an eye on three other sites whose owners have stepped up to provide news and information: vetcetera, howl911 and itchmo.
Go to the latest blog post | Go to the PetConnection home page
Considering that the numbers entered into the petconnection database are self-reported by just a fraction of pet owners who both happen to use the internet and to have found this site, I believe that they represent just the tip of the iceberg. Far from fueling hysteria, Pet Connection is helping to ensure that the scope of this tragedy sees the light of day, both for purposes of accountability in order that it may never happen again, and to make sure that pet owners are adequately alerted to the ongoing danger related to this recall.
Pet Connection should be commended.
Comment by Steve Gottschalk — March 22, 2007 @ 8:23 am
Amen Gina!!! I had some of the tainted food and thank god I had not given it to my pet. But I have been shocked to learn that probably (it’s impossible to know because noone will give the consumer the information) how concentrated pet food manufacturing is regardless of whether you are buying branded, premium or super premium human grade foods. None of the labels tell you who is manufacturing the food. Only made in USA or China etc. The FDA ought to mandate that the manufacturer be prominently placed on the label including the plant location. I finally got through to a person at Wellness who told me that their foods are manufactured at Menu Foods. She even said that they are very happy with them. I told them that they should be very concerned because the company should have had testing in place to pick this up before the food went out to consumers. She told me that a huge percentage of all wet food is manufactured by Menu. I want a list of it all. And because the industry is so concentrated I want the FDA to responsibly inspect this company on a regular basis. And by that I mean onsite inspections, not just a review of the procedures that the company says they have in place. This may be a supplier problem or it may be a cross contamination issue. I want to know the cause, that it has been fixed and that they have a real process in place to indentify such a thing next time before it gets to the food chain. I am not hysterical, I am thankfull that I have a healthy pet, and I am mad.
Comment by Shawn — March 22, 2007 @ 8:27 am
Hysteria? I don’t think so! I am sure there are countless numbers of people who have been made aware of the recall because of this list, and others. I’m also convinced many of those same people have been able to save their pets’ lives by NOT feeding items on the recall list. If we all kept silent about this, how much higher would that number be?!
Comment by Therese — March 22, 2007 @ 8:33 am
And then I work for a veterinary hospital where not just the vets, but my co-workers snarl at me with, “where do you get your information, THE INTERNET? Yea, like that’s reliable.”
Some vets may be upset but then there are those that dismiss out of hand anything that comes from the internet that isn’t from VIN, AAHA or the AVMA and already views the situation as “overblown”.
I’m deeply heartbroken by the loss of all the beloved pets from this tainted food.
Comment by Nancy Campbell RVT — March 22, 2007 @ 8:39 am
On 3/9/07 I examined a healthy, active 15 year old Pomeranian who had a normal blood screen in August 2006.
On 3/22/07 this same dog was presented to me in acute renal failure after being fed Eukanuba canned food with gravy.
The owners requested humane euthanasia for their pet.
Comment by Gerald Glencer, DVM — March 22, 2007 @ 8:50 am
Wonderful job you guys. I just lost another cat late last night which brings my total now to 2 cats that have died and 1 that is presently undergoing care at the vet’s office. I commend you for the hard work you are doing.
Comment by Adrienne Stephenson — March 22, 2007 @ 9:01 am
I have two dead pets, i saved the last food eatten and it isn’t on a recall list. it is alpo and they have been on alpo for over a year. one their whole life. So i am confused, two dead, one yesterday, one today, and i have no ideal what could have caused my and my sons pets deaths one after the other.
Comment by joanie cochran — March 22, 2007 @ 9:17 am
Dear Adrienne,
Im so very very sorry..my heart breaks for you.
What food were they on if I may ask.
Cheri
Comment by Cheri — March 22, 2007 @ 9:21 am
Hi Cheri,
Thanks for your comments. We were exclusive users of the 3 oz Special Kitty food from Walmart. I have 12 cats, and they are all experiencing some degree of symptoms from just increased thirstiness to what we saw happen last night. I always supplemented their dry food with the wet food thinking that I was giving them a treat. Some treat that turned out to be. It’s truly a pitiful thing and my heart was breaking last night having to endure that. Of course, it took place after hours when the vet was gone from her office.
Comment by Adrienne Stephenson — March 22, 2007 @ 9:31 am
The people that blame PetConnection.com for “fueling hysteria” are the same people that are probably working harder to cover up the truth and report low numbers than they are to determine the cause of the contamination.
I continue to “preach” to Pet Owners…don’t rely on the recall list that has change MANY times since it was released…if the cause has not yet been determined how do they know which products were affected?
Now if they know the cause and are just delaying the announcement of their findings (like they delayed the recall even after the tests done for Menu Foods KILLED ANIMALS) then the recall list is probably accurate!
My heart goes out to all of the pet owners that have either lost their pets or whose are ill. Our precious Toy Fox Terrier (Pedro) is still at the Vet after a week but improving daily so we’re still holding out hope that he’s going to make it!
Thanks to PetConnection.com for your up to date information and helping tell the REAL story about the affect Menu Food’s negligence has had on our pet population!
Comment by Donna — March 22, 2007 @ 9:34 am
Dear Adrienne,
Thats the same diet I have my three cats on. Dry food and then special kitty. Loco and Lilly have never really cared for it, but Tate would eat it all the time. I stopped it on Friday when I found out and all my Special Kitty was on the recall list. I took him to the vet, but dont have the test back yet. So far he hasnt had any symptoms…but its just making me crazy. Im so so sorry.
Sincerely,
Cheri
Comment by Cheri — March 22, 2007 @ 9:38 am
This situation is not only heartbreaking for those of us who have lost pets; it is for all of you who work at our veterinary hospitals as well. I thank you so very much for all your caring and hard work.
I cried when I read about the Pom. My story is almost exactly the same. My Bubbles was a nearly 18yo Pom whose kidney numbers were better than his vet expected for someone of his age on Jan. 21st. He lost his appetite around Feb. 13-14th, then showed signs of acute renal failure on the 15th. My kids and I took him to our vet, put him in the hospital, then we (including my husband) let him go on the 20th. He had eaten about 2&1/2-2&3/4 cans of recalled Nutro Ultra Adult. We still have the rest of the case for testing.
IMNSHO, the coverage here is not fueling hysteria; it is necessary to get the word out. I feel better knowing that I am not alone; there are many of us going through this.
(BTW, I have registered with the FDA and on this site.)
Comment by Pamela J. Betz-Baron — March 22, 2007 @ 9:41 am
I lost my dog Maggie to kidnew failure 2 weeks ago. She was 14 years old, but in very good health. I was feeding her Iams pouch food then switched to Safeway brand Priority. That seemed to do it. She died an awfull death. I am so angry! Add Maggie to your number of dogs who have past.
Comment by Fran Webster — March 22, 2007 @ 9:43 am
My cat, Charlotte died on March 13, 2007, from renal failure. I believe it was brought on by eating the Iams pouch wet food (“tuna in gravy” and “salmon in gravy”). I have packets of this food left, and the numbers match the product recall list. It was purchased at the Giant Eagle in Waterworks on 3/9/07 in Pittsburgh, PA.
She had been eating this food for a long time, and loved it. But the weekend of 3/10/07 she started eating less and began throwing up anything she did eat. I took her to the vet that Tuesday, and she was diagnosed with acute renal failure.
While Charlotte was elderly, she had never experienced kidney problems in the past. She had high blood pressure and hyperthyroidism, but was being treated for both successfully with medication. She had a 6-month checkup on 2/22/07, and my veterinarian, Dr. Sherwood Johnson, DVM, specifically said that her thyroid levels were “perfect” and his only concern was that her blood pressure was a tad high. An adjustment in medication brought this to normal levels. No mention of concern was made about her kidneys.
I realize this may not be the “clearest case” of food poisoning because of Charlotte’s age and other medical problems. However, eating poisoned food certainly didn’t help and I feel it brought about her passing much sooner. Just as e-coli affects infants and the elderly in a far worse way, I feel that this poisoned food affected Charlotte by causing her kidneys to fail when they had been functioning just fine for a cat her age.
Thank you for the work you are doing here - it is a valuable service and I commend you.
Comment by Jenee Libby — March 22, 2007 @ 9:45 am
I urge everyone who has been impacted by the contaminated food to call their local medoia. Not everyone gets on the internet. We need to get the news out. Some people have contaminated food on their shelves that they are fereing pets already sick.
I called our local daily newspaper and they had a front page story on my cat the very next day with all the information, list of brands etc .
Comment by ray gwyn smith — March 22, 2007 @ 9:45 am
I called every T.V. Station in Pittsburgh and the local paper, and no one has called me back. The story seems to have been relegated to a back page or something when it should be the No. 1 story every night until this epidemic stops!
Comment by Jenee Libby — March 22, 2007 @ 9:57 am
My two dogs died of Kidney failure and the vets didnt know why. My one dog left has protein in his urine..
Comment by Dianne — March 22, 2007 @ 9:58 am
I wonder if this has impacted anyone “important”, like someone in Washington DC. I wonder if things be handled differently if it did.
How can they claim any of the foods are safe if they don’t know what the toxic ingredient is? Is my logic flawed on this point?
Aren’t the recall dates and batch numbers based on the presumption it was the new wheat gluten that caused the problem?
Would it take this long to identify the toxin if people were dying at this rate?
Comment by Lois Kimball — March 22, 2007 @ 10:02 am
I’m callign every brand I can find askign if they use Menu Foods becuase I don’t trust that iot’s only those brands they recalled. Mostly becuase they “think” it’s the wehat gluten based on when they “say” they started gettign complaints. What if it’s somehtign else entirely? something that it’s more than just the foods listed.
Comment by Rafael — March 22, 2007 @ 10:07 am
So, a key question here would be “What percentage of cats die of kidney failure no matter what they eat?
Comment by Jeff Stiegltiz — March 22, 2007 @ 10:07 am
How many cats would they have to kill to answer that question. I hope there’s a special corner in hell…..
Comment by Lois Kimball — March 22, 2007 @ 10:09 am
Why haven’t the pet food manufacturers severed ties with Menu Foods? I’m appalled at the handling of this story and the way it almost flew under the radar. What I don’t understand is why the pet food companies are not equally outraged and why they would continue to do business with the company that placed profit and corporate image above animal welfare.
Gosh I wonder what the public would be saying if the Taco Bell tainted lettuce fiasco had been handled like this. What if the lettuce distributors had decided to test the lettuce on a group of people first to see how many sickened and died, before pulling the product. Yet, this seems acceptable with pet food!
As consumer’s we can’t just avoid Manu Foods, since as a distributor it apparently affects a broad spectrum of pet foods. The response needs to come from corporate America and the people who make money off of selling us our pet foods!
Comment by Linda Boumarafi — March 22, 2007 @ 10:19 am
I too have made calls to all of our local media and my pets and I were actually featured on our CBS affiliate on Monday evening. I have yet to see one single article in our local newspaper that features any animals from our area. I have called numerous times, I have written letters to the editors, I have sent a multitude of emails. The one thing that I ask is that these agencies keep this story running. It’s too important to be swept under the rug which is exactly what Menu Foods will do given the opportunity.
I really wonder what the true numbers are. You know, we represent a small portion of the population as far as web usage goes. Think about all the people out there that depend on their local TV news or local newspapers yet if they are shirking their responsibility of providing accurate news, then who is to say that there aren’t thousands more pets suffering out there. What is it going to take to get them to take action?
I am furious, I am heartbroken, I have a feeling that I have never felt before. In essence every single time I opened another pouch of Special Kitty, I was putting another nail in my pet’s coffins. That’s a horrible feeling. Yes, I know that is beyond my control but you know our pets depend on US to provide them with love and food. They don’t ask for anything more than that. They can’t tell us if their food tastes bad or if they have a tummy ache. They depend on us to take care of them.
Anyway, off my rant for now.
Comment by Adrienne Stephenson — March 22, 2007 @ 10:21 am
I definitely feel as though we do not know the whole story about this pet food recall.
A week and a half ago my 7-year old cat died…she was perfectly healthy. My husband found her curled up in a ball in our bathroom in the morning. I was devistated and could not imagine what had happened to her. We took her to the vet and she suggested she may have had a weak heart. I was shocked by it, and thought it was just a health problem that we never knew about.
A few days later we heard about the pet recall. My 2 cats (brother & sister) and dog did not eat wet food, but they both ate Nutro Dry. I started to think it was a strange coincidence that my perfectly healthy cat died right before a pet food recall. They kept saying it was only the wet food, but I couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to this story.
To be safe, I took my other cat and my dog to the vet for blood tests. I just got the results. Cat was fine…dog has an increased enzyme count in his kidneys - exactly what was happening to the pets that were eating the tainted food. Where this all ties in is, the day before my cat passed away, I saw her eating the dogs food, something she NEVER does.
It this a strange coincidence? Maybe. But I can’t help to think that they may be more to this story…maybe the dry food isn’t safe either. I don’t want to scare anyone or make false accusations, I just want to let others know what happened to my family. I miss my little furbaby, and hope my pup is ok.
Comment by Shannon — March 22, 2007 @ 10:25 am
Sorry, I wanted to add one other thing. Make sure when you are out and about that you check in these stores to make sure that the products are off of the shelf. On Monday, when I went to Walmart I went back and checked the pet food section only to find that there was still the recalled food on the shelf. I went immediately to the manager and demanded that the food be removed. Additionally, I asked that they place some sort of a sign on both the dog and cat food aisles instructing people about the recall. I was so furious that when I came home, I called the Walmart corporate office. They assured me that if the food was scanned, the register would notify the cashier that the food had been recalled but I’m not sure I completely trust that. I mean if they are still having the items stocked, then who is to say that the numbers were put in the computer system? Anyway, I am proud to say that when I stopped in yesterday, there were signs back on the cat and dog food aisles notifying people about the recall. Just check when you go to the store to be double sure. If there is a food that you think is suspect, take it to the manager and make him run the item to see if it is on the recall list.
Comment by Adrienne Stephenson — March 22, 2007 @ 10:25 am
It’s so frustrating. By a miracle I got through to the Menu Foods hotline but they won’t take my information because I don’t have the lot number.
My cat has been eating Nutro Max and Nutro Natural Choice pouches for three weeks while I was away on vacation at the end of Feb and before than, too. My husband dutifully was feeding her the food that I bought right before I left for vacation. When I got back two weeks ago I could not recognize my cat, she looked so old and sick. But my first thought was that she missed me and that’s why she looked unhealthy, especially because after few days she started looking a little better. Although her behavior was a little strange, she wanted to drink water almost all the time, was sluggish and didn’t eat much. Finally I took her to the vet and found out that her kidneys are failing. She is in treatment right now. I have no proof of the food that I fed her but a receipt from Petco and a print out from my P.A.L.S card. And just because I don’t save empty pouches “just in case”, the company won’t accept my cat as being sick from eating their food. This is so frustrating. This way they can weasel out of so many claims and lower the numbers of actual damage they have done. I hope someone will look into it. My heart goes out to all that lost their pets already. My kitty is still fighting but the vet still doesn’t know what will happen. She is my baby and her unconditional love for the past 12 years helped me get through many difficult times.
Comment by Marta Kiliman — March 22, 2007 @ 10:28 am
I was able to get through to Menu Foods on Sunday afternoon. I gave the person answering the phone all of the information she asked and she said she would have someone contact me immediately. It’s now Thursday and I have yet to hear back from them. I wonder what their definition of immediately is?
Comment by Adrienne Stephenson — March 22, 2007 @ 10:38 am
This continues to be unbelievable. I am constantly monitoring Google for some shred of news as to the source. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We have dozens of cans of premium foods (PetGuard, Wellness, etc) in our cupboards, most of which turned out to be manufactured by Menu Foods, much to our horror.
Yesterday, I ordered every cat food product Wysong makes to be shipped to us because they have their own manufacturing facility. BUT, our 3 cats don’t like their food. This is going to be a long, long road.
My deepest sympathy to all in mourning and in the fight.
Comment by Lois Kimball — March 22, 2007 @ 10:42 am
The 1-800 numbers set up by Menu Foods are worthless! We sat on the phones all weekend and continued to get busy signals and then FINALLY our call was answered but by an “answering service”! The first lady was RUDE to my husband and then hung up on him. Serval call attempts later he got through again to the same “answering service” who was simply going through the motions…getting your pet information, the food information so they could cross check the recall list and then said someone would be calling us back. Well that was SUNDAY and it’s Thursday but of course no return call. My call to the FDA WAS returned within 24 hours and I have filed a claim. A comment on the website of our local grocery (who is not one of the national chains) resulted in a call back and information that they would be paying our Vet bills!! That in itself is a relief but our main focus is to still get our dog healthy and home!
Comment by Donna — March 22, 2007 @ 10:46 am
My cat, Cuddles of 13 yrs. passed away on Sat. Feb.17th/2007.. She was my Baby.. Me and her together.. I had no husband or kids.. She was getting sick, and peeing more, more quiet, and reclusive, thought it was just her age.. then I found her on the kichen floor by her cat food.. I noticed her weakness the day before.. when giving her a shower she liked it, and the hair blower, well that too me was Highly unusual.. no running away?
I held her all day friday she was so lethargic, could not eat or drink.. her eyes were open andshe was in a daze..
I held her in bed, then at 10 am she coughed twicw, and had a 20 second seizure..
I lost my Baby Girl.. i miss Cuddles more then you’ll know.. She ate 3 cans of cat food on the recall list and others..
She is in cold storage now because it is winter/cold ground need t owait till the Spring to bury her.. She may need a autopsy
Goingto Toronto tomorrow to see a Lawyer regarding this issue.. Wish me and My Late Miss Cuddles good Luck;
thanks I miss My Baby!!
Comment by kelly — March 22, 2007 @ 10:47 am
I just got off the phone with my vet after he did test on my cat that ate the recalled Special Kitty. Tates kidney levels are good, which this does give me some relief…I still have doubts. My vet also said, something is just not right, he is not totally in agreement with the gluten theory…he says he cant say for sure..but it just doesnt ring true. But something in this food is killing our animals. I read alot of comments of how healthy peoples animals were like a week or so ago, or their checkups in that last couple of months were good, as were my cats. God this so sucks.
God Bless you people that have lost your loves..my heart hurts.
Cheri
Comment by Cheri — March 22, 2007 @ 10:48 am
Yes, EVERYONE contact your local media! My husband contacted our THREE local news stations only to leave a message with two of them. The third one called back IMMEDIATELY and filmed an interview with him and had it on the 6 and 10pm news segments on Saturday. Sad thing is…haven’t seen too much else since on our news or in the papers.
What about the people that don’t have computers? What about the poor elderly people that have little or no contact with the outside world and have help with their groceries…their shelfs at home could be stocked with the recalled food and they may not have any knowledge of what is going on. We have to continue to get the word out!!
Comment by Donna — March 22, 2007 @ 10:51 am
Lois, you need to check the business section for any Google News on this topic. thats where it’s been Buried
Comment by Rafael — March 22, 2007 @ 10:53 am
Thank you for your thorough coverage of the most recent pet food recall.
Even prior to this recall, a few of us have been campaigning to persuade people to write their US Senators, complaining that the FDA regulation of the pet food industry is woefully inadequte - in fact, virtually nonexistent. Why is it that the FDA scrutinizes the nutraceutical industry, making sure they all caveat their claims for herb’s benefits… yet they allow pet food companies to declare their pet food “complete and balanced nutrition” if SIX of eight animals complete a six-month trial without dropping dead? Why is it they spend time investigating a small raw food company for salmonella (a bacteria for which there is ONE documented case of a cat dying from - a sick, 15 year old unneutered male owned by a hoarder) - but they never found time to visit the Kansas Menu Foods plant? After nearly 80 dogs died from moldy corn in Diamond Pet Food’s dry food, there still isn’t safeguards in place for contaminated grains?
If you would be so kind as to join in our campaign, I have details up here:
http://www.mousabilities.com/n.....paign.html
Other state Senators’ addresses may be easily obtained at http://www.senate.gov.
Thank you again.
A fellow animal lover,
Lynette
Comment by Lynette — March 22, 2007 @ 10:56 am
I’ve been watching the recall closely, especially since my uncle’s dogs have been sick, probably from Grreat Choice cans. It’s been a frustrating, agonizing ordeal for the two of us, sharing information back and forth and trying to determine the truth. As many have said, no one is taking responsibility - not Menu Foods (who you can’t get through to), not Petsmart (where he buys the food), and most of the companies that put out the food. My concern is this: what else was that wheat gluten used for? Furthermore, I’d like a full disclosure from Menu Foods of ALL pet foods it produces. They don’t know what’s the cause, so how can they say what’s truly safe? My aunt has no internet access, so I’ve been keeping her updated. She feeds her dog Alpo. It may not be on the list, but I’ve seen several reports of possible deaths linked to Alpo, here and on other sites. I’ve seen the same for Fancy Feast, which is what I feed my cats. Fancy Feast’s website claims its not affected. However, I sent an e-mail last night and am still waiting on a response requesting full disclosure of ANY products Fancy Feast carries that were made by Menu Foods. I think it’s past time for Menu Foods to disclose the brands and flavors of all foods the produce, not just what may be connected to the wheat gluten. Until they know what the cause is, it’s the only way for any of us to have some sort of peace of mind when we feed our pets. Has anyone found such a list? Or are all of us still as much in the dark and as scared as I am?
Comment by Krystal Kubichek — March 22, 2007 @ 10:59 am
Cheri,
I am glad that Tate’s numbers were good. I wish you all the best with him.
You are right, something is just not right and I doubt for sure if we will ever know what caused this to happen. I doubt Menu Foods will ever step up to the plate on this issue.
Comment by Adrienne Stephenson — March 22, 2007 @ 11:00 am
Has anyone heard of sickness with pets eating DRY food? My dog eats Nutro Choice Senior Bites and she has been exhibiting weird symptoms for a week. Frequent urination, 2x normal amount of water, blood in her urine. She has had a full work-up and I am waiting for the results. Other than symptoms, she seems fine. But what I want to know is, are there issues with the dry food too that we have not heard about. I would imagine far more people feed their dogs dry food, and the results would be much worse. HAS ANYONE HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT DRY FOOD???? Please help!
Comment by Kelly — March 22, 2007 @ 11:02 am
So PetGuard and Wellness are made by Menu Foods? Does anyone know who makes Natural Balance, Innova, and Fancy Feast? Also, Science Diet I/D dry?
Comment by Kay — March 22, 2007 @ 11:03 am
A week before all of this began my 15 year old cat, Dot, began vomiting and having increased urination over a period of three days. When I took her to the vet her BUN was up and she was dehydrated. Three day later my Pomeranian fell acutely ill with weird neurotoxic signs and elevated BUN values. After fluids for them both I was able to bring them home for monitoring. I had taken my cat back in today to be rechecked and she is now in acute renal failure with elevated BUN, creatinine, and is awaiting further urinalysis. My pomeranian is still vomiting. I found out in the midst of all of this that I have been feeding my Pomeranian about 1/2 packet per day of Iams Select Bites Beef and Gravy (which my cat recently decided she loved to steal as I am preparing the dogs dinners). I have verified that I have only 2 pouches left out of a box of recalled poison (a.k.a. pet food) that I have been feeding my pets. My other three dogs are larger, 30kg and up, and only get a 1/2 packet divided between the three of them. I am going to ask my vet if we should test their kidnay values as well just to be sure. I am soooooooo frustrated and scared. I am broke, stressed out and getting no answers. To further complicate matters, I have PetInsurance, but how is this all going to work out? Will the insurance company compensate me and attack Menu Foods or is it my responsibility? How can any of us prove anything if they can’t find a definitive diagnosis or causative agent for this massacre? Will there be any money left for us nobodies in the end after the recall expenses, and many pending lawsuits? With so many unanswered questions and unkowns it is hard to sleep at night. I agree with the above comments, that if this was a human thing, would it take so long to figure it out? I am a vet student at OVC in Gueph, Ontario and my heart sincerely goes out to all of you affected by this epidemic. Stay strong because we will not stand for out children to be poisoned. They are still calling it an honorary recall too. Thanks for doing us a favour (sarcasm does not translate well on the internet).
Comment by Tammy Heerkens — March 22, 2007 @ 11:07 am
Rafael,
I have been checking the business section. Occasionally, it bounces up to Top Stories. Sometimes it doesn’t even show up in Business at all and you have to search for it. They just keep moving the same stories around and sometimes up the list. There is no new info. Nothing.
Menu Foods has repeatedly come up as the #1 seach topic on Yahoo. No new info there or on dogpile.
My cats are acting strange. They could be picking up on our anxiety. I also wonder if they are picking up on the catastrophe of their species, like the animals in Sri Lanka before the tsunami hit, the great connection of all living things.
Comment by Lois Kimball — March 22, 2007 @ 11:10 am
Thanks for your hard work on this site. Given that pet deaths don’t require the public health scrutiny and official reporting required for human deaths, I fear that we are much more likely to undercount rather than overcount the deaths attributable to the deadly pet food. It’s good that you are making an effort to do some tracking.
I had a scare with my cat Dana. She developed pancreatitis in February and wouldn’t eat her usual food, so we began feeding her various flavors of Nutro Max cuts in gravy, which she loved. We are SO fortunate that the cans we purchased were not among those recalled and that she apparently did not get ill (blood tests from a few weeks ago had normal results). We are having her retested next week because of the pancreatitis anyway. Dana has resumed eating her usual stuff, California Natural dry food and Lick Your Chops D’Lite canned food. Both of those brands use no wheat, and each of the manufacturers has informed me that their products are not affected by the recall. Still, I don’t know if I will take our food supply—both for pets and for people—for granted ever again.
Comment by Cathy — March 22, 2007 @ 11:13 am
Adrienne,
I thank you so much for your well wishes. My heart truly hurts for you and others that have had to let your babys go. Even if the other two cats numbers are ok, Im still gonna be so worried because they did come in contact with the recalled food. No they wont step up to the plate, because for some reason the higher ups dont feel the need to. And this is just wrong. And even though Tates numbers are good, Im still concerned, do we really know what to look for…or do the doctors ? I like you, think back on all the times I opened those pouches, I feel the guilt too, its so crazy, we try to do everything to make our pets healthy..ie..shots..checkups…safety..and then to have some BIG COMPANY take this away from us..its just beyond my comprehension.
Cheri
Comment by Cheri — March 22, 2007 @ 11:14 am
Kelly - read my comment about dry food above. I have not heard any stories similar to mine yet.
Comment by Shannon — March 22, 2007 @ 11:16 am
Dear Lois,
Very good observation. I had mentioned that Im driving my cats and my husband crazy with this concern. My cats are like..”What the hell is wrong with her” kinda the same look they give me when they see me try to cook. “Oh god..why dont she just let Poppy do it..she is gonna hurt herself. But you are correct.
Cheri
Comment by Cheri — March 22, 2007 @ 11:17 am
For the vets as well as everyone else…medical update on two survivors.
One cat came home last night after 3 days in the hospital, I’m picking up cat #2 this afternoon. He’s been at the hospital since Saturday night. They’ll be re-tested next week to confirm but it appears we were among the very lucky ones who caught it early.
The specialist did a culture and ultrasound on our sickest cat. The ultrasound showed his kidneys were inflamed, in line with acute failure. The culture came back yesterday. We were hoping it might show a cause…but nothing. Not one thing that gives a clue as to what we’re dealing with here. I fear this story is FAR from over.
My heart hurts for all the owners and pets going through what we’ve experienced. We thought we would lose them both on Sunday. We pray for everyone touched by this tragedy. THANK you to petconnection and everyone who is helping to keep this story in the press.
Comment by Sherry — March 22, 2007 @ 11:21 am
Fueling hysteria? No, good journalism, performing the essential “watchdog” function.
Itchmo and Howl911 have a petition to be presented to the head of the congressional committee funding the FDA, after the pet body count is complete.
The hope is that some laws be changed. The text of the petition is:
We, the undersigned request than the U.S. Congress enact legislation to require pet food manufacturers and the companies that market those pet food brands to be held financially liable for any medical costs related to or contributing to the illness and/or death of a pet that can be reasonably attributed to the food consumed by the pet. And that all pet foods include the name of the manufacturer, not just the brand under which it is sold.
If you want to sign it, the short link to use is
Kudos, Gina and crew — and the rest of us, keep on informing our friends who are perhaps unaware. There are plenty of senior citizens without computers.
Shari
Comment by Shari — March 22, 2007 @ 11:21 am
Fueling hysteria? No, good journalism, performing the essential “watchdog” function.
Itchmo and Howl911 have a petition to be presented to the head of the congressional committee funding the FDA, after the pet body count is complete.
The hope is that some laws be changed. The text of the petition is:
We, the undersigned request than the U.S. Congress enact legislation to require pet food manufacturers and the companies that market those pet food brands to be held financially liable for any medical costs related to or contributing to the illness and/or death of a pet that can be reasonably attributed to the food consumed by the pet. And that all pet foods include the name of the manufacturer, not just the brand under which it is sold.
If you want to sign it, the short link to use is http://www.itchmo.com/petition
Kudos, Gina and crew — and the rest of us, keep on informing our friends who are perhaps unaware. There are plenty of senior citizens without computers.
Shari
Comment by Shari — March 22, 2007 @ 11:22 am
Im so very thankful for this website and the others Shari mentioned. I bet Menu Foods hates the internet bout now
Comment by Cheri — March 22, 2007 @ 11:23 am
I am out of here for a bit. It’s time for my Poo to head out to the vet again for his daily fluids. Thankfully, tomorrow we will be able to do the fluids on our own.
I currently own an EZboard forum where we discuss crime cases. I am going to revamp it this afternoon and add a place for discussion about the pet food recall. Sometimes, it’s easier to post in a forum and keep up with comments. We can also share a bit more information there. I will post a link when I get back and get it together. I hope that many of you will come over so we can have a good place for discussions. If nothing else, we will have a place to cry on each other’s shoulders. I will be thinking of all of your beautiful pets.
Comment by Adrienne Stephenson — March 22, 2007 @ 11:31 am
Adrienne,
Good luck and I will be watching for it.
Cheri
Comment by Cheri — March 22, 2007 @ 11:37 am
I, too, am out for a while. I pray to all Deities everywhere that some useful information will surface today. That tonight, we may have a clue what happened and not have to face another day not knowing.
In ancient Egypt, if you killed a cat, even accidentally, you were put to death. The household members where a cat had died shaved their eyebrows and mourned for at least one month.
I wonder how they would have dealt with this situation.
Comment by Lois Kimball — March 22, 2007 @ 11:39 am
A week before Christmas my 13 year old Dobe died. I am familiar with the signs of renal failure and she exhibited no sighs of this disease at any time and especially on the day of her death. I work from home so I had close contact with her and knew if and when she may have been off color. Ellie was very arthritic and had numerous tumors in her skin that was typical of a dog her age. She was on Rymadyl and a hip and joint supplement (Veterinarian’s Best) and she got Nutro Natural Choice Senior dry food in the morning and Nutro Natural Choice dry with one 12.5 oz can Nutro Natural Choice chicken rice senior in the evening. On the day she died she ate all of her breakfast and drank a normal amount of water (her water is in the house so I knew her daily intake); she ate a small piece of my hamburger I had for lunch. It was an unseasonably warm day so she would go outside off and on using her dog door (down her ramp). I cannot account for her actions for the time between 2:PM and 5:30 PM as I was working on my computer. When I started the evening feeding (I have a cat hospice with 27 special needs cats and I feed Nutro dry along with several IVD Rx diets, but not any of the canned gravy type food) Ellie did not come into the house. I found her outside lying down. She could not stand on her own so I got a towel and put it around her flank and got her into the house. The temperature had gotten cold so my first assessment was that she had gotten stiff while sleeping outside. I put her on her heating mat that was in “her” room and covered her with blankets and put heated disks under her feet. She was resting on her breastbone and looked relatively comfortable but showed no interest in her food. I proceeded to feeding the rest of my animals checking on her every few minutes. Within thirty minutes of bringing her into the house she lay on her side and became somewhat ridged like a seizure but with no thrashing. She would not go back up on her breastbone and it was difficult to open her jaws. But her gum color look ok considering much of her gums were normally black pigment. Also she became unaware of her surroundings.
As soon as Ellie became ridged I started calling Vets. It was a Saturday evening and my regular vet does not do emergencies other than 9 to 5 weekdays. The closest emergency vet is over an hour away. Ellie died before I could get her out the door. So from the time I “found” her to the time she died was about one and a half hours. There was a small amount of blood from her mouth.
Ellie was 13+, weighted 80 pounds, and was seen regularly by my vet. She was having more trouble walking but was a happy, active for her age, dog. Last night I awoke out of a sound sleep like I was hit by lightening with the realization that Ellie had been on Nutro canned food. Up to now I had only worried about my cats as it had been several months since Ellie died. And when originally questioned, most of the vets I talked with seem to feel that she had an “acute incident” probably due to her age. I did not have a necropsy done as she was my only dog (with no risk to others in my home) and I too felt her age was the contributing cause of her death.
The type of Nutro Natural Choice she ate is on the list some with a manufacturing date of Dec. 12, 2006. I purchased three cases of this type of food (do not know the manufacture’s date) from Pet Co approximately two to three days before Ellie died (Dec. 15). Because I have no faith in the “self-regulating” pet food industry I am concerned that contaminated food was being sold even before the dates given by the manufacture. I doubt that I could have purchased food within in a week of its manufacture date. I realize that she may not even have gotten any of the contaminated food and died for the reasons I first thought. And I gave the food to someone who fed it to their albeit younger dogs with no repercussions.
Thank you for reading this email. I do not know if it will help you in your attempts to untangle this sorrowful set of circumstance resulting in the deaths of so many people’s pets. I fear we will never know the whole story.
Thank you,
Debbie Combs
Comment by Debbie Combs — March 22, 2007 @ 11:56 am
You may add the name of Puna (feline) to the list of sick animals. It looks like she might survive because she only ate the gravy and I switched out several brands between the Iams and Wiskas (which is not on the list).
She spent Saturday and Sunday in the hospital having her kidneys flushed. She goes back today (3/22/07) for more blood work / tests to determine if her kidneys are functioning within normal ranges.
Comment by Judy T in Virginia — March 22, 2007 @ 12:00 pm
IBELIEVE THEY ARE TRYING TO SWEEP THIS SITUATION UNDER THE RUG AS FAST AS THEY CAN. THERE SEEMS TO BE VERY LITTLE CONCERN FOR THE PET OWNERS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR PETS DUE TO THIS CONTAMINATED FOOD.
EVEN THOUGH MY CAT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES IN AUGUST OF 2006 HE WAS BEING TREATED SUCESSFULLY WITH INSULIN AND WAS DOING WELL. HE FELL ILL ON MARCH 12, 2007 AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND HAD TO BE PUT TO SLEEP ON MARCH 14, 2007 AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED WITH ACUTE RENAL FAILURE.
I WAS SHOCKED TO HEAR ON MARCH 17, 2007, THAT ONE OF THE BRANDS OF FOOD I WAS FEEDING HIM WAS BEING RECALLED, IT WAS THE NUTRIPLAN/SLICED CHICKEN AND GRAVY. I STILL HAD THE CAN 1/2 FILLED WITH FOOD IN MY REFRIGERATOR AND THE LOT NUMBERS MATCHED THE NUMBERS THAT WERE BEING RECALLED ON THIS PRODUCT. I BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE HE WAS A DIABETIC CAT, EATING POISOINED FOOD CAUSED HIM TO FALL ILL AND NOT BE ABLE TO RECOVER.
THIS MATTER IS EXTREMELY PAINFUL BECAUSE I HAVE DONE EVERYTING FOR MY CAT TO MAKE SURE THAT HIS DIABETES WOULD NOT GET OUT OF CONTROL AND HERE IT IS I WAS FEEDING HIM CONTAMINATED FOOD. I BELIEVE THAT THOSE OF US WHO HAVE DOGS OR CATS WHO HAVE FALLEN ILL OR DIED DUE TO THESE DEADLY PRODUCTS SHOULD DO EVERYTHING IN OUR WILL AND WAY TO HOLD MENU FOODS RESPONSIBLE AND I FEEL THAT WE DESERVE TO BE COMPENSATED FOR OUR LOSS AND COSTS AND THE GROSS NEGLIGENCE OF THIS MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
Thank you pet connection for your concern and I hope that you will continue to stay on top of this and inform those of us who have lost our pets as to how we can get compensated fairly for our loss.
Stacey Gaskins of Philadelphia
Comment by STACEY GASKINS — March 22, 2007 @ 12:11 pm
Although it’s not listed in the recall, Trader Joe’s pet food is made by Menu Foods and they are doing a voluntarily recall. They say the FDA has told them that their foods are not the same types that are currently being recalled: http://www.traderjoes.com/acti.....sp#PetFood.
I love Trader Joe’s, and it is true that they are not on the recall list. However, up until 3/21, Nutro’s web site stated that no cases had been reported that involved their food, even though that was not true (I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that they did not receive the reports from the FDA or Menu before 3/21). Point is, I would be very cautious with any wet food that has been confirmed to be a Menu product.
Comment by Aubrey Emory — March 22, 2007 @ 12:22 pm
Is anyone working on a class-action lawsuit? Our pets are our children. My daughter’s cat is sick from this and we are doing everything reasonable to keep her alive.
A change in the law is great, but it doesn’t seem like much of a penalty for what we are all going through.
Comment by Ron Lopp — March 22, 2007 @ 12:24 pm
I reguarly fed my two dogs Nutro Natural Lamb pouches. The last time I fed my dogs a recalled pouch was this past Sunday, March 18th and today is Thursday, March 22nd. It’s been 4 days and SO FAR my dogs seem to be okay. Does anyone know when dogs start to exhibit symptoms after eating the food? Are my dogs out of the danger zone, yet?
Worried as hell,
Joanne-
Comment by Joanne — March 22, 2007 @ 12:27 pm
I feel for all of you out there who is suffering over the loss of a loved pet. I’ve already been through this with a previous pet (using Science Diet) and vowed never again to feed my pets commercial dog food. If all of you read the FACTS on rendering and what goes into dog food, you would not feed your animals this crap. Animals are a victim of what they eat just like humans. VETS YOU NEED TO WAKE UP.
Comment by Jerry — March 22, 2007 @ 12:37 pm
My friend was feeding her dogs the recalled Nutro —- her vet told her 3 to 7 days for symptoms — however, some others are immediately sick.
Comment by Judy T in Virginia — March 22, 2007 @ 12:37 pm
Our Jack Russell Terrier was in perfect health until last week. He began vomitting profusely and became lethargic, barely able to walk within a 2-3 day period. Upon seeing our veternarian, it was determined his kidneys were failing and he was dying. We were faced with what we believed to be our only option to euthanize him to prevent further suffering. Two days later we discovered the news regarding the pet food recall. The remaining 9 pouches of food including the one he refused to eat on his final day with us are all on the recall list. Calls placed to Menu foods and the FDA leaving numerous messages asking for a call-back to report this have gone unanswered. Our family is extremely distraught and would have taken further testing measures of our pet had we known of the food recall earlier.
Comment by L. Marchese — March 22, 2007 @ 12:41 pm
Gina and company,
Thanks for reporting what the regular media is ignoring! While I am not affected since we only feed dry foods, it really scares me that this can happen with one manufacturer making foods for all these brands. Seems like pretty soon there will be no alternative but raw diets.
matt
Comment by Matt — March 22, 2007 @ 12:41 pm
I went to PetsMart to buy cat food, however I want nothing made by Menu Foods so I asked a store employee for help. We started reading can after can. Not a single one listed Menu Foods that we checked. (Obviously we did not look at the Iams cans still on the shelf or Nutro, etc) The store employee told me that this recall is supposed to be kept quiet so we should be quick about this. WHAT???????? QUIET????????? I was furious, now even the store employees aren’t supposed to talk about this! I purchased two 3 oz. cans of Natural UltraMix. Only to come home and find out that sure enough this stuff is too made by Menu. Well back to the store it goes. Seemingly I am out of options for wet food here, and Nick doesn’t do dry very well (lack of teeth) so I am headed to the grocery store for baby food. Any suggestions on flavors/varieties/bramds that others are taking too. He is a picky potato. Thanks and love to you and yours!
Comment by Amy Boda — March 22, 2007 @ 12:42 pm
Joanne,
I understand your worry. I took my three cats off of the recalled food on Friday 16th. The one that ate the most he had his blood test on Monday..his test came back within normal ranges. I took my other two today. They dont show any symptoms at all. Ive read some people say they dont show any and some say that they do. I dont know what we are dealing with here. I wish I could be of more help.
Cheri
Comment by Cheri — March 22, 2007 @ 12:42 pm
I fed my dog the Nutro Ultra and she became sick with in two days. She was drinking excessive amounts of water and having wetting accidents (very unlike her). She s being treated at my vets right now, her BUN and creatinine levels were within normal range but the specific gravity of the urine was 1.009. Meaning very dilute urine. Kidneys not working well. I am sick to think I fed her the tainted food. Don’t know where to turn.
Comment by Jane L. — March 22, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
mmmmm
Comment by Amy Boda — March 22, 2007 @ 12:56 pm
That is laughable that you are being accused of ‘fueling hysteria’. As you state, you are simply collecting an unofficial tally of affected pets and keeping us aware of the current state of the issue. It will be quite a while before we see something official from FDA and even longer before we see anything from Menu Foods. Knowing that the source / cause of the problem is uncertain, I wonder know how they can say that only those foods listed on the Menu Foods Recall Information page are the only foods affected. I commend this site (which I just found yeserday myself) for caring about our concerns & our pets. Right now the only sympathy from Menu Foods that I have received for my sick cats was from a temporary employee answering the phone at Menu Foods who was obvioulsy reading from a script. I am certain they were coached not to offer any apologies as that would definitely be an admittance of guilt. Regarding the delayed testing & the late Friday afternoon Press Release…. shame on you Menu Foods!
Comment by Sue — March 22, 2007 @ 12:58 pm
Ok sorry bout the mmmmm, but been trying to post this with no luck. I went to PetsMart earlier in search of a wet cat food not made by Menu, more of a private label. Nick (my handsome 1 1/2 yr Russian Blue) doesn’t do too much dry as he is missing some of his teeth, so in order to get him to eat I need wet. Well i asked an employee for help identifying foods made by Menu, as they will never see another dime from me. I got the help I asked for, but received the most irritating comment possible. I was told by this employee that this recall is supossed to be kept quiet. WHAT??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? NOW OUR PRIVATE STORE EMPLOYEES ARE BEING SHUSHED??? By whom, their managers or Menu? Anyway, furious, I purchased 2 3oz cans of Natural UltraMix. However, just found out…yes you guessed it…they are made by Menu. Back to the store they go. Never again will I purchase a product made by this company. I am going to the grocery store for baby food. Which brands/flavors have you had success with for your kitties. Nick is a picky potato, well except for buttered popcorn…LOL.
Comment by Amy Boda — March 22, 2007 @ 1:03 pm
Which brands/flavors of baby food are you having sucess with for your kitties? Nick is a picky potato, well unless it’s buttered popcorn :)
Comment by Amy Boda — March 22, 2007 @ 1:05 pm
My Maltese has been having some incontinence since 3/15. she never had this problem before. She was fed Nutro pouch food that week. When I read about the recall we went immediately to our vet. He did a complete blood profile which was normal. He decided it was a urinary track infection and started her on antibiotics. Hope it’s true. She seems a little better, but not much appetite. I have recently heard of another do (Bulldog0 that has the same problems. Have any of you experienced this? If so, any advice.
Comment by Elizabeth — March 22, 2007 @ 1:06 pm
Oh and by the way, PetsMart employees are telling customers (at least in my area) that this recall is supposed to be kept quiet. Hmmmm, I have to wonder why…
Comment by Amy Boda — March 22, 2007 @ 1:06 pm
Amy, on the baby food question, we fed our kitty Beechnut chicken babyfood, it has only water and chicken in it. You have to be careful not to get babyfood that has alot of stuff added such as onion, etc. Also hopefully you can feed dry food because if not babyfood by itself does not have all the nutritional requirements a pet needs. But anyway, Beechnut is about as pure as you can find. Note that our kitty liked sweet peas Beechnut food also.
Comment by Sandi — March 22, 2007 @ 1:28 pm
You can monitor the news reported on this issue by using the Google Custom News feature. Go to http://news.google.com >> Click on “Personalize this page (or similar, mine’s already personlized so the link says something different - should be near the top of the page)” >> Click on “Add Custom Section” >> Enter “Pet Food” into the keywords textbox. >> Select the number of stories to display. click the “Add Section” button. All stories related to “Pet Food” will be displayed on your news page. There’s actually quite a bit of stuff out there - that’s how I found out about this site.
Comment by Kathy — March 22, 2007 @ 1:45 pm
Note to Debbie Combs:
Your Dobie’s death could have been the food, but more likely was the Rimadyl. Rimadyl has caused the deaths of thousands of dogs (last I checked the FDA has on record some 3,000 deaths attributed to Rimadyl). If not too late, an autopsy should be performed to determine the cause of death. If due to liver damage or toxicity (hepatotoxicity) or gastrointestinal bleeding, the cause was Rimadyl. If renal (kidney) failure, it is likely the food. In either case you need to report your case to the FDA. My condolences to you. We lost our beloved G’Kar to Rimadyl poisoning two years ago.
Comment by Nikki — March 22, 2007 @ 1:56 pm
Amy Boda, in response to your question about baby food flavors and brands, so far my kitties have liked Beech Nut Beef in Broth. Now I’m wondering if I should try to find organic baby food, and if so is it processed at the same facility as other baby foods…
Comment by KZL — March 22, 2007 @ 2:02 pm
Gina
I know you are all doing so much, but would you consider starting some kind of fund for pet owners who cannot afford the expensive treatment to keep their animals alive? My bills are over $2000, but while it hurts, I won’t lose my house. I would really hate someone to have to choose to euthanize an animal that has a good chance to survive, based on financials alone. I would send in $25. I’ll bet you could get the media involved, and get a lot of contributions.
Comment by Joyce — March 22, 2007 @ 2:10 pm
I think more and more of us need to do a lot of research to look into a dogs food. Until I got my puppy last year, I never really knew what was good or bad for dogs, I listened to my vet until I decided to research what is truly a good food for dogs. There are lots of opinions on what is best for your dog or cat to eat. Some of the brands mentioned on the recall are supposed to be “okay” foods to give to your dog or cat like Authority or Nutro. I don’t know what to say about all these deaths, there should be more testing done to ensure that the dog food isn’t toxic for animals.
Comment by Eskie Lover — March 22, 2007 @ 2:11 pm
I am starting to believe that the operators answering the Menu Foods hotline at 866-895-2708 have been instructed to disconnect certain calls. I have read several posts about people being hung up on by these operators, and when I called this afternoon to ask if they will pay my vet bills, the operator kept asking me for UPC numbers to see if I had food that was recalled. I kept trying, nicely, to explain to her that it was impossible for me to know the UPC numbers on cans of cat food I used three weeks ago, before the recall was announced, and then the line went dead. Coincidence? I think not.
Comment by KZL — March 22, 2007 @ 2:11 pm
I do think the recall is trying to be down played by the Menu Foods company.It’s a shame, they need to come clean and post all the foods they make even ones not on the list.
Comment by Eskie Lover — March 22, 2007 @ 2:29 pm
I am so sorry for those that have pets that have been ill or passed away. I strongly urge you to PLEASE write your U.S. Senators and Congressional members to take action. Hold the FDA/AAFCO accountable for the lack of regulation and quality control in the pet food industry. We have to be a voice for those who can’t speak. PLEASE send yours letters now. The address information is on line, just enter U.S. Senators and send it out quickly. We can make a change if we work collectively for the same goal. We must demand answers.
Comment by Deb — March 22, 2007 @ 2:35 pm
Amy- I’ve been using multiple flavors of Gerber and Beech-Nut meat baby foods. Tyson appears to prefer the Beech Nut Chicken or Turkey with Broth flavors, but enjoys everything we’ve tried thus far (I think the Gerber Ham is his least favorite). Our other cats don’t seem to have much preference.
Comment by Gwen — March 22, 2007 @ 2:52 pm
Oh, and the other nice thing about the Beech-Nut is, since it’s a little more watery, I’ve found it WAY easier to get it out of the container. Some of the Gerber stuff almost invariably goes to waste every time I use it because it sticks to the sides, where I can’t reach it. This probably wouldn’t be so much of an issue if I had those little baby spoons, but, alas.. no kids, no baby spoons.
Comment by Gwen — March 22, 2007 @ 2:55 pm
ACCORDING TO MENU FOODS INCOME FUND 2005 QUARTERLY REPORT:
“SUPPLY CONTRACT: MENU FOODS HAS EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT TO SUPPLY ALL THE WET PET FOOD REQUIREMENTS FOR PROCTOR & GAMBLE/IAMS
(“P & G/IAMS’)IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA.”
THIS INCLUDES IAMS AND EUKANUBA.
IT SEEMS BEST TO AVOID ALL IAMS AND EUKANUBA WET FOODS.
Comment by Mike — March 22, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
I posted a comment about my dog Wendy with Kidney Failure on March 21st. I cant find that entry as only the present day entries are shown. In todays entry I found someone else mention they fed their pets Alpo and some of them are now dead. I fed Wendy nothing but Alpo slices w/gravy and called Purina and they instantly denied my report as they do not use Menu Foods. I relayed to them that I believe this more dynamic than Menu Foods. I did not relay to them that I believe Menu Foods has been setup to take the fall for all of the Brand Name Mfg’s. It really bothers me that only Menu Foods is being investigated and only Menu Foods is recieving a class action lawsuit. Now seing an entry of someone else who fed their dog Alpo brands that are not on the recall list confirms what I already know. Which is no dog or cat food is safe till all MFG’s, formula’s, pop-top’s, warehousing practices, and chemical combinations are tested. I wish my entry from yesterday couldve been viewed by joanie cochran as she probably feels the same way I felt yesterday which is alone in the battle against Purina. I hope that Pet Connection is the answer in finding the real problem so a real solution can be found. Please Pet Connection do not allow this data to be lost and allow all entries to be viewable by all who access this site. We are all looking for answers and your site, blogs, comments, and research is our only trust worthy source and medium. Thanks Mark G.
Comment by Mark Gold — March 22, 2007 @ 2:58 pm
Menu Foods has a multitude of ways to keep from collecting your information. I got through to them on Friday night, the day of the announcement, and was told that since my cat got sick after eating IAMS and IAMS was doing its own recall, I needed to call IAMS. Nothing but a dodge to keep from having to add me to the Menu Foods database. The folks at IAMS have been great, but I don’t see them breaking ties with Menu Foods, which I can’t understand. IAMS’ reputation is at stake, and they’ve spent a fortune to build it. Although I’ve asked repeatedly, they don’t even have a process to allow me to file a claim for reimbursement of my nearly $1000 vet bill. It’s ridiculous. The good news is that my 17-year-old cat, Maggie, has a great vet, who has nursed her through this situation, and it appears she’s going to make it. But I urge all pet owners: if you can afford it, be patient with treatment. Whatever this is, it doesn’t respond to treatment the way normal renal failure does. With normal kidney failure, if your pet hasn’t responded to fluid therapy within 48 hours, there’s usually no hope. It took SIX DAYS in intensive care for Maggie’s numbers to drop enough to even be measurable, but by Day 7 she was well enough to come home. So don’t give up too soon. And keep Menu’s feet to the fire, petconnect.com! You’re doing a tremendous public service.
Comment by Bernadette — March 22, 2007 @ 3:04 pm
I emailed Innova foods to ask them about their relationship with Menu Foods. This is the reply I received, and the reply I made:
Thanks for your prompt reply. To summarize, Natura produces it’s own dry food, but outsources to Menu Foods for the canned. I am very well aware of which foods have been recalled and which haven’t. I am also aware that currently the wheat gluten is being blamed. However, since I am very displeased with the way that this situation has been handled by Menu Foods, I cannot in good conscience buy or promote any product which they will profit by. Apparently the only thing they have any concern for is the bottom line. Therefore, that’s where I plan to affect them….
Your products have been highly recommended to me, however at this time, I cannot ethically purchase them. If and when you choose to sever your relationship with Menu Foods, I will reconsider.
Thank you so much
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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.
I think we should all send similar emails to ALL the pet food companies we deal with, or are interested in…I don’t know how to send an email to Menu. Perhaps we should all send them a letter.
How does one organize a boycott? Perhaps we could all contact our news stations, and make a plea for all pet owners to boycott any product made by menu. We could publish a list of any company that they are involved with.
Comment by Joyce — March 22, 2007 @ 3:26 pm
If Petsmart employees are urging people to keep the recall hush-hush, perhaps it is because at least some of Petsmart’s own labels (Authority, Award, Grrreat Choice, Sophisticat, etc.) are made by Menu Foods and are part of the recall…
Comment by David — March 22, 2007 @ 3:42 pm
There is a Yahoo Group has been formed for people who have lost a pet and are interested in a class action. it is called MenuFoodsClass action.
Everyone is collecting data, phoning the F.D.A. so that their pet’s poisoning is recorded. How to document your pet’s illness etc. Lists of numbers to call etc.
Comment by ray gwyn smith — March 22, 2007 @ 3:58 pm
I really don’t believe that class action lawsuits benefit too many people except for the lawyers. Mostly they just drag on for years. However, if we were to have an organized boycott of all companies that have their products made by Menu foods, that would send them the kind of message that usually is understood by CEO’s and stockholders. Does anyone agree, or am I just deluded?
Comment by Joyce — March 22, 2007 @ 5:03 pm
Check this just out.
They now think the wheat might have been contaminated with pesticide.
http://www.abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=2974319
Comment by ray gwyn smith — March 22, 2007 @ 6:27 pm
I switched my dog from Iams after finding out about the recall. I went to a very upscale holistic pet store and purchased Nature’s Variety canned food and started her on it this week. Last night I found out that Nature’s Variety canned food is produced at the same Menu foods plant as all of the foods that have been recalled. So I called Nature’s Variety today, and asked if it was true. The lady on the phone told me that yes, their canned food was manufactured at that plant. She went on to attempt to “reassure” me that their food was made in a different part of the plant, on different machinery and did not contain wheat gluten. Of course—we know by now that nobody knows for sure what is causing the illness and deaths—they don’t even know if it is wheat related!! I then asked her if she would feed her dog Nature’s Variety canned food, knowing that it came from that plant, and that they did not the source of contamination for sure…and her answer shocked me!!!!
She started crying, and she said to me, “yes, we did continue to feed Nature’s Variety, and she we just lost our dog last night.”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just want to stress the impoprtance that we should not feed ANY product that comes out of Menu Foods!!!!
I have had my dog to the vet today for blood tests and am waiting for the results, but I am very scared right now, knowing that I fed her Nature’s Variety this past week, thinking that I was doing a very good thing for her—I may have just fed her poison!!
Cindy
Comment by Cindy — March 22, 2007 @ 8:02 pm
The only brand that PetSmart makes as their own when it comes to dog and cat food is Authority.
Comment by Eskie Lover — March 22, 2007 @ 8:12 pm
I found a list on a blog last night that gives some good info as to which companies outsource their canning (as to factories owned by Menu Foods for instance) and which do their own canning. Note that I was told over the phone by Mudbay Granary in Seattle that while Wellness uses a factory owned by Menu Foods, it is a separate facility and uses human-grade ingredients. I didn’t ask about others like Innova or Nature’s Variety but that is likely similar. I asked about Wellness moist specifically because my cats have been eating it.
http://petsitusa.com/blog/?p=210
This page seems to be good about updating in the main list as well as people adding new info in the comments section. So, keep checking back to it.
Comment by Traci — March 22, 2007 @ 9:53 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. (The dog broke its neck in an accident.) 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 24, 2007 @ 5:59 am
My heart goes out to all of you doing this hard time/ I am a breeder and exibiter of standard poodles. I think that the worst problm is that the public has been fed lies for so many years…….most veterinarians and the commercial pet food industry fool consumers by makeing them believe that commericla dog food and these special formulas from the vet are actually balaced diets….let along safe and healthy for our pets. Nonsense…………..
I feed a raw diet to my pets….my poodles and one cat. I do suppliment with a Chicken Soup For The Puppy Lover’s Soul at times. The public needs to be re-educated about canine nutrition. There are no studies that show the internal makeup of the domesticated dog is any different than a wild dog. My dogs eat a raw meat/bone ratio daily…..we have no health problems, good weight and muscle tone, no skin allergies, no ear infections, clean teeth and diet DOES have something to do with that. That, along with a limited vaccine regimen is right up there along side of good genetics in my opinion. I was a veterinary tech for many years….I saw all the dogs come inwith health problems not long after their yearly vaccines were given. i’ve seen puppies have terrible vaccine reactions from hives….to actual death.
It truely saddens me that most of the public are not informed.
Comment by Lisa — March 24, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
For Amy Boda…………
Hi Amy…my name is Lisa. I have a cat who I found on the side of a road as a VERY yougn kitten. My vet wasn’t sure if he’d make it through the weekend. He was hospitalized for 4 days…severe dehydration, malnutrition (he was a rack of bones), full of parasites (internal and ex), upper respitory infection and terrible conjuntivitus. What a mouthful huh! lol
I brought him home…did finish up his amoxi and eye meds but put him on a raw diet right away. he was weak and frail….but would eat raw ground beef, minced up raw chicken, minced raw fish, and raw egg yolk. He went back in 2 weeks for a physical and my vet’s jaw dropped. She said she had never seen a young animal bounce back like this. Now, Oliver (named as the little orphan on the street) is a hog beast! lol He eats the same as before but in large chunks now along with raw chicken wings and beef ribs. Oliver is now 7 months old (we think) and is incredibly healthy. I am doing the series of vaccines to build the immunity but will not continue with yearly (or even 3 yr) vaccines. I’ll opt to have a blood titer drawn to check his levels every so often.
I would try some raw meat (the same you would get from the grocery store for yourself). if you’d like more info….pictures of my gang, or have any questions…feel free to e-mail me privately.
ltopper30@aol.com
Comment by Lisa — March 24, 2007 @ 6:31 pm
I have been feeding my dog the Shep Premium Chunks Chicken in sauce. He has been sick since Dec. At first I thought it was because I changed the food so suddenly. He has bad teeth and couldn’t chew the hard food. His kidneys are showing damage of BUN 31 and should be between 6-25 he shows Creatinine 2.3 and should be between 0.5 to 1.6 Lymphocytes are 600 and should be between 690-4500. Please some one help me to understand what this all means. I have him on antibiotics and an I.V. drip (doing it at home myself). He is urinating about every 10-15 minutes. He just can’t hold his urine and is going all over. Please some one tell me will he get better? He is a 12 year old poodle and loved sooooo much.
My sister was killed on flight 800, my childrens dad was killed by a druggy on the road and now the darn menu foods is killing my dog some one please help!!!!!
Lori
Comment by Lori Musselman — March 25, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
I think it’s too soon to conclude we know the cause of this tragedy. Cornell and New York State Agriculture have done the hard work of identifying the unknown toxic agent in samples of pet food as aminopterin. This news was released on Friday. Now that everyone knows what to look for it should be relatively easy and quick to confirm this chemical is present in pet food that was fed to the afflicted animals. If indeed aminopterin is the responsible agent we should soon be hearing confirming lab tests from all across the country. Menu foods has said that several of their test animals were victims, and I think it’s safe to assume they retained some of the food fed to these animals for testing. If we don’t hear some confirmations in the next few days then I suspect the presence of aminopterin in the New York samples was just a coincidence, and another troubling data point for poor food safety practices for both animals and humans.
Another feature of this story that bothers me is the quick attribution of the source of aminopterin to wheat gluten, and specifically to wheat gluten from China. If Chinese food processors are so sloppy that they get rat poison in their product why is there not an abundance of dying Chinese cats and dogs? Of for that matter, Chinese people?
One more thing – if the contaminated wheat gluten started being used in early December why did it take until the middle of March before the problem showed up?
Comment by Bob Huffman — March 25, 2007 @ 5:58 pm
Although I am in Canada I just want to say that I fed my dog who was already battling Cushing’s disease foil pouches of President’s Choice meat and gravy dog food for the first time - (as a treat with his dry food) in December - he became very ill, throwing up, shaking, crying. He would try to pee and couldn’t. He lost his appetite. It was a struggle for him to stand up. I had to have him euthanized January 6th. I have never had to do this sort of thing before. It took me 6 days to stop constantly crying. And 2 months before I went a day without crying…and then I find out I fed my dog poison…I am devastated once again.
Comment by Anne — March 25, 2007 @ 7:36 pm
my boyfriend went to the store today and got some cans of catfood and gave it to my cats not thinking of the recall because there shouldnt be any recalled caned food on the shelves at a store but there was and it was gaven to my cats im pissed actions will be made if anything happens to my babies.
Comment by amber — April 13, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
My wife and I are still mourning the tragic death of our little Shi-utz “Misty”.She ate “Happy Tails” dog treats which were tainted. Misty lasted four months due to my wife`s efforts of feeding her baby food and finely copped meat.I would not wish this experience on anyone. Everyone should write their congress rep.and demand more food inspectors for domestic and foreign food.
Comment by R.J. Markham — October 14, 2007 @ 9:04 am
I lost my beautiful thorough bred Maltese named Roxy Angel 3 days ago, who was the most loving dog I have ever had. She was fed Happy Tails dry dog food and within a weeks time she became quiet, she drank a lot more water(she always loved water) and she fell over when attempting to walk. I am VERY ANGRY because the super market ACME in Sicklerville, NJ sold the tainted dog food. They had to know that they have tainted food on their shelves. The manufacturer of Happy Tails should have listed it as a recall. Their list is very partial. In my research, I am finding that there are more companies that are not reporting the full ingredients on the foods and are not listing the dog food as tainted because THEY DO NOT WANT TO LOSE MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!HOW SELFISH AND HATEFUL IS THIS?? Every person and family in the United States that have suffered the lost of a pet or have suffered through this night mare should come together and sue the pants off these ruthless, barbaric companies!!!!!!!The Chinese do not have a respect for dogs and cats. Read on the internet what they do to torture the animals in their country to get their fur!I say let’s unite and fight back.Our pets were and are our babies. Their lives are being disregarded as insignificant because they ARE animals. The manufacturing companies, our government, the FDA and the merchants are all COMMITTING A CRIME worse than Michael Vick!I say let’s uniformingly sue the socks off for our loss, pain and suffering and bonifide deception from these ruthless, money hungry manufacturers and companies.
Comment by Rhonda Oliver — December 3, 2007 @ 12:39 am