Pet-food recall: Thursday update
By Gina Spadafori
March 22, 2007
From the PetConnection.com database. 11:20 a.m. PT:
- Total reports of sick or dead pets: 1715
- Deceased pets: 845
Of those:
- Cats, deceased: 500
- Dogs, deceased: 345
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. We are not saying these are confirmed cases, by any means. But we have believed from the first that if nothing else these numbers show the tragedy is much bigger than the official reports.
The American Veterinary Medical Association has just posted a report from the American Medical Center, one of the premiere non-university-affiliated veterinary hospitals in the world. From that report:
To provide information and guidance to veterinarians about the diagnosis, management and outcome of this form of acute renal failure, The Animal Medical Center’s Renal Medicine Service has reviewed all chemistry profiles obtained at AMC between March 17-20, 2007.
Owners of pets with azotemia [an excess of urea or other nitrogenous wastes in the blood as a result of kidney insufficiency] have been contacted to determine if the pets had eaten the recalled foods. During this time period 143 chemistry profiles were performed and 5% of pets who had a chemistry profile obtained in that time period have been determined to have food-related acute renal failure. At this time, AMC has identified 12 cases of food-related acute renal failure, 8 cats and 4 dogs. Age range was 2-14 years with a mean age of 7.4 years.
Based on this survey, we can provide the following limited information about food-related acute renal failure. All pets had at least one clinical sign of acute renal failure: 75% had anorexia, 50% had polyuria and polydipsia, 50% had vomiting and 50% lethargy. The course of the disease before presentation to AMC ranged from 1 to 60 days. Mean creatinine was 7 mg/dl with a range of 2.1-14.8 mg/dl. Mean BUN was 110 mg/dl with a range of 33-210 mg/dl. Three pets were diagnosed on an out-patient basis. Nine animals were hospitalized of which 3 (2 dogs, 1 cat) died or were euthanized despite treatment. Six were discharged from the hospital. Four of these were discharged with persistent azotemia. Our follow-up time is short and the long-term prognosis is unknown.
If you came here to report a pet to us, please: Use the database. We can’t count your pet if all you do is leave a comment.
But remember: We’re not anything but a self-reported database. You must get your pet into the FDA’s system as well. Contact your local veterinarian, let him or her contact the state veterinarian, who will then report your pet’s illness to the FDA, so there’s a verified trail of information, plus a track history of the complaint. We cannot stress this enough.
Update: vetcetera has a thoughtful read on the limitations of self-reported data and what our numbers might really mean.
Go to the latest blog post | Go to the PetConnection home page
I have 13 indoor cats and all of them ate the Nutro Natural in a pouch. The date and bar code number matched up with that on the recall list.
It has been 6 days now since they ate this tainted food.
How long will my waiting period be to see if any damage was done to my cats? A week? Two weeks? A month or more? This waiting is so stressful and it’s just making me sick. As of this morning, all my cats were acting normal.
Comment by Libby — March 22, 2007 @ 12:51 pm
I am wondering the same thing. I want to know how long it takes to see any symptoms. How long do we have to wait to know that our cats are healthy?
I am in a state of constant worry!
Comment by Tonya — March 22, 2007 @ 2:48 pm
When I fed my 4 cats a newly purchased batch of the Special Kitty pouches, they immediately went off their food within 1 day, and they were all affected at once. When I tried to feed them the next day, they were mildly interested in being fed, but as soon as I poured the food into their dish, they sniffed it & walked away. That was when I quit using it & bought Friskies (thank goodness) and 3 of them tentatively licked at it & slowly recovered on their own, with some coaxing with chicken broth, tuna fish, etc (whatever I could get them to take in) as they had obviously lost weight over the course of a few days. I think if they are fed any tainted prodcut you will know within a day or 2 when they go off feed & start acting lethargic & do not want to be played with.
Comment by Sue — March 22, 2007 @ 2:58 pm
Don’t wait for symptoms to show. If your pets ate the recalled food take them to the vet.
I have two young cats. They eat Nutro Natural Choice. One cat started eating less and drinking more water. The other had no symptoms at all. My vet did bloodwork on both of them. They are both sick and have been hospitalized. The one with no symptoms is actually sicker than the other.
Comment by Grace — March 22, 2007 @ 3:23 pm
I just recently had to put my cat down on 03/12, from kidney failure. I’ve fed her mostly wet foods not sure the exact ones, as their were numerous ones as she was a very picky eater.. I am waiting for the blood work to come back from the Vet to see if they can determine anything.. I sure hope that whatever made her sick that it was old age.. And 13yrs isn’t old for an indoor cat!
Comment by Dot — March 22, 2007 @ 3:29 pm
I home cook for my 4 Italian Greyhounds using recipes from Dr.Pitcairn’s book of Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. There are great recipes that any pet will love, even the pickiest. It is much cheaper to prepare your own and I use my Seal-A-Meal to prepare about 2 months worth of food then freeze into packages that last about 2-3 days for my 4 IG’s being fed twice a day. I also use the dehydrated raw foods (they have dog and cat food) made by The Honest Kitchen that are all natural and 100 human grade. A lot of people laugh at me because my IG’s eat better than I….but seeing what is happening now…can you blame me? My thoughts and prayers are with all the sick pets and their families.
Comment by Linda — March 22, 2007 @ 3:51 pm
This is so sad that I am going to cry about this. I love all animals and very time I see this I go over to my cat and give her a hug.
I got a email from Purina and they told me that there food is ok. I feel for people that they lost their pet to this.
Comment by jill — March 22, 2007 @ 4:07 pm
I heard that it does not take long to see the symptoms. I had a cat that had kidney problems 5 years ago and it did not take that long to notice.
Comment by jill — March 22, 2007 @ 4:10 pm
For those of you asking how long it takes… I fed the two cats that I just lost the Iams approximately two weeks ago, they ate two pouches each and withing 24 hours refused food, 3 days later they were lethargic and were constantly drinking and then running to the box. TAKE THEM TO THE VET! And someone tell me who is going to own up for this horrible atrocity and taking the lives of my favorite kitties!
Comment by Phoebe — March 22, 2007 @ 4:26 pm
Linda,
Thank you for listing the book you use to home cook for your dogs. I am heading out to Chapters right now to get it. I don’t trust any pet foods right now. I have heard about too many ppl who have lost a pet due to kidney failure and are not on the foods listed in the recall. I don’t want to scare anybody because it is very possible that only the foods listed in the recall are effected but I don’t want to take any chances.
And I just wanted to say thanks to everybody who has posted comments on this forum. It is amazing how ppl can really come together in a time of crisis.
Comment by Tonya — March 22, 2007 @ 4:44 pm
I GAVE MY BEAGLES THE NUTRO NATURAL CHOICE POUCHES, MY ONE DOG REFUSED TO EAT IT,SHE WOULD SMELL IT AND TURN UP HER NOSE AND WALK AWAY, MY LITTLE BEAGLE ON MARCH 14 I GAVE HER A POUCH OF NUTRO NATURAL CHOICE AND WITHIN 1 HOUR SHE THROW UP HER FOOD, THEN WAS DRINKING ALOT OF WATER ALL DAY. THEY ARE ALSO ON NUTRO DRY FOOD,I FREAKED ON FRI. WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THIS RECALL, TODAY I TRIED TO PUT THEM ON WELLNESS DOG FOOD BUT THEY LOVE NUTRO AND REFUSED TO EAT WELLNESS. THIS MENU FOOD CO FIRST CAME TO LIGHT A FEW YEARS AGO FROM PETA AGAINST IAMS. THE FDA NEEDS TO SHUT THIS CO DOWN. MY GOD ALL THESE PETS THAT HAVE DIED IT BREAKS YOUR HEART.I WILL NEVER EVER FEED MY BEAGLES ANYTHING THAT COMES FROM MENU FOOD CO. MY BIG QUESTION IS TO ALL THESE BIG CEO’S OF ALL THESE PET FOODS CO’S DON’T THEY GO TO THESE PLANTS TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON????? THEY WANT US TO BUY FOOD FOR OUR PETS FROM THEM ,WELL IT’S ABOUT TIME THEY GIVE A DAM ABOUT OUT PETS !!!!!!!!!!
Comment by JONI — March 22, 2007 @ 4:51 pm
It is paramount to animal cruelty, the fact that they sat on recalling the poison food. Look at all the needless sickness and deaths of our favorite pets! My cat got sick after eating MeowMix wet in both the pouch and the can (mostly the pouch) and I spent $200 in vet bills for him to diagnose it as an IBD..she was a healthy 6 yr old cat..she’s still drinking 2 or 3x as much as she used to and urinating freqently…I hope she’ll be alright, I’m worried sick about her. My heart goes out to all those who have lost a loved one, or are trying to save one.
I just saw an article on ABC that they have ruled out the heavy metal and the aflotoxin (sp) possibility, they are looking at pesticides now which could extend the recall to 100 more brands if it comes back positive! Scary! For now I’m not trusting ANY pet food, I’m going to make my own
Comment by Holly — March 22, 2007 @ 5:04 pm
I took my beautiful cat to the vet on 2/1 because of weight loss, failure to eat and lethargy. She went on the special kidney diet the next day when her bloodwork came back showing kidney failure. She continued to lose weight, wouldn’t eat and could barely move. She was so ill that it broke my heart. She was put to sleep on 2/24. She had eaten Sophisticat and some Science Diet canned food. My other cats are lethargic but no other symptoms are aparent. I’m going to have them all tested.
Comment by Terrie — March 22, 2007 @ 5:11 pm
Joni
FYI, Menu makes products for wellness also, sorry to say. They make the canned food for wellness and Natura companies, along with Eagle Pack….
Comment by Joyce — March 22, 2007 @ 5:11 pm
My cat Pikachu was just released from the vet. after 3 days of hospitalization and IV’s to try and flush her failing kidneys. I am to take her back in 2 weeks for more blood work. It is a waiting game and no one knows for sure how much permanent damage was done.
Comment by Polly Quintiliani — March 22, 2007 @ 5:26 pm
One thing which has to be said—-the media has to STOP quoting that “fourteen animals dead” number—-HUNDREDS of animals across the country are getting sick (as attested by the figures collected on this site) and to say that only fourteen animals died is not only inaccurate, it dangerously minimizes the problem. Obviously the media outlets want to latch on to a hard number and they just took the “fourteen” quoted by Menu Foods in their “palatability test” but this in no way reflects what is really happening to animals across the continent. It’s CATASTROPHIC that so many are dying.
Comment by LA CatDad — March 22, 2007 @ 5:27 pm
Rupert ate about 1/2 can a day for maybe 6 dayse before he began displaying symptoms.
Comment by Joyce — March 22, 2007 @ 5:27 pm
On February 18th, I had to put down my precious 6 yo Siamese cat. She was diagnosed at a young age with kidney disease, since that time I was careful with what she ate. One of her kidneys was already compromised. In December the vet was happy with her kidney levels.
Who knows if this is what did it. I feel like it happened suddenly. Even before this recall I have wondered if it was something to do with the food.
Comment by sharon — March 22, 2007 @ 5:44 pm
We had to put our cat to sleep 2-27-07 after she ate special kitty. That was before the recall so her problem was deemed an unknown internal injury. She had a small amount of blood in her mouth and urine and her back legs were very very weak. She was to far gone and suffering badly so we did what was best. When the recall came out we checked her leftover food in the pantry and sure enough it was the recalled batch. I am still in shock that a pet food company put the low bid supplier ahead of our beloved pets life. Sleep well my kitty. I will try to avenge your murder.
Comment by Chuck — March 22, 2007 @ 5:48 pm
My Mr. Grey was sickened after eating Nutro Healthy Choice cat food for about 5 days. When I took him into the vet he was in complete kidney failure and dehydrated and they immediatelu started an iv for him. After 2 days plus he was able to come home with me but his kidney function was very abnormal still. After a few days at home and special food he is taking a hugh turn around. The pain and anguish that he went through and I went through is horrific. Even my vet was convinced he had a kidney disease or cancer and was preparing me for the worst. Thank God I got him in there in time. My heart is broken for those who have lost their pets. I hope the company will compensate us for not only the vet bills but the emotional distress this has caused all of us.
Comment by Loretta — March 22, 2007 @ 5:58 pm
If your pet is in treatment, don’t give up too quickly. Usually, if kidney failure doesn’t respond to fluid therapy within 48 hours, there isn’t much hope. But my cat was on IV fluids for FIVE DAYS before her numbers dropped enough to even be measurable, and on Day 7 she came home. She’s still getting fluids at home, but she’s continuing to improve. Whatever this is, it takes longer to recover from than traditional kidney disease. If you can afford to continue treatment, don’t give up!
Comment by Bernadette — March 22, 2007 @ 6:00 pm
FYI-I SPOKE TO WELLNESS TODAY AND I WAS TOLD MENU FOOD MAKES A FEW OF WELLNESS CANS ALSO. IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY PET FOOD CO USED THIS CO. BY HOW BIG THIS RECALL IS .BUT MENU FOOD ONLY DOES WET FOOD NOT DRY,I’VE BEEN TOLD THAT BY PETSMART,PETCO,AND A FEW MORE PET FOOD STORES IF MENU FOOD DID DRY FOOD ALSO MY DOGS WOULD BE EATING ONLY HOMEMADE MEALS.MENU FOOD NEEDS TO BE SHUT DOWN ASAP.
Comment by JONI — March 22, 2007 @ 6:10 pm
GO TO ABC NEWS WEB SITE,
Comment by JONI — March 22, 2007 @ 6:13 pm
My cat cleo who is 13 is currently in the hospital getting IV fluids to help her kidney failure! I’m so sick to think the company knew about this problem in feb and didn’t do something earlier! she ate Iams select pouches along with wet canned Iams. She started drinking alot of water ,urinating alot, then crying for no apparent reason. She lost her appetite. she then became lethargic. I’ll find out more after more blood work again fri night. pets are part of the family!! I can’t believe i might loose her
Comment by rebecca — March 22, 2007 @ 6:22 pm
My two dogs only eat dry Innova Evo, which contains no grains, but I still feel a little sense of dread at feeding time. Even after checking their website, where I was assured Natura was not affected by the recall, I feel uneasy. It’s definitely something that never should have happened in the first place, and I think it’s honestly time for all of us to start taking a closer look at the corporate empire that pretty much runs the world. What happened here is a symptom of a greater illness that has been plaguing us for decades: the real problem is a general lack of corporate accountability. My general experience with your average CEO is that he doesn’t care who is hurt by his unethical practices, he just wants to make money. For example, in the town where I live, an unusual amount of children were diagnosed with cancer, which in turn was connected to Ciba-Geigy and Union Carbide, two local chemical corporations. The CEOs of these corporations were so unaffected by the idea that they were killing children that they took it to court (and thankfully lost) trying to prove their innocence. If the case didn’t become so high profile, they might’ve gotten away with murder. The bottom line is that corporations don’t care about your pets or your kids any more than they care about the children they enslave in sweatshops overseas, or the damage that they do to our environment. All they want is your money, and so the only way to hold them accountable is to boycott and sue.
To everyone who’s lost a family member in this horrible tragedy, my heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to you.
Comment by Ginger — March 22, 2007 @ 6:31 pm
My dog, Kobe, was diagnosed with renal failure on sat 3/17. Kobe is not even 2 years old yet! He was in the hospital with IV fluids until tuesday. He is now home, but continuing to throw up. We brought him back to vet today, they said his levels are doing ok - high end of nomal. We still don’t know if he will make it, this is the most awful waiting game I have ever played. I am so angry and hurt that Menu Foods has forced all of our pets to go through this! I will say a prayer for all of our dogs and cats tonight.
Comment by Kellie — March 22, 2007 @ 6:56 pm
This is the email I just received from the Eagle Pack food representative.
We make all our dry products here. The recalled products are low end cuts and gravy and we are not involved in therecall. We do not make or sell this type of product.
We make a high end loaf type food made by Menu to our specifications but it does not include the ingredients in the recalled product. We are currently feeding our product to
our own cats dogs and there have been no issues.
Thanks for asking,
John
This is what I replyed back
John,
I appreciate your rapid response, and your honesty. However, at this time I cannot do anything which would result in the financial benefit to Menu foods. I feel that they have acted in an unethincal way, to say the least. I’m not the only pet owner who feels this way, and we are in the process of organizing a large scale boycott of ALL pet foods manufactured by Menu.
If your company in the future chooses to sever relations with Menu, I am quite certain that I, and many other pet owners, would return to feeding our pets Eagle Brand. Until then, I’m afraid that it won’t happen.
Comment by Joyce — March 22, 2007 @ 7:10 pm
Ginger
I you see my other posts, Innova’s canned products are made by Menu foods. Right now, the only higher quality wet food that I can find that isn’t is Natural Balance, unless someone else out there has contacted others. You actually have to ask each manufacturer, because their websites can be misleading, and no one really wants to be associated with menu right now
Comment by Joyce — March 22, 2007 @ 7:17 pm
Is it possible that the cats can get sick without reanal failure? I have some of the Iams that is not included in the recall batch-the numbers are just outside those that have been recalled- and a young cat that can’t keep any food down and is not interested in water. The vet is comng by tomorrow to give her fluids because she is so dehydrated. I don’t know if it was the food- but it seems like a strange coincidence.
Comment by Liz — March 22, 2007 @ 7:22 pm
I have 11 cats ALL are indoor only & 2 were in renal failure the only ones that eat Nutro NC pouches. None of the others were sick. They both ate a minimum of 8 days that I am sure of. I buy closed cases & have 3 left, I mailed 2 to Nutro when I reported it to them 2/1 w/vet diagnosed. The only way I knew is one quit eating 1/14, & was to the vet 1/16 sent home “no secondary symptoms” Back to vet on 1/19 in total renal failure, no kidney function, lesions in mouth, low tempature, dehydrated. Noticed the other kittie was not right 1/20, staggering,extremely friendly (was feral before) vet apt for 8pm, had to rush her in to ER vet at 6pm, comatose in hours,bleeding from her mouth, total renal failure,dehydrated,lesions in mouth,low temperature, all CBC renal panel numbers almost identical to other kittie. Both kept at vet on iv fluids & sent home 8 & 7 days later, On antibotics, subQ’s,appetite RX. Both are SLOWLY recovering thanks to a great vet & 3K later.
Comment by Teresa — March 22, 2007 @ 7:28 pm
For those looking for a brand NOT made (in whole or in part) by Menu Foods, Pet Food Express, a San Fran bay area pet retailer, released this statement today:
Thursday, March 22, 2007- 1:30 p.m.
The latest update on Pet Food Express and the Menu Foods recall…
PFE’s current sales policy on wet dog and cat food is as follows:
NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE
We are not selling:
* Any item that has been recalled.
* Any wet foods, recalled or not, from brands that were made by Menu Foods and that had a significant number of recalled products
* The brands affected are: Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Nutro
AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON A RESTRICTED BASIS
These are brands that are produced in whole or in part by Menu Foods but for which we have spoken to the manufacturer and been assured that:
* Their products are not produced in the suspected plants.
* None of their products are being recalled
* They have had no reports of sick, dying, or dead pets.
* Their products do not contain wheat gluten.
We are selling these brands only if a client is fully aware of the recall and the potential risk posed by feeding a product made by Menu Foods. Although we have been assured that there is no problem with these foods, we cannot and do not vouch that they are safe.
* The brands included are: Nature’s Variety, Wellness, Castor & Pollux, Newman’s Own Organics, Wysong, Innova
AVAILABLE FOR SALE WITHOUT RESTRICTION
We are selling without restriction any brand that is not made by Menu Foods at all.
The brands included are:
* Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
* Canidae/Felidae
* Breeder’s Choice/Pinnacle (except for Chicken and Oats formula which is made by Menu)
* Natural Balance
* Solid Gold
* Triumph/Evolve
* Merrick
* Kal Kan (Pedigree, Cesar, and Whiskas)
LINK: http://www.petfoodexpress.com/.....tion=About
Comment by Nikki — March 22, 2007 @ 7:29 pm
Wysong, people, Wysong. They operate their own plant. And I’m sure they paid dearly for that privilege. It is not easy to go against the herd.
http://www.wysong.net
I have no financial connection/interest to them. Just respect the hell out of them for not getting in bed with all these other losers.
Our Wellness and PetGuard is going into the trash. I will not allow anything processed at any Menu Foods to go into my cats mouths again. Ever. It is homemade and Wysong from here on out.
Comment by Lois Kimball — March 22, 2007 @ 7:30 pm
EAGLEPACK FOODS EMAIL & REPLY:
Good Day,
Where is your product manufactured? Do you contract out to another manufacturer?
Thanks for your time.
REPLY:
Thank you for contacting Eagle Pack Pet Foods and for all your support. All Eagle Pack dry products are made in our own plants. Our canned foods are NOT involved in the Menu Foods recall. All of our products are safe and we will continue to take every measure to ensure their safety. Eagle Pack products are 100% guaranteed. The products recalled are gravy style products sold in cans and pouches. Our cans are a loaf style product and don’t contain the suspected contaminant. For a complete list of recalled brands, visit the Menu website http://www.menufoods/recall.com. All Eagle Pack dry products are made in our own plants. Thank you again for taking the time to contact Eagle Pack Pet Foods in this time of concern, we appreciate all your support.
Danielle Marshman
Customer Service Rep.
Eagle Pack Pet Foods, Inc.
(800) 255-5959, ext. 249
Comment by Teresa — March 22, 2007 @ 7:31 pm
Liz
Is the vet going to check her bloodwork? Usually with renal failure they drink a lot. there are lots of think that can cause your kitty’s s/s. Could be a simple GI thing too.
Comment by Joyce — March 22, 2007 @ 7:31 pm
MORE about Eagle Pack:
Their website states:
Testing
Eagle Pack Pet Foods, Inc. does not do any testing on laboratory or caged animals, nor do we have a kennel facility or cattery
BUT MENU FOODS was investigated by PETA in 2002 for ANIMAL CRUELTY!!! SEE IAMS CRUELTY…
http://www.iamscruelty.com/oth.....Issues.asp
Not sure why it doesn’t link, try cut & paste.
THE more I read the more disgusted I get…
Comment by Teresa — March 22, 2007 @ 7:37 pm
wow
I think I will order my food through Pet Food express. What a thorough job they did!! Wish Petco would do that. In fact it looks like instead of taking the recalled stuff off the shelf, they put plastic around them and put up signs.
We should consider giving petfood express and any other company who acts in such an ethical manner our business. As they say, money talks.
Comment by Joyce — March 22, 2007 @ 7:41 pm
Do you think that it is possible that some of the recalled products might have been recalled to be on the “safe” side? I fed my cats the Nutro pouches for about 3 weeks..never fed them wet food until then. The pouches had the date and the bar code number matching the recalled products..but so far, none of my 13 cats who ate it are showing any signs. It’s been 6 days.
After reading all these very helpful comments, I do plan on taking Eddie to the vet to be tested for kidney damage. Sounds like there IS hope if you catch it EARLY??
BUT..do you think that EVERY recalled product most definately had the tainted food in it?
Comment by Libby — March 22, 2007 @ 7:46 pm
GO TO PETA’S WEB SITE
Comment by JONI — March 22, 2007 @ 7:50 pm
I know that this recall is massive and countless pets have suffered/passed away from this problem. I used to work for a company that sold meat processing equipment to companies such as Menu, Iams and Hills to name a few. The employees @ all of these facilities are as concerned about your pet as you are. QA employees in the petfood industry are hard working people trying to make sure your pets food is of the highest quailty. I will say that the FDA does need to regulate this industry more. Most of these companies run 24/7 to keep up with the need for pet food, either wet or dry. Being a former service technician, petfood companies will send money like it’s water to keep from having a recall or any problems with their product with regards to production machines. I only wish the same for human consumption…
Comment by Shawn — March 22, 2007 @ 8:04 pm
In all respects I don’t like Wysong, it has corn in it and my dog is allergic to corn. I prefer grain free dog food like Innova EVO or the food my dog is on Nature’s Variety.
Comment by Eskie Lover — March 22, 2007 @ 8:07 pm
Joyce-
Yes- the vet has done bloodwork on two of my three cats. The are not in renal failure but both very dehydrated and one is still vomiting after 24 hrs. They are coming by tomorrow am to give fluids and antibiotics. It probably isn’t the food, but I am paranoid. My heart goes out to all of you who have lost your pets.
Comment by Liz — March 22, 2007 @ 8:12 pm
Libby, PLEASE DO NOT feed your pets Nutro recalled products. My cats ate it for months before 2 of the 11 of them both ended up at the vet for 7 & 8 days with IV fluids in ICU week of 1/19. The other 9 just quit eating it. Only the 2 they ate pouches exclusively were sick. But they are the 2 smallest 6 & 8lbs. All the other 12-18lbs. Nutro was sent samples by me 2/1 & I have a report. They have been in contact with me 3 times already this week. They said they are sending me a prepaid envelope to mail them another pouch for testing. I have 4 they get one more & that’s it.
PLEASE do NOT take the chance. I am lucky to have my kitties still, thanks to a great vet & 3k later. But it is a SLOW recovery.
The Menu foods recall list for Nutro Natural Choice pouches is incomplete. TRUST me check Nutros website
http://www.nutroproducts.com/
It states:
Cat Pouch Products (Best by dates: December 03, 2008 through March 07, 2009)
The menu recall list does NOT list every flavor with the correct best by date.
The pouches I have & sent to Nutro 2/1 w/vet diagnoses were Natural Choice Adult Ocean Fish & Tuna. This product code is not listed with the 12/04/08 best buy date for that flavor. But the product code is listed with a different best buy date.
I have reported this to Nutro 3/19.
No one should trust that the Menu Foods list is totally accurate? I am sure there is much more than being told. Is this just another of the pet food industries “dirty little secrets” No way would I have bought food from a manufacturer that was investigated for Animal Cruelty by PETA. I have also contacted PETA as their website list of foods manufactured by Menu was very incomplete. I am awaiting a second reply. Or is there a reason the name brands are kept off the PETA Menus Foods List. Maybe, snother Dirty little secret…..
Comment by Teresa — March 22, 2007 @ 8:14 pm
I HOPE THE CEO’S THAT OWN THE COMPANY THAT MAKE THE DOG FOOD AND CAT FOOD HAVE NIGHTMARES THE REST OF THEIR LIVES OVER THIS. MENUFOODS PEOPLE I MEAN.
Comment by jill — March 22, 2007 @ 8:26 pm
Just a question….has the dry food from Nutro been cleared as not being tainted? It is the only dry kibble which my 5 year old yorkshire terrier will eat. I have been unable to get any response to my question. I would appreciate your help in finding the answer to my question.
To those of you who have lost loved ones, my deepest sympathy… This is truly a tragedy.
Comment by ana-new jersey — March 22, 2007 @ 8:26 pm
Thank you Teresa for all that you have informed me about. I did want to make it very clear that I have not and I will not feed my cats any more Nutro wet food since I first heard of the recall on Saturday. I had given Eddie a pouch on Friday and I took the rest back to Pet Smart on Monday. Wish I had kept one of them for testing. My cats never eat wet food..I just got the idea about 3 weeks ago to start giving them a “treat”..some dang treat it was!
My cats are all playing and acting “normal” at this moment, but I do realize it could be another story by tomorrow. I will making a trip to the vet tomorrow for testing.
Sorry my comment was misleading..I would NEVER feed my cats any food that was recalled.
Comment by Libby — March 22, 2007 @ 8:27 pm
PURINA CAT FOOD EMAILED ME TODAY AND TOLD ME THAT THEIR FOOD IS OK AND THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. I EVEN HAVE THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER.CONSUMER AFFAIRS
Comment by jill — March 22, 2007 @ 8:29 pm
We had two cats die suddenly in one month. One died at age 20 (1/14/07), showing signs of sudden dehydration, weight losss and fluid build up in lungs (euthanized because she was in critical condition), difficulty breathing. Her appetite decreased in the weeks before her death, thus we bought her the cheap Friskies thinking we needed something soft and tasty to get her eating better. She was on Science Diet dry mixed with Sci diet. canned, before she fell ill and suddenly collapsed at the water bowl.
The second cat died at 8yrs apro. 2 1/2 weeks ago. Her blood tests were screwy, and she was vomiting, dehydrated, not eating, staying in closet, not getting enough O2. Jaundiced a couple days later. PTS when she got critical. We tossed out all the food when the second kitty died. Canned Nutro Max was even given to her when she was sick. :( Science diet canned, and Science Diet dry. And also some canned Friskies.
Both cats dying weeks apart could have been a coincidence—- but at the time the second cat died I started to wonder to be honest if it was our water or the cat food.I don’t have the labels as they were thrown out.I cannot prove or disprove that any of my cats got sick from the food, but the timing of it certainly makes me wonder about the possibility.
We only have 1 cat left now. So far she is doing ok now. But she has a chronic immune disease that did flare up during this time, steroid shot and switch to new food got her condition under control.
So now I am no longer buying Menu foods pet products because I cannot bring myself to trust anything associated with Menu foods now because of the reports on the web and because of the timing of my cats dying . So now, I got my kitty on Natural Balance (dry) now , and the dog on Chicken Soup For The Soul (dry) mixed with Natural Balance (Canned loaf/pate style). I still worry about which foods may be next on the recall list and I am praying that the foods I switched to will turn out fine.
I pray that they find out what is killing pets around the country. I also don’t understand why they needed to test the suspect foods on cat and dogs, when I think rats could be used instead. Or put the foods in an NMR machine and look for contaminates. And I am appalled that the company apparently waited before issuing the recall, allowing other animals to continue to be at risk of getting ill and dying. *These are just my opinons, based on my experiences of late and of what I have read on this issue.
Comment by Grace — March 22, 2007 @ 8:32 pm
My 17 year old toy poodle died February 19, 2007. I thought it was old age but now am convinced it was the food. I have a receipt from the store I purchased the food from. I purchased IAMS and PAWS and am pretty sure it was the PAWS. He wouldn’t eat the second can and displayed all the symptoms, drinking lots of water, sleeping vomitting. I wonder how many total pets died before we even knew about the recall and thought it was natural.
Comment by Pat — March 22, 2007 @ 8:46 pm
I am not a PETA fan so I really don’t listen to anything that they say and so whatever PETA says doesn’t bother me. I just pray there is an answer as to what is going on. There should be better procedures for testing animal food, but it’s something that isn’t a top issue with the FDA.
Comment by Eskie Lover — March 22, 2007 @ 8:50 pm
Pet Food Recall- The Tip of the Iceberg
Our very good friend, John Symes, D.V.M. (also known as Dogtor J) was asked his view on the the contaminated pet food recall. Below is what he wrote. For even more on the subject, be sure to tune in to Animal Talk Naturally’s live show with Dogtor J, next Wedensday, March 28th at 2:30 pm Eastern time.
Hi Everyone,
I have very mixed feelings here. Of course, I am saddened by the death of the affected pets and the trauma this has caused the owners. BUT, this is the absolute best thing that could happen TO the pet food companies. I could not be more excited about the potential for seeing the much-needed changes in pet food manufacturing that may finally come about as a result of this “scandal”. This recall should serve as a HUGE warning shot being fired across all of our bows.
The latest is that 14 pet deaths have been linked directly to the recalled foods, with 6 of them being cats that died in the studies conducted by Menu Foods themselves to confirm that the food was the culprit. The mortality and morbidity rates have shown that cats are more susceptible the effects of this food, which makes sense from a gluten standpoint since cats are a more strict carnivores and would be less adapted to dealing with eating grains. The FDA, as of this date, still holds that they do not know what the exact culprit is while the company itself has been quoted as saying that they believe it is the wheat gluten acquired from a new supplier. They have replaced the gluten and gone back to manufacturing the recalled foods according to one report that I read. So, if that’s true, they must be pretty convinced that it’s the wheat gluten.
And wheat gluten CAN do this. Gluten, in sensitized individuals, can induce both chronic and acute kidney failure. The form of kidney failure is typically what we call an IgA nephropathy, in which antibodies and immune complexes formed against the gluten are deposited in the kidneys, which leads to damage and ultimately failure. Again, this can be chronic leading to persistent blood (microscopic) and protein in the urine or it can be very acute.
In most of the cases of the “tainted” food deaths, the pets had been eating these foods for months before succumbing to its effects. Many of you saw the emotion-charged interviews on national news that dealt with owners who thought they were doing the right thing by feeding their pets these foods but have now learned that “all of these months” they were poisoning their dogs.
First of all, is it a “tainted food”…one that contains a poison or a toxin in the usual sense…OR is it one that simply has a gluten in it that is too powerful for pet’s (or human) consumption? I could easily believe that it is the latter and that they will find that this new source of gluten came from some a GMO or hybrid wheat that IS too powerful for human consumption and that is why it was cheaper and chosen to rpelace the company’s old gluten.
It could be the old Starlink (CRY9C) corn story all over again. You remember that one, right? This occurred in 2000 and Taco Bell became the poster child, as they had to recall taco shells suspected of having this GMO corn that was intended only for animal feed. Of course, that story died quickly (like I am trying to keep this one from doing) and the public never heard about the millions of dollars spent to rid our food supply of this transgenic maize (GMO corn). They ended recalling over 350 brands of corn products in their attempt to clean this situation up. Who knows whether they were really effective, as corn allergies in humans have risen as I certainly believe they have in pets.
Their concern was it may cause “allergic reactions”. Well, if you call immune-mediated reactions like rheumatoid, lupus, and asthma “allergic reactions” then that might be accurate.
This story should be sending shock waves through the public and veterinary communities but the response thus far has been one that seems limited to being concerned in a way similar to an E. coli outbreak. But if we KNEW beyond a reasonable doubt that it was the wheat gluten and if we KNEW what wheat gluten was capable of (like we who study celiac disease know), then we should be seeing the bigger picture here: That is this just the tip of the iceberg and that dogs and cats have been dying from this stuff all along and we have not known it. Then all it takes is for us to wake up to the fact that dogs and cats should not be eating these grains to begin with, whether man has genetically modified these foods to death or not (which they have).
The startling fact is that it is well-established that the lectins of gluten (wheat, barley, rye), dairy products (e.g. casein, lactalbumin), soy and corn are ALL capable of inducing serious health issues in those (sensitized) individuals consuming them. I am of the firm belief that these “big 4” are not healthy for anyone. They are simply more harmful to some than others. As I have written many times, it is a matter of when they will cause a problem much more than IF they will. That’s why I lovingly call them the “four horsemen of the apocalypse”. You are starting to see why, right?
But why do these proteins wait to cause problems? That is a great question and one that keeps people from seeing the truth about these harmful glycoproteins/lectins. The fact is that the onset of the lectin-related disorder- whether it be rheumatoid arthritis, type-one diabetes, lupus, etc- is usually preceded by a secondary event, such as viral or bacterial infection. Other things such as vaccines can act as triggers as well. As a result, there is a rather sudden influx and attachment of these inflammatory proteins to various cells in the body ushering in what we often refer to as “autoimmune” disorders. Of course, I hate that term because it implies an immune system that has gone haywire, attacking the body for no reason. No! Our body and immune systems never makes that kind of mistake. These things happen for a reason and these food proteins are ofetn the culprit. Viruses also play a role (described on my Website).
All one needs to do is study celiac disease (gluten intolerance) to see how all of this works and appreciate the health implications that accompany this extremely common condition. And it does occur in dogs and cats. That has become painfully obvious over the past 7 years I have been studying this. The Irish setter is the only known breed to suffer from gluten intolerance but it is clear that gluten is affecting many, many or our breeds or dogs and cats. And why wouldn’t it? It is affecting us and we have had millennia to adapt to eating wheat. The pets have only been eating wheat-based pet foods for about 20 years now.
This leads to the final point (other than the fact that many of you are up in arms about so many of your “quality pet foods” being made by one big company in Canada): Are your pet foods “scientifically” made like you think? I used to think so. Hey, I used to parrot back what I was taught that the pet food companies spend millions of dollars and years of intense research coming up with balanced and nutritious foods. I used to warn people not to add any table food so that they did not upset this “balance”. I was one of their biggest fans…patsies.
But then I woke up and wrote “Gluten Intolerance and Your Pet”. Why are we feeding dogs and cats wheat, barley, soy, and corn (and now dairy products…again…after removing them all 20 years ago). I’ll tell you why. It is because of one of two things: The manufacturers of pet food either don’t have a clue as to what they are doing OR they know better and are doing the wrong thing anyway. I’ll let the reader decide but if I were in the pet food industry, I’d rather claim ignorance.
If the research and development departments of these companies that are starting to use dairy products again in their foods TRULY think that lactose is the culprit (rather than the lectins of casein, lactalbumin, etc), then the executives in charge need to fire the entire lot of them and start afresh. If they really don’t know what gluten can do to the kidneys, joints, intestinal tracts, brains and other organs of our beloved pets, then they all need to go back to school or find another line of work.
DO NOT let this story die. It does not matter whether they ever tell us that wheat gluten caused these problems. The fact is that it CAN…and does…and that it has no place in pet food. The gluten found in the non-recalled dry food versions of these foods is only incrementally better, causing subclinical issues that shorten our pet’s lives.
Do you really want to know why the average dog’s life is 12 years and that of the cat is 13 years (in the USA) when the former can live to be nearly thirty and the latter to 40? Look no further than what’s in their bowl. In a study that was done in Europe, those pets that were fed table scraps lived an average of 3 years longer than those fed commercial diets alone. Why? Highly processed foods cannot possible contain all of the essential nutrients found in fresh meats, fruits and vegetables. And if our veterinarians can’t understand that, then they too need a refresher course.
The combination of these foods being woefully deficient in nutrients and the fact that they are downright HARMFUL is an abomination. It is time to change this. Let this recall story be a warning sign but please do not let it die.
I hope this helps,
John
John B. Symes, D.V.M. (“Dogtor J”)
http://www.dogtorj.net
Read- “Food Intolerance- Man and Animals versus Gluten, Casein, Soy, and Corn OR How We Won the Battle of Helm’s Deep”
http://quikonnex.com/channel/item/26394
Comment by Mike — March 22, 2007 @ 8:54 pm
Okay Ya’ll- Here’s the skinny from the mouth of Natura (Innova & Calif. Natural):
“Natura owns and operates two manufacutring facilities…our plants are AIB Ceritied Superior, Organic Certified, USDA Registered.and ISO 9001:2001 compliant..” They DO use one of the Menu Foods plants but NOT one of the three in question…Natura “maintains final review and strict approval of all formulation designs, including types and quality of ingredients included…” It is important to emphasize that the Menu Foods recall is “specific to “cuts and gravy” which Natura does not make or sell. Natura cans are made at a plant that is NOT part of the recall…
This being said, I feel good about them again… but it might still be a safer idea to just feed kibble for awhile, and add some home-cookin’ if your pets need the incentive…
Yours in Hope- Kit
Comment by kit brooking — March 22, 2007 @ 9:20 pm
ANNA,I FEEL YOUR PAIN BECAUSE MY DOGS WILL ONLY EAT NUTRO DRY FOOD ALSO,NUTRO DRY FOOD IS O.K. NO DRY FOOD IS MADE AT MENU PLANTS ,IT’S ONLY WET FOOD. MENU FOOD NEEDS TO BE CLOSED.OH ON NUTRO’S WEB SITE THEY PUT A PUCTURE OF THE TWO PLANTS WHERE THE DRY FOOD IS MADE.
Comment by JONI — March 22, 2007 @ 9:36 pm
On 02/23/2007 we had Dylan, our 11-year-old cat euthanize. We gave him as “treats” Special Kitty for a few years. We were so sure we were taking the best as possible care. He suddenly became ill. We had him at the vets the week before the 23rd. On the 22nd, he stayed overnight. The following day, Vet said he had kidney failure. His BUN was off the wall..9##. He was too ill, we decided to help him cross the bridge. Can’t recall all the info from the vet, but I will get the vet records. While I dont have any receipts or pouches, I truly believe it was this Special Kitty food. We had him euthanized on the 23rd and a week later this recall. My thoughts are with you all. I pray those little ones who are ill will recover.
Comment by Gloria — March 22, 2007 @ 9:53 pm
Has anyone made a possible connection with GMO ingredients? Almost ALL soy and corn in the US are genetically engineered. Most dog and cat food has lots of corn and soy.
Numerous studies have shown that lab animals fed GMO ingredients in their diets have had kidney and liver failure.
Rats show the effects in 90 days. They have a very short lifespan.
Dogs and cats have a longer lifespan. They are showing the effects after a longer period of time.
Humans have a much longer lifespan. maybe in 20 years we’ll all start dying from an epidemic of kidney and liver failure.
Is anyone looking into this possibility of being the reason these dogs and cats are dying?
Comment by Cathy — March 22, 2007 @ 10:07 pm
Kit
Do you REALLY feel better about Natura? I don’t for a couple of reasons.
1) Innova and Eagle pack both present themselves like they make all their own products. It bothers me that we have to ASK them where there products are made, especially when they are products that are supposed to be “organic” and “natural” These kind of foods are supposed to be worth the additional cost because they are kept separate from other, less expensive grocery store type products. Otherwise, is it really worth it?
2) We have to refuse to purchase ANY product from a company that allows their product to be manufactured by an unethical company. If we hit them in the wallet, the smart companies will pay attention and disassociate themselves from Menu, and others like it. When they respond to economic pressure, we can go back to Innova or Eagle Pack, or others that we prefer.
Comment by joyce — March 22, 2007 @ 10:24 pm
We were talking about the GMO angle today. I know that Nutro has a lot of corn in it…I’m sure that the wheat gluten could be GMO, who knows?
Comment by joyce — March 22, 2007 @ 10:26 pm
We were talking about the GMO angle today. I know that Nutro has a lot of corn in it…I’m sure that the wheat gluten could be GMO, who knows?
I was thinking about some kind of wide spread protest…What about handing out flyers warning of Menu foods involvement in all the different brands, and the brands that they’re not involved in. There are a lot of us, all from different towns. We could pick petsmart or petco, since they carry many of the brands that Menu Foods makes, plus they carry other uninvolved brands. Of course, I doubt Petco would cooperate, so we would have to be whatever the minimal legal distance from their property. Does anyone think that would be effective?
Comment by joyce — March 22, 2007 @ 10:32 pm
Since GMO issues are being discussed, I would like to offer that the corn in Kumpi dog food is non-GMO specific.
I would also like to comment that the first ingredient in a pet food is not necessarily what there is the most of when you consider all ingredients as ‘families’ of meat and grain. Meat as a first ingredient can actually allow a pet food company to create a product that is intensely grain heavy.
Also, any meat listed without the word meal behind it is 65 - 70% moisture and will not contribute a significant amount of meat to the formula. Meal simply indicates that moisture has been removed to create a more dense product and is done so without harm to the ingredient.
Our supplementation is sprayed onto the food after it is cooked and cooled so it is not subjected to the heat during cooking.
I began a pet food company nine years ago with the intent to ‘fire corporate America’ and take my dogs life into my own hands when I lost a GSD to cancer when he was only five years old. It has now become my second career and the more I learn about the industry the more I realize how large a skirt they can hide behind.
I have become increasingly outraged over the past nine years at the tricks I have seen them pull on the consumer. I am not saying that there are not other good brands on the market, but I am saying that the vast majority follow consumer trends ignoring the fact that nutrition is science. And I am proud of my multi-species nutritionist in the job that he has done. When we first dialogued he asked me if I wanted to look like the best dog food (re: label) or be the best dog food. He is available for dialogue with any professional that would like his insights into the science of nutrition.
It was a no-brainer. Neither then or now do I have any intention to manipulate a pet food label to entice a consumer. Results needs to be compared more than label content. While my nutritionist has steered his formulation away from certain ingredients, a label shows no quality and when it comes to supplementation, definitely no quality there. Or whether or not there is enough of a supplement to make a difference i.e. in at a therapeutic level.
After 35 plus years in the field, he will still contend that proteins and carbs are both critical to meet energy needs and also contends that corn is an excellent source of carbs as well as naturally occuring Omega6 i.e. linoleic acid.
For years, The New York State Canine Handling Unit, The MTA in NYC and The United Nations Ambassador Security Canine Units have fed Kumpi with amazing success. They not only are pleased with their results, but know that the family owned/operated manufacturing plant is an APHIS and NIB facility.
The issues of nutrition are so complex - it is a science. Nine years ago I was frustrated that corporate America deemed it appropriate to put a price tag on the life of my dog (and cat) and now I am watching my worst nightmare come true. The industry has too many skirts to hide behind and do not work to the standards necessary to insure the testing and manufacture protocols necessary to protect pets lives.
My company has grown by word of mouth - I put my advertising money into my product. My International Headquarters is a spare bedroom in my home. And even with all the bashing of corn as an ingredient (and no, Kumpi is not a ‘corn based’ food, even though it is the first ingredient - see website) I experience steady growth from people who saw such incredible changes for the positive, even after switching from other premium diets.
I have cried most everday as I read your website and watch the numbers soar. If I wouldn’t have started my own product line, it could have been my dog or cat suffering. And my heart aches with those who have suffered losing such a precious piece of their heart. I was you nine years ago. I lost faith in the industry and took matters into my own hands to keep the industry as far as possible from my pets.
There is so much misinformation, so much appeal to the emotions in advertising and all the time, our pets trust us with whatever we set before them.
As far as I know, I am an anomaly in the industry. I did not contact a manufacturer and have them ‘dial a formula’ and my nutritionist has no stake in my company. I merely sought him out to formulate the best food possible to offer an alternative to corporate America.
Most of the pet food industry is not doing their best, they are watching their bottom line of profit. If monetary gain was not such a driving force - and in this industry where lives of breathing animals are affected - I don’t believe there is an ethic of balance between making a dollar and making a difference in our pets lives.
I am seeking an avenue (yes, in my 50’s I remain a Pollyanna) to organize a national movement to bring more accountability to this industry, that I am a part of now. I have signed the petition on itchmo/Seattle, but believe we need to do something far more reaching. Petitions with names and addresses that can be verified, hundreds of thousands from all 50 states to bring to Congress a unified voice - these are not ‘just animals’ or ‘property’ - they are members of our families and deserve more protection than is being offered.
Is this a naive dream? Maybe so. But over the course of nine years I have seen a dream come to life.
If there is anyone interested in helping me organize a petition drive NOW while this issue will be sought to be buried by pretty words and more empty promises until time passes and the consumer is once again lulled into a false sense of security - please contact me at 303.693.6533.
I know it would be a monumental task, but there are so many avenues of pet stores, boarding facilities, day cares, veterinarians and many other pet dense interests like clubs, rescues, etc. NOW is the time to start a long journey to take this to Congress and be heard, unify the scattered voices of owners who are feeling hopeless and scared.
Yes, it is an odd proposition that a person within the industry would like to increase the accountability - but remember, I am IN this industry and know too many of the loopholes that I will not take. And I became a part of it to change it for the few I could reach. Those few have grown and with this recall, I believe the time is ripe for pet owners to unify and stand against this giant.
In honor of those who have lost pets not only now, but in years past - we owe it to the future of our pets to protect them.
Give your pet an extra hug and let’s see if the manpower and willpower is out there to begin a movement to get some changes made!
With all sincerity,
Evy Serpa
President
Kumpi Pet Foods
Comment by Evy Serpa — March 22, 2007 @ 11:21 pm
Okay, I know if my animal died because of food contamination I wouldn’t want to buy the product again either. The thing I’m wondering what is the government doing to make sure that the food our pets eat do not contain high levels of toxin? How could these toxins slip through and end up in our food. I don’t think just boycotting Menu is going to be the solution. I think the solution is trying to prevent this from happening again by demanding more strenuous testing on ingredients used to ensure that they meet specific levels which are deemed safe for animal consumption. The FDA needs to step in.
Comment by Eskie Lover — March 23, 2007 @ 6:21 am
Does anyone suspect dry food may also become a culprit? My three dogs eat Eukanuba dry. Two weeks ago, my cocker had diarrhea for a few days. I switched to a bland diet and he was eventually OK. But a few days ago, my other two dogs suddenly became ill overnight with constant vomiting and diarrhea. Our vet wanted to see them immediately. Blood work done on the most dehydrated dog showed normal renal values - but it is quite a coincidence, isn’t it? Today I decided to start mixing in some dry dog food with their rice instead of boiled chicken, and my cocker vomited four times. I’m not sure what to do now.
Comment by Sharon — March 23, 2007 @ 6:47 am
ON NUTRO’S WEB SITE IT STATES NO PETS GOT SICK FROM NUTRO,WELL ON CNN AT 7;20 AM THEY HAD A LADY ON WHOSE POOR 1 YEAR OLD DOG DIED,ON ABC WED NITE ON NIGHTLINE A ANOTHER LADY WAS ON, WHO FEED HER DOG NUTRO AND GOT VERY SICK AND EVERY PERSON I’VE SEEN ON T.V SAID THEY GAVE THE NUTRO NATUAL CHOICE POUCHES.MENU FOOD DOES NOT KNOW WHY THIS HAPPEN YET THEY ARE SLILL MAKEING FOOD .I WISH SOMEONE WILL BE HONEST AND GIVE US PET OWNERS SOME ANWERS ASAP. MY HEART BREAKS FOR ALL THESE PET OWNERS WHO LOST A PET AND HAVE PETS VERY ILL .THIS IS SO SAD.
Comment by CLEO — March 23, 2007 @ 6:56 am
JOYCE YOU ARE WRONG NUTRO DOES NOT HAVE LOTS OF CORN ,THEY HAVE NO CORN WHATSO EVER.
Comment by CINDY — March 23, 2007 @ 7:13 am
I was wrong about Wysong. I just got off the phone with them and had a rather heated go around about their canned food, which is, as Pet Food Express reported, processed at a Menu Foods plant. Their dry foods are processed at their own plants.
Dogtor J raises a very valid point. Obligate carnivores cannot tolerate glutens and his reasoning would explain the higher death rate in cats.
I see no choice but to return to producing our own food from our own known sources of human grade foods. There are several recipes for cats available from proven sources. Dr. Pitcairn, Anitra Frasier, Feline Future.
The deceptions and blatant lies are so rampant at this point it is impossible to find the truth at this point.
Comment by Lois Kimball — March 23, 2007 @ 7:33 am
I lost my kitty to this tragedy on 2/21/07, while my other kitty was being treated for acute renal failure. The second one made it, but will be on meds, prescription food and monthly vet visits for the rest of his shortened life. What about these animals that are suffering now on a daily basis due to this company’s stupidity?
Comment by Sharon Gilbert — March 23, 2007 @ 8:07 am
Our Cocker Spaniel, Lissa, died on Friday March 16th of renal failure. We had fed her Nutro Ultra Senior, exclusively, for two years. I didn’t hear about the recall until Saturday the 17th. I checked the cans we had left (2 1/2 cases) and sure enough, they were on the recall list. We watched her go from a happy, healthy 15 year old “puppy” to unable to walk in 10 days. Our Vet did everything within his power to help her but she kept deteriorating and when we could no longer bear to see her suffering we had her euthanized. This was our “baby”. She slept in our bed. We are devistated. We were spending over $90 a month buying what we considered to be the best food available for her. We spent over $1200 trying to save her. We are hurt and we are angry and having to see this in the news everyday is killing us. I don’t know if we’ll ever heal.
Comment by Cindy Pratt — March 23, 2007 @ 8:41 am
I’m not convinced that only the wet foods are affected. What about the Ol’Roy bark’n bac’n dog treats that are moist and packaged in a pouch? I can’t even find who manufactures them, I have e-mailed Wal-mart, of course no response. My beloved cockapoo, 7 years old, began vomiting on March 8, 2007, the vet thought she had ingested some type of toxin, maybe even rat poison, which was not possible, we have never bought rat poison ever, he was baffled. Her condition deteriated quickly, she became extremely jaundiced, vomiting blood. She died March 15, 2007, after 3 blood tranfusions and numerous medical procedures. The vet hospital thinks it was IMHA, her immune system attacking her red blood cell, I think it is too big of a coincidence. We couldn’t do an autopsy, we didn’t even know about the recall until after she was cremated.
Comment by Tammy Tingle — March 23, 2007 @ 8:52 am
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story.....mp;US=true
news flash re possible toxin
Comment by Pat Lamb — March 23, 2007 @ 8:53 am
I just saw a breaking news headline that says rat poison may be the culprit.
HOW could they get enough rat poison to kill pets into TONS of pet food and not know it? That doesn’t make any sense.
Comment by Cathy — March 23, 2007 @ 9:05 am
ABC is reporting that the wheat gluten may have been contaminated by rat poison.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story.....amp;page=1
Comment by Elderta — March 23, 2007 @ 9:23 am
ABC NEWS BREAKING NEWS;RAT POISON ON THE WHEAT FROM CHINA WAS ON THE FOOD THAT KILLED SO MANEY PETS. IT’S ON ABC NEWS WEB PAGE
Comment by CINDY — March 23, 2007 @ 9:40 am
URGENT ABC NEWS -RAT POISON WAS ON WHEAT FROM CHINA
Comment by CINDY — March 23, 2007 @ 9:41 am
ABC NEWS- RAT POISION FROM CHINA IS WHAT WAS ON THE FOOD
Comment by CINDY — March 23, 2007 @ 9:44 am
URGENT-ABCNEWS -RAT POISON BAN IN US FROM CHINA WAS ON WHEAT THE MENU FOOD USED THAT KILLES SO MANY PETS
Comment by CINDY — March 23, 2007 @ 9:46 am
Hello, I must confess that I am not nearly as knowledgeable about pet food 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 lamb and rice dry food with 1/2 can of Olroy mixed into it. The Olroy was the small cans of gourmet style ( no gravy) 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 and is still being sold now). My dogs seem fine but should I have them tested anyway? I have switched to the Kirkland brand since the recall. My 4 1/2 pound Pomeranian did not like it so I fed her Gerber baby food ( Turkey ) and she loved it. Is the Nutro Natural Choice dry food safe? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank You, Peg
Comment by Peggy — March 23, 2007 @ 9:58 am
URGENT!! Ol’Roy HEARTY CUTS IN GRAVY 13.2 OZ Can. NOT ON LIST YET BUT KILLED MY DOG!! I’m trying to report it so it will show up on the list before another pet dies from it!!
Comment by Ted — March 23, 2007 @ 10:10 am
ANy number that will actually let you get through to menufoods? my dog is being treated and im heartbroke. I want to join the class action suit. How do i do it?? not for the money just to make sure this NEVER happens again.
angiekain@email.com
Comment by Angie — March 23, 2007 @ 10:50 am
Joni…thank you so much for responding. I am relived. I don’t know what I would do without Maxi..my dog. She has brought so much joy and love to my family. She means the world to us.
Comment by ana-new jersey — March 23, 2007 @ 3:33 pm
I am so glad that I only feed Life Abundance holistic health food and Flint River Ranch holistic health food. I am horrified about the commercial pet industry and would never ever buy anything from a pet supermarket. Please check out my website and my BLOG about healthy holistic foods and other pet items on a natural base. You are so much better off as we all see now, with the products I choose.
http://www.PurrfectPetHealth.com
Comment by The Purrfect Nanny — March 23, 2007 @ 6:02 pm
Our cat started to show the typical symptoms stated in mid Feb. After a vet visit our cat had a 105 degree temp and was given a shot of penacilin and put on an antiboitic and steroid treatment. The cat seemed to improve over the next two weeks but then had a relapse.The relapse was because we kept feeding it this poisonous food ! We had to euthanize our 10 month old baby on March 8. Menu Foods waited and now thousands of pets will die. This is a tragedy that could have been prevented.
Comment by Greg — March 24, 2007 @ 10:26 am
I have two questions:
1) Posted in the database because my cat is ill after eating contaminated food and is at the vet. I don’t want to think about it, but if her situation changes, can we update the record?
2) If she improves, how will her long-term health be affected? Any thoughts?
Comment by Shelli — March 24, 2007 @ 6:00 pm
If they can do this to our pets, what can they do to us - with products that have wheat gluten in them? I would be looking really close.
My cat died on February 26th just five days after eating the product. She tried to tell me by urinating blood in the bathtub where it could be seen. And she liked to drink from the faucet and she was too weak to jump up to the sink so I put a bowl of water down and she lay there and drank and drank and drank.
I picked her up and carried her to my recliner and held her in my lap and petted her and she didn’t purr. And I thought at first that she might have been paralyzed because her tail was not moving but I started talking “our language” to her and she moved her tail. It was late at night and I couldn’t reach a veterinarian, and intended to call Elder Care the next day, because they help elderly and disabled people with veterinary care. I moved her to the couch and she died within an hour. And she never cried out. And she never went into convulsions. She just died.
Now all I have is two small heart-shaped boxes called Precious Memories, that contain her cremains.
She was a necessity for me as my companion animal because I suffer from PTSD and I’m elderly and disabled, and live alone. I had to have permission from the housing authority to have her. A prescription from my doctor to have her as a companion animal was required.
I got her after my dear husband died and she was with me through some very difficult health problems. I was on a feeding tube for a year and she stayed in bed with me. I had my esophagus removed and she stayed with me through my recovery. And we talked every day. And people called her my guard cat because she was very protective of me.
When she died, I wracked my brain to find out what I had done wrong. I had received the food packets from the food bank. They were more expensive than what I could afford for her and I thought I was giving her a special treat. Until I heard about the recall. By then, I had already discarded the packages and she had already been cremated.
The value of pets in this country has not been realized. They are considered to be property.
Nobody could repay me enough to replace my Shy Anne.
I have obtained a new kitten named Bubba, a wonderful, playful, fluffy, adorable, long-haired black Siamese mix. I didn’t know what to feed him. I was giving him canned salmon, tuna, fish sticks, egg salad - and he loves bananas.
Due to a story done in the paper about Shy Anne, I was gifted with a six pound bag of Pet Promise and a case of cans of Pet Promise and a book titled How Dog Food Saved the Earth, by Kory Swanson and Anthony Zolelly - plus four coupons worth $12.99 a piece for more Pet Promise. And brochures by Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, that give me information about this wonderful pet food that makes this promise: It contains none of the disgusting ingredients that humans wouldn’t eat if they were forced. It’s been known for quite some time that we feed animals things that we would not eat.
After seeing their information and reading their book, I felt that it was safe enough that I could feed this pet food to Bubba, when other products had not been recalled yet. I didn’t feel safe enough to feed him other products that hadn’t been recalled yet, in spite of the assurance of veterinarians. And I think I was correct, because eventually, the recall included 95 brands.
The only thing I would change about Pet Promise is, like all the others, the print on the product is so small you can’t read the ingredients without a magnifying glass.
I think we have only touched the tip of the iceberg in this matter. And like I said, I now even question foods for human consumption with wheat gluten.
One more thing. The government has been in a position to alert us, since 9-11, about food contamination, to keep the nation’s animals and food supply safe. Because two of the labs that tested these cat food products and found the rat poison are part of a network that was created after the 9-11 attacks for our protection.
I empathize with every person out there who has lost their beloved companion.
When I think about the fact that we have dogs that see for the blind and hear for the deaf and detect cancer and sniff out drugs and help epileptics, and how they have given us much more than we have given them… there is no monetary value you can put on that.
Comment by Carrie S. Rogers — March 24, 2007 @ 11:19 pm
before i knew about the recall of ol roy cuts and gravy i was feeding my dogs that food from december till now. i know now that some of it may have been tainted.omg, what do i do now. iam not feeding them ol roy amy nore.i hope i didnt kill my dog;s by feeding them ol roy.
Comment by paul courcier — March 25, 2007 @ 8:00 am
Dear Paul, I fed Olroy to my dogs mixed with Nutro dry food. I am worried. I found this statement today by Walmart http://www.walmartfacts.com/articles/4910.aspx I am upset and worried about my dogs health even though they aren’t showing any signs of illness. I will never buy Olroy again. I am Mad as heck that my local Walmart did not post any recall notices except for iams food. They were still selling Olroy country stew ( chunks in gravy containing wheat gluten ) on Thursday night 3/22/07. There were no recall notices in the store ( I asked at Customer service ) to warn customers about Olroy, special Kitty or any of the other 90 or so brands except for a notice about iams. I am still feeding my 5 dogs the Nutro dry Lamb and Rice formula but I switched to Kirkland canned food ( Costco ) which is not in the recall. I have been giving my 4 1/2 pound Pomeranian human Gerber baby food ( Turkey ).
Comment by Peggy — March 25, 2007 @ 10:24 am
I’m avoiding all wheat in anything, pet or human.
Comment by Linda — March 25, 2007 @ 10:32 am
I believe the food recall should (will) be expanded to ANY/ALL foods
associated with MenuFoods. My cat (age 2) showed all symptoms
of the foot poisoning after eating a Nestle Purina wet food product,
inluding violent vomiting & kidney failure. This was a week prior
to the recall and any publicity about it. As out Cat got worse, we
rushed him to the Vet who said the symptoms were from eating something poisonous —at first thinking a plant or such. CT Scans
and ultrasounds showed no signs of blockage causing it, but as
he became more ill, stomach surgery was performed. No blockage
found, with surgeon also concluding something eaten made him ill.
“Morty” is is still alive, rcovering slowly—but only because of the quality & quick work by our Vets. Fortunately we are able to afford
the thousands this cost—and I feel hoorible for the owners with pets
having died because they couldn’t afford care. If MenuFoods indeed knew about this taineted food months before they informed the public—I hope they are sued out of existence. Our kitty was a direct
victim of their delay & cover-up.
Jim Nayder, Chicago
Purchased Nestle Purina foods at PetSmart
Comment by Jim Nayder — March 25, 2007 @ 10:52 am
Dear Jim, Sorry about your kitty and all the other beloved pets that have died or become ill. You are correct Jim, the recall has widened: http://www.menufoods.com/recal.....241409.htm and http://www.walmartfacts.com/articles/4910.aspx and http://www.breitbart.com/artic....._article=1
Comment by Peggy — March 25, 2007 @ 6:57 pm
Has anyone found a problem with Fancy Feast and Royal Canin dry cat food?
Comment by Nancy — March 25, 2007 @ 9:13 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that this has been going on for quite awhile. Last year, my kitten, Sneek, showed many of the symptoms described in the press releases. Yes, I had given him Menu wet food. At the time, the vet determined that he had lost liver function and we hyposthesized that he had gotten into mouse poison in the basement (he was not allowed down there, but guess where the name “Sneek” came from). Now I wonder if he was not a victim of this same food. Healthy one day and painfully ill the next. So, I can’t prove it, but there’s a good chance this goes all the way back to 2/06.
Comment by Sue Brower — March 26, 2007 @ 10:57 am
Our cat Sweetpea passed away on 3/18/07 after eatting Special Kitty for 4+ yrs.She was only sick and not eating for about 4-6 days.After 2 days we noticed she wasn’t eating,( we thought it was dued to her age, or the she was getting bored with the food.)So we tried her on Whiska which she loved before and still she wouldn; eat.But after 3days we took her to the vet and they said she was in Renal Failure,she died that sunday in my arms.She was only 12 years old and the vet said she had at lease 4 or more years left in her.Menu Food needs to be held acccountable for what they did to our family members. I feel so bad for all who have lossed a family member this way. I hate to be able to say I know how they all feel. I miss Sweetpea very much, and always will.Thank god I have the copy of blood work and still have about 5 bags of the bad food. Menu Food hopefully will go belly up.
Comment by Joyce & Harry — March 27, 2007 @ 6:59 am
Does anyone know if the Wellness Dry Dog and Cat foods are processed by Menu Foods? I’m so worried about my pets, I emailed Wellness, still haven’t gotten a response? Tere
Comment by Tere — April 3, 2007 @ 8:54 pm
I am trying to filnd out what Dog treats have been recalled. IL have 6 very spoiled pomeranians that love their treats and the only eat certain kilnds. Please can you send me a list or tell me how I can get a list of these treats that have been recalled. Sincerly Patti Sabtos
Comment by patti — April 4, 2007 @ 5:30 pm
Just to double check, Is anyone feeding there cats wet, canned natural balance? I have to feed my cat something and its not on the recal list but i am just scared all together.
Comment by brenda — April 6, 2007 @ 12:14 am
What I have been doing is feeding cats a good (safe) dry food and just mixing water in it and then put it in the microwave for a few. I let it cool and they think they are getting wet food. At first I was mixing tuna (spring water) in with it. It is a slow weaning process, but determined to get them to kick that monkey off their backs.
I am hoping to get them off of wet all together.
Comment by MonkeyKitty — April 6, 2007 @ 12:25 am
Beef Jerky is not a bad alternative for dogs. I wouldn’t give them much, but its high in protein. You can also make your own that is lower in sodium and other additives (MSG).
Just get a very lean roast and you can put in in the oven for 3-5 hours. Alton Brown (food network) did a piece on jerky. I wouldn’t put the spices in it, but I am sure they would love it. I wouldn’t make it part of their normal every day food source or anything. But it would work as a treat. Plain meat would be fine. It can’t be any worse than what the recalled treats have in them. Just a suggestion.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/foo.....51,00.html
Comment by MonkeyKitty — April 6, 2007 @ 12:32 am
Keep in mind the beef Jerky is for treats only. Not to replace normal food. You need to find an everyday food you can trust.
Cats and dogs need a well balanced diet, home grown diets may not be well balanced.
If you do go home grown do your home grown, there are plenty of good pet foods out there, I spent all last weekend finding one.
Comment by MonkeyKitty — April 6, 2007 @ 12:37 am
is friskies purina fine cuts in gravy under investgation ? i’m worried cat ran around howling at me all the time, today he’s quiet not normal, is he sick? housecat
Comment by frances — April 15, 2007 @ 4:56 pm
Frances
Repost your question to Sunday Nite Updates so you can get an answer. There are a lot of kitty owners on that blog.
Comment by VJ — April 15, 2007 @ 5:02 pm
Let’s take action and get Congress to block these foodstuffs until we can certify they are safe.
http://www.rallycongress.com/protectourpets/772/
Comment by Bob — April 22, 2007 @ 7:43 am
Congress needs to do something
It seems like our Government is not as concerned with our Pets as we are.
They allow imports and the FDA lacks on everything.
I myself am going to write to everyone in our Government weather it will help or not.
My Pets have ben effected they are my kids, and We need to let CONGRESS KNOW that we are TIRED of this and they NEED to get on the ball and take serious action on this issue instead of worrying about how they can collect more money from us to get out of debt
Comment by Mary — April 22, 2007 @ 7:51 am
my precious english bulldog molly died from eating nutro canned dog food. my life will never be same without her we loved each other so much.i fill like i killed her she trusted me to take care of hernot to give her food that was going to cause her to suffer and die.theres nothing these people can do to make things better.i got a lawsuit packet in the mail the other day all they want to do is give you the money back for the vet bill and food they can keep their money. they cant give me my molly back.
Comment by donnathorne — June 2, 2007 @ 6:06 am