Pet-food recall: With crisis, confusion
By Gina Spadafori
March 24, 2007
Here at Pet Connection, we’ve been trying from the start to get everyone the best information we can, starting from the first minute we launched our PetConnection database last Sunday. At that point, the pet-food recall was a blip in the mainstream media. By Tuesday, it was still buried: For example, the Wall Street Journal (I’ve been an avid reader for two decades) played it on page C7 last Tuesday. I saved the clip, I was so astounded.
Now that the story has broken wide open, so have the rumors. This is understandable: People are upset, and looking for information. They don’t trust the food companies right now, and they’re not all that happy to believe a government and mainstream media that still insist on only 16 official pet deaths.
We have allowed everyone to comment here on our blog as long as their comments weren’t spam or filled with profanity. (We’ve had plenty of both, these last few days.) We’ve let people suggest foods, home-prepared meals and even speculate openly about their opinions of why this happened, with explanations ranging from GMOs to bio-terrorism to aliens. (OK, I’m kidding on the last, but it has been a long week for us all.)
I snorted my coffee earlier when one person said we couldn’t be trusted for reporting the recall had not been expanded, based on my own source. Instead, the person posting the comment quoted the Associated Press. Now, I think the AP is a great organization. As a reporter and editor with 30 years of experience, the last 10 as a nationally syndicated pet-care columnist, I have nothing but respect for the AP. But this is the same organization that is among those continuing to report 16 dead pets, while many other national news organizations (including USA Today and ABC News, cited in this post) have expanded on those figures.
In any case, I had barely cleaned the snorted coffee off my screen when the AP moved a correction (on the NY Times Web site; need a login?):
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 24, 2007
Filed at 5:53 p.m. ETALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — In a March 23 story about a pet food recall, The Associated Press, relying on information from the Food and Drug Administration, reported erroneously the recall had been expanded to all 95 brands of the ”cuts and gravy” style dog and cat food by Menu Foods, regardless of when they were produced.
The company said Saturday the recall still applies only to products packaged from Dec. 3 to March 6. Retailers were advised Friday to remove all the products from their shelves in order to verify the dates they were packaged, but products not made between those dates can still be sold.
Now, what about that purported statement from Menu Foods? Not on their Web site. Here’s an excerpt from the most recent AP story:
After Friday’s announcement, Menu Foods food advised retailers to remove all brands from their shelves to verify the dates they were packaged, a company spokesman said, though the recall still applies only to the dog and cat foods identified on its Web site since March 16. Those cover cans and pouches of food packaged from Dec. 3 through March 6.
“The recall has not been expanded,” Menu spokesman Sam Bornstein said Saturday.
At the same time, Bloomberg is still reporting a total recall:
March 24 (Bloomberg) — Menu Foods Ltd., which recalled 60 million cans of wet pet food in the U.S. last week, asked for all brands involved to be removed, regardless of the date of manufacture, amid concern tainted products are still being sold.
Menu Foods, based in the Toronto suburb of Streetsville, withdrew all varieties of the affected brands even though there isn’t a known risk for those foods, the company said in a statement. The original recall, announced March 16, applied to wet food made at its Emporia, Kansas, and Pennsauken, New Jersey, plants between Dec. 3 and March 6. (Last Updated: March 24, 2007 18:24 EDT)
Where does this leave us? Let me say this:
Would it be prudent to not buy or not feed any of the brands listed on the recall list, regardless of date or batch number? Yes, I would say so. Would it be prudent as well to check with the pet-food company (for brands that aren’t “house” brands) for further guidance? Absolutely.
There’s no downside to being cautious. Some veterinarians are even advising switching to a dry food for now, even moistening it or adding chicken or beef stock or clam juice to get finicky pets to eat, and microwaving it to body temperature to further entice cats, who can be very fussy, as we all know. Here’s a pretty good clip on that.
In short, we are all continuing to do our very best here — Dr. Marty Becker, Christie Keith, Susan and Dr. Rolan Tripp, and I — to bring you what we can find and confirm. We will continue to do so.
And as always, we welcome all your comments.
The latest numbers from our database (8 p.m. PT): 1541 dead (885 cats/646 dogs). As always, let us remind you: These are self-reported numbers.
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Technorati Tags: pet food recall, dogs, cats,veterinarian, veterinary
Incredibly Frustrating. We’re trying to save pets and companions here. I hope the pet food industry is preparing for some serious scrutiny. Get used to it.
Comment by Steve — March 24, 2007 @ 10:26 pm
And I’ll put it on record I hope companies are testing foods that came out of those Menu plants or are in any way shape or form involved with them. None of this bunker mentality or wall of silence or it will blow over. Thats not going to cut it.
Sorry to be so BLUNT.
Comment by Steve — March 24, 2007 @ 10:45 pm
I’m a little confused—could this actually be true? From http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17.....ek/page/2/
“The FDA says Ontario-based Menu Foods began to receive complaints about renal failure on Feb. 20 and began on Feb. 27 to conduct a series of taste tests on 40 to 50 dogs and cats, leading to the eventual death of at least nine cats.”
Let me get this straight:
In this CSI and forensic mystery-crazed society, a pet food company will resort to using taste testers in the form of animals? I know it is difficult to chemically test for substances when you don’t know what they are—but this seems incrediably barbaric to me. Not a company that cares about all animals, apparently.
FD
Comment by Francella Dell — March 24, 2007 @ 10:55 pm
Francella.. that was a misreporting. The company did not intentionally feed the tainted food to test subjects. They were conducting a routine quarterly taste-test (checking the palatability of new products, I believe), and realized there was a problem when, a few days into the test, the test subjects began to die. There was no connection between the taste test and the complaints that supposedly began arriving on the 20th.
Comment by Gwen — March 24, 2007 @ 11:41 pm
Francella, yes it’s true. That information first surfaced March 19th (I think). It gets worse though, both the CSI aspect and the timing.
A Canadian newspaper website reported on the 17th that “Starting in December, concerns began filtering back to the company through toll-free customer lines about the “cuts and gravy” style pet food. Callers complained their animals had fallen ill after eating the food, although no direct link was established. One large customer in the United States initiated its own recall after receiving complaints and put future orders for the products on hold.”
I haven’t seen anything confirming or denying this since then.
As for Menu Foods and whether they care about animals, you’ll be sick after reading http://www.iamscruelty.com/. A PETA investigator went in undercover in 2002-2003.
Comment by Kim — March 24, 2007 @ 11:43 pm
Oops, began posting my response then got sidetracked. just now seeing Gwen’s comment.
Gwen, are you sure? What I’ve seen is:
Menu Foods told the FDA it received the first complaints of kidney failure and deaths among cats and dogs from pet owners on Feb. 20. It began new tests on Feb. 27.
During those tests, the company fed its product to 40 to 50 dogs and cats and seven animals — the mix of species was not immediately known — died, Sundlof said. The contamination appeared more deadly to cats than to dogs, he said.
Comment by Kim — March 24, 2007 @ 11:46 pm
It is NOW **ALL** MENU FOODS regardless of date (Sat. 3/24) http://www.breitbart.com/artic....._article=1
Comment by Ray — March 24, 2007 @ 11:58 pm
Re: the palatability tests.. that’s what the FDA is reporting.
“Nine of the initial reported deaths were of cats that fell ill during a quarterly taste test Menu Foods conducted to test the products’ palatability, the FDA said.”
This particular quote is from an article posted at Dog Channel ( http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-.....known.aspx ), but I’ve seen similar in many other sources, all referencing the FDA.
Comment by Gwen — March 25, 2007 @ 12:19 am
Oops.. posted too soon!
Anyhow, it wouldn’t surprise me if reporters hadn’t gotten wind of the supposed Feb. 20 complaint date and the Feb. 27 testing date and simply operated on the assumption that there was some sort of correlation.
It’s not entirely implausible that there wasn’t, but at this time, there’s so much conflicting information out there that I’m inclined to buy what the FDA is saying.
Comment by Gwen — March 25, 2007 @ 12:23 am
…and then they indicate only the “wet” products.
I am truly angered and sickened by all this and as a responsible, caring cat owner, my heart breaks over every story I read here over pet loss. This crisis would never get the exposure it has, if there were no Internet!
Comment by Ray — March 25, 2007 @ 12:23 am
I’m pretty certain Menu doesn’t produce anything other than wet foods.. so if there is indeed a problem with the dry foods, it’s not because of Menu.
It is entirely possible, however, that other manufacturers may have purchased the same cut-rate, low-quality gluten as Menu. I seriously hope that this is not the case, and that we start receiving some confirmation as to whether or not concerns regarding the dry food supply are legitimate.
I have to admit.. we’re running a little low on dry at the moment, and I am getting nervous. I’m thinking all my cats are going to be stuck eating Thomas’ horrendously expensive prescription food until we get some more answers out of the FDA.
Comment by Gwen — March 25, 2007 @ 12:36 am
“I have to admit.. we’re running a little low on dry at the moment, and I am getting nervous. I’m thinking all my cats are going to be stuck eating Thomas’ horrendously expensive prescription food until we get some more answers out of the FDA.”
Look for companies who make dried without using wheat—even if you have to maybe get Wellness or Nature’s Variety dry (it would not fit with anyone’s boycott since both have their canning done at Menu Foods facilities), they don’t use wheat. I am sure there are some other’s I can’t focus on now, hunt around. Again, those others also might end up being companies who use Menu for canning. Merrick is supposedly comming out with a cat kibble in “Spring 2007” and they do not outsource any of their food processing. I don’t know the ingredients but would expect it to be high-quality carnivore food.
Comment by Traci — March 25, 2007 @ 12:46 am
Gwen,
I too was “hunting” for something safe to feed my kitty. I checked out several of the lists posted on this site and others and then read through all of the websites. I went through ingredient lists too. My conditions were…not made or associated with Menu in any way, absolutely no wheat product of any kind (considering I do not believe we have heard the last of this by far) and manufactured within the US (although so was Menu’s stuff so no telling if this is a good choice). I settled on Natural Balance, at least for now. Nick is taking to the dry food fine, the wet is another story. He follows me around meowing for something to eat, but I will be persistent with him. No more pouch types for him. (I did give in to his “whining” tonight because he hadn’t eaten much and gave him some of the tritip we had…boy was he a happy guy :) ) My advice, stick with something natural. Lots of folks are mentioning Pet Promise too. I can’t get it readily in my area, would need to order and I felt I needed to replace his food right away. But if his boycott continues I will be looking to order some for him.
Comment by Amy Boda — March 25, 2007 @ 1:00 am
It seems to be that wheat gluten is the culprit or at least what is carrying the culprit into the pet food so I am trying to stay away from that specific product altogether in dry and canned food. I thought I would let everybody know that Nutrience Dog and Cat food is not manufactured by Menu Foods and that non of there products contain wheat gluten. I hope this helps!
Comment by Tonya — March 25, 2007 @ 1:09 am
Ray is right about the internet being the only source of what is really happening out there. If it weren’t for the internet, all we would think was that a dozen or so pets had died. The FDA and pet food companies are stonewalling, hoping that it will all die down. The FDA is not taking this seriously, just like FEMA didn’t take pets seriously during Katrina.
Comment by Melinda — March 25, 2007 @ 2:07 am
Thanks for all the advice!
I will definitely be investigating those products. It’s pretty nerve-wracking at this point, since they haven’t confirmed which ingredient(s) is/are tainted yet. It looks to be the gluten, but I’m kind of paranoid at this point and don’t want to take the risk of poisoning the fearsome foursome.. (again).
My biggest concern at this point is what to feed Tyson, as Nick’s been eating tubby tabby food from his vet’s (it’s doing its job, so he can probably transition back to regular food soon, though) and Alex is technically supposed to be eating an IVD diet from her vet’s (though we need to discuss that, as she often refuses to eat it, but loves- and is actually starting to improve on- Thomas’ food). I am, at this point, attempting to be positive and operate on the assumption that Tyson will be able to continue eating regular food. He may wind up stuck with k/d if things don’t continue to improve.
Aaaaargh.
Comment by Gwen — March 25, 2007 @ 2:14 am
JUST WHEN is someone going to make the connection of human deaths-e coli and pet deaths - aminopterin to pesticides and biopesticides use in the United States instead of blameing other courtries?
http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9022794
“Antimetabolites such as amethopterin and aminopterin cause sterility in female insects by preventing egg formation. In some species, certain doses may stop eggs from hatching or larvae from maturing”
http://www.biopestlab.ucdavis.edu/Labbib/255.pdf
“the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (for-. merly the California Department of … and aminopterin was added to the hybridomas 24 h postfusion. …”
“and aminopterin was added to the hybridomas”
“The aminopterin was added 24 h later”
http://www.berkeleybop.org/ont.....onment.tbl
EO:0007522 aminopterin
The treatment involving use of aminopterin for mutagenesis process.
http://www.berkeleybop.org/ont.....onment.tbl
EO:0007522 aminopterin
“The treatment involving use of aminopterin for mutagenesis process.”
Comment by strend — March 25, 2007 @ 2:19 am
Ah- one more question.. does anyone know if any of these ‘safe’ foods work well for pets with sensitive systems?
Nick is notorious for projectile vomiting after eating many of the so-called ‘natural’ and/or ‘super-premium’ foods. He’ll be okay for the first week or so, and then, every time he touches the stuff.. out with the carpet shampooer. I’m not sure what it is that he’s sensitive to, but there’s something they tend to use that just doesn’t sit well with him.
(It’s not a new thing.. he’s been doing this since we first transitioned him onto dry at 6-7 weeks. One of his littermates has issues with it as well. He is otherwise healthy.)
Comment by Gwen — March 25, 2007 @ 2:26 am
Last post, I promise!
Montreal Gazette reports first incidence of human sickened by consumption of tainted pet food:
http://www.canada.com/montreal.....mp;k=23093
Synopsis? The woman was apparently ‘tasting’ the food over a period of two weeks in an effort to coax her dog (who was accustomed to dining on table scraps) into eating it. Both the woman and her dog landed in the hospital. They appear to be recovering.
Comment by Gwen — March 25, 2007 @ 2:35 am
Geez! that Ottawa woman sounds like an idiot. First she feeds her dog tablescraps, which under normal conditions, can easily make a dog sick. Then she taste-tests commercial dogfood, which under normal conditions, can easily make a human sick. All the wannabees are going to be crawling out of the woodwork to jump on this bandwagon.
Comment by MH — March 25, 2007 @ 3:03 am
I am just curious as to whether anybody has heard about problems with Purina Veterinary’s Formula for kittens. It is bought at the Vet’s office not pet food stores and it does not contain wheat gluten. It isn’t on the menu food recall list either but I don’t completely trust that list.
Any information would be helpful.
Comment by Tonya — March 25, 2007 @ 3:36 am
Oh just have to add that I am referring to the canned food only. The dry food does contain wheat gluten so I have taken her off of it. I am also currently in the process of switching her over to nutrience which doesn’t contain any wheat gluten in any of there foods.
And Gwen I have looked into nutrience for sensitive systems and they don’t carry food for that but they do have many other specialty foods for weight control and hairball formulas etc.
Comment by Tonya — March 25, 2007 @ 3:41 am
Read the vet’s article “The Tip of the Iceberg” at http://www.animaltalknaturally.com. He says all gluten—whether it is wheat, corn, or soy—is bad. Lots of interesting information.
The FDA in Louisiana took my complaint regarding DRY Hills’ Prescription c/d very seriously. They are testing the remaining food. Please contact your state FDA is your pet has become ill or died.
Comment by Janice — March 25, 2007 @ 4:02 am
gwen,you are wrong when menu foods got wind of pets dying from wet food they used dogs and cats to test the food on,and yes they died. go to peta’s web site,and u will see what menu foods does to dogs and cats, and it goes to show they just do not care about pets at all. when u see the video it will really get you mad.
Comment by margo — March 25, 2007 @ 5:49 am
I am so grateful to a friend who passed on info about your website. Where are the news organizations? I am still hearing the repetitive “16 animals” figure. And why did my vet know nothing? Or the emergency clinic I rushed my dog to? Why do they still know almost nothing except what they hear on the news?
My Papillon spent three days in the emergency clinic and is now home and under the watchful eye of his family and our vet. His kidney function is bad. His heart is acting up. My little live wire now lies almost inert. Maybe the IVs helped, maybe he’ll make it, but this is so wrenching. All because I thought that a little canned food would be a special treat during the intensely cold weather we’ve had here.
Now, like everyone else, I’m searching for something I can trust to feed him. Heck, after this, I wonder if I can trust any foods, including what I eat myself. And as for trusting my “watchdog” government agencies to protect me or my family? Or tell me the truth? I guess they all have other priorities.
Comment by Nancy Nielsen — March 25, 2007 @ 6:37 am
With a pet that has a sensitive and food allergies. The only food I would consider trying on her is Merrick. I really don’t like feeding my dog grains so I feed her Nature’s Variety.
Comment by Esvie Lover — March 25, 2007 @ 7:26 am
Does anyone know how much rat poison is needed for a cat to show the signs of acute kidney failure? I fed my cats one of these products and I am worried that some of the packs may have had smaller amts of poision then others and that they may have some “minor” kidney or immune system damage that will show up later in their life. Since the packages of the food I fed them are long gone in the garbage, how in the world am I supposed to know what date it was produced?
Comment by Janet — March 25, 2007 @ 7:36 am
YES—very confusing. If anything good does come out of this whole situation maybe there will be more stringent guidelines placed on the pet food industry. When human foods are recalled we don’t go through all this do we?
Comment by Amanda — March 25, 2007 @ 7:46 am
BTW, just because National Poison Prevention Week (March 18-24
http://www.poisonprevention.org is over, don’t assume the Jihad against cats and dogs and humans is over. Beware of what you are
eating too! What a horrible coincidence, huh? …. (suspicious, like
that 911 thing)
Comment by Mike — March 25, 2007 @ 8:28 am
Looks like it is time for some seriously organized consumer watchdog groups to form in this Country.
Comment by Steve — March 25, 2007 @ 8:56 am
An Ottawa woman is recovering after eating dog food and then becoming violently ill, in a case possibly related to the rat-poison-laced pet food that has killed 14 dogs and cats and sickened dozens more across North America. Sunday, March 25, 2007
14?? Dozens?? A little “fudging of the numbers” still going on here?
Comment by Steve — March 25, 2007 @ 9:07 am
Bruce Akey, director of Cornell’s diagnostic center was quoted as saying that in dogs and cats, the amount of the chemical found in the tested samples was a substantial amount (40 ppm) can cause kidney failure, and that that was a substantial amount. Although one chemist speculated that the aminopterin would not appear in pet food “unless someone put it there,” Paul Henderson, CEO of Menu Foods discounts tampering, because the recalled products came from two different plants, in Kansas and New Jersey. He went on to state that Menu Foods intends to test every ingredient in these recalled foods. For those of us who wait and worry, better sooner than later, Mr. Henderson.
http://cats.about.com/b/a/257798.htm
Comment by Mike — March 25, 2007 @ 9:08 am
Has anyone seriously considered that this could be an act of bio-terroism? Think about it? No real way to trace the total impact. Most of the damage will have been done by the time anyone figures out what really happened. There will be definite economical and emotional impact to potentially thousands of Americans before this takes it course and is resolved. I am an owner of a sick cat and though I’ve been to my vet and we are desparately trying to make my kitty better and save him, I am fearful his days may be numbered. I have spent several hundred dollars, with more to come and am so completely stressed out as an animal lover.
Comment by Andy — March 25, 2007 @ 10:23 am
The local news is not covering this topic in any depth and its driving me nuts.
I am removing all wheat from my pets diet - using Natural Balance Duck and Sweet Potato now and also I’m removing all wheat from my familys diet. Something is wrong here and until I know for sure what it is - no more wheat.
Comment by Linda — March 25, 2007 @ 10:29 am
I thought it might be bio terrorism and so does my husband. And we are real concerned about the seemingly lack of appropriate response by those in charge - what is going on? Oh, not to worry, its just pets….
Comment by Linda — March 25, 2007 @ 10:31 am
I just found this website, and want to thank you for doing this important service. I added my 17 yr old cat to the victim list. I had her put to sleep on Feb 11th.
I got K.C. right after my mom died in 1989. She was a scrawny, flea-infested kitten that grew into a beautiful tortoiseshell. (My mom always loved the torties.) K.C. was a rambunctious, mischievous kitten, who mellowed with age and had slowed down quite a bit the last couple years.
Her last meal was Iams chicken cuts in gravy. I remember distinctly because she licked the chunks dry. I thought she must not be that hungry and was only eating the “good” stuff.
The next morning, I found her laying by her water bowl. By the time I got her to the emergency vet clinic, she couldn’t lift her head off the pillow and was very distressed. There was no question it was time to do the deed. I told her how much I loved her, and stroked her until I knew she was gone.
I just assumed that age had gotten the best of her, so even when I heard about the recall, I didn’t connect the events. Besides, with only 16 cases, what were the odds that I had gotten a tainted can? Less than winning the Lotto, that’s for sure.
This week, I received an e-mail from Petsmart, telling me I purchased some of the recalled product, and not to feed it to my animals.
I think there are a lot of people out there with older animals, that this has happened to. Your older friend has died and you’ve thrown out the food (or worse yet, passed it on to a friend). If you don’t have the food or receipts, how would you know?
My condolences to all who have lost a companion, especially the younger ones, with whom you expected many more happy, healthy years.
Comment by Bonnie — March 25, 2007 @ 10:52 am
What canned cat food is NOT made by Menu Foods? I was feeding my cat Wellness, and found out just yesterday that they too use Menu Foods to manufacture some of their canned foods. I switched back to Felidae. It wouldn’t shock me if Felidae also uses Menu Foods manufacturing plant. Does anyone know what holistic (no by-product) cat food companies do NOT use Menu Foods? Newman’s Own, Wellness, Castor and Pollux (ORGANIX) - all use Menu Foods to manufacture their food. It’s ridiculous - and unfortunate that the public has to find out that most of the canned cat food available comes from ONE MANUFACTURER. There has to be at least ONE reputable company that doesn’t use Menu Foods. As far as I’m concerned, I will never trust any food that comes from Menu Foods. Please help us identify what other cat foods are out there that do not use this company and are good for our cats. thanks.
Comment by nancy — March 25, 2007 @ 11:10 am
Thanks Gwen and Kim for information about the test tasting, I was very confused about that and will continue to look into it. Thank you also for the http://www.iamscruelty.com/ link. An eyeopener for sure.
Comment by Francella Dell — March 25, 2007 @ 11:11 am
Has anyone tried PetPromise?
They claim NO MenuFood.
http://www.petpromiseinc.com/
Gary
Comment by Gary — March 25, 2007 @ 11:22 am
thank you Gary!
Comment by nancy — March 25, 2007 @ 11:34 am
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 ). I feel so bad because I brought a bunch of Special Kitty canned food to my Mother in law to feed to her stray cats. The next day I heard about the recall. I went back to mom’s house to bring her Purina dry food but with stray cats that live outdoors it is hard to tell if they have gotten sick.
Comment by Peggy — March 25, 2007 @ 12:37 pm
As far as the PeTA thing, I’ve seen their sites regarding the testing process.. but I’m not inclined to view them as an authority on this matter (whether or not animals were knowingly fed tainted product).
They just sent out all manner of press releases and such demanding that Menu pull all their dry products off the market immediately. The kicker? Menu doesn’t even make dry food. They don’t have an in on this one. They’re operating on the same confusing mess of incomplete and quite possibly inaccurate information that the rest of us are.
I’m no fan of PeTA.. but even I was surprised by that particular oversight. Should’ve done their homework before jumping into action!
Comment by Gwen — March 25, 2007 @ 1:22 pm
Peggy- good on you & your mother for helping those strays!
We’ve worked with ferals in the past, and they were among the first of my concerns upon hearing of the recall. Special Kitty was among the foods we used when trapping the cats in my parents’ neighborhood a few years ago. (In fact, I believe it’s how we trapped Tyson, who recently became ill when I offered him a couple pouches as a ‘treat’.) It was inexpensive, easy to come by, and the cats loved it. They might not have been willing to go into the traps for some of the premium stuff, but the Special Kitty usually did the job. (And, if not, some canned mackerel almost certainly clinched the deal.) Many of the people I know who feed stray and feral cats tend to use the cheaper stuff (like SK), because they’re forced to buy such a large volume of it.
Here’s hoping the strays are okay.. as well as your dogs.
Comment by Gwen — March 25, 2007 @ 1:31 pm
Wal-mart had Iams dry cat food on clearance with a red sticker, for $2 in late Feb too!
I NEED A LAWYER!
I NEED MY SPECIMENS TESTED!
PLEASE HELP, I AM IN MESA ARIZONA!
MY CAT DIED A HORRIBLE DEATH.
Comment by julie k — March 25, 2007 @ 1:40 pm
RASCAL WHO WAS ONE IN A MILLION HAD TO BE PUT DOWN ON FEB 19, 2007, RIGHT BEFORE THIS NIGHTMARE CAME OUT IN THE OPEN. HE EXPERIENCED VOMITING, LEGARTHY, THEN CHRONIC KIDNEY FAILURE.
UNFORTUNATLEY YOU CAN’T SAVE AN ANIMAL IF IT GOES INTO THE KIDNEYS. HE WAS 6YRS OLD. I CONTACTED IAMS, MENU FOODS, LABORATORIES, FDA,
UNTIL NOW, I THINK I CAN GET SOMEONE TO TEST MY IAMS SAVORY BEEF GRAVY SAUCE IN A BOTTLE. MOST LABORATORIES SAID I HAD TO LET IAMS TEST IT. I DON’T WANT IAMS TO TEST IT. WHERE TALKING PROCTOR AND GAMBLE WHICH IS P & G. I’LL LET FDA TEST IT FIRST OR ANOTHER LABORATORY FOR THAT MATTER. I EXPLAINED I BOUGHT THE IAMS SAVORY SAUCE AT WALMART AROUND FEBRUARY 1ST, THEN I GAVE IT TO MY DOG AND HE IMMEDIATLEY STARTED VOMITING THE FOOD. I THOUGHT IT WAS A VIRUS OR JUST SIMPLE UPSET STOMACH AT FIRST.
THEN HE LOST HIS APPETITE AND BECAME VERY ILL. I CAN’T HELP BUT THINK HOW STUPID THESE MANUFACTURE’S ARE IF THEY CAN’T TEST THIS ON MICE OR RATS FIRST. WELL I GUESS IM A LITTLE OLD FASHIONED BUT SOMETIMES IT TAKES THE OLD FASHIONED WAY TO TEST A PRODUCT THEN THE NEW TECHNICAL WAY? I HOPE THEY FIND THE CULPRIT?
I LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON HERE NEVER TRUST ANYONE NOT EVEN P & G TO DO TESTING, BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME EVEN IF THE TEST CAME BACK (OK ON THE SAVORY BEEF SAUCE)THAT I SHOULD THROW IT
AWAY ANYWAY. I ASSURED THEM I ALWAYS KEPT THE OPEN BOTTLES IN THE REFRIGERATOR AND FROZE THIS IMMEDIALTELY SO IT WOULDN’T SPOIL.
I KEPT IT FRESH.
Comment by Georgeann Heckman — March 25, 2007 @ 2:00 pm
RASCAlS ONLY ATE THE IAMS MINI CHUNKS WITH THE IAMS SAVORY BEEF GRAVY IN THE BOTTLE, WHICH IS NOT ON THE RECALL, BEWARE THERE IS SOMETHING MISTERIOUS OUT THERE. THIS WAS A HEALTHY 6YR OLD AIRDALE TERRIER DOG. MY VETENARIAN SAID THIS IS A POSSABILITY THAT IT WAS ONE OF THESE? HE DIED A CRUEL AND HORRIFIC DEATH. I OWE THIS TO MY DOG TO FIND THE CULPRIT AS WELL AS EACH AND EVERYONE OF US DOES. I CRIED THEN AND I FEEL DEEPLY SORRY FOR ALL THE OTHER PET OWNERS OUT THERE WHO EXPERIENCED WHAT I DID. ITS VERY FRUSTRATING WHEN YOUR TRYING TO TEST YOUR FOOD WITH SOMEONE WHO WON’T HIDE ANY EVIDENCE? PLEASE BE WARE OF THIS?
Comment by Georgeann Heckman — March 25, 2007 @ 2:13 pm
PROOF that Menu Foods HAS widened the recall. It’s all over the Canadian press today. Menu Foods issued a press release on 03/24/07 to the Canadian News Wire Service. So who knows what the heck is up with the AP and their retraction. Here it is, proof of the widened recall:
http://www.newswire.ca/en/rele.....c6329.html
Comment by Nikki — March 25, 2007 @ 2:14 pm
I’ve been reading post of caregivers looking for
a natural food for the Cat/Dog in their home?
i’l share my choice ? InNova Evo it’s %50 protein? the best dry food available. you can feed it , and add raw meat , you can get chicken
fish , what ever your little pal desires from
the grocer? try it.. im certain your pet’s will
love it.. (50 percent protein! man no other dry
is near that .. ) also has NO wheat or glutens
on ash , no magnesium , it’s really a great food! (for those on a budget try Chicken for
the cat lovers soul , or it’s cousin dog for
dog lover soul, all natural , holisitc) but with the lower protein food you’l need a wet
their’s a lot of natural food that are ok.
try pet food direct.com
good luck , johnypaycut
Comment by johnypaycut — March 25, 2007 @ 2:33 pm
The press release is now on Menu Foods website:
http://www.menufoods.com/recal.....241409.htm
Comment by Nikki — March 25, 2007 @ 2:57 pm
“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.”
http://www.animaltalknaturally.....e-iceberg/
Statements like that disgust me on a very deep humane intuitive level. They sound far too much like, the pets have been martyrs, the common good/worthy goal for which we must all suffer, the end makes the means tolerable…etc. GRRRRR. When I hear things like that, anything else said I disregard and hold as questionable.
I wonder how people who have lost their beloved pets to this feel to statements like that.
Comment by Traci — March 25, 2007 @ 3:35 pm
“What canned cat food is NOT made by Menu Foods? I was feeding my cat Wellness, and found out just yesterday that they too use Menu Foods to manufacture some of their canned foods. I switched back to Felidae. It wouldn’t shock me if Felidae also uses Menu Foods manufacturing plant.”
Read this blog site’s list, and the comments from readers as its readers add more info.
http://petsitusa.com/blog/?p=210
Comment by Traci — March 25, 2007 @ 3:52 pm
” Many of the people I know who feed stray and feral cats tend to use the cheaper stuff (like SK), because they’re forced to buy such a large volume of it.”
It’s also stinkier which whets kitties’ appetites. I know for canned (for humans) tuna is used for the same reason (sometimes that is under 40 cents a can).
Comment by Traci — March 25, 2007 @ 3:57 pm
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Comment by Georgeann Heckman — March 25, 2007 @ 3:58 pm
After losing my beautiful, loving companion of six years to poison pet food this week I will never again purchase a commercial pet food product until there are adequate laws with strict penalties in place to give some assurance that I am not poisoning my pets. I will take the extra time and expense to prepare their food from ingredients safe for humans. Sadly, I no longer trust the industry or anyone in it. I’m sure there are good companies that aren’t adding the body parts of dead animals, road kill, garbage, and rat poison to their food, but who can you trust? I think a little legislation and a few prosecutions would go a long way to protect our beloved pets.
Comment by MFEMFEM — March 25, 2007 @ 4:27 pm
First to MH,
I realize that you and I might not taste test pet food. There are those who do…
But the part of the story about the woman who became ill that makes me jump up and down with relief, is that SOMEONE finally is noticing that this can and has surely affected the human population. Many elderly folks consume pet food as they do not have the money to purchase anything else. Also small children investigate anything…including pet meals. Now yes, parents should be paying attention to their kids, but you just can’t be there every second…it isn’t realistic. I am certain there are many more cases of human illness out there, and I pray that someone wakes up and reports it.
Secondly,
Menu should not assume that just because multiple plants are producing this affected food that there isn’t a possiblity of bio-terrorism. What are the odds that the affected wheat(supposedly) product would have only went to one plant? If an international organization wanted to make a statement they would certainly do it large scale…not aim for one manufacturing plant. That said, with all of the reports of other foods being suspicious for tainting…dry, 9Lives, Alpo, etc; wouldn’t it be safe to assume that wheat suppliers import to far many more manufacturers than Menu? I will not purchase anything ever again from Menu or their buyers (Iams, Eukanuba, etc) including dry food, as they should be held accountable for testing imported ingredients, especially from countries that do not have very strict regulations if any. So even though bio-terrorism may eventually be revealed as the culprit, I still believe these companies must be held responsible for their own failure in quality control.
Comment by Amy Boda — March 25, 2007 @ 4:48 pm
Out on the west coast, SF bay area, KSFO 560 local dial, 4pm, Barbara Simpson will be talking about MenuFoods Poisoning.
Bless her.
Comment by Gary — March 25, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
thanks for that site Traci
Comment by nancy — March 25, 2007 @ 5:35 pm
On Feb. 19, 2007 we lost our dear sweet papillon that was only 5 years old just before this dog food recall occurred. Like many of you, I thought she had a simple upset stomach. She was on the Iams mini chunks. Although this is not incuded in the recall, how she died is so similar to the others. She was always a healthy dog, my best friend is a vet. That morning I was cleaning, my son and husband left to get their haircut. Earlier that morning I noticed how much water she was drinking. She ate her Iams food, which was a new bag, she maybe had 2 or 3 days worth. I noticed she threw up a good amount. I let her in outside as I cleaned it up. Minutes later I went out to get her and I couldn’t find her. She was down in a bush having a seizure. I grabbed her up. Her tongue was hanging out and her eyes fixed. I yelled for my 8 year old daughter and ran to the neighbors, realizing I needed help. Within minutes, she stopped shaking and I knew she was gone. I tried to give her mouth to mouth but I knew it was too late. My daughter was crying for me to help her. I have never been so hysterical. It has been 4 weeks and I still cry thinking about this. My son and husband came home after my neighbor called them. Allie was such a part of our family. Not a night went by that she didn’t sleep with us. The first thing people asked was, “did she get in poison?” I knew our house and knew she had not been in anything. Her only symptoms were a few days before she vomitted and had diahrea and the excess thirst and lythargy. I too thought it was an upset stomach. My friend that was the vet asked if we had rat poisoning. We did not do an autopsy, she is burried in our back yard. The first thing my husband did after she died was threw out her food. We won’t have any proof that this caused her death. I just don’t want anyone to go thru the heartache my family did. My daughter is still afraid something will happen. For weeks, she would not be by herself in the house. I am afraid this dog food recall affects many more types of food than they are releasing. My heart goes out to all the pet owners that have gone thru this. It is hard enough losing a pet of natural causes.
Comment by Julie Liebetreu — March 25, 2007 @ 5:41 pm
I just noticed that canned Special Kitty was mentioned. As far as I know the SK canned stuff is made by Del Monte, the pouches are Menu food. I feed a lot of strays and house cats(about 50 total) and none are sick. besides dry food , use 24 cans SK a day.
Comment by Serijna — March 25, 2007 @ 7:27 pm
It is up to the receiving port to test incoming products as they choose. My wife used to work for a shipping company and there were events a couple times a year when a certain Russian port would put a shipment of enriched flour on hold because of ‘contamination’ - what we generally call micronutrients and vitamins… They would eventually accept the shipment, but I have to wonder how much our ports test incoming food products. Without legislated quality control, the QC falls to the manufacturer who either chooses the lowest bidder or passes on higher costs to the consumer, or both…
I won’t share my specific thoughts on terrorism here, other than to say that you don’t need any combination of conspiracy or terrorism when you have any combination of greed and stupidity involved, not to mention complacency.
The responsible press will only report what they can confirm, and the FDA will move glacially and only on hard evidence. These are good things, but this will take longer than anyone wants.
When I read the ‘this is the best thing for the pet food industry’ I felt a bit angry, I think it could have been said better, but it is true for most systems of economy and government that reform will not happen without blood in the streets. This is as true for pet food as it is for passenger jets.
Our main coon mix is six weeks into recovery, we only buy canned food as we feed it out, and we don’t keep the empty cans for a couple months just in case of a recall, who does? I have significant doubts that we will ever qualify to get anything, and no doubts about the cause of our cats kidney problems. We are checking the supply chain of our other pet foods and will discontinue use of any that cannot state with certainty where their ingredients come from.
There’s plenty of time to break out the torches and pitchforks… Start writing the the boards of directors and tell them what you want. It will probably happen faster than waiting for the government to do anything. The government is used to people asking for regulations anytime something bad happens, but it does not always happen…
Comment by Steve — March 25, 2007 @ 11:40 pm
Digital Journal has been following the recall and included information from this site. You can read about it here:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/.....Thousands_
Comment by Hockey Girl — March 26, 2007 @ 1:54 am
Both of my cats ate some of the IAMS pouches in the last couple of months, and before February, also ate the “gravy” type of IAMS in cans. We took them to the vet last week for blood tests, and both were fine, no problem. What I do recall is the reason we stopped feeding them what had been their “favorite” food, the NON-gravy lamb and rice, was that for no apparent reason, they just refused to eat it and would walk away from the dish. Next it was the beef…then the chicken and turkey….so we had switched to Friskies (NOT on recall…and it’s produced “in house”)and only used IAMS pouches of salmon once a day, a pouch split between the two cats as their “fill in snack” that the spoiled little duo is used to having. As of now, they are eating the food from the vet made by Purina (same company produces Friskie). I’m overjoyed that they had normal blood results, but I still wonder why BOTH cats suddenly refused to eat the canned IAMS, especially the one that had been their total favorite. You can check out the facts on Friskies at the website for Purina, or Nestles. As to the possibility of the culprit being wheat glutin….I’d love to know if we are importing wheat clutin from outside the United States for HUMAN foods. Just looking at various boxed, canned and frozen food in our home, it boggles the mind to see how many products/foods contain wheat glutin in the contents! And…why would a country like the USA have IMPORTED wheat and wheat by-products when WE export a huge amount overseas, and I believe in quite large quantities to the Far East countries, and China? All things considered and laying aside health questions for just a second….would not the importation only add to the cost of the product? I find it hard to believe that the wheat is cheaper that way, unless someone, somewhere has a good deal going with the import/export issue. I’m so paranoid, I have a copy of Dr. Pitcairn’s book coming special delivery from Amazon.
Comment by Eileen Verbeke — March 26, 2007 @ 7:34 am
At the suggestion of this site I called our regional FDA office and left a message about our dog who, like Julie and Bonnie’s pets, died before the recall was announced. We also no longer have the containers or remaining food to test, so can’t prove a thing.
The FDA called early this morning - the guy said they’ve received a great many calls and have the entire staff in returning calls and gathering data. I didn’t truly believe they would follow up, so I’m pleased they’re making the effort. He took my vet’s name and number, got the details of our Sport’s death and what he was eating, where we purchased it, etc.
While kidney failure seems to be the main focus in this story, our dog presented with symptoms more like straightforward poisoning - vomiting and diarrhea, malaise, rapid coma and death. I’m wondering if there’s more than the rat-poison involved?
Comment by Barb P. — March 26, 2007 @ 9:20 am
Here is some interesting info I just discovered via phone contact with customer service reps from Wellness, Innova and Canidae/Felidae pet foods:
1. None of the above named comapanie’s foods are on the recall list.
2. WELLNESS - food is processed at MENU FOODS using separate production lines and the ingredients are different…wellness does not use wheat.
3. INNOVA - dry food is processed at their own plant in Nebraska. Innova canned food is processed at…you guessed it…MENU FOODS.
4. CANIDAE/FELIDAE - NO foods processed at Menu Foods. USES A SMALL, INDEPENDENT, FAMILY OWNED MANUFACTURING PLANT IN ILLINOIS.
…guess which pet food manufacturer will be getting my kitty food bucks?
Hope this info is helpful.
Comment by Phyllis — March 26, 2007 @ 11:57 am
I apologize if what I am asking is a repeat of prior posts. I just came across this site and haven’t had time to read everything yet. We lost Callie, our beloved 17 year old calico cat, on January 28, 2007. She began vomiting on 1/26/07, was very lethargic, and seemed to dehydrate right before our eyes. We got her into our vet the next morning, they checked her over thoroughly, did blood work, then told us she was very sick and they wanted to keep her overnight. We were also told to prepare for the worst. The vet called later that day and said her kidneys were failing. He had her on IV antibiotics, etc. and early the next day, he called again and said she was doing much better. We were pretty hopeful until he called that night and told us she had had a seizure. Then the next morning, we got the call saying she hadn’t made it through the night. We were heartbroken but figured since she was an older cat, it was just her time to go. We didn’t think any more about her death until the news about Menufoods broke, and even then, since it had been over 6 weeks since Callie’s death, I didn’t give it a lot of thought, other than feeling sorry for all the pet owners who might be affected. Callie’s diet was predominantly dry food; however, as a treat we occasionally gave her wet food, but since it wasn’t IAMS or one of the other brand names, I again didn’t think anymore about it until I heard that certain store brands were also affected, including the Meijer Main Choice beef/gravy and chicken/gravy, which is what we had given her. Then I got worried. We still had a can in the pantry, so I checked. Although it doesn’t have the same due date as what is listed on the menufoods website, I’m wondering if what we gave her back in January was what is now being recalled. Naturally, we don’t have those empty cans, so there’s no way to check. However, I now will never be convinced her death is not related to this. She had been extremely healthy, just a slight allergy/cold in 2004, other than that, no vet visits except for check-ups. Are there others out there who have had a similar experience - pets who died of the same symptoms, but much earlier than the deaths initially reported, and who may have eaten the bad dog/cat food? One other thing is I remember my husband commenting sometime between the first of the year and before Callie got sick that she didn’t seem to want the wet food anymore. My sympathies to all who have lost a loved pet. I know there are worse things going on in the world but this is all so very needless and sad.
Comment by Karen — March 26, 2007 @ 12:30 pm
Karen, So sorry to hear about your loss. I just lost my 17 year old tortie to the same thing. It was strange. The other cats wouldn’t touch the wet stuff, but K.C. lapped up all the gravy from the Iams and within a day, I had to take her to the emergency vet to have her put down. Like you, I thought it was maybe just her time. I felt bad for the others, what were the odds that I had a tainted can? If anything, I want the petfood manufacturers to be responsible for this. Something needs to be changed. I still have 4 others that I need to feed and I don’t feel confident even with the dry kibble.
Sorry for the loss of your old lady. (that’s what I called my old girl) I think the older ones were a little more likely to get sick from this. But those fools took the last few years I had with my baby.
All I want is the truth to get out. It’s not 16. Probably in the thousands. Something needs to change so this never happens again.
Comment by Bonnie — March 26, 2007 @ 10:51 pm
To Georgeann Heckman, Julie K. and others who still have samples of recalled food which appear to have caused severe illness or death of their pets, I would appreciate a small amount to test, using a very sensitive method. Please email me at:
HEALTHENERGY@NETZERO.NET
There are various nasty scenarios about what actually has happened. I am most impressed by Banfield’s statistic of hundreds of excess deaths from kidney failure over the past three months, over what was expected. That would take into account accidental poisonings and other causes than what initially happened at Menu Foods. There may even be found more than one culprit, done deliberately to confuse investigations; that is an old “red herring” trick.
If any vets have autopsied material in formalin from organs of deceased pets who had substantial contact with these foods, I would like to know about it, as this can be the “smoking gun” if it gets into the right hands for histological analysis, i.e. an experienced toxicologic pathologist.
I am glad to see some attorneys leaping into this disaster. I just hope that most are honest and do due diligence.
Comment by Ronald Wempen — March 27, 2007 @ 1:05 am
I’ll try to keep this short. My 9 year old very healthy cat died on March 14, 2007. He had all of the symptoms : vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite. Alway having been a great eater, I realized quickly that he wasn’t eating.
On March 14 I took him to the vet who did xrays but noticed no obvious problems and sent us home to wait for blood test results. Sammy was now beginning to show signs of weakness.Within the hour the Vet called and said that Sammy was in renal failure and should be rushed to the nearest hospital.
Short story : he wouldn’t have made it no matter what we did. It was too late for him.
OK … here is the thing : Sammy was a strictly dry food eater. I called the FDA on the 16 or 17th of March (whatever day it was that the story broke) and spoke with a rep who was very interested in the fact that he’d had dry food only and took down all of the pertinent information. They said they were getting many calls regarding dry foods as well.
Look, these things do happen sometimes with cats (sniff, sniff) but in this case, the timing is just too darn coincidental. Is there an investigation into the dry foods? Is there a central reporting place for those of us who use dry foods to report it and therefore monitor the stats? I’ve searched and searched the internet for someone who is taking stats on this. Can anyone tell me … is there a place to report this ???
Thank you for taking the time to read this … short story .
Comment by SusanMarie — March 30, 2007 @ 1:45 pm
need a nutrional diet for a yorkie that has a yeast allergy. ALso is itchy especially on her paws. I homecook for her, however she has gained weight on this diet. I will not give her any dry or wet commercial food. I now homecook ground medium minced meat with frozen vegetables, however the brocolli and brussel sprouts seem to make her burp. I have spent thousands on her because of this condition abd am still in the same place with her. Help is anyone out there that can help me.
Comment by gloria — April 9, 2007 @ 11:22 am
Gloria can a canine nutritionist help? With this kind of a problem I would go to an expert –do you have a large vet hospital near you that might work with you on this?
One of my dogs chews her feet and gets sores and she is allergic to everything - she gets shots for it and I give her allergy medicine, I work closely with my vet.
I also home cook for her too. Sometimes she gets a shot of predizone (sp?) when her skin and legs get really bad.
Best of luck but it sounds like you need help from a pro here.
Comment by Linda — April 9, 2007 @ 11:30 am
i’m worried i tried my cat on whiska’s pouch mixed flavors ,she was not trilled alway ate ckic-a-doodle by ? and alway’s fine.wal-mart here didn’t have room and down sized and of course the chik-a-doodle had to go so ,itried old roy can’s and pouches on both my dog and cat ,then caught the recall and mighty dog pouchs , now friskies purina friskies fine cuts with chicken in gravy,,now he is not himself not acting right or the same ,worried heard about a friskies recall pouches ??? now what ,is he being poisened by this food ? my dog has pedigree little champions master foods out of california both have wheat gluten in them,dog nestle purina pet care co. st.louis heard there was a update on recall new foods as of april 11,2007 help is there?
Comment by frances — April 15, 2007 @ 10:58 am