Pet-food recall: A letter from Nutro
By Gina Spadafori
March 29, 2007
- If you’re new to the site, please check out our general information page.
- If you have lost a pet, we encourage you to learn about pet-loss resources.
As we’ve posted before, we’re not censoring comments, with the exception of spam and comments laced with profanity. (As my Gram used to say: You have a good vocabulary — use it!)
Our no-censor policy has meant a free and open discussion on the pet-food recall, with lots of links, theories, anger, sadness and much, much more. Quite a few people are convinced that products not on the recall list have killed their pets.
We’ve pretty much tried to keep the focus on the recalled products, but the comments have had plenty to say about others, including speculation on dry food.
We repeat: The comment section is yours.
But by the same measure, we want to offer the pet-food companies the chance to comment on their own. Today, we got a statement from the CEO of Nutro, directed at the readers of the PetConnection:
Dear Dr. Becker and Pet Connection Readers,
First of all, I want to personally thank you for helping to share valuable information with pet owners about the Menu Foods recall. It is vital that all pet owners have access to truthful information during this shocking incident.
I also want you to know that Nutro Products, its employees and I are as devastated about this situation as you are. We care deeply about our customers’ pets – it’s why we’ve been in this business for 80 years – and it is simply unacceptable that something in Menu Foods’ supply chain went so terribly wrong. Nutro is preparing to implement additional guidelines that will ensure that the quality control measures used by our co-manufacturers and their suppliers are strengthened so that this deeply troubling situation never happens again.
We know that state and federal regulators must work in a deliberate and painstaking manner to determine the exact cause of a recall and that this process takes time.
One of the most important things we can do immediately is share factual information as well as dispel any rumors or speculation that inevitably occurs in a situation like this. It is critical that pet owners get the truth so we want to take this opportunity to share the following facts:
• Nutro dry dog and cat food products are not affected by the voluntary recall. Nutro dry food, biscuits and treats are not affected by the recall. We know there are rumors and speculation about dry food products. We can assure you that our dry foods are not manufactured by Menu Foods and are safe to continue feeding your pets.
• All products that are affected by the Menu Foods recall are included on this list http://www.menufoods.com/recall. For a list of Nutro specific products that are included in the recall, please see www.nutroproducts.com. According to the Pet Food Institute, ninetynine percent of pet food products that are sold in the U.S. are not affected by the voluntary recall and remain on store shelves. The FDA has stated that pet owners should feel confident feeding their pets products that are not included in the recall.For those of you who have lost a pet or have an ill dog or cat at this moment, we want to express our condolences. We know how difficult it is to lose a treasured loved one. As Nutro has always done, we will treat our customers fairly and with compassion. If you feel a Nutro product in any way contributed to your pet’s illness or death, you should contact us at 1-800-833-5330.
As the President and CEO of Nutro Products, I make a personal promise to you that we will continue to work with the FDA, the AVA and all other organizations assisting in this investigation. We will do everything we can to get to the bottom of this and to take action to ensure that it never happens again. We will continue to share information as we have it, at www.nutroproducts.com, and we invite you to contact us directly if you have any concerns: 1-800-833-5330.
Sincerely,
Dave Kravis
President and CEO
Nutro Products
I’ve put the letter itself on our server. You can find it here.
If you have a pet with a recall-related illness, let us remind you to:
- Call the FDA to report your information
- Call your veterinarian and ask him or her to report to your state veterinarian, also for the FDA
- Enter your pet in our database
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Thank you Mr. Kravis.
If only other CEO’s would follow your example. It is extremely unfortunate your company has been caught up in this. We personally used Nutro products for a long time. One of our cats lived to a ripe old age of 19. Nutro was the only food she would eat. And she never got sick once. Her time came, and thats the way it goes. I never doubted Nutros commitment to putting out a quality product. I think your the first if not the only CEO that has shown the courage to come out on a personal level such as this and show you truly care about this situation. This is the kind of take charge leadership and good will the public needs right now. This is what the public needs, the hope that someone within the industry truly wants to make a difference. Your correspondence convinced me you do care and you are sincere. And in the face of a serious situation. I understand you have a lot of things to deal with right now. But in bypassing the media mill to connect personally with the public in this manner you have set yourself apart as having the courage to tackle this head on. I respect that. And I can support that.
Comment by Steve — March 29, 2007 @ 7:37 pm
MY Pets have been on Nutro a long time Amber 8 years and Sabrina for 4 years .my dogs love Nutro AND THEY Won’t eat Nothing else. as a faithfull NUTRO CUSTOMER I will keep my dogs on NUTRO.But I really feel Nutro should stop dealing with Menu foods my own dogs got sick but I don’t blame Nutro ,I blame Menu Foods . I called Nutro when I had to take the dogs to the Vet and they treated me very nice and UNDERSTOOD HOW UPSET I WAS. MR Dave Kravis,Please stop useing Menu Food. 2,300 should of never of died because of this poison in the wheat.
Comment by JONI — March 29, 2007 @ 7:39 pm
Nice letter from the Nutro CEO (the food that killed my two cats this month), but it needs to trickle down the grunts on the phone that have absolutely no compassion (I believe the call center is outsourced to some far away location). They just don’t care.
Comment by Ron — March 29, 2007 @ 7:46 pm
STEVE,I agee No Other Pet Food Co has step up to The the Plate since all of this except Nutro.And They Do sell the most dog food.
Comment by JONI — March 29, 2007 @ 7:47 pm
How can I trust a company—or its CEO—when I can’t even trust their food labeling? Nutro is notoriously known for what’s known in the pet food industry as “grain splitting,” a practice of breaking a grain into two or more of its components (e.g. “rice” vs. “rice flour” and “rice bran”) in order for that grain to not be listed as the first ingredient on a food label. For many of Nutro’s dry food products, you will see this “grain splitting” deceptive device used so that said grain does not appear as the first listed ingredient; rather, meat is listed as the first ingredient, giving the consumer the erroneous perception that meat, not grain, is the number one ingredient.
I went “undercover” (of sorts) and worked for several pet food companies as a demo/sales rep. Nutro. Science Diet. Blue Buffalo. Of those three, Blue Buffalo is the only one I would trust, based on their hiring, training and policies. But even Blue Buffalo now merits some scrutiny, in view of the recent recall and subsequent scandal blackening the pet food industry, as a whole.
Comment by Nikki — March 29, 2007 @ 7:56 pm
Comment by JONI — March 29, 2007 7:47 pm
Emotions, confusions, and fears are running high. Mr. Kravis has an opportunity to make a difference. Like I said, during all the years we were Nutro customers until our pets passed, I never once felt like I was being bamboozled or mislead by Nutro. I did a lot of research many years back into finding an acceptable commercial grade food and Nutro met every expectation and passed every test. Mr. Kravis’s reputation and business is on the line. He took it into his own hands to contact this web site. Thats a giant step. I’m going to pay attention to what he does. Because if he is truly sincere it’s going to make a huge difference in the long run. Things that are truly worthwhile in life are never easy to attain. And we need all the help we can get.
Comment by Steve — March 29, 2007 @ 8:03 pm
PETA calls on FDA to expand pet food recall to include dry food
http://www.newsday.com/news/lo.....-apnewyork
By DENA POTTER
Associated Press Writer
March 29, 2007, 9:30 PM EDT
RICHMOND, Va. — Animal rights advocates are calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expand a nationwide recall of dog and cat food to include dry varieties and to consider prosecuting the companies involved.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals will make its appeal to the FDA and pet food companies in Washington on Friday. The group says it has received complaints from pet owners who claim their dog or cat suffered kidney failure after eating dry pet food, which was not included in a March 16 recall of nearly 100 brands of pet foods made by Menu Foods, including some Iams products.
The FDA will release preliminary results from its investigation into the recall Friday, spokeswoman Julie Zawisza said. She said she did not know how many of the more than 7,000 complaints the agency has received have concerned dry pet food.
“Because it’s an investigation, new leads come up every day and we follow them, so things could change, so I can’t rule something in or something out in terms of what PETA is reporting,” Zawisza said.
The Veterinary Information Network reported Tuesday that at least 471 cases of pet kidney failure have been reported since the recall, and more than 100 pets have died. Ontario, Canada-based Menu Foods has confirmed the deaths of only 16 pets.
Scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory have identified the rodent poison aminopterin as the likely culprit that prompted the recall. Aminopterin, a derivative of folic acid that was once used to induce abortions and is now banned as a rodent poison in the United States, can cause kidney damage in dogs and cats.
“The vast majority of Americans who share our lives with dogs and cats treat these animals like members of the family, and we expect that the FDA will regulate the pet food industry and that the pet food industries will honor their trust and provide safe food,” said Bruce Friedrich, vice president of international grassroots campaigns for Norfolk, Va.-based PETA.
Friedrich said PETA wants the FDA and the pet food companies to extend the recall to any foods in which they have received complaints and to chemically test the food and perform necropsies on the animals involved. The group also wants the companies prosecuted if the FDA’s investigation turns up any wrongdoing.
Menu officials did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
The FDA doesn’t have the legal authority to issue a recall on anything other than medical products, Zawisza said. Instead, she said the agency can recommend or suggest the companies do so, and “it’s very effective when the FDA says you need to do this.”
There currently are no plans to suggest a dry food recall, she said.
Yvette Faulkner of Doylestown, Penn., said her tabby cat, Sassafraf, which she had for more than a decade, got sick after eating dry Iams cat food. He refused to eat, became lethargic, vomited and constantly drank water, eventually losing five pounds. She had him put down March 7 after the veterinarian told her he wouldn’t live much longer.
“To me, it’s all just too coincidental,” Faulkner said of Sassafraf’s symptoms and those reported in pets affected by the recalled food.
Faulkner said there at least needs to be a temporary recall so that the food can be tested to make sure it is safe.
“It’s too late for mine, but it might not be too late for others,” Faulkner said.
Veterinarians aren’t seeing a trend of pets getting sick off dry food, said Paul Pion, founder of the Veterinarian Information Network. He said since so many people use dry food, you would expect to see many more ill pets if the food was tainted.
“I wouldn’t put much credence in it, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility,” Pion said.
Comment by Mike — March 29, 2007 @ 8:05 pm
Comment by Nikki — March 29, 2007 @ 7:56 pm
It’s a huge wakeup call Nikki. I agree.
Comment by Steve — March 29, 2007 @ 8:05 pm
NIKKI, LOOK AT HOW MANY FOOD CO.’S ARE ON THE RECALL LIST.HAS ANY PET FOOD CEO COME FORWARD N-O. NUTRO IS THE ONLY ONE. THIS WAS TRAGIC WHAT HAPPEN.BUT NUTRO IS NOT TO BLAME IT’S MENU FOOD. SO GO BACK UNDERCOVER WITH BLUE BUFFALO !
Comment by JONI — March 29, 2007 @ 8:08 pm
look at how many food co’s are on the recall
list.
Comment by nathan — March 29, 2007 @ 8:10 pm
Comment by Mike — March 29, 2007 @ 8:05 pm
Mike the biggest concern our Vet expressed to us today was Menus whole handling of the incident.
Menu Foods needs to come clean because they produced the product that is the center of this scandal. There needs to be an investigation into Menu Foods to find out just what they have been doing and how they have been doing it. I have a feeling the shredders are working overtime.
Comment by Steve — March 29, 2007 @ 8:10 pm
Joni, sorry the information I have imparted has caused you to be so hostile. Why so defensive and why so loyal to Nutro? Nutro is doing its part to play the PR game—which is smart, but it doesn’t relieve them of responsibility or of the fact of their “grain splitting” and other deceptive marketing practices. If you want to buy the spin, be my guest. I’m sorry, I can’t. I know too much and for me to say, “Gee, Mr. Nutro, thanks for the pep talk. All is now forgiven…” wel, that is tantamount to sticking one’s head in the sand (or up your a**) whichever catch-phrase one prefers. By the way, Joni, there is no need to SHOUT! I, mean, really…
Comment by Nikki — March 29, 2007 @ 8:13 pm
The Nutro CEO has done exactly what he should have done with this letter: reached out to those most affected by this tragedy, acknowledged and sympathized with their pain, and vowed to make things right going forward. True or not, that is the only acceptable stance for Menu Foods and any company associated with the poisoned food. The veracity of the letter will be shown by the company’s actions going forward and if they are, indeed, committed to making things right, they may very well win back the trust of their customers.
However, the letter doesn’t change the fact that Nutro’s products killed pets. Just one among many others, my Ollie might still be here today had I not fed him NC Kitten pouches. Nor would I be submitting three more kittens to multiple tests just to establish for my peace of mind that they are healthy and escaped their deadly dinner unscathed.
Mr. Kravis, you state your company is planning to “implement additional guidelines that will ensure that the quality control measures used by our co-manufacturers and their suppliers are strengthened so that this deeply troubling situation never happens again”. I submit, sir, that said controls should already have been in place and prevented this terrible disaster to begin with.
Comment by A.C. — March 29, 2007 @ 8:16 pm
Comment by Nikki — March 29, 2007 @ 8:13 pm
Kravis is going to have to prove himself Nikki.
No ones giving him a free pass.
Comment by Steve — March 29, 2007 @ 8:16 pm
I’m sorry, but this seems too politically correct for me. Guess I am a bit jaded, but nowhere in the letter is there any true taking responsibility for what happened.
It comes down to greed. How much many can be saved per can, per bag and it came down to DEATH.
I have read online about how PR firms coach a company during a recall. And step one is ‘personally connecting with the public’ and not withdrawing like Menu Foods did. It looks like from the posts so far that it’s working for you Nutro.
You say that it’s simply unacceptable for what happened at Menu Foods. What about it being unacceptable for you looking at our pets and seeing dollar signs? I don’t know what kind of salary you’re pulling down, but I bet it is far more than the poor people that have lost their pets. Talk about unacceptable.
When will NUTRO say anything they did in their choices was unacceptable??
I’m sorry, but if you were in a car with a drunk driver that ran over my dog and killed it, I’d say it was UNACCEPTABLE for you to let them drive in the first place!
Comment by Concerned — March 29, 2007 @ 8:19 pm
Steve, agree with you completely. Neutro & Natura Pet Products co-founder & co-owner, Peter Atkins, are the only ones personally stepping up to the plate. You can view Peter’s video on Natura’s web site - I found it yesterday. Basically, he states their board of directors has agreed to buy a moist food plant or build one. I’m still feeding dry products from BOTH companies - hope they are safe as of today, and hope their executives are trustworthy in the future.
Comment by PM Hill — March 29, 2007 @ 8:21 pm
I’m with Steve.
As far as the Menu call center.. I found both of the women I spoke with to be kind, caring, compassionate people who, at the very least, seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. I understand that many have been reporting negative experiences, but, ultimately, my experience with the call center was a relatively positive one.. (as positive as the experience of having to inform someone that their company’s product has in all likelihood left your once healthy young cat with potentially irreparable kidney damage could possibly be, anyway).
Just in case anyone out there is dreading making ‘the call’.. they’re not all awful.
Comment by Gwen — March 29, 2007 @ 8:22 pm
The letter from Nutro is the about the most disingenuous and hypocritical letter I can’t imagine. I sent Nutro two emails, the first that my cat was ill and the second that he had died. I also notified Nutro employees at their booth in the Stirling, Virginia pet show. They have yet to respond to my two emails and my comments at the pet show(a response was promised). In my opinion, this personal communication is nothing more than a PR effort. I hope I’m wrong, but if Nutro can’t respond in over a week to a pet owner’s grief then they are showing that they don’t care.
Comment by MFEMFEM — March 29, 2007 @ 8:23 pm
Nutro has been in business for roughly 80 years. Genetically modified corn has been grown for only 5-6 years.
I don’t think it’s Nutro’s fault. I really kind of feel sorry for them. The sad fact is that the vast majority of U.S. and Canadian corn supplies are this horrible stuff right now. GM wheat, soybeans(the biggest GM crop - almost all of it in the U.S.), and rice also are far too common.
In 1990, the grain was good, safe, and clean. In 2000, Corn was still safe.
Now it’s toxic and unless you know of a way to make dry pet food without grain… The whole pet and human industry is about to implode due to a few companies greed and messing with nature.(let alone what’s gong to happen to people in the next few decades from eating it)
And you thought people yelling about genetic modification were wierdos. Welcome to the harsh reality. It came back to bite us.
Comment by Joseph — March 29, 2007 @ 8:26 pm
I don’t know.. I mean, the sheer volume of complaints these companies have received over the past couple weeks has been massive- and many individuals have sent multiple e-mails or made multiple calls, further increasing the volume. It takes time to make contact with hundreds if not thousands of individuals in our situation, particularly if one intends to actually address their concerns instead of just spitting out a bunch of generic form letters. I don’t think that the fact that one has yet to receive a meaningful response necessarily means it’s not going to happen. It took the FDA over a week to get in touch with me, and I still haven’t heard back from Menu yet.
Comment by Gwen — March 29, 2007 @ 8:31 pm
I can’t imagine any governmental or corporate entity going out of their way to make things right because for them, things ARE right.
They’re not interested in making THINGS right…..they’re interested in making THE BOTTOM LINE right. It’s ALL about money. And with regard to all of these dog foods, whether they’re average or high-end — now we see that they all came out of, or off of, the same factory floor.
Glad the pricey ones have been exposed. So now we see it’s all about packaging. We buy a bag with lovely colors, or with a name that translates into “get this one, it’s expensive”…..but they’re all filled with the same thing. (I guess they’ve even got the vets fooled.) Sorry to say this, but no one will convince me that the gov’t or pet food companies have true regard whatsoever for family pets.
Good PR move, trying to rub shoulders with those of us who mourn so deeply for the people who lost their pets.
I apologize if this comes across as so angry, but I am angry!!
How much of a salary is it worth it to you to stay in the business?
I am not saying you or anyone did this on purpose, but sometimes you have to be doing things ON PURPOSE and that means when you are mass producing through someone else, you keep an eye on things better when it comes to LIFE or DEATH.
I don’t feel sorry for Nutro at all and I do think the money they’ve lined their pockets with does make them part of the cause.
Comment by Karen — March 29, 2007 @ 8:36 pm
In response to Jpseph’s comment that he doesn’t think it is Nutro’s fault.
I NEVER would have bought Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care Chicken and Liver Chunks in Gravy, Nutro Max Cat Gourmet Classics Chunks in Gravy, or ANY other product that was manufactured by a third party like Menu Foods. I bought Nutro products because I believed they were manufactured by Nutro, period. I suspect many others did too. I am very selective about what I feed my pets and I paid, I thought, for food coming from Nutro, not a bulk producer like Menu Foods. Nutro betrayed me and now my beloved friend is dead. Nutro doesn’t deserve our sympathy or compassion. Save that for our sick and dead friends and companions. Nutro’s building their own manufacturing plant will not bring my beautiful, gentle cat back to life. Why did Nutro deceive us in the first palce?
Comment by MFEMFEM — March 29, 2007 @ 8:37 pm
Nutro might not have added the toxic ingredient(s) to the food themselves, but the food was being manufactured for them and sold under their name. Ultimately they are responsible for ensuring the safety of their own products, whether or not they produced them in their own factories. Was Nutro really not aware of the problem until Menu Foods initiated the recall? Wouldn’t customers have called Nutro first when their pets began getting sick and dying? The letter from Mr. Kravis is a nice gesture, but it is just that, a gesture. In order to regain my trust Nutro would have to take appropriate actions to improve the quality of its food, the first being ending its association with Menu Foods. Even then, I am not sure I would ever buy Nutro’s products again.
Comment by Anonymous — March 29, 2007 @ 8:38 pm
I’m as jaded as they get. But like I said. Kravis has his work cut out for him. By no means am I giving him a free pass. If he is sincere he will go into this crisis and emerge as someone who really did make a positive difference. I’m not expecting that from the current team of Menu Food Executives. They’ve lost my support forever.
Comment by Steve — March 29, 2007 @ 8:39 pm
I’ve been noticing quite a bit of finger-pointing and speculating in the direction of GM grains as of late, but I’ve yet to see any substantiation of said claim.
I should probably be honest and admit that I don’t think GM foods have anything whatsoever to do with what we’re seeing here. However, I’m curious as to what exactly people are basing these accusations on. Is there some solid research out there that I’ve missed, or is it all just speculation?
Comment by Gwen — March 29, 2007 @ 8:44 pm
Secondly I have been following this crisis since the day it began. Perhaps I have had a chance to vent out my anger but I can assure you I am unforgivably serious about getting to the FACTS on this situation.
Comment by Steve — March 29, 2007 @ 8:45 pm
Comment by Gwen — March 29, 2007 @ 8:44 pm
Gwen, the FDA does not require any testing of any kind of GM products. [Think Monsanto] These GM corps can just run at will without any oversight.
That is truly alarming.
Comment by Steve — March 29, 2007 @ 8:48 pm
Well, I appreciate this letter, and I will be contacting Nutro. However, I will not be feeding my surviving dog (or any other pet) any Nutro product ever again, nor any product that is not made the company that sells it, or, at most, by a small producer. I am getting closer and closer to a raw diet, which I was only somewhat considering before this.
Comment by Pamela J. Betz-Baron — March 29, 2007 @ 8:48 pm
When is Paul K. Henderson, President and CEO, Menu Foods going to STEP UP TO THE PLATE?
Comment by Steve — March 29, 2007 @ 8:55 pm
Joseph- there hasn’t even been dog food for 80 years, so how could Nutro be in the business that long?
I agree with Nikki- I also worked for a pet food company for a few years in the ’90s and found out a lot of information I wish I hadn’t. I have 2 dogs and feed Wysong (I have no affliliation with them. I wrote Wysong an email and they responded quickly and completely and let me know exactly which of their foods are being made by Menu Foods. I have complete confidence in them.
Comment by Robin — March 29, 2007 @ 9:00 pm
I think I would feel Neuto were acting in good faith if they had made the same offer IAMS did to cover vet expenses including testing animals who had eaten recalled Neutro products. I have used the foil pouches since my dog was a pup as I felt Neutro was a premium product, I felt very deceived when I found out they were not manufacturing this food and so they had no quality control over what they claimed was a superior produced dog food.I think both their website and generated e-mail replies try to place all the onus on Menu foods , Neutro knew Menu foods were mass producers of numerous dog and cat foods.If they did not have the facilities to make wet dog food then they should not have sold it.
This letter is Spin the only thing he commits to is calling owners with affected pets who have eaten Neutro food,I called Monday and spoketo an operator whos sole concern seemed to be that I return the recalled product to the store.I refused as I felt then I would have no proof I had the products,she told me a REP.would call me ,no call yet.
Comment by anne — March 29, 2007 @ 9:02 pm
“Nutro might not have added the toxic ingredient(s) to the food themselves, but the food was being manufactured for them and sold under their name. Ultimately they are responsible for ensuring the safety of their own products, whether or not they produced them in their own factories.”
(earlier post)
And I say a big AMEN.
Nutro, take responsibility and I might listen.
Comment by Karen — March 29, 2007 @ 9:02 pm
Nutro finally gave me a case number concerning my cats eating pouches of their tainted food. They also sent me an email which stated that “some pets have become ill” from eating their food, not even MENTIONING that PETS have died! How dare them!
I found this on another petconnection blog.
I think this letter is ‘spin’ if you know what I mean.
Comment by Kirk — March 29, 2007 @ 9:08 pm
I lost my dog to Nutro on March 16th. I reported it to Menu, Nutro, the FDA, the L.A. County Health Department, PETsMART, everyone I could think of. Nutro is the only one that has contacted me, via email, and asked me for Vet bills, samples of the food we still have, and anything else we had that would help get to the bottom of this. I did receive a message on the answering machine from some independent company hired by Menu to do the follow up calls. The message said they’d call back within 72 hours and to have all the information from the cans of food handy… they never called back. The manager of our local PETsMART did call me and offered his condolences and even sent us flowers. But none of it brings back our Lissa. We loved her so much and we are just brokenhearted.
Comment by Cindy Pratt — March 29, 2007 @ 9:08 pm
I am one of those who feel they have a cat that is dead from possibly eating a tainted Nutro canned food that is NOT on their list. I had called Nutro back in January, sent several cans of food for testing and we got a brief letter back saying the food was fine. Our cat became ill in Dec and I suspected the food back then as she was turning her nose up at even though she had been eating it for 3 years. They did not say if they tested it and what for. I also called Nutro several days after the recall and also e:mailed them to report my suspicions once again with the food we were feeding back in January. In the phone call, they took the info down and said they would probably call back. I have heard from no one, they did not ask for use by dates, nothing. I can get no answers why her cuts and gravy style Max Cat California Chicken Supreme is OK to use, it has gravy and has wheat gluten, the only cat food they have on their list is in a pouch. Hers was in a 3 oz can.
So while I respect the fact they sent a letter it has done little if anything to alleviate my worries and concerns that their food didnt have something to do with cats death. She quit eating that food but would eat chicken, she was anemic, she had bone marrow problems in that her red cells were not regenerating, she had intestinal damage, she was anorexic and drank excessive water and vomited daily. She went into a coma and died in March. This all from a cat who had been doing so well in Nov that she was running all over the place.
So while I understand folks wanting to give them a break because they did not manufacture the food, they also have not been dealing with complaints as well as they might lead you to believe in that letter. They are worried about their PR and understandably so. I have many cans of food that I offered to send for testing but they didnt want them. I would suggest to Nutro that actions speak louder than a statement in a letter. So while I see some are wanting to defend them and that is everyones perogative, I personally am upset that they send this letter to the “public” but I have yet to hear from anyone at their company over my complaints. Thank you, Sandi
Comment by Sandi K — March 29, 2007 @ 9:09 pm
Out of curiosity I decided to take a look at Menu Foods 40-pages of financial statements. I got as far as Page 14 where I found something interesting that perhaps should also be addressed (read down to the part about the “cattle less than 30 months of age…”):
“Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (“BSE”)
BSE surveillance continues to confirm an extremely low incidence of BSE in North America,
with cases in both the US and Canada. Both countries instituted a ruminant feed rule in 1997 as
part of their prevention programs. Cases have been identified in Canada in cattle born after the
feed ban. In response to this, Canada has announced a strengthening of the feed ban to prevent
the addition of specified risk materials (those components of the animal thought to have the
highest level of infectivity when consumed) in all animal feed, including pet food. The effective
date of implementation is currently set at July 12, 2007. This change does not impact the Fund’s
formulations, as these risk materials are not currently used.
Additionally, the US has published information stating that the BSE agents found in their cases
come from a rare strain also seen in France, Sweden and Poland, which is harder to detect and
mainly found in older cattle. It is possible that these cases form spontaneously in older cattle
without consumption of ruminant material.
The US currently requires companies to obtain import permits for Canadian pet food imported
into their country. Canada has recently announced that they will institute a similar program.
Publication in the Gazette is expected either late in 2006 or early 2007 outlining the specifics of
the program. On a positive note, the US has opened the border to a wider range of Canadian
cattle in recent months and there are signs that they may be willing to accept pet foods
containing beef that can be certified coming from cattle less than 30 months of age. With the
excellent identification programs present in Canada, it appears that this may be possible and
Menu is pursuing this opportunity.”
Who knows what any of these companies have cooked up, if you’ll pardon the expression.
Comment by Nadine Long — March 29, 2007 @ 9:21 pm
No Brand is going to escape this fiasco unscathed soon or later the CEO’s are going to realize it they may as well step up to the plate right now.
Comment by Steve — March 29, 2007 @ 9:25 pm
I already commented on this article earlier but Im sorry I am upset and have one more comment to make. I dont see how this letter written by the CEO from Nutro is called “stepping up to the plate”. I dont see any actions they are taking right now to make things any better. Why dont they hire additional call center staff to call back folks they said they would call back? Why dont the offer to help people financially that have sick pets at the vet clinics? They have enough money, they could start a pet crisis fund to help those in need. Or if they dont want to do that, why not donate money to animal shelters. Why not enlist numerous labs to help with the testing. Why not tell everyone the reason why they say foods not on the list are OK, specifics would go a long way. For me, until I can get our cats left over food tested (once they know for sure the problem) to know if it played a part in her death, I will not have closure. And that to me is the saddest thing right now, folks who have lost their pets will not be able to have closure until this recall mystery is solved. So I can think of lots of ways Nutro could step up to the plate but what I see is that it involves any money out of their pocket, they arent doing anything.
Im sorry for sounding so harsh and I recognize that this is only my opinion. Im still having a tough time with the loss of our sweet girl, thanks for letting me vent.
Comment by Sandi K — March 29, 2007 @ 10:00 pm
Comment by Sandi K — March 29, 2007 @ 10:00 pm
Your correct. Not enough is being done. The fact remains that as of right now this entire industry is in shambles. It’s out of control. No ones taking charge. I still feel there needs to be a full blown investigation and Congressional Hearings.
Comment by Steve — March 29, 2007 @ 10:11 pm
Can some body here give some advice on who to contact in joining a class action suit???Several firms are no longer accepting plaintiffs when I have contacted them. One was in Chicago and the other was in Wisconsin.I have chatted on line with several people here in my state of Maryland and they have recieved pretty much the same responces.This isnt about money but about getting Justice for my dog who died a horrible death., and all the other families that have lost their beloved pets. I plead some onecontact me or post on here a firm that is about recieving justice and not concerned about how much money they can get for their firm..because when it is all over the people who lost pets are the ones who really matter….and I want some one held accountable for bringing so much pain to my life..and murdering my precious “Shadow” who was a 21 year old Beagle who was basically a healthy animal!
Comment by Mitchell — March 29, 2007 @ 10:14 pm
i talked to nutro again today who told me vet bills were being sent to hartford insurance for review and eventual reimbursement. i told the operator that my cat has permanent kidney damage and will need sub q fluids for the rest of his life every day and when i go away i will need to board him where he can have medical care - how do they plan to factor in paying for long term care of animals who survived being poisoned - but whose medical care and needs will be ongoing. he said menu foods has not thought about that - my question is - now? i don’t like the idea of suing - but will it be the only option? and - of course - nothing can make up for the fact that i had a healthy, happy, active cat who is now very different and whose life has been changed - and all the stress and anguish this experience has caused.
Comment by Rio — March 29, 2007 @ 10:24 pm
Sandi - My cats have gotten sick (kidney failure) after eating Nutro CANNNED cat food. They had eaten the Lamb and Turkey Cutlets variety. The company has asked me to send in a can of it along with notes from my vet. The fact that they fell ill without any other explanation, at the same time as the recall, and with the same symptoms makes me really suspect the food. With these other reports of illness, the responsible thing to do would be to expand the recall in an abundance of caution. I will never buy any food manufactured by Menu Foods again.
Comment by Sarah — March 29, 2007 @ 10:25 pm
Mitchell this is the most recent.
http://www.milbergweiss.com/page.aspx?pageid=5350
Comment by Steve — March 29, 2007 @ 10:25 pm
Action speaks louder than words. Mr. Kravis made a noble gesture with his apology letter, but the public should not be so forgiving until there is proof Nutro and other companies will pay for their actions and change the way they do business. At a minimum the public should stop purchasing non-regulated pet food and switch to organic to drive this point home. The death of a pet is like the death a member of the family to many of us…this tragedy is a serious offense and a letter without verifiable action does nothing to rectify the situation. The public should boycott ALL non-regulated pet food…I seriously doubt the fact that pets have died will be cause for major change— but I have no doubt that loss of profits will be a driving force for change across the industry.
Comment by Surfsista — March 29, 2007 @ 10:26 pm
I’m sorry that was for Rio
Comment by Steve — March 29, 2007 @ 10:27 pm
Mr. Kravis, would you be so kind as to indicate what your company will be doing to remunerate the people who have sky rocketing vet bills.
What if their animal died in Janaury and don’t have the proof of labels for you? Will you still be helping those people out?
Comment by Tracy — March 29, 2007 @ 10:32 pm
http://www.api4animals.org/fac.....e=1cat=286
We all need to do some research and become educated about exactly what we are feeding our pets. We need to take back repsonsibility for their care and stop listening to the commercials and the vets that are promoting garbage!
Comment by Surfsista — March 29, 2007 @ 10:51 pm
Rio.. if you are considering filing suit, you should consult with an attorney (or someone familiar with the laws in your area) before accepting reimbursement. I’m thinking it’s possible that doing so may limit your ability to sue them.
I, too, have wondered what their plans as far as compensation for future medical costs will be. It is unclear at this point whether or not Tyson will have lasting kidney damage (values dropping steadily, but not yet within normal range).. but the statistics from Menu’s own taste test seem to indicate that this is probable. (Only 4 of the first 20 cats that ate the stuff made a full recovery.)
I may have to go out of state in order to find a reputable place willing to take him when I have to go out of town. (Not many available places in this area, and he tends not to be particularly friendly towards kennel staff even when they AREN’T trying to stab him.) And it will be EXPENSIVE. What about the fluids, the regular bloodwork, the special food he may be stuck eating? I’m not submitting anything until I have a better idea of what the future’s going to hold.
Comment by Gwen — March 29, 2007 @ 10:55 pm
Quite a few people have asked about having pet food tested for aminopterin. I’ve just heard from Covance Laboratories, Inc. that they are now offering this service. Before you plunge in and have your pet’s food tested, keep in mind that the researchers are not 100% sure that aminopterin is the only culprit - there may be other toxins involved.
From Covance Laboratories:
Update on Aminopterin Testing at Covance, March 29, 2007
Covance is committed to assisting the pet food industry through the latest food safety issue regarding the analysis of Aminopterin in wheat gluten and finished pet food products. Starting this past Monday, we began to develop a rapid screen method utilizing LC/MS/MS to detect this contaminant. We have purchased and successfully analyzed Aminopterin reference standard. As you are aware, LC/MS/MS will provide a confirmed positive identification of the analyte. We are now in the final stages of verifying that our sample extraction techniques will also provide adequate results for the matrices in question. Our scientists are working on that today, and completion is expected very soon.
We expect to have an operational screening method available by early next week. This screening method will report a positive/negative result. We expect the detection limit to be at least 1 PPM in pet food, with a possibility of a much lower limit such as 100 PPB. The detection limit, of course, is dependent upon the sample preparation techniques that are being finalized, and may vary between finished pet food and wheat gluten.
We understand the urgent nature of the Aminopterin safety issue, and the lack of qualified analytical techniques available in the US. We will begin accepting samples for this analysis, and will treat them all as high priority samples, and place them in the queue for analysis. At this point we would suggest that you send at least 75g of sample for the analysis. An initial sample analysis will be offered for $500, with multiple other samples for $300 each. The initial sample charge will be waived with groups of 5 or more samples. We will contact you with a detection limit and a method summary of the analysis prior to the analysis of your samples, and if we are not able to offer a working method by next week we will also contact you.
Following the development of the screening technique, we will begin to verify the performance of this method as a quantitative analysis. Please let us know if a quantitative method is desirable. If you are interested in further updates from us (without sending samples at this time) also let us know. Shellie Stassi (contact information below) is coordinating this project for Covance.
Doug Winters
Associate Director, Food and Drug Analysis
Covance Laboratories
Shellie Stassi
Client Manager - Food & Nutrition
ph (608) 245-7036
fax (608) 242-7903
shellie.stassi@covance.com
http://petsitusa.com/blog/?p=224
Comment by Steve — March 29, 2007 @ 10:57 pm
Some people say they don’t blame Nutro, it’s all the fault of Menu Foods. My cats consumed Iams, and you’d better believe I also blame Iams/Procter & Gamble. There’s a legal concept that is not new called “due diligence.” To apply it to this issue, it means if a company like Nutro or Iams puts their name on the can, they have created a contract with you regarding what’s inside: a safe product for your pet to eat. Companies outsource a product primarily because it is less costly than making it in their own production facilities. There are risks associated with this, and companies crunch the numbers on what level of oversight is necessary in outsourcing versus cost. How often did Iams or Nutro inspect Menu Foods manufacturing facilities? Did Iams or Nutro request detailed reports about the sources of ingredients in their formulations? Could Iams or Nutro have had a dedicated representative or two on-site at the Menu Foods facilities to consistently oversee operations affecting their foods and learning about the deaths of the test animals earlier? Hello? These companies ACCEPTED the risk associated with outsourcing, and I cannot fathom how someone would say, It’s not Nutro or Iams’ fault. Due diligence! Check into it.
Comment by Ryan Muskopf — March 29, 2007 @ 11:14 pm
Dear Mr. Kravis,
You want to REALLY do something to make the
future brighter? To at least say that the loss oof these dear pets at least caused SOMETHING positive to happen for their littermates.
Call up the other CEO’s like yourself who tout
“natural” and “holistic” animal foods that use
MENU FOODS as the manufacturer. Get your boards
to authorize the construction of a shared facility for ONLY NATURAL/HOLISTIC PRODUCTS.
Take the initiative to TEST every batch of every raw ingredient that comes into the plant and take responsibility for what you are selling to the public as YOUR food.
Actually PRODUCE and SELL the quality that your advertising people tout in copy.
Jim
Comment by Jim C. — March 29, 2007 @ 11:27 pm
Regarding COVANCE LABORATORIES offer to test for aminopterin: First, does $300-$500 per sample seem somewhat excessive? I will be the first to admit I do not know how much Covance had to invest to facilitate testing of these samples, but I smell something funny.
Also, for anyone who cares, Covance is also in the business of animal testing on a large scale for the gamut of business and industry. Just type keywords:
covance animal testing
into Google.com and see what you find. It’s not just Peta reporting on the pretty grotesque tests they run on all kinds of live animals, including monkeys, cats and dogs. I’m not debating on animal testing here, just telling you to be informed, and judge for yourself if this company is performing some tests on animals that are maybe a little excessively torturous.
Hey Covance, no thanks! I’ll find someone to test my food samples for a much more reasonable fee.
Comment by Ryan Muskopf — March 29, 2007 @ 11:31 pm
Steve…thanks for the post of a firm that is filing a class action suit. I will contact them tomorrow and hopefully it will be a more positive experience for me and my fellow Marylanders once we contact them…it has been such a horrible experience so far and we all need a bit of goodness to come our way in getting Justice…thanks again.
Comment by Mitchell — March 29, 2007 @ 11:44 pm
I would like to know, WHAT are they feeding their Dogs? Im afraid to even feed my dog Any dog food!!!
Comment by Patty — March 29, 2007 @ 11:57 pm
I’m not sure that there’s any real relevance to my question, but I have to wonder when these food manufacturer’s first learned of a possible problem with the pet foods and not just when Menu Foods first heard about complaints.
As far as I can tell, most people didn’t even know of Menu Foods, so weren’t the original complaints given to the companies themselves and in turn, then sent on to Menu Foods? Mr. Kravis and others, have made the delayed recall seem the fault of Menu Foods. Was it really? Lots of unanswered questions here and I will be very happily surprised if the public ever learns the truth of what really happened.
Comment by Pat — March 30, 2007 @ 12:07 am
It bears repeating:
Mr. Kravis, you state your company is planning to “implement additional guidelines that will ensure that the quality control measures used by our co-manufacturers and their suppliers are strengthened so that this deeply troubling situation never happens again”. I submit, sir, that said controls should already have been in place and prevented this terrible disaster to begin with.
Comment by A.C. — March 29, 2007 @ 8:16 pm
Comment by Dee — March 30, 2007 @ 12:13 am
“Before you plunge in and have your pet’s food tested, keep in mind that the researchers are not 100% sure that aminopterin is the only culprit - there may be other toxins involved.”
Now they are looking at melamine:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/.....00296.html
Comment by Dee — March 30, 2007 @ 12:24 am
Somewhere in this thread someone asked for information on a law firm that has filed a class action suit. The firm in Seattle that is handling a case for a man in Portland, OR is Myers and Company.
http://www.myers-company.com/
Comment by Dee — March 30, 2007 @ 12:29 am
It seems near impossible to find a complete list of products manufactured by Menu Foods. The pet food industry seems to be very careful about only identifying those products that are currently part of the recall although they admit they do not know the cause or causes of the the illness resulting from Menu Foods products. Perhaps these other products have passed Menu Foods “kill tests” and are therefore deemed safe, I certainly hope so but do not know. However I would like to know what their other products are and who distributes them so I can avoid them both now and in the future.
Comment by alex — March 30, 2007 @ 1:15 am
I just heard on NBC Channel 4 news (LosAngeles) about an ingredient the FDA is requesting IAMS to removed from their reduced calorie canned foods. Is there more information on this yet? I could only find the following link on the FDA site:
http://www.fda.gov/foi/warning_letters/b6285d.htm
Comment by R.R. — March 30, 2007 @ 1:21 am
FDA Public Meeting on Animal Feed Safety System to present work-in-progress on a method for ranking feed contaminants according to the relative risks they pose to animal and public health.
quote
“During the past several years, FDA has been considering changes to the Agency’s Animal Feed Safety System (AFSS), which is a program aimed at protecting human and animal health by ensuring that animal feed is safe. As part of this effort, FDA is developing a model for ranking the relative risks to human and animal health from contaminants in animal feed.”
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/AFSSPM2007Update.htm
Comment by Stefania — March 30, 2007 @ 3:02 am
Mr Kravis,
Sorry if I don’t buy this at this late date, we are two weeks into this nightmare wondering if our pets ate your tainted foods and are going to die.
I was horrified to see you outsourced to menu Foods your Nutro Ultra HOLISTIC canned food which I fed to my 4 dogs and winded up on the recall list. I shudder to think this careless decision to outsoure canned foods could have wiped out everyone of my beloved dogs!
After the Diamond food recall in late 2005 you reassured your customers online that you tested every batch thoroughly and required certificates that the ingredients used were free from toxins. Where are those certificates now Mr Kravis?
http://www.nutroproducts.com/diamond.asp
You were on the Whole Dog Journal’s best food list, whom by the way cared enough to alert me by email of the recall to make sure I was aware of it. Something your company did not even have the decency to do even though you have my email address and thousands of others in your frequent buyer program online.
All of this got me thinking so I did some searching on the Internet for information on Nutro and seems in 1998 the FDA found pentobarbital in your dog food.
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/FOI/dfchart.htm
Then in 2001 a letter from your company to influence the FDA warning labels on pet food:
“Nutro strongly supports the current cautionarv labeling statement on ruminants feeds and does not believe that pet foods other than salvage pet foods, should be labeled with the statement; “Do not feed to cattle or other ruminants”. This statement is unnecessary and confusing and would present significant financial risk to the US pet food industry since consumers do not understand the term ruminants. If pet foods bare this statement, consumers will fearfully be inclined to steer away from it.”
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/docke.....h00010.pdf
Your wrong pet people do understand more than you think when it comes to their pets and what I see is PR and worrying about your future financial success, not the safety of our pets and your betrayal to your customers.
Barbara in VA
Comment by Barbara — March 30, 2007 @ 3:13 am
Eveyone is upset but there is no need to tell someone to stick it up their a… the lady who works for blue buffalo have you heard From any other CEO Since MARCH 16, No
Comment by ANNA — March 30, 2007 @ 5:08 am
Anna,How True That Was low .Has Bleu Buffalo Sent Out A Press Release? Seems Every FRI. Theres More Bad News.
Comment by Geoge — March 30, 2007 @ 5:35 am
Yes Anna, The Person Who Works For Blue Bufflo Was Rude.Have Not Heard From Her C.E.O. I’M Sure Nutro IS Freaked Out Over This.PeTs Are Sick,Have Died From This Recall.Nutro Is The Only 1 We Heard From In The Last 2 Weeks. SO Kudos To Them.
Comment by Tommy — March 30, 2007 @ 5:53 am
Any information on the dry food recall? Just saw report Friday morning on CNN?
Comment by Julie — March 30, 2007 @ 6:50 am
Mr Kravis,
Nutro was one of the last major pet food companies to post a notice about the Menu Foods recall on its home page.
Nutro’s press releases about the recall, written in a vague and passive style, talked around the issue instead of addressing it. The company repeatedly said it was ‘voluntarily withdrawing’ certain products. Early press releases seemed to give the distinct impression that this was merely a precaution, although you knew by this time that large numbers of pets were dying. Your customers could easily have underestimated the need for concern.
On your website, in the recall FAQ you ask what makes Nutro distinct from cheaper brands also made by Menu Foods, and say:
“As a contract manufacturer for Nutro, Menu Foods creates Nutro brand products according to our own proprietary recipes using our specified ingredients. These formulas are made exclusively for Nutro. Our recipes and ingredient profiles are the result of years of research and development, and meet the highest quality standards for nutrition and taste.”
In your letter you say, “it is simply unacceptable that something in Menu Foods’ supply chain went so terribly wrong.” On the one hand, you take responsibility for what is in your food, on the other, you blame your supplier for the problem. Regardless of whose fault the contamination is, what is in Nutro food is your responsibility.
Your foods might indeed have high quality standards for nutrition and taste, but they are still among about 95 brands that have been contaminated by the same manufacturer. The primary focus at this time should not be protecting the reputation of your company, but properly educating the loyal customers who trusted Nutro pet foods. Many people are unaware of the extent of the problem or the large number of products affected - most of the news media is saying 15 pets got sick. As of this morning, I can still browse through those recalled foods on the Nutro website and not realize that there is anything wrong. There is only a tiny button labeled “Menu Foods Recall Information” off in the corner, above the link to help customers choose a product.
Handling this crisis more responsibly would have inspired confidence in your company’s integrity. Expressions of sympathy for the victims are meaningless unless you are doing everything in your power to make sure no pet owner is continuing to feed the tainted food to their pets.
My small, two-year-old cat spent last week getting fluid injections to flush out her kidneys - she ate at least 12 packets of Nutro Natural Choice Adult from the recall dates. Perhaps many more. It was the main food she had eaten for most of her life. She got sick weeks after the problem was known, but a few days before it was made public. What my cat eats is ultimately my responsibility - she depends on me, and in this case, I failed her. The sad irony is that I chose a premium wet food in an attempt to avoid the long term renal problems cats are prone to.
Had your company communicated the problem quickly and clearly, taking responsibility for the products that bear the Nutro name, your company would have had my respect, and I might have returned as a customer.
Sincerely,
Paul Schliesser
Comment by Paul — March 30, 2007 @ 9:22 am
This press release actually makes me angrier. Several days ago, I sent Nutro an email enquiring about their chunk style cat food in cans which is also made by Menu Foods. These cans do contain wheat gluten and I asked if they have recalled these. I have yet to receive a response. I had been told by someone on their hot line that they were recalling the cans as a “precaution.” But they haven’t done so, not from what I see on the store shelves.
I pointed out on another thread on pet connection that if you go to their web page, they first have a BIG SECTION about how Nutro makes its own dry food. Then you can link through to Menu Foods list of recalled pouches. There is nothing mentioned about the canned food.
As far as I’m concerned, if they knew the cans were safe they’d be making a BIG DEAL about it, just like they did with the dry food. You know what, I’m so ticked off, I’m going home and throwing out a just opened bag of Nutro dry. I don’t care if its OK or not, its a matter of principle. I will never, and I mean never buy any of their products again.
Mr Kravis, you can’t P*** on me and tell me its raining.
Comment by Andrea — March 30, 2007 @ 12:44 pm
I called and emailed Nutro several times and got no satisfaction whatsoever. The emails got FAQ bulk responses and the phone calls got generic answers and a promise to be called back with the answer to the questions I was interested in, which are these… Are the recalled Nutro Products being tested? If so which were contaminated and which were not? If they are not being tested, why not? This basic information is vital to the health of our animals and I think we need to insist on getting it. My second point is that I will not buy another Nutro product unless they cut ties with Menu Foods. Menu Foods has in my opinion forfeited it’s right to sell for to our pet, plain and simple, and Nutro despite it’s letter to the contrary needs to anti-up the information of what was tainted, where they sold it, and how they can assure us they are not really in the business of killing animals.
Comment by Kevin — March 30, 2007 @ 1:14 pm
I’m sure someone from Nutro is monitoring this blog. So let’s hear something from you.
What is the status of your canned cat food? We know its made by Menu Foods and we know it has Wheat gluten in it. Have you recalled it? If not, why not? Have you had it tested? If not, why are you still selling it?
Comment by Andrea — March 30, 2007 @ 2:38 pm
While I appreciate the letter and I am certain the company (Nutro Products) is saddened by this catastrophe, I don’t see that Nutro is severing ties with Menu Foods. I am appalled at the way that Menu Foods handled this situation, especially doing a live “taste” study on pets to see how many sickened and/or died from tainted foods before recalling the products.
Since I as a consumer can’t boycott Menu Foods directly because they are a distributor for many pet food companies, I have to rely on the corporate executives to do what is right in this instance. As far as I’m concerned, any company who still does business with Menu Foods after this shocking course of action won’t get another nickel from me!
Comment by Linda Boumarafi — March 30, 2007 @ 3:29 pm
Pet food companies doing live testing on animals with food known to be tainted? C’mon people, is this ok with you? How can I feed my pets food made by companies who use pets to decide just how poisonous their food is? And then after many of these animals die or become very ill, there is further delay. I can only suppose that Menu Foods was waiting to see how much more murder they might be able to get away with. Doesn’t anyone see the horrible irony of this situation? It’s one thing to say you’re sorry but it’s another to do something about it. I just don’t want to believe that this is how the pet food industry does business. Please let us know this is not what goes on.
I’m looking into pet food from companies who do not use Menu Foods or who promise not to use them in the future. The pet food companies who promise that their foremost concern is the health and well-being of all animals have to see that using pets as research animals in this way to make pet food can never be acceptable. I still cringe when I remember the first time I heard about this on the news. I thought I was hearing things. Please speak up about this. I know everyone is in the throes of panic regarding the confusion over the poisoned food and many are living with the terrible grief of the loss of a beloved pet but the handling of this recall plays out like the worst horror story on so many levels. I want to know; is live animal testing of known poison foods by pet food manufacturers common practice and is it acceptable to animal lovers everywhere? What do the pet food companies have to say about this? I am waiting to hear.
Comment by Susan Mick — March 30, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
Mr. Kravis:
One of my cats got a horrible UTI in December- right around the time I was feeding them some Nutro wet cans and some pouches as a treat. It came on so fast, and was so severe, my vet said she had never seen such a heavy load of crystals in a cat’s urine. Since your wet food never made up more than 25% of their total daily intake I believe we just dodged a bullet. And no, I don’t have the cans or pouches from December.
The cost for tests, and medication was well over $400 dollars. But compared to some folks vet bills and the heartache of losing a beloved pet, I got off cheap.
Guess what? As promised your dry food is in the garbage. The cans were thrown away several days ago when your company failed to respond to my questions. I went out tonight and bought a new dry food. My cats just love their new Innova Evolve Dry Food. Yeah its expensive at $7.99 for 2.2 lbs - but lets look at those ingredients. Turkey and Chicken are the first two ingredients - and look no grain. And hey at about $2 a pound more than your food - I’d have to buy 200 lbs before it cost me what treating the UTI cost me.
I have to sign off because my cats are trying to get into the Innova bag, and yowling for more - something they’ve never done with your food.
Comment by Andrea — March 30, 2007 @ 10:17 pm
In early February of this year I switched my 11 year old dog to Nutro dry dog food thinking I was buying him a higher quality product. I have always fed my pets dry food from a different manufacturer. At the time he was very healthy and playful. Within a month he became lethargic, consumed large quantities of water and lost 5 pounds of weight. His original weight was 22 pounds. Most of his weight loss seemed to be muscle mass as he was literally skin and bones in the end. After $400+dollars spent on testing and, unfortunately, euthanizaion on March 15, I learned of the pet food recall. At first it was only canned and moist food. Now I see that some dry food is being recalled.
I don’t know who to trust or who to believe. I am not sure that the food was the cause of my pet having to be put to sleep and I hope Nutro is telling the truth about their dry food. All I know is that he was suffering terribly and now he is gone.
One question no one has answered, and I hope I have my facts correct, but why is Menu Foods importing their wheat and/or wheat products from China??? Both Canada and the US produce mega tons of wheat. Many foreign countries are allowed to use pesticides that are banned in the US on many crops and I would also assume that this lax attitude also applies to other foodstuff manufacturing. It seems that we are paying the price for importing lower cost products.
My little buddy Pete is gone and I would feel terrible if, in an effort to improve his menu, I poisoned him. I miss him dearly.
Roger L
Comment by Roger L — April 2, 2007 @ 8:15 am
i too feed one of my cats tanted food but i did not feed her alot it was used as a treat till she did not want it enymore she has now become ill but not to the point of being sick and the vet said she will be ok BUTi have tryed to email nutro and it will not go through and the calls never get picked up just ring and ring … now how can i pay for bills that should not have happened i do think the people that made her ill should pay i run a pet grooming shop and nutro had sent me samples and panflets to give my clients in the past. now how do thay think i feel giving my clients info about people that do this to loving pets that trust us to look after them … i like to call this a rape and will treat as so and people that rape others should be held acountable. thay are no better then what the jails hold. this is crimal. and crimals should be held responcible.
i got into grooming to help not hert.
Comment by pearl — April 19, 2007 @ 4:32 am
I sympathize with Rio. My cat also was poisoned on Nutro and now needs sub q fluids for life. It’s heartbreaking. The Hartford won’t say what exactly they are looking for in the vet records, and how much they would reimburse. I’m not going to send them records if all they’re going to do is use them for their own defense against law suits and find a way to refuse paying anything.
Comment by Jane — June 7, 2007 @ 9:11 pm
I have had to PTS my beautiful Brown Stud and have four breeding females very sick. The stud lived on Nutro as did the first girl to get very strange symptoms. They were addicted to it for years. I was advised by Nutro to allow my cats only to feed on Nutro as they claimed it was the best in the world. I have had a small amount of the last packet of dried food they were eating tested for Melamine and it came back 1 part per million which is considered by the laboratory to be safe. Three vets have advised me to look for aflatoxins as we were sold a batch of food that had been radiated by the customs people. My stud is having a post mortem done. I look like having 50% of 17 years work wiped out…… I would like to know who produces the raw materials for Nutro and what is their corporate chain ie: is Wilbur-Ellis the one who gives them raw materials or Natural Balance or Mars? Can anybody help me track the food chain to the end of production ?
Comment by Valerie Cashman — September 9, 2007 @ 8:26 pm