Pet-food recall: Hill’s Pet Nutrition recalls Feline m/d dry diet
By Gina Spadafori
March 30, 2007
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Just posted to the Web site at Hill’s Pet Nutrition:
In accordance with its over-riding commitment to pet health and well-being, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is voluntarily recalling Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food from the market. Hill’s is taking this precautionary action because during a two-month period in early 2007, wheat gluten for this product was provided by a company that also supplied wheat gluten to Menu Foods. U.S. Food and Drug Administration tests of wheat gluten samples from this period show the presence of a small amount of melamine. Prescription Diet m/d Feline Dry represents less than one half of one percent of all Hill’s products.
This is the only product Hill’s currently sells in the United States and Canada that contains wheat gluten from any supplier. No other Hill’s Prescription Diet® or Science Diet® products are affected by this voluntary recall. Hill’s Science Diet Savory Cuts Feline canned cat foods, manufactured by Menu Foods, were previously withdrawn from the market as a precaution. Together with this earlier withdrawal, less than 1% of all Hill’s products have been affected.
The voluntary recall of Hill’s Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food involves discontinuation of all retail sales and product retrieval from sellers. This recall does not include Prescription Diet m/d Feline canned food which contains no wheat gluten.
Consumers should stop using this product and return it for a refund. All Hill’s products carry a 100 percent guarantee, and consumers can receive a refund for recalled product.
The emphasis is Hill’s. Here’s the rest.
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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Technorati Tags: pet food recall, dogs, cats,veterinarian, veterinary
Damage control time. Are there more dry recalls to come? Much better for the companies to recall now on their own accord than to be forced into it. It’s all spin!
Comment by Linda — March 30, 2007 @ 4:00 pm
The Hills’ Prescription c/d should also be recalled. Our cat died in Jan. and only ate the dry c/d. This is a national tragedy. All pet food should be recalled and tested before any more pets die needless deaths!!!!!! I am angry and heartbroken.
Comment by Janice — March 30, 2007 @ 4:05 pm
Hang on everyone………. here we go it is going to be a wild ride (like it hasn’t been already), there will be more to follow. Any guesses on how many more will step forward and recall their dry food too?
Comment by marcy — March 30, 2007 @ 4:06 pm
0.005$ per can or pouch of wet pet food. That’s what they save by buying wheat from unregulated China, that’s the price caring Mr. Henderson and the billion dollar pet food industry puts on your pet.
“The current U.S. domestic price for wheat gluten is 65 to 70 cents a pound, up from 55 cents in spring 2006. Chinese wheat gluten is about 10 cents cheaper than U.S. gluten.”
http://www.capitalpress.info/m.....M=22241.32
Comment by Sandro — March 30, 2007 @ 4:07 pm
Lots will tonight and over the weekend for fear of NEWS Monday. Wanna bet that some inside information is leaked to the major networks soon?
Comment by Linda — March 30, 2007 @ 4:07 pm
Janice, I’m so sorry for your loss of Kitty. No money or anything can make up for it.
Comment by Linda — March 30, 2007 @ 4:08 pm
What are the symptons (Cats/Gogs)from the Fodd Recall?
Sincerely;
Roger Pet Lover
Comment by Roger DeValle — March 30, 2007 @ 4:15 pm
Ugh. I just bought Thomas a fresh bag of (Purina) DM dry (contains wheat gluten).. I’m hoping I can stretch the remnants of the last bag a little longer, just in case they decide to jump in on the recall. It’s possible that this bag may be from the same batch as the last one I purchased (which was safe), but, unfortunately, I chucked the old bag last week. Boo.
Comment by Gwen — March 30, 2007 @ 4:22 pm
I am going to be SICK.
And no not from eating pet food.
I am heartsick right now.
Comment by Tracy — March 30, 2007 @ 4:24 pm
Roger, Gina has it listed on the main page I believe. It can come on sudden or happen over a long period of time. Some vomit, drink alot, urinate often, then stop eating and stop drinking and sleep alot.
Can be sudden onset or slow onset.
Comment by Linda — March 30, 2007 @ 4:25 pm
Rober, click on the link at the top of this page: general information page and read everything. Best of Luck.
Comment by Linda — March 30, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
I knew this was coming…but it is still so unbelieveable. My healthy 7 year old cat died 3 weeks ago, she ate Nutro Dry. My dog became sick soon after, also ate Nutro Dry. He is doing better now. I have reported this to the FDA. I am also going to notify Nutro. I saw something on the news that they want anyone that had problems to contact them. Hope they are ready for all the calls they are going to get.
I have my other cat and the dog on Science Diet now. Although this announcement makes me a little nervous, it is comforting to know that Science Diet is stepping forward and not taking any chances. It also sounds like none of their other products contain this wheat gluten….if that is even the real source of the problem. Seems to change everyday.
Does anyone know anything about Corn Gluten Meal? Is it totally unrelated to Wheat Gluten? All the dry food seems to have that. They need to figure out the source of this problem and inform the public NOW. It makes me sick.
Comment by Shannon — March 30, 2007 @ 4:32 pm
Sneaky bastards. They can’t escape the scrutiny of the internet. I hope this thing gets blown wide open on national television.
Comment by Steve — March 30, 2007 @ 4:39 pm
Perhaps we should try to find out who made this recalled dry food. We might be able to figure out what else will be recalled soon.
Comment by Angie — March 30, 2007 @ 4:41 pm
So is this THE kibble that *may* be tainted that the FDA wouldn’t tell us about or is this something else?
Comment by slt — March 30, 2007 @ 4:42 pm
It’s worse than imagined - just watch!
Comment by Linda — March 30, 2007 @ 4:51 pm
Have a sick or already deceased pet and you want their food tested? Call the FDA now. They are interested in testing any batches not already on the recall list.
Comment by Dee — March 30, 2007 @ 4:56 pm
Well here on the hills site it now says all of their savory cuts are recalled, however they told our hospital at the beginning of the week that only certain lot numbers were, here we have been feeding it to all boarding pets and the residents that live here ( cats)
Now its after hours and I have to go back to work and pull all affected foods so that they won’t be sold or used in the morning….this sucks
But also am glad that my dogs NEVER eat the hills stuff,
Comment by CF — March 30, 2007 @ 5:02 pm
Why do we need Gluten anything anyway? Pets need good protein, carbs, veggies, and vitamins - right. Nothing else science can alter or poison or kill with.
Comment by Linda — March 30, 2007 @ 5:02 pm
Why aren’t the Pet Food brands commenting?
Wellness, Old Mother Hubbard, Newmans Own, Nature’s Variety, Neura, and all these others not on recall but who used Menu Plants during these time periods?
How the hell are people supposed to be assured of what they are feeding their pets?
Comment by Steve — March 30, 2007 @ 5:03 pm
I thought this was interesting. FDA has a new section called pet food contamination response at this site:
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/petfood.....tamination
It gives the order by numbers on what steps occur and when…..I think Menu Foods need to read this, they have things a bit out of order. It is supposed to be first you identify the problem, then you correct it, then you resume food distribution. Menu Foods order of things is to #1: never stop food distribution even if you find a problem, #2 dont bother to identify the problem, #3 dont correct it and #4 bottom line-keep cranking that food out no matter what.
Comment by Sandi K — March 30, 2007 @ 5:09 pm
THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM…………
Comment by marcy — March 30, 2007 @ 5:09 pm
OMH/Wellness sent me a $10 coupon in the mail. All is well now. My confidence in the industry is reestablished. My fears/concerns are gone.
Comment by Lois Kimball — March 30, 2007 @ 5:13 pm
Steve, here’s the statement from Wellness which is also Old Mother Hubbard. I have been feeding my cat their dry food for a year and she is doing very well on it.
To Our Pet Parents, Retailers and Partners,
As you may already know, Wellness brand pet food was NOT involved in the recent Menu Foods “cuts and gravy” product recall.
Consistent with our mission of providing uncompromising nutrition for dogs and cats, Wellness is committed to healthy, high-quality and natural pet food ingredients and recipes. Our products, for example, do not contain wheat, corn or soy or any artificial preservatives, flavors or colors.
Our pets are part of our families. While Wellness brand pet food was not affected, we express our sympathies to the animals, and their pet parents, who have suffered as a result of this unfortunate event.
As always, if you have any questions, we are happy to help and would love to hear from you. You can reach us at 1-800-225-0904.
Jim Scott
CEO, Wellness
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 5:14 pm
My dog was in the vet for three days out 1 and back in again….all she eats is Iams Dry…I am hearing alot about the same thing but nothing is being recalled. It makes me want to scream…who do I call. I am in Canada and we don’t have any sort of regulatory authority on this. Then they say that nobody has reported the dry…Iams has all my vet records!!!!!
Comment by Tanya — March 30, 2007 @ 5:14 pm
If Menu Foods switched to this Chinese wheat gluten savior, you can bet your ass a whole lot of other pet food (wet and dry) companies did as well. Check the ingredients on your bags, if it says wheat gluten or flour, discontinue use.
Comment by Sandro — March 30, 2007 @ 5:20 pm
DITTO!
Comment by Linda — March 30, 2007 @ 5:22 pm
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 5:14 pm
We have to feed our cat Wellness wet. It’s all she’ll eat. I’m very concerned about what plant this came out of. I’m in a jam.
Wellness (verified by company 3/26/07)
* “Menu does make some of our canned cat and canned dog foods. They make
OUR recipes according to OUR quality standards.”
* “We have procedures in place to clean between each run of food that is produced. We also inspect the plant regularly to audit their procedures. Since we take our quality very seriously we go above and beyond what is expected in the industry. We are happy to tell you that we require our facilities to pass an audit by Cook & Thurber, a HUMAN FOOD auditing firm.”
* Other manufacturers are used besides Menu Foods.
* Products do not contain wheat, corn or soy, artificial preservatives, flavors or colors.
Comment by Steve — March 30, 2007 @ 5:26 pm
All-Is the Hill’s M/D Feline Dry recall the results of the FDA investigation??? Is Hill’s that company referenced at the press conference today, and is the M/d the only poisoned dry food???? Or is Hill’s simply being cautious because it contains wheat gluten?? And are we waiting for the big shoe to drop?
Comment by Shawn — March 30, 2007 @ 5:31 pm
Does anyone know the lot numbers for the recalled MD. My cat was on it until the recalls started. I did not like the Hills Science Diet response to the recall, so I gradually took him off MD, but before that he was eating both dry and wet MD. He seems fine but you never know for sure without blood tests.
Comment by Ana — March 30, 2007 @ 5:31 pm
Comment by Shawn — March 30, 2007 @ 5:31 pm
I wouldn’t trust Paul Henderson’s word if you payed me one million dollars to do so. The guys a total NITWIT who shouldn’t be in charge of a big company like this.
Comment by Steve — March 30, 2007 @ 5:36 pm
Nadine, my cat loves Wellness wet too. I am continuing to feed her the wet based on the ingredients and the quality control measures that they say they take. But I have also bought Merrick canned for her as well. Merrick is made by a small family owned firm in the Texas panhandle. Check them out. Their recipes seem close to Wellness, but with cutsey names like California Roll and Grammie Pot Pie. Check them out. My cat loves both equally and maybe yours will too.
Comment by Shawn — March 30, 2007 @ 5:37 pm
Note to Shawn - Per Hill’s, Hill’s is taking this precautionary/voluntarily action because during a two-month period in early 2007, wheat gluten for this product (Feline M/D dry) was provided by a company that also supplied wheat gluten to Menu Foods.
Comment by marcy — March 30, 2007 @ 5:38 pm
Comment by Shawn — March 30, 2007 @ 5:37 pm
I haven’t heard of any incident yet from Wellness Wet. I hope we can count on what they say. I really truly do. Just about every fuse in my nervous system is shot right now.
Comment by Steve — March 30, 2007 @ 5:41 pm
Marcy-So do you think this is the company that the FDA was referring to as unnamed today?
Comment by Shawn — March 30, 2007 @ 5:42 pm
And Paul Henderson hired a PR firm. Corollary to the Peter Principle is that a person, on reaching their level of incompetence, will surround themselves with even more incompetent subordinates. Operators low on brain cells but high in cash flow
Wealth without wisdom. Nasty stuff.
Comment by Steve — March 30, 2007 @ 5:45 pm
Comment by Steve — March 30, 2007 @ 5:26 pm
Steve, Wellness is so conscientious that I have every expectation that their auditors have been camped in the Menu facility. I had had my dog on Wellness for years until the vet changed him in May 2006 to Hills t/d, then Science Diet w/d, and Eukanuba Low-Residue Adult, none of which I could get him to eat very much of. Four months later he had to be euthanized. Now I’m waiting to hear which it was.
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 5:45 pm
This scandal does not end when we switch foods.
It does not end until the petfood and pharmaceutical conglomerates and their marketing poster boys in the veterinary business start telling us the truth, the whole truth about the abuses in the pet care business. Too many pets have suffered. For years and years and years. This didn’t just happen. It’s been happening all along. I hope people stay mad enough to do the legwork to find out the facts.
Comment by 4lgdfriend — March 30, 2007 @ 5:46 pm
FYI…… CNN just featured and showed the Pet Connection website on TV.
Comment by marcy — March 30, 2007 @ 5:47 pm
Probably unrelated, but: I opened a new bag of Hill’s Science Diet Adult Small Bites DOG food on Tuesday and fed it to my 3 dogs that night. The next day, all 3 had diarrhea and the oldest had blood in her urine. For the first time I can remember, they didn’t clean their bowls on Tuesday night. I haven’t given them any more of that food and it is being tested. All 3 dogs seem fine now, so probably the food wasn’t contaminated. Nevertheless, Hill’s has lost my trust.
Comment by Pam — March 30, 2007 @ 5:47 pm
CNN just had a story a few minutes ago that included the Pet Connection site. They talked about the number of deaths reported here and showed a couple of screen shots of the site.
Comment by Sandy — March 30, 2007 @ 5:51 pm
Great news - thanks Marcy! looks like our emails paid off…
Comment by Kim — March 30, 2007 @ 5:52 pm
This was really an accident waiting to happen. Do you know what is really in these foods?? Most pet foods labelled premium aren’t at all premium products, (ie By-products). Wysong is the best food you can buy. This isn’t an advertisement. Check out their web site, they really know what they’re doing.
Comment by Nancy — March 30, 2007 @ 5:52 pm
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 5:45 pm
Please accept my condolences Nadine.
Comment by Steve — March 30, 2007 @ 5:52 pm
FYI…… CNN just featured and showed the Pet Connection website on TV.
The wheels are just beginning to turn. Everyone have faith and keep the communication coming. All of our good input will eventually get to the right place. All we want is what’s right and that WILL prevail.
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 5:54 pm
Good to see the CNN report. Finally some of the mainstream media is starting to pay attention to this tragedy. It’s sad they didn’t report the real scope of this terrible situation earlier, who knows how many poisoned dogs and cats might still be alive?
Comment by MFEMFEM — March 30, 2007 @ 5:55 pm
I brought my cat in the vet after he ate some of my dog’s (recalled) nutro ultra canned food - about 2 tablespoons a day. He hasn’t eaten it since the recall. I took him for tests (to ease my mind, he is not symptomatic) and his kidneys are ‘irregular shape’ and bleeding. He has blood in his urine. He is still on w/d dry feline. Vet says he is not sure it was the recalled nutro ultra canned food … Anyone have a pet not in kidney failure but kidneys are damaged and bleeding?
Comment by Jeanine — March 30, 2007 @ 5:56 pm
Marcy-So do you think this is the company that the FDA was referring to as unnamed today?
Comment by Shawn — March 30, 2007 @ 5:42 pm
My opinion Shawn, honestly - NO, there will be more manufacturer’s that will step up or be pushed to indentify that they also purchased the wheat gluten from the same supplier as Menu Foods. The question is how many?
Comment by marcy — March 30, 2007 @ 5:56 pm
As a co-manufacturer hired by many companies, Menu Food would have had to come forward to tell them what and who the suspect ingredient and supplier was weeks ago. Hill’s would have known since then that they purchased wheat gluten from the same supplier. It does not take weeks to trace back their own purchased ingredients to their own manufactured dry food but they waited weeks more to recall the dry food. They made the last 2 months supply of food with it. Shame on them and any of the other companies that continued to sell dry food with a suspect killer ingredient. Hills may have saved money for their Colgate Palmolive shareholders buying cheap unregulated ingredients from overseas but at what cost?? Where else do ingredients come from and what standards are in place in those country that guarantee their safety. Hills state that the recalled dry food is only 1% of their product but if your pet is part of the 1% it means everthing. They only care about $$$. I wonder if our American farmers agree
Comment by Dena — March 30, 2007 @ 5:57 pm
Thank you, Steve.
In today’s big weekend edition of the Tahoe Daily Tribune, they did a front page article on “Huge Discrepancies Over Pet Deaths” featuring my (deceased) Calvin as the Poster FurKid for the “cause.”
http://www.tahoedailytribune.com
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 6:03 pm
Hills (Science Diet) is a Colgate-Palmolive Company.
Comment by Steve — March 30, 2007 @ 6:05 pm
iams/eukanuba: Our dry dog and cat foods are made exclusively by P&G Pet Care and not by Menu Foods.
wow, p&G, a real step up in quality there….
Comment by 4lgdfriend — March 30, 2007 @ 6:06 pm
This is a post for all the pets that have been dying for years and years from crap petfood and overvaccination to profit the petfood industry, pharmaceutical industry and veterinary establishment. Let them not be forgotten now that the lid of this cesspool of abuse has been cracked open.
Comment by 4lgdfriend — March 30, 2007 @ 6:08 pm
My partner’s a vet. She says that IF the problem really is wheat gluten (as far as we know, it is, but that’s according to the folks who’re being sued right now, so it’s grain of salt time), Sandro’s advice above is right on the money: Make sure your pet’s food of any brand (wet OR dry) doesn’t list wheat gluten or flour in the ingredients. If it does, switch as soon as you can, and if you see anything that indicates your pet has a problem, have your vet check out its kidney function as soon as you can.
For the record, none of Hill’s *non-* prescription Science Diet cat foods list wheat as an ingredient. But I have to say I’m generally skeptical about the accuracy of ingredient lists, especially now that we know no one’s minding the store, right?
Haven’t decided yet what to do about our cats. I hate to change on nothing more than suspicion, given that the next food could be even worse. But one of our cats has lost more weight recently than I think she should’ve. Time for a kidney panel, I guess. Sigh.
Comment by Laura — March 30, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
Nadine, I am so sorry for your loss. I am trying to feed my pets the right foods and I don’t know which way to turn anymore. My cat was diagnosed with kidney damage today - I have actually had dreams about pet food. It is really crazy! I switched to natures variety and now I read that they make their food at Menu Foods? Is this true?
Comment by Jeanine — March 30, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
Comment by Dena — March 30, 2007 @ 5:57 pm
I just hate it when the%y minimize—-like Hills…it’s just 1% of our production.
I’d like to say to every Hills executive … “Well, we have to perform surgery and it will be only 1% of your brain that we have to remove. Don’t worry. It’s not much.”
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 6:13 pm
Refuse to sacrifice your animal on the altar of these rotten greedy moneygrubbers. JUST SAY NO.
Comment by 4lgdfriend — March 30, 2007 @ 6:13 pm
Comment by Jeanine — March 30, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
Jeanine, where all as stunned at you are to see this.
Nature’s Variety (verified by CEO 3/27/07)
* Brands include Nature’s Variety, Nature’s Variety Prairie, and Nature’s Variety Raw Instinct.
* Canned foods made by Menu Foods but not involved in the recall.
* Dry foods are outsourced, but not by Menu Foods.
* Frozen and freeze-dried raw foods are made in house.
* All grains used are of US origin, except flax seed, which they get from Canada.
* No wheat gluten is used in their products, or in the plant that manufactures their dry foods.
Obviously Pet Brands are going to be the next target of consumer wrath
Comment by Steve — March 30, 2007 @ 6:16 pm
get on a forum for pet owners who know about food alternatives:
forums on raw feeding/nutrition:
http://www.holisticat.com
http://www.listservice.net/wellpet
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CatNutrition
http://holisticat.com Great resource. Find out what has worked for others who want better health for their companion animals. Get on their list and post your questions. great background many of their dedicated members bring to the site.
http://www.holisticat.com/archive.htm
Comment by 4lgdfriend — March 30, 2007 @ 6:18 pm
this is going from bad,to worst to our worst nightmare.when will we know whole dam truth of what is really going on with all of the pet food ?
Comment by MARY ANN — March 30, 2007 @ 6:20 pm
For what it’s worth.
Attention Business Editors:
Update - Nutro Dry Pet Foods Do Not Contain the Ingredient Wheat Gluten
http://www.newswire.ca/en/rele.....c8957.html
Comment by Steve — March 30, 2007 @ 6:21 pm
Like everyone else, this whole fiasco has me very upset. My cat eats Hill’s t/d Prescription and since it was dry food I was hoping it would be safe - now I’m very concerned! My question is: How do we know which products (all - wet/dry) are made by Menu Foods? Their recall list is huge with so many different brand names. I don’t understand how one company has so many different names? I would like to not buy their food, but how do I know if I am or not?
Comment by Lori — March 30, 2007 @ 6:22 pm
Comment by Jeanine — March 30, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
Jeanine - There are lists available. Hunt around.
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 6:25 pm
Thanks Steve..
I really worry about the older folks who have a hard time understanding all of this. I got a call from my grandpa today frantic about all this.
Comment by Jeanine — March 30, 2007 @ 6:25 pm
And Nadine, I’m so sorry about Calvin. I’m glad your local paper was smart enough to see what an enormous story this is.
I’m a reporter, too, and I’ve tried all week to talk my editors into letting me do this story. But they just don’t think pet stories are real news — even when I try to explain that this isn’t just a “pet story” - it’s a regulatory black hole that affects millions of people, and that just might’ve been killing people, not pets, if things had turned out a little differently.
But so far, no luck with that argument.
Comment by Laura — March 30, 2007 @ 6:27 pm
Nadine, I’ve been feeding my cats Eukanuba low-residue dry for a couple years, and my 14-year-old cat starting vomiting and became completely listless after I started them on a new bag. My 5-year-old cat just didn’t want to eat the food from the new bag. After taking my older cat to the vet and getting him rehydrated and having his blood checked (everything seems normal), his energy is slowly returning but I can only get him to eat small amounts of ‘people’ food out of my hand.
How long was your dog on Eukanuba low-residue dry food and are you suggesting that he may have had to be euthanized due to the Eukanuba or the Wellness? Obviously, I’m trying other locally-made foods but am still very concerned. I appreciate your feedback and feel terrible for you for what you had to go through.
Thank you, David
Comment by David — March 30, 2007 @ 6:34 pm
Comment by Laura — March 30, 2007 @ 6:27 pm
Laura, the entire neighborhood sobbed over the loss of Calvin. He was everybody’s love.
Maybe bring it to your editor from another angle. I’ve seen the story with lots of different twists. Eventually, they’ll want to be part of the current news. I think people have just been in the wait-and-see mode…what I call sheep mentality. They don’t think the story is big enough. Just wait. It will be.
You could always ask your editor to see if there’s wheat gluten in his loaf of premium bread and does he know what country it comes from? Is it Chinese wheat gluten???
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 6:37 pm
Comment by Jeanine — March 30, 2007 @ 6:25 pm
Hey I’m with you. I’m in the same spot you are. I have to trust our natural brand means what they say when they have the tightest quality controls around.
This fiasco is out of control. It’s all about minimizing economic damage and fallout now. These companies know they are in deep sh*t. They are shifting all the stress onto the consumer market and basically saying “take it or leave it”.
Comment by Steve — March 30, 2007 @ 6:38 pm
Update - Nutro Dry Pet Foods Do Not Contain the Ingredient Wheat Gluten
Has it been tested by the FDA anyway? I think this is where Congress can step in…for everyone’s peace of mind.
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
I read a comment from Steve about older folks who don’t understand all of this. I worry about older folks who buy and eat canned pet food for a source of protein, because their income is extremely limited.
Comment by Ken — March 30, 2007 @ 6:50 pm
Who all besides me has a really sick stomach right now from worrying about this mess? It was bad two Friday’s ago when we first heard of the recall but with each passing week, it seems to get worse and worse. Meanwhile, pets are still dying or being treated in vet’s offices. My little PooPoo has already had one 10-day hospitalization and has been in this time since Monday. I really wonder how much more we can all endure.
Comment by Adrienne Stephenson — March 30, 2007 @ 6:50 pm
“take it or leave it”.
So, Steve, what is else is new?
Minimizing economic damage and fallout is right. They’re sitting in their big leather chairs, smirking and calling it “putting out fires.” It’s all about the stockholders and the bottom line. No real conscience.
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 6:50 pm
My little 9 month Coton has been sick on and off since around the recall. -I did find an open Iams pouch (husband fed as a treat) and threw it out. My baby has been on Hills canned ID and meds for vomiting and diarrhea -he had a fever and was dehydrated when we took him to the ER. Now after 3rd vet visit he has dry ID and canned. This is a total shock! Who can we trust? I want to know where each food is manufactured, what is in it,
and how one plant can grind out so much food with different formulas-or are they really different? I bought the Iams to possibly switch him from Royal Canin with a bit of Mighty Dog mixed in. Everything I read says that they still are not sure what caused this. When you buy a prescription product from your vet, for a sick animal, shouldn’t you know that it’s safe? My dog has been relapsing-is this why? Is there something else in Hills that is causing this? I’m so angry I don’t know what the right thing is to do for my little guy. WE ALL NEED ANSWERS! WE NEED A CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION-THEY HAD THEIR CHANCE AND LEFT US HIGH AND DRY WHILE THEY WENT FOR A BREAK. I AM SURE MANY OF THEM OWN PETS-I HOPE THEY ARE ALL GOING THROUGH WHAT WE ARE!!!!
I JUST KNOW THIS WILL BE SWEPT UNDER THE RUG JUST LIKE THE OTHER RECALLS.
What about the pain and suffering of the parents of these babies knowing they poisoned their babies?
I work at a pet support site for pets who are sick and those who have passed to the Rainbow Bridge. Hearing the stories from these poor suffering parents is heartbreaking.
We are at :
“petloss.com ” a totally free sight with a 24 hour chat room, a message board, tributes, and a Monday night candle ceremony. I hope you do not need a service such as ours.
Love and Blessings,
CareWolf aka Carol
Comment by Carol — March 30, 2007 @ 6:57 pm
It’s all about the stockholders and the bottom line. No real conscience. Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 6:50 pm
Yup. Looks like we are going up against the cold, faceless, and soulless machine again.
Comment by Steve — March 30, 2007 @ 7:00 pm
Comment by David — March 30, 2007 @ 6:34 pm
It isn’t Wellness at all. I’m suspicious of the Eukanuba Low-Residue Adult, Hills Prescription Diet w/d or possibly the Hills Prescription t/d. It all happened within just a few months. Fortunately, I saved all the bags with samples. I’m just waiting for them to call for testing.
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 7:07 pm
The companies are trying to do the best they can with the information available. I wouldn’t be so cynical to assume the worst. You wouldn’t be in the pet food industry if you didn’t have a dog or cat of your own and care about the products you make.
Comment by Justin Skala — March 30, 2007 @ 7:11 pm
Comment by Adrienne Stephenson — March 30, 2007 @ 6:50 pm
Adrienne, we’re all sick about it. Just know that you’re not alone. Keep talking.
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 7:12 pm
I know we are all in this together and trust me, that in itself is a very comforting thought.
Comment by Adrienne — March 30, 2007 @ 7:17 pm
Nadine,
I am also suspicious of the hills w/d. I had my cat on it for about 7 months and he now has blood coming from his kidneys and kidneys of irregular shape. My vet says he was probably exposed to something toxic. He took an x-ray and was surprised it wasn’t stones. He says he cannot confirm it was from either food (w/d or the canned nutro ultra (dog) he ate from time to time.
Comment by Jeanine — March 30, 2007 @ 7:24 pm
Yup. Looks like we are going up against the cold, faceless, and soulless machine again.
Comment by Steve — March 30, 2007 @ 7:00 pm
Steve, this has been brewing within me for years about pet food. Every time I fed the dogs/cat, I would wonder. We have trusted these companies to be honest about the food we give our pets—-we trusted their lives with them and we have been betrayed. We can no longer trust the same way. As a matter of fact, maybe our beloved pets have taken the hit for us, and there is more to be revealed on a much wider scale in terms of food for the world in general. This is a subject that will be under very close scrutiny particularly if all of those who are incensed continue to go forth.
I am sure that wheat gluten is only one substance that will be examined and hopefully in the process, other unknowns will be revealed or discovered. I have always been a believer in the saying “Everything happens for a reason.”
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 7:25 pm
Justin,
I can tell you one thing (and I have two kids of my own) - if food out there was killing our kids it would have been taken off the shelves immediately. They would never have killed a few kids to test it and then sit on if for a few weeks before the recall!!!!! There is NO excuse for that!!!
Comment by Jeanine — March 30, 2007 @ 7:27 pm
Why Arn’t these people protecting our pets? These are our babies,,, They are a part of our family. Everyone is scared to buy pet food for their babies. I have 2 cats of my own there getting low on food. I am scared to even go and buy them cat food. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone and their babies.
Comment by Melanie — March 30, 2007 @ 7:31 pm
Comment by Jeanine — March 30, 2007 @ 7:24 pm
Very coincidental. All affected animals symptoms seem to revolve around the kidneys for the most part. There seem to be specifics associated with toxicity. I read somewhere in my “surfing” about something unusual in ultrasounds that is found only in toxicity. Have you had ultrasounds done?
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 7:31 pm
Have a sick or already deceased pet and you want their food tested? Call the FDA now. They are interested in testing any batches not already on the recall list. Comment by Dee — March 30, 2007 @ 4:56 pm
Dee, we called FDA & they told us they arent testing food for batches not on the recall list. They said they are not accepting any foods from consumers & if for some reason, they feel they need to test something, they will send someone directly to the person to pick the food up. They werent in the least interested in testing our food even though our cat had all the symptoms and died and we had been so suspicious we had notified Nutro back in January. So I dont know which FDA office you use but ours was not helpful at all. I wish we could use yours. I feel at this point we are never going to know the answer for our kitty’s death. We cant get anyone to take interest in our case just because her food is not on the recall list and if we want to get it tested ourselves, it will cost us a small fortune for which we dont have the money as we are presently trying to pay off over $6000.00 in vet bills. Seems they have us coming and going which I suspect is what Menu Foods was hoping for and probably knew would happen. Once again, big corporation score 1, little people, score 0. Menu Foods is lucky to have FDA supporting them….
Comment by Sandi K — March 30, 2007 @ 7:36 pm
Comment by Nadine - March 30, 2007 @ 7:31 pm
No ultrasound (yet). The vet wants to take another urine sample in 2 weeks. He thinks it may resolve itself if it was the food, as the kidneys will recover.. Kind of scary … I feel strange not doing anything but waiting. He also did blood work and it showed a slightly elevated BUN…
Comment by Jeanine — March 30, 2007 @ 7:37 pm
Comment by Justin Skala — March 30, 2007 @ 7:11 pm
I am very angry, Justin, for having lost the best dog in the world and a buddy of 12 years—-and I will do what I can to make it right for all those that will follow.
In the corporate world, one must exhibit a hard shell in order to appease the bottom line: The Stockholders. It’s just a fact, Justin. It has nothing to do with being a pet owner. If, for instance, a Menu Food company executive had to make a choice between keeping his job or keeping his dog, what do you think his decision would be? “It’s not personal…it’s just business.” Those words have been spoken to me in the past, and so if I’m cynical, so be it. I have a right to be. It’s not personal, Justin.
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 7:47 pm
Comment by Jeanine — March 30, 2007 @ 7:37 pm
Keep a very close watch. If you feel there’s any difference, get right to the vet. Don’t wait. Watch the blood loss in the urine. Calvin became anemic.
Comment by Nadine Long — March 30, 2007 @ 7:51 pm
I agree with Nadine. It is obvious why they waited to recall. They were trying to single out the food(s) that had been contaminated (to minimize their losses). If they were just concerned about our pets they would have pulled all of them right away. This is business and the way it works - it has nothing to do with the heart it is all the bottom line…
Comment by Jeanine — March 30, 2007 @ 7:54 pm
I had to have my bichon put down on Valentine’s Day. She had been healthy and I had just purchase a new case of Hill’s C/D cans. She had only consumed approximately 1 1/2 cans before she started to become ill and, when I took her to the veterinarian, he suspected her to be suffering from kidney failure or liver failure. Her odds of surviving at this point were less than 50% and we were told we made the right decision. This was all prior to all of the pet food recalls. After I heard about the recalls and listened to reports on the television as to what symptoms these pets had experienced, I realized her symptoms were all of the symptoms that these pets had. I really have concerns that the Hill’s Prescription Diet C/D cans were contaminated as well. I contacted Hill’s and the FDA within the first few days of the announcement of the recalls. I have not heard back from either one of them.
Comment by Cindy — March 30, 2007 @ 7:54 pm
I recently switched my 10 month old kitten from Wellness to Felidae. Does anyone have info on whether Felidae has been affected? My condolences to all those who have lost pets. Two years ago I lost a cat to unexplained kidney failure; it’s a heartbreaking way to lose a cherished pet.
Comment by Ann — March 30, 2007 @ 7:55 pm
Nadine,
I will get him to the vet immediately if he starts showing any symptoms. Good advice. The vet told me the same thing.
Comment by Jeanine — March 30, 2007 @ 7:56 pm
Jeanine-Re: your cat’s irregular kidneys. The FDA press conference talked about irregularities that they are seeing in the samples that they evaluated which also contained the melamine. You can view the videos at http://www.myfoxdc.com/myfox/p.....geId=1.1.1
It would be the one with the Dean of Cornell, Dr. Smith, Press Conference Video #2.
Here is the PetConnection summary of that portion of the press conference:
“Dr. Smith showed photos of the distinctive crystals found in the urine and sometimes kidneys of affected animals, and said that there are also dramatic changes to the distal tubules - small tubes leading off the back of the kidneys - and few or no changes to the proximal (front) tubules. These changes were to the lining of the tubules, which were full of sloughed-off cells, and caused a loss of the structural integrity in the tubules. The spaces around the tubules were also full of inflammatory cells.”
Jeanine put this in front of your vet. If you can show him/her the pictures from the video.
Comment by Shawn — March 30, 2007 @ 8:10 pm
I am angry and terrified my babies eat c/d dry abd c/d wet these are supposed to be safe. I just picked up the c/d dry and took it away from them, I can’t see any recourse @ this time except to feed them human food, which they don’t care for as I have a;lways fed cat food as advised. not very good advice , was it? I just returned all my nutro which i stopped feeding over two weeks ago they tried to give me a mechandise certificate. I advised
them they could tt me or my atty take their choice.I would like to purchase some stock in menu foods and whatever else
Comment by acattana — March 30, 2007 @ 8:22 pm
is involved but believe any of us that go this route need to do it quickly before they find a way to prevent our purchasing it @ least we can launch investigations that way . why not work from the inside ??????? anybody /w me on this ? I am so sorry for all of you out there that have lost a loved one………my Benga was so ill starting jan 1st , but seems to be ok now I pray………….
Comment by acattana — March 30, 2007 @ 8:32 pm
IS Nutro on the DRY FOOD recall list?
FDA- best to let us know here ASAP…(idiots)
Comment by Linda — March 30, 2007 @ 9:05 pm
Folks - please remember - “people food” is not the answer unless you’re doing it in accordance with your cat or dog’s nutritional needs. Otherwise, “human food” and/or “all raw meat” diets are the fastest way to end up with pets with potentially fatal nutritional deficiencies.
I totally understand the urge…I’m considering it myself after the revelations of the last two weeks. It isn’t impossible to do it right. But it isn’t easy, either, because they have very different needs than we do. You really MUST talk to a vet, or a vet nutritionist, or find recipes from a *reputable* expert and follow them religiously if you want your home-fed animals to be healthy.
Comment by Laura — March 30, 2007 @ 9:06 pm
Comment by Justin Skala — March 30, 2007 @ 7:11 pm
Everyone needs to make a profit and Hills/ Colgate, as all companies, is in the food business because there is a profit to be made. The “care” can only go as far as the budget will allow and therefore ingredients are chosen in part because of their cost effectiveness. That being said the suspicion regarding the new supplier was made public 2 weeks ago. Even without knowing the exact cause of the illness the Menu foods recall was issued because there was a strong suspicion the new supplier was the possible source of the mystery illness. How long should it have taken Hills to recognize that it had purchased the wheat gluten from the same company? About as long as it takes for me to check the lot codes on the cans in my house against the recall list, certainly not 2 additionally weeks. This delay would not have occurred in the human food supply. I am not sure that all companies are doing the best that they can.
Comment by Dena — March 30, 2007 @ 9:23 pm
I have an 8 yr. old cat that went through ARF in mid February and is recovering. She ate only Iams dry her entire life!!
Comment by Allen — March 31, 2007 @ 12:36 am
ST. LOUIS, March 30 /PRNewswire/ — Nestle Purina PetCare Company today announced it is voluntarily recalling all sizes and varieties of its ALPO(R) Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog food with specific date codes. The Company is taking this voluntary action after learning today that wheat gluten containing melamine, a substance not approved for use in food, was provided to Purina by the same company that also supplied Menu Foods.
Will it never end? No, I guess not.
I sure don’t blame the folks who are disillusioned with pet food companies AND vets. Vets have little if any training in nutrition, amd most rely on pet food reps for information. And the pet food companies—proprietary information rules the day. Nobody is telling vets anything—until today, when I finally got emails from both Iams and Nutro. Thanks for the heads-up, guys. Money talks, and we know what walks, I clean it out of the litterbox every day.
Comment by Jean Hofve, DVM — March 31, 2007 @ 1:05 am
I THINK ALL OF US NEED TO FILE A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST MENU FOODS AND THEIR DISTRIBUTORS, IMMEDIATELY.
Comment by helene bloom — March 31, 2007 @ 2:28 am
Recently switched my dogs to Solid Gold Wolf King for large breed dogs. The ingredients list does not include wheat gluten. Their site spells out where their food comes from and the list of ingredients. It’s mostly domestic sources (for Wolf King). They listed 3 innocuous imports and the coutnries they were from (NOT CHINA) for a couple of their other foods. My dogs had kidney testing a few weeks ago for different reasons - no problems. They did go through a 6 pack of IAMS before the recall , but, knock on wood, I haven’t seen any symptoms.
Here’s the solid gold health site. Not recommending it - who would dare these days? But if you’re looking for alternate dog food, it’s worth a click.
http://solidgoldhealth.com/news/
Comment by Beth — March 31, 2007 @ 3:31 am
Four years of total Republican control of the federal government and what do you get? Deregulated industry & poisoned food.
Comment by miles — March 31, 2007 @ 4:32 am
My three dogs (f bichon + 2 m Shih Tzu’s) have been fed Hill’s Science Diet Dry Light Adult Small Bites mixed with a couple of tablespoons of Mighty Dog for almost eight years. Last November, the bichon had emergency surgery at Oradell Animal Hospital (top notch) for the removal of a fist full of bladder stones. Oradell tested the stones and notified me that the stone composition was diet-caused. I have the stones.
At the Vet’s recommendation her food was changed to dry Royal Canin S/D. Meanwhile I continued to feed the other two Science Diet w/some Mighty Dog.
Last Thursday I took all three to my local vet for a renal profile which included blood work and urine samples. The bichon who has been on Royal Canin for approx 5 months no longer has crystals in her urine.
Now for the two tzu boys, that day we succeeded in getting a urine sample from only one. The test results show that he also has crystals in his urine and his liver numbers indicate some liver issues. My vet recommended I change all three to the perscription only Royal Canin S/D as it dissolves crystals. On Friday March 23rd they all changed to this dry food with the Mighty Dog dropped into the garbage.
The other tzu’s urine sample will be dropped off today.
Called my local vet last night and demanded their test results be provided to Oradell Hospital. I want Oradell to perform an analysis and comparison of the recents tests vs the bichon’s November 06 test results.
I am heart-sick and I can feel my anger growing in waves.
Comment by Lorraine NY state — March 31, 2007 @ 4:51 am
First, my sympathy to families that have suffered a lost.
Second, is there a list of what these animals were eating when they became ill? People that were only feeding dry food to there pets have been reporting a problem for quite some time.
Third, do we have to wait till next Friday after the stock market closes to get any further information?
Comment by Betty — March 31, 2007 @ 5:15 am
Ann,
Go to http://www.canidae.com to read their statement. In addition, I called their 800 number and spoke to a rep from their company who verified that they do not use menu foods for manufacturing. In fact, she stated they use “a small, family owned, company based in Illinois to manufacture their canned food and all their dry food is manufactured in their own plant. I switched my cats to the Felidae Platinum and they seem to like it. Hope this info helps.
Comment by Phyllis — March 31, 2007 @ 6:41 am
My 13 year old cat died suddenly. She was an inside cat who was fed Hills Dry C/D cat food exclusively all her life. I opened a new bag for her a week or two before her death. She showed no symptoms of any prior illness. In fact, she went to the vet for regular innoculations and check-up 2 weeks before this incident. She was in perfect health at that time. I found her dead on the floor near her food dish. Horrible. I am convinced it was tainted food.
Comment by Virginia Kunken — March 31, 2007 @ 7:18 am
Our cat has been eating the recently recalled Hill’s Prescription dry food… he is at the vet now getting bloodwork (he has shown no symptoms) for our peace of mind. I have a few questions (as most do) if his bloodwork comes out fine, does that mean he is out of the woods? Our vet said they were unsure (they really don’t know much more than us as far as the recall goes it seems), and this really concerns me - I want to make sure to take every preventative measure possible because I do not want to just wait and see until it is “too late”. I value everyone on this blog’s opinion, and really hope you can help me understand if there are any preventative measures (aside from obviously discontinuing use of the food) that should be taken - and if his bloodwork comes out okay, does that mean he is okay, or should I still be concerned that he might develop this condition down the road?
We started feeding the Hill’s Prescription diet to our cats when our eldest cat was diagnosed with diabetes. Unfortunately, our eldest cat has since passed away (we believe she had cancer, as she had a tumor removed, which then unfortunately returned 4 months later and progressed very quickly). However, I am now wondering if my poor older baby was also somewhat affected by the food due to her weakened state. In her final days, she couldn’t control her urine, etc. We just assumed it was her time, and had to put her to sleep because she just couldn’t function anymore.
Anyways, I am looking into feeding our younger baby (6 years old) the “Nature’s Variety Raw Frozen Diet” - I am not sure our vet knows too much about organic/raw diets (but I will be sure to ask) - so I am also looking to this blog for advice. I believe my cat will love it (he absolutely loves ‘people food’ and especially loves chicken, and really doesn’t eat too much dry food, he definitely prefers the wet/canned food). Is this safe and healthy for an otherwise healthy adult male cat? Is there anything I should be concerned about, good and bad? Thank you in advance!
Comment by Mimi — March 31, 2007 @ 7:48 am
does anybody know anything about ATTA CAT made by americas choice?
Comment by shelli — March 31, 2007 @ 8:25 am
There is an antidote for Aminopterin poisoning. I published this research 3/28 http://192.168.1.3/article.php?article=25
The FDA, vetrinarians and the public still have no clue this exists. Current recommended treatment is to administer fluids and wait to see if the pet lives or dies. This defies all reason or humanity.
Comment by Ben Preven — March 31, 2007 @ 8:29 am
Why can’t Hills release the lot numbers?!! They didn’t put it in the press release and there is no one to answer the phone until Monday. I understand they want to get all of the M/D off the shelves. But they said that the tainted wheat gluten was only used for two months in January. They should at least tell us which lots that covers even if they recall everything. I bought the food in EARLY January and, thankfully, my cat seems fine. She also hates going to the vet and I don’t want to get a blood test unless I know she ate a bad batch.
Comment by Jill Weisenfeld — March 31, 2007 @ 8:53 am
This is my second time using this forum. I have to say that Pet Connection is the best resource a pet owner has to finding out more information and to just vent over this sad and dissolutioning state of affairs. When I first told of loosing my old Dobe in December I suggested the food contamination had been happening for much longer than first reported. My Ellie was testament to this. What I feel is so sad is that there are many others like me who have lost their pet but do not have any evidence to substantiate the death was due to eating contaminated food. In my case it was Nutro Natural Choice. Ellie was fed several kinds of this type of canned so I cannot pinpoint if it was one of the foods “they” say was not involved in the recall she was getting (senior chicken rice) or one I had fed that was (Lamb chunks and gravy.) I cannot recall which she was eating at the time of her death as it was three months ago. As of last night’s announcement by Hill” s, I have taken my 27 special needs cats off of all Nutro food and all IVD prescription diets regardless of it contents, as any confidence in any major food manufacturer I have had is totally destroyed. I have started using Natural Balance canned and dry. Unfortunately they have not responded to my email sent on the 14th of this month asking them where is their foods manufactured; how much of the ingredients are imported; and how do they insure the quality and purity of the ingredients and the recipe?
I think we all have recently learned that just because a pet food is said to be “all natural” or “only the best ingredients are used” is only as true as the integrity of the manufacture. Science Diet among others leads you to believe they stand over every bag and can of food to insure its quality. We need less designer foods made to appeal to the pet owner and “blur the lines between wholesome and cheapest ingredients, and more good basic pet food that can substantiate without a doubt the quality of their product.
Debbie Combs
Comment by Debbie Combs — March 31, 2007 @ 9:29 am
Hills may have added this to their recall list, but they have NOT updated their orignal recall list. In fact, it still says : THESE ARE THE ONLY PRODUCTS PRODUCED BY MENU FOODS FOR HILLS PET NUTRITION. NO OTHER HILL’S SCIENCE DIET PRODUCTS AND NO PRESCRIPTION DIET PRODUCTS ARE AFFECTED.
Right hand - meet Left hand.
Canned food link where you’ll find the above quote: http://www.hillspet.com/menu_f....._en_US.htm
The new link says:
This is the only product Hill’s currently sells in the United States and Canada that contains wheat gluten from any supplier. No other Hill’s Prescription Diet® or Science Diet® products are affected by this voluntary recall.
Hill’s, take note: We don’t believe you anymore. And that’s your fault.
Comment by Kim — March 31, 2007 @ 11:20 am
I had a dog to die from renal failure after eating Goodlife Recipe dry food (Wal-Mart was out of her regular dry food) She got very sick very fast. She was in the animal hospital’s ICU for two days before she died. They worked so hard and so much to save her. We are waiting for the FDA’s GA vet division to contact us about testing the food. We have another dog, Pippin (Diamond’s companion) and 3 cats. Pippin did not eat any of the food. He refused to eat it, and he is fine physically (the vet did do tests on him to make sure). She was in perfect health and had recently had her yearly check-up and vaccines. It has been very hard. It’s been one week since she passed. We had her cremated and our baby is now back home.
Comment by Tara — March 31, 2007 @ 11:33 am
Sorry to hear of everyones loss. I am a animal lover myself (4 dogs,5 cats,pygmy goat, turkey and a chicken) You really have to love animals to have a turkey as a pet I assure you. I have been feeding my cats Science Diet for years and changed recently because one of my cats could not stomach it any longer. I switched to Nutro Natural Choice. They seem to like it but I also was feeding them the pouch version. Needless to say the pouches were not on the “recall list” but I got rid of them just the same.(My pets wont be “testers” to find out which batch is good or bad) From what I understand in the news today they”think” the cause was melamine, a plastic of sorts. Has anyone heard anything bad from 9 lives? Canned or dry? I am feeding my animals home made food until they get to the bottom of this mess. May not be as good as canned, but at least it wont kill them. Pet owners and animal lovers unite and start purchasing food that is totally Made in America!!! God Bless
Comment by Kelly — March 31, 2007 @ 11:47 am
http://www.hillspet.com/menu_f....._en_CA.htm
To Jill Weisenfeld
Following is a list of Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry products included in this recall:
Recalled product U.S. & Canada UPC* Size
Prescription Diet™ m/d™ Feline dry food 52742 42770
(all lot numbers) 4 lb. bag
Prescription Diet™ m/d™ Feline dry food 52742 42790
(all lot numbers) 10 lb. bag
Comment by caro — March 31, 2007 @ 11:51 am
I want to thank the people at this web site, bless you for being here with news that has been impossible to get on subject!!
I have decided to stick with CANIDA E AND FELIDAE brands for my kids, there is no wheat,or corn, only human grade foods, and pesticide free rice, and all food is from within the united stated. What about the food supply for people? Menu foods produces food for humans consumption, the last bread I ate was Costco brand and it has wheat gluten in it.
Comment by lori anderson — March 31, 2007 @ 12:27 pm
my kids, I mean my beloved fur balls!
Comment by lori anderson — March 31, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
My Kids ,I mean my beloved furballs.
Comment by lori anderson — March 31, 2007 @ 12:35 pm
Let me assure all that Hill’s recall of Prescription Diet m/d is NOT just precautionary.
Our cat Taeki passed away on 3/16 after eating a mix of Hill’s Prescription Diet m/d and Hill’s Prescription Diet w/d.
Curiously, the bag of w/d was newly opened, and he had been eating from the bag of m/d for a few weeks, yet the m/d was the one recalled.
I wouldn’t trust any Hill’s Prescription Diet dry foods…actually, I wouldn’t trust any manufacturer’s pet foods at all.
Unbelievable…how could it take Hill’s that long to “find out” they were using the contaminated wheat glutten?
Poor Taeki, we miss him so much…our faithful friend and companion through twelve years of hell, our watch cat/guard cat, now gone forever…
Comment by Paul R. — March 31, 2007 @ 12:43 pm
It pains me to read about everyone’s losses. :( My heart goes out to you all.
I have another question.. our vet just said that with cats you have to gradually change their food.. by “mixing” the old and the new… otherwise they can have diarrhea and become dehadrated…. is this true? If so, how do I deal with this? There is no way I can give him his old food! His dry food is recalled and his wet food is from the same company… and even though it hasn’t been recalled… I am really really hesitant to feed it to him, since this new batch was only recalled last night… who knows what else might come up… and I just don’t want to take the chance, you know?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Comment by Mimi — March 31, 2007 @ 3:14 pm
This is the only way it sound to me it just another way to raised the cat & dog food prices $$$$.Was this link to a Terrorist ? and ? To Poison Pet Food
Comment by John Ziemba — March 31, 2007 @ 3:41 pm
Caro,
Thanks but those are just the UPC codes for the package size, not the lot numbers that correspond with the manufacture date. I’m pretty sure that all 4 Lb bags are 52742 42770
and 11 lb bags are 52742 42790
Comment by Jill Weisenfeld — March 31, 2007 @ 6:15 pm
Isn’t it about time someone in authority just said to pull ALL petfood products with wheat gluten as an ingredient? FDA??
Comment by GingerTom — March 31, 2007 @ 6:19 pm
I’m so sorry about everyone’s losses, I have a relative whos cat is currently staying at the vet after eating the tainted food. When will this end? First they say aminopterin, now they say melamine…so it was tainted by two different chemicals? My cat seemed to not be doing so well on MeowMix (she started to get diarrhea and seemed to lay around more than usual), so I switched her to Purina One for Sensitive Systems, but now I am wondering if I should stick with that seeing as Purina is one of the affected companies. I unfortunately don’t have the money to go homemade (and I don’t know how to anyways), nor to buy a expensive brand…so I’m very concerned. I still have some of the MeowMix left (if it is recalled) but no lot number or nothing, the container is long-gone. I’m sure that is the case for many people. I hope that this cesspool of corporate greed chokes on its own vomit for what it has done to so many pets and the emotional pain it has caused so many people.
Comment by Holly — March 31, 2007 @ 7:06 pm
Like everyone else I am horrified by this situation, and so sorry for all who have suffered. I have a question: I’ve fed my cats Hill’s Prescription Feline z/d dry(low allergen)for years. It contains no wheat or corn ingredients. Are we sure that wheat gluten is the only contaminated ingredient? Isn’t it possible to have cross-over contamination where residue from the contaminated wheat gluten passes to non-wheat food through processing? Does anyone know where z/d is processed? Has anyone had any problems with Hill’s z/d? Like most of you, I feel the company has responded far too slowly for me to have faith in them. Jean
Comment by jean — March 31, 2007 @ 9:28 pm
This is 110% unacceptable. This list is getting to be so long, it would be better to just give us the list that our ‘kids’ can eat. I have four cats and am scared to death everytime I see one of them eat. Does anyone know anything about Blue Spa Select or Solid Gold for Cats? I haven’t seen it on any lists but obviously that doesn’t mean anything. I’m about to start grilling some salmon,chicken, etc myself and say heck with the list. Any suggestions?
Comment by Shannon — March 31, 2007 @ 11:40 pm
i am so sorry for your lost lil furry friends. i am petrified and will be cooking for my babies.i have a cat on hillsc\d. i will cotact my vet to see what i can cook for him instead.iwould appreciate any updates.iwill never trust these animal fd. comp. again!I wonder if they will care when people start to die.BIGBUSINESSandBUSH MAKE ME SICK. Doesnt anybody care about anything anymore?
Comment by rusty atkins — April 1, 2007 @ 2:08 pm
Correction to my earlier email, about Hill’s being a subsidiary of Proctor & Gamble. It is IAMS that is a subsidiary with P&G and I understand IAMS has been very responsive to pet owners. Hill’s is AWFUL! Their 1-800 number is busy or you get a recorded message that tells you to go to the vet and that there is a recall. No personnel to talk with, no one to open a case file with and get a # for the case, no responsiveness to emails - only another routine form letter about the recall. My cats have been vomiting and once I stopped the Hill’s Prescription m/d feline dry, they have stopped vomiting - pretty direct cause and effect! One cat is diabetic on insulin and therefore at risk for renal failure and we have an appointment for the vet tomorrow for lab work on cats but Hill’s will not respond as to whether they will pay for this testing they have generated, not to mention the worry, concern and potential treatments needed. This is truly disgusting that a large company like this elects to save money to make more profit by getting ingredients from China where they know nothing is tested or checked for contamination. Putting our animals at risk is profit and greedy hungry and should not be tolerated!
Comment by Paula Loftis — April 1, 2007 @ 3:01 pm
I am so sorry for all the people who have loved and lost a pet, a member of the family. I have switched my dogs to Eagle Pack Holistic, thinking it was a good food to feed my boys. Now I find out that their canned food is made by Menu Foods!!!!!! Also found out Del Monte was not produced by Menu, but had the same wheat supplier!!! Does anyone know how to get a list on the dog/cat food manufacturers-brands that received this tainted wheat gluten from China???
Comment by Sharon — April 1, 2007 @ 7:37 pm
Sharon, I can guarantee you that everyone right now would like a list of the companies that got that wheat gluten — and not just us pet-lovers, anymore.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — April 1, 2007 @ 7:40 pm
I was in Wal Mart this morning looking at the cat food - and in a nice brown package”Organic All Natural” pet food. I read the label - Wheat Gluten - is was dry cat food. I shook my head. As far as I’m concerned all pet foods with wheat gluten needs to be removed from the shelves until we know more.
Comment by Linda — April 1, 2007 @ 7:46 pm
It’s Organic all natural wheat gluten I suppose.
Comment by Linda — April 1, 2007 @ 7:50 pm
Two years ago my vet recommended that my two cats, Bert and Ernie be fed Hills I/D due to iritable bowel syndrome. After using this food for over one year, it was brought to my attention that one of the ingreients was “ethoxiquine” which is a poison made by Monsanto. I immediately took them off this HILLS GARBAGE and switched to Wellness. Approximately one year later Bert died of cancer . Six months after Bert died, Ernie threw a blod clot that paralyzed him, and I had to euthanize him. My heart is still broken over the loss of my beautiful boys. They were only 12 years old. What a disgrace this is that the richest country in he world is willing to let our most precious loved ones be poisoned, all in the name of greed.
Comment by Lorraine — April 1, 2007 @ 8:38 pm
We have two young cats - Mozart is two, Poppy is one and a half. Four months ago at their annual visit, our Vet recommended moving them off Eukaneuba and on to Science Diet M/D for weight loss, both wet and dry, as Poppy was a couple of pounds overweight and still gaining. (Other then the extra weight, they are both very healthy, active cats). So we did, with a heavy focus on the wet. And Poppy did lose the weight.
We started slowly moving them off M/D dry, and on to Innova EVO dry, about three weeks ago,(they were still on M/D wet as well).This was something we had planned to do, once Poppy lost the weight.
We found out about the recall Friday night, because we just happened to catch it on the news. We have fed them at least two full bags of the dry involved in the recall in the last couple of months. We were sick with worry. The fact that we lost our nineteen year old cat to kidney failure four weeks earlier did not help the mind-set- *note: she had been in chronic kidney failure for four years. (We have had four out of five senior citizen cats die from either chronic or acute kidney failure in the last ten years!)
Of course we stopped feeding M/D that night. First thing Saturday we called our vet. The office was not even aware of the recall, and couldn’t get ahold of their science diet rep for any more details(what a shock).
Because we have unfortunately been through kidney failure in cats before, we know kidney symptoms don’t always show up until massive damage has been done. So we had bloodwork run Saturday morning,(kidney function values only). I thought I was going to throw up waiting for those test results to come back.
Both cats came back in normal ranges, although Mozart is on the high end of normal.I know I should be relieved, but I am so damn mad, and worried! Who knows what the long-term damage will be.
You try to do the very best by your pets, try to keep them as healthy as possible. You trust the Vet’s opinion. You pay the extra money for a prescription diet, because you reasonably assume you are getting top of the line food with high quality ingredients.
WHAT AN AWFUL WAKE-UP CALL.
My deepest sympathies to all of you who have lost a beloved pet, or are caring for a sick one. They are precious, each and every one.
Comment by Pam — April 1, 2007 @ 10:19 pm
My 2, 5yr old cats have been on Hill’s Science diet since babies. Last week I opened a new bag of HILLS SCIENCE DIET FURBALL CONTROL (large bag) & they turned their noses up at it. They haven’t eaten as much of this bag as they normally would. I am not going to feed them any more of this bag. I have no idea what I am going to feed them as they will only eat dry food.
Carol Houston, Queensland. Australia.
ps my other male cat died at 12years of age from KIDNEY FAILURE. Other 13yr old died in front of her food bowl. Does anyone remember when cats lived much longer when they were fed fresh food before canning & manufacturing of pet food became popular.
Comment by Carol Houston — April 3, 2007 @ 6:53 pm
Our cat has been perfectly healthy and has been eating dry Hills C/D food and has been very ill this week with diarhea and vomitting excessively. It sounds like many of us our facing this with our cats…I’m sure it will be recalled or has been cross contaminated and is being covered up. What is a good replacement for the C/D that is safe - does anyone know??????????
Comment by gin — April 4, 2007 @ 9:19 pm
This may help somebody out there. I cook my own dogfood, it takes 45 mins in total. I pressure-cook a whole chicken with giblets etc in water for 30 mins, wait 5 and add a bowl of rice, cook for another 10 mins and mix in a little gravy which is not really necessary and serve. It has cured my dogs of excema and despite them being almost 13 yrs old they have no grey hairs and hunt like puppies! It also saved me the heartache so many are facing and my deepest sympathy to you all….xxxxx
Comment by Diane Stallworthy — April 20, 2007 @ 7:27 am
I have been feeding my cat Hill’s C/D dry food
for a long time now and for a week now, she had
stop eating, I purchased Fancy feast can food
to encourage her eating. My Vet gave all kinds of test,x-rays and nothing change. We are trying pills to encourage her appetite but she ate very little and she keeps loosing weight. I don’t know if this is the food, but I feel I should place this notice.
Comment by Mario Arce — July 18, 2007 @ 7:51 am
I have been feeding my male cat Science Diet Light for a few years, he is 8, and recently he started vomiting, becoming very lethargic, and ran away from the litterbox; when I noticed he ran from it, I immediately took him as an emergency to a Clinic where they found he was running a fever, he was somewhat dehydrated, wasn’t defecating nor urinating so they have been running several tests; they found crystals in his urine, and the fever has been up and down; they prescribed several medications to try to eliminate the crystals, and prescribed W/D Hill’s canned food and antibiotics. They don’t know yet where the fever is coming from; I’m very concerned whether the Light Science Diet dry food he’s been eating all these years has anything to do with these problems; I now know that dry food in general is not the best for our beloved pets, so I’m making a permanent switch to mostly wet with a bit of dry, and I’m hoping he’ll make a complete recovery. My heart goes to all of you who have lost a loved one.
Comment by Vicky — July 23, 2007 @ 1:50 pm
Mario,
Were you feeding the old c/d formula or the new Multicare? Hills’ has switched formulas on the cd.
Comment by Janice — July 23, 2007 @ 5:15 pm
I fed my 12 year old beauiful Persian Hills Prescription Diet ID dry and wet food for four years. His fur was always coming out alot, but was not concerned because of his long hair. Last year, he started having diarreah which no medicine would stop, and the Vet kept telling me to continue feeding him the ID. No medicine would stop this ailment, because I was still feeding him this awful food. After searching for a different food, (against my VET’S advise)I found a holistic cat food called “Spot Stew” which completely stopped the diarreah and his fur stopped shedding, but he was was always hungry and of course, I gave him as much food as he wanted. Four weeks ago he passed away in his sleep. After reading all these comments, I know he too was made ill by Hills food.
Comment by Donna — July 29, 2007 @ 7:32 pm
I too am worried about Hill’s c/d formula. Our twelve year old cat has been on it for years with seemingly no long term bad effects. She occasionally vomits it. I worry about it because it contains corn gluten,but I tried to homecook,but cannot balance it right to keep her from getting loose bowel movements and she cannot seem to urinate without Hill’s c/d. It has something in it to break down crystals.So,what I am doing is giving as little of it as possible and supplementing it with Beech-nut plain chicken or turkey baby food and mixing it half and half with organic oat flour or Beech nut squash baby food. These are level one baby food with no additives and hoping she gets enough vitamins from the Hill’s c/d. I say a prayer everytime I open a new bag of Hill’s c/d. Sometimes the vomiting I know is from a hairball and not the food. term bad effect,but
Comment by Julie — July 30, 2007 @ 10:05 am
Hi There
My cat was put on the C/D formula and died of kidney failure shortly after - my other cat (who ate the food as well) developed severe skin rashes and vomitting. My other cat recovered after taking her off the c/d
Does anyone know how to get involved with a legal remedy - these people should be punished for the pain they caused to these animals
Comment by Kimberley — August 7, 2007 @ 11:42 am
I have been using Merrick Senior Medley dog food for about 7 months now (kibbles). The first two bags I bought were fantastic. Thw kibbles were a beautiful deep brown color and the veggies did make the food look like a medley. However since then. the food is a grayish tan color and it crumbles very easily. it is not at all what it used to be. Has anybody else had this experience? I am going back to Wellness senir. It is uniformly consistent. My dogs don’t seem to have had any problems, but I would rather not use a product that is so inconsistent
Comment by Lorraine — February 27, 2008 @ 3:07 pm