Pet-food recall: The PetConnection.com database
By Gina Spadafori
April 4, 2007
- If you have a sick pet or a question on your pet’s health, call your veterinarian.
- If you’re new to the site, please check out our general information page (includes links to recalled foods).
- If you’d like suggestions on what to feed, click here.
- If you want to report a sick or deceased pet, click here.
- If you want to know what you can do, please read our call to action
- If you want to read all our recall-related blog posts, click here.
Several people have asked where our numbers went, so I figured I’d better post the information for all. I haven’t been blogged them because I started reporting them daily on the database entry page, here.
I had also been reporting them on the home page, but I accidentally dropped them off there last night in my flurry to get everything updated in advance of “Anderson Cooper 360.”
When I get back to the computer with Web access, I’ll restore the numbers to the home page.
And I’ll continue to update them more fully every morning on the database entry page.
As of this morning:
Update 4/4, 5:46 a.m.. PT: 3,168 pets have been reported as deceased to our PetConnection database. Of these, 1,700 are cats, and 1,468 are dogs. Total report of all sick and deceased pets: 9,203. These are self-reported numbers, and should be in no way be considered confirmed or “official.” But if even a fraction can be confirmed, they show deaths far exceeding the FDA’s count of 16 pets, most of whom died in a manufacturers feeding trial.
Other sources also support higher numbers, including the Oregon State Public Health Veterinarian, the Michigan State Veterinary Association and the Veterinary Information Network (ref: L.A. Times story; need a log-in?).
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Technorati Tags: pet food recall, dogs, cats,veterinarian, veterinary
OH MY GOD !!! everyday i just cry when i see the new numbers . every Ceo’s that are reading these blog’s this is what happens when u go and cut cost. after this i doubt anyone will ever buy so call wet food again. this is a disgrace. did u see on cnn where that wheat came from? a very dirty filthy floor,in dirty bags this is what killed all these poor pets.
Comment by Mary Ann — April 4, 2007 @ 3:27 pm
Right now it is the “official’ death toll of 16 that is burning me up.
Do we need to send corpses to CNN or copies of vet bills or what?
What on earth will stop this continued reporting of a number we know to be false?
State vets state higher numbers, Banfield reports higher numbers and we still hear 16 in almost every report!
Do they think all the other deaths just did not happen?
Comment by E. Hamilton — April 4, 2007 @ 3:47 pm
I believe the 3,000+ deaths is woefully understated because how many pet owners even know about this site? Seniors? Those without computers or the time to research?
Comment by Ron — April 4, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
The misreporing of numbers is what is irritating me most at this point. Even if the PetConnection database did not exist, any person capable of rational thought or deductive reasoning would be able to figure out that the deaths have to be much higher than 16. The bottom line is this, we will never know the true numbers, however, that is no reason to keep repeating the absurdly low number of 16. The continuous reporting of that number is the best thing that has happened to th negligent parties involved.
Comment by Christi Alcox — April 4, 2007 @ 4:16 pm
And more to follow. I hope we all cry until our tears and anguish rattles the chairs in Congress. May we cry so loud that they give us what we want, even if it is just to make us be quiet. I don’t care. Our pets need justice.
What the CEO of Menu did was criminal - and he knowingly killed our pets - he did - every one of them! How can he sleep at night? He must be a man without a conscience.
Comment by Linda — April 4, 2007 @ 4:30 pm
RE Death toll numbers:
When I talk to my neighbors, friends, locals, they all say the same thing…”oh, I don’t feed the recalled foods to my pets.” Then they dismiss it. They haven’t heard the numbers.
We need to have the REAL numbers stated from a very trusted source. If the government won’t do it, who will? What about the celebrities? Where are our celebrity spokespersons Instead of smut, the major news sources could be selling something truly significant and purposeful.
Comment by Nadine Long — April 4, 2007 @ 4:44 pm
why won’t the media say the REAL NUMBERS ? if it was people dying we hear the true no !
Comment by Mary Ann — April 4, 2007 @ 5:11 pm
Regarding the story by the Michigan State Veterinary Ass. I think there might be something in there that a few of us are missing. Of the 2000 vets in that State, only 144 have responded to the questionnaire. And from the 144 that have responded (less than 10%) there are now 46 deaths of pets reported(taken from howl) http://www.howl911.com/petfoodrecall.htm
If you extrapolate the numbers for just that one state - that means that thousands are dead! Why is it taking so long for the vets to respond?
Comment by Meaghan — April 4, 2007 @ 5:57 pm
Comment by Meaghan — April 4, 2007 @ 5:57 pm
Send your comment to Anderson Cooper 360 at CNN!!!
Comment by Nadine Long — April 4, 2007 @ 5:59 pm
I just got home so I missed Lou Dobbs, but heard he had a nice report on this tragedy. I am so glad this is finally getting some serious media attention - so please continue to send your comments to Lou & Anderson Cooper to ensure this issue stays in the news!!! That guy Goldstein is also doing a great job. Don’t forget to keep bugging your local media as well.
Comment by catlover — April 4, 2007 @ 6:12 pm
It has been sent to Mr. Cooper. Something needs to be done and done now.
Comment by Meaghan — April 4, 2007 @ 6:22 pm
Meaghan:
Regarding your question “Why is it taking so long for the vets to respond?”:
Probably because their first priority is to save the lives in their hospitals.
Comment by Lynn — April 5, 2007 @ 12:22 am
Since the beginning of this tragic situation, I have tried to tell people that this is BIG. No body believes that it will happen to their animal and that the food (pet/human) is really no problem. Why are these folks turning a deaf ear and depending on the News to get the story out?
This is a wake up call for everyone and only a few out of millions are making, or trying, to change. I am wide awake! and turning back the clock on how things (cooking, pet care, etc)should be done will take adjustments. I am proudly making those changes within my household. I guess my grandmother was right — respect the ground and you will eat, disrespect the ground and you will die!
I have already lost one dog and the hurt is just as real today as it was on the 15th of March. I killed my dog by feeding him! Are we killing our families also?
Comment by Sunshine — April 5, 2007 @ 5:46 am
Does anyone think they received “toxic” food before December 3, 2006?
Comment by Sheila — April 5, 2007 @ 8:21 am
ChemNutra’s release says they rcd in Nov. so where did the Nov. shipment go? Could it have been on the shelves before 12/3? I’m betting yes.
Comment by catspajamas — April 5, 2007 @ 8:37 am
I’m wondering how long it takes for the stuff to go from ChemNutra to store shelves. I bet they advertise that somewhere.
Comment by 4lgdfriend — April 5, 2007 @ 8:40 am
I don’t know how Menu Foods can give a definite date on the “toxic” food. It is my understanding the official word is that the wheat gluten is the “suspected” source of contamination. I am trying to stay well informed on this subject but in the event I have missed something please correct me.
Comment by Sheila — April 5, 2007 @ 10:00 am
Sunshine, Oh how I wish we could turn back time! I’m right there with you — this thing is BIG! My wonderful dog Riley died on this past Monday, April 2nd. He first showed symptoms on March 3rd after eating a recalled Eukanuba wet food. And now he is gone! I’ve been contacting agencies & organizations (FDA, AVMA/AVMIC, ASPCA, Cornell U, various news media, and yes, the Mfgs)insisting to them that the effects of this recall are far more reaching than what is currently being investigated and reported. I am thankful for websites like PetConnection, for the opportunity to express myself — it has helped to ease my sorrow. Yet, I believe our work is not done. We DO need to make adjustments at home and continue to be as pro-active as we can to change things. Emailing and blogging is only one tool to get the job done. I believe we need to call, write, get PERSONALLY INVOLVED if we are to be heard and make a change!
Comment by Maggie Coker — April 5, 2007 @ 10:51 am
For Sheila -
My now 11 year old cat went into acute kidney failure the end of November. She ended up in intensive care for weeks at Michigan State and is recovering. The vets kept asking about the possibilites of getting into something poisonous but since she’s inside only and I don’t have anything poisonous around I said NO! Now all this . . .
Now I am in a panic when I see her ~ or any of my other 4 drinking water. I’ve switched foods about five times and just settled on California Natural by Natura because it has the lowest phosphorus of any of the GOOD foods.
The horror just goes on and on.
dottie
Comment by dottie — April 5, 2007 @ 10:57 am
Dottie - 11/7/07 My cat’s creatinine was 1.8. 11/11/07 Started feeding him Science Diet Savory Cuts. 11/27/07 Creatinine was 3.1. He was a senior cat who was having a flare up with his pancreas is why he had bloodwork done so close together. Knowing what I know now, I find it odd his kidneys were fine and then 20 days after the first bloodwork he was in kidney failure. I thought chronic kidney failure happened over a long period of time, not 20 days. He was an indoor only cat so I know he was not in any kind of accident or did not injested a toxic plant, antifreeze, etc. to cause acute kidney failure. What brand of food did your cat eat? Do you know the approximate date she ate it? I am very happy for you that she has survived. My boy was put to sleep in February.
Comment by Sheila — April 5, 2007 @ 11:26 am
Friskies Prime Filets with Beef in Gravy contains wheat gluten. Please do not feed it to your pets.
Comment by Mike — April 5, 2007 @ 12:01 pm
I just checked another website regarding the petfood recall and noted that no Friskies products were listed. This is primarily what my cats eat and they especially like the Prime Filets of Beef. From what I’ve read many companies use wheat gluten from sources in the US and Canada that are supposedly not contaminated. Where do we once and for all obtain clarification on this issue?
Comment by Jan Maltzan — April 5, 2007 @ 4:38 pm