Pet food recall: CA paper reports melamine found in pet food not on recall list
By Christie Keith
April 9, 2007
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California’s Marin Independent-Journal is reporting tonight that UC Davis has confirmed the presence of melamine in three canned pet foods not on the recall list:
Scientists at a state animal health laboratory confirmed Monday that a popular brand of pet food submitted for testing by Marin veterinarians was indeed contaminated, even though it is not on a growing list of recalled pet foods.The pet food apparently sickened a cat owned by a Greenbrae (CA) woman. The cat has slowly recovered and was returned to its home on Monday.
At the request of the Mill Valley Pet Clinic, three varieties of Nutro Max Cat Gourmet Classic, in three-ounce cans, were tested by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
The food tested positive for melamine, which has been found in wheat gluten imported from China. Melamine is used to make plastics and other industrial products.
Tests were ordered by the Mill Valley Pet Clinic after the cat was diagnosed with acute renal failure on March 26. UC Davis officials supplied the test results to the Mill Valley Pet Clinic, but declined comment.
“We do not discuss results from specific testing with third parties,” said Birgit Puschner, of the lab’s toxicology department.
Dr. Marianne Willis, veterinarian at Mill Valley Pet Clinic, said the UC lab “doesn’t want to be in the middle of all this. They said since we ordered the test and paid for it, we were free to do what we want with it.”
She said clinic veterinarians were notifying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the food manufacturer of the tainted food.
The paper further reports:
The three varieties of contaminated food tested were Nutro Max Cat Gourmet Classic, 3 oz. cans, lamb cutlet platter, California chicken supreme dinner and chicken cacciatore. UPC codes found on products are 79105 352055, 79105 300117, 79105 300148
Full article here.
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Oh no! I am staring at a receipt I got from the pet store on 3/19, with those exact UPC numbers from two of those varieties. My cat LOVED Max Cat and only ate the cans. I took her off it soon after I bought these, but she likely ate them because these flavors were two of her favorites. Do we have any idea how long it takes for the sickness to show up?
Comment by Kim — April 10, 2007 @ 12:22 am
So, as to this problem, there is no end in sight for those of us south or north of the 49th parallel.
Any applicable words beyond these could not be published on this site.
Thank you, Gina, Christie, et al, for performing yeoman’s duty to the highest possible standard.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 12:26 am
This is never going to end, is it? I feel like I’m in a Twilight Zone episode.
Comment by Andrea — April 10, 2007 @ 12:28 am
I said it was in the cans from day one. My cat Beans was sick on that stuff for 7 days. She’d start to eat a little then go vomit. Then hang around the water bowl. I replaced it with Natural Balance. I also want to mention locally my neighbors have complaints about Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys and Purina dry cat, various varieties. Please check the parent company of these brands on recall since many brands are under one parent company.
Nutro has consistently ignored our complaints about the cans and the dry. I hope they get sued royally. I’ll never buy from them and I’ll tell everyone I know not to buy from them.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 12:29 am
I’m so mad I could spit nails. I knew Nutro was lying about their other stuff being safe. Now I wonder how many others have lost their babies from their lying a….! Please tell the powers that be that we complained to Nutro and they denied anything was wrong with MaxCat canned. Because of them my kitty looks at every plate of food with suspicious eyes.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 12:35 am
Horrible… how many foods are still poisoning our pets that they keep telling us are just fine? I am disgusted that this crisis keeps continuing.
It would be interesting to actually know when Nutro found out about this. The article was published on the website with a timestamp of 7:34 PM PDT. Even *if* (and I am being nice here) they *didn’t* know before tonite, wouldn’t you think they would at least *pretend* to care, as in getting out a press release with a big mea culpa and do another recall, pronto? It is beyond my comprehension how these people think. They don’t seem to care enough to even do decent PR.
Nutro’s website is *still* trumpeting this:
http://www.nutroproducts.com/
” All Nutro products on the shelves
in retail stores are safe to feed your pet.”
Absolutely beyond words… Just how stupid do they think we are?
Comment by Laurie — April 10, 2007 @ 12:43 am
To some outsiders, we are looking like “loons” by now.
But nearly every day, there has been another flavor, expiration date, version, color, interior model, floor model, etc., added. (Even though “THEY” were sure they GOT them ALL yesterday.)
How can any thinking, loving pet parent ever go back to feeding their products to their beloved companions?
Am I missing something?
Is this not the ultimate “cluster f___” of all time? Are we supposed to just lay down with our beloved, sweet companion creature and die?
This is without parallel.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 12:47 am
I guess they are trying to beat us senseless until we are silent and crawl away.
That IS NOT going to happen.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 12:52 am
Lois, how could we possibly be looking like loons?! Oh yeah, the media doesn’t think this is newsworthy (aside from a couple of outlets) and only a couple of politicians have stepped up. Not to mention the PFI telling bald faced lies!
I am beyond angry and sick over this!
“Is this not the ultimate “cluster f___” of all time?”
They’re working hard towards that goal it seems . . .
Comment by straybaby — April 10, 2007 @ 12:55 am
Thanks for the update… I was expecting it but it still makes me ill. After reading various things online about this having been brought to their attention months ago - I will do my best to make sure people never buy Nutro products again.
Thank God for UC Davis testing it themselves and the Mill Valley Pet Clinic making it public.
Comment by Kim — April 10, 2007 @ 12:58 am
I’m going to be 60 soon and one lesson I learned long ago. Don’t trust until you can prove it to yourself. I’ve been operating on gut instinct for the last 25 years. My friends up North have been thanking me repeatedly since this began. Even when they said it’s not on the list, I told them don’t use any of their products wet dry or biscuits. Each Fri nite recall proved me right. My friends had Ol Roy biscuits (not on 1st list) Iams dry, Nutro Natural Choice dry and Nutro MaxCat CANNED!!! As soon as my friend wakes up I’m calling her again to say “I told ya so”
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 12:58 am
hmmm… it’s only early Tues morning. Wonder if the FDA will wait until Fri to tell everyone about it. They’ll probably have to do 15 tests themselves — first.
I predict, from what I’ve been reading on numerous other bulletin boards & blogs that Beneful is going to be recalled soon. Pedigree seems to be another complaint.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Dog_Fo.....r_Dog_SICK
On this bulletin board they are talking about black spots in Nutro:
http://www.thecatsite.com/foru.....?p=1690430
I am so discusted with these people & our government. I truly believe they are hiding something big & they are dilly-dallying around telling us.
I think the FDA Director needs to step down. I’ve read they’ve had numerous complaints about dry food — so what’s being done?? What’s the conclusion??
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 1:00 am
ooops! disgusted — that’s what I am.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 1:04 am
My local TV station only listed 11 recall items and has not done any followups. I contacted the studio last week. I got an email saying she would look into it. Yeah right. I’m sending her the Nutro can report. If she doesn’t get it this time I will embarass her in the column.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 1:04 am
Can anyone help Jerrica Estis on “PICK a PETFOOD” post?
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 1:11 am
Straybaby,
I refer to the efforts of the media and even well-meaning individuals, who don’t understand, and see those who are expending so much efforts into this as being disproportionate, because they are misinformed. [Actually, “loons” are pretty cool birds if you’ve ever been on a lake in Maine in the summer. I’m sure they are elsewhere] :)
Do you recall anything like this that has dragged on and on and on and on (other than a war)? Has there been a drug recall or a human food recall where “they” said “WE”VE GOT IT ALL!!!!!!” And then….”Nope..we didn’t.” Over and over and over, or do I have amnesia? It’s insidious, almost deliberate to wear the concerned parties down to the point of exhaustion.
I have steam coming out of my ears I am so pissed. 24/7.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 1:11 am
And we make our our own pet food and have for many years, having learned the hard way years ago.
I am just blown away keeping everyone else, who doesn’t have internet access, etc., informed of the daily, all-over-the-map changes.
This is madness, almost a deliberate marketing plan.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 1:17 am
I do not know how much more I can take. Are they all liars and assholes, is that a job requirement for working for a pet food company?
I have so many bags and cans and pouches of pet food that I suspect of containing poison that my garage should be considered a toxic waste site!
Naturally I am not gonna feed this garbage to my remaining pets.
So, my nerves are shot, I am storing poison in my HOME, I have two dead pets, so far, and I know I am paranoid but I just don’t know if I am paranoid ENOUGH.
Is there no end to this madness?
I know everyone here wants the government to regulate the pet food industry but jeez, is that a really good idea?
I saw the list of “insider flunkies’ for the Senator Durbin thing and feared I would have an embolism.
Even if it is a good idea, it will takes YEARS and it won’t help me keep my pets alive and myself sane in the meantime!
Comment by E. Hamilton — April 10, 2007 @ 1:18 am
I just find it appalling that all these companies have known & not done something about it.
These people need hard jail-time. I am in the process of sending my local news & the big networks another email.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 1:22 am
Lois
read Nancy Vernand on Turn emotion into action post a few minutes ago. What can we tell her?
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 1:23 am
To anyone that hasn’t been up to speed on things, my suggestion would be to ONLY buy pet foods from your local veterinary offices. I know when I go into my local one, they have posted all recalled items and offer advice and information on the products they currently have. I suggest to all of you to do only that. Its just not safe with these recalls coming weeks and weeks after one another. Its not worth it to our pets nor our families. Thank you so much to PetConnection.com for all your work and informative subjects and up-to-date information. We appreciate it, even here in Canada. God Bless.
Comment by Liz Finnan — April 10, 2007 @ 1:24 am
I’ll tell her what I’m using, but I don’t feel comfortable recommending anything. NADA! They are all liars & things change nearly every day, if not every Friday.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 1:24 am
Hmmm, Katrina comes to mind . . . but as far as a recall, no. They handled the spinach one, Taco Bell and peanut butter pretty quick it seems . . . I don’t recall Tylenol being this outta whack either.
I just looked at the Nutro Max recalled cans. Wheat Gluten is the FIRST GRAIN!!! WTF?! WHY wouldn’t they have recalled them?!?! HELLO!!!
And there are also several other *lovely* ingredients that ChemNutro and their Chinese counterpart handle.
OK, must take the dog for a walk so I can chill a bit and get some sleep. Hopefully the news won’t get too much worse in the AM.
Comment by straybaby — April 10, 2007 @ 1:25 am
Do we have any idea how long it takes for the sickness to show up?
Comment by Kim — April 10, 2007 @ 12:22 am
Kim, if your pet ate this food, dont wait for symptoms to show up, go ahead and get the blood tested and a urinalysis done. If you can catch it early, there might not be as much damage. Russell another reader here just brought his 2 cats home from having their kidneys flushed after eating Nutro California Max Cat Supreme, one had symptoms, one didnt. They both had elevated kidney readings and they are only 2 years old. And if you have any food left, dont throw it out and dont give it to Nutro.
I wanted to thank Carol PW, another reader here, as she first brought this to our attention by posting the link to the news article. We had notified Nutro back in January of a potential problem with this Nutro Max Cat California Chicken Supreme in 3 oz cans. Our cat all of a sudden didnt want to eat it anymore and then began vomiting. We had sent cans to them for testing and they replied back saying the food was fine. Well our cat died on March 11th, 5 days before the recall. This food was never on the recall list. I not only tried to tell Nutro back in January, I also called them 3 times and e:mailed them after the recall on 3-16. They took messages but no one ever called back. I also called Menu Foods twice but everyone just kept saying that food is not on the recall list and no one ever called back nor would they listen. We did talk to FDA and they took the info down.
Then we received a mysterious phone call from FDA last Friday wanting to know the “status” of the unopened cans of food we had left. We told them we still have it. He also wanted to know about the food we had donated to our local animal shelter. Our cat died on 3-11 and we donated leftover food on 3-12. He was going to call them and my husband asked what this was about. He said they were looking into trends in food not on the recall list but wouldnt offer more than that. This makes me think that they knew this was coming down last week when they called us. Anyhow we offered to go retrieve all the food from the animal shelter so we now have all of it. After the recall had happened we had immediately called the animal shelter due to our suspicions & asked they not use the food so they had put it on a back shelf with a big sign saying do not use.
So anyhow this at least proves if there had been good testing procedures in place they would have caught this back in january and prevented the death and illness of many pets. I can bet Nutro is busy shredding and deleting any record of food complaints they received back in Dec, Jan, Feb and March.
I am thankful that this has proved what we had been trying to tell people since January but it was not in time to save our KiKi and Im sure other pets. Thank you again Carol PW and Pet Connection for posting this as a blog. I just hope it doesnt take them forever to put it officially on the recall list so owners who have any cans left will stop feeding it to their pets.
Comment by Sandi K — April 10, 2007 @ 1:27 am
We are really in unchartered territory.
I can’t tell you what to do with the comtaminated food. Shoot it into space? :)
For future food, explore other avenues. Homemade really is not that difficult or expensive or time consuming. There are excellent resources out there.
My deepest, heartfelt sorrow on your losses. I am so sorry. This is so far beyond wrong.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 1:29 am
Kathi
I have no idea who (Nancy V) this is. Does that make me stupid? Where should I look?
Just trying to keep things light and yes this does smell a bit like Katrina.
read Nancy Vernand on Turn emotion into action post a few minutes ago. What can we tell her?
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 1:23 am
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 1:33 am
I’ve been mad about a lot of things over the years but this just tops all. I can hardly sleep because I don’t want to miss anything. I’m afraid I’ll miss a new recall and not necessarily from the “EXPERTS” but from you all here. My friends are depending on me to stay on top of this. I’m also learning chemistry and spy stuff snooping into company websites at least before they started pulling pages.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 1:43 am
Lois
Nancy posted on one of pet connect earlier posts “Turn emotion into action” just a while ago. I should have told her to move to this page.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 1:48 am
Kathi, I agree. This is a full time job. You need to read as much as you can on the “top 5” sites to stand a chance at not KILLING your beloved pets or friend’s beloved pets. It’s like a bad dream that you just don’t wake up from.
And my sympathy above was to E. Hamilton, although to everyone.
I am in San Francisco (west coast time). This is Sunday night. It is 12:45 in the morning. Look how many of us are here in semi-panic mode waiting for the next gigantic boot to drop. It’s insane.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 1:50 am
Kathi,
What “whatever” was she on? Sorry. A little fried.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 1:52 am
If you want to save something you found on a website, if you suspect it will be gone soon — email the whole page to yourself. Hopefully, you have Yahoo or Hotmail that has BIG email accounts.
I just sent that article & a few blogs & bulletin boards I’ve been reading to night to 6 news people. I also told them to get off their rusty-dusty’s & start INVESTIGATING the news instead of READING the news.
The news media needs to start screaming about heads rolling & getting to the bottom of this cover-up.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 1:52 am
Or cut and paste it into a Word document, if you can, and save it to your hard drive.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 1:55 am
Lois, honey — it’s Monday night into Tues morning. 2:55 AM CDT for me.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 1:55 am
Sorry, Kat! I’m off by a day. I am on planet earth. You are right. It is Tuesday morning, 12:57 a.m PDT. Time flies when you’re having fun!
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 1:59 am
See? Isn’t it easy to be kept honest?
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 2:00 am
Dear Nutro Folks,
We *know* you are lurking…
Not one dime more of my money will you get, Nutro. I have shelled out a small fortune these last years on your “premium” food for my family of dogs and cats.
There are a *lot* of us out here that will *never* trust your company again. You took our hard-earned money, lied to us and worst of all, you KILLED our pets. You KILLED my precious cat. And all that “safe” food sitting on the shelves, branded in your company name, is still poisoning beloved pets.
Hey Nutro, yes, we know you are reading these comments. The eyes of the major media are, too. The facts are such that your continual blatant disregard for the health and safety of our pets will come back to haunt you. Who do you (and the other scoundrel manufacturers) think that you will sell your products to now? After a weekend where CNN continually scrolled pet food recalls rather than scrolling news, I would think most of you representing the pet food industry would get the gist that this crisis is not going to be swept under the rug. We love our pets. We will not tolerate this. This is not a small issue that we will forget. And we will *never* put up, nor will we shut up.
No More Excuses. We are beyond sick of them.
Yours truly,
Your Former Customer
Comment by Laurie — April 10, 2007 @ 2:00 am
Lois
Nancy was on page for March 31 the last post but with todays date
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 2:03 am
What I’ve been doing to search for the latest news articles is go thru Yahoo. They pull in from everywhere. Just type your subject into their little search box, then refresh the results page every now & then.
http://news.yahoo.com/
I type in “pet food” — be sure & put the quotation marks, if you want the words phrased like that, of else you get a search for pet and food.
Ditto on not being able to sleep & wanting to catch it all when it happens.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 2:03 am
What are all the different ways to get that in front of people?
Craigslist?
Freebie local papers?
A bunch of pissed off people chipping in together to buy a big friggin ad in a not-freebie paper?
Fliers?
Cupcakes? (Maybe a sheet cake)
Ribbons?
T-shirts?
Really! Let’s work this!
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 2:06 am
Sorry, I’m referring to the “Mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore” letter referenced above.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 2:09 am
Litter box Liners?!!!!
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 2:10 am
LATEST RECALL: NUTRO
Does it never end?
This is assinine. They should just pull ALL dog and cat food and treats off the shelves everywhere until they figure out - I mean REALLY FIGURE OOUT - once and for all what the causal factors are.
Think about this: There was an e coli outbreak this week in Lake Forest, CA [Orange County]. No one died. A bunch of people sick, but recovery expected. They traced it IMMEDIATELY to one restaurant and shut it down. Tell me, please, why they can’t animals be afforded the same kind of action?
Comment by Lynn — April 10, 2007 @ 2:10 am
Good one Laurie
Do they think we have nothing better to do. I’ve put off all other projects because of this crap. It’s 4 AM East Coast. I’m an old lady who’s usually in bed by midnight reading a good book. But now. I’m on a mission. There is only one way to get the truth out there and we pet parents are it.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 2:11 am
Here is Nutro’s Contact Page:
http://www.nutroproducts.com/contact.html
It’s a form email.
or ~
You can also contact us by mail or phone:
Nutro Products, Inc.
445 Wilson Way
City of Industry, CA 91744
- OR -
Call us for more information at:
800-833-5330
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 2:14 am
You said it, Laurie. I don’t think I’ve had more than 3 hours sleep each night myself in the last month.
Comment by Lynn — April 10, 2007 @ 2:14 am
I really want to thank the woman in California for agreeing to this test for her kitties food AND her on-the-ball veterinarian for having the food tested in the first place. She must be a remarkable doctor to even think about getting food tested that was not on the recall list, good thing she did. She has saved alot of pets, she is a true hero! I hope the womans kitty continues to improve.
Does anyone know if Nutro Max Cat California Chicken Supreme is made at Menu Foods plants? I know that Nutro says they dont make their own wet food, they provide the recipe so who does make their wet food?
Comment by Sandi K — April 10, 2007 @ 2:15 am
Whoops - sorry, Kathi….I meant to address the last comment to you and instead wrote Laurie.
Comment by Lynn — April 10, 2007 @ 2:15 am
They are betting everything they have on the fact that we have something better to do. I can tell you, ny hair has really suffered through this. :)
Seriously, there HAS to be a way to take this beyond the next level that is both healing and a message….like Forrest Gump with the Happy Face.
Something that will drive these corporate bastards insane every time they see it for years to come. It will be a plague to them. Beyond jail. Beyond monetary loss.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 2:17 am
Since their stocks are dropping so low, we could do a hostle takeover.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 2:17 am
NUTRO MAX CAT CA CHICKEN SUPREME
Not sure where they make this. What does the label say. I can tell you that Nutro has a large plant in the City of Industry, CA [about 25 miles east of downtown LA].
Comment by Lynn — April 10, 2007 @ 2:18 am
HOSTILE TAKEOVER
Yes, Kat. And if we did take over, just think how the stock prices would jump up.
Comment by Lynn — April 10, 2007 @ 2:20 am
When they are in prison, I think their punishment should be to have to watch a slideshow of all the thousands of animals their company & other companies have murdered.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 2:21 am
Earlier tonight I was wondering how much one of those plants would cost, on the foreclosure market.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 2:22 am
I’m getting ditsy! Night all. I hope your all’s little loved one’s recuperate quickly! I’m going to go snuggle with my 2 kitty’s, already in bed.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 2:24 am
WHAT SECTION OF THE COUNTRY IS TAINTED FOOD COMING FROM?
Ok, we know that much of the tainted food came from Kansas. But my understanding is that the point of import where the tainted wheat gluten was unloaded was in Long Beach, CA. With that in mind, doesn’t it seem logical that ChemNutra would want to ship to shortest points [save on shipping costs]? In other words, was most of the contaminated food made on the western half of the US? [Although it could have been shipped anywhere once it was shipped to the distributors.]
Comment by Lynn — April 10, 2007 @ 2:25 am
I just went to Nutro’s website and clicked the international link. It says NONE of the affected food was sold outside the US. There is an article on the website of Belgium’s version of the FDA listing seven varieties of Choice complete cat food that is tainted. Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, but mostly in southern Italy. Why the contradictions?
Comment by Paige — April 10, 2007 @ 2:26 am
Have you noticed their obvious silence. Is this one of those who can hold out the longest games.
Most newspapers are owned by larger companies. What I’ve been doing is googling a smaller town name then look for their local paper or tv station then look for feedback columns and blogs. Then I post messages or use contact us for emails. That’s how I also found some not on the list complaints.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 2:26 am
It seemed there were an inordinate number of lawsuits in New Jersey (howl911), where Menu had their second plant with the contamination issue.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 2:27 am
PRISON
To Kat:
You’re too kind. A slideshow. LOL. I say feed them the food they produced.
Am getting ditsy myself. Going to bed.
Comment by Lynn — April 10, 2007 @ 2:28 am
Paige, They also said only the Albany lab identified the aminopterin. BUt that isn’t true. The University of Guelph, outside of Toronto, a big aggie school, identified it as well. And there’s an article that the Albany lab is sticking to their findings. Lots of lies.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 2:30 am
Sydney, Australia reported at least one case of tainted food.
ChemNutra had a warehouse in Kansas according to one report I read the other day.
I still think there is more to all this and some might be with the wheat itself.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 2:31 am
You can search for newspapers here — they are a huge source:
http://www.usnpl.com/
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 2:35 am
Lois
That’s why I said the wheat. It may contain the genetically altered gene splice with rat poison to reduce rats from eating the wheat. Maybe they thought the amount would be low enough not to harm other animals or humans. A little far-fetched maybe. But with Bio-tech and Sally Q’s background.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 2:38 am
I’m open to any ideas now. Why not they’re lying to us anyway.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 2:39 am
Well, I need to crash for a while. I still like the idea of litter box liners with some kind of pertinent message on it. God bless whoever can run with it. I’ve heard from so many cat people that their cats are distressed. It’s the collective conscience. It would be a sweet, though tiny satisfaction.
Take care of yourselves ladies. (Notice, this was all ladies tonight.) This fight is not ending anytime soon. Hug and kiss your babies, physically or spiritually. Be extra good to yourselves.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 2:39 am
What I had in mind was something from a movie about 30 yrs ago. The people had straight jackets on & their eyes were propped open with toothpicks & made to watch some movie of Hitler marching. I’ve forgotten the name, but it was a very troubling movie.
Actually, I was thinking about all the soon to be former employees of all these companies — could become taste-testers. They could come to each of our homes & try out the meal of the day for our kitties & doggies. If they don’t choke & puke — then, we’ll assume it’s safe for our pets! :)
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 2:40 am
Kathi, Caught you before signing off. I rule out nothing at this point. This is unparalleled. Take care of yourself.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 2:42 am
Kat, Are you referring to A Clockwork Orange? Weren’t you going to bed? But that thought was worth staying up for. Well done. Something we can all dream about.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 2:44 am
Hey Kat
I like the taste-testers best.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 2:45 am
I think my little 5# Peke/Chi would like to nibble on a few jugulars.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 2:47 am
Has anyone heard any reports of Special Kitty’s large cans being ‘off’? On three sep. times this week I purchased the special kitty catfood. It is what mine prefer. On all three times the food looked different. This can type is not a gravy food. It is a ground/loaf (beef and liver, super supper, and tuna banquet). When I opened these cans it was a large percentage of watery gravy surrounding the ground food. Very watered down, greasy looking.
Something is not right with this..
Comment by Flo — April 10, 2007 @ 2:51 am
Sweet dreams to all. Later today is another fight. Thanks for as wonderful time as one could hope for. Don’t ever let them take your sense of humor.
Comment by Lois Kimball — April 10, 2007 @ 2:54 am
PLEASE SOMEBODY READ THIS:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com.....y/Business
Pet Food sells shares before recall!!!!!
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 3:15 am
Another poster mentioned doing searches using the keyword phrase “pet food”. Another option (which I’m using) is to set up a google alert to have the search results sent to your email inbox -
http://www.google.com/alerts?hl=en
I have an alert set up for “pet food” and another set up for the brand I feed my cats.
BTW, thanks so much to petconnection.com, howl911.com and itchmo.com for staying on top of this and helping us all stay informed.
Comment by karen — April 10, 2007 @ 3:48 am
See my last post with address.
The following from the Globe and Mail:
The Chief Financial Officer of Menu Foods Income Fund says “horrible coincidence” that he sold nearly half his units in the troubled pet food maker less than three weeks before a massive recall of tainted pet food.
Insider trading reports show that Mark Wiens sold 14,000 units for $102,900 on Feb 26 and Feb 27. Those shares would be worth $62,440 today based on yesterday’s close of $4.46 a unit.
That represented 45 per cent of Mr. Wien’s units. After the sale, he still owned 17,193 units and options to purchase 101,812 units according to insider trading reports.
****Read the rest of the report:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com.....y/Business
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 4:27 am
Has anyone had a problem with Pedigree dry dog food? My cocker spaniel almost died March 17th. She started out vomitting after eating or drinking, then became lethargic and after about a week started bleeding rectally. We immediately took her to the vet where bloodwork was done and she spent the weekend at the hospital getting IVs and antibiotics for gastroenteritis (spelling??). This past weekend, I took my cocker to get groomed and found out the groomers dog had also been sick. Guess what that dog had been given to eat??? Pedigree! I now am questioning Pedigree. Is there anyone out there who has had problems like this? Pedigree is of NO help…duh! and my vet just says “well they are NOT on the recall list”.
Comment by Wendy — April 10, 2007 @ 4:36 am
That paper headline should get it’s own blog post!!!
Comment by Mary Smith — April 10, 2007 @ 5:10 am
Isn’t that something? And I’m supposed to believe he didn’t know? Yeah, I know, we’re just mindless hysterical fools.
This needs to be investigated further.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 5:18 am
The way I read the report, 3 varieties of canned Nutro were tested and all tested positive for melamine. There appear to be a number of other canned varieties of Nutro that have wheat gluten in them. I’d be interested to see an independent lab test those too…
Also, who produced the cans exactly? Menu Foods again, Nutro directly or somebody else?
Comment by Kirsten — April 10, 2007 @ 5:20 am
Hmmmm? i wonder if pcb’s down a c.e.o.s’ well would cause kideny failure?
it’s a big country , lots of stuff can go wrong?
Comment by johnypaycut — April 10, 2007 @ 5:25 am
Give me a f_____ break. Our local fox2news station reported just now that “all eyes” (read - news media) will be focused on the Bahamas to find out who is the baby’s father. Do we as a human race have sick-o, misplaced values or what!!
Comment by VJ — April 10, 2007 @ 5:30 am
I’ve been up all night. I was super po’d with the Nutro can discovery. I thought that was the news that topped all. After everyone went off-line, I checked the news and saw the lousy CFO dumps his stock just before the recall. Thought I’d blow a headgasket on that news. Can these people EVER TELL THE TRUTH about anything. If Martha Stewart can go to prison, I expect this buttwipe better get his bags packed for Hotel Hell.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 5:43 am
FWIW, those 3 products all contain Wheat Gluten. So do many of their other canned cat foods EXCEPT Chicken and Liver, Chicken and Lamb, Turkey and Giblets and Oceanfish (I didn’t check the Lite, Senior or Kitten foods).
Their ingredient lists can be found at http://www.nutroproducts.com/maxcat.asp
This hits too close to home for me - my cats have been on the Chicken and Liver (no wheat gluten) all along. Thank goodness, so far so good, but I have no trust in Nutro’s control of their own products so we will be finding something new.
Nutro dog and cat treats also contain wheat gluten - I threw out an unopened package of each when this first started.
Comment by kaceysmom — April 10, 2007 @ 5:52 am
Kirsten
I’d say Menu Foods. I have the Nutro MaxCat Gourmet Classics Adult Salmon & Whitefish UPC # 79105 300131. It hasn’t been tested yet but I know it’s poisoned because my cat was vomiting for 4 days and wouldn’t eat it all.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 5:54 am
Kahi,
Do you know anthing more about this suggested link between GE wheat and rat poison?
If it has been posted, I missed it.
RE: Comment by Kathi April 10, 2007 @ 2:38 am
Comment by Mary Smith — April 10, 2007 @ 5:58 am
Kathi sorry I mis-typed your name in the post above.
I wish this blog had an edit feature.
Comment by Mary Smith — April 10, 2007 @ 6:03 am
Wendy
Screw the list. There’s lots not listed that are poison. Avoid anything with wheat, wheat gluten, corn, corn gluten. Right now I’m using Dick van Patten’s Natural Balance. So far so good. Some home cooked is okay for awhile but no onions, salt and seasoning. And no biscuits or treats since most have wheat or wheat gluten.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 6:07 am
“Comment by Liz Finnan — April 10, 2007 @ 1:24 am”
Sorry, but vets have a financial incentive to sell these foods that might incline them to not be cautious about the foods’ safety. Besides, some prescription diet foods have already been recalled, and others are being questioned by Jane and John Q. Public.
I will not rely on anyone who has a financial interest in what my pets eat to tell me what they should eat. I will do my own research/read what research other pet lovers have done, then make my choices.
Comment by Pamela J. Betz-Baron — April 10, 2007 @ 6:11 am
I figured the CEO’s were dumping stocks and then after they sold - they announced the recall. I’d check the dry food companies too and see if any of those were or are dumping their stocks. They will probably buy it back when it hits rock bottom so they can make money when they fix the problem -
Best approach - use nothing with Wheat Gluten in it - if you have, test your pets now. For goodness sake do not continue using any product with Wheat Gluten and I’d go so far to say even corn gluten since someone posted that these are interchangeable without the companys altering the label.
And This is a big leap here - stop using people products with this added Wheat Gluten toxic junk.
I am simply amazed how this is playing out. Well folks in case of a terrorist attack on our food supply - would you trust our government - HELL NO!
As to the dry SD that was recalled - where is that food manufactured - maybe the location is the key to the other dry food possible contamination too!
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 10, 2007 @ 6:11 am
“PLEASE SOMEBODY READ THIS:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com.....y/Business
Pet Food sells shares before recall!!!!!
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 3:15 am”
I’m generally skeptical of such convenient “coincidences”.
Comment by Pamela J. Betz-Baron — April 10, 2007 @ 6:13 am
I wonder if the additional varities of toxic waste cat food - were from a different batch of this Outer Space CE by Aliens with no souls Wheal Gluten and that’s why it wasn’t tested and the problem is sooooo much larger.
DO NOT TRUST THE ……..You know what’s - sold their souls to Satan Food Companies!
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 10, 2007 @ 6:17 am
Mary
It’s just a suggestion of mine based on Monsanto’s Roundup Ready and gene splicing to find hardy grains resistent to insects, weeds (no till), and rodent problems and weather. About 20 years ago they spliced a gene from flounder (can withstand cold) and a gene from a tomato. It worked but it tasted nasty. Biotech R&D is trying to eliminate agricultural problems by using bacteria, other plantlife, insects, fish, animals, chemicals, fungi. Whatever it takes. I don’t think they really care about the results. They own the gene’s patents.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 6:19 am
Is there anywhere a database anywhere that has a list of the foods people are reporting that are causing sickness or death of their pet? Just wondering.
Comment by Bonnie — April 10, 2007 @ 6:34 am
Kathi, i just sent it to 360 on CNN.MENU FOOD needs to shut down asap. the SEC, SHOULD CHECK IT TO THIS .DAM MARTHA STEWART went to jail this man deserves jail big time.of course he knew
Comment by MARY ANN — April 10, 2007 @ 6:45 am
CFO of MENU FOODS, MARK WIENS, SOLD OFF 45% OF HIS COMPANY SHARES **3 WEEKS BEFORE RECALL**
SEND THIS TO CNN AND OTHER NEWS AGENCIES
I can’t copy & paste the link for some reason. Below is a portion of what Kathi posted:
The following from the Globe and Mail:
The Chief Financial Officer of Menu Foods Income Fund says “horrible coincidence” that he sold nearly half his units in the troubled pet food maker less than three weeks before a massive recall of tainted pet food.
Insider trading reports show that Mark Wiens sold 14,000 units for $102,900 on Feb 26 and Feb 27. Those shares would be worth $62,440 today based on yesterday’s close of $4.46 a unit.
That represented 45 per cent of Mr. Wien’s units. After the sale, he still owned 17,193 units and options to purchase 101,812 units according to insider trading reports.
**************************
SEND THIS TO CNN
I agree. THIS INFO DESERVES TOP HEADLINES and its own blog entry!
Comment by petlover — April 10, 2007 @ 7:16 am
This is a National Horror Scene - greedy company executives permitting Americas pets to eat toxic waste food - and we call ourselves civilized.
Jail them all!
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 10, 2007 @ 7:25 am
I just emailed the above info to CNN’s investigative section and called on Anderson Cooper to investigate. We ALL SHOULD EMAIL THIS TO CNN. Also, every blog (thread) on this site should have this info posted to it, as well as creating a special blog topic for this topic.
Thank you to petconnection.com for having such astute members who know how to dig and dig tirelessly.
Comment by petlover — April 10, 2007 @ 7:39 am
Just a reminder — if your pet ate any of the affected food — DON’T wait until there are symptoms — take them to the vet now and get blood tests and a urinalysis done. You have a MUCH better chance of saving your pet if you catch the condition before there are any symptoms. Please don’t wait — get them checked out.
Comment by Elizabeth — April 10, 2007 @ 7:39 am
Please do not feed your pet anything Gluten in it - not even corn gluten. Someone who worked for a pet food company posted on the blog that they change ingredients and take six months to change the labels.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 10, 2007 @ 7:44 am
CFO of MENU FOODS MARK WIENS SOLD OFF 45% OF OWN SHARES **3 WEEKS BEFORE RECALL**
Before the price pr. share plummeted down 39,32% and earnings pr. share probably will be zils.
Also buyes ingrediences at the lowest price. Very sharp man, Mark Wiens. How very unfortunate timing *yeah right*
Comment by Stefania — April 10, 2007 @ 8:23 am
I’m wondering now if pet food has contained melamine for a long time and since there is no standardized testing, and it’s not THAT toxic, it was just never known until the recall happened. Any pet food manufacturers out there willing to third party test their canned food and certify it MELAMINE FREE?
Comment by slt — April 10, 2007 @ 8:30 am
Well, it’s not like I needed proof of the poison in NUTRO’s canned cat products, since both my two-year-old boys suffered kidney failure as a result of it, but it’s gratifying to see it validated after all. Think even THIS will get NUTRO to act responsibly? I wouldn’t bet on it.
Shameful, unconscionable, criminal.
After three days of IV fluid therapy, my guys appear to be doing well (brought them home last night). I don’t want to draw any conclusions as to the prospects for them until we’ve had a few weeks to observe and test, but I am hoping that we may have narrowly avoided disaster. I know of many, many others who were not so fortunate.
People: Watch your loved ones CLOSELY. Particularly for increased thirst and urination. If this is observed RUN, DO NOT WALK, TO YOUR VET. If your cats are young and healthy and you get them treatment soon enough, it appears that all may not be lost.
Comment by Russell — April 10, 2007 @ 8:30 am
Just an FYI, if you wish to save a web page, don’t spend time emailing it or cutting and pasting. Simply save the page as an .mht file, using the File, Save command.
It saves it as an archived page.
Comment by Carole — April 10, 2007 @ 8:39 am
Linda MS
Do you remember where this person,who worked for a food company, posted this comment?
Thank you,
Caro
Comment by Caro — April 10, 2007 @ 8:42 am
I don’t know if this has been posted yet — I’m just getting on here.
THIS STINKS !! THIS IS DECEPTION AT IT’S WORST !!
Menu Foods CFO sold stock before pet food recall
Updated Tue. Apr. 10 2007 7:23 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
The chief financial officer of Menu Foods Income Fund says it was a “horrible coincidence” that he sold nearly half his units in the pet food company less than three weeks before a massive product recall.
Insider trading reports confirm that Mark Wiens sold 14,000 units, or 45 per cent of his stock, for $102,900 on Feb. 26 and Feb. 27, reports The Globe and Mail. The shares would be worth $62,440 at current prices.
Wiens still owned 17,193 units and options to purchase 101,812 units after the sale.
“It’s a horrible coincidence, yes . . .” Wiens told The Globe.
http://tinyurl.com/yq4qtu
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 8:43 am
RE: Just an FYI, if you wish to save a web page, don’t spend time emailing it or cutting and pasting. Simply save the page as an .mht file, using the File, Save command.
It saves it as an archived page.
Comment by Carole — April 10, 2007 @ 8:39 am
~~~~~ Didn’t know that! Thanks! Just saved the web page for the sale of stocks by the CFO.
:) Kat
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 8:48 am
Linda MS - Great comment about avoiding any glutens, rice gluten included. My 15 year old suddenly developed urinary problems in Dec. Her bun and creatinine numbers dropped like a rock. The only wet foods she ate were Nutro products and the Senior variety contains rice gluten!
Comment by Sue — April 10, 2007 @ 8:49 am
Correction, I meant to say her bun and creatinine numbers shot up like a rocket. I know she is an old cat but I ALWAYS have felt it was the food because it happened so fast.
Comment by Sue — April 10, 2007 @ 9:00 am
READ THIS - was posted on my pit bull forum - #2 and #3 below especially interesting. Too bad this article won’t get the widespread news coverage Anna Nicole is getting.
LARGEST PET FOOD RECALL EVER—
-A Genetic Engineered Food Disaster?
By Michael W. Fox B.Vet.Med., Ph.D., D.Sc., M.R.C.V.S.
I have received several letters from dog and cat owners thanking me for ‘saving their animal’s lives’ because they were feeding them the kind of home-made diet that I have been advocating as a veterinarian for some years. These letters came after the largest pet food recall in the pet food industry’s history.
On March 23, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets announced that they had found ‘rat poison’ in contaminated wheat gluten imported from China was responsible for the suffering and deaths of an as yet uncounted numbers of cats and dogs across North America. The poison is a chemical compound called aminopterin.
Veterinary toxicologists with the ASPCA and American College of Internal Veterinary Medicine shared my concern that there may be some other food contaminant (s) in addition to the aminopterin that was sickening and killing many pets. Experts were not convinced that the finding of rat poison contamination was the end of the story.
On March 30, the FDA reported finding a widely used compound called melamine described as a chemical used in the manufacture of plastics, as a wood resin adhesive and protective, in the suspect pet foods. The FDA claimed that the melamine was the cause of an as yet uncounted number of cat and dog poisonings and deaths. The FDA could not find the rat poison, aminopterin, in the samples it analyzed. However a lab in Canada, at the University of Guelph, has confirmed the presence of rat poison.
The Associated Press cited the Environmental Protection Agency as having identified melamine as a contaminant and byproduct of several pesticides, including cryomazine. People began to question if there is also pesticide contamination of the wheat gluten. Is there a possibility of deliberate contamination, or is it the result of gross mismanagement and lack of effective food-safety and quality controls that accounts for levels of melamine reported to be as high as 6.6% by in FDA analyzed samples of the wheat gluten?
A brief internet search quickly reveals that the widely used insect growth regulator cryomazine is not only made from melamine, but it also breaks down into melamine after ingestion by an animal. Wheat gluten is wheat gluten, fit for human consumption, so the question remains, what was wrong with this gluten that it was only bought for use in pet food?
On April 3 Associated Press named the US importer as ChemNutra of Las Vegas, reporting that the company had recalled 873 tons of wheat gluten that had been shipped to three pet food makers and a single distributor who in turn supplies the pet food industry.
While Congressional hearings are now being called for by grieving pet owners, and class action suits put together, this debacle could have catastrophic consequences not only for conventional agribusiness, of which the pet food industry is a lucrative subsidiary, but also for the agricultural biotechnology industry, with its millions of acres of genetically engineered crops around the world.
I reach this conclusion, until there is evidence to the contrary, for the following reasons:
1. The wheat gluten imported from China was not for human consumption, because, I believe, it had been genetically engineered. The FDA has a wholly cavalier attitude toward feeding animals such ‘frankenfoods’ but places some restrictions when human consumption is involved (yet refuses appropriate food labeling).
2. The ‘rat poison’ aminopterin is used in molecular biology as an anti-metabolite, folate antagonist, and in genetic engineering biotechnology as a genetic marker. This could account for its presence in this imported wheat gluten.
3. The ‘plastic’, ‘wood preservative’, contaminant melamine, the parent chemical for a potent insecticide cyromazine, could well have been manufactured WITHIN the wheat plants themselves as a genetically engineered pesticide. This is much like the Bt. insecticidal poison present in most US commodity crops that go into animal feed.
4.So called ‘overexpression’ can occur when spliced genes that synthesize such chemicals become hyperactive inside the plant and result in potentially toxic plant tissues, lethal not just to meal worms and other crop pests, but to cats, dogs, birds, butterflies and other wildlife; and to their creators. (For details, see my book Killer Foods: What Scientists Do to Make Food Better is Not Always Best. Lyon’s Press, 2004).
How else can one account for samples of pet food containing as much as 6% melamine? It was surely not mixed in such amounts when the wheat gluten was being processed, but rather was already in the wheat, along with the aminopterin genetic marker. My suspicion is that the FDA was aware that the gluten came from genetically engineered wheat that was considered safe for animal consumption. To admit that the gluten came from a genetically engineered food crop could harm the US agricultural biotechnology industry, and raise valid consumer concerns.
I could be wrong. But a greater wrong is surely for the pet food industry to use food ingredients and food and beverage industry by-products considered unfit for human consumption; to continue to do business without any adequate government oversight and inspection; and for government to give greater priority and support to agricultural biotechnology ( that requires far more food quality and safety tests and surveillance than conventional crops—- all at the public’s expense0—-than to organic, humane, ecologically sound and safe food production.
I believe that there is evidence of gross negligence, not simply on the part of the pet food industry, but by all who are responsible for food quality and safety in the global market that is clearly dysfunctional. The Pet Food Institute should start an emergency fund to compensate all veterinary expenses incurred as a result of this—-and any future—-mass poisonings of people’s beloved animal companions.
Dr. Fox writes the syndicated newspaper column Animal Doctor, with United Features, NY, and is author of the forthcoming two books on pet care, Dog Body, Dog Mind: Exploring Canine Consciousness and Well-Being, and Cat Body, Cat Mind: Exploring Feline Consciousness and Total Well-Being, published by The Lyons Press. His website is http://www.doctormwfox.org
Comment by Becky — April 10, 2007 @ 9:11 am
Has anyone had any problems with Eubanka Dry cat food? My healthly cat is now in the hospital with kidney failure and that is the only food she eats. I kept feeding it to her because they said all dry food was safe. My vet does not expect her to make it. Is there any other websites or “action” oriented groups working on this issue?
Comment by Julie — April 10, 2007 @ 9:34 am
Re:Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 6:07 am “Screw the list….Avoid anything with wheat, wheat gluten, corn, corn gluten. Right now I’m using Dick van Patten’s Natural Balance. So far so good. Some home cooked is okay for awhile but no onions, salt and seasoning. And no biscuits or treats since most have wheat or wheat gluten.” Really good advice. Noone should be feeding anything that contains wheat at all of any kind at a minimum to be on the safeside until this “incident” settles down. Consider people here to be your earliest alarm bell. Most of us were not alarmists when this thing started (however I think I am getting there). But at this point I would tell all of my friends and family to avoid wheat of any kind in wet or dry formulas and to stay away from any glutens until we know for sure they are ok. I am also still very concerned about the other additives that ChemNutra sold to the pet food industry, but that kind of worry leads me to total home cooking and I am only about a third of the way there! My Dr. Strombeck book is in the mail though!
Comment by Shawn — April 10, 2007 @ 9:35 am
For those looking for a “supposedly safe” pet food, here’s one in Canada:
“Beamsville pet food maker urges more regulations in industry
Amy Lazar
Local News - Monday, April 09, 2007 @ 01:00
In light of the recent pet food recall, The Standard set out to find a manufacturer who could dispel some myths around pet food production. We found one right here in our own neighbourhood.
In an exclusive interview, Mike Campbell, general manager of Nutram in Beamsville, explains how Nutram pet food is made and how they keep it safe for pets.
The odour of a newly opened bag of pet food is distinct. Most pet owners could probably pin it down in a blind test, but could they list the ingredients?
Not likely, said Mike Campbell, general manager of Nutram Pet Products.
“They’re becoming more educated than they have been in the past, though, and every month we get more questions here about what’s in our products,” he said.
Increased awareness around how pet food is produced may be the one positive outcome of the recent recall of some pet food that was making animals sick, and in some cases, killing them.
Nutram Pet Products, a division of Maple Lodge Farms, was not involved in the recall. The company is a family-owned and operated dry pet food manufacturer with a modest plant in Beamsville.
The parent company, Maple Lodge Farms, is the largest independently owned poultry producer in Canada and has been in business since 1935.
Nutram was established in 1993, maintaining its parent company’s focus on chicken, but using the product as a base for pet food.
The Beamsville plant employs 55 people - all but four live in Niagara - who work to supply pet food to 32 countries.
“It’s made no different than people food,” Campbell said during a tour through the plant on Bartlett Road.
Whether it’s the trout and rabbit formula, whitefish and peas or salmon and duck, the recipes are mixed and ground into a fine powder”
click link for more…..
http://tinyurl.com/3cbqn9
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 9:41 am
I am cross posting this:
I just got off the phone from “Hills Pet Nutrition” company in Topeka Kansas. The young man I spoke with was very upfront and honest with me. I thank him for that.
It is just like I thought, MENU wholesales their raw ingredients to other dry pet food companies.
It is simply a good business practice - one buys in bulk and gets the cheapest price and then sells off, for a profit, to other companies.
Hills Science Diet bought the same toxic waste Wheat Gluten that Menu bought and disbributed. To who knows where else, right now is just a guess. It wouldn’t suprise me to learn they (Menu) sold it all over the friggin place.
One would need to find out all the dry food companies that Menu contracts with - all of them.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 10, 2007 @ 9:55 am
I am really out of words at this point. It is difficult for a decent soul to process the ramifications of this disaster.
I feel that this is just the tip of the iceberg, and I hope I am wrong. It is already too far reaching for too many innocent pets and owners.
My vet says Hills is the food my dogs need to be fed, unless the type is recalled. Evidently, some of them are as perplexed and unable to grasp the gravity of the situation as we are.
The food my dogs eat contain corn gluten, but my vet does not see any danger with this. My own husband does not see the danger, and we are at odds right now over this. He loves the dogs, and I know he has his own opinion. However, it is difficult to feel the way I do, but to deal with the differing opinion of my vet…along with the differing opinion of my husband.
We just wait each day for the next shoe to drop in this mess, while the CEOs are doing damage control and selling off stocks. It seems it has all come down to those of us, who realize the truth, who are humane, or those of us who are more interested in the “buck” than the soul.
Comment by Pam Williams — April 10, 2007 @ 10:02 am
Well, well, suprise, not!! Remember the statement form the President from Nutro that was put on this website?
http://www.petconnection.com/b.....rom-nutro/
Remember, my questions to him about the cans? Remember the deafening silence? That’s the point when I said - no more wheat glutin and no more Nutro. (see 3/30 posts - 12:44 PM, 10:17 PM)
What exactly have you been doing for the last 2 weeks Mr. Kravis? Do you know what malfeasance is? If this isn’t criminal behavior - it should be.
Comment by Andrea — April 10, 2007 @ 10:05 am
I don’t trust any of the Glutens and Menu probably uses Corn Gluten too. Until we know what’s going on - I’d avoid it all.
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 10, 2007 @ 10:05 am
Comment by Julie — April 10, 2007
I am so very sorry about your cat.
Julie, Eukanuba is owned by IAMS. Yes, there are many, many complaints on IAMS/ Eukanuba dry foods both cat and dog, same symptoms!
Go to PETA’s website to read their strong accusations about IAMS dry food. They have been pushing IAMS to recall dry for over two weeks. http://www.peta.org Search other sites also, the victims are out there. Anyone else out there feeding IAMS or Eukanuba, please, please research!
Save and store the food carefully where children or other pets cannot access it. Do not throw it away or return it to IAMS/Euk. And report to the FDA if you haven’t already. There are posts on some boards that FDA are selectively questioning some of the dry food victims owners.
Again, I am so very sorry. My best to you and and your kitty.
Anyone else out there with more info for Julie, please jump in here.
Comment by Laurie — April 10, 2007 @ 10:10 am
Personally, I would like Fancy Feast canned cat food (especially sliced and gourmet feast varieties) and Purina dry cat food (especially in my case, One varieties) tested. Also Pedigree canned and dry dog food. Has anyone had any problems with those foods or heard of any?
Comment by Karen — April 10, 2007 @ 10:15 am
Please stay away from all glutens corn wheat and rice and don’t use the corn or the wheat or the rice at this point either since ChemNutra uses rice and wheat and corn isn’t good for cats or dogs anyway. No treats or biscuits either. they usually contain flour.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 10:21 am
Lots of complaints on Fancy Feast on boards. Purina One, multiple varieties, contains wheat gluten. Personally I would not feed ANY product containing wheat gluten. For Purina, here’s the long list:
http://search.purina.com/searc.....sp_f=UTF-8
Comment by Laurie — April 10, 2007 @ 10:22 am
See this article just out today in Time magazine:
http://www.time.com/time/natio.....83,00.html
I’m going to puke!
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 10, 2007 @ 10:23 am
And look what’s on the Nutro web site. a press release April 2, 2007 stating that ALL NUTRO PET FOODS CURRENTLY ON STORE SHELVES IS SAFE. Really? And yes, I do have a web shot of this page.
http://www.nutroproducts.com/press4-2.asp
If you relied on Nutro’s statement and fed your pet the cans that have melamine in them and your pet got sick , and if Nutro knew about the problem are we talking fraud here?
Some smart lawyer needs to look at this.
Comment by Andrea — April 10, 2007 @ 10:24 am
Thanks, Linda MS. That is what I am feeling about the “glutens” too. I guess I will have to sit down with my husband again and try to get the point across to him for the third time. He agrees with whatever our vet says.
I have dealt with our vet for a very long time. We have been through so much with our dogs. My husband and I have disagreed many times concerning the health of our dogs. He is more respectful of an educational degree than I am.
Yes, my vet has a degree, and I respect that degree. However, I have a brain, and I respect my brain, research, and gut instinct. I have not made up my mind which way to go at this point, but I appreciate this website and everyone who contributes. Thank you all so very much.
I know this must be just as difficult for our vets to process, as it is for us. One comment I have heard is, “I have been in this business for over 20 years, and I have never seen anything like this.”
Comment by Pam Williams — April 10, 2007 @ 10:24 am
How can we in any way shape or form feed this toxic junk to our pets:
The FDA/CVM also undertook an assessment of the risk dogs face if they ingest sodium pentobarbital in pet food. For eight weeks, an undisclosed number of dogs was given various levels of this drug, and it was found that: “Dogs who received 150 and 500 micrograms of pentobarbital once daily for eight weeks had statistically higher liver weights (relative to their body weights) than the animals in the control groups. Increased liver weights are associated with the increased production by the liver of cytochrome P450 enzymes.” The report concluded that the levels of exposure to sodium pentobarbital which the animal might receive through food are “unlikely to cause them any adverse health effect”. The FDA/CVM has admitted that if these levels - any levels for that matter - of sodium pentobarbital were found in human foods, those products would be pulled from the shelves immediately.
In a letter dated March 22, 2002, from Stephen Sundlof, Director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, regarding my query about this drug and the fact that under the Code of Federal Regulations it states, “Do not use in animals intended for food”, he writes: “A euthanasia solution such as pentobarbital cannot have a withdrawal time and its mechanism of action results in tissue reside, so it could not be used to euthanize animals intended for human or animal food.”
It is not allowed for use in either human or animal food, yet the FDA does not plan to take any steps to prevent or prohibit the presence of this drug in pet food.
Are we slowly killing our pets each time we feed them commercial pet foods?
Although the FDA/CVM tested a number of pet foods, we do not know if the food we are feeding our pets contains this drug; nor do we know what the long-term effects of ingesting this drug will be. Each batch of rendered material, meat meal, is different. It depends on what animals they are rendering on that particular day and if they were euthanised, died in the field or were killed by another method.
In the last 10 years we have also seen a number of other species, primarily birds of prey, die from ingesting euthanised dogs and cats that have been buried at landfill sites. Sodium pentobarbital stays in the tissues of these animals for extended lengths of time. We have also seen bears and even a tiger die after eating animals euthanised with this drug.
It is clear that any animal that has been euthanised with sodium pentobarbital should be incinerated, not rendered and fed back to other animals.
http://www.nexusmagazine.com/a.....food2.html
Linda MS
Comment by Linda — April 10, 2007 @ 10:28 am
So how long before this food gets officially recalled and how many more pets get sick and die before they do?
Comment by Sandi K — April 10, 2007 @ 10:47 am
Lois — yes, A Clockwork Orange. I thought of that just when I crawled into bed. Thanks!
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 10:53 am
RE: “To anyone that hasn’t been up to speed on things, my suggestion would be to ONLY buy pet foods from your local veterinary offices.
Comment by Liz Finnan — April 10, 2007 @ 1:24 am
”
Liz: There have been complaints on this site from people whose vets have reprimanded them for using anything other than “their brands” or making homecooked foods. The vets make $$$ off what they sell in their offices — as does WalMart, PetSmart, et al.
Another report from a blog poster — her vet said that it was just a problem in the eastern states. How DUMB is that? I wouldn’t be about to trust THAT VET!
My vet ONLY carries Hills: Science Diet & Prescription…of which is recalled now. I am not about to buy ANY of that.
At this point in time, I do not trust anyone in regards to pet food. It’s like playing Russian Roulett — with people holding the gun to our friends head.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 11:03 am
Reported in the Globe and Mail, The cheif financial officer of Menu Foods Income Fund, the parent company of the inatial pet food maker involved in the recall, says it’s just a “horrible coincidence” that he sold nearly half his shares of the company less than three
weeks before the massive recall.The Toronto Globe and Mail reports Mark Weins sold 14,000 units on Feb. 26 and 27, for $102,000 Canadian (about $82,000 U.S:) Reports of illnesses and deaths related to Menu Foods products came in to the company’s toll free customer relations line in late February. But Weins say he didn’t hear of any possible problems untill early March.
Comment by Susan Mckee — April 10, 2007 @ 11:11 am
There was a toxic household waste collection set up in my city a short time ago. Paint, bug spray , old chemicals, that type of thing.
You drove to the fairgrounds and men in hazardous waste suits unloaded it and disposed of it safely.
I joked at the time that we really should just box up all the commercially made pet food we have and take that in for “safe disposal”.
Looks like the joke is on me because I WAS RIGHT, it is poison.
I am not happy about the collection of recalled cat food, not recalled yet but any minute now cans, suspect dry dog, bags and pouches of treats, dog bones and I spent a lot of money on this grim collection.
Not as much as I spent on Vet bills, mind you, but a lot.
These reminders of the way my two cats died are constant, grinding pain. I am terrified for my surviving pets and right now I have a dog sick from DRY FOOD, you know, the food that was perfectly safe, nothing wrong at all, better than my non nutritionist self could make, that food?
The pet food companies are not just killing my pets THEY ARE KILLING ME!
I used to love Friday, Friday night is sacred to me, we are home together and now I dread Friday all week because I know, I KNOW, that Friday at close to 5PM they are gonna drop another nasty little bomb.
I write to congress, I report to the FDA, I deal daily with a government that has failed me and that is all kinds of fun.
I measure and monitor water intake for my pets that may die months from now due to this contamination and I literally shake with anger.
And then I sit down and write another letter, make copies of my vet bills and blood tests, email the news agencies that are covering the recall and in my spare time (there is more of that since I am not sleeping so great) there is time to read about the latest way my pets and I have been betrayed. Aint life just grand?
Comment by E. Hamilton — April 10, 2007 @ 11:17 am
I just called PETCO corporate and they confirmed they received a notice from FDA to pull Nutro cans even though not confirmed by FDA as to test results. Petco said they have already begun removing product. I thanked him for checking and confirming it.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 11:23 am
Thanks Kathi and Laurie. I have been making my cats’ food myself shortly after our dog passed away. I’m taking no chances. And the cats are doing sooo much better! I had been blaming their troubles on hairballs. But I see the difference now. I read corn and wheat gluten on Purina One packages. At first I just avoided the canned, then also the wheat gluten, but then I avoided the corn also. Now I avoid everything, until I see a satisfactory explanation of these pet deaths and illnesses. But they’ve lost my trust. I still believe some companies are keeping mum about their products. Did anyone have any troubles with Milkbone dog biscuits? Heard anything? I’ll be checking out that Purina website too. Thanks.
Comment by Karen — April 10, 2007 @ 11:29 am
Has anyone had problems with Iams loaf-style canned food…the 13.2 oz. chicken & rice and beef & rice varieties? Supposedly no gluten, just barley, but at this point I don’t trust that anyone really knows what is in this crap. My dog went into kidney failure after eating two cans of it and that’s the only wet food he’s had. Thanks-
Comment by StraysWelcome — April 10, 2007 @ 11:41 am
Karen I’m so sorry. You and so many have been through hell.
I don’t know about Milkbones but at this point I would urge anyone NOT to give biscuits. I give my baby Dick van Pattens ROLL-A-ROUNDS. It’s a crunchy flat disc-shaped treat. It contains Lamb, lamb hearts Lamb kidneys lamb lungs Lamb fat(preserved with mixed Tocopherols and ascorbic acid source of vitamin C) Sucrose, whole ground flaxseed, - the usual calcium sodium stuff - brewers yeast and dried kelp meal and the rest of the vitamin stuff.
NO wheat, or gluten, corn, soy, rice, eggs or dairy.
I only mention it because my friends and others I’ve talked to said their babies expect a treat. For those who do not trust anyone I’d suggest a special home prepared meat treat.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 11:49 am
Hills Science Diet killed my two cats and they both only ate The dry food. After buying a new bag of food in January which I had to return because the wrong style of food was in the bag and my cats hated it. I exchanged it for the kind they have eaten for years and a week later my first cat started not to eat and lost so much weight so fast that by the time i got him to the vet he was so dehydrated he had to be on a IV for 2 1/2 days. He did come home and ate the S/D which I mixed in some of their reguler food also so he would eat. He was home for a mouth but then went down the same way and there was nothing more we could do. About 2 weeks later my other cat 16 years old never had any problems before started to act the same as Kugel the first cat, but being older I thought maybe he hurt his leg and could not walk or jump. He also lost weight in a short time and started to throw up. Took him to the vet who after examing him said he was haveing kindney problems. He was put to sleep that day. We had spent more then we could just weeks before on Kugel. The next day the recall came out and my husband and I knew right away it had to be the food. We even thought this before it all happened. I called science diet and told them it was the dry food also and they 100% guaranteed me no dry food was in the recall but a week later the M/D was included. I have talked to the FDA and Hills, both listen to my story and say they will get back to me. Hills has responed to my emails and I do hope to hear from them. My food did not have any wheat Gluten, but it was made in the same plant. My cats never had kindney problems before. Maybe it’s to Bazzar to consider but I know in my heart it’s true. My family will never have our guys back and it breaks my heart to think of getting new cats when ours should still be here.My Children are only 4 and 6 and really do not understand what happen to their cats they loved so much. Thank you for listening. It makes me feel better knowing that I’m not alone Jennifer B.
Comment by Jennifer Barrett — April 10, 2007 @ 11:54 am
StraysWelcome. I’m sorry about your baby.
PLEASE everyone do not use any other variety of the known recalled brands whether dry can biscuit or treat. In fact just stay away from all grocery brands. I used Canidae for my Peke/Chi and she’s been fine and with DVP Natural Balance EATABLES in cans. She’s mostly on the meat diet but she does nibble the kibble Natural Balance. There is also Felidae for cats. None of these are associated with Menu or the mega corporations. I have heard some other brands are good but these are the ones I checked on myself.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 12:00 pm
I feed my dogs no commercially prepared treats now. I bought chicken breasts at $1.99 (sale price) per pound and cooked them. You can’t even get a pound of packaged treats for $1.99. I also bought some liver, cooked it, and froze it. I cut all of the meat into 1/4” - 1/2” chunks (really tiny), put them in Zip-loc bags in the freezer, and use them as treats. The dogs don’t care how big the treat is, just the idea that they got a treat! At least I know that there is just water added to the meat for cooking. (I didn’t buy organic or hormone-free meat, but this treat method, at least protects them from grains.) Who knows what other semi-moist treats and biscuits/cookies will be recalled?
Now, kitties… they’re tougher to please. My kitty (elevated BUN & creatinine levels) is eating Solid Gold canned food (tuna flavor, from Thailand - didn’t realize this when I bought it) and likes it — no glutens of any kind.
Comment by petlover — April 10, 2007 @ 12:05 pm
I would SAY ENOUGH is ENough… All PET food plus Companies needs to be innvestigated.. My cat died Feb 17th.. and i’m Exhauseted.. Lets throw out all BAD Food Now not tooo mention All BAD Compnaies and those Idiots that are Responsible for killing our Fur BABIES!! We need Answers Now.. Healing and Compensation..
Lets put Safety first!! and Move Forward.. LETS All Take ACTION.. and let the Public know the y have Poison in pet food, and Possible Human food so many still don’t know YET???? GET ALL PET food TESTED.. and the Companies.. NOW!!!!!
Comment by kelly B — April 10, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
I’m with Kathi on this. It’s not just a particular brand to watch out for, or just is one of Menu Foods’ plants manufactured the food. We need to find out where companies purchased INDIVIDUAL INGREDIENTS. Just because a company can say we use U.S. suppliers does not mean that the ingredients the U.S. suppliers provided are in fact from the U.S. Many companies out-source their ingredients overseas. We need to look for something similar to “only ingredients grown/produced in the U.S. are used.” And even then, with such lax standards and inspections, how can we truly be sure…
Comment by petlover — April 10, 2007 @ 12:16 pm
I think the FDA needs to go into every single pet food mfr & retrieve 1 bag/can from every batch/lot & do indepth sampling.
They need to give a 24-hr request for invoices for every supplier & customer they’ve had for the past 9 months.
If they cannot comply — they are shutdown indefinately — until they do.
If they find anything toxic — chemical, mold, etc. They are shutdown until an investigation is COMPLETE! Not like Menu Foods — who is up & at ‘em…while the catastrophe continues….
This is catastropic! This is inexcusable! This is an historical nightmare!
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 12:25 pm
Thanks Kathi. One month (first recall announced about six days after my dog got sick), $5000 and much stress later, he is eating (Canidae, Dick Van Patten’s, and home-cooked) and playing again! It’s a beautiful thing and I feel like one of the fortunate ones. Looks like he will have permanent damage though and I’m doing subcutaneous fluids at home every other day to maintain BUN and creatinine at acceptable levels. I just wondered if anyone else had the same problem with non-recalled Iams.
Comment by StraysWelcome — April 10, 2007 @ 12:54 pm
I AGREE!! THIS is a Night MARE.. And All of the Garbage Pet Food and companies/Ingredients needs to be TESTED!! and they need to be hel Accountable.. and Justice served and Healing and Compensation for us/pets.. and We need Trust which will take along Long TIME!! Cuddles DID bot HAVE to DIE!!
Comment by kelly B — April 10, 2007 @ 12:54 pm
How awful. Just my two cents. Please stay away from ANYTHING containing wheat in ANY form. I am also considering the advice above about corn gluten.
As far as manufacturers, I’m not buying Eukenuba/IAMS for a long time. The products I use from them do not contain wheat - but too many rumors about theif food out there. And, after doing label analysis, too much junk in them too. Hope my IBD/pancreatitis cat doesn’t need Low Residue in the near future.
I don’t feed my cats nutro - never heard of them until this recall. But I wouldn’t touch anything by them.
As for Hills, have a visit with the vet on Thursday, and anticipating she may mention one of the Hills canned foods. But I think I’m not good on that one either.
I’ve been doing a lot of label analysis out there and not ready to throw the towl in on canned foods, but going forward will carefully read all ingredients, try to find out where they are made and sourced.
Comment by Jenny — April 10, 2007 @ 12:57 pm
I was in PetSmart today, and the Nutro rep was pulling more food. He told some of the PetSmart employees that it was a “precautionary recall” and that they wouldn’t have heard about it yet. I couldn’t see the cans, but bet it was the flavors that are in the news. He could load it all up as far as I am concerned —- wouldn’t touch a bit of it.
Comment by L Powers — April 10, 2007 @ 1:53 pm
“that it was a “precautionary recall” and that they wouldn’t have heard about it yet.”
Ummm, what about the people who have been buying it because they were told all Nutro on the shelves was safe and nothing else was effected?! Is Nutro going door to door and checking shelves? I haven’t heard this on the local news yet and I’m sure folks would like to know before they serve it up as the evening meal!
ABC local news will be running a story about pet food alternatives tonight (if I heard the tease right that is) so hopefully the latest Nutro info will be included. Of course the story could be bumped in favor of Anna Nicole’s baby news . . .
Comment by straybaby — April 10, 2007 @ 2:14 pm
Re: FDA sampling all pet food
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 12:25 pm
My guess is they’re already on it. And I think they (and the majority of the press) is stonewalling on this issue because they’ve also been busy checking human food. JMO
Comment by CathyA — April 10, 2007 @ 2:16 pm
That is interesting. I sent Nutro that link about 3 this morning. They probably already knew. I called the FDA today about it. I also filed my 5 pets.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 2:22 pm
The biggest news of the day appears to be the CFO’s story. Nothing on the Marin news report about Nutro & UC-Davis finding. It’s all about MONEY! I’m so sick of this Bull-schizu!
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 2:33 pm
I was in PetSmart today, and the Nutro rep was pulling more food. He told some of the PetSmart employees that it was a “precautionary recall” and that they wouldn’t have heard about it yet.
Comment by L Powers — April 10, 2007 @ 1:53 pm
You know this just enrages me! This looks to me like an attempt at a cover-up. How sneaky can they get?! A recall is a recall is a recall. So you will pull stuff off the shelves, not announce that to anyone, not put it on your website and NOT put it on the news so people at home will stop using this product? I feel this is blatant disregard for the pubic and their pets, why isnt FDA slapping them with a HUGE fine?! Come on FDA, step up to the plate and stop these companies. Its obvious to me the companies are ruling this show and FDA is allowing it.
Comment by Sandi K — April 10, 2007 @ 2:37 pm
Well, it looks like everyone will know about the next recall soon. This has been posted on the Nutro Website:
April 10, 2007
Updated Press Release From Nutro Products will be posted later today
“As the next shoe drops…”
Comment by Shawn — April 10, 2007 @ 2:42 pm
I made an appt for my 5 animals (2-dogs, 3 cats) to go get their “Panel Tests” done. 2 of my cats where sick about a month ago — & all have eaten from products that were recalled — although I no longer have the cans or bags. Vet will charge $48.50 for ea panel x 5. They’ll be going in groups.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 2:44 pm
Sandy K
Like I said in an earlier post on one of todays. Monsanto is heavily embedded on the East coast on both sides of the fence in every department.
Comment by Kathi — April 10, 2007 @ 2:47 pm
April 10, 2007
Updated Press Release From Nutro Products will be posted later today
http://www.nutroproducts.com/mfrecall.asp
That’s why they’re at PetsMart…
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 2:49 pm
So, Nutro didn’t have the decency to test their own products to make sure they were not poisoning our pets. I am astounded that are no regulations in place that require these companies to test their products.
It just goes to show you how little regard the makers of pet food have for our pets.
Had this been a problem with the human food supply, no doubt extensive testing would have been required.
It seems that we pet owners are truly on our own out here. No one to protect us…
Comment by Janet — April 10, 2007 @ 3:37 pm
My prediction on Nutro’s website press release:
They will say that the testing from Univ of Calif was flawed and they will “ensure” us once again their food is safe. That they were ly) pulling food off of store shelves only as a precautionary measure but honest, their food is safe, they even feed it to their own pets!
Somehow I expect they will only go kickin and screamin….What are other folks predictions here?
Comment by Sandi K — April 10, 2007 @ 3:40 pm
It looks like my suspicions about Nutro Max Cat California Supreme 3oz cans were on the money. We’re off to the vet and not a moment too soon in my opinion. Imagine the people who don’t have access to the internet who are not aware of what happened today.
I wonder what Martha Stewart or Oprah feed thier animals? I think a celebrity endorsement would go miles towards bringing this issue in the main stream. How about Entertainment Tonight doing an expose on what celebrities feed thier pets and how are they coping with the Recall.
Think of the free publicity that could be generated and the awareness created for federal regulation in both Canada and the USA and anywhere else for that matter.
Really think about this. If any celebrity’s people are following PetConnection, please consider the support you would have from us! It would be worth it’s weight in the cats and dogs who cannot speak for themselves anymore.
Comment by Sindy — April 10, 2007 @ 3:41 pm
Yep - time for another press release from Nutro - I can’t wait to see what garbage they spew out this time.
Comment by Andrea — April 10, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
I am just sick and outraged over this latest news! Why didn’t Nutro test this food ASAP after the pouches were recalled, instead of waiting for some vet to send it to UC Davis to be tested? This really sucks and they will NEVER win back my business now.
I actually fed my cats some of this garbage. For canned I fed them mostly Nutro kitten food (loaf,no wheat) but since my youngest was about to turn a year old, I decided to try some adult food so bought about 6 cans of different flavors. I definitely bought 1 can of the Chicken Cacciatore and possibly the Lamb Cutlet but not sure. They ate the gravy and left the meat, so I never bought it again.
2 of my cats are due at the vets in 2 weeks, I guess I now need to have them tested, although they do no exhibit any symptoms whatsoever. Hopefully 6 3-oz cans (assuming all 6 were bad) fed to 3 cats is not enough to cause serious damage???
It is really inexcusable of Nutro to not be testing their own damned food after all of this!
Comment by catlover — April 10, 2007 @ 3:50 pm
Just a heads up, the AVMA has update their website with the Nutro info…
AVMA
Alert: Additional Nutro cat food products were reported in the media on April 9 as having tested positive for melamine, but the findings have not been confirmed nor has an expanded recall been issued. Consumers should contact the manufacturer directly with questions about these additional products:
Nutro California Chicken Supreme 3-oz. Can
Nutro Chicken Cacciatore 3-oz. Can
Nutro Lamb & Turkey Cutlets 3-oz. Can
Comment by Carole — April 10, 2007 @ 3:53 pm
http://www.avma.org/aa/menufoo.....oducts.asp
Comment by Carole — April 10, 2007 @ 3:53 pm
AVMA. Read between the lines…..
The results have not been confirmed. Of course not, the shredders are still hot.
An expanded recall has not been issued. Of course not, see above.
Maybe the little people are more on top of this than everyone first thought. It may be the only way to expose the bad pet food for what it is.
Be an underdog! It’s great!
Comment by Sindy — April 10, 2007 @ 3:59 pm
I just emailed Nutro a nasty-gram. Not that it will do much good, but it’s the least I can do right now.
Comment by catlover — April 10, 2007 @ 4:10 pm
See latest blog…”Pet Food Recall Expanded Again”.
Comment by Janet — April 10, 2007 @ 4:15 pm
This is for Jennifer above: Can you tell me more about this: “Hills Science Diet killed my two cats and they both only ate The dry food. After buying a new bag of food in January which I had to return because the wrong style of food was in the bag and my cats hated it”…Jennifer what kind of food did you initially buy in January, and what do you mean by “the wrong style of food was in the bag”? There was a fellow blogger last week whose cat was on c/d to control crystals, was healthy and then it went into kidney failure after I believe he purchased a bag of food around about the same time that you did. Which prescription diet were your cats on? His name was Don Mauch I believe.
Comment by Shawn — April 10, 2007 @ 4:46 pm
To Jennifer Barrett
Don’t feed anything from Hill’s. Our cat ate Prescription c/d Dry and had to be euthanized from acute renal failure. The corn gluten, if it is indeed corn gluten, may be toxic as well.
Comment by Janice — April 10, 2007 @ 5:18 pm
Janice/Jennifer-your losses are beyond my comprehension. When I was talking to Don M. I wondered if the wrong prescription diet had been bagged as c/d, because his cat was on c/d for two years and then dramatically went into kidney failure and was then put on w/d but didn’t make it. How long had your baby been on the c/d? Did your vet do regular workups to see if the diet was controlling the crystals? Besides the wrong bag theory, I also wonder whether their formula isn’t working for some patients. And then there is the possibility that their is a toxin in it. If you haven’t already write to the CEO of Hill’s and ask them to look into all of these possibilities.
Comment by Shawn — April 10, 2007 @ 5:28 pm
I have been reading on numerous blogs & bulletin boards about people who have fed the same food — for years. Then, all of a sudden their pets suddenly get sick & die. So, it must be a change in the vendor of the ingredients. That part was admitted by Menu.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
I guess everyone probably already knows this:
Nutro Products Orders Removal of All Wet Pet Food Products Made by Menu Foods with Wheat Gluten
Nutro Dry Foods, Biscuits and Treats are NOT manufactured by Menu Foods
and are NOT Affected by Recall
City of Industry, Calif. (April 10, 2007)– Earlier today, Menu Foods expanded its recall of wet pet food products to include additional wet pet foods suspected of containing melamine from Chinese supplied wheat gluten.
Given this new information and the confusion in the marketplace, Nutro has ordered ALL Nutro wet pouched and canned foods made with wheat gluten be removed from store shelves regardless of the date of production and asks pet owners to stop feeding those products to their pets. Nutro is taking this action even though the Menu Foods press release indicates that only certain dates of production at its plant were affected.
“Pet owners are fed up with confusing information regarding the Menu Foods recall,” said Dave Kravis, President and CEO of Nutro Products. “I had previously ordered a broader recall of affected products than what Menu Foods had suggested. Given this new information from Menu Foods, I have ordered all wet pet food products containing wheat gluten to be removed from store shelves. Our dry pet food is not made by Menu and remains unaffected by the recall.”
As a result of this new information, Nutro has suspended all shipments to retail stores of Nutro’s wet canned and pouch products that contain wheat gluten until Nutro is able to confirm their safety.
Nutro Products is asking all customers who have the following Nutro wet pet food products (which are made by Menu Foods and contain wheat gluten) regardless of “best by date,” to immediately stop feeding the products to their pets.
All Cat Pouch Food Products
Listed Cat 3.0 oz can products
All Dog Pouch Food Products
Listed Dog 12.5 oz Canned Products
http://www.nutroproducts.com/press4-10-07.asp
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 6:24 pm
To Shawn—Re: Hills Prescription c/d
Our cat had been on c/d since August of 2004 and all his lab work had been fine. Only after buying the new bag of c/d in early Jan. did he become ill. I know in my heart the food killed him. I feel so guilty for having fed him poison. I am reluctant to get another cat unless I raw feed or give him what we eat. Our cat was a companion to my 94 year old Mother who has Alzheimers. I contacted the FDA the day after the 1st recall. I have had 2 different offices call me. The last said my complaint had been sent to the district office in Kansas because that office had jurisdiction over where the Hills food was manufactured. I am still waiting to hear from them. I have emailed Hills on two occasions but only get their standard response. I guess I should try calling their 800 number. I just want everyone to be extra careful what they feed their fur babies. I fear the corn gluten listed in the c/d may have been replaced by wheat gluten since I read that ingredients can be replaced without changing labels for up to 6 months. If you have any other suggestions, please let me know.
Comment by Janice — April 10, 2007 @ 7:39 pm
A while ago I wrote that I believed my dog had been sickened by her Nature’s Recipe adult lamb and rice. However, I see that the jerky treats I fed her(also made by Del Monte) are recalled. I also fed Nutro Chicken sticks and Bil Jac Liver Treats. It is so difficult to tell which product is causing the problem! You and your vet know it is something they ate - it looks like poisoning. I have yet to read dog symptoms. My young girl got sick the first week in Jan. Refused to eat or drink, stood with her back arched, had blood, both digested and fresh in her stool. Needed pain pills to cope. She got treatment with under the skin fluids, stomach coaters, etc. I went to boiled chicken and rice, things improved enough so that I brought out the treats and regular food! She got sick immediately! What are the symptoms for dogs?
Comment by Kristi — April 10, 2007 @ 8:06 pm
I believe our dog was saved because my vet thought she might be suffering from a severe “wheat allergy.” We got rid of everything with wheat in it.
Comment by Kristi — April 10, 2007 @ 8:09 pm
Kristi-
My dog first stopped eating, but continued to drink water. He gradually got more and more lethargic and I knew something was wrong. Wouldn’t jump on the bed, run to the door, bark and yip like normal, etc. Then he started vomiting yellow bile… all within 2 and 1/2 days of eating two cans of suspect food. BUN was >130 and cre was 7.2 when I took him to my regular vet. Next day, after fluids, BUN was 196 and cre was 8.9. Transferred to 24 emergency facility- by that time he was drooling, not very aware, staggering with a BUN of 250, cre of 10, and blood pressure of 200. He got 6 liters of fluids per day there and after 4 days was able to come back to my regular vet. Another week of daily fluids, and we’re two weeks into doing subcutaneous fluids at home now. He’s my boy again …eating and playing. Hope this helps.
Comment by StraysWelcome — April 10, 2007 @ 8:28 pm
24 hour emergency facility, sorry…
Comment by StraysWelcome — April 10, 2007 @ 8:32 pm
Janice-write a letter to the CEO of Hills and copy the FDA about your situation. Lay out the facts as you described above. Before I retired I was a banking regulator and we reviewed consumer complaints very thoroughly and made certain that our banks investigated each one. One written complaint is worth many many complaints because so many people just don’t have the time to write. Be ready to send them copies of your vet records, including labs and the food for testing (if it were me I would tell them that you intend to send some out for private testing to the nearest veterinary college. UC Davis certainly has the expertise and equipment to do the testing. If your vet has no other explanation for your kitties death but possibly the food then maybe she/he will help you get someone to test it.) I am still curious about Jennifer’s statement that she got the wrong style of food in the bag that she picked up. One thing that I would like to know is whether Hills has any studies for how long a cat can be maintained on c/d? Indefinitely? I don’t know. Maybe they have studies. Could it be that at some point it simply looses its effectiveness? I don’t know. Your vet might have answers to those questions. It is just strange to me that you and Don Mauch have pretty much the same story. And yes, I am staying away from all wheat products and corn for now. I am feeding my cat some Wellness, and a variety of other canned foods including California Natural, Dick Van Patten’s stuff, and Merrick. (And stay away from anything with”byproducts”). Her dry is Innova Evo (no grains) and I am cooking for her as well. Good Luck.
Comment by Shawn — April 10, 2007 @ 8:40 pm
My 3 dogs have eaten Science Diet Adult Small bites for years. When I fed them their first meal from a new bag (either a week or two ago, I’m so tired I can’t remember), they didn’t eat very much of it, and then all 3 got sick (vomiting, diarrhea). One had an accident in the house and I noticed blood in the urine. I didn’t give them any more of that food and have sent it off to be tested. The dogs have also been tested and they are all okay. The Science Diet food has no wheat gluten in it, and Hill’s has assured me that there are no problems with it. But still I wonder — something wasn’t right about that food.
Comment by Pam — April 10, 2007 @ 8:54 pm
Alright. I think I have the worlds saddest story about all this bull***! I adopted two kittens at the beginning of March. I fed them Nutro Natural Choice Kitten Care Chicken and lamb. Last Friday I had to hospitalize both of them for renal failure at only 10 WEEKS OLD!!!!! After 3 expensive and tearful days of hospitalization, and I had to put them both down. This food does contain wheat gluten but is it on the recall list? NO! Make sure no one you know is feeding their kittens this! It killed my two angels.
Comment by Debbie — April 10, 2007 @ 9:19 pm
What a tragic story, Debbie! Heartbreaking.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 10:56 pm
Debbie- I’m SO sorry about your babies. That is horrible and I hope these greedy a-holes will have to answer or pay for their actions in some way. You’re in my thoughts and I’m sorry for your loss.
Comment by StraysWelcome — April 10, 2007 @ 11:10 pm
I’m having trouble posting — either the website is malfunctioning, my computer is freezing up — or I ain’t running on all 4 cylinders — anyway…
Here is a NEW article about the Chinese not cooperating with the FDA:
http://tinyurl.com/28b8ym
Chinese criticized in pet food probe
By Karen Roebuck
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The Chinese government and the company that supplied a contaminated ingredient are slowing the federal investigation into the nationwide recall of pet food, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration official said Tuesday.
Researchers, however, are making strides toward uncovering what has sickened cats and dogs nationwide. A lead scientist said yesterday he is convinced a second contaminant was in the wheat gluten, which FDA and independent researchers said was laced with high amounts of melamine, a chemical used in plastics.
Dr. Richard Goldstein, associate professor of medicine at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and a kidney specialist who is researching the outbreak’s health impact on pets, said he and other researchers saw what they believe is a second contaminant in the gluten and the urine of infected animals, but have yet to identify it. Cornell is among labs working with the FDA.
“The concerted effort now is to identify what else is in there, and what’s in the crystals” of infected animals’ urine and tissue, Goldstein said.
Federal investigators haven’t determined whether Xuzhou Anying shipped other food products to the United States, or what other Chinese companies it sold wheat gluten to that, in turn, might have been shipped here, Rogers said.
Xuzhou Anying’s Web site said it also exports carrots, garlic, ginger, corn protein powder, vegetables and feed. Rogers said Chinese officials have not responded to the U.S. government’s question about whether any products other than wheat gluten were shipped here.
“We’re certainly reviewing all products from this source,” he said. Since the recall, the company has shipped only wheat gluten to the United States, but U.S. officials still are unsure what might have been shipped prior to the recall, Rogers said.
“From an operational standpoint, we still have questions about this company,” he said.
The FDA is screening all wheat gluten imported from China and the Netherlands at U.S. ports and seizing all wheat gluten from Xuzhou Anying.
Under the microscope and even to the naked eye, the contaminated gluten looks different from uncontaminated samples, Goldstein said. Researchers see melamine granules and other colored granules throughout the gluten, he said.
more — click link
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 11:10 pm
Here are some excerpts from that link:
http://tinyurl.com/28b8ym
Federal investigators haven’t determined whether Xuzhou Anying shipped other food products to the United States, or what other Chinese companies it sold wheat gluten to that, in turn, might have been shipped here, Rogers said.
Xuzhou Anying’s Web site said it also exports carrots, garlic, ginger, corn protein powder, vegetables and feed. Rogers said Chinese officials have not responded to the U.S. government’s question about whether any products other than wheat gluten were shipped here.
“We’re certainly reviewing all products from this source,” he said. Since the recall, the company has shipped only wheat gluten to the United States, but U.S. officials still are unsure what might have been shipped prior to the recall, Rogers said.
Under the microscope and even to the naked eye, the contaminated gluten looks different from uncontaminated samples, Goldstein said. Researchers see melamine granules and other colored granules throughout the gluten, he said.
“There appears to be other things in there, other than the melamine, but identifying what they are is a long process,” he said
The labs will test urine and tissue samples from pets suspected of becoming ill from the food and possibly samples of the food, he said. How that will be accomplished and who will pay for it has not been determined, so pet owners and veterinarians are advised to keep those samples, he said. The labs are trying to develop a way to test for melamine more quickly and cheaply.
Comment by Kat — April 10, 2007 @ 11:21 pm
Increasingly there are reports of pet deaths after eating dry dog and cat food too (we need the record of this to confirm). How much of the dry food has been tested? Statistics indicate that more cats than dogs have died. The main difference between the dog and cat food is that the cat food has a higher protein content. Could the contaminent be linked to the protein component source. Melamine may be a convenient marker for determining whether a given pet with renal failure has ingested the melamine-contaminated food but is believed to be of low toxicity. We have a high death toll considering that. Menu Foods said that the wheat gluten from Xuzhou Anying was the only source of the contaminent but they would have to provide complex, analytical testing of all their pet food ingredients to reasonably rule out the possibility that it is not some other problem, and they have not done that. Dry food may not show the presence of any melamine but that does not necessarily mean that it is not contamined with something. Should we only be looking at wheat gluten or could the source of the problem be something else,and are the visible melamine and other colored granules simply a smoke screen? Why are pets dying that have eaten dry food that does not even contain wheat gluten. Should we even be feeding our pets dry dog and cat food, or any pet food when there might yet be an unknown risk to them.
Comment by Sue Dunn — April 11, 2007 @ 12:52 am
I have been reading so much about this and I am more scared than ever. My cat eats Friskies canned foods and Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Skin dry food. The dry food has corn gluten in it and we bought it about a month ago. I’ve read the ingredients on the Friskies cans but they are so broad and not specific at all. Do you think it is possible that some of these foods do have glutens in them but aren’t listed on the labels? That is what I am most worried about. Another thing is that our cat is almost 11 yrs old but still acts like a kitten….very energetic and playful. I took her to the vet about 3 weeks ago because for the past month or more she has not been acting herself. She has been sleeping in weird places all around the house, crouchted down on all four legs just sits there. We even found her lying in her litter box one day. She has NEVER done that. She has been sleeping more and doesn’t even go up in her cat tree anymore….she LOVES that cat tree. She has still been playful at times but not like she normally is. The vet noticed some wheezing in her lungs but didn’t even think it was a big deal….I BEG TO DIFFER. So I have her scheduled to get a chest x-ray at another location, but can’t get in until the 25th of this month. We are military living overseas and I have no idea how to find her any alternative pet foods. I want to switch to organic but have no idea where to begin to look. I’m worried sick about my baby. We have a very small commissary and there are not that many choices of food for her. My hands are tied right now. I don’t want to open that bag of dry food and give it to her and have something happen to her, but I have nothing else to feed her right now. I can’t let her starve.
Comment by Tammy — April 11, 2007 @ 3:43 am
Remember, someone posted and I restated their post, that wheat gluten may be in the food even if the bag says corn gluten. Supposedly, the manufacturers are allowed to substitute for a short period of time (up to 6 months) without changing the ingredients label. At this point I would avoid all commercial food and either raw feed or cook for them. I do not trust any pet food manufacturer at this point. I am so sorry for everyone who has lost a pet or whose pet has been sickened by commercial pet food. I am reluctant to adopt a new pet because I do not want to harm them. I would definitely raw feed a new cat if and when I get one. I have looked at the animal welfare pets locally and have almost adopted twice but my heart is holding back. Still mourning my lost baby.
Comment by Janice — April 11, 2007 @ 4:38 am
For the overseas poster above, I recommend ordering from artemis (all meat and made in the US) online and having the food shipped to you. Also, your cat sounds like she has a cold. My feral kitten I was trying to tame and was feeding sliced chicken & gravy to (priority or companion I am not sure which) developed very bad bleeding mouth ulcers (blood coming from her mouth) and went into kidney failure 1 day after eating that chicken and gravy food. I should have known somethingwas wrong because my indoor cats were turning their noses up at it. With kidney failure you will detect an increasing ammonia smell. The sooner you can get your cat onto intravenous fluids the better. My kitty being feral was triaged b/c she had no shots and was euthanized.
Comment by lisa — April 11, 2007 @ 8:24 am