Pet Food Recall Alert
Saturday March 17, 2007
A major pet food manufacturer who sells under several store brands has issued a recall for their "cuts and gravy" food sold in cans and pouches. Dry food has not been affected, according to reports. Animals who have become sick have reported to have kidney problems, with some developing into kidney failure. According to the Associated Press, there have been 10 pet deaths related to consumption of the affected pet food since December 2006. The cause has not yet been determined. For more information please see the following links:
- Menu Food Recall Info
(Pet Food Manufacturer press release and contact information) - Pet Food Institute Issues Statement in Response to Recall of Wet Pet Food Products
- Safeway Announces Voluntary Participation in Menu Foods Recall
- Menu Foods Recalls Can and Small Foil Pouch Wet Pet Foods
- Pet food maker announces major recall after reports of pet deaths
- P&G Pet Care Participates Pet Food Recall
Comments
I just wanted to apprise everyone one that I suspect my cat developped kidney failure from her recent introduction to a new cat food reccomened by the Vet. It is a dry cat food and of course is not on the recall list. I purchased Prescription Feline c/d from my vet on February 24, 2006 but did not feed for a week. After introducting the Hill’s Science Diet Prescription formula all 3/4 of my pets became ill. One suffered lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss and kidney failure. We had to euthanize her. I have tried to e-mail Hill’s but no one has gotten back to me. I called the Menu Foods number but they claim not to handle the recall for that brand. I contacted my veterinarian who also was not concerned because this company has not posted a recall for that food. Just because they haven’t recalled it, doesn’t mean it isn’t contaminated!!! Veterinarians sell this food and someone needs to investigate if this food was affected. I don’t have the bag anymore because I poured it in the self-feeder and threw the bag out. I do have a receipt from the purchase but it does not have the SKU. Any suggestions?? I also called ABC 13 Houston to advise them, since they ran the story.
Oops I meant February 2007!
I am SO sorry to hear about your cats! This is terrible, and I can’t imagine the sadness and frustration that you must feel at this time. My condolences to you.
For product complaints/adverse reactions, you may want to contact the FDA for your state:
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html
Also, please see this latest press release from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. There are resource links included in the article:
http://www.wsvma.org/associations/2620/files/ACVIM%20Pet%20Recall%20Guidelines.pdf
My cat usually eats dry Iam’s food. A little over 2 weeks ago I ran out of food and fed him two cans small cans of savalot canned food. He has had mild diarhea for the last week and a half. I am taking him to the vet tomorrow for tests. The food I fed my cat is not on the recall list. I am starting to think that the contaminated food is more widely distributed than is thought. Again, my old cat was not sick before he ate the canned food!
I too have a cat with kidney failure, as of March 1st., and have only fed it Prescription Feline t/d, manufactured by Hill’s. My cat is a four-year-old indoor cat with no other source for kidney failure outside of something congenital or tainted cat food. I contacted Hill’s and left a report but have not heard from them. In fact, the first time I contacted them they did not even want to take the report! My suggestion to Candice Santillo who wrote the above comment is to contact the FDA. They took a detailed report from me. I too think that the Prescription series of foods should be tested as well. I have plenty left. My condolences on your pet, ours is responding to subcutaneous injections twice a day, but the prognosis is grim. Ultrasound showed one kidney fully compromised and the other significantly so. There are so fewer users of Hills prescription diets that I fear it may not prompt an investigation. The branch of the FDA I contacted on March 26th. was the Southern California one. This disease could have very well be congenital, but I’d like to know for sure if it was the food.