Deaths Sparks Massive Pet Food Recall

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

I created this thread to notify/update pet owners of a very large, very real life threatening situation for their pets. This issue is on-going and I couldn't give a rat's butt on where the company is based, or who there suppliers are. I DO have an issue with a problem being nearly 2 months old before coming to light but that is not necessary here either.

We can split the political stuff off to another thread if necessary.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Purina E-mail re:Mighty Dog Recall

An Update from Nestle Purina PetCare Company About the Menu
Foods Recall - March 23, 2007


We at Nestle Purina PetCare Company know the reports of pet food
recalls and withdrawals over the past week have been very
concerning and at times confusing for pet owners, who want to
ensure the safety of the food they are feeding their beloved pets.

We want to take this opportunity to reassure you that Mighty Dog
pouch products are the ONLY Purina(r) brand products affected by
Menu Foods' recall. Nestle Purina stands behind the high-quality
of our pet foods, and all Purina brand cat food products and all
other Purina brand dog food products, including Mighty Dog
canned products, can continue to be fed to your pets with
complete confidence.

On Friday, March 16, Nestle Purina PetCare issued its press
release announcing the voluntary withdrawal of our Mighty Dog(r)
brand pouch-packaged products that were produced by Menu Foods
from Dec. 3, 2006, through March 14, 2007. While we had no
indication of any product quality or safety issues specifically
related to our Mighty Dog pouch products at that time, we are
proactively withdrawing these products as a precautionary
measure, because the well-being of pets and the safety and
efficacy of our products are our top priorities.

Click below to view the Press Release:
An Update from Nestlé Purina PetCare Company About the Menu Foods Recall | Purina.com

We also want to apologize for any difficulty you may have had in
reaching us by phone this week. While we have dedicated numerous
additional phone lines, people and other resources exclusively
for this purpose, we understand that the volume of calls still
has occasionally exceeded our system capacity.

We have prepared some Frequently Asked Questions that may be
helpful to your understanding of this situation, and we will
update these questions as more information becomes available. If
you have other questions or concerns, please continue to call
our Office of Consumer Affairs directly at 1-800-551-7392.

Click below to view the Frequently Asked Questions:
An Update from Nestlé Purina PetCare Company About the Menu Foods Recall | Purina.com

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

P&G Pet Care Update
March 21, 2007

We want to provide an update on the recent recall of "wet" pet foods produced by Menu Foods, Inc.

We are deeply saddened by this situation. We know it has caused a lot of concern and has touched pet lovers throughout North America, including our own employees. We've received a lot of questions, so we want to give you the latest information.

First, we want to assure you that this recall affects only a small portion of our "wet" pet food products manufactured at the Menu Foods plant in Emporia, Kansas. We have a variety of canned wet food products that are currently available on store shelves that are not affected in any way by this recall.

We also want to assure you that our Iams and Eukanuba dry foods are safe for your pet to eat and are readily available in stores. These foods are not part of the recall - there are no concerns at all about dry food. P&G manufactures Iams and Eukanuba dry foods at our own plants, not at Menu Foods.

You may wonder why some "wet" food was produced at Menu Foods. In fact, virtually every pet food company commonly uses outside partners for special or small volume items. Nonetheless, the different branded products made by Menu are not "the same". Our Iams and Eukanuba pet foods have unique recipes and important ingredient differences that distinguish them from other pet food brands.

Because of our concern for pets and their well-being, we took immediate action to voluntarily participate in Menu Foods' "wet" food product recall and to work with retailers to get the small portion of our "wet" products affected by the recall off all store shelves in the U.S. and Canada.

Until the root cause of this pet health issue is found, we will not produce any more of these products at the Emporia plant. We'll keep you updated when we have more information on this.

Pets are an important part of all of our families. P&G Pet Care employees share your concerns and are firmly committed to you and the health of your pet. We are working hard to respond to your questions, and provide the information and help you need.

We value your trust and confidence during this extremely difficult time.

P&G Pet Care



For a list of products involved, see the new Iams website for more details.
Learn how to read the product codes on food packages.
This document is in PDF format and can be opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Should there still be unanswered questions, please feel free to contact us.

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

I feed my cats dry food, urinary track formula so we aren't affected. however, for one week now our 11 year old cat, REznor, has been ill. We have been to the vets 3 times, spent $400 there, and they do not find anything wrong. He hides all the time, won't eat or drink. I am feeding him mushed Hill's Science Diet with a turkey baster, and giving him water the same way. Of course I smell of cat food, and the other cat is very attracted to me. Now Reznor doesn't want us near him as he associates us with forced feeding. Last night he went for a few seconds to the food bowl by himself, but nothing today so far. We are not going to give up on him yet.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Hill's Prescription Diet DRY cat food recalled

Hill’s Pet Nutrition recalled its Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry cat food. The food included wheat gluten from the same supplier that Menu Foods used. The recall didn’t involve any other Prescription Diet or Science Diet products, said the company, a division of Colgate-Palmolive Co.

FDA finds chemical in recalled pet food - Pet Health - MSNBC.com

[Carol C Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Carol C]

Cats are more at risk with toxins & chemicals in food!

Cats fare worse in food contamination

By ANDREW BRIDGES, Associated Press WriterSat Mar 31, 8:42 PM ET

A greater sensitivity of cats to a chemical found in plastics and pesticides could explain why they've died in larger numbers than have dogs after eating contaminated pet food, experts said Saturday.

The small number of confirmed reports of pet deaths bolstered by a far larger number of unconfirmed anecdotal reports suggests cats were more susceptible to poisoning by the chemical melamine that tainted the now recalled pet food, officials with the Food and Drug Administration and American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said Saturday.

"I am concerned we have a situation where we have a sensitive species and it is the cat," said Steven Hansen, a veterinary toxicologist and director of the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control center in Urbana, Ill.

Testing by the FDA and Cornell University has found melamine in samples of recalled pet food as well as in crystal form in the urine and kidney tissue of dead cats. They've also found the chemical, in apparently raw form in concentrations as high as 6.6 percent, in wheat gluten used as ingredient of the recalled cat and dog foods, said Stephen Sundlof, the FDA's chief veterinarian.

"There was a sizable amount of melamine. You could see crystals in the wheat gluten," Sundlof told The Associated Press.

Sundlof and others have not been able to explain why the chemical would have caused the kidney failure seen so far in the roughly 16 confirmed pet deaths, all but one in cats. There are anecdotal reports of hundreds more pet deaths.

"It has a very low toxicity, at least in rodents. The problem is, we don't have information in cats, and that seems to be the most susceptible species," Sundlof said of melamine. Sundlof also allowed that the tainted cat foods could have contained higher concentrations of melamine than did the dog foods.

Nestle Purina PetCare Co. said Saturday it was recalling all sizes and varieties of its Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog food with specific date codes. Purina said a limited amount of the food contained a contaminated wheat gluten from China.

Earlier this month, Menu Foods became the first pet food manufacturer to recall its products. It did so after cats began to fall sick and die during routine company taste tests of its wet-style pet foods, sold under nearly 100 store- and major-label brands across North America. Other than in the recalled products, melamine has not been found in other Menu Foods pet foods, the company said.

Melamine is used to make plastic kitchenware, glues, countertops, fabrics, fertilizers and flame retardants. It also is both a contaminant and byproduct of several pesticides, including cyromazine, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The United Nations Environment Program considers melamine of low potential risk, as does the EPA. The agency has sent FDA the database information it has on the chemical and will provide technical assistance as needed, EPA spokeswoman Enesta Jones said Saturday.

Sundlof said the FDA hadn't found any studies of melamine in cats, and the results of only a single 1945 study that tested it on dogs. That study suggested the chemical increased urine output when fed to dogs in large amounts.

"That was pretty much it," Sundlof said.

Still, it's well known that identical substances can have very different effects on cats and dogs. For example, the flea killer permethrin is OK to use on dogs but lethal to cats, Hansen said. The same could be the case with melamine.

"Cats are very sensitive to many different chemicals, whether drugs, pesticides or plants. We certainly know they have some unique physiological responses that make them susceptible in cases where we wouldn't expect it in other species," Hansen said.

The investigation has traced the melamine to wheat gluten that Menu Foods, Nestle Purina PetCare Co. and Hill's Pet Nutrition bought from an unnamed U.S. supplier. The latter two companies have recalled a limited number of products since Friday. The wheat gluten, a protein source, was imported from China.

Sundlof said the recall could expand further, depending whether other pet food manufacturers also bought wheat gluten from the same supplier.

"We're still in the process of tracing it at this point," Sundlof said. There is no indication the wheat gluten entered the human food supply, he added.

___

On the Net:

Menu Foods: Menu Foods Income Fund - Annual General Meeting

FDA: Pet Food Recall

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

I wonder if any of your pets have been affected by this problem? I hope not. We haven't but I still keep reading if there is a warning at Wysong too as it can happen anywhere, if ingredients are imported where the laws may not be as strict as here.

I am so glad we found this company many years ago but they really prefer that you feed your pets real food too in addition to the Wysong dry or wet food and preferably in the raw, natural state which is uncooked.

Most pet food companies make you feel guilty if you feed them people food as they have brainwashed us so much. Of course, don't feed your dog cookies or ice-cream as that is not really good for them either. Non of the Vets, we know, recommend feeding pets people food either. I just ignore them because our animals love it.

Here is a current Wysong e-letter about this problem but the link will not stay active very long so here is part of the text, if you like to read it.

Table of Contents:
What To Learn From The Canned Food Disaster

First of all, our sympathies go out to those who have lost pets due to the recent canned food problem. All of us who love our pets can only imagine the heartbreak.

This is also tragic for the manufacturing company and their employees who must feel a sense of responsibility. It is difficult to see how a company could survive this and how hundreds of employees will not lose their source of livelihood. Although there is no evidence of foul play or intentional misconduct at this point, consumers will likely turn to other brands made by other companies.

On the other hand, no producer can feel too smug, since such an incident could easily happen to any company producing food for human or animal consumption. As you know, spinach picked from a field, watermelon, hamburgers...virtually anything that can be eaten could possibly be fatal.

There is no fail safe protection. Just because a food is cooked--which all canned foods are--provides no certain safety. Dry foods are not totally reliable either. Raw foods have their dangers too, but they are obviously exaggerated since every major pet food disaster that has occurred in the past 15 years has been with cooked foods. Dilated cardiomyopathy that afflicted thousands of cats was from feeding 100% complete and AAFCO tested cooked foods. Mycotoxin poisoning was from dried cooked foods. And now this from cooked canned foods. Although good food handling and manufacturing practices help reduce risk there is no one manufacturer that can provide perfection.

As we continually preach, however, feeding only one food meal after meal, day after day puts your pet at greatest risk both in the short and long term. It doesn't matter if the food is organic, "100% complete," or is absent all of the boogeyman ingredients marketeers try to scare you about. Don't be fooled into believing the route to safety and health for your pet is a particular packaged food to feed relentlessly. Vary the diet, don't fall for marketing nonsense (see below), and follow the Optimal Health Program for the wisest course of action for both your family and your pets.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Menu Foods Clears Non-Recalled Food for Pet Consumption

Here is a new report on their web site:

http://menufoods.com/recall/PressRel...MARCH%2030.htm

This is good news but I hope it isn't too late for many pets, who have fallen ill already. It must be devastating for these pet owners as most people love their pets.

[Gracey Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gracey]

Emmy, thanks for posting that website, very interesting. My pooch eats science diet now but I was able to find a retailer from the wysong website that is less than a mile from my house. I think I will be switching brands.
Thanks again,
Laurie

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Emmy, thanks for posting that website, very interesting. My pooch eats science diet now but I was able to find a retailer from the wysong website that is less than a mile from my house. I think I will be switching brands.
Thanks again,
Laurie

Hi Laurie,

If you change brands, do it slowly. Start mixing a little bit of the new food with what your dog is used to now and then increase it slowly so your pooch will not get an upset tummy or a loose stool. We switch Taffy's food all the time but do it slowly too. See avatar.

You can read it on their web site or email them for questions. I have even called the nutritionist too but only if I have a problem which we had recently but he is his old self again now. Our cat is almost 18.

[Carol C Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Carol C]

Emmy, are you familiar with the "Blue" brand sold at PetSmart? We're in process of switching our dog to it and probably our cat once she runs out of food.

The news I posted about cats really concerns me...I know for a fact that cats are very prone to develop cancer from toxins in their food and environment. My other cat was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and alas it does not look good. I learned the hard way that female cats with breast lumps are 85% guaranteed to have malignancy and that will quickly spread to other areas if the growth isn't caught right away and removed. (Dogs are the opposite...85% of their lumps are benign.) If you don't notice your cat's tumor and it goes for 5+ months it will likely be too late. Vets don't tell you this, but I'm telling folks to make sure when your cat is on your lap to give her a full breast exam now and then. Early detection is key!

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Hill’s Pet Nutrition recalled its Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry cat food. The food included wheat gluten from the same supplier that Menu Foods used. The recall didn’t involve any other Prescription Diet or Science Diet products, said the company, a division of Colgate-Palmolive Co.

FDA finds chemical in recalled pet food - Pet Health - MSNBC.com

We've been feeding our dogs a dog food bought from the Vet that is sold only through vets. I had felt relatively safe until I had seen this myself a day or two ago.

Fortunately, our Scotty has food alergies and is on a limited ingredient dog food. She seems to be allergic (IMO) to grains and other "filler" type material found in many dog foods. In reading the ingredient label I'm relatively certain there isn't any wheat glutten in either the dry food or the canned food we use to hide her pills in. It's maybe the first time I've been glad that a dog had any sort of issue that forced me to purchase food that was more expensive than what I could pick up at the store.