Retailers need to pull ALL Pouches and Cans made by Menu Foods

First Pet Food Express, then Trader Joe's, and now Krogers. Kudos to them all.
Why aren't the manufacturers and every other store that sells pet food doing the same thing? Do they think we won't act with our wallets? I for one am paying very close attention to how every company is handling this, and I will not give a single dollar - ever again - to any company risking a pets life by their actions (or lack of action).

KROGER ELECTS TO SUSPEND THE SALE OF PET FOOD MANUFACTURED BY MENU FOODS IN CANS AND POUCHES

Cincinnati, Ohio, March 23, 2007 - The Kroger Co. has elected to remove from sale pet food manufactured by Menu Foods that is sold in pouches and cans, including Pet Pride and IAMS brands in pouches and cans, Mighty Dog pouches and All Natural Life brand cans.

Kroger's action goes beyond products recalled in the past week. We are taking this step as an added precautionary measure until we are satisfied that Menu Foods, the manufacturer of the products, can assure Kroger that these specific products are safe for consumption by our customers' pets. This elective recall does not include dry dog food products.

Customers who have products included in Kroger's elective recall may return them to one of our stores for a full refund. They may also call Kroger's Customer Center at 1-800-697-2448.

And here's what Pet Food Express says (the new gold standard in my opinion).

March 23, 2007 1:00 P.M.

UPDATE ON MENU FOODS RECALL

The NY State Department of Agriculture and Markets announced earlier today that a rat poison, aminopterin, was found in the Menu Foods-produced foods that have been recalled. Aminopterin is not approved for use in the U.S. for rodent control but is used in other countries. It is possible that the wheat used in the tainted foods may have been imported from such a country although state officials did not say how it got into the food.

We welcome this new finding and hope that it will allow us to get fully back into business soon but we are still waiting for more definitive word before we release all non-recalled foods for sale. We are monitoring the situation closely and will act as soon as we believe that it is safe.

Thursday, March 22, 2007- 1:30 p.m.

The latest update on Pet Food Express and the Menu Foods recall…

PFE’s current sales policy on wet dog and cat food is as follows:

NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE

We are not selling:

• Any item that has been recalled.
• Any wet foods, recalled or not, from brands that were made by Menu Foods and that had a significant number of recalled products
• The brands affected are: Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Nutro

AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON A RESTRICTED BASIS

These are brands that are produced in whole or in part by Menu Foods but for which we have spoken to the manufacturer and been assured that:

• Their products are not produced in the suspected plants.
• None of their products are being recalled
• They have had no reports of sick, dying, or dead pets.
• Their products do not contain wheat gluten.

We are selling these brands only if a client is fully aware of the recall and the potential risk posed by feeding a product made by Menu Foods. Although we have been assured that there is no problem with these foods, we cannot and do not vouch that they are safe.

• The brands included are: Nature's Variety, Wellness, Castor & Pollux, Newman’s Own Organics, Wysong, Innova

Easy to Use Lists of Recalled Products

After going into a local PETCO today and being shocked and confused by all the products still on the shelf, I came home and tried to find an easy-to-use checklist of which Iams / Eukanuba / Science Diet / Mighty Dog / Nutro products should NOT be on store shelves. It was much harder than I expected.

I'm focusing on these brands because they are found in many stores, rather than being local or store brands. It's a total of 7 pages total if you print each one out.

Nutro dog/cat on same pages: http://www.nutroproducts.com/mfproductlist.asp

Iams dog/cat and Eukanuba dog/cat all on same page: http://us.iams.com/iams/en_US/data_root/html/product_article/ProductRecallList.htm

Hills - Science Diet CAT food: (only the "Savory Cuts" cans recalled) http://www.hillspet.com/menu_foods/Menu_Foods_en_US.htm

Mighty Dog 5.3oz POUCHES Only: http://www.mightydog.com/voluntarypouchwithdrawal.aspx

While initially the recall information included date codes, yesterday the recall was expanded to include all dates of the products in question, which makes the lists smaller and easier to read because no date codes are needed. [On Saturday the date expansion was denied, then after a couple of they-can't-really-be-doing-this-hours, announced again. Okay. Uhuh. Whatever. NONE of these foods should be on the shelf. If you want to read the full story on their back and forth, the best place is over at http://howl911.com/]

***Added*** Seems like we all need something we all can take into our local stores to make sure they do not have recalled food on the shelves. I'm thinking I'll put the above lists, along with the Menu Foods press release into a single PDF file for easiest printing. If you like the idea, and would find it helpful, let me know. Comment here or click the email link on the top right of this page. Thanks.

1541 Pets now reported dead (updated 8pm )

Heartbreaking. And I remain convinced this is still just the tip of the iceberg.

Read the latest update at petconnection here

The latest numbers from our database (8 p.m. PT): 1541 dead (885 cats/646 dogs). As always, let us remind you: These are self-reported numbers.

DRY Food reports continue - NUTRO, IAMS

Nutro Dry Foods - I've now read several first person accounts of a pet dying who only ate Nutro DRY food.

I have a bag in my kitchen. I would cut off a piece of my arm and feed it to my cats before I would give even one nugget to them.

Is that a shocking enough statement to convince you? I hope so.

Go here to read more about Dry food reports over on itchmo.com

He's asking that you email DRY food reports here: tips@itchmo.com

Need a Vet? Try Banfield - offering a 25% discount for Pet Food Recall treatment

If you're in a new place and / or don't yet have a vet you know and trust for your pets, you might want to consider Banfield. They're offering a 25 percent discount, and have set up a fund to assist clients. They're the first, and as far as I know the only vet organization to step up this way.

I posted about them a few days ago, I'll repeat it here:

Banfield, The Pet Hospital is providing a 25 percent discount off the recommended medical treatment plans received at participating Banfield hospitals across the nation. Specialists and other experts have developed these specific treatment plans to screen for and treat kidney problems seen in patients who have eaten the tainted foods.

In addition, the Banfield Charitable Trust has created an emergency fund and donated the first $50,000 in funding to financially assist clients with Pet medical costs incurred at Banfield that are associated with the Menu Foods product contamination. Banfield Charitable Trust funds from this grant can be applied for at Banfield hospitals.

I never would have thought to take my pets there, but I've found out this week that all of their vets are networked together, so they are able to share information nation wide, and learn from each other. This is a huge benefit in this situation.

You can search by location here http://banfield.net/health/search.asp

RECALL EXPANDED to ALL DATES

**Updated Sunday 3/25 Menu Foods has finally posted this information on their website: http://www.menufoods.com/recall/PRESS%20RELEASE03241409.htm

From an AP report here

After the announcement, the company that produced the food expanded its recall to include all 95 brands of the "cuts and gravy" style food, regardless of when they were produced.

The company expanded the recall — which initially covered only cans and pouches of food packaged from Dec. 3 through March 6 — after the FDA alerted it that some products remained on store shelves.
...
Scientists at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University and at the New York State Food Laboratory tested three cat food samples provided by the manufacturer and found aminopterin in two of them. The two labs are part of a network created after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to keep the nation's animals and food supply safe.

(Note that there have been reports of deaths prior to last DECEMBER.)

If you think your pet ate affected food - GET TO A VET

I'm still seeing posts and comments online asking what to do if your pet might have eaten affected food.

I am not a veterinarian, I am a cat lover and owner who has had too many cats die because I hesitated to take them to a vet. So, with all my heart, and it's breaking as I write this, I say this:

If you believe your pet has eaten any of the affected food, take him or her to a vet IMMEDIATELY. Don't post a question here, don't post a question on a message board, don't post a question on a Yahoo Group. Don't ask your friends, don't ask a pet food store. Take them to a vet IMMEDIATELY.

If they show signs of this poison or kidney failure but they've eaten different food, take them to a vet immediately.

If you don't have the money, go to or call Banfield. They set up a fund to help owners pay for treatment. See if your vet will test/treat first and accept payment later. Ask another vet! And another! Or ask your parents, your children, your friends, your neighbors if they will cover the upfront costs.

If you don't and your pet dies, you will never forgive yourself. There are thousands of us, at the very least, who have to live with the guilt of 'what-might-have-been' every day. Thousands more joined that list this week.

Please, you do not want to be a member of this club. If you've done everything you can you will still grieve, but you will at least have the peace of knowing you did everything possible.

Pet Food Recall - ABC Reports on both Press Conferences

The full article is here.

Some excerpts...

Investigators, meanwhile, are looking into whether the rat poison came into the United States on an ingredient used in the recalled food. ABC News has learned that Menu Foods bought wheat gluten, the only ingredient changed in its plants, from China. That possibility raises questions about the safety of pet and other food products in the United States.

The chemical can cause kidney failure in dogs and cats, said Donald Smith, dean of Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, during the conference.

Scientists at the state's food laboratory in Albany, N.Y., made the discovery a week after Menu Foods issued its recall.

"This is one step in a long process that will lead us to know what has happened and how it has happened," Smith said.

Aminopterin is not registered for use as a pesticide in the United States, and it has been known as a potential source of birth defects in humans.

ABC News first reported that the rodenticide may have been present in the wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods, according to a source close to the investigation.

...

Investigators also have not yet determined whether aminopterin is the only contaminant in all the recalled food.

"If it is not the only culprit, as I suspect, the problem isn't over," McGill said, adding that it is also uncertain as to whether the finding will be much help to veterinarians.

According to McGill, even if the aminopterin is the culprit, "most veterinarians have never heard of this product. There will need to be more information put out to suggest therapeutic regimens."

Pet Food Recall - Press Conference State Agriculture Dept

Here's the link, I'm just watching it now...
(Added - the site is getting hammered so keep trying)

- joint collaboration between Cornell and Lab in Albany

- they have just analyzed the processed food, they did NOT have any of the individual ingredients that went into the food
- they are just beginning to test the individual ingredients now.
- this is food the company provided through the feeding trial a couple of weeks ago.
-

Menu Foods Press Conference - They do NOT know the SOURCE

In this press conference, they stated they do NOT know the source of the poison.
http://www.9wsyr.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=193689

Highlights (I'll continue adding these as I watch the video. I'm shocked by so much of what they're saying that it's hard to type though. ):

- Products are from TWO manufacturing facilities, one in Kansas and one in New Jersey.
- Both facilities are STILL IN OPERATION (what is WRONG with these people???!)
- They do NOT admit to negligence on their part.
- They evaded a question about the number of pets that have died.
- The reporters are stunned that they are still manufacturing food at these plants.
- Reporter is stunned that they expect customers whose pets have died to remain loyal to them

Basically, this is a fairly useless CYA press conference, meant more to reassure investors than pet owners.

Menu Foods Statement. Plant to be closed temporarily?

ADDED 3:31pm - link to the raw footage of the press conference by Menu Foods
Added 3/24 10:50am I've seen others report the plants are to be closed for a few days, but I haven't seen that information for myself, I thought I heard the opposite.

They finally make a statement,

Menu Foods responds

Globe and Mail Update

A statement prepared for and expected to be read by Paul K. Henderson,
President and CEO, Menu Foods Income Fund, at a news conference Friday.

Ladies and gentlemen:

Thank you for assembling on such short notice.

I have some brief opening comments. And then we will take questions.
The news conference will conclude at 4:30 sharp.

The Globe and Mail

My name is Paul Henderson, and I am the President and CEO of Menu Foods.

With me today is Dr. Richard Shields, Executive Vice President of Menu
Foods. Rick is head of Menu's technical services that includes
research & development, regulatory and quality assurance. Rick is a
PhD in Animal Nutrition.

We are happy and relieved that the experts from the New York State
Department of Agriculture and Cornell University have discovered the
root of the issue that has harmed North American cats and dogs. This
important discovery caps an unprecedented search by top experts.

Dedicated and knowledgeable researchers at universities, independent
laboratories, and our own veterinary consultants worked tirelessly to
defend and protect our cats and dogs.

Over the past seven days, we have spoken with almost two hundred
thousand consumers. They were scared. Some, like myself, are angry.
They demonstrated a level of care and concern that only those of us
who are pet owners can understand.

Our hearts go out to the many thousands of pet-owners across Canada
and the U.S. for their losses and their worry. We are grateful to them
for their patience as we hunted for the root of the problem.

I can anticipate some of your questions, so let me address them briefly.

Q. How did this substance get into our products?

A. At this stage, we do not know. Our immediate next steps will be to
begin testing of all suspect raw materials with the goal of quickly
identifying the means through which this substance entered our supply
chain.

Q. Which specific products made by our company contain this

substance?

A. Again, we do not know with certainty. This morning, the

researchers advised us of their discovery as they investigated the
recalled product. At this time we have no reason to suspect that this
matter goes beyond the recalled product.

Q.What should pet-owners do?

A. Until we have these answers, we have the following advice for
consumers:

– We want to reinforce our view that all consumers should immediately
stop using the recalled product.

– If your pet is showing any signs of illness after consuming any
recalled pet food, see a veterinarian immediately

Q.What about the future of Menu Foods?

A. We have a strong, sustainable business, and we're confident about
the future. Our customers and partners have been understanding,
supportive and loyal. And for that, we are grateful.

As I have explained, we have a lot of work to do. And we are eager to
get back to it. But we will take questions for about 20 minutes.

Other reports coming in the their plant is to close (temporarily). I'll update this as soon as I find more.

What Dry Food Should I Feed my Pet?

ADDED 1:49pm: This applies to wet foods too.

I'm putting together a list of foods that have nothing to do with Menu Foods, including where you can buy them, list of ingredients, etc. I'll also have a tracking sheet so you can keep track of what your pet eats, when, whether they like it, how they are after eating it, etc.

In the meantime, one option is to use the information from these two sites below, about
brands that have nothing to do with Menu Foods. (And until we know more I'd
avoid anything that has wheat in it.)

http://www.petfoodexpress.com/petfood/default.asp?pageid=78

http://petsitusa.com/blog/?p=210

If you just can't look at another list, or make another decision, I
personally am going to buy Natural Balance. I've bought it before and my
cats like it. They have two different dry formulas. Most specialty pet
food stores and *some* PetCos carry it. The specialty pet food store near
me (Critters and Me, which has other stores in the country) usually has
small free sample sizes of the Venison and Green Pea dry food.

http://naturalbalanceinc.com/

There ARE other natural, trustworthy brands that I would feel safe buying today. Natural Balance is first on my list because I have bought it before and know my cats will eat it. More on other brands later.

Poison Source Not yet Confirmed

http://www.wmur.com/family/11346835/detail.html

Earlier, ABC News reported that the chemical was on wheat imported from China. However, at the news conference Commissioner Patrick Hooker and Donald Smith, dean of veterinary medicine at Cornell University, said that they could not confirm the source of the contamination.

Hooker also said that the toxin is not registered for legal use in the U.S. for rodent control.

They also said that the Food and Drug Administration and Menu Foods had been notified of the finding. Both stressed that the results were just one step in a process to determine how the food became contaminated.

Smith said the news conference was called to provide information to the public, as well as other researchers looking into the situation.

They said that they tested final products, not individual ingredients.

Pet Food Recall - ABC Announces RAT POISON

Sources Tell ABC News Rat Poison Has Been Found in Some of the Contaminated Pet Food That Has Killed Scores of Animals

March 23, 2007 — ABC News has learned that investigators have determined that a rodent-killing chemical is the toxin in the tainted pet food that has killed several animals.

A source close to the investigation tells ABC News that the rodenticide, which the source says is illegal to use in the United States, was on wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food.

Watch "World News" for full details on the extent of the poisoning.

A news conference is scheduled for this afternoon by experts in Albany, N.Y., where scientists at the state's food laboratory made the discovery a week after a massive recall of 60 million cans and pouches was issued.

The chemical is called aminopterin.

What investigators can't say so far is whether this is the only contaminant in all of the recalled food.

There is some good news according to the source. Knowing the chemical should aid veterinarians who are treating animals that have been sickened by the pet food.

Aminopterin is used in the United States in, of all things, a cancer drug, according to the source.

For a week, investigators have been looking for a cause behind the 15 confirmed pet food deaths tied to contaminated pet food. Many animal doctors, including those at New York's Animal Medical Center, suspect there will be a much larger rash of cases after they learned about an additional 200 reported cases of kidney failure in animals.

Doctors at the hospital, which is considered the Mayo Clinic of veterinary medicine, say they noticed the kidney failure while studying sick animals from last Friday to Monday, and traced the cases back to the 60 million cans and pouches of recalled food from Menu Food.

"I was shocked and surprised — acute kidney failure is not a common problem," veterinarian Cathy Langston told ABC News. "I've already heard about 200 cases, and so I bet that there are probably going to be thousands."

So far, the government and the pet food maker, which sells food under 91 brand names, have confirmed 15 deaths. But the investigation to locate the toxic contaminant that caused the kidney failure in animals had not pointed to a cause until today.

"This is very much like finding a needle in a haystack," Don Smith of the Cornell Veterinary School said earlier this week. "We're going to keep working at this until we find the cause."

Investigators had already begun looking at the possibility that a pesticide or chemical may have been on the wheat used to produce the Menu Foods dog and cat food.

The Food and Drug Administration, which was notified of the tainted food one day before the recall, said it's frustrated and realizes the growing crisis is an emotional one.

"This is tragic," said Stephen Sundolf of the FDA's Veterinary Medicine group. "It is certainly uncommon. We expect pet food to be safe."

And it's a crisis, if the New York hospital is right, that may not end for weeks.

"I'm worried that there are more deaths to come from chronic renal failure over the next several months," Langston said. "It's not over."

My first thought: I've seen reports online by vets based on their own tests and autopsies that seemed to indicate a different/additional cause. I still believe there will be more bad information to come.

But hang on a second - these results were found by experts in Albany, N.Y., where scientists at the state’s food laboratory made the discovery a week after a massive recall of 60 million cans and pouches was issued. How could Menu Foods not have found this after testing for over a month?

Natura Pet (Innova, California Natural, Healthwise) Responds to My Email

This is an email direct from Natura Pet, the company that makes Innova, California Natural and Healthwise. I've been buying wet and dry food from all of these brands .

Turns out they do use Menu Foods to manufacture some of their canned products. No one knows yet what caused the contamination. So how could ANY company who has ANY products made by Menu Foods have 100% confidence in their product?

I’ve been recommending Innova to everyone for a couple of years. No longer. Their food is probably safe (as stated they make their own dry food) but
1) I’m not taking a chance and
2) I will never again spend a single dollar with a company that contracts out ANY of their food production to Menu Foods. Period. Added 3/25 10am: I remain extremely disappointed at how Natura Pet has handled this recall. By taking the road of deniability they have lost the chance to re-earn my trust and my business.

I added carriage returns to their email response to make it easier to read. I changed no words.

-----Original Message-----
From: Customer Service [mailto:custserv@naturapet.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 1:22 PM
To: 'Kim Duke'
Subject: RE: Menu Foods makes your food?

Natura Pet Products owns and operates two manufacturing facilities, including a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Fremont, Nebraska. Our plants are AIB Certified “Superior”, Organic Certified, USDA APHIS Registered and ISO 9001:2001 compliant.

Natura does utilize Menu Foods to manufacture canned products; however, Natura maintains final review and strict approval of all formulation designs, including the types and quality of ingredients included.

Menu Foods is responsible for quality control in its facilities, based upon their Good Manufacturing Practice process; a copy of which is on file in our offices.

Natura has a complete and documented Product Quality reference on hand detailing the quality standards for each formula and can size produced under Natura’s labels. Each of our canned products are routinely reviewed and compared to the standards set out in this reference material.

It is important to emphasize that: 1) the Menu Foods recall is specific to “cuts and gravy” products WHICH NATURA DOES NOT SELL, and; 2) Natura’s canned products are made at a facility which has NOT BEEN IMPLICATED IN THE RECALL.

Since being notified of the recall, Natura has been in direct contact with Menu Foods management and have a 100% confidence level that our canned products in the market are healthful and safe.


From: Kim Duke [mailto:kim@playingbig.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 2:50 PM
To: custserv@naturapet.com
Subject: Menu Foods makes your food?

According to this, http://www.petfoodexpress.com/petfood/default.asp?pageid=78&Section=About Menu Foods makes your food.

Is this true? If it is, I am absolutely horrified. I’ve felt safe feeding my cats Innova brands for the past year or so, and to hear you don’t make your own food is shocking. Please confirm or deny…

Pet Food Recall - ABC Report tonight

It sure took a long time for a major news agency to pick up this story.

Doctors Caution Thousands More Pet Deaths Expected

March 22, 2007 — - As investigators look for a cause behind the 15 confirmed pet food deaths, doctors at New York's Animal Medical Center suspect there will be a much larger rash of cases after learning of an additional 200 cases of kidney failure in animals.

Doctors at the hospital, which is considered the Mayo Clinic of veterinary medicine, say they noticed the kidney failure while studying sick animals from last Friday to Monday, and traced the cases back to the 60 million cans and pouches of recalled food from Menu Food.

"I was shocked and surprised, acute kidney failure is not a common problem," veterinarian Cathy Langston told ABC's David Kerley. "I've already heard about 200 cases, and so I bet that there are probably going to be thousands."

So far, the government and the pet food maker, which sells food under 91 brand names, have confirmed 15 deaths. But the investigation to locate the toxic contaminant that caused the kidney failure in animals has yet to point to a cause.

The usual suspects, mold or a heavy metal, have already been eliminated.

"This is very much like finding a needle in a haystack," said Don Smith of the Cornell Veterinary School. "We're going to keep working at this until we find the cause."

Chemical Involved?

Investigators now look at the possibility that a pesticide or chemical may have been on the wheat used in Menu Foods dog and cat food.

The Food and Drug Administration, which was notified of the tainted food one day before the recall, said it's frustrated and realizes the growing crisis is an emotional one.

"This is tragic," said Stephen Sundolf of the FDA's Veterinary Medicine group. "It is certainly uncommon. We expect pet food to be safe."

And it's a crisis, if the New York hospital is right, that will not end for weeks.

"I'm worried that there are more deaths to come from chronic renal failure over the next several months%2

More than 1,000 pets reported dead so far

This is the latest entry from Pet Connection. I'm including all of it because there is very important information here. I've highlighted a couple of important things below. You can go read this at their site by clicking here.

I’m sad to say we’ve passed a milestone. We now have more than 1,000 pets reported as deceased into our PetConnection.com database.

Again, we must put things in perspective. These are self-reported numbers. We have asked everyone if they checked the brand against the recall list, and have also asked them to provide a veterinary reference. We felt that this would give us a better chance of having numbers that reflect reality. Most people both named their veterinarian and named the brand.

We have said from the first that we put the database up because we believed based on all the anecdotal evidence we were seeing — in our e-mail boxes, and on forums and blogs — that the number of dead pets was far greater than what the government was, as is, reporting.

We still believe that to be the case, and today we finally started to see other experts agree with us. We believe there will be more, and the “official” count will grow.

We also have from the first encouraged people to report their information to the FDA and to the companies and the manufacturer. You can find all those links here. In the meantime, we continue to keep our database open for entries.

Tomorrow, we’re going to try to get some perspective on all this. Where do we go from here?

In the meantime, if you haven’t checked your pet’s food — “wet” food only is listed — against the recall list, you must do so. If you even suspect your pet has eaten any of the recalled product — even if the animal seems fine — call your veterinarian about a diagnostic test of kidney function. It’s an investment in your peace of mind that may save your pet’s life. (Read our piece on kidney disease for more information.)

If you had been feeding a product that has been recalled and your pet is OK, ask your veterinarian for a recommendation of what’s right for your pet now.

And speaking of veterinarians, we’d like to note that if you’re a client of Banfield The Pet Hospital, here’s some news:

Banfield, The Pet Hospital is providing a 25 percent discount off the recommended medical treatment plans received at participating Banfield hospitals across the nation. Specialists and other experts have developed these specific treatment plans to screen for and treat kidney problems seen in patients who have eaten the tainted foods.

In addition, the Banfield Charitable Trust has created an emergency fund and donated the first $50,000 in funding to financially assist clients with Pet medical costs incurred at Banfield that are associated with the Menu Foods product contamination. Banfield Charitable Trust funds from this grant can be applied for at Banfield hospitals.

Here’s the link to the announcement.

We have heard there may be some news on the “what caused this?” front coming soon, maybe even tomorrow, and also that the FDA is working to make reporting easier. More on these angles when we know more.

In parting, we want to share one criticism we received, telling us we should report only information released from the government or trade associations.

I guess it comes down to whether you want the media to be lap dogs or watch dogs. Us? We’re going to keep barking, like watch dogs.

Hug your pets, and goodnight for now.

Pet Food Recall -IAMS DRY? FDA in FL and CA receiving complaints about dry food

Update 8:06pm I'm reading more and more reports from people whose pets died after DRY Iams food. If you feed your pets any Iams food... well, I wouldn't do it.

This is anecdotal for now...

From the Yahoo Group (listed several posts below) there have been reports from people who spoke with the FDA in both Florida and California. In both cases the FDA representative said that they are receiving reports from pet owners who only feed their pets dry food.

In the California case they fed their cat Dry Iams Lamb and Rice food.

Pet Food Recall - Newsweek article

Not really any new information, but at least coverage is starting to spread.
Recall: Is pet food properly regulated?
A tainted food scare linked to the deaths of at least 16 animals raises questions about the regulation of pet foods.

WEB EXCLUSIVE

By Matthew Philips

Newsweek

Updated: 6:09 p.m. MT March 21, 2007

Pet Food Recall - NO notice to Vets

Vets weren't notified either.

Just too upsetting to even comment on. This is an educational and frightening blog entry from a vet blog.

Pet Food Recall - Updated 2:40pm numbers sick and dead

Trying to keep the emotion out of this, but this is so heartbreaking it's impossible. I am SO sorry for everyones loss...

From the PetConnection.com database. 11:20 a.m. PT:

• Total reports of sick or dead pets: 1715
• Deceased pets: 845

Of those:

• Cats, deceased: 500
• Dogs, deceased: 345

*****

Updated numbers From the PetConnection.com database. Thursday 6 a.m. PT:

• Total reports of sick or dead pets: 1529
• Deceased pets: 769

Of those:

• Cats, deceased: 460
• Dogs, deceased: 309

As we’ve written before, these are self-reported numbers. But we asked people to check the food against the recall list, to list the food and give us the names of their veterinarians. The majority did all of this.

Other brands and dry food affected?

I'll post more about this tomorrow, but I just couldn't go to sleep tonight without saying something.

Over the past couple of hours I've read numerous comments and posts on various websites, and a disturbing number of them are talking about their pet or pets sudden illness and death - after eating foods that are not (yet?) on the recall lists. Several were pets that only eat dry food.

I'm not making any recommendations here. But, I can tell you that first thing in the morning I'll be going to the grocery store and buying food so that I can make food for my cats here at home for the next few days.

This is a short term decision and action right now, there are a lot of things to consider before deciding to change your pets diet. I'll add that information and some links tomorrow. My cats are used to a lot of variety in their diet, so it won't be too difficult a switch for them. For yours it might be. So stay tuned.

Thanks to Carol for this link - it has the easiest instructions for making pet food at home that I've seen.
http://www.charlesloopsdvm.com/nutrition.htm

I hope that all your loved ones are healthy and safe, and that they stay that way.

Kim

Trader Joe's recalls food and a great site

http://www.traderjoes.com/action_issues.asp#PetFood

Here's another great resource... I think I have all the information here, but there is so much information that it's getting harder to wade through. http://howl911.com/

Pet Food Recall - Who manufactures what

***Updated Link 3/22 11:54am***
The petsitusa.com blog has posted some more info about food that is or is not manufactured by Menu Foods.

Menu Foods & President Paul Henderson - Get Angry

Things that should make you even more angry...

Menu Foods issued its first news release on Friday, 16 March, 2007, “Not for release over US newswire services”

This tells you that Menu Foods deliberately timed the release to be buried in all but the most aggressively investigative news outlets because
1) CCNMatthews, which issued the release for Menu Foods, is a business wire service; its releases go to the business sections of the media, not the general news.

2) Bad news about business is usually issued on a Friday afternoon - Saturday because the stock exchanges are closed (so the stock won’t immediately tumble) and a lot of bad news is absorbed and/or dismissed by the next week.

Again, they specifically said it was NOT to be released over the US Wire Services!

Here's the beginning of it, the link will take you to the full release

March 16, 2007

Menu Foods Income Fund Announces Precautionary Dog and Cat Food Recall

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - March 16, 2007) - NOT FOR RELEASE OVER US NEWSWIRE SERVICES Attention Business/Financial Editors

Want more? In one article today

Menu Foods President Paul Henderson calls the deaths "a puzzling and troubling experience."

In another

Menu Foods CEO and President Paul Henderson said Wednesday that the company is still investigating the cause of the kidney failure because the food linked to the deaths has shown no signs of contamination. He apologized for the worry that the recall has caused.

Excuse me? Puzzling and Troubling? The worry?

And this Animal death reports did not initially trigger alarm bells-pet-food CEO

It's "an unfortunate reality" that animals die of various causes, Henderson said, but the company, which ships millions of cans and pouches of wet pet food each week, did consult the veterinarians responsible for the care of those pets.

"They identified that those particular animals were either outdoor cats or animals that may have gotten into the garage, the implication being that they may have gotten into something that they shouldn't have and that was the cause of their death," he said.

It was only later during routine taste tests the company was notified that some of the animals had become sick from the "cuts-and-gravy" style food, he said.

"It wasn't until the feeding studies that happened in the beginning of the second week of March that the issues essentially triggered alarm bells within the company and we began an investigation."

and

Henderson refused to comment on reports from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that the company knew as early as Feb. 20 that there were issues with its products.

and

Despite engaging "top North American experts" and an investigation by the FDA, Henderson insisted there was no obvious cause of the animal illnesses.

"All the tests that we have done to date have indicated that there is nothing wrong with the product," Henderson said.

The illnesses coincided with the introduction of "an ingredient" from a new supplier, but Henderson refused to identify it.

and

"Our hearts go out to all of the pet owners across North America for any of their losses and certainly for any of the worry that this event has caused," Henderson said.

"We're also grateful for them for their patience as we hunt down and try and discover what the root cause of the problem is."

And from earlier statements/reports:

Menu Foods' chief executive and president Paul Henderson told the Associated Press on Friday that the company was still trying to figure out what happened. He said that the company had received an undisclosed number of owner complaints that dogs and cats were vomiting and suffering kidney failure after eating its products. He estimated that the recall would cost the company, which is mostly owned by the Menu Foods Income Fund, an estimated $26 million to $34 million.

Right, our pets - our family members - are dying and he talks about the cost of the recall?

"We take these complaints very seriously," Paul Henderson, Menu Foods' president and CEO, said in the statement. "We will do whatever is necessary to ensure that our products maintain the very highest quality standards."

Um, how do any of their actions reflect this statement?

Pet Food Recall - Class Action Lawsuits - Links

Here's a few sites related to Class Action claims against Menu Foods.

This Yahoo group is for pet owners that have lost a pet, or their pet became ill due to renal (kidney) failure from eating Menu Foods cat or dog food.
Yahoo Group

Class Action based in Seattle, WA

LawyersandSettlements.com

And here's a petition, 1228 signatures so far:
Menu Foods must Reimburse Pet Owners

ADDED: Another petition

Pet Food Recall - Over 500 dead

Still just the tip of the iceberg...
Pet Connection updated numbers

As of 5 p.m. PT, with 1120 reports into the PetConnection.com recall database:

• Cats, deceased: 313
• Dogs, deceased: 189

More than 500 dead pets. Same caveats as before: This is self-reported information. But any way you look at it, even if half the reports don’t meet the standards of an “official” count because the pets died before the recall, people weren’t sure exactly what food they bought, etc., it’s pretty darn clear that those “official” numbers from the FDA will be heading much higher than they are now.

Pet Food Recall - More than 241 dead so far

Pet Connection reports first count of their database - 241 reported dead so far. I believe it's going to get much, much worse.

As of 6 p.m. last night, more than 600 people had reported a pet illness or death into the Pet Connection database. Of those, 241 pet deaths were reported.

Please, if you or anyone you know has lost a pet or has a sick pet and you suspect it's related to this recall, take a minute and add it to the Pet Connection database. That's the only way we'll ever understand the magnitude of this tragedy.

And if you're not a fan of my blog but want up to date information, if I had to pick one source it would be Pet Connection.

Pet Food Recall - Cause still UNKNOWN

So, they haven't figured out what is causing the deaths of so many dogs and cats. They thought it was the wheat gluten, but tests of it do not confirm it is the problem.

Yet, Menu Foods is still making food!! WTF is wrong with them and the FDA??! Read this

(USA TODAY) -- The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday it is aware of 14 confirmed animal deaths related to a major recall over the weekend of 91 brands of pet food, but the agency is getting "lots of telephone calls" from worried consumers.

The cause of contamination is still being investigated, said Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. "We have no firm leads," he said, but suspicion remains focused on a possible contamination of wheat gluten, used to thicken gravy in the "cuts and gravy" cat and dog foods sold in pouches and cans.

Pet food maker Menu Foods of Ontario, Canada, recently changed its supplier for wheat gluten, and that is "the only change that coincided with the reported deaths," Sundlof said during a briefing. The broker who sold wheat gluten to the company got it from a variety of sources, he said, and the FDA is trying to trace it back to the source. Sundlof would not identify the broker.

The company is still making dog and cat food, said David Elder, an official with the FDA's Office of Regulatory Affairs. "They are in production, and the change they made was changing the supplier of wheat gluten," he said.

Pet Food Recall - Chicago Woman Sues Over Pet Food Recall

This is still just the tip of the iceberg. The first lawsuit has been filed, and I will keep this space updated with the most current information.

WASHINGTON — A Chicago woman sued Menu Foods on Tuesday, alleging the pet food manufacturer delayed announcing a recall of 60 million containers of dog and cat food despite knowing its products were contaminated and potentially deadly.

Dawn Majerczyk, 43, said her orange tabby, Phoenix, fell sick last week just two days after he ate a single package of Special Kitty. It is one of 95 cat and dog food brands recalled by Menu Foods of Canada. Friday's recall came two weeks after nine cats died during routine company taste tests of its products, the Food and Drug Administration said.

Majerczyk said she took the 9-year-old cat to its first-ever veterinarian visit the day of the recall. The cat had lost six pounds in four days and was lethargic, dehydrated and nearly blind. She returned over the weekend to have him put down after his organs began to fail. Her suit, filed by Chicago attorney Jay Edelson, seeks class-action status.

"I want my vet bills and I want some compensation for what they did to my kids _ and for the company's neglect," Majerczyk, a medical assistant in a dermatology office.

The company said it had not seen the suit and had no comment. The FDA had no comment on the company's delay in announcing the recall.

The FDA so far has confirmed the deaths of 13 cats and one dog that had reportedly eaten the company's "cuts and gravy" style pet food. The wet food was sold throughout North America under store brands carried by Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway and other large retailers, as well as private labels like Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba.

FDA has sent inspectors to company plants in New Jersey and Kansas. Most complaints stem from products made at the latter factory, though both received shipments of wheat gluten, identified as a likely source of contamination, from the same supplier, said Stephen F. Sundlof, the FDA's chief veterinarian. The ingredient is a protein source used to thicken the pet food gravy. The FDA is screening pet food samples for substances known to be toxic to the kidneys, like toxins produced by molds.

Pet Food Recall - Other Brands made by Menu Foods

Like so many of you I’m shocked. And I'm pissed. The more we learn the worse it gets.

According to this, Menu Foods makes some of the HIGHEST END foods available. They even make the Innova, Wellness and Wysong brands. I noticed earlier today that the Innova website did not say that their foods are not manufactured by Menu Foods, so I’m assuming this information is true. I emailed the company asking them to confirm or deny. (Not the nicest email I've ever sent, hopefully they'll respond anyway.)

Why am I so upset about this? Several reasons. First, I've trusted these companies. They represent themselves as caring, and their food as high quality, natural, unlike other foods. Second, see the PETA report on the life of cats and dogs at Menu Foods. Warning - it's horrifying. I will never again buy any food made by Menu Foods. Third, I really believed that they made the food themselves. I had no idea that something as important as the food we feed our beloved pets was farmed out to a contract manufacturer. It's mind boggling to me.

I'll have a lot more information here in the next few days about what pet food companies make food that is healthy and safe, AND who make it without harming other animals in the process.

One food which consistently meets these criteria is Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance. I've yet to find a negative review on Natural Balance, though it might take some pets awhile to adjust to the taste. My cats will only eat it some of the time. Felidae and Canidae look like another good option - I'll report more on them tomorrow.

As of now, I've discontinued feeding my cats Innova (Natura Pet), Wellness and California Natural (also Natura Pet). While I don't think these foods are affected by this particular recall, I found enough comments about unexplained pet deaths that I'm very concerned. Given these foods are made by Menu Foods, it's a no-brainer for me to stop buying them.

http://www.petfoodexpress.com/petfood/default.asp?pageid=78&Section=About
(Note - big kudos to Pet Food Express, not only are they the only ones providing this information, they responded immediately to my email. If you're in the Bay Area in California, stop by their stores. They definitely have integrity. (I shopped there for years before moving to Santa Fe last year.)

Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 10:00 a.m.

A recap of what is going on with the Menu Foods recall…

Menu Foods, the largest North American manufacturer of wet pet foods, has recalled canned and pouched food products that contain wheat gluten that they manufactured between December 2006 and March 2007. They took this action based on reports they received of animals that died or became ill with kidney problems associated with certain foods manufactured by Menu Foods.

After examining their records, Menu Foods observed that the dates of the complaints coincided with the date that they switched their supplier of wheat gluten. From this they concluded that the wheat gluten must be the cause of the problem. There is still, however, no definitive proof of what caused the problem. According to Menu Foods, tests of the wheat gluten did not turn up any problem and other ingredients are being looked at as well.

Because we are not yet certain what the cause of the problem is, Pet Food Express has stopped selling all cans and pouches made by Menu Foods as a precaution, whether they contain wheat gluten or not. Furthermore, we are ceasing sales of all cans and pouches of every manufacturer we represent until we are able to ascertain whether they were produced by Menu Foods, even if they have not been specifically recalled, and if there have been any reports of problems with them.

Brands made by Menu Foods and withheld from sale are:

• IAMS/Eukanuba
• Science Diet
• Nutro/Nutro Ultra

Brands not made by Menu Foods and available for purchase are:

• Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul
• Canidae/Felidae
• Breeder's Choice/Pinnacle (except for Chicken and Oats formula which is made by Menu)
• Castor & Pollux
• Natural Balance
• Solid Gold
• Triumph/Evolve
• Merrick
• Kal Kan (Pedigree, Cesar, and Whiskas)

Brands made by Menu Foods that have not been recalled, do not contain wheat gluten, have no reports of sick or dead pets, and available for purchase with your informed consent are:

• Nature's Variety
• Wellness
• Newman’s Own Organics
• Wysong
• Innova

(Please be aware that we cannot definitively vouch for the safety of these products at this time because as yet there is no specific evidence of what caused the problem.)

Pet Food Recall - Deaths in Tasting Trials in February

There are two key points in the following article. The 1st - Consumers See That Premium, Private-Label Products Can Come From Same Place.

**Note: When I posted this this morning I did not realize the extent of this, and thought only the low and middle-end foods were made by Menu Foods. It now looks like some of the very high-end and 'natural' brands are also made by Menue. See the other entry for more information, and more information will be coming as soon as I find it.***

The 2nd piece of information is more confirmation that Menu Foods knew about this problem back in February, yet waited to announce it until now.

Recall Sheds Light on Pet Food Industry's Little Secret

The massive national pet-food recall stemming from deaths of at least 10 pets is also letting consumers in on one of the industry's well-guarded secrets -- that some of most premium pet-food brands in the U.S. use the same manufacturer that processes dozens of low-price private-label products.

Though the formulations may be different, canned or pouch pet food for Procter & Gamble Co.'s Iams and Eukanuba, Colgate-Palmolive Co.'s Science Diet and Nestle Purina's Mighty Dog brands have been caught up in the same recall by processor Menu Foods as private labels for retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores, Food Lion and Meijer.

Deaths in 'tasting trials'
The deaths of nine cats and one dog confirmed so far all were reported by Menu Foods. At least seven of those came in "tasting trials" the Canadian manufacturer began on about 40 or 50 pets in February, a week after it first heard of consumer complaints about the food, officials of the Food and Drug Administration said in a conference call with reporters yesterday.

"We anticipate those numbers [of deaths] will increase as the investigation continues," said Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. The recall affects 60 million products in all, produced between Dec. 3 and March 6 and sold under more than 80 brands, the vast majority of them retailer private labels. He said the affected products include about 1% of all pet food sold in the U.S.

While there have been widespread pet-food recalls in the past involving food that killed pets, they've been limited to private-label or fairly minor brands. Most recently, in late 2005, a dry product produced by Diamond Pet Food led to the deaths of 100 dogs.

Same stuff, higher price
"Branded companies for years when they used co-packing arrangements have tried to keep that their little shoppers' secret," said Burt Flickinger, principal with the consulting firm Strategic Resource Group. "But now this whole scandal can dismantle the pricing architecture for branded products when consumers can see that branded is essentially the same stuff with a higher price point."

"Most consumers will give them the benefit of the doubt that they must have separate formulas for expensive Eukanuba," said Laura Ries, president of marketing consultancy Ries & Ries. "In many cases you know with private labels that those products are coming off the same belts as the branded products, and in some cases there is very little difference. ... But most people want to believe in brands, buy brands and trust brands."

Depending on how long the story stays in the news, however, she said more consumers may "become a little more wary about spending extra for the premium brands."

P&G said in a statement that "Iams and Eukanuba dry products are not manufactured at Menu Foods and are not affected by this recall. Only a small portion of our wet canned and foil-pouch products for dogs and cats are affected by this recall." A spokesman declined to comment on whether the company had been contacted directly by consumers about the problem. The spokesman also declined to comment on what effects the scandal could have on the Iams and Eukanaba brands.

Recalling 68 items in total
In all, P&G is recalling 43 Iams items and 25 Eukanuba items in what appears to be the most extensive list of products from any single marketer involved in the recall. But wet food is a relatively small part of P&G's $1.8 billion overall pet business.

In its statement, Menu Foods said its largest customer, which it declined to name but said represented 11% of the company's annual revenue of $300 million plus, "received a small number of consumer complaints and has initiated its own recall. ... For the time being, the customer has put future orders for cuts and gravy products [the type involved in the recall] on hold."

According to Menu Foods' 2004 annual report, it entered into a 10-year agreement at the end of 2003 with P&G to supply all of the company's canned and pouch pet food in the U.S. and Canada. In 2004, P&G accounted for 12.7% of Menu Foods' volume, according to data in the report.

Besides P&G, Colgate and Nestle Purina were the only other companies to issue separate recall notices, and they had far fewer products listed in their recalls.

Five Science Diet items
Colgate's Hill's Science Diet also declined to comment beyond its statement, which listed five Science Diet items affected by the recall. Like Iams, Science Diet mostly sells dry pet food unrelated to the recall.

A spokesman for Nestle Purina noted that 5.3-ounce pouches of Mighty Dog moist food were the only products in the company's assortment affected by the recall. "We have no indication of any quality or safety issue related to that pouch product," he said. "No other premium products are involved or affected in any way. ... Mighty Dog canned products are not affected. ... The pouch variety is a part of the business where at this time we don't have the existing capacity at our facilities to make it, so it makes sense to use a co-manufacturer."

The other major players in branded pet food -- Mars and Del Monte -- so far have escaped any association with recalled products or Menu Foods. But FDA officials said on Monday that the issue remains under investigation. As part of that investigation, officials are looking into whether a supplier of wheat gluten suspected as a possible cause of the problem may have supplied any other manufacturers.

Started a month ago
FDA officials said Menu Foods received its first report of a problem with the food Feb. 20 and began conducting "tasting trials" with pets eating its products a week later, on Feb. 27. On March 2, one pet in the trial died, and at least six more in the trial died subsequently, FDA officials said. Menu issued the recall two weeks later -- March 16. The names of all the brands involved weren't reported until March 17.

Neither Menu Foods nor the FDA is sure of the exact cause of the sometimes-fatal renal failure in affected pets, though Menu Foods said the problem coincided with it contracting with a new supplier of wheat gluten.

Pet Food Recall - Concerns began in December?

A Canadian website reported on Saturday that Menu Foods has been aware of concerns with the pet food since DECEMBER.

"Starting in December, concerns began filtering back to the company through toll-free customer lines about the "cuts and gravy" style pet food.

Callers complained their animals had fallen ill after eating the food, although no direct link was established.

One large customer in the United States initiated its own recall after receiving complaints and put future orders for the products on hold."

This makes me ill to even think about.

Pet Food Recall - Advice to Pet Owners

I'm posting parts of this Press Release by the AVMA because it includes some information about what type of treatment might be required, as well as information about being able to contact AVMA to find a specialist if necessary.

***Updated 3/23 5:04pm***

If you believe your pet has eaten any of the affected food, take them to a vet IMMEDIATELY. Don't post a question here, don't post a question on a message board, don't post a question on a Yahoo Group. Don't ask your friends, don't ask a pet food store. Take them to a vet IMMEDIATELY.

If they show the signs below but they've eaten different food, take them to a vet immediately.

AVMA Offers Advice to Pet Owners after Nationwide Food Recall

— The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), in response to a national pet food recall, offers the following information and advice to concerned pet owners:
...

If you suspect that your pet has been affected by a recalled food, do the following three steps to help your veterinarian with your pet's diagnosis:

• Retain food samples for analysis.
  - Retain 4 cans or 1 kg of dry food, when possible.
  - Freeze when possible or store at room temperature in airtight bags.
• Document product name, type of product and manufacturing information.
  - Retain all packaging.
  - Identify date codes or production lot numbers.
  - Retain purchase receipts.
• Document product consumption.
  - Dates products or products were fed.
  - Consumption and palatability history.
  - Time of onset of clinical signs.
  - Detailed dietary history (ie, all products fed and feeding methods).

Although the exact cause is not currently known, animals that have become ill after consuming these products have shown signs of acute kidney failure.

Dr. Sandra Willis, DVM, a board certified diplomate and communications chair with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) and member of the AVMA Council on Communications, advises that signs of kidney failure include loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, changes in water consumption and also changes in urination. Anybody who has a pet that exhibits these signs should take the animal to a veterinarian.

"Owners shouldn't panic, because there can be a wide variety of reasons a pet might exhibit these symptoms," Dr. Willis explained. "But it's always prudent that, when a pet is exhibiting any signs of illness, the pet owner should contact their veterinarian immediately."

A veterinarian may call for a urinalysis and blood work, and might also perform additional tests, such as an x-ray or ultrasound, to rule out other possible problems such as bladder and kidney stones. If it has been determined that the cat or dog has been affected by consumption of the recalled pet food, a veterinarian could decided to treat the illness with medications and/or intravenous fluids.

"If the kidney disease is severe, such as the animal is not urinating at all, the veterinarian can refer or consult with a specialist from the ACVIM for more specialized care," Dr. Willis explained.

Owners of pets affected by the recalled pet foods who wish to report the incident should contact the FDA, by going to the FDA Web site at http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html to find the FDA complaint coordinator in their state.

Please monitor the AVMA Web site (www.avma.org) for the latest information on the recall. Consumers with questions for the manufacturer can contact Menu Foods, Inc. at 1-866-895-2708. A list of veterinary specialists can be found at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine at www.acvim.org, or by calling 800-245-9081.

Pet Food Recall - Report if your pet been affected

I'm afraid this is going to be much more widespread than originally reported.

Pet Connection is compiling a database of pets who have been sickened or killed by eating contaminated food. I urge anyone here with a sick pet to enter their info in the database, to help get a more accurate picture of the scope of this issue.

Connect with other Pet Owners, Get Support while Grieving

Read about other pet owners and/or post your own experiences, on the msn message boards here. MSN Message Boards - Is your pet's food safe?

Grieving over your pet that died?
http://petloss.com/ is a caring community devoted to Pet Loss Grief Support.

And here's a list of Pet Loss Support Hotlines, provided by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Dog and Cat Food Recall - The Newest Information

The most recent article from MSNBC news services has some new information. I've included some of the article below.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17650075/
...
Menu Foods told the FDA it received the first complaints of kidney failure and deaths among cats and dogs from pet owners on Feb. 20. It began new tests on Feb. 27.

During those tests, the company fed its product to 40 to 50 dogs and cats and seven animals — the mix of species was not immediately known — died, Sundlof said. The contamination appeared more deadly to cats than to dogs, he said.

The recall now covers dog food sold throughout North America under 51 brands and cat food sold under 40 brands, including Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba. The food was sold under both store and major brand labels at Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway and other large retailers.

The FDA has yet to tally how many reports it has received of cats and dogs suffering kidney failure or death. The company has reported 10 deaths, of nine cats and a single dog, but Sundlof told reporters on Monday that he expects the number of pet deaths to increase as the agency probes the cause of tainted pet food.

Testing comes up short
Menu Foods spokeswoman Sarah Tuite told Associated Press Radio the company was “still trying to figure out the cause.”

“We’re testing and testing, but we can’t identify the problem in the product,” Tuite said.

Other companies — Nestle Purina PetCare Co., Procter & Gamble and Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. — said that as a precaution they were voluntarily recalling some products made by Menu Foods.

A complete list of the recalled products along with product codes, descriptions and production dates was available from the Menu Foods Web site, http://www.menufoods.com/recall. The company also designated two phone numbers that pet owners could call for information — (866) 463-6738 and (866) 895-2708. The lines have been swamped by callers.

Tuite said the company has added more people and lines to cope with the calls. Callers who get a recording saying the line is out of order should try again, she added.

The company became aware of a potential problem after it received an undisclosed number of owner complaints that dogs and cats were vomiting and suffering kidney failure after eating its products.

Menu Foods has said the timing of the complaints coincided with the use of an ingredient from a new supplier. Use of that ingredient, which was not named, has been discontinued, it said.

The FDA said it believes it knows who that supplier was, but has not yet confirmed its name.

“We’re trying to find out whether or not that company may have supplied other companies,” Sundlof said.

**********************

I'm horrified that the company knew about this a full month ago. My heart goes out to everyone who lost a pet, especially when it looks like this at least some of the deaths could have been prevented.

Tomorrow I'll have information for you about the top 5 or so easily available and reputable high-end cat foods.

I usually give my cats Innova EVO and California Natural dry foods, and Wellness, Innova, Natural Balance and California Natural wet foods. I use other high-end dry foods as treats, instead of Whisker Lickins, Pounce, etc.

Pet Food Recall - All the information I can find

First, an apology. I had several cats die in the past 3 years, in large part because of the food I gave them. Just over a year ago I decided to put together a package of information on Cat Food - so that no other people (or their kitties) would have to suffer like I did.

Unfortunately, though I worked on it on and off, I never finished it. I was still grieving for my kitties, and it was painful every time I thought about it.

With the huge recall going on now though, I've cleared my schedule - getting this information out to people is my number one priority. [I'm calling this the "Cat Food Tracker", email me if you want to be notified when it is available.]

I've spent all day today searching online for up-to-date accurate information about this current recall. I'm shocked at how little information has been provided, and how slowly it's being updated. Websites have links going to other websites that have links going to other sites, with no or little information provided by any of them. The Menu Foods website http://www.menufoods.com/recall/ has little new information, and their phone number 1-866-895-2708 reportedly has been busy since Friday. So many people with ill pets are desperate for information and are having trouble getting any answers.

Sadly, MANY more than 10 pets have died. I've read of at least 50 others today, mostly posted in comments on various news articles and blogs. I've included some of those links below.

I'll do my best to keep this updated, hopefully I can make it easier for you to find the information you need.

At this time they still do NOT know what is causing the problem.

Even more shocking, according to news reports, both Menu Foods and the FDA are testing this by giving the food to healthy cats and dogs to verify that it is killing them. 1 out of 6 animals have died after being given the food in this supposedly controlled testing environment.
http://cbs5.com/consumer/local_story_078190940.html
http://www.wmgt.com/node/1655

There have been other recent Pet Food Recalls - this is an ongoing problem and not going away any time soon.

Questions and answers about the pet food recall - from www.newsday.com

Q: What brands and types of pet food are being recalled?

A: The recall involves Ontario-based Menu Foods' "cuts and gravy" style cat and dog food packaged from Dec. 3 to March 6. The wet food, which consists of chunks of meat in gravy, is packaged in cans and small foil pouches. The food was sold under numerous brand names _ 40 cat food brands and 51 dog food brands as of Monday.

Q: What happened to the food that led to this recall?

A: The recall started after reports that at least 10 pets _ one dog and nine cats _ suffered kidney failure and died after eating the food, according the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA on Monday said that as many as one in six animals died in tests of suspect dog and cat food by the manufacturer after complaints the products were poisoning pets around the country.

Q: Where was this food sold?

A: The pet food was sold throughout North America under both store and major brand labels at Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway and other large retailers.

Q: What should I do if I have some of this pet food in my cupboard?

A: The FDA says stop feeding it to your pet. Many of the major store chains are also granting refunds for returned food.

Q. How do I know if my pet is sick as a result of eating contaminated food? What are the symptoms?

A: Signs of kidney failure include loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting.

Q. What should I do if I already gave some of this food to my pet? Do I need to take my pet to a doctor?

A: It's best to seek advice from a veterinarian in such situations, according to the FDA.

Q. Who can I call with questions?

A: Menu Foods has a consumer hot line at 1-866-463-6738 and 1-866-895-2708. The FDA is asking those with sick or dead pets to call FDA state complaint coordinators. A list of contacts for such coordinators is available at http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html .

Q: What precautions are being taken to make sure it doesn't happen again?

A: The company says it changed suppliers as of March 6, and has increased testing of raw materials and finished goods.

RECALLED CAT FOODS

Detailed List, including lot numbers by distributor

Americas Choice; Preferred Pets; Authority; Best Choice; Companion; Compliments; Demoulas Market Basket; Fine Feline Cat, Shep Dog; Food Lion; Foodtown; Giant Companion; Good n Meaty; Hannaford; Hill Country Fare; Hy-Vee; Key Food; Laura Lynn; Li'l Red; Loving Meals; Main Choice; Nutriplan; Nutro Max Gourmet Classics; Nutro Natural Choice; Paws; Presidents Choice; Price Chopper; Priority; Save-A-Lot; Schnucks; Sophistacat; Special Kitty; Springfield Pride; Sprout; Total Pet; My True Friend; Wegmans; Western Family; White Rose; and Winn Dixie.

RECALLED DOG FOODS

Detailed List, including lot numbers by distributor

America's Choice; Preferred Pets; Authority; Award; Best Choice; Big Bet; Big Red; Bloom; Bruiser; Cadillac; Companion; Demoulas Market Basket; Fine Feline Cat; Shep Dog; Food Lion; Giant Companion; Great Choice; Hannaford; Hill Country Fare; Hy-Vee; Key Food; Laura Lynn; Loving Meals; Main Choice; Mixables; Nutriplan; Nutro Max; Nutro Natural Choice; Nutro; Ol'Roy; Paws; Pet Essentials; Pet Pride; President's Choice; Price Chopper; Priority; Publix; Roche Bros; Save-A-Lot; Schnucks; Springsfield Pride; Sprout; Stater Bros; Total Pet; My True Friend; Western Family; White Rose; Winn Dixie and Your Pet.

ADDITIONAL RECALLS

Hills Science Diet
1. Science Diet® Kitten Savory Cuts® Ocean Fish 3 oz. and 5.5 oz.

2. Science Diet® Feline Adult Savory Cuts® Beef 5.5 oz.

3. Science Diet® Feline Adult Savory Cuts® Chicken 5.5 oz.

4. Science Diet® Feline Adult Savory Cuts® Ocean Fish 5.5 oz.

5. Science Diet® Feline Senior Savory Cuts® Chicken 5.5 oz.

Click on the above link for details

Purina Mighty Dog products
5.3 ounce Mighty Dog® brand pouch products that were produced by Menu Foods, Inc. from December 3, 2006 through March 14, 2007.

Procter and Gamble "Iams" and "Eukanuba" products.
Procter & Gamble announced the recall of specific 3 oz., 5.5 oz., 6 oz. and 13.2 oz. canned and 3 oz. and 5.3 oz. foil pouch cat and dog wet food products made by Menu Foods but sold under the Iams and Eukanuba brands. The recalled products bear the code dates of 6339 through 7073 followed by the plant code 4197. This covers food made between December 13th and March 14th.

TYPE OF FOOD COVERED

"Cuts and Gravy" canned food "Moist Packet" types of some brands Food covered varies by label.

SYMPTOMS OF KIDNEY FAILURE

Vomiting

Not eating normally

Changes in drinking habits

Changes in urination

If you notice changes, you should contact your vet immediately.

Vetenarians can do blood and urine tests for kidney function, and if problems are discovered early enough, animals with kidney problems can be treated.

WHAT TO DO WITH RECALLED FOOD

If you find you have recalled food in your home, do not feed it to your pet. Most retailers will refund your money if you return the items to them.
If you pet has shown symptoms, you may want to keep the food as proof you purchased food covered by the recall.
If you do so, clearly mark the food so you don't use it by mistake.