“Many people’s pets are like part of the family,” she noted.
Two other companies — Nestle Purina PetCare Co. and Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. — said Saturday that as a precaution they were voluntarily recalling some products made by Menu Foods.
Menu Foods said it has beefed up the testing of all raw materials and finished goods.
The timing of the complaints coincided with the use of an ingredient from a new supplier, Menu Foods said. The company said it remains unclear whether the wheat gluten ingredient was responsible for the illnesses, but it has discontinued its use.
The FDA has not confirmed the identity of the company that supplied the wheat gluten, but its website suggests it supplies only animal feed manufacturers, said Sundlof.
Because wheat gluten itself wouldn’t cause kidney failure, FDA investigators are examining other ingredients as possible sources of contamination. Those include heavy metals like cadmium and lead or fungal toxins. Aflatoxin, a corn fungus, sparked a 2005 dog food recall.
A list of recalled cat and dog food is at CTV, as well as the signs of kidney poisoning to look for in your dog and cat if they have been fed these products.
Update: Menu Foods have updated their recall page with a complete list of cat and dog food as well as adding another phone number for concerned pet owners.
The American Veterinary Medical Association - update
FDA - update
Class Action Suit - notice of intent Canada
Class Action Suit - USA Progessive Law Group
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looking for info -on any class action suits being filed against menu, my dog died on 3/6/07 , in three weeks of illness a health 110 pound dog , just fell apart and died. there such be more regulations imposed on dog food makers, just like humans
If Opportunity is of the Cancer Issue is What is the Hoped for Goal Here by Some then
Let’s Look at it from the Chinese proverb perspective of Crisis : Opportunity
We’ve Been Noticing Cancerous Growth’s on Pets for the Past few Years &
we used to but Dent’s for Our Dog many years ago at the same Factory
Like Humans We bet there’s LOTS of Records about these Cancers but
Nobody is Publicaly Collecting the Data but We bet Someone has been
The High Level of Rectal Cancer Know in the Acton area vs ” the norm ”
is Well know to the Medical Community here in Halton Region but with
Mortgages etc those Nurses etc don’ want to be 1st to Speak Out &
maybe Our Pets are Giving us the Chance to Protect Us in Another Way
When there’s entire ailes at our local supermarket, Just for Pet Food
Maybe it’s Time to get some Answers on All this Supposedly Safe Food ?
etc etc
etc
No Other Name Posted here because the Owner didn’t reply to last post
Anna, I’ve seen a single lawsuit filed in Chicago, keep checking Google News Search or PR wires, and you may find what you are looking for.
MY DOG STARTED HAVING KIDNEY PROBLEMS AFTER EATING NATURAL CHOICE DOG FOOD MADE BY MENU FOODS. THE UPC NUMBERS MATCH THE RECALL. WHEN I TOOK HER TO THE VET THE VET WAS HAD NO MEDICAL EXPLANATION OF WHY MY DOG WAS HAVING THESE KIDNEY PROBLEMS. THIS COMPANY SHOULD HAVE TO PAY ALL OF THE MEDICAL EXPENSES. EVERY TIME YOU TRY TO CALL THE LISTED NUMBER ON THE COMPANY’S WEBSITE, YOU GET A BUSY SIGNAL. ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS?
Hi Loree:
Here is the FDA alert:
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01590.html
Here are the numbers for Menu Foods:
1-866-895-2708 or 1-866-463-6738
The IAMS US recall page: http://us.iams.com/iams/global/Product_Recall.htm
And Menu Foods recall page with the above phone numbers and address:
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/
A Canadian Class Action Suit has been launched, here is the press release:
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2007/22/c5582.html
I haven’t seen a Class Action announcement in the US yet.
Update: Progressive Law Group in the US has filed. See post.
Has anyone considered the very real possibility that this problem has occurred due to genetically engineered grains that have no other market than the unregulated pet food industry?
The US has been pushing GE grains on all countries, but even those with drought and starvation in their midst, they refuse them, for fear of health issues both now and in the future.
So - where else do you dump this much product that is untested, publicly unpopular, but in need of an outlet?
By putting the grains in the pet food, years from now, the grain industries can state their product has been in pet food for years with no ill effects, so can now be put in human food chain.
I love a good conspiracy theory as much as anyone, but this one actually makes sense…
I think it is sad that so many pets have been affected by this problem as well as loving owners. My Dog has been eating Natural Choice from the breeders until now. We choose only dry food for her and I am grateful that she doesn’t eat the wet foods affected by the recall. Howvere it still makes me nervous to go out and buy her the dry food when she is done what we have. This food was not only highly recomended for quality from the breeder but by many other owners as being such a good quality food. I have to say I have a healthy dog and am grateful but until Menu Foods know what is the true problem I will probably try to find another quality food for our Ginger. Any recomendations by other concerned pet owners would be welcome. We will be praying for resolution for all the animals and owners affected by this.
I just posted a concern about Natural Choice dry dog foods for my dog Ginger. I have been informed that Menu Foods isn’t involved in the manufacturing of any of Nutro’s Dry foods. This is a relief for me and maybe it will be for others.
My dog Brandy died on March 15th. She was 14 and had a known problem with bladder tumors but had been doing fine all winter while on an anti-inflamatory that helped her urinate. Otherwise she was her old self.
The week before we had been feeder her Alpo which she liked but she had eaten all of it and my wife purchased some Sprout Beef Cuts & Gravy from a local store.
Then that weekend she suddenly got very very sick. She was lethargic, shivered as if she had a fever, stopped eating entirely and could not urinate at all. Then she seemed to get a little better and her urine flow came back a bit. Of course, I fed her another can happy to see her eating again. While she was unable to pass much urine standing up she was soaking her bed at night with an unusually large amount of fluids. Over three nights she completely soaked two different beds as well as the towelse I put over over them to help catch it. Certainly this was far more urine than any dog would have produced under any circumstances.
She promplty had a relapse and the next day we noticed that the left side of her face was swollen. I took her to the vet this time who said that she thought the swelling was a “red herring” and that this was actually just the final stages of her bladder cancer.
The vet offered to do some additional examinations but in view of what the earlier diagnosis had been I declined to put her through it since the only other option at the time appeared to be surgery which would have only cause my friend more pain.
Very sadly I had her put to sleep and she died in my arms.
The next morning I was watching the Today Show and heard of the recall for the first time - in horror.
I called the TV station and found out about their web page link and sure enough! There was the same food we had just started using only an older lot number (best by Oct 09).
I went to the vet’s office and spoke to her associate who told me to keep her cool and that she would do more research on it an call me Monday. She didn’t. On Tuesday I called and spoke to the original Dr. who seemed to go into mal-practice defense mode. Although I assured her that I did NOT blame her since she didnt know either she became quite terse and stuck to the original diagnosis. Since I had not burried her I offered to bring her back in to determine what the actual cause of her sudden illness was which she dismissed as pointless even though I told her that my main concern was for other dogs. She said she would do it but made it plain that it would be at my expense. I never really expected that it would be otherwise.
In the end I felt that with her attitude I really could trust her objectivity and it would have just added to my hurt to go that last mile.
I am not by nature an overly emotional or irrational man. I can fully appreciate that many animals who’s time had already come simply died at the time the recall occurred. I really cannot say if Brandy died as the result of eating this food or not and now it seems that the company cannot even identify the actual cause of the deaths.
But, I do not believe in coincidences either.
I guess what astounds me most of all is the almost total lack of scientific curiosity displayed not only by our vet but by the pet community in general. There are tons of anecdotal storys like Brandy’s which may or may not be a true coincidence but where is the science?
The TV station I called http://www.nbc26.com in Green Bay Wi. came and did a fairly long interview with me and I told the reporter that the main point of the story was that it was seemed probable that they at least had not identified all of the lots affecting dogs. But when the piece aired they pretty much just went for the tear jerk effect and left almost all of the facts on the cutting room floor.
On Monday I heard an NPR story that effectively negated any validity to the lot recall list saying that the company issued a press release saying that they had no idea what had actually caused the deaths. If so, on what did they base the recall? I had emailed them with the link on the recall page with my lot information but I was never contacted by the company not did anyone else express any interest in discovering the source of the problem.
A short time ago a 77 year old woman died of e-coli poisoning from some spinache that began a national recall for that product. While I will not equate a person’s deatch with that of a dog it is remarkable how similar the events were - except for the force of the investigation… I think we are living under a food distribution system that is broken. Conservatives claim that the market is the only control these companies need to induce safety and ethical behavior. But what happens when once company makes virtually ALL of the products in a single category? Even when we act as good consumers aren’t we simply deluding ourselves if we comparison shop multiple products not realizing that the only difference in the can is the label?
Which product should we avoid in the future?
How will the market punnish this company that takes no direct ownership of the products it sells through distributor’s labels.
My good friend Brandy is dead. She may well have died anyway, I will now never know.
But what died with her is the last remaining faith I had in the Libertarian notion of effective market based controls in protecting my interest and the people, creatures and things that I love.
Bernard J. Starzewski
Manitowoc Wi.
Does anyone know why this is labeled “Not for release on US Newswire services”? :
TORONTO, ONTARIO–(CCNMatthews - March 19, 2007) -
Attention Business/Financial Editors:
NOT FOR RELEASE OVER US NEWSWIRE SERVICES
In order to better respond to the needs of its customers, Menu Foods Income Fund (the “Fund”) (TSX:MEW.UN) has enhanced the accuracy, comprehensiveness and user-friendliness of its website focused on its recent recall of dog and cat food. The Fund is encouraging consumers to check back with the website regularly, to get the most up-to-date information available. Furthermore, the Fund has enhanced its call center capabilities to better respond to consumers.
The Fund announced on March 16 the precautionary recall of a portion of the dog and cat food it manufactured between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. The recall is limited to “cuts and gravy” style pet food in cans and pouches manufactured at two of the Fund’s United States facilities. These products are both manufactured and sold under private-label and are contract-manufactured for some national brands.
Consumers can find the latest information at http://www.menufoods.com/recall. The website contains detailed information on the products subject to recall, together with updated dates of production and links to related recalls.
See it here: http://www.menufoods.com/recall/PressRecall_En_Site_03192007.htm
Just minutes ago I heard the new report that rat poison is now being blamed for the animal deaths.
Interestingly when we laid Brandy in the casket I made for her we noted that blood was coming from her mouth and we wiped it up with some napkins I had in my pocket.
Warfarin and similar rat poisons cause internal bleeding.
Once again, I point out that our lot number of the food we fed her was OLDER than the ones listed on the recall list - Oct 09.
If the original list was generated from an assumption of wheat glutin how accurate is the list given this evidence?
Bernie Starzewski
Manitowoc Wisconsin
Many years ago I had a little dog named Gypsy. My neighbor poisened him with rat poison. Why…I’ll never know. Gypsy died before I got home that day. He bled from his mouth and rectum. It was horrible and I will never forget this mean thing that was done to my little buddy. So…if Brandy had blood on her mouth, that’s a sure sign, to me at least, that she was poisoned too.
Because of this pet food recall,
I will be giving a teleseminar Wednesday, 3/28 at 8 pm Eastern.
I am the author of “Real Dogs Don’t Eat Kibble!” and have researched the natural diet for dogs for 20 years.
This has been a tragic event, but there are things that you can do to protect your dogs in the future. You can take control of your dog’s food and his health.
Join me and other interested dog guardians Wednesday, 3/28, and I will be happy to answer your questions.
Sign up for the teleseminar at:
http://www.TheNaturallyHealthyDog.com/?id=28
I look forward to you learning how you can take control of your dog’s diet.
I am one of the lucky ones. I noticed my cat, Malcolm with blood in his urine. He was put on an antibiotic that did not work. The vet kept trying new meds- the kidney problems continued and actually worsened for a time. The reason I am lucky? Kroger never restocked Malcolms favorite canned food Pet Pride. I had even tried to order a case of it. They never followed up. I had to change to another brand. Thank God! When I changed his food the problem cleared up totally. My heart goes out to all that were not as lucky as I am.
There is a supplement I’ve been giving my dog daily, shortly after I adopted him last October. He’d been eating at least two or three cans a week of the tainted recalled Nutro food over the past several weeks, but has so far shown no adverse symptoms. I continued to feed my dog the poisonous food right through March 17th - the day they announced the recall. The next day when I read the complete list of recalled foods I was frantic, but so far it looks like this little green supplement I’ve been giving him has possibly saved his life. It has at least 10 ingredients in it that help to promote healthy kidney function. It’s called Vita-Dreams Daily Greens, and it’s for dogs and cats. I will continue to watch my dog for possible long-term symptoms, but am so relieved that he has at least escaped the immediate misery that so many animals have had to endure. I also started giving him an herb called milk thistle. It is safe for dogs and humans and it’s purpose is to cleanse the liver.
Since my last post they have announced what the chemical was that poisoned these animals and I have done a little research. Here is what I found in a UW Wisconsin Madison study.
4 mg. of aminopterin per kilo of ration. The animals fed aminopterin
developed marked symptoms, such as bleeding around the mouth and
eyes, emaciation, and rapid death after onset of symptoms, which occurred
within about 10 days.
Here is the original document: http://www.jbc.org/cgi/reprint/192/1/81.pdf
While it is not the same as warfarin the listed symptom in the lab rats of blood in the mouth is telling.
While this is not smoking gun scientific proof that Brandy died of this it certainly is enough to raise the question.
My frustration comes from the fact that I cannot get any company or governmental support to test the remaining cans.
IF it should prove to be that their recall is incomplete how many more animals will die?
If this was a human poisoning I think I would have had the authorities at my door a week ago.
Instead the response I get is that this lot is not on the recall and therefore I should just drop it.
To paraphrase one of my favorite movie lines - “Did IQs just drop suddenly while I was away?” Sigourney Weaver - Aliens
I’m very concerned and heartbroken. I feed my puppies and younger pets science diet dry, all of them are fine. However I feed my older babies can due to their teeth! My husband picked up some ol’Roy cans - just mixed and matched the flavors as usual. I picked up a case of can at Sam’s! (We have 76 Chihuahua’s).
On Feb 6th, 2007 - I was working late. ( I work for a Vet clinic) my husband call and said that our sweet Libby was very cold and non responsive. He brought her to the clinic, but she was to far gone with what appeared to H/G. Over the next few weeks we had others to fall ill with the same symptoms, but thankfully were saved. I really believe my Libby died as a direct result from this toxic food. Please someone respond to me who is dealing with symptoms other then kidney failure. It appears as H/G. Thanks so much for any help.
I wanted to say I only gave my cat Dry Food and one day He just started with all the symptoms and couple days later his kidneys were so bad he wasn’t going to make it. I lost my cat and he was Healthy up to this point. I think they should look into the Dry foods a little more. I am not so sure they were all safe. I had bought his food from walmart and the local stop and shop.
Bernie,
I am in the same boat that you are in, except that my dog Max was not ill, just 11 yrs old. He became suddenly ill…lethargic, not eating and seemed in pain in his abdomen. I watched him die slowly over 2 and one half days. We had to force him to drink liquids. I did not take him to the vet, because when I had learned of the recalls, I also learned that the vets were able to do very little for the animals. So I decided to leave it all up to God. He ate some of the wet dog food not on the recall list. I have notified the company and have heard nothing back. He too, had some red discharge from either his eyes or his nose, I cannot tell which. He had a fever and extreme edema in his feet and shoulders. I agree, the science of it all should not be ignored, just because they are dogs. They were a part of our families. I believe it would all be due to greed and fear of legal action, that our beloved family members have been ignored. I suspect there will be more deaths due to fear.
Sincerely in Sorrow with you,
April
Bernie, what about contacting Cornell U?
Or contacting the Menu Food factories in Kansas or New Jersey?
They may be willing to give you a list of Veterinary schools that are testing the raw materials.
The American Veterinary Medical Association is not behind a log-in like the Canadian counterpart is - perhaps they can help.
If you go to Technorati and type in Menu Foods you’ll find scientific journals that have blogs. There may be someone who is able to answer your questions or direct you where you need to go.
Also self reporting is occuring on petconnection.com, there may be pet owners and vets there can help.
One of the difficulties people are having is uncertainty.
While I don’t think Menu Foods is being nefarious or that the company willfully delayed recall and subsequent public information - (they just don’t know what is in the supply chain) apparently vets are just getting up to speed as pet owners put the pieces together. Testing all the raw materials is going to take time. Pet safety is the top priority, with several million cat and dog owners in the US alone, sorting out self-reporting along with professional reporting is a huge undertaking.
I think they’ve misjudged is the sheer number of pet owners that need to be able to talk to the company directly.
Consumers are a resource.
The call centre being swamped doesn’t have to happen, more staff could be put on the phones.
Consumers calling in may have information that researchers can use to unravel the complexity of the problem that can be passed forward.
And I think the call centre can be a resource for the company - their PR firm could be paying attention to in depth questions and providing timely data.
The call centre can’t give information to consumers the company does not have, and that has to be a major frustration for consumers.
They report receiving 2 hundred thousand calls in the past week, that volume has to be stressful for call centre employees, people need to be taken into account here too.
It’s small comfort to pet owners to have to wait for the science, I see no evidence Menu Foods is not seeking assistance in the scientific community at this time.
Does anyone know which ingredient has been isolated as the problematic one? So that we can just make sure for each product. My main issue is that they did not disclose the supplier or the ingredient, and this supplier might also be selling their killer ingredient to other pet food manufacturers. So, how ever much I do not want to keep buying products from Menu Foods, they are currently the ones who identified that supplier….
Don’t think you will get anything out of a class action lawsuit. The lawyers build up their fees and expenses so much that you will be lucky to get $10-20. I have seen enough of them in my lifetime to know they are the lawyer’s wealth-building scheme and not anything to help the people left holding the bag with medical bills and a dead pet.
WHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA: (
Did you hear me……
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA: (
My whole body is weak froom worry and frustration and ache for all the pet owners watching their precious family pet die before their eyes. DIE because they fed their pet a food made by companies that obviously do not test batches they make before putting it out on the market.
I have two cats and a big red lab and new little standard poodle pup. The dogs have been eating IAMS dry food…and the cats dry Friskie. Red our overly strong healthy lab 110 pounds got sick really sick a few weeks ago and xrays showed very imflamed stomache and intestinal lining. He was so sick and couldn’t even move. Lucky for us he got better but was this connected somehow, whats really in the dry food? If RAT poison is in wet, why couldn’t it be dumped in the dry mix too. We sort of narrowed down REDS problem…….COSTCO selling this rawhide roll with liver……my daughter at her house kept smelling a foul urine type odor and realized it was in the rawhide liver rolls sold at COSTCO. We both stop feeding our pets this and BINGO just as we did then this news came out about poisoned pet food.
WE ALL are too easily accepting what the companies and media reports on this. RAT POISON…….in batches made by MENU FOOD…..wet food……I say who is checking the DRY FOOD for PETS….BIG QUESTION no one is investigating….DOES MENU FOOD SELL TO THE HUMAN FOOD CHAIN…..if so TELL US!!!!!!! Does MENU FOOD…..do business under any other name that sells to the HUMAN FOOD CHAIN or other pet food manufacturers…?
WHERE IS THE FULL DISCLOSURE ON THE SAFE SIDE that we need right now. Protecting the BUSINESS or the people and pets involved, that what it is narrowed down too…….
EVERY PET OWNER WRITE YOUR TV STATIONS and papers and Health inspectors or whom ever you need to and DEMAND a FULL DISCLOSURE of how RAT POSION got into the pet food source.
IF SO….this is NOT by accident……the papers keep saying no crimminal investigation yet……WHY NOT WHAT THE THEY WAITING FOR WITH THOUSANDS OF PETS DYING….!!!!!
DID I SAY…WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA: (
On 1-10-07 we had to put the kindest Keeshound down because he was very weak would not eat or drink would not go to the bathroom or even get out of his crate so we called the vet and they said that we should take him in because they thaught that Jackson (our dog) had C.I.D. Canine Imune Defficiency but now that i read all these i think that Jackson Had been poisened because he was also bleeding in the face. One thing that i do not get is that we have a nother dog that ate the same food as Jackson but did not get sick or any thing. i think that all the families that soffered with a loss of a pet that was poisened should recieve some Money from the company.
this is just another disaster in a long line of them in the pet food industry. the way i see it, before all this processed pet food dogs and cats lived on table food, i am going back to that, and anyone who trust the pet food industry is nuts, i worked at a well known so called natural pet food company, and surprise they are on the list. get smart if you care about your 4 legged family members read Ann N. Martin’s books, Foods pets die for. think about it, would you stick your face in the bowl and eat that stuff, well then it isnt food. after all it is made with roadkill ,downer animals, euthanised pets, they even grind up carcasses loaded with large tumors, melt it all together at rendering plants, and viola fidos food. There is no regulation in the pet food industry, they police themselves. as for how the poison got into the food, probably sprayed on the wheat while it was in the storage tanks to keep the rats off it. and i would not doubt if it is in the dry food, or might have made it to the human food chain. my dad always said, if i didnt grow, kill it or harvest it, i dont trust it. we as consumers have put our lives and the lives of our loved ones in the hands of multi billion dollar corporations who are only in it to make profit. just go back over the past year and look at all the food recalls.
I am momma to a 12 year old Yorkshire Terrier (Morty) who I am going to have to have put to sleep this afternoon. I am having a difficult time right now even writing this as Morty is just like one of my kids. I do not feed my animals store bought dog/cat foods, they pretty much eat what we eat. The problem here is I do give my Morty treat bones and believe these are also infected with this rat poison. Morty began showing signs of kidney failure approx. 48 hours or so before this recall took place. He began drinking large amounts of water and urinating massive amounts. It has now progressed to vomiting and he is very lethargic. He is shakey and can hardly walk and can’t hold down food or water at all. I am taking him to the Vet this afternoon and surely he will have to be put down. Before I do this, I just want to say to others who love their furry children….BEWARE of all pet foods including treats of all kinds. I don’t believe this is coincedence. I believe my Morty has been poisned. Dear God, give me strength to have to do this. If anyone has had or is having similar incedents with dry foods please make yourself known and heard.
Suzanne Stavely……Fairland Oklahoma area
My loving Zeus, a jack russell, only 7 years old died Jan 8 due to the pet food recall My family spent lots of money (2000.00) trying to save a member of our family his kidneys were to far gone for him to be saved The heartache was terrible not knowing what caused this until the food recall was anounced. I believe all should be compensated who lost members of there family but you can not get through on the phone numbers from menufoods It makes me so angry knowing how much Zeus suffered from someones elses stupidity I WANT JUSTICE FOR ZEUS AND ALL OTHER PETS AFFECTED!!!!
I want to thank everyone for the information I have received about how to get my ramining cans tested.
I intend to start following up tomorrow (Monday).
I also recieved some contact information at the FDA from another source.
I think that many of the posts here (including mine) are the result of far too much secrecy about how this all came about. In a terse conversation with my vet she pointed out that some dogs just die…
Well sure they do!
And I am stunned at the general lack of both scientific and intellectual curiosity of the veterinary medicine community as well as the media and regulating entities involved.
As i’ve repeatedly told the news crew from NBC 26 Green Bay http://www.nbc26.com people need more than assumptions to protect themseves and their pets.
And here is a good example why: In todays ad insert to our local paper Mills Fleet Farm (the store I bought the food) is advertizing the same exact product (Sprout “Ultra” Beef Cuts & Gravy) as being ON SALE!
Say what?????
Considering that this has to be old stock AND that Menu Foods added to the recall list as late as Friday evening I am absolutely flummuxed as to why!
The Manitowoc Wi. store mgr promised me that he would advise corp mgt and pull the product until further notice.
Never under estimate the ability of a corporation to try to make a buck.
Sure, pets die all the time and kidney disease is not uncommon but how are we supposed to protect ourselves when we dont even know where this stuff is coming from and nobody seems to be interested enough to find out?
I just lost my best friend 2 weeks ago. His name was Harley and his was everything to me and my husband. We cant have children so harley was in effect our child. We had him sent to Michigan State University to have an autopsy done and found in fact he had injested poison. I cant seem to find any information on whether our dog food was one of the infected ones or not. If you have any information that could help me please e-mail me at maybe.n@hotmail.com. Our brand of dog food was Purina Kibbles and Chunks and he ate Gravy Train snacks like Snausages, jerky strips and bacon strips. Please if you have any news let me know. Harley was a healthy 15mo. old german shepard and we are just heart sick over his death.
Thank You
Hi May:
Purina Kibbles and Chunks is not one the brands on the current recall list.
Here is part of the statement from Purina:
*We want to take this opportunity to reassure you that Mighty Dog pouch products are the ONLY Purina® brand products affected by Menu Foods’ recall.*
Menu Foods is now asking retailers to pull all the wet food product, partly as a further precaution.
The plant in Kansas has been shut down.
I don’t know if anyone knows at this stage if the source of the aminopterin is contained.
petconnexions.com is giving people an opportunity to report online, as well you are asked to please tell your vet so they can pass information on to their colleges.
Menu Foods has added phone staff to the recall centre. It is toll free in Canada and the US.1-866-895-2708
Here is the list of 53 brands of recalled dog food:
Americas Choice Preferred Pets, Authority, Award, Best, Choice, Big Bet, Big Red, Bloom, Cadillac, Companion, Demoulas Market Basket, Eukanuba, Food Lion, Giant Companion, Great Choice, Hannaford Hill Country Fare, Hy-Vee, Iams, Laura Lynn, Loving Meals, Meijers Main Choice, Mighty Dog Pouch, Mixables, Nutriplan, Nutro Max, Nutro Natural Choice, Nutro Ultra, Nutro, Ol’Roy Canada, Ol’Roy US, Paws, Pet Essentials, Pet Pride - Good n Meaty, Presidents Choice, Price Chopper, Priority Canada, Priority US, Publix, Roche Brothers, Save-A-Lot Choice Morsels, Schnucks, Shep Dog, Springsfield Prize, Sprout, Stater Brothers, Stop & Shop Companion, Tops Companion, Wegmans Bruiser, Weis Total Pet,Western Family US, White Rose, Winn Dixie, Your Pet
There’s a Washington Post article from 3/24 that states Menu Foods will pay the vet bills for animals affected by the tainted food!!
Sorry if someone else has already submitted this info - it needs to be made known to everyone who has a suffering animal right now that could benefit in any way from veterinary care but isn’t receiving it because of lack of funds - haven’t had time to do any follow up on the validity or details of statement - maybe someone else could do that. I’ve seen plenty of anguished letters from folks on all sorts of different sites upset that they can’t afford to fully vet their animal at this time - can someone out there make sure this info is directed to them?
washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR2007032400968.html
Thanks Jill.
The company is releasing information on CCNMatthews pr wire, (as well as their recall site) I recommend checking Canadian as well as US news sources.
PetConnection is really on top of this recall.
Some examples of major traditional media in Canada is CBC, CTV, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail and CanWest.
If you go to Google News or Topix for example and type in Menu Foods, you’ll get updated stories from traditional and independent media.
Bernie, I’m glad to hear you have some avenues to explore on behalf of Brandy.
Communication lapses are also occuring in Canada - some pet food stores (retailers) have not heard from the company that there has been a recall or expanded recall.
As well the Menu Foods call centre employees were not told of the expanded recall today. (Sunday)
An effective communication chain in any massive recall needs to be in place for suppliers, retailers, employees, consumers and axillary support people (in this case vets).
My mom and I brought my 20-year old childhood cat Spunkey to be put down last Thursday night. It absolutely broke my heart. While he had stiff joints, two weeks ago he was up and down the stairs, on and off the bed and relatively spry for his age. About 4 weeks ago my mom switched him to DEMOULIS MARKET BASKET chicken canned wet food - because the dry food was to hard for him. His intake of water and urination had noticeibly increased and within two weeks looked wasted away, laying about, my mom force-fed him last Wed. night and Thursday morning, the same wet food. The next day he was almost comatose, wasn’t moving, eating or responsive - only his heart was beating fast - and the vet said it looked like kideney failure with the wasting look and his body shutting down. Everyone seems to think that because he was 20 it was his time - but he turned so quickly and was spry two weeks ago!
I’ve asked the vet to hold his body till Friday and I called Menu Foods and filed a complaint. KEEP CALLING - YOU WILL GET THROUGH!! 866.895.2708 They say somone there will be in contact “within 3-5 days”, but so far nothing. There is no way only 13 cats have dies from this. I read way too many reports and comments like all of your above - my heart is breaking for everyone’s loved ones.
What universities etc. are doing autopsies on animals right now? Where do I send him?
Thanks… Nicole’
my 4yr old chihuahua was brought up on Iams dry food….in the last few weeks she has turned her nose up to the dry food….so I added a tablespoon of Iams Select Bites from the pouch, only to find out days later about the recall. I have a gut feeling about the dry food. When I cooked her up chicken, rice and egg she ate it up!
I will find out resuts of urine and blood testing tomorrow. For now I am staying away from all Iams.
I am fearful of all dog foods–wet, dry, canned with or without gravy and whether on “the list” or not.
Has anyone or can anyone CONFIRM virtually ANY dog food that is REALLY safe, so we can all switch?
I’m not a vet, but I’ve done a little research on this poison. It is called aminopterin, and it blocks folate metabolism in a fashion similar to the chemotherapy and arthritis drug Methotrexate. A possible treatment for this might be high dose folate (folic acid). One of the posts above mentioned that a pet who ate contaminated food, but remained healthy, was also taking some supplements - including some type of “greens” supplement. I wonder if the extra folic acid protected this pet from the poison. Just a thought. Be sure to ask your vet about treating any possible poisoning with folic acid, along with fluids and support.
J.Senn, there are no really safe pet foods, except the ones you prepare from scratch, I do it, esp after seeing this.
http://commondreams.org/headlines02/0106-03.htm
And the FDA dosent do anything about it.
Even some holistic foods get this stuff trucked in, and dont have to list any ingredient they themselves did not process, so meat meal is made from pets and roadkill, downer animals. Plus anything that says poultry fat, run away. This is a good site to start finding out about whats in pet food, and what the labeling means.
http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1
Good luck, I hope you consider making your pets food, there are lots of sites that can tell you what foods you can give your pet.
After reading the posts from Bernie (3/23) and Elizabeth (3/24) I am even more concerned now about symptoms, other than kidney failure, that are not being reported or investigated as a result of the tainted food. I fed my 10 year old dog, Riley, a pouch of the Eukanuba Dog Senior Savory Chicken cuts on March 3rd and he has been very ill ever since. Shortly after eating this food, he suffered and unexplained allergic reaction in which his eyes and face became severely swollen. We took him for emergency treatment in which he was given an antihistamine injection, steroidal eye ointment and followed with treatments of 100mg of Benadryl tablets for the next three days. The swelling subsided, however, over the following two weeks, Riley became increasing lethargic, had difficulty standing, walking and had a loss of appetite. I took him to his vet, and he treated him for what he believed were signs of arthritis. However, on Sunday, March 18th, Riley’s hind legs began collapsing and we rushed him to the emergency hospital (ironically, that morning, we learned of the food recall and I had contacted MenuFoods /PG to report the allergic reaction). His blood test revealed that his kidney functions were okay, but his liver functions were elevated. His glucose levels were very high — over 400, and that there was sugar in his urine. I was informed that he has diabetes. He has been in the hospital ever since, and the vets are still trying to treat his condition. What is most alarming is that Riley is also unable to support himself and walk in addition to the diabetes. I’ve been told by the doctors treating him that his loss of motor skills might be attributed to the diabetes (diabetic neuropothy), but it is still too early to tell. We are trying various treatments hoping that he may recover.
Prior to March 3rd and eating the recalled food, Riley was a healthy dog. Everyday, he would run and play with his baby brother, Johann, (our 4 year old Dobermann). Since eating the food, he had an allergic reaction, developed diabetes and is unable to walk! The only reported symptoms you hear about in the news are about kidney failure, but I cannot believe this is the only problem occurring! Elizabeth, I too, have been inquiring to see if other pets are experiencing symptoms other than kidney failure. I do not know what H/G means — can you please clarify? If anyone else has a pet that is showing similar reactions like Riley’s. please , please respond. I’d appreciate any help. Thanks.
Maggie Coker
Tampa, FL
On Monday I called the FDA to try to report Brandy’s death and have yet to receive a call back.
I called again this morning.
I also finally got thru to Menu Foods’ call center and reported her death and lot number.
The man was very courteous but it was also clear that he was just a call taker.
But, he did assure me that a company rep would get in touch with me.
He took the lot information “Best by Oct 25 09″ and some information about her age and whether she was eating any other food, inside or outside dog, her size and breed information (probable border collie cross).
We will just have to wait to see what happens next…
I just received a call from the La Crosse office of the FDA.
The man was very polite and took the relevant information - in particular the lot data off the can.
He confirmed to me that the current FDA position is it is NOT clear that the poison came from the wheat glutin.
I will post updates as the occur.
Bernie
My husband and I had to have our 16 yr old blue pt siamese Mookey put to sleep on March 3rd after a week long battle with kidney failure due to this wet food. The vet had him on iv treatmetns trying to save him . I went to see him every day. The vet told us on March 3rd after running another set of tests that he was not going to improve and would not be able to come home.
We were feeding him wet food to make sure he was getting enough nutrition since he had bad teeth at his age. He was perfectly fine until this hit him. He ran and played with our other inside kitty, Qualie all the time. (luckily Qualie didn’t really care for can food she likes table food ) He was such a wonderful loving kitty it breaks my heart that this callous company knew weeks before that they had a problem and waited to say anything because of the almighty dollar. Mookey would still be here today if they haddone the recall when they first had animals dying at their own food testing facility.
I can’t understand how they could just not say anything. We loved Mookey so much he was always with us no matter where we were in the house. He was a talker like most siamese . I really miss that. He would meet me at the door after work and just start talking. He slept on our bed, his sweet furry little face was the first thing I saw most mornings and I can’t hardly stand that he’s gone.
I am so sorry for all the other pet owners who have lost loved ones too. My heart goes out to you all.
i had been feeding my dog ol’roy dog food in the pouch 5.3 oz chicken and turkey in the gravy. she has been very healthy until about 3 weeks ago i noticed while she was going through her heat cycle, she is a blue merle shelty, she was constatntly urinating and consuming heavy amounts of water and turning away some foods that they she loved. she was waking me up all hours of the night to go to the bathroom, i thought it was her heat cycle like i said until i was on the internet and saw the recall of the dog food. i checked and the food she was eating was on the recall same dates, upc and all. i went last friday to get her checked and the blood test came back with her creatin level up from 1.1 last year to 2.3 right now and her bun was 50.my vet says she is not in renal failure but she has damaged kidneys now and has to be on a special prescrition diet for dogs with kidney disease and will have to have her blood and urine checked often.i am seeing a slow progression here on her love of being outdoors, now she would rather be in laying around. what are we to do? i dont know if this will slowly progress and eventually take her life, but honestly i am so scared of losing her.
Bernie et al:
The FDA has not yet issued a press release. (March 30, 2007)
This is the F.D.A. report comes from The Pittsburgh Tribune Gazette:i
U.S. Food and Drug Administration testing found a chemical commonly used in plastics, but no rat poison, in the recalled pet food that has killed and sickened cats and dogs nationwide, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review learned Thursday.
Testing by the FDA and at least one lab independent of the agency found melamine, a chemical used in plastics and household textiles, in samples of the recalled pet food and in one of its ingredients — wheat gluten — said an FDA official and another source close to the investigation. Neither wanted to be identified prior to the FDA’s formal announcement this morning. more here
And more here.
My beloved 9yr old healthy 140lbs Rottweiller “Hercules” died on March 13/07. He was on the dry Iams weight management. I came home in late February and found him paralyzed and lethargic in my bed. He had stopped eating his kibble apx 1 week prior. However, he would eat human food. His belly was rock hard and he seemed to be in alot of discomfort. I rushed him to the vet -who had no clue what was wrong with him. The vet gave him a shot of steroids, did some blood tests and gave me a supply of steroid pills which gave him the strength to walk with assistance for about a week. I told the vet that I had thought he had a bad batch of food and I actually returned the dry food for a refund after showing the manager my vet bill. My boy hung on to dear life until March 14 until he collapsed on my back step…dead.
His belly was 2X the regular size and still rock hard. He also had extreme thirst & urination but no vomiting or diarrhea (however he was burping and gagging quite a bit) I am so guilt ridden with the fact that my poor dog was suffering and didnt have the words to tell me. According to my vet Herc still had many years to go & his illness was not age related. PEOPLE DO NOT FEED YOUR ANIMALS ANY DRY OR WET IAMS FOOD PRODUCTS!!!!!! Also I contacted Iams to inform them that it was the dry food that killed my dog and they said to fax my vet bill to them for an immediate reimbursement. My lawyer has advised against this. Somebody is going to pay. My young children have been so traumatized that they are sleeping with me every night & keep having nightmares from seeing their beloved family member drop dead before their eyes-while I cry hysterically trying to revive him. They wont even go downstairs at night alone because they’re “scared without Herc”. BTW I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. jen@goddessfilmproductions.com
My little angel, only 4 years old died inmy arms the day before Valentines Day. Her diagnosis was acute renal failure. I hear the news report only 16 pets have died. Where are they getting their numbers from? Where can I report my Angel’s death. I tried the menufoods phone number but cannot get through. Any suggestions.
I know Iams is insistent that their dry food is safe, but I think something far more serious is going on. My Westie is 6 years old and has eaten Iams lamb and rice mini chunks only. This is a dry food and has caused him to vomit almost every day over the past month. He was drinking large amounts of water and urinating frequently. I took him to the vet, but again, I was told the dry food is safe. I took him off the Iam’s for good……he is now eating chicken, beef, rice and vegetables. He immediately stopped being sick once he was off the Iams and has been fine ever since. I will never use Iam’s products again. How can they be so sure the dry food is safe when they aren’t sure what is causing the deaths and illness. Maybe it is something besides the wheat or wheat gluten. Supposedly there is no wheat or wheat gluten in Iam’s dry food! Whatever the cause, I am convinced it is also in the Iam’s dry food. Beware!
I’ve been following this case because my sister’s Labrador suffered from kidney failure from Menu Foods’ pet food. Apparently, pet owners may not get much out of suing the company because of how pets are only seen as personal property.
here are a few articles I found interesting:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040100409.html
http://www.class-action-finder.com/consumer-products/49/
In response to those who have been wondering about symptoms other than kidney failure, my dear 13 year old dog began developing skin allergies while on Nutro Natural Choice Senior Chicken and Rice Chunks. He was treated with prednisone and antibiotics, but after a sudden decline that began the first week of October, he died on October 14th, 2006. I know that is outside of the time frame issued by Menu Foods, but his symptoms match those of dogs and cats affected by the recalled food. The last week, he had gastroenteritis, stopped walking and eating, had diarrhea and was vomiting, and a large sore appeared on his side. He was totally lethargic towards the end. The 2 vets I brought him to could not identify the cause, but the vet who saw him the day before he died said his body seemed to be trying to get rid of some kind of toxin. Blood work done a week before he died showed elevated liver enzymes, after being normal just a few months before, when he was found to be in good overall health despite a non-metastatic cancer on his elbow that kept coming back, and weakness in his back from abuse suffered early in life. Ultrasounds the day before his death showed nothing wrong internally. Neither the blood work a week before his death, nor the necropsy done afterwards could identify the cause of death – no infection, no cancer, no stroke, no heart failure, but while alive his elevated liver enzymes showed something was amiss, and an x-ray showed inflammation in his GI tract. I might submit his preserved tissues for further analysis, if further, more thorough tests on samples from his organs will help me understand what happened to him. Maybe Iowa State has ways of detecting melamine, aminopterine, or whatever comes next, in his kidney and other tissues. I was devastated by losing my precious friend so suddenly, and for the last 5 months have not been able to get the mysterious circumstances or the shock of his sudden death out of my mind. I felt so helpless, and no one could answer my questions. Since the pet food recall, I checked the list, realized his food was on it, and wondered if it was toxic back in October. I have read at least one other account of a dog that experienced the onset of similar devastating “allergies” back in October, and that dog was also eating the recalled food. My departed dog was extra sensitive to toxins, including flea and tick shampoos, so I tried to keep any kind of chemical product away from him. He was a larger dog – over 50 lbs – but he was like a canary in a coal mine where toxins are concerned, so might have been more adversely affected by smaller amounts, before public awareness led to the recall. It never occurred to me that his food might have toxins or deadly chemicals in it, but contaminated food gives me an explanation where up to now there has been none. I hope his story helps you, Maggie and Elizabeth. I also do not know what H/G is.
To everyone that has been affected by this recall, my heart goes out to you. I am deeply saddened to tell you that my Riley died on April 2, 2007 at 7:30 pm. He is now my Guardian Angel. The vets told us that we may never know what caused him to fall ill. I’ve kept telling them that prior to eating the recalled food, he was in excellent health. Susan, H/G (as explained to me by Elizabeth) is Hemorrhagic Gastritis. This sounds very similar to what you had mentioned in your post. I appreciate the information and will share this with our vet. Again, my prayers to you all.
Contaminated Wheat Gluten has been named the killer ingredient in the recalled wet and now Hills Science Prescription Diet M/D Dry Food.
Has anyone heard anything about “corn gluten”?
My other cat Blue (a large siamese/himilyian male) who has been my roomate for over 14 years now, has been eating Hills Science Diet Hairball Control food for years which does not list wheat gluten in its ingredients but does list corn gluten. The word “gluten” scares me so I’ve been cooking him chicken and feeding him the cheaper brands of food. If anyone has any info on corn gluten, please let me know. And if you’re using a hairball control food that your cat is pleased with, please pass that info on. I could not bear it if my big bear Blue was to get sick also. Thanks much and blessings to you all .
hi, my name is Ashley. My grandma posion cat Mikey has not being felling well. He have not ate or drink in 2 or 3 days. i am worried that the food what we gave him as rat food posion in it. we always give him Whiskas like chicken and turkey. but my grandma gave him someting new we gave hm the beef in gravy. well mikey have just throw up one day and had dierew. he sleeps most of the day. he can walk. but my grandma tod my sister heather to my dad cats b.c my grandma cat mikey was not u know what. so my sis gave it to my dads cats but they r fine. i dont get it! please tell me my grandma cat dont have rat posion pls dont i dont want to lose him. i really dont. but te vent is going to my grandma house on tuesday for shoots. but do my grandma cat have rat food posion? is there a way to currow it?
Ashley:
It depends. Keep the cans with the labels, check the recall page so the vet has the information.
Check the receipt from the store, a lot depends on when the food was purchased.
The American Veternairy Association Page has information on how they treat animals that ate recalled food and there is good information for you at PetConnection. Only the vet can diagnose Mickey, and those are some things you can do to help.