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This pet food recall has become very scary. It affects so many brands here. I'm very lucky my dog only eats dry food...many people have not been so lucky and have lost their pets to kidney failure.
I'm curious to see what they say about how it relates to wheat gluten.
Here is teh recall information. not sure if the brand names are the same in the US:
Recall information
I'm curious to see what they say about how it relates to wheat gluten.
CTV.ca News Staff
A U.S. investigation is focusing on wheat gluten as a possible source of contamination that sparked a massive North America-wide recall of 60 milion cans and pouches of pet food last week.
Menu Foods, one of North America's largest pet-food suppliers, recalled some of its premium dog and cat food after the deaths of several pets in the U.S. and a number of suspected cases of illness in Canadian animals.
ll information
Veterinarians recommend that concerned pet owners stop feeding their pets any of the foods on the product lists and switch to either a dry pet food or another brand.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Monday that test results show as many as seven animals in the U.S. died as a result of eating suspect dog and cat food manufactured by Menu Foods.
Stephen F. Sundlof, a top veterinarian for the FDA, said the agency is focusing on wheat gluten as the likely source of contamination.
The recall by Menu Foods, a Streetsville, Ont. company, involves 51 brands of dog food and 40 brands of cat food, including Iams, Purina PetCare, and Eukanuba.
The food was sold throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico by major retailers such as Wal-Mart and Safeway.
The recall applies to dog and cat food made between Dec. 3 and March 6, and is limited to "cuts and gravy''-style pet food in cans and pouches.
Concerns from the U.S. about the food began filtering back to Menu Foods through toll-free customer lines starting at the end of February. Menu Foods' Paul Henderson says the company is conducting tests on the recalled food products, but has so far failed to identify a problem with the food.
While the massive recall includes canned and pouch-packed food distributed in Canada, no pet deaths related to the suspect food have been confirmed in Canada.
But Debbie Turcotte of Sudbury, Ont. says her family's pet dog Belle stopped eating about a month ago, shortly after consuming some of the food on the recall list. While the animal will live, the dog's kidneys are damaged.
"You trust them that they know what they are doing when they make the food and you give it to your dog and you don't realize you are poisoning your dog," Turcotte told CTV News.
CTV.ca has been flooded with letters from readers telling of similar stories, including one from a Saskatchewan woman who says her cat died a few days ago and had been eating the food on the recall list.
"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.
Veterinarians say the signs of kidney failure are:
A U.S. investigation is focusing on wheat gluten as a possible source of contamination that sparked a massive North America-wide recall of 60 milion cans and pouches of pet food last week.
Menu Foods, one of North America's largest pet-food suppliers, recalled some of its premium dog and cat food after the deaths of several pets in the U.S. and a number of suspected cases of illness in Canadian animals.
ll information
Veterinarians recommend that concerned pet owners stop feeding their pets any of the foods on the product lists and switch to either a dry pet food or another brand.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Monday that test results show as many as seven animals in the U.S. died as a result of eating suspect dog and cat food manufactured by Menu Foods.
Stephen F. Sundlof, a top veterinarian for the FDA, said the agency is focusing on wheat gluten as the likely source of contamination.
The recall by Menu Foods, a Streetsville, Ont. company, involves 51 brands of dog food and 40 brands of cat food, including Iams, Purina PetCare, and Eukanuba.
The food was sold throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico by major retailers such as Wal-Mart and Safeway.
The recall applies to dog and cat food made between Dec. 3 and March 6, and is limited to "cuts and gravy''-style pet food in cans and pouches.
Concerns from the U.S. about the food began filtering back to Menu Foods through toll-free customer lines starting at the end of February. Menu Foods' Paul Henderson says the company is conducting tests on the recalled food products, but has so far failed to identify a problem with the food.
While the massive recall includes canned and pouch-packed food distributed in Canada, no pet deaths related to the suspect food have been confirmed in Canada.
But Debbie Turcotte of Sudbury, Ont. says her family's pet dog Belle stopped eating about a month ago, shortly after consuming some of the food on the recall list. While the animal will live, the dog's kidneys are damaged.
"You trust them that they know what they are doing when they make the food and you give it to your dog and you don't realize you are poisoning your dog," Turcotte told CTV News.
CTV.ca has been flooded with letters from readers telling of similar stories, including one from a Saskatchewan woman who says her cat died a few days ago and had been eating the food on the recall list.
"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.
Veterinarians say the signs of kidney failure are:
- a change in water consumption,
- a change in the amount of urination
- a decreased appetite
- possible vomiting
- generalized weakness or malaise
Here is teh recall information. not sure if the brand names are the same in the US:
Recall information
Menu Foods recall information 1-866-895-2708 or 1-866-463-6738
Here are the lists of:
Recalled cat foods, and
Recalled dog foods
Menu Foods is experiencing a high volume of calls. They ask people to keep trying if the line is busy.
The affected foods are canned or foil-pouch foods.
Veterinarians recommend that concerned pet owners stop feeding their pets any of the foods on the product lists and switch to either a dry pet food or another brand
Here are the lists of:
Recalled cat foods, and
Recalled dog foods
Menu Foods is experiencing a high volume of calls. They ask people to keep trying if the line is busy.
The affected foods are canned or foil-pouch foods.
Veterinarians recommend that concerned pet owners stop feeding their pets any of the foods on the product lists and switch to either a dry pet food or another brand
