Blue Buffalo Spa Select Dry Formula for Cats Recalled
Due to the melamine found in the Wilbur-Ellis rice protein, Blue Buffalo has recalled one production run of their Spa Select Kitten dry food marked “Best Used By Mar. 07 08 B.”
Of the 4,752 bags produced in this one run, we were able to prevent the majority from ever entering retail distribution.
FDA confirms that Blue Buffalo is one of four other companies that received this supply.
Full release after the jump.
(Post bumped. Original timestamp 4:45pm Eastern)
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Voluntary Recall of Spa Select Kitten Dry Food
Dear Pet Parents:
The Blue Buffalo Company has undertaken a voluntary recall of one production run of our Spa Select Kitten dry food. The production code on the recalled product is:
“Best Used By Mar. 07 08 B.”
We have taken this action because the rice protein concentrate used for this run was obtained from Wilbur-Ellis, the same company who supplied this ingredient to Natural Balance. Test results received late last evening (4/18) indicated that this rice protein concentrate tested positive for melamine. This is the first and only time our manufacturing partner sourced an ingredient from Wilbur-Ellis, and we had no knowledge that they had imported the ingredients from China.
We have advised the FDA of this finding and will be working closely with them on this issue.
Of the 4,752 bags produced in this one run, we were able to prevent the majority from ever entering retail distribution. We are working closely with our retail partners to remove this product immediately and will be re-stocking the shelves with Spa Select Kitten dry food that was produced without any rice protein sourced from Wilbur-Ellis as soon as possible.
If you currently have a bag of Spa Select Kitten dry food, please check the code date and if it matches the one shown above discontinue use immediately and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. If your cat has eaten any of the recalled food, please call your veterinarian immediately to discuss if there are any risks to your pet.
Should you have a specific question call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-919-2833 or email us at info@bluebuff.com. We understand your desire for immediate answers and we will be working to get back to you as quickly as we can.
No other Spa Select cat food or dog food, canned or dry, is included in this recall.
As a family owned company whose reason for being is to provide cats and dogs with the highest quality natural foods, we are extremely upset by this recall and can’t begin to apologize enough to our customers. From our perspective, it is unacceptable to produce even one bag of food with the potential to cause a pet to become ill, and we will further tighten our ingredient sourcing and quality assurance procedures as a result of this incident.
Sincerely,
Bill Bishop
President
The Blue Buffalo Company
April 19th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
Alec, I’ve been using California Natural for a year but about to run out of current bag. Last week bought a bag of Fromm (small family company in Wisc.) which appears safe enough and the 3 boys have been eating it and all are doing fine. But I have cats that like a variety! I’m just nervous about buying food produced in the last month or two and thinking that going grain-free at this point might be a good decision. Thanks for your input.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
Java’s Mom - not sure where Fromm’s dry food is made, but the canned is manufactured in China.
April 20th, 2007 at 12:00 am
On their website: “All of our dry pet foods are manufactured at our own USDA-certified plant in Wisconsin where we utilize ingredients like fresh sweet potatoes, apples, cranberries, cheddar cheese, and other fresh produce from local markets in the area. The fresh hand-trimmed meat and fish we use is ordered as needed depending on what recipe is being made that particular day. We accept nothing less than the choicest cuts of meat and fish and each delivery is thoroughly inspected to make certain it meets our stern quality standards. ”
It’s actually only a couple hours from here– I think it’s time for a road trip :-)
April 20th, 2007 at 12:15 am
“where we utilize ingredients like fresh sweet potatoes, apples, cranberries, cheddar cheese, and other fresh produce from local markets in the area.”
Cats and dogs also don’t hunt for that stuff in the wild. Cheddar Cheese?
Sheesh. And I thought I heard it all.
April 20th, 2007 at 12:26 am
Java’s Mom - not sure where Fromm’s dry food is made, but the canned is manufactured in China.
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That’s like corporate suicide. What the heck were they thinking???
April 20th, 2007 at 12:28 am
What about Purina one? Is it safe? I just purchased a new bag and have not heard anything about it yet, but Im so afraid to keep feeding it. It does have corn gluten in it.
April 20th, 2007 at 12:31 am
Steve, maybe that’s merely because they don’t FIND it in the wild–maybe they’d like it. . . my cats love the stuff. But then they’re domesticated; a number of generations removed from their ancestors and hunters they’re not. They think a mouse is something put on this earth to entertain them until it’s time for a nap on our down comforter. Then again, I don’t know too many pet dogs and cats who DO actually have to hunt in the wild for their food.
April 20th, 2007 at 12:46 am
I just ordered from Honest Kitchen. I’m too leary of Purina now to continue feeding it. Thanks for all your imput. It helped me make the decision to switch over.
April 20th, 2007 at 12:47 am
Java’s thats fine we had a cat once that just loved honey due Melon and cantaloupe. Enjoyed it for her whole life. The only cat I ever knew that loved Melon. We would give her some small slivers. Then when we were done just put the scooped out melon half down and she would stick her head down in it and go at it.
April 20th, 2007 at 12:51 am
Thank you everyone for all the advice, reports, and moral support. I’ve been at my wit’s end sorting out how to care for my two kitties, and the information being reported here has been very helpful. Like many folks, I’ve bounced around among cat foods, and been frustrated at the pattern of lies and deception. I expect we’ll see a lot more before this is all over.
I’ve decided to make my own cat food for the girls, so that I have more control over what they are eating. The transition is a little bumpy, but with determination (and two hungry cats), we’ll get there. I tried to feed them Felidae canned, as one last try among the commercial foods, but they wouldn’t touch it. I’m not inclined to argue with them anymore.
Tonight I made them a mix of (cooked) ground turkey and leftover homemade chicken gravy. They didn’t go for it initially, but after a while I thought to sprinkle it with fish oil. I broke open a half dozen capsules and made the turkey smell good and fishy. The girls started licking the food and soon were eating the chunks. I think we’re on our way . . . They’re sleeping contentedly, and ate a lot less than when eating commercial foods. I guess that says a lot about nutritional content.
I’m grateful to have my girls in good health. My heart goes out to the many pet owners whose dear companions are fighting for their lives or worse. We will never forget this betrayal.
April 20th, 2007 at 12:56 am
Betrayal! Yes, that says it better than anything. I feel totally betrayed by these companies that I trusted to deliver nutritious healthy food for my pet. Only a few months ago, I was under the belief that my baby needed to eat his purina one so that he would get the nutrients he needed for a long life, only to find out that his life might be shortened if not given supplements (from my table) to the “nutritious” food these companies are supplying us with. What a hoax!!! I’m just really hoping that honest kitchen is as honest as they lead us to believe.
April 20th, 2007 at 1:04 am
I’m new here but what the hell am I supposed to feed my cats? They were originally on Natural Balance but then I switched them to Blue Buffalo because of the recall . Now what do I feed them?
April 20th, 2007 at 1:24 am
Please support our petition for safer pet foods!
http://www.rallycongress.com/s.....ocates/766
April 20th, 2007 at 1:41 am
RESPONCE TO C J foods being a possible mfg. in problems with rice protein:
Organix is manufactured by CJ foods and the Ultramix dry contains rice protein concentrate -believe from china!
The canned Organix Turkey has organic rice protein concentrate -from U.S.-but is it-?
April 20th, 2007 at 1:51 am
Have to agree with Java’s Mom. My Maine Coon will not eat “people” food. He is absolutely positive everything edible comes out of a bag or can! Great when we have food out at parties - not great trying to get him to eat home cooked now! I’ve joked for years that the perfect cat food would be canned mouse, but I’m not sure he’d eat it without the proper seasonings! Unlike my rescue cat, he has never had to fend for himself. And I’m sure his taste buds and digestive system have both changed from generations of cattery breeding.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:00 am
http://www.extrudedpetfood.com.....nformation
CJ Foods-KS
121 Main Street
Bern , KS 66408 P.O. Box 348 North Hwy. 50
Pawnee City, NE 68420
Voice 785-336-6132 ext 125
C.J. Foods Pet Food Recall Information
C. J. Foods today, April 19 2007, supported a voluntary recall of pet food made with rice protein concentrate previously thought to be unaffected by the melamine contamination.
The contamination was linked to a single bag of rice protein concentrate which was found to contain melamine, a substance not approved for use in food. The contamination was limited to a single product.
The rice protein concentrate in question was approved for use and provided by Wilbur-Ellis, a grain and food company. The contamination was discovered during special testing for melamine by C. J. Foods and Lortscher Agri Service, a supplier of raw materials. The contamination was limited to a single bag of rice protein concentrate and a single production run. Most affected bags of product did not reach retail shelves and those that did are now being recalled.
The company immediately notified the Food & Drug Administration and our client to initiate a voluntarily recall of the affected brand and to notify retailers and pet owners of the situation.
“This situation is especially disappointing given our 20 years of quality pet food production without incident,” said John Kuenzi, Chief Executive Officer. “We are taking this matter very seriously and have taken a number of steps to further ensure the safety and quality of our customers’ products moving forward.”
The steps include:
· No longer using protein sources from exotic locations.
· Implementing additional testing procedures to detect the presence of melamine or other contaminants
· Participating in a task force of industry and university experts to explore more stringent “source of origin” labeling.
If you have questions about this recall, please contact Jerry Kreuger Vice President at 402-239-9589
From the Blue Buffalo and the CJ accounts of the recall(s), it looks like their client is Blue Buffalo–for Spa Select Kitten at least.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:31 am
Lori, Purina is not one of the companies that purchased rice protein concentrate from Wilbur-Ellis. They were one of the companies named in the original article in USA Today regarding the Natural Balance recall that had not purchased this ingredient. On their website you will find that they state they do not use any rice protein in any of their products. There is also further information regarding where they source their wheat gluten. I hope they are being truthful as I also use Fancy Feast. All of their Gourmet flavors do not contain any grains, if that is helpful to you.
April 20th, 2007 at 3:15 am
Katheen says, I agree about the cruelty to animals in China. They eat cats and dogs. If you have seen pictures like I have of dear little tabbies in cages too tight to move in food markets in China waiting to be slaughtered - their eyes blank and hopeless.
All Creatures is a humane site with an animal exploitation photo gallery. http://www.all-creatures.org/index.html
if you clock on cats you can see photos of cats packed in cages at a fur factory in China. It is a nightmare. Do not go there if you cry easily. That is why I will no longer by the furry little mice toys at the pet stores. I assume they may be cat fur.
Dogs are sold at China markets for meat. They are kept alive until sold because there is no refrigeration - don’t want the meat to spoil. A dog sold is slaughtered in front of the other dogs waiting their turn.
I read Hong Kong citizens try to buy Australian meat because of the bad Chinese food supply, yet this junk is being slipped into our food.
I believe the coverup is massive because the Chinese connection is widespread and includes human food too. All to save a few pennies.
April 20th, 2007 at 3:29 am
On the local news tonight: “Recalled Pet Food May Have Affect on Human Food Supply”. Did you hear that it has been confirmed that a hog farm in California has hogs that tested positive for melamine in their urine? These hogs are sold for human consumption, so it means the tainted pet food issue may be making its way into the human food supply - gee, any surprises that this finally happened???!!!
Apparently Diamond sold salvage pet food that was found unsuitable for pet consumption to American Hog Farm for hog feed. Unbelievable!
Here’s one link that has some more info on this hog contamination issue, as well as info about the FDA’s theory of possibility of the intentional addition of melamine by the China suppliers (to artificially increase the protein content):
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2.....ll,00.html
This is crazy!!!
BTW, I just wanted to say a big Thank You to Itchmo!!
I have a 3yr old kitty that I was feeding the NB venison and green pea dry food for the past 2yrs. She started vomiting this past weekend and then I got the Safety Alert email from Itchmo over the weekend about the NB food, before it was “officially recalled”. I immediately stopped feeding my kitty the food and got her to the vet for testing on Monday. Luckily it looks like she will be fine.
For now I’m feeding her Innova Evo dry and she seems to like it (she’s a very picky eater, won’t eat cooked turkey etc so a homemade diet would be difficult with her for now.) I hope the Innova Evo is OK - anyone know anything about the manufacturer/location etc??
April 20th, 2007 at 5:35 am
Can anyone who’s savvy help me out?
I want to know who OWNS Canidae, who the CEO is, the officers, and at what other Manufacturer’s plant their Canidae building is located.
Actually, with my first email to them, Canidae sent me the same form email reply others have posted in part, here and on other threads on Itchmo.
They would not answer my second email asking for specifics. So I called Canidae today, and talked to a very nasty and unprofessional customer service rep named Diane. She actually HUNG UP ON ME because I had questions and asked for specifics. I could not get one bit of information at all. All info she said was “proprietary contract” a.k.a. secret.
She called me a conspiracy theorist, and also called me paranoid because I would not just take her word for things. I told her I wanted to research things myself.
I had switched to Canidae and now I will boycott the company and keep telling anyone who will listen about the horrific treatment I rec’d by this person when I called today. She actually laughed at me for being concerned about pet food. ??????????????
I’d like to know why they will reveal NO information, other than the name of the company, Canidae, and her admission that Canidae makes food at a building located on another secret manufacturer’s grounds.
Why would the owner and other officer info be hidden/confidential? How does one find out the manufacturer Canidae is squatting on and who actually owns the company? I’m not knowledgable on this business stuff. I do know they are dba (doing business as) and have an address it took hours of research to find:
Canidae Pet Foods
1975 Tandem Way
Norco, CA , 92860-3608
Phone: 909-599-5190
Website: www.canidae.com
Products Description:
Manufactures dog & cat food & supplements
thanks for any help,
Em
April 20th, 2007 at 5:53 am
Linda Plack, Your FF maybe fine but mine had the wheat gluten and soy protien concentrate which has yet to make the list in it. My vet is convinced it was the FF and so am I the vet bills ruling everything else out 1300 dollars. They have eaaten FF for 6 years. All it took was on new case and 2 new cans to wind up where I am now. May luck be with you in your use of their product. You believe what you want and so will i.
April 20th, 2007 at 5:56 am
Linda one more thing all these other companies claimed safety when this first started and where are we no they all lie. not even sure what I am using now is safe Merrick New England Boil, but like many people on here are saying people food is only good enough when it is on my plate at meal time once it is in a cat food bowl they are not interested.
April 20th, 2007 at 6:49 am
Teric,
If you ever find out who OWNS the Canidae company, who the CEO or officers are, and who owns the pet food manufacturing plant where Canidae squats with their own building, (as I was told on the phone), as Canidae doesn’t own the plant, (not unusual, I know, but I want to know who the manufacturer is who owns the gorunds) I’d be beyond interested to know.
I called yesterday, and beyond the squatting info., found out NOTHING. I talked to a nasty, abusive customer service rep named Diane, who HUNG UP ON ME because I had questions and wanted to research things myself.
Every single thing, including who OWNS the d**n company, is “proprietary contract” a.k.a. top secret.
She called me a conspiracy theorist, and she called me paranoid for asking questions instead of taking her word for it. It was the most horrible, unsettling call I’ve ever been part of, and the most horrendous customer disservice I’ve ever experienced. Diane was actually laughing at me, for being concerned about pet food. It was a troubling, surreal experience.
Because of this, I am boycotting Canidae. They’ve lost my business and I will tell anyone who will listen just what I was subjected to when calling them.
I want to know who owns the company. They’re a dba (doing business as) and I will continue to do research to find answers. There’re too many secrets with this company, and it can only make you wonder why. I want to buy pet food, not secrets.
Em
April 20th, 2007 at 7:06 am
SmileOnADog,
The following has company & product info for brands/companies NOT on recall list: http://www.thepetfoodlist.com/petfoods_pg1.htm. Canidae is still on this list - for now. The owner spoke with all these companies to compile the list and may be able to answer your questions are stear you in the right direction. Hope she can help you.
April 20th, 2007 at 7:13 am
On one of the blogs they were giving an educated guess as to who Candidae uses to manufacturer their canned - I think the company has something like Pied in the name. I believe they manufacturer their own dry food.
April 20th, 2007 at 7:19 am
Actually it’s above - they think it is Evanger’s that makes their canned food.
April 20th, 2007 at 7:41 am
Don’t eat pork!!!! Not only our pets are at risk. Read Sherri’s post. I also have read several on-line papers this morning, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is saying the “Humans” may be at risk. No main stream media yet. I can’t help but wonder how BIG this really is. Why isn’t it on the news??????
April 20th, 2007 at 8:12 am
Em,
I cant believe Canidae treated you so that way! The CEO needs to hear about Diane!!!
I have not been able to find information about the plant in Texas. I did find the corporation info.
CANIDAE CORPORATION
Number: C2000025 Date Filed: 1/28/1997 Status: active
Jurisdiction: California
Address
P O BOX 3610
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93403
Agent for Service of Process
JOHN P GORDON
142 WEST BONITA AVENUE
SAN DIMAS, CA 91773
April 20th, 2007 at 9:03 am
Steve, no, cats and dogs don’t hunt cheddar cheese in the wild. But my dog sure hunts it in the kitchen!! :)
April 20th, 2007 at 9:07 am
Sandy C, thank you for your response about Beneful. And for all the responses about corn gluten. Although my babe has been eating Beneful for 2 03 3 years with no problems, now I’m getting very concerned. Guess more trips to the pet food store and label reading is caled for!
Does anyone know anything about Friskies? Or Whiskas?
Thanks.
April 20th, 2007 at 9:09 am
Hmmm. That should be 2 or 3 years. More caffiene, please!!
April 20th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Howdy all. Thanks for all the great info. I’ve recently switched to Innova and California Natural for my 4 cats. I was of course distressed to learn the canned was made by Menu. I haven’t read all the posts on here, so forgive me if this is a repeat, but Natura has said they will no longer be using Menu for the manufacture of any foods, and are currently seeking to build or acquire their own plant to manufacture their own foods. That coupled with the fact their foods contain none of the suspect grains has made Natura my choice. Now, if only Wellness would make such a committment….
April 20th, 2007 at 9:15 am
I was just thinking…..China is going to have a lot of PR work to do from this entire fiasco considereing the fact that the 2008 Olympics are in Beijing, China.
I sure as heck won’t be going and giving them my tourist dollars. I wish some of our atheletes would also boycott the olympics (especially if they have lost their pet). If the US government won’t ban trade with China, then it’s up to us to inspect the labels on everything that we buy and just say no with our almighty dollar if it says “Made in China.”
April 20th, 2007 at 9:15 am
Did anyone read on PetConnection that melamine wasn’t the only contaminant found in the blood of pets that died from tainted food?
http://www.petconnection.com/b.....od-recall/
April 20th, 2007 at 9:16 am
urine, sorry. not blood
April 20th, 2007 at 10:04 am
Rhonda, I don’t think China is all that concerned with PR . If they were they wouldn’t allow government representatives to continue killing people’s dogs. Just my opinion.
April 20th, 2007 at 10:07 am
Someone posted about which foods contain MENADIONE and I bought some
EVANGERS cans and they list that in the ingredients. I haven’t fed any because that ingredient was one of the things I remembered from another forum and i’m still not sure how and why it’s bad for cats. Does anyone have info? The only thing I did was look up VITAMIN K and how it affects cats and supposedly it isn’t toxic so i’m confused.
For now I am feeding MERRICK wet and FROMM dry but honestly don’t even feel comfortable with those two (I just switched this week as cats and dogs have been on Natural Balance since Jan. 07) I also tried FELIDAE but my guys will not touch it.
Also, does anyone have any experience with LIFE’S ABUNDANCE or INSTINCTIVE CHOICE from the HealthyPetNet? I tried the free samples they offer and all the pets loved it. Thing is the dry is made by Ohio Pet and wet is made by Menu. Any info on this product?
April 20th, 2007 at 10:39 am
I’m almost afraid to ask (since I’m staring at $80 of cat, and $75 of dog goods from Blue Buffalo I switched to)…but does anyone have any “negative” info on Paul Newman’s cat and dog foods? Feeling a little “gut feeling” last week, I ordered Newmans, which just arrived and the cats have eaten two cans already. Please….any advise appreciated. While the BB was NOT the kitten food, but Spa Select Adult cat food, I’m not feeding them that anymore and will hang on to the bags I have, “just in case”. But before I call in another order for Newman’s, I’d like to know if I’m throwing yet more dollars out the window. We’re going to be living in a tent if this keeps up! - Eileen
April 20th, 2007 at 10:41 am
Concerned & Worried,
I have been researching for weeks to find dry & canned dog food not manufactured by Menu or Diamond and that doesn’t import any ingredients, or contain wheat or corn. I settled on Canidae. From internet research and other posters I’ve learned that their canned is made by Evangers and their dry is made by Pied Piper Pet & Wildlife (which does not use wheat gluten or rice protein in any of its products). I would buy Evangers dry also, but the bags aren’t big enough to feed my 3 dogs economically. I’m going to add Evangers canned, and Honest Kitchen to the dry as soon as my pet store gets it in.
Em,
I have yet to find a company that is totally responsive and up-front with answers in this whole mess. I’m sorry the Canidae people were rude to you, and I’d definitely lodge a complaint with the CEO. A Google search should turn up some name for you. But rudeness aside, if its one of the best food out there not affiliated with Menu or Diamond, I’d seriously consider feeding it to your pets.
April 20th, 2007 at 10:42 am
Menu foods cans newmans own
April 20th, 2007 at 10:52 am
Does anybody know anything about Friskies or Whiskas , I lost my cat dec 9th , before we knew anything about this . Recall went back to dec 3, he was on special kitty . My new one is on the above , if there’s any information , Please let us know.
April 20th, 2007 at 11:11 am
Em,
I did some research and I don’t think Canidae Corporation has a CEO. If it really is a fairly small corporation, it might not. Corporations generally are only required to have 2 officers, President & Secretary. Anyway, the President of the corp. is John Gordon. See here: http://www.manta.com/comsite5/.....;id=htzdj.
The California Secretary of State charges for copies of annual reports listing the officers. The only information available for free on their website is the agent for service of process (who to serve a summons on if you sue them.) If you don’t want to order a copy from the SOS, I would send a letter to John Gordon at the service of process address, which is usually the address where you are most likely to find the agent. Hope this helps.
April 20th, 2007 at 11:19 am
Em, Just noticed that link isn’t working. I found it by doing a Yahoo! search for “Canidae Corporation” & president (use the quotes) and it was #8 on the results list.
April 20th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Thanx for replies, I appreciate the help, I can’t stand the feeling of worrying that I’m possible feeding more poison to the ‘buddies’ I have left; I don’t want to lose any more, the one loss is killing me (emotionally). And I know everyone else is feeling the same say also :(
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Danielle - thank you for your post, your info is very helpful to help settle my current worries. For the wet food (to get vit’s in the puppy (our vet recommended extra vitamin C until she is 18 months old), we’ve been staying away from the cans (I have a closet of alpo now, since that recall; it goes along with the Nutro Senior and Nutro Puppy bags of food in the closet - we can barely get in the closet anymore!) - anyhow we’ve been using baby food - Gerber Stage 3 Vegetable Beef, /or Turkey, a few teaspoons’ful to mix into the dry Canidae, this helps make the vitamins adhere better for the puppy. Right now we’re trusting the baby food more than the wet pet food ! I never used alpo before, until trying to entice the dog that I lost to sudden kidney failure to eat her nutro dry dog food that she didn’t want to eat, I feel so darn guilty for enticing her with more poison; I can’t even begin to explain how I feel. The alpo alone wasn’t the culprit as she didn’t want the Nutro ‘all of a sudden’. I blame the nutro and the alpo wet just added salt into the wound :(
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Em, regarding your post, I would hope any info on Canidae’s contacts like the one post above and more if anyone else finds out more info on Canidae’s owners/officers etc. (I did a google search right after reading your post to try and find their officer’s etc.) as I for one would like to write them about how you were treated by their rep Diane ! If we are changing over to their food, they should as a reputable company be forthright about their mfg’ing plants, ingredients and anything else a customer needs to know in order to feed their pets their food (especially after this whole darn incident), and customer service should be MORE UNDERSTANDING of their customer’s plight and losses, and help them , not be rude. IF CANIDAE IS READING THIS, take it into consideration the pain and suffering we are going through, and the confusion due to ‘tibits of information’ coming out here and there about contaminated food, ingredients, and plants manufacturing the same, be more understanding, and help us trust you and what you say. Remember these other companies are saying the same thing via telephone, emails and on their websites, and their commercials of how great their pet food is ! They don’t admit up front there is a problem, until a test proves there is a problem with contamination ! So after ‘more time’ of feeding these foods to our ill or still healthy pets, we come to find out ‘late’ again, that we’re still feeding them contaminated food/poison. Talk about trust ! We trusted their word that ‘their food’ was not involved. How can WE be blamed for our distrust in mere words at this point in time(?) , and how can YOU not understand (any company out there) that we need INFORMATION, so WE can try and make the best choice possible until this issue is resolved. And by resolved, I for one don’t mean, when the contamination is gone ‘for now’; I mean when stricter manufacturing standards are implemented/enforced, when stricter rules on ingredients added and where those ingredients come from, and chemical lab testing (NOT ON ANIMALS!) and so on and so on ! We pay good money for your product and services, we deserve to be treated with more respect.
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Speaking of paying for product, has anyone else noticed an increase in the holistic / better foods since this incident ? We paid $32.00 for a 40 pnd bag of Canidae at our store in March 07, and this week (April 07) we went back for our second bag (since this scare and changing to their brand), and it cost us $35.00. Sign of the times, we’re not only paying in loss / illnesses (vet bills etc) of our pets, but the better foods will raise prices as well, or the shops selling them ! incredible. You would think more sales, means more money for the brand’s company, (and shop owner). You would think a larger customer base with faith in your product would be a positive thing,,,
April 20th, 2007 at 11:32 am
I went to Newman’s Own Organics website, and the first thing that comes up is their notice that they do NOT use the gluten or the rice protein in any products. I checked the label, and the only “rice” used written on the can, is brown rice. It seems that there isn’t ANY product that doesn’t have a single thing, be it in the making, contents, or possible financial considerations. Short of making everything - which leaves pets open to poor nutrition and problems with even “human food” products - it seems the entire quandry of what to do is just like those games of chance at fairs and boardwalks where you throw a dart at a wall of balloons, and “take a chance” at what prize is uncovered when you pop one. I think the majority of those balloons read, “EVERYTHING IS A GAME OF CHANCE AND THE ANSWER IS - THERE IS NO ANSWER”. Period.
Eileen
April 20th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Monika, I have been using Merrick for my cats now since Saturday, March 24th after my smallest cat started showing problems from a new case of FF Elegant Medleys. I keep my fingers crossed everytime I open a can. I buy the small cans of New England Boil not brave enough to buy ones with gravy and now I am scared of rice in Calf Roll and Beef in Surf n Turf due to BSE. I will even go one step further with my madeness scared to push my luck and buy the larger 5.5 cans because it might be a different batch with issues. I think vets need to start Rx of nerve meds for pet parents
April 20th, 2007 at 11:58 am
Please feel free to cross post:
Jay Edelson, the attorney who is suing Menu Foods and the pet companies,
wants to hear from anyone and everyone whose pet was sick or died as a result of
the recall food.
He needs to hear from shelters and independent rescue groups who lost pets.
Bear in mind we are getting complaints of deaths that go back to November,
with speculation that food was tainted as early as last September.
So please post an announcement to all of your many groups to contact
Attorney Jay Edelson, _jay@blimlaw.jay_ (mailto:jay@blimlaw.com) .
His firm has filed suit, has been before Congress, and will be going back to
Congress and will be filing more suits. We need ALL THE AMMUNITION we can
get. We need to also round up as much tainted food as possible. The companies
are destroying evidence.
So post everywhere you know to post to have anyone contact Jay. I know there
are other law firms involved, but since Jay’s firm has already filed suit
and has direct contact with Congress, that is our single best resource to get
action.
Even if they only have tainted unopened food, they need to contact Jay. If
they suspect illness or death, have them contact Jay.
Aaron Davis
Pet Advocate, Volunteer
Washington State
April 20th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
My dog was eating Nurto Ultra and became ill… when I brought her to the vet, she only had 30% of her kineys functioning! Her blood test came back normal several weeks later after she had an IV flushing out her kidneys and antibiotics fighting the bacteria in her bladder. I changed her food to Natural Balance, thinkning that was safe, and now they are recalled as well. I also have three cats that have been eating Fancy Feast for about ten years now… can anyone give me any advise as to what food I could use that will be safe for my loved ones? Does anyone know if Merrick is safe and where they get their ingrideints from?
Please help!!!
April 20th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Cory I have been using the Merrick wet without gravy since march 23rd. All they get is that and people chicken breasts. So far so good. praying it is safe because ff feeast made them both ill form all this. chose Merrick because it was the only one I could find not assc w/ menu purina or diamond. the only other one I could find was felidae dry. Merrick does not make dry cat food
April 20th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
(Please forgive if this topic has has already been discussed)
Regarding the following from Blue Buffalo site about recall, I have grave concerns that (if in fact their statement is true):
>The pet food manufacturing companies switch up ingredient sources at will, anytime and without notifying the contract client ( bluebuff)
>The contract client (bluebuff) really has no idea/concern where the ingredients come from or if a change occurs
>Both of the above mean that what is a good product ‘today’ can be toxic next time you buy a bag, what is sourced ‘USA’ today could be spourced from China or who knows were the next bag you buy and no one knows/cares until your pet dies!
Here is the statement:
“Test results received late last evening (4/18) indicated that this rice protein concentrate tested positive for melamine. This is the first and only time our manufacturing partner sourced an ingredient from Wilbur-Ellis, and we had no knowledge that they had imported the ingredient from China.”
This is all so overwhelming, I am afraid to feed my three tiny poms. I switched from Eukanuba and Nurto Natural Choice to Wellness and Solid Gold right before the recall and had 12 pouches of the contaminated food in my pantry when the recall was announced. Close Call!
I am now aware that some of Wellness’ canned food is made by Menu and Solid Gold dry is made by Diamond. None of the canned or dry I am feeding have wheat gluten or rice protein or corn gluten in them, however, at the rate of escalation I am terrified what tainted ingredient will be revealed next.
The 5 suspect foods referenced by the Veterinary group (unnamed to date) and the complete list of manufacturers that purchased rice protein from Wilbur-Ellis (unnamed to date) are causing unneccesary risk to our pets.
I do not know what to do at this point to guarantee the safety of my adorable dogs.