More SmartPak Dry Dog Food Recalled
On May 2, SmartPak recalled all orders of LiveSmart Adult Lamb and Brown Rice. This product tested positive for presence of melamine in a test received on May 2. After their first recall of LiveSmart Weight Management Chicken and Brown Rice, SmartPak sent all of their other dog food for testing, and Adult Lamb and Brown Rice came back with positive results. SmartPak is dry food and is made by Chenango Valley.
SmartPak is saying that this is odd because this particular dog food doesn’t contain any rice protein concentrate, wheat gluten or any of the other ingredients that are on FDA’s import watch list. They are saying it may be cross-contamination. (Oh by the way, it took 48 hours for the FDA to put up the press release).
NOTE: Many Menu Foods clients affected by Wednesday’s recall expansion are finally issuing their own press releases. Those companies are already listed in our recall list. Use our search feature to find news on affected brands.
The full release after the jump.
(Thanks Mike)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Plymouth, MA – May 3, 2007 –On 5/02/07, SmartPak Canine executed a voluntary nationwide recall on all lots of LiveSmart Adult Lamb and Brown Rice food. This product tested positive for presence of melamine in a test received earlier in the day.
The LiveSmart Lamb formula is only sold in portion-paks shipped straight to the consumer’s home each month, so there are no bags of potentially affected product on store shelves anywhere in the country. The focus of the recall has been informing affected customers via telephone, email, and letter. Ninety-nine percent of the roughly 220 pet owners feeding LiveSmart Adult Lamb via its portion pak pet food subscription service were contacted by live phone contact or message, and/or email. The company has had live contact with the majority of affected pet owners, and is continuing an aggressive outreach program to ensure that the notification has been received. To reduce likelihood of pet owners continuing to feed the food, replacement product is being shipped to affected customers free of charge.
At the time the recall was initiated, there had not been any ill effects reported in dogs. Through the efforts to reach out to all customers, the company has become aware of two instances of vomiting and learned that a 10 year old Rottweiler had passed away two weeks previous to the recall. These reports have been forwarded to FDA and are being investigated by the company’s Medical Director to determine if they are connected with the LiveSmart Adult Lamb formula. The company has asked that any dogs showing signs of kidney illness (loss of appetite, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst) be seen by their veterinarian.
The company is presently investigating the source of the contamination in conjunction with its contract manufacturer, Chenango Valley Pet Food. The LiveSmart Adult Lamb formula does not contain rice protein concentrate nor wheat gluten. All the meat and vegetable matter, with the exception of New Zealand lamb, is of US origin. It appears that the product may have been cross contaminated at the Chenango plant by a prior batch of food unassociated with SmartPak that contained an ingredient that had been contaminated with melamine.
SmartPak has also tested each of its other four brands for melamine contamination, and there was no melamine detected in the samples of these foods. Those brands are LiveSmart Adult Chicken and Brown Rice, LiveSmart Senior Chicken and Brown Rice, and LiveSmart Puppy Chicken and Brown Rice.
Questions regarding this recall may be directed to Paal Gisholt, the company’s president and CEO, who may be reached at 800 461-8898. Affected customers are asked to call the company’s toll free customer service number at 800 461-8898, which is available 24/7. Additional information will be reported on the company’s website as it becomes available.
May 4th, 2007 at 11:06 am
And so it begins.
I was so hoping this week end was going to be different.
May 4th, 2007 at 11:18 am
It’s sad, but no, it’s not “unexpected” at all. After the revelations of the past 6 weeks we now understand that absolutely ANYTHING can be in the cans, pouches and boxes of pet food no matter what the label says or what the original recipe was supposed to be. The manufacturing plant “partners” have not only poisoned innocent animals and broken pet owners’ hearts and spirits , but they have also ruined small independent businesses who trusted them to honor their contracts.
May 4th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Well at least Smartpak took the initiative to test all their food and contact their customers even if they only bought the food once, and bought it over a year ago!
May 4th, 2007 at 11:20 am
“This was unexpected, since the formula does not contain rice protein concentrate, wheat gluten, or any of the ingredients on FDA’s import watch list.”
Does this mean the melamine is in some OTHER ingredient also?
May 4th, 2007 at 11:25 am
So what in the world does this mean.???!!!!!!!!
They say…….
This was unexpected, since the formula does not contain rice protein concentrate, wheat gluten, or any of the ingredients on FDA’s import watch list.
Now what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is anything safe right now???????
May 4th, 2007 at 11:26 am
I contacted Smartpak and was informed that the FDA is still performing tests. If you have questions about their food specifically I would definitely call their 800#. They called me on Wednesday night to let me know about the recall and I had only ordered that type of food once, in March of 2006.
May 4th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Debra, possibly a new ingredient is involved but IMO more likely it means someone at Chenango slipped a little extra protein into the formula without authorization from Smartpak. So horrible. The lawyers of America are going to have a field day.
May 4th, 2007 at 11:27 am
A lot of these recalled dog foods seem to contain brown rice. American brown rice?? hmmm
May 4th, 2007 at 11:29 am
What about other products that contain BROWN RICE? Are they safe? Could the brown rice have been imported to a supplier in the US without the knowledge of the company?
Many of the foods I’ve just started feeding contain it (none were recalled, none were made by Menu or in any Menu owned location).
May 4th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Does anyone know who makes Smartpak?
May 4th, 2007 at 11:35 am
Hey, we’re runnning a little low on whole brown rice here at the factory…..NO PROB!!!!we’ll just use some nice fresh rice protein concentrate instead. Who’ll ever know?
Sarcasm steam released. Feel better now.
May 4th, 2007 at 11:37 am
Hi to Elizabeth - you are PROBABLY correct! I bet that’s what is discovered.
Again, DO ANY of the COMPANIES CHECK ANYTHING!?!
May 4th, 2007 at 11:40 am
Well Hopefully more companies will jump on the band wagon and have all their food tested whether or not it contains rice protein, wheat gluton or not! Many dog food companies have their foods manufactured in the same plant, and there is the risk of cross contamination.
May 4th, 2007 at 11:44 am
Apparently there is a brown rice protein that is exported from China. (Well of course) Wonder if this would be worth looking into?
This is a list of exporter and there’s a lot of them:
http://tinyurl.com/36b2br
May 4th, 2007 at 11:50 am
“It appears that the product may have been cross contaminated at the Chenango plant by a prior batch of food unassociated with SmartPak that contained an ingredient that had been contaminated with melamine.”
Translation: an ingred was substituted wholesale OR the plant mixed cheaper ingred into more expensive ingred to increase profit.
Translation: Crooks and Liars, all.
May 4th, 2007 at 11:52 am
i.e., petfood labelling requirements are worthless.
May 4th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Where in the world is TERIC?
Now i’m worried. For a poster who appeared here frequently and made an announcement of independently testing some food (Felidae and Kumpikat) and then to just disappear? It’s not adding up.
Anyone know if teric has been posting?
May 4th, 2007 at 11:57 am
Senator Durbin from IL has a letter on his website to send to the FDA
http://ga3.org/campaign/petfoo.....etfood_web
May 4th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Western Family’s in Canada has just issued a recall notice on their foods
due to possible cross-contamination during mfg at Menu.
http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/.....c4929.html
May 4th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Is this starting to sound like We live in a Third World Country? I guess We don’t grow anything, and there are no secrets. Right!! Trudy
May 4th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Monika,
The disappearance of Teric is quite weird. I have been very (im)patiently waiting for his test reults, but he’s gone MIA.
May 4th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Monika:
I have been looking for Teric many, many, many times a day (& night) all this week. It is very strange…….
May 4th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Howl911 is still MIA also.
May 4th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Here I am. I’ve been out most of the week. Sorry to have made you guys wonder. The results are expected out today. It’s taking longer because I’m having the food tested for more than just Melamine.
I will let you know as soon as I know something.
May 4th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Re: Western Family Recall–their website has a cat food which is NOT listed on Menu’s Western Family Links:
http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/.....c4929.html
Dec/06/09 to Jan/24/10 Western Family Sliced Chicken & Turkey Cat Food
85g UPC# 6263919598
SmartPak & Drs. Foster & Smith (Recalled Adult Lite Cat Food & Adult Lite Dog Food-both dry-) both are produced at Chenango as per the petfoodlist website. This must be where the cross-contamination came from–the Drs. Foster & Smith dry foods containing RPC.
(Let’s see how long it takes for Menu to make the change for Western Family and whether there will be a press release on it or not.)
May 4th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Teric,
So great to here from you! I for one was afraid something bad may have happened to you. And please do post the test results as soon as you get them. If you don’t mind me asking, what all are you testing for?
May 4th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
Teric,
Welcome Back! As you can see, you were missed!
May 4th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Eric,
I’m having it tested for everything that has been even slightly mentioned.
Melamine, Aminopterin, Amilorine, Amiloride & Cyanuric Acid. I think that Melamine is the biggest concern but decided to test for it all anyway even though it took longer.
I will let all of you know how it comes out.
May 4th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Teric! Glad to see you’re back! We’ve all been anxiously waiting. I’m also happy to hear you’re testing for more than just melamine. Please check in with us as soon as you get the results.
Thanks!
May 4th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
It says this is how it happened, not another ingredient. . . right??
” It appears that the product may have been cross contaminated at the Chenango plant by a prior batch of food unassociated with SmartPak that contained an ingredient that had been contaminated with melamine. “
May 4th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Karen,
Thanks. I’m sorry to have left you guys in the dark. I should have let you know I wouldnt be around and posting for a few days.
I do wish we were all chatting under different circumstances. This appears to be getting worse all the time not better as I had hoped.
May 4th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
I think Canidae and Honest Kitchen are smart to test each batch just in case (even though neither contains those ingredients). Probably ALL companies should test every batch before releasing to market, right?
May 4th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Bonni,
I’m glad to hear Canidae & Felidae is doing testing as I started feeding the Felidae dry to my cats. Glad to see Honest Kitchen (which i don’t use) is doing the same. Another one to add to that list is Kumpikat (and i’m sure Kumpi for dogs as well) - they are testing each batch before releasing. I also use the Kumpikat dry.
This was posted by Evy (the president of Kumpi) on thepetfoodlist.com forums:
« on: May 01, 2007, 09:47:45 PM »
I just wanted to share something that will bring comfort to those who buy products manufactured at Crosswind Petfood. They have begun a new protocol where we can have our product made and they will store it while samples of the dry product are being analyzed for melamine specifically. The ‘dries’ that go into the food are being tested as well, but I think it’s pretty cool for them to do this.
It will mean offsetting some of the production protocol, since in the past they run production and then ship after the food has cooled to ambient temperature. It’s a huge commitment on their part to offer to store xxx tons of food until the tests come back and the load can be released ‘melamine tested, melamine free’ and the neat thing about doing business with a small company like them, is they KNOW what it’s like to be a small company!!
They have always exercised extreme caution anyways, but I am really psyched to know they put this into place for their customers (like me) who want to offer the safest products to their customers (like you) and it just is a good thing for the general public to know. This IS being taken very seriously and dealt with professionally
May 4th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Bonni,
Where did you hear that Canidae/Felidae are testing all batches? There’s nothing on their website.
May 4th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
I hear Kumpi is testing also, but I can’t find reference to verify on Evy’s website. I also noticed that my Kumpi bag does not have any dates printed on it (best buy, etc). Maybe it is there and my eyes are now soooo strained I just don’t see the print against the silver.
May 4th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Well, it is Friday. I expect more news dumps later in the day.
It’s always been that way -before the pet food fiasco ever began.
May 4th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
Karen,
Evy has never said on the website that Kumpi is being tested, but she has posted at the Pet Food List and here on Itchmo. Here’s what Evy had to say about the date/lot stamp:
The volume (of KumpiKat) that we’ve done has been so low and sold mostly in local stores, they have the current product to refer to for exp. date. The food you received was made in January of this year. I am adding printing up labels for those to my ‘list of things to do’.
The full info can be found here: http://thepetfoodlist.com/foru.....opic=36.15
May 4th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
teric -
Where did you send the food for testing & can you provide contact info? I’ve got some Royal Canin [U.S.] Urinary SO canned that was Rxd for my kitty who *suddenly* had bladder & kidney stones late last January (no prior history of UTI etc). He would get frothy & projectile vomit within 10 minutes of eating the Royal Canin, but no problems with his normal food. I stopped feeding the RC then, but still have 2 cans. I’m thinking it should be tested. Bare minimum, it should be pulled …. it’s got BHA/BHT in it. TIA.
May 4th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Karen,
I brought up the issue of no date on my own bag of 4lb. Kumpikat food I just received Wednesday. I thought I was just not seeing it on the silver bag. It kind of worried me that there wasn’t a way to ‘track’ my bag. But this is the answer I received on the Kumpi forum and I can live with that:
Sorry, the volume that we’ve done has been so low and sold mostly in local stores, they have the current product to refer to for exp. date. The food you received was made in January of this year. I am adding printing up labels for those to my ‘list of things to do’
http://thepetfoodlist.com/foru.....t=next#new
May 4th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Eric:
Thanks for the update. I should have seen that….
May 4th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Monika:
Thanks as well. Sorry to have you both go to all that trouble for something I should have noticed.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Karen,
No problem at all. Glad to help!
May 4th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Re: CANIDAE. . . I spoke with John last week, and exec at the company. I talked to him for some time. He was the one who told me they were testing each batch voluntarially. Someone on my dog list said that she’d been told the same thing by the Canidae rep at a dog show several weeks before that.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Teric, thanks for taking this upon yourself. We are all very anxious to hear the results.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
K9Rescue,
Accutrace Testing in Arlington.
www.accutracetesting.com
May 4th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Teric,
Sorry to be so bothersome, but any idea when today you might get the results? The anxienty is rather torturous.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Just an FYI to those feeding KumpiKat, here’s something Evy posted here a few days ago:
…the food that you got was from the January run of KumpiKat and if you want to email me, I’d be more than happy to forward you emails on all of the positive feedback I’ve gotten about the product. My own Tonga kitty grrrl is doing really well and my manufacturer tested all their retains from the past ten months (so far lol and still going!) and have come up totally clean for the melamine specifically. I know that how little the kibble is throws some cats off and I know that generally speaking KumpiKat cats seem to eat less kibble than some other brands out there. So, I’m just wanting you not to worry k?
As a matter of fact, I’m really proud how my manufacturer is handling this all and they’ve implemented a new system (and it’s been a royal pain for them, I’ll assure you to do this storage) where they are testing all dry food products for melamine before shipping them out. It requires a bit more lead time for the companies who do business with them, since they have limited space and now instead of doing a production run and shipping, it’ll be a production run, testing and then shipping. As a pet food company, we don’t *have* to do this, but I’m betting everyone will!!!
My next run of food will be the third full week of this month and will probably put my trucking into the next week, but it’s worth it! The nice thing about doing business with such a small company is that they KNOW what it’s like to be a small company :)
May 4th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Eric,
I feel the same way. It should be very soon. Before 5pm for sure.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Teric,
Thank you again…and I hope I’m not being too annoying.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Eric,
You are not annoying at all. I am however very annoying to the lab people right now.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Eric, and teric,
When the results are known later today, and you find that there is nothing wrong with them, I realized everyone will be so relieved. However, how can one be sure the next batch and lots won’t have something in them or that they’ve been cross contaminated? Would you trust any other batches and feed them to your pets?
May 4th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
What about Purina and Meow Mix, both dry for cats. Anything, against either of these????? I feed both for my feral cats and am worried that I have missed something about either or both.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
LovingMyPets,
There is no real way to know for sure.
I just e-mailed Evy with Kumpi about the potential for cross contamination. She has already contacted her manufacturer (Crosswind Industries), about this and will hopefully have any answer from them sometime today.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
Guys on the subject of KUMPIKAT Evy saw my post about being fearful of getting the first bad bag, she tooka chance and figured out by the unique spelling of my first name and mached it with my order info, and called me personally we talked for well over an hour she is a fabulous woman and really cares about our animals. Also told me about the Crosswinds testing all her product before bagging it etc…………………Now remember she called me after i all ready bought the bag of food not the other way around. Now that is what I call someone who cares. She told me several wonderful stories, and also how she became a pet food provider, after her own personal loss of a beloved pet.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Lorie,
I have a very hard time putting trust in someone, but Evy is rapidly earning mine. She is always ready to answer every question in the fullest, and if she doesn’t know the answer, she finds it for me. I’ll be sure to let everyone know what she tells me about potential cross contamination. Hopefully it won’t be a possibility or an issue.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Eric,
You mentioned cross contamination. Were there any other foods made by Crosswind Industries that were recalled? I have a hard time keeping up with them all!
May 4th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
LovingMyPets ,
That is my biggest fear about anything right now it is from one bag or can to the next you might get the bad one, it islike Russian Roullette with your pets life. Example only: fancy Feast i bought here in VA was from a tainted batch but that batch may never have touched the West coast and those people think I am crazy for saying itmade my cats sik. Trust me I wish they were right and i was just plain crazy instead of teh vet bills and worries of what is next in line for health issues from this.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
I’d like to know if Pied Piper or Evangers makes any food with ingredients from China. I’d feel better if I knew that.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Tiff,
No, Crosswind doesn’t make any of the (so far) recalled foods. The only two pet foods that I know they make are Kumpi/KumpiKat and Nature’s Logic. Neither of these foods use wheat gluten, rice protein, corn gluten, soy protein, etc. They also make human food there, which could potentially have wheat gluten in it. That’s where my concern comes in.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Pied Piper just had their name removed from The Pet Food List’s manufacturers area of the site. That seems a bit odd and suspicious.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
I guess I’m not understanding how enough of the contaminant could possibly be left after a processing run on the machines/storage to affect so many other products.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
teric,
Welcome back! We were afraid the black ‘choppers came and got you.
BTW, has anyone received compensation on their vet bills from any of the recalled companies?
May 4th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Lorie,
I sure know what you mean! I was feeding my kitten the Natural Balance Venison & Green Pea dry . . . 1 bag only. Then the recall came and I thought I was going to lose it. My kitten was fine, but I rushed to the Vet for blood work. She was normal. When I talked to NB, they indicated that I had an OLD batch and lot number expiring July 08 and it should be fine, and the bad bags with the gluten in them were expiring Sept. 08
Wow, I sure was lucky I got an OLD bag. I’m the one at the market always digging and looking for the freshest products. Yikes!
May 4th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Ann H.,
The whole cross contamination thing does seem a bit fishy. Maybe, for once, Menu and other companies are just being safe. But I think it’s more likely though that we have more adding of ingredients without consent, etc.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Pied Piper just had their name removed from The Pet Food List’s manufacturers area….
I just love shift+command+4 on a Mac. Visual aids are so fun, ain’t they?
Lucky I had that page pulled up & didn’t refresh, eh?
May 4th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Ally,
Yeah, Pied Piper we’re listed at the bottom of the page earlier, but in its place it now says:
“Please note that as of 5/04/07 one manufacturer has had issues with their company name being listed here. They have been removed.”
May 4th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Another question that I am going to start asking is who procures the ingredients, the pet food company or the manufacturer. I would guess the manufacturer. Too many actors involved, I want a product made in house and those are few and far between.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Eric,
If they are adding additional ingredients to the formula, then the reasoning would be what? Boosting protein in the product? Isn’t the product recipe supposed to be sufficiently balanced already?
May 4th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
5cat mom- in regards to reimbursement-I sent my information packets for my 2 cats off to Menu on Monday–I’ll post as soon as I get any type of response back, good news or bad. I did have the help of a local reporter NBC affiliate in RI who ran my 2 cats story on 3/17-3/19 and who talked to the Media rep on 3/17 at Menu (I copied down all info before it disappeared from website)and he gave her my name and cats’ info and she told him they would pay so I’ll be contacting him if they change their mind—never mind having in it in print that they would reimburse pet owners–my only concern is that they may ask for concrete proof such as lab work for which there is no test done on live animals (as I know of today-if I’m wrong—LET ME KNOW!!))
May 4th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
Eric - the screenie I grabbed used to be under Canine Caviar.
And another one joins the “now you see it, now you don’t” list.
But yes indeedy I can see it. Yep.
*pats hard drive & smiles angelically*
May 4th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Ann H.,
I have no idea why the manufacturers would do this, but American Nutrition supposedly did it to a whole load of companies’ products, so there’s no reason to think that Menu or any others would be above it.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Ann H,
Many posters aren’t buying the “cross contamination” story.
Me neither. Too many companies, too many foods are affected by yet another round of recalls.
One theory is that the contract company makes the same food for everyone, and only the bag is different.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
5CatMom,
I had never considered the ’same food’ theory. Interesting…
May 4th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
LovingMyPets,
We can not be assured that the next bag we buy is or isnt safe. If I am told that the bags I have now are safe then I plan to purchase several of the largest bags available of the same kind. I’ll scoop some out of each bag and have those tested prior to feeding it to my kids. Doing this is the only way I’ll feel 100% certain that what I’m feeding is safe.
I made some homemade food last weekend only to find out about the toxic chickens. “?” I’m going to throw it out.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Ally,
Yeah, Pied Piper we’re listed at the bottom of the page earlier, but in its place it now says:
“Please note that as of 5/04/07 one manufacturer has had issues with their company name being listed here. They have been removed.â€
What does this mean. Canidae is made by Pied Piper.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
“Isn’t the product recipe supposed to be sufficiently balanced already?”
The formulation may be balanced, but the raw ingredients on hand may not exactly match the “blueprint”. When packaged or bagged the raw ingredients may have tested XX%, but time and storage conditions may degrade the ingredients.
The manufacturer could then be adding ingredients (like RPC) to boost the values to the required levels. In the case of the two companies who had RPC added without their knowledge or consent, that might be why their product formulations were “adjusted”.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Teric,
For some reason it seems that Canidae doesn’t want anyone to know who makes their food and Pied Piper doesn’t want anyone to know what food they make. It’s all strange if you ask me, especially since the Pied Piper website says they’re “100% wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate free”. You’d think they’d want people to know what food they make.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Could be the contract companies were buying lower cost, lower quality ingredients and supplementing with RPC to get the guaranteed analysis back to where it’s supposed to be. I’d like to know what kind of arrangement there was between the companies - “if ingredient X is unavailable, you can substitute or supplement with ___” or “no substitutions.”
May 4th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Has anyone seen or heard feedback regaarding whether the tainted chicken/pork made its way back into pet food–NV, OMH, and Merrick did not have any answers yesterday. No new updates at their websites. Meriick did say to call back in 2 days as they were looking into it –as well as OMH said they were doing the same and would post it on their website-no email back from NV yet.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
Gail B, kinda sounds like the China syndrome :(
May 4th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Yes Eric you would think that. You would think they would be proud of the fact not hide it????? Really draws a concern for me.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Carol,
Good for you. Getting reimbursed won’t make sick kitties well or bring back dead ones, but maybe it’ll make the companies think about the poison they put their names on.
To Claudette Says,
Hon, don’t mean to be critical, but it might be best to avoid all BIG BRANDS and STORE BRANDS for a while because of their (other) recalled products.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
teric at 2:15 pm:
“What does this mean. Canidae is made by Pied Piper.”
I know.
Which is why I’ve been watching everything recall related like a HAWK.
I’m currently using Canidae’s kibble.
My dogs are still doin’ fine though.
Thank Yahvo.
Have started adding home cooked to their kibble for practice just in case.
My dogs love it. Heck, they eat better than I do.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Well, if Canidae is Pied Piper, the Felidae is made by them too?
If they’re doing that, then I’m trashing the Felidae my cats are eating.
If they’re hiding, then they got something to hide. Where there’s smoke there’s fire…
I’ve already fed recalled, I am not chancing it watching this poor judgment /worse PR move by Pied Piper or Canidae.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
The listing on thepetfoodlist.com only listed Pied Piper as making Canine Caviar. Canidae wasn’t listed there (yet), at least not last time I checked. Maybe they didn’t want people thinking they produced the contaminated Canine Caviar?
May 4th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
I cant help but think what everyone is thinking is “cross-contamination” is still yet an unidentified toxin…..
May 4th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Eric: “For some reason it seems that Canidae doesn’t want anyone to know who makes their food and Pied Piper doesn’t want anyone to know what food they make.”
I’s been conjectured on the blogs that Canidae may be under some type of legality/contract thingy with Pied Piper and can’t disclose. I honestly don’t know, but it is odd.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Ann H.,
Pied Piper makes the Canidae dry. I’m assuming they made Felidae too. The Canidae & Felidae canned is made by Evangers.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Is any product recalled made by Pied Piper?
May 4th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Teric said: I’m having it tested for everything that has been even slightly mentioned. Melamine, Aminopterin, Amilorine, Amiloride & Cyanuric Acid.
Bless you! This is one of my MAJOR questions, is amiloride IN the food or did the cat/dog metabolize it from something else. Please also be sure to notify Christie at PC and maybe even send an email to Dr. Pion.
# Ann H Says:
May 4th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
If they are adding additional ingredients to the formula, then the reasoning would be what? Boosting protein in the product?
Ann H - it’s to make up % protein in place of pricey meat. Needless to say RPC doesn’t have the same amino acid profile as meat. While a pet food company may not explicitly know what a pet food manufacturer put in the food (We didn’t know they were doing that!), certainly when they sign a contract with a manufacturer to produce their food at a certain price, they must implicitly understand that when ingredient costs go up, the ingredients may change. If they don’t have clauses to forbid substitution they’re condoning it.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
It’s the dry that I’m using.
Note: WAS using. I just dumped the bowls and the rest of the Felidae.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Teric, can I ask how much the test is costing you, just for our sake? We will be getting our poor girl’s food tested at some point after we get $6000.00 in vet and cremation bills paid off. And did you have to go thru a vet or would they allow you to send samples on your own? Thank you Teric, what you are doing is wonderful and helps us all!
May 4th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
As far as I know, nothing made by Pied Piper has been recalled.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Katie ( the other Katie)
New Symptoms: Help!
Just rec’d word from vet this AM, that urine test done on Tues, has blood in it, not RBC’s but blood. Sp G is still abnormal and protein positive. Not showing symptoms of infection - having a cysto and culture next Fri. But wondering, if this has happened to anyone else? Mine is a dog. But cat or dog?
Thanks Itchmo, you’re the greatest!
Katie
May 4th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Eric,
To me, it just defies credulity that a contract company would stop the production line, clean out all the equipment, reload the hoppers with the “good stuff”, run get the bags for the premium company, then start up the line again.
Much easier to just keep the production line running and change bags. This explains why there’s RPC in the food (but not in the recipe), and why the “cross contamination” is widespread.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
You guys i have been trying to sy do you really think ANI in UTAH, just decided to start using a new ingredient for Blue Buffalo and way across the country CJ Foods decided to do the same to the dry kitten formula for Blue Buffalo. Blue Buffalo told both themanufactures to use the cheaper ingredients because suppliers raised there prices across the boards in Oct-Nov. Blue Buffalo was cutting costs one the sly without changing the bags and now trying to say they knew nothing about it, to save face cause they got caught with their pants down. Think about it do you really think ANI and CJ foods both decided to go behind their back ………………..
May 4th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
robin Says: at 2:30 pm
“Is any product recalled made by Pied Piper?”
I believe it was some of Canine Caviar’s wet food that was recalled and made by Pied Piper.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Eric,
I think you are correct.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
From Canine Caviar’s website: http://www.caninecaviar.com/
“Canine Caviar is voluntarily recalling less than 1500 cans in circulation nationally (not cases) and expects to have this collected within 48 hours of April 27, 2007. This unexpected situation is due to the fact that our canned food co-packer was using ingredients that were not authorized by Canine Caviar.”
Previously, the Pet Food List had Pied Piper listed as a manufacturer of Canine Caviar.
That is the screen grab I have.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Canine Cavier was made at ANI
May 4th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Kudo’s for KumpiKat!! ,
When does it become available for us , outsiders (non-colorado)?
i’d buy it.. ( after evy’s done being tested for melamine)?
see , she never had to try and sell us on kumpi?
i’l buy !
May 4th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Thanks all,
Then that does it for me with Canidae and Felidae made by Pied Piper. All raw for my crew.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
I believe Lorie is correct, that the Canine Cavier that was recalled was wet and made by ANI.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
“I’ve got some Royal Canin [U.S.] Urinary SO canned that was Rxd for my kitty who *suddenly* had bladder & kidney stones late last January (no prior history of UTI etc). He would get frothy & projectile vomit within 10 minutes of eating the Royal Canin, but no problems with his normal food.”
I’ve had similar experiences with one cat who was on Royal Canin control formula, both dry and canned. He would eat the food, then about 10-15 min later puke it back up (usually on the carpet). I’ve switched him to Evo dry and Wellness canned (before the issue with Wellness arose), no more puking up the food even though he gobbles the Evo as fast as he can.
Another cat was on the RC Control and about six months the formulation changed somehow. Consistency of the canned changed and that cat who used to devour his evening meal would just pick at it and leave most uneaten. This same cat who for years has had lots of dander and dry skin, now has none.
No more Royal Canin in this house.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
The recalled Canine Caviar was made by ANI. That was recalled because of the rice protein, along with NB. Pied Piper makes the Canine Caviar dry, which was not recalled. Pied Piper’s website states that their facility is 100% gluten and rice protein concentrate free.
The Canine Caviar listing on thepetfoodlist used to say that their dry was made at Pied Piper, but now says that info was removed at the manufacturer’s request and now just says that the kibble is made at a private plant in TX.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
johnypaycut,
I ordered Kumpi and KumpiKat from the website, but’s it’s also available in a handful of states from independent retailers.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Hi, all. Have been checking Itchmo, howl911 & petconnection several times each day since the beginning of the recall to keep my self abreast of all the madness. I have 10 cats & a French Bulldog to keep safe.
I am new to this blog posting, however. Love reading your posts! The info & insight you provide is SO helpful! My heart goes out to all of you who have lost your precious babies & to those who are fighting illness.
My question is: Several of you have praised KumpiKat. It’s owner sounds really great, but why should I get excited about feeding this food when it contains rice flour? Regardless of whether or not the rice flour is tainted, why do they put such an ingredient in a cat food, and then put such a hefty price on it? I just don’t see where their food shines so much over others like CA Natural, Felidae, Nature’s Variety, etc. that warrants paying such a high price. Comments from those of you who feed it?
BTW, I have tried all 3 canned formulas & all 3 dry formulas of Felidae on my cats & they would just NOT go for it. Beats all I’ve ever seen. And like some of you, I’m bothered as to why Canidae does not publicize who their manufacturers are.
I am currently feeding CA Natural Chicken & Brown Rice dry & the cats love it. I have given them samples of tons of different premium foods since the recall & this food — plus Sensible Choice Senior (their previous dry food) are the 2 they love BY FAR.
Canned cat foods I’ve had good luck with, acceptance wise, are Sensible Choice & SOME of the Merrick formulas. The cats really liked Natural Balance Ultra, too, but I don’t trust NB anymore.
Love you all — feel a strong kinship with you because of all this. We must stick together & fight for our fur kids!
May 4th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
ORIGINAL POST: Itchmo has learned that the list of foods recalled by American Nutrition has expanded to include the following 4 dog food items:
Mulligan Stew Chicken 13.2oz
Mulligan Stew Turkey 13.2oz
Canine Caviar Gourmet Beaver 13.2oz
Canine Caviar Gourmet Turkey 13.2oz
May 4th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Eric - yes, ANI has the recalled Canine Caviar listed on their site.
But that doesn’t explain why CC requested Pied Piper be removed from their previous information listing.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Hey Johnyaycut…..order the KUMPIKAT off her website it cost a small amount to have it fed exed but it is good and my cats love it. I love how small the kibble is
May 4th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Danielle Says: at 2:51 pm
“The Canine Caviar listing on thepetfoodlist used to say that their dry was made at Pied Piper”
Not according to the old web site for the Pet Food List’s Canine Caviar info I’m looking at and took a screen grab of. I have both the old and revised windows open right now. The old version for Canine Caviar says:
“Manufacturer is Pied Piper”
“# Kibble is manufactured at a private plant in Texas”
Pied Piper is located in Hamlin, TX.
Trust me, if Pied Piper doesn’t make CC’s dry, I’ll be thrilled in relation to Canidae. I have no problem if they do not. I’m just keeping a watch, like all the rest of you.
I honestly don’t trust ANYONE anymore & I doubt I’ll ever do so again.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
For those of you looking for safer foods to eat — and may be interested in feeding raw diets…Just read a detailed brochure from Primal Pet Foods (raw cat/dog foods based in San Francisco) given to me by a local retailer. They say, “All of the ingredients found in Primal Formulas are purchased from local suppliers who are recognized for their superior quality human-grade products & the highest standards of safe food handling.”
May 4th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Sorry, in my last posting, I meant to type “safer food to FEED, not eat!” : )
May 4th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
I have noticed in my inquires to pet food companies - some messages come into my sent folder and some do not. My last inquiry in regards to Nature’s Variety raw rabbit did not register in my sent items. Why would they do this? I did copy and paste my second inquiry for my records, for what it’s worth.
In regards to NV I have no varification that I even sent a question to them.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Danielle - sorry, I think we’re on the same page.
The old listing didn’t say Pied Piper made the dry, but to me it is inferred.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
Ally,
I am with you I am done trusting anyone. My cats have shown symptoms twice now since March 23rd not sure if the symptoms on April 27th were relapse or one of the new brands I was using. Hard to figure out what made your kids sick if none of the crap is ever put on the list becasue they lie. Done with commercial food probably for life. No specific food that my kids have eaten since day one is on that list.Other varities brands
Eukanubal dry, Fancy Feast, Hills SD C/D wet and dry
after recall started used Merrick, and Solid Gold Tuna thats it.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
I’ve been reading all your posts for weeks now and this is the first time posting. I am still so confused with what foods to give my two cats. I have tried so many different brands, and have had no luck. The guys refuse to eat any of the new dry foods I have tried, including Natural Balance, Wellness, and Life’s Abundance. They will only eat their Nutro Max Cat lite. As for the wet foods, they turned up their noses at Merrick, Innova, California Natural, Natural Balance and any others I got. They will only eat Whiskas. I did just place an order for Kumpikat. I had sent an email to Evy and she responded the same day and said if they don’t like it she will refund the money. I thought I would take a chance.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Jo,
All I can tell you about Kumpi and KumpiKat is contact Evy and ask her any questions you have. She’ll be more than happy to answer all of your questions.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Anne,
It seems that with KumpiKat, some cats love it right away and others take a while to warm up to it. Speaking from experience, my five cats all took a few days to warm up to it, but are all eating it now. So don’t give up right away, but also make sure your kitties aren’t starving themselves either.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
““I’ve got some Royal Canin [U.S.] Urinary SO canned that was Rxd for my kitty who *suddenly* had bladder & kidney stones late last January (no prior history of UTI etc). He would get frothy & projectile vomit within 10 minutes of eating the Royal Canin, but no problems with his normal food.â€
I’ve had similar experiences with one cat who was on Royal Canin control formula, both dry and canned. He would eat the food, then about 10-15 min later puke it back up (usually on the carpet). ”
Ditto to these two. My cats were both eating RC Urinary SO dry and started throwing up and not eating their food. One stopped playing (very unusual for this cat) and started hiding. After some vet trips and hydration (right at the start of the recalls - no tests done), I switched food and they both started playing a lot and had appetites. They were good on Fromm for a while but won’t touch the last bag for some odd reason. So I switched again to Evo. Will this ever stop?!
May 4th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Ally: I must have made the connection in my head too. I do think I read it somewhere though.
I still think the removal of the name has to do with confidentiality agreements rather than a problem at the plant. A few days ago someone on here was told by Pied Piper that PP could not disclose the names of anyone they manufacture for without the companies’ permission. Besides, hiding the name of who they manufacture for would not help them if the company had to issue a recall. So if there is a problem there now, it would become public knowledge anyway, and defeat the purpose of removing their name from the list.
I’m just saying I wouldn’t read the removal of the listing as meaning there is a problem at the plant. It sounds like a legal issue to me. Now if Teric’s tests come back that there is a problem with Canidae/Felidae, I will gladly eat my words.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Danielle said:
“I still think the removal of the name has to do with confidentiality agreements rather than a problem at the plant”
I do too. At least that’s my fondest hope and daily chant while feeding Canidae dry to my dogs and keeping a VERY close eye on them.
I will join you eating my words if need be. I have no problem whatsoever doing so. I DO have a problem with pet food companies not coming forward. In the case of Canidae or Evangers (both of which I’m feeding), they both better pray I don’t ever see them on the recall list.
Like I said earlier, I’ve begin my forays into home cooking to be prepared. Am adding to their kibble for now, but if need be, I’ll cook their entire meal. I know they would love it if I did. If only it didn’t take so much time, but if it comes to that, I’ll make time.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
The following was just posted on Natura’s website.
Natura’s cans are made exclusively at the South Dakota plant which was not involved in making any of the recalled foods (including the latest announcement).This plant does not use wheat gluten, corn gluten or rice gluten in any of its production and therefore it is impossible for cross contamination to occur.
Natura has tested all canned food (as well as our dry and baked treats) for the presence of melamine at an independent laboratory and have the results to confirm that all of these tests show that our products are free from melamine contamination.
As of last week, Natura has instituted a policy whereby ALL production of cans, dry and baked treats is being tested for melamine before being released for sale.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Whoa………..wait a minute. WTF? So, who is Pied Piper? I feed all three dogs canidae dry lamb and rice. Should I be concerned? What is going on now. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Am I reading tooo many blogs?
May 4th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Having lost all trust in NB we switched our 3 cats to KumpiKat a week ago today. All three dove into their bowls and seem to seldom come up for air! They love this food and in 7 days have already eaten half the bag of food or more.
Have had far more problems trying to find a canned food that they are willing to eat and that I’m willing to feed. They wouldn’t eat Merrick so I tried Evangers. The Braised Organic Chicken and the Turkey and Butternut Squash were refused but so far all 3 are willing to eat the Holistic Pheasant Dinner.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
A friend of mine and fellow cat lover has a theory that cats are actually aliens from another planet sent here many years ago to blend in and report back on us. That when they stare off into space with tail switching they are sending and receiving messages from the “mother ship” and that they are finicky eaters because they have just never adjusted to the food offerings here on planet earth.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
It’s very sad that almost daily there is another food added, we are not even sure what to feed our beloved pets. I am the proud mom of 2 golden retirever’s and 1 shih tzu I have been watching this very close and decided to change their food to Orijen no grains.
Here is the site where you can read about this food, Ibought it today after asking a pet store in my town to bring it in, well I am glad I did. It is costly but our pets are worth it.
http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/about/
May 4th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Ok that is not me above
May 4th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
I never saw someone else spell their name like mine
May 4th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
The Lorie with the 2 cats not dogs will now be LorieVA
May 4th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Jo: I believe Sensible Choice is made by Royal Canin. You probably know that. If not………now you do.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
China now testing food for chemicals. I wonder how serious this testing is.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05.....od.html?hp
May 4th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
I can’t help wondering how much of the trouble with foods containing rice, including brown rice (which is simply rice with the bran left on) rather than rice protein concentrate, might be due to genetically engineered or modified (GE/GM) crops. Please check the web pages below. Rice in both China and the US has been contaminated by GM rice, and as the third link there indicates, the problem is likely to get worse.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....01153.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/20.....chrice.php
http://www.ucsusa.org/news/pre.....-0013.html
As the Washington Post article at the first link there explains, the USDA’s response last year to finding out an illegal variety of genetically engineered rice had contaminated the food supply was to suddenly approve it, skipping a lot of tests.
That’s our regulatory agencies for you — can’t worry about such things as food safety when profits are at risk…
This article, though it’s specifically about wheat, points out some of the risks of genetically altered grains:
http://www.organicconsumers.or.....e_4776.cfm
May 4th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Still waiting to know the other RPC companies…what the h are they waiting for? Figuring we ‘trust’ them until they tell us different????
ha ha. right.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
I also pray that the name removal is just a legal thing.. I’ve been feeding Canidae dry for the last year and we’ve been feeding out of the same bag for the last 2 months. Our Westie has been doing great with it and she just went in for a routine checkup at the vet and the vet reported back that her blood and urine samples were “perfect”. In fact, the vet said she was quite impressed with her results. This gives me a little piece of mind… but I still can’t help feeling cautious and wondering what’s going to happen next..
May 4th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Barb:
If you scroll back in the messages posted since 12-1:00 you will see what we are talking about with Pied Piper. I don’t want to rehash it because it will probably just set off a chain of more confusion. In short, Pied Piper is the manufacturer for Canidae dry food. There is no recall with Pied Piper food, nor any complaints voiced on here, but for some reason they asked that their name be removed from the list.
People on this blog were speculating that means there is a problem at the plant and that Canidae now cannot be trusted. My post was merely saying don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
As for Canidae, there is a post in the forums under the vegetable protein thread that says a top executive with the company said all batches are tested daily. The poster Teric sent samples to a lab of every food she was feeding including Canidae & Felidae, just for peace of mind, and is expecting the results back today. Hope that brings you up to speed.
My 3 dogs are on the lamb & rice as well, and the canned food switching off with Evangers. I am not concerned, especially after hearing they are testing everything now, but would still like Teric’s results to put my mind at ease because every time I come on here people make me second-guess myself.
(And although I used to agree that home cooking was better, now I’m not so sure that we can trust any human food any more. Summer’s coming and I’m waiting to see what vegetables are recalled this year, not to mention the melamine-enhanced meat.)
May 4th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Barb,
Don’t worry, Pied Piper is the manufacturer of Canidae and Felidae dry foods. So far, to my knowledge, they haven’t any products recalled. The discussion is over the fact that Canidae refuses to say who manufactures their food and Pied Piper refuses to say what food they manufacture. Most of us assume there are confidentiality agreements.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
Actually that reminds me, my dog just had bloodwork done last night because he needs to have two moles removed on Monday. That should also tell us if Canidae is ok since he’s been on it for a month.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Does anyone know how to cook a whole chicken in crockpot. Was told this is the best way for drippings. My cats are wanting gravy, will only eat the dry chicken out of my hands. My divas are a little spoiled these days, but it making me late for work in the morning trying to get them fed
May 4th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
Not to burst bubbles but my cats bloodwork is fine. But the still have GI problems and require pepcid. Not all things are kidney related that come from this
May 4th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
I lab rats cyauric acid caused lesions in the GI track not kidney damage
May 4th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Thanks to everyone who brings new informations to help each other to find the good food to save our animals….. I Have 2 dogs and 2 cats……My cats were on Hill’s DD for allergy. Venison and green peas….Since 3 years they have been on that food canned and dry food DD. The last past weeks , they refused to eat them, they eat a bit and then refuse…..it is not normal , since they were eating this for few years (these products are not on the recall) I phone the clinic were I bought, but they say there is no problem with this food. I bought Royal Canin VR sensitivity canned ( not on the recall) the dry one is on the recall list. …….they eat it , but I am afraid because I just learn today that it is made by menu foods (not a reference) I e mail Royal Canin and receive the information……On the phone they told me it was made in their own plant and on the e mail , they say it’ s Menu Foods. My cats are not sick but they lost weight…..
They use to eat dry and canned and now they eat only canned… I bought dry and canned Solid Gold, 1 of my cat eats few dry and the other does’not want it……they accept the canned…
I think Solid gold is made at Diamond…….why isn’t safe, what happent at Diamond? Is it because of Natural balance
I am going to get tomorrow Origen dry and Merrick canned …..Is it safe ? can someody help me in my choice for my cats!! they refused to eat Evo dry and Felidae …………. I give my dogs home made food and a bit of Evo dry ……..and cookies from cloud star the regular cookies, is that safe?
Me too I was waiting for Teri ……:)) and his test…… I am from Quebec , Canada , and I am very please to have found this site…..I go few houres a day to see…….
Thanks Itchmo and all of you, friends for your informations
Monica S.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Been here for weeks now, haven’t posted much, just a couple times. All the info you guys have is so helpful.
johnnypaycut -
I am in Texas panhandle, I ordered KumpiKat thru the website and had no problems with it getting here quickly and fresh. The shipping is included in the price. It’s worth it. I am med. retired, so my income isn’t much, but the KumpiKat can fit in.
I had talked to Evy a few times before I ordered and decided to take a chance, it’s been 4 weeks now since I changed my cats over and I’m really glad I did. (4 weeks and 4 bags, I finally ordered the big bag) Evy has called me many times since my purchase to answer my questions and find out how my kitties are doing, I am really impressed. She remains in contact with me still. Right now, I have no trust in anyone, except — I do trust Evy.
My cats all like the KumpiKat a lot. They like the small kibble, drag the bag around the house to get at it. My youngest hesitated a bit, but then dived in. The oldest liked it right away, the tiny kibble is easy for him to eat. Everyone is much more playful than before, one of mine had allergy symptoms that are gone now (I don’t know exactly what he was allergic to, must have been something in his food). My oldest (15) is even doing things he hasn’t done in years, like get up on the bed. I hadn’t expected such results, really. I was just really scared about what to feed them after the recalls started in March, I just didn’t want to kill them! What a wonderful bonus that they all feel better as well.
Email or call Evy if you have any questions, like everybody says. She will really address your concerns, and she is fast — you get her right away on the phone, she answers it. Your email questions get answered within hours, too. Given how slow responses are from other pet food companies, this is really nice.
I’m sorry this is so long, I guess I talk too much. That’s why I rarely post.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
SinbadsMom: Rice in both China and the US has been contaminated by GM rice,
RIGHT. and also elevated levels of arsenic in rice; http://tinyurl.com/2e7j6c
eighty percent of the rice grown here comes from states in the South Central part of the country. A lot of it is grown in former cotton fields. And when cotton was grown there, a lot of these fields were treated with pesticides that contained arsenic. … investigated rice from these fields and he found that it contains unusually high levels of the toxic heavy metal.
… it’s really the populations who consume a high amount of rice that should be concerned. [AS IN MANY PETFOODS]
May 4th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
LorieVA,
I new you’d said that your kitties were having GI problems. What symptoms are they showing?
May 4th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
“knew” not “new”…my typing skills have been thrown out the window.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
That when they stare off into space with tail switching they are sending and receiving messages from the “mother shipâ€
Uh Elizabeth, no, I have it on good authority they are talking to The Giant Head!
May 4th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Thanks to all for giving me a little piece of mind re canidae. I have fed canidae to all my dogs for the last 9 years. Of course i added the wet recalled garbage for many years thinking it was the best food out there. Nothing replaces my newly found meatloaf for the dogs and us! I made a HUGE meatloaf last night, threw in some carrots and potatoes..it took two people to lift it out of the oven. ha! We all had a feast. But, I did add a little canidae to their meatloaf. Geezzzzz. Me scared? Yes. No more chicken now for a while……..
Signed.
Hot in Arizona.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
They still seem to gag sometimes at the sight of food and drool, have trouble chewing keeping it in their mouth. they are burpy and do sstill do alittle too much lip licking. They also do not like to be handled and touched as much as they use to. My littlest geisha was use to be on my lap the minute I sat down. : ) The pepcid seems to work though and they perk right back up. I just hope it doesn’t go any further. Katie’s dog has the same GI issues and now the poor dog has blood in its urine. Now I am wondering if mine are next. this nightmare is never going to be over a vetin an article I read right after this happened predicted the ones who quickly died got off lucky the survivors were going to be the ones who suffer. i am starting to believe him.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
If staring into space and twitching of the tail is communication with the ‘mother ship’, my cat Yoda must be a communications specialist. He spends most of his time (when not sleeping or eating) staring and twitching. He has a very active tail.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Elizabeth,
I LOVED your post about alien cats. It gave me a very welcomed and needed, outloud laugh. And with 10 cats, I could sure relate!
May 4th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
LorieVA,
That’s so sad, but I really hope they pull through. You and your kitties will remain in my prayers.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Monica S
I am in Ont Canada, please try the Orijen it’s amazing and I believe the best food we can buy for our pets.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
A thread should be started in the forum for testing because it appears that the FDA and “certain” companies cannot be trusted , so a lot of food and other things are being sent to labs, various labs and labs that will not be announced until tests have been completed, to be on the SAFE side and reduce risk of clerical errors, cross contamination etc.
Testing of human urine for traces of several poisons may well be done also.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Lorie VA, sorry I didn’t realize that there was someone with the same spelling as mine.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Hi Lorie in Canada i am Lorie with the E in VA too funny,
May 4th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
The more Lories the better…that’s what I always say.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
My problem is that I have a cat with food allergies and I can’t feed him some of these foods like Kumpikat. He is on a limited ingredient diet….was eating the NB venison and peas dry until the recall (fortunately I had an old bag too) and NB venison and peas canned. I’m still feeding him the NB canned despite my misgivings with NB and switched to Royal Canin IVD venison and peas dry despite my misgivings with RC. If I feed him something else, he breaks out with mouth sores and gets all itchy. I’m not real happy about feeding him these foods and so far he hasn’t had any problems.
Anyone have any better ideas for me?
May 4th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Hiya All ~
I just got off of the phone with my manufacturer. There is zero chance of cross contamination with any Kumpi product and for two reasons. Number one, they do a thorough cleaning inbetween production runs. BUT the other reason is that they run formulas the same day that have ‘like’ ingredients in them.
For instance, on April 3rd when I had a production run scheduled, the meat for that day was rejected and two other companys besides mine had to have their production run rescheduled. It’s easier for them when they are ‘cooking’ to have as many similar ingredients as possible.
Also, the other pad of insurance (have I mentioned how much I love Crosswinds?? lol) is they actually pulled my production runs from this year and checked to verify. I was the first run except for one day and there was not even any corn gluten in the run before mine OR wheat gluten OR rice protein concentrate OR any source that could be an indicator for contamination.
They have done tests on the dries used in all the products manufactured for melamine (so far they’ve made it back ten months and are still going, just for safetys sake) and everything has come up negative.
The SmartPak cross contamination issue was within their own product line. They had the Weight Management formula run and probably went ahead and had the other formulas run the same day. As small as the batches are, that would make sense why they are having cross contamination issues. But it was within their own product line.
Eric, please note that LorieVA cat’s had GI problems before eating the KumpiKat, unless she has already posted that while I was writing this :)
Once again, I have to say I love doing business with a smaller manufacturer like Crosswinds whose local economy depends on their integrity. You can’t visit the place without sensing the community pride in what they do, the same gal answers the phone as years ago - ditto with production managers, etc. There is virtually no turnover in their employment there and it’s a very stable company. They knew far before any of us how tenuous the pet food industry is and implemented safeguards long before any of this happened to make sure their products were as safe as could be.
The fact that only whole US grains are used in my product line I owe to the genius of my nutritionist. He believes that protein should come from meat and not grain sources.
Well, phone is ringing, gotta go for now :)
May 4th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Eric,
Even if I wouldn’t of added the VA to my name people would be able to tell us apart by my wonderful typing skills
May 4th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
I just posted the below to petconnection.
What do you guys think?
Have to be done quick to get the info out there, if we got emails for lawyers or contacts and made sure they knew about all this good info it would help everyone I think.
All the really good research being done here could be of use to every single lawyer doing a class action lawsuit against Menu or companies yet to be named, maybe a list of lawyers emails should be started at itchmo too?
Help them move faster to prevent assets from vanishing like some documents.
If we have the yes of hungry lawyers on this site, along with all the other eyes, it couldn’t hurt, right?
May 4th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Barb, somewhere buried deep within the vault of Itchmo’s blog comments (I think about a week ago), a commentor named Boutique Owner posted that Pied Piper does make Canidae (dry IIRC). I asked her if she could tell me where she got her information and she told me from her Canidae representative. She also said she has no reason not to believe them.
Hold on……..lemme see if I can dig this out from the itchmo blog cellar. Crap on a stick for not bookmarking it in the first place…..
FOUND IT!!! Cripes, I’m like a dog with a favorite bone at times. Took some digging but here is where we were discussing Pied Piper & Canidae:
http://www.itchmo.com/read/rec.....9#comments
There you can read:
Boutique Owner Says:
April 29th, 2007 at 10:24 am
“Canidae is made my Pied Piper in Texas. Pied Piper also makes DRY Canine Caviar and Nature’s Variety. The Canidae cans are done by Evangers. Canidae is a very small company, only 18 employees, I think. No stock holders to answer to, no need to cut corners to save a fraction of a penny.
The fact that they will disclose their manufacturers tells me that they are proud of their choices and have nothing to hide.
All their ingredients come from the U.S. only. Even their rice is grown down South in the U.S. No glutens, hormones, preservatives, etc.”
In responding to my above query she replied:
Boutique Owner Says:
April 29th, 2007 at 11:02 am
“I found out the source of manufacturing from my Canidae representative. He has no reason to not be truthful about it. He also told me that Pied Piper manufactures the Canine Caviar dry but their wet is manufactured by American Nutrition. Different state, different company manufacturing it.
I was completely impressed when I found out that Evangers does their cans. They have a fabulous reputation for running a very clean cannery. Yes, they are Kosher and they have organic capabilities as well. ”
Maybe I’m too trusting of her (espeically when I say I don’t trust anyone any more - cripes ally @ self), but for some reason, I felt she was being truthful. Again, if I’m wrong, I’ll happily eat my words and the page they’re printed on.
Anyhoo, there ya go Barb. Hope that helps.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
LorieVA,
We have all proven our superior typing skills here at Itchmo. If anyone is looking for high quality typists, they’ve come to the right place.
Evy,
Thank you so much for the reassurance! I appreciate it more than you could know.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
EVY: There is zero chance of cross contamination with any Kumpi product and for two reasons. Number one, they do a thorough cleaning inbetween production runs. BUT the other reason is that they run formulas the same day that have ‘like’ ingredients in them.
Nothing personal Evy but I’m not buying it when any petfood producers says this. The rotten apples have spoiled the whole barrel. That’s the way it is. Good luck.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Evy:
Thanks for the post.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
blkcatgal: Always tough. Have you tried a holistic vet that does homeopathy? I’m thinking vaccinosis might be cleared by a good homeopath. Was your cat ever treated with steroids? http://tinyurl.com/35ls8r
I’d go to holisticat - see what some experiences might have been.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
I’m looking for a cat food that is safe, but I have a lot of cats so it has to be a decent price? Anyone know of any? Trudy
May 4th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
I had just taken all 4 cats to the vet Friday April 20th as a precaution because they were eating Nutro Natural and Natural Balance before the recall. They have been on Merrick and Innova Evo since. All their bloodwork came back normal and the vet said they looked healthy. Monday the 23rd one of my cats started vomitting every time she ate. First she would throw up her food, then continue to throw up until her stomach was empty. This continued the whole week and we went to the vet again the next Friday April 27th. He again said she looked healthy, not dehydrated and still very active, but kept her overnight and gave her pepcid and an antibiotic to be sure. She’s been home since the next day and only vomitted a few times since then, and never to the extent of that week.
When I read that Lorie’s cats were having GI problems but nothing is showing up on their bloodwork it sounded exactly like my own situation. But it does seem strange that only 1 of my 4 cats has been affected. Any thoughts?
May 4th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Trudy,
Felidae is around $30 for a 20lb bag, which isn’t too bad. Other than that, I’m not sure. Sportmix makes their own food and it’s really cheap, and hasn’t had any recalls, but it’s also really low quality and full or fillers…at least that’s my understanding. Although right now I think it’s most important to find a food that won’t kill your cats, and focus more on quality when this crisis is straigtened out.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Tiffany,
Are your cats eating dry or wet food? Just curious.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
The SmartPak cross contamination was not within their own Product Line.
The Weight Management that they voluntarily recalled came back negative, as did all of their other dog foods! The contamination came from another companies dog food that was manufactured in the same plant.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
I have just gotten a notice from Castor & Pollux:
Castor & Pollux Ultramix Feline Canned Food Recall
Dear Valued Customer,
Castor & Pollux is issuing a voluntary recall of the following foods:
Natural Ultramix Adult Feline Canned Formulas: Chicken, Turkey & Salmon Flavors
Natural Ultramix Canned Indoor Cat Formula
We are contacting you because you have ordered one of these items from us. If you have any open or unopened cans left with a best by date before January 2010, please call us at 888-937-6677 and please discontinue feeding it to your pets.
ITCHMO ADMIN: Yes, those were a part of the Menu Foods expansion notice on Wednesday.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Tiffany, did you have a urinalysis done on your pets? People, please get a urinalysis done! Antech Labs and other vets are saying most of their cases are coming with normal blood levels for creatinine and BUN but its the urinalysis that is showing the problem……
May 4th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Anonymous ~
I don’t blame you for a moment, but I know the protocol at Crosswinds and they know their own need for integrity since it is the backbone of their community. But I hold no feelings against anyone at this point, since it is mind numbing to consider how betrayed the pet food consumer has been. Just please remember that when I was searching out a manufacturer, the first thing in my mind was my own dog and cat, since they were the reason for me beginning a company at all.
My own FurAngels mean the world to me and that is why I labor at this company - they are just kind enough to share :)
So, nothing personal taken and I’d rather see people jaded and cautious than the way they have been, too trusting. Put your product line to the test and find your own comfort zone with one if you are making any purchases, even in treats. That’s the way it needs to be!!
May 4th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Unfortunately we all have to make decisions on who to trust. I almost went the route of making my own dog and cat food. But I could have then exposed them through the use of chicken. We don’t eat beef because of the mad cow issues and the lack of testing for it. I also find it odd that chickens and pigs were fed melamine laced foods which aren’t being recalled because their percentage in our diet is low and the risk level small. If the chickens and pigs were eating it, what were cows eating? Fish is now suspect if it is “farmed” fish because the melamine is known to be added to fish meal/food. I’m willing to trust Evy’s Crosswinds because they’ve gone to the extent to test 10 months of ingredients and have tested clear for melamine. So to me, that means even if for some strange reason there was cross contamination, at least it wouldn’t be with a product that had melamine. In addition, if they have gone to this extent in their testing, it sounds like they take this very seriously and until proven differently I plan to trust that they take their cleaning just as seriously.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
LorieVA Says:
May 4th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
“I(n) lab rats cyauric acid caused lesions in the GI track not kidney damage”
This concerns me very much because at my tiny (3lb) maltese has been at the vets because of blood in her stool. They ran all the blood tests and say her kidneys & liver are fine, but her stool sample had red & white blood cells in it, indicating inflammation in her intestines. She has been eating Canidae dry chicken & rice, Aunt Jeni’s Chicken raw, Primal Chicken raw, & The Honest Kitchen dehydrated raw for almost a month now. However, she was eating Hill’s Science Diet & Natural Balance prior to the raw. They have her on an IV and I just took her some homecooked ground beef & rice, which she ate with gusto and seemed to be doing very well. They said she should be able to go home tomorrow morning. I too am waiting to hear about teric’s lab test results about Canidae. It upsets me that they won’t tell us who manufatures their food. I at my wits end here!
May 4th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
No, he did a fecal, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t do a urinalysis. Now I’m worried! I’ll call tomorrow morning and talk to him about it.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Also, the vet said I’m better off using chicken or turkey for the homemade, but where do I find SAFE chicken???!!!
Can anyone recommend a safe vitamin supplement (not from China, no China ingredients) to use when you make their food yourself?
May 4th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
A somewhat different take on things, especially if ‘feed’ production is involved. It’s also possible a company might not want their manuf. known for security reasons.
Not that who manufactures what is that big of a mystery once you start looking. Still, it’s something that should be addressed. If the FDA wants to create a less than paranoid climate they should back up the manuf. that have state of the art testing procedures and test all ingredients, as well as the finished product, using an independant on site source.
I wouldn’t see some sort of statement endorsing such by the FDA as a statement of quality, rather for the safety. Perhaps something
the officials can address.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Bambi’s&Princess’sMom,
Read above for info on Canidae. Dries are by Pied Piper and wets are by Evangers.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
I have been following this disaster with dismayAs even here we get Eukanuba,Hills,and Iams it is having far reaching effects,I have 2 dogs and I have not fed mine any of these, the vetenarian food Advance that I have to feed my dogs comes from Australia but my heart goes out all the people that have lost Pets I for one will never eat Rice again or use anything from China and I think there should be a boycott of goods from China and of all the pet Foods factories until this terrible tradedy is resolved Purely my thoughts Rose
May 4th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Hi - new poster. Does anyone know who mfgs Nature’s Variety dry? On the pet food list it just says they outsource, but not who.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
LorieVA,
Can you tell me where you found out about the lesions in the GI tract?
Link?
May 4th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
Eric,
Thank you. I did read everything on this thread. Were did you find out the Canidae is made by Pied Piper, and where did pet parents find out that Canine Cavier (sp?) is made by American Nutrition? Links please?
May 4th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Sandi K Says:
May 4th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
“Tiffany, did you have a urinalysis done on your pets? People, please get a urinalysis done! Antech Labs and other vets are saying most of their cases are coming with normal blood levels for creatinine and BUN but its the urinalysis that is showing the problem……”
Thank you Sandi K. I’ll call the vets office now and ask them if they did a uninalysis, in not, to please do one right away!
May 4th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Since the recall I’ve been feeding Canidae. I noticed on their website that they say they don’t use any wheat gluten or rice gluten, but they don’t say rice protein concentrate. Does anyone know if rice gluten is the same as rice protein?
May 4th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
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