Voluntary Dry Food Reports
For the latest news, including new recalls, the sources of the toxin, and others, go here.
Report your pet’s death or illness now.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated since the first posting.
Several days ago, we started reading reports of dry food possibly making pets sick, specifically Iams. We then asked our readers to provide their experience to us. Here’s what we found:
Number of pets covered: 134 (47 cats, 87 dogs)
Reported ARF (Acute Renal Failure): 24 (17%) 15 cats, 9 dogs
Cat Deaths: 20 | Cat Illnesses: 26
Dog Deaths: 9 | Dog Illnesses: 77
Since our report, one DRY food from Hills has been recalled so far.
We caution you against accepting this as the final word as these are self-reported numbers from parents who have been reading about other sick or dying pets. Given the caveats, the brands that really stood out were Iams, Nutro, and Science Diet. We expected quite a few Iams reports since the survey results from posts about sick pets who ate Iams, (read about Menu Foods’ exclusive contract with Iams) but the Nutro reports seemed to have come from nowhere. Of the 5 reported deaths parents linked to Nutro, 3 were from Acute Renal Failure. 3 ARF deaths were reportedly linked with Science Diet and 7 were linked with Iams. There may be legitimate reason why some brands are on this list, for example, Science Diet may be recommended by vets to particularly sick pets.
Recall resources: Detailed timeline & facts | Recalled Food List | Get recall alerts | More
Our numbers are not enough data to make any conclusive decision, but some correlations were highly troubling. We are highly in favor of a statistically correct and significant study of dry food-related problems. And we’d love to hear your thoughts in our comments.
Important note: If you feel that dry food is causing your pet to fall ill, please contact the FDA.
Number of Specific Cat Food Brand Reported: What to feed your cat
Iams: 17 (ARF: 5 dead, 1 sick)
Purina: 6 (ARF: 1 dead)
Science Diet: 5 (ARF: 3 dead)
Nutro: 4 (ARF: 1 dead, 1 sick)
Special Kitty: 3 (ARF: 1 dead, 2 sick)
Royal Canin: 1 (No ARF)
Number of Specific Dog Food Brand Reported: What to feed your dog
ARF reported:
Iams: 21 (ARF: 1 dead, 2 sick)
Nutro: 14 (ARF: 2 dead)
Ol’Roy: 5 (ARF: 1 dead)
Eukanuba: 2 (ARF: 1 sick)
No ARF reported:
Science Diet: 4
Pedigree: 2
Purina: 2
Authority: 1
Beneful: 1
Natural Balance: 1
Trader Joe’s: 1
(For emailed alerts about future recalls and other important news, sign up for our free Itchmo Pet Safety Alert.)Report your pet’s death or illness now.
March 28th, 2007 at 9:33 am
My cat became sick the 17th. on march. she was fed iams dry food.
i recognised symtoms associated with renal failure and started imeadite
homeopathic treament, my cat survived.. but was excedingly ill for 4days?
i feel lucky to have been sucessful in saving her, but am nonethe less
excedingly angry at pet food maunfactures? iams is on my list of corporate
con-artists?
in the present times , we can no longer turn away in the face of corruption
and corporate greed? whatever must be done, we must do. in doing so
we will regain our liberty, threatened by corrupt interests and ceos who
only seek to enhance their wealth at the expense of all.
March 28th, 2007 at 10:08 am
How do we know if these numbers are anything more than the “normal” instances of ARF? I know that it’s not common, but also not unheard of. And is the Iams number highest b/c more people feed Iams brand? I am no statistician but as they are, those numbers are not very meaningful.
March 28th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Adrienne, your concern it totally warranted. Without getting a sample of the entire pet population, it’s hard to know if the total ARF numbers are normal or not. However, relative numbers to the brands can be significant. The Iam’s brand only has a very fractional market share, Nutro was in the single digits…
March 28th, 2007 at 10:37 am
to itchmo: THANKS THANKS THANKS!
It would be helpful to show in your breakdown of cat food brand reported:
“Of the 5 reported deaths parents linked to Nutro, 3 were from Acute Renal Failure.”
How many of these were cats/ how many dogs????
Could you please add this?
catfood brand reported:
Nutro: 4 (how many deaths how many illnesses)
dogfood brand reported:
Nutro: 14 (ditto)
AGAIN THANKS THANKS THANKS!
March 28th, 2007 at 10:44 am
ADRIENNE: Adrienne Says: How do we know if these numbers are anything more than the “normal†instances of ARF? …as they are, those numbers are not very meaningful.
THEY’RE MEANINGFUL TO ME ADRIENNE. MY 3 YR OLD HEALTHY CAT EXHIBITED THE SAME EXTREME SYMPTOMS AS THE RECALLED CANNED FOOD, FROM DRY FOOD MFR BY A PRODUCER ON THE RECALL LIST, FOOD PURCHASED WITHIN THE RECALL DATE, TIME FROM INGESTION TO ONSET OF SYMPTOMS W/IN THE VIN REPORTED RANGE. I FEEL RATHER CERTAIN THAT MOST PET OWNERS WHO CARE ABOUT THEIR COMPANION ANIMAL WOULD PREFER NOT TO WAIT UNTIL THIS BECOMES MEANINGFUL TO YOU - ESPECIALLY IF THEY MAY ALREADY BE NOTICING
SOME SYMPTOMS BUT WERE UNSURE OF THE CAUSE AND HAVE BEEN WONDERING WHETHER THEY SHOULD SUSPECT DRY FOOD BECAUSE THE PET INDUSTRY IS COVERING THEIR A’S NOT RECALLING DRY.
I’D RATHER NOT WAIT UNTIL MY PET IS KILLED. IT’S NOT LIKE THERE’S NOTHING GOING ON HERE. BUT, FEEL FREE TO FEED YOUR ANIMAL THIS FOOD IF YOU’RE THAT BLASE.
March 28th, 2007 at 10:56 am
benemo Says: Adrienne, your concern it totally warranted. Without getting a sample of the entire pet population, it’s hard to know if the total ARF numbers are normal or not. However, relative numbers to the brands can be significant. The Iam’s brand only has a very fractional market share, Nutro was in the single digits…
I’D LIKE TO KNOW IF ADRIENNE HAS A PET THAT BECAME ILL OR DIED FROM DRY? OR SEE A DISCLAIMER OF NO CONNECTION TO PETFOOD INDUSTY. **ANY** NUMBER OF ARF CAUSED BY FOOD IS UNACCEPTABLE AND ABNORMAL. PERHAPS WAIT ANOTHER 6 MO TO SAMPLE ENTIRE POPULATION (MEANTIME MORE DEATHS — AND MORE INDUSTRY PROFIT). NUTRO MAY HAVE SINGLE DIGIT MARKET SHARE, BUT IF YOUR CAT ATE IT AND DIED OR HAS KIDNEY DAMAGE OR RESULTING IM SUPPRESSION FROM EFFECT ON BONE MARROW -
MARKET SHARE HAS ABSOLUTELY NO RELEVANCE WHATSOEVER.
ANY FOOD RELATED DEATH OR ILLNESS IS SIGNIFICANT REGARDLESS OF MARKET SHARE. YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT INITIAL PERCENTAGE OF DEATHS FROM ARF FOR THE CANNED FOOD ONLY CONTINUED TO GROW.
WE ARE SEEING LESS, NOT MORE, IN STATISTICAL RESULTS THAN THIS SCANDAL WARRANTS.
PLEASE POST YOUR DISCLAIMERS. THANKS.
March 28th, 2007 at 11:08 am
MAKE THAT DISCLAIMER OF NO CONNECTION TO PETFOOD INDUSTRY-
OR THE POSTER BOYS OF THEIR MARKETING CHAIN - THE VETERINARY “BUSINESS”.
March 28th, 2007 at 11:18 am
4lgdfriend- First of all, please stop yelling.
Second, my cats don’t eat dry food, nor do they eat wet food with wheat gluten in it.
I’m sorry your cat is sick, and if you have any inkling that it might be from the food, please do change it. I certainly would in your shoes, and indeed i am suspicious that the same wheat gluten used in the wet food was used in the dry. But those numbers are just not enough at this point to prove a link between dry food and kidney failure. I hope they never will be.
Oh, and no, I have no connection to pet food or vets, in fact I’m seriously against the fact that most vets recommend what I consider poor quality pet food.
March 28th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
You should have this dry food tested for the poision that has contaminated the wet food.
March 28th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
I completely agree with the idea that the “poster boys for their marketing chain is The Veterinary INDUSTRY. On several occasions, when I was considering switching to a highly researched, holistic alternative, a frozen raw diet, every veterinarian in town debunked the idea that this was more nutritious. Never mind the processed dry food is enzyme deplete and needs to have artificial vitamins and nutrients pumped back into it after it’s been through the ‘mill’ of rendered, euthanized and diseased animal filler. Never mind that my dog succumbed to seizures, extreme thirst and renal failure because of it. All but one veterinarian said “Keep them on the same dry food diet.” He died. Bottom line: These pet food corporations are ENCOURAGED to keep the price down and therefore cheapen the product in any way so they can make more of a profit. Secondly, VETERINARIANS are subsidized by the Hill Corporation and are often awarded all sorts of perks to promote these products and claim they are more balanced nutritionally. They aren’t educated about proper nutrition in veterinary school. I just heard a professor of veterinary medicine make a claim on NPR a few days ago saying that generally commercial pet food is safe and that it’s not much different from what an animal would find in the wild. How preposterous! It’s a lie that consumers have bought into. The veterinary industry has an investment in the illness of our pets. If we were to take more responsibility for our own health, their businesses would not be flourishing as well. Morbid, but in a business-oriented world, buyer beware and take care of thyself and these domestic creatures who depend on us.
Hopefully the brighter side of this issue is that people are being forced to examine what they are feeding their animals. If conventional medicine works so well, why then are so many animals getting sick. With or without the present toxins in the food. There are more allegies and degenerative diseases than ever.
March 28th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
4lgdfriend is glad to hear Adrienne respond.
However, I must still object to the basis /rationale behind the questionable post. ANY number of ARF death/illness caused by food is too many, is relevant, and unacceptable.
I still find this quick criticism of the first preliminary tally available when the “usual suspects” seem to be stalling, highly questionable and cold-hearted.
March 28th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
If I am “cold-hearted” because I don’t like jumping to conclusions, then so be it.
Anonymous- very nice post.
March 28th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
4lgdfriend - I would agree with you that:
“ANY number of ARF death/illness caused by food is too many, is relevant, and unacceptable”
The problem - as Adrienne tries to calmly explain is CAUSATION.
My pet ate food X
My pet died
THEREFORE: food X killed my pet.
That doesn’t work in science. It doesn’t work in the courtroom, and ergo
it doesn’t work with the government when you are trying to get laws passed or changed.
Do I think there are problems with some dry food?
Yes.
Do I think that Itchmo has done a wonderful job?
Yes.
Do I also think a few people are running around with their arms in the
air screaming “the sky is falling!”?
Yes, I frankly do.
A tragic occurance, and the following COVERUP have killed thousands to
tens of thousands of precious furbabies and we need to get it fixed, NOW!
However, running around in circles only does one thing - the people with
the power to change things point at you and go “Look at that NUT!”
(Like it or not - it is the truth!)
The lax and cheap way most commerical pet food is made is nothing new.
What IS new is that due to the Menu Foods incident we’ve learned that
there really isn’t much difference between some of the SUPER-PREMIUM
brands (and pardon my laughter here) and bargain store brands. To get
food that is “better” you need to go BARF, other homemade, or go with
some of the rather expensive and esoteric brands of pet food that the
vast majority of pet owners don’t even know about.
(There’s a lesson here about what ‘marketing’ really is - I’ll leave that one
to the readers)
This should never have been, and we need to hold the manufacturer, the
marketers (the brands), and the governmental agencies responsible for
oversight to the fire until it’s fixed.
If for no other reason than to owner the memories of the pets who died
because some corporate SOB somewhere decided the payment on his
new house or Mercedes was more important than our pets lives.
March 28th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
Jim wrote:
“The problem - as Adrienne tries to calmly explain is CAUSATION.
My pet ate food X
My pet died
THEREFORE: food X killed my pet.
That doesn’t work in science. It doesn’t work in the courtroom, and ergo
it doesn’t work with the government when you are trying to get laws passed or changed.”
I agree. In 2004, I adopted a cat slated for euthanasia because it was severely anemic, jaundiced, and borderline diabetic. I took him home and changed his food and he recovered completely. No longer any issues. I would claim it was the food making him sick - but others say he recovered because he “went to a home”. Likewise, I have adopted three diabetics. Since adoption (and changing food), two have ceased needing insulin and the other’s needs have decreased over 85%. Again, I claim it was the food - again, I’m told it could be the change in environment. I’ve also fostered two diabetics (one ceased needing insulin) and fostered a cat with chronic diarrhea (problem stopped)…
Appearance is there - proof is not.
In my opinion, the way to make change is to shift the burden of proof. Currently *we* are forced to prove the food made our cats sick. Yet, pet food companies can make claims on their packaging without any proof to back it up. They can claim it benefits dental health, claim it supports the immune system, claim it is “complete and balanced nutrition” - based on what? A six-month trial that six animals survive? If a cereal company puts “reduces cholesterol” on a box, it needs to show research to back that claim up - but for reasons unknown to me, pet food companies aren’t held to the same standards other industries are. We are fighting to change that. If you care to join the fight, there is information here:
http://www.mousabilities.com/n.....paign.html
March 28th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Adrienne Says: my cats don’t eat dry food, nor do they eat wet food with wheat gluten in it.
Your reply shows a pattern I have observed in many people. You seem to have an attitude that your views are superior because you only feed wet food and would never consider feeding your pet food with wheat gluten in it (Horrors). When others show concern about the food their cats or dogs are eating, posters like you express the idea that they are overreacting. Your attitude is concerning to me. If you feel this way why are you reading and posting??????
Some of us have fed the recalled food and have concerns for out pets. We do not need to be told we are acting as if the sky is falling.
So please try not to be such a snob and show a little care and compassion, for if you really cared you would not post the way you do.
March 28th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Our cat died of acute renal failure in Jan. We had just bought a new bag of dry Hill’s food. I contacted the FDA last Thurs. and Fri. an investigator called to say they would send someone to pick up a sample of the food and test it. If all who feel the food is the culprit in their pet’s illness or death will contact the FDA for testing, perhaps enough reliable statistics can be compiled. My cat’s death may have just been coincidental, but I want to know the truth before I adopt another cat. I do not want to endanger another cat if there is something toxic in the food supply. Could some of you give suggestions for alternative foods? Should I try making my own cat food? We also have two Border Collie dogs who were eating Nutro but exhibited no signs of illness. However, just to be on the safe side, we did buy an organic food–Natural Balance–for them.
March 28th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
To add some degree of balance to the approach of posters who are questioning the value of the numbers reported here - looking at their response objectively:
Concerned petowner reports death or illness does not = irrational, hysterical, exxagerated, or sloppy assessment of facts concerning that death or illness. Detractors are making a subjective assessment of the petowner possibly based on some personal bias. Since neither they nor I have access to the history or vet records of all these pets, lucidity or relative awareness or education of the owner, — we can’t speak for anyone but ourselves. Can we rule it out? Maybe not, but the numbers are important to call attn to the deaths/illnesses so that further investigation can occur.
March 28th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
I’m not sure if I reported yet to this site that I also lost my Kitty Boy within 3 days of feeding him 2 pouches of Special Kitty brand wet food. He had all the tell tale signs of a major shutdown. Vomiting, not eating, laying in his bowl to drink. I want Kitty Boy to be counted. He was my best fur friend for alomost 5 years. I have no opened pouches as he died about 2 weeks before the recall. What I do have is my Walmart receipt with the UPC’s matching the recalled food. The day was February 23-2007. I am devastated and hope he is added to the number of cat deaths.
March 28th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
My yorkies just started refusing to eat the Nutro Max small bites over this past weekend! I usually mix it with Flint River Ranch. I dumped the bowls out, only put in the Flint River Ranch and they gobbled the food up in no time. What do they know that I dont know?? Needless to say, we are no longer using the Nutro Max small bites.
March 28th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
I haven’t reported it on this site because i honestly don’t know if its true. However i have a 5 year old cat that was in good health who was diagnosed with ARF a week before the food recall. My cats have only been eating Science Diet Dry cat food. I honestly don’t know if its related because i have 4 cats and only 1 became sick. I am suspicious though as he had the exact same symptoms that were later reported for the wet pet food recall. My cat was hospitalized for 4 days, on IVs before the vet deemed him stable enough to send him home. I am now required to administer 100ml of fluids to him through a needle every other day. The Vet tried to put him on perscription foods for renal failure, but he refuses to eat any of them. The only food i have been able to get him to eat is Fancy Feast, and i’m not sure i feel comfortable feeding it to him but he has to eat something.
March 28th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
Maybe I am one that is being paranoid…but I love my dogs and have been feeding dry Nutro…would like to know what others are using (that seems to have no side effects) while I consider what to change their food too….thanks.
March 28th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
I have been feeding my cats Nutro dry… and have not seen any side effects, I am quite nervous and am researching home propared holistic diets. I just received my copy of Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats and am planning on using one of the diets from this book. My trust in the pet food industry is gone.
March 28th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
Brandon,
Report your cat’s illness to your state FDA. It might take awhile to get a reply from them, but they will test your cat’s food to see if there is a problem. Be sure to save some of the food. I would suggest switching to an organic food. Better to be on the safe side. After a week of being on IV’s at the vets, our cat came home for 5 days. The vet suggested kd but he would not eat it. He did eat a few kibbles of Royal Canin kidney formula. You might try it, but I think an organic food would be best.
March 28th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Thank You Janice, I feel the same way. I also just want to know the truth and would like to try to protect any future animals I get from potentially
harmful ingredients. I lost my best friend on Feb 28th at the age of 3 1/2 All of his test results came back as “toxic poisioning”. My cat became ill within days of opening a new bag of Hill’s Science Light Adult.
P.S. I work for a MAJOR retailer that yesterday notified us that
all stores are to immediately pull Iam’s INDR WGH CTR HB and
Iam’s ADULT ORIGINAL
March 28th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Susski,
Our border collies ate Nutro dry, but we switched them to Natural Balance just to be safe. They were not exhibiting any symptoms, but after losing our cat to acute renal failure (he was eating Hills’), we were not taking any chances. They love the Natural Balance. In fact, when we were switching (1st mixing 1/4 Natural Balance to 3/4 Nutro, then half and hal, then 3/4 Natural Balance to 1/4 Nutro, they would pick out the Natural Balance and pretty much leave the Nutro alone. Hmmm!! Maybe they recognized something we didn’t!!!!!!!!!!
Good luck!!!!!!!!!!
March 28th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Sorry I forgot to mention on my previous post that the Iam’s we are to
pull from shelves is the 4 LB bag
March 28th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Do not reccomend DRY FOOD. Please don’t do it! Dr. Becker, you have good intensions but your 180º out of whack. You see, I believe that the dry food problems have been with us for years, they are being magnified now because of the newer wet food problems…in a big way. In the past your dog got sick and you didn’t go on the net to see who elses dog or cat died, no, you just buried them. Now we have the resources to compile and assimilate a great deal more information in a short time. With these tools we have the world and all of it’s good and bad at our fingertips. I have been in touch with people in all over this great country and Great Britan, Mexico, Newfoundland and South Africa all since the death of my dear Abby Gayle. I have found that pets are in serious trouble every where and no one wants to admit it. The news papers give us the back page, the syndicated columnist under state the crisis, the vets are getting wealthy. Hell, they sell to us what is killing our pets and then charge enormous sums for treatment. The pet food manufactures make their quick bags of change and the pet owners foot the bill.
This is just the opinion of a person who has lost something very dear and knows it will be impossible to replace. Any money we recieve should be used as Mary stated earlier, get your pet at the S.P.C.A. or Animal Shelter, maybe then, if we all did this, it could put animals in our homes instead of in our pets food.
They killed our Dog! Our Dear Abby Gayle Died last night at 10:05 pm with my wife, sons and daughter at her side. Almost 4 years old, purbred Airedale Terrier, picture perfect health record, She died of acute kidney failure due to eating tainted, contamiated, IAMS Dry, Green Bag, purchased from Walmart. Dead before we could do anything because we were notified to late and as for the dry food no notification at all. Please people, listen, do not feed your dog any products from these recalled manufactures, wet or dry. Do you trust them, they have been hiding this for months possibly years. They have had this problem for 2 years and have still not trully fiqured out why. Please don’t feed your pets poison DRY FOOD! It may have anti freeze components in it or worse yet someone elses pets.
I know I’m going to ruffle some feathers, bring it on.
keen for Abby Gayle (keen@mac.com)
March 28th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
didn’t want to be Anonymous.
keen@mac.com
March 28th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
If the dry food is tainted, I shudder to think what will happen at animal shelters all over the country. Many have contracts with Hills to get free dry food and feed it exclusively.
Personally, I don’t feed any dry food to my cats. Recent research links dry cat food to CRF, FLUTD, diabetes, obesity, IBD and other health issues.
http://www.catinfo.org
http://www.catnutrition.org
http://www.yourdiabeticcat.com
http://www.felineoutreach.org
March 28th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
keen and lynette are reflecting a lot of information available showing that dry food is bad. Good for the mfrs profit sheet though - full of cheap fillers and low quality highly processed ingredients [and we can now add: from unknown suppliers].
Dry food is especially bad for cats and especially for male cats. However there are some cats that simply will not eat anything else. And fortunately *are* a few dry catfoods that are better than others. If you can’t be certain of a safe canned food right now, and do not understand how to properly prepare a homemade diet that meets the animals nutritional needs *completely*, a better dry food might be what you’re left with. sigh.
March 28th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
Lynette,
Thanks for the links about cat nutrition.
March 28th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
For catowners who are thinking of switching to homemade food - a wise move is to get feedback from others who are experienced with this.
There are online communities that can offer good info. holisticat is one.
This site provides links to others who do this. http://webpages.charter.net/katkarma/sources.htm This is not to be undertaken without careful reading and consideration of the complete nutritional aspects of the diet.
March 28th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Read carefully considering all the recall information available.
forums on raw feeding/nutrition:
www.holisticat.com
www.listservice.net/wellpet
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CatNutrition
INFORMATION ON FELINE NUTRITION:
http://home.earthlink.net/~jacm2/id1.html
www.maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm
www.homevet.com/petcare/feedingyourcat.html
many resources: http://www.holisticat.com/archive.htm
http://www.api4animals.org/689.htm Selecting a commercial petfood
about.com rates types of catfood - caution!
http://cats.about.com/cs/nutri.....atfood.htm (consult the recall information before taking advice from any website)
March 28th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
My beautiful baby girl, Sophie, died on March 9, three days after she ate a sample bag of Science Diet dry dog food. This was prior to the recall. She was only 7 and very healthy. The vet was stumped as to why her LIVER scores were off the scale. When I asked the vet to “look” inside to see if she could figure out why Sophie died, she (the vet) said Sophie had “bled out” and the only other times she’s seen that was when dogs got into rat poison. There’s no doubt in my mind what so ever that Sophie was poisoned by the food. She’s with me 24/7 and there’s no posion here. I’m just devistated. Thanks for caring.
March 28th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Claire,
I am so sorry about your Sophie. I feel Hill’s dry foods are contaminated. Our cat died after eating Hill’s Prescription dry c/d. We had just bought a new bag. The FDA is going to pick up the remainder of the food to test it. I saved out enough for testing by an independent lab if I can find one.
We all care and are so sorry for your loss.
March 28th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
For anyone interestd in making their own cat food see this link:
http://www.catinfo.org/
The site is done by a lady vet and she’s VERY well educated & informed about cat nutrition.
March 28th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
Our 6 year old toy poodle (pure bred) had enjoyed perfect health up until two months ago. She ate only Eukenuba dry pet food. In a very short period of time, she lost complete control over urinary function (never happened before), lost about 20% of her weight, became lethargic and very ill. We took her into the vet who did a urine test and x-ray. The x-ray was clear, but the urine test showed crystals. He put her on Royal Canin. She would not eat it, lost more weight and continued her downward spiral. We switched vets. After much discussion we convinced the new vet to do blood work which showed acute kidney failure. The vet said that our dog would die in 1 to 6 months. All of this happened before the recall. We insisted that our dog be placed on fluid therapy which we now administer each evening via IV.
I then proceeded to report all of this to the FDA, Pet Food Manufacturers, Pet Food Retailers, elected officials (2 US Senators, 1 Representative, and The President of the United States) and the press (CNN & ABC News). The extremely dubious reporting process, lack of interest of our elected officials and media certainly does explain why there are not more reports being filed or process. At each and every step, I encounted denial and cover ups. With the FDA, which after much insistance finally accepted my complaint but never requested a sampling of the contaminated food (I still have it), I was immediately told that dry food was not recalled. The implication was clear as it was with the Pet Food Manufacturer and Retalier-do not waste our time with a complaint about dry pet food. I had to insist that a report be processed. I responded to the FDA and the Manufacturer, “how do you know the food is safe? Do you not have a legal, ethical and moral obligation to process these complaints? If more pet owners such as myself make similar complaints, then maybe an investigation will follow.” After much insistance, my complaint was finally taken. I’ve also contacted the legal firm in Seattle which is handling the class action case. They informed me that they too had received many complaints about contaminated dry pet food.
None of the news networks have responded to any of my complaints. I’ve received nothing but form letters from all of the elected officials I contacted and not even a form letter from the president of the United States. The coverage is so extremely biaised towards the Pet Food Manufacturers. Vets are put on TV proclaiming the safety of dry pet food. An industry which has killed thousands of pets because of the documented presence of rat poisoning in wet pet food, is granted by the Media the benefit of the doubt about dry pet food. How is this possible in America?
I have never been a partisan of conspiracy theory, but I am absolutely disgusted by the entire process. A government to which we pay hard earned tax dollars that could care less about this criminal activity; a supposed free press that has taken the side of America; and elected officials at the highest level of government who do not respond to the desperate pleas of their constituents.
Completely lost in the entire process, is a wonderful being, our poodle, who is in the process of dying a horrific death before our eyes. Completely lost in the process is a 3 year old girl and a 14 year young women (our daughters), who was raised by this adopted mother/sister and who will loose shortly this beloved family member. Completely lost in the entire process are the parents of this wonderful child, who must now bear witness to this horrific death and make at some point the decision to put her life to an end when the suffering becomes too much.
I ask you all, is our daughter’s terminal illness and inevitable death a meaningless statistic? I think not and will fight as hard as I can to ensure that it does not become one.
March 28th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
Thanks for caring. I have contacted my local TV news and they are investigating the dry dog food also. I have also give them this web page to read how many people are having the same problem with dry dog food. I just want everyone to know about the dry food so they can beware and save there pets.
March 28th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
my 3 year old pitbull has had lots of algery problums in the past, so when he got sick the vet said “oh its just algerys” but that same day i saw the recall of IAMS wet food and stoped feeding him the IAMS dry food immeaditly. He soon got a little better on the ground beef and rice diet i was feeding him, but he lost 10 lbs and for a 50lb dog thats alot so i decited to feed him the dry food once again. and what did i wake up to? pee on my bed, vomit in 5 spots on my white carpet, and poo just about everywhare else. I stoped feeding him that crap instantly and he is slowley geting back to himself (still 10lb light) CAN ANYBODY SAY CLASS ACTION??? i dont know what to feed him now, if anyone has an idea please e-mail me bmt602@aol.com
P.S. i bought the bad food at albertsons in henderson, NV
March 28th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
To Beau,
I truly think a raw food diet is probably best. Am I doing it? No. I did for a while but was having trouble finding food I liked. Would probably be a good time for some on-line research.
Currently for my two dogs I use Blue Buffalo dry food. There’s no wheat in it. Blue Buffalo is sold in Petsmart and it’s made in Connecticut. But, I also cook chicken for them and add vegetables to it. That takes the place of canned food which I just don’t feel safe using any longer.
March 29th, 2007 at 12:02 am
maybe animals that have been dying from these diseases for years were never connected to the food source until now. I think its been the food all along thats making pets sick, but now people are aware of why.
I’ve switched to either home cooked or completely holistic brands
March 29th, 2007 at 2:38 am
Could someone please either compile a list or point me in the right direction if one already exists, for the specific Flavors/Formulations of the suspicious dry foods? I am particularly interested in the Iams dry products and the Purina dry as I feed several different flavors/formulations and am trying to determine how great the risk and if I need to discontinue them? Breaking it down farther, I need to know if any cat illness or death has been attributed to Iams Original Chicken and Rice in the orange bag or Iams Multicat in the blue bag, also Purina “One” chicken and rice and Pro-Plan Adult Chicken and rice. I have special needs cats and do not want to risk gastrointestinal upset by changing foods unless necessary.None of them were eating any of the recalled wet food but I still have huge concerns about the safety of the dry. Thanks.Sue
March 29th, 2007 at 4:41 am
All of my animals were eating some form of Nutro.
Dog was on Ultra Holostic Nutro for Large Breed dogs and Cats were on Ultra Indoor formula.
Unfortunately I did not save any samples (im kicking myself in the butt for that now). Our dog started throwing up a lot of mucous and some of his food, we thought perhaps worms so I dewormed him, but he still continued to vomit up his food. I pulled him off it immediately and started raw and I have had no problems since then.
Our cats wouldnt even eat the Nutro so I started feeding the junk cat food I feed the ferrals “Kit and Kaboodle”. We are now in the process of switching over to raw for them as well.
I strongly believe that the dry food is also tainted or just poison itself. We will not be going back to a Manufactured food and I will continue to make their foods for them.
March 29th, 2007 at 7:08 am
I everyone there I know what you’re saying, I did a test yrs ago on my pups, feed them 2 hrs before travelling, then when they threw up it was the same as what went in, no digestive tract etc, it hadn’t even broken down to go thr the body, so in what they are saying it takes a lot of digestive system to send it thr and then a whole lot more more to digest it.
If you’re worried about it then don’t feed your dogs any sort of dried food whatsoever, go back to usng raw meat or raw veges or raw whatever. Jan
March 29th, 2007 at 8:50 am
MY cats have been sick for three days from eating Iams Original Dry food. Iams Original Dry is all I have feed them for the past eight years. I bought a new bag last Saturday at PetCo. Started noticing the next day they became VERY lethargic, not sick, but out of their routine. All they do is lie around and drink all the time. I called Iams and made a report, gave them the ID Codes from the new bag, but they told me nothing was wrong as their dry food was made in their own factory. Something is VERY wrong with my cats. All they have eaten is Iams Original Dry food.
March 29th, 2007 at 9:24 am
Jojo said: “When others show concern about the food their cats or dogs are eating, posters like you express the idea that they are overreacting.”
I think you are failing to understand my point here.
By questioning the numbers posted, I wasn’t saying that I believed them to be false. And if someone’s pet is sick, they’re certainly not overreacting to be concered about the food. I was questioning the numbers because it’s a small amount of data and I wanted more information. Numbers on their own don’t tell you much. For instance, if you say 13 people who ate at a restaurant got sick afterwards… that’s data with no information. How many people ate there total? 13 out of 50 would be a high percentage, 13 out of 500, not so much. Is there a flu going around or something else going on that could explain those people getting sick? Are two of those people exibiting different symptoms than the other 11? Wanting more information is not the same as saying “so what, who cares”. It’s critical thinking.
I consider myself lucky that I don’t happen to feed any foods made by Menu. It’s pure coincidence that I don’t, it doesn’t make me feel superior. And I do feel compassion for those that were feeding the recalled foods, or who have concern about foods that aren’t on the recall list, and frankly I’m horrified at the number of folks who will be/are affected if this recall expands to dry food. I don’t really appreciate being judged and called a cold hearted snob when I’m on the same side as others here- I want Menu and the FDA to be accountable for this fiasco, and I want people to learn about better choices for what to feed their pets.
My condolonces to those who have lost pets, and best wishes to those who are learning and making changes to their pets diet.
March 29th, 2007 at 9:51 am
Here’s a great link to a site that lists foods NOT on the recall list:
http://petsitusa.com/blog/?p=210.
March 29th, 2007 at 9:55 am
Janice,
Thanks for sharing what dog food is working for you. I have an Aussie mix and a border collie/terrier/heinz 57 mix.
To some of the other postings…I am so sorry to read about your losses and thank you for sharing, so the rest of us can become educated.
March 29th, 2007 at 11:28 am
This was posted on another site:
“Julie Schmit // Mar 18, 2007 at 11:56 am
I’m a reporter for USA TODAY, trying to locate someone who’se pets ate these products. Please call me: 925-528-3657 ”
Note the date, Mar 18th, so she’s talking about wet foods. However, might not be a bad idea to let her know if you’ve had problems with dry food.
March 29th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
In August 2006 I lost my much loved Rottie mix. He had been eating Nutro Lamb and Rice Large Breed Adult, the store where I bought his food was out of that type when his food got low, so I bought a bag of I think Nutro Max Natural (the only other one I could find not containing corn) to mix in and tide him over. He stopped eating, would only eat a few bites and walk away. Took him to my vet, who figured a bad tooth was the most likely explanation, so we cleaned all his teeth and removed the bad one. Curly Joe never recovered from this simple surgery, over the next two weeks he just got weaker and weaker. After antibiotics and steroids, we did some blood work and found his liver enzymes bad. The next step was a liver biopsy. His liver was found to be literally cracking apart and bleeding, therefore no sample was taken. Curly Joe died that night, I have no doubt that he would have anyway even had we not done the surgery, and I don’t blame my vet at all. I did send samples of both bags of food to Nutro for testing, many weeks later I got a letter from them stating that nothing was found to be wrong with the food. On that note, I decided the food was safe, and tried to feed it to my other dogs. NONE OF THEM WOULD EVEN TOUCH IT!
Wish I had kept those bags of rejected food so I could now send them to FDA.
Curly Joe was a large dog, he was almost 10, but he was not by any means an old dog, still active, always ready to go (part lab), his coat was shiny, the bad tooth was no doubt caused by playing tug-of-war with an over exuberant 10 year old boy (Curly always let him win), I know this is no scientific evidence but in my own mind and in my heart I know that Nutro was to blame for his death.
March 29th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Peggy,
What is the manufacture date on the Iams Adult Original? I have some here but don’t know if I should open it or not.
If this were the case, why isn’t it on any known recall lists?
March 29th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Peggy, could you please tell me what the initials INDR WGH CTR HB stand for? I can’t get Iams’ site to load or I would look there. Interested because a friend feeds Iams but I don’t know which one and don’t know what those initials mean.
March 29th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Peggy,
I’m just guessing here but I am thinking that those abbreviations stand for Iams Indoor, Weight Control and Hairball formulas?? Sue
March 29th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
AL,
I’m very sorry to hear that your cats are sick, I hope they will all be ok! Do they seem to be getting any worse?
I have fed the IAMS original chicken and rice for more years than I can remember to many cats and overall it has always seemed to work well and I’ve been pleased with it.
I have special needs cats and they have done fine on it in the past, but now there are so many unanswered questions! It’s a worry for sure that the dry Iams keeps popping up as being a potential contaminated food. Sue
March 29th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Something that I have not seen mentioned is: any cat with residual kidney damage or immune issues resulting from exposure to this toxin(s), whether from wet or dry food, is going to have to watch CRF issues (chronic renal failure) and other immune-related problems/diseases in cats VERY CAREFULLY FROM NOW ON for who knows how long. This is not just an issue until you find another food!! Start getting info now so you are not left without the facts. If your vet wasn’t omniscient enough to warn you about the dangers of the petfood industry, don’t expect him/her/them to google into the future effects on your pet either!! This is up to you if you want to protect your pets health.
Feline health links: http://www.mindspring.com/~kerspin/
March 29th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
For pets with immune systems compromised by the effects of this toxin (see VIN for info on that) please be aware that vaccinations should NOT be given to pets that are already ill.
It’s not only the petfood industry that panders to vets for profit - big pharmaceuticals also do this. For a look at what one forward looking DVM with PHD in immunology has to say about this see: http://www.drpitcairn.com/talk.....cines.html
March 29th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Thanks for the info, Sue. For some reaon my mind was on dog food and I couldn’t come up with sensible translations of those initials. Cat food, makes perfect sense.
March 29th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
1. My brother very healthy dog died last year suddenly of kidney failure. My brother assumed the dog had eaten something toxic, however he fed the dog mainly O’Roy dry food. He lives in CA.
2. In Michigan, my cats eat dry and wet food. The tortie basically lived on dry MaxCat. She has a bad stomach and for some reason does not throw up MaxCat. However I was feeding all my cats recall canned IAMS as well as occasional canned tuna. Last year they were getting Nutro pouches also. In the last few weeks before the recall, all cats were rejecting the wet food, but gobbling the tuna. I thought they were jaded. Their fur became dingy and shed heavily, they stopped acting like cats - stretching, yawning, grooming. They started terrible vomiting just before the recall. I stopped all this food, including the dry MaxCat. Two are improving. The tortie, who ate the most MaxCat dry is still throwing up most food, but not the strange vomit they had in the beginning which was filled with watery liquid and mucous. I am worried about her but also, broke.
Like so many cats I hear about my cats did not want to eat the wet cat food. However they are not too fond of the replacements either yet they all want tuna for humans, fish from fast food sandwiches, and fast food chicken. There is something in even the safe brands they do not like.
3. My husband’s coworker fed his cat only MaxCat dry. Last year the young cat went into renal failure, and died $4000 later
March 29th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
This is so awful the whole thing. I am thankful I only feed raw food from someone I know. The food is from an organic source and for that I am fortunate and grateful. All the breeders looking feeding this insane food and I mean all dry food which I describe as “Fast Food for dogs and cats” are looking at why their puppies are dying of kidney failure and other things. I have friends who have lost animals for no reason. fine one day then dead. This should be taken to the highest courts and this industry sued for all it is worth. The gaul to feed animals any of this crap. I don’t know of any animal who goes out to wheat and corn fields and eats that crap. Fresh vestables, fruits chicken thighs, duck beef. Then you have these vets supplying the animals with Science diet and all the other crap.
I think it is lazzyness that has created this; lazyness on the part of pet companions as well as the industry as a whole. It is a dam shame.
March 29th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Itchmo, I have a question for you. I researched and found that China sells 28 million pounds of prepared wheat gluten a year to the US. Wheat gluten is prepared by washing with water, so Chinese water had to be used.
USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/news/n.....htm?csp=34
However, where is Wheat gluten, or even ‘wheat’ listed on the recalled foods. Not in the IAMS flake tuna in the can. I also found that China is now shipping wheat approved for humans. Is human approved wheat gluten also allowed to be left off the label?
http://english.peopledaily.com.....2687.shtml
http://www.alibaba.com/country.....luten.html
March 29th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
I just received a 2nd call from the local FDA office in Shreveport, LA. The gentleman who called was very polite and listened again to my story. I asked about the number of reports the FDA had received since the Menu recall and he said in 2 weeks the four state area of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee had received more than 8,000 complaints regarding contaminated pet food. He said this is a very significant number. My particular case has been referred to the Kansas City office of the FDA because that is where the Hill’s Prescription dry food was manufactured. He stressed that if I did not hear something from Kansas City FDA in 2 weeks to call him back and he would investigate further. He had been out on a call about a sick dog in Shreveport or he would have called back sooner. He apologized for not calling more quickly.
Please, please, please call your local or state FDA. He acted a little surprised that I had been told to contact the state FDA. He acted like contacting the local office would have resulted in quicker action on my complaint. So you might check your phone books or google in the FDA in your city to find the local number.
We must continue to press our case so our fur kids will not have died in vain. We must also keep this from happening to any other pets now and in the future.
March 29th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
I had to put my 6 year old sheltie to sleep on Monday because of kidney failure. She was eating Nutro dry dog food. I am devastated, and angry; when will all of this end?
March 29th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
Kristy I am so sorry for your loss. I have four shelties and I refuse to feed them anything but raw food. The food I get I personally checked out and know the butcher and the butcher shop where it is being made here in Arizona. God I can’t say how sorry I am. These little loved ones have to suffer before mankind gets a clue.
I now know what people food has to look forward to. This crap about products from China and Chile have to stop coming in to the U.S. We all need to get up and fight back.
March 29th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
I lost my cat due to feeding him the Walmart brand of kitty food. My husband said he acts like he has been poisoned and thought no more of it. I couldn’t see him suffer anylonger so I asked him to put him out of his misery. And he did. The following week end we find out we had been feeding him the tainted food. We might have been able to save him if the had announced that the food had been tainted…. Menu foods STINK!
March 29th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
E wem, that is exactly what my cat was doing before he died! He was eating 9 lives canned food. Shredded turkey with gravy, tuna and egg, turkey and giblets, turkey dinner and super supper. He would eat it then throw it up. He was throwing up a lot of wet watery stuff too. Started loosing his hair,grooming all the time and drinking tons of water. He started to refuse to eat the 9 lives and would only eat a bit of human tuna or some raw ground beef. He was sick for about a month and a half then died in my arms. I think he would have been gone sooner if I hadn’t been mixing either fresh ground beef or bits of fresh pork or human tuna in with his 9 lives….he died almost 3 weeks ago now.
FDA has NOT called back and Del Monte denies there is any problem with their canned 9 lives food. I beg to differ with them. My cat is dead. He died in my arms after a massive seizure. I am still devastated about it. Unfortunately I gave away all the left over canned pet food…..
Bear was only 7 yrs old and up until early Jan he was a big strapping healthy Maine coon cat of 16 lbs. He wieghed about 10 when he died..
March 29th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
Hello,
I am confused as to why Natural Balance is listed under “Number of Specific Dog Food Brands Reported”? I only feed Natural Balance, so naturally after this recall I contacted the company to see if they were involved. They assured me that they had no involvement, nor were they associated with Menu Foods or any of the companies involved in this recall. Further, their web site states the following “NOTICE:
NO Natural Balance® products are produced
by ANY company associated
with the Pet Food Recall.
For more information, go to www.fda.gov.” After going to the FDA site I found that Natural Balance was NOT on the recall list. I was also under the impression that this recall only effected canned food not dry. Since I feed my dogs Natural Balance, I am very curious to know why you have listed them under this list? I would also like to see what report you based this on. Further, all the posting I have read on this site has nothing but good things to say about Natural Balance. Any response would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Confused210
March 29th, 2007 at 11:31 pm
Confused210, this is a self-reported list of consumers who feel that DRY food has made them sick. The recall only affects WET food. At only 1 report, it’s not statistically significant enough to mean anything.
March 29th, 2007 at 11:41 pm
I have three dogs. I fed them Nutro Natural Choice small bites & senior dry food. All three got sick, with vomiting including yellow bile, bloody diarrhea, urgent need to urinate, excessive thirst.
I took them to the vet and had a blood work up done on all three. The two that ate most of the food have kidney failure, and the other one has liver failure.
I contacted menu foods first, they told me to contact Nutro, which I did. They took my information, and told me they will get in touch with me. I also contacted the FDA. Anyone who’s pet is ill or passed needs to do this. I would advise everyone to not feed their pets any of these foods, dry food included. These dry foods need to be tested, and recalled!
I’m very sorry for everyone who lost a beloved pet and everyone who’s pet’s are sick from this horror. I am very upset and sad about this turn of events.
March 29th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
Lil Bear’s Momma, you described the symptoms better than I did. I put out Wysong, Wellness, and Meow Mix dry food to replace the recall brands. My tortie has eaten mainly Meow Mix (Del Monte). I know this because she is throwing up red - the dye color of the Meow Mix. So I have removed Meow Mix to see if she does any better.
I could not find a single a pet food maker that clearly states they make their product from scratch. They are buying things like chicken meal from other manufacturers, or having their products made at places like Menu who add Chinese wheat gluten without listing it on the label. One maker stated they use only the finest chicken meal. What does that mean? Chicken meal from where? Chicken meal with rat poison?
I am absolutely stumped. I do not know what to buy. ‘All meat’ means nothing unless I know they started with a cow or chicken.
Made in USA? That means canned in USA. Big deal. My baby is so sick and there is not an honest supplier out there, except the raw food suppliers.
It hurts to read about Lil Bear.
March 30th, 2007 at 2:43 am
MY dog died on Christmas night 2006. I fed him Pedigree for seniors, Pedigree wet food and Purina One.
My sister has had 3 cats die from October, 2006 until February 2007. She fed her cats Friskies, 9-Lives and occasionally for a treat Iams.
March 30th, 2007 at 8:54 am
I was reading the post by “Anonymous” & I just have to say that I experienced quite the opposite. I am virtually hounded by my vet’s office to switch to the more expensive product which can only be ordered through them or another dealer. I was told that all pet food which can be purchased from retailers is the equivalent of eating fast food for every meal. I did not switch because one of my pets has digestive problems and can only tolerate the Eukanuba dry food (I have tried Nutro, Science Diet, Iams, & Purina). When the initial recall came out, we had little info on it, but worried because our other pet had recently begun to have stomach problems on and off since December. A stool sample brought to the vet yielded nothing more than being told “it could be anything: stress, the food, a virus. There’s no way to know.” Since it was only on and off, & the recall only included wet food, we let it go. Now I am concerned, but also confused as to what dry food is OK to feed them. I have been unable to find any news related to dry food causing illness/death, although this morning my husband heard on the radio Iams, Eukanuba, and Purina were recalling dry food. That prompted my search, but has thus far come up empty.
March 30th, 2007 at 9:20 am
For all who have lost a PRECIOUS PET or has one who is sick, my heart goes out to you.
At the present time I do not have a pet but I have in the past & know what you are feeling.
My friends have 2 standard Poodles, both of which are their “BABY’sâ€. The oldest is a 9 ½ yr old “RESCUE“, & the younger one is 4 ½, both were fed “ONLY THE BEST FOR MY BABY†Hills Science Diet. During the early part of 2006 the older dog’s health SUDDENLY started to deteriorate to the point where the Vet was advising that he soon be put to sleep. The younger dog never had any problems or showed any signs of distress, while both were on the same food.
As no REAL diagnosis could be found as to his illness my friends became convinced that he was allergic to his food & through a friend they learned about the differences in the ingredients of pet foods. They did a lot of research & found a Super Premium all natural pet food that they tried. After a short time his condition improved to the point where he got back to being “HIS OLD SELFâ€.
This occurred in early 2006 so his illness was not related to this recall. BUT since the switch BOTH pups are healthy & happy today. The brand they found is not available nation wide but is available in limited markets for both dogs & cats & they do free home deliveries.
Check out www.naturesselectusa.com & decide if this product would be RIGHT for your pets. I suggest that you also do some comparisons to other Super Premium pet foods.
I just had to post this story & I hope this post is helpful.
March 30th, 2007 at 10:56 am
After reading all of these postings I find that most people need to pay attention to signs. Animals by nature do not eat any grains and grains grow in field that are sprayed with pesticides. Dogs eyes will water, dogs get black around the corner of their eyes. Their eyes look watery. The dog itches (it is not because of fleas they get treated for fleas then there is another problem) If the animal is fed a natual food that they if on their own would eat i.e. vegs, fruits and meat (chicken, duck, rabit, beef) you will not see the problems with itching, fleas, watery eyes, hot spots, etc.
I feed only raw and have had no problems yet I used to 7 years ago feed dry and had all of the above mentioned problems. My heart goes out to all of you who have lost a loved one.
March 30th, 2007 at 11:42 am
I have a very healthy seven year cat who has not had a single thing wrong with him in his entire life, I’ve been feeding him Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care Indoor formula for the majority of his life, he has never once had any problems. Except shortly after purchasing his last bag of Nutro, he started losing hair and becoming constantly itchy and somewhat fatigued. While I don’t know if this could be related to the Nutro dry, I thought it would be worth mentioning. I’m taking him to the vet today for a checkup/ blood work.
March 30th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
[…] reported on possible dry food contamination earlier in the week as well as what may happen if aminopterin was not the cause of deaths. […]
March 30th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
dear adrienne:
LETS NOT JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS HUH?
sincerely,
4lgdfriend.
March 30th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
[…] Itchmo offers more on what pet-food terms really mean. […]
March 30th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
What’s ARF?
sorry to be so ignorant.
March 30th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
ARF= acute renal failure.
Now one very important thing is missing here. Do we know the ages of the animals that ate these foods and died of ARF? Since older animals are naturally more likely to end up with it and it would have nothing to do with the food. Where as younger animals it would be much more suspicous of the food. I am just finishing veterinary assistant school and these are important factors as to if these numbers mean anything at all.
March 30th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Are there others out there with a sudden onset of diabetes in a pet with none of the risk factors? Our cat Sterling has always been fit, slim & active & was declared in amazing health at his annual checkup a few months ago. Then in February he developed a very sudden & extremely severe insulin-resistant onset of diabetes. The timing now makes me wonder especially with so much unknown about what is in this pet food.
March 30th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
DATABASE OF DRY PET FOODS CONTAINING WHEAT GLUTEN:
The Pet Food Project has a database of DRY pet foods containing wheat gluten. Go to this link to do a Search. Click on “dry food” in the left column, type in “wheat gluten” in the search box.
And everyone is wondering if DRY is affected? Duh.
March 30th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
DATABASE OF DRY PET FOODS CONTAINING WHEAT GLUTEN:
The Dog Food Project has a database of DRY pet foods containing wheat gluten. Go to this link to do a Search. Click on “dry food” in the left column, type in “wheat gluten” in the search box.
And everyone is wondering if DRY is affected? Duh. Go here:
http://forums.dogfoodproject.c.....rd=dogfood
March 30th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Janice and others…just an FYI…
I took Janice’s advice and started switching my dogs last night from Nutro dry and Iams puppy food to Natural Balance dry food…I witnessed the same thing has Janice: my adult dog on Nutro…picked out the Natural Balance and ate it all first. I didn’t see the same with my puppy who is on Iams. Just wanted to share, because it surprised me that I saw the same thing with my dog as Janice shared earlier.
March 30th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
From www.dailykos.com For the past few months have only fed IAMS dry to my cats and dogs. One new dog had a bloody stool at the adoptions, lots of blood but when Ibrought him home he has been OK. Maybe the combination of IAMS and stress of being in a cage. My Orange cat has had a bloody stool.
March 30th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Have been lately feeding Purina One to my cats and one has a bloody stool. Will take him off immediately.
March 30th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
I had 4 very beautiful cur/lab mix puppies, 8 weeks old. Yes, I said had, one of my puppies died and we had the other 3 put to sleep before they suffered anymore. I fed my puppies purina puppy chow. I first started noticing a change in them about 5 days ago. They lost weight very fast, had renal failure and craved water. Just wanted to post to let people know. I have other dogs that I am afraid to feed any kind of dog food. I know they say table food is not good for dogs, well when I weigh the difference I think I’ll go for the table food. At least until I know this is over. I have two children and their hearts are broken, as is mine. We live in Florien, La. and I know for a fact we are not the only ones in this area that have experienced this. My pets are family members we love them all and this is just devistating.
March 30th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
I am extremely disturbed by the new development in the pet food recall today. The FDA is now saying that Aminopterin is not the likely candidate for the poisonings, but a chemical called Melamine has been found in samples and in the renal tissues of animals who died. We are being lied to by all involved, it seems to me. I’ve decided the only safe cat food is one free of any types of grains, fruits, veggies, etc… I purchased a product, after research, that is a raw diet containing no produce of any kind, shipped frozen via next day delivery. It arrived still mostly frozen and looking and smelling very fresh. My problem is our cats refuse to eat it. I took away their dry Friskies cat food today and am feeding them every four hours in small amounts the new raw food in an attempt to get them hungry enough to eat it (at the recommendation of the raw food website). If this is unsuccessful, can anyone recommend a dry, all natural food my cats might like? It may not be raw, which I’ve researched and found to be the most sensical diet for my little carnivores, but at least it wouldn’t be a commercial brand food without any safety or health precautions in place.
Thanks!
March 30th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
TJ,
Hang in there. When your cats get hungry enough, they’ll eat. I’ve had my cats of raw food in the past. A couple took to it right away, a couple didn’t. I offered it twice a day. Eventually the two hold-outs came around. Don’t worry. Remember in the wild they only eat once a day, sometimes not even that much is the “catch” is not abundant.
What brand did you decide on?
March 30th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
I use WYSONG, various dry varieties, for my cats. But I think for a while I am going to just have to make them something with meat and rice.
My heart goes out to anyone who has lost a pet.
March 30th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
Thank you for putting this information together. I had emailed you regarding my cat that passed away. She was 7 years old, healthy and ate Nutro Dry. My dog also got sick, eating Nutro Dry. He is doing better now, I switched him and my other cat to Science Diet. For our follow up vet visit, we are going to ask about organic food options.
All this research is really starting to get attention. Today was the first time I had heard the concern about dry food mentioned on the news. All these deaths are not a “coincidence” and I am glad our voices are finally being heard!!
March 30th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
http://www.catnutrition.org/recipes.html
I found this website for home made cat food owners, it orginated from a post above. I am going to make it over the weekend to ride out this BS. I really hope Menu Foods goes under due to this unforgivable problem.
Not sure what I would do if I lost either of our cats, they are our children.
I feel for everyone who has lost a pet.
March 30th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
“benemo Says:
March 29th, 2007 at 11:31 pm
Confused210, this is a self-reported list of consumers who feel that DRY food has made them sick. The recall only affects WET food. At only 1 report, it’s not statistically significant enough to mean anything.”
If you believe everything they are telling you I feel bad for you.
March 30th, 2007 at 9:37 pm
benemo, email me at keen@mac.com if it’s info you need!
March 30th, 2007 at 10:37 pm
My beloved 9yr old healthy 140lbs Rottweiller “Hercules†died on March 13/07. He was on the dry Iams weight management. I came home in late February and found him paralyzed and lethargic in my bed. He had stopped eating his kibble apx 1 week prior. However, he would eat human food. His belly was rock hard and he seemed to be in alot of discomfort. I rushed him to the vet -who had no clue what was wrong with him. The vet gave him a shot of steroids, did some blood tests and gave me a supply of steroid pills which gave him the strength to walk with assistance for about a week. I told the vet that I had thought he had a bad batch of food and I actually returned the dry food for a refund after showing the manager my vet bill. My boy hung on to dear life until March 14 until he collapsed on my back step…dead.
His belly was 2X the regular size and still rock hard. He also had extreme thirst & urination but no vomiting or diarrhea (however he was burping and gagging quite a bit) I am so guilt ridden with the fact that my poor dog was suffering and didnt have the words to tell me. According to my vet Herc still had many years to go & his illness was not age related. PEOPLE DO NOT FEED YOUR ANIMALS ANY DRY OR WET IAMS FOOD PRODUCTS!!!!!! Also I contacted Iams to inform them that it was the dry food that killed my dog and they said to fax my vet bill to them for an immediate reimbursement. My lawyer has advised against this. Somebody is going to pay. My young children have been so traumatized that they are sleeping with me every night & keep having nightmares from seeing their beloved family member drop dead before their eyes-while I cry hysterically trying to revive him. They wont even go downstairs at night alone because they’re “scared without Hercâ€. BTW I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. jen@goddessfilmproductions.com
March 30th, 2007 at 10:52 pm
Patricia says:
Have you seen the blog and the figures about dead pets on petconnection.com? 2.400 pets deceased. Go check it out, very interesting. I fed my dogs Pedigree Dry (all kinds, from senior to lamb and rice etc.), two Jack Russell Terrier, one is almost 8 years old and has suddendy cushings desease (drinking a lot of water, urge to urinate, he also had blood in his stool).His illness (we are at $ 1,350.- now) came very sudden, everything was OK in Sept. last year. My other dog is a female one year old (just adopted), had to vomit recently inlcuding yellow bile, and vomited violently. I switched to “Good Life” dry dog food, supposedly all natural, no fillers, artificial colors and preservatives. It’s not on the list (yet), but I am already thinking of cooking their food now. Boykott is the best, withholding our money, until corporate America (the food producers AND the news media) come to their senses.
March 30th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
I’m so tore up reading some of these, they really have an impact. Sorry to all of you who have sick pets, and sorry for all our lost comrades. Wet or dry, it doesn’t matter, they are still dying. Has anyone read our posts and listened and saved their loved ones? I’m hoping that people realize that there is no reason for any of us here to be other than truthful. We have no shareholders to make happy, not one person here is making anything not a penny. We are in some cases, mad as hell, but liars we are not. I know there will be a recall on the DRY foods in short order. What I’m afraid of is that they don’t know what’s killing our pets and are only speculating at this point. Pointing fingers thousands of miles away so as to defray the blame. Blame will not bring our pets back or pay for their care, now and into the future. I can’t say for sure if justice will ever be served, kismet.
As our headaches continue their psyco bable runs rampant. We have to learn by this, how can we fight them when they have no fear. What’s really going to happen here. No one will go to jail, no one will pay the price of what we all have lost or are losing. The only thing that can be done is to BOYCOTT retailers who profit from the sales of products that kill.
keen and Abby Gayle
March 31st, 2007 at 12:17 am
there are so many more!
By Jen, 3-30-07
My beloved 9yr old healthy 140lbs Rottweiller “Hercules†died on March 13/07. He was on the dry Iams weight management. I came home in late February and found him paralyzed and lethargic in my bed. He had stopped eating his kibble apx 1 week prior. However, he would eat human food. His belly was rock hard and he seemed to be in alot of discomfort. I rushed him to the vet -who had no clue what was wrong with him. The vet gave him a shot of steroids, did some blood tests and gave me a supply of steroid pills which gave him the strength to walk with assistance for about a week. I told the vet that I had thought he had a bad batch of food and I actually returned the dry food for a refund after showing the manager my vet bill. My boy hung on to dear life until March 14 until he collapsed on my back step…dead.
His belly was 2X the regular size and still rock hard. He also had extreme thirst & urination but no vomiting or diarrhea (however he was burping and gagging quite a bit) I am so guilt ridden with the fact that my poor dog was suffering and didnt have the words to tell me. According to my vet Herc still had many years to go & his illness was not age related. PEOPLE DO NOT FEED YOUR ANIMALS ANY DRY OR WET IAMS FOOD PRODUCTS!!!!!! Also I contacted Iams to inform them that it was the dry food that killed my dog and they said to fax my vet bill to them for an immediate reimbursement. My lawyer has advised against this. Somebody is going to pay. My young children have been so traumatized that they are sleeping with me every night & keep having nightmares from seeing their beloved family member drop dead before their eyes-while I cry hysterically trying to revive him. They wont even go downstairs at night alone because they’re “scared without Hercâ€. BTW I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. jen@goddessfilmproductions.com
cross posted keen for Abby Gayle
March 31st, 2007 at 12:27 am
On March 3rd our diabetic and blind rat terrier had become violently ill after a two hour nap. Before that I had taken him on a long energetic walk. After the walk, I fed him his usual Science Diet W/D dry dog food. When he awoke he could barely stand and began vomiting. He was sick every hour on the hour throughout the night. By morning we decided to end his suffering and had the vet put him down.
This was a week before any media reports of pet food contamination. Just a few days before I thought to myself that he would be with us for quite some time yet and then out of the blue he was so weak and sick.
I am still in shock and miss him dearly. The last thing we wanted to chance was a long stay at the vet office for an outcome that he would not have survived. I know he is in a much better place but I have always had the feeling deep in my heart that it wasn’t his diabetes that made him so ill on March 3rd.
Now I am totally disgusted by all the similar postings by pet owners who have had to put their animals down as I have.
March 31st, 2007 at 1:01 am
My cat just went to the vet because she was vomiting and had diarrhea. She has been eating Science Diet dry food.
March 31st, 2007 at 1:20 am
questions maybe yes.
i would like to know why my father when he was a farmer got paid by our government for leaving wheat fields bare. so we could buy wheat from China?
and why i do not see posts about what critter food IS safe?
March 31st, 2007 at 2:23 am
My toy poodle died on February 9, 2007 of renal failure. She was four and half years old and healthy.
She ate Iams dry down all the time and Mighty Dog wet in the evening.
This was before the recall. I have tried to call the number given to report this but have not been able to get through.
I sent an email to both Mighty Dog and Iam with no answer.
My baby was SOOOOO sick and I never thought it was the food since she has ate this most of her life. She lost bladder control and had blood in her urine near the end. She would vomit and was in so much pain that I had her put down on the date above. I couldn’t watch her suffer any longer.
What my vet thought was just a bladder infection and later did blood work showed full renal failure.
Nothing will replace my baby. I don’t even have the bag any longer but I do have some of the pouches left, why, I don’t know. Guess what, the numbers on the pouch matched the recall that came days later after her death.
I have a standard poodle too who ate the same food and showed no symptoms, but she is much bigger than my toy poodle and I am taking her in to have blood work done to see what damage to her kidneys have been done by this food.
I want everyone to know that not all deaths have been reported yet and the number given is hard to get through. My heart is so broken. My Sammy baby was my life. Even her sister, my standard, misses her so much she is depressed.
How dare they say this food is complete. I have become a smarter consumer and learned more about pet food. Now my standard is on SOLID GOLD dry and wet. Lord forbid if this stuff gets recalled, I will have to learn to cook again (LOL) just for my baby.
Sammy, my heart, my love, I am sorry. I didn’t know what was causing you to suffer so. Now I know. Now I know. I miss you baby, I miss you so much I cry daily for you. I love you and wish I could take back the past months and do it differently.
March 31st, 2007 at 5:18 am
STEPFORD VETS: Don’t get me wrong. I have had a good veterinarian before, but just don’t jive with their ideas on nutrition. Where do they get this stuff? The last part of veterinary school for some of these ’specialists’ must be deprogramming or brainwashing by the Hill corporation to such a degree to enables these fledgling veterinarians to desensitize thoroughly enough to witness case after case of renal failure and still maintain that commercial food is more life-sustaining than home cooked or raw diets. Sheesh! One would have to have had a lobotomy to think that after watching these animals waste away, one after the other, and still not get the connection to STOP PROMOTING THE DARN COMMERCIAL FOOD, WET OR DRY. Well, this recall will have repercussions which will last YEARS and probably bleed right on into the next recall if people don’t put the almighty dollar in a completely different direction and starve corporations like MENU FOODS into bankruptcy. A new paradigm for animal nutritionists is in order. Commercial food is not the answer as it will be subject to future poisons.
March 31st, 2007 at 6:34 am
re Stepford Vets: Great posting. I especially like the part about starving the corporations like Menu Foods into bankruptcy.
That could get some legs and become a mantra; Starve Menu Foods and Starve Hills Pet Nutrition. Hills gets their own slogan because is anyone to believe they didn’t realize until YESTERDAY that the wheat gluten was in their m/d dry food?
March 31st, 2007 at 9:33 am
My thoughts and prayers go out to all who have lost or are losing a beloved friend.
As a long time employee of a nutrition oriented pet store, I would encourage those of you looking for good clean dry food to feed your critters, check out Natura.com. Unlike all the big name pet food companies that are owned by major human food conglomerates (pet foods are a very convenient place to incorporate the crap not fit for human consumption), Natura uses only human grade ingredients for their foods. In fact, this company came into existance because they realized that most pet foods on the market were crap and were slowly killing our animals. I had the pleasure of visiting their new state-of-the-art dry food plant several years ago and cannot begin to tell you how impressive that was! All employees are required to shower on site (preventing any inadvertant contamination of any kind) and don sterilized clothing before beginning their shift. The ingredients are human grade, clean and stored properly - as opposed to truckloads of restaurant grease and offal from rendering plants that sit in the sun and further degrade - then to be coated with heavy duty preservatives and cooked at such high temperatures that everything in it is destroyed ~ the good and the bad.
I do not mean to sound like a commercial ~ but I believe very strongly in this food and in the past 10 years (how long we’ve been selling this food in our store) have seen the results first hand. We board and do grooming as well, so we see and interact with these critters. We can spot an animal on a substandard diet a mile away - and we are not afraid to mention that to its human counterpart (sometimes we are considered a bit obnoxious in our zeal to convert the humans way of thinking about pet food!), but more often than not we later hear what a huge difference it has made in the life of the animal. And no, I recieve no kick-backs or special deals from Natura ~ but I live with 4 gorgeous healthy cats, which is the biggest best perk of all!
Natura’s wet food is made at Menu Foods South Dakota Plant - and from the research I have done, most (with the exception of Purina) wet pet foods are made by Menu Foods. The recipes come from their customers (SD, Iams, etc)- if these recipes did not call for wheat gluten - we wouldn’t be talking about this to begin with. This is not a necessary ingredient - but a cheap high protein substitute. This does not mean I am defending Menu Foods Income Fund - but their job is to do what they are told - and if that is make this stuff using the cheapest ingredients you can find, thats what they do. If they are told to make this recipe using high quality human food ingredients, thats what they will do.
Sorry to go on and on! In a nutshell, what we as caretakers need to do is read the label now! Please don’t wait for a food to be recalled (Purina just pulled its first food moments ago (you can go to the FDA website and sign up for notification of any recalls)) ~ go read the label now! If it has wheat gluten as an ingredient - do not feed it!!!! I don’t care who made it or what it is! Check out your treats too - if it lists wheat gluten as an ingredient - do not feed it!!!
March 31st, 2007 at 11:07 am
I think my cat may have died from eating Nutro Max Cat Chicken dry food. I opened a new bag in mid-January, and she did not display her ususal enthusiasm. In fact, she would not eat unless I stood by and coaxed her. This went on for about a week, then she began sleeping all day in a secluded place and skipping meals. I finally took her to my vet, who said she was dehydrated and kept her overnight for fluid transfusion. The next morning she went into congestive heart failure and died. She was my sole companion, the light of my life, and I miss her.
Damn the greedy bastards at Menu. They knew they were selling poison food after their taste-testing cats died. (New York Times 3/21). Yet they delayed the announcement for three months until the news began to leak out. Had I known that there was dangerous food on the market, my cat might still be alive.
Fourteen animals–Hah! It looks like the size of this tragedy is much larger than anyone suspected.
Al
March 31st, 2007 at 11:12 am
I, too, am concerned about the dry cat and dog food. My dogs were eating Beneful dry and doing fine until about a month ago. I switched to Purina and they don’t like it either. I then changed to kibbles n bits dry and they are eating it just fine. Then I noticed a problem with the dry cat food I was feeding my cats. Special Kitty was purchased by my grandson by accident and I fed it to them and they seemed to like it. But they are drinking more water and urinating more. The older cat (12) has lost weight and has grown very lethargic. i thought it might be her age as there was no recall on dry food. I also lost 2 rabbits within days of each other after feeding them the cheaper rabbit pellets. The one rabbit who has survived refused to eat it. I changed brands and he is fine. (they are mini’s) My question is how long will it take to decide which brands are contaminated? And how long will it take to find out how it is contaminated?
I also had problems with the cheaper brand of bird food for my cockatiel birds. i bought the more expensive and they are now eating and just fine. My dogs do not have access to anywhere except my fenced yard and house. no access to any contaminants so it has to be the dry food. I don’t feed wet food. ?????
March 31st, 2007 at 11:50 am
I think this crap has been going on for years and years and years. I thank the internet for most of what we now know about these poisonings. Left to the greedy we would know little. I’ll bet they wished the internet would just go away. They have been spinning their own web of deceit for years, and getting away with murder. The internet and friends is allowing us all to see them squirm and they are not done squirming yet!
Anyone know what they are going to do with all of these recalled products? How and where are they disposed of? Do they burn it, bury it or re-sell it? I have asked this before, I know, but I still have NO answers. How can we as consumers rest assurd that this stuff will not make it’s way back into the retail pipeline somewhere. Maybe with a little patience they can render out the bad stuff that came all the way from China that they mixed in.
I don’t know about you, I think they still know very little of what they are doing correctly, let alone what they have done wrong. Prove to us that they are doing the right thing! To date they have bungled this and continue to be dumbfounded by the truth. Really, do they think we are as stupid as they wish us to be? Please everyone, lets redouble our efforts this week and make them pay. BOYCOTT the liers, don’t buy their products, don’t support their retailers or their vets. This late and untrustworthy news I’ve been watching all week on TV depresses me. Please everyone, keep up your outstanding work, don’t let these bile filled ambassadors of death prevail.
keen and Abby Gayle
March 31st, 2007 at 12:40 pm
I started feeding my cat the Purina Natural blends dry food. I went to the website and found that it contains the wheat gluten…now what do I do???
March 31st, 2007 at 1:12 pm
hello, I did not know this site existed or would have reported earlier. I feed my cats nothing but science diet senior. The food does not contain wheat gluten (according to the ingredients anyway and the claim of the company). I have a 2.5 yr old cat that was playing one minute and on deaths door the next. I got him to the vet within 20 hrs of his becoming ill and my cat luckily did recover after 6 or 7 days. He is almost his old self now, but not quite there yet. It was very touch and go for a few days, he kept throwing up the medicine and his vitamin gook I had to give him, but when he finally took two bites of food on his own 3 days later I was very relieved.
I split the bag of cat food with my mother as it is quite expensive. One of her cats started throwing up for hours , but seemed ok after 4 or 5 hours. Another of mine started throwing up , but recovered after 4 or 5 hours and immediately stopping their intake of that food for all of my cats and my mothers cats. I have saved the bag and the food that was left.
I did call Hills to ask about that particular dry food and emailed them, the only response they would give me was short and terse saying that food was not on the recall list. I see now many days later Hills has recalled some of its dry food, but not the kind my cats were eating.
March 31st, 2007 at 3:56 pm
[…] tally the dry food illness and death reports and create a […]
March 31st, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I too believe that there is an attempt at a coverup. The problem is much more serious than the industry would have us think. If not for the Internet, the issue would have been “old news” by now.
March 31st, 2007 at 9:23 pm
Thank You Michael. I think you are absolutely correct. The pet food manufacturers are slowly letting their recalled items be known. I think they are hoping we will all go away and stop looking for answers.
THINK AGAIN!!
I for one, as many others here are demanding to know the truth.
March 31st, 2007 at 11:44 pm
Please everyone be aware…I would recommend you to prepare your dog or cat’s diet at home and quit buying commercial dog or cat food. My Sadie (mini poodle) was eating the Ol’ Roy chunks with gravy and quit eating and starting vomiting. I took her to the Emergency Animal Clinic and after blood tests, she was diagnosed with progressive kidney failure and I had to have her put down. She was the love of my life and if I ever have another pet, they will not eat commercial food. My daughter prepares her dog food and gives her dog suppliment vitamins and he is healthy and happy. My heart and thoughts go out to those who have suffered the loss as I have and it will never happen again. Menu can go to he_ _ for such criminal preparation of their products.
April 1st, 2007 at 12:20 am
This is so scary! I feed my cat Hill’s Science Diet (Hairball Control) dry food… he started drinking a lot of water and shedding more than normal a few days ago… (in case you don’t know, these are some of the symptoms to watch out for!) I just happened to be running out of my Hill’s bag and I’ve been feeding him Friskies instead. He’s not drinking the normal amount of water now, shedding less, and now he hasn’t even thrown up lately (he’s normally a very throwuppy/hairbally guy).
****PLEASE IF YOU HAVE HILL’S DRY FOOD, THROW IT OUT!****
We apparently can’t trust the recall lists! It may not be wheat gluten that’s causing the problem… the Hill’s I was feeding him had no wheat gluten at all and yet I suspect it was making him sick. There’s more to this that we don’t know yet! Please be careful and best of luck for your pets everyone out there!!
April 1st, 2007 at 12:25 am
Sorry, I made a typo– that should have said “He IS drinking the normal amout of water now, shedding less, etc…”
April 1st, 2007 at 2:15 am
My house cat is the love of my life and my best friend. I am terrified. I do not know what to feed him and he has not been doing well. He has been having neurological episodes. He is 10. The only health problem he’s had until now is the frequent vomiting and thirst that everyone else here has been describing (which I attribute to pet food). I’m sure his kidneys have gradually been on their way out. And I suspect his episodes are some type of seizure, although he does not have convulsions, but instead he becomes dazed, tilts head, one eye sometimes droops, uncoordinated unusual movements or freezes in mid step, etc. It subsides within 5 minutes and then he’s back to normal, then it happens again in a few days or sooner. This started a few months ago, and I’ve been researching what could be wrong with him (I don’t always trust vets to make the right diagnosis or even do anything helpful, and can’t afford lengthy tests). I have come up with a number of things that could be wrong and most are life-threatening, such as brain tumors or “poisoning”. The poisoning really struck me, but there is nothing he’s been exposed to, other than his food. He eats Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care dry. I can’t say for sure that his symptoms being caused by the food, but I don’t think this food is doing him any health favors and I am very worried because I don’t know what else to feed him. I have no faith in the pet food industry whatsoever, and don’t believe they produce anything healthy or truly safe. Most is pure garbage and always has been. I’ve been concerned about pet food for a long time and thought I was doing a good thing when I put him on Nutro a few years ago. Now what? I look at him and can’t bear to think that his health is in danger every day.
I will never purchase Nutro again, or any other brand that is associated with Menu foods, but sadly, this kind of action does not ensure our pet’s safety. I am so outraged. The company knew something was wrong and did not go public immediately, but let pets continue to be exposed, and that includes all the brand name companies associated, i.e. Science Diet, who is supposed to be in the business of maintaining our pets’ health and saving their lives when they have illness and disease. Obviously the potential for financial damage is more important to them, so hush hush, knowing that gluten crap was in their dry food. I hate them!!! I had a cat die from kidney failure years ago and she was on Science Diet, as well as other foods before that. I have no doubt that it is pet food that has been killing our pets earlier than they should die, and that this has been going on for years. We just didn’t know it until now. Who knows what has been in pet foods on and off over the years. We accepted our pet’s illnesses before, figuring they were just victims of a normal disease processes. I do not believe this is true in many cases.
I keep hearing the argument that it is not anyone’s fault, since this chemical was not one that would be expected to be in the food, and therefore was not routinely tested for, so it took them a while to discover what the culprit was. THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE NEED TO STOP IMPORTING FOOD PRODUCTS! DUH! I’m so sick and tired of this country banning dangerous chemicals and then importing them back in and putting them into our food supply. If they know that other countries are using things that have been banned in this country, then why are they importing anything? What the hell is wrong with our government? Trade…the almighty dollar…the world economy…lovely! And if they must import food products, then they’d better know darn well what is being used in the other countries (every single chemical) and test the imports CONSTANTLY for those very things. Otherwise, DON’T IMPORT, YOU SOBs! You risk our safety every single day when you do and do not have the necessary controls in place. As citizens who pay taxes to be protected, we seem to have less and less protection or control over anything, yet we are still forced to pay up. What a joke! And how useless is the FDA? We could go on and on about all the things they refuse to approve or which take forever for approval…things that could help people….and then this kind of thing happens! Go figure. Maybe they don’t understand how much we love our pets….they were expendable. Perhaps we are too. The USA was once the bread basket of the world. What happened to home grown? I don’t know what else all of us can do, other than wait for death for us and our pets. Only then will this all be over. Death seems to be the only freedom from this insanity. I hope they read this.
April 1st, 2007 at 12:26 pm
My wife just came and made this comment. Since this WHEAT GLUTEN fiasco has been happening the price of our wheat bread has nearly doubled over the last few weeks. Is this why? Could it already be in the HUMAN food chain? Are they having to pay more for good local WHEAT GLUTEN? Just a thought.
Have also noticed that some of our Human food manufacturers are advertising, GLUTEN FREE products. Whats up?
keen and Abby Gayle
April 1st, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Just stumbled across this,
www.topwebsecrets.com/dogfood/.....od%20scare
Very informative!
keen and Abby Gayle
April 1st, 2007 at 1:07 pm
~Yet another culprit~
April 1, 2007
Barking up wrong tree in pet food recall?
Lawyer claims culprit is vitamin D
By ALAN CAIRNS, SUN MEDIA
As the poisoned pet food crisis widened yesterday with the recall of a dry
food, a Toronto lawyer leading a $60-million class-action negligence suit
against a Guelph company fears scientists might be barking up the wrong
tree.
With suspicions in the Menu Foods poisoning shifting from animopterin rat
poison to melamine used in Asian fertilizers, lawyer David Himelfarb said
suspect
food should be “immediately” tested for excessive vitamin D.
Himelfarb said the kidney failure seen in the Menu Foods case is “exactly”
the same as symptoms that left a Whitby woman’s dog seriously ill in 2005.
The woman, Janet Grixti, alleges in a statement of claim filed in Superior
Court of Ontario that her chocolate Labrador Mocha became ill after it was
fed
Royal Canin pet food with excessive amounts of vitamin D.
10 TIMES NORMAL
“We have taken hundreds of samples of (Royal Canin) food from across the
GTA.
I can’t give you accurate numbers … but there is an awful lot of (vitamin
D) … some tests have shown more than 10 times the normal amount … might
even be more,” said Himelfarb, who is on the class-action case with lawyer
Joe
Rochon.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received 8,800 complaints of dog
and cats deaths or illness.
No corresponding statistics are kept in Canada.
But after receiving 1,000 telephone calls and e-mails from concerned pet
owners, Himelfarb suggests that the poisoning tragedy is much bigger than it
appears.
“There could be many thousands,” Himelfarb said.
Vitamin D is essential to a healthy diet for dogs and cats, Himelfarb said,
but excessive amounts cause “total (kidney) failure.”
High levels of vitamin premixes are added to dog and cat food to offset
vitamin destruction during heating and shelf storage, Grixti alleges in a
statement
of claim.
While most vitamins break down, vitamin D “remains in full strength,” it is
alleged.
None of Grixti’s allegations have been tested in court. Royal Canin has not
filed a statement of defence.
Royal Canin admits excess levels of vitmain D3 led to the recall of seven
vet-only products in March 2006, but its web site assures its foods “are
safe”
and unaffected by the Menu Foods recall.
Meanwhile, scientists still seek answers to the lethal poison which
two-weeks
ago forced Mississauga-ago forced Mississauga-based Menu Foods to recall
wet dog and cat food.
CHINESE WHEAT GLUTEN
Nestle Purina Petcare Co. yesterday recalled batches of American-made Alpo
Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog food it says contains Chinese wheat gluten
bought
from the same American company which supplied Menu Foods.
Tainted wheat gluten also prompted Hills-Pet Nutrition to recall
Prescription
Diet m/d Feline dry cat food, the first dry food recall.
keen Abby Gayles rep
April 1st, 2007 at 1:52 pm
My six-month old Border Terrier pup died of acute renal failure on Feb. 2. He was being fed Eukanuba Small Breed Puppy. He had previously been very healthy.
April 1st, 2007 at 3:32 pm
MY POOR DEVOTED CAT IS DEAD I BELIEVE SHE DIED FROM BEING TREATED TO THE MOIST PACKET IN THE 18 POUND BAD OF FRISKIES CHEFS BLEND DRY CAT FOOD SHE GOT SICK AND WE TOOK HER TO THE VET SHE COPULD NOT WALK, HAD TROUBLE BREATHINGT, URINATYED BRIGHT YELLOW, ALWAYS THIRSTY, YELLOW EYES YELLOW EARS MEOWED ION PAIN HER KIDNEY AND LIVERE WERE FAILING SHE DIED i CALLED THE PET FOOD COMPANY THEY WILL NOT RESPOND I HAVE A VET BILL OVER 3 HUNDRED DOLLARS AND I AM MAD ABOUT THIS SITUATION.
April 1st, 2007 at 7:29 pm
I have read numerous entries on blogs since the Menu Foods recall looking for others whose pets were sickened by a possible link to dry dog food. I see two brands of kibble being mentioned repeatedly, Nutro Nautral Choice and Iams (in the green bag).
I think it is time I posted our pets story. We were at our vets at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning 3/17 with our Huskie mix unaware of the Menu recall. Our dog was ill exhibitng all the symptoms listed later that day with the recall info. He had been fed dinner earlier in the week from a new bag of Nutro Senior dry kibble purchased on March 3, 2007. He had been in excellent health but woke the next morning disoriented, lethargic, had excessive thirst, developed diarrhea. He would lay by his water bowl to drink, had difficulty standing. I tried to hand feed him kibble mixed with ground beef . He would spit the Nutro kibble out. Refused to even eat Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Biscuits. Extensive blood work sent out to a lab on Saturday showed elevated liver levels. After I learned of the Menu foods recall later in the day on 3/17, I discontinued trying to entice him to eat his kibble just on the chance the kibble too was tainted. I hand fed him chicken, rice, vegetables and ground beef. Everyday he grew stronger. It is almost 2 weeks now that he has not eaten Nutro Natural Choice kibble and he is like a different dog. None of the earlier symptoms remain. His energy level is back and he is very alert. I have saved a sample of the Nutro kibble just incase a link is found.
We were lucky that our beloved pet is recovering. Our heart aches for those who were not as fortunate.
April 1st, 2007 at 9:50 pm
I just bought a new 8 pound bag of Iam’s Indoor Weight Control/Hairball Formula cat chow… definitely afraid to let them eat it now. Are there ANY commercial brands that aren’t affected?? So far, my two fat cat boys are okay. But, last December, after a week out of town, I came home to my poor little Gretel cat all skin and bones. Long story short, she died in my arms on January 4th, having finally been diagnosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis the day before. She would only eat home-cooked chicken or deli turkey or chicken from restaurants once she got sick. She had been eating Iam’s Original cat chow for the last several years. She was 12 years old and seemed healthy until then, although she was always a very thin cat at only 8 pounds in top form (5 1/2 when she died) It doesn’t sound like she may be an actual “statistic” for this situation, but her illness definitely came on suddenly. The other two cats (one 18 pound fat cat and one 18 pound muscular cat!) haven’t shown any signs of illness of any kind. Just the usual occasional hairball, and some throw-uppiness as someone put it earlier, which is always just some chow right after he eats, like he eats too much at once or something. Although I am wondering if they have been drinking more, as it seems their water bowls get empty faster these days… You know, I cut back drastically on my own consumption of fast food because of the “stuff” that’s possibly in it… and I have come to feel that the drug companies are running the world just about, and now I can’t trust a top name pet food company either… My allergy doctor keeps telling me I need to eat like a caveman; lean meat, fruits and vegetables, nuts and berries. No sugar, no flour, nothing fried, and no dairy “Cavemen didn’t catch wild cows and milk ‘em! Besides, cow’s milk is for baby cows.” I do feel better eating that way. Guess now I’ll have to start feeding my cats like they were cave-cats.
So sad to read all the losses that everyone has had. My heart goes out to one and all.
April 2nd, 2007 at 4:32 am
I can just imagine all the pet food companies sitting back and scoffing at us for thinking that, in light of the recall, every illness our pets are now suffering from is caused by some pet food that is not even on the list. They think to themselves that we are ignorant and are just panicking. Well, I’d like to correct their stupidity for assuming that. This concern is not new for many of us. Most of us have always known that pet foods contribute to the illness and disease that our pets succumb to. That is not to say that in time, even with a perfect diet, they would not eventually succumb to old age or disease processes. But that is not what we are talking about. And we are not just talking about contaminated wheat gluten, or whatever else is responsible for this poisoning incident not yet uncovered. We are talking about the food in general, and what other kinds of horrible toxins and unhealthy ingredients they contain on a regular basis. Cats are particularly sensitive to toxins and imbalances, and they are very susceptible to their various body systems being damaged, kidney failure, and death. Their foods should be prepared even more carefully than people food.
*****THE NEW RULE: THOSE AT THE TOP OF EVERY PET FOOD COMPANY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO EAT PORTIONS OF THEIR PET FOOD EQUIVAVLENT FOR THEIR SIZE THAT PETS WILL CONSUME OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. IF THEY WILL NOT EAT IT, THEN IT IS NOT FIT FOR OUR PETS EITHER. THAT SHOULD BE PART OF THE TEST BEFORE IF GOES TO MARKET. MAYBE THEN THEY WILL START PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO WHAT IS IN THE FOOD, HUH?******
And maybe we now should require them to dine on some of those nice recalled gravy pouches. Would they feed it to their children or families day after day?
If nothing else, this horrible tragedy has finally given us a voice for something that has been a concern for a long time, but before our concerns would have gone ignored. I would give anything to have back the time that my sweet baby has spent on foods that compromised his health. My vet recommended Iams to me years ago (what a joke), so he was fed that before I decided it was horrible and I switched to Nutro (both dry). This is all incredibly heartbreaking. Whatever damage has been done to his system cannot be taken back. I could have had a healthy happy cat for many more years than I will now.
Most of us are afraid to prepare our pet’s foods from scratch for fear that they will develop some kind of deficiency, so we have always hoped the food that is designed for them will take care of them. Pet food companies are supposed to be the experts, because not all of us can be. That is their job.
Please read the following article. I don’t agree with the victim status the author grants the pet food companies, but the comments at the end of the article are very interesting, especially the one about the vets who are furious at Science Diet because they deliberately hid the information about their M/D food from them. As far as I’m concerned, Science Diet has selfishly and intentionally killed pets by omission. They should be forced to shut down.
http://cats.about.com/b/a/257806.htm
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:58 am
Check this out.
It is more than just a problem with china & wheat gluten. Our own government requires that we use poison in the process of fish meal used in our pets food.
Eat It, I Dare Ya!
How about fish meal? Fish meal for pets is stabilized with ethoxyquin at a level of 400-1000 parts per million. That’s a lot of rubber preservative! BHA? …
www.sojos.com/eatitarticle.html - 15k - Cached - Similar pages
I will no longer feed my dog anything that contains fish meal.
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:16 am
To confirm, go to this us government site:
http://frwebgate2.access.gpo.g.....n=retrieve
or do the research yourself on fishmeal & ethoxyquin. Check out what OSHA has to say on this toxin as well. It will really open your eyes to what we’ve been feeding our best friends. No wonder dogs have had such short life spans.
April 2nd, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Kalina makes a suggestion: *****THE NEW RULE: THOSE AT THE TOP OF EVERY PET FOOD COMPANY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO EAT PORTIONS OF THEIR PET FOOD EQUIVAVLENT FOR THEIR SIZE THAT PETS WILL CONSUME OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. IF THEY WILL NOT EAT IT, THEN IT IS NOT FIT FOR OUR PETS EITHER. THAT SHOULD BE PART OF THE TEST BEFORE IF GOES TO MARKET. MAYBE THEN THEY WILL START PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO WHAT IS IN THE FOOD, HUH?******
Of course the vets will be glad to do this too for any petfood they sell? Right.
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:14 pm
i qould like to know if kibbles n bites is owm that list because my dog hasn’t poop in days and usally he does and he hasn’t been acting right so please email me at slayergirl1989@yahoo.com please i wouls like to save my do so i need all the help i can get
Thanks all
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:46 pm
Do you know any labs that would be available to the public to get the food
tested ourselves since one day they say only the brands listed were affected and the next day there are more discovered. I just don’t trust
any of them.
Note: I have never said this before.
April 3rd, 2007 at 12:22 am
My two pups became ill in November with all the symptoms that are being reported now. The vet could not figure out what was wrong. They had been eating Iams dry. This has been going on for much longer than we know. My angels are doing well today on cooked chicken/rice/vegetables. My heart aches for all who have lost a beloved friend due to this horrendous situation. I know all to well the unbearable emotional trauma loosing one who has given nothing but unconditional love and devotion can cause. PLEASE EVERYONE DO NOT FEED ANY COMMERCIAL DRY FOOD TO YOUR LOVED ONE!!
April 3rd, 2007 at 12:36 am
Please send me any information on the dog and cat food recalls and any new safety questions. I have many animals and would be devastated to lose any from anythings, but particular any food that I unknowinly feed them. Thank you, Maggie
April 3rd, 2007 at 1:18 am
I feed my three dogs Purina litlte bites dry food regularily and see no adverse reactions of any kind.I did switch to combining the dry food with either a combination of broths,rice,vegetables,or tuna when the recall on wet food was announced.I am a bit concerned now that I shouldn’t be giving my dogs the Purina little bites even though I have seen no issues.If there is any additional info on paticular Purina dry foods that are a concern I would love to know more for my mental or emotional well being but most of all my three friends and there health in my family.Thank you,Sean
April 3rd, 2007 at 2:54 am
My Chow mix has been eating Nutro Ultra canned food and Solid Gold Holistique dry food for about 2 years. He has had stomach problems in the past but his bloodwork always came back good. I switched his canned food to Solid Gold and Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul (neither contain wheat gluten). He had a complete blood profile done one week ago and everything is normal. I am hoping those brands are okay. I also have 4 cats, one with struvite crystals and one with chronic constipation issues, so all 4 cats eat Hills Prescription Diet W/D. The cat with constipation issues also has idiopathic hypercalcemia, kidney stones and chronic pyelonephritis. It was relatively easy to change my dog’s food because he is not picky at all, but the cats will not eat any dry food other than the Hill’s W/D…..they also get the W/D canned food as a treat, they do not like other wet foods. I have been giving them chicken baby food as a treat but am worried about the dry food. I am also worried about switching food on my cat who already has kidney problems. I can get them to eat baby food and rotisserie chicken, but I know they need supplements and I am not sure what to give them. I am very worried about feeding them Hill’s Prescription Diet now, but I am not sure that making them food would be any better given their medical conditions…I want to do the right thing for them. My cat with kidney problems has a complete blood profile every 3 months to check his kidney function, and so far he is good. My persian got a blood profile done in Feb and hers was also good…………..
April 3rd, 2007 at 4:18 am
I have 8 cats and 2 dogs. The dogs eat Moist and Meaty. My cats eat Hills Science Diet Hairball Control. One of my cats recently lost 10 lbs. (He weighed 20 lbs.) in a week and a half. Took him to the vet and he has renal failure. They gave him fluids as he was dehydrated and sent him home on k/d dry and wet. The wet food is for the supplement I have to sprinkle on and then mix with the dry. None of my other cats show any signs of illness. I have a 16 yr. old, 3 12 yr. olds, 1 10 yr. old, 2 8 yr. olds, and 1 5 yr. old. All of the cats eat the same dry food. They do not get wet food or treats. I am really concerned because I have had these cats since they were kittens. They are very special to me. My “human” children are grown and gone. I have spent $1,000 so far to save the one cat (Vinny). I hope he doesn’t die! Does anyone know anymore about Science Diet dry food recalls?
April 3rd, 2007 at 8:46 am
Gee this list concerns me greatly. Renal failure can be caused by Lyme - which it treatable. Addisons disease mimes kidney failure so well that nearly two thirds of dog with Addisons are not dignosed before their owner has visited multiple vets. I fear we are loosing pets that could be saved through the natural tendency to leap to the conclusion this is pat of the pet food problem.
PS John PLEASE ask your vet for an ACTH test for your poodle - addisons is quite comon in the poodle.
April 3rd, 2007 at 8:48 am
Gee this list concerns me greatly. Renal failure can be caused by Lyme - which it treatable. Addisons disease (also treatable) mimes kidney failure so well that nearly two thirds of dog with Addisons are not correctly dignosed before their owner has visited multiple vets. I fear we are loosing pets that could be saved through the natural tendency to leap to the conclusion this is part of the pet food problem.
PS John PLEASE ask your vet for an ACTH test for your poodle - addisons is quite comon in the poodle and an ACTH is the only way to know for sure it isnt addisons.
April 3rd, 2007 at 9:32 am
Has anyone ever tried this food? http://www.naturesvariety.com
April 3rd, 2007 at 10:28 am
I have a small Chihuahua (2 1/2 lbs) 3 years old, female spayed.
In november 2006 she started vomiting a frothy, bloody substance and was not eating or drinking. A trip to the vet and she was diagnoised as having a mild stomach virus. Placed on meds and sent home. several days later with no improvement she was returned to the vet. After extensive test, she was diagnoised a having a grastric infection. The vet kept her 2 days and nights on IV and anti-biotics and suggested thet I change foods for her. She was and had been on Kibbles and Bits for 2 1/2 years with a small amount of chicken in her diet. Thankfully she recovered and was placed on Science Diet for sensitive stomachs and has been doing great.
Now I am wondering if the Kibbles and Bits Original was the cause. Nothing was said about liver problems. My vet was asked and mostly shruged it off. My daughter has a Chih. Male, 7 lbs that eats the same food (Kibbles) and has had no problems. Neither dog will eat the wet food.
Makes you wonder ????????????????
April 3rd, 2007 at 11:14 am
I agree with the posters who say there is too much panic.
Renal failure is NOT uncommon in cats and dogs, and there are a lot of things that can cause it, including inherited conditions. Also, symptoms that appear to be renal failure could also be other conditions (pancreatitis, for instance). And truthfully, how long your pet is going to live probably has more to do with genetics and with the condition you keep them in (be honest with yourself–you should be able to feel ribs EASILY) than with the food they’re fed.
That said, most grocery store dog food is crap. Don’t buy it. Information about the low quality of grocery-store food has been available for a long time. And nobody I know considers Iams or Science Diet “super premium” food–especially after Iams started selling in grocery stores.
Buy a high-quality food made of human-grade ingredients at a feed store–preferably an INDEPENDENT feed store (they need your business!) If you want to feed a raw diet, for god’s sake read up on it–most raw diets have to be supplemented. I know lots of dogs on raw diets who seem to be doing just fine, but OTOH performance-wise (I do dog sports) they don’t seem do any better than dogs eating a quality dog food.
April 3rd, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Please dont be so quick to bash the veterinary community,our vet clinic is paying out of OUR OWN pockets for bloodwork and urine on pets sickened by the Hills science diet feline M/D dry cat food that was recalled. HIlls has NO INTENTION of paying for anything other than refunding the clients of the price of the food they purchased. We are more concerned than the company is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DOnt bash your vet, get the facts first!!!!!!!!!!
April 3rd, 2007 at 1:34 pm
WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSE TO FEED OUR PETS IF ALL IS TAINTED?DO WE FEED THEM PEOPLE FOOD AS I WILL DO WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP MY DOG SAFE. I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT THERE IS HARDLY ANY DOG FOOD (GOOD DOG FOOD) THAT WE CAN FEED THEM.SO CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT TO FEED MY DOG SO HE WILL GROW UP STONGE? I HAVE PURINA PUPPY CHOW AND OLE ROY’S BOTH AND HAVE SEEN NO SIGNS OF ILLNESS BUT I AM SCARED THAT IF I BUY ANYMORE IF MY PET WILL DIE.SO IS THERE A LIST OF WHAT I CAN SAFELY GIVE HIM ?
April 3rd, 2007 at 2:56 pm
I have 3 cats and 1 dog. I feed my cats purnia cat chow and I feed my dog pedigree. Can you specify what dry foods are on recall. Thank you.
April 3rd, 2007 at 2:58 pm
My Yorkshire Terrier became very ill from eating Iams and vomited around 30 times from evening to morning. His vomit contained blood towards the end and caused an extreme panic in me. I call my Vet’s office the very morning and got him in right away (this was 2 weeks before the recall came out). When the recall was announced I immediately took my Yorkie back to the Vet to have blood and urine tests done. He has some damage but appears to be doing fine now. I am extremely careful of what I feed him and make most of his food myself. I do give him dry food made by Royal Canie sold at PetSmart and Petco. You can get this for large and small dogs. I am not sure about cats as I do not own any. My dog is my family and I am thankful I acted quickly to save his life.
April 3rd, 2007 at 3:22 pm
my pet became ill from eating iams dry food i awoke two nights and my dog had big pile of vomit he was sick. what i did was stop feeding my dog the iams and start cooking him chicken pieces and i sprinkle a little of antibiotic in his food, and after a day he was better.
April 3rd, 2007 at 4:43 pm
My best friend died suddenly, Im not sure if it was the food that I was feeding her, She was eating Nutro dry… January 3rd she wasn’t herself, then January 4th she was dead!!! She bled internally, I couldn’t afford to do an autopsy and the vet said they might not find anything at all so I didn’t have one done… It was a freak thing that happened to her. I was feeding my dog ultra for a little while and she would vomit everyday, I told the vet and they suggested to change the food, so I went with the regular Nutro and thats what she was eating when she died… Then came the recall of wet food and now its also the dry, now I need to investigate and try to find out if the food did kill her. Rat poison causes internal bleeding and thats what happened to my 6 year old ANGEL!!! I need some closure, please tell me who I need to get in contact with about this situation
thank you
Kathy Fernandez
April 3rd, 2007 at 6:39 pm
can anyone tell me the right brands to buy?
April 3rd, 2007 at 6:57 pm
Has anyone heard anything about Purina One Dry food being recalled?
April 3rd, 2007 at 7:02 pm
Hi my pom. has gotten sick of the bene ful the only type she eats has been througing up and shorten of breath.
April 3rd, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Krissy it’s on the list. Call the number on the back of the bag 1-800…….
You have to be able to give them the lot # and the best if used before date call them at least once a week, until someone make sence of this. This is what we feed our puppies,as of now there is no recall on it. My best to all, take care.
April 3rd, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Sorry to put my 2 more cents in, but has anyone thought to question PETA. If you all knew the real ultimate outcome they are really for. I don’t trust them at all and wouldn’t be surprised if they had some kind of participation.
April 3rd, 2007 at 8:34 pm
I think all need to read www.howl911.com for all the new information in a whole!!! I work for a pet expert health’s website!! They have now started adding “Dingo” brand dog treats for Salonella. What everyone needs to realize is that they now say wet, dry, treats, human foods like bread are all compromized. If your dog wont do the www.barf.com diet (raw food diet) use cooked rice and/or boiled chicken or beef make enough for yourselves and your pets this is safe!!!!!! And remember they just stated today more food recalls are coming so it is advised to stay in touch withh howl911.com as they are giving more infor then the FDA. From a pet health expert who knows no one can say any of the foods are safe even ours if they have what gluten in them (thank you China) or any special K menadinoe stop feeding them all now as the food you are feeding today or eating yourself such as bread may added tomorrow!!!!!!!
April 3rd, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Nora,
Yes renal fiailure is common but not this constant ongoing rapid decline and cases in a short amount of time. If you like I worked in animal HEALTH and SICKNESS you would know the statistics on www.howl911.com do not lie!!!!
Ponder that for a bit!!! In twenty years at our office we DID do the statistics 18-years average cases yearly- 11 2006- 42 2007 to date-89
do the math!!!
April 3rd, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Ladies and Gentlemen,
PLEASE REMEMBER SIMPLE LOGIC: If you believe the media reports and the other outlets that are reporting that Wheat Gluten is the cause of all of this recall issue: Iams is one of the ONLY commercially produced pet foods that DOES NOT use wheat gluten in ANY of its dry formulas, veterinary formulas, canned veterinary formulas and any other canned product that is in pate form. Therefore, poster’s whose testimonials include that their animal was sick from Iams dry food cannot equate their pet’s sickness with the current recall.
I have fed Iams for 50 years to my Ridgebacks and am also a nutritionist for humans. Wheat gluten is virtually IMPOSSIBLE for cats to digest and next to impossible for dogs to digest, but pet food makers love it as a primary protein source because its CHEAP but HAS been approved by AAFCO (the FDA of the pet food world).
April 4th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Ladies and Gentelmen, forget your logic, our pets are dead and dying, no matter the cause. Keep on feeding your Ridgebacks that IAMS poison. I too fed my pet IAMS for years, not any longer, she’s dead. I’ve had to bury our LOGIC with our beautiful 4 year old pet. Then explain to our 5 children why. All we are saying, is give pets a chance. We are only trying to save pets here, not their owners, we will save that for a later date.
50 years is a long time for any manufacturer not to make a mistake. IAMS been around for 50 years? If you believe in it so much, you should do as others have suggested here, EAT IT YOURSELF. Go buy yourself some P&G stocks, have a nice formal news conference with you eating that DRY IAMS pet food.
I would feel much better hearing that you ate the food and not your precious pets.
The wheat gluten is not whats been killing our pets. No one to date knows what has killed and sickened our pets. Now we have people like you that back these Giants for no particular reason at all, other than to be different. Why do we care about an official recall? Everything official has been corrupted by money. Look, they have been adding to this recall since it was first announced and has taken on a life of its own. Only wet no dry… our testimonials are all that we have at this point and wow have they made a difference. Many people who have listened and learned have been saving their pets hourly. Please don’t hamper our efforts, we mean you or your favorite product no harm.
keen without ABBY GAYLE
April 4th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
My heart goes out to every person and pet who has to suffer at all because some company is using inferior and/or tainted products. I have a 7 yr old miniature pinscher who is my world and i take very good care of him.
I have been giving him several different brands of “premium” dog food like Wellness, Innova, and most recently Nutro Ultra. In January he became extremely ill. Vomiting and diarrhea, bad breath, bleeding from both ends. he was in the vet hospital for 3 days and the vets were dumbfounded as to what was happening. He was in renal failure. They found “crystals” that I am now hearing can be caused by melamine in the food.
Anyway, he is now home doing well. He is on several different medication and i will no longer feed him any dry food. The food i am feeding him is from Halo Pets, called “Spot’s Stew”. check out their website. www.halopets.com
i buy the food at wild oats supermarkets and feel comfortable that it is free of harmful ingredients.
It is up to us, the parents and owners of our pets to voice our concern regarding pet food. One of the best ways to do this is with our wallets. Do careful research when you buy food for your pet.
Mike
April 4th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
I must make a quick comment geared more so at the initial posts than at any later ones. I work at a vet’s office and we do NOT receive any sort of perks whatsoever from Hills brand for promoting their food. Infact, we don’t suggest ANY diet to our clients and leave that entirely up to their choice. Obviously if their pet has chronic diarrhea/vomitting on a lesser known brand, we might suggest a better known brand to see. If the v/d subsides, we recommend they stay on the higher quality, if not, then we move to another brand, or another type of food.
We are deeply shocked that the recall has now added dry food (albeit just m/D feline as of today), but at the same time are not surprised. As for number of deaths/illnesses that we’ve seen, it hasn’t been that many. Of the one and only death that we have seen that MIGHT be from the diet, this pet ate a generic brand that was listed for his entire life. He never ate ANY of top brands. The only reason we cannot say 100% that his death was due to the food, is that no necropsy was performed at the request of the owners and therefore no tissue sampling was evaluated. We have seen fewer than 5 illnesses that MIGHT have been from the recalled food and needed IV fluids. Of these 5 illnesses, only 1 required continual care longer than 2 days.
At an urging on behalf of my parents, I had my dog (13 years) and 1 cat (3 years) blood and urine tested. My cat showed elevated kidney/liver values but is not sympotmatic and has NOT eaten any of the recalled brands (she’s VERY picky and only eats Fancy Feast). My dog, however, had eaten some of the brand food that was recalled, but his lot numbers and dates didn’t match those being recalled. He’s also on an NSAID year round for his arthritis - which can cause liver problems, and I am constantly monitoring his liver values to ensure he’s liver is not being compromised.
While I advise EVERYONE to keep a mindful watch over their pets and have their pet seen by a vet immediately if they seem symptomatic, I also suggest to not take what some people post as being 100% legitamite just because you want to find fault with a brand name vs a non brand name.
April 4th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
I would like to thank everyone who writes in because all information is critical to saving our pets this site has been more helpful than any research I have done. My guys were on Iams food but I thank god for the information and they are okay.
April 4th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
I’m afraid that too many people trust what the media tells them and don’t know the facts. For example, people are still buying Science Diet….they say because “the ones they are buying are not on the list”. They are simply too lazy to do any research and don’t seem to know anything about the unethical attitude and lack of remorse of this company. And even if they did, would they take a stand? Probably not. Complacency has set in. It wasn’t their pet who suffered, so they don’t care where they spend their money. I fear that this will be like every other tragedy that occurs, and the status quo will be resumed shortly, all will be forgotten, and these companies will continue to thrive because of people’s ignorance.
I have searched high and low, leaving no stone unturned, and have not found a single food that is right…neither canned (and I refuse to consider anything associated with Menu, except for Natura who is going to be disassociating with them soon) or dry, not even the organics and naturals in the highest price ranges that are supposedly the most premium foods made. They all have something wrong with them. Potatoes. tomatoes, apples, cranberries, onion, garlic, excess amounts of fish or liver, excess grain, too much phosphorus or ash, etc. These are bad for cats and some of them are even deadly. I have now given up and have concluded that my cat will slowly die, because I do not have anything truly healthy to feed him. Even a raw diet or homemade diet is susceptible to problems. Why do these “health focused” pet companies put the above mentioned ingredients in their foods when they are so bad for the animals? I just don’t get it. Do they think that because people eat cranberries or use them for ITIs, that now it is good for a cat on a daily basis? It’s NOT! In fact it can cause them serious health problems, as can the other mentioned ingredients. For example, potatoes and apples are extremely high in pesticides (many companies using them are not “organic”), and even people should not eat them every day. Neither are they a part of the feline natural diet, and can be harmful and toxic. Tomatoes can be toxic to cats and cause severe gastrointestinal problems. Onions and garlic garlic more commonly used) can irreversibly destroy a cats blood cells. Yet, these companies who are in the business of making foods for our pets don’t know any this? Amazing. I think it’s more a problem of the ingredients being designed to attract people and what people think of as healthy from a human perspective, and not for the pet’s health. After all, it’s people who purchase, so they have to appeal to them. What stupidity. It’s all about money again.
I keep seeing people here asking for pet food suggestions, but they rarely get answers. That is because there is nothing out there that is perfect. If any of you know of anything, then please tell us. I am in despair.
April 5th, 2007 at 2:03 am
my dogs eat dry kibbles n bit and my 3 cat eat dry whiskas savory nuggets. Are these foods safe?im very scared because more amd more are being added to the list!
April 5th, 2007 at 2:32 am
Wesley,
Iams has been sold twice since the company was started. The recipe is not even close to its original.
Where did you purchase Iams 50 years ago? 25 years ago? This year?
April 5th, 2007 at 6:49 am
Please clearify this for me…
On 04/03/07 “Krissy” wrote in asking if Purina One was safe to feed…”Janis” replied, “Krissy its on the list.”
What does that mean exactly? Has it been posted as a recalled pet food? I have not seen it as of yet. Am I missing something?
Purina One is what I am currently feeding both my dogs although I will be switching to something else…I don’t know what yet…perhaps raw. I need to do more research. I thought I was feeding a nutritious balanced safe food…until resently.
I was using Diamond pet food up until their huge recall about a year ago.
I am deeply saddened and angry for all of you that have suffered any losses or illnesses. My heart truly goes out to each of you.
April 5th, 2007 at 9:17 am
Laura Says:
Please clearify this for me…
On 04/03/07 “Krissy†wrote in asking if Purina One was safe to feed…â€Janis†replied, “Krissy its on the list.â€
Laura, you are not missing anything. I don’t think it has been recalled….yet. That comment confused me too. Maybe she meant to say “not” on the list. However, some of the cat formulas have wheat gluten. I would NEVER feed that food to my pet.
April 5th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Kalina, I believe you are 100% correct. We, as consumers, have left the research and development of our food supply to the greedy. How many companies are in business to lose money? Money, being the root of all evil, has directed these companies to manufacture profitable products, not healthy products. Look at the HUMAN JUNK FOOD INDUSTRY! It’s about profit and profit alone. I suppose there may be a company or two that makes good food for both humans and pets, I’m not privy to them. For some unknown reason, people think that because they use a product and it seems to do no harm means that it the best. They reccomend it to friends and family as if they were the ones making the profit. I can’t understand this human factor… The reality is that most things man made are susceptible to flaw because of this Human Money factor. Time to start…
keen in memory of Abby Gayle (keen@mac.com)
April 5th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
At the time of the Diamond pet food recall all I could think of was…what will I feed my dogs now. I didn’t understand what the ingredients on the dog food bags were. You may think I am naive to even say this but I thought the pet food industry was under some goverment standard as to the quality of the products they used.
Now that almost every pet food has been (directly or indirectly) compromised, I have had to do some research and I am so shocked as to what I’ve found.
Meat-by-products…organs and parts not fit for human consumption including blood, bones, intestines, heads, feet and feathers.
Corn…very difficult for animals to digest.
Food fragments…like brewer’s rice…the ending waste from the alcohol industry.
Meat and bone meal…ground up bones that are poorly digested not to mention have very little nutritional value.
Animal fat…the garbage restaurants throw away as no longer used for human consumption as oils and fats.
Sweeteners…like corn syrup. In dog food? Sure, they have to put something in there to make the animals want to eat it.
Chemical preservatives…do I need to explain this one, folks?
These are the things that I feel comfortable speaking of. Some other things I’ve found they are calling “meat” is enough to make you vomit. I’ll probably have nightmares for weeks.
Mr. Keen…you are very well educated and have done your homework on this issue. Please share the info you have found pertaining to what is actually considered safe and healthy for us to fed our pets. Your imput would be greatly appreciated.
April 5th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
I used to feed my cats dry Nutro Complete. My 12 yo cat lost 4 pounds in 3 months. All tests in January came back normal at the vet, but I was still very concerned. When my 4 yo cat started having diarrhea, I stopped the Nutro complete dry cat food. Both are doing much better - no more Nutro. Very scary.
April 5th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
There has been another recall. This time it’s a large variety of dog treats and chews. See this page for the details. Scroll down for the chart of recalled products.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/.....01600.html
This isn’t over folks. If you’re feeding your pet anything with wheat gluten in it, recalled or not, I suggest that you stop immediately. I’m also very concerned about the possibility of undeclared wheat gluten in pet foods. Why the heck is it taking them so long to trace this stuff? I guess the best safety net for now is to stop feeding all pet foods. Read more on the “latest news” page on this website.
April 5th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
OOPS!! That link above is the wrong one. Ugh, I hate when that happens! Read here instead:
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmr.....04_07.html
April 5th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
More on the latest recall:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories.....3381.shtml
April 6th, 2007 at 9:00 am
people need to switch to organic food for there animals. i just switch from authority to blue spa select.it cost more money, but its better for youre pets.
April 6th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
Everyone needs to realize that wheat gluten is a key ingredient in a LOT of pet foods and since it’s been singled out as THE culprit, they are going to be doing a lot of research (at THEIR expense) to see if their food has this contaminated product. As of right now, I think more and more foods are going to be recalled until all companies are sure that their products contain safe wheat gluten (or safe whatever product that might have also been contaminated).
If you insist on switching to a raw diet PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make sure you consult your veterinarian and keep them informed because if you do not prepare the diet specifically (ESPECIALLY for cats who MUST have taurine in their diet!), you can cause more harm to your pet than feeding a commerical diet that’s NOT currently on the recalled list. Your pet must have certain vitamins and minerals added to a raw diet to compensate for what would otherwise be lacking in their diet. Think of it this way, if you’re a vegetarian/vegan, generally your doctor will inform you to take multi-vitamins on a daily basis as most vegetarian/vegan products don’t contain enough of the vital vitamins. Granted more and more veg/vegan products are adding these diets, but it’s b/c of research that shows these are needed.
April 6th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
http://avma.org/press/releases....._diets.asp
This is the American Veterinary Medical Assosciation website’s page about raw/homemade diets.
And with suggestions from the AVMA, check out http://www.petdiets.com/defaul.....=/main.asp if you insist on a raw diet. This site also lists myths and FAQs about raw diets.
April 7th, 2007 at 8:26 am
How in the hell can one company make so many different brands of pet food and why?
April 7th, 2007 at 8:32 am
Dog Passed away Sunday was fed Ol Roy treats Purina Kibbles and bits canned. was not sickly, had all the poisoning symptoms during the night into Sunday am.
April 7th, 2007 at 8:32 am
almost forgot I am in Central NJ 08520
April 7th, 2007 at 8:34 am
Dry food my wife forgot to mention was Ol’Roy lamb and Rice , DOg suffered neddlessly, the treats should have been recalled in the begining when they knew!
April 7th, 2007 at 9:35 am
I have been following the recall closely.
The thing that all the toxic food has in common is the gluten that came from China.
Yet, some of these reports are of dry food that do not have any gluten in them at all, nor were they manufactured at MenuFood.
How can this be explained?
April 7th, 2007 at 9:45 am
I have never fed gluten of any kind to my dogs or cats. It is not food for them by any stretch of the imagination. So mine were spared, at least this time.
Gluten is the isolated, protein part of the plant. It allows the manufacturer to place a higher % of protein on the label. However, it is not suitable protein for a carnivore. They need MEAT protein, or they will get sick eventually, over the long haul. Plant protein is cheaper than meat protein. It is as simple as that. It all boils down to money. However, the higher end foods never manage on passing the savings along to the consumer.
You must learn to read labels, and educate yourselves on feeding your dogs and cats.
Do not feed gluten of any kind, even when they find a “safe” source. The same can be said for soybean. This is not safe for carnivores, under the best of conditions.
And it isn’t just the cheap, grocery store brands that are guilty of this.
Science Diet is one of the worst, not only with the gluten and soybean, but with BHT, BHA, Ethoxyquin. Many of your top, expensive, “super premium” foods are nothing short of criminal.
They will do practically anything to keep from putting any amount of meat in the product.
If you want healthy pets, please educate yourselves.
April 7th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
I am so sorry for your loss Jim and Lori.
April 7th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Hello, I have been researching dog food nutrition for several years at least two years and I am willing to help people who have questions about what would be a good dog food to feed their dog in terms of budget, what you want and stuff. I give a lot of recommendations on what are some good dog foods try. I don’t just give you one brand that’s good I’ll give you several brands. With a dog that has food allergies and a very very sensitive stomach I know how troublesome it can be to find a dog food that fits your needs and wants. If you have any questions about dog food I love to help. I also love to talk about dog food nutrition.
abratnamednoel@aol.com
April 7th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Oh yes, I can also give you advice on what to look for in a good dog food brand.
April 7th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
I see a lot of people asking what to feed their animals. I was feeding NutroMax and Science Diet, and have stopped both dry and wet. This recall is insanity, and the manufacturers are lying to us day after day. This weekend will likely be the demise of many animals because they dropped the ball on Easter, and haven’t told anyone about the dangers of dry as well as wet food. I assure you, EVERYTHING with wheat gluten is tainted. 783 tons of the stuff was distributed or sold or whatever through the chinese and a Las Vegas company. The FDA refused to tell us this for a week. Write them. Not email, a letter. Write your senators and congressmen. Go to PetConnection.com and you’ll find all the info you need. Do this people! They are murdering our loved ones and will not stop until we dent their pockets and get our senators involved.
Natural Balance and Blue Buffalo are available at Petco and Petsmart respectively. They never have used wheat gluten and are on the safe list found on petconnection. As for wet food, I boiled some plain white rice, a lb of hamburger, some carrots, onions, garlic, and mixed it together to substitute for wet. My dog wouldn’t eat just plain dry, he’s a bit spoiled. Go to your vet and ask for supplemental vitamins to add to this home recipe and I think that’s pretty good for a wet food. There are links on petconnection for these recipes, they’re cheap and easy but make sure you add vitamins and use the safe dry food.
To all those who have lost pets my heart goes out to you. petconnection has some support groups listed, lighthouse something or other, for pet losses. My little Chi fought off 4 rotts 3 weeks ago, survived, and that was a day after the recall was announced. After having survived that, I don’t know what I would have done if the recall killed him. He’s my best friend, my little love, and saved my life. Please, do not feed any of the food listed, dry or wet, and use the alternatives suggeseted. There are more out there, but the puppy chows and iams and purinas are poison. Don’t ask what’s safe anymore because nothing is that has ever had wheat gluten. Not to mention the euthanized animals and road kill they can use for fillers and by-products. This is a tainted market, not just the food.
Let’s put a stop to this and stop buying anything but food that has always been safe. The “Oh, it’s safe now” is a lie and will kill your animals. The FDA swore up and down no dry food was affected only to recant that the next day and pull some dry cat food. As a rule, if it was never safe it never will be. There are plenty of other safe foods you can get online, and the two I mentioned above at local pet stores.
Go to petsitusa.com for a list of manufacturers and what they’re about. It’s a comprehensive list and is updated regularly as they call the companies. Always make sure you refresh this site, and don’t go to it from a link (like here) because it is updated all the time. Again, boycott, write your sentaors, buy only foods that have always been safe.
Best of luck to all of you. If we stick together in this we can get them to change their policies. Don’t forget to call your LOCAL FDA as well. Numbers are found on the FDA website for your state.
Jami
April 8th, 2007 at 1:12 am
Hello,
I haven’t yet had time to read all of the entries, but thought this information may be of use. My 8 yr. old cat suffered from acute renal failure in mid February and recovered after spending 7 days/nights at the animal hospital. She was fed only dry Iams her entire life. Her creatinine levels were so high that the vets instruments could not measure them. We were repeatedly told these “levels” could not sustain life. These measurements were taken on 3 different machines. What caused this has been a complete mystery especially since Iams dry is not recalled and Iams claims their dry cat food contains no wheat gluten. Does anyone else have more information or similar circumstances?
April 8th, 2007 at 1:27 am
I have one more concern. If you have a pet that was killed, were you feeding your pet from a new bag? Or did you get to the bottom of an old bag only to have a sudden onset of symptoms? If the animals had been fed a couple times from a tainted bag, I am wondering how long before the vomiting occurs. Some people say almost immediately.
Your reply is appreciated, and again, I am sorry for your losses. This is so very sad. It makes me cry to read these stories.
April 8th, 2007 at 1:30 am
Allen,
Throw away all your dry food or try and get a refund. I read that the LOCAL FDA’s are interested in testing the food, and will come get it from you. Keep a sample in your freezer though. But STOP FEEDING your animals any of the tainted food. Please read my comment above yours.
Jami
April 8th, 2007 at 11:18 am
I’ve been reading all these posts & my heart goes out to all of you who have lost pets with this tainted food.
I believe with all my heart that the dry food is tainted & the manufacturers chose not to recall them because it would ruin their reputation & open themselves to lawsuits. I also heard rumblings about a local pet store removing all of Iams dry & replacing them with new bags…..which reinforces my theory that they knew the food was tainted but refused to go public with this information. Makes me furious to think they could be that cold.
I have a Lab who was on Nutro Ultra dry (all natural….ha) right before the recall. I had just switched her to Blue Buffalo when I heard Nutro Ultra wet had been recalled. Can’t be all natural if Menu Foods was making it! Sort of makes you wonder if they don’t make all the wet food the same & put different labels on them. Then I started reading some of the posts on different websites about animals sickened or dying from dry food…..scared me enough to bring my dog in for blood tests. She’s ok, thank God.
Before the recall, I’d say in Nov or so, my neighbors had a cat get really sick & all it ate was Iams dry. Had never been sick before this. They had the cat put to sleep as it was very ill…..lethargic, not eating & drinking tons of water. They gave the bag to another neighbor. She had one adult cat & some kittens……kittens all died & the adult cat got very sick. She did say she did feed some wet food in pouches a time or two but had no idea what she used. I still say it was the Iams dry.
All of us are very angry & the only way to make these people pay is to not buy their products. I made a copy of all the recalled food & will never use any of it again, either wet or dry. If these people knew their food was making animals sick & chose to keep it to themselves & switch the bags for new bags secretly, then they are sleaze-balls & should be put out of business.
Sorry for getting on my soap-box but I needed to have my say. I’m still looking for a holistic brand of dry dog food…..have read something recently about some chemical in Blue Buffalo that is not good for our animals so I want to get my dog onto something decent, if there is such a thing.
April 8th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Our dog corky (boston terrier) started getting sick around christmas time. He was throwing up white mucus and got very bloated. He was choking alot. We took him to vet and was told that it was excessive water around lungs and heart and that he was near death. we have been giving him water pills to help with the water, but he is still bloated. Wondering if this is from him eating science diet or wysong 50/50 mix. He was on this before and had no problems, but these were new bags that were purchased in december.
We have to buy medicine for him every 15 days and it is getting rather expensive, my kids say my husband has spent more on this dog than we did on them. I have decided as of today that we will fix him people food and see if that will help. scared to give him any of the brands we now have. we recently purchased purina one natural blends, but i find some of the ingredients are what others say are bad.
I want to offer condolences to all who have lost their pets. I know if corky succumbs to this it will break my husbands heart.
April 8th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
My boyfriend and I have 5 dogs between the two of us. Both of us feed our dogs the Hill Country Fare brand dry dog food from HEB in S. Texas. The canned and pouch food is on the recall list. The dry food doesn’t have wheat gluten. It does have wheat middlings and corn gluten.
Our shared puppy died yesterday morning. Thursday night, he went home and she was not a playful as usual. Precious just wanted to cuddle. The next night when he got home from work, she could barely lift her head. He couldn’t get her to eat. He even tried people food. He did get her to drink some milk. Then yesterday she was gone. During the middle of the night, the other puppy started vomiting. Now Play moans everytime he moves. He did eat a little bit of bologna and peas, but won’t drink anything.
The bigger dogs seem to be doing fine though. Oh, and my boyfriend found blood recently near where the dogs sleep, but found no source for the blood.
We don’t have money for vet bills right now. So if anyone knows what we can do to keep another dog from dying, please email me.
midwifemom@usawide.net
Thanks.
April 8th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
If you’re reading this and have a sick pet, will you please email me and let me know if you were feeding from a new bag or an old bag? Also, if your pet was sick but was successfully treated what you did and if you took your pet to the vet. Thanks. I am reading a lot and trying to get this info out to everyone I can. jamilynne1@gmail.com
April 8th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Sorry, me again. Please go to the following web site and go to the call for action link. There is a drafted letter here that you can add your senators and congressmans name to and mail it off. Please, emailing them is okay but send letters too. If you can only do one or the other snail mail the letters. This is the only way we can get the FDA to pick up the ball they dropped, and make them do something to ensure the safety of our beloved pets.
http://www.mousabilities.com/n.....paign.html
April 8th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Here’s another link to a petition and addresses to contact your representatives. Please do this everyone. It’s our responsibility because our animals can’t do it for themselves.
http://letsgetmotivated.typepad.com/
April 8th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
In January I lost my Socks, 7yr old cat. He died within 5 hours, same symptons as Toni’s pup. His cries started about 6pm but beause I live in a very rural area I knew of no emergency services in the area. I do now but it is 1 & half hours away. Had an autopsy which a local Vet did in less then 5 minutes reporting his lungs were fillled with fluid and guessed he might have had a tumor. $ 75- and no written report.
Then my Tiger, cat from the same litter, on a Sunday in February became so ill, unable to to walk, I knew he was going to die. Called same vet, we met at his office, After an overnight stay where Vet opened up his ureathea finding fluid, crystals, and blood. $ 500+ later he is still not fully recovered today. My cats have been fed canned Cadillac cat food and Friskies dry food.
I keep trying to be on top of the recalls. I feel every day another shoe will drop and run the possibility of losing another family member. I also have Great Pyreneese dogs. There is no information on the Purina Pro Plan -Large breed dry food! I am so worried every day when I check these sites. Reading labels is an exercise in fultility/bogus because whatever is killing our pets/family members is not listed! Can you picture ingredients listed: ‘Rat Poison’ or ‘wheat gluten w/ melamine, etc. ?
April 8th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
I, lost 2 dogs both suffered both were fed PURINA PRO-PLAN and DOG CHOW .
The vet did everything they were taken to the vet as soon as they acted funny the first died within days at the vets the other hung on for a month being tested for everything she died at home .
path reports how toxins purina say they are sorry, but thats all they wont look into anything they would not even look at my vet records or the path report .
I will never use PURINA again .
April 8th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
Jami,
Our cat became ill after we began feeding a new bag of Hill’s Prescription c/d DRY. On one of the threads on the pet connection, it was mentioned that pet food manufacturers can substitute ingredients, such as substitute wheat gluten for corn gluten if the wheat is cheaper, without having to change the labels immediately. I think the person said the label has to be changed in 6 months–I guess only if they continue to make that substitution. Sooooo—– perhaps wheat gluten is really in some of the dry food people have been having trouble with. All dry food as well as all wet food definitely needs to be tested. Our cat ate only dry Hill’s. He would not touch wet. We even tried raw food and cooked food for him after he became ill, but he was too sick by then to touch any of it. He had to be euthanized in late January. At the time the vet was puzzled by his rapid decline. He spent a week on IV’s at the vets and came home for 5 days before we agreed to his being euthanized. He had had difficulty walking and had a seizure prior to going on the iv’s. He had been at the vet’s 3 days in a row prior to the IV’s and the first day all the blood work was fine. I had just begun to accept his death as one of those freak things, but now I am so angry that he was poisoned. I also feel guilty because we fed him the poison. We must unite and hold these companies accountable for what they have done. Thank you for all your efforts to encourage people to contact their congressmen or women. We need to keep this in front of the media as well.
April 8th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
People, feed your friends, people food if you love them! If you consider your pets possessions, then feed them commercial pet foods. They do not know what the hell has sickened and killed our pets today, what will happen tommorow. Sorry if I’m sounding disgusted, but I am. Lost my beautiful pet to this awful mess and now I found that I have some screwed up cancer. Very depressed with little hope in site, but in site it is.
keen without our friend Abby Gayle
April 9th, 2007 at 12:06 am
I just finished reading these resent posts. I am so sickened by all this.
I am very sad for all of you that have suffered any illnesses or losses of your beloved pets. I can’t even imagine the heartache you are feeling right now.
My thoughts also are with you Mr. Keen…sorry to hear of your health issues. I hope you will find comfort in knowing that sometimes cancer can be beaten.
April 9th, 2007 at 6:56 am
I have a German Shep who had allergies. I felt helpless because he was bald and itching all the time. I am also a dog groomer and could not help my own dog. Three months ago I eliminated wheat beef and corn from all of my dogs’ diet and they are all healthier now. My GSD’s fur has all grown back(some areas hadn’t had fur for a couple years) and he looks great. I believe his allergy saved all of my dogs from illness. I would like to express my deepest sympathy to all who have lost a “child” in all of this mess. I have suffered the loss of a pet and still am not over it 4 years later. Something like this should never have happened. I feed my all of my pets Nature’s Recipe because they don’t put beef, wheat, or corn in their food. They also have less chemicals and fillers. I hope this helps some of you out there. I also DO NOT fedd wet food. If I want to add some thing extra to their food I boil chicken brest.
April 9th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Our dog died within days of opening a new bag of Iams dry mini chunks. This was Feb. 15. She died Feb. 19th.
The Wednesday before she died, I could tell she was a bit down. She had diarhea and vomited. She was still playfull though. I didn’t know about the recall. She had always been healthy and I just thought she had an upset stomach.
Saturday morning she ate a good bit of her Dry Iams and threw up the whole amount along with having diahrea at the same time.
I let her out and minutes later she was having a seizure and died in my arms.
It was very sudden. Our vet felt like it would only take 3 or so feedings from tainted food.
April 9th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
I have a cat that the lab results just came back today…yep…add us to the list. I do think that my cat hopefully will survive, we go back today for another test. Also one of my dogs that licks the cat food can is now ill as well and will be tested today.
The food…not on the recall list…Friskies. It has wheat gluten in it. I emailed them but they never responded.
April 9th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Thank you, just for being there. It’s been very hard tying to find the truth behind these ugly lies. There are many here who have very sick pets and have lost a real family member to this disaster. Many of these reports happened long before the official recalls and these seemingly official recalls continue to grow daily both wet and dry.
The only truth here is, commercial pet food sucks, wet or dry! Please, help save our friends pets by harping on them about what they are doing to their animals with that commerical stuff. Keep up this good work and continue seeking answers. I will not be able to post for a while, Dr. wants me to be a little less agitated and let stronger minds take over. Gotta save my energy. If it’s not to much to ask, could someone please keep me posted on our struggle.
keen just remembering
April 9th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
keen@mac.com
April 9th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
My Cat got FD from eating MediCal Food. MediCal is owned by Royal Canin. She ate Preventative, Reducing and Weight Control. She got very fat, got FD and almost died last May. $500 at the emergency vet, thousands of dollars in vet bills and diabetic expenses.
When I DITCHED THE POISIONOUS DRY VET KIBBLE my cat started to regain her health. That, thanks to Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins online forum www.yourdiabeticcat.com, PZI and TR protocols.
Vets should not be allowed to prescribe or sell foods. This puts them into a vicious cycle where they are the beneficiaries — they get a commission on every sale of product, they are the shareholders of the distribution companies of this poisonous vet kibble and then they benefit from big bills when your cat gets sick.
THIS MUST STOP.. Vets WAKE UP if you really care about our pets! Stop prescribing and selling this kibble that is creating so much illness in our pets!
My cat is now on raw diet now. www.catnutrition.org. If only I had know about this years ago.
I will NEVER feed my cats ANY commercial food EVER AGAIN!!
April 10th, 2007 at 9:59 am
you guys talk alot!
April 10th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
I have read this entire forum and I say emphatically if you have any
kind of Hill Science Diet Dry throw it away. My cats have been on
“sensitive stomach” for a year and the new bag I bought in February
has made them sick since day one. After $1000.00 vet bills I switched
my cats to something else and now they are happy and fine. My two
cats were throwing up within 15 minutes of eating. Fluids, blood work,
xrays, antibiotics, overnight stays all ended with my vet saying “it must
be a virus. There is a virus going around”. Nonsense. I think Hill Science
substituted the “expensive corn gluten” with wheat gluten, didn’t change
the bag label. They will never admit to this. The bag label is their story
and they are sticking to it. They are probably the “ONE” that the FDA has hinted is not voluntarily recalling their product. Imagine, the product
producer gets to voluntarily recall a deadly product? What happens if a
money grubbing corporation –doesn’t want to….? Nothing. I am angry
that so many animals and families have suffered because of the allmighty
corporate profit. Food producers are kept honest by inspection. Sad to
say that people who are watched are forced to stay honest. This is true.
Congress mandated the FDA to watch our food and our animals food.
The FDA cries because they don’t have enough money in their budget
to do their job. Well, folks, get your Congressman to quit porking his
favorite voters and building “roads to nowhere” and FUND the FDA.
This is not only a pet food disaster but a people-government disaster.
Speak up! Get angry! But do channel that anger in the right direction.
There will always be money grubbing corporations and people..ie
Menu Foods CFO who said selling his stock before the bottom fell
out was a “horrible coincidence”. YOU ELECT your government and
hold your representatives accountable for funding, watching, and
making laws that protect you. Make it your business to know how
your government is protecting you, your pets, your family, your life. I
wish there was another way but their isn’t.
My heart goes out to all of you who have lost beloved pet-companions.
Elaine D.
April 10th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
Elaine,
Don’t throw away the evidence. Save it for possible testing. I am still saving my Hill’s Prescription c/d even though our cat died in Jan. I am still hoping the FDA or some independent lab will test it. I am certain it caused his death. Our vet also thought it was a virus, but that was long before we knew about the food being poisonous.
April 10th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Beneful. Its all she eats.
Cassie, 65 lb German Shepherd/Lab mix. Two days ago the dog ate nothing. Yesterday 7am, woke up to four piles of vomit and what I thought was incredibly thin black diarrhea (blood turns out). Thinking she’s ok left for work, my wife calls to say she’s having a problem, so I come home. 11am the dog squats and a STREAM of blood come out. 1/2 - 3/4 cup at least. Went to the vet immediately. Of course, she was dehydrated. Hemocrit was way down due to bleeding and clotting was bad (12-17 normal, she’s over 100) They put her on IV fluids, and her bloodwork is improving. I’ll be taking her home this afternoon and watching like a hawk.
Vet thinks its rat poison. No idea where she could have gotten it – I don’t have anything like that around. I really hope it’s not the Beneful because its not on the list (which is why I was still feeding it to her). If it is Beneful, there’s gonna be a lot more dead pets out there.
April 10th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
My shelty service dog hs been eating nutro dry for 2 1/2 years. We gave her the foil packets occasionally. She had periods of vomiting but we didn’t connect it until she became horribly sick March 1st after eating a foil packet two days in a row. We almost lost her due to the vomiting and dehydration and developed an infection with a white blood cell count in the roof. We gave her a home cooked bland diet while on antibiotics and she began improving. We restarted the dry Nutro food and her infection returned. By then we had heard about the recall and now she only gets home cooked food. After the second round of a different antibiotic for 2 weeks she is better. I’ll never use a commercial pet food again and I am somewhat unsure about the human food supply what with all the imports.
April 10th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
JP Pritchard, there is a whole website devoted to probable Beneful related pet deaths and people trying to get them to recall it. I would make sure your pet never eats it again. I hope your baby is OK.
April 11th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Possible Nutro “LITE” contamination: I estimate this incident occurred in early February, 2007. I know it was before any of this poison story hit the news. I bought one bag of Nutro’s “Lite” dry cat food, the type in the pink bag.
The food was purchased at a pet store in Mercer County, PA. Two of my three cats refused to eat it at first, but eventually at least nibbled at it. The one who will eat anything consumed full portions, and immediately experienced vomiting and diarhea (sp?). On day 3, I decided something was wrong with that bag of food. I put them back on Nutro “Indoor” in blue bag. No problems from observed from Indoor. The cat who had eaten the Lite continued to have digestive problems for almost 7 days but seems to have recovered completely. All three cats were observed drinking more water than usual. Two males, one female, neutered/spayed, healthy, indooe cats, age 4 1/2 years.
I tried to feed the remaining Nutro Lite food to our barn cats. They are not choosy, but all refused the Lite. Presumably, it was eaten by raccoons. No raccoons have been observed on the premises lately.
April 11th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
I never posted here before, but I would like to say to all the pet owners on this post and all over the world I am highly sympathetic for all the losses and sicknesses. I constantly worrie about my dog domino who my best friend and like my daughter. I am feed ing her (bluebuffalo) now but im not to sure how safe it is either. The last food she ate before the food swithc was nutro lamb in rice dry food but she didn’t really eat it to much.
I just feel like a bad parent and now because many factors about pet food has been brought to light, feels like Im killing my dog and have been since she was a puppy. I just don’t want to lose my best friend to any kind of pet food or pet food sickness. I used to work at a doggy daycare and three different vet clinics I have never like the way vets and techs work unless its truly about the pet and not about the medicine.
MY HEART GOES OUT TO ALL OF YOU THAT HAS LOST YOUR BEST FRIENDS BECAUSE OF THIS CRAZYNESS.
April 11th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
I live in the Seattle area with a sick 6 year old cat. She hasn’t had a lick of water in 7 days. She has seen the Vet. I’ve contacted the FDA - they won’t test the cat treats (I believe it’s the cat treats that are my problem here as there is no gluten in the Iams I am feeding her) - They won’t test the cat treats unless my cat is dead! Absolutely infuriating!
I contact Washington State University’s Animal Disease Diagnostic Center and they put me right through to their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. He told me that the university is having a large conference today with UC Davis and the FDA to come up with standardized testing procedures so the testing results were uniform for the potential lawsuits that will result and said they would have a plan in place by friday. He said they want me to save all the food and treats in plastic bags and put them in the freezer and they would contact me by Friday to pick them up for testing.
ALSO as I mentioned in an earlier post - DO NO rely on blood tests. The contamination must be at least 40% involved before it shows up in the blood. By the time the contamination levels are that high it may be too late. You must check urine and stool stamples for more accurate results.
Do not use anything with GLUTEN in it.
There are other brands available on the shelves that don’t contain Gluten to choose from - just read the lables!
April 11th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
My dog died on March 12th of acute renal failure. He was eating Nutro Natural Choice chicken rice and oatmeal wet and dry food. It has been reported to the FDA and they said it totally fit the criteria. He was only 4 1/2 and never sicke before that. It was 3 days from the time he became sick until he died.
April 11th, 2007 at 11:10 pm
I been feeding my dog science diet dry dog food. He been sick and have diarrhea. Drinking a lot of water. Reading all this on line I will no longer feed him this dog food. I think this is crazy all the recall on all this dog food. Who food can you trust anymore.
April 12th, 2007 at 5:46 am
If you are having problems with the Hill’s Science Diet or Prescription diet, please post here and let us know.
April 12th, 2007 at 10:19 am
I have been feeding my cat Nutro Max Chicken flavor dry food for nine years, and it was the only dry food she would eat when I adopted her. (I tried 12 dry foods). She also gets canned food (none recalled-YET), but no Nutro canned food (hated it 9 years ago). She has always been very healthy, but the last bag I bought (January) she started eating much less dry, throwing food out of the bowl, and generally seeming not to like the food. I thought she was bored with it. She also started throwing up, which she has never done except for very rare hairballs, and was having trouble jumping. (I attributed more frequent vomit and less strength to her age!) What she threw up was little puddles of mucus, something I have read on this blog about other Nutro-eating pets doing recently, some of whom died. My cat also was starting to get an older cat look, especially in the face. I thought it was time for senior formula, so I offerred her that. She would not TOUCH it. Mixed the senior with the adult formula, and she didln’t want either. I tried Innova senior mixed in with the Nutro adult, and she started picking the Innova out and leaving the Nutro. When I read this blog post, I removed all Nutro dry from her bowl, and now she is eating her dry Innova and acting much perkier. She is not throwing food out of the bowl or throwing up and is back to being able to jump onto a table easily. I thought the vomiting was just a hairball that wouldn’t come up! I feel awful. None of the dry Nutro was recalled, but I agree that something changed recently…something my cat could taste and was getting sick from. I fear the FDA is looking at the wrong culprit, as the Nutro dry does not contain any wheat gluten, and I keep reading reports from parents of sick pets that their pets got sick eating food that doesn’t contain wheat gluten at all. The Innova Senior cat food has been a real help!
April 12th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
My pet 6yrs old Chi/terrier died on March 11,07 before the recalls came out. She ate IAM’s dry mini chunks, dog bones, tartar treats. She started to get sick on Thurs. night, spent Fri. at vets office. Died on Sunday. She had all the symptoms of liver failure.
IAMs keeps saying the dry food is safe but at this point I don’t believe them. She didn’t want to eat the IAMs. I thought she was just being spoiled and picky. But she knew better.
I have filed a complaint with IAMs and FDA.
I have met with other local people and their pets have died around the time my pet died and they had eaten IAMs and Nutro dry dog food.
April 12th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
My cat Mittens born Feb 2001 died April 9, 2007 at 12;15 pm. I can not prove it in any kind of court . But I feed Mittens Iams, Fancy fest & Alpo w/gravy. The Alpo with gravy was for my dog. But my pets where best friends. I would put the dog food down and he would sit back and let his ” sister” have the gravy. She was a healthy cat till I started feeding treats of can food. She become weak , stop eating, got thin, stopped peeing etc. Toward the end she would not drink, we gave her water w/ a big eye dropper. She was 2 weak to even stand. I called a vet and was told that they could do very little and in the end I’d loss her. We did not wont her dieing in a vet’s office with strangers around her & tubs sticking in her. She died at home with her family and her “bother” ( my dog) near.
Like I said I could not prove this in any court but I’m 100 % sure it was the Alpo w/ gravy that caused her death. She had not been sick before eatting the gravy. Thank heaven my dog is ok.
I have now sent e mails to every one I know telling them to check the recall list. In hopes of saveing other family the lost my family dealing with this week.
I understand Alpo and the other company did not mean for loved family members to die. But when all is said & done they need 2 inspect there plants now and make it safer so this never happens again. If this was happening in humen food. Wahington would be all over this faster.
There are hurting hearts that loved pets are died
April 12th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
Here’s what we know for sure. Pet food companies are only going to admit as much as they have to. Only they know the truth. The dry food could very well be contaminated. Recalling the dry food would cost them far too much money. So even as kidneys across the country are being destroyed, it is up to us consumers to avoid any brand that is linked to Menu Foods. My cat never had a health problem until she ate wet Iams in February. I only purchased it because I thought Iams was a reputable brand and it was on sale. Now I know WHY it was on sale. My cat started suffering kidney failure in March and it is unknown what her prognosis will be. Again, she had no symptoms prior to eating the Iams. I also fed her dried Iams on a regular basis. She is now on a K/B diet. But at this point, I really don’t trust any corporation. Watch Fast Food Nation to see the eerie parallels of the fast food industry to what is happening with our pets.
April 13th, 2007 at 12:20 am
We had a close call with our 12 year old. He is fed a alternating meals of human quality protein (tuna, shrimp, cooked fish, chicken, turkey, cooked lamb), his kibble bowl is fresh each day. In Jan we decided to give him a kibble change by mixing his usual Bench and Field Holistic kibble (pricey) with Science Diet dry. He ate less and less of the kibble then refused to eat either, so we went back to the Bench and Field. But he was “off” and lost weight since he had not been eating kibble, so to make up we supplemented with canned - unfortunately the new brand we tried was Science Diet adult savory seafood and chicken.
The weekend we did that (late Feb) he threw up some spongy looking red stuff (not hairballs) three times, became so weak, was walking wobbly, tinkled on the carpet (he would rather die than do that he’s so fussy about his litter box, he has different vocalizations to let us know when he’s going to the john, when he’s done #1 and #2) - that weekend he was limp, cold, wouldn’t eat, drank almost a whole bowl of water, he would never do more than a few lusty laps before then, , tinkled some stench filled tinkles, and all I could do was hold him close. I did some homeopathic remedies, put him on a different diet, and thank god he got better, still not himself, still up and down. But I have studied healing arts for a long time, few have the luxury of doing that. I couldn’t afford to take him to a vet until a month later, but his blood work is normal, his urine tests are still off. He is still lethargic, cannot get up energy to jump anymore and is scared of his food bowl. He’s not stupid, he knows, but what other choice does he have but to trust me, and eat what I give him.
I reported to the FDA. I emailed Hills that I was livid they knew for so long, and failed to report.
My kitty got lucky. I got lucky. I consider the sequence of events that helped us save him nothing short of god’s grace. That being said, I also know that for this to stop a visit to the dark side is necessary: from Menu Foods on down they ALSO got lucky. I still have the bag of Science Diet dry that I am going to get tested privately for rat poison, and if it comes back positive, I am going to seriously consider holding a new kind of Senate hearing, one where they permit having their poisoned kibble rammed down those CEO’s mouths until they vomit blood and pee all over themselves.
April 15th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
My 2 dogs were on dog chow after recalls I decided to try kibbles and bits they ate it for about 5 days then refused to eat it any more. They started drinking alot of water but still active. Then I found out the ol roy jerky treats were tainted. I was feeding those as trainging treats so they got alot of those. Then the next recall comes along ol roy biscuits were recalled the only biscuits I gave my babies. I should have know something was wrong when my felix spit the biscuit out because, he loves his treats. With the recall they said to look for wheat glutien and stay away from it. Well the treats only had wheat in them. I will never trust any of these companies again. I searched the net and found the canidae web site. No wheat no corn no soy No perservitives. I am going the natural way now. Canidae also has treats for your dogs, and they love them. The food they are still getting use to, but they are very picky eaters. I switched them over not mixing there old food in it, and no diarea. No loose stools at all. I also have a cat she was on eukanuba indoor dry cat formula she just stopped eating it. I tried nine lives dry she refused that one then I went to meow mix she refused all three dry types I tried on her. I put her on the felidae she likes this one. I gave her this one without mixing her old food in she didn’t have any problems with loose stools either. felidae dosen’t make cat treats at this timebut, I get her catswell treats all natural the ingredients are beef liver flaxseed oil vit. a and vit. E they also have a chicken one. My cat who is also a picky eater eats all of these. IF you go to canidae.com you can resaerch these for yourself. Canidae and Felidae also make canned food.
April 16th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
I own a high end pet food store. I have been dealing for weeks with the aftermath of this latest pet food recall. I have read through MOST of these posts (not all) and agree and disagree with a lot of the info.
Firstly, the use of the word “organic” is being abused when talking about high end pet foods. Most are NOT organic, but human-grade, hormone antibiotic free. There is a difference. Don’t count on all high end foods to be organic. Although, there are some - they are VERY expensive - we simply do not carry most of them because people will not pay for them.
Secondly, home made diets. GO FOR IT, but don’t trust that every jo-blow website has “balanced” diets for your pet. You must do research and ensure they are complete in everyway. Also, guess what? Those homemade diets you are serving also come from our foods sources, and they can be tainted too. Unless you grow your own everything, and don’t have any pollution in your area, everything can potentially go bad, or be handled incorrectly.
Next, raw food. I personally feed raw. Don’t think I am high and mighty for it, but to me it makes more sense. A nice side benefit of raw is that because it cannot cross border easily, the ingredients are more than likely local. Nice. There has never been a raw food recall (to my knowledge). There are great commercial diets available that are easy too - at least here in Canada.
Also, I do agree (based on the kaos I have seen in my store) that people are acting irrationally. I would LOVE to bash all the brands that I don’t carry and say YES switch to my foods (my store has been unaffected by the recall). But, the reality is that in our world of mass produced EVERYTHING this stuff happens. Why aren’t we discussing the spinach that made so many people sick recently. Are you never going to eat spinach again cause there was a bad batch? I got salmonella poisoning from bean sprouts a few years ago. I am eating them again. Do you really know what goes into YOUR food. A person commented on cerel companies having to substantiate claims made on their boxes… NOT really true. There is clever labelling that can get them aroudn stuff like this. They can say “whole grain” on a loaf of bread and only have a TINY amount in there. We are all being fooled, daily, whether it be pet food or people food. The moral is WAKE UP and pay attention.
Vaccines have been making our pets ill for many years and no one stops to think that MAYBE this can be part of the problem. Animals all eat food, so it’s easy to blame it on the food. But for the most part most of them are getting vaccinated too. What if it were a bad batch of vaccinations? I may be stretching it, but the point is that scientific evidence, how do we know for sure? I see the point about scientific proof being very important. But, also see the point of someone who’s lost a dear pet wanting answers. Belive me, my livelihood is in the pet food business. It hurts me too! We all need and care to know. No one should be put down for not knowing better. When we know better, we do better.
That being said, most of us trust “the man” about most things, but we have to really investigate for ourselves unless we all wnat to never eat out, never by commercial food (for the entire family), etc. Did you see “Supersize me?” I have my doubts that many people have stopped eating at the golden arches because of the results of that movie.
We have simply been feeding our pets “mcdonalds” for many years, and I truly believe that the majority of health problems (for us and our pets) stem from diet. But, Vets don’t know much about diet. They just don’t. I know two people who just graduated from a vet program and they said they never got a day of training. So, why are we allowing them to tell us what food to feed? Guess who tells them? You betcha. I have to keep my mouth shut day after day when trying to teach my customers about nutrition when they have been told something proposterous from their vet. I have to keep my mouth shut and what them suffer when I know better. It’s very tough.
I too agree that these pet foods have been using low quality, species inappropriate ingredients for many years. FINALLY people are paying attention! I have been preaching it for years to def ears. POOR DIET HAS BEEN MAKING OUR PETS SICK FOR DECADES!
It is very sad that science diet supports the shelters. I mean, it makes them look good and feeds the animals - GOOD. But, I know for a fact that because of the agreement they have, they will not accept donations of any other foods. I have tried in my city to donate ripped bags of higher quality foods, and they will not take them. Against their agreement, so we know they are in it for the benefit, not be be nice. I have had many customers come in and say they rescued a dog and they were on science diet so they are keeping them on it. Mission accomplished!
The thing that scares me most about this is how much of what we are hearing from the media is true. I would bet money that a major pet food company that recently got exposed like this, might start to consider making the GOOD food companies look bad. It’s a pretty corrupt business and it’s going to be very sad to see how they try to save face.
MORAL - the best thing you can do is read labels. Don’t buy anything with by product (meat or grain). These things have usually been around the bend a few times. Don’t buy anything that has a generic “meat” in it. Don’t buy anything with artificial preservatives, colours, and the like. BHA, BHT BAD. Investigate the companies stand point on nutrition. Do they put nutrition first, or advertising.
Check out this site: http://www.naturapet.com/ View their video, listen to how they feel about animals. They are not a toothpaste company selling off unusable byproducts into pet foods, they care about nutrition of companion animals. They are unaffected by this recall and are still taking steps to make their products safer. They also take measures above and beyond what they have to take (having their plants inspected by human food plant inspectors) and having them certified. Just an example. Bet you’ve never heard of them…
I would like to extend my sympathies to anyone who has lost a pet PERIOD because we all know how close and dear they are to us. This is a confusing and scary time for all of us, but please don’t let it be in vain. LEARN about pet food, learn about their health, take it into your own hands if you have to, educate yourself. And, the same goes for what you are eating.
PS. I find it odd that things like cigarettes and cars always get overlooked in these debates. have killed more people than anything else. Yet, in all this panic, we are still putting our pets and our kids in a vehicle on a daily basis.. Odd.
Jessica
April 17th, 2007 at 9:37 am
I bought her a new bag of Iams in March and she immediately got mouth ulcers and is now in complete renal failure. She is dying and the Iams corp. is not recalling this just. I’m wondering if they are just doing it to no have to pay vet fees. I don’t have the money to put my cat on an IV so she will die. If I ever see an Iams exec. they will be slapped.
April 17th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Sorry about your pet-My cat is dying. We all know how you may be feeling. We are all at a loss, grieving for our pets. My pet died after eating IAM’s mini chunks. Have called IAM’s and FDA.
IAM’s says they have done their part in recalling the wet food. In fact when I spoke to a Vet technican she was adamant and indignant that its not the dry food. That IAM’s was the first to recall the food.
Yeah, but why did they wait so long? As far as they are concerned they have done their part.
Considering all the mess with the wet food, they will not open another can of worms and all the lawsuits that will follow.
April 17th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
Well it just tickles me pink to see IAM’s giving away coupons for 4lbs of dog and cat food. They said its a million pounds of free food given away or get money off on a bigger bag of food. And an IAM’s promise to go with it.
Why in the world would I ever give any pet their food?
Nothing they say or do is going to bring back my baby dog. The fact is my dog is buried in my backyard. And nothing is bringing me any peace of mind.
April 18th, 2007 at 5:37 am
Jessice, I’ve never heard anything as foolish as what you said at the end of your post. Comparing toxic food to cigarettes and cars? No, cigarettes do not kill people. People kill themseves with them. It is a choice..a conscious act. Pets have none. They have to eat what they are fed. And cars?…those are accidents. If you want to include accidents in this, then bathtubs have kiiled peole too, and so has walking, since people have fallen and hit their heads. Your logic is absurd. It’s worse than comparing apples and oranges. You’re comparisons are not even on the same planet. By all means we should be discussing vehicle accidents and smoking as much as this, huh? if you want to discuss that, then go on an accident or smoking website. We come here to discuss our pets’ safety. And excuse me, but most of us are concerned about the other things that you mentioned, and are doing our research. We don’t need a lecture from you. Some of us know just as much as you do about these things. And for your information, the spinach thing and other food related problems have been brought up several times since this started, so what in the heck are you talking about?
April 18th, 2007 at 9:04 am
We have two black russian terriers that had been eating Nutro Ultra Large Breed Holistic Adult Dry dog food. When I started on a new bag about three weeks ago they would vomit the food back up, had diarrea and just didn’t seem well, their gum color was so pale pink. Started calling the Nurto company and the 1st person informed me to stop using the dry food immediately and from what I could tell him the food was produced in January 2007. After much researching the correct way to feed we started our home made diet for them of meats, veggies, fruit and fish oils….we are so blessed to catch this in time…neither one has been sick with the new diet and both look and seem to feel great…but as I continued to call the Nutro company I either got no response or someone that was so hateful and not wanting to take the responsibilty that maybe the food was tainted. Finally after many, many days and phone calls one person took all my information and said she would send a kit for a sample of the food but as of 4/17/07 we have not received a kit. So how many pets will be sick or die with all this wasted time from a company like Nutro not wanting to take responsiblily for their actions. How can we ever trust a pet food company again? Why would we want to trust them with our family members. I have also called the number several times at the FDA and so far have receivec no response from them. Have heart goes out to everyone who has suffered from this crisis . We cannot let this go without a fight to change what is happening to our best friends and family members. We must take a stand. Thank you to Itchmo and the other sites for keeping us informed on this crisis, otherwise we would neither know what was actually going on. You can tell the pet food industry should did not want us to know.
April 18th, 2007 at 9:44 am
Please contact me if there is anymore pet food recalls. Thank you me and my family appreciates what you are doing to protect our dogs and cats. Thank you so much again!!
April 18th, 2007 at 10:29 am
Nutro’s response to my complaint about their dry cat food was that the dry food has not been recalled. I replied back that I didn’t ask that because I know it hasn’t and that I was reporting to them that their DRY food, recalled or not, made my cat sick and they should check into that. They changed something in their dry food in the last few months, which is not listed on the label. Whatever it was, my kitty could taste it, didn’t like it, and it made her sick. Her problems stopped a short time after removing the Nutro dry, and she is eating Innova Senior, loves it, had no problems with the change, and is completely herself again. She ate Nutro dry chicken flavor for nine years and has had no previous health problems, but I will never trust or feed any Nutro products again. She also gets canned food (none recalled) and I have removed all gluten of any kind from her diet. (Nutro dry has corn gluten).
April 18th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
Hill’s Prescription c/d dry for felines also has corn gluten. Or at least it is supposed to have corn gluten according to the label. Our cat had eaten it for 3 years and never had a problem. After buying a new bag in Jan. he became ill in 2 or 3 days. Two weeks after 1st becoming ill and being treated at the vet’s on IV’s for 8 days, he had to be euthanized. I think either the corn gluten is contaminated or wheat gluten has been substituted. I am afraid to adopt another cat unless I raw feed.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
This is for Jane in previous post….I met a lady at the pet store and her pet dog had died after eating Nutro and it so happened around the time frame my pet died too. But mine ate IAM’s mini chunks. March 11,07.
I also bought a bag of dog food in mid January and noticed that she didn’t want to eat it most of the time. She would go for days not touching it and I would throw it out and give her a new bowlful. And sometimes I would give her homemade chicken and rice and she would eat around it. I just thought she was being spoiled and picky.
I am so devastated that I fed it to her.
IAM’s just keeps denying anything is wrong with the dry food.
I just keep wondering who the next recall company is going to be in view of the two newest companies joining the recent list.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
http://www.homevet.com/petcare/foodbook.html
http://www.nexusmagazine.com/a.....food1.html
These two articles will tell you what is really in that food. Don’t eat before reading them.
April 18th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
could you please tell me the website that tells about the purina beneful being bad.
our dog corky is still hanging in there. thank god!!! he is still very bloated and we had decided to put him on purina one natural blend. i haven’t heard anything about this brand, has anyone?????
thank you,
please e-mail me at bingotoni7@aol.com
April 18th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
This is for Toni, previous poster, go to www.doggybling.com This website has several posting on pet owners and their sick pets eating Beneful.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
Goodness, I just finished up a bag of Science Diet senior for my male cat which seemed fine, and now I opened up a new bag of Iams Indoor senior and it looks to be okay but this is scaring me.
It didn’t do me any good to go and buy health food brands because I fed some of that Natural Balance venison and green pea that I just opened and now its recalled. It didn’t even have rice protein listed on the bag. And I have been feeding a bag of Castor & Pollux Indoor which has rice protein listed so I feel like not using that. They say theirs is okay but who knows.
May as well go get 9-Lives or something.
April 18th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
Just to let bloggers know, my cat died Monday evening after being fed from a bag of Iams dry food.
She was 8 years old, healthy and lively, with all her meds etc. up to date. I bought the bag of dry food Sunday and fed her from it that day.
Monday evening when I got home from work, she was obviously sick, with diarrhea, vomiting, excessive drool and she was lethargic. I took her to the emergency vet, who, because dry food is not on the recall list, said it “must be a tummy ache from something she ate” asked for thousands to run tests and for “fluids”, and because I did not have the funds, sent her home insteads with some pain medicine for her stomach and droplets to start the next day.
My cat died of Acute Renal Failure that night. She suffered very much.
I am now trying to let people know that I truly believe the Iams dry food contained poison and caused ANF in my cat.
Even if “correlation does not imply causation”, the facts seem to be connected. And, why not err on the side of caution? I would to save my beautiful Ava who should have ten more years of life.
April 19th, 2007 at 8:10 am
I am late to the party, but Adrienne, if you are still out there, THANK YOU for your posts re: stats. I am following the recall because I am employed in the human food industry, and am very interested to see how it impacts human food safety. I have to agree - I find people’s reactions to be very irrational (sorry, I am a call it as I see it guy).
According to the PFI website, There are roughly 150,000,000 pets in america.
If, say, 90% of them eat “commercial” pet foods (I don’t know what the actual number is, but am estimating), that is 135,000,000.
Menu RECALL alone was 1% of pet food. So 1,350,000 animals were eating this food. Say it was 1/2 of Menu’s total production (I have no idea what their total production is, but for argument’s sake)
That means 2,700,000 pets were eating Menu products.
Banfield animal hospital says they saw 1,000,000 pets - and only something like 284 extra cases of renal failure in the 3 month period before the recall (I read the article last week so my numbers may be sightly off) 6 animals - 5 cats, 1 dog - actually died.
1,000,000 is a smoking hot huge sample size, very good representation of the population. Based on this we can extrapolate that 6×135 million = 810 animals (675 cats, 135 dogs) are likely going to die, and about 40,000 are going to be sickened.
810 dead out of 135,000,000 = .0006% of pets eating any commercial foods may die. OF COURSE each individual is tragic, however your chances of getting struck by lightning and killed are about the same.
810 dead out of estimated 2,700,000 eating Menu (remember this is just my guesstimation, not a factual number) = .03%. So EVEN IF you were feeding Menu, there is only a .03% chance your pet would die.
But, living in a society where people actually spend $$$ on lottery tickets, it is no surprise that the perception of the risk of feeding ANY pet food has gotten so twisted out of proportion. ANY death is one too many, but it is really no surprise to me that George Bush is not running around in a panic, and I would think he is more of an idiot than I already do if he were to start.
So, as a pet owner/lover, what am I doing? Well, looking at the numbers again - my best odds are still with feeding a major “known” brand.
Purina (for example, could also use Iams) feed a HUGE HUGE HUGE percentage of the pets in U.S. For arguments sake, lets say Purina has 30% market share (I could probably find the actual # on the web, but I have to get ready for work sometime soon…)
30% would be 135,000,000 = 40,500,000 pets. Year after year after year. If they were killing animals on ANY scale, even a very small scale - would we know about it?? Of course.
Looking at current recall - say even 10% of the dead animals were fed Purina Mighty dog or Alpo.
810 * 10% = 81 animals. 81/40,500,000 = .0002%. Forget being struck by lightning, now I have to die by being landed on by a UFO or something. The chance is extremely remote.
Conversely - some little niche “holistic” brand, sprinkled with fruits and berries, could kill even 1 or 2 dogs, but if they only feed 10,000 in total, that would be much more scary… (0.02%).
Would we know about it?
Probably not - because Nestle or P&G killing animals is big news, where as “Grandma Luv’s Holistic Wellness Diet” killing animals is not. Just look at the difference in media coverage between the Diamond recall last year (Diamond killed nearly 100 dogs) and the Menu (+ P&G, + Nestle et. al.) recall this year. We now hear that Diamond is potentially killing more animals (Natural Balance is made by Diamond) - hmm, I have no idea what THEIR market share is, but sounds like my odds (although probably still very remote) are much worse feeding anything made by Diamond vs. something marketed by Iams. And Diamond probably makes LOTS of “holistic wellness wonder diets…”
Well, gotta go, I will be giving my guy his Pedigree topped with that Beneful stew stuff (you have to admit, it looks pretty tasty..) before I go!
April 19th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
To Anonymous;
So, are you saying pets make a choice to get into a car? They make a choice to eat too. YOUR logic is off buddy. You can call getting into a car and crashing an accident, so are you inferring that people intentionally fed tainted food to their pets (not being an accident?)? I would say not. If you want to discuss your pet’s safety on here, then I have. You have a higher chance of killing your pet in a car (not their choice), then feeding them commercial food. I think before you go off at the mouth you should learn firstly how to SPELL (my name – what was yours again, oh yeah you are too afraid to say which is why you are shooting off at the mouth – I see) and secondly stop contradicting yourself. If I am unwelcome to discuss MY experiences (what you call a lecture – sensitive much?) I don’t see why you can -“anonymousâ€.
To the comment about Holistic blends… I do not have any sort of loyalty to Natural Balance, but they took their foods off the shelves after only 7 complaints over a two day period. They did not test and kill a bunch of animals first to find out what the problem was then wait two weeks like your favorite grocery store brand did. Therefore, I think the comparison is pretty sad. I have cut and paste the first few ingredients of a Pedigree food:
GROUND YELLOW CORN, CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL, MEAT AND BONE MEAL, CORN GLUTEN MEAL, ANIMAL FAT (PRESERVED WITH BHA/BHT), RICE, NATURAL POULTRY FLAVOR, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, WHEAT FLOUR, VEGETABLE OIL, WHEAT GLUTEN, CARAMEL COLOR,
On that list, I see CORN your first ingredient. A very cheap and hard to digest protein source. Meat and Bone Meal. When they don’t identify the “meat†it could be anything. Road kill, you name it. BHA and BHT have are preservatives that are toxic to kidneys and have been banned in people food. There is also artificial color in there which a lot of pets react to. SO, your logic about a tainted ingredient in a high quality pet food being better to avoid rather than 10 that will make your dog sick slowly is rather odd. I would rather my dog eat food sprinkled with blueberries thank you.
I would agree about the over reaction in general. Of all the foods on the market, I believe that it’s less than 3% that were affected.
Jessica
April 19th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
If there is any good thing to come out of all this horror, might it be that small companies that actually care what happens to our pets might get a bigger share of pet food sales, and that more pets will eat better food more safely? That more of us, like me, will suddenly learn what we have been doing wrong for our furry loved ones? That better pet food safety laws and regulations will result? Now that we’ve realized almost nothing is safe to feed our pets right now, can we support the small companies not just during this crisis, but all the time? That’s how we get safer pet food. We buy what is safe and ethical and digestible, and the pet food improves based on the demands we make with our purchasing decisions.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
This is for Ava’s Mom, I am so sorry for your loss. I know it really hurts.
I too, lost my beloved pet dog before the recalls. Its been a nightmare, cant sleep. I miss my puppy dog. She died in my husband’s arms. She was a Chihuahua mix.
My pet also ate the IAMs mini chunks and the vet said the same thing about it not being on the recall and wouldn’t committ as to why a healthy, happy little dog would die so fast.
I should have known better that she wouldn’t eat it and I thought she was being spoiled and picky.
Dont think that its not killing me inside that I fed it to her and I should have known better. She did and now she’s gone.
Once again I am sorry for your loss.
April 20th, 2007 at 12:04 am
Heather B……Do you really think that better safety pet food laws and regulations will result after this mess?? Considering that the FDA won’t name the remaining pet food companies that bought from Wilbur-Ellis.
I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Right now people are having to play a waiting game to see who is the next company is or even if they will ever come out and admit to it.
As long as the president continues to back up big business it won’t get done or they will lag until all the hysteria and dust settles. And it will take years before anything is done. One subcommittee after another and approval after approval….blah…blah….until they do something…….its the American way of government. And I don’t mean it in a negative way…but that’s the way things are done in this country.
Just wondering…..has our president said anything since all this mess has slowly come out? Bet his pets dont eat canned or dry dog food, they probably have a chef to cook their meals.
April 20th, 2007 at 12:35 am
# Brandon Knueppel Says:
March 28th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
I haven’t reported it on this site because i honestly don’t know if its true. However i have a 5 year old cat that was in good health who was diagnosed with ARF a week before the food recall. My cats have only been eating Science Diet Dry cat food. I honestly don’t know if its related because i have 4 cats and only 1 became sick. I am suspicious though as he had the exact same symptoms that were later reported for the wet pet food recall. My cat was hospitalized for 4 days, on IVs before the vet deemed him stable enough to send him home. I am now required to administer 100ml of fluids to him through a needle every other day. The Vet tried to put him on perscription foods for renal failure, but he refuses to eat any of them. The only food i have been able to get him to eat is Fancy Feast, and i’m not sure i feel comfortable feeding it to him but he has to eat something.
**********************************************************
I also had 4 cats and only one showed symptoms but by the time we noticed them it was too late .. we took him to the vet and all they could do was put him to sleep .. RIP sherbert ….. Dec 7th 2006 …… he also was the one who ate more then the other 3 .. he was fatter then all the other 3 as well ….. also he was 10 years old .. but his brother still remines fine …..I had been feeding them Purina uerany tract sence like 2000 and didn’t have any problems till now but then i see on the recall list purina .. so does that mean all types that purina makes ???? ….
April 20th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Hi. I’m just posting this infomation because it might help someone. People on this site seem to be wondering about Natural Balance and using it. I’ve just read that it’s been recalled. Dry foods are being recalled now too.
Here is the place I found the info:
http://www.howl911.com/petfoodrecall_list.htm
Kind Regards,
Nico
April 20th, 2007 at 11:31 am
To Ruth:
No Ruth, I have no confidence that better safety laws will result, only that it is a vague possibility. I repeat, the way we get safer pet food is to refuse to buy food from any company that does not meet our personal demands, whatever type of food it is. For those making home-prepared diets, you are also speaking with your dollars by refusing to buy any pet food. The almighty dollar runs everything, so hurting pet food manufacturers in the wallet will make changes. They clearly don’t care about the safety of our pets, but they do care if their sales suddenly plummet, and they investigate whose sales are up and why.
April 20th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Jessica, I now wonder about BHT being banned in human foods, it’s in Life cereal and a few other cereals. I never feed my dog food or treats that have BHT in them and here our own foods hve it in them!
April 21st, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Heather, your right about hitting these companies where it hurts…….their money.
Up to now they have not care how they stuff their pockets with money.
It’s going to be up to people not buying their products in general including pet food.
April 22nd, 2007 at 12:16 am
MY DOGS GOT SO SICK FROM NUTRO LITE THE FOOD,HAD A REALLY BAD NASTY SMELL.DOGS DRANK LOTS OF WATER,UPCHUCKED BILE. I TOOK THEM OFF ALL NUTRO,FOOD,AND TREATS WITH IN 24 HRS. THEY WERE THEIR OLD SHELFS AGAIN. THE FDA NEEDS TO DO A RECALL ON NUTRO TO MAMY PETS ARE SICK FROM IT. {OH,CAPS LOCK IS STUCK. }SO VERY SORRY FOR EVERYONE WHO LOST A BELOVED PET.THIS BREAKS MY HEART.
April 22nd, 2007 at 4:50 am
PLEASE READ IT WILL HELP!!!!
I wanted to share with everyone after 2 days (all day each day lol) of research- i feel very confident to feed my animals http://www.canidae.com
i just bought some today and my cats and dog loved it- (bought the kibble)
heres some more info-
Canidae (verified by company 3/28/07)
* Brands include Canidae and Felidae
* No products made by Menu Foods
* All ingredients are grown in the US and are also processed here.
* No wheat gluten is used in their products.
* All products are free of corn, wheat, soy and all grain fractions
* Canidae does not use Glutens in any form, and we do not import any ingredients from China or overseas. (from website 4/18/07)
my second choice was:
Nature’s Variety (verified by CEO 3/27/07)
* Brands include Nature’s Variety, Nature’s Variety Prairie, and Nature’s Variety Raw Instinct.
* Canned foods made by Menu Foods but not involved in the recall.
* Dry foods are outsourced, but not by Menu Foods.
* Frozen and freeze-dried raw foods are made in house.
* All grains used are of US origin, except flax seed, which they get from Canada.
* No wheat gluten is used in their products, or in the plant that manufactures their dry foods.
* There is no rice protein concentrate used in any of our Nature’s Variety diets (kibble, cans, or raw). Furthermore, rice protein concentrate is NOT used anywhere within the kibble manufacturing facility. (from website 4/18/07)
before the recall i used to buy friskies dry and wet for my cats, and pedigree,alpo and kibbles and bits to my dog…then after the recall i bought 1 bag of dry iams- but then after reading all these horror stories about iams dry- i set out to find something safer…. thank God i think i have…. anyway im so so sorry to all who have lost their precious furry babbies :(
April 22nd, 2007 at 11:05 am
Wysong makes prescription diets. I have not tried any of these but ran across it in my research. Ingredients are MUCH better than any other RX diet, so if you have a cat with health problems, it is one more thing you can investigate. They also have a phone number you can call with questions. They will help you locate a vet who will prescribe the food if you want to try it.
http://www.wysong.net/page/WOTTPWS/CTGY/RXDIET
P.S. I am having good luck getting my cat to eat Sheba, which smells like human food, but she also eats Innova dry. Sheba has no taurine or other supplements. It is chunky and a little saucy, which is what my cat loves. Zero luck getting her to eat any natural brand wet food because she likes her chunks. Nutro dry food made her sick, so I switched to Innova. She is fine now. She never ate any recalled wet food. Does anyone know of a natural wet food that is not ground up?
April 22nd, 2007 at 3:33 pm
Helen - Spots Stew is chunky like humn stew. Merrick is also a bit chunky esp. Gradma’s Chicken Pot Pie. Both brands have excellant ingredients. Neither are made by Menu Foods and neither contain rice protein, corn or wheat gluten.
April 22nd, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Has anyone tried Timberwolf organics? I read their website and it sounds impressive. Appreciate any feed back.
April 22nd, 2007 at 9:10 pm
What about Wysong? It sounds like it is a good food, it encourages you to add fresh ingredients to the kibble and to vary the food for complete nutrition.
April 23rd, 2007 at 3:04 pm
“Terry asked, Has anyone tried Timberwolf organics? I read their website and it sounds impressive. Appreciate any feed back.”
My pets were brought up solely on Purina products until one, my oldest, died suddenly with pet food symptoms (renal failure - 11 yr old dog), one got very sick and had to be monitored for liquid intake after eating wet Beneful Beef Stew mixed in with dry Purina, and is now on a second bout of antibiotics for his UTI (bloody urine - 6 yr old cat), and one had to be monitored for liquid intake after eating wet Beneful Beef Stew, also mixed in with dry Purina One (7 yr old dog).
Needless to say, I discontinued using Purina products very quickly. In a quandary, like most pet owners, I turned to the Internet and found this forum for advice on foods. With so many out there and especially not knowing anything about organic or Holistic foods, it was nearly impossible to pick one, so I narrowed it to three: Canidae, Eagle Pack and Timber Wolf.
About this same time, the rice gluten fiasco came to the forefront, and I was having my own suspicions about corn gluten and corn meal gluten in Purina One and in Purina’s Beneful, never mind wheat gluten in their subsidiary manufacturer, Delmonte’s wet Beneful.
Being who I am, I wanted to opt out of ALL foods with GLUTEN anything. I am sure no one would blame me, solely because my pets ate all of Purina’s products with gluten, and all three had showed some symptoms of FOOD POISONING. Notwithstanding, our beautiful, loving and faithful Shepherd, like so many beautiful, loving and faithful dogs and cats had unjustly died.
Anyway, because two of the foods contained gluten, not that they have been recalled to date, I chose Timber Wolf Ocean Blue for Dee, the 7 year old dog and Timber Wolf Serengeti for Buster, the 6 year old cat. Both dove into their bowls, no coaxing, no hesitation and no stomach or bowel irritation … nothing.
I bought the Ocean Blue for Dee for two reasons: He is overweight and I wanted to detoxify his system. So far this is working, Dee is satisfied with the amount he is receiving in his bowl, and actually does not completely eat the mealtime feedings, but leaves some behind. He no longer has foul smelling breath and his coat is back to its normal sheen, something I have not seen since I have been unable to find Brewers Yeast and Garlic Tablets at our local PetSmart.
So, I am happy and they are eating healthy, but the kids and I miss our Shepherd, Makenzie, terribly and Dee is still a little forlorn over losing his playmate and perhaps a little confused, as he still is trying to play with the cat!
April 23rd, 2007 at 6:27 pm
To Lisa M.
THANK YOU! She ate the Merrick out from under the fresh chicken sprinkled on top.
I think the variety in my cat’s diet may have saved her life. She has always had dry available and gets canned food 2x per day and a share of any meat I happen to cook or some canned low salt tuna. She is not overweight and had no health problems before the dry food incident. So when she was partially rejecting and getting sick from her dry (Nutro), she had other food to fall back on. She would have eaten more of the bad dry food if that was her entire diet. Since she will eat the Merrick, I can still give her variety without Fancy Feast. She can’t eat Sheba all the time (missing too many nutrients). She has the option of rejecting a food if she knows something is wrong with it that way. She is fussy fussy, so it is hard to tell, but I will now be more suspicious if she suddenly won’t eat something she has previously agreed to eat.
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:23 pm
Helen-glad to hear your cat liked the Merrick. They have a bunch of different flavors. My cats’ favorites are chicken pot pie, cowboy cookout and turducken. I love the ingredients in Spot’s Stew, looks great and made in a human plant, but my cats won’t go near it!! Spot’s Stew is made by Halo and they make dehydrated chicken, lamb & salmon treats that my cats absolutely love. I feed it to them almost daily. They are crazy for it. Checkout their website. I also think variety saved my cats lives, including my one cat who has had kidney disease (diagnosed five years ago). I every now and then fed them Nutro Gourmet Classics in the pouch, but like you I always keep dry food out (wellness) and feed them a varitey of different brand canned foods, as well as some homemade cooked, some raw meat. My kidney cat got really sick in 10/06-vomiting, diarrhea, wouldn’t eat. Vet thought she got into poison. I couldn’t imagine where she would have got into poison as I am fanatical about bringing any chemicals into the house. Little did I know I was feeding it to her. During that time, I was actually force feeding her Nutro!!! I picked that brand b/c she liked it the most. My pet store was sold out of the stuff, so I didn’t feed it for awhile. My cat fully recovered and then in March, I learn that Nutro is poisoned. I am convinced that Nutro made her sick back in October.
April 24th, 2007 at 6:34 am
I have rescues I feed and a colony that I feed. Well, I feed the survivors as many have died from the poison pet food. I was feeding the colony as they were hungry and I was trying to trap them to get them fixed. I’m not rch and had to buy what I could afford. As the number has dwindled I have upgraded the food but there are still close to 20 cats. The dry food I feed the “outsiders” is Purina Feline Favorites. I have 2 14 year old cats of my own and my female loves this food. A couple of my rescues like it also so I let them have their junk food.
Almost a week ago one of them started sneezing then anoher then another. I work graveyard from home and on Thurday morning I noticed one had thrown up. Next day again and the next day again. I pulled the Friskies since that is what was thrown up but I forgot there was some outside. Today I went outside and someone had thrown up. All 4 times it was Friskies. So now it’s all pulled. Today no one has sneezed and no one has thrown up.
I have an almost new 20 pound bag of cat food and I can think of a few people I would like to give it to for dinner. I have emailed Friskies so we shall see.
All I know is that this is how all this started for me last June. It was so sporadic that I just did not put it together at the time. I was overwhelmed and hindsight is 20/20 after all. I wanted to share this since it has not been recalled but it’s funny to me that I have pulled the food and not one is sneezing or thrwing up.
April 24th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
I read this site this morning at work and went home and took up my dogs food. They have been eating Hills Sience Diet dry food and when I read that a lady’s dog died from it, I decided to feed my dogs home cooking for at least the next six months. We dont know what is safe anymore and I for one do not believe any media hype from the pet food makers. We are talking about a billion dollar pet food business. In the end its all about money. Menu foods is still producing and consumers are still buying. A different pet food is added to the recall list every other day. My dogs are precious to me and I am just not going to take a chance. I cook fatty (the vet said not to use lean) hamburger meat, white or brown rice, a hard cooked egg chopped small, and crumple in three slices of hard white toast . The dogs love it and it doesnt cost that much. Put it in your freezer in small freezer bags and it keeps very well. My vet said to give a vitamin daily as well. I do that anyway. Please dont take a chance on all these pet foods. Our furry family members trust us to do what is best for them. You really cant compare an animal with a child although they are precious to us. Would you take a chance with a childs food? Me either.
April 24th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
To Anyone - Help! I need to know what the holistic remedies are! My dog is near death from sudden kidney failure and the vet seems to have given up. Anyone????????
April 24th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Anne: Consult another vet quick? Humans get second opinions all the time, right? There may be a holistic vet in your area, who may possibly be of help?
April 24th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
Fed Purina Pro Plan to my pets for 20 years. Never had a problem. End of last year my dog suddenly got funny about eating her kibble, then in Nov/Dec. my cat started licking herself raw and chewing at her fur. I took her to the vet and after the second visit food allergies were suspected. I switched her and my dog to another brand altogether. No more itchy cat. I tried to contact Purina to report the problem, but the first time, unless it was about a recalled product, they wouldn’t take my info. I called a second time and got the same response. I then demanded to speak to a supervisor who then took down my information. I will never feed Purina again.
April 24th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
Helen - I have a cat who almost died 5 years ago from kidney failure. I would recommend lots of IV and Sub Q fluids immediately. I’m so sorry that you are going through this.
April 24th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
Sorry, meant to address my prior comments to Anne.
April 25th, 2007 at 1:07 am
I fed my dogs Purina One dry dog food and in November, within a few days of each other, my 2 beautiful babies were both being treated for kidney failure. Our vet could not explain it, as they had both been healthy. After multiple hospital visits and treatments, November 27th I lost my beautiful Rory. Early Christmas morning, my once strong Zaggy made his last visit to the emergency hospital. Now with the pet food recall, I fear they were victims of the food I fed them. I too will never feed Purina again!
April 25th, 2007 at 3:37 am
I NO LONGER WANT TO KNOW what commercial pet food is safe…I researched proper home cooked balanced meals for my 2 specific furbabies including supplements and fit for human consumption foods…Evidently most of the commercial pet food industry think pet-parents are too ignorant to learn and cook for our lil furry kids….I WILL NEVER BUY COMMERCIAL PET FOOD AGAIN —-EVER! ..and from what I hear, I’m not the only one who feels this way..
April 25th, 2007 at 7:13 am
I have fed my cats Natura’s Innova dry food for three years and I am very happy with it. I belong to a cat (and sometimes dog) rescue organization. All of us feel very safe using Innova. Since the recalls, they have a new website that is very informative regarding their ingredients. Hope this info helps someone.
April 25th, 2007 at 10:36 am
I too have a lot of confidence in Innova and am having good fortune with it. I hope no big monster buys them out, because then I would worry.
April 25th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
I too have switched to Innova. I was very impressed with the quality. My Dog took to it right away. They are privately owned and make their own dry foods. They are currently in the process of either building a canning facility or purchasing one (according to their website). Their canned products are currently being made by Menu foods. Innova said that their stuff is canned at the plants not involved in the recall, and that they have put additions safeguards in place.
April 25th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
Thanks, Ruth, for the kind sentiment. Sorry for your loss too. It is very difficult and I miss her terribly.
Just as an update, I DID file a report with the FDA on the food. Ironically, Royal Canin added dry dog food to the recall list last week — after both vets had told me that dry food wasn’t recalled. I suspect there are many recall additions in the future.
April 25th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
I just read that the FDA is starting to check the corn, soy glutens, proteins and all corn.
I am just waiting for IAM’s to come out with a recall for the dry food. They were so adamant and condesending about the dry food when I spoke with them.
And now look the FDA will check the corn.
They are going to need to do a lot of checking on food stuff as long as the U.S. keeps buying from China and other third world countries.
April 29th, 2007 at 2:04 am
my dog got sick in the begining of april he was eating puppy dry from IAMS
April 29th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Ruth –
I never fed IAMS but I fed my 5 year old Pug Eukanuba prior to the recall, which I have since learned is just as bad. I switched 2 months ago to Blue Buffalo Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Food. Now, I know BB just recalled all their canned foods because ANI added rice protein concentrate to their recipe without their knowledge or consent. However, since BB’s Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Food has no corn, wheat, soy or other fillers in it, there won’t be any glutens present. Neither ANI nor Menu Foods manufacture this particular brand of BB. I contacted BB directly and later found information on the web to substantiate what they told me — this brand is manufactured by CJ Foods. Now I’m no authority, just a worried pet parent, and I’m not saying run out and buy BB because I said it’s good. All I can offer you is that my Pug, after being on it for 2 months, seems alot healthier. She used to have allergies and now no longer seems to be bothered by them. I don’t have 100% trust in any company anymore, but for now I’m staying with BB. Hope this information helps you, even if just a little.
April 29th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
My daughter switched to BB. too. I hope thats a safe one since recalls now seem to come out on a daily basis.
Her dogs don’t mind to eat BB. My pet didn’t want to eat IAM’s. I just thought she had become picky and spoiled. That was my fault for not listening to her. And now she is dead.
April 29th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
I have lost faith in the pet food industry. I can’t believe that after knowing the problems that pets were already having because of poor quality ingredience, they would do something like this. If they are not guilty of putting it in the food, then why is it taking so long for them to come forward. If they really care why haven’t they tested the food themself and reported to us. are they hopeing that maybe the amount that was put in will not have such a negitive result. Maybe they won’t have as much to recall. What if the amount that was put in the food was not as toxic. Where would it have ended. Maybe with children dying.
April 29th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
How much protein is in chicken by products? I have always wondered how some manufacters can get high protein when the first 5 ingredients are mostly corn. I thought corn is only 9% protein.
April 29th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
Mary: Don’t be fooled by protein content alone. “By products” are just that. They are the parts of an animal that are not edible, can’t be digested or absorbed such as bones, beaks, feet, feathers, some entrails, heads, etc. By products are not good for your pet. “Meal” is OK (unless it is by-product meal) for example chicken meal is dried ground chicken. Meal is dense with digestible protein. If you have a cat, corn and by-products cannot be digested by your cat, so they are not providing good nutrition.
April 30th, 2007 at 11:35 am
I fed my dog Nutro Natural Choice canned food exclusivly (had a tooth pulled so had to be on wet food for two weeks while healing), gravy type for two weeks. This was just weeks before the recall. I guess we were lucky as she had no problems with it. I still feed my dogs Nutro Natural Choice Chicken, Rice and Oatmeal and some canned Chicken and Rice (not gravy type) and they are doing just fine on it. Neither of these are on the recall list and neither have rice, corn, or wheat gluten in them.
May 1st, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Purina works for us. For several years now we’ve fed all of our cats Purina Cat Chow (for all ages). We’re on a farm and have 5 inside cats (1 is 17 yrs old now) and 14 outside cats. None of them have ever been sick other than occasional worms & 1 case of FeLV.
The cats also get Meow Mix pouch, Friskies pouch, Fancy Feast canned, and Whiskas Temptations treats. Everyone is still just fine.
The only problem we’ve ever had was a few yrs back when we tried switching to Special Kitty dry food. It gave every single cat diarhea, so we went back to Purina.
May 1st, 2007 at 12:29 pm
I am devastated. My 11 year old Sheltie became ill on April 15, 2007. After 4 days of treatment for dehydation because of his vomiting and diarhhea in the animal hospital, we were told that he was in accute renal failure and couldn’t be cured. I brought him home for one last night, but he was suffering and I held him on my lap while he was put to sleep. He was fed Nutro’s lamb and rice small bites (dry food) but I have become concerned because his illness and death were so sudden. I would like to know if that dog food is safe because I have 2 other Shelties that have been eating the same dog food.
May 1st, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Please read the article below. Melamine is actually added to animal feed in China ON PURPOSE(!) before it is imported to the U.S. for our pet food. It appears that the sole reason is to increase the nitrogen content of the feed, which is a bogus way to boost the protein value! Our food system is really screwed up. Now my cat Bugaboo has acute renal failure and I don’t know if he’s going to survive. I’m so angry and sad right now…
http://english.sina.com/china/.....11060.html
May 1st, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Kim: Get them off the Nutro.
May 2nd, 2007 at 3:19 pm
My cat ate Iams wet food (fish and salmon flakes) and was diagnosed with renal failure on March 17th. He is actually doing fairly well right now, tests have shown his levels are improved and he acts normally. I am making his food following the diet for cats with renal failure as outlined in Donald Stombeck’s book, “Home Prepared Dog and Cat Food Diets.”
Iams finally contacted me and said they will pay for all vet bills incurred thus far from the date of diagnosis through 4 months later. My concern is that while stabilized now, my cat could take a sudden turn for the worse in the future. So far Iams has not said anything about paying for future expenses beyond the 4 month mark. Has anyone heard about this? Also, has anyone joined a class action suit? If so, would taking payment from Iams now prevent one from joining a class action suit?
May 3rd, 2007 at 4:51 pm
I am feeding Hills S/D Light to my cats and have had no problems with it. I do have one question on the mighty dog food , they pulled the beef flavors but did not pull the ones in the multi can cases. They have the beef in them and it had the same contents as the ones pulled. How are they getting away with that? I used it to fill in for weight gain in my Red Bone. I took all I had back to Walmart. I also took back the Old Roy Bisquits in the small size since it also contained the wheat gluten as the big bisquits. They informed me that they weren’t recalled. I told them they are still made in the same place as the big and i would’nt take that chance. They finally gave me a refund, but i had to do a lot of arguing to get it. Walmart is out for the money, not for safety.
May 5th, 2007 at 1:41 am
A friend was feeding Blue Buffalo Adult Dog Food Lamb and Brown Rice. It contains Rice Protein Concentrate. She has been periodly throwing up since January.
Her dog became ill with blood in her urine this week. She was taken to the vet and diagnosed with a Kidney infection. Her protein values were elevated and lab report stated if a second test shows no improvement, consider Acute Renal Failure.
We are wondering if this food is contaminated? She is now on a different food and has stopped throwing up.
May 5th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
We have 2 Dalmatians, including a 3 year old female named Katrina and 8 year old male named Winston. Katrina was on Nutro Ultra Adult dry, while Winston was on a different prescription diet food.
During the week of April 16-20, Katrina lost the desire to eat and, when we did coax her to eat on 2 occasions, she threw it back up 8+ hours later, still undigested.
We took Katrina to the vet on Wednesday and Friday of that week, with blood work done only on the Friday visit. At that time, her BUN level was at 114 (should be under 30) and creatinine was at 8.5 (should be under 2 or possibly 1.5). Her blood Albumin level was normal, but her blood pressure was very high at 214. The vet’s diagnosis was acute renal failure. This came as a shock to us considering that Katrina was only 3 years old, had never been sick a day in her life, and was always full of energy. Also, the food we were giving her, Nutro Adult dry, was not on the recall list.
Our vet began immediate IV infusion, which continued around the clock over the weekend. The vet also did numerous additional blood and urine tests, along with 3 ultrasounds, which resulted in over $2K in bills on just the weekend alone.
By Sunday afternoon of that weekend, Katrina’s blood Albumin levels crashed to 1.6 (should be above 2) and she had large quantities of protein in her urine. I learned this was important because Albumin is needed in the blood to keep fluids from leaking out of her blood vesels and entering body cavities. Due to her kidney’s inability to keep the Albumin levels up, Katrina gained over 7 pounds of water between Sunday morning and Sunday evening.
When we saw Katrina on Sunday evening, we honestly would not have recognized her as our dog. Katrina’s cheeks and neck were swollen with water, along with her abdomen. The only positive news was that her BUN and creatinine levels were trending down at 61 and 2.5, respectively.
By Monday morning, Katrina’s blood Albumin level had dropped to 1.2, and things looked very bad for her, despite that her BUN and creatinine levels had come down even more (but were still above normal).
At this point, the vet told us that they needed to be honest by telling us there was little additional they could do for her and she was unlikely to survive. Even if she could somehow survive, she had certainly suffered immense damage to the kidneys and would have a materially shorter life. The conclusion was that Katrina would most likely need to be euthanized within the next week or two at most.
When we asked if there was anything they could do for a temporary fix so we could at least have her home for a couple of days to say goodbye, they suggested a blood transfusion might help get her blood Albumin levels high enough to reduce the fluid buildup on body cavities and make her more comfortable. We said to go for it, without hesitation.
On Monday afternoon, Katrina received 2 units of blood. We then went home to spend a quite night at home cuddling with her, thinking that would probably be one of the last evenings we would have together at home.
When we woke up on Tuesday morning, we immediately noticed that the swelling in Katrina’s neck and abdomen had reduced significantly, and she peed a really loooooooooong time each time we took her outside that morning.
When we took Katrina back to the vet later that day, her Albumin levels now tested a bit on the high side at 2.9, while her BUN and creatinine levels were still a bit high of normal, but not by much. We were told that the Albumin increase might just be a temporary spike due to the blood transfusion, and that subsequent testing on Thursday would be key to long term prognosis. When we redid the tests that Thursday of that week, her Albumin levels had increased to 3.9, while her BUN and creatinine levels had returned to the high range of normal. The vet said that high Albumin levels were not as problematic as low levels.
Due to lingering concerns from the renal failure, we were advised to give Katrina subcutaneous injections of 200 ml of NaCl at home every 24 hours for the next week, which we did.
The following week, we had Katrina tested again, and everything (i.e., BUN, creatinine, Albumin) came up normal (other than continued high blood pressure)!!! She is truly a miracle dog.
I’m letting you all know this so that you continue fighting for your dogs, even after it appears there’s no hope. In our case, I suspect that Katrina’s young age, coupled with our acting relatively quickly when we first noticed the symptoms, followed by the 48+ hours of IV and the blood transfusion, gave her a second shot at life.
A week ago, we called Nutro and explained all of the above to them. They were polite and took all of our information. They said they would send us a mailer within a couple of weeks so that we can give them 4 cups of the Nutro Ultra Dry dog food, which is what we suspect caused the problem.
The long terms affects on Katrina’s health remain unclear. She still has high blood pressure, so we are giving her medication for that every day, and will probably need to do so for life. We’ve also switched her food from the Nutro Ultra Adult dry to the K/D canned food so that we can carefully regulate the quantity/quality of her protein intake (to keep her blood toxins down). We’re keeping our fingers crossed and appreciating every day that we have with her.
A couple of days ago we received the mailer from Nutro. The mailer states our customer I number and says that we will be notified upon received of any lab testing they complete. I’ll update this group when and if that happens.
We also contacted the FDA to report our concerns. Unfortunately, or fortunately in our case, they require certain symptoms to do any testing–one of them being death–so they are unable to help. However, they have our case on record now.
Best wishes to everyone else experiencing these problems.
David
May 5th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
David - thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed account of your experience. It really helps. I had a similar experience with my cat 5 years ago and she is still with me today (despite feeding her some of the poisoned food recently). I have been giving her daily Sub Q injections for 5 years and those fluids work wonders. I do not feed her the k/d diet-I personally feel the food is full of junk. I have her on a variety of high quality canned and dry cat food. I try to find brands that are lower in protein than others, but I do not not overly concern myself with protein levels. I’ve recently read that it is not so much about how much protein is in the food, but that the quality of the protein in the food is more important. Also, they say that foods high in phosporus are the foods to stay away from with cats/dogs with kidney disease. It appears that money is not a significant issue for you given the expense you have gone to save your dog, so I would recommend you check out the food on www.thehonestkitchen.com (Great food and my dogs love the stuff, we add human meat to it to make it even tastier-I should say meat made for human consumption, I don’t have a freezer full of bodies!!) Also, check out Spots Stew–I think the company even recommends their stuff for pets having kidney disease, better yet call them and they will be more than happy to talk to you and give you recommendations–www.halopets.com I truly believe that better nutrition made all the difference with my cat. Once I got her off the grocery store junk and then the k/d diet, her medical issues improved, like night and day. I truly hope your puppy continues to o well. Best of Luck.
May 7th, 2007 at 2:57 am
Hi, am new to this site,I have tried to read all of the posts… I currently have a very sick female (dog) and she also is a cancer survivor however now that I have read all of these things and thought about the past (former breeder) 9 out of 10 dogs that I have had have developed some form of cancer! I also have another bitch with Lymphoma which is under treatment at this time however,makes me wonder if that Nutro max that (back in the 80’s ) I had shipped to my doorstep as they did not have it in this area yet,was as good as it was supposed to be? I honestly thought that my animals were getting sick from the water here? I have used Eagle Pack Lamb and rice for about 8-9 yrs dry and canned and thought it was great??? A year ago Dec.,the first girl had a uti and pyometra after several months of antibiotics not helping it came down to spaying or losing her,so she was spayed. It seems she has never gotten over the uti as she is urinating blood alot and clots,vomiting,extremely thirsty etc..During this time she was also fed different dry foods to help her get her appettite back,given Nutro’s treats(Natrual choice) along with all of the other dogs. Well, I still have an unopened box as they started to refuse them,hadn’t had the chance to take them back to feed store yet when the recall started! I got to thinking about the different dry foods that she has been given in the last year, Nutro, Nautral choice, beneful, sams brand lamb and rice,pedigree Which I used to give my ,kennel dogs as well as cat food& several others…I have probably been making her more sick with all of these different foods (trying to get her to eat more dry kibble) I cooked her food for the first few years of her cancer tx,as she was in a study and on an experimental vaccine(gene therepy made from her own tumor) also homeopathic remedies. Now her tumor is totally gone and The two Universities that were involved in her treatment are in disbelief of her successful recovery…so I pray that she will not die from feeding her toxic food,after all we have been through? The other girl was not from this country and was raised on Eukanuba,pro plan and max also! She is now fighting the lymphoma… was always healthy until coming here (US) and getting a rabies shot to fly to shows….thats when her immunity started to go!! Allergies etc..I want to add that they both drink bottled water as cancer patients should not have any flouride or chlorine which both are in our water here…also out of stainless steel or glass only(no plastics or leaded china ,aluminum etc.. I was told by one of the professors(yrs ago) that if you can’t get your sick dog to eat offer them canned tuna fish…I do think that this is harder on their kidneys though? Also, one of the posts I read the person said that they were feeding their cat, dog food,this is a big no no…dogs can eat cat food but cats should not eat dog food (Not enough ash in it?) I feel for all of you that have lost your babies and pray that we are not among the ones that don’t make it. If anyone has had any problems with Eagle Pak pls let me know? I also feed some ferral cats and noticed they were throwing up and losing weight and no luster to their coats on strictly dry food and table scraps also the coons (that eat with the wild cats) have been looking pretty sruffy lately too, some have not come back??? This has got to stop! By the way a long time very successful breeder told me that Science Diet should not have Science in front of its name and that purina buys left over bakery goods bread etc.. and grinds it up bags twisty ties and all to add as a filler for their dry foods and I know that Iams and Eukanuba have Ethoxyquin in them and that is a known carcinogin! Thank you, for listening am very tired so my spelling etc is probably all off?? Am praying for good health to all Leona
May 12th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
David,
Please post back and let us know what you find out from Nutro. This is really important to a lot of us who have fed this food to our pets and have noticed a decline in their health.
May 14th, 2007 at 1:02 am
I had one cat of four that came down with the exact same symptoms. I took him to the vet (just in time) and he is still with us. He is only 3 Yrs, and all four are fed the same dry food.
I realize that pet food (some brands) may not be the highest quality….
but has anyone thought that this could possibly be some sort of pet illness that is simply co-incidental???
My heart goes out to those that have lost pets, and I remember the H*ll I went through when my 3 yr (my youngest) was sick and on the edge. But with the numbers and with the news that every day more and more foods are recalled, it just makes one wonder that maybe we aren’t just dealing with a pet-bourne virus of sorts. Has anyone researched this or run any sort of statistical analysis on this.
PS. as far as the posted statistics—– all samples are under 30 members per brand and that introduces errors in statistics such as outliers. It would be somewhat(not completely) more meaningful is all brands surveyed had at least 30 samples each.
May 16th, 2007 at 12:20 am
After having my dogs on Nutro Lamb and Rice for years, I decided to change brands. They have been throwing up bile –thought it was just because of their allergies, until the pet food recall! After weeks of emails and phone calls to Nutro, I still felt uneasy, so I switched. I did try to really research my options, even adding home cooking to their kibble as I eased them away from Nutro. I finally decided on Eagle Pack Holistic Lamb and Rice dry food. As I am reading the comments, I am starting to wonder if I have made the right decision. Does anyone have any input about this holistic dog food? Thanks for your help!
May 16th, 2007 at 3:03 am
To whom it may concern, I have two small Yorkshire Terriers. that are on Beneful dry dog food..
and Im wondering if this food is what has caused my dogs to be sick.
I have a male and a female. Named Mickey and Minnie. ages 2 and 3
These are the sympotms I did observe..they started out unusual thirst, frequent urination,..vomiting up food,vomiting up bile Yellowish stuff.vomiting up blood, lethargic, glassy nasty eyes., generally depressed behaviour, stomach upset (such as growling rumbling noises) blood in urine, peeing in unusual spots/ to not peeing at all. diarrhea, peeing a lot- to straining to pee- to not being able to pee at all.
I have been useing a syrige to get food and water down my male for days now.
I asked the vet to do a kidne funtion test,full; blood panel. and that turned out very low funtion.
april 4th peeing in unusual spots sick at their tummys.
On April 5th they both become very sick, throwing up, diarrhea, and throwing up blood, and straining to pee.
On 4/6/07 I took them both to the vets. He the vet only looked at Minnie saying she had an upset Tummy and
Gas. I said well what about the straining to pee, he said believe me its upset tummys and put them both on Lincocin tabs 100 mg one two times a day.
and gave them an injection and sent them home. Minnies cost for that visit was $ 207.10
He never even checked Mickey only weighed him. and I had to ask them to do that.
Mickeys cost was $113.05 included examination that he never got.
The meds seem to help them both a little while.
I started feeding them boiled chicken and rice.
than a few days later I
Then I put them back on the Beneiful
But Mickey seemed to start to get bad again.
so I took him back to the ER hospital. on 5/5/07
His bladder was so full where he could not pee.
Re-Examination
xrays survey reviews showed blockege of crystals.
Sedation
Baytril Tablets 22.7 mg
Canine s/d prescription diet
Total $162.65
They had to wash out his bladder he had crystals blocking and could not pee.
they sent him back home.
5/9/07
Mickey was getting even worse, straining to pee and crying and throwing up.
They washed him out again
Sedation
re-examination
Canine C/D presription diet
cost $ 46.57.
5/10/07 Mickey was very bad I rushed him back to the vet hospital.
He had Major Surgery
Kidney funtion test
Urinary calculi Analysis
Metacam 0.5mg/ml15 ml
Famotidine 40 MG
total cost $291.80
I asked that they do both of these test.
Kidney function tests are done to evaluate the ability of the kidneys to
function normally, this includes blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and cretnine
Witch came back very low.
urinary calcauli analysis we will have the nature of your pets crystals/stones analysed so we can make recommendations
on how to prevent their reoccurance.
I asked for this test to be done also/
5/12/07 Mickey cant eat, drink or even hold his head up or pee. throwing up all medication
called vet ,came in to pick up
Canine maint 5.5 oz canned
Endosorb Liquid
cost 8.70
May 13 Mickeys first bowl movent was like black tar.
was told to bring him back in. he couldnt eat, drink or hardly pee. was throwing up all meds.
May 14 Mickeys stoll looked much better, I had also took him off all meds but the acid stomach pills and the antibiotics
Thats when he started to drink on and off on his own. all the different meds was making him so sick.
May 15 Mickey is still being feed by syringe his food and water.
Later in the day, He started eating a little on his own and drinking. I had put him on nutri-cal 3 x’s a day and pedylite.
Mickey goes back on May 21 to get rechecked.
and hes still not well.
Minnie will be having these same test done with her.
she is still acting lethargic, glassy nasty eyes., generally depressed behaviour, stomach upset (such as growling rumbling noises)
and just walking with her head down,You can tell she just dont feel good.
We had made 5 trips to
Veterinary Hospital
Thats 20.00 dollars a trip =$100.00
vet bills = 829.87 so far
total $929.87and after all this my babies are still sick.
I have reported it to these numbers
1-866-895-2708
1800-551-7392
and left a report at Direct # to seniors @ 1-877-590=3068 on May 14, 2007
May 16 I will be calling the FDA Ohio 513-679-2700 ext 124
I have also kept the bags and foods in baggies in the freezer.
May 16th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
Does anyone feed their dogs and/or cats Nature’s Logic food? If so, please let me know how it is working out for you. Thanks.
May 17th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
momma 2. im sorry to hear about your pups. thats what i have been feeding my two little babies also but they seem fine. my male cat just went through the crystals in his ladder that he couldnt pass (actually 3rd time) and this past time he was in the vets for 9 days and i brought him home and wasnt doing good still and said he was already blocked again and it was going to be a constant problem so they advised me to put him down andmy vet bills were already over $1000 for kitty so it broke my heart but i di it. he was in so much pain. i dont know if it was the food he ate or why it happens but my heart is broke and i wish you luck with your pups
May 19th, 2007 at 12:55 am
Momma 2 and alison: I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have read a tragic story related to Beneful. Purina refuses to acknowledge anything wrong with this food, but too many times people report otherwise.
May 21st, 2007 at 10:43 am
I volunteer at an animal shelter, and we had a lot of donated canned food taking up shelf space so I decided to start feeding a little bit to each shelter cat every time I worked a shift. This was about a month or so before the first Menu Foods recall came out. There were a lot of different brands of canned food in our cupboard, and I just started with the one in the front, and gave some to each cat. So it wasn’t a very large amount they were getting from me, maybe 1/4 can every week. (Who knows how much from everybody else!)
About that same time, Sunkist, one of our shelter cats, started getting sick. he had Upper Respiratory like a lot of the others at that time, as it was going around. But as the other cats got better, he just got worse and worse. His UR symptoms disappeared, but he got weaker and weaker, stopped eating, drinking, urinating and defecating. He began having trouble walking. Throughout this, he was brought to three vet clinics. Twice he was left undiagnosed. The third immediately diagnosed him with ARF. But it was too late and he was put down. I still wonder if if it was the canned food I was giving him that killed him. We had around 75 cats at that time, and he was the only one who died. But one is too many! It haunts me that I may have killed him by giving him a treat! I am now afraid to give any canned foods at the shelter.
It is almost impossible to be sure we are not feeding contaminated food at the shelter. We get so many donations of canned foods and other treats, and each one now has to be checked against the huge lists of recalled foods. Shelters should be especially vigilant because people may not realize they are donating recalled products.
I also have three cats and two dogs at home. My cats buy whatever I grab at Wal-mart. Usually, Nine-lives, but sometimes Friskies. NEVER Special Kitty. (I use their litter, but don’t trust their food, never have). My dogs eat Purina adult dog chow. My one older dog seems to be slowing down and is more sluggish than usual, but he has ALWAYS been a lazy dog, so I can’t tell if it’s the food, or just his age and disposition. (I don’t trust any of the area vets around here, after seeing some of the “mistakes” they’ve made with shelter animals.) I am considering changing foods, but I don’t know to what???
I wanted to make sure that people knew about Sunkist, that even though he was “just a shelter cat”, he was special too and he should be counted.
We don’t have any samples of the food to send in, and don’t even know which food it was that may have killed him, as he got 4 or 5 brands before he died, and different varieties out of those brands.
We are trying hard at the shelter to screen our foods, and I don’t know that there’s much more we can do, other than trying to keep up with all the recalls.
My heart goes out to everyone who lost a pet.
IF ANYONE HEARS ANYTHING ABOUT PURINA DOG CHOW, FRISKIES, OR NINE-LIVES CAT CHOW, OR SCIENCE DIET C/D CAT CHOW, PLEASE EMAIL ME AT crazyjolson@gmail.com!!!
thank you.
May 21st, 2007 at 11:43 am
My email is crazyjolson@gmail.com not with all the exclamation points. Sorry for that, everybody.
May 21st, 2007 at 11:00 pm
The first week of April both of my cats became ill. We had recently opened a new bag of Hills Science Diet Sensitive Stomach, the same brand the cats had been eating for sometime. After a couple days of watching our cats conditions (vomiting, lethargy, apparent weight loss, etc.) worsen we made the trip to the Vet. After observation and blood and urine tests it was determined that both cats were in Acute Renal Failure. My male cat was in such poor condition at that point that the Vet recommended euthanizing him, which we ultimately did. My female cat was fairing a little better even though her diagnosis also found she was anemic as well. We started on a long regimen of IV’s and medications that continue to this day. She has recently shown signs of improvement but it has been costly both in a monetary and emotional sense.
Already being familiar with the pet food recall in the news I asked my Vet to order a Histopathology on my deceased cats internal organs so as to try and determine if he was poisoned. I also immediately contacted the FDA, which after me leaving numerous messages finally contacted me 10 days after my initial call. I also spoke with Hill’s, and to be honest I felt like they were really not very interested in my story. Hill’s ended up sending an application for me to request reimbursement for my Vet bills, even though my cats food was not and still to this day is not on the recall list. My deceased cats histopathology results came back and they did indicate poisoning. There was a crystalline feature in the kidneys that was indicative of this. At this point I contacted the FDA and Hill’s again to report the results. I asked Hill’s if they would like me to send them some of the cat food to test. To my amazement they declined and reitterated that I could ask for reimbursement for my Vet expenses. At this point I decided if I was going to find out what killed my cat I would have to do it myself. This I could not believe, because by this point in time we were about 6 weeks into this pet food crisis. I guess the experts already had everything figured out!
I sent a sample of the Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach formula food, from the bag my cats had been eating from when they became ill, to Accutrace in Arlington, Texas. For $144 they agreed to test for the suspected pet food toxins (Melamine, Cyanuric Acid, Aminopterin, etc.) as well as other common toxins to pets. I received a call from the Lab today with the results of their analysis. To my surprise they did not find any of the suspected pet food toxins. But they did find something that is very toxic to cats in the food, Acetaminophen. If you are not familiar, acetaminophen is a pain reliever, marketed under the most common name as Tylenol. A little research will tell you that it doesn’t take much of this stuff to poison a cat.
This is not a case of my cats got into a tylenol capsule that was dropped on the floor or someone came into my house and spiked my open bag of cat food. This is a case of a known toxin to cats coming packaged in a bag of cat food from the store.
This is my story to date. I just wanted to share with others because I truly believe there is more to this story than is being told. Don’t trust the FDA or the pet food manufacturer’s, they are just looking for a quick and convenient way to put this story to rest IMO. I will post again after more of my personal story unfolds. Best to all!
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:56 pm
My 4year old collie was on Nutro Lamb And Rice her whole life. I bought 4 bags of this food in early March because we were going on vacation the middle of the month. She started panting excessively, became extremely lethargic, was drinking tons of water .She vomited blood She was really sick. I took her to the vets several times and ended up with $800 worth of bills and no help for her. Then fortunately found a site that was exclusively for dogs that were getting sick and dying from Nutro. I immediately took her off the food and started making my own food. I heard that oatmeal helps draw the toxins out of the kidneys. I don’t know if this a proven remedy but I tried it with an egg. My breeder suggested to give her chicken broth also. After about 4 days she began to act like my 4 year old peppy dog and not like an old woman. I contacted Nutro, and of course they denied any problems with the food. But in the same breath they asked me to send a sample of the food. I doubt I will get any report of anything wrong. I also contacted the FDA and spoke with a very kind gentleman. He said there is thousand of reports on dogs getting sick and dying. He himself had removed his animals from the dry products. I am very fortunate that I had taken her off Nutro, I know she would have died if I hadn’t because she was that sick. I still have food from those original bags and I am waiting for the report from Nutro. I can also send samples to an independent lab. The pet food industry should be held responsible for the damage they have created and feel some remorse. It’s all about the mighty dollar for them. My sympathy goes to all pet owners who have lost a pet or are dealing with a sick one.
May 24th, 2007 at 12:07 am
I’ve been feeding my cats and dog this for about a month now …
Life’s Abundance Premium Health Food for Cats and for dogs too
link here …..
http://www.healthypetfoodforlife.com/
Chicken Meal, Fish Meal, Carrots, Apples, Spinach, Celery, Alfalfa Meal
Ground Brown Rice, Powerful Antioxidants, Live Probiotics, Chelated Minerals
NO Chemicals, NO Fillers, Nothing Artificial
NO Steroids
NO Hormones
NO By-Products
NO Artificial Colorings
NO Corn, Wheat, or Soy
NO Chemical Preservatives
* Powerful Antioxidants like Grapeseed Extract
* Pure Digestible Protein Sources
* Chelated Minerals for 40% better absorption
* Five Live Probiotics (friendly bacteria)
* Omega 3 Fatty Acids for a healthy skin and coat
* FRESH your food is never more than 6 weeks old
* Made in an APHIS certified USDA Plant
only one doesn’t like it cuz she is a pre Madonna lol …..
lil punk lol I still love her though
May 24th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Steve M - I’m just now seeing your post. OMG! Acetominophen??!!
Do you have a copy of the results from Accutrace? Can you get them to Itchmo Admin? I’ll email them and let them know in case they missed your post too…
And, can I have your permission to re-post your comment over on my blog?
May 24th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Now move along everyone, FDA says there is no new news so you are all supposed to cooperate now…….note that I am being sarcastic.
May 24th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Cindy N
FYI - When you buy Life’s Abundance you are supporting Menu Foods. I’ve written to them about this and the reply was “We won’t change.”
May 25th, 2007 at 1:13 am
slt Says:
May 24th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Cindy N
FYI - When you buy Life’s Abundance you are supporting Menu Foods. I’ve written to them about this and the reply was “We won’t change.â€
slt
Are you sure about this? When I contacted them about their product - they stated it was manufactured by a small company in Ohio, I believe and not by Menu and all ingredients were US sourced. It’s been awhile and I don’t remember it all.
May 25th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Kim,
I spoke with the Itchmo Administrator today. I haved e-mailed him the
Toxicology Report I received from Accutrace indicating Acetaminophen
is present in the sample.
Feel free to post my story on your blog. I would not be posting this information if there was any doubt in my mind that this toxin came from anywhere other than the bag of food I purchased. I can think of no way this food could have been contaminated after I opened it. This leaves me with the conclusion that the acetaminophen was in the factory sealed bag when I purchased it on March 15, 2007. This being the case I feel it is important to get the information out to others.
I spoke with Hills today concerning the test results and needless to say they are at a loss to explain this situation. I encourage anyone who feeds or has fed their pet any Hills Science Diet dry pet food with an unexplained illness to have their food tested for not only the toxins that have been in the news (i.e. Melamine, Cyanuric Acid, etc.) but also for unknown chemicals and toxins.
May 25th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Thank you for the information published here about the independent lab that will test for consumers. I contacted them today and plan to send a sample for testing. I bought canned food by the case, so can send an unopened can from the batch that my dog (Mandy) was eating from when we discovered that her BUN values, etc. were extremely high, eventually exceeding the level that the equipment in my vet’s office could measure. Mandy, who is 4 years old, went in for routine dental, and we did a blood panel before the procedure and discovered the high levels. Looking back, her main symptom was increased thirst, but not the other usual symptoms in a dog with BUN values that high. We did IV for about 4 days, ultrasound, antibiotics. She is home now, eating home-cooked food, and receiving sub-cu fluids once a week. I don’t know where her blood values are now, but her appetite is good. The ultrasound indicated something “probably going on for a while” — tending more toward chronic, but she does not otherwise fit the chronic profile, with weight loss over time, etc. The urine culture came back negative for infection. If the food she was eating had been recalled, we would have assumed it was the food, but her food was never recalled. She was eating Hill’s Science Diet Light canned. I called Hill’’s and the FDA to report the possible problem. I’ve also received from Hill’s the application forms for vet bill reimbursement, but for a product was never recalled (?). I’m sorry this comment is probably misplaced - not dry food, but I found the independent lab info here (linked in through petconnection) and wanted to comment and thank you for information. I’ve kept wondering for the past two months, if the food I had been using would be named in the next recall, now I can find out for sure if the food was contaminated or not.
May 26th, 2007 at 11:47 pm
ok maybe not in ohio .. but a company named ohio pet …. not menu foods ….
they have Florida and California distribution centers .. not sure if they make it both in fl and cali or what but it would make sence right ?
.. L8rz Cindy :)
May 27th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
My heart goes out to all of you whose pets have become ill or passed away. What a tragic situation. It looks like we can blame it on good old Communist China. From all the news reports I’ve seen, their ENTIRE food supply is sketchy, not just pet food. I can’t go to my local grocery and buy any seafood that isn’t from China. We get a lot of our food from there. They already confirmed that the melamine is in the human food supply. And to hear that they put it in the product INTENTIONALLY! Wow! Well, I’m sure American companies will continue buying food products from China even with this information. Cheap isn’t always better - but they only look at the bottom line. How sad.
May 31st, 2007 at 11:44 pm
I am still in such pain and only a true compasionate person could understand. My cat ate Meow Mix, Market Select with real salmon and crabmeat in sauce and died within 31 hours. He ate it and within 10 to 20 minute he became very disoriented, walking into walls, meowing very loud when approached (which he never ever did), would not eat, was urinating on himself because he could not hardly move. I took him to the vet that afternoon, they pump him with fuilds and gave him a shot to increase his appetite and soft food to force feed him. Needless to say it did not happen, he was vomitting and urinating as he lay still. He was the healthiest cat, happiest, great with my two young girls (3 & 4) and was never sick. I know without a doubt that the Market Select killed him. He only ate Mewo Mix dry and then started with the M/S in Dec. or Jan. of this year. I would not wish that on anyone, my memories of him suffering so desparately will haunt me for the rest of my life.
I have been in contact from day one with Delmonte (the maker of M/S Mewo Mix) and at first they supportive, but now they would not release the results of the samples I sent in until I had my records from my vet and myself. My baby boy Dexter died in vein on March 8, 2007 a day I will hate forever and I mailed samples on March 10 and still have no answer from them. Now every time I go to walmart or anywhere and see that food I start to cry. My animals are not just pets they are my babies, my family, best friends and loves of my life, I am so mad and upset and scared to death now. I sure hope the rest of the world will pay close attention to their babies. The numbers on the 2.75 oz bowl is SKE-:SC X :23 01, EXP 30 Dec 2007. Please check your food and contact them if you feel that your cat became ill or died due to this food. I would honestly bet my life on it, he was just to good and healthy and was inside, no change in diet, no table food, and was so dehydrated and neurologically gone when he died. If you have any question feel free to contact me via email ddbozeman@aol.com, subject DEXTER. May you never experience this horrifying experience and if you have may the Good Lord Bless you and may you fight for your loss. I just want this food off the market and a definitive answer.
A TRUE HUMANE, COMPASIONATE LADY,
DANA B. GILL
June 2nd, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Steve M -
So sorry for your kitties! Please keep us updated.
Just wondering if you would post/paste your comments on my site, as well, along with the tox. report too.
http://www.truthinfoodlabeling.com/index.php
Under: Problem Pet Food - NOT RECALLED
June 6th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Thanks to the fact that our dogs, two Pugs, a miniature Shnauzer and a long Haired Chihauhau, and their picky appetites, I began cooking there food 2 weeks before any recall was announced. Still since I feed them chicken breasts I fear that may be involved too. I buy raw meat and give that to the dogs.Some times I cook or just braise it. I think I have been really been lucky that they are very fussy eaters, they are our family. Joan Heckethorn.
June 6th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Hi, I am a staff reporter with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review looking for anyone who has had a positive lab report back on acetaminophen. Please contact me as soon as possible if this is you. Thanks,
Jerry Guo
Staff Reporter
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
jguo@tribweb.com
office: 412-380-8505
June 14th, 2007 at 11:45 am
what iams cat dry food are affected? i need to know!!!!
June 16th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
First of all, my heartfelt sympathies to all who have lost a beloved fur kid. I wish there was a way to ease your pain. My dogs mean the world to me and losing one - even to old age - is devastating.
I have read and researched pet foods for several years and used to feed Iams/Eukanuba until a few years ago. Then it was bought out by Proctor & Gamble. I started noticing differences in my dogs and the last bag of Iams I purchased said, “New and Improved Flavor.” What that means is we added something to make it taste better because we’ve cheapened the product! My dogs noticed the difference too and they didn’t like it.
We live in a rural area so choices have been limited in the past but I finally found a local source for Canidae dog food. My Chihuahuas have done wonderful on the Canidae All Life Stages and my cat loves the Felidae too. Their coats are soft and shiny again. I know all of the ingredients come from the US and the food is made in Texas.
Another good food is Eagle Pack. It is made in Indiana (both the dry and the canned) and the man who owns the company is a dog breeder. He belongs to the same all breed club as a friend of mine. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find a local source for Eagle Pack or I would try that brand as well. People who are using it, recommend it highly and we know where to find the owner of that company. The dry food is made in the owner’s factory and the canned food is made by a local company that makes human food.
Someone asked about Timber Wolf Organics. There is nothing “organic” about their food and they refuse to say who manufactures it or where - a red flag for me. I also worry about any meats (buffalo, venison, etc.) that are imported. How do we know the import source is also the place of origin? Another person mentioned Solid Gold. That food is made by Diamond who obviously has had some serious quality control issues in recent years. I was deeply saddened to find out that Natural Balance was recalled and that it was made by Diamond.
I cannot begin to tell you all how grateful I am that my dogs have not been impacted by the recall. They are all doing well on the Canidae. I am by no means an “expert” on dog food but I have put a lot of time into researching the high end foods that are available and hope this information helps a bit. Let us hope and pray that nothing like this ever happens again!
June 17th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
I got this from this website …
http://hubpages.com/hub/Kibble.....nformation
kim says:
7 weeks ago
is kibbles n bits dog food have a recall? my dog ate it and then started acting funny and throwing up and today she died.
Melinda says:
6 weeks ago
I was curious if anyone else has had problems with Kibbles-n-Bits, since I don’t see it on a recall list. My cat is dripping blood from his anus, and my dog has been throwing up since I’ve been feeding them this brand. I see several others have had occurances, so I’m not feeding it to them any more. It must be the food.
has anyone else had any problems with kibbles n bits ? ..
and has anyone had problems with the new one
Kibbles ‘n Bits Brushing Bitesâ„¢ ??
(my mother in law got a free sample at publix ) .. and if its bad we need to make sure they arn’t giving it out for free ya know …
please e-mail me because I might not check back here every day
mj12sGal4eva@yahoo.com
.. thanx ,,, L8rz Cindy :)
July 5th, 2007 at 4:43 am
we lost all but one puppy akc pugs the one left is going in to best friends for opp and to be fixed the parents are getting better but puppy a little malformed
July 19th, 2007 at 1:45 am
PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO EVERY PET OWNER AND PET LOVER … E-MAIL IT .. BLOG IT JUST SPREAD THE WORD
http://hubpages.com/hub/Class_....._Companies
Class Action Lawsuit File Against Pet Food Producers
This is a press release from Cathy MacIvor. Cathy MacIvor has filed a class action law suit in light of the recent pet food recall and the information the pet food producers are providing the public about the pet foods they produce.
Nationwide Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Pet Food Companies and Retailers For Misleading Consumers Regarding the Contents of Pet Food
“Premium” Pet Food Marketed and Sold as “Complete and Balanced” Has Historically Contained Such Items as Euthanized Dogs and Cats, Restaurant Grease, Hair, Hooves, and Diseased Animals, and Other Inedible Garbage
The Plaintiffs maintain that these companies have spent $300 million a year in making false and misleading marketing statements regarding the contents of their pet food to the dog and cat loving American public. While these Defendants tout their pet food products as choice cuts of prime beef, chunks of chicken, fish, fresh wholesome vegetables and whole grains to induce consumers to buy them, the Plaintiffs contend the food is actually made from “inedible” slaughterhouse waste products of the human food chain such as spines, heads, tails, hooves, hair, and blood. Rendering companies who process this waste have also added other inedible “waste” such as euthanized cats and dogs from veterinarian offices and animal shelters, road kill, zoo animals, rancid restaurant grease, toxic chemicals and additives. Additionally, dead animals and those declared unfit for human consumption due to disease and illness are also placed in the mix.
The lawsuit alleges that pet food companies market their products as wholesome, choice cuts of meat, natural and complete and balanced diets even though they are fully aware that this food is largely carbohydrates and sugars combined with toxic preservatives and additives with very little to no meat at all. The lawsuit seeks damages to consumers for the false representations made in the Defendants’ advertising as well as punitive damages.
“Sadly,” MacIvor said, “the Defendant pet food companies and retailers recognized that American pet owners love their cats and dogs like members of their family. The Defendants deceptive advertising specifically marketed premium healthy food to the American public knowing that they want to buy the best food that they can for their loved one and knowing that the food consists largely of garbage, chemicals, additives, diseased meat and even residual pentobarbital from euthanized animals.”
July 21st, 2007 at 2:10 am
The Defendants targeted in the Complaint produce pet foods under a wide array of brands and names including:
Pedigree®,
Sheba®,
Goodlife Recipe®,
Royal Canine,
Iams®,
Eukanuba®,
Science Diet®,
Prescription Diet®,
9 Lives®,
Amore®,
Gravy Train®,
Kibbles-n-Bits® and
Nature’s Recipe®,
Snausages®,
Milk Bone®
, Pup-Peroni®,
Meaty Bone®,
Canine’s Carry Outs®,
Jerky Treats®,
Wagwells®,
Alpo®,
Beneful®,
Beggin’ Strips®,
Dog, Cat, Puppy and Kitten Chow®,
Fancy Feast®,
Friskies®,
Mighty Dog®,
Deli-Cat®,
Pro Plan®,
Purina One®,
Natural Choice®
Dog and Cat Products, Max®
Dog Products, Max®
Cat Gourmet Classics,
Natural Choice®
Complete Care® for cats,
UltraTM Products for dogs,
Americas Choice Preferred Pets,
Authority,
Award,
Best Choice,
Big Bet,
Big Red,
Cadillac,
Companion,
Compliments,
Demoulus Market Basket,
Eukanuba,
Fine Feline Cat,
Food Lion,
Food Town,
Giant Companion,
Hannaford,
Hill Country Fare,
Hy-Vee,
Iams,
J.E. Mondou,
Laura Lynn,
Li’l Red, Loving Meals,
Medi-Cal,
Meijer’s Main Choice,
Mighty Dog Pouch,
Mixables,
Natural Life,
Nutriplan,
Nutro Max,
Nutro Max Gourmet Classics,
Nutro Natural Choice,
Ol’ Roy,
Paws,
Pet Essentials,
Pet Pride,
President’s Choice,
Price Chopper,
Priority US,
Publix,
Roche Brothers,
Save-a-Lot Special Blend,
Schnucks,
Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Cans,
Sophistacat,
Special Kitty,
Springfield Prize,
Sprout,
Stop and Shop Companion,
Tops Companion,
Wegmans,
Weis Total Pet,
Western family US,
White Rose,
Winn Dixie,
Your Pet,
LIFELongTM,
Ol’ Roy
and
Special Kitty brands of pet food.
September 14th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
Dear Pet Lovers,
I own german shepherds. I had problems with all the foods and now using Canidia. I would like to
be notified if any problems with the current food.
Several months ago my cat was throwing up and not eating. She was trying to eat the dog food. I tried iams and the problems continued
now I am using 9 lives and ahe is improving.
Sincerely,
dd
December 2nd, 2007 at 10:11 pm
My dog fiora she was pretty picky with her food. She would only eat kibbles n bits. just in the beginning of this month i bought a new bag. she stopped eating and got really really thin. So we took her to the vet and they said her kidneys are failing and that i would only have at the most 2 months with her. it ended up being two days. what happened? i have no clue. they say that she did test positive for lyme disease but she is strictly indoors. it just doesn’t make any sense.
December 11th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
I have been using Kibbles ‘n Bits Brushing Bites for my dog.. She loves it I just want to make sure nothing is wrong with it. Anybody have a clue email me at ryanabooth@yahoo.com
January 9th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
We’ve fed our two labs and a cocker spaniel and they live out doors in a big fenced area. We have fed them pedigree, purina, and another dog food plus kibbles n chunks and kibbles n bits. Very recently they quit eating. The food is usually gone as soon as fed. We thought something was wrong with the kibbles n chunks, maybe spoiled, so trashed it and bought kibbles n bits because they liked it before. They still are not eating the dog food. We logged on to kibbles web site and notified them and asked about recall. Searched web and found this sight. Yesterday one of the dogs had vomited. We have them together so were not sure which one. They are akc and the female is in heat and very busy so we are expecting pups but concerned. Please let us know if there are recalls. Thanks. Date 1-9-08
January 13th, 2008 at 6:34 am
I have had the majority of my cats (those who ate the most dried food or lived on the dried food alone) go down with hind limb ataxia, frightened, falling, unable to walk more than 3 steps without staggering, eye focusing problems, 34+ kittens born dead or died screaming in agony and lost a stud, plus uterine inertia, massive haemorrhage and one a seizure all while eating Nutro dried food. Since I stopped feeding it the girls are all walking again and I have just had several litters born all alive and healthy. These symptoms matched those of Salinomycin Induced Polyneuropathy as occurred in The Netherlands to 823 cats in 1996. The company has showed no compassion and just in denial. Others who have contacted Nutro have told me of intimidating phone calls, emails and bullying tactics but still no concern for their pets. There are 4 breeds belonging to these owners and a domestic household pet… all with the same problems.
So the problem spreads now to your allies overseas and yet still nothing seems to be being done to show sorrow or to compensate victims.
Might I suggest we all stop buying this garbage and feed our pets as our grandparents did decades ago … fresh natural food being meat for carnivores. Junk food is JUNK.
February 6th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
My son’s cat suddenly became very ill four days ago. We had to have him euthanized yesterday as the the x-ray showed that his kidneys were full of large tumors. My son had had started to feed the cat Nutro Complete Care Senior Indoor formula dry food and IAMS Indoor Formula dry food a few months ago.
On another note, one of my cats developed fibrosarcoma due to Rabies vaccines and had to be put down. See: “Cat Owners Must Weigh Vaccination Risks With Benefits” by University of Illinois
College of Veterinary Medicine
http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/petcol.....cfm?id=287
Though I cook my dog his wet food I supplement it with “Kibbles n’ Bits” dry food. He has been eating it, though infrequently as the home cooked meals usually are enough to satisfy his appetite. So far he has remained in good health with a shiny coat and is full of energy.
May 5th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
My 10 month old dog recently became sick after eating Natures Variety raw pet food. The vet tested her posotive for salmonella and she is dying. My vet thinks it is due to the raw food diet she was on.Has anyone out there have experienced anything similar with this brand of dog food?
July 11th, 2008 at 7:34 am
I am looking for the person named “KIM”………….The same thing that happen to your dog happened to my Milo 2 days ago. The only thing different was is that he has kibbles and bits that night, and was had died around noon the next day. He was only 2 years old and was very healthy..I am having a necrospy done right now and if they dont find anything I will be in touch with a toxicologist. He threw up and his last stool was almost orange. 20 minutes later he past away. If anyone knows anything please email me wesandsed@gmail.com. I currently reside in Ohio.
August 30th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
My two cats have been on IAMS dry food from day one (since 2005), and they started throwing up sometime last year (2007). I often change foods to give them some variety, but with no noticeable effect. And it isn’t because of how fast they eat, since many times nothing comes out except some yellow looking fluid. If I notice it happening on a daily basis, I change to a new brand, and or a new type of IAMS. I believe the hair ball formula was the “least problematic”. It comes in a pink bag and the kibbles are round shaped. So the recent blue bag of IAMS has been causing vomiting now for about two weeks:
IAMS Multi-Cat with Chicken and Salmon
8 lb blue bag
95705316 (found on bottom of bag)
— 280809 28AUG09 —
— 81194173 B2 US30940 —(found near top of bag, just under the seal)
I don’t know if this food has been recalled, and don’t know where to check. It is a shame that I have to spend all my free time investigating food that I paid for, that should be safe to eat. I guess this is what we can expect for outsourcing our jobs and our products overseas and across both our borders. Certainly, the FDA is partly responsible. But how can they possibly check every single shipment of goods that come our way?? They can’t. It’s simply the way it is, when you import so much of what you consume.
Perhaps it is websites like these that can track and record the “evidence” of all this, so “something” can eventually be done about it.
A lot of work though,
Stephanie
September 18th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I have no problem with cats like catchow but not much.
I was adopt poodle dont like any food … waste my time of food what she eating.
i hope something about dog food or miss the old owner didnt do anything for her..
I feel sorry for her but i am frustrated what she like the food it hard.
i have to use my hand cook instead of any dog food problem..
cat no problem with cat chow good one.
thanks
September 28th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Hi,
I have a 7 year old lab. I just started feeding him (about two/three weeks ago) Iams Healthy Naturals with Wholesome Chicken. This is after I heard about Candidae’s change in their food product during 2007. He does not eat. He snifs the food and walks away. However, he will eat his dog biscuits (Milkbones - I just switched those also from the Candidae snap biscuits). He’ll eat almost anything but this food. AT first he did eat it for about a week or so, but now he won’t touch it. Has anyone heard anything about this dog food causing health problems. My dog has also just started within the past weeks drinking a ton of water and urinating an awful lot. If you have any information, please post the inforamtion so I can follow up. I am in contact with his vet and we’re trying to figure out what is going on. Thanks for your help.
September 29th, 2008 at 11:19 am
I fed my dog golden retriever for the first with some dry Kibbles & Bits Homestyle Beef and Vegetable, it had massive reaction few hours later and died. I have since found 2 others on the net whose dogs have also died after feeding this.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Marty, I had the same thing exactly happen to my dog. Please contact me at aquahive@gmail.com
October 28th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
I bought a big bag of Kibbles & Bits and my dogs both could not stop drinking water and were having to go to the bathroom so often. As soon as I switched their food they were back to normal. After reading this I’m so glad I stopped feeding them this food.
November 18th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
In mid-2004 we gave our 10 year old labrador kibble n’ bits for the first time, as a change of pace from purina. Within two weeks he was loosing control of his bag legs. THinking it was a allergy we stopped the food and took him to the vet who agreed. He gradually improved but soon developed degenerative myopathy so nerves in back legs are dying and he’s lost more and more strength. Now he can’t stand up by himself and can’t walk for long - much as he still loves his walks - so we’ll be euthanizing him soon. Only in last few weeks did we put two and two together about contaminated Kibbles n’ Bits and are very disgusted because his last few years would have been much happier and he probably would have lived another year anyway if it wasn’t for that damned food.
January 4th, 2009 at 5:29 am
ATTN: Eileen
I have an approximately three-year-old female Border Collie mix. I adopted her 10 months ago and have fed her Iams Healthy Naturals the entire time. For many months she loved it and thrived on it. Most everyone who met her commented on her beautiful, soft coat and healthy she looked.
About November, when I got a new bag of Iams Healthy Naturals, she started acting funny about her food, not finishing it, sometimes not eating at all. Several times she vomited her entire meal within a half hour of eating. She is also drinking a lot.
These symptoms seemed to get even worse when I bought the next bag of food (again Iams Healthy Naturals) about three weeks ago. She seldom finishes her food. She will not be getting anymore of it!
I stumbled onto this site while researching something else and am so grateful I did.
May 1st, 2009 at 10:29 pm
This what I have to share with everyone. My Cat which I fed Science Diet food ,because vets recommended, most of his life got kodney problem -Reanal Failure. After doing some research many cats in US and not in Europe have this condition. I found out that it is the food we feed them and the water.
I also find out the crystal are formed by bad magnisium used in cat food that does not digest and stores in ther body. My other has that condition. Most vets will not admit this.
Conclusion please feed you animals a good and researched Organic food and that
will solve many problem and save you mone in the old age on vet bills.
For you PETA what is the best food you recommend Thank you