Reported Deaths - Update Post #15 Page 1 (Cats More Effected)

[Craftlady]

Here is interesting note on an article I found on CNN (here's the full story article) story (http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/30/pet.food.recall.ap/index.html)


The Veterinary Information Network reported Tuesday that at least 471 cases of pet kidney failure have been reported since the recall, and more than 100 pets have died. (Full story) Menu Foods has confirmed 16 pet deaths.

Interesting the Menu Foods only says 16 confirmed deaths.
Yet, the Veterinary Information Network has way larger numbers.
Also, in this article there PETA says they want dry food recalled. However, some say dry is not the cause of deaths.

[Laura's Babies]

Working like I do, this has really got me questioning leaving mine at home alone now.. They have 2 people checking in on them but there is nobody to observe or notice any strange behavior.. I feed mine Science Diet dry and Mike did some investigating and Science Diet does not make the food themselves in a plant of their own. He is switing his to Royal Canin who does make their own... But it is like I told him, how do we know anytime what is going in these foods we feed our little sweethearts at any of these places?

They would have to test and restest every batch of food for every substance known to man... Look how long it took them to find the problem this time.... all tests kept coming back negative until they finally narrowed it down.

A BIG lesson has been learned through all this for the makers of all our babies foods. By the time all is said and done, it is going to cost this company BIG TIME!! Sad to say, all the money is the world will not replace those wonderful babies that died or ease their loved one pain from the loss. This whole thing is just so sad!

[Medusa]

We have to put our trust in our vets and the people who make our pet foods. And our trust has been betrayed. We have enough in this world to be concerned with. This was the last thing I ever thought we'd need to watch dog. (Pardon the pun.) It's a tragedy and it's INFURIATING! If this were humans, these people would already be held accountable. Well, my furkids are more faithful than any human I've ever encountered, except for my son.

[Craftlady]

FDA finds new chemical in recalled pet food, sick animals
• NEW: FDA working to rule out any use of tainted wheat gluten in human food
• NEW: Agency investigating whether the gluten was used in dry pet food
• FDA says chemical used in plastics found in recalled pet food, sick animals
• Scientists not sure melamine was cause of pets' deaths

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- Recalled pet foods contained a chemical used to make plastics, but government tests failed to confirm the presence of rat poison, federal officials said Friday.

The Food and Drug Administration said it found melamine in samples of the Menu Foods pet food, as well as in wheat gluten used as an ingredient in the wet-style products.

The FDA was working to rule out the possibility that the contaminated wheat gluten could have made it into any human food, but was not aware of any risk to people.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the melamine was the culprit in the deaths of more than a dozen cats and dogs and the illnesses of hundreds more, said Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine.

In a news conference, FDA officials said that the apparently melamine-contaminated wheat gluten also was shipped to a company that manufactures dry pet food, but they would not name the company.

The FDA is attempting to determine if that company used any of the wheat gluten, imported from China, to make dry pet food, Sundlof said.

Wheat gluten, a source of vegetable protein, is also used in some human foods, but the FDA emphasized it had found no indication that the contaminated ingredient had been used in food for people.

The FDA said it would alert the public quickly if the melamine was found in any foods other than the recalled pet food.

Cornell University scientists also found melamine -- used to produce plastic kitchen wares and used in Asia as a fertilizer -- in the urine of sick cats, as well as in the kidney of one cat that died after eating the company's wet food.

Menu Foods recalled 60 million containers of cat and dog food earlier this month after animals died of kidney failure after eating the Canadian company's products. It is not clear how many pets may have been poisoned by the apparently contaminated food, although anecdotal reports suggest hundreds if not thousands have died. The FDA alone has received more than 8,000 complaints. (Menu Foods recall information)

The new finding comes a week after scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory identified a rat poison and cancer drug called aminopterin as the likely culprit in the pet food. The FDA said it could not confirm that finding.

New York officials have detected melamine in the recalled food as well. Yet New York remained confident in its aminopterin finding, said Patrick Hooker, commissioner of the New York state Department of Agriculture and Markets. Hooker added that neither aminopterin nor melamine should be in pet food, but that it was unclear why the latter substance would be poisonous to the cats in which it was found.

"While we have no doubt that melamine is present in the recalled pet food, there is not enough known data on the mammalian toxicity levels of melamine to conclude it could cause illness and deaths in cats. With little existing data, many questions still remain as to the connection between the illnesses and what has caused them," Hooker said.

The recall involved nearly 100 brands of "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food made by Menu Foods. The recall covered products carrying names of major brand-name and private-label products sold throughout North America.

Menu Foods used wheat gluten to thicken the gravy of its pet foods, FDA officials have said.

Menu Foods spokesman Sam Bornstein did not know whether company testing had found melamine in its products. The company planned a press conference later Friday.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review first reported the melamine finding in Friday's editions.

Meanwhile, animal rights advocates called on federal food safety regulators and pet food companies to expand a nationwide recall of dog and cat food to include dry varieties, claiming they make pets sick.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals plans to make the appeal Friday in Washington after it said it received complaints from pet owners who claim their animals suffered kidney failure after eating dry pet food.

Norfolk, Virginia-based PETA wants the FDA and the companies to extend the recall to foods that have received complaints, chemically test it and perform necropsies on the animals involved. It also wants companies prosecuted if the FDA's probe turns up wrongdoing.

[anna_66]

Working like I do, this has really got me questioning leaving mine at home alone now.. They have 2 people checking in on them but there is nobody to observe or notice any strange behavior.. I feed mine Science Diet dry and Mike did some investigating and Science Diet does not make the food themselves in a plant of their own. He is switing his to Royal Canin who does make their own... But it is like I told him, how do we know anytime what is going in these foods we feed our little sweethearts at any of these places?

Precisely why I am SO glad I feed mine raw.

This whole thing is just so sad:(

[catmandu]

It is very sad, and a little confusing.
If all that food was contaminated you would think that there would be a lot more than 16 Pet Deaths.
I wonder though how many Pets passed on, and was thought to be natural causes before all this came out.
Its a shock to me that these huge Pet Food Companies are not making thier own food.A DISGRACE really.
Running shoes and other consumer products are one thing.
Food we feed Our Beloved Companions another thing all together.

[catlover4ever]

It is very sad indeed. :(

My mom and I were talking about if either one of us had fed the tainted food to any of ours (we have 18 cats between the two of us) we probally would have lost all of them, and if we did not loose them all then we would have probally had each and everyone of them at the vets office.

My brother-in-laws aunt has a "cat colony" with just about 80 cats that her and her husband take care of....she lost 12 of her cats to this recall...and she is totally devestated. :( :(

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Here is interesting note on an article I found on CNN (here's the full story article) story (http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/30/pet.food.recall.ap/index.html)



Interesting the Menu Foods only says 16 confirmed deaths.
Yet, the Veterinary Information Network has way larger numbers.
Also, in this article there PETA says they want dry food recalled. However, some say dry is not the cause of deaths.Fox news ran this same story. They said there is an independent company doing a check to see how many pets have been sick or died. Fox news said that only 10% of the vets have answered the on line questionair that was sent. Out of that over 100 had died and 471 were sick from the food.

I can't help but feel this is lots worse than they are telling us. :(

[catfamily]

My cats get fed excellent food naturalbalanceinc.com but inbetween I gave them the recalled food for a *treat* because that is the only food Mia would eat and before that was the only food Jasmine would eat,now they eat the food I have for all.
But my Lucy had a seizure a couple weeks ago/or a stroke and my monty had a 106 temp about 4 weeks ago for no apparent reason brought him in after lots and lots of fluids seems fine now but who knows.lucy still looks wpied out.i noticed before christmas i told mike lucy didn't look right and she could of been having these seizures/or strokes right along from the food or just her having them for whatever reason.
I had Hannaford food,walmart brand food,iams pouch that was recalled and 1 other can't remember.
Anything to fatten up the NEW cats that came in that were seperated and of course every now and then gave a *treat* to my regular cats.BIG mistake and me and Mike are both sick to death over all this.
All we can do is watch them and hope for the best.ALL of them.
If they look bad of course we always rush them in...no matter no money or what time of day/night.

[catfamily]

We have to put our trust in our vets and the people who make our pet foods. And our trust has been betrayed. We have enough in this world to be concerned with. This was the last thing I ever thought we'd need to watch dog. (Pardon the pun.) It's a tragedy and it's INFURIATING! If this were humans, these people would already be held accountable. Well, my furkids are more faithful than any human I've ever encountered, except for my son.
I'm with you on faithfulness from my cats as you are to your Dear furkids.People can be so mean to one another especially if your the type to give.Usually givers get stomped on and takers just keep taking :(
I know I'm a giver,and keep getting stomped and stomped on and frankly I've had enough.So...I just avoid the takers! Try anyway! Even though; I still love people very much and I know I'll go get stomped on all over and over again.We don't change.
Sometimes I'm so exhausted and in so much pain but I play play play with my cats with a big laugh and smile so they don't see my pain.And they really are great.God I love my cats so much.

[Medusa]

Yep, our furkids are good for what ails ya.

[catmandu]

I was in a store today and a man had a buch of pouches and he wanted his money back or a credit towards dry Cat Food.
He didnt have a receipt as how many eople keep receipts fot everday items?
He got a credit but only after a long quarrel.
I wonder how many stores are accepting this possibly bad food back.

[Craftlady]

I would think the major stores (PetSmart for example) arent giving a fuss about returning. I havent read of any difficulties.

[Laura's Babies]

I lost my trust in the FDA a long time ago. They have failed to protect humans so why should they give a hoot about our fur babies? Just look at ALL the recalls on things they have approved in just the last 15 years. Maybe they should insist on a "sterner warning" lable on all pet food... "CAUTION! THIS COULD KILL YOUR PETS!"... then they have done all they can! Grrrrrrrrr! :mad:

[Craftlady]

Pet Food Chemical May Be Worse for Cats
Saturday, March 31, 2007 4:43 PM EDT
The Associated Press
By ANDREW BRIDGES

WASHINGTON (AP) — A greater sensitivity of cats to a chemical found in plastics and pesticides could explain why they've died in larger numbers than have dogs after eating contaminated pet food, experts said Saturday.

The small number of confirmed reports of pet deaths bolstered by a far larger number of unconfirmed anecdotal reports suggests cats were more susceptible to poisoning by the chemical melamine that tainted the now recalled pet food, officials with the Food and Drug Administration and American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said Saturday.

"I am concerned we have a situation where we have a sensitive species and it is the cat," said Steven Hansen, a veterinary toxicologist and director of the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control center in Urbana, Ill.

Testing by the FDA and Cornell University has found melamine in samples of recalled pet food as well as in crystal form in the urine and kidney tissue of dead cats. They've also found the chemical, in apparently raw form in concentrations as high as 6.6 percent, in wheat gluten used as ingredient of the recalled cat and dog foods, said Stephen Sundlof, the FDA's chief veterinarian.

"There was a sizable amount of melamine. You could see crystals in the wheat gluten," Sundlof told The Associated Press.

Sundlof and others have not been able to explain why the chemical would have caused the kidney failure seen so far in the roughly 16 confirmed pet deaths, all but one in cats. There are anecdotal reports of hundreds more pet deaths.

"It has a very low toxicity, at least in rodents. The problem is, we don't have information in cats, and that seems to be the most susceptible species," Sundlof said of melamine. Sundlof also allowed that the tainted cat foods could have contained higher concentrations of melamine than did the dog foods.

Earlier this month, Menu Foods became the first of three pet food manufacturers to recall its products. It did so after cats began to fall sick and die during routine company taste tests of its wet-style pet foods, sold under nearly 100 store- and major-label brands across North America. Other than in the recalled products, melamine has not been found in other Menu Foods pet foods, the company said.

Melamine is used to make plastic kitchenware, glues, countertops, fabrics, fertilizers and flame retardants. It also is both a contaminant and byproduct of several pesticides, including cyromazine, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The United Nations Environment Program considers melamine of low potential risk, as does the EPA. The agency has sent FDA the database information it has on the chemical and will provide technical assistance as needed, EPA spokeswoman Enesta Jones said Saturday.

Sundlof said the FDA hadn't found any studies of melamine in cats, and the results of only a single 1945 study that tested it on dogs. That study suggested the chemical increased urine output when fed to dogs in large amounts.

"That was pretty much it," Sundlof said.

Still, it's well known that identical substances can have very different effects on cats and dogs. For example, the flea killer permethrin is OK to use on dogs but lethal to cats, Hansen said. The same could be the case with melamine.

"Cats are very sensitive to many different chemicals, whether drugs, pesticides or plants. We certainly know they have some unique physiological responses that make them susceptible in cases where we wouldn't expect it in other species," Hansen said.

The investigation has traced the melamine to wheat gluten that Menu Foods, Nestle Purina PetCare Co. and Hill's Pet Nutrition bought from an unnamed U.S. supplier. The latter two companies have recalled a limited number of products since Friday. The wheat gluten, a protein source, was imported from China.

Sundlof said the recall could expand further, depending whether other pet food manufacturers also bought wheat gluten from the same supplier.

"We're still in the process of tracing it at this point," Sundlof said. There is no indication the wheat gluten entered the human food supply, he added.

[momcat]

Hi fellow PTer's!! The news seems to just get worse on pet food. On the news tonight reports are saying the problem has narrowed down to melamine, a chemical used to make plastic. According to something I just read on the internet, cats are much more sensitive to this chemical than dogs and get sick or die more often from this.
What makes this whole thing so much worse is we love our pets and do all the right things to keep them happy and healthy. We make sure they get to the vet for regular check-ups as well as when they don't feel well. We feed them what we believe to be the best food which is often recommended by our trusted vets. In many instances we keep our kitties indoors to protect them from injury,accidents and the countless risks out there.
But now we're afraid to fill up their food dishes because we don't know for sure what's going in those dishes. A news report also said that healthy cats and dogs were getting sick and dying during taste testing done by Menu. Kind of makes one wonder what they knew and when they knew it!
At times like this I'm grateful for having PT and all the wonderful people who come here. Until this situation is over and completely resolved, the best we can do is keep each other updated on the latest developments.
Prayers are being prayed for every kitty to get food that is safe!

[Craftlady]

Since this is a trillion dollar (just guessing) industry (pet food) the FDA is going to get pressured to regulate and test food more often.
This should never of happened. Up until now, FDA didnt give pet food a priority. Sad :(

[catfamily]

I trust fully
www.naturalbalanceinc.com
I've been using it for years and have noticed an overall remarkable improvement in their health ,fur,eyes,teeth,just everything including seeming happy because of their health.
It's really the best food for them,In my opinion though.
But of course when bringing in skin and bones cats that need fast food to fatten them up I was using the recalled food...and gave some to the others as treats. :(
They seem Ok right now...but gosh....All I do, all the money I spend trying to keep these guys as healthy as possible and I make those few mistakes of giving them cat treats with poisoned recalled food!!!!Treats...meaning those recalled foods (I call those foods like going to MacDonald"s)because there's so much fat salt whatever in it to taste good.
I'll never buy any other cat food again except:
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance cat Food

[momoffuzzyfaces]

There is a story on Yahoo today about how this stuff is lots more deadly for cats! The story is from the AP. Here is the link: :(
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070401/ap_on_bi_ge/pet_food_recall

[Catlady711]

It's difficult for a person to rely on the statistics from any source particularly when they've been thrown together in a hurry.

Earlier this week we had someone call wanting a telephone interview with my boss (head vet) about the pet food recall. My boss refuses to do ANY type of interviews with anyone unless it is in person AND it's someone he knows. He's had times in the past, and known of it happening to others, where a reporter skews what a person says to make the article more 'dramatic' or just outright misprinted something.

It would be difficult to nail down a statistic based soley on kidney failure. We've had cats suffereing from kidney failure for years from various causes including :age, disease, and injury. It would be difficult for any veterinarian to narrow down that a tainted food specifically caused it without an autopsy and prior lab work to indicate that the pet was not already suffering from kidney problems.

I don't put much faith in statistics alone. I don't put much faith in the FDA or the EPA for that matter.

Honestly in todays global, mass production society, the only way anyone can be even reasonably assured of food quality (whether our own or our pets) would be to grow our own veggies, raise our own cows/pigs, and grow our own wheat/rice/corn and process it all yourself, which isn't feasable for to do anyways. Even then, you'd never know whats in your soil, water or floating around in the air around your home either. Nothing in this world is guaranteed.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Just found this on the 9 Lives web site: :(
Del Monte Pet Products Voluntarily Withdraws Specific Product Codes of Pet Treats and Wet Dog Food Products
SAN FRANCISCO, March 31, 2007—As a precautionary measure, Del Monte Pet Products is voluntarily recalling select product codes of its pet treat products sold under the Jerky Treats®, Gravy Train® Beef Sticks and Pounce Meaty Morsels® brands as well as select dog snack and wet dog food products sold under private label brands. A complete list of affected brands and products is below.

The Company took this voluntary recall action immediately after learning this morning from the FDA that wheat gluten supplied to Del Monte Pet Products from a specific manufacturing facility in China contained melamine. Melamine is a substance not approved for use in food. The FDA made this finding as part of its ongoing investigation into the recent pet food recall.

The adulteration occurred in a limited production quantity on select product codes of the brands below. This recall removes all Del Monte pet products with wheat gluten procured from this manufacturing facility from retail shelves.

No other Del Monte Pet Products treats, biscuits or wet dog food products are impacted by this recall, and no Del Monte dry cat food, dry dog food, wet cat food or pouched pet foods are subject to this voluntary recall. The affected products comprise less than one-tenth of one percent of Del Monte Pet Products' annual pet food and pet treat production.

Del Monte Pet Products has proactively engaged and fully cooperated with the FDA since the start of its investigation. The adulterated ingredients were used in limited production over the last three months for those items identified by specific product codes. Del Monte Pet Products has not used wheat gluten from this manufacturing facility in China in any other pet products except those described below.

Consumers should discontinue feeding the products with the Product Codes detailed below to their pets.

Del Monte Pet Products are 100% guaranteed and all voluntarily recalled products will be refunded.

Del Monte Pet Products customers can contact our Consumer Hotline at (800) 949-3799 for further information about the recall and for instructions on obtaining a product refund. If consumers visit our website, they can click on the "Contact Us" button and submit the Contact Us form, including UPC number, product name, Best By Date, and manufacturing code information (located under the Best By date). Consumers may also write to us at:
Del Monte
P.O. Box 80
Pittsburgh PA 15230-0080.

BRANDED Production Code/Best By Date
Jerky Treats Beef Flavor Dog Snacks Code:
Best By: TP7C05
Aug 05 08 TP7B07
Aug 07 08 TP7B08
Aug 08 08 TP7B09
Aug 09 08 TP6B10
Aug 10 08
Code:
Best By: TP7B15
Aug 15 08 TP7C05
Sep 02 08 TP7C06
Sep 03 08
Gravy Train Beef Sticks Dog Snacks Code:
Best By: TP7B19
Aug 19 08 TP7B20
Aug 20 08 TP7B21
Aug 21 08
Pounce Meaty Morsels Moist Chicken Flavor Cat Treats Code:
Best By: TP7C07
Sep 04 08 TP7C12
Sep 09 08

PRIVATE LABEL Production Code/Best By Date
Ol' Roy Beef Flavor Jerky Strips Dog Treats Code:
Best By: TP7B06
Aug 06 08 TP7B07
Aug 07 08 TP7C05
Sep 02 08 TP7C06
Sep 03 08 TP7C07
Sep 04 08
Code:
Best By: TP7C08
Sep 05 08
Ol' Roy Beef Flavor Snack Sticks Dog Treats Code:
Best By: TP7B19
Aug 19 08 TP7B20
Aug 20 08 TP7B21
Aug 21 08 TP7C08
Sep 05 08 TP7C09
Sep 06 08
Ol' Roy Bark'n Bac'n Beef & Bacon Flavor Dog Treats Code:
Best By: TP7C14
Sep 11 08
Ol' Roy with Beef Hearty Cuts in Gravy Dog Food Code:
Best By: BC6M21
Dec 21 09
Ol' Roy with Beef Hearty Strips in Gravy Dog Food Code:
Best By: BC7A19
Jan 19 10
Ol' Roy Country Stew Hearty Cuts in Gravy Dog Food Code:
Best By: BC6M15
Dec 15 09
Dollar General Beef Flavored Jerky Strips Dog Treats Code:
Best By: TP7C06
Sep 03 08
Dollar General Beef Flavored Beef Sticks Dog Treats Code:
Best By: TP7B20
Aug 20 08 TP7B21
Aug 21 08
Happy Tails Beef Flavor Jerky Strips Code:
Best By: TPY7B08
Aug 08 08 TP7B09
Aug 09 08
Happy Tails Meaty Cuts with Beef in Gravy Dog Food Code:
Best By: BC7A29
Jan 29 10

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