Major "wet" pet food recall of dog & cat foods ~ NOW Includes Treets & Biscuits

**cmayer31** · 03-21-2007, 11:00 AM

Here are some useful phone numbers for those with concerns on this recall:

Iams/Eukanuba Customer Care 800-882-1591
Mighty Dog 800-778-7462
Nutro 800-833-5330
Variety Pet Food's Mixables 303-768-8400
Hill's Science Diet 800-445-5777

Here's some info from Iams/Euk on how to read their date codes:

How To Read Product Code

To read can product codes, refer to the bottom of the can.

The first four numbers of the second line of numbers are
the date code, and the following four numbers indicate
the plant code.

For example, if the second line begins with four
numbers from 6339 to 7073 followed by the Plant
Code 4197, then the product should be recalled.

For foil pouches, the code numbers are located at the
lower left hand corner on the back of the pouch.The date
and plant codes appear in the third group of numbers,
beginning an 11-digit sequence.

See www.Iams.com and www.Eukanuba.com for
illustrated details or call P&G Pet Care Consumer
Relations at 1-800-882-1591.

**Cinder & Smoke** · 03-21-2007, 12:11 PM

Does anyone have an updated list of recalled pet foods as of today?

From the Menu Foods web site on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 -
the Dog list now has 53 Recall enteries;
the Cat list now has 42 Recall Enteries.
Recalled Dog Product Information (3/21/2007)
Recall Information 1-866-895-2708

Recalled Cat Product Information (3/21/2007)
Recall Information 1-866-895-2708

ADDITIONAL Information is leaking out ---
Some Pet Food Labels that are really manufactured by Menu Foods must not have
wanted their names associated with this recall - even though the foods are possibly tainted ...

Guess Who is recalling and now admitting involvement?

Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc.,
Announces Voluntary Participation in Menu Foods’ Nationwide U.S.
and Canadian recall of Specific Canned Cat Foods.
Topeka, KS (March 16, 2007) – In response to the recent Menu Foods, Inc. nationwide recall of wet pet foods, Hill’s® Pet Nutrition, Inc. has announced a voluntary precautionary recall in the United States and Canada of a very small number of canned cat products that are co-manufactured by Menu.
Hill’s is voluntarily recalling the following products:

1. Science Diet® Kitten Savory Cuts® Ocean Fish 3 oz. and 5.5 oz.
2. Science Diet® Feline Adult Savory Cuts® Beef 5.5 oz.
3. Science Diet® Feline Adult Savory Cuts® Chicken 5.5 oz.
4. Science Diet® Feline Adult Savory Cuts® Ocean Fish 5.5 oz.
5. Science Diet® Feline Senior Savory Cuts® Chicken 5.5 oz.

No other Hill’s products are affected by this recall.
Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc., is taking this precautionary step to protect the health and well being of your pets. Hill’s has received no reported cases of illness. Consumers of other pet food brands manufactured by Menu Foods have reported a small number of cases of cats becoming ill with loss of appetite, vomiting, and lethargy which are potential signs of kidney failure.
This voluntary product recall involves discontinuation of all retail sales and product retrieval from consumers. Consumers should stop using the affected products immediately. Consult with a veterinarian if any symptoms are present in your pet. All Science Diet products carry a 100 percent guarantee, and consumers can receive a refund for recalled products. For more information, consumers can contact the company at 1-800-445-5777 or visit www.HillsPet.com for details.
Hill’s is recalling the following product codes. Product codes can be found at the bottom of the can. Only relevant code numbers have been listed (‘X’s indicate irrelevant numbers).

BESTBEFORE 09 2008
M06XXXXXX 4414

.

BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M28XXXXXX 4416

.

BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M28XXXXXX 4415

.

BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M28XXXXXX 4601

.

BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M28XXXXXX 4603

.

BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M25XXXXXX 4457

.

BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M28XXXXXX 4414

Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc., has informed the Food and Drug Administration and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on this issue. The company regrets any inconvenience to its consumers, retail customers and veterinarians.
__________________________________________________ ______________

"Science Diet" is the "retail" brand of Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc - the people who sell
the Prescription Only Dog & Cat foods through Licensed Veterinarians.

There's no reason given on the Hill's site WHY their products aren't listed on the Menu Foods recall pages.

Makes ME wonder how many more of the major pet food suppliers are not allowing their names to be listed by Menu Foods.

Not being on the Menu Foods Recall list doesn't necessarily mean that a wet food is "safe".

by

Phred on 3/21/2007

**wolf_Q** · 03-21-2007, 12:25 PM

I've checked the lists but just in case I missed something...has anyone heard anything about ProPlan? I feed Nebo Natural Balance and Keva Royal Canin and they rarely get wet food, but about a week ago I bought some ProPlan canned dog food. Keva's trainer said it was good to give northern breeds fish so I bought the salmon kind (for sensitive stomach I think?) to mix in with their food. It made Nebo really quite sick, he had diarrhea in our front room.

He's pretty sensitive about food so I figured it was just the food not agreeing with him, but I thought I'd check just in case.

I see that Nutro is on the list, does anyone know if this includes the "desserts?" I buy those fairly often, I have a few at my house, but I don't know if I dare give them to the dogs or not.

**Cinder & Smoke** · 03-21-2007, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by wolf_Q

... has anyone heard anything about ProPlan?

... about a week ago I bought some ProPlan canned dog food.
It made Nebo really quite sick, he had diarrhea in our front room.

I see that Nutro is on the list,
does anyone know if this includes the "desserts?"

From the Purina Pro Plan web site:

Purina to voluntarily withdraw Mighty Dog® 5.3 ounce pouch products in response to Menu Foods recall

No other Purina products affected

St. Louis, Missouri, March 16, 2007
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company today announced that as a precautionary measure, it is voluntarily withdrawing its 5.3 ounce Mighty Dog® brand pouch products that were produced by Menu Foods, Inc. from December 3, 2006 through March 14, 2007. This withdrawal is in response to the recall initiated earlier today by Menu Foods, a contract manufacturer that does limited business with Purina as well as with other pet food manufacturers. Only Mighty Dog 5.3 ounce pouch products are being withdrawn by Nestlé Purina, including those pouches contained in multi-packs. Importantly, no Mighty Dog canned products, or any other Purina products are affected by Menu’s recall.

Consumers who have the indicated Mighty Dog 5.3 ounce pouch products should discontinue feeding them to their dogs and can receive the full replacement value of the withdrawn products by calling 1-800-551-7392.
The Mighty Dog pouch products and pouches in multi-pack cartons have code dates of 6337 through 7073, followed by the plant code 1798. This information should be checked on the bottom or back panel of the individual pouches. Specifically, if the code following the “Use By” date begins with four numbers from 6337 to 7073 followed by the plant code 1798, then the pouch is included in this voluntary withdrawal.

Purina regrets any inconvenience and apologizes for any concern caused by this product withdrawal. The Company will continue to take any and all actions necessary to ensure the quality and safety of our products.
------------------------------------------------------------------

NUTRO Information - from their web site:
NUTRO TO VOLUNTARILY WITHDRAW CERTAIN "WET" CAT & DOG FOODS
IN RESPONSE TO MENU FOODS RECALL
No dry Nutro pet foods, biscuits or treats are impacted
City of Industry, Calif. (March 17, 2007) – As a result of the Menu Foods North American recall of specific canned and small foil pouch ‘wet’ cat and dog food, Nutro Products, along with many other pet food companies, has announced a voluntary recall on specific pet food products manufactured for it by Menu Foods. This recall applies to certain wet food only. No dry Nutro pet foods, biscuits or treats are impacted by this matter and no other canned or pouched Nutro products are subject to this recall.

The only Nutro products involved in this recall are:
Cat Pouch Products (Best by dates: December 03, 2008 through March 07, 2009);
Dog Pouch Products (Best by dates: December 03, 2008 through March 07, 2009);
Certain Dog 12.5 oz Canned Products (Best by dates: December 02, 2009 through March 07, 2010).

Nutro customers may check Nutro's website (www.nutroproducts.com) or contact Nutro's Consumer Hotline (800) 833-5330 for further information about its products.

by Phred 3/21/2007

**wolf_Q** · 03-21-2007, 12:57 PM

Thank you for the info Phred, I wasn't too concerned because Nebo has been fine since then.

**gini** · 03-21-2007, 01:22 PM

Phred, a big thank you to you for all of the information. This whole situation is frightening enough without adding rumors of other products that may be safe.

Thanks for the FACTS!!

**lizbud** · 03-21-2007, 01:41 PM

I was surprised to see none of these brands had been removed from
shelfs at a nearby Kroger store.(I really dislike the current manager there)
They had printed out a list of recalled items & just taped it on the shelfs.

I never buy much there but staples anyway. (milk, bread, etc)

**ramanth** · 03-21-2007, 02:08 PM

My mother in law just sent this email to me:

I just came back from the store and they got a new list of recalled cat and dog food. It now includes some dry food and snacks or treats. Probably it would be best to give a call to the number on anything you keep regularly on the shelf for your pets and get a heads up before accidentally poisoning your furry children.

I wrote back asking what brands...maybe she saw a brand that sells both dry and wet and assumed it was both? I'm just curious if anyone else had heard of this.

**BC_MoM** · 03-21-2007, 06:53 PM

Canadian Purina pet food NOT impacted by Menu Foods recall
Dear Valued Pet Priority Member,

Throughout the past few days there has been a great deal of media coverage regarding the Menu Foods Income Trust product recall of wet dog and wet cat food. We are very sympathetic to the concern and would like to clarify with our valued Pet Priority members that Purina products in Canada are not impacted by the Menu Foods recall.

Ensuring the safety and quality of Purina pet foods is our priority. As this recall relates to wet pet foods, please be assured that you can continue to feed Purina wet dog and wet cat food, including Fancy Feast®, Friskies®, Pro Plan®, Purina Veterinary Diet® wet cat foods, and Beneful®, Purina Veterinary Diet® wet dog foods. We also wish to assure you that Purina® brand dry dog and cat food products can continue to be fed with the utmost of confidence.

As a precautionary measure in the United States, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company has voluntarily withdrawn its 5.3-ounce Mighty Dog® brand pouch products. Please note that the Mighty Dog® brand is not available in Canada. For a complete list of recalled products, click here.

To learn more about the Purina® pet food brands available in Canada, please visit www.purina.ca. If you have any questions about Canadian Purina products, please call Consumer Relations at 1.800.268.5345.

Thank you for your continued support and confidence in Purina products.

**Cinder & Smoke** · 03-21-2007, 09:23 PM

MSNBC.com is carrying a Newsweek article about the Recall.
Here's a few paragraphs of a 3 page article:
Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17728426/site/newsweek/
Titled: "Limited Resources" - questions about the regulation of pet foods.

"March 21, 2007 - It's been nearly a week since Canadian pet-food manufacturer Menu Foods Inc. recalled some 60 million cans and pouches of wet food linked to the deaths of at least 15 cats and one dog, yet authorities still can't explain exactly what went wrong. Some critics and animal lovers are honing in on what they see as lax regulation of the $15-billion annual pet-food industry in the United States.

"There's almost a void there," says Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Product Manufacturers Association. "There is no real pet food department of any federal agency."
Technically, the Food and Drug Administration is responsible for ensuring that, like human foods, pet foods are safe to eat, truthfully labeled and produced under sanitary conditions. But on Tuesday, FDA officials admitted that the regulation of pet food takes a backseat to its regulatory obligations of other food and drug sectors, and that inspections of pet-food processing plants are done only on a for-cause basis.

"There are limited resources," said David Elder, director of the Office of Surveillance and Compliance in the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine in Rockville, Md. Elder added that inspections of companion animals' food products are, "based on risk." Which means that the processing plant in Emporia, Kans., where the tainted food was manufactured, had never been inspected by government officials until after consumers started complaining about pets dying of kidney failure. The Emporia plant remains open and continues to produce new food, according to a Menu Foods spokesperson, who adds that safety tests are being done around the clock.

"The FDA says Ontario-based Menu Foods began to receive complaints about renal failure on Feb. 20 and began on Feb. 27 to conduct a series of taste tests on 40 to 50 dogs and cats, leading to the eventual death of at least 9 cats. On March 16, the company issued its North American recall of pet food sold under 95 different brand names manufactured between Dec. 3 and March 6, including popular brands such as Iams and Eukanuba, plus many store brands sold in large retailers such as Wal-Mart, Winn-Dixie and Publix. ...

But without regular inspections, the pet-food industry is largely self-regulated. ...
"It's wide-open. As far as ingredients go, there is no regulation," says Ann Martin, a Canadian pet-health advocate and author of three pet-food related books, including 1997's "Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food." While the raw materials used in commercial pet food often contain animal protein derived largely from slaughterhouse offal--unused animal parts--Martin contends that there are other sources of that material, including road kill, zoo animal carcasses and fecal matter. ...

The industry insists their products are absolutely safe. "Pet foods are the highest regulated product you'll find in the grocery store," says Duane Ekedahl, president of the Pet Food Institute (PFI), an industry trade association representing the interests of 20 member companies whose products make up about 97 percent of the dog and cat food produced in the United States. ...

On Tuesday, PFI issued a statement claiming that, "All cat and dog food products on store shelves are safe. The recall is now complete and all suspected products have been removed from the stream of commerce. ..."

[ {{

}} Anybody care to believe that?? ]

Wonder if Phish Food or Hamster Pellets would be safer?

/s/ Phred

**momoffuzzyfaces** · 03-21-2007, 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by Cinder & Smoke

"It's wide-open. As far as ingredients go, there is no regulation," says Ann Martin, a Canadian pet-health advocate and author of three pet-food related books, including 1997's "Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food." While the raw materials used in commercial pet food often contain animal protein derived largely from slaughterhouse offal--unused animal parts--Martin contends that there are other sources of that material, including road kill, zoo animal carcasses and fecal matter. ...

The industry insists their products are absolutely safe. "Pet foods are the highest regulated product you'll find in the grocery store," says Duane Ekedahl, president of the Pet Food Institute (PFI), an industry trade association representing the interests of 20 member companies whose products make up about 97 percent of the dog and cat food produced in the United States. ...

On Tuesday, PFI issued a statement claiming that, "All cat and dog food products on store shelves are safe. The recall is now complete and all suspected products have been removed from the stream of commerce. ..."

[ {{

}} Anybody care to believe that?? ]

Wonder if Phish Food or Hamster Pellets would be safer?

/s/ Phred

If pet food is "highly regulated" I hate to think what's in our food! No wonder Peanutbutter was having such a time lately!!!

If they don't know for sure what is causing the problem, how do they know it's been fixed?

**Crazy-Cat-Lover** · 03-21-2007, 10:18 PM

We have two cases so far here in British Columbia, Canada. It hasn't been confirmed whether or not it was tainted food that made the cats sick. Poor kitties.

BC Cats Believed to be Sickened by Tainted Food

Wednesday, March 21 - 03:45:00 PM Reshmi Nair

KAMLOOPS (NEWS1130) - A veterinarian in Kamloops believes two cats have now suffered kidney failure because of tainted food involved in the massive recall.

Doctor Diane McKelvey says thankfully, both felines are expected to survive.

"These two cats have been on that food. We treated them with I.V fluids, one has recovered quite well and has just gone home. The other will be in the hospital for a few days."

She says it is extremely important to diagnosis kidney disease as soon as possible so animals can receive the proper fluids to survive.

The frantic search continues for what exactly is in the food that has killed 14 pets in North America.

Vets are urging pet owners to remain calm and check their pet's food labels against the list of brands recalled on the website menu-foods-dot-com.

If you're concerned your pet may have eaten tainted food, keep an eye out for any behavioral changes.

**crow_noir** · 03-22-2007, 03:07 AM

The latest in the pet food scare

Pet Owners Report 241 Deaths from Food
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2963443&page=1

Snippet:
"If owners believe that their pet has been eating the food, Becker said that they should bring their pets into the vet's office immediately.

Cats, Becker said, can lose 80 percent of kidney function before showing evidence of a problem. But once the animal reaches this tipping point, the problem becomes apparent. By this time, treatment may come too late."

http://www.menufoods.com/recall

http://www.petconnection.com/ Click here to report a sick pet. (Owners have reported over 500 deaths) I took the time to hunt down this link since the article didn't include it. PLEASE pass it on.

**cmayer31** · 03-22-2007, 11:52 AM

AVMA Offers Advice to Pet Owners after Nationwide Food Recall
3/20/2007

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.— The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), in response to a national pet food recall, offers the following information and advice to concerned pet owners:

Menu Foods, Inc., a Canadian private-label pet food manufacturer based in Streetsville, Ontario, has issued a recall on all its "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food products produced at its facility in Emporia, Kansas, between December 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007.

This recall includes 90 brands across the entire manufacturing spectrum. A complete list of affected foods including date and product information codes is available through the AVMA Web site at:

http://www.avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/070318.asp.

If you have any of the products identified on these lists, immediately stop feeding them to your pet.

If you suspect that your pet has been affected by a recalled food, do the following three steps to help your veterinarian with your pet's diagnosis:

Retain food samples for analysis.
- Retain 4 cans or 1 kg of dry food, when possible.
- Freeze when possible or store at room temperature in airtight bags.

Document product name, type of product and manufacturing information.
- Retain all packaging.
- Identify date codes or production lot numbers.
- Retain purchase receipts.

Document product consumption.
- Dates products or products were fed.
- Consumption and palatability history.
- Time of onset of clinical signs.
- Detailed dietary history (ie, all products fed and feeding methods).

Although the exact cause is not currently known, animals that have become ill after consuming these products have shown signs of acute kidney failure.

Dr. Sandra Willis, DVM, a board certified diplomate and communications chair with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) and member of the AVMA Council on Communications, advises that signs of kidney failure include loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, changes in water consumption and also changes in urination. Anybody who has a pet that exhibits these signs should take the animal to a veterinarian.

"Owners shouldn't panic, because there can be a wide variety of reasons a pet might exhibit these symptoms," Dr. Willis explained. "But it's always prudent that, when a pet is exhibiting any signs of illness, the pet owner should contact their veterinarian immediately."

A veterinarian may call for a urinalysis and blood work, and might also perform additional tests, such as an x-ray or ultrasound, to rule out other possible problems such as bladder and kidney stones. If it has been determined that the cat or dog has been affected by consumption of the recalled pet food, a veterinarian could decided to treat the illness with medications and/or intravenous fluids.

"If the kidney disease is severe, such as the animal is not urinating at all, the veterinarian can refer or consult with a specialist from the ACVIM for more specialized care," Dr. Willis explained.
Owners of pets affected by the recalled pet foods who wish to report the incident should contact the FDA, by going to the FDA Web site at http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html to find the FDA complaint coordinator in their state.

Please monitor the AVMA Web site (www.avma.org) for the latest information on the recall. Consumers with questions for the manufacturer can contact Menu Foods, Inc. at 1-866-895-2708. A list of veterinary specialists can be found at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine at www.acvim.org, or by calling 800-245-9081.

**Crazy-Cat-Lover** · 03-22-2007, 08:49 PM

Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Menu Foods

Thursday, March 22 - 02:00:00 PM

Ontario (News1130) - A national class action lawsuit has been filed in the Ontario Superior Court on behalf of pet owners who bought dog and cat food made by Menu Foods.

The claim seeks compensation for all those who purchased dog or cat food manufactured by the company between December 3rd, 2006 and March 6th, 2007.

Toronto lawyer Joel Rochon says while most of the claims are for vet expenses, it's hard to put a price on a pet.

"The jury is still out has to how the court will deal with emotion damage or psychological damage from one losing a pet unnecessarily to a bad product."

Menu Foods has recalled about 90 brands of dog and cat food in North America after reports of animals dying.

A second class action suit filed yesterday in Windsor alleges the Canadian manufacturer was negligent and at least one other suit has been filed in Chicago.

Thread: Major "wet" pet food recall of dog & cat foods ~ NOW Includes Treets & Biscuits

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Purina Pro Plan ...

A big thank you

Canadian Purina pet food NOT impacted

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Pet Owners Report 241 Deaths from Food

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