March 19, 2007
More Brands Join Pet Food Recall
Two more big pet-food brands joined the massive pet-food recall announced on Friday. Nestle Purina and Hill's Pet Nutrition voluntarily recalled some of their products. Pet-food manufacturer Menu Foods, which sells food to stores and other brands that then market the food under their own names, has not found out what is causing pets to become ill (10 cats and dogs have died so far), but believes the problem is related to wheat gluten in wet foods.
The NY Times says Menu Foods will compensate owners of pets that died, "although she declined to say what the compensation would be." We're sure that's going to be a pleasant process - many people are murmuring about a class-action lawsuit. And over the weekend, some of our commenters noted what they've seen happening with their pets recently; one suggested that other brands with problems may be revealed later.
Howl 911 (via BARC) has a comprehensive list of all the recalled brands of dog and cat foods. And here's Menu Food's recall information - we hear their recall hotline has been swamped.
Update: A commenter mentioned that Universal Press Syndicate has up-to-date information on Pet Connection, which also has a database where you can report a sick pet.
Update 3/20: The FDA says Menu Foods tested its foods with 40-50 pets and 7 died, yet still waited a few weeks before announcing the recall.
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Menu Foods say they will compensate the owners of dogs that have died. What about dogs who got kidney failure from eating their food and needed treatment? My dog spend a week in the hospital and has permanent kidney damage.
This is bad news.
I have always paid more and thought a brand with a name like "Science Diet" was the best thing I could do for my pets. Now Hill's has been added to the list.
Even though the specific dry food I buy isn't subject to recall, I've lost trust in the company -- in fact all pet food companies. I don't eat processed foods very much myself, so I guess making my pets eat it is bad too.
Anyone have simple and healthful home-made cat food recipes?
atomische, I don't really have recipes, but the Whiskers pet store in the east village sells frozen raw foods meals. I don't know how much those cost, but they are surely more healthy and safe. I'm sure if you do a google search for the raw cat food diet you'll find some ideas.
I posted this in the other link about the recall, but thought I'd post here, too.
To everyone whose pets are affected by this, my heart goes out to you. I hope your dogs and kitties make it through this horror, and for the ones that didn't, I'm very sorry.
For those who are trying to switch foods now, I feed my kitty Natural Balance. There are some great foods out there with more natural ingredients and closer to raw food than Science Diet, Eukanaba, and unfortunately, Nutro. I use to feed my kitty Nutro, which was good at one time, but then she just wouldn't eat it anymore. The Natural Balance is a lot more expensive and sometimes I can barely afford to feed her, but NB, as well as Wellness is much better for their systems in the long run... though of course feeding them raw food (which is a lot of work) is the best. Some foods to consider are Natural Balance, Wellness, Eagle Pack, Merrick's, and Wysong among others. There's also raw formulas like Primal and Prowl, among others.
There is a cat Yahoo Group about chronic renal failure (FelineCRF). I have found that the Yahoo Groups are rather good places to get information and help about kitty health and disease. I'm sure there's a group for dogs as well.
Good luck to all of your and your animals.
Atomische:
http://www.holisticat.com/rawdiet.html
http://www.holisticat.com/rawrecipe.html
Also, cat mentioned Whiskers on 9th street. Great store.
Universal Press Syndicate's Pet Connection created a blog entry that they are updating regularly about the situation.
Here is what they say:
"I'm a contributing editor at Universal Press Syndicate's Pet Connection, and we have created a central information area about the pet food recall. While we're still investigating this, it's apparent to all of us that many more pets have died and been made ill than are currently being reported - particularly cats. We have set up a database to receive reports from owners of affected pets, and are also interested in talking to vets who have treated them. We'll have more information on Monday.
Please visit petconnection for up to date information or if you have a pet who became ill from eating recalled foods.
Christie Keith
Contributing Editor, Universal Press Syndicate's Pet Connection
http://www.petconnection.com"
Book resources for healthy home-made recipes for cats and dogs: (available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc.)
The Whole Pet Diet (Andy Brown)
The Goldsteins' Wellness & Longevity Program - Natural Care for Dogs and Cats (Robert S. Goldstein, VMD, and Susan J. Goldstein)
Natural Health for Dogs & Cats (Richard H. Pitcairn, DVM, PhD, and Susan Hubble Pitcairn)
So are you telling me that all those brands listed that span from cheap store-brand to pricey vet-recommended are all the same shit?
Here is the e-mail I have been sending to retailers who carry Iams. Feel free to join in my campaign.
As a pet owner whose cats ate Iams cat food which has now been recalled, I am urging you to discontinue sales of all pet foods manufactured by Menu Foods.
Menu Foods told the Food and Drug Administration it received the first complaints of kidney failure and deaths among cats and dogs on February 20th, yet did not initiate a recall until March 16th. During that period of time, my cats ate a package of the tainted food. Menu Foods has shown an appallingly reckless disregard for the health and safety of pets everywhere and
it behooves you to discontinue sale of their products.
Just to add a few more holistic pet food brands to Elderta's list, that are easy to find at your local health food store, grocery store or can be easily ordered online (I've ordered from both WagginTails.com and PetFoodDirect.com in the past):
Dr. Harvey's
Evolve
Fromm
Innova
Newman's Own (from Paul Newman's wonderful company that donates all of its proceeds to charity)
PetGuard
Spot's Stew (although my cats hate this food, my dog gobbles it up)
One of the most important things I have learned over the years, sad to say at the expense of my animals becoming very sick and dying from the crap pet food that is sold at the supermarkets, is to avoid any and all brands that list 'by-products' in them. By-products come from the 4-D's: Dead, Dying, Diseased and/or Disabled animals and should not be in any food chain but that's just one of the tragic results of factory farming.
My heart goes out to everyone who has a sick animal as a result of feeding them the foods that we consumers have been told are safe when in fact they are not.
If you're looking for homemade diets, go to Balanceit.com. They have recipes developed by board certified veterinary nutritionists. You can get a FREE recipe by entering the promo-code "homemade" at the checkout.
Dear Pet Parents,
I am so very sorry and saddened to hear about all the misery caused by GREEDY corporations at the expense of INNOCENT babes in the woods!!!
I HAD been feeding my beautiful pound-rescue
Bichon Frise Pedigree meat and sauce but my heart told me NOT to anymore. And sure enough, the Pedigree brand was re-called on March 29!!! Thanks be to God, who gave ALL beings life, Master
Bailey Benjamen Anderson has been spared this crisis in his short existance!!!
I am going to attempt to contact Court T.V. Nancy Grace to do an EXPOSE on this HUGE crisis. She is a tremendously gifted and experienced lawyer now working her own spot on the popular show. Wish me luck with this plan!!!
Most Sincerely,
J.M.Anderson
There is a book called The Cat Lover's Cookbook published by A Storey Publishing Book, Pownal Vermont which contains the recipes from Hills for Cats with Special Dietary Needs. I'll send you a copy if you email me with the subject line of RECIPE.
I have no idea if the book is still in publication but wish everyone the best of luck. I'll be cooking my cats food for a while. Don't know what to do about the dog food yet.