The horror story about the cats and dogs dying of renal failure because they ate "cuts and gravy" style food manufactured by Menu Foods of Canada continues.
A veterinarian interviewed by ABC News tonight estimated that over 200 animals have died, though the Associated Press is saying at least 16.
So far, three lawsuits have been filed against Menu Foods by pet owners who claim their animals got sick or died after eating recalled food.
The Animal Medical Center on Manhattan's East Side has tested 143 dogs and cats for renal failure since Saturday. The AP said that 10 were confirmed to be diet-related, and one cat died.
The Food and Drug Administration has sent inspectors to Menu Food plants in New Jersey and Kansas. Wheat gluten has been identified as a possible source of contamination. It is used to thicken the pet food gravy.
Click here for FDA pet food recall information.
A complete list of the recalled products along with product codes, descriptions and production dates was available from the Menu Foods Web site. The company also designated two phone numbers that pet owners could call for information — (866) 463-6738 and (866) 895-2708.
It's astonishing to me that a single company can manufacturer and distribute the same product in more than 90 different guises -- including slapping premium-brand labels like Iams or Eukanuba on them. Why buy Iams when Wal-Mart is selling the same thing?
I am so glad that my dog eats dry food.
If you get a chance, check out "Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts about Pet Food," by Ann N. Martin (NewSage Press, 1997). I heard an interview with Martin and, I tell you, it was appalling. Check the ingredients of your pet's food. You might be surprised.
I wish the people who had suffered the loss of a beloved companion animal my deepest sympathies. And good luck with the lawsuits.
Unfortunately, the courts have, to date, only viewed pets as possessions with no more value than what you paid for them.
That is wrong.
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4 comments:
The recall has certainly pulled back the curtain on a lot of what goes on in the pet food manufacturing business. However, I think it's erroneous to conclude that because the same company makes food for (some) Iams foods and Special Kitty that those foods are the same.
An analogy to what actually goes on might be book publishing. A company like Quebecor prints books for hundreds of different companies, but that doesn't mean that the content and quality of the books is therefore uniform. Each company gives Quebecor its own specs as to book dimensions, binding type, paper type, ink type, and so on. In some cases companies will even supply the materials Quebecor uses to produce the book. The same is true of Menu's manufacture of pet foods. Iams will have a quite different ingredient list from WalMart. I've heard Hill's supplies all its own ingredients and only uses Menu's manufacturing facility.
If your pets are drinking lots of water, please take them to the vet. This could be a sign of kidney failure.
I took my dog to the vet today in Poughkeepsie for routine shots and I asked if they've had any incidents relating to the tainted pet food. They said there has been one case of a cat with kidney failure that had been eating one of the named brands. However they couldn't say the illness was related for sure. When I left the pet owner had called the Food and Drug Administration from the office.
This is such a sad, horrible error. My heart breaks for those who have suffered.
I think all pet lovers have been giving their dogs and cats some extra attention lately.
Thank you for the information Mike. When I first heard about this I was concerned that this situation might not get the attention it deserves.
It is my consumers will demand higher standards from the pet food industry to ensure the safety of their pets.
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