Recall command

The Food and Drug Administration has confirmed that 13 cats and one dog have died that ate the "cuts and gravy" style of food manufactured by Menu Foods of Canada, according to the Associated Press.

The plants, located in Emporia, Kan., and Pennsauken, N.J., are being inspected by the FDA — a remarkable fact, reported by the Chicago Tribune, because the federal agency incredibly has no oversight in the manufacturing of pet foods.

The investigation is still focusing on wheat gluten — misidentified as a protein source, because the body cannot utilize it as protein; it is strictly a carbohydrate. Menu Foods, according to Stephen Sundlof, the FDA's top vet, fed the now-suspect wet food to 25 cats and 15 dogs during quarterly taste-test trials. Nine cats died.

Sundlof said that Menu Foods has confirmed that four cats and one dog — belonging to consumers — have died.

I caught a rebroadcast of Cat Chat this morning on Martha Stewart's Sirius channel. The host, Tracie Hotchner, put together a document on the recall, laying out the facts are they are known. She urges people to stay calm and watch as the story unfolds. The PDF is 13 pages but worth the read.

Hotchner offers some common sense guidelines:

1. If your cat or dog did not eat any of recalled foods, you shouldn't be worrying.
2. If any of the foods are in your pantry, don't open them.
3. If your cat or dog did eat any of the foods in the past days or weeks and has any signs of not being well — see No. 5 — go right to the vet or emergency facility.
4. If your cat or dog was exposed to the foods and seems fine but you are worried, make an appointment with your vet to put your mind at ease.
5. Signs of kidney failure include lethargy, vomiting, weakness, lack of appetite and a dramatic increase in drinking water or urinating.

This story is still unfolding.