On March 16, 2007, Menu Foods, Inc., a private-label manufacturer of wet pet foods, issued a precautionary recall of the company’s “cuts and gravy” style food, which consists of meat in gravy and sold in cans and foil pouches.  The recall originally included only those cans and pouches manufactured between December 3, 2006 through March 6, 2007, but was recently expanded to include all cans and pouches, regardless when they were produced. The New York State Department of Agriculture has reported that a rodent poison called aminopterin has been found in the recalled pet food. According to the ASPCA's Poison Control Center, aminopterin, a toxin found in some rodenticides available outside the USA, can result in loss of appetite, diarrhea, weight loss, and kidney failure. It is important to note that investigation into the source of the toxin is ongoing, but it is suspected to be associated to the wheat gluten, which was obtained from China. The recalled pet food is believed to be responsible for the deaths of at least 17 cats and dogs, and at least 25 pets in Oregon are currently undergoing treatment for suspected kidney failure associated with consumption of recalled pet food. As of March 24, 2007, the FDA has not confirmed the relationship between this toxin and pet deaths, but an announcement from the FDA is forthcoming.

More than 60 million containers of dog and cat food sold under dozens of brand names were recalled, according to a company spokesperson. Over 50 brands of wet dog food and over 40 brands of wet cat food were included in this recall. The food was distributed through the United States, Canada, and Mexico by major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway, and pet specialty stores. To date, no dry or "kibble" food has been affected or recalled.  In order to determine whether cat and dog food that your pet consumed is subject to recall, you should refer to the list of brand names at the end of this article.

 

A list of the recalled products is also posted on Menu Foods’ Web site at: www.menufoods.com/recall/

The Menu Foods recall information phone number is: 1-866-895-2708

Nestle Purina, Procter & Gamble (Iams, Eukanuba), and Hill’s Pet Nutrition (Hills, Science Diet) have announced voluntary recalls in the US and Canada of certain products manufactured for them by Menu Foods, although these voluntarily recalled foods have not been implicated in the illnesses and death.  For more information, please visit the following Web sites:

 

Eukanuba http://us.eukanuba.com/eukanuba/global/EukanubaAroundtheWorld.htm

 

Hill’s Pet Nutrition  http://www.hillspet.com/menu_foods/Menu_Foods_en_US.htm

 

Iams

http://us.iams.com/iams/global/IamsGlobal.htm

 

Nestle Purina

http://www.purina.com/company/press/2007/MightyDog.aspx

 

Consumers who have any wet product which is being recalled should stop feeding it and return unopened cans to the retailer where you bought the pet food. Consumers who think that their pet may have consumed the recalled product should save any remaining pet food and the can or pouch. Opened cans or pouches may be double-bagged in sealable plastic and kept in the freezer. Watch your pet closely, and if he or she is exhibiting any signs of kidney failure, please contact your veterinarians as soon as possible. Symptoms include loss of appetite, vomiting, weakness/lethargy, disorientation, and increase in water consumption and urination.  It is important to note that these symptoms may also occur with other illnesses. Any animal showing these signs should be examined by a veterinarian, even if the animal has not eaten any of the recalled pet food.

If your pet exhibits a change in health status which includes loss of appetite, lethargy, and vomiting, consult your veterinarian immediately.

While there have been some confirmed deaths, many animals are surviving with aggressive supportive care including IV fluid therapy. While long-term prognosis cannot be predicted, partial kidney recovery can be anticipated in many cases.

If a Menu Foods product is the cause of sickness or death, Menu Foods will take responsibility. Please contact Menu Food’s call center at 1-866-895-2708 to report a case. Please keep copies of all your vet records and receipts for pet food purchases as well as vet bills.

Recalled Dog Food Brands Americas Choice, Preferred Pets Authority Award Best Choice Big Bet Big Red Bloom Bruiser Cadillac Companion Demoulas Market Basket Eukanuba Food Lion Giant Companion Great Choice Hannaford Hill Country Fare Hy-Vee Iams Laura Lynn Loving Meals Meijers Main Choice Mighty Dog Pouch Mixables Nutriplan Nutro Max Nutro Natural Choice Nutro Ultra Nutro Ol'Roy Canada Ol'Roy US Paws Pet Essentials Pet Pride - Good n Meaty Presidents Choice Price Chopper Priority Canada Priority US Publix Roche Brothers Save-A-Lot Choice Morsels Schnucks Shep Dog Springsfield Prize Sprout Stater Brothers Stop & Shop Companion Tops Companion Total Pet Wegmans Bruiser Weis Total Pet Western Family White Rose Winn Dixie Your Pet

Recalled Cat Food Brands Americas Choice, Preferred Pets Authority Best Choice Companion Compliments Demoulas Market Basket Eukanuba Fine Feline Cat Food Lion Foodtown Giant Companion Hannaford Hill Country Fare Hy-Vee Iams Laura Lynn Li'l Red Loving Meals Meijer's Main Choice Nutriplan Nutro Max Gourmet Classics Nutro Natural Choice Paws Pet Pride Presidents Choice Price Chopper Priority Save-A-Lot Special Blend Schnucks Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Sophistacat Special Kitty Canada Special Kitty US Springfield Prize Sprout Stop & Shop Companion Tops Companion Total Pet Wegmans Weis Total Pet Western Family White Rose Winn Dixie

Related Links: American Veterinary Medical Association http://www.avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/default.asp DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital http://dovelewis.org/PDF/FDA_report_incidents_info.pdf Oregon Veterinary Medical Association http://www.oregonvma.org/news/menufoods.asp Menu Foods Recall                   http://www.menufoods.com/recall/