Pet Food Recall Has Owners Worried

Menu Foods Produces "Cuts And Gravy" For More Than 40 Brands; Pets Suffer Kidney Failure

(CBS/AP)  For owner Elizabeth Krottinger, it's been a difficult week: All five of her dogs have been sickened.

"I've just been one big stress ball," she told CBS News.

Menu Foods, a Canadian company based outside Toronto that produces pet food, said Saturday it was recalling dog food sold throughout North America under 51 brands and cat food sold under 40 brands including Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba. The food was distributed by major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Kroger and Safeway.

An unknown number of cats and dogs had suffered kidney failure and about 10 died after eating the affected pet food, veterinarian and CBS News correspondent Dr. Debbye Turner reports.

Two other companies — Nestle Purina PetCare Co. and Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. — said Saturday that as a precaution they were voluntarily recalling some products made by Menu Foods.

Many stores that sold the affected brands frantically pulled packages off shelves.

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Check the list

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Silviene Grzybowski's cat, Smokey, hadn't been eating for days.

"The vet told us to buy her her favorite food, but I'm going to call the vet right now," Grzybowski said.

Acute renal (kidney) failure is a serious disease, and if not caught quickly will be fatal, Turner reports. Some symptoms are: change in urination, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, listlessness, loss of appetite.

Ron Finegold of Boynton Beach, Fla., said he noticed about a week or so ago that his family's 3-year-old cat — who was regularly fed a variety of Iams cat food — had stopped eating and did not appear well. He quickly took the animal to the veterinarian, who determined she was in renal failure.

He said he heard about the recall on the radio Friday night. He checked his trash, and found out he had given the cat some of the affected food.

"That's when I realized (the illness) had to be related," Finegold said. "She won't be eating that stuff anymore."

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 a phone number that pet owners can call for information — [phone].

Turner reports that the FDA said Monday it is focusing its investigation on a new supplier of wheat gluten, which Menu Foods began using around the time the first complaints surfaced. But it could be weeks before pet owners have answers.

Menu Foods' chief executive and president Paul Henderson told the Associated Press on Friday that the company was still trying to figure out what happened.

[lorrieann51]

My cat, Mew, had eaten the Walmart Brand, Special Kitty for years. All of a sudden on February 18, he started panting, howling, lack of coordination, and really stressing out. We took him to our vet the next day (no local vets open on Sunday) and after multiple lab work, the results were kidney failure and the need to switch his food, etc. We started switching him from Special Kitty to the new "kidney food" but his symptoms only got worse to the point that he refused to eat and had other problems, so we had him euthanized as there was really nothing we could do for him. He was a 13-year-old very healthy cat until this.

Well, after this news all came out on Saturday, we have been trying to contact Menufoods and have continous busy signal. They even took their E-Mail off their web site. What are we pet owners supposed to do??? I hope that the media really investigates this fully.

[kpokey]

My dog was terribly sick. We as pet owners need to know what the source of the sickness is. We need to know if it's something like lead or mercury poisoning that could affect our pets for years to come.

[bizzybirdy]

Nice to finally find out that all those VERY costly cat foods are made in the same place as the cheap store brands...and not even manufactured in this country. Once again we Americans have been duped and ripped off thinking we are supplying our pets with the best nutritional foods which in fact are only mass produced for huge financial gains. SHAME!SHAME! Am glad I have been feeding my 20+ cats Whiskas. At least this is made in the USA. So sorry for those whose animals became sick or died...was only because they were trying to feed what we all thought was the best.

[jetlizhan]

to lorrieann51 -

oh, i'm so sorry about your cat. i have 2 dogs, but luckily all they get is dry food. i've had dogs (and only 1 cat) all my life and have had to put several of them down due to one thing or another. that's the most heartbreaking thing to do, even though you know it's the right (and only) thing to do. God bless you. this recall thing is so very frightening - i've alerted all my animal loving friends about this in case they didn't hear of it on the news.

[kcnole81]

Our precious Boxer dog, Autumn Gretel, passed away last week from liver dmage, resulting from the pet dog recall. Our canned dog food was among the recalled brands, and matched the recall serial numbers.
Our Autumn Gretel was a very healthy vibrant Boxer, one that our vet had previously said to be one of his best 'in shapte' patients!
Autumn Gretel died under the care of our wonderful veterianarian with IVS and antibiotics being administered to her, to hopefully *** any further liver damgage.However, we lost our Autumn Gretel dispite the great efforts of all involved.
Autumn Gretel had suffered rapid weight loss, vomiting,total loss of appetite, and fatigue prior to her death.

We tried to save her, especially being that our only child, our daughter, who listed her a a "sister" when asked of her family members at school this year was hurting so without her 'best buddy'! Our daughter is so broken hearted!
A pet's death affects the entire family, especially when those who think of their pets as "family"!
This is horrendous, and is quite difficult to absorb!
I have attempted to contact the Menu Foods company, however, to no avail! Their number is constantly busy, even at 8:00 a.m.!
It is my wish to pursue this matter further, in honor of our Boxer dog, Autumn Gretel.
We thank you for reading our story of our wonderful Boxer ,Autumn Gretel, and for providing information upon CBS website and news broadcasts!

Thank you,
Keli Henley
Lake Mary, FLorida
407-330-2015

[maggg1]

OK guys, I have read all of the comments. I have 2 cats and have owned dogs in the past. You as a pet owner are responsible for the welfare of your animal. So the comment that all of the different foods are made by the same company?... Of Course they are... So are all of the Chips, Mayonaise, and meat in the US... We have all known this, it is the basics of our free economy... "You can't make money without being either Number 1 or 2 in the market" John Chambers CEO of Cisco Systems.

So the downside of this is US, as consumers doing our own research on what is the best for our pets.

Good Luck to everyone, I pay the price for Science Diet.. and my cats are healthy

[xtine4-2009]

It has nothing to do with where the company is BASED. The food was most certainly manufactured in the states. (Unless Kansas is part of Canada now?) Lets not forget American based Diamond dog foods. Their foods caused several dogs to die of liver and kidney failure about a year ago. So please do your research before spouting off about being duped by by the "evil non-Americans" and "flying your flag". It is an unfortunate thing that has happened to pets, so lets stay focused on that.

[debi_juday]

we all want to provide what is best for our pets - all the dog and cat food seems to be from the same place and now science diet is on the list - I do hope your cats are well, I would not wish this on anyone it is terrible to watch your pet that you were feeding what you thought was a good food die. Please do not act so smug.

[kristine41]

With the recent investigation in to the pet food industry, I think that it is time for consumers to really take a look at what they are feeding their beloved pets. Some consumers have been misled to believe that what they are feeding their pets is good quality pet food. If pet owners would take the time to read and investigate what the labels on pet foods mean, then they would come to realize just how dangerous these top-selling commercial brands are for their pets. For instance, if you knew that you were feeding your pets food that was marked as not passable for human consumption would you still feed it to them? Knowing that the ingredients include cancerous tissue from cows, slaughterhouse floor scraps, and the remains from other cats and dogs, would you still continue to feed this food to your pet? Sure that packaging looks nice, but that doesn%u2019t mean that the product inside is good for your pet. These products are cheap for one reason only. They are produced cheaply. My suggestion for consumers is to do your research on pet foods and to buy the highest quality food that you can afford to buy.

Also, for the person who mentioned that they feed their animals Science Diet, there have been studies that show that two of the chemicals used to preserve the dry food have been know to cause cancer. Just wanted to give you a heads up on that if you feel like you want to do more research on the subject.

[xtine4-2009]

It has nothing to do with where the company is BASED. The food was most certainly manufactured in the states. (Unless Kansas is part of Canada now?) Lets not forget American based Diamond dog foods. Their foods caused several dogs to die of liver and kidney failure about a year ago. So please do your research before spouting off about being duped by by the "evil non-Americans" and "flying your flag". It is an unfortunate thing that has happened to pets, so lets stay focused on that.

[jetlizhan]

hey maggg1 -

all these pet owners that have made comments on this post WERE being responsible pet owners. they fed their pets and now some are dying. we buy products 'in good faith' that it will nourish our beloved pets, not kill them. you wouldn't be on your high horse if your cats were affected and dying of renal failure. ***, have a heart.

[werdbj]

Our little A.J. died on the 7th of March. We fed him Pet Pride in a pouch for a long long time. Suddenly he became ill, vomiting and diahrea and tired soo tired. He was put on an IV and died 6 days later. He was what made our house a home. Our love for our little Schnaucher is and will continue all our lives. Please let me know if an attorney would help or send me info on what I can do with other grieving parents

[e-mail]

[bargainsgalo]

My 4 year old Boston Terrier Dog, has been on a steady diet of Eukanuba Dry and Nupro moist for his entire life. Last week we opened a new bag of Eukanuba and he refused to eat, vomited, and did not want to play (not at all like him). Though none of the product match the code, I am concerned the problem goes beyond the recall list. I have started feeding him homemade foods and think the research needs to go beyond the "cuts and gravy".

[jerkyman2]

My cat Chancey has always eaten the pouched food made by Menu foods with Wegmans Food Market label on it. When Chancey stopped eating her food we started to get worried because it wasn't like her to miss her morning meal but we thought she was having problems with her teeth. When we brought her to the vet they kept her to do a blood test on her and give her some food directly in her stomach but the vet seem to think it was her kidneys because of the sores that were present in her mouth. Sure enough the call the next day was from the vet suggesting to put her to sleep because the readings from her blood test showed kidney failure beyond the point of a medicine remedy. I tried like everyone else to call the number that was provided but I never could get through to them. I wrote an e-mail to the company asking for $300 that we spent on chancey at the vet. Chancey was 12 years old and part of the family so she will be sadly missed. The $300 won't bring her back but it will pay the vet bill.

Joe Masi
Rochester, NY 14626

[seagate05]

My precious Dog died this past November 06, just two weeks short of the recall list that has been just been posted! My dog was a healthy five year old. After eating the dog food on the recall list, she went into acute renal failure and died.

Is anyone else sharing a like situation? Has this been going on longer than we the consumer are aware of?

[e-mail]

[ultramafic23]

We also lost two cats in february. Spud was 18 years old and our best friend, Ravenworth was quite a bit younger. Both died of organ failure and we suspected the food but it was too late for them. Thanks Menu Foods for your blatant neglect while manufacturing your products. I hope you get a taste of your own medicine.

[hamishdad]

How many commercial pet foods, regardless of price, contain ingredients that are unfit for human consumption? I don't want my dog eating tainted meat or moldy grain that would not be allowed to be used in human food products. That's why I now make my own dog food, using only human ingredients.

[maggg1]

hello jetlizhan...

You totally missed my point, trying to make this personal is not going to help anyone. I have friends that I am comforting now that are losing their pets. This is a terrible time for all of us, so please don't trivialize this with "If this was your pet" comments (and no I don't swear)

What I was trying to say, is WE as consumers are responsible for what we feed our pets.. Or what we are willing to pay for feeding our pets. The bottom line is a company failed to meet quality standards and we (as a country) let it happen.

A little research on the web would tell you all that I am saying.

Best Regards

[mindy_1011]

What do we do now? Our cat that had been perfectly healthy for eleven years, developed kidney and liver failure one day. Within 10 days and over $500.00 in veterinary costs, died. It all makes sence now. Is the company going to repay us for the loss of one of our beloved ones.

I am [e-mail]

[ultramafic23]

Dear stinkymcbutt,
you are truly an insensitive #%&^#. Why don't you go eat some dogfood!!

[bluebaykey]

If processed food is bad for humans, why would it be good for dogs?

We cook for our dogs. They are VERY healthy. It takes very little time. We save lots of money.

On Sundays I buy a chicken (or three packs at Costco for $12.00) we have 4 dogs. I grab a big pot, boil the chicken lightly for an hour or so, take the bones out (100% of chicken bones are bad, they can pierce an intestine) add a few cups of rice ($2.00 max), a bag or two of Costco veggies spinach, broccoli, carrots etc ($10.00) cook and store in refrigerator (or freezer) and I have food for (4) dogs for a week for less than 30.00!

Wolves in the wild scrounge for roots and plants . . . dogs can eat many things that we do. NO Chocolate, Onions, Grapes, spicy or greasy things . . . if it is shiny, then it has fat and dogs don't need hardly any fat.

If one of the dogs seems a bit under the weather, they all get rice and cottage cheese (they have big value priced cottage cheese containers at Costco) and it settles their stomachs. If one is on antibiotics for some reason, they all get yogurt (plain) in their dinner. Summertime special is a tossed salad (no onions) with grilled chicken cubes. They love it! Yogurt or cottage cheese for salad dressing.

A couple of hunks of meat in the crock pot with rice and veggies is easy, tasty, cost effective, and good for all of us at the end of the day!

[dnutter2]

Kristine41,
I didn't take offense to your earlier post. I do agree that we ALL need to be better informed about what is in the products that we are buying for our pets and for ourselves. I have found that just because something costs more, doesn't necessarily mean that it is the best. I have been looking all this time at taurine and ash levels...guess I need to find out the what the code words for the contaminates and other possible toxins or just home cook their meals. I'm curious as to what cat foods that you purchase? Do you know anything about Blue products?

Oh, and to those in search of the code numbers/brand names, I got a list from my local Petsmart. Of course, that was just the products that they sell (and pulled from their shelves), but that included Nutro, Iams, Eukanuba and a few others.

[lorrieann51]

Apparently, some people think it is only the inexpensive foods, but if you go onto their website, you will find Science Diet, IAMS, Eukanuba (who do dog shows), now it is not only the "cheep food" and that "need to look on the internet." Apparently we all do, in some shape or other, and it is not only the cheepy foods that had this problem but 48 cat foods and 40 dog foods??? For anybody who says that we do not care about our pets because we buy this food, what do you want us to buy???

[lorrieann51]

Apparently, some people think it is only the inexpensive foods, but if you go onto their website, you will find Science Diet, IAMS, Eukanuba (who do dog shows), now it is not only the "cheep food" and that "need to look on the internet." Apparently we all do, in some shape or other, and it is not only the cheepy foods that had this problem but 48 cat foods and 40 dog foods??? For anybody who says that we do not care about our pets because we buy this food, what do you want us to buy???

[ajayscafe]

My cat, Sammy, died on March 1. He suddenly became ill. When we brought him too the vet, his test showed renal failure. He was on fluid therapy for four days and finally had to be put to sleep. My family has been devistated by this. We searched for answers just as we were giving up this recall was announced. Sammy was on Nutro Natural Choice Chicken and Liver formula Chunks and Gravy. This has given some answers, however, we now feel we poisoned our family cat. We feel that this is criminal.

[ASmith72]

It appears that Menu Foods is struggling with this crisis. You go to their website to get recall information, click on dog or cat, then click on the specific brand and all you get is "This page not able to be displayed." If there are so many pet deaths listed on THIS website, things must be worse than the media is reporting. This is affecting so many people. What a tragedy.

[werdbj]

A.J. our pet Schnaucer made our house a home. We miss him so very much!! His diet was Pet Pride for a long time. Suddenly A.J. vomited, had diahrea and was so tired!!! Our Vets put him on an IV with antibiotics trying despartly to save our little man. He died on the 7th of March at the Animal Hospital. Please let us know if we can do anything to help!!!! A.J.'s mom and dad
[e-mail]

[ASmith72]

Does anyone have the code numbers to look for on Iams and Nutro canned dog food? The Menu Foods website does not give these out and the phones are busy. I would appreciate any help.
Thank you,

Amy

[lilmansmom]

To Maggg1: If you are as smart as you seem to think you are, you'd have noticed that your precious Science Diet is No. 30 on the list.

I am well-informed on the quality of pet foods. Some of the foods listed are considered high-quality brands. I usually do not feed my cat wet food but I have resorted to feeding him wet food over the last few weeks since he became sick with inflammatory bowel disease and subsequently has lost his appetite and cannot process his regular dry food (Royal Canin -- considered to be a premuim quality food). So you see, Maggg1, people haven't just fed their animals these foods out of ignorance or stupidity -- sometimes it's out of necessity. BTW, Science Diet doesn't have such a sterling reputation either, so a little research yourself, honeybunch.

I cannot tell you how upset I am that I only resorted to feeding these products to my cat because he had lost his appetite due to another unrelated illness and now he might become develope another problem or worse. My heart goes out to all those who have lost their beloved pets -- whether or not it is food-related. Having dealt with a very sick cat for three weeks, I know how much it hurts to see them suffering.

[ASmith72]

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[lorrieann51]

Thank you for the condolences. Maybe, in memory of our pets (family members), we should start a class action law suit so that no body else will have to go through what we have all been through with our pets (family members -- I call them family members because for some people, all they have are their pets).

Please, if there are any attorneys out their willing to take this case, please come forward.

[dnutter2]

Kristine41,
I do agree with you wholeheartedly. We all need to be more informed about what is in the products that we purchase. The most expensive is not always the best. I was not disagreeing with you one bit! Could you tell me what brand food that you purchase for your pets? Do you know anything about the "Blue" brands?

Those in search of code numbers/brands, check with your local pet store. That is where I obtained my list with the information. Of course, it will be just the products that they had on their shelves.

[msjane1975]

I have been trying for hours to contact either Menu foods or Iams. My two year old cat got sick two weeks ago from renal failure and had to be put down. I have two others and a small dog who aren't sick yet. I believe the dates are wrong for exposure. My cat was isolated from the others from August thru December 1st. If he's the only one who get sick. Then the dates of exposure have to be wrong.

[langsign]

On December 20th, we took our beloved Buster to the vet because he was having a seizure. He had not been eating well and was lethargic. Blood test revealed that he had complete kidney failure. One of the hardest decisions in our life was to have him put to sleep which was done on the 21st. The vet said that one of the major causes of kidney fairlure is antifreeze. We have been "beating" ourselves up since trying to figure out how he could have been exposed to antifreeze. He was our best friend and companion. Every time we picked up our keys or coat, he was ready to go. He was our shop dog and customers loved him. Now we find out it could have been the food!! Do you know how that makes us feel?

[dnutter2]

I thought that I WAS buying top of the line cat food for my cats. Nutro certainly is not a "cheaper" line of food. I read the labels closely, and unfortunately if there are slaugherhouse scraps, cancerous tissue, and other animal remains used in these foods, they are NOT listed in the ingredient list! I'm not saying that isn't true, but how does the consumer stay informed? Should we also be worried about the dry food even though those weren't recalled by these brands? What makes those safe? Does it have to do with the suspected wheat gluten? Is that not used in the dry?
By the way, for the person who thinks Science Diet is superior, it has some foods also on the recall list.

[ASmith72]

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[werdbj]

Our little dog died suddenly week before last. He also was on a IV at the hospital. They tried everything to save our little buddy!! He was so sick. Our E-mail is [e-mail] if there is anything we can do to help!!!!!!

[kathyjayne20]

I HAD TO PUT MY SNICKERS TO SLEEP ON FEB. 15. SHE WAS IN RENAL FAILURE DUE TO HER SPECIAL KITTY PET FOOD. I, ALSO ,LIKE OTHERS AM TRYING TO GET AHOLD OF MENU FOODS. ALWAYS BUSY. I TRUSTED THIS FOOD AND IT KILLED OUR FAMILY PET. WE ARE DEVISTATED OVER THE THOUGHT THAT I FED MY PET THE FOOD THAT TOOK HER LIFE. SHE WAS OUR CAT,OUR GIRL, OUR MISSY. IT JUST MAKES ME SICK SHE WAS TAKEN FROM US SO QUICKLY. SO NOT FAIR.
KATHY JAYNE

[carmichaelld]

My mother's dog passed away on March 7th. AJ was a healthy miniature Schnauzer and died suddenly of renal failure. He was the joy of her life and AJ ate Pet Pride Gourmet Portions pouches. He suddenly became ill with vomiting,diahrea and lethargy. AJ was also on IVs and antibiotics his last days. She made a report with the FDA this morning and is heartbroken and feels that she had poisoned him. I just hope that pet owners around the US are getting this recall information. The consumer information numbers on the packaging are constantly busy. Please share any information that you may have. I'm sorry to all that are experiencing their pets illness and passing.

Lisa

[xtine4-2009]

Oh and regarding Science Diet, I work at a Veterinarian hospital and I can tell you; yes vets recommend it. But that is because they get paid to. It is one of the lowest quality foods you could feed, with absolutely NO nutritional value whatsoever!

[josh6881]

maggg1,

You wrote:

"I pay the price for Science Diet...and my cats are healthy."

Please read the following post knowing that, though I am irritated by your tone and attitude, I have the best intentions.

As a responisble consumer, reminding others of their duty to their pets, perhaps you ought to read more about Science Diet. As you can see, they are on the list and, as you may already know, their pet foods are NOT top-of-the-line (contain filler and animal by-products), not cruelty-free (that is, tested on dogs and cats in tiny cages, sometimes until they die), and tend to produce obese, unhealthy cats, in the long term. So, yes, you may in fact be paying the price.

Try to remember, in all likelyhood none of us are above reprimand and finger-pointing looks silly when the finger-wagger is uninformed.

[msjane1975]

I have been using IAMS for years. They also get treats, so it was probably the mushy food treats that killed him. My Schnoozle's death was horrible and he was such a sweetheart and didn't deserve such a sad death. He was a lover and one of the best cats I've ever had.

[xtine4-2009]

the menu foods site does have the can information listed. look at the exp date on the bottom of the can and the upc codes are listed.

[carlae2]

I also did research on dog food before we got our Sheltie. I finally found a university (Tuffs) that would help formulate a home made diet. I could not find a local vet who would calculate one for me. He weighs 22 lbs. and has since he reached adulthood. He gets 22 gms. of cooked ground turkey; 57 gms. of organic Roma tomatoes and 100 gms. of organic barley. He eats this twice a day. I feel so sorry for those of you who lost a pet. We all put our faith in consumer products. My thoufgts are with you....c

[ASmith72]

It seems there are a lot of people better informed than I out there. What is THE BEST food to get for my cats. I have been feeding them Nutro Max. I feel like I have dodged a bullet. 3 of them.

[Mariopreciado]

Sounds to me like ethylene glycol or diethylene glycol poisoning. It would be wise if somebody pursues this avenue of investigation for the source of this problem.

[kristine41]

dnutter2-

I certainly am not saying anything in regard to the food that is being recalled today nor its standing as to whether or not it is a quality food. I am just trying to bring attention to the fact that people need to be much more careful about what they feed their pets. Just because something is out on the market doesn't make it safe. We tend to put our faith in these products that are made by companies that could careless about us or our pets. "Ingredients" are normally phrased in such a way that the consumer may not not know what they mean and will most likely look past them. By-products and meal are two phrases to stay away from. Unfortunately, the things that I have already mentioned plus many other disgusting things are added to pet food. You should be able to do some really good research on the internet to find out how to read labels. That is what I did. Also, it doesn't mean that the better companies may not have a recall today or tomorrow. It is just better awareness and better nutrition for our pets.

My heart does go out to all of the people who are suffering because they have lost their pet or have found illness in their pets because of this current problem.

[humphreysk]

My heart goes out to everyone who has suffered from the loss of a pet. As a pet owner, I cannot imagine how angry and saddened I would be if I lost a pet due to this negligence. I only hope that new precautions and higher standards will be put into place to assure that this never happens again. God bless you.

[no1cdatty]

The website for Menufoods (www.menufoods.com) is down. Any chance the folks at CBS have the information on the recall (i.e., all the brands and numbers) and can post it? At least that way, we'll know what we are arguing about. Thanks.

[harlelysmom]

To the person needing to know how to find the code numbers for Nutro...I contacted Petsmart where I bought the food and they read the numbers on the recall for me for that brand. Mine, too, have to be returned. I have two little Maltese who eat this food and one of them did have some renal problems. I thought it was from her Prednisone for her allergies. So scary. Frm now one I will fix their wet foods from my own kitchen.