Pet Food Recalled After Animal Deaths

[Lindaloo]

During the tests the company fed its product to 40 to 50 dogs and cats.

The contamination appeared more deadly to cats than dogs.

You see, this is what I am having a problem with.

[Aslkahuna]

The food my dog liked best was from Safeway and Fry's (Kroger) so I now have him strictly on dry food (which he despises). An interesting thing happened before the recall-a couple of tmes when I gave him cuts in gravy (which he usually loves) he absolutely refused to eat it. When I changed the food to something else he devoured it so it wasn't appetite loss. I'm thinking that he sensed something was wrong with the food and didn't want it.

Steve

[dizzyfish]

Ya know, my friend was telling me a week or so ago about giving her cats some canned food and they wouldn't eat it. I'll have to ask her what kind it was. She said it was strange - they eat everything, so she threw it out.

[Brent]

ALBANY, N.Y. - Rodent poison has been found in pet food blamed for the deaths of at least 16 cats and dogs, a spokeswoman for the State Department of Agriculture and Markets said Friday.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17754681/

[Pburgh]

My cat eats Iams dry food and my dog east Beneful. They've never eaten moistened or canned foods. I feel so bad for those who have lost their pets or those with sick pets.

[dizzyfish]

Ya beat me to it Brent. I was just logging on to post the info too.

My question is -- how did poison get in the food????? I hope to goodness it wasn't on purpose.

[Lindaloo]

The Walmart here still has this food on the shelf. Winn Dixie in Ocean Springs has pulled theirs AND the Walmart in Ocean Springs. I contacted the manager of the Walmart here and asked him WHY this was still on the shelves and he told me that "his" Walmart was not affected. I told him about the Winn Dixie and the other Walmart and he then told me "not to feed my pets any wet food of any kind" OMGOSH! That ticked me off! So, I called 1-800-Walmart and reported him. I just received a phone call from corporate and they told me that he is wrong and the food was being removed immediately. What a shmuck!

[Miss Mary]

I heard the rat poison was on the actual wheat, that goes into this type pet food. And this wheat came from China. I heard this on the radio, just before 1 pm. Breaking news type bulletin. It didn't sound intentional but when I first heard the words "rat poison", I was so upset for the owners of lost pets (and what they went thru before they died).

I would have reported that Wal-Mart manager too Linda. In a heartbeat!

[Lindaloo]

I heard the rat poison was on the actual wheat, that goes into this type pet food. And this wheat came from China. I heard this on the radio, just before 1 pm. Breaking news type bulletin. It didn't sound intentional but when I first heard the words "rat poison", I was so upset for the owners of lost pets (and what they went thru before they died).

I would have reported that Wal-Mart manager too Linda. In a heartbeat!

What is sad is if the vet KNEW exactly what the cause was most of those animals could have been saved. They could have been hooked to a drip to reduce the acid buildup in the kidneys. Vommiting can be controlled with an anti ulcer medication. Unless the vet KNOWS what they are looking for, which in this case is rat poison, the above treatment would have just prolonged a slow and agonizing death. Had this company recalled this stuff while they were doing their investigating then owners could have been warned appropriately and looking for the signs. It is a sad situation all the way around. All they did was show me they could careless about animals despite WHAT they say in their ads to sell their product!

[therock1811]

I saw this...OMG how did it happen? Better still, why are they using imported wheat at all?

[Miss Mary]

Probably to save money. Think about it - it's animal food.

If this happened with food or grains people eat, it would be a completely different story.

It would be like the Tylenol deaths/murders, all over again. Although that was intentional (back in the 70s).

M.

[Brent]

The scary thing is, according to the news tonight, human food can use imported wheat too, but it's supposed to come from a different source.

[angelwing]

Rat poison in pet food, whatever it was in peanut butter a few weeks ago (my hubby was very ill for a week and a half), the lettuce & the spinach, why am I thinking it's all related?????

I can't get over this, rat poison which they won't use here as rat poison but it's a cancer drug????

[Stephanie]

I first thought that it was intentional - I didn't realize until I read it here that the wheat was imported from China and that's the source of the rat poison.

I'm horrified that those poor pets suffered like they did and even more horrified knowing it was rat poison.

Have have a question though. Why are WE importing wheat from China?? I thought that the US was the largest exporter of grains. I can't believe that it is actually cheaper to import a grain that we have here in the country.

[HurricaneBill]

Actually, the Tylenol killings were in 1982. Johnson & Johnson handled that situation excellently.

[Lindaloo]

Pebbles, a 7-year-old Yorkshire terrier died of kidney failure on March 23, a veterinarian at Collett Veterinary Clinic in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles has confirmed. Pebbles became ill after eating dog food that was later recalled.



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17754681/

[Miss Mary]

That picture just breaks my heart Linda.

Saw this local update on the recall:

http://www.wlwt.com/news/11363100/detail.html

CINCINNATI -- Stores across the country, and in Cincinnati, scrambled to pull the recalled pet food off shelves this week.
Kroger said they took an extra safeguard by re-programming its system so the recalled food wouldn't scan. But an apparent programming problem turned the safeguard into an overnight headache.
When Kroger customers tried to check out Friday night, it wasn't just recalled pet food they couldn't buy. It was other products, too.
Kroger spokesperson Megan Glynn said the scanners in at least 1,000 Kroger stores in the Midwest and on the east coast were not working properly.
Krogers in the Tri-State closed their doors until the programming problem could be fixed.
Kroger said it would suspend sales of all pet food manufactured by Menu Foods sold in pouches and cans - going beyond the company's products that have been recalled.
"I will never buy soft," said pet owner Tammy Jefferson.
Dog and cat owners continued to crowd local veterinary clinics with questions.
"I'm scared about it, and I've been to Petsmart and every place asking about their food," said pet owner Helen Katsetos.
Many owners' concerns were refreshed Saturday night after learning the wheat gluten in the pet food had been contaminated with rat poison. Menu Foods announced that wheat gluten had come from China.
"Why is Menu Foods buying outside the U.S. when we have wheat farmers right here in America? That's my biggest question. Why are we buying from the Chinese?" asked pet owner Leah Hammitt.
"Now that we know, it doesn't sound like there's a very good treatment for it," said veterinarian Dr. Maureen Brown from Colerain Avenue Clinic.
Brown said she's seen several cases of kidney failure in dogs and cats that could be connected to the contaminated food. She said so far, a Chihuahua named Cupcake is the only confirmed case of kidney failure from the recalled food.
"Now it's a wait-and-see game. We're going to see if her kidneys do start functioning again normally on their own," Brown said.
Menu Foods has announced its recall now includes all 95 brands of its cuts and gravy-style food regardless of when it was made.
Meanwhile, Kroger officials said the scanning system is completely fixed.

[Lindaloo]

I give Kroger a big thumbs up for their efforts!!

[Stephanie]

"Why is Menu Foods buying outside the U.S. when we have wheat farmers right here in America? That's my biggest question. Why are we buying from the Chinese?" asked pet owner Leah Hammitt.

That was my question a few threads up...


I second that thumbs up for Kroger - I think that the animal owners that may have been affected when trying to buy the other products and they wouldn't scan would TOTALLY understand and be patient.

We used to feed our cats the IAMS canned cat food up until several months ago when they didn't want to eat it anymore. It makes me wonder why now. Anyway, they get Purina Turkey & Giblets canned.

[Aslkahuna]

My dog started to get finicky about his canned dog food as well starting back late last year though his appetite was unchanged otherwise. Safeway yanked ALL of their Priority Brand canned dog food off the shelves immediately. I need to toss the cans I have in the house today

Steve