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What You Should Know about the Pet Food Recall
As always, the Health Care Team at Black Horse Pike Animal Hospital is concerned about you and your pet’s safety. In an effort to provide the best care for your best friend, we have provided the following information to help you deal with the current pet food crisis. If your pet has been exposed to any recalled food and you are concerned, please call us at 856-728-1400. Please monitor your pet for any symptoms of illness such as increased thirst or urination, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and loss of appetite. If your pet is displaying any of these symptoms please do not hesitate to contact us.
On March 16, Menu Foods, Inc. of Streetsville, Ontario, Canada, initiated a voluntary recall involving a large number of both dog and cat foods produced at its facilities in Emporia, Kansas, and Pennsauken, New Jersey, between December 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007. The products are sold by many distributors under a number of different brand names in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Testing of the food is still underway to confirm exactly what contaminant is responsible for causing pets consuming the recalled pet foods to become ill or die.
The last few weeks have been rife with recalls, warnings, and scares over tainted pet foods and some pet treats. At this time, scientists are investigating whether Melamine, a chemical used in plastics and in some countries as a fertilizer, could be causing renal failure in cats. Melamine, not registered for use as a fertilizer in the United States, has been found as a contaminant in the wheat gluten that was used in the recalled pet foods.
As government and veterinary professionals continue to dig for answers to this confusing and emotional issue, veterinarians have been encouraged to use high doses of fluids as part of the acute renal failure therapy, said Steven Hansen, DVM, a board-certified toxicologist and vice president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Veterinary toxicologists in Canada and the United States are using the recommended treatment suggestions provided by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Although reports of Melamine toxicity do not show deaths in dogs, Hansen suggests avoiding foods with wheat gluten until the investigation is finished.
Consumers, veterinarians, and government officials have been confused by conflicting reports about contaminants. On March 23, 2007, Aminopterin, a rat poison was identified in recalled pet food and that news was widely publicized. Then on March 30, 2007, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials and representatives from the Cornell University Animal Health Diagnostics Center announced news that several veterinary labs had identified and confirmed the presence of melamine, a chemical used in plastics, in recalled pet food and in tissues from pets.
In an April 2 release, the FDA said: "The association between melamine in the kidneys and urine of cats that died and melamine in the food they consumed is undeniable." However, officials admit that they are not "fully certain that melamine is the causative agent."
Throughout the month, veterinary professionals have fielded questions from concerned pet owners and journalists seeking advice about treatment and ways to ensure safety with alternative diets.
Approximately 90 pet food brands - some sold by veterinarians - are included in the recall, prompting renewed interest in natural and organic food, raw and homemade diets, according to calls from American Animal Hospital Association members and news reports.
ASPCA professionals and FDA veterinarians suggest that consumers continue to use high-quality commercial foods not listed in the recall, a recommendation that gives more choices than limitations since the recall only affected one percent of pet foods, according to the Pet Food Institute (PFI).
What You Should Do First
If you believe your pet has consumed the recalled products:
• Contact your veterinarian immediately while closely monitoring your pet for signs of illness.
• Be sure that all recalled food is out of the reach of children and pets and will not be accidentally consumed.
Some animals that consumed recalled pet food may show no signs of illness while others will show signs of lethargy, decreased appetite, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as changes in water consumption and urination.
A full listing of all recalled products can be found at http://www.menufoods.com/recall/. The products have been described as “cuts and gravy” style pet food in cans and pouches.
What Your Veterinarian Will Do
Your veterinarian will take a detailed history and give your pet a thorough physical examination. It may be determined that blood and urine samples are needed for diagnostic testing for kidney disease or other health problems. Your veterinarian will determine if additional diagnostic tests may be required.
If diagnostic tests determine that your pet has kidney disease, your veterinarian may recommend treatment including hospitalization and intravenous fluid therapy and prescribe medications. Occasionally, evidence of disease not related to the pet food recall may be discovered with these diagnostic tests. If this happens, your veterinarian will discuss these findings with you and plan appropriate follow-up health care for your pet.
What You Should Do With the Food
Keep food samples for possible future analysis. All opened pet food containers should be frozen. If able, keep an intact, unopened container of the recalled pet food. Some companies will accept returns of the food. Check with the appropriate pet food company for further instructions. Again, be sure that all food samples are out of the reach of children and pets and will not be accidentally consumed.
Document the product name, type of product and manufacturing information by retaining all packaging and purchase receipts and identifying date codes or production lot numbers.
Document your pet’s product consumption: dates that product or products were fed, date that symptoms began, and your pet’s dietary history (i.e., all products fed, feeding methods, amount eaten and whether your pet was eager or hesitant to eat)
How You Should Report Your Pet’s Illness
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is conducting an investigation and working with Menu Foods, Inc. to ensure the effectiveness of the recall. Contact your state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Consumer Complaint Coordinator. For a state-by-state list of Coordinators, go to http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html. When reporting an adverse event or complaint, try to have the following information available:
• Brand name, variety and lot numbers for the pet food fed to the dog or cat when it was ill
• If the pet received treatment by a veterinarian, the name, address and telephone number of attending veterinarian
• Date that illness was first noticed
• Signs/symptoms displayed
• Veterinary reports/records
How You Can Obtain Help With Your Medical Bills
Further information about the recalled pet foods, including the responsibilities being assumed by Menu Foods, can be found at http://www.menufoods.com/recall/ . Because of wide variation in reimbursement policies from the different pet food companies, contact the appropriate pet food companies directly and keep all receipts for your pet food purchases and veterinary care. Contact your pet insurance company, if you have one, to find out what costs will be covered by your pet’s insurance policy.
As medical professionals, veterinarians and veterinary technicians are your best source for accurate and reliable information about the recall and trustworthy nutritional advice for your pets. You can count on your veterinary team for compassionate care to help you and your pet through this difficult time. Contact them first if you have any questions or concerns about your pet’s health.
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