But I am considering switching to a raw diet.
Posted on 03/16/2007 2:53:30 PM PDT by Dysart
WASHINGTON - A major manufacturer of dog and cat food sold under Wal-Mart, Safeway, Kroger and other store brands recalled 60 million containers of wet pet food Friday after reports of kidney failure and deaths.
An unknown number of cats and dogs suffered kidney failure and about 10 died after eating the affected pet food, Menu Foods said in announcing the North American recall. Product testing has not revealed a link explaining the reported cases of illness and death, the company said.
"At this juncture, we're not 100 percent sure what's happened," said Paul Henderson, the company's president and chief executive officer. However, the recalled products were made using wheat gluten purchased from a new supplier, since dropped for another source, spokeswoman Sarah Tuite said. Wheat gluten is a source of protein.
The recall covers the company's "cuts and gravy" style food, which consists of chunks of meat in gravy, sold in cans and small foil pouches between Dec. 3 and March 6 throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The pet food was sold by stores operated by the Kroger Company, Safeway Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and PetSmart Inc., among others, Henderson said.
Menu Foods did not immediately provide a full list of brand names and lot numbers covered by the recall, saying they would be posted on its Web site — http://www.menufoods.com/recall — early Saturday. Consumers with questions can call (866) 463-6738.
The company said it manufacturers for 17 of the top 20 North American retailers. It is also a contract manufacturer for the top branded pet food companies. Its three U.S. and one Canadian factory produce more than 1 billion containers of wet pet food a year. The recall covers pet food made at company plants in Emporia, Kan., and Pennsauken, N.J., Henderson said.
Henderson said the company received an undisclosed number of owner complaints of vomiting and kidney failure in dogs and cats after they had been fed its products. It has tested its products but not found a cause for the sickness.
"To date, the tests have not indicated any problems with the product," Henderson said.
The company alerted the
Food and Drug Administration, which already has inspectors in one of the two plants, Henderson said. The FDA was working to nail down brand names covered by the recall, agency spokesman Mike Herndon said.
Menu Foods is majority owned by the Menu Foods Income Fund, based in Ontario, Canada.
Henderson said the recall would cost the company the Canadian equivalent of $26 million to $34 million.
Bump for later...
I'm feeding my dogs Beneful dry food now, also half a can each of Alpo mixed with either cooked brown rice or cooked oatmeal; I also mash up a banana into their mush once in a while; along with a slice of baloney most days and a slice of cheese at least once or twice a week. If they aren't careful, I also mash up some boiled okra, cooked potatoes, noodles, boiled carrots, etc. when they aren't looking. They sop it up like sponges. - I would like to get away from commercial dog foods altogether, but they are big dogs and eat like pigs and I couldn't cook enough to fill them up on a bet. Oh, and I also give them a glob of peanut butter on whole wheat toast once in a while just to see them struggle with it stuck in the roofs of their mouths. - This evening we brought biscuits from KFC and the heifers got them instead of us having them with our gravy. . . they also sometimes raid the compost pile and I find eggshells, banana peelings and other things scattered in the yard where they licked them clean of the linings. . I know. I know. It's all against the rules, but these are serious eaters and we are sort of poor. - Oh, I also forgot they sometimes get steak tartare or raw chicken wings for the raw bone calcium content depending on what we have available in the freezer. - The cat takes a dim view of all the variety and will only eat water pak tuna or a little deli sliced turkey breast. . or else will occasionally deign to share a tiny bite of canned salmon when the dogs are having that.
BENEFUL?!!!?? THAT'S WHAT I FEED MY DOGS!! INFORMATION PLEASE!!!
But I am considering switching to a raw diet.
We have taken on allot of wild cats and fed tham canned cat food from the grocery stores and they all died of wierd kiddney problems. These were tough cats with wild instincts. We realized too late that the crap you buy in the stores is poison for the animals. We also found it is cheaper to just buy chicken or fish and make your own cat food along with a good kibble that you buy at a feed store. live and learn with animal food and human food.
Human grade kibble??? Is that like soylent green? ;-)
Beneful link at Snopes: http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/beneful.asp
According to this article, Iams and Eukanuba are on the recall list, but there's nothing on the Proctor & Gamble sites about it:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17650075/
"The company said it manufacturers for 17 of the top 20 North American retailers. It is also a contract manufacturer for the top branded pet food companies, including Procter & Gamble Co."
"P&G announced Friday the recall of specific 3 oz., 5.5 oz., 6 oz. and 13.2 oz. canned and 3 oz. and 5.3 oz. foil pouch cat and dog wet food products made by Menu Foods but sold under the Iams and Eukanuba brands. The recalled products bear the code dates of 6339 through 7073 followed by the plant code 4197, P&G said."
I usually buy the cat "Cadillac." Actually it smells more like Pontiac, and he doesn't always appreciate it.
When he asks for a particular brand by name, he can certainly have it. I would lay the world at his feet, he has only to speak. Until then---Pontiac.
It's only a joke, people. Throw the cat food out too.
Thanks! The codes on his food are different, thank goodness. But I think I may switch him to Bil Jac or something next time he needs food. IAMS should have had something up on their site. This is important. I still remember the Diamond pet food issue from a year or so ago.
Our cat loves venison. If he smells it when I am getting it ready for a recipe, he pesters until I give him some. He likes it sliced real thin and no larger than inch pieces, he prefers it raw.
Not exactly ... return it for a refund.
Pull up snopes.com they had the story. We use beneful as well with no health effects.
I'm not strong about a lot of things, which might explain why I give her shots--I'm just not strong enough to go through the alternative.
What kind of IDIOTS at this company post this as news and don't bother listing brand names.
Whoever is running PR at the manufacturers needs to be FIRED.
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