Urgent :: Pet Food Recall... Urgent!!! - TOXIN FOUND

Originally Posted by Jazzpicker

I'm not a vet but I know that renal failure can be present with symptoms or without symptoms. Because my cats are running around and acting normally, it doesn't mean they have normal kidney function. When symptoms appear I think the the disease is advanced or the renal failure is acute.
A prudent idea for those who have cats that have been exposed to the foods on the list or have concerns otherwise would be to contact your vet and ask if it is a good idea to have blood studies done to determine the kitty's renal(kidney) function and follow the advice given.
This is a complex issue with acute vs chronic renal failure and better left for qualified vets to diagnose. I'm in he same boat as as the rest of the forum with 5 cats that I love dearly and now have worries about their health.

Click to expand...

You've made a VALID point since most cats tend to hide their illnesses more. It's better to check with the vet just to be safe. I'll be doing that tomorrow. I hope your cats aren't affected by this either!!

Originally Posted by Pamela

To be honest..... I THINK the clumps have always been big for Heidi... I have a terrible memory so I can't really recall for certain in the past the sizes.... Today, I saw clumps the size of a ping-pong ball up to the size of a chicken breast (I LOVED how you described that!! Better than I could've tried to explain!).

I just saw another post here saying that the symptoms are a bit different in acute renal failure compared to CRF so 1 symptom is LESS urine.. That got me curious so I googled ARF and she's right- if cats have ARF then they'd have less urine...

Here's the link- http://www.petplace.com/cats/acute-r...ats/page1.aspx

It has a list of symptoms to look for.. Hope it helps!!

Click to expand...

Thanks for the help in clarifying CRF vs ARF...it does help.

I'm glad you enjoyed my chicken breast analogy.

Originally Posted by Pamela

THANK YOU!!!




Aunt Jenie's, Raw Advantage, Trout Pate & ZiwiPeak- they have to be ordered online?

Click to expand...

No...they all can be, but many holistic themed or pet stores geared to higher end, all natural will carry most of these. Ziwipeak and the Iceland pet are newer to being retailed in the US but I do know there are brick and mortar stores that carry them, and many have freezers for frozen raw, and/or carry dry dehydrated such as the Aunt Jenies.

Google is your friend plus many company's websites will have both online and state by state lists of where to find their product.

Thanks for the post re the difference between ARF and CRF...I have only had personal experience with crf.

Folks.........I've discussed, as have others, crf here many, many times. There is a wealth of information at the site I always recommend..is anyone going there???

www.felinecrf.org, and it will also discuss arf I believe.

Anyhoo..my point is I feel like nothing I am saying is being heard..re symptoms etc. I'm dealing with 2 at the moment cats with crf and 1 with pkd, dawnofsierra and sharky are also currently dealing with these issues as are other members posting. My Patrick had crf for almost 4 years, and I posted here about him and our journey, many times.

Perhaps we need a thread for those of us with arf/crf kitties, so it's split out from this threat on updated news on the recall, and on how those tcs possibly affected kitties are doing.

I am trying to be helpful, to give info, to give sincere caring, but I feel like few are reading what I am saying.

I did want to mention one more food that seems safe - I feed Tiki Cat wet, and AvoDerm Dry - they both seem fine. Oh, and Merricks. Tiki Cat is on the expensive side, and I have 4 cats, but they also have the most beautiful coats I've seen for a long time. And the 17 year old is thriving on it.

Also the ZiwiPeak? Is that the name? We tried it, and they thought the fish flavor was "ok", but it's VERY pate-like - almost a dry wet food.

Originally Posted by sharky

here are the few foods without wheat gluten with some type of gravey

meow mix

Click to expand...

Some of the Meow Mix pouch flavors do contain wheat gluten.

Originally Posted by vanillasugar

Just because it was easy and natural for you does not mean that will be everyone else's experience. It took me nearly 6 full months to convince my cats that they wanted to eat REAL food. Just because I knew what they should be eating, and what I wanted them to be eating, doesn't mean they understood that.

I understand your sentiment, but don't think now is the time to be lecturing people on what they should be feeding their cats. We've got members of this forum who are seriously concerned about the health of their cats because of this recall, and don't need to be made to feel like it's their FAULT for feeding their cats a certain food.

If, because of this, people want to change their cats diet (as I'm sure many will) that is when we have the oppurtunity to discuss fresh, real diets with them.

Until then, we should all be sensitive about what others may be going through at this time.

Click to expand...

YOU ARE WAY OUT OF LINE

No-one is lecturing anyone. Nor has anyone blamed anyone for feeding their cats in whatever way they choose. That is YOUR idea and YOUR OWN interpretation of my post. For the record I feed my cats tinned food. Due to this problem I'm looking at changing my cats over to what we eat ourselves which I don't think will be too difficult as they already eat a percentage of what we eat.

As for "and don't need to be made to feel like it's their FAULT for feeding their cats a certain food" There is only one place FAULT lies and that is with the manufacturers of the tainted food and no-one else.

Originally Posted by Python

YOU ARE WAY OUT OF LINE

No-one is lecturing anyone. Nor has anyone blamed anyone for feeding their cats in whatever way they choose. That is YOUR idea and YOUR OWN interpretation of my post. For the record I feed my cats tinned food. Due to this problem I'm looking at changing my cats over to what we eat ourselves which I don't think will be too difficult as they already eat a percentage of what we eat.

As for "and don't need to be made to feel like it's their FAULT for feeding their cats a certain food" There is only one place FAULT lies and that is with the manufacturers of the tainted food and no-one else.

Click to expand...

I think we should all calm down, there is plenty to worry about right now than the raw vs commercial debate and we certainly don't need to be bickering right now, but worrying about our kitties.

I personally have tried a raw diet with mine and they just wont go for it, no amount of mixings, flavourings or anything else will make them take more than a few mouthfuls before walking away, so they are back on commercial food, despite the fact they do get 'human food' treats.

And some people in this thread are blaming themselves, even if they are not voicing it, and the raw debate really doesn't have a place here - it needs to be about information on which foods are tainted and possible symptoms of a sick cat.

ok guys I'm confused. Is Meow Mix pouches ok? Should I just put them on dry food for now? If the Nutro pouches aren't on the recall list are they safe? I did feed them Iams for a while, I don't have any more of those pouches so I can't check the dates. Should I just get they tested? Help it's almost dinner time!!

The Nutro patches were recalled.

They technically appear to be safe but Nutro made a voluntary recall to make sure they had nothing unsafe in their patches.

There were no Meox Mix pouches at my pet store today. I am not sure if they are safe or not. I got Castor and Pollux canned as a substitute. Maverick isn't eating it though...

I sure don't know about Meow Mix but I hope we find out soon.

Originally Posted by ckatz

ok guys I'm confused. Is Meow Mix pouches ok? Should I just put them on dry food for now? If the Nutro pouches aren't on the recall list are they safe? I did feed them Iams for a while, I don't have any more of those pouches so I can't check the dates. Should I just get they tested? Help it's almost dinner time!!

Click to expand...

just read the labels, several meow mix flavors do not have wheat gluten, but a couple do. i checked mine today, the guys love meow mix pouches. also, the meow mix website lists ingredients.

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

Thanks for the post re the difference between ARF and CRF...I have only had personal experience with crf.

Folks.........I've discussed, as have others, crf here many, many times. There is a wealth of information at the site I always recommend..is anyone going there???

www.felinecrf.org, and it will also discuss arf I believe.

Anyhoo..my point is I feel like nothing I am saying is being heard..re symptoms etc. I'm dealing with 2 at the moment cats with crf and 1 with pkd, dawnofsierra and sharky are also currently dealing with these issues as are other members posting. My Patrick had crf for almost 4 years, and I posted here about him and our journey, many times.

Perhaps we need a thread for those of us with arf/crf kitties, so it's split out from this threat on updated news on the recall, and on how those tcs possibly affected kitties are doing.

I am trying to be helpful, to give info, to give sincere caring, but I feel like few are reading what I am saying.

Click to expand...

Ohhh- I do hear you! I'm sorry if I sounded like I ignored your posts about this. I did a quick check of that link you posted but didn't realize ARF was in there so I'll go back later and read it more throughly.

I am very very sorry to hear about your Patrick having crf. I had one cat named Sunniday who was diagnosed with crf- he was in the very late stages of this and he only lived 1 to 2 weeks after being diagnosed. He already had this when I adopted him so I didn't realize something was wrong until it was too late. I tried everything possible (sub q, special food, etc).

I think that's a great idea about creating a thread for cats who may get crf/arf from this so that way it'll be more specialized.. What do you think?

I can tell you really do care from all the posts you have posted and I wanted to THANK you for being there for us...

ok thanks-I'll look at the meow mix pouches. So wheat gluten is the problem? I also brought 9-lives canned is that ok? I know it's not the best quality food.

Is there another name for wheat gluten to look for on the packages? I don't see that term on the meow mix pouches I have. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Nellers

The Nutro patches were recalled.

They technically appear to be safe but Nutro made a voluntary recall to make sure they had nothing unsafe in their patches.

Click to expand...

According to this list, Nutro Natural Choice and Max Cat Gourmet Classics ARE on the original recall list and not the later voluntary recalls, please check the list before feeding ANY nutro pouches

I got that information from a representative from Nutro, as I had posted earlier.

I know they are on the list she was explaining the "why" behind it from Nutro's standpoint.

Sorry if I confused anyone. I'm very confused.

There has been no recall of Meow Mix pouches at this time. If you are trying to avoid wheat gluten just to be on the safe side, read the ingredients on the pouches.

Originally Posted by AbbysMom

There has been no recall of Meow Mix pouches at this time. If you are trying to avoid wheat gluten just to be on the safe side, read the ingredients on the pouches.

Click to expand...

Yes, I am trying to avoid the wheat gluten just until we know more. Looks like 4 of the 10 varieties if Meow Mix pouches have wheat gluten.
Cluck a Doodle Doo - Deep Sea Delight - Maine Attraction - On a Wing and a Prawn. Just in case anyone else was wondering, too.

Looks like most of their pouches have tuna as first ingredient. Think I need to change his diet up a bit.

Originally Posted by Nellers

I just spoke to a Nutro rep who was at the Petco trying to educate people about the recall. Apparently, Nutro products were not directly affected, but because there is still some uncertainty to origin of the problem, they voluntarily recalled their wet food to be safe until they test it to verify it is safe.

Not sure how accurate it is but I wanted to pass it on since it was from a rep.

Click to expand...

We have always fed our two cats Nutro pouches... Chicken and Liver chunks in gravy as it is their favorite. Three weeks ago they BOTH were diagnosed with acute renal failure at the age of two and a half. Our vet believed that all signs led to the ingestion of a toxin. Until Friday, we had spent this entire time searching for the cause. We called Nutro Friday night when we learned the news and they were answering calls after hours because of the recall. They want us to send them two of our remaining packets along with a copy of all the recent medical records.

If they believe their products have not been directly affected, I certainly did not get that impression. A $40 million nationwide "voluntary" recall? IMO, they must be VERY convinced and/or worried that their foods are somehow responsible or they wouldn't go to these lengths. In fact, Nutro was one of the first to post affected product info on their website... a day before menufoods and others posted anything specific. We printed out the initial Nutro list and as of today, the list continues to change. I find it interesting that they can continue to update this info if they A) Don't know what specifically is causing the issues, and B) Are simply doing a voluntary recall as a precaution. If that were the case, why wouldn't they just recall it all rather than those from specific date ranges?

Two weeks ago, we had an internal hygenist come out to our home to help us search for any possible causes. They looked for anything, anywhere the cats could have ingested something containing phenols, glycols... basically anything that could act like antifreeze in an animals system. They also tested our dry food storage container for a specific mold toxin. Last week the results all came back negative. One thing we didn't test was our wet food pouches. They were picked up yesterday to be brought to a lab.

The info PetCrazy posted regarding the ARF vs CRF is spot on. Over the last few weeks, we have learned all about the different stages, the creatinine/BUN levels, etc. Both our cats responded differently. Wrigley became ill very quickly. He went from his normal self one morning to a lethargic kitty the next. My fiance quickly noticed that he did not want to be rubbed on his tummy (normally, he loves it)... responding with a low whimper and walking away. I quickly went downstairs to check his food dish to see if he had been eating and found three large piles of vomit. We immediately took him to the emergency room. From there, he proceeded through the stages PetCrazy mentioned over the next 2 weeks. His creatinine #'s started at 3 and elevated to 9 before finally making the climb back down. Our vet prepared us for the worst, as many cats do not make it through the initial 2 weeks with ARF.

Adler responded completely differently. He was still eating, drinking water, urinating, defacating, cuddling, and wanting attention. However, he did seem to become depressed over the next two days without his littermate. He would walk around calling for Wrigley. Our vet said this was normal, but recommended we bring Adler in to see his brother and run a panel to make sure it wasn't possible that they both have a genetic kidney issue. The next morning of the day we were bringing Adler into the hospital with us, he started vomiting. We immediately feared the worst and we were right. Adler's creatinine level was already at 9.4 and proceeded to nearly 12 before climbing down with treatment. His BUN's were well into the 160's. He had a much higher hill to climb because we simply didn't know he was sick.

The earlier you have them tested, the sooner they can treat, and the better odds they have at a recovery. I urge you all to act fast if you fear you sense a change. The peace of mind would be worth it alone. It may be expensive to have them tested... especially those with lots of little ones running around.... but BELIEVE me... the cost of treatments are excessive! We have already spent over $10k on treating our two boys!!!

Also... BELIEVE me when I say that we will do ANYTHING we can to try and recover these costs from these companies. They MUST be held accountable!!

For those that need assistance in paying for any medical bills for your cats, be sure to ask your vet about Care Credit. We were able to take out a line of credit that has covered a majority of the costs thus far. Plus, it is 0% interest for 12 months so we can work towards finding a way to pay this debt off while still treating our boys back to health.

So far, so good. Wrigley has responded well thus far to treatment and his #'s have maintained a normal level for the last week. Adler is better some days more than others with the occasional nausea and vomiting, but we are optimistic that they have just been little bumps in the road. Both of their immune systems are a little low, and thus both have caught little respiratory infections, but both have responded favorably to medication and nebulization.

We'll continue to update with more info as we receive it. Thanks to all who welcomed us to this site!