Did TOTW change ingrediants?

[bex__]

I am getting ready to email the company but thought I would start here. We feed our 3 boys TOTW (they are on a mostly wet diet though) and it has always been wonderful. They love it. They have wonderful coats, and it has not bothered Louie's crystals since going to mostly wet.

However, we bought a new bag a week ago and T.J. and Louie throw up every single time they eat it. We stopped giving it and yup, they are fine and have not done it again...

I cannot imagine what would bring on this sudden change in not one, but TWO of our cats. They are perfectly fine, and since stopping TOTW have not puked again and only puked right after they ate it a couple nights in a row.

I do not have a previous bag to compare, so has TOTW changed their ingredients with no warning or something?



Thanks everyone!

 

[sharky]

Most companies when a change goes thru "use" old bags for up to six months( half legal)... So they may and we may not know for a bit.. Have to ask STUPID ? though... could you have grabed a bag of the new flavors instead of the original?

 

[gailc]

My cats did not like the new flavour at all. Bender threw up alot with it so I went back to the Green bag flavour. I have to pick up more tomorrow so I will ask the store if they have any info.

 

[gardenandcats]

The new flavor gave two of my 5 cats terrible loose stools I had to toss it..

 

[cosabella]

TOTW is in my rotation of dry and wet food. My cat loves both variety. Interestingly, a couple of weeks ago, I bought a new bag of TOTW and he doesn't seem to like it as much. Normally he would not have a problem finishing the 1/4 cup, but with the new bag, he's been leaving leftover and sometimes would not eat them. He doesn't throw up or have diarrhea, but he's just not eating the TOTW dry as voraciously as he has done before. He still loves the canned TOTW.

I, too, wondered if they had changed ingredients. I thought about posting the very same question on TCS, but did not because I figure my cat was just bored with what he was eating.

 

[bex__]

No this is the right (green) bag. I saw the new flavor, but wondered if they have changed the ingredients in this flavor too.

We keep our cat's food in an air tight container, so we tossed the bag. so I have no UPC code or anything to contact them with but I am going to do so anyway. I figure it can't hurt. I will throw in that others are having issues too.

I will let you all know what i find out. I am also going to double check that maybe our bag is still in the garage and didn't get tossed.

I guess I am now on the search for a new dry food though -preferably fish free-. Ughhh.

 

[feralvr]

Could have been a "bad" bag? Spoiled somehow... It is strange that you have fed this with no problems before this bag. If you have the bag, bring it back and the store will replace it, if you still want to feed TOTW. I did try this food for my cats (I have to be so careful Pipsqueak's digestion probs) and I had very loose poops even with the proper slow switching over of my old diet to this one.

I did feed my dogs this food for a short time and they did fine except for the "Fowl" ?? They both got terrible runny stools.... I got then off of TOTW right away and things cleared up.

 

[GoldyCat]

I wasn't aware that TOTW had started making a new flavor for cats, but I'm pretty sure I would have noticed the different picture on the bag. I feed a mix of TOTW, Indigo Moon, and Authority Indoor. I can't do totally grain-free because two of my cats don't do well on it. I did notice after the most recent mixing with new bags of all three that there was more throwing up, two or three times a day. It was always the whole kibbles, so I figured it was another case of scarf-and-barf. I don't see it happen every time, but I know it's been at least three different cats. After about three weeks it's slowed down to maybe once every other day so maybe they're getting used to whatever changed.

I can't pick out the TOTW since everything is already mixed together and TOTW and Indigo Moon are the same shape kibbles. Maybe for the next batch I'll try just Indigo Moon and Authority to see what happens.

 

[shaddo]

never had a problem with the stuff my 3 love the green bag but the yellow one they didnt like it at all and petland would not take it back after they told me it had a taste back gurantee so i called the company and they asked me to send them the upc from the bag with the original receipt and send them a letter with my info include the problem and they sent me a check back for the value with tax and all so now i took the yellow bag and feed it to the strays around here

they seem not to complain either

 

[bex__]

I have sent the company an email and haven't heard back yet. Hopefully tomorrow otherwise I will just call them.

I know for a fact that it somehow has to be TOTW. It only happened after they ate it (within 30-45 minutes) and it was 2/3 of our cats, same cats each time. We have not fed it in a few days now and no puking, and typically our cats are not pukers (Except keebler who thinks he's always starving and will scarf-and-barf maybe 1-2 times a month... But that's another story, lol)

Of course I don't have the receipt, we shop at Tractor supply twice a month for my husband's poultry food & grab our TOTW there so I highly doubt I could put my hand on the receipt, which sucks. DH is getting ready to look for the bag.

If they have changed ingredients and not let anyone know than I am highly disappointed. I hate when companies do that and I feel that they are taking a risk with animal's healths. Then again it could be my fault for not triple checking the ingredients every time I purchase it.

ETA: The only time we have ever had a slight "problem" with TOTW was slightly stinky poos, and I am sure that is because it's such a meat based food... It cleared up as soon as we started going to a mostly wet diet. So yeah, this is our first issue. Our cats have done wonderful on it and love it.

 

[kody's mom]

Hopefully the company will get back to you quickly. I only have enough in my TOTW bag for another few days----

I haven't tried the new flavor, but I did pick up a sample--it only has 32% protein, while the original flavor is 42%.

 

[bex__]

They never emailed back so I just called them.

The first lady I talked to informed me she had heard of no issues. I told her that a few people on a cat forum I go to had mentioned upset tummies with recent bags - of course this was after I had to repeat what was wrong with them, the brand, etc. and she seemed shocked that the dry was not their main diet, but in addition to a mostly wet.

There was the issue of me not having a UPC but I gave them as much details as I could. A vet was supposed to call me back, but I just got a return call from a regular customer service rep.

The last woman I spoke to said that I could buy another bag, send them that UPC & receipt and they would refund me for one of the bags. Seems like a waste if the other bag is bad too, yes?

Neither women I talked to gave me a straight answer on if there was a product/ingredient change and only the last lady seemed truly interested in what I had to say but still no straight answer.

If you are having issues with a recent bag of TOTW please call and see if you can get any farther than I could. My gut is saying to look for a new food at this point.

 

[gailc]

I picked up a bag of the green last nite and fed the cats. I guess I didn't check their dishes this morning (I have 4 full dishes) and when I went tonite to check they were still full. Well three of them-the 4th I carried upstairs and have by bobbers sofa bed as her tumor is pressing on a nerve and she doesn't have to walk so far. That dish was pretty much empty. I carried another upstairs and I'll have to see tomorrow how much food is left.
The two girls do not eat very much to begin with. Bender is usually the piggy one.
All the cats didn't like the new flavor Bender threw up quite a bit.
I donated that bag to an animal rescue. I hope I don't have to search for another food that is corn free.

 

[shaddo]

if you have time i would fill out the info to the FDA maybe their is something wrong with that batch or something you can find out how to fill out a report here http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/.../ucm182403.htm and fill it out here https://www.safetyreporting.hhs.gov/...110162039BD528 i just bought a new green bag of it and hope i dont have the same problem and i believe you dont have to sign up on their web site to make a report but if you do i think they send you a follow up and up dates about it not for sure but its worth a shot

anyway i have been researching it on google and alot of people are having the same prob with their dog food from 2009 and up this is the only place i can find that people are having issues with the cat food best of luck and hope it works out

 

[bex__]

GailC, it is odd that your cats really have not touched the food. Maybe they know something we don't, lol!

Shaddo, thanks for the link. I think I will file a report if I can't find any other information. I would think though that if it was a "bad" bag that it would affect all 3 cats? Maybe not, I don't know.

I still have the container full of this cat food. Hanging onto it until I find more answers. This is very perplexing to me. I mean, I would of figured maybe there was a new allergy developing if it was just ONE of our cats, but it is the same 2.

I hate to have to look for a new food NOW. Louie & T.J. will be home from their neuters tomorrow and to have to make a change now is total bad timing, I am scared to risk runny poo with a new incision. I would stick with just wet but Keebler isn't going to have that. He will eat some but will refuse to eat at a certain point unless it is dry.

My only issue is that this lady seemed very sure that I would be able to find bags from a different batch if I went back to the store now. I don't want to buy yet another bad bag and be out another $25 when I could use that toward switching foods.

 

[Docs Mom]

I noticed this thread yesterday, so when I opened my new green bag I compared the ingredients to the previous green bag. The 5th ingredient down, USED to be potato protein, on the new bag it has pea protein listed instead...

I just opened this bag so the cats have not passed judgement yet..... but compared to the previous bag the kibble also is lighter in color AND a smaller size of kibble...

Hope that helps....

I'll be interested to see what mine think of it.....

Lisa

 

[gailc]

Mine haven't touched the dishes in the basement-well barely. They should be empty. The other two dishes were a little better but with one cat that has a really good appetite the dishes should be empty.
Today after work I'll call around to some of the places that carry TOTH to see if they have any answers.

I checked my label with the current bag that the one from a couple of days ago and they ingredient label is the same. The use by date is Dec 2011. Bender is smelling the bag as we speak and I put 4 pieces on the ground and he walked away...........

 

[addiebee]

eeep! This is what I feed my boys. No problems here except occasionally with the scarf n barf cat. With seven they go through it pretty quickly... I just opened a smaller bag on Tuesday and it smelled fine to me.

 

[strange_wings]

I just got a new bag the other day that I haven't opened yet.. It still has potato protein as the 5th ingredient.

Production code on it is TOR1203 021MS0330 JOR Best Before 16DEC2011

My husband isn't here to translate the first part out, but that should be shift, date made, and plant identification. Anyone else getting theirs from the same plant?

For what it's worth Tomas tried to grab and chew on the bag a second ago as I sat here holding it, but he's not picky (and can't even have TOTW).

I also occasionally pick up a few cans of the wet TOTW. Yesterday I opened a can that was nothing but gravy. There was no wet food in it.

The gravy smells and looks fine so I'm unsure it I should use it (what cat doesn't like gravy?), I'm pretty sure that's just an accident from starting the line up or someone not monitoring the amount of food going in with the gravy.

 

[bex__]

Docs, does the previous bag that had potato protein, did it used to have peas in it too just farther down the line or was there previously no peas?

Are peas a common allergen? I am wondering if this may be our issue then.

Strange_Wings, How odd that your wet is only gravy.

I would call them and check that out too. I think if we are paying for a product we should get it.

This seems insane to me that cats who generally love this stuff are walking away from it/or getting sick from it.



I am REALLY appreciating all of your guys help on this wild goose chase!!