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

[melbo]

We know from personal experience that testing for micro-toxins takes less than one week. When our boys became infected from eating Nutro and went into renal failure...I had no idea it was the food we gave them. I had an environmental hygienist come to our home and take samples. Looking for phenols, heavy metals and micro-toxins. He had suggested taking a sample of the royal canin dry food we leave out for the boys all the time. The goal was to look for a micro-toxin. We agreed at that time not to test the wet food...know we both wish we had. I did get the test results back in less than a week and to our surprise their was a low level of fumonisin B1 and B2 (which is a micro-toxin and carcinogenic). However, these levels are below the FDA requirements. We have sent our Nutro pouches to get tested as well and should have our results this coming Monday. Will keep everyone posted.

 

[mzjazz2u]

This is the response that Natura emailed to me regarding the recall and their foods. I included my original question, which is at the bottom:

Natura Pet Products owns and operates two manufacturing facilities, including a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Fremont, Nebraska. Our plants are AIB Certified “Superior”, Organic Certified, USDA APHIS Registered and ISO 9001:2001 compliant. Natura does utilize Menu Foods to manufacture canned products; however, Natura maintains final review and strict approval of all formulation designs, including the types and quality of ingredients included. Menu Foods is responsible for quality control in its facilities, based upon their Good Manufacturing Practice process; a copy of which is on file in our offices. Natura has a complete and documented Product Quality reference on hand detailing the quality standards for each formula and can size produced under Natura’s labels. Each of our canned products are routinely reviewed and compared to the standards set out in this reference material. It is important to emphasize that: 1) the Menu Foods recall is specific to “cuts and gravy” products WHICH NATURA DOES NOT SELL, and; 2) Natura’s canned products are made at a facility which has NOT BEEN IMPLICATED IN THE RECALL. Since being notified of the recall, Natura has been in direct contact with Menu Foods management and have a 100% confidence level that our canned products in the market are healthful and safe.






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From:
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 1:42 PM

Subject: Evo


I saw your statement that no Natura pet foods are affected by the recall. But are they manufactured, processed or canned at all by Menu Foods? My Persian cat almost died in October and didn't gain all his weight back or get his fur back until recently when I switched him to Evo. So I'm just a little nervous about this and worrying about cross contamination if they are packaged there.

 

[renovia]

oh my. this is getting worse and worse

 

[mzjazz2u]

I got the same exact email from them but I had the opposite reaction you did as I now feel a bit more at ease since the plant they do share with Menu is not included in the affected plants. And the food I give is not a cuts and gravy food.

 

[jean44]

Originally Posted by mzjazz2u

I got the same exact email from them but I had the opposite reaction you did as I now feel a bit more at ease since the plant they do share with Menu is not included in the affected plants. And the food I give is not a cuts and gravy food.

True, the South Dakota plant is not part of the recall. That's why I'm continuing to use the Natura food. I was glad to have a final, definitive answer to the question after so many contradictory statements.

 

[catsallover]

Is there anywhere that says where cat treats are made? Almost all of the moist treats I looked at had wheat gluten and were in a pouch. I've bought some whiskers treats, but thought I would check and see if anyone knew anything. (I have to pill my cat twice a day, and had to get something with no fish in it from the grocery store/Walmart until I can get to the pet store, that the pill can be hidden in

).

 

[panther pride]

I'm not sure about it. Best be wary though.

 

[mzjazz2u]

Treats are manufactured in different plants and are safe. The only thing from Menu foods is cuts and gravy canned and pouch food.

 

[sharky]

Treats are manufactured in different plants and are safe. The only thing from Menu foods is cuts and gravy canned and pouch foodSIZE]

Note I colored it and Made it bigger ...

Many of us are a bit timid about anything with Menu and rightly so but DRY and TREATS ARE NOT BEING RECALLED and too my knowledge NONE are made in the MENU plants

 

[pyewackette]

I think what annoys me the most is how the news media is covering this--they are NOT telling us the whole story -- It's like they're letting on that only a handful of pets have suffered and died because of this --take a peek over at this
http://petconnection.com

And maybe even they are getting the full facts either

I'm glad that people are starting to sue--okay it won't be a beloved pet back--but I think someone should take responsibility here--I have to laugh--some of the websites of the food in question actually put this notation of "sorry for the inconvenience"...what a laugh.

 

[pyewackette]

Here's another link to go to as well..it's all really sickening to read this

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=2974319

 

[crazyforinfo]

My local ABC station also did a report on the late night news. I shouldn't have watched it. It's so scarey! The thing that bothered me the most is that "In Pennsylvania, I regret to say the compensation is not what you expect. Pets are not people and they're not treated as people. They're treated as property," explained consumer law attorney Tom Marrone.
So consumers would have a hard time recovering damages for pain and suffering, even if they filed a class-action lawsuit. "

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?se...mer&id=5142868

 

[catsallover]

Thank you. I hope she likes them

, or the pill popper may be rearing it's ugly head...

 

[pat]

Don't forget all the treats made that have NO grains, and aren't moist or semi-moist.

Grandma Lucy's brand (freeze-dried and one is roasted then freeze-dried - their chicken) has put out a statement about having their own facility for making and packing, and that they do truly use food that could be served in a human restaurant.

Wildside Salmon I know is harvested in Alaska, and then packaged in China.

I have not checked with others since treats were not an issue, and most of what I carry is single protein, no grain, treats.

 

[white cat lover]

Good reminder Pat. I'm going to have to order food to get "safe" stuff.... I might as well support one of my TCS friends & order from you!

 

[jennyr]

I have always taken my cats for yearly checks and vaccinations, but I have never, in Europe, had a vet do blood or urine tests as part of a routine visit. It usually consists of a listen to heart and lungs, check teeth and eyes and ears and a manual exam. I had to fight to get a vet here to do a blood test on Ellie to see why she was losing weight. The only time the others have had a blood test was for their EU passports, which is compulsory.

 

[rosiemac]

Originally Posted by meow meow

Most people I know don't take their indoor cats to the vet unless they are sick (once they are spayed/neutered). Are you suggesting that cats need check-ups?

Without fail. My girls are indoor cats, and they go once a year because they also need their shots. They only have the flu/enteritis because i can bring something in with me from outside, especially if i've been touching another cat who may have flu.

When they go for their yearly checkup they get weighed, have their heart, eyes, ears and teeth checked.

Originally Posted by moggiegirl

Other than bloodwork, what is it that a vet can see in a cat that we can't see ourselves.

I took Sophie to the vet last week because she had what i thought was the start of feline acne, but it wasn't, it was a bite or a scratch which was probably caused when they were fun fighting. So i was wrong but the vet was right.

I get my teeth checked every year, so my cats are no different.

 

[urbantigers]

Mine always have an annual health check which consists of checking heart rate, temperature, feeling their abdomen for any abnormalities, checking their mouth etc. Blood tests aren't done routinely for younger cats but now that Jaffa is nearly 10 he'll be having regular blood tests and very probably twice yearly checks from now on.

Originally Posted by moggiegirl

Other than bloodwork, what is it that a vet can see in a cat that we can't see ourselves.

I think a vet can check for a lot of things that we as owners either can't do or can't do as well. I can check their teeth to a certain extent but I can't check them as well as the vet can as they're not keen on me messing about with their mouths! I'm also not confident enough to stick a thermometer up their backsides

I can't listen to their heart rate (which could pick up a murmur or something) and although I can feel them around the abdomen to check for anything abnormal I'd probably only notice anything if it was obvious. A vet knows what s/he is feeling for and could probably pick up something I might miss and may detect a problem at an earlier stage. I think health care for my cats is a partnership between me and my vet. I have my knowledge of what is normal for them and can pick up changes in behaviour etc and my vet has the veterinary knowledge re signs and symptoms of disease that I don't have so I think my cats need both of us keeping an eye on them.

There's also an insurance angle for me. As I have pet insurance I need to make sure I take measures to prevent disease from occuring and if I can't prove this they may not pay up. Last year they paid for Jaffa's dental but asked for his dental history first - if he hadn't been checked annually by a vet I doubt I'd have got my money.

 

[jenniferd]

Originally Posted by crazyforinfo

My local ABC station also did a report on the late night news. I shouldn't have watched it. It's so scarey! The thing that bothered me the most is that "In Pennsylvania, I regret to say the compensation is not what you expect. Pets are not people and they're not treated as people. They're treated as property," explained consumer law attorney Tom Marrone.
So consumers would have a hard time recovering damages for pain and suffering, even if they filed a class-action lawsuit. "

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?se...mer&id=5142868

It's not just PA. In most states pets are treated like property under the law.

 

[catsarebetter]

Unfortunately that's true, but.. I don't think what's going to hurt the company or teach it to be more responsible is how much money they pay per person (and given the vet bills.. that has the potential to be thousands per person/pet).. but how many people they have to compensate. I feel the same way that everyone else does.. my four footers are my children.. but if one of them had been sick.. I've got two Bengals and an Egyptian Mau.. and one domestic. If any of the purebloods had been sick, the compensation would have been higher than if the domestic had been, because I think I paid $40 for her from a pet store and the minimum was $300 for the Mau (she was actually a bit of a rescue which is why her price was low.. but she's show quality)..

I mean, this is going to sound awful but the person best suited to put a dent in their pockets, under the law, is someone with a show cat that they're breeding.. a cat that is very expensive "property" and one that the owner's business is based on.. with potential to continue making money for a while.

However, if enough people with "lesser valued property" join the suit.. it works. And, there is nothing to say that new ground can't be broken, new precedent set..and people may receive damages for pain and suffering. All it takes is the right lawyer in the right court.