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State of the Art, State of the Heart |
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LATEST ON PET FOOD RECALL |
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PET FOOD RECALL
Information on the Menu Foods pet food recall is changing constantly. Diets affected by the recall are canned and pouched foods only --- meat chunks in a gravy. Kidney failure is brought on by a rat poison (illegal in this country) that contaminated ingredients from a supplier originating in China.
If your pet has consumed any of the foods listed for recall, your pet is at risk for acute renal failure. Time is of the essence if a pet becomes sick. Signs of this type of kidney disease include increased drinking and urinating, lethargy, and poor appetite. Laboratory testing can quickly confirm the presence or absence of kidney disease. Early intervention can help. Please call the hospital if your pet is showing any of these signs.
Visit the American Veterinary Medical Association web-page for detailed and up-to-date information on this alert www.avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/default.asp
A variety of links, including to the list of foods, can be located there.
From the Veterinary News Network:
At least one offending agent has been identified on Friday March 23rd and was announced in a press release from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (www.agmkt.state.ny.us/release). It is an old chemical called aminopetrin that has had many uses. It is used in China as a rat poison. It is currently not approved for use as a rat poison in the US and Canada. No one is sure how this chemical made it into these pet foods. What we do know is that this (and perhaps other contaminants) is causing kidney disease in cats that have eaten the good. The good news is that if we can see them early and begin treatment, we may be able to save many of these affected cats. Early testing and treatment is the key. |
| Menu Foods, Emporia Kansas, has initiated a North American Recall of dog and cat food manufactured in its "cuts and gravy” format between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. As you know this involved almost 100 brand names and over 60 million cans or pouches. For almost a week the cause was not know, but veterinarians nationwide have been treating pets with signs of kidney disease. |
| According to an FDA press release dated March 16, 2007, some dogs and cats refused further feedings following feeding of the product, while others exhibited signs of renal failure (including loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting – the most common signs for kidney failure). |
| In fact it is advised that veterinarians perform screening blood work even in pets not showing symptoms but have consumed the recalled food to assure pet health.The Food Laboratory received the pet food samples from a toxicologist at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University, where testing has been underway to try to identify the cause of kidney failure in dogs and cats that consumed the recalled brands of pet food. At Cornell’s request, the Food Laboratory tested the samples for poisons and toxins, and identified Aminopterin in the pet food samples at a level of at least 40 parts per million. Veterinary experience with affected pets is still limited as this is a very recent event. Pet owners should not panic. If your pet shows any signs of illness including anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, excess drinking or urinating, you should call your veterinarian immediately. |
| Are dry foods safe? Pet food manufacturers produce their canned diets and dry diets by different processes, using different equipment, and often produce them at different locations. One of the reasons that this recall is so widespread is that many companies were using Menu Foods because of their specialization in the “cuts and gravy” type of product. And the good news is – no pets that have eaten any form of dry food have developed the illness. |
| Veterinarians should consider history including dietary history with each pet. After a thorough physical examination, the minimal data base of a comprehensive blood panel and a urinalysis should be performed to screen for causes of clinical signs including renal disease. It is important to screen for all diseases because many pet diseases NOT related to this food issue may be discovered through blood testing – and this is especially true in senior pets. |
| Duration of treatment in patients which may have renal failure due to ingestion of the recalled food is unknown at this time and obviously will vary between patients and the amount of food consumed. Long term effects on renal function are unknown. |
| It is natural for pet owners to be very concerned. Please note that the recall does not involve most types of canned dog and cat food and dry food and most of the recall is voluntary and has not been associated with disease. |
| If you think you have fed any of the affected foods, first see your veterinarian for proper testing and potential treatment. Next; 1) retain food samples for possible future testing, 2) document the product name, type and manufacturing information, 3) keep a record of how much and what types of foods were eaten and perhaps how the pet reacted after eating the foods. This may all be helpful in the future. |
| Web resources for you: www.menufoods.com/recall, www.iams.com, www.hillspet.com. |
| Animal shelters in your area may have had to throw out a great deal of food after this recall. Now would be a good time to support them by making a financial donation to these groups to help them purchase proper foods for these rescued pets. |
| Veterinarians nationwide are standing by to help you and make sure your pet is not affected, and administer proper therapy if it is. Call your veterinarian with any questions. Most cities have a 24-hour emergency veterinary hospital who can take your calls and examine your pets. |
| Further research is being done to see if other chemicals are causing the problems, and to determine any other methods of treatment. At any sign of illness in your pets, call your veterinarian! |
Prepared by:
Sandy Willis DVM DACVIM
Jim Humphries, B.S. D.V.M. - President VNN |
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