Some Reports About Pets Getting Ill From DRY Food

I've started switching our kitties off their lifelong combo of Science Diet kibble with a topping of 9-Lives or Sophisticat canned food. After reading more about feline nutrition, I'm no longer satisfied with the quality of ingredients in Science Diet. Indeed, it was once one of the premium products, and having used it for over 30 years, I hadn't read the label in a long time. I was appalled when I read one in the store today. Lots of byproducts and reprocessed fats. I suspect the formulation has been cheapened over the years, but in any case I'm committed to reducing the proportion of dry food my kitties consume. One of my previous kitties developed kidney problems, and perhaps diet was part of the reason.

Today I bought some Natural Balance kibble, as well as Natural Balance canned food. I tossed the remaining Science Diet kibble and washed out the plastic bin. This caught the attention of our two kitties, who watched and mooched. When I opened the bag of Natural Balance, I offered a few bits to each of our girls. The cautious (and thinner) one sniffed and walked away. Her sister pounced on the new kibble and hoovered it up like she hadn't eaten in a month.

For dinner I gave them the new kibble with a generous topping of canned food from Whole Foods (PetGuard). Callie nearly dove into the bowl in her eagerness. It's as though she's been waiting all her life for good food. Footie was suspicious of the new substances in her bowl. She carefully removed much of the kibble and placed it on the floor beside her bowl. She kept checking out her sister's bowl to figure out what she was eating with such gusto. Eventually she got with the program and tasted it. She ate more slowly, but eventually she cleared her bowl and even ate the kibble she'd previously moved onto the floor. I had to remove Callie bodily so that she wouldn't chase her sister away from her dinner! My girls always like to eat dinner, but I've never seen the enthusiasm Callie showed tonight. I'm happy to see it, but also sad to realize that she's been missing out on "real food" all these years. I'm looking forward to seeing whether their energy levels improve and whether Callie will stop tossing her cookies on our rugs!

And here it is! The first of the dry foods to be recalled by the FDA.

FDA Press Release

This listserv covers mainly Class I (life-threatening) recalls. A complete listing of recalls can be found in the FDA Enforcement Report at: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/Enforce.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
P07-57
March 30, 2007
Media Inquiries:
Michael Herndon
Catherine McDermott
301-827-6242
Consumer Inquiries:
888-INFO-FDA

FDA Finds Melamine in Wheat Gluten used by Hill's Pet Nutrition
Company Initiates Recall of Dry Cat Food
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today notified Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., of Topeka, Kansas, that FDA testing has detected melamine and melamine byproducts in wheat gluten received by the company to make dry cat food. FDA is conducting an investigation into pet food products made with wheat gluten that contains melamine and their association with reports of injury and deaths in cats and dogs.

Because the cat food is sold exclusively through veterinarians, Hill's has notified veterinarians, and is voluntarily recalling the pet food containing the wheat gluten and will conduct its own testing.

Consumers who have any bags of Prescription Diet m/d Feline should discontinue use. They should speak with their veterinarian if their pet shows any signs of kidney/renal illness. Such signs include loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting.

"FDA recognizes that pets are very important to the American people and our sympathies go out to those who have lost their beloved pets," said Stephen Sundlof, D.V.M., director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug Administration.

During two months in early 2007, Hill's Pet Nutrition manufactured Prescription Diet m/d Feline using wheat gluten from the same company that has supplied wheat gluten to Menu Foods, Inc. Menu Foods, Inc. (menufoods.com/recall) has also voluntarily recalled products potentially contaminated with melamine. See http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html for more information on the pet food recall.

The Hill’s cat food now being recalled is labeled Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food. The products are:

4 lb. bag, U.S. & Canada UPC code 52742 42770
10 lb. bag, U.S. & Canada UPC code 52742 42790
The agency is continuing to work with Menu Foods, Inc., and Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., to ensure the effectiveness of their recalls.

For more information, consumers may contact Hills Pet Nutrition at 1-800-445-5777 or visit www.HillsPet.com.

####

FDA's Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts Page: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html

___________________________________________________

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.