On
March 16, Menu Foods, Inc. of Streetsville, Ontario,
Canada, initiated a voluntary recall involving a large number of both dog and
cat foods produced at its facilities in Emporia, Kansas, and Pennsauken, New
Jersey, between December 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007. The products are sold by
many distributors under a number of different brand names in the
What
You Should Do First
If
you believe your pet has consumed the recalled products:
Some
animals that consumed recalled pet food may show no signs of illness while
others will show signs of lethargy, decreased appetite, vomiting and diarrhea,
as well as changes in water consumption and urination.
A
full listing of all recalled products can be found at http://www.menufoods.com/recall/.
The products have been described as “cuts and gravy” style pet food in cans and
pouches.
What
Briarcliff Animal Clinic Will Do
Your
veterinarian will take a detailed history and give your pet a thorough physical
examination. It may be determined that
blood and urine samples are needed for diagnostic testing for kidney disease or
other health problems. Your veterinarian will determine if additional
diagnostic tests may be required.
If
diagnostic tests determine that your pet has kidney disease, your veterinarian
may recommend treatment including hospitalization and intravenous fluid therapy
and prescribe medications. Occasionally, evidence of disease not related to the
pet food recall may be discovered with these diagnostic tests. If this happens,
your veterinarian will discuss these findings with you and plan appropriate
follow-up health care for your pet.
What You Should Do With
the Food
Keep
food samples for possible future analysis. All opened pet food containers
should be frozen. If able, keep an intact, unopened container of the recalled
pet food. Some companies will accept
returns of the food. Check with the
appropriate pet food company for further instructions. Again, be sure that all food samples are out of the reach of children
and pets and will not be accidentally consumed.
Document
the product name, type of product and manufacturing information by retaining
all packaging and purchase receipts and identifying date codes or production
lot numbers.
Document
your pet’s product consumption: dates that product or products were fed, date
that symptoms began, and your pet’s dietary history (i.e., all products fed,
feeding methods, amount eaten and whether your pet was eager or hesitant to
eat)
How You Should Report Your Pet’s Illness
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is conducting
an investigation and working with Menu Foods, Inc. to ensure the effectiveness
of the recall. Contact your state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Consumer
Complaint Coordinator. For a state-by-state list of Coordinators, go to http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html.
When reporting an adverse event or complaint, try to have the following
information available:
·
Brand name,
variety and lot numbers for the pet food fed to the dog or cat when it was ill
·
If the pet received treatment by a veterinarian, the name, address
and telephone number of attending veterinarian
·
Date that illness was first noticed
·
Signs/symptoms displayed
·
Veterinary reports/records
How You Can Obtain Help With Your Medical Bills
Further
information about the recalled pet foods, including the responsibilities being
assumed by Menu Foods, can be found at http://www.menufoods.com/recall/
. Because of wide variation in reimbursement policies from the different pet
food companies, contact the appropriate pet food companies directly and keep
all receipts for your pet food purchases and veterinary care. Contact your pet insurance company, if you
have one, to find out what costs will be covered by your pet’s insurance
policy.
As
medical professionals, veterinarians and veterinary technicians are your best
source for accurate and reliable information about the recall and trustworthy
nutritional advice for your pets. You can count on your veterinary team
for compassionate care to help you and your pet through this difficult time.
Contact them first if you have any questions or concerns about your pet’s
health.