 |
TANYA'S FELINE CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE INFORMATION CENTRE
MENU FOODS PET FOOD RECALL
The US Food & Drug Administration has the latest information (January 2008) on recalled foods. This list has brands I do not recognise from 2007, so please be sure to check it out.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
On 19 March 2007 60 million cans and pouches of "cuts and gravy style" cat and dog food were recalled. These foods were sold in the USA, Mexico and Canada under a number of different brand names, but were all manufactured by a company called Menu Foods. The foods were recalled because an unspecified number of cats and dogs had suffered kidney failure, and nine cats and one dog died after eating foods manufactured in Menu Foods plants in Emporia, Kansas and Pennsauken, New Jersey. On Friday 30 March 2007, the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced that melamine, a type of plastic, had been found in both recalled foods and in a cat who had died. The sickness and death rate continues to rise (see below), and on 27 April the FDA stated that it had received reports of the deaths of 1950 cats and 2200 dogs.
Since that time, a number of other pet foods have been recalled which were manufactured by companies other than Menu Foods. The list of recalled foods is growing by the day.
The US Food & Drug Administration, the government body responsible for overseeing pet food safety in the USA, provides an overview of the recalls. This page is updated regularly. The Veterinary Information Network has an overview of the problem and of treatment options. Menu Foods Press Release - a summary of the situation. Howl911 offers an overview and useful links about the issue.
Thus far, three primary potential sources of contamination have been discovered:
The problem initially appeared to be linked to an ingredient common to all the foods manufactured by Menu Foods, wheat gluten. The wheat gluten was provided to Menu Foods by Chem-Nutra, who had obtained it from a new source in China between December 2006 and March 2007. The wheat gluten may be contaminated with aminopterin and/or melamine, and possibly other as yet undetected substances (see below).
On 27 April the FDA announced that it had tested 750 samples of wheat gluten and that 330 had been found to contain melamine or melamine-related compounds.
On 8 May the FDA announced that it has ascertained that it is in fact wheat flour which is contaminated rather than wheat gluten, but it is labelled as wheat gluten.
On 8 May Itchmo reported that contaminated Chinese wheat flour had been found in fish food distributed to 120 fish farms and hatcheries. The Vancouver Sun has further information on this.
On 6 February 2008 Breitbart reported that Chem-Nutra has been charged with 13 counts of introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce and 13 counts of introduction of misbranded food into interstate commerce.
On Wednesday 17 April Natural Balance recalled its Venison and Green Pea dry cat food because of reports of kidney failure associated with this food. This food does not contain wheat gluten, but instead contains rice protein concentrate which has now also been found to contain melamine.
Apparently five different pet food manufacturers purchased rice protein concentrate from the same source, which the US Food & Drug Administration finally named on 22 April (five days later) as Wilbur-Ellis, a Californian-based importer. The affected rice protein concentrate was imported into the USA by Wilbur-Ellis during the week of 2 April, and Howl 911 has ascertained that it was distributed to the following manufacturers:
A number of additional cat foods containing rice protein concentrate and made by these companies have not surprisingly subsequently been recalled (see below). It is very worrying to note that some of these foods, such as those from Natural Balance and Blue Buffalo, allegedly had rice protein concentrate added to them without the knowledge or approval of the companies who had developed these brand name formulas, and therefore the ingredients labels on the foods are incorrect.
Apparently another US importer imported rice protein concentrate from the same Chinese source, but no further details are available at the moment.
On 27 April the FDA announced that it had tested 85 samples of rice protein concentrate and that 27 had been found to contain melamine or melamine-related compounds.
On 8 May the FDA announced that it has ascertained that it is in fact wheat flour which is contaminated rather than rice protein concentrate, but it is labelled as rice protein concentrate.
On Monday 15 April News 24 announced that Royal Canin was recalling all of its foods in South Africa manufactured under the Royal Canin and Vet's Choice names following reports of sick animals. On Thursday 19 April News 24 announced that the food had been found to contain corn gluten contaminated with melamine, which had also originated from China.
Contaminated Petfood Enters Human Food Chain On Thursday 19 April, the Californian Department of Food and Agriculture announced that traces of melamine had been found in the urine of pigs intended for human consumption. On 27 April The Washington Post reported that 6000 pigs are now quarantined in eight US states because they may have eaten contaminated rejected pet food. Tests are being conducted to see if any affected pork has entered the human food chain; pigs from slaughterhouses in Utah and Kansas might already have done so.
According to the FDA, 38 poultry farms have fed tainted food to their chickens, many of which have subsequently entered the human food chain. Astonishingly, the FDA is not recalling any chicken products at this time, but the farm owners will be compensated if they agree to slaughter affected fowl.
You will no doubt be comforted to hear that the risk of melamine to human health is thought to be very low, so with luck you will still be fit enough to care for your sick cat even if you've eaten the odd bacon butty or chicken curry. However, the FDA has stated that the combination of melamine and cyanuric acid may be injurious to both animal and human health (see below).
The FDA is intending to test other sources of imported proteins, such as corn gluten and soy protein, in both animal and human food chains.
On Saturday, 24 March 2007, I was alerted by a Dutch friend to a press release from a Belgian goverment agency, the FAVV (Federal Food Standards Agency) which reports on the import of affected Nutro products into Europe. Translated from Dutch, the relevant part of the press release reads: "Belgium has imported 40 boxes each containing 24 items. The Food Agency is trying to find out where these products have been sold but has not received any information from the USA supplier as yet. It is also possible that there is more than this amount on the Belgian market, possibly through import from other EU countries. Europe has imported a total of 3440 boxes". In a later press release dated 27 March, FAVV stated that it had been told by the European Union that Belgium did not need to be concerned because only 160 boxes in total have been imported into Europe, and none of these have been distributed apart from a few to southern Italy. Be that as it may, I have heard of one person buying affected food in Holland and two buying affected foods in Germany. A friend called Nutro in the UK on Monday 26 March, and was told that Nutro UK did not believe any affected foods were in the UK. My contact has informed DEFRA, who were going to inform the British Food Standards Agency. Menu Foods finally got around to admitting to the European problem on 5 April. It said that "seven varieties for Europe" had been added to the recall but did not bother specifying which varieties they are. It is my understanding that they are basically Nutro products, and the list appears to have expanded from seven varieties since then. See below for more information. On 2 May Menu Foods announced yet more recalls, and once again it includes "a further two varieties for Europe", but they have not bothered to specify which products. This drives me mad! Don't European consumers deserve detailed information too? I have left a message with the Menu Foods PR person asking them to divulge this information. I do not know for sure but the affected foods may be Stuzzy Gold and Despar, which appear to be Italian. This is possible, considering that the majority of the originally affected food was apparently sent to Italy. South Africa has also been obliged to recall certain foods. On 13 April Nutro issued an international recall of its tinned foods. Details can be found here.
Based on the limited information available to date, I advise people everywhere to follow the suggestions on this page, because affected foods are in Europe and South Africa, but it is still not clear which foods in Europe are affected.
The cause of the problem is not yet known for certain but apparently was originally related to wheat gluten provided to Menu Foods by a new supplier from China and used in foods manufactured between 3rd December 2006 and 6th March 2007. Wheat gluten is commonly used in both pet and human foods and is not toxic in itself, so it appears that the wheat gluten provided by the new supplier (who has been dropped for obvious reasons) had been contaminated in some way.
Subsequently foods containing rice protein concentrate and corn gluten have also been found to be contaminated with melamine, the latter thus far only being affected in South Africa.
The US Food and Drug Administration is working with the manufacturers to find the reason.
On 23rd March it was announced that it appeared the problem was related to contamination of the wheat gluten imported from China with a compound known as aminopterin. Aminopterin has been used in the past as both a cancer treatment and a rat poison. Scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory tested samples of foods from Menu Foods and found aminopterin.
Rat poisons normally cause problems with blood clotting rather than kidney failure, and some observers were therefore sceptical that aminopterin could cause kidney failure, but the dean of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine has said that aminopterin can indeed cause kidney failure. Aminopterin does this by interfering with folic acid levels in the body. However, subsequent testing by the Food & Drug Administration failed to find traces of aminopterin in all the affected foods.
The Veterinary Information Network has some information on aminopterin published on 24 March. This link includes information for vets on how to best treat aminopterin toxicity. The ASPCA has issued a press release regarding its concerns that other contaminants may be involved. Wikipedia has some information about aminopterin.
Unfortunately, it appears that the presence of aminopterin was not the primary problem with the imported wheat gluten. On 30 March 2007, ABC News reported that the Food & Drug Administration had found traces of melamine, which is a chemical commonly used to make plastic (you have probably used melamine bowls), in affected foods containing wheat gluten. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine has also found traces of melamine in the urine of sick cats, and in the kidney of a deceased cat. Melamine has subsequently also been found in rice protein concentrate, and in South Africa in corn gluten.
At this time there is little information as to the toxicity of melamine as regards kidney failure in cats. The Environmental Protection Agency has some general information on the toxicity of melamine. One study, Urolithiasis and bladder carcinogenicity of melamine in rodents (1984) Melnick RL, Boorman GA, Haseman JK, Montali RJ, Huff J, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 72(2) pp293-303 found high doses of melamine appeared to cause uroliths (stones) and cancer, whilst female rats developed chronic inflammation of the kidney. CBC Canada reports on research at the University of Guelph which indicates that melamin and cyanuric acid may react together and be potentially more dangerous. The University of California at Davis reported in November 2007 on a study performed there which supports this hypothesis.
On 24 April The Food & Drug Administration confirmed that cyanuric acid has also been found in affected rice protein concentrate and wheat gluten. Cyanuric acid is similar to malamine. It is often used in outdoor swimming pools. The FDA Press release can be found here.
Cyanuric acid is not thought to be massively toxic but the FDA has stated that:
"The contaminants in question include melamine and melamine-related compounds, including cyanuric acid, the combination of which is a potential source of concern in relation to human and animal health. Scientific research indicates that melamine alone, at detected levels, is not a human health concern".
CBC Canada reports on research at the University of Guelph which indicates that melamin and cyanuric acid may react together and be potentially more dangerous. The University of California at Davis reported in November 2007 on a study performed there which supports this hypothesis.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that a Texan laboratory has found traces of acetaminophen in dog and cat food that it has tested. The FDA is apparently investigating. Acetaminophen is a painkiller which is known as paracetamol in Europe, and it is toxic to cats. Pet Education has some information about its toxicity.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review later reported that the FDA had been unable to replicate these findings. However, Consumer Affairs reported on 18 October that the same laboratory had once again found acetaminophen in Special Kitty cat food, along with melamine.
Foods affected by the original recall include some sold under the Hill's, Iams, Eukanuba and Nutro brand names. In addition, another 37 brands sold under store brand names such as Walmart, were involved. Apparently only chunks in gravy type foods are affected. In principle no dry foods are affected so far, although many dry foods do contain wheat gluten and reports exist of affected cats who have only eaten dry food, and in fact some foods subsequently recalled by other manufacturers are indeed dry foods (see below).
The US Food & Drug Administration has the latest information (January 2008) on recalled foods. This list has brands I do not recognise from 2007, so please be sure to check it out.
Menu Foods told me on Monday 19th March that they did not know for sure that they had identified all the affected foods and/or batches. Later that day they did indeed add further items to the list of affected foods. On 23rd March they announced the further recall of all the "cuts and gravy" style foods which they produce, as an additional precautionary measure. More foods have been added to the recall list since that date, both from Menu Foods and from other manufacturers affected by other types of contamination. Menu Foods further expanded its recall list on 2 May 2007.
The Pet Food List has a master list of recalled foods.
On Friday 30 March Hill's recalled its Prescription Diet m/d dry food, used for diabetes mellitus and weight loss, because "during a two-month period in early 2007, wheat gluten for this product was provided by a company that also supplied wheat gluten to Menu Foods". On Saturday 31 March 2007, Del Monte announced the recall of Pounce Meaty Morsels Moist Chicken Flavor Cat Treats because they also contain wheat gluten from China which is contaminated with melamin. On Wednesday 10 April 2007, Menu Foods announced that affected wheat gluten had been shipped to one of its factories in Canada. As a result, a number of other foods have been recalled, including additional Nutro products sold in 3 oz tins, which essentially are all of its foods containing wheat gluten. That same day, Royal Canin Canada recalled its Medi-Cal Feline Dissolution Formula canned food, which was manufactured for it by Menu Foods at the affected Canadian factory. This is a prescription only food, used for the treatment of FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease). On 13 April Nutro issued an international recall which basically seems to apply to all its tinned foods. Details can be found here. On Monday 16 April News 24 announced that Royal Canin was recalling all of its foods in South Africa manufactured under the Royal Canin and Vet's Choice names following reports of sick animals. On Thursday 19 April News 24 announced that the food had been found to contain corn gluten contaminated with melamine, which had originated from China.
On Wednesday 17 April Natural Balance recalled its Venison and Green Pea dry cat food because of reports of kidney failure associated with this food. Again, this food does not contain wheat gluten, but instead contains rice protein concentrate which has now also been found to contain melamine.
On 19 April Blue Buffalo recalled its Spa Select Kitten dry food because it contains rice protein concentrate.
On Friday 20 April Royal Canin USA recalled the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline Hypoallergenic HP23 food because it contains rice protein concentrate. Royal Canin Canada recalled the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline Hypoallergenic HP and the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline Sensitivity RD (Rice and Duck). Their food was found to contain a melamine derivative called cyanuric acid.
On Tuesday 24 April Drs Foster & Smith recalled their Chicken and Brown Rice Formula Adult Lite Dry Cat Food because of the rice protein concentrate it contains.
As part of the same recall (the rice protein concentrate was provided to a number of different companies), Lick Your Chops recalled its Lamb Meal, Rice and Egg Cat Food.
On Thursday 26 April Natural Balance expanded its recall to include its Ocean Fish Formula Canned Cat Food 3 oz & 6 oz.
On Thursday 26 April Blue Buffalo extended its recall to cover its Spa Select tinned cat food.
Also on Thursday 26 April American Nutrition announced that the recall also applies to Harmony Farms Country Chicken Entree.
That same day, Chicken Soup for the Petlover's Soul recalled its Kitten Formula in 5.5 oz. cans.
On 2 May 2007 Menu Foods further expanded its recall list to include previously unaffected brands such as Triumph.
On Friday 11 May, Royal Canin recalled its Kasco dry cat food.
On Thursday May 16 the FDA announced additional recalls of Evolve dry kitten food, Lick Your Chops dry kitten and cat food, and Health Diet Gourmet Cuisine Chicken & Rice cat food.
On 28 August 2007 Consumer Affairs reported that the FDA blocked the import of a number of Nutro cat and dog foods because the products "appeared to contain poisonous substances and unsafe additives".
Although dry foods are not manufactured by Menu Foods, I have heard privately from a number of people who believe their cat has been affected by eating dry foods, particularly Iams. Itchmo has reports of people who have apparently experienced similar problems. Consumer Affairs also reports on similar claims regarding dry dog food. Some of the foods eventually recalled because of rice protein concentrate problems are dry foods.
Since the list of affected foods changes virtually daily, I know it is hard deciding what to feed your cat. Below you can read my opinion on what I am currently choosing to feed my own cats.
Information about recalled foods can be found in these links :
If a food is not mentioned in the links above, it should in theory be safe to feed. However, it is apparent that foods are being added to the recall list more or less weekly, and additional contaminated ingredients continue to be identified, most recently rice protein concentrate and corn gluten (the latter only in South Africa).
I have heard from people who were feeding foods with different batch numbers to those in the recall notice whose cats have died of kidney failure. I have also heard from people feeding dry food whose cats have been taken ill (see above).
In addition, the FDA has warned consumers that not all retailers have removed affected foods from their shelves.
Because the situation changes so frequently, it is very hard to make recommendations about what to feed your cat. I myself have been taking the following approach:
This is just my opinion: I do not know for certain if this is the correct approach, but it is what I am choosing to do based on what I currently know.
So what am I currently feeding? I am feeding those flavours of Fancy Feast which do not contain gluten of any kind - this tends to be the Gourmet or Tender varieties. I am also feeding a flavour of Royal Canin which does not contain wheat gluten because one of my cats is a dry food addict (most dry foods do contain some form of gluten; it's virtually impossible to produce dry food without it). As more information becomes available, my choices may of course change.
If you go to the website of the manufacturer you have in mind (try googling them), you can check to see if they consider their foods to be safe. However, I would suggest you also e-mail the manufacturer to be on the safe side. I have heard, for example, that although Old Mother Hubbard (who also make Wellness) do not use wheat gluten, they do use Menu Foods.
Pet Food Express has helpful information on which manufacturers use Menu Foods and which do not. However, this relates to the foods they sell, so is unlikely to be a complete list. The Pet Food List has a list of petfoods which apparently are not on the recall list. Pet Food Direct has details of the ingredients of a large number of wet foods, including some Fancy Feast flavours. Pet Food Direct offers similar data for a large number of dry foods.
For people outside the USA, Mexico and Canada, please check your food before feeding it. I know when I lived in the UK, Science Diet was often imported from the USA. A number of Nutro products have been officially recalled in Europe, and I have heard from somebody in Germany whose Nutro food was imported from the USA, although it was not from an affected batch. See above for more information.
Menu Foods apparently became aware of the problem on 20 February 2007, and began conducting tests on its inhouse animals used in feeding trials a week later. It fed the foods to 40-50 cats and dogs, and seven of them died. This is a mortality rate of 14% to 17.5%. The problem appears to be affecting cats more severely than dogs.
The FDA is apparently investigating the deaths of 13 cats and one dog, but I myself have heard from many people whose cats are affected, and Menu Foods have told me the numbers are climbing daily - when I spoke to them on Monday 19 March, the person I spoke to had already logged reports of around ten deaths in one morning. According to ABC News on 22 March, The Animal Medical Center in New York has apparently heard about at least 200 cases of acute kidney failure in animals eating the affected foods and expects more cases to come to light. More recently, ABC News reported on 27 March that the Veterinary Information Network had received reports of almost 500 deaths, whilst other sources put the number at over 2000 to date.
On 27 April the FDA finally admitted that it had received 17,000 complaints, and that it had received reports of the deaths of 1950 cats and 2200 dogs.
Affected cats are showing symptoms of kidney failure, which is also known as renal failure. There are two types of kidney failure, chronic renal failure (CRF, the primary subject of this website) and acute renal failure (ARF), and cats affected by the Menu Foods products appear to be affected by either type. This site is primarily designed for people with a cat with the chronic form of the disease (CRF), but may be of some use to those with a cat with ARF. More information on ARF can be found below and in the Links and Resources section.
Veterinary Information Network discusses which tests should be performed in cats exposed to recalled foods.
Common symptoms of kidney failure include increased drinking, lethargy, vomiting and inappetance. A full list of symptoms associated with CRF can be found on the Index of Symptoms and Treatments page, although fortunately you will not see all these symptoms, and there may be a few differences if your cat has developed acute renal failure. Apparently humans suffering from aminopterin toxicity may also have red rashes on the body. These would not normally be expected in a CRF cat, but I have heard from a few people who seem to have seen something like this in their cats.
I suggest that you read the rest of this page, then read the Just Diagnosed? What You Need To Know First page in order to learn the basics of dealing with renal failure. It can be complicated sometimes, so I know you may well feel overwhelmed, but take a deep breath and just do the best you can.
ARF is a serious condition which usually comes on suddenly and which is often triggered by a particular event, such as your cat eating something poisonous. For example, lilies and antifreeze are both extremely toxic to cats and may cause ARF. ARF is usually treated with IV fluids and other medications at the vet's and, although it is hard to treat, if the cat survives the initial crisis, he/she can often regain much or sometimes all of his/her normal kidney function. Cats who do not regain all their kidney function may be left with some permanent damage, causing chronic renal failure.
Many of the cats affected by the Menu Foods problem do appear to be suffering from acute renal failure. In some cases, cats are falling ill very quickly after eating only one small tin of the affected food. If treated immediately, some of these cats are pulling through (my own vet has thus far managed to save every case he has seen), but not all of them are. Dr Katherine James and my own vet both recommend a lengthy course of IV fluids - a day or two is simply not going to be sufficient.
If your cat is suffering from acute renal failure, whilst you may still see increased drinking, lethargy, vomiting and inappetance and other symptoms mentioned in the Index of Symptoms and Treatments, you may actually see reduced urination rather than the increased urination which is common in CRF. Also, although your cat may have relatively high bloodwork results generally, you are less likely to see anaemia with Acute Renal Failure.
Veterinary Information Network discusses which tests should be performed in cats exposed to recalled foods.
CRF may also manifest itself very suddenly and require IV treatment at the vet's (this is known as crashing), but in contrast to ARF it is an ongoing disease in which it is not possible to regain lost kidney function; so the goal is to keep the remaining function for as long as possible.
Unlike ARF, not every cat with CRF will fall ill suddenly and dramatically. Often you will merely notice a gradual worsening of your cat's demeanour, with vomiting, lethargy, increased drinking and increased urination. Many cats also go off their food. The Index of Symptoms and Treatments has more information on possible symptoms. Eventually, if the problem goes untreated, the cat may crash (see previous paragraph).
Some of the cats affected by the Menu Foods recall do appear to be suffering from CRF rather than ARF. In some cases, cats have been fed the affected food for a period of time before exhibiting symptoms - in the trials run by Menu Foods, it is reported that the first animals to be affected began dying or showing signs of sickness within four days of eating the food, but some did not show signs until later.
My Cat Ate an Affected Food, What Should I Do? If you are feeding one of the affected foods, stop feeding it immediately, but keep the containers. Read on for more information on what you might be facing and how to deal with it.
Aminopterin Guidelines Although it now appears that Aminopetrin is not the primary problem, I imagine that the powers that be are looking closely at whether folic acid might help cats suffering from kidney failure following ingestion of an affected food. A drug called leukovorin may also help offset the damage which aminopterin does to the body. Unfortunately it appears that both these treatments may need to be started very early in order to have any helpful effect. However, The Veterinary Information Network says "based upon reports in humans and reports by colleagues in this current situation, at least partial renal recovery can be anticipated in many cases".
The Veterinary Information Network published some information for vets on 24 March about how best to treat aminopterin toxicity. They recommend IV fluids (but saline is probably not the best choice for reasons outlined in the link) and one vet considers that alkalinisation of the urine may help. See the link for more detailed information, and share it with your vet.
If your cat seems to be sick, contact your vet immediately or go to the ER - obtaining help as soon as possible may save your cat's life. Most of these cats need to be put on intravenous (IV) fluids (also known as a drip). If this happens to your cat, a day on IV fluids is unlikely to be sufficient: your cat will probably need to remain on a drip for 3-4 days minimum.
If you are concerned about cost, see if you can raise the money somehow. It appears that the manufacturers are going to help with vet bills (see below), so with luck you should eventually be reimbursed.
If Your Cat Does Not Appear to Be Sick
If your cat appears to be acting normally but you have been feeding one of the affected foods, I personally would still want to have my cat checked by my vet as soon as possible. Cats instinctively try to hide signs of illness, so often we do not realise they are sick until things are becoming critical. More importantly, it is not actually possible to diagnose CRF until at least two thirds of kidney function has already been destroyed. The What is CRF? page explains why this is the case. Therefore it is important to try to get help as soon as there is a possibility of kidney problems, because this may enable you to stop the kidneys deteriorating further.
Keep the food containers if you still have them, and report your cat's case to the manufacturer or ask your vet to do so. Personally I would try to contact them myself. I did manage to talk to Menu Foods on Monday, it took a while to get through but if you keep trying you should eventually succeed. Their phone number is 1-866-895-2708 or 1-866-463-6738.
ABC News reports that Menu Foods will reimburse vet bills for those who can trace their cat's illness to recalled foods. Even if you cannot prove that you were feeding one of their foods, contact them and let them know you hold them responsible. The Menu Foods website indicates that it is not currently allowed to communicate with potential claimants. Some of the outstanding claims appear to have gone to mediation.
If you are feeding food sold by Iams or Eukanuba, they ask that you contact them directly on 1-800-882-1591. Again, they should assist with your vet bills.
American Nutrition, which produced some of the foods containing contaminated rice protein concentrate, has also put a claim form online. Incredibly, this company is capping claims at US$500. They also ask that your vet gives three possible reasons for your cat's illness! Obviously the concept of taking full responsibility for your actions is alien to this company. I would not accept this insultingly low offer, particularly from a company which allegedly put the rice protein concentrate in some foods without the knowledge of the manufacturers for whom they were producing it.
You should also contact the US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Consumer Complaints Co-ordinator has details of the relevant contacts for each state.
Some people are taking legal action. That is your choice, but could be expensive and stressful. Also, in the USA, animals are viewed as property, and therefore you will probably not be able to claim anything more than your losses (your vet bills); you apparently cannot claim more for emotional distress (although if you live in Canada, where Menu Foods are based, the law views pets differently and you may be able to claim for emotional distress).
I personally would want to deal directly with the manufacturer initially and try to obtain compensation that way - it appears they will be receptive. If you do decide to take legal action, please be cautious as to how you go about it: I am not a lawyer, nor am I a US citizen so I am not overly familiar with US law, but it is my understanding that quite often the lawyers acting for the plaintiffs in class action suits benefit more financially than the plaintiffs themselves. However, Itchmo suggests that class action suits may in fact be a more suitable route.
Menu Foods Class Action is a support group for those who have suffered sickness or loss of their pet. I have no personal knowledge of this group and its activities or claims.
My Cat Has Died, Where Can I Turn?
I am very sorry for your loss. Almost everybody seems to find something to feel guilty about when a loved one dies, and it is particularly hard if you lose a beloved cat because of something like this. Please do not blame yourself, you are not responsible. You can find information about dealing with guilt, grief and petloss support on the Saying Goodbye page.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This page last updated: 7 February 2008 Links on this page last checked: 19 January 2008 Copyright Tanya's Feline CRF Website 2000-2008. All rights reserved. You may print out one copy of each section of this site for your own information and/or one copy to give to your vet, but this site may not otherwise be reproduced or reprinted, on the internet or elsewhere, without the permission of the site owner, who can be contacted via the Contact Us page. If you wish to link to this site, please feel free to do so, and to use the banner ad on the Contact Us page if required. Please make it clear that this is a link and not your own work. I would appreciate being informed of your link. This site is best viewed using Internet Explorer. If you wish to print out the pages, I have found it works best if your margins are set to zero. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
