ALERT: Cat & Dog Food Recall! Look in your Cabinet! Links and stories below!

If you're like me, you've been horrified to see and read the newstories about the reported deaths of at least ten cats from acute renal failure (ARF) i.e. kidney failure as a result of tainted cat food distributed by Menu Food Income Fund which was distributed across North America and sold in stores in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. And note that the warnings are for both cat food and dog food even though most reports are focusing on the incidents involving cats.

I have two wonderful Himalayan Sealpoints so I was prompted to send around information via email after first reading the story on the major news wires. Foolishly, what I didn't do initially was to check my own cabinet to determine if I had any of these foods. From time to time, I do buy the canned/pouched soft food which I give to my cats as a special treat. So I began to go through my inventory I discovered that I owned at least one can of "America's Choice, Preferred Pets" brand which was named on the list of tainted brands which I purchased at Waldbaums in West Hartford.

My heart began to sink! I remember distinctly giving the "kitties" a pouch treat last week, but I wasn't sure which brand it was... as I looked I saw duplicate pouches of "Seared Fillets with Turkey and Giblets" and looked carefully to see that it was Friskies produced by the Purina Company. Although, Purina is not specifically named as one of the brands to be concerned with I opted to call Purina to be sure, but received a data message that said, "All circuits are busy now, please try again later." (Reference explained here). So I wasn't able to connect with Purina after several attempts, but I did recheck all the websites including Purina's and didn't see Friskies pouches or cans listed for recall.

If you are a pet owner, I hope this blog inspires YOU to check your cabinets to what you have stocked away - who know, perhaps some canned food for special days? A few pouches you bought on sale? Don't take it for granted. If you love your pet, and aren't sure - then don't take a risk - just throw it all out. I've decided to throw out all my canned food for now (not that I have much) until this can be sorted out. Pet owners understand that pets are not "like" family members, they ARE family members.

And in case you wondered, my cats eat Science Diet (dry food) produced by Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. To be clear... Science Diet is NOT involved in the Pet Food recall.

If you think your pet has eaten any of these foods, please contact your Vet right away! It's worth the cost of a Vet visit to protect your family friend!

Here are a few sites that I recommend reviewing:

The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company

Menu Foods

List of Cat Food Brands to be concerned with:

Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Best Choice
Companion
Compliments
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Fine Feline Cat
Food Lion
Foodtown
Giant Companion
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Laura Lynn
Li'l Red
Loving Meals
Meijer's Main Choice
Nutriplan
Nutro Max Gourmet Classics
Nutro Natural Choice
Paws
Pet Pride
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority US
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Cans
Sophistacat
Special Kitty Canada
Special Kitty US
Springfield Prize
Sprout
Stop & Shop Companion
Tops Companion
Wegmans
Weis Total Pet
Western Family US
White Rose
Winn Dixie

List of Dog Food Brands to be concerned with:

Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Award
Best Choice
Big Bet
Big Red
Bloom
Wegmans Bruiser
Cadillac
Companion
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Food Lion
Giant Companion
Great Choice
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Laura Lynn
Loving Meals
Meijers Main Choice
Mighty Dog Pouch
Mixables
Nutriplan
Nutro Max
Nutro Natural Choice
Nutro Ultra
Nutro
Ol'Roy Canada
Ol'Roy US
Paws
Pet Essentials
Pet Pride - Good n Meaty
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority Canada
Priority US
Publix
Roche Brothers
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Shep Dog
Springsfield Prize
Sprout
Stater Brothers
Stop & Shop Companion
Tops Companion
Weis Total Pet
Western Family US
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Your Pet

Reaction/stories within Connecticut:

Vet Flooded With Calls Stemming From Recall
Veterinarian: Blood Test Can Determine Whether Pet Is Afflicted (WFSB TV, Hartford, CT)

Woman Claims Cat Killed By Tainted Pet Food; Kidney Failure, Deaths Prompt Massive Recall (WFSB TV, Hartford, CT (Groton))

Q&A: Pet Food Recall (Courtesy of WFSB.com, Hartford, CT)

WFSB TV video story on Cat passing away due to tainted food (Courtesy WFSB TV, Hartford, CT)

Cat Recall Video Story courtesy of WTIC TV Fox 61 News at 10 (West Hartford story; click Pet food recall video on right/ WTIC-TV, Hartford)

Reaction/stories from around the United States and Canada:

Dog & Cat Food Recall Information (Live Audio on site from WGMD 92.7 of Deleware)

Stores pull 90 brands of wet pet food (Hickory Record of North Carolina)

Pet food recall has local animal owners concerned (Times Daily of Alabama)

Pet food recall sends local animal owners scrambling for alternatives (Citizens Voice of Pennsylvania)

More Info on Pet Food Recall (Channel 13 WHAM of Rochester, NY)

Tainted pet food poisoned 1 in 6 animals in test: FDA (CBC News of Toronto/Canada)

Pet Food Recall update (CBS 21 of Harrisburg, PA)

Springdale family cat's death linked to tainted food (Valley News Dispatch of Pittsburgh, PA)

More Pets Die From Recalled Pet Food (Jet-TV 24)

Pet food woes lead to worried owners (TheNorthWestern of Oshkosh, Wisconsin)

Wheat gluten focus in pet food recall (OregonLive.com)

The Law News Network Pet Food Recall - Vet Medical Association Offers Advice To Pet Owners After Nationwide Food Recall - The American Veterinary Medical Association (Courtesy LawFuel.com)

Pet Food Recall & Symptoms of Kidney Failure (CrescentNews.com of Ohio)

Pet Food Recall has animal owners distraught (Ocala.com of Ocala, Florida)