Pet Food Recall

A few days ago, I stumbled across information regarding the current pet food recall. I did not realize before that ONE company, Menu Foods Income Fund, produced and packaged pet foods under 95 different labels, including some high end premium brands like Science Diet, Iams, and Eukanuba.

When I first read about it, it seemed that the problem was contained and if the foods we were feeding our pets weren’t on the recall list, we and ours were pretty safe. And then I noted that a few more pet foods had been added—something like 40 brands of cat food and 48 brands of dog food now. And then I noted that the death toll from the tainted foods seemed to be a lot higher than the 16 or so that were being “officially” reported. Like...scores higher. Or hundreds.

One of the things about the internets is that people talk and information gets out.

The most recent information being publicly released is that the recalled pet foods had been tainted with rat poisoning. But Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Science released a pdf information file, updated yesterday, which claims that there is still no conclusive causative agent. They’ve been asked to help solve the mystery. I don’t think this is over by a long shot.

It’s frightening. I think the foods I feed Abbie and Terry are okay. There have been no problems so far and their foods (Purina One) aren’t on the recall list, but in the absence of definitive conclusions, it’s still rattling. And it’s downright scary when I consider that some of these recalled brands are foods that my vet tried to get me to feed them. I mean, that’s no reflection on my vet, but I’m glad I didn’t take her advice on this one.

There are a lot of scared people and with a whole lot of good reason. News has not been very forthcoming and the media have been late in showing much interest. If it wasn’t for the subject coming up on a blog, I might still not know about it. How many people still don’t know about it?

Anyhow...here are some links that talk about it. There’s a lot of heartbreak involved in some of them. It makes you realize that the problem is not under control yet. And we are still a long way from knowing how or why it happened.

Menu Food Income Fund Pet Food Recall List (Does anyone else feel as creeped out by a pet food processing and packaging outfit calling itself an Income Fund?)
Itchmo, a cool, mostly dog-blog, where I learned about the recall and began following links.
PetsitUSA.com Blog
Pet Connection
Safe Pet Food blog
A really interesting Missouri newspaper article, dated March 21, that treats the whole thing rather cavalierly with very little usable information and with what hints at ass covering.
A PetSmart PDF file listing the recalled foods that they carry.
Vetcetera, a vet’s blog.
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine - what they have to say.
Toronto Star article suggesting the tainted food is also affecting Canadian pets.
St Louis Dispatch article counting at least 471 cases of pet kidney failure related to the tainted pet foods.