Menu Foods, Inc., a Canadian private-label pet food manufacturer based in Ontario, has issued a recall on all its “cuts and gravy” style dog food products produced at its facility in Emporium, Kansas, between Dec. 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007.
And in response to the recall, the American Veterinary Medical Association is offering information and advice to concerned dog owners. If you suspect that your dog has been affected by a recalled food, the AVMA says the following three steps should be taken to help your veterinarian with your dog’s diagnosis:
- Retain food samples for analysis. If possible, retain four cans or 1 kg of dry dog food. Then, if possible, freeze the product or store it at room temperature in airtight bags.
- Document the product’s name, type and manufacturing information and retain all packaging, if possible. Also, identify date codes or production lot numbers and keep track of product purchase receipts.
- Document your dog’s consumption of the product, specifically the times and dates the products were fed to the pet. Also document the time of the onset of signs of illness and all products being fed to the dog as well as the feeding methods.
Although the exact cause is not currently known, animals that have become ill after consuming these products have shown signs of acute kidney failure.
American Veterinary Medical Association spokeswoman Saundra Willis, DVM, said that signs of kidney failure in dogs and cats include loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, changes in water consumption and also changes in urination. Anyone with a pet that is exhibiting these signs should take the animal to the veterinarian.
“Owners shouldn’t panic, because there can be a wide variety of reasons a pet might exhibit these symptoms. But it’s always prudent that, when a pet is exhibiting any signs of illness, the pet owner should contact their veterinarian immediately,” Willis said.
A veterinarian could call for a urinalysis and blood work, and might also perform additional tests, such as an x-ray or ultrasound, to rule out other possible problems such as bladder and kidney stones, Willis said.
If it has been determined that the cat or dog has been affected by consumption of the recalled pet food, a veterinarian could decide to treat the illness with medications and/or intravenous fluids.
The recall includes about 90 brands across the entire manufacturing spectrum. A complete list of recalled dog foods is available at http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-news/recalled-dog-food-brands.aspx. If you have any of the products identified on these lists, immediately stop feeding them to your dog.
Owners of dogs affected by the recalled pet foods who wish to report the incident should contact the Food and Drug Administration through its website, http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html to find the FDA complaint coordinator in their state.
More information on the Menu Foods dog food recall can be read at http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-news/2007_03/2007_03-20news001.aspx.