PET FOOD RECALL UPDATE: OTHER CONTAMINANTS MAY BE INVOLVED
Since Menu Foods, Inc. announced its massive pet food recall on March 16, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has been flooded with calls from pet parents and animal welfare professionals alike. Based on data from these calls, the ASPCA reports that clinical signs in cats affected by the contaminated foods are not fully consistent with the ingestion of rat poison containing aminopterin which, says Menu Foods, is at the “root” of the contamination issue.
Explains the ASPCA’s Dr. Steven Hansen, veterinary toxicologist, “There are so many inconsistencies in the purported link between aminopterin and the animals affected that we urge veterinary toxicologists and veterinary pathologists at diagnostic laboratories to continue looking for additional contaminants.”
Pets who are being treated for kidney failure suspected to be related to contaminated food should stay on their treatment. If your pet has eaten contaminated food and shows any signs of illness, including loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, changes in water consumption and changes in urination, please consult with a veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 immediately. In order to help with your pet’s diagnosis, you are advised to:
- retain food samples for analysis
- save all packaging and receipts, and document the product name, type of product, date codes and/or production lot numbers
- document the dates that the product was fed to your pet, how much was eaten, and the time when you first noticed symptoms
Adverse effects or deaths of pets conclusively linked to eating the contaminated foods should bereported to the FDA. Additionally, theAmerican Veterinary Medical Association website contains helpful information for pet parents and veterinarians.
For a complete list of recalled pet food brands, please visithttp://www.menufoods.com/recall.
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