Dog Food Recall - Menu Foods

[Big Dog]

I'll work up a more detailed story about this for the magazine in the front of the site, but wanted to get this word out here asap.

There has been another massive dog food recall and it again appears sickness and death are involved.

From what I can tell at this early date, it only effects wet or moist foods - not pure dry food.

The company involved is Menu Foods - but - they make food for many many brands. Please see the current list below - I don't claim this to be 100% complete (be careful with your dog's health) but it came from Menu Foods as of 3/19/07:

1. Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
2. Authority
3. Award
4. Best Choice
5. Big Bet
6. Big Red
7. Bloom
8. Bruiser
9. Cadillac
10. Companion
11. Demoulas Market Basket
12. Eukanuba
13. Food Lion
14. Giant Companion
15. Great Choice
16. Hannaford
17. Hill Country Fare
18. Hy-Vee
19. Iams
20. Laura Lynn
21. Loving Meals
22. Meijers Main Choice
23. Mighty Dog Pouch
24. Mixables
25. Nutriplan
26. Nutro Max
27. Nutro Natural Choice
28. Nutro Ultra
29. Nutro
30. Ol'Roy Canada
31. Ol'Roy US
32. Paws
33. Pet Essentials
34. Pet Pride - Good n Meaty
35. Presidents Choice
36. Price Chopper
37. Priority
38. Publix
39. Roche Bros
40. Save-A-Lot
41. Schnucks
42. Shep Dog
43. Springsfield Prize
44. Sprout
45. Stater Bros
46. Total Pet
47. Western Family
48. White Rose
49. Winn Dixie
50. Your Pet

Recall Information  1-866-895-2708

[Big Dog]

This dog food recall thread about Menu Foods is intended to be interactive gentle readers.

It was read over 17,000 times in the first day alone and other than this follow-up, nobody else has posted!

Do you have concerns about your dog?

Please register and ask a question (but this is not vet advice).

Is your dog effected?

Where are you living and which food did you feed your dog?

What are the symptoms you've seen?

Please take advantage of the opportunity to communicate with others here.

Just register (free - no spam from us) and join the conversation.

[Swissy Lover]

I feed a raw diet so my dogs are safe.  I feel for those dogs and cats that had to suffer unnecessarily. 
The company had switched to a different plant in KC, MO so they could add wheat and gluten.  They believe the product was infect with
some type of mold or other type of organism, which caused these animals to get sick.
It really gets me when companies cut corners to save a buck. 
This information was on Good Morning America this morning.
Did anyones dogs or cats get sick?
Swissy Lover

[Big Dog]

On March 17, 2007, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a press release about the Pet Food Recall of Foods Manufactured by Menu Foods, Inc. We are reproducing it here as a public service.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been informed that Menu Foods, Inc., a private-label pet food manufacturer based in Streetsville, Ontario, Canada, is recalling all its "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food produced at its facility in Emporia, Kansas between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. The products are sold in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The recall was prompted by consumer complaints received by the manufacturer and by tasting trials conducted by the manufacturer. There has been a small number of reported instances of cats and dogs in the United States that developed kidney failure after eating the affected product. Ten deaths, one dog and nine cats, have reported at this time. The firm has undertaken extensive testing of the pet food products in question, but to date has been unable to find the source of the problem.

The products are packaged in cans and pouches under numerous brand names and are marketed nationwide by many pet food retailers including Ahold USA Inc., Kroger Company, Safeway, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., PetSmart, Inc., and Pet Valu, Inc.

Menu Foods, Inc. has identified the potentially contaminated products on the Internet at {see our first post in this thread: http://www.dogexplorer.com/dog/index.php/topic,210.0.html }. Consumers who have any of these products should immediately stop feeding them to their pets. Dogs or cats who have consumed the suspect feed and show signs of kidney failure (such as loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting) should consult with their veterinarian. Menu Foods, Inc. is notifying retailers by telephone and mail and is arranging for the return of all recalled products.

FDA is conducting an investigation and working with Menu Foods, Inc. to ensure the effectiveness of the recall. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-866-895-2708.

Consumers who wish to report adverse actions or other problems can go to http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html to contact the FDA complaint coordinator in their state.

[StevenHess]

I am fortunate that none of my dogs and cats are sick as they get mostly kibble.

It may sound strange, but I have a question.

I have a ferret who just started exhibiting the symptoms described above.

I know that cat food and ferret food are similar...

Any chance? Anyone?

Maybe from processing different foods in the same machines?

She was just given some new 'moist' treats from a neighbor whose ferrets wouldn't eat them...

[Big Dog]

Hi Steven,

Welcome to the dog pack!

I'm glad most of your pets are doing okay and sorry to hear about your ferret.

First, if you have any doubts I'd get it to your Vet asap.

Have you checked to see if the treats were produced under any of the brand names listed?

And while I'm not a Vet and this is not Vet advice, the potential for a ferret to have a similar reaction to toxins in food seems very high to me. Again, if you are in doubt, get your pet to the Vet. From all reports the best treatment outcomes stem from early treatment.

Good luck and let us know how things turn out.

[Labbiebabies]

I am TOTALLY freaked BigDog........... I only discovered today (after RE reading an article about this recall to prove to my MIL that dry foods aren't affected) that Mixables pouches are affected by this recall.   I bought these pouches, for the first time, about a week ago to put on top of my NEW moms dry food to get her to eat it.  So........... now I have mom AND 7 babies (born 3-8) to worry about.  My first concern when the recall was issued was the Iams soft food I occasionally give my cat, but it's not cuts...... so he's safe......... I guess   So far my Bailey isn't exibiting any signs of kidney problems.......... but I'm afraid I may miss something.  I mean, she's not eating "normal", but she has puppies... so that's to be expected.  Right?  She's definately NOT lethargic...... she gets away from them babies every chance she gets, in fact it's getting to be a chore to get her back in with them........ kinda funny..I can remember the kids bribing her with a cheeto to get her out of that pen...... and now...... you have to throw a treat in there to get her to go back.  Anyway...... I'm rambling....... I think I'm just going to call my vet tomorrow and ask him for advice...... not that it will relieve my worry that much I'm afraid 

[Big Dog]

Hi LabbieBabies,

Welcome to the pack but wish you were here for other reasons of course. I understand your stress and worry. I too would take the cautious approach if in doubt and get the little ones and momma to the vet.

I'd not heard about "Mixables" pouches but anything other than traditional dry food I'd suspect right now.

Please keep us informed about mom and the puppies!

[Big Dog]

The popular brands Iams and Eukanuba also have styles of dog food made under contract by Menu Foods. I find this personally pretty interesting since these brand names are marketed as premium quality and premium priced food with an air of exclusivity.

This pet food recall reveals the actual corporate relationships and the effort to reduce costs by outsourcing production. Not only are Iams and Eukanuba linked and extremely mass market, there are brands owned by mega corporation Proctor & Gamble (P&G).

Once again, as a service to our readers, we are publishing the Iams and Eukanuba press release regarding the Menu Foods dog food recall. The important fact to come away with here once again is that the dry foods are not included in the recall as of March 21, 2007.



P&G Pet Care Announces Voluntary Participation in Menu Foods' Nationwide U.S. and Canadian Recall of Specific Canned and Small Foil Pouch 'Wet' Cat and Dog Foods

March 16, 2007 -- In response to the recent Menu Foods, Inc. nationwide recall of wet pet foods, P&G Pet Care has announced a voluntary recall in the United States and Canada on specific 3 oz., 5.5 oz., 6 oz. and 13.2 oz. canned and 3 oz. and 5.3 oz. foil pouch "wet" cat and dog food products manufactured by Menu Foods Inc. Emporia, Kansas plant with the code dates of 6339 through 7073 followed by the plant code 4197.

This voluntary recall is part of a larger product recall by Menu Foods Inc., a contract manufacturer that makes a small portion of canned and foil pouch 'wet' cat foods for Iams and Eukanuba as well as other non-P&G brands.

There have been a small number of reported cases of cats from the US (none in Canada) becoming sick and developing signs of kidney failure. The signs of kidney failure include loss of appetite, vomiting, and lethargy. P&G Pet Care has received no case reports involving dogs.

This voluntary product recall involves discontinuation of all retail sales and product retrieval from consumers. Consumers should stop using the affected products immediately, and consult with a veterinarian if any symptoms are present in their pet. All Iams and Eukanuba products carry a 100 percent guarantee, and consumers can receive a refund for recalled products. For more information, consumers can contact the company at 1-800-882-1591 for details.

To read can product codes, refer to the bottom of the can. The first four numbers of the second line of numbers are the date code, and the following four numbers indicate the plant code. For example, if the second line begins with four numbers from 6339 to 7073 followed by the plant code 4197, then the can should be recalled. For foil pouches, the code numbers are located at the lower left hand corner on the back of the pouch. The date and plant codes appear in the third group of numbers, beginning an 11-digit sequence.

P&G Pet Care is taking this proactive step out of an abundance of caution, because the health and well-being of pets is paramount in the mission of Iams and Eukanuba. Tests of some affected product have not revealed the cause of sickness, and testing will continue until a better understanding of the facts has been achieved. All other canned and small foil wet pouch products produced at other plants are not affected by this issue.

Iams and Eukanuba "dry" products are not manufactured at Menu Foods and not affected by this issue. Iams and Eukanuba biscuits, treats and sauces are not affected by this issue.

P&G Pet Care has informed the Food and Drug Administration and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on this issue. The company regrets any inconvenience to its consumers and retail customers.

Contact:
P&G Pet Care
800-882-1591

[jwade]

is there a certain kind of wet food, or a date i can look for. i live in adelanto, ca..thanks, jennifer

[haley57]

I have a 3 year old female dog that almost died from kidney failure two weeks ago.  She spent 8 days in emergency pet ICU and is now home and still on antibiotic therapy.  Symptoms were lethargy, not eating, and vomiting, so we took her to local vet and the creatine clearance (function of kidneys) was over 10, and normal is 0.6.   We fed her the Ol Roy packets of various flavors, and just feel this was the cause of her illness and near death.  Our vet bills were over $7000.00, and most people would have just had to put the dog down, but we were fortunate enough to save her.  I would like to know how many other people have had dogs that have succomb to kidney failure like this. Comments apprectiated. 
Darla
North Texas

[Big Dog]

Hi Jennifer,

Welcome to the pack. If you take a look at the very first post in this thread you'll find a list of the brands effected by the wet food recall.

If you have Iams or Eukanuba wet food, look just three posts down and specific package sizes and codes are listed. We will work to get more detailed information up about the other names as well. If in doubt return it to the store would be what I'd do. I'm sure most will refund your money.

If your dog will only eat wet style foods another possible approach is to buy premium dry food and mix in a little warm water. There are several quality dry "raw food" brands as well that require a bit of water I think to reconstitute which may be another option.

[Big Dog]

Hi Darla,

Welcome! I wish you'd found us in less stressful times.

I'm very sorry to hear about what your 3 year old dog and your family have been through. It is uplifting to learn that she is still alive and that you have the resources and personal strength to provide that extraordinary care for her.

She is a lucky girl.

If you have any remaining packets of the Ol'Roy dog food I'd suggest you hold on to them and check them against the recall codes. I'll see about getting that list online asap. I'd also contact Menu Foods about help with your substantial Vet bills (1-866-895-2708). The money won't do much to undo the suffering of all involved but you should not face that cost if their product was defective.

Fingers crossed here for a complete recovery!

[Labbiebabies]

Ol'Roy is definately part of the recall.........  how insanely crazy is all of this??  I am finding myself more interested in raw feeding my dogs now that's for sure.  I returned the 3 (of 12) pouches I had left today to petsmart and the woman in front of me was returning some canned food that's not even recalled....... she said she was taking no chances and her dog would get scrambled eggs and hamburger from now on    I just can't believe my luck...... the ONLY time I've ever bought soft food for my dogs, and it gets recalled   I do have a question though for the woman whose dog was sick...... how long did it take for symptoms to appear?  Did you notice something was wrong right away, or did it take a while to put it all together?  I'm just afraid I will miss a sign of my Bailey having problems.  As you can quess I didn't call the vet today, maybe I'll get around to it tomorrow...... today was an eventful day to say the least 

[DomsMom]

Hello to all; I hope you don't mind a newbie chiming in here, but I feel helpless and hopeless at the moment at the moment and thought maybe posting here might help.  My precious baby boy is lying beside me dying of what appears to be acute kidney failure right now.  He's thirteen and a half years old, so I knew that he wouldn't be with me very much longer, but he was doing fairly well just a few weeks ago.  We don't really know if earlier detection and medical treatment would have made a huge difference in his case, due to his age.  But because he's a fairly old dog, his symptoms didn't seem all that alarming to me.  He had been drinking more water over the last couple of years, so even when his water consumption increased sharply within the last month, it just didn't seem that odd to me (though in hindsight, I should have been more concerned about it).

He's dead now.  My little baby died a terrible painful death and I ache from my skin to the depth of my soul.  I didn't mean to make him suffer so badly.  When the vet suggested euthanasia I just couldn't go through with it just then.  I needed my family and boyfriend to be with me.  But I could have spared him a miserable night, and having to die in a pet hospital (The vet he's been seeing makes housecalls).  He was in such agony last night, and his restlessness and crying will haunt me for the rest of my life.  How could I have subjected him to that?  I just wanted him to die in an environment he felt comfortable in, with someone else who loved him there to comfort me.

I don't know if it's because I've been feeding him Nutro NC chunks in gravy for the past few months.  We had just bought a couple new flats of it about five days before the recall.  The date on the bottom of those cans indicate that they were made just prior to the dates of contamination.  But these cans did not have the convenient pull-off lids (which I noticed with disappointment the first time I went to feed it to them) so I'm thinking that they were older stock of the food I had been giving them for a while.  I don't believe I have any of those cans around anymore, so I guess I may never know, unless anyone here knows when NNC started using pull off lids on their cuts and gravy dog food.  

Note I did say I had been feeding it to "them."  I have another dog who is four years younger still living though in questionable health.  I had noticed that he was lagging behind on walks, getting winded, and seeming a bit distant and quiet over the past couple of weeks.  He is consuming more water than before, though still has a healthy appetite.  I admit I was wrapped up a bit in my now-departed pooch's medical problems and should have been paying more attention to my Knuckles (that's my nine year old dog's name).  We did, however, have some blood drawn from him yesterday and sent to a lab to be checked for signs of kidney problems.  I don't know what I'd do if he went into renal failure.  Probably kick myself for being the worst pet guardian ever.  He just hasn't had any real medical problems, whereas I was expecting more health problems in a dog approaching 14.

Even if there was a verifiable link between the food and my sweet Domino's demise, I'm not interested in suing anyone.  There isn't a thing in the world that could bring back my sweet baby, and I know that Menu Foods and Nutro will feel the sharp crack of the whip on this one.  But I must say I'm mighty miffed to learn that the expensive, high-quality dog food I've been feeding my dogs so lovingly is really just a can of crud I could have bought at the supermarket for half the cost, dolled up in a fancy can.  I feel like such a chump... like I just sunk a big wad of cash into a crappy home well staged with designer furniture.  

Anyway, I guess I should wrap up this unreadably long, self-indulgent pity-party.  I was searching the internet for more info on the recall because there was little else I could do at the time, and that's how I came across this site.  Maybe I'll check it out a little more, soon, and post some pictures of the dog who made my life complete for the past 11½ years (I missed out on his first two).  I'm sure they wont really interest anyone else, but I might get some comfort from showing off my baby again anyway.