Nutro Cat Food Recall!

This just in from the FDA: Nutro food is recalling its Natural Choice and Nutro Max cat and kitten foods!

The recall, announced today (May 21, 2009) by the FDA, does not surprise pet owners in America who have known for over a year that something was amiss with the Nutro food they were feeding their beloved pets. This recall only affects cat/kitten food. Not surprisingly Nutro claims that this recall is only for the cat food products listed below.

However, SecurePet has been on this story from the start (read previous posts regarding Nutro). From the beginning it was suspected that something was amiss with the mineral supplementation in the food. Now this is confirmed, at least for the cat food. As it turns out the chief suspect IS zinc, something that Nutro denied over and over again! Both Nutro puppy and adult dog food were tested by independent labs and revealed that the zinc levels in these foods were at 40 times higher than the recommended amount. (Read this related article.)

Many pet owners who fed their pets Nutro foods found themselves with animals that displayed various symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and severe gastrointestinal distress. Some have spent upwards of thousands of dollars to find out what was wrong with their pets. However, people discovered that when they switched foods their pets miraculously recovered. Unfortunately, while some found that their pets’ symptoms were relieved there was often permanent organ damage. In some cases the pets have died.

The amazing thing about the FDA statement is the portion that denies that there have been any consumer complaints about Nutro food. That is a complete fabrication. I happen to know that Nutro has received at least three complaints and judging from what I have read on the Consumer Affairs web site there have been at least 500 complaints.

This new development will be interesting to follow. And this could be just the tip of the iceberg.

Keep your pet safe and healthy, remove the following products from your pantry.

Here is the FDA post:

Recall — Firm Press Release

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Nutro Products Announces Voluntary Recall of Limited Range of Dry Cat Food Products

Contact:
Monica Barrett
Nutro Products, Inc.
(615) 628-5387
monica.barrett@effem.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Franklin, Tennessee (May 21, 2009) — Today, Nutro Products announced a voluntary recall of select varieties of NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods with “Best If Used By Dates” between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010. The cat food is being voluntarily recalled in the United States and ten additional countries. This recall is due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium in our finished product resulting from a production error by a US-based premix supplier.

Two mineral premixes were affected. One premix contained excessive levels of zinc and under-supplemented potassium. The second premix under-supplemented potassium. Both zinc and potassium are essential nutrients for cats and are added as nutritional supplements to NUTRO® dry cat food.

This issue was identified during an audit of our documentation from the supplier. An extensive review confirmed that only these two premixes were affected. This recall does not affect any NUTRO® dog food products, wet dog or cat food, or dog and cat treats.

Affected product was distributed to retail customers in all 50 states, as well as to customers in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Israel. We are working with all of our distributors and retail customers, in both the US and internationally, to ensure that the recalled products are not on store shelves. These products should not be sold or distributed further.

Consumers who have purchased affected product should immediately discontinue feeding the product to their cats, and switch to another product with a balanced nutritional profile. While we have received no consumer complaints related to this issue, cat owners should monitor their cat for symptoms, including a reduction in appetite or refusal of food, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea. If your cat is experiencing health issues or is pregnant, please contact your veterinarian.

Consumers who have purchased product affected by this voluntary recall should return it to their retailer for a full refund or exchange for another NUTRO® dry cat food product. Cat owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-800-833-5330 between the hours 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM CST, or visit www.nutroproducts.com.

Recalled Pet Food

The varieties of NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods listed below with “Best If Used By Dates” between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010 are affected by this voluntary recall.

Nutro Products Recall List – Dry Cat Foods

U.S. Product Name	Bag Size	UPC
NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Kitten Food	4 lbs	0 79105 20607 5
NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Kitten Food	8 lbs.	0 79105 20608 2
NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Kitten Food (Bonus Bag)	9.2 lbs.	0 79105 20695 2
NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Kitten Food	20 lbs	0 79105 20609 9
NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Kitten Food (Sample Bag)	1.5 oz	none
NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult	4 lbs	0 79105 20610 5
NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult	8 lbs.	0 79105 20611 2
NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult (Bonus Bag)	9.2 lbs	0 79105 20694 5
NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult	20 lbs	0 79105 20612 9
NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult (Sample Bag)	1.5 oz	none
NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult Oceanfish Flavor	4 lbs	0 79105 20622 8
NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult Oceanfish Flavor	8 lbs	0 79105 20623 5
NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult Oceanfish Flavor (Bonus Bag)	9.2 lbs.	0 79105 20698 3
NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult Oceanfish Flavor	20 lbs	0 79105 20624 2
NUTRO® MAX® Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor	3 lbs	0 79105 10228 5
NUTRO® MAX® Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor	6 lbs	0 79105 10229 2
NUTRO® MAX® Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor	16 lbs	0 79105 10230 8
NUTRO® MAX® Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor (Sample Bag)	1.5 oz	none
NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor	3 lbs	0 79105 10243 8
NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor	6 lbs	0 79105 10244 5
NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor	16 lbs	0 79105 10245 2
NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor (Sample Bag)	1.5 oz	none
NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Salmon Flavor	3 lbs	0 79105 10246 9
NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Salmon Flavor	6 lbs	0 79105 10247 6
NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Salmon Flavor	16 lbs	0 79105 10248 3
NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Weight Control	3 lbs	0 79105 10249 0
NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Weight Control	6 lbs	0 79105 10250 6
NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Weight Control	16 lbs	0 79105 10251 3

Nutro Food and the FDA versus Concerned Pet Food Consumers

Tempest in the Teapot? No! It’s the Tempest in the Kibble Bag!

A whirling-dervish of media reporting is the outcome of a recent report that the FDA has placed Nutro Products, Inc. under investigation. According to Consumer Affairs the leading cause for this investigation is the large volume of complaints against Nutro pet food products. So far there are over 500 documented complaints, and growing. Consumer Affairs has a point. With this many complaints it’s not a wonder that consumers are demanding answers from the Nutro Company.

After the loss of my own dog to a possible Nutro-food related seizure, I have followed the complaints against Nutro Products, Inc. with interest. In March of 2007 (the same year as the Menu Foods recall) Nutro was acquired by Mars Inc. At some point in late 2007 or early 2008, the Nutro Products, Inc. kibble began changing both in color and smell. Of course, pet food varies from batch to batch and most consumers felt (myself included) that if the formula had changed it would be because of “improvements.” However, shortly after receiving the new food my senior dog began vomiting and had diarrhea. In November of 2008 I switched from Nutro Natural Choice Senior to Nutro Ultra both the dry and canned food versions.

She responded favorably to the new food, vomiting and diarrhea appeared under control, she even regained some of her previously lost energy. But I had overlooked something important about this miraculous change: I had actually stopped feeding her commercial pet food altogether and started making my own dog food. The first reason was to treat her diarrhea. The second reason was the result of her lab work: Her blood panel revealed highly elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of liver failure.

In the meantime, the new bag of Ultra and the canned food remained in the pantry. Once she began feeling “good” again, I resumed feeding her Nutro. She appeared to respond fine to the food — for a while. Then she resumed having loose stools and began eating excessive amounts of grass, vomiting frequently from the grass consumption. On April 17, 2008 she had a seizure, it was a continuous group of multiple-cluster seizures. Even if the vet could get the seizures under control, the likely hood of a full recovery would be minimal. Her internal temperature was so high that major organ damage (including kidney failure and brain damage) would be likely. I made the difficult and gut-wrenching decision to euthanize her. I was devastated. To his credit, my vet suggested that we do a necropsy. At that time, I couldn’t handle the thought of it. So I declined. I now regret that I did not follow through with his suggestion.

Previously, I had not shared my own story with anyone on the SecurePet blog, partly because I wasn’t certain that Nutro was to blame. And, I certainly did not want to taint my reporting with something that could not be substantiated. Then several people contacted me with their own stories. I followed up on these and asked for more details. None of the owners initially made the food/illness connection. They sought veterinarian care because their pets were seriously ill. One lady, whose three dogs died within weeks of each other, contacted me with her story, you can read it here. Many pet parents reported that their dog’s lab work revealed liver damage. Often the food/illness connection occurred (like myself) after the dog’s death, when the pet parent was seeking answers to the mysterious illness and ultimate death of their beloved family member.

Therefore, when one of my readers alerted me to the FDA probe I eagerly went to the ConsumerAffairs.com web site to read more about it. The April 20, 2009 report by Lisa Wade McCormick was a welcome relief. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had confirmed their investigation into Nutro Products, Inc.. In her online article, Ms. McCormick states that, “the FDA’s Division of Freedom of Information confirmed the agency has an ongoing investigation into NUTRO — and said the investigation could be criminal or civil in nature.”

But the FDA immediately started back-peddling, despite the fact that Consumer Affairs had actual documented proof addressed to Lisa McCormick in response to her query under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In fact, the agency did something it had never done before: On April 28, 2009, the FDA posted a denial of any investigation into Nutro Products, Inc., on the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine portion of the agency’s web site. However, let’s be clear about this, the CVM is not the department that handles complaints, nor does it do the investigative work. So, yes, indeed, the FDA CVM is stating a fact: This department is not investigating Nutro Products, Inc.

In what can only be described as a fit of “lazy-reporting” the major media broadcasters immediately jumped on this news story by parroting the FDA’s statement and Nutro’s denial. The winners are the FDA and Nutro, whose efforts to deliver a wonderful media-spin on the whole FDA investigation report made them both come out smelling like the proverbial rose. The losers are the consumers — who are now left more confused than ever. And, both the FDA and Nutro made it appear as if ConsumerAffairs.com was caught with its pants down. Thankfully, the folks at ConsumerAffairs.com responded quickly. On April 29, 2009 another article appeared detailing more vividly than ever the complaints against Nutro and more documentation from the FDA.

The Nutro corporation has always taken the stance that the rumors about their product’s safety are the result of low-minded, non-investigative, blog-writing, rumor-mongering, hysterical people. Well, let me remind Nutro that these are people who purchased their products, fed them to their pets, and watched helplessly as their pets became ill and died! I for one am glad that ConsumerAffairs.com is not taking matters lying down. The FDA is not an agency that is pro-active, it only moves when it absolutely has to, remember the Menu Foods debacle? So, why should consumers place any weight on what this agency states? If it weren’t for courageous, honest, and investigative reporting pet parents all over the world would be totally unaware of the potential dangers of feeding their furry family members Nutro!

Howl If You Missed Me

Although my wife and I lost our Australian Shepherd a couple of years ago, we still recall with fondness just how happy she was when people came home …

Unlike some other dogs, “Smylee” was not a big jumper or leaper. But, she was a big greeter … and a vocal one at that. After you entered through the front door, what she really liked was for you to get down on your knees and give her a big hug, when she proceeded to howl for joy. In turn, this caused you to howl as well, turning the meeting into a group howling fest which let everyone else in the house (including all of the various cats hiding in nearby nooks and crannies) know that yes indeed, someone special had arrived.

I always wondered why Smylee howled when I came home from a long trip, and of course my wife and I had concocted our own theories to explain the behavior. Recently, I did some research and discovered that howling can actually be used for long-range communication with other dogs or owners. It can also be used to locate another member of the pack, or even to keep strangers away. In the wild, it’s often used by wolves or coyotes to call in the pack for hunting (a sound that we hear often out here in the Texas Hill Country). For the domesticated canines that we know and love, howling is sometimes a sign of separation anxiety, too.

Of course, sometimes dogs will howl when they hear the wailing sirens of a police car, fire engine, or other emergency vehicle. Loud, high pitched sounds like those made by clarinets, flutes, and other musical instruments can also precipitate an impromptu howling session. We’ve all seen our dogs jump up and howl (or bark) in response to certain sounds on the television. Sometimes, even an electric guitar playing just the right note will create a quick reaction. Especially if it’s blues! Interestingly enough, the sounds don’t have to be live and in person to get a response, as any recorded facsimile will work for a dog.

You should know that when your dog begins howling to acknowledge your karaoke singing, they are not doing so because of your superior crooning skills. Contrary to popular belief, the sound isn’t hurting their ears, either—even though you might be singing a little off key. The simple explanation is that dogs react with howling as an instinctive response to hearing what they interpret to be another howl (i.e., another dog in the distance). Your “singing” makes you just another dog in the pack, letting everyone else know where you are.

In Smylee’s case, she only howled when greeted by a long lost friend or someone who spent time away from home for an extended duration. In this instance, her dog howl was meant to say “here I am” and used to alert the rest of her extended family and call them home—much like wolves do in the wild. When Smylee howled, she was letting everyone within earshot know that someone important had returned home and that anyone else in the family should drop everything, run to the door, and join the pack in celebration.

One of these days, we will see her again on the other side. She will be there, waiting to greet us with a welcome smile, no doubt howling for joy when we finally join her in that heavenly pack.

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