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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, March 19, 2007

Pet-food recall sweeps shelves, worries owners

By Greg Wiles
Advertiser Staff Writer

Potentially tainted pet food is being yanked from the shelves of local stores, which reported that customers are also seeking refunds for the products.

The company that made the pet food has said about 10 pets have died nationwide because of it. A Kailua woman says she suspects it killed her family's dog.

"We took them off the shelves already and sent it back," said Suzie Wright, a sales associate at Pet Depot in 'Ewa Beach, yesterday. The store also has called customers who buy large quantities of the "cuts and gravy" style food in cans and foil pouches to let them know about the recall.

"All our customers have been OK and thanked us about giving them the heads up."

Local stores, including Wal-Mart, Safeway and Pet's Discount, pulled the affected food from their shelves after Menu Foods, a major maker of pet food for other companies, announced Friday that some of its products were causing pet kidney problems. Wal-Mart's Royal Kunia store cleared shelves of the food Friday as news came out. Yesterday the stores reported customers were turning in the recalled food and receiving refunds.

The recall affected 50 brands of dog food and 40 brands of cat food, including such popular labels as those from Iams, Eukanuba, Paws, Western Family and Ol' Roy. In addition, Nestle Purina PetCare Co. and Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. said they were recalling some products made by Menu Foods, which last year produced more than 1 billion containers of pet food sold through supermarkets, discount stores, pet stores and wholesale outlets.

The manufacturer said the cans and pouches of pet food were manufactured between Dec. 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007.

For example, Iams is recalling 3-, 5.5-, 6- and 13.3-ounce cans; and 3- and 5.5-ounce pouch "wet" food made under its name at Menu Foods' Emporia, Kan., plant with the code dates 6339 through 7073, followed by the plant code 4197.

Iams said signs of pet kidney failure can include loss of appetite, vomiting and lethargy. Menu Foods told the Associated Press the recalled products were made using wheat gluten purchased from a new supplier and that it has since switched to a new source.

Kailua resident Valerie Sylvester said she believes the tainted food was responsible for the sudden death of Twinkles, her family's 16-year-old beagle, which died March 11. The dog ate one of the recalled products the evening before its death, she said.

Sylvester said the pet seemed to be in some sort of distress the day of its death and acted strangely. She said that included the dog's swimming and barking in the family pool at 6:30 a.m., something he had never done, and refusing to eat. Her veterinarian was closed that day; otherwise she would have taken him in, Sylvester said.

"I was worried about him," she said. "I didn't know what was wrong."

Then on Saturday morning she saw the news about the national pet food recall and said it struck a nerve. Sylvester said she is certain it was the food that caused her pet's death.

She called her veterinarian Saturday morning to inquire if other owners' pets had died. The doctor recommended she contact Emily Gardner, a Honolulu attorney who specializes in animal law. Sylvester, who still has unused cans of the recalled product sitting in her pantry, said she is considering filing a lawsuit.

"I feel like something needs to be done," Sylvester said. "I don't think they had enough regulations, and they made food that made my dog suffer terribly.

"I don't want anyone else to go through that."

• • •

PET FOOD RECALL LIST

DOG-FOOD BRANDS

Anyone with "cuts and gravy" style dog food from the following manufacturers should check www.menufoods.com/recall/product_dog.html or call (866) 895-2708 to see if the product is among those being recalled.

Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Award
Best Choice
Big Bet
Big Red
Bloom
Bruiser
Cadillac
Companion
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Food Lion
Giant Companion
Great Choice
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Laura Lynn
Loving Meals
Meijers Main Choice
Mighty Dog Pouch
Mixables
Nutriplan
Nutro
Nutro Max
Nutro Natural Choice
Nutro Ultra
Ol' Roy Canada
Ol' Roy US
Paws
Pet Essentials
Pet Pride-Good n Meaty
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority
Publix
Roche Bros
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Shep Dog
Springsfield Prize
Sprout
Stater Bros
Total Pet
Western Family
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Your Pet

CAT-FOOD BRANDS

Anyone with "cuts and gravy" style cat food from the following manufacturers should check www.menufoods.com/recall/product_cat.htmlor call (866) 895-2708 to see if the product is among those being recalled.

Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Best Choice
Companion
Compliments
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Fine Feline C
Food Lion
Foodtown
Giant Companion
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Laura Lynn
Li'l Red
Loving Meals
Meijer's Main Choice
Nutriplan
Nutro Max Gourmet Classics
Nutro Natural Choice
Paws
Pet Pride
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Cans
Sophistacat
Special Kitty Canada
Special Kitty US
Springfield Prize
Sprout
Total Pet
Wegmans
Western Family
White Rose
Winn Dixie

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Reach Greg Wiles at gwiles@honoluluadvertiser.com.