Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
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Martinsville, Virginia 24115
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| Vets say illnesses may be related |
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Tuesday, March 20, 2007
By DEBBIE HALL - Bulletin Staff Writer
Pets that might have ingested contaminated cat or dog food are showing up for treatment at some area veterinary clinics.
Dr. Joe May, owner of Kings Mountain Animal Clinic, said several pets have been treated at his office after symptoms of possible kidney failure surfaced.
Dr. Richard Price of the Henry County Animal Clinic also said “we’ve got a couple that are very (good) possibilities.”
Doctors at the Brosville Animal Clinic told Price there are two young house cats in kidney failure there.
Menu Foods announced a recall of some brands of its dog and cat food last weekend after animals that ingested some of the products began suffering from kidney failure.
The company, which is based in Canada, has its North American operations in Emporia, Kansas, according to its Web site.
The company manufactures a number of brands of cat and dog food, including foods such as Best Choice, Preferred Pets, Eukanuba, Save-A-Lot, Iams and several others.
Some pets have died from kidney failure after eating the affected food, according to the Associated Press.
Symptoms of kidney failure include drinking and/or urinating more than normal and being lethargic, May said.
May was on call over the weekend “and had more calls about that than anything else.” So far, he said, “the emphasis (of the recall) is on small cans or foil pouches” of announced brands of pet food.
The best thing pet owners can do is check the company’s Web site and see if their pet food is on the list, Price said.
Cases of kidney failure are most often found in older animals or animals who have ingested toxins such as anti-freeze, Price said.
But it is not common “when you start seeing house pets” or younger animals suffering with kidney failure, he said.
If a pet owner suspects their animal is ill, a veterinarian “needs to take a look at” the pet to determine if its illness may be associated with eating the contaminated food, May said.
Although news of the recall is recent, one of the first local cases might have surfaced about three weeks ago, when an employee’s relative brought an animal into May’s clinic.
The animal was suffering from apparent renal failure, but “we didn’t realize what in the world was causing” the organ failure, May said.
The animal had undergone tests about six months earlier that showed no signs of kidney disease, May said, adding that the animal is undergoing treatment.
Treating affected animals for kidney failure and changing their diet are priorities, Price said.
Because the company only recently traced the illness to wheat gluten, neither May nor Price can say what the prognosis is for affected animals.
“We haven’t put any dogs to sleep,” Price said.
Like many pet owners, staff at the Martinsville-Henry County SPCA purged some pet food because of contamination concerns.
“We pulled about 50 cans each” of Ol’ Roy and Special Kitty even though that action means the agency is running low on food supply, said Donna Belcher, shelter manager.
With kitten season “just around the corner,” Belcher said she hopes residents will step forward with donations of more food, because 5- to 6-week-old kittens are unable to eat dry food and must have canned food.
When the season gets in full swing, “we usually have about 100 kittens on hand” at the shelter, Belcher said.
The agency also has fielded several calls from concerned residents about which brands of pet food might be affected, Belcher said. |
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