No one knows how many cats and dogs have fallen ill after eating the pet food subject to a massive recall. Many veterinarians are wondering whether this sort of problem is preventable as they struggle to respond to the situation.<\/p>\n
Menu Foods Inc., a Canadian manufacturer of wet pet food, recently recalled more than 60 million containers of cuts and gravy-style food from two U.S. facilities because of concerns about the effect of the products on the renal health of pets. The recall represents about 1 percent of pet food in the United States, according to the Food and Drug Administration.<\/p>\n
The FDA, which regulates pet food and many ingredients in pet food, stated that the recall resulted from consumer complaints and the deaths of animals in routine palatability studies. A suspect agent at press time in late March was melamine, which had apparently contaminated the wheat gluten that went into food that was recalled.<\/p>\n
As the investigation continues, practitioners have been busy calming clients and stabilizing patients. The veterinary community is sharing information and attempting to develop a treatment protocol. Practitioners also are learning much more about dog and cat food, from details of commercial manufacturing to issues with home preparation.<\/p>\n