Reports of Illness/Deaths suspected from Non-Recalled Hill's Science Diet foods

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I've put the Hill's Prescription and Hill's Science Diet information into this separate post, as we now have THREE different foods from this company that tested postive for toxins in private tests. See items in red below.

Science Diet Light Canned Dog Food - Cyanuric Acid (details here and here)
Science Diet Light Dry Cat Food - Cyanuric Acid and Acetaminophen (details here and here)
Science Diet Sensitive Stomach Dry Cat Food - Acetaminophen (details here and here)

I have seen hundreds of reports of pets who got sick or died - from eating (mostly dry) food that has not been recalled - posted on various sites online. Many of us have been told by FDA officials that they have also received numerous reports of other unrecalled foods causing illness. However, the foods which people keep complaining about have not been recalled. So I'll be doing what I can to 'shine a light' on these reports and complaints, in the fervent hope that as more people become aware of the problem it will be addressed.

These foods need to be thoroughly tested for all possible contaminants (Melamine and the Melamine Compounds including Cyanuric Acid, as well as excess Vitamin D, Aflatoxin, Aminopterin and Acetominophen) - and the results must be made public.

Recently, there was an article about Nutro dry foods (see here), and an entry about Iams (see here). Other brands are here. Reports/comments for those brands are listed in those posts.

This post is for Hill's Prescription and Science Diet foods that people have been reporting. I've been reading these online for many weeks now, and since it seems like many people only look on one or two sites for their information, I'm posting them here to increase awareness, and so that the full scope of the issue is understood better. There are foods out there that still need to be recalled!

These are just a few of the comments that other people have posted online, on other websites, forums and blogs. I am providing links to them so you can check them out for yourself. In most cases I have posted a portion of the comment and you can click the link to read the rest. I've tried to include links from different sites - in most cases there are multiple stories on the same site.

Note that I've left the Quote Marks off to make it easier to read. Everything under a link is from the original poster. Where there is a '...' it means I've edited some of the post. Again, click the links to see the full post.

Disclaimer: These are reports by people like yourself who posted online (or emailed me) that they believe a certain food made their pets sick. This information is simply for you to use as part of making an educated difference about what products you purchase - both for yourself and your pet. None of these foods have been recalled, and the problems reported may have nothing to do with the current round of recalls! If your pet has eaten any of these foods and got sick, please report it to the company and FDA! Some people have been told that the FDA will only test additional foods when they receive enough complaints about it. So if you have a complaint, please contact your local FDA office. http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html

And please, feel free to add your own story in the comment section, or email me with it. (I still have a bunch of emails to work my way through, so it might take me a while to respond but I will get back to you.)

I will post any additional private test results of these foods if/when they become available.


Hill’s Prescription dry c/d Dry Cat Food
http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/03/pet-food-recall-we-read-the-news-today-oh-boy/#comment-22678Our cat died after eating Hill’s Prescription dry c/d which contains corn gluten

http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/02/pet-food-recall-cheap-leashes-and-picking-pet-foods/#comment-21462
I also have a cat who went into unexplained acute renal failure in February, on a diet of dry Hill’s C/D (she was healthy and ate the C/D only because it was prescribed for her brother and two vets assured me that it was fine for her also. ...

Hills Prescription s/d Cat Food
http://cats.about.com/b/a/257812.htm#comment-10886
My cat died and I’m sure it was due to Prescription Diet S/D. This product has not be recalled but ... had all the symptoms - jaundiced gums, vomiting, fatigue, frequent urination, extreme thirst. The vet had no idea what was wrong as this all occurred on March 12th, before we really knew about the problems with food. ...

Hill's Prescription z/d Cat Food
http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/06/01/friday-night-follies-fda-food-safety-and-more/#comment-76743
I had 3 cats die between last year and just before the recall. I think Hills Z/D is what killed them. Some of my cats wouldn’t touch it. some ate it.

Hill's Prescription i/d Cat Food (added 6-9 1pm, brought up from the comments on previous post)
My cat was eating Prescription Diet i/d exclusively and when I opened and started a new bag of it in late March, he became sick. He died on April 02,2007 and I am absolutely positive that the Prescription i/d killed him -- it contains "corn gluten". He was poisioned to death!!!!!


Hills Prescription Diet ID Dry Dog
http://www.itchmo.com/read/several-unconfirmed-reports-of-iams-dry-food-causing-illness_20070323#comment-699
My schnauzer and westie have been sick every time I bring home a bag of dry Science Diet ID from the vet sinece last June. ... It was particularly bad in November thru January requiring a couple of emergency room visits as well as sub-q fluids and and shots for nausea and vomiting. Vet thought my schnauzer had Pancreatitis. She does have a very sensitive stomach and is prone to GI bleed if her diet is not maintained, but the episides almost monthly came after each new bag was opened for her and my westie. .... I have mentioned it to my vet repeatedly. all he says is to phone Hill’s. Did that too. All they did was send me a five dollar coupon toward my next purchase.


Science Diet Indoor Dry Cat Food
http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboards/thread.aspx?ThreadID=232979>1=9145&BoardsParam=Page%3D17
We lost our sweet 9 year-old cat last week of acute kidney failure. She ate dry food only ( science diet, indoor cat... ... She had never been sick before. Our nightmare included hospitalization, iv antibiotics and a week of home-administered ringer's lactate infusions, before she succumbed. ...

Science Diet Light Dry Cat Food
http://www.gothamist.com/2007/03/17/pet_food_recall.php#comment-1057854
I put ...our twelve-year old black cat to sleep on Monday, March 19, 2007. He and another cat only ate Hills Science Diet light dry food. ... He had kidney failure and was severely dehydrated. ... I emailed Hills about my ...to have it on record. I have not received a returned phone call from the Texas FDA yet. ...

Science Diet Light Dry Cat Food (Added 6-9)
This food tested positive for Cyanuric Acid and Acetaminophen after a sample from an open bag was sent to a private lab. See here for details

Science Diet Hairball Light Formula Dry Cat Food
http://www.gothamist.com/2007/03/17/pet_food_recall.php#comment-1064711
My cat became extremely sick about three weeks ago. He stopped eating, but we thought it was because he was upset with our move...After a week I took him to the vet. He is only 6 and up to this point has always been in perfect health. He was suffering from severe Renal Failure. ... We had been feeding him Hill's Science Diet Hairball Light Formula...

Science Diet Sensitive Stomach Dry Cat Food (Added 6-9)
This food tested positive in private tests for acetaminophen. See here for details.

Science Diet Dry Dog Food
http://www.itchmo.com/read/several-unconfirmed-reports-of-iams-dry-food-causing-illness_20070323#comment-606
I have fed my dog Science Diet Dry Dog Food for 7 years. I bought a new bag at ... and when I opened the bag it had a strange smell and the food looked darker then usual. I gave it to my dog and she ate some and that night she started vomiting. She was sick for two days, and would not eat any more of the food.

http://www.itchmo.com/read/several-unconfirmed-reports-of-iams-dry-food-causing-illness_20070323#comment-656
I stopped feeding Science Diet Dry Food. Since I bought a bag Jan? Feb?my dog hasn’t wanted to eat it ,the few times he did he would lay spread out on his tummy as if he had a tummy ache.

Science Diet Light Canned Dog Food (added 6-12)
This food tested positive for Cyanuric Acid after an unopened can was sent to a private lab. Read more here.

Read more on Hill's here (including correspondence with other pet owners in the response section) Added 6-4 9am
http://catmanager.wordpress.com/2007/03/27/mail-from-hills/

Tainted Treats from Walmart Suspected in Dog's Death - NOT Recalled , FDA Unaware

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I've got a lot of posts started but not finished, this one can't wait. My heartfelt apologies for not posting much lately - reading thousands of your stories of sick and dying pets finally got to me, and I had to take an unplanned break. Now I'm right back into it, and with this article we see again that it's like it never happened, and it's like nothing has changed.

Thanks to ABC Action News out of Philadelphia for this... as always, the emphasis is mine. The product involved is Bestro Chicken Jerky Strips.

August 15, 2007 - A Delaware County woman says her dog died after eating dog treats made in China.

Wal-Mart has quietly pulled a made in China dog treat from its shelves. However, there has been no public announcement, and there's no telling how many contaminated bags of treats may still be out there.

Kate Collins of Aston still finds it hard to talk about. She loves her Chihuahuas. She has two now, but her youngest is gone. Two-year-old Bella died suddenly last month after eating Bestro Chicken Jerky Strips.

Bella was dead within a week. The other dogs didn't get the same treats and they're fine.

The animal hospital did an autopsy and found that Bella died of an infection caused by toxic bacteria.

Kate bought the treats at the Wal-Mart store in Boothwyn. She said it took her days to find a manager willing to talk to her.

Wal-Mart would not say how many complaints it has gotten, but an Internet search shows similar incidents across the country.

The company has issued a statement saying it cares about people and their pets, and ordered the treats removed from the shelves of all stores. Wal-Mart has since offered to reimburse Collins for up to $2,000, which, she said, doesn't come close to covering her loss. She also said it's not about the money. She just wants to get the word out.

The Food and Drug Administration is apparently unaware of this latest problem with pet food from China. A recall has not been issued. They failed to respond to our inquiries. Wal-Mart said if you have the Bestro Chicken Jerky Strips at home, you can return them for a full refund.

More on this, and other things, soon. Very soon.

Wal-Mart using 'old' packages (update)

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Update 8-28:

Apparently, Menu Foods and Wal-Mart jointly decided to use old packaging in order to save money. So they just had new labels printed to put over the old UPC code and are stamping QA-OK on pouches made since the recall.

That might make some of you feel better, but not me. In my opinion it shows their continued lack of concern for pet owners, and their focus on costs to the exclusion of common sense.

These companies don’t even seem to be aware they need to regain consumer confidence!

If you buy anything and Wal-Mart or any pet food made by Menu Foods, it’s at your own risk.

And, um, by the way - if it’s just new labels and the food is good, why did 4 new cats get sick?

***************


From wsfa.com out of Montgomery, AL. Wal-Mart is still selling cat food recalled months ago. One story from today, one from yesterday. Emphasis mine.

More Pet Food on Recall List Found on Wal-Mart Shelves

We introduced you to Sheri McComber Wednesday. She says four of her cats got sick after eating Special Kitty brand cat food. She checked the labels on the food and found they were listed on the product recall. She said, "This was done on purpose."

We found dozens of the pouches just like the one's McComber had at the Clanton Wal-Mart. At first glance, the product code checks out as safe. If you peel it off, you'll find another product code. I compared those numbers to the ones on the recall list on the FDA'S Web site. Sure enough, it's on the list. With the stickers over the product code, the items went through. However, I left one on the stickers off. When the cashier scanned the label on the package, it said do not sell and she would not let me purchase it.

We put in several calls to Menu Foods and Wal-Mart pressing the issue: Why would they cover the old labels with new ones? Wal-Mart issued statement. It reads: "We have worked with our supplier to investigate the concerns raised by WSFA 12 News. Menu Foods, the manufacturer of Special Kitty products, assures us that the products currently available in Wal-Mart stores are, indeed, safe."

During our phone conversation, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart says the problem is with the packaging, not the prouduct. As to the problem with the packaging, Wal-Mart said we would have to ask Menu Foods about that. So far, we have been unable to get a comment from Menu Foods. The question still remains why would it cover the original labels. You can count on WSFA 12 News to continue to follow this story until we get answers.

Montgomery Woman Claims She Found Tainted Cat Food for Sale at Local Wal-Mart

Sheri McComber's cat Bubbles isn't his usual playful self. She says he's," weak and lethargic."

Three more of McCombers cats have the same symptoms. She says they got sick after eating Special Kitty cat food, one of the brands recalled.

"We have pulled the food," she said.

McComber bought the food, sold in pouches, at the Ann Street Wal-Mart. She says there was a warning sign when she purchased it. "One of the pouches would not scan. It said 'item not to be sold.' [The cashier] just picked up another one and scanned it twice," says McComber.

When her four cats became sick, she checked the labels on the food.

"I pulled back the sticker on the back and read the numbers. I checked the numbers with the recall list and it was the same," McComber said.

She hopes her story will keep other pets from getting sick and encourage owners to check their pet's food.

"I wonder if a lot of other people are taking their pets to the doctor because they don't know what's wrong with them either," said McComber

McComber's veterinarian has done blood work on the four cats. The results aren't back. So, they can't say for sure the food made the cats sick. We checked the Ann Street Wal-Mart to see if any of the tainted food was still on the shelves. It didn't have any Special Kitty pouches on the shelves.

Wal-Mart released a statement. It reads: "Pet food safety is a top priority at Wal-Mart, as we understand the important role that pets play in the lives of our customers. Since hearing from WSFA-TV , we began an investigation into the customer's concern."