Pet food recall affects 48 brands

At least one Hawaii dog is reported dead, and its owner is suing

UNION, N.J. » Pet owners were worried yesterday that the pet food in their cupboards could be deadly, after millions of containers of dog and cat food sold at major retailers across North America were recalled.

Menu Foods, the Ontario-based company that produced the pet food, said yesterday it was recalling dog food sold under 48 brands and cat food sold under 40 brands, including Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba. The food was distributed throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico by major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Kroger and Safeway.

Pet chow cited in death of isle dog A Kailua pet owner says her 16-year-old male beagle Twinkles ate a can of recalled pet food hours before the dog died. Valerie Sylvester said Twinkles couldn't stop shaking and had trouble going to the bathroom after eating some Iams dog food last Sunday. Menu Foods announced yesterday it was recalling dog food sold under 48 brands and cat food sold under 40 brands. The recall is limited to "cuts and gravy" style pet food. Two other companies -- Nestle Purina PetCare Co. and Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. -- also voluntarily recalled some products. An unknown number of cats and dogs suffered kidney failure and about 10 died after eating the affected pet food, the company said. On the Net: » Menu Foods: www.menufoods.com/recall. » Or call: (866) 463-6738 and (866) 895-2708

An unknown number of cats and dogs had suffered kidney failure, and about 10 died after eating the affected pet food, the company said.

In Hawaii, Kailua resident Valerie Sylvester said she is certain the food killed her 16-year-old dog, a male beagle named Twinkles.

Despite his age, the dog was "strong as a little bull" until he started acting strange last Sunday after eating some Iams dog food from Wal-Mart, she said. Twinkles had kept trying to go into the pool, then wouldn't stop shaking and had trouble going to the bathroom, she said. The dog died later that day.

Sylvester said she read about the recall yesterday and discovered the canned food she had given to her dog matched the product number of affected brands.

"I just started crying," she said. "I felt like I had poisoned him."

Emily Gardner, a Honolulu animal law attorney, said she had never heard of a pet food recall this large. Gardner said she would represent Sylvester in some type of litigation to make sure companies improve oversight of their operations.

"She doesn't want this to happen to anybody else," Gardner said.

Meanwhile, two other companies -- Nestle Purina PetCare Co. and Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. -- announced last night that as a precaution they were voluntarily recalling some products made by Menu Foods.

Many stores that sold the affected brands frantically pulled packages off shelves.

At a Petsmart store in Union, N.J., Silviene Grzybowski became worried when the four types of Iams products she buys for her cat, Smokey, vanished from shelves. The cat was very sick and had not been eating for days, she said.

"The vet told us to buy her her favorite food, but I'm going to call the vet right now," Grzybowski said, looking at an announcement Petsmart had taped to shelves announcing the recall.

Menu Foods' chief executive and president, Paul Henderson, said Friday that the company was still trying to figure out what had happened.

He said the company had received an undisclosed number of owner complaints that dogs and cats were vomiting and suffering kidney failure after eating its products. He estimated that the recall would cost the company an estimated $26 million to $34 million.

Sarah Tuite, a company spokeswoman, has said the recalled products were made using wheat gluten purchased from a new supplier, which has since been dropped for another source. Wheat gluten is a source of protein.

Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman Julie Zawisza said it is still too early to determine what could have affected the food. Zawisza added that even if wheat gluten is the source, "it doesn't necessarily mean the wheat gluten per se. It could be another substance associated with the wheat gluten."

The recall covers the company's "cuts and gravy" style food, which consists of chunks of meat in gravy, sold in cans and small foil pouches from Dec. 3 to March 6.

RECALLED BRANDS

DOG FOOD

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 Key Food Laura Lynn Loving Meals Meijers Main Choice Mighty Dog* Mixables Nutriplan Nutro Max Nutro Natural Choice Nutro 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 Springfield Prize Sprout Stater Bros Total Pet, My True Friend Western Family White Rose Winn Dixie Your Pet

* (The recall affects only 5.3 ounce pouch products that were produced from Dec. 3, 2006 through March 14, 2007.)

CAT FOOD

Americas Choice, Preferred Pets Authority Best Choice Companion Compliments Demoulas Market Basket Eukanuba Fine Feline Cat Food Lion Foodtown Giant Companion Hannaford Hill country Fare Hy-Vee Iams Key Food

Laura Lynn Li'l Red Loving Meals Meijers Main Choice Nutriplan Nutro Max Gourmet Classics Nutro Natural Choice Paws Pet Pride Presidents Choice Price Chopper Priority Save-A-Lot Schnucks

Science Diet* Sophisticat Special Kitty Canada Special Kitty US Springfield Prize Sprout Total Pet, My True Friend Wegmans Western Family White Rose Winn Dixie

* (The recall affects only 3-ounce and 5.5-ounce cans of Kitten Savory Cuts Ocean Fish; 5.5-ounce cans of Feline Adult Savory Cuts Beef, Chicken and Ocean Fish, and 5.5-ounce cans of Feline Senior Savory Cuts Chicken.)

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Star-Bulletin writer Alexandre Da Silva contributed to this report.