WEIMINFO

UPDATE: 4/17/07

Recall -- Firm Press Release

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. This listserv covers mainly Class I (life-threatening) recalls. A complete listing of recalls can be found in the FDA Enforcement Report at: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/Enforce.html

NOTICE:
We are receiving consumer complaints regarding the Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, and Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Foods. We do not know what is wrong with the food at this time, but we have heard that animals are vomiting and experiencing kidney problems. Although the problems seem to be focused on one particular lot, as a precautionary measure, we are pulling all dates of Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food and Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Food from the shelves.

Please discontinue feeding all Venison and Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, and Venison and Green Pea Dry Cat Food.

We are working closely with the FDA.
We will update this website today, as more information comes available.

NO OTHER NATURAL BALANCE PRODUCTS ARE AFFECTED.

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com

http://www.avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/products.asp#dogs

This story was sent to you by: Connie Wood

Pet food recall grows to include first dry products By ANDREW BRIDGES

Associated Press Writer March 31, 2007, 9:56 AM EDT WASHINGTON

The recall of wet and dry pet foods contaminated with a chemical found in plastics

and pesticides expanded Saturday to include a new brand even as investigators

were puzzled why the substance would kill dogs and cats. Nestle Purina PetCare Co.

said it was recalling all sizes and varieties of its Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog

food with specific date codes. Purina said a limited amount of the food contained

a contaminated wheat gluten from China. The same U.S. supplier also provided

wheat gluten, a protein source, to a Canadian company, Menu Foods, which this

month recalled 60 million containers of wet dog and cat food it produces for sale

under nearly 100 brand labels. Menu Foods and the Food and Drug Administration,

which regulates the pet food industry, have refused to identify the company that

supplied the contaminated wheat gluten. Hill's Pet Nutrition said late Friday that

its Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry cat food included the tainted wheat gluten.

The FDA said the source was the same unidentified company. Hill's, a division

of Colgate-Palmolive Co., is so far the only company to recall any dry pet food.

Federal testing of some recalled pet foods and the wheat gluten used in their

production turned up the chemical melamine. Melamine is used to make kitchenware

and other plastics. It is both a contaminant and byproduct of several pesticides,

including cyromazine, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Melamine

is toxic only in very high doses and has been shown in rats to produce bladder

tumors, according to the EPA. The federal pet food testing failed to confirm

the presence of aminopterin, a cancer drug also used as rat poison, the FDA said.

Cornell University scientists also found melamine in the urine of sick cats, as well

as in the kidney of one cat that died after eating some of the recalled food.

Earlier, the New York State Food Laboratory identified aminopterin as the

likely culprit in the pet food. But the FDA said it could not confirm that

finding, nor have researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry

of New Jersey when they looked at tissue samples taken from dead cats.

Experts at the University of Guelph in Canada detected aminopterin in some

samples of the recalled pet food, but only in very small percentages.

"Biologically, that means nothing. It wouldn't do anything," said Grant Maxie,

a veterinary pathologist at the university. "This is a puzzle." The FDA was

working to rule out the possibility that the contaminated wheat gluten could

have made it into any human food. Menu Foods announced the recall this month

after animals died of kidney failure after eating the company's products.

An FDA official allowed that it was not immediately clear whether the

melamine was the culprit. The agency's investigation continues, said

Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine.

Menu Foods said the only certainty was that imported wheat gluten was the

likely source of the deadly contamination, even if the actual contaminant

remained in doubt. "The important point today is that the source of the

adulteration has been identified and removed from our system," said

Paul Henderson, Menu Foods chief executive officer and president.

Henderson suggested his company would pursue legal action against the supplier.

About 70 percent of the wheat gluten used in the United States for human

and pet food is imported from the European Union and Asia, according to

the Pet Food Institute, an industry group. One veterinarian suggested the

international sourcing of ingredients would force the U.S. "to come to grips

with a reality we had not appreciated." "When you change from getting an

ingredient from the supplier down the road to a supplier from around the globe,

maybe the methods and practices that were effective in one situation need to

be changed," said Tony Buffington, a professor of veterinary clinical sciences

at Ohio State University. Sundlof said the agency may change how it regulates

the pet food industry. "In this case, we're going to have to look at this after

the dust settles and determine if there is something from a regulatory

standpoint that we could have done differently to prevent this incident

from occurring," he said.

On the Net: Nestle Purina PetCare Co.: http://www.purina.com

Hill's Pet Nutrition: http://www.hillspet.com/

Menu Foods: http://menufoods.com/recall/

Dry Pet Food Recalled; Chemical Used to Make Plastic Could Be to

Blame http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Health/story?id=2997700&page=1

VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS, VEGAS, K9, RESCUE, DOG, DOGS, VEGAS K9 RESCUE, VEGAS DOG, VEGAS DOG RESCUE, DOG VEGAS, ANIMAL, ANIMALS, PET, PETS, CANINE, CATS, CAT, VEGAS PET, VEGAS PETS, PET VEGAS, PETS VEGAS,