Pet Food Recall Information

Castor & Pollux Natural Ultramix Canned Feline Formulas Recall

Castor and Pollux has issued a voluntary recall of their four Natural Ultramix Canned Feline Formulas including:

• Natural Ultramix Adult Feline Formulas: Chicken, Turkey & Salmon flavors
• Natural Ultramix Canned Indoor Cat Formula

Throughout all of the canned food recalls, Castor and Pollux had been repeatedly assured by Menu Foods that their products were not affected. However, on May 2nd they learned from Menu Foods that the Natural Ultramix canned feline formulas were run following another brand's product that contained affected wheat gluten. Although the Castor and Pollux products do not contain wheat gluten, they are taking the precautionary step of recalling them and having them removed from store shelves.

Castor and Pollux has not received any calls or e-mails reporting any problems being experienced by cats; this recall is being done as truly a precautionary measure. To be safe, do not feed your cat any Natural Ultramix Canned Feline Formula with a best before date of January 2010. We will update our website with more information as we receive it.

Natural Balance Food & Treat Recall

Natural Balance is issuing a voluntary recall of the following foods and treats:

• Natural Balance Canned Cat Food Ocean Fish
• Natural Balance Canned Dog Food Lamb & Rice
• Natural Balance Canned Dog Food Beef & Rice
• Natural Balance Canned Dog Food Chicken & Rice
• Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food
• Venison & Brown Rice Canned Dog Food
• Venison & Brown Rice Dog Treats
• Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Food

Venison & Green Pea Canned Cat Food is not affected as it does not contain the contaminated ingredient.

Natural Balance has indicated that Friday, April 13th, they began receiving reports of vomiting and kidney problems in cats and dogs eating the dry venison formulas. Natural Balance has confirmed that some production runs of the Venison & Brown Rice dry dog food products contain melamine. The source of the melamine appears to be a rice protein concentrate which was recently added to the dry venison formulas. Natural Balance does not use wheat gluten, which was associated with the previous melamine contamination (see below).

The Ocean Fish, Lamb & Rice, Beef & Rice, and Chicken & Rice canned formulas are being recalled because the company who manufactures these foods for them may have used contaminated rice protein concentrate as an ingredient. They have not found contamination in any of these formulas that they have tested, but they are issuing the recall to be as proactive as possible and to keep pets safe. Natural Balance did not authorize the use of rice protein concentrate in these formulas.

None of Natural Balance’s other dry formulas, none of their other canned or roll products and none of their other treats are involved with this voluntary recall. None of the other formulas contain rice protein concentrate. Natural Balance will continue to work closely with the FDA and we will continue to update this page as we have additional information.

None of the following products containing rice protein concentrate are affected by the this recall. We have contacted each manufacture and all have determined that none of these products contain tainted rice protein concentrate from China:

• Castor & Pollux Ultramix Kitten Formula
• Castor & Pollux Ultramix Canine Puppy Formula
• Castor & Pollux Ultramix Indoor Feline Formula
• Castor & Pollux Canned Organix Feline Formula
• Wellness Simple Formulas Dry Foods for Dogs
• Karma Organic Dog Food & Treats

Rice protein concentrate is a processed derivative of rice and/or rice flour. The starch in the rice is removed and the insoluble proteinic fraction left is rice protein concentrate – a fine, white powder. There are feed grade, human grade and organic varieties. Ingredients listed as “rice”, “white rice”, “brown rice”, or “whole grain rice” are NOT processed in this way.

Rice protein concentrate is added to pet foods to help increase the protein content of the food. One theory regarding the contamination of both rice protein concentrate and wheat gluten with melamine is that it may have been intentionally added to enhance the marketability of these products. Investigators are examining whether Chinese manufacturers added nitrogen-rich melamine in order to raise nitrogen levels in these feed supplements. Nitrogen levels are measured to calculate the protein content, which determines the value of a shipment.

Products containing rice, white rice, brown rice, whole grain rice, or whole grains of any variety are NOT AFFECTED by the Natural Balance Venison Formula recall. There has been no melamine found in products that do not contain either rice protein concentrate or wheat gluten. The Natural Balance Venison Formula is NOT related to the Menu Foods recall (see below). Natural Balance does not use Menu Foods, and Menu Foods does not manufacture dry foods.

Canine Caviar Canned Food Recall

Canine Caviar is issuing a voluntary recall of the following foods:

• Canine Caviar Canned Food Beaver
• Canine Caviar Canned Food Turkey

Canine Caviar has indicated that the company who manufactures these foods for them may have used contaminated rice protein concentrate as an ingredient. They have not found contamination in any of the food they have tested, but they are issuing the recall to be as proactive as possible and to keep pets safe. Canine Caviar did not authorize the use of rice protein concentrate in these formulas. This recall applies only to the flavors / formulas listed above. None of the other foods from Canine Caviar are affected. Please see above for more information about rice protein concentrate.

No Brands Sold by Only Natural Pet Store Are Affected by the Menu Foods Recall

We are deeply saddened by the suffering and loss of the innocent cats and dogs affected by the recent pet food recall by Menu Foods. Below you will find additional information about this recall. We hope this information is helpful and we encourage all pet owners to consider feeding a higher quality natural food for the health of their pets and greater peace of mind (see bottom of page for more information). We will continue to update this page as we receive more information.

None of the natural dog or cat food sold by Only Natural Pet Store was affected by the Menu Foods recall. If you purchased food elsewhere and you think you may be affected, please read the following section "How to Know and What to Do If You Are Affected". If you know you were not affected, but are not feeding a natural food to your pet, please read the section at the bottom called "Why You Should Feed Natural Food to Your Pet". Please note that brands like Iams, Eukanuba, and Science Diet were affected by the recall - although many people mistakenly believe these are “premium” brands, they contain lesser quality ingredients such as wheat gluten and are not considered natural.

Please note that Menu Foods is one of the largest manufacturers of pet food in the United States. They have four facilities in North America in which they manufacture food for many companies, including some whose products are sold by Only Natural Pet Store. None of the foods we carry, however, are affected by the recall and none of them contain wheat gluten (or any other grain or meat by-products that are commonly found in the recalled foods). At Only Natural Pet Store we carefully evaluate the ingredients of every food that we offer to ensure that they are truly natural and meet our high standards of quality. Of all the foods we carry, only two specialty dry food diets from Wysong contain wheat gluten. None of the canned foods we carry contain wheat gluten.

In evaluating a dog or cat food there are a variety of points we look for including the quality of the protein source, amount of grain, the presence of any grain or meat by-products, and any artificial ingredients such as preservatives, colors, or flavors - among other things. We also consider the integrity of the company that sells the food. Each of our foods is manufactured by privately owned companies who are committed to providing the highest quality food for companion animals. Because these companies are smaller and privately owned, they often must contract with other, possibly larger canneries to produce their foods. Menu Foods is one of the largest manufacturers of canned dog foods in North America. Menu Foods may mix and can the ingredients for a company, but the individual pet food company controls the formula, evaluates the ingredients, and oversees manufacturing.

In addition, we have checked with each of the manufacturers of the treats we carry that contain wheat gluten and all of these are NOT INVOLVED in the current recall and did not use the tainted wheat gluten from China. These include:

• Pill Pockets Pill Delivery Dog and Cat Treats
• Greenies Chews
• Natural Balance Crunch-E-Bones
• Ark Naturals
• Zukes Hip Action for Dogs
• Wysong Vegan Canine Diet
• Wysong Feline Diet Nurture

How to Know and What to Do If You Are Affected by the Menu Foods Recall

You can find out if the food you have fed your dog or cat was part of the recall by visiting www.menufoods.com/recall. The American Veterinary Medical Association site contains a great deal of information that may be helpful as well, at www.avma.org.

The FDA has not yet determined the cause of the illnesses. The FDA and laboratories are continuing to evaluate samples and reports of illness or death. Contaminated Wheat Gluten imported from China is currently the top suspect in the Menu Foods recall. After initial testing, a rat poison, aminopterin, was suspected as the contaminant causing the illnesses. Aminopterin is not approved for use in the U.S. for rodent control but is used in other countries. Further testing revealed the presence of melamine, a substance used as a fertilizer in some countries (not in the U.S.) and in the production of plastics, such as kitchenware and whiteboard surfaces, in tested samples of recalled pet food from Menu Foods. While both of these substances have been identified in the recalled foods, the FDA has not confirmed that either of these are the true cause of illness for the affected pets.

Wheat Gluten: Wheat Gluten is sometimes used in lower quality moist pet foods (cans & pouches) as an inexpensive protein source and gravy thickener. If you have ever ventured down the aisle of the grocery store where the meat substitutes are sold, then you may have seen Seitan in the refrigerated section – this is wheat gluten. It has a texture similar to cooked chicken meat. It is NOT a good source of protein for dogs and cats. Dogs and cats are carnivores and utilize proteins from animal sources much more efficiently than grain sources. Cats, especially, do not digest grains well. The digestion of grains creates more waste products for the animal’s system to process than it is naturally accustomed to, placing a constant stress on the organ systems.

The tainted pet foods are causing kidney failure in dogs and cats. Signs of kidney failure include:

• Increased water consumption
• Increased urination
• Nausea & vomiting
• Weight loss
• Constipation
• Lethargy / low energy
• Loss of appetite

Kidney (Renal) Failure: The kidneys function is to filter out and excrete toxins from the body through the urine. One of the first signs of kidney failure is an increase in thirst and urination. This is why: A healthy kidney can concentrate toxins into a smaller amount of liquid to be urinated away. When the kidneys are damaged and become less able to concentrate the urine, more fluid is used by the body. As the kidneys become less efficient and the disease progresses, other signs of kidney failure begin to emerge such as weight loss, nausea, vomiting, constipation, low energy / fatigue, and poor appetite.

Diagnosis: Most animals do not show signs of kidney failure until about 70% - 75% of kidney function has been lost. In order to diagnose kidney failure and determine the extent of the disease, a blood test and urinalysis is needed. Always contact your veterinarian promptly if your animal shows signs of illness. For more information about kidney disease please see our article Dealing with Kidney Failure.

If you have fed your dog or cat any of the recalled foods, it is wise to have them tested. If the test results come back without signs of kidney failure and you are still concerned, we recommend using a detoxifier such as Newton Homeopathics Detoxifier, Animals Apawthecary Detox Blend or Only Natural Pet Blood & System Herbal Formula, and possibly a kidney tonic remedy such as Renal Essential for Dogs or Renal Essentials for Cats or the Chinese Herbal Formula Six Flavor Tea Pills.

Other Recent Recall News

Bully Stick & Pizzle Recall – The recent recall of bully sticks (also called pizzles) is limited to one brand - American Bullie A.B. Bull Pizzle Puppy Chews and Dog Chews (made from all American beef pizzle) manufactured and distributed by TW Enterprises in Ferndale, WA. Only Natural Pet Store DOES NOT carry this brand of dog chews. NONE of the chews we carry are affected by this recall. For additional information about this recall please see http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01600.html.

Why You Should Feed Natural Food to Your Pet

Feeding a very high quality food is the best thing you can do for your dog or cat’s health. Please note that brands like Iams, Eukanuba, and Science Diet - which were all affected by the recall - are NOT healthy or natural foods. You should look for a meat-based food with no grains (for cats) or whole grains (for dogs), but without grain by-products such as wheat gluten. Grain by-products are inexpensive fillers and inferior sources of nutrition. They may make the food less expensive, but in the case of pet foods, you truly get what you pay for. For more information on choosing a top-quality pet food please see our article What You Should Know About Your Pet’s Food. If your dog or cat is diagnosed with kidney failure, please read Diet Suggestions for Kidney Problems.

Only Natural Pet Store offers a wide selection of all the leading natural foods for dogs and cats. We encourage you to look at the ingredients, where you will usually find meat (and not meat by-products) as the top ingredient, along with whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and other natural ingredients. This is the type of food that your pet will thrive on. Please click one of the links below to browse our selection: