Tumult Over Pet Food Intensifies as Another Variety Is Recalled

The head of Menu Foods, the Mississauga, Ontario, maker of the recalled pet food, said it had dropped the U.S. supplier of the imported ingredient. Chief executive Paul Henderson said any food his company made after March 6 is safe.

Two weeks ago, Menu Foods recalled 60 million cans and pouches of "cuts-and-gravy" moist dog and cat food produced at its plant in Emporia, Kan., between Dec. 3 and March 6. The products are sold in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the FDA said.

The recall has affected such national brands as Procter & Gamble's Iams and Eukanuba and Nestle SA's Purina Mighty Dog, and others, including some sold at Wal-Mart and Safeway.

Pet owners across the country are worried. PetConnection.com, a Web site with a database of affected pets, said that as of yesterday, owners reported 2,400 deaths due to contaminated food, though no proof was required to make the complaints.

The activist organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called for an immediate recall of all dry dog foods until they can be chemically tested. "What we don't know seems to be of significantly broader scope than what we do know," Bruce Friedrich, a PETA vice president, said at a Washington news conference yesterday.

Jennifer Trujillo, spokeswoman for the Friendship Hospital for Animals in Northwest Washington, said that pet owners are calling in increasing numbers and that veterinarians are urging owners to get complete diagnostic tests and to avoid panicking. "We see [kidney disease] all the time, and we know how to treat it," she said.

Veterinarians Sarah Bowman and Wendy Knight, co-owners of the City Paws Animal Hospital near Logan Circle, said that many owners have inquired about the recall and that one cat has had kidney failure.

"There's fear among pet owners about dry food," Knight said. "What we're trying to do is inform our pet owners where to go to get up-to-date information and advocate what symptoms to watch for."

Symptoms include increased consumption of water, vomiting, lethargy or sudden lack of appetite. Quick treatment can help.