Concerns Over Tainted Food Grow After Two Local Pets Die

Mar 22, 02:54 PM

Current Headlines: By Sara Ganim, Centre Daily Times, State College, Pa.

Mar. 22--Two kittens in Centre County died after eating cat food that was part of a recall of 60 million cans and pouches of "cuts and gravy" style food, a Four Springs Veterinary Clinic receptionist confirmed.

Veterinarians throughout the county say they are fielding phone calls from other worried pet owners who fear the health of their dogs or cats has been affected by potentially contaminated food.

The two cats -- Jack and Jaden, who were 6 months old -- were euthanized Tuesday after a Centre County veterinarian found that their kidneys had failed, said Patty Thompson, a receptionist at the clinic at 2147 Upper Brush Valley Road.

The kittens' owner, Heather Kellerman, said the pets she had adopted just before Christmas had been experiencing vomiting, lethargy and lack of appetite.

"Their mouths were bleeding, their teeth were falling out," Kellerman said. "Jack's tongue started falling out of his mouth. It was really bad for my kids to watch."

The clinic confirmed they treated Kellerman's two kittens and one other cat that had experienced kidney failure. Thompson said those three animals had been eating food that was part of a massive recall issued by manufacturer Menu Foods, of Ontario, Canada.

Dr. Fred Metzger, of Metzger Animal Hospital, 1044 Benner Pike, said in a voice-mail message that he has fielded more than 100 calls and e-mails from dog and cat owners.

"I've been a vet for 20 years. That's the most questions we've ever had on anything," Metzger said.

Pet owners who are worried that their animals ate any of the recalled foods should watch for symptoms that include vomiting, lethargy and lack of appetite, Metzger said. If those symptoms appear, the animal should be taken to a veterinarian for tests.

University Drive Veterinary Hospital and Mount Nittany Veterinary Hospital both said pets have been brought in by concerned owners for testing, but they have not treated any animals for kidney failure.

Nationwide, 16 animal deaths have been reported and linked to the pet food recall, but Menu Foods says it has no explanation for why the kidney failure is occurring.

The Food and Drug Administration said it didn't know how many animals may be affected.

"We are receiving many calls from consumers; we have not had the chance to confirm those yet," said Stephen F. Sundlof, the director of the FDA's center for veterinary medicine.

"Right now we are really focusing on the recall and trying to find the potential substance or substances responsible for causing illnesses and deaths in cats and dogs."

The recall involves "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food, and includes food sold under store brands carried by Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway and other large retailers, as well as private labels such as Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba.

Kellerman said she had been feeding the pets "Special Kitty" pouches of food every night as a treat. She said the kittens ate dry food during the day.

As they grew sick, she eliminated the dry food and fed them exclusively "Special Kitty," hoping to encourage them to eat.

Instead, their symptoms worsened, and by the time she was able to get them to a veterinarian Tuesday, she was told their kidneys had failed.

Kellerman said she thinks she deserves compensation from Menu Foods for her vet bills, as well as an apology.

"We're really distraught and really heartbroken," Kellerman said. "My 2-year-old was wandering around saying 'Jack,' looking for Jack. Finally this morning he said 'Jack, bye-bye.'"

The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times contributed to this report.

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