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Baxter family says pet food killed cat
Staff Writers A Baxter family believes they lost their beloved cat to contaminated cat food.
Kori Busho, Baxter, said, "We think that's what happened. The UPC matched ones being recalled."
Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration said a contaminated wheat gluten is the most likely source of kidney problems and deaths in a pet food recall that includes 91 brands of wet dog and cat food sold in cans and pouches. The FDA reported that the cuts-and-gravy food recalled was produced between Dec. 3 and March 6.
The FDA reported that Menu Foods, one of the largest manufacturers of wet pet food in the nation, received the first complaint Feb. 20 and began tests Feb. 27. The first test animals began dying or became ill March 2.
The Bushos' cat, 2-year-old Fluffy, became sick two weeks ago. One night after the Bushos came home, Kole Busho, 8, told his mom that Fluffy was stuck under the deck and wouldn't come out.
Fluffy, a part Siamese cat with long white hair, was huddled in a ball under the deck. The cat wasn't stuck, but there wasn't room to reach it or coax it out. Fluffy died the morning of March 9.
"He wouldn't even lift his head to look at us," Kori Busho said. "It was awful."
A few days later, Kori gave her sister the remaining bag of Special Kitty cat food. Within days, her sister's cat became ill. Her sister stopped feeding the cat the food and the cat has since improved.
After the pet food recall, Kori's sister checked the cat food and discovered it was on the recall list, Kori said.
"We had no clue," Kori said. "We just kept feeding ours. There weren't any warning signs."
Kori said Fluffy was Kole's cherished pet. "He was a great cat."
She hopes pet owners take notice of the recall.
"I don't want people's kids to have to go through what we had to."
Several veterinarians and staff members in the lakes area said they've not had any cases of pets dying or becoming ill because of the recalled food. However, they've taken a lot of calls from concerned pet owners.
Denise Johnson, veterinary assistant at Brainerd Animal Hospital, said staff members have been taking calls from clients who had been feeding their pets the recalled products and wondering what they should do. Johnson said pet owners are asked to watch for signs of kidney problems, such as lethargy, vomiting, loss of appetite and frequent drinking.
Johnson said this is the first major pet food recall she remembers. Dozens of brands are affected. To see the complete list of recalled products, go to www.menufoods.com/recall.
"There are a lot of name brands on the list," Johnson said. "The main thing is the wet pet food in the pouches and cans, the gravy-based food. We recommend our owners feed their pets dry food because it helps keep the tarter off their teeth and it doesn't have as high of fat content as the wet food."
Maria Amaro, veterinarian at Community Animal Hospital in Little Falls, said, "We've had a couple of cases, but the pets were older or had other issues that could have caused kidney failure so it's hard to say if it's directly involved with the recall. I haven't heard of any cases of young, healthy pets with kidney problems related to the recall in Minnesota."
Amaro said the hospital has had several calls from pet owners about the recall. She is telling pet owners to stop feeding their pets wet food because the FDA could add more brands to the recall list. Amaro also is telling pet owners not to throw away contaminated food, just in case their pet has problems down the road. She said that if a problem occurs, the food could be tested. She also advises pet owners to save their receipts from the wet pet food and any medical bills.
Sherry Wangen of the Pequot Lakes Animal Hospital said staff members have not seen any sick pets related to the recall. She said staff received about a half-dozen calls from people asking about the recalled products.
(This story includes information from The Associated Press.)
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.
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