Cat Owners Bristle at NUTRO Denials
On April 21st, we reported that the FDA confirmed an investigation into complaints from consumers over deaths and illnesses related to the ingestion of NUTRO cat foods. On May 21st, NUTRO issued a voluntary recall (click here for details).
Lisa Wade McCormick of ConsumerAffairs.com has been following the NUTRO Food Recall story closely and written a series of articles on NUTRO’s handling of consumer complaints and the recall. Her most recent article is reprinted, in part, here (there’s a link at the bottom to the complete article).
Cats sickened by recalled pet food; NUTRO denies responsibility
By Lisa Wade McCormick
ConsumerAffairs.com
Copyright 2009 © All Rights ReservedJune 3, 2009
Don’t tell Christina W. that NUTRO hasn’t received any complaints about the two varieties of cat food the company recently pulled off the market. The Maryland woman and owner of five cats doesn’t believe that claim, which the pet food maker continues to tout on its Web site.Christina says she put NUTRO on “official notice” Tuesday that one of the flavors of cat food included in its May 21 recall — NUTRO Max Indoor Weight Control — made her beloved cat, Jake, seriously ill.
“I called them this morning and told them first and foremost that if they didn’t have a recording machine on now, they should turn it on because I was making a formal complaint,” says Christina, who confirmed the dates and UPC codes on Jake’s food matched the ones included in the recall.
NUTRO recalled seven flavors of its NATURAL CHOICE COMPLETE CARE and NUTRO MAX dry cat foods, saying the products contained incorrect levels of zinc and potassium. The company blamed the problem on a production error by its U.S. premix supplier, Trouw Nutrition. One of the premixes contained excessive levels of zinc and low levels of potassium, NUTRO said. The second contained low levels of potassium.
Christina has no doubts that the problems with NUTRO’s recalled cat food played a significant role in Jake’s illness.
“He has eaten Nutro food for the past two years,” she says, adding her 13-year-old cat received a clean bill of health in March. “We were a week into a new bag (of NUTRO) when his illness became apparent.” Over the weekend, she says, Jake suddenly started having bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. He also became lethargic and dehydrated.
“I rushed him to the emergency vet (on Sunday), where he was diagnosed with elevated liver enzymes.” On Monday, a sonogram revealed Jake had pancreatitis.
“He’s still in the hospital and in pain, and we’re waiting to see if his liver enzymes return to normal,” Christina says. “His prognosis is ‘okay’ — as long as his liver and pancreas can recover. The poor thing has an IV stuck in his leg. His little arm is shaved. He’s already had to have blood drawn several times.”
“A horrible death”Christina say it’s heart wrenching to see Jake in so much agony. “He howls and cries and bangs his head against the top of his cage,” she told us. “It’s a horrible thing to have a cat survive 13 years illness free (and then) to have him brought down by his own food.
“I’m furious, to say the least. I can’t convey enough how devastating this is to our family – both Jake’s illness and the concerns we have that any of the four others may might also follow in his spiraling health. And if Jake dies, furious isn’t even close to describing how I’ll feel.”
Christina isn’t the only pet owner who is convinced that NUTRO’s recalled dry cat foods caused their pets’ illnesses. Some even believe the recalled foods contributed to their cats’ recent deaths.
They’re grieving cat owners like Shira D. of Carson, California. “My cat is dead due to NUTRO Max,” she wrote us, adding the UPC codes on her cat’s food match the ones included in the recall.
“My three-year-old healthy indoor cat, Angel, became ill on (Saturday) May 16, 2009, after beginning a new bag of NUTRO Max cat food. We took her to the vet on Monday where they had to do a blood transfusion on her.”
Angel’s health, however, continued to deteriorate. She died “a horrible death” a few days later.
“I will never forget the graphic images of her grasping for air,” Shira says. “I’ve never seen a perfectly healthy cat lose the ability to go to the bathroom in her litter box, lose her appetite, and lose her ability to play. She became extremely ill so suddenly after (eating from) the contaminated bag of NUTRO.”
- Click here to read the entire article.
- Read verbatim complaints from consumers.
- If you feel your cat has been sickened by the recalled food, you can file a report at ConsumerAffairs.com here.
- Cat owners with questions about the recall should contact NUTRO at 1-800-833-5330.
- Read more: “Cat Owners Bristle at NUTRO Denials, Delays”
Hello Skeezy, It is sad that any pet food recalls are necessary in the first place. More care and attention need to be taken at the food factories to assure our pets are receiving only top quality ingredients in the foods purchased. These companies need to be put out of the pet food business forever. When buying foods for our beloved pets, we are assuming the food is safe and wholesome, not poisoness and full of harmful bacterias. Something drastic needs to be done by our government regulating pet foods.
Ditto what Bosco said!
Hey Skeezix,
I am SO MAD at this comapny for putting the kittehs and their pwners through this AGAIN! This last per food scare almost gave my meowmy a cardiac arrest for my safety. Humans may want to check what other “human” food Nutro may make as well and stave off of it for the time being..food borne illness and death are rampmant in this country and SOMETHING needs to be done!
We always bought a few bags of Nutro when we went shopping. Mom swore by their kitten food as it made Ko’s babies so healthy. We won’t buy it again after this.
This makes me so sad. There are too many recalls recently. I don’t feel the government cares as much about our pets as we do. There should be stricter standards for pet food. I try to cook as much human food as possible for Daisy and Ashley.
Thank you for keeping everycat and their pawrents updated on this situation. My heart and mommy’s heart goes out to all that have been affected by this latest pet food mess. Please … stay safe!!!
Echoing the above comments and adding that we are longtime loyal Nutro buyers (of various wet and dry formulas) and that this second massive recall and scare shocks and saddens us no end. The general widespread apathy and lack of personal responsibility that seems pandemic in this place is now also affecting blameless, beloved feline family members, which is unforgiveable! If people aren’t willing to commit to doing their jobs well, they shouldn’t be drawing a paycheck. And in careers dealing with health and wellbeing, maybe we need to have employees bonded and insured? These kinds of things must not be allowed to happen again!
This is so horrible! Take responsibility Nutro!!!!!