NUTRO Cat Food Recall

When we brought our food to the Tallahassee PETCO, the store manager informed us that he had been informed by distribution that the NUTRO products sold by PETCO were not affected. Although they accepted our returned products, the product return was marked as “Infested/Contaminated” and not as “Product Recall.” All NUTRO MAX and Natural Choice cat food products were still on the shelves as of 6:30 PM today (5/22).

My cat actually started vomiting after every meal on one of the recalled bags. I usually have him on regular Max Cat Adult, but had switched him to Max Cat Indoor Adult, and I attributed his vomiting to the change in food. I went and bought another bag of the regular Max Cat Adult a few days ago and now he’s fine. I wonder whether the recall had anything to do with the vomiting or if it was just the change in food.

I switched my cats to a different food last week because one of them suddenly began vomiting every time he ate – swapping him to a different brand of food helped. It appears that this is why – thank you for letting us know about this. I was really worried when his Nutro Max Adult Chicken food was causing so many issues. (He was vomiting about 5 minutes after going to the food bowl – every single time he tried to eat)

When we bought the new batch of food, we asked the clerk at PETCO if there had been other reports (but this was about a week ago – before the recall was announced) – so at least one report was given verbally that the food appeared to be causing an issue.

Thank you for this notice. I just checked the bag I recently purchased, and it is a 2009 date, so my cats are not affected, but I certainly appreciate your notifying me, anyway.

It’s so great to have a company acknowledging and rectifying the problem immediately, rather than trying to cover it up.

Barbara Wells

Thank you for notifying me! This is a wonderful service you have done.
Thank you!

Doug thanks so much for letting us know about your experience in Tallahassee. We reached out to the Manager On Duty, Adam, this morning to confirm that the store had pulled all the product from their shelves and Adam reported that it was 100% complete. He is going to ensure that the manager who assisted you with your return is fully aware of how they should be handling returns of the product per our company guidelines. We truly appreciate you sharing your experience and allowing us the opportunity to respond. Please feel free to call our customer relations team at 1-888-824-7257 if we can be of any additional assistance.

Michele Shry, Customer Relations Supervisor, PETCO.

I have use Nutro Products for all my dogs and cats always.
But after this last recall, I will not buy Nutro Product for my loved animals any more. I will not take any more chances with the life or health of my beloved pets!

My cat food is one of the recall and fortunately my cats don’t show any signs of sickness. I will bring the bag back anyway, better be safe than sorry.
Thank you of the email.

“Consumers who have purchased product affected by this voluntary recall should return it to their retailer for a full refund or exchange for another NUTRO® dry cat food product. Cat owners who have more questions about the recall should call 1-800-833-5330 between the hours 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM CST”
That’s what is says on the Nutro Recall Page. I’d received an email from Petco, telling me that I may have been feeding my cats this recalled food. As instructed, I immediately tossed out the remainder of the food and went to Petco to receive my “full refund or exchange for another NUTRO dry cat food product”. I was told that I needed to come in with the bag or no exchange. Nowhere in any of the info I saw, did it say that I need to show a bag. I keep my pet food in an airtight tub THAT I BOUGHT FROM PETCO – when I get home with the new bag I usually dump the entire thing into the receptacle. I don’t keep the unnecessary bag – I recycle it. This is the second time I’ve run across the rather loose & disappointing version of Petco’s ‘customer service’.
The first time, I was looking for an item that I asked to order thru Petco’s distributors/vendors not typically shelved by Petco, and was told by the staffer that I’d have to go to a ‘small mom & pop shop for that kind of thing’. I wondered whether the young fellow actually understood that he was telling me that I’d have to go elsewhere to receive customer service…..
I was EXTREMELY upset after reading about the recall: I was concerned that I’d been poisoning my pets! I hurried to Petco, following the directions given by Nutro, and was turned away. I was NOT a happy camper.
Petco folks, you may want to better train your staffers: they need to truly understand the concept of customer service & not send paying customers to your competition – as small and inconsequential to your profit margin as they may be. Petco, you need to better communicate with your customers who respond to recall notices: the Nutro folks think you are giving exchanges for recalled foods and you didn’t.

I purchased a bag that falls just outside the recall (May 2,2010). I’ve seen companies expand recalls in the past and do not trust their limited range on the affected dates. I wish to return the remainder of this bag for credit toward another food.

Our 12 year old cat became ill last week. She vomited profusely and was in obvious pain. We rushed her to the emergency vet in the middle of the night. She seemed to improve and the vet couldn’t find an obvious problem. When we took her home, she began vomiting again. My daughter took her to our regular vet the next morning. He said that she was very ill and put her on IV fluid and pain medication. She was diagnosed with pancreatitis, spent two days in the clinic and is still wearing a morphine patch.

Our regular vet is off for the weekend. I called the emergency vet and asked for an opinion. He said that severe gastritis can cause test results that look very much like pancreatitis. He also agreed that the recalled food could be the cause of the problem.

The two vet bills total over $500.00. Our poor kitty was miserable – she definitely got an even worse end of the deal.

Will I have issues returning this food to the Lake Charles, Louisiana store??

Dear A Meijer, I’m so sorry that your return wasn’t handled gracefully. Obviously, that was not our intent. At your convenience, please contact customer relations 888-824-7257. We will look up your purchase using your PALS account and can then call the store to ensure they will accomodate you with an exchange or store credit, whichever you prefer. Again, I’m very, very sorry for the hastle and assure you that we will take great care of you this time around.

Holly, I’m so sorry to hear about your kitty. I hope she makes a speedy recovery. You will absolutely not have a problem taking the Nutro back to our store. If you still have the bag, please return it at your convenience, regardless of the date code.
If you do not, please contact customer relations 888-824-7257 so we can look up your purchase on your PALS account and call the store on your behalf. My thoughts are with your kitty and we’re here to help.

I also put our cats food in a bin and throw the bag away so I cannot check if it is affected nor can I retun it for a refund. I figured since I do not have the bag I couldn’t return it.
In reply to A Meijer
May 24th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
“Consumers who have purchased product affected by this voluntary recall should return it to their retailer for a full refund or exchange for another NUTRO® dry cat food product. Cat owners who have more questions about the recall should call 1-800-833-5330 between the hours 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM CST”
That’s what is says on the Nutro Recall Page. I’d received an email from Petco, telling me that I may have been feeding my cats this recalled food. As instructed, I immediately tossed out the remainder of the food and went to Petco to receive my “full refund or exchange for another NUTRO dry cat food product”. I was told that I needed to come in with the bag or no exchange. Nowhere in any of the info I saw, did it say that I need to show a bag.

Please see thae part where it says “Consumers who have purchased product affected by this voluntary recall should return it to their retailer for a full refund or exchange for another NUTRO® dry cat food product.

I went to the Petco in Petaluma California on Friday May 22,2009 to return my recalled Nutro Max Cat. The clerk said she never heard of the recall. I said you have Nutro Max cat food on your shelves now. She asked the Manager who said he pulled all the recalled product from the shelves. They give me a new bag and today I am home sick and check my e-mail then the new bag and find out IT IS STILL THE RECALLED PRODUCT!!!!THEY GAVE ME ANOTHER BAG OF RECALLED PRODUCT. VERY VERY ANGRY.

Kerry I am so sorry to hear that our Petaluma store gave you a bag that should have been pulled from the shelves. I spoke to our management team in Petaluma this afternoon and Rudy assured me that all of the recalled items have been pulled per our earlier direction to them. Rudy asked me to invite you back to the store to exchange the bag. Rudy wanted me to let you know that you can ask for him personally when you return so he can ensure that the next food you pick for your furry feline family member will meet his dietary needs. We are truly sorry for this mixup and want to ensure we make it right with you. Feel free to give our customer relations team a call at 888-824-7257 if we can be of any further assistance.

I, too, have a recalled bag. I was on vacation this weekend and got the email while being away. Even though my 2 kitties seem fine, I will drive to PETCO to exchange for a new bag today. Remember, when you go to exchange your bag that PETCO only takes the AFFECTED product off the shelves. It seems as though some people are upset that NUTRO is still on the shelves, which it should be. They should pull all the recalled product off the shelf (Kerry, your situation is different- I would be angry, too). Thank you, PETCO, for the email and for keeping us informed. I hope I have no problems with my exchange today. Will post again if I have any issues.

Our adult cat Henri started vomiting & diarhhea after eating Indoor Salmon. We usually buy just regular so I attributed it to the change. After a $200. vet bill nothing seemed to be the matter. The vet said it could possibly be because of the change from reg. to indoor because of a increase in some nutrient in the indoor. Our other cat Ed, had nothing wrong. This happened about a month ago. I was just shocked when I read this. My husband is on the way to buy more so hopefully the bad stuff has been pulled.

In the past six months, we have spent about $70 on Nutro products in our local Petco store. But we have no intention of giving Petco any more of our business.

We have four cats, so we buy a lot of cat food. We have two older cats and two kittens newly adopted from a rescue organization. Over the past two months, we have spent about $350-400 in vet bills and medications because our newly-rescued kittens suddenly developed diarrhea that would not go away. Then we found out about the Nutro recall… from a Petsmart email. We had purchased some cat food from them, and when we brought them our receipts this past Saturday we were issued a store credit, no questions asked.

But we had also purchased Nutro products at our local Petco store in Mechanicsburg, PA, so we went there next. We were amazed at what happened next; the manager said we had to return the actual bags! We had our receipts, and we had even brought a baggie of the food with us, but she didn’t even want to look at them. We had no intention of getting into an argument with her, so we just left, aghast.

Attention Petco: Many pet owners do not keep the bag the cat food comes in. They pour the contents of the bag into a plastic canister to guard against insects, humidity and spoilage, and discard the bag.

To find that Petco, or at least the management of our local store, did not care to stand behind the products it sells, using a technicality to avoid any responsibility, was a real eye opener to us. Add to that the callous disregard for all the worry, inconvenience and expenses we had suffered for no other reason than wanting to give the best possible food to our pets. Not to mention the potential health consequences to our sick pets!

Needless to say, we have no intention of rewarding such callous indifference in the future. And we will tell all our friends about our experience too, starting with this post. As for Petco, our advice to them is that either their store policies need to be reviewed, or their management staff needs to be retrained.

I have a bag of the food that has been recalled, my cats do not seem to be affected but yet I still am worried. I am planning to switch over to Halo because I want to feed my cats only the best and especially natural foods and obviously Nutro is not… 2 recalls in the last few years? No thank you!

I’ve been buying Max Cat for years for my 7 indoor cats. About a week before I received a recall notice, one of my cats would just walk around the food and not eat and the others would take a few bites and walk away. I decided to take the bag back just thinking it was a bad batch. The expiration date was July 2010. Luckily I had another bag at home so I opened it & they began to eat again. So far none of my cats are sick, hopefully I caught it in time. Then on Sunday May 24 I received an email from Pet Supplies Plus announcing the recall. I normally shop at Petco and I am on their email list but I did not receive any notice from them and I always use my Pals card! Their records should have notified their customers just by the PALS card usage. I am returning all the Max Cat food, don’t know if I will switch to a different brand or not.

I also use a container for the food but from now on I will be cutting the bag open & placing the whole thing in the container!

Happy tails to all!!
deb

I fed this to my cat and she experienced vomitting too. But instead of thinking it was the food, I assumed it was my cat and switched her food. I thank my friend who sent me the recall link.
One QUESTION, though, I was just at Petco yesterday buying my dog food — why didn’t I get notified somehow by them? I know they keep a running tab on what foods that their customers buy. Also, I wasn’t told about any recalls nor did I see any recall postings anywhere.

Dear D. A. Darrow, when I read your posting I immediately contacted the management team in Mechanicsburg to speak with them as to why your return was denied. In speaking with the General Manager, Jackie, she informed me that she thought that she was the person you spoke with and did not realize that you had brought in food along with your receipts. It was a complete oversight on her part. I hope that you can accpet our apologies for not handling your return request properly. If you still have the food and your receipts, please return to the store and they will ensure that your return is handled. It is important to PETCO that you receive the exchange or refund you want for the recalled product. Please feel free to ask for Jackie when you return to the store. If you need any further assistance, please contact us at 888-824-7257.

Hi Deb C and Margie, I am surprised to hear that you did not recieve the email PETCO sent to our customers who had previously purchased recalled NUTRO products from our stores or at PETCO.com. Our email was sent last Friday the 22nd around 9 pm PST. If you like, you can contact our customer relations team to ensure that the email address we have on file for your PALS or PETCO.com account is correct. It is important to us that you receive communication from us in a timely manner. Thank you for taking the time to bring this to our attention.

I did not receive the email… but I did get a card in the mail from Petco today. Our cats have been throwing up more than usual, too.

My 2 cats just totally refused to eat the Max Cat food, but they did eat the Nutro with no apparent problems, though the older one had intestinal distress and seems to need more anti-hairball supplements . My dog just had tumors removed and is not too eager to return to her Nutro diet.
Is the dog food OK?

Hi Leslie,

Nutro has not reported any issues with their dog food formulas at this time. The voluntary recall is on select formulas of the cat food only. It is quite possible that your dog has changed her tastes after her surgery. On your next visit to your local PETCO, speak with one of our sales associates about an alternate brand. I am confident that our team can help you select a food that will meet her selective tastebuds.

I live in Portland, Oregon, and I often purchase Max Cat chicken flavor. When I first gave it to them, so I continued feeding it to them. Suddenly, one day neither of my cats would eat it. I thought that was kind of strange that both of them stopped eating it at the same time. I fed them a bag of Fancy Feast, thinking they were just bored, but after they gobbled down the bag of the new stuff, I returned to the Max Cat, but they still refused to eat it. I am sorry for the cats who got sick. This bag I have says “best if used by 11/OCT/2009. Maybe the formula was wrong in more packages than they think.

Thank you; I will return the product. I feel better knowing this is a voluntary market withdrawal rather than an FDA mandated recall. My cats ate half the 16 lb. bag with no issues, but who knows if they’re just not showing symptoms. I’d rather be cautious. Appreciate the removal of the catfood from the market, and I will continue to purchase Nutro products.

My cats were vomiting on and of and one had the worst diarrhea for weeks, I just thought they were symptoms of getting old and they had some digestion problems. The cats were hardly eating and I have used Nutro max for twenty years. Well today I get the notice in the mail, but the bag that caused the problem was finshed last week. I bought the new bag of food and all the vomiting and diarrhea has stopped. I’m shocked at the amount of animal food problems in the country. I don’t know what to think anymore. Maybe organic is the way to go. I love my pets and hate to torture them with bad food.

Thank you for providing the information about the recall…it is very helpful and I will not use this as a platform to complain about nutro or store service:

“I had no shoes and complained,
until I met a man who had no feet.”

I just got the postcard telling of the recall today. I checked the bag of food that I have and just finished, and the expiration date is January 2010. However, my cat who never vomits has been vomiting after eating at least two to three times a week and has been in and out of the vet office with kidney problems since March (which is a couple of weeks after starting this bag of food). Unfortunately, I never thought to change his food. But I agree with Stephanie that I think Nutro will discover that the formula was wrong in more packages than they think.

My cat was eating the bag of Max Cat food without any problems for at least 3 weeks. But suddendly, half way through the bag, she started to vomit the food right after she ate it. It was like she didn’t have the time to move away from her bowl. After she vomit, she looks fine. She had been throwing up for almost 3 days. I didn’t know what happen to her. I thought she ate some plants, so I remove all plants to outdoor.
Until today I receive the notice from Petco. I wish they let us know earlier. I will return this food and WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MAX CAT. I will go back to Science Diet.

I am yet another customer who empties my cat food into a feeding bin, so I don’t have the packaging or receipt. Is there any way Petco can determine if the bag I bought was part of the recall? I received the recall post card today from Petco. I assume that when the computer registers that you bought a product, it must also register the serial number or other identifying information as well. I care less about getting my money back than about knowing whether my cats are in danger.

I used to feed my dogs and cats NUTRO products. Earlier this year I found a website in which hundreds and hundreds of people had commented on. There were all these horror stories of people having found “foreign objects” in their bags of NUTRO food and their pets getting mysteriously sick and even dying. Most of the critters vomited a ton and some (who survived) had long term liver problems. I freaked out and switched dog food brands to a company who had no issues. After reading this column, I am extremely happy that I switched pet food brands – because this isn’t an isolated case. While I never questioned my decision to take them off NUTRO, this only reaffirms it more. Sorry NUTRO I really wanted to give you my business. Thanks PETCO for proactively handling this issue.

Hi Elizabeth, Our PALS program can record what formulas you are buying but we don’t record any Best Buy or production information for the formulas purchased. I wish that we could record that information to help you determine if the food you previously purchased was part of the voluntary recall. If you have any doubts about the product that you are feeding, I would encourage you to stop feeding it. I am sorry that we can’t help with the best buy information from your bags. I sincerely hope that your cats are well. Please feel free to contact us at 888-824-7257 if we can be of any further assistance.

I send a big thank you to Petco for mailing me a card about this recall. I did not know about it. This was an excellent use of your product sales information. You have provided a great service for many people like myself. I easily returned the cat food to our local Petco in Prince Frederick, MD. Thank you from my two cats too.

I am about to leave to return the bad bag to the store. I actually received an email from my vet alerting me to the recall. My cat has eaten about half of a 4 lb bag with no symptoms. It seems that people with visibly ill pets probably have a bag with too much zinc. From Nutro’s website: “In some instances, high zinc levels have been shown to cause lack of appetite, diarrhea and vomiting.” I think people without visible signs of illness probably have a bag with too much potassium. Again from Nutro’s website: “Over the long term, a low potassium diet may cause depressed growth rates, anorexia and neurological problems in kittens and to a lesser degree in full grown cats.” I’m worried about my cat because it says that the affected products were on shelves since Dec 2008, so my cat has been eating bad food for 6 months and she’s only a year and a half old. I’m watching her closely for neurological damage. She has also been having dry skin and losing some hair, which can result from low zinc levels.

My cat started refusing to eat his Adult Oceanfish about 1 week ago. I’ve had to resort to hiding the dog food from him when previously he wouldnt ever go near the dog food, which also happens to be Nutro brand. I was thinking of buying a different brand and have most certainly made up my mind now.

I received the recall notice last night and immediately went to the Petco location (Oswego, IL) where I purchased the food. I picked up a bag of food and took it along with the recall notice to the register and was told I would have to pay full price -10% if I didn’t have the original bag. We store our cats food in a plastic container and dispose of the bags. I asked her if she could look up the original purchase through my PALS card (you track sales). She did and confirmed the purchase of the recalled food. She rang up the food and again quoted me full price -10%. Even though the purchase had been confirmed through your own computer system, she would still not honor the exchange. I will never shop at PetCo again and will encourage others to do the same. Last summer I purchased 2 bags of dog food from this same store that was infested with tiny ants. I brought the ant infested food back and the store still charged for replacement! I have 3 dogs and 1 cat so you have really lost the equivalent of 4 customers. Thank god there is a Pet Smart opening two blocks away from your store!

My cat, who normally eats all her Nutro food has been leaving a lot in her dish after eating. I noticed this when I purchased a bag of the recalled Nutro Complete product on 5/9.

The Nutro Sales Rep was there at the store and told me it was a better formulation than the Max cat product I had been buying – more improvements.

My cat also had a little diarrehea 2 weeks ago. Normally she’s very healthy and enjoys her food. We have not had any more episodes and i had attributed the diarrehea to giving her a little bit of canned Nutro food for a treat. She’s had the canned food before and never experienced this problem, so it may have been due to the contaminated food.

I did not receive an e-mail from Petco – just a postcard today (5/29). An e-mail notice would have been nicer than my not knowing until I got a postcard in the mail. I plan to return 2 bags of recalled cat food to Petco later today.

my cats have been getting sick on and off, too. I was thinking it might be the food, but it was random and I couldn’t pinpoint the problem. I’m taking this food back tonight!

I have a bag of the oceanfish that falls earlier than the date of the recalls but, I have a cat who I have noticed has been vomiting the last at least 2 days. Can I return the product, or are they very firm that this is the olny days affected?

Our cats eat Nutro Max exclusively. They have been vomiting fairly frequently for about a month…but we just moved, and attributed it to that.

I wonder how seriously their health has been affected? Anyone know about long term consequences? If this stuff is so toxic that it’s making the cats vomit immediately after eating it, it must be pretty bad. I also notice that one cat has been losing weight. Now I know it’s not just adjustment to their new home! What should I ask the vet to look for?

I have bought this cat food on an off for the last 6 months, if memory serves me. One cat has been throwing up a lot and the other just started throwing up recently. I have an effected bag of cat food and will be returning, however, I am afraid to use this brand again. My one cat has been sick for a while, I hope that it doesn’t have a lasting affect on her.

Hi Lois, I hope that you can accept our apologies that our Oswego store did not handle your exchange gracefully. I would like to personally speak with you regarding your expereinces in our stores. I can be reached at 888-824-7257. If I am unavailable when you call, please have a member of my team transfer you to my voicemail and I will return your call as quickly as possible. I look forward to speaking with you.

Look at this news item from last year:

At the request of the US Food and Drug Administration US Marshals today seized pet food products from the Petco Animals Supplies Distribution Center in Joliet, IL. This comes after a warrant was issued by the US District Court in Chicago.

The pet food storage facility violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act because it allegedly had been storing pet food under “unsanitary conditions” during an FDA inspection of the Petco distribution center in April of this year.

During the April inspection FDA inspectors reported “widespread and active rodent and bird infestations“. After a follow-up visit last month FDA officials found “continuing active and widespread infestation”.

Hi Samantha, You are welcome to return the food you have to any of our stores. We want you to be 100% comfortable with the product. Just let the store know that the food has been making your cat sick and I am confident that they will provide you with an exchange. If you no longer have your receipt, have the store contact our Customer Relations team at 888-824-7257 and we will be happy to look up the transaction on your PALS account to ensure that your exchange goes smoothly. I sincerely hope that your cat feels better soon!

I just got back from our local Petco store, in Lakewood, CA. One employee told me that “it was just zinc” and not to worry. Another had never heard of the recall. When I finally talked to the manager, Nicole K, she refused to give me a refund despite the fact that I was holding the half-empty bag of food and the notice I received in the mail from Petco. She said I needed a receipt.

When I insisted, she called customer service and told me that I could get a “gift card” if I gave them all my personal information. Amazing. Talk about bad customer service! So much for the claims of a refund mentioned on this website.

Thank you Petco for sending me the postcard regarding the recall. I just exchanged my recalled product for a Science Diet catfood with no problem. I just hope my cats also suffer no problems!! So far so good.

I just wanted to thank you for the postcard about the recall. Neither of our cats have been vomiting, but they haven’t been eating quite as much wet food as they normally do. Could be coincidental. They love the Nutro Adult Cat Roasted Chicken cat food. I am thankful that Nutro “owned up” to their faulty product and will definitely buy their products again. Things happen and I think that they handled it as well as can be expected.

I bought a large bag of the recalled food, and couldn’t figure out why my cats were leaving it after a few days. I mixed it with another brand of dry food, and they ate it again, but reluctantly. About 5 weeks ago, the older cat started vomiting, and just wasn’t acting normal. A few days ago, the younger cat just stopped eating the Nutro. Today, he is not acting right.I never suspected there was anything wrong with the food. When I bought it, the lady at Petco said they had changed the formulation, so I thought it had affected the taste. I just hope there is no permanent damage to either of my guys. I will never buy a Nutro product again.

Thanks to Petco for the card about the recall or I would never have known. Nutro products and all of their affiliated brands CANNOT BE TRUSTED!! No one I know will ever use these products again.

I want to thank you for the postcard as well. I had not heard of the recall prior to receiving the postcard. I have purchased Nutro products for the last 16 yrs and never had any problems. But after reading these e-mails I too wonder if I have been poisoning my pets. My cat was seen by our vet about 6 weeks ago due to vomiting and diarrhea. I immediately threw out the week old bag of Nutro indoor cat food and purchased a different bag (indoor/outdoor formula) – my cat did get better. I don’t think my cat’s illness was just a coincidence. I am calling my vet in the morning and getting a recommendation for a new brand of food that is safe for my cats and dogs. Then returning the cat food to Petco.

This is the second time Nutro has given my pets a problem. The first time was about a year ago when my dogs were eating NutroMax Adult. The company had changed the packaging, which I didn’t think was a big deal, but then 3 out of my 5 dogs were having loose stools. I had 2 of them checked for worms and they were negative. I couldn’t figure it out until I met a Nutro representative at my local pet store and I told her of the problem. She informed me that not only had they changed the packaging, but also the recipe! Another local pet store confirmed this. I switched to Senior Nutro since it was time anyway.They said that recipe had not been changed.I was told that all this came about because the company was sold, and they decided to tinker with it to save money. I don’t know how true that is, but my dogs definately suffered because of this dishonesty.My 5 cats have been eating the recalled food for a few months now, which I will be returning today.I’m done with Nutro.

I’m a loyal customer to Petco and Nutro for many years. I received my postcard yesterday and it was too late to contact Nutro. I decided to contact Petco today, Saturday. I have a food bin purchased at Petco where I store my food. I recycle the bag after I empty it. A customer service rep at Petco told me unless I had the bag or the receipt, Petco would not be able to replace the item. He further said it was Nutro’s product, not Petco’s. Hello! Petco is selling the product for Nutro! I don’t care who’s product it is, I purchased it from Petco. I have 3 kitties and the one that never gets sick, has been vomiting for the past 4 days. A store manager at my local Petco said it is a mineral error on behalf of Nutro and not up to the company’s standards, that is why they pulled the product. Luckity, the store manager was very accommodating and decided to take back my product, since I have my receipt, and replace it with new product. I recently lost my 17.5 year old Maine Coon kitty. He had eaten Nutro products since I got him at 3 months of age. The products are fabulous. I don’t appreciate the way Petco treated me at their customer service center today. I do appreciate the support of the local store manager and his staff! I have a new puppy on the way and I’d hate to start shopping at a competitor’s store!
Thank you for letting me vent.

Canned cat food that I use does not say specifically NO BY_PRODUCTS so I called the company & was told yes they do contain by-products but not the BAD ones. What does that mean things like NO PUS pockets or other gross ingrediants. UGH!

Come on people, every time you turn around there is a food recall somewhere, this happened to be Nutro this time and not Purina. I did receive my card in the mail the other day and have watched my 4 cats very closely. Fortunately, all seem healthy. I’ve been a loyal Nutro customer for years, and will continue to buy it. Its a very healthy product for my cats unlike some garbage on the shelves.

I was giving my 12 year old cat the Senior Nutro cat food when she started vomiting and eventually stopped eating. She was near death when I started giving her the Nutro Adult cat food that has been recalled, that I had for my other cat. My senior cat began thriving again but has since occasionally vomited. I wonder if the Senior cat food should be recalled as well.

Thank you for the postcard notice. I would never have known this happened. I have a bag of bad food to. Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it!!

This is the second Nutro recall. One of animals became very ill just over 2 weeks ago. I ran up a few hundred dollars in vet bills getting him tested and cured. I gave Nutro the benefit of the doubt 2 years ago. It is obviously that this company doesn’t care about anything but making a buck. I’m going to ask my attorney to go after these people. I suggest that others do the same. My email is: mlrowden@live.com Others of you might feel the same. Therer is no excuse for this company carrying on like this. This is supposed to be premimum food – it is crap.

My cat has been eating Max for 16 years and we have never had a problem. I had noticed that she has been looking very thin, I just figured it was because she was getting old. Maybe it is the catfood, so I will exchange the food and see if that helps. I don’t think that people should be so upset about the recall as stuff like this happens and I am thankful that Petco set a notice or I would have never known.

Nutro made a good ethical decision to voluntarily recall this product and didn’t try to hide the reason. Nutro is a good brand that a lot of people trust. As with anything that is processed and prepackaged (dog food or human grade food) there are going to be mistakes from time to time because humans are making it. Remember, everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes. The key is HOW the mistakes are dealt with once they are realized!

I agree that Nutro is a good brand. Food is recalled all the time and we continued to buy it. If your animal had no problems before this than I don’t see the problem. I also think people are sue happy. Come on do you really think it is ethnical to sue them. Do you need the fast buck that bad. Wonder why are country is in the shape it is. Thank You Nutro for the voluntary recall.

Come on now people! Cut back some slack on the common errors of humanity. At least they are calling the products back on time and informing customers. I have tried many different types of puppy food for my 8mnth old pup until i was recommended Nutro for pups…I have found the right one. I am so glad this food exist its the only one my baby truly enjoys eating =]

Good thing I logged on to Petco.com to check out the latest price for cat food. Only then did I learn of this recall. No email, no postcard like others have mentioned. And all my contact info was up to date on my PALS acct. Mmmm…guess since I don’t subscribe to all the newsletter and marketing junk mail from Petco my cat’s health doesn’t count.

My cats have consumed two bags full of Nutro Indoor and are on the third bag of “bad” use by dates. They all have healthy appetites and have not stopped eating due to this problem. I have not noticed any changes in any of them. I did receive my card and will exchange my mostly full bag for a new one of the same food. It would be nice if Nutro would provide a detailed list of what to look for in our exposed pets…that way we will know if there are any long term ill effects to be treated.

I have found the best dog food ever….the dogs love it and it is all natural made by a woman with a pretty extensive chef background, who started making it for her beloved animals after the pet food scare. My dogs have never looked or felt better. She is based in California but does ship to the home or deliver. Check it out…..it saved my dogs…..www.vickiesvittles.com

Thanks to Petco for sending a notice card.

Shortly after purchasing the current bag of MAX Roasted Chicken, I began noticing one or more of my cats began vomiting after eating. I took this to be a reaction from eating too fast or perhaps a short-term stomach upset. In hindsight, it seems it was likely due to the food.

I will be returning the remaining half of the 16 lb bag to Petco for a refund. Unfortunately, my confidence in Nutro is severely shaken and I will have to defer future purchases for an indefinite period until I am assured that the product is again safe. MAX is not an inexpensive product and I expect the premium price to warrant a safe, quality product. I certainly hope that the rumors of “cost-cutting changes to the formula” are untrue.

Nutro Products guarantees the safety, quality, and performance of all their products. They are 100% guaranteed. If you have any concerns about your cats after they’ve eaten the affected food (which only had too much zinc or too little potassium), you can contact Nutro. Their website states you should watch your cats for “a reduction in appetite or refusal of food, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea”. Nutro is concerned about their customers, hence the voluntary recall. Any concerns or complaints can be addressed to Nutro customer support 800-833-5330 (8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Central Time). Nutro wants to hear from their customers. Nutro wants to make things right, even if the vendors aren’t being helpful.

Nutro does not use animal heads, feet, and/or intestines (which may be referred to as “chicken/beef/lamb by-product”). Nutro is an all natural dog and cat food supplier. They make their dry food in the the United States (CA and TN). They are not a fly-by-night company; they’ve been around for over 80 years.

This recall is because Nutro has high standards that won’t be compromised. You’d see their shelves empty before they would make an inferior product. If Nutro didn’t care about your pets, they wouldn’t have a recall (they’d just ignore the mistake).

This is the second time this has happen to my three cats!!! Back in March I purchased a bag of food and all three of the cats began very sick with vomit and loose stools. Called Nutro and the rep said it was the different from the midwest blend to the west coast blend. I bought like a sucker. Nutro mail be a check for the bag of food. Since then I have been watching my cats and they looked slimer and not eating as much food. I purchased a bag of every three week. This bag has lasted way to long. So I started surf the internet and found this recall!!! Now I have three sick cats again. I think the food was bad back in March because that is when I purchased this bag on March 21, 2009.
This is wrong cats have feelings too.

My older cat started scratching really bad after she started eating this food. She has scabs all over her body and some of her hair is falling out. I dont know if it is a direct relation to the food – but it was after she started eating it. I didnt buy anymore after that — she is eating a different food now but doesnt seem to be getting better yet.

I to have a 7 mo old kitten that has been eating the recalled food. Chester has refused to eat any food, and has not been acting like himself lately… i never thought it was the food. i just found out about this today…well good thing we changed his food yesterday to WELLNESS!!! and he still is not eating, but i hope he will feel better soon. im one MAD CUSTOMER AND I WILL NEVER TRUST NUTRO EVER AGAIN NOT EVEN IF IT WAS THE LAST FOOD ON EARTH! ILL MAKE MY OWN FOOD!

Re-formulation seems to be problematic…happening with some Nutro dog foods also…. involves a mineral mis-combination.

here are 2 links. Feds are looking into it. Other links on what’s happened since Mars (snickers, etc) purchased the company in 2007.

Used the products since ’89 or so for both cats and dogs. had been using iams or science diet, but when both bought out by mega companies, vets and others told me that Nutro was far better. sign of the times

the price of going big with diversification and impact on quality control.
the Chinese courts had a fast, no-appeal way of handling the melamine/gluten petfood deaths (sure it was based on national security/foreign trade)…those convicted were shot.

I had been mixing 2 of the recalled products for 6 weeks or so. Cat pulled out ocean fish & left pellets all over the floor to get to other product (also on recall list)… was throwing up orangey coloured bile in middle of night. just changed temporarily over to another brand until this gets worked out…the alternative is maybe switching to some (hopefully) reputable organics…but not everyone has that option.

Too bad…i respect Mars Pedigree Dogs rule ad campaign and the work they are doing with dumped, abused and pet victims of foreclosures. the AKC tv ads were heartbreaking.

hope all who are having problems find fast recovery…doesn’t take long to get up to a $1k vet bill. one of the comments below relates to a vet sending a test out to lab…came back with high mineral readings.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/05/nutro_foia06.html

http://www.westcoastpetsupply.com/news/4/mars-purchases-nutro-pet-foods.html

I don’t know if this recall has anything to do with what happened with my husband’s “best friend” but it was highly coincidental and was like pouring salt on a wound. Our cat of 9 years, indoor only, died just 2-3 days prior to receiving this recall notice. The vet said he was extremely healthy and couldn’t see any reason for his death. Boots was acting very normal and going through his normal routine one morning. We heard a loud cry in the hall way and found him lying on his side with a pool of saliva next to him. He whined a few times and even before I could dial the vets number he was gone. It was so fast. I’m choking up as I’m writing this as his death was more painful to my husband and I than I ever imagined his passing would be. He was very special to us and should have had many good years left. He didn’t vomit or loose weight or have loose stools. Just a lot of drooling right before his quick death. I can’t but wonder if the mix had anything to do with it at all.

I will never buy Nutro again. THANK YOU Petco. I buy most of my food at Petco, but buy occasionally at other places that carry the food I buy. I have vowed to buy exclusively from Petco from now on. I called with concerns about this recall. (Thanks so much for the post card alert!) They checked to see if I had bought the affected food. I had not. Nevertheless, no more Nutro for my kitties. Who’s to say what they discover in upcoming months? Thank goodness that I discovered an organic food that they LOVE!

Shame on you, Nutro! I left contact info and you said you’d contact me within 72 hours – NOTHING! That’s it. I love my kitties too much to fool with you.

Again, thank you, Petco!
Annie

I got home from work on Friday to find the recall notice from Petco in the mail. I was sick to my stomach. Thank God we shop at Petco using the Pal card. I never would have known about the recall. If this was more serious, my baby could have been dead and cremated before I even knew the reason why! Her 4 lb bag is half finished. I’m also saddened that it was Nutro. When we rescued my kitty, she had to have more than 5 teeth removed. I made it a priority to find food without a lot of meal and/or by-product in order to maintain healthy teeth and gums. She is the only 1 of 3 cats in the household that eats Nutro. She also is the only one that had a bout of severe vomiting. After reading these posts, I know now this was more than hairballs. I stood in a long line at the Stratford, CT Petco with only one cashier working to purchase a new cat food. When I inquired if he knew how to obtain the rebate he replied, “No”. I asked if anyone else in the store knew. Same answer, but he elaborated to say that I had to call the Nutro 800# or go to the website. I responded that the card came from Petco. I never got a response because the couple behind me was purchasing a huge bag of Nutro cat food and starting asking questions. Hopefully they received a better answer than I.

“There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast.”

This is Nutro’s second recall. It is a better food than the grocery stores carry but definitely not up to the standards of a premium food. A premium food should NOT contain by-products, corn, wheat, or soy. I put my 2 persians on Blue Buffalo and they have never been healthier. They have gorgeous tangle free coats, their stool is no longer offensive smelling, and they do not have hairballs or indigestion issues. you can research Blue Buffalo online and it can be purchased at Petco and Petsmart. it might cost a dollar or two more than Nutro but it is definitely worth your piece of mind!

Our cat eats only Nutro Max Cat’s “Gourmet Kitty” treats (chicken or salmon flavors) — I was surprised that Petco didn’t carry them in the store today. Are the treats being recalled as well? What treats do your cat(s) enjoy? Thanks in advance!

Are there any other symptoms, other than vomiting, drool, weight loss and/or loss of appetite? We were feeding our cats the weight control and they both quit eating it…the one cat seems fine, chomping away on Royal Canin food now, but our other cat is at the vet possibly dying of failing kidneys. I am not sure if the recalled “extra” ingredients could have caused this or not, but has anyone hear of a person’t pet dying from the recall and if so or not, other symptoms than the ones mentioned above??? She has lost weight because of her liver but we have not had the runny stool or vomiting.

I found out about the recall today via an email from our vet. Never got a post card from PETCO even though we’re members of Petco Pals.

OK. My bad. Just checked the NUTRO recall web site and our food is NOT on the recall list. PETCO didn’t send us a card since they apparently track what UPC codes they sold to us.

Still … think we’ll stop using the food we have until more is known.

For the time being, I do not trust ANY of Nutro’s pet products. It seems that dozens of cats AND DOGS are becoming sick while eating Nutro foods. (read link below on personal stories of pet-owners). I am not saying another explaination couldn’t be given on the cause of illness or death of these pets, but with them being all on NUTRO food… and now the recal it just doesn’t seem right. I am not risking my dog or cats lives while the Nutro company sorts things out

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/nutro.html

I just learned of this when visiting Petco’s site to check prices. My 3 cats had been on the Natural Choice Indoor Senior dry formula for a year when my oldest cat (just turned 11) started vomiting in late March. After visiting the vet and going on medication the vomiting got worse, and he stopped eating his food and having bowel movements. Emergency exploratory surgery found that he had developed an ileus (inflamed section of intestine) that was not allowing stool to pass, and a biopsy was negative for intestinal cancer but positive for inflammatory cells. Suspecting a food sensitivity we started him on a food trial but he never got better. Everything he ate, he threw up and he lost 1/3 of his body weight in 6 weeks. I was forced to put him to sleep in early May after his body became so run down he couldn’t walk, eat or drink. We don’t know what happened to him- he had been very healthy and active until he started vomiting. Even as a former vet tech, the experience taught me a lot about pet nutrition and I learned that Nutro contains a lot of fillers and ingredients that aren’t good for cats. My surviving cats are now on a holistic diet and doing well. I don’t know whether the food had anything to do with his illness and ultimate death, but this definitely spooks me and confirms my decision to switch my other guys to a holistic diet.

I emailed and called Nutro about this and they ignored me, then sent me an email saying I could call them for more info (um, I already called you and you said you’d get back to me.). What a crummy company. They refused to let me exchange the recalled pet food too. Jerks!

I’m another customer who only found out about the recall May 25th by checking Petco pricing. Nothing came in the mail, although I’m a steady customer. The lowered potassium level has caused anorexia in my Becky. I had never heard of such a thing before!I Bloodtests have shown all levels in normal ranges, but she still won’t eat unless fed with a dropper. I’m frantic! How long does this “crap” stay in the system? She’s been on clavamox for over a week. I don’t want to lose her because some fat-cat CEO is cutting costs to pay for his vacation home in Florida! I’ve been feeding my cats a “Trailmix” of Nutro and Royal Canin products for years. Now Becky looks like a street urchin who never had a decient meal! Any advice is greatly appreciated.

One of my cats has been very ill for the past 3 weeks. His lab work came back normal so the vet thought he might have a food allergy. She put him on Hills Prescription d/d & gave him a course of metronidazole for the diarrhea & vomiting. It seemed to help for about a week & now he’s relapsed. He’s not eating & he’s vomiting again. Now my other cat is showing the same symptoms. I just received my recall notice in the mail so it did’nt occur to me that it could be the food. I only bought 1 bag of Max Cat Indoor Formula which they finished about a month ago. I’m bringing both cats to the vet tomorrow armed with all of this information. Hopefully there’s a treatment that will help them. Has anybody’s cats recovered yet?

I just logged on to petco’s site and saw the recall. my cat’s food was listed but I never received any contact from Petco or Nutro. I feed both my cat and dog their brand of food. My cat had been to the vet 3 times since January while eating this food. She had lossed hair on her face by her wiskers, has been vomitting, lossed 2.5 pounds, and scratches at her eyes and ears creating scabs. I already switched her food a month ago but she doesn’t seem completly better yet..three Medical Bills and Two Medications later:(

I have noticed tons of expired bags of pet food at two Petco locations near me in one on FM 1960 Street in Houston, TX off of HWY 45 in Spring, TX (less than 10 miles apart) I tried Nutro once because it’s one of the few so-called premium brands carried with an expiration date beyond next week. I wanted to use Wellness cat food, but the average date was March 2009. Last week, I switched to Natural Balance although there were a few bags from June 2008 and Dec 2008. I shop at either store every other week since rescuing her in December for some random thing to amuse the cat. Each time, I’ve brought the point ever so politely and I question why the bags are still on the shelf. Each time,I’ve been told that the truck comes on Tuesday. The is the script at both stores I cannot connect what the truck’s arrival has to do with pulling the post date merchandise, but it’s only my cat’s health at stake. In fairness, the same is true of Petsmart. What does it take to remove expired food from the shelves? If I weren’t so meticulous, I’d have overlook that. I shudder to think of the people who are grab and go shoppers, but I should be able to be that comfortable and secure knowing that it’s already been checked for me.

I also did not hear anything from Petco about the recall, which is upsetting since I shop exclusively at their stores. Luckily, I heard just in time, as I was near the end of prior stock. Several months ago, I signed up for the FDA recall notices, which is where I heard about it a couple of weeks ago — I also let all my friends know. Sometimes I just glance at the notice & delete, but better safe than sorry! There was nothing on the news like the last major pet food scare. After the last one, I began ordering from KumpiKat.com — I highly recommend them – very fresh product & excellent service — unfortunately it got too expensive for a multi-cat household, though I am considering mixing it. After some research, I chose Nutro products. I just think I’m more upset about the idea that another successful, trusted company may have changed hands & are now risking our pets’ health for profits! Guess I’ll move on to Purina – they never seem to be involved in these scares! Maybe I’ll have to find a way to afford to go back to KumpiKat (by the way, they also make dog food)!

Don’t be fooled into this “voluntary” recall term as there is NO such thing as a “mandatory” recall with pet food…I feel this term may mislead petowners into thinking this is not important…remember this problem was detected by “documentation” and not actual testing of basic nutrients…and it has been going on (so they say) since December 2008 and was discovered on a Monday but released to public on a Thursday! Why is that ?

I had a 5 year old Maine Coon die on March 30th. That is of course before I recevied the recall notice from Petco. I have 5 Maine Coons, so I go through a lot of bags and do not know if they ate any of the containmated food or not. I have one bag that is not opened yet, but the date is after. The retailer is not stocking the shelves right now, so looks like I am going to have to make a switch.

Not sure if I should switch to IAMS or Royal Canin Maine Coon formula, researching both on the internet right now.

Have been using MAX CAT chicken since 2002, but only because the cats liked the flavor when we got samples from the breeder.

I was glad to get the card in the mail myself. Hadn’t heard anything about this recall until then.

Check out Nutro’s FAQ about the product recall. The FDA is not investigating Nutro Products. http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm143393.htm

ConsumerAffairs.com is posting false information. ConsumerAffairs.com is a self-described “independent Web-based consumer news and resource center,” and is not affiliated with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission or Consumer Reports.

Questions 24 & 25 also deal with ConsumerAffairs.com’s lies, but they have the same answer (probably for legal reasons).

Q26 I recently saw a news report about NUTRO® and an FDA investigation. Is the recall related to this?

The two issues are unrelated. On April 20, ConsumerAffairs.com posted a story claiming that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has an ongoing investigation into NUTRO® pet food. This is not true. We have confirmed with officials from the FDA’s division responsible for regulating pet food, the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), that there is no current or ongoing investigation of Nutro Products, Inc.

Kudo’s to Petco for bringing this forth and having this link on their website. I learned about this from a Petco information card sent to my sister-in-law. Petsmart which is where I bought my bag of “bad food” has nothing about it on their site that I could find.

Our cats appear to have had no ill effect from the food, but we did replace it just to be safe.

Both my cat and dog were on Nutro pet foods. My cat’s food was in the recall and she did have a bout of diarrea during that time after eating over half of the bag. Got some medicine from our vet and it cleared up and hasn’t reoccured. I did get notice of the recall from both Nutro and Petco and I stopped using both foods and will not use Nutro products ever again.

I’m shocked! I just came to the website to change my address after just moving – only to find out that I didn’t receive the postcard about the recall. I just purchased a bag of the Nutro food for my cat on May 14th, and was wondering what was causing him to vomit on the carpet all of a sudden. He likes to drink water from the faucet & I thought that’s what was upsetting his stomach – only to find out it was the NUTRO!
I adopted my cat from the Petco in Bloomington, IN & they suggested the Nutro food, which I got the first bag of for free. I’ve stuck with the brand as he’s reached 1yr in age…but I’m heading straight to Petco in the morning & demanding my money back!

my cat was rushed in to the vet and almost died. his vet bill was over $800.00 and they could not tell us what was wrong…i just call nutro today and they tried to convienience me that it would not be their food i say bull since he has been put on a different diet since the vet and is a different cat healthier i think their food has been making him sick for a while!

I do understand human error however at whose expense. Who was in charge of mixing the food. . . I feel that we as America have more and more incompetent people in places that they should not be in. Manufactures and people in charge should be held accountable. . . no matter what. Everyone is so lax while pets get sick and owners lives are turned upside down by the incompetent ones out there. This is just an example of the incompetence which happens a lot more in the other places like (human) hospitals. Thousand of people die needlessly because of incompetence. I am not a perfectionist however it does not hurt to double check formulas, mixes, injections and anything else that could put others at risk. I even ask my vet before he gives my pets injections to make sure my pet is getting the right dosage and the right shot. I understand human error but it does not hurt to be extra careful and not so trusting ASSUMING the other party is not prone to mistakes.

DO NOT BUY NUTRO PRODUCTS!!!! Consumeraffairs.com has been on Nutro’s rear end for more than a year regarding problems with multiple pet foods, cat and dog food. Nutro always denies a problem; however all you need to do is search on the Consumer Affairs website and see the problems pet owners are having, and have been having with Nutro. The worst part for me is that Nutro just denies there are problems.

I tske care of 4 outside cats, plus my 2 special inside cats
everyone is sick from Nutro Max cat food,that I have been buying for 14 years.When I went to PETSMART I noticed THE SHELF WAS EMPTY,ONLY ONE BAG OF MAX CAT KITTEN FOOD,I asked why,and was told there was A small problem but the Kitten Food was fine,the fool that I am I bought it.I NOTICED MY CATS WERE THROWING UP,THEY WERE SICK…… THE OUTSIDE CATS
WERE NOT EATING THE DRY FOOD.THE LITTLE THEY ATE, CAME BACK UP.IF MY CATS DONT GET BETTER I WILL GET MY LAWYER TO GO AFTER THIS COMPANY THAT I TRUSTED WITH MY VERY SPECIAL CATS.HOW LONG WILL THIS STAY IN THERE SYSTEM????????

My l7 year old stopped eating and I spoke to my two Vets to try to determine what could be wrong. I mentioned the recall, but they thought it could be her age. When I came back to town, I bought her to my ER Vet and $2400 later she is on the mend. I feel like I’m still walking on egg shells tho. I took my bag back to Petco, who did send me a notice in the mail, and picked out a different Nutro product without any hassle. One Vet didn’t know anything about the recall. I feel that it was this bad diet that caused my cat, who’s health is compromised because of her age and already has under control renal disease, to go over the edge and nearly die. What recourse do I have? I shall try calling the 800 # at Nutro and see what happens.

My Becky is slowly improving after weeks of near death not eating on her own, and over $500.00 in vet bills. These recalls remind me of an eye, ears, and throat doctor who once said to me in jest,” I just love Q tips – they keep me in businesss”. The veterinary business must have experienced a windfall from this fiasco, but I’m glad they’re there to help all of us. My cats are family members!

Recalled Nutro cat food was tested..bought after the recall here is the info..
http://www.pfpsa.org/news.html

and direct link to test result page. http://www.pfpsa.org/nutrorecall.pdf

Danial, Nutro is NOT telling you the truth! I called and complained the day that recall was issued! I contacted them again a few days later to ask if they planned to change their quality control procedures, they said they did not. I told them I will not use any of their products until they do change their quality control procedures. I guess I should have said “I AM COMPLAINING!!!” All of this leads me to believe that they are not telling the whole story in other aspects. They should be inspecting their product before it leaves the factory, don’t you agree? BTW it was too little zinc and too much potassium — too much potassium can be very dangerous.

I was leaving on vacation and poured a new bag of the indoor complete care senior formula into the storage bin, then filled 2 big bowls, more than enough to last 3 days I was going to be gone. And left. I came back to 3 cats that had barely eaten. After days being home they still would barely touch the food. This food isn’t even on the recall list, but there is something wrong with it. My cats don’t get upset when I go out of town, they always eat, which is proven by 2 of their sizes. They have been eating this exact formula for over a year now and suddenly wouldn’t touch this bag. Then someone told me about the recalls so I switched them. As soon as I switched them to Wellness, they gobbled it all up with out a problem. I have the food in a bag and don’t know what to do with it. Nutro says there is nothing wrong with it, but if my cats won’t touch it, something isn’t right. I’m done with Nutro. This is the last recall I’ll live through with them.

So we just heard of the recall when we took our 2yr old cat to the vet because she has been lethargic and loosing weight and not eating. Turns out that she now has “fatty liver disease” due to her anorexia. She wont eat on her own now, and we have to give her an I.V. twice a day. I was feeding her the recalled food. There is a special test your vet can do to test her zinc levels. If they are off, then it was most likely that the sickness was caused by the bad food. I think its rediculious that Petco never told us about this recall. We never recieved ANY info. Fatty liver disease apparently, is not usually found in cats that arent overweight.

Check web site http://www.pfpsa.org/news.html..Totally geared to “PET FOOD PRODUCT SAFTETY” This site explains just how serious this zinc – potassium product is and how deaths have resulted!! I know now, for sure, Nutro will not be in my household in the future. Becky is still very ill. WE’ve got a 50-50 chance on this one – and Nutro has made no attampt to change their manufacturing procedures, eventhough they assured consumers they would!! There outta be alaw.

My 17 year old cat is now eating Purina’s new canned food..Braised beef which has barley and garden greens and Chicken with brown rice and garden greens. This is not on her restricted kidney diet, but she’s eating again and actually had a normal bm last night. I’ll try to mix in her special canned food and see if she still eats. It’s been a long month and more money spent at the Vets, but after all, she is family. My other cat is eating a new bag of Nutro food and is having no problems.

Sorry to report Becky passed away in her sleep July 4th. We finally diagnosed inflamation in the GI tract and the stomach, less than two days before.By then er body was too weak to heal. Note – no vomiting, ever, and no blood work helped to identify the problem. “Her time to go” is NOT an accurate diagnosis when the food was responsible of a poisoning of the gastrointesinal tract! Pet owners, please keep questioning until the answers are revealed. Now I know the symtoms of poisoning, and my others will have the advantage of that knowledge. Nutro company must be stopped! I’m glad the FDA is now involved. Life and death of 1000s of pets is at stake.