Jessica Klinkenberg
Northern News Services
Friday, March 23, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Pet owners in Yellowknife need to check what they're feeding their dogs and cats after a massive recall was issued last week for pet food suspected of causing kidney failure.

Menu Foods Inc., an Ontario-based company, issued a recall for its "cuts and gravy" style pet food in cans and pouches last Friday after two plants in the United States may have sent out tainted batches.

So far no deaths have been confirmed in Canada, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fed 40-50 cats the food and reported in a press release that seven of those cats died from the food.

Some of the symptoms associated with the tainted feed are vomiting and kidney failure. The food is distributed under many brand names including Iams, Eukanuba, President's Choice, and Science Diet.

Jo-Ann Cooper, owner of Borealis Kennels and Pet Supplies urges pet owners to remain calm.

"The recall list is only for slices and gravy cans and pouches."

Cooper said that the concern that dry food may be tainted isn't accurate, and that pet owners can check the expiry dates on their cans, and check the brand against the list Menu Foods has provided on their website.

When she found out on Friday she printed out the list of recalled pet foods and checked the can foods to ensure she didn't have them on her shelves.

"Talk to your retailers, they should be very proactive," she said.

Cooper said that if owners are still concerned, that they can simply avoid purchasing the gravy and slices food.

"It's a luxury," she said of the wet food. An alternative however is pate style pet food.

But Cooper said that pet owners today are more knowledgeable of what they feed their pets than ever before.

"They check the ingredients, they check the expiry...they're more than just pets, they're part of the family now."

Jennifer Eggenberger, one of the managers at J.J. Hobbies, said they do not carry wet or dry food from Menu Foods.

"We are not carrying any of those brands," Eggenberger said.

The brands they carry are made by Hagen, with Nutrience for cats and dogs. Due to a lack of demand for wet food in general, they don't stock it.