Nestle Purina Voluntarily Recalls Single Lot of Therapeutic Canned Cat Food Due to A Low Level of Thiamine (Vitamin B1)

Purina has issued a limited recall of its Purina Veterinary Diets OM Overweight Management canned cat food.

Attention cat owners: Nestle Purina PetCare (NPP) is voluntarily recalling one specific lot of its Purina Veterinary Diets OM Overweight Management canned cat food, available through veterinarians in the U.S. and Canada. 

According to the press release, this is a precautionary measure being taken in response to one consumer complaint received by FDA.  Analytical testing of the product sample by FDA indicated a low level of thiamine (Vitamin B1).  Purina has received no other complaints of thiamine-related or any other health issues related to this product. 

This is the only product included in the recall (“Best By” Date and Production Code are found on the bottom of the can):

Purina Veterinary Diets (Overweight Management) Feline Formula
5.5 oz. can
“Best By” JUN 2013
Production code 11721159
UPC code 38100 – 13810 

This product was distributed to veterinary clinics between June, 2011 and May, 2012 throughout the U.S. and Canada.  The product is not sold in retail stores.

 Cats fed this affected lot exclusively for several weeks may be at risk for developing a thiamine deficiency. 

Thiamine is essential for cats.  Symptoms of deficiency displayed by an affected cat can be gastrointestinal or neurological in nature.  Early signs of thiamine deficiency may include decreased appetite, salivation, vomiting and weight loss.  In advanced cases, neurological signs can develop, which may include ventriflexion (bending towards the floor) of the neck, wobbly walking, falling, circling and seizures.  Contact your veterinarian immediately if your cat is displaying any of these signs.  If treated promptly, thiamine deficiency is typically reversible.

Consumers who have purchased Purina Veterinary Diets® OM canned cat food cans with these specific “Best By” Date and Production Codes should discontinue feeding the product, and discard it. 

In the press release,  Nestle Purina PetCare reassures consumers that ”the safety and efficacy of our products are our top priority.  We apologize for any inconvenience due to this voluntary recall.”

 For further information or to obtain a product refund, please contact Nestle Purina as follows:

U.S. Consumers & Veterinarians:
Call toll-free 1-800-982-8837 Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time, or visit www.purinaveterinarydiets.com.

Canadian Consumers & Veterinarians :
Call toll-free 1-866-884-8387 Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, or visit www.purina.ca.

Read the press release here.

New York State Police raid Wyoming County SPCA following charges of animal abuse

According to BuffaloNews.com, the NY State Police raided the Wyoming County SPCA today. Click the image to read the story at the BuffaloNews.com.

Just a week ago we were talking about animal cruelty and puppy mills, and in an ironic twist the New York State Police today raided the Wyoming County SPCA following allegations that “hundred cats were living under inhumane living conditions and funds were being improper handled.” Police also raided an adoption center run by the Wyoming County SPCA in the Eastern Hills Mall in Clarence, NY.

According to the BuffaloNews.com, Erie County SPCA spokeswoman Gina Browning, who is assisting with the investigation said, “I think deplorable is an understatement in how to describe the conditions inside that facility.” The Wyoming County Emergency Response Team is also assisting in the clean up.

Senator Patrick M. Gallivan, who represents the 59th District, released a statement today that read, in part, “I hope a pattern of mistreatment is not emerging among the SPCA centers of Western New York. When considering the recent problems that have arisen at area SPCA’s, one thing is clear, New York State needs a comprehensive review of its animal shelter and adoption policies…”

In January, the Erie County SPCA announced that it would lead an investigation into allegations of animal abuse at the Niagara County SPCA. Protestors has claimed severely injured animals had gone untreated at the facility and that 500 cats and dogs, many of them healthy, were euthanized during a two-month period.

According to the Wyoming County SPCA website, “The Wyoming County SPCA is a not for profit animal rescue organization based out of Attica, New York. Founded in 1905, the WC SPCA has placed thousands of orphaned, abandoned, and abused animals in to permanent, qualified homes.” The home page currently has a message that reads, “Volunteers Needed!!!! The animals need YOU! Volunteers are needed at the Adoption Center to clean cages, feed, visit with customers, sit with the cats or sell merchandise. Any time you can spare will help immensely. Contact any staff member for more information.”

You can read more at BuffaloNews.com.

Cat rides a roomba!

Click the image to visit Kittytoob.com and watch the video!

Our dear friend Beth Adams Pitoniak shares this kitty gem as we “Meow” Around Town:

“If your cat is anything like mine,” Beth says, “he or she is looking for some indoor amusement during the winter months.  Check out this cat’s new ride!   No cat of mine would ever go near a vacuum cleaner, so I am impressed.  And this is the closest I’ve ever seen a feline earning it’s keep by doing some housework!”

Read more of Beth’s cat posts!

 

A Very Sassy Christmas

 

Sassy has had a rough week but it taught her mom an important lesson.

by Beth Adams Pitoniak

Once again, my cat has taught me a lesson about life. I’ve been blessed to have shared my home and my heart with many pets over the years–dogs, birds, gerbils, mice, turtles, rabbits, and in the last half of my life, a series of felines. One of the things I love about cats is the way they wheedle their way into my heart in a matter of seconds, and stretch and bend that organ until I am left a better person for the experience.

This holiday season has brought many changes to our household. About six weeks ago, I was laid off from my job of nearly 24 years and have found myself searching for work outside the only profession I’ve ever known in my adult life. My husband went through a similar transition three years ago. We were not ready for the additional stress when our cat, Sassy, who usually lives up to that name, was especially lethargic last weekend and refused to eat.

Witnessing some other concerning symptoms, we brought her into the emergency veterinary clinic on Saturday night. Many exams, x-rays, and blood tests later (and a much lighter wallet) the specialists on staff still didn’t know what ailed our young and otherwise healthy tabby. She came home with us only to return, very dehydrated, to the clinic 36 hours later. An ultrasound showed changes in her spleen and intestines that could signal anything from a parasite to cancer. Suddenly, jobs, networking, bank accounts, and mortgages dropped low on my list of worries.

Animals have a way of reminding us what is important in life, and what we will be left with at the end of it: memories of the sustaining love and devotion of those closest to our hearts. I knew that if Sassy came home to us and returned to her previous healthy and mischievous self, all would be well in my world, whether I worked as a cashier at the store down the road or as an executive in a PR firm.

So, this is the great Christmas gift our little Sasser gave to us this year. And a priceless gift, at that. It wasn’t just the present of her restored health–for she is living up to her name once again–but the powerful lesson that most of the things we fret about just don’t matter.

Remembering Oscar with laughter

Beth and Oscar, one of the cat loves of her life

by Beth Adams Pitoniak

A friend once told me that red tabbies are the comedians of the cat world. I know that was true of my feline soul mate, Oscar. The funniest people are those who come to it naturally, without even trying. In fact, if one were to try too hard, they wouldn’t be funny at all. So it was for Oscar. He had a dead-pan look and casual air, together with hilariously profound facial expressions and body language that had my friends and I, and later my husband, doubled over in laughter.

Special home needed for Feline Leukemia-positive kitty

Gibbs is a FeLV positive kitty who needs a special forever home

This just in from our friend and cat lover Beth Adams Pitoniak:

“Friends, I received a plea for help from an absolute angel of a friend who spends her days caring for animals no one wants. This is Gibbs, found shivering behind a restaurant in the cold. He has Feline Leukemia, so needs a home with no other cats, or one who is also FeLeuk positive. Please spread the word to anyone who might be interested in loving this sweet boy. With proper care and love, he can have some good years ahead.”

Don’t be put off by the diagnosis of Feline Leukemia (FeLV). While a cat with FeLV will require regular veterinary care and have some special needs to avoid secondary infections, he can live a normal life for several years. According to the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine website:

FeLV is present in the blood (a condition called viremia) during two different stages of infection:

Primary viremia, an early stage of virus infection. During this stage some cats are able to mount an effective immune response, eliminate the virus from the bloodstream, and halt progression to the secondary viremia stage.

Secondary viremia, a later stage characterized by persistent infection of the bone marrow and other tissue. If FeLV infection progresses to this stage it has passed a point of no return: the overwhelming majority of cats with secondary viremia will be infected for the remainder of their lives.

Beth estimates that Gibbs the kitty is a young adult, probably under 3. But because he’s a stray, no one really knows. He’s here in Rochester, and needs a home with no other cats or with other cats who are already FeLV positive. While FeLV isn’t transmitted to humans, secondary infections may be, so Cornell recommends “that pregnant women, people with suppressed immune systems, the very young, and the very old avoid contact with FeLV-infected cats.”

If you can give Gibbs a loving forever home and manage his special needs, get in touch with Beth on Facebook or leave your info here and we’ll get it to her.