In Maine, pet owners return recalled food

PORTLAND – Pet owners returned dog and cat food products to retailers and sought more information during the weekend after a Canadian pet food manufacturer issued a recall of products made over a three-month period.

Menu Foods Inc., an Ontario-based company that produced the pet food, said it was recalling dog food sold throughout North America under 48 brands and cat food sold under 40 brands. The products are in cans and pouches and include national names such as Iams and Eukanuba and private-label store brands such as Hannaford.

The recall was prompted by consumer complaints of cats and dogs developing kidney failure after eating the products. Ten deaths – one dog and nine cats – have been reported, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Beth Thompson returned her cat’s food Sunday to a Petco store in South Portland. Her 8-month-old cat hasn’t shown any signs of illness, but she still planned to take it to a veterinarian as a precaution.

“I am worried,” Thompson said.

Pet Palace in the Airport Mall in Bangor said Monday it was surprised not to have received calls or pet food returns from concerned pet owners.

“We haven’t got a single bit back. We sell Nutro, but we checked and we don’t have any batches of the stuff that’s getting dogs sick,” said Jesse Young, the store’s manager.

Petco and other pet stores and supermarkets posted notices about the recall and encouraged people to return recalled products for refunds and contact their veterinarians if their pets showed signs of kidney failure, such as loss of appetite, vomiting, frequent urination or lethargy.

Most veterinary clinics were closed Sunday, but the Animal Emergency Clinic in Portland reported a deluge of phone calls from concerned pet owners and said it treated one case of kidney failure Sunday.

Clare Currier, a receptionist, said she fielded dozens of calls.

“As long as they’re not having any problems right now and their dogs are still acting fine, we tell them to just get rid of the food and contact their vets in the morning,” Currier said.

Menu Foods announced Friday it was recalling all its “cuts and gravy” dog and cat food produced at two U.S. facilities between Dec. 3, 2006, and March 6.