TESTS FIND ‘SKY HIGH’ ZINC LEVELS IN NUTRO CAT FOOD
June 19, 2009
Sandy G.
Test results provided to company; no response so far
By Lisa Wade McCormick, ConsumerAffairs.com
Lab results on a sample of the recalled NUTRO cat food reveal the product contains “concerning” and “sky high” levels of zinc that could cause gastrointestinal problems and liver and kidney damage in felines, according to a veterinary toxicologist.
The non-profit Pet Food Products Safety Alliance (PFPSA) hired Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory to test a sample of the recently recalled NUTRO Max Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor cat food.
Those test results reveal the food contains an excessive amount of zinc — 2100 parts per million (ppm).
“The concentration of zinc identified in this report of 2100 ppm is very high,” said Dr. Stephen Hansen, a veterinary toxicologist and senior vice-president of Animal Health for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). “That zinc level jumps off the page. It is awfully high and does concern us. It’s certainly gotten our attention.”
Do those high levels of zinc pose health problems for cats?
“The problem in this case is that we believe no one actually knows (or at least has published) the effects of 2100 ppm dietary zinc long-term in cats,” Dr. Hansen said. “Typically, cats are more tolerant of high zinc than other species, including dogs and humans.
“But it’s certainly possible that those levels of zinc would likely cause health problems in cats that could involve significant intestinal upset and liver and kidney damage.”
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~Sandy G.
Entry Filed under: ANIMALS, CONSUMER INFORMATION, NEWS
4 Comments
1.
Tina | June 19, 2009 at 2:49 AM
wow i bet the people that bought the product are really worried about it and their pet
2.
Sandy G. | June 20, 2009 at 12:44 AM
Hi Tina. How’s your weekend starting out? Hopefully great. When I get done here, I’m heading over to your site.
I know I would be very concerned. As it is, I worry that I will end up with a bad batch of food for my pets one of these days.
If anything happened to one of mine, I would freak out on the pet food maker! There’s just no reason for this to keep happening.
3.
Dorene, Ca | July 11, 2009 at 6:47 AM
Here is my story –
I’ve purchased Nutro Complete Care cat food for years. Most of my purchases have been with Petco. I buy two big bags at a time and empty them into a container to prevent other critters (raccoons) from getting into the food. I have had no reason to keep the bags once emptied. On the day we found out about the recall; I emptied the container into the trash and bought different food, so we have no physical evidence. We have four cats, two indoor and two outdoors. Outdoor kitty’s ages 12 and 13 years: Indoor kitties are 7 years old identical twins which I bottle fed from three weeks old.
One of my outdoor cats was sick, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, no appetite and looked jaundice. I took him into the vet and left him for treatment, this was middle of June. I didn’t know about the recall of Nutro food at this time. As I was sadly talking about how sick my kitty was, someone asked me what food I was feeding them. She told me about the Nutro recall but it was too late for my big boy. Unfortunately, Chewy lost the fight the next day. I told the vet about the food but at the time he felt, the condition, which was liver disease, could have been a result of the cat’s age (as uncommon as it is). I didn’t agree but let it go. I began to notice one of my 7 year old twins not eating. Then the vomiting started, weight loss and the cycle was repeating it self. I took her into the vet July 6th and was diagnosed with the same condition as Chewy. The only humane thing to do was to say goodbye to my little bundle of love.
I called Nutro but they take the stance “no responsibility without proof”. They want lab work that shows the Zinc level. Since I stopped feeding them this poison about three weeks ago, the only way to get this information is to autopsy or surgically obtain liver sample. Very invasive and expensive procedures to prove they killed my pets!!
I’ve lost two loving family cats 12 and 7 years, so far. My third cat is sick. My Vet bills are over one thousand dollars thus far and I’m praying I don’t lose the remaining two.
Also, this morning, July 10, 2009, I contacted Nuro once again and spoke with the same rep as a couple of days ago, her name is Diana. Today she told me to send in my bills that will be submitted to their insurance company. I’m not sure we are out of the woods and by sending in my information only helps me but not the hundreds or perhaps thousands of other pet owners grieving for their lost cats..
4.
Sandy G. | July 11, 2009 at 7:34 AM
Thank you for commenting. I am so sorry to hear that Dorene. This should not be happening! I love animals and this just makes me sick!
I have two dogs and two cats and I’m always afraid something like this is going to happen to them.
There needs to be serious consequences for these companies so this doesn’t continue to happen!
Please keep me posted on how your other two babies are doing. Take care.