by Elisa Black-Taylor
(USA)
This article concerns a potential Purina ONE® cat food problem.
Purina ONE® cat food had its most voluntary recall back in the summer. Here’s an article with an overview of this recall. Please read over it if at all possible before reading more of my article.
The list of symptoms to watch out for were taken from the above link for those of you who don’t have the time to read the entire article. It’s critical that all cat owners know these.
“Salmonella can affect animals eating the product, and there is a risk to humans from handling contaminated products. People handling contaminated dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.
Pets with Salmonella infections may exhibit decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.”
From the information I’ve learned in the last 24 hours, I’m afraid another recall is imminent. I’m not doing this article to bash Purina. Nestle Purina is taking this issue seriously, but not enough information has been gathered to demand another voluntary recall.
What troubles me is the same symptoms are appearing in cats from Ohio to California and several have died. I even received word from a cat in Australia dying with the same symptoms.
The first thing I’d like for everyone to do is memorize the symptoms of salmonella poisoning. What disturbs me most about the most recent deaths is the failure of blood work to detect any problems. When the blood work comes back as normal, this gives the cat owner a false sense of security. It’s only in the later stage when it’s too late to save the cat that liver and kidney damage is showing up.
“We don’t know that the food is the cause, but everyone needs to be aware of a strange coincidence regarding Purina One Dry Food that is going on between our house in California, and my sister’s house in Ohio. My sister in Ohio had one cat that started vomiting about 2 months ago. She thought it might be hairballs, but he lost the use of his back legs. His blood work came back ok, so the vet chalked it up to a blood clot, and he started feeling better. He came home, and was fed the same food. Then, her cat Franklin had the same problem; vomiting and losing the use of his back legs. The same with him; blood work was good, and vet chalked it up to a strange coincidence. (BTW both cats indoors, previously healthy as a horse, and being fed Purina ONE® Indoor).
A few weeks ago, her first cat, Ernie, declined again, and passed away after having another bout of the same symptoms; this time the vomit had blood in it. This morning Franklin, the second cat passed away. Since his first hospitalization, his blood work got bad; kidneys and liver. He was also vomiting with blood in it. Both cats were drinking water excessively. Her vets still don’t see what would have caused this to happen in both indoor pets. She has filed a claim with Purina One, and has spoken to the attorneys. She is also taking Franklin to the Vet School for a post mortem.
Now my California story….mine is only a week’s worth of illness story. I have been feeding my cats Purina One SmartBlend Chicken & Rice for at least a year. My cats have been drinking a lot of water-noticed the increase a few weeks ago, and chalked it up to the heater being on. Bebe, my indoor 1 1/2 year old healthy as a horse male cat started vomiting liquid green….then yellow bile, and lost his appetite completely. He also had diarrhea. On the second day I took him into the vet. They took x-rays, and thought they saw a bowel obstruction. The vet did exploratory surgery, and found nothing but highly irritated bowels, not even a hairball. He stayed in for a couple of nights. She did take biopsies of his intestines, which we have not gotten back. Then our 22 pound cat Lenny (also no history of illness, and healthy as a horse) started the same barfing Thursday….after he barfed bile again on Friday morning, I pulled the Purina One, went out and got 5 different kinds of food without the Purina Label; Wellness Core, Eukanuba, Royal Canin, Max Cat, and Innova to see which one they like best…Lenny barfed the last time Friday morning, but as of last night, the barfing has stopped, no diarrhea, appetite is back, water consumption has decreased, and BeBe, staples and all, is running around.
I have called Purina on this, as I still have the bag and the remainder of the food. I pressed them to take my information, even though they said there has been no recalls, which they did. I am also considering filing a claim with them, depending on what the biopsy of BeBes intestines say, and what my vet thinks. I will keep you posted. What I have seen is a few people on blogs that have mentioned that their cats have also been getting sick. If anyone thinks that their cat might be getting ill from their food, it is important to call the manufacturer right away to let them know, and press them to take the information so they have a record. Right now, I don’t plan on feeding my cats, or Chihuahua, Purina until my sister and I get the results from BeBes biopsy, and Frank’s post mortem.
A lot of my friends have questioned whether other Purina products are involved, including those for dogs. To my knowledge, it’s only the Purina ONE® Cat Food.
As responsible cat owners, we need to monitor our cats for any health changes regardless of what we feed them. In this day with all kinds of questionable ingredients being put into cat food we must remain vigilant.
If any of you have a problem with any pet food, here’s the link furnished by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to report the problem.
Here’s a link to report to Nestle Purina.
Please, please, if you have had any health issues with your cats on this food, let all of us know under the comment section. Include the flavor and the identification numbers the company would want you to give them. Maybe we can nip this in the bud and save some lives.
In closing I’d like to say I have nothing against Nestle Purina. They’ve done voluntary recalls in the past when a problem is reported on one of their products. I consider myself as doing them a favor by making the consumer aware there may be a problem BEFORE the death of a beloved cat.
Elisa
Sorry to hear your sad news, Peg. Are you saying the food was responsible in both cases?
Just lost our two cats who eat Purina One Sensitive Systems and Hairball Formula along with Purina Friskies Chicken Dinner Indoor. Tragic.
Whiskas treats have also been known to cause similar symptoms in cats as well as death. When I read about it, there was no recall, but that has been a couple of months, so there may be a recall now.
Thanks for commenting Anne.
My family has always fed Purina products to pets, and so have I. For the past few months off and on I have noticed some problems in my cat’s behavior and health. I had one at the Vet last week with diarrhea so bad his poor little backside was a mess, I had picked him up and he squirted a little.
I have another this morning who has a bit of runny stool, and one that has for the past few months debri on his behind. Another guy was throwing up frequently, but in the past week or so he has not but seems to be licking himself a lot in his abdominal area and on his sides. That is 4 cats out of 6 that I know of who are having issues. I have called Purina to let them know so they can check this out. I trust the brand but today I’m off to buy another brand entirely until I hear of a recall or see that no one is complaining.
I have fed them only Purina One kibble, either indoor hairball formula or healthy weight, and did just switch to another type of Purina One about 3-5 weeks ago, so it appears all of their Purina One line is affected. Also, the Friskies Pate canned seems to be causing them issues. I fed the one who went to the vet a can the night before we went. I fed them Special Diet canned the other day, and Lovie ate that up and now he has a bit of runny stool.
It seems to my experience the entire product line is tainted? I don’t know how that is possible. I do not know what to feed them now, I am steering clear of their products until I see no more complaints about the Purina line.
I agree with the vet. If the cause is the food which you think it is, stopping eating it will fix the problem fairly quickly but if there is, coincidently, a disease that your cat has acquired a vet will have to diagnose it. But I don’t think waiting a day or two will affect the outcome if Pixie does has a disease.