Royal Canin now included in recall-Natural Balance Dog/Cat Food RECALL

[Aimeedyan]

Update on Natural Balance.........

I got through to the v.m. of a customer service agent. The recording said that there is no space available to leave a message. Duh, I imagine they are getting more calls than they can handle. Their website has not been updated as yet today. I think I will try to contact them via email.

My friend in Houston tried for hours to finally get through to someone yesterday. Course, that was before the media broke it so I'm sure they are even busier today and possibly not even answering the phones. I'd def email.

 

[Jockaroo]

Aimeedyan, thank you so much for posting this information. We bought a 5 lb. bag of the N.B. Ultra Premium (not on the recall list) based on a food grading chart that was posted on another thread on the DIS.

Our dogs have eaten Purina Vet Formula EN for years due to a high liver enzyme. The food recalls scared us, so we wanted to try adding a small amount of a reputable, high quality food into their diet. For the last 2 weeks we've just added a sprinkle of the NB to the food bowls, but will discontinue this until more info is known. The food we have doesn't have venison, but does contain the brown rice. The best I could figure, our vet prescribed diet rates a low "B" grade and is not involved in the recalls.

 

[wdwmom2]

Do you buy it at Petsmart? I'm so tempted to take my girls to the vet's office and have them tested, I'm so freaked out right now. I keep checking on them, they are probably thinking what is wrong with you, will you just let us nap!

Yes, Petsmart carries it. My cats seem normal, well I guess that depends on how you define normal . Eat, sleep, rip and tear through the house like a herd of buffalo!!!

 

[KristiKelly]

I have to admit, I'm furious/ashamed/appalled/etc that I didn't know that pet food was subject to no quality control standards, other than the manufacturer's. We certainly wouldn't allow that with any products that affect human health!

It bothers me as well. I have a DD almost 2 that will eat dog food if no one is watching, I'll pull it out of her mouth but she bites me. Forturnately, our dog is on Canidae, which has avoided all recalls so far.

 

[dolcezena]

I keep checking on them, they are probably thinking what is wrong with you, will you just let us nap!

I hear ya! I'm on my 4-day off swing & I keep patrolling the house, waking up the poor babies, watching them eat, drink water - the poor things. They probably think mommy's lost her mind.

 

[Jynohn]

For those of you considering feeding raw, here is one company we've looked into that we've heard good things about.

http://www.omaspride.com


We're leaning toward making the switch, but with Great Danes, as you can imagine, it's VERY expensive. The only way it would be cost-effective for us is if we buy in bulk, which would require us to buy a deep freezer. After all these pet food scares though, the freezer is climbing higher on the list of things to buy soon!

 

[emmabelle]

I went to Petco today to return all the cans of wet Vension and green pea that I had. I wasn't going to keep the wet even though it was the dry that was recalled. Petco tried to tell me that it was a quality control thing with Natural Balance, I said well their website said that they didn't know what was wrong with their food. I found that to be odd. I ended up buying them Wellness food from a small speciality pet food store. At first the cats turned their noses up to the new food even though I knew they were hungry, but luckily the store owner had given me a free sample packet of Innova grain free dry food and once I put some of that on top of the new wet food they ate, crisis adverted!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I went to Petco today to return all the cans of wet Vension and green pea that I had. I wasn't going to keep the wet even though it was the dry that was recalled. Petco tried to tell me that it was a quality control thing with Natural Balance, I said well their website said that they didn't know what was wrong with their food. I found that to be odd. I ended up buying them Wellness food from a small speciality pet food store. At first the cats turned their noses up to the new food even though I knew they were hungry, but luckily the store owner had given me a free sample packet of Innova grain free dry food and once I put some of that on top of the new wet food they ate, crisis adverted!

I wouldn't trust the people at Petco.

Sounds like you sprinkled EVO on their food. That's what I feed Chloe (for dogs of course).

 

[PoohnPglet]

This is getting crazy....I've become the wheat gluten nazi...now what the heck am I looking for!!!

The dogs are on Diamond Naturals which for the price is pretty good food IMO, and I just got the cats Blue Buffalo dry food, but they are not happy and are looking at me for their 9 Lives!! I tell them that's better food, but they don't believe me.

When the recall started I tried some NB canned food for the cats but they ran out a week or so ago and I haven't gotten back across town to get them some more....I didn't buy the venison kind anyway, so I guess that was a good thing...but who the heck knows anymore...

I switched my kitty to this as well. He also didn't like it at first either, so my vet said to try mixing it with a little warm water til he gets used to it. Now, he eats it just fine.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Bumping back up for update

 

[KikiFan]

This whole situation is so frightening. I've felt really comfortable with what I feed since it didn't have any wheat gluten in it. But now that wheat gluten doesn't seem to be the only problem, I'm seriously considering cooking my own food.

There just doesn't seem to be any guaranteed safe food.

 

[Cindyluwho]

----------------------------
Herrick also said Diamond got the rice protein concentrate from an American company, which he wouldn't name. The melamine in the Menu Foods recall was in wheat gluten imported from China.

"which he wouldn't name" !!???!! Are you kidding me??
This is getting ridiculous, in fact it's way beyond that. I believe we have a right to know. This is insane!

 

[emmabelle]

I wouldn't trust the people at Petco.

Sounds like you sprinkled EVO on their food. That's what I feed Chloe (for dogs of course).

It is EVO. I feel bad that I had to take away their beloved venison and green pea, they really love the stuff. They usually lick the bowl clean with that food, with this new food they've eaten some, but nothing like what they usually eat.

 

[Aimeedyan]

"which he wouldn't name" !!???!! Are you kidding me??
This is getting ridiculous, in fact it's way beyond that. I believe we have a right to know. This is insane!

I know... and who knows that these same distributors aren't selling to human foods as well?

 

[MichelleVW]

I switched my kitty to this as well. He also didn't like it at first either, so my vet said to try mixing it with a little warm water til he gets used to it. Now, he eats it just fine.

I want to stick with Blue Buffalo for the cats, but the closest petsmart is 2 hours away so that's along way for cat food!!!

 

[Aimeedyan]

Another update - more food bought from China! I have decided to cut all ties with Natural Balance after this. They have handled it horribly and we won't be buying treats, sausage rolls, or food from them nor will I be recommending their products again. Argh.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/2007-04-17-premium-pet-food-recalled_N.htm?csp=34

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Here is a link from the FDA's website, where you can subscribe to a recall list:

https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=fda-recalls-l&A=1

 

[emmabelle]

I had to switch back to the canned varieties of Natural Balance after a three day hunger strike by Lily. I tried just about every gourmet cat food out there and she wouldn't eat any of them. She was eating some dry Innova Evo but would not eat any wet that I tried. NB said that it was a rice protein that they had recently added to their food and that it wasn't in any of their canned varieties of cat food. They better be right!

 

[Fitswimmer]

I had to switch back to the canned varieties of Natural Balance after a three day hunger strike by Lily. I tried just about every gourmet cat food out there and she wouldn't eat any of them. She was eating some dry Innova Evo but would not eat any wet that I tried. NB said that it was a rice protein that they had recently added to their food and that it wasn't in any of their canned varieties of cat food. They better be right!

I'm in the same boat. They LOVE the NB Ultra, Ocean Fish and Indoor. I practically don't have to clean the dishes they lick them so clean. The other thing I liked about it was that they seem to more satisfied and ask to be fed less. I haven't had any issues with vomiting in the 2 weeks I've been using those NB varieties, so I'm hoping that we're good.

 

[PoohnPglet]

Blue Buffalo dry kitten food was recalled! That is what is swtiched my baby to!! This is getting out of control.
So, the vet and the manager at PetSmart said that the Nutro kitten food is ok. Has anyone heard differently?