Friday, May 29, 2009

Nutro Recall Info

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Nutro Recalls Selected Dry Cat Foods

Customer Service: (800) 833-5330
Web site:
www.nutroproducts.com

NUTRO® dog food and wet cat food are not affected by this recall.

For a list of recalled dry cat food items with product photos, visit:

www.nutroproducts.com/affected-Products.html

For a list of recalled dry cat food items in text format, visit:

www.oregonvma.org/news/recalls.asp#nutro

or see below.

Nutro Products announced a voluntary recall of select varieties of NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods with "Best If Used By Dates" between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010. The cat food is being voluntarily recalled in the United States and ten additional countries. This recall is due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium in our finished product resulting from a production error by a US-based premix supplier.

Two mineral premixes were affected. One premix contained excessive levels of zinc and under-supplemented potassium. The second premix under-supplemented potassium. Both zinc and potassium are essential nutrients for cats and are added as nutritional supplements to NUTRO® dry cat food.

This issue was identified during an audit of our documentation from the supplier. An extensive review confirmed that only these two premixes were affected. This recall does not affect any NUTRO® dog food products, wet dog or cat food, or dog and cat treats.

Affected product was distributed to retail customers in all 50 states, as well as to customers in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Israel. We are working with all of our distributors and retail customers, in both the US and internationally, to ensure that the recalled products are not on store shelves. These products should not be sold or distributed further.

Consumers who have purchased affected product should immediately discontinue feeding the product to their cats, and switch to another product with a balanced nutritional profile. While Nutro has received no consumer complaints related to this issue, cat owners should monitor their cat for symptoms, including a reduction in appetite or refusal of food, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea. If your cat is experiencing health issues or is pregnant, please contact

your veterinarian

.

Consumers who have purchased product affected by this voluntary recall should return it to their retailer for a full refund or exchange for another NUTRO® dry cat food product. Cat owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-800-833-5330 between the hours 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM CST, or visit

www.nutroproducts.com
.

The varieties of NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods listed below with "Best If Used By Dates" between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010 are affected by this voluntary recall.

 

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Kitten Food

4 lbs

0 79105 20607 5

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Kitten Food

8 lbs.

0 79105 20608 2

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Kitten Food (Bonus Bag)

9.2 lbs.

0 79105 20695 2

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Kitten Food

20 lbs

0 79105 20609 9

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Kitten Food (Sample Bag)

1.5 oz

none

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult

4 lbs

0 79105 20610 5

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult

8 lbs.

0 79105 20611 2

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult (Bonus Bag)

9.2 lbs

0 79105 20694 5

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult

20 lbs

0 79105 20612 9

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult (Sample Bag)

1.5 oz

none

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult Oceanfish Flavor

4 lbs

0 79105 20622 8

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult Oceanfish Flavor

8 lbs

0 79105 20623 5

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult Oceanfish Flavor (Bonus Bag)

9.2 lbs.

0 79105 20698 3

NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Adult Oceanfish Flavor

20 lbs

0 79105 20624 2

  

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor

3 lbs

0 79105 10228 5

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor

6 lbs

0 79105 10229 2

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor

16 lbs

0 79105 10230 8

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor (Sample Bag)

1.5 oz

none

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor

3 lbs

0 79105 10243 8

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor

6 lbs

0 79105 10244 5

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor

16 lbs

0 79105 10245 2

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor (Sample Bag)

1.5 oz

none

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Salmon Flavor

3 lbs

0 79105 10246 9

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Salmon Flavor

6 lbs

0 79105 10247 6

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Adult Salmon Flavor

16 lbs

0 79105 10248 3

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Weight Control

3 lbs

0 79105 10249 0

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Weight Control

6 lbs

0 79105 10250 6

NUTRO® MAX® Cat Indoor Weight Control

16 lbs

0 79105 10251 3

 

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Swine Flu

Pigs are taking a bad rap! This Swine flu is a human disease, not a pig disease.

Swine Flu is all over the news these days. The media seems to be blaming pigs for this problem when in fact it is a human disease. Let's look at the facts.

Influenza is a virus that infects humans, birds (avian) and swine. Influenza is a virus that easily and regularly reassorts (swaps genes or mutates). This basically means that a swine influenza virus can meet up with an avian influenza virus, have some "viral breeding" and produce a new virus. This has been going on for thousands to millions of years. This new strain of influenza virus seems to be the product of a wild viral party where an avian strain met a human strain and eventually mixed it up with a swine strain. The new virus is a hybrid.

Pigs have had swine flu for many years and the swine virus called H1N1 has been in US pig herds for over 80 years. This virus causes lots of pigs to get flu like signs but very few of infected pigs die and the virus rarely infects humans. In 1998 a new strain of influenza was found in pigs. Guess where this strain came from? Yes, people gave it to swine!

How is this virus spread? Secretions of the respiratory tract of infected animals (people, pigs, and birds) are loaded with virus. Sneezing and coughing will spread tiny droplets of mucous, moisture, and virus throughout the area. In the barnyard these little droplets are deposited on feeding troughs, water buckets and bedding. Of course sneezing in your neighbors face, or into your hands (and then not washing your hands) can deposit virus on any surface you touch, spreading the virus rapidly.

In the USA there have not been any cases reported of this new strain of influenza virus being found in the swine population. I do not suspect there will be any until some person with the new influenza virus gives it to a pig! I am advising all my porcine patients to avoid contact with humans who have a fever, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, heavy breathing, and red eyes. By the way, pork products are safe from this virus, so there is no need to avoid eating your favorite pork product.

The exact details about how and where the virus can spread to are not known. Be cautious of what you hear in the media and follow the prevention protocols that the CDC has placed out in the media for us.

Dr Foss Vets Ride in Guatemala

World travel is not the first phrase that comes to mind when you think about veterinarians, but a few lucky veterinarians can use their training and education to open up opportunities to travel. Dr. Michael Foss is fortunate to have worked in the field of international Endurance riding for the last 15 years. Dr. Foss’s education in the sport of Endurance has earned him FEI four star status as a Head Veterinarian and Judge.Recently Dr. Foss was asked to be an official Veterinarian at a three star Endurance ride found in Guatemala. The riders had a bit of a challenge with the footing since it was on hard pack dirt roads that basically ran through the plantation. This was a qualifying ride for the World Equestrian Championship which will be held next year in Lexington, Kentucky. Dr. Foss found the Guatemalan people to be very kind and generous. He also had the opportunity to travel to one of Guatemala’s National Parks which was formed to preserve the ancient Mayan ruin city of Tikal. If you would like to see some of the pictures of Dr. Foss’s trip, they will soon be up on our website at www.hoodriveralpinevet.com.