We asked the following questions of our pet professionals. 98 pet professionals responded to our survey with the majority of these (96), being veterinarians.

In the first section of this page we list the questions that were asked. In the next section we list each question and the answers we received. Please note that some of the answers may not total the full 98 responses, and a few (most notably the question regarding source of initial news of recall) are over 98. The reason is a few respondees did not answer all of the questions or there were multiple answers to a part of a question in the same answer:

Pet Pros Pet Food Survey

1. Did you find out about the pet food recall in a timely manner? If so, how did you find out about it?
2. What affect did the recall have on your business?
3. Had you seen or were you treating any pets that you feel may have had health problems as a result of the recall? If so, approximately how many, types of issues, etc.
4. Do you feel that you received adequate information from Menu Foods, the FDA and other information sources that allowed you to be prepared for the results of the recall? If yes, where did this information come from? If no, what would you like to see changed?
5. As a result of this recall, are you planning to make any changes to your business?
6. Any other comments you'd like to add?

Question 1: Did you find out about the pet food recall in a timely manner? If so, how did you find out about it?
*Note: Some professionals answered this question with a simple yes or no. Numbers in parenthesis after an answer indicate how many of that answer we received. In the section titled 'Source of news' we've tallied the source of the news by media type, and in the section titled 'Answers' we've listed each answer from those professionals that answered more than a simple yes or no.

• YES (36)
• NO (62)
  ----------------Source of news-------------------------
  
• PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION (15)
• MENU FOODS OR OTHER PET FOOD MANUFACTURER (8)
• WORD OF MOUTH (10)
• TV (30)
• RADIO (5)
• INTERNET (8)
• EMAIL (8)
• FAX (4)
• NEWSPAPER (8)
  ----------------Answers--------------------------------
  
• Yes, but not through official channels, but through the internet VetMed list
• Not really ~ heard about it vaguely on the news Friday night - Saturday morning we were swamped with phone calls and had very little info to distribute.
• yes, but first found out from CNN news and clients, then through avma
• We found out through AOL on-line news and local news reports. All of this before any vet related industry sent information
• No- Sunday paper.
• yes, via email
• yes : news reports and internet
• through Pro-Med e mail and then the media
• Yes, through the media.
• Newspaper
• Radio, TV, newspaper etc. Yes
• Yes. Local television news report
• yes, VIN via e-mail
• NEWS ON TV
• The Veterinary Information Network (VIN) had it posted as an alert on their front page
• No, I found out from CNN/VIN
• Not really. I actually first heard about problems with the news reports from mainstream news outlets.
• Not really - I found out on Saturday, March 17th at work - a client had heard about it on the Friday evening news. I then went online & saw the information but at that point I found 2 separate situations: wheat gluten/kidney failure as well as aflatoxin/liver failure - very confusing.
• No. A client called that Saturday morning and asked about it. I then had to look online for the story before I called them back.
• I heard about this pet food recall on TV; however, I have been promoting the feeding of raw food fit for human consumption for dogs and cats for the past 30 years. We have always had this problem with commercial pet food. It's just that the media finally decided to run with it. Here are some statistics: 4 out of 5 dogs/cats have cancer; 95% of all dogs have yeast infections; all cats over the age of 3 have serious kidney problems. It has been getting exponentially worse each year. I'm 73, when I was a child we all fed our dogs/cats from our own table. We never took our animals to the vet. They were never sick.
• Yes, news/newspaper
• We found out the same way the rest of the world did, on the evening news. I don't know if there was anyway we could have been more informed, but it would have been nice to hear about it 24 hours before it hit the news.
• Mostly. VBMA
• Yes, not only did we see it on the news, but our Iams representative had the list of recalled foods and timely information FAXED to my office and ready @ 8 AM when we opened on the Monday after the story broke.
• info from newspaper and t.v. (Kennel owner)
• the fax from FDA about the recall was several days after I learned about the recall from the media
• On my day off, a friend told me she'd heard it on the news.
• No. Heard on television but not informed about recall until sometime later.
• YES, ON THE EVENING NEWS
• Yes I was at the AAHA conference at the time. Though Hills passed it off as not affecting them
• Yes, TV news, email, fax
• NOT REALLY. I HEARD ABOUT IT THROUGH THE MEDIA ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT I BEGAN TO SEE CASES. OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A LARGE LAG TIME BETWEEN THE PET FOOD COMPANIES AND FDA SOUNDING THE ALARM AND THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF A PROBLEM.
• We initially heard it on XM radio on CNN Headline news which prompted us to look into it online. Would have been nicer to hear directly from the affected companies as we have to deal with the onslaught of phone calls from concerned petowners.
• No I saw it on the internet first
• Yes and no. I first heard about it from a former co-worker when the first press release came out and it started to get news coverage. I then did research online and found the menufoods website. After doing more research I found out that the first reported cases of death and illness were back in February and was extremelly dissapointed that it took them so long to put out information about it
• Yes. Veterinary Information Network
• So-So. Newspaper
• No. The media
• FOUND OUT THRU THE NEWS MEDIA THEN THE INTERNET
• We stay on the web site for updates on recall
• Yes. Petfood manufacturers and distributors, Univ of PA vet school emails and website, ProMed, FDA, written, web and TV news media, etc.
• through TV and my technicians following the web and downloading new lists
• Yes, One of our clinicians used to work for Iams and sent the recall notice immediately to all of us.
• Client emails, AAVA, then AVMA
• Almost. I received my first call from a client about the recall and I saw two tiny items in the local newspaper without much useful detail before I received the first notice from the Michigan VMA. After receiving the call from my client I did find recall information at the Menu Foods website.
• yes. dog food companies
• Relatively timely. I found out from the news paper
• Found out through news reports. No direct contact from manufacturers until after the recall was announced
• A FRIEND ASKED ME QUESTIONS ABOUT IT AT THE SALON
• Yes email and FAX
• Through the news and then clients began calling. The calls came in the same day the recall went public. So we had as much time to prepare as the public.
• yes, first heard it on the radio and then kept up with developments on VIN
• Most of the "first" information came from the news media in Phoenix. We feel we heard about it the same day as it was broadcast.
• News media
• No………not fast enough to warn people. I found out about it through my veterinary holistic group List.
• Yes - newspaper
• Yes - from the news(tv), looked up further info on menufoods website
• Saw it on TV
• yes- avma, veterinary information network, local news (all same day)
• no; would have liked to known about it before the general public!
• No, word of mouth.

Question 2: What affect did the recall have on your business?

• No significant effect (26)
• increased revenue in lab fees
• lots of questions but nothing more.
• little to none ... as my present business is that of owning, directing and operating a pet moving business for relocating families; globally, nationwide, and locally in the Tampa Bay Central Florida area.
• Many phone calls, panic, kidney levels checked, a few sick animals
• None, slightly positive with more people buying our foods because we didn't sell any of the recalled products
• 1 canine patient was affected with acute renal failure that responded nicely to treatment, we had a high volume of visits to our website from the public, exposure of our clinic owner on the local news and people asking questions about what food to feed. For us, overall a positive benefit
• Very little other than increased phone calls
• Very little, just a lot of questions and phone calls to return.
• hundreds of calls from concerned owners
• calls all day long for weeks
• a few phone calls from clients
• More people are getting in touch with me to find out how to prepare their own food for their animals.
• increased phone calls from concerned pet owners
• We have been extremely busy. It increased phone calls by 30% and appointments by 15%.
• Many more phone calls regarding specifics of the list, several visits for blood screening, much concern/fear, requests for homemade diet recipes.
• made the phones too busy, but did generate some income
• A LOT of questions. Also did a lot of geriatric-type screening panels and a lot of wellness exams. Seemed like that was the only type of phone call we got for two weeks plus.
• It actually has helped us. We have done a good number of increased blood profiles and urinalysis since to check pets on the recalled foods.....and even some with "nervous parents" not feeding recalled foods!!
• Increased phone calls, slight increase in blood work
• limited--a few clients came in requesting kidney profiles
• MANY PHONE CALLS BY WORRIED PET OWNERS
• Untold time answering and tying up manpower and phone lines. Luckily, our hospital did not carry any affected foods
• Just a lot of concerned clients calling. And a bit of scrambling to recall Hills Feline m/d
• IT HAS PRODUCED A FLOOD OF CLIENT INQUIRIES THAT MY STAFF AND I HAVE HAD TO HANDLE. THAT IS NOT TO MENTION THE 8 CASES OF WELL DOCCUMENTED TOXICITY THAT WE HAVE TREATED. I am now questioning the wisdom of providing pet foods for sale in my clinic.
• As a result, there was a lot of scrambling for information so that we could handle the phone calls. We did it, and still are fielding some.
• We saw 2 cases in cats and 1 possible in a dog
• HAD TO STOP USING WET FOODS TO SUPPLIMENT BOARDED DOGS DIETS
• huge volumes of phonecalls, several inquiries about homemade diets, lots of cbc/chem/ua appts for non-clinical animals eating potentially recalled food
• Took a lot of time from the staff, to answer questions that no one had answers for.
• Increase in blood and urine samples submitted to lab to check for kidney damage
• None
• Very little. We have run blood work on a handful of animals & answered phone calls.
• Has increased awareness of pet food quality (or lack thereof)
• It obviously has given us more business, for example. Concerned owners who were feeding the food and wanted their animals checked out. Sick animals that needed to be treated and new clients who came to us because they saw the local newspaper article that our company and my name appeared in.
• We had to recall our Prescription Diet m/d.
• Increase in calls and concerns. Increased testing. I am seeing pets that normally don't go to the vet on a regular basis
• Many employee & DVM hours educating clients and answering questions.
• Minimal
• HAD TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH PEOPLE TO ASSURE THEM THE FOOD THEY DID HAVE WAS SAFE AND GET THEM THE LIST OF FOODS AND APPROPRIATE WEBSITES
• Many clients have expressed concern.
• We had 6 cases of renal failure that were treated in the hospital. We had a tremendous amount of phone calls and pets coming in for screening lab work.
• More business - I do holistic consulting
• A lot of phone calls and some additional blood testing and loads of questions.
• more telephone inquiries and requests for blood tests
• I've educated my clients are extensively on nutrition for the past 25 years and about 60% are on raw food and others seek out wholesome human grade organic sources and companies. We have year after year explained the inferior ingredients that are in most commercial pet foods. Informed owners make good judgment calls
• CLIENTS CONFUSED AND WORRIED; MANY TESTED THEIR ANIMALS
• Constant phone calls, sick animals, worried owners
• I am a relief veterinarian -- no effect.
• Calls from several clients. Two clients who switched from commercial pet foods to home diets that needed instructions and supplements to produce balanced diets. One client with a dog that developed renal failure after consuming suspect diets. One client that had purchased dry Prescription Diet Feline m/d ® whom we contacted.
• For about 10 days we averaged at least 20 calls per day about the recall. I would say that 75% of our client conversation was about the recall.
• We had several clients come to us requesting blood work and some bringing in sick pets. Most are concerned about any foods that are out there including the ones that were not on the list.
• None really, our clients feed mostly raw diets or high quality premium food. Just had to field callers with questions.
• Increase call volume, increase appts
• Lots of phone calls and requests for home-prepared recipes. I don't sell nor recommend any commercial dog or cat foods.
• Dramatic increase in calls, so far approx. 2 dozen pets affected.
• Many questions and one dead cat

Question 3: Had you seen or were you treating any pets that you feel may have had health problems as a result of the recall? If so, approximately how many, types of issues, etc.

• NO (39)
• YES (49)
• MAYBE (8)
• N/A (2)
  --------------------Answers---------------------------
  
• We think there may have been 1 or 2. Older cat - kidney failure - euthanized a week before the recall - had been eating recalled food. All other pets in the house tested - they were fine. This could have just been due to being an older pet that we hadn't seen before...?????
• 1 canine patient less than 15 lb size
• 1 dog that had IBD probably died because of this. We had done blood work on two recent occasions and perhaps had we done them again, we might have had different results. We had even consulted an Internist at a specialty clinic for ultrasound who at the time saw no reason to run them again but advised biopsy to confirm IBD..
• as a licensed and practicing veterinarian in Tampa, Florida ... for the past 47 years ... I do not see household pets for day to day veterinary care .. my practice is limited to the issues of airline animal transportation
• I have treated one cat that ate one of the recalled foods and now has kidney failure.
• Yes, we had one dog already die from it.
• We have 1 cat currently being treated for kidney failure, and 1 dog that has recovered, that we are certain are victims of the tainted food.
• We have one dog who appears to have renal issues related to the pet food. We also put a young cat to sleep with a creatinine of more than 29, acute renal failure and severe oral ulcerations who had been eating the food. Two that I'm sure of, both renal. There are four more that are possible, but the animals may have been having issues prior to the food, so it's hard to tell.
• Yes. I treated a one year old Chihuahua with azotemia- he exclusively ate the recalled brands, as well as a cat that was on Hill's m/d for azotemia. Two dogs that had eaten some of the recalled food were treated for gastroenteritis, and their azotemia quickly resolved.
• Yes, I had (it turns out) already treated one cat so affected - he had been sent home the weekend of the announcement, and it was not until the following Monday (March 19th) that the client called to say that he had eaten several of the diets on the list. He is still alive & has normal renal values on home fluids but his kidneys are small and scarred - I suspect he'll have the 2-3 year survival of an old cat with CRF which is sad, because he's only 2 years old.
• 2 cats
• 1 CAT ONLY AFFECTED, DOING WELL NOW
• We had one dog, a Bichon, DIE of acute renal failure after eating tainted CAT food. The owners gave him a packet twice each day as a "treat" along with his regular dog food. He was seen on a Tuesday....severe renal failure.....sent to a 24 hour care emergency center with a board certified internal medicine specialist.....and euthanized two days later as his renal values continued to worsen.
• yes, one, kidney
• As I said above, I have been working with cats and dogs with all these issues for the past 30 years. This isn't something that just happened. These companies have always been selling junk food.
• I HAVE TREATED 8 CASES OF ACUTE TOXIC PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH IDENTIFIED TOXIC FOODS. THE SIGNS THAT I HAVE SEEN ARE: High Fever, very high PMN count, renal failure with high BUN and Creatinine, elevated Alk Phos, ALT, and Amylase, followed by a profound anemia.
• We have been treating 3 pets we believe are a result of the tainted foods. There are a few renal failures that we had seen prior to the recall that we question a connection, but the evidence to create a link is not there
• Only 1 dog and 1 cat but they were unfortunately cremated one and two days, respectively, prior to the recall. Both patients had eaten foods on the recall list.
• We have not seen any animals have problems and are not treating any.
• Maybe one or two cats that had kidney problems unusual for their age.
• Many clients have expressed concern. Most were tested and were not affected. Some were older pets with borderline renal disease and I can't say whether it was a subclinical problem before the food recall or not.
• NO PROBLEMS, NO ILLNESSES
• We had one 4 year old cat who we treated and are still treating for renal failure that definitely ate the food. We had to euthanize another young cat in kidney failure that we have not been able to confirm as to whether or not they did in fact eat the tainted food. We have also have had a few other cases that we have not been able to determine whether the food has had a negative affect or not yet.
• I am getting cases from other clinics that want my help because the clients have come to the realization that they need more guidance in preparing and selecting diets
• No cases
• Can 't say for sure, due to the age of the pets I am seeing (geriatric).. So if kidney failure is diagnosed, is it age or food related. Can't say if previous blood work & UA has not been done, or has not been done regularly (6-12 months)
• Maybe two but before recall. No way to know.
• 6 cases of acute renal failure. Four cats, two dogs. One cat was euthanized due to severity of renal failure and lack of response to treatment
• YES. WE HAD ONE DIE...CONFIRMED FROM FOOD. WE HAD ANOTHER HOSPITALIZED FOR RENAL DISEASE THAT RECOVERED. WE HAD ANOTHER THAT ALSO RECOVERED. WE HAVE AT LEAST 3 DOCUMENTED CASES.
• 9 pets kidney disease and bone marrow suppression
• only one, and I can not say for sure that his symptoms were caused by the food, as he died suddenly, before Christmas
• We saw one old miniature poodle that presented with symptoms and serum chemical findings compatible with acute renal failure after eating suspect foods. This dog also had severe diabetes mellitus which was previously undiagnosed. The renal failure was promptly corrected with IV fluid therapy, however the diabetes could not be adequately controlled and we euthanized the dog.
• We did have one case where a lady lost both her yorkies to acute renal failure. Most cases were people being cautious.
• less than 10 -- some g.i. problems, 2 kidney failures
• no patients affected
• 1 case of kidney failure but not sure what food they were on
• Renal failure and general organ shutdown
• We have run blood work on at least 10 patients with possible exposure to recalled foods. Only 2 cats became ill. Both went into renal failure, but have recovered.
• We had some clients that had pets die from kidney failure - this was before the announcement - now we know it could have been the food. One hospitalized pet when taken off the food seemed to get better. Unfortunately, before we knew about the recalled foods, many of these pets continued to receive this food.
• We have seen 2 cats die of Kidney failure eating these foods
• Three suspected – 2 cats, one dog. ARF
• Approx. 2 dozen: mostly kidney function, some GI upset

Question 4: Do you feel that you received adequate information from Menu Foods, the FDA and other information sources that allowed you to be prepared for the results of the recall? If yes, where did this information come from? If NO, what would you like to see changed?

• NO (37)
• YES (61)
  --------------------------------------Answers-------------------------------
  
• There should be a nationwide notification of all Veterinarian offices immediately. We basically found out through the media, then the internet.
• yes. FDA is investigating the above-mentioned case (animal died suddenly before Christmas)
• Yes, website and from AAHA
• YES, EMAIL
• Very good info located at the AVMA rest were difficult to easily find on their websites.
• YES : Internet
• the distribution of information has been excellent .
• NO. CDC for veterinary medicine. Someone who keeps track of this stuff and reports it properly.
• Both Menu Foods and the FDA both did a great job
• Yes, again radio, newspapers, TV & internet
• Sort of, but not definitely. I think the official announcements were rather slow in coming. I did receive mailings and a phone call from Hills. Not much else officially was sent specifically to the Veterinary Practice. More timely specific information sent directly to veterinarians either by US Postal Service or E-Mail. Veterinarians' emails must be readily available as you obviously have it.
• Not really - I should have heard about it from the FDA or AVMA directly - not from a client who happened to catch it on the news! Once I knew where to look, I knew what to tell people, but I've had to stress that they need to check the AVMA & FDA sites daily as further recalls are likely. I also believe it will be weeks to months before the final causative agent is identified and confirmed. A better & more rapid notification system from the FDA to the AVMA members/member hospitals. We should not be blindsided on a busy workday. I am president of a regional VMA & as soon as we had some details, we sent an emergency e-blast to our members, beating both the state & national VMA's to the punch - it should have gone the other way. Higher standards for inspection of pet food production: if it was contaminated wheat gluten, how comfortable can we feel about human food products if it is possible that this same wheat is grown for both uses?
• They did the best they could, considering the extent of the problem. information came from primarily the internet.
• Not really. Most of the info I downloaded from the internet and posted in my office for clients to review. The fact that they had no idea at first what the problem was caused a lot of confusion and panic. Many of my clients still refuse to feed manufactured pet foods. I always watched the news for more info because any e-mails or faxes to the office seemed to be a day late. Quicker info sent to all vets so that our clients don't have more info than we do. Faxes are better than e-mails. We don't all check our e-mail every day.
• I expected faster and more complete information from the food companies we buy from and the veterinary associations
• By Internet
• Absolutely not. First it was rat poison. Now they are blaming it on China! Are you kidding??? These companies will never admit that they are putting crap in a can or bag and selling it for huge profits. They don't care about our animals health. They just care about the bottom line. It is unconscionable. I'd like to see everyone preparing their own food at home for their animals with foods that are fit for human consumption. And even the food for human consumption in this great nation is not as good as it could be. We need to stop all the herbicides, pesticides, and other chemicals used to promote rapid growth. It's all about greed in this country. So few of us are making any difference at all. I tried to get on several national TV shows 15 years ago when I published my first book on nutrition for dogs/cats and no one wanted me on because they all had sponsors who produced pet food. I'm delighted to see that at least a couple of national shows are showing people how to prepare food for their animals the past couple of weeks.
• Yes, I got a lot of information from Menu Foods website as well as Iams/Eukanuba, Hills, and VIN. However, it seems that some companies should have reacted sooner to step forward with their claims.
• No. Include specific varieties of the foods involved, not just the brand name. More information on the actual causal agent.
• Information about the toxic principal and its effects and treatments was slow to come (at least a week after the recall). Vets should have been notified at the same time as the media about the recall. We should have been prepared by being given specific diagnosis and treatment protocols before clients came in the door. This is not the first time that vets have been the last to know when there was a problem (does everyone remember the pro-heart recall?) A better system needs to be put in place to notify vets in a more timely manner.
• Yes....from the internet. Isn't the internet just wonderful?
• YES, CHECKED NUMEROUS WEBSITES FOR FUTURE RECALLS/ISSUES
• NO. Menu foods had no vet info immediately. Found best info from AVMA Web site.
• Yes via fax
• The lack of information is more a result of investigators unable to identify the toxic agent (which still undetermined undetermined) so appropriate prognosis and management can be determined
• No. we'd like to know before the public
• got my info from Purina
• Hell no! All I got from Menu foods was an incomplete list and a duck and dodge on what the problem was. FDA is still putting out data saying that only a few cases have been documented. Their lassitude and apparent indifference to the situation makes one wonder how things might be handled in a pandemic event that involves humans. It is apparent that the food companies, the USDA, and FDA just wanted the situation to die down and go away so as not to bother them. Accurate analysis of the toxic substance and a wide spread dissemination of truthful data on what the problem actually is, how to treat it, and what the long term prognosis might be.
• We received the majority of our info through VIN and feel they stayed on top of things.
• We received pretty good info.
• I am comfortable with how Menu Foods and FDA handled the recall. AVMA has been an excellent source as well. I would have liked to see more involvement from my local association (Chicago Vet Med Assn) to keep us informed of what was happening locally.
• Somewhat, the Menu Food website was extremely helpful in getting information for clients. The FDA also called back in a timely manner but was disappointed in how long it took them to put out a press release. The food companies that we work closely with have also been very good about mailing and faxing updates periodically. I was disappointed at the lack of news coverage for such a serious issue. I know that a lot of it had to do with the fact that Proctor & Gamble is such a large company and they wanted to minimize the amount of negative publicity.
• Yes. VIN, AVMA, State veterinarian
• Most of the information I had to find myself on the internet or was compiled on the AVMA or state site.
• I had to go searching for info. Would have liked to see the FDA disseminate info to the affected profession. (ours)
• Yes fax email internet
• Yes. Both the MVMA and AVMA provided daily email updates with links to appropriate sites. And the FDA provided access to a list-serve. We are an outlet for Hill's products and they provided information by email, fax and US Mail.
• received information from some manufacturers and my laboratories
• Mostly. email, AVMA website
• WE STUCK WITH THE AVMA SITES
• Adequate info from Menu foods, sort of. they did have the list on their website and able to see the lots, types of food affected. Info came from media, AVMA & AAHA
• NO...I HAD TO DO ALL OF MY OWN RESEARCH. I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET AND WATCHED TO NEWS. I THINK THAT THE AVMA SHOULD HAVE BEEN SENDING ME AN EMAIL FIRST THING THAT FRIDAY AS SHOULD HAVE THE FDA. I FFEL LIKE THE VETERINARY COMMUNITY SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED FIRSTHAND INFO. I FEEL LIKE VETERINARIANS WERE NEGLECTED, AND THAT WE WERE FINDING OUT INFO. AS THE REST OF THE WORLD WAS. WE PAY PROFESSIONAL DUES TO OUR NATIONAL ASSOCIATION TO
• TAKE CARE OF US,
• AND THEY REALLY DROPPED THE BALL. THEY ADDRESSED IT ALMOST A WEEK LATER!
• They are still learning what the issue is. Because of the internet we were able to seek and find info on it. I am concern with the honesty of Menu foods and the ironic sale of the CEO stock prior to the fall out. We need to find a way to make a sustainable local raw based ( possibly vegetarian based to give quality nutrients . Not shipping genetically engineered wheat gluten from China
• FDA seemed to be the best. Got information as it was available
• adequate but confusing, some recalls seemed a bit delayed.
• yes; TV. had enough information but again would have liked to have had information BEFORE the general public
• Half and Half, I believe that the companies who initially left themselves out of the recall list in the beginning and then added their names later did so to protect themselves and not the pets. The FDA did its best. I feel that Menu foods was trying to down play the serious nature and scope of the recall.
• Yes, online.
• No. I would have liked information sent directly from the nutrition co. -- Hill's did provide updates, but no one else
• Yes - menufoods website
• Once we knew to go to the menu foods website - it helped! Problem being they updated info, but the dates on the site remained the same, so we thought the info was still the same. Our main - and most accurate - source of info was avam.org. They listed press releases from all related parties - including dates issued. Also had links to various other related websites. It would have been nice to have received a fax alert the same day the public received partial info.
• No one really knows what did happen. Because China and the USDA are lax on monitoring food (only about 1% of human food is monitored from foreign countries). Stricter regulations for what can be put into food, better screening practices to eliminate toxins such as heavy metals, pesticides, and toxic contaminants.
• I don't feel that initially we have anywhere near adequate information. I rely on VIN mainly for my information, but monitor on-line news hourly.
• Not really, other than the menufoods.com web site we didn't get that much information. We did get information in a timely fashion from Hills and IVD when their product was recalled. These are the only two food vendors that we work with. I think the AVMA or even Arizona VMA should have been more proactive. We did, of course, get information from NVA throughout this whole ordeal.
• yes, Hills and Purina were esp. proactive about contacting us. Avma was an excellent source. Disappointed about the continuing additions to the list, but that problem lies more in the hands of the companies than anything
• Yes: AzVMA

Question 5: As a result of this recall, are you planning to make any changes to your business?

• NO (80)
• YES (18)
  --------------------------------------Answers---------------------------------
  
• Unfortunately, once the companies like Iams and Hills and Nutro were announced on the recall, we feel differently about the products.
• When in doubt as to why things are going wrong, then more wrong, repeat lab tests.
• No - we have always emphasized wellness blood tests in even our youngest patients - that will continue - hopefully we will not have to deal with a crisis like this again.
• Trying to encourage owners to be aware of what they are feeding and to do screening blood work to look for issues early on.
• Already updated our website as a result of the recall
• Obviously, we will continue to carry the food we previously recommended which were not involved in the recall. (Wellness/ProPlan and Purina/Hill's rx diets. We do not sell m/d).
• We ask all clients what they feed, but now are more specific. I no longer recommend any foods except prescription diets. We are also evaluating other maintenance diets, the first of which is Flint River. We also now have readily available information on home cooked diets as well as links to veterinary nutritionists. We don't really trust any food companies now.
• Only checking email more frequently and verifying info clients bring to us that may concern others.
• Just keep doing the same old, same old. I'm reaching thousands...I just wish it were millions.
• No, absolutely none.
• REQUIRE THE NAME OF ALL PET FOODS BROUGHT INTO MY KENNEL
• I have recommended to my clients that they avoid any canned foods, check the lists available daily, and if they have any question on the food being feed present the pet for evaluation. Also, I have supplied a recipe for temporary feeding of pets with a home made ration of chicken, brown rice, and vegetables. I have had my pet on this recipe for 3 weeks.
• Perhaps, but most of my client do not use any of those foods..
• I don't anticipate any changes at this time. We have been doing more blood screens as a result, but we already are pretty aggressive with blood screens on a routine health care level.
• Not at this point, the only prescription diet affected was Hill's m/d and although we carry much of the Hill's Prescription diet line we have never carried the m/d.
• I don't recommend foods that have wheat gluten.; I recommend more holistic foods.
• No, making my pitch even more validating
• We tend to "trust" Hills more than we had in the past. I think more education to clients about foods that are routinely tested and have patents, etc., are better for their pets than "over the counter" foods that have no real restrictions to ingredients, etc.
• More routine blood screens
• no, but I did have to pull M/D from my shelf and contact people who were feeding it to their cats.
• No, I already recommend homemade food.
• One cannot stop selling pet food, will have to deal with issues as they arise.
• Finish the cook book for dogs I am writing faster!

Question 6: Any other comments you'd like to add?

• I would like for once to hear about a veterinary related issue before it is in the news.
• I'm very glad we updated to high speed internet in February. Without the internet, we would not have known what was happening.
• Most of my clients feed dry, so I was pretty lucky!
• have learned about purina produts over the years tha t they were safe and balanced for dogs and have fed for 40 years,(kennel owner)
• No, just that I wish we were exactly certain what the toxin was that caused all of this.
• This sure opened some eyes. It is interesting that many of the calls we got were from people who were just using the named products occasionally as special treats and therefore were having no problems or people that had lost an old dog and were looking for a scapegoat.
• We need strict regulations regarding importation of foreign foods for our pets. This was outrageous.
• Thanks for doing this survey. I hope people will listen: Feed only food fit for human consumption to your cats and dogs!
• Not many problems seen in the southeast. Most problems seen in "Yankee Land".
• WELL DONE, THE INFO WAS OUT FOR ALL TO SEE AS FAST AS COULD BE EXPECTED OR FASTER. WEBSITES AND MEDIA COVERAGE STOPPED A PANIC. THIS IS HOW A GOOD RECALL AND SUCH PROGRAM SHOULD WORK.
• There needs to be an official agency to accumulate accurate statistics on morbidity and mortality. There needs to be an official agency to deal with the media to optimize accuracy of information delivered to public.
• I have noticed certain companies jumping on the band wagon to make money off a crisis, it disgusts me. Hills offering $100 one-time refund to clients feeding feline m/d is a pathetic effort to minimize their losses
• Just that veterinarians need to be proactive in getting the correct information communicated to their clients in a timely manner. There's a whole lot of misinformation out there that we need to counteract. In a situation like this, emotions were running high and people needed to be reassured and directed to do what's most healthful for their pets. As much as many people wanted to cook for their pets, we informed them that feeding an unbalanced diet could be just as risky - especially if a taurine-poor diet was fed to a cat. There's no reason to avoid ARF and cause DCM.
• We need to inform the press about the clinics that have been giving the proper education to their pet owners and highlight those successes .Good health starts with good nutrition. Seventy percent of your immune system comes from your gut health and heavily processed food negatively affects the health of your GI tract.
• The general public is afraid of pet foods, their confidence needs restored. I am afraid for the potential risk that this same situation could occur in the human food supply.
• The consumer can never trust what is in commercial dog food these days, because the ingredients are cheap and many times even the company has no idea of the quality and safety of the ingredients they use to make pet foods. For those interested in what is going on in China, read the book
• Collapse
• by Jared Diamond. China is so very polluted, we cannot trust anything……that we eat that is grown or manufactured in that country. Boycott China food products!
• The fact that we consistently sing the praises of buying better diets to our clients and the fact that some of the base ingredients are no better that costco or budget food was very disappointing. We have to take the word of other companies that were not affected by the recall and wonder if these BIG Name brands like Hills and Iams just thrive on the myth that they use superior ingredients for their food.
• Surprised that quality companies were using cheap sources for gravy etc.
• How did we ever let this happen!!!!! If one wanted to be a mite paranoid and consider that a "bad guy" just tested the waters to see how our country might react to a biological or toxic contamination of the food supply, we may have just been tested!!!!! One thing further. The University of Tennessee had Dr. (**name deleted by VetLocator.com editor**), DVM, PhD provide a commentary for a regional newspaper. She allowed that the "Incident is not as bad as reports suggest". She said not to get upset and not to distrust commercial dog foods. This was the day before the recall expanded yet again and officials indicated that toxic products may still be on store shelves due to a poor recall procedure. As a sad point to our public being informed, I am still having clients that are surprised by the warning handout and receipt messages that we are providing. They say that they had not heard of the problem!
• There has been and still is a lot of speculation without any scientific basis (not evidence based). The hype is hard for pet owners to sift through. The media newcasts showed pictures of stacks of (IAMS) dry dog food which was very misleading. Dry dog food was and is not the main issue and IAMS certainly isn't. Cuts and gravy and a limited number of other products with possibly contaminated wheat gluten is. Cats are affected to an equal degree if not more than dogs. Older animals seem to be overrepresented in the possibly affected group, which may be significant. The news focusing on every old dog/cat that has kidney failure is misleading because it doesn't distinguish disease unrelated to food. The root cause and extent of the actual problem has still not been defined. There are several distinct recalls that have been lumped together in the news and publics mind. Salmonella contamination is a concern, but it is not part of the possibly contaminated wheat gluten problem. Hill's m/d is also a separate issue.
• None of the organic foods I recommend were affected. I surveyed the last Greenville County Vet Association meeting and 1/3 of the vets there said they were dealing with pets in renal failure from the food recall.
• Just that I think the veterinary profession as a whole did well. I think that the AVMA on a national level should be more media involved. Through out the recall, there were numerous veterinarians interviewed, but no media rep for the AVMA that would be the go-to person for press releases and interviews.
• This is a nightmare. We have had clients return food and had to process refunds. People don't trust anything we recommend to them anymore. We have had 2 cats (young) presented in renal failure, one creatinie 9.2 ,the other (still on iv) 12.2 with icterus. We will not carry or recommend as many brands of food in the future. I am especially angry that the pet food manufacturers are taking this opportunity to price gouge the public and raise their already ridiculously high priced foods.

Back to the top