The FDA issued a Warning Letter to a Purina Pet Food canning facility finding “significant deviations” from pet food regulations. Though no recalls have been issued, FDA had serious concerns about this pet food plant.
The FDA Warning Letter stated their inspection lasted for two weeks – from September 15, 2014 through October 1, 2014. Inspection revealed “that your facility has significant deviations from the LACF (low-acid can food) regulations.”
The inspection found that this Purina plant deviated from the required processing of the pet food – and further did not document the deviation (as required by law). The FDA Warning Letter stated “your firm did not provide documentation associated with the evaluation of the entire lot of product affected by the process deviation and did not provide documentation and/or the specifics of your corrective action plan in order to ensure that your firm will prevent these occurrences in the future.”
FDA also found temperature drop concerns with the pet food manufactured at this plant. Law requires canned pet food to be heated to specific temperatures and any variations of these required temperatures are required to be noted in a log. This Purina plant did not document the drop in temperatures.
FDA “observed” that the conveyor system in this plant did “not have adequate protection in place to prevent an unprocessed can” from ultimately reaching the consumer. An ‘unprocessed can’ of pet food would be an uncooked can of pet food – uncooked can of feed grade ingredients that could be full of dangerous bacteria. Purina responded to FDA they are in the process of correcting this issue, however FDA stated “We do not consider this response acceptable because you did not provide specifics of your corrective action plan in order to insure that your firm will prevent these occurrences in the future.”
The public FDA Warning Letter to Purina – posted on the FDA website – does not provide lot numbers of products involved. The only information consumers have is product names – listed below. All of these products are canned/moist foods.
Alpo Prime Cuts with Beef
Alpo Chop House Originals Filet Mignon
Alpo Chop House Originals roasted Chicken
Friskies Mariner’s Catch
Friskies Mixed Grill
Friskies Gravy Sensations with Turkey and Giblets
Friskies Supreme Supper
Friskies Indoor Chicken
Friskies Salmon Dinner
Mighty Dog Chicken Egg & Bacon Country Platter
Mighty Dog Chop House Originals Filet Mignon
Mighty Dog Lamb and Rice
ProPlan Senior Beef and Rice Entree
If you are feeding your pet one of these products – please pay close attention to your pet’s health. Should any illness occur, notify your veterinarian first, the FDA second. You can report a pet illness to the FDA here: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ReportaProblem/ucm182403.htm
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
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Is your dog or cat eating risk ingredients? Chinese imports? Petsumer Report tells the ‘rest of the story’ on over 2500 cat foods, dog foods, and pet treats. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. www.PetsumerReport.com
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Susan’s List of trusted pet foods. Click Here
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Alicia
January 19, 2015 at 12:25 pm
My daughter’s 4 year old indoor cat died from liver failure recently. He ate strictly Purina Indoor Cat Chow as well as Purina’s canned foods. I would like to know if there are any class actions suits against Purina because of all of the cat and dog deaths recently?
Anne
January 20, 2015 at 8:52 am
Sorry to hear about your daughter’s cat; I do not think “Indoor Feed” is necessary; so this may have attributed; I do not recommend canned feed; when your daughter gets her next Cat; feed “home cooked only”…
Angie
April 28, 2015 at 6:28 pm
You can get raw pet food from a holistic vet & then you don’t have toake it you self. My 12 year old cat was diagnosed with diabetes in January & he is now in remission just by switching him to a balanced raw diet. Never had to give him insulin. I believe this is the best diet for our carnivore pets. I wish I would of feed my cats a raw diet since they were kittens!!!
Airy_1
April 14, 2016 at 5:33 pm
Cats are supposed to eat raw meat, including bones and organs from prey animals. Cooked food is dead food. If you’re going to give your cat a homemade diet then make sure to add a lot of supplements. It’s important to know the exact amount of vitamins/minerals your cat needs.
susan
October 24, 2017 at 5:50 am
Feed a raw diet to a cat,
Sara P
January 20, 2015 at 2:38 pm
Millions of dogs and cats die. Millions of dogs and cats also eat Purina. Odds are, many of the pets that die will have eaten Purina. This means NOTHING. You cannot connect the two without an awful lot of further evidence. Correlation does not equal causation.
Ann
January 21, 2015 at 1:16 pm
Wow. Must be a response from a retailer, distributor or product sales rep. Does Purina even need one? Or maybe just tasked with off-setting all the negative web publicity lately. No condolences offered, no mention of inconvenience which is a normal PF big company blind-folded reaction.
Last evening I had an incredibly pertinent response worked up for this posting. Unfortunately the CAPCHA “burped” and all was lost. Two points: (1) Defects in the PFI can be likened to the habit of smoking several decades past. Everyone did it. People died. Nobody made (or wanted to) the correlation. A lot was at stake. One day a few people got their lawsuits into court. It took YEARS, decades really, for enough evidence to accumulate. But it turns out injured parties were awarded, actually not just because the product damaged their health. but because there was no full disclosure about the product’s risks! Simple as that. Nowadays we call that little detail “transparency.” In the case of smoking it was proven the company knew the risks to consumers BUT chose not to disclose them! It was about having the information and proceeding to deceive anyway.
Regarding PF including Purina (or whichever is in the hot-seat) let people make their choices. Nobody is denying free market enterprise. Just give them the truth, or at least all the details they need to know, first. Do people still smoke, of course. Are people still dying, sure. Do you know a person who’s a chain smoker, bourbon guzzler, eats fast food and never exercises, but who’s outliving all your relatives? Does that lifestyle make anymore common sense than a healthy one.
Anecdotes do not represent statistics. (Two) And I do wonder why no independent objective research has or is being done regarding the vast range of PF quality, the effects of diets on different types of dogs/cats, long term survival rates, and the real causes of death. Well the answer is politics. But it’s also the permission we give to businesses not to be transparent which something the PFI very carefully and diligently suppresses. And we allow it every time we excuse a mistake (isolated by “Lot” number) and continue to support the same company anyway! Are there problems, well even industry insiders are reluctant to speak out in fear of losing careers and retribution. The most un-favorite comment I hear is about a dog eating Purina (or similar) living to a ripe old age, never a sick day in life. Well okay so the questions really are, you mean no ailments manifested or nothing was noticed because the pet seldom saw a Vet. Can you say it dropped dead from a heart attack or died in an accident instead. I’m not looking forward to my dog’s demise. He’s old and while there are no problems yet they’re bound to crop up anyway. It’s the process of … aging! But one thing is real. His diet won’t be to blame because I KNOW what he’s been eating. And it’s virtually human grade, blah, blah, blah.
Anne
January 22, 2015 at 9:00 am
Hello my name is Anne from Connecticut; I have been feeding Tabby Queen Purina One for 5 years; she is as healthy as any Cat I know; I do not see a scientific correlation between Purina feed and cats getting sick!
Anne
January 22, 2015 at 9:06 am
Purina One dry pellets are great!
I know I have them for breakfast every day…lol Anne:”
hey lighten up people; Purina is not perfect; no company is ! 🙂
Brittany
December 16, 2015 at 11:07 pm
It’s not about “lightening up” .. i’ve been using purina for a while now both wet canned and dry food and my 5 year old cat now has diabetes. He has extremely high glucose levels. We are switching to home made meals immediately. Read up on diabetes. More cats every day are becoming diabetic. I wouldn’t bet my cats life on it again that these brands of food are safe.
Tracey
February 6, 2016 at 1:42 pm
If your pets food tolerance is good, then you have no problem. If they have no allergies you have no problem. My Beagle, Jane is Gluten intolerant, or may even be allergic to the gluten in Purina One. I cannot feed her anything that has Gluten in it or she will throw it up. She keeps throwing up for several days and if her stomach is empty and she tries to take a drink she will throw up water. The only thing I can really get at the grocery store is the Mighty Dog cans without gravy.
Pet Owner
January 22, 2015 at 11:44 am
People never believe until it happens to them. TAPF is dedicated to helping people make the best choices they can. That’s all it can do.
Anne
January 23, 2015 at 8:09 am
so people can read the ingredients on the cans of feed for themselves to make a choice
ones that add flavors and colors are bad
Purina One adds no color period!
Anne
January 23, 2015 at 8:35 am
final comment from Anne (Nutritionist); do you know what really makes Cats sick ?
THE NEW CLUMPING LITTER THEY SELL
the stuff creates cement intestinal blockages in the Cats; intestines blocks after the Cat licks its paws !!!
ONE GRAIN OF CLUMPING LITTER CAN EXPAND TO 10 TIMES THE SIZE OF THE GRAIN IF YOUR CAT INGESTS IT
I used clump litter once ; cat had bloody stools!
I never used it again; Cat is in perfect health
I use plain clay litter do not use clumping PLS!!!
Namcy Plemmons
January 23, 2015 at 10:25 am
My vet said to never use clumping litter..
Pet Owner
January 23, 2015 at 12:01 pm
What a “killer” comment! Nobody ever thinks about the Cat Litter they ingest. See what I mean about TAPF being so helpful ….?
Alicia
February 2, 2015 at 6:26 pm
I agree with Ann’s post. If the same food product is consumed day after day, year after year and liver cancer occurs, then one would come to the conclusion that the food product caused the disease. This is the same when it comes to cigarettes being smoked day after day and lung cancer occurs. Not all will contract cancer but a good majority will. Until it happens to Sara P or to her pet/s, then maybe she will change her way of thinking.
Satie
December 9, 2016 at 12:19 pm
Alicia… that was a rotten thing to say. You should be ashamed! I mean it. SHAME ON YOU.
Satie
Christine
March 23, 2016 at 3:11 pm
I’ve always used purine cat chow, my cat wound up with diabetes, insulin daily but I cannot say it was Purina with today the breeding and there was a day you could feed pets scraps and they were healthy. I believe it’s environmental!
nescarlos
June 13, 2016 at 7:09 pm
Yes there is connection, my cats eat Friskies weranddry food, in the last fews days they started vomiting and diarreha,
this morning they refused to eat it happend with the last big 32 can box, I returned the left over cans. the teller told me that many people have notice similar problems with their cats.
Interested
June 13, 2016 at 9:10 pm
By the time a pet experiences BOTH diarrhea and vomiting from diet (for over a couple of days), particularly when multiple pets show the same effects from eating the same food, real damage can be done to their internal organs. Inflamed stomach, IBD, and it’s tough for a Vet to nail down a long term remedy. Except to recommend RX food to subdue recurring episodes.
As of Spring 2016, Susan’s been running many articles about 4-D protein in PF and the FDA ignoring laws to exclude it. These toxins build up over time, or an intense batch of toxic food (like the case you’re referring to) can add to the problem.
STOP and change that brand! There are hundreds of others. No, it might not be easy to change a cat’s preference. But doing so, in the long term might add some time to their lives, and avoid chronic conditions.
This Purina “discussion” is just amazing and shows how Consumers are so incredibly locked up in brand loyalty. There are about 14 comments acknowledging the very serious 4-D Protein reveal and FDA’s failure to do anything. But there are nearly 140 comments here reacting to Purina being identified as a risk. Amazing, just amazing. When Owners are presented with motivation to question a PF, yet find all kinds of other excuses not to. Amazing.
Who speaks up for the pets!
AI
February 27, 2019 at 8:42 pm
It’s not hundreds anymore,it’s thousands
James C
May 3, 2017 at 8:49 pm
I was wondering about that. One of my cats seems to get dry heaves nearly every time after being fed Friskies wet canned cat food. He rarely actually pukes, but it is clear his body doesn’t like it even if his taste buds do.
Kim
January 27, 2015 at 7:37 pm
I called the fDA office in kc today after noticing that my female that LIVES for canned food had not eaten a bite in 6 days. My male who LOVES the shreds eats too fast sometimes and throws up has thrown up after eating each day she would not eat. The woman “Star” asked me to read the codes on the can those ending in 1159 (I had the 6 last cans) were the ones making Jack sick. She literally called me back 20 minutes after the first conversation telling me something was up and to set the cans aside. She told me I would hear from her by Feb 3, and that someone from her office would probably be picking up the food for testing. After I got off the phone I found a can with 1161, I put it down and Mabel made a running leap to eat it. So far they are both fine. On the bottom of the can look at the first set of numbers, the last 4 digits if it is 1159 DO NOT FEEd it to your pet. For example these are the numbers from one of my cans. 42741159 L53992237 see the 1159? DoNOT take your food back to the stores yet, because without a recall they will put it right back on the shelf and someone else will feed it to their pet. Star told me cat and dog food was involved. Now I am seeing dry food too. WOW!
Pet Owner
January 27, 2015 at 9:32 pm
This is the absolute HOLD Purina has on its customers! If the numbers don’t match the suspected ones, then carry on!
DON’T.
For that Rep to call somebody back in 20 minutes and recommend not feeding the food, means something is truly UP. And it’s called Purina’s liability. They’re just waiting for a lawsuit to materialize. So DON’T let them conveniently pick up the food. They might test it alright. But nobody will ever hear about it. They just want the evidence to disappear. They just want corroborated cases to vanish.
If you want to strike fear in their hearts claim you’re going to have the UN-opened cans tested by an independent lab, and that you’ll have those results forwarded to the FDA. That ought to catch Purina’s attention. Bet’cha they’ll offer you a whole bunch of coupons now, maybe even a free can or two of food. Wow! Instead go back to that Retail Store, and let them know what’s really “up” so they can warn other customers. If they don’t want to cooperate, then review the store on-line, and re-tell this story. They have just as much responsibility to be selling a safe product, as the manufacturer, and if they don’t back it up the line (refusing to carry the brand) then it will never hurt Purina.
For the last time, due to diet, no pet should NOT be eating for 6 days, or be vomiting food and/or showing diarrhea. If that’s happening then you’ve got a very sick pet you never know what is happening to their internal organs.
Please give Purina a rest for heaven’s sake.
Dianne
March 22, 2016 at 3:26 pm
Kim….Were they the 13 oz. Cans? My 2 cars are very sick. I’m taking them to the doctor today.
Dianne
March 22, 2016 at 3:38 pm
My 2 cats have not eaten or drank in 2 days…code on cans 53441159. L3ah61943. Ex. Dec…2017. Adding to my previous message….
Patrick
March 22, 2016 at 5:04 pm
Found what appeared to be small pieces of black plastic and rubber in 2 separate cans of Friskies Turkey and Giblets 13 oz cans from the 1157 plant. These cans came from cases and had best by dates of October 2017, and the 2nd batch had best by dates of December 2017. Have already sent them the first batch of pieces and parts. They did refund my money for the remaining cans I had on the first occasion. I have stopped using their product for the strays I feed that people have dumped around my house. Am waiting for the 2nd letter they are sending me to send in the last piece of plastic I found and for the refund check for the 2nd batch. They did tell me I could check back with them in about 6 weeks and they would give me the results of their investigation. How they handle this will determine if I will eventually decide to use their products again.
Had a problem with their Fancy Feast Classic Chicken about 1 year ago which made all of my indoor cats vomit. Luckily the place I bought them refunded the money on the unused cans. It seems the quality control of the Fancy Feast has deteriorated lately from batch to batch, as my cats no longer seem to care for it as much as before. Looking for an alternate solution for all of them. Considering Wellness Chicken, but is much more expensive than the Purina Turkey and Giblets, and slightly more expensive than the Fancy Feast. Am looking for a balance on cost/quality and using the cat food nutritional composition chart compiled by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM.
Above Reposted from a different comment section.
What type of food was it, Purina, Fancy Feast? What size cans? I am changing food for all mine. No more Purina until I hear back from them, and even then, probably not going to feed them Purina again.
Nancy Plemmons
March 22, 2016 at 7:09 pm
I quit using Purina some time ago because of all the complaints..I did use Wellness at one time but so expensive..my cat needs to lose weight so I have her on Prescription Science Diet and she seems fine wth that..
I have used Purina for years but don’t trust it anymore…
leona
May 1, 2016 at 8:39 am
how do you go by the code on the cases without opening them?
Diana
June 30, 2018 at 7:13 am
I know this is a really late message. I have a cat that has been fed Friskies canned for several months. She has been vomiting and refusing to eat for almost a week now. She has been to the vet twice this week for nausea vomiting shots, fluids, antibiotics etc…blood work reveals nothing and neither did an x-ray checking for blockages. The cans I have left are 1157 and 1161. Did you hear anything else about this?
Clista Stevens
January 13, 2019 at 7:30 pm
My cats had the same LOT #’s and was vomiting and finally REFUSED to eat. After them not eating for 10 days and $ in vet bills found an article about these lot #;s so stopped FRISKIES. This was back in Oct. of 2018 (they had been eating FRISKIES for 14 years). NOW I am sitting here beside my FEMALE who is slowing dieing from breathing problems caused by either heart or kidney failure. DO NOT FEED YOUR CATS Friskies.
Kim
January 27, 2015 at 8:22 pm
WE need to start one. From what I am reading here and what the FDA told me this morning they should be included . They know of this problem and have not forced a recall..
Lindsay
February 6, 2015 at 9:22 pm
One of my 3 indoor cats (4 years old) passed away sometime early Tuesday morning. She showed no signs of illness, her passing was a complete shock to our family. We have no conclusive signs as to the cause of death, but all 3 of my cats eat Purina Indoor Cat Chow. Immediately following her passing I decided to switch to a more reputable brand/formula. I am very concerned that there may be something wrong with the food, but I do have an appointment to have my remaining 2 cats checked over by the vet.
Dianne
February 7, 2015 at 12:18 am
Did you consider having your deceased cat checked out for cause of death? That could give you more answers. I do this routinely now. I find it comforting to know the reasons why my pet passed away.
Tayah
July 24, 2017 at 4:27 am
I recently adopted my Cat and he have being throwing up and vomiting from Purina Indoor Cat Chow food as just tonight i found worms in his food bowl and a lot more in the box of dry food. I’m scared and don’t know what to do.
sandra
February 9, 2018 at 11:28 pm
My my haichicko almost died eating this Purina naturals. I had been feeding him only IIAMS and science diet. The 1 and only time he had Purina he got violently I’ll, his coat looked greased over his eyes where sunken in an blood shot. He had quit eating, quit drinking fluids, had the runs and was vimiting etc. I had to take him to the vet. Got him emergency fluids going and anti biotic (he has always been an indoor only cat and is not around other animals). Only Purina naturals could have caused what happened to him. He has also always been UTD. This happened between 2014 and 2015.
BC
January 19, 2015 at 12:43 pm
Oh well FINALLY!! I think the FDA needs to check out the other plants-
This validates what I was shouting about that flies are hatching from the canned food within minutes after opening.
Had the food been processed at the temperatures needed the fly larvae would have been killed and it wasn’t. Also had this in Authority Kitten food.
Dianne
January 19, 2015 at 2:57 pm
This just cries for a youtube video showing you opening the can and then the flies flying out. Do you still have any of the cans so you could make a video?
dc
January 19, 2015 at 4:41 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hRVXN-amO0
Dianne
January 19, 2015 at 5:31 pm
Purina’s official response is “once it leaves our building it is no longer our responsibility” & “if any vet bills come as a results of this issue we can not be held responsible”. This is overlayed on the video. Says it all doesn’t it.
This long but impassioned video, not mine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RI-AyxELWk
West
February 9, 2016 at 10:52 pm
I got a bag of dry (Purina) food for my dog and it was full of maggotts!
When I called the pet store the guy was cool as a cucumber even had the nerve to tell me to throw it out they would take my word for it!!!
Elizabeth
January 19, 2015 at 4:30 pm
BC, are you saying flies were being hatched from Friskies canned cat food?
BC
January 19, 2015 at 12:48 pm
This brings up so many questions. If the food is not heated up enough to kill bacteria- how about parasites and Protozoa?
Since we know that all animals carry the parasite for Toxoplasmosis – and we know all animals are tossed into the pot at the rendering plants and pet food mfg. are these companies spreading -T-Gondi either in parasite form or Oocysts form?????
Sparklzz
July 29, 2015 at 10:59 pm
I too have noticed consistency differences in Pro Plan, Friskies, and 9-lives. My cat loved friskies canned and dry food and just recently he will not even go near the bowl. The consistency is different, I tried all of the others and the consistency is the same.
What is going on? He won’t eat the dry either. Something has had to have changed for my cat to have been on Friskies wet and dry for a very long time now wont touch it or go near the bowl.
The dried food, he threw up.
Now I don’t know what to switch to as I have not used any other brands…unfortunately Purina is going to lose a lot of business as I am to the point of notifying papers and/or other means to get the word out for an investigation.
leona
May 1, 2016 at 8:50 am
don’t use 9lives either there’s 212 write up’s on anther site on them! killing cats too!
Namcy Plemmons
January 19, 2015 at 2:25 pm
What about Pro Plan Focus Tutkey Weight Management canned cat food? Ive been noticing
Different consistencies in this food lately and i order from Petco every month..the last case i got was much different with it being more watery..how do i tell if this food is ok??
Elizabeth
January 19, 2015 at 2:26 pm
I called Purina and got the classic polite stonewalling. No recalls, because they are confident their food is safe. I said, yeah, they why did the FDA, not the most enforcing agency, issue you a warning letter? Why did you not issue lot numbers? All she’d tell me is that it came from plant 1157. Are you sure those are the only foods that the FDA had a problem, and not all food coming from that plant? I feed my cats Friskies wet, because I am so incredibly poor, and there are others that come from 1157:
Sea Captain’s Choice Classic Pate
Classic Seafood Entree Classic Pate
Turkey and Giblets Dinner Classic Pate
Ocean Whitefish Dinner Classic Pate
Chicken and Tuna Dinner Classic Pate
Liver and Chicken Dinner Classic Pate
Ocean Whitefish and Tuna Dinner Classic Pate
Poultry Platter Classic Pate
Also, the Friskies Indoors is a separate line, and the chicken is called Chicken Dinner with Garden Greens. Is it that one? There is also Indoor Classic Pate Salmon Dinner. What about those?
I said to the woman, are you going to wait until a pet dies before you issue a recall? She said Purina was in the process of preparing a response to the warning letter. I’m terrified. I have 22 cans from plant 1157!
Namcy Plemmons
January 19, 2015 at 2:56 pm
How do you tell plant number?
Elizabeth
January 19, 2015 at 4:29 pm
Hi Nancy – I’m sorry, I just realized I didn’t include that. If you look on the bottom of the can, it’s the last digits in the first sequence of numbers. I have called and left a message for the compliance officer at FDA, at the bottom of the FDA’s public letter. The link is http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm428841.htm I am really freaked out about this! What about other foods produced at this plant? Why was no recall issued? How does the public find out if Purina has taken corrective action? They were closed for the holiday, so I hope to hear from her tomorrow.
Terri
January 20, 2015 at 12:29 pm
So looking at my cans I have a plant number of 1159, mine are okay then? This is crazy that this is happening… I just wished my dogs were not picky eaters. Though I use very little from the can just to mix with the dry foods I use. They won’t eat the dry otherwise.
Janice
February 26, 2015 at 9:12 am
1159 is BAAAAAAAD. This is the number I’ve read about and the number on the cans that made my dog sick.
Christine
January 19, 2015 at 3:11 pm
I’d say you should take those back to the store and swap them for cans from another plant if you can
Elizabeth
January 19, 2015 at 9:01 pm
That won’t work, because there was no recall.
Elizabeth
January 20, 2015 at 5:05 am
Surprise, surprise! I called the grocery store and they will take them back!
Janie
January 19, 2015 at 5:06 pm
I would love to see consumers completely discontinue use of ANY Purina pet foods.
lilibaiyu
January 19, 2015 at 8:08 pm
Just do not feed Purina, people. This is happening all the time – the food is making pets sick and or killing them and the company does nothing but bullshit consumers. Honestly, I can’t believe people still buy this food. It’s bad for pets and there are alternatives that cost very little more. I know money’s tight for a lot of us, it is for us too but there’s no way we are poisoning our 2 cats to save a few dollars.
Anne
January 22, 2015 at 9:03 am
I do not see where you get your information about Purina making Cats sick; Purina Feeds have been in business for over 100 years in the USA; Purina makes Cat feed; dog feed; rabbit feed horse feed; I do not recommend canned cat feed from any Co.!!!
lilibaiyu
January 22, 2015 at 4:31 pm
Yes, Purina has been in business for decades, but I am willing to bet that the people in control of the company now have quite a different mindset than those who first started this company, or made it grow over the decades. Today, corporations are looking to cut every corner they can in order to increase profits and as far as Purina is concerned, when you endanger beloved pets with your malfeasance so YOU can make more of a profit, consumers need to draw a line in the sand, open their eyes and NOT buy Purina. It’s as simple as that. When the company starts losing market share, does some research and finds out their customers are REALLY upset about the quality of their pet foods, that in fact their pets are dying prematurely because of them, they will make changes. They certainly will NOT make changes out of the goodness of their hearts or because they care about doing the right thing, that has been made abundantly clear.
Peg
January 23, 2015 at 11:57 am
Anne, it really amazes me that you refer to Purina products as FEED.
In my brilliant mind feed is Not food.
I stay far and away from anything Purina especially since it is far gone from being the good Ralston Purina of sooooooo long ago.
Pet Owner
January 23, 2015 at 1:24 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purina_Mills
A little history on Purina; we’ve had this conversation before.
Anne when you refer to nutritionist does that apply to human or pet food?
Russell
October 7, 2015 at 4:17 pm
What? So, you recommend kibble only? Cat’s, firstly, are carnivores aka meat eaters. Secondly carnivores have little need for oats, grains, fillers which is what is in all dry food, for cat’s and dogs alike. Thirdly, these are facts and being aware of these facts you should never feed your cat’s dry food for long durations of time.
As far as the canned Purina goes, I would bet it’s just as bad for the cats as well, if not worse.
Lisa
March 21, 2016 at 11:25 am
Purina hasn’t been owned by Nestle for 100 years but they have been for the last 15 years. How long have we been having these recalls and problems now? This may have something to do with it. I’ve never had a real problem before and the cats loved their food but 2 days ago they started leaving food behind and I have 6 sick cats and a sick dog right now. The dog got in the cat food, this is the only thing they have in common. My dog gets homemade food and eats it so quickly the cats can’t get any. So, it’s not her food that did it.
Christine Zois
March 21, 2016 at 6:16 pm
All I can say, is have your animals thoroughly checked out, we had a Tri Trichomonis outbreak last year and were exclusively feeding the Classic Friskies Pates, Poultry Platter and Turkey Giblets. It took over 6 months to resolve and it was a NIGHTMARE.
NEVER AGAIN will we purchase Purina products and for anyone who really cares about the health of animals, they should NOT either.
Donna
January 21, 2015 at 8:12 pm
So Elizabeth are you saying that all the varieties listed in you post are affected? The FDA only listed 3 that we use, but your list sums up everything we feed the cats. 🙁
Christine
August 9, 2015 at 6:12 pm
I AM VERY UPSET AS I JUST CHECKED THE LOT NUMBERS AND LOW AND BEHOLD, EVERY CAN IS MARKED #1157 ON THE BOTTOM.
We have a rescue with 35 cats currently in our care, who have been exclusively been fed the 13 oz cans of the Friskies Classic Pates, Poultry Platter and Turkey Giblets for close to 2 years now. Up until a month ago, we would mix the larger can of pate, with a 5.5 oz can of the shreads or filets. When they started vomiting up the shreads and fillets undigested, we elminated the smaller can but continued to only feed the pates.
We are now on our second cat being diagnosed with TRI TRICHOMONAS and CLOS PERFRINGENS ENTEROTOXIN with quite a few others having HORRIFIC DIARRHEA.
Any one else having issues ?
Much thanks,
Dianne
August 10, 2015 at 2:31 am
I hope you stopped feeding that brand of food. You should contact the FDA and try to get your vet to help you determine if the food is the cause. Enlist the help of the nearest vet school if need be. Hold onto the food so it can be tested by the FDA or the vet. Are any of those organisms considered to be a human health hazard? If so, that would definitely interest the FDA.
I am so sorry for what you are going through with the cats. I hope you can resolve it soon.
Alicia
August 11, 2015 at 2:40 pm
Yes, our cat, Roo, was perfectly healthy until he ate what was a bad batch of Purina’s indoor cat food. He came down with a bad case of diarrhea, stopped eating and became very lethargic. The vet ran many test and tried her best to help save him but he didn’t make it. Roo was only 4 years old. Our whole family was deeply saddened by his passing besides the anger we felt, and still do, for what we feel could have been avoided if we only knew now how many toxins and tainted food products Purina must be processing.
carl
June 8, 2017 at 5:46 pm
I have 3 cats, 1 10 year old male, a 14 year old male, and a 5 year old female. Recently, in the last 2 weeks, Purry, the female, has had diarheaa. I backed off the Friskies Salmon Pate, and, it dissapeared. Added a small amount later, and, no problem. Yesterday, guess I gave her too much, and, today, more problems. My 10 YO. guy throws up a lot, but, he does this often this time of year, due to eating grass tops, which now have sharper seed heads on them, which, can get stuck(one time 1 did, and, $750 vet bill).
Anyway, I also have been feeding them the Purina ONE salmon dry kibbles.
I guess after reading all in here, it’s goodbye Purina. I cannot handle losing one of my cats.
Curious if anybody else has had similar diarheaa problems with the soft pate foods?
Thanks
Susan Bozeman
September 8, 2017 at 8:43 pm
I just returned all the Ocean White Fish classic wet food, with a July 2019 expiration date. Opened 3 cans in a row and neither of my 2 cats would eat it, stepped away from the bowl immediately. I told 3 grocers and called Purina. Just stopped at QFC in Portland, OR, sign on shelf for that and a chicken formula says temporarily unavailable. Had to add soft food to their diet, one of my male cats got blocked, $3500 later but he made it. Wish I could get these 2 to eat another brand.
Elizabeth
January 19, 2015 at 2:32 pm
BC, are you saying flies were being hatched from Friskies canned cat food?
carocats
January 19, 2015 at 3:10 pm
Unclear as to which products may be affected (size of can, date(s) of manufacture, how to determine where product is manufactured) or what sort of symptoms affected pets may have, if any.
Elizabeth
January 19, 2015 at 4:31 pm
Carocats, please see my comments.
carocats
January 19, 2015 at 5:38 pm
I spoke to Purina customer service – they were polite, this person was aware of issue, but did not know what, if anything, her company is doing about it for consumers at this point although she is sending me coupons (not sure I want any more Friskies at the moment!) and took down info I gave her regarding one of our rescue’s cats, aged 4, who week before Christmas suddenly dropped a lot of weight (all muscle mass, and he’s very small anyway so became bone thin) and wasn’t eating, was pulling his own hair out, and was very agitated and antsy and crying a lot (one of which is normal for him). Bloodwork showed no significant abnormalities, but X-ray showed loads of gas in tummy. We then went to specialist for ultrasound – nothing major noted except somewhat enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes. Specialist thought IBD type issues but still possible it was cancer – fortunately the cat seems to have more or less spontaneously recovered – is eating again and gaining some weight back, and the agitation/antsiness has abated. Also had a 14-yr-old long term IBD cat whom I had caged before Christmas and managed with medication adjustments to get considerably better who then suddenly – literally almost overnight, rather like the younger kitty, dropped what little muscle mass he had. In his case I was unable to turn him around and lost him. Cannot say for sure if either of these cases were related to bad food, but makes me wonder, especially since a lot of our cats have been having high results on pancreatic testing. Allentown plant, by the way, does manufacture both 13 oz. and 5.5 oz. Friskies.
Elizabeth
January 19, 2015 at 9:07 pm
Carocats, first off, my condolences for your loss. How terrible for you. I would like to know, was your called documented? Name taken? The woman I spoke to gave me a reference number (also called contact number), so did she do that for you? Were you reassured that the food was fine, no worries, too?
carocats
January 20, 2015 at 1:30 pm
Elizabeth, my name, address, phone number and e-mail address were taken so I assume my call was documented. I think she did give me a contact number but I did not write it down. She did not reassure me that the food was fine. She did acknowledge that she was aware of the FDA warning. So we are all left wondering what we are supposed to do about food we have bought that came from Allentown. I don’t want to feed it but we can’t afford to waste it. I have about 4 cases of 24 cans each. A friend has quite a bit more. We can ask the stores where we purchased it if they will exchange it, but if they will not what are consumers supposed to do? My e-mail to Purina asking this has not yet received a response and I see nothing on their website so far regarding the warning.
lilibaiyu
January 20, 2015 at 4:26 pm
@carocats – You have to be able to return unopened cans, you have to insist if necessary and tell them WHY you are returning them. The store too will be able to return them to Purina. This is shocking that there isn’t an official recall in progress, but that’s Purina in a nutshell.
Ann
January 20, 2015 at 4:05 pm
I am also very sorry for your loss, and for all the anxiety and saddness involved when you are only trying to do the right thing by helping these cats! It must be very difficult to function when you are so worried about things. And you are to be commended because you already seem to have a very kind heart; it’s clear you must have a gentle spirit regarding people as well.
With all that said, it sounds like the quantity of PF you have purchased is a sizeable investment. Therefore you (and perhaps your associates) are giving a lot of business to a particular store, or group of them. I think you have every right to pack up your products, carry them back to the store(s), with the warning letter issued by FDA to Purina (and this TAPF article) in hand. Really, it isn’t your job to be the detective! It is Purina’s job to assure you, and to guarantee their product PERIOD! Secondarily it is the store’s responsibility (through their distributor who makes a cut of the profit too) to guarantee the food PERIOD. Whether or not lot numbers can be matched, there’s no telling if the production issue didn’t accidentally (so far unaware) slip into other lines of formula. But if more of your pets gets sick, your incur more Vet bills, or the worse happens – can you tell me why you should be bearing the burden alone?
Now, here’s how to get clear with the retailer (so they can back it all the up the tree to Purina) if they refuse to refund you, or exchange for a different manufacturer that you like, then promise them you will ADVERTISE their lack of cooperation, and also the fact that they expect you to risk feeding similar food by Purina to your pets. How? One, you can post about the retailer through social media, and two, you can review their business on-line using very specific examples.
Just the threat of all this should make them very cooperative. Lastly, report them to the BBB. Just having one complaint registered will slow down other buyers, until that complaint is fully vetted. I know all of this is a big hassle and a lot of (unfairly placed) trouble for you, but don’t you want other pet owners to be protected? Thankfully you’ve already posted on this site!
Bill
January 19, 2015 at 3:41 pm
I guess this will be the spring board for state governments passing laws to prohibit the FDA from enforcing laws for pet food manufacturers, maybe even making it illegal, or having to go to the company and have it fixed or contested before releasing the news to the public. Kind of like the laws passed making it illegal to secretly film how slaughter houses slaughter and process meat. it’s just a matter of who can pony up more money – the big companies or all pet owners. Stay tuned…….
Dianna
January 19, 2015 at 4:02 pm
OMG! I am totally freaking out! Like others, all I can afford is Friskies canned and my 15 year old baby is already sick with hyper-thyroid. He’s due to be treated next month (I have to save up the money since it’s so expensive) because he couldn’t tolerate the thyroid medicine. The cans have been looking very weird lately with some really dark spots I’ve never seen before and others that are mostly water. Susan – Is there any way we can demand they tell us the lot number? Anything happens to my little boy I am with the rest of you on doiing a class action suit.
Elizabeth
January 19, 2015 at 4:35 pm
Dianne, I’d love lot numbers, too, but I did get the plant number, 1157. I called Purina and told them I demand a refund as I have a number of the foods Susan listed, but I also have 17 other cans that came from the same plant! What about them? I am sorry to hear about your cat’s illness. Too bad the tapazole didn’t help. I presume you’re having the surgery. Good luck!
tina
January 19, 2015 at 5:53 pm
Dianna, do you have some type of youcaring fundraiser you can list so we could help with your 15 year old baby’s surgery? also, i would take the friskie’s food you have left back to the store with a copy of this FDA bulletin and exchange the food. perhaps there is food on sale that you can exchange it for. i had a prof. in a nutrition class advise her students’ to always switch the brands of food you buy often, exactly for this reason. best of luck to you and your kitty.
Dianna
January 19, 2015 at 7:34 pm
Thank you everyone for your well-wishes and offering to help! My Cayce won’t be having surgery, but rather, the radioactive iodine therapy. Given his age, I felt that was the better way to go and I’ve read of good results with that. The cost is still high – $1350! But thankfully, I have a friend who has offered to pay for it. Cayce can’t have the therapy until he’s been off seafood for 2 weeks, which has been an issue since that’s all he wants to eat. I only hope this food hasn’t been causing the problem because the cans do all say 1157!
I emailed Purina and told them I hope that the statement on their website saying “We’re pushing honesty and integrity forward in pet food.” is correct because I mentioned the FDA letter and that I wanted to have the lot numbers. I will let you know what they say.
Thanks again, folks. You all and Susan are just the best.
Sage
January 20, 2015 at 3:28 am
Dianna, one of my cats had radioactive iodine therapy and it worked almost instantly. He was supposed to get sub-Q fluids daily after the treatment, as I recall, to flush the radioactive material out of his kidneys because he had kidney disease too which is common with hyperthyroid cats. If your cat is required to have fluid therapy be sure to follow the recommended schedule. It may be if his kidneys are OK he won’t need it. Another cat was also hyperthyroid and he took pills which I would not do again. Hopefully our current very healthy cats will stay that way – home made raw chicken diet, a little canned and very little fish. In theory, diets high in fish are a possible cause of thyroid disease. Maybe you could get him to switch to a raw chicken diet instead of fish – it has made a huge difference in my cats – wish I had tried it years ago.
Anne
January 23, 2015 at 8:22 am
Hopefully our current very healthy cats will stay that way – home made raw chicken diet, a little canned and very little fish.
What is the exact “recipe”? Anne
Linda
January 20, 2015 at 2:14 pm
I just looked at a couple of cans I was getting ready to open and they have the 1157 plant number on them. Is this the Allentown plant? I called Purina to complain about the change in the dry food. The Cat Chow has a green kibble now instead of the darker red it used to have. They told me nothing changed. I said it had to because my csts are throwing up and have loose stools. I did notice issues with the canned food also. I have a diabetic cat who it’s best if she is fed an all canned food diet. I have a few more cats than what most people do. I had been giving some seafood and fish along with poultry products. I started having a lot of loose stools with the salmon dinner and the ocean whitefish both under the “special diet”. I stopped getting the fish diet and things have settled down. I will be keeping more of an eye on the food now. I mix my dry food the cat chow with Purina One. Its bad enough trying to get that at a better price but I have been decent sale prices lately. I called Purina also and they took down the numbers of the cat chow bags I guess now it was plant numbers also. They sent me coupons too to make up for the inconvenience of throw up and diarrhea. I’m glad to see others who are having issues and that I’m not losing my mind. Well i’m not glad on my and everybody else’s cats having issues but glad I found this. Also Dianna I have had 2 cats have the Radiocats iodine treatment and they did great with their T4 levels afterwards.
Nancy PLEMMONS
January 20, 2015 at 3:29 pm
My vet said to only feed my cat can food and not fish only chicken or turkey…
Helen
January 19, 2015 at 4:42 pm
How about Beneful products for dogs, also owned by Purina. Their canned food is in plastic tubs. And how about Beneful dry, my dog like IncrediBites. I don’t see listed above unless I missed something. But then again, maybe I should assume this is at every plant for any dog food company. Bad enough that all the jerky treats were laced with something killing our dogs, mine loved those jerky treats, chicken, duck.
Sage
January 19, 2015 at 5:20 pm
Helen
BENEFUL is the food featured in the News Video near the top of this page for having maggots in it! If you google you will find many complaints including dogs dying from Beneful – 800 complaints at Consumer Affairs alone http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/beneful.html. The first complaint for some reason is 2013 but scrolling down there are current postings from 2014 and 2015. The safest foods are way more expensive – Susan lists many – or if possible, prepare food at home. It’s not terribly difficult for dogs. I did it for over 15 years – made big batches, froze in meal sized baggies and thawed as need. You just need a simple balanced recipe and safe fresh ingredients. Susan has recipes too.
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Vicki W
January 19, 2015 at 5:32 pm
I have fed my cat Fancy Feast for years and then all of a sudden they turn their noses up at some of the flavors. I e-mailed Purina to see if they had changed their “formula” and was told no. I realize Fancy Feast is not on the list, but thought I’d mention it. Also, I recently opened a can Friskies of either mixed grill or super supreme and it smelled like something dead!!! I have tried more pricey foods, but can’t seem to get my cats to like whatever I buy. And, I was wondering about the dark areas when I open a can of either.
Celeste M
January 23, 2015 at 3:37 pm
Mine just started putting up their noses at the Proplan. It’s SO expensive, now I’m having a heart attack! You try to do the right. One of my little ones is sick now 🙁
Vera lange
January 19, 2015 at 7:39 pm
My 1 beagle recently got really sick throwing up so I have to instigate this i think from now on my 3 beagles are safer w their dry food call of the wild which has alot of protein no fillers or grain …I’ll put pumpkin….string beans …peas n carrots
I can’t stand any more of this crap of not knowing or risking the lives of my pets !!!!
Tm
January 19, 2015 at 11:08 pm
How aweful! Until pet parents stop buying these rancid foods this will continue although feeding a quality food can be more expensive but I look at it as I’m saving my pets health giving th a good quality life and saving on vet bills later. Thru this site and others we can feed our beloved pets much better it’s not as expensive as u think with a little research!!
Namcy Plemmons
January 20, 2015 at 9:56 am
I used to use Wellness but very expensive..looked at my cans and came from 1162 not 1157
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Kate
January 21, 2015 at 8:17 am
Ever since I got my puppy(I got her in august) I have been feeding her purina puppy chow(dry food) and pedigree puppy complete(canned food). I started to see darker spots and red areas in the canned food so I decided to switch her to a different food and now I’m feeding her alpo food and it’s the beef one listed at the very top of the list and I just looked at the bottom of the can and all of the cans are from the plant 1157- that is the plant that has the issues. I’m hoping she doesn’t get sick from any of this and I’m going to stop feeding her the canned food until I can go to the store and find some that haven’t been having any issues and hopefully I can find some. This is worrying me a lot knowing that there are bad pet foods out there that are harming pets. Dog food and any pet foods, to be honest, should all be safe for our pets to eat and the pet food companies should made and sell the food as if they were giving it to their own pets and have that in mind. I hope that more people see this and stop buying purina for their dogs.
Does anyone know of any brands of canned food that I can buy for my puppy that don’t have any issues?
Susan Thixton
January 21, 2015 at 10:18 am
Kate – the most important thing with choosing a pet food (to me) is for ingredients to be sourced from quality food. Pet food is allowed by FDA to be sourced from ‘feed’ grade ingredients. ‘Feed’ grade can be from diseased animals rejected for use in human food or even animals that have been euthanized or that have died in the field. This is just one of several – but here is a link to a FDA Compliance Policy giving you proof of this horrible action: http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/ComplianceManuals/CompliancePolicyGuidanceManual/ucm074710.htm
My suggestion to you is to look for a pet food that is made from food – not feed grade ingredients. Call the manufacturer and ask if meat and vegetable ingredients are sourced from USDA inspected and approved for human consumption foods (human edible). Sometimes they will try to avoid the question by responding ‘Our ingredients are sourced from USDA inspected food facilities’. This is not a answer to your question. Rejected for use in human food ingredients come from USDA inspected facilities. You want to know if the ingredients themselves are inspected and approved for human consumption.
I’m not saying all feed grade ingredients are bad or dangerous – I’m saying they can be, and unfortunately the consumer does not have a clue which is which in their pet food. The best assurance we have to is make certain ingredients are food grade (which follow food law). Hope that helps you –
lilibaiyu
January 21, 2015 at 3:19 pm
Thank you, Susan for your informative comment, full of very helpful information. I’ve really appreciated the quality of comments on this thread as I’m sure many others here have. There’s real information here that we can use, not just mindless rants. Thanks to everyone who commented.
Jo Ellen Deasy
January 22, 2015 at 10:10 pm
I feed my cats UR Veterinary Diet dryx and canned food. Any issues reported with them? I have faced health issues and they have been beside me. If something happened to them…thanks. Jo Ellen Deasy
David
May 28, 2015 at 6:32 pm
But do you have a list of food that is USDA consumable? That would be great. I am so scared about my kitten. High fever, lethargic and drinking a lot of water. I was feeding him Iams for kittens mixed with Fancy Feast. I brought Nutrisca and Newman’s Own and other organic mixes. He really only liked Iams and Fancy feast. Like some others are saying, he approaches the food now as if it is dangerous and when he gets up on the Fancy Feast, he turns his nose. I think he is trying to tell me something without even trying. I’m sick of this too. The vet visit, blood testing, stool testing and all was astronomical.
Susan Thixton
May 28, 2015 at 8:01 pm
Hi David – no sorry, I don’t have a list of pet foods that use USDA inspected and approved ingredients.
lilibaiyu
January 21, 2015 at 4:11 pm
I have not heard of any issues with Iams, Science Diet or Hill’s prescription formulas. You can have any of these delivered at any interval you choose via chewy.com. We’ve been very satisfied with their service. We get a bag of the Hills c/d delivered once a month that is cheaper than what our vet sells it for.
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Donna
January 21, 2015 at 7:59 pm
All of our cans of Friskies pate are from plant 1157. All my cats – 2 are 18 months and 1 is 7 weeks – are eating this jacked up food. I’m furious that this inspection occurred in fall 2014 and if Purina didn’t do a voluntary recall, the FDA should have made this info available to us from day 1. Let us tell Purina Friskies what we think with our dollars. No idea what my cats will eat now.
Anne
January 22, 2015 at 9:12 am
Why do you not try the dry pellets; like Purina One; Naturals or ProPlan?
the Purina dry pellets have not gotten any warning letters and the dry pellets have all the vitamins like brown rice turkey chicken omega oils !!!
Rob
January 22, 2015 at 9:34 am
Donna
I recently lost one of my cats from feeding him kibble – determined after extensive internet research
I now feed his brother raw but prior to that he was fed Nature’s Variety Instinct canned chicken and rabbit. I determined that it was pretty much the only food that didn’t have nasty stuff in it.
Check out Naturesvariety.com
Also, for other interesting information check out http://www.catinfo.org
Sage
January 22, 2015 at 5:34 pm
DONNA – try SOULISTIC wet cat food http://www.soulisticpet.com/cans.php which is sold at PETCO.
From their website – Soulistic all-natural, grain free diets are made in a USDA approved HUMAN facility and contain ingredients you can identify such as lean, whole cuts of meat and free range boneless, skinless white chicken breast meat, free of added hormones and steroids.
My cats have been eating Soulistic for many years and about 12 months ago I added a Raw Chicken formula by Dr. Lisa Pierson http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood#The_Recipe so they eat both Soulistic and Raw daily and sometimes a little Orijen.
Their favorite – Soulistic Good Karma Chicken Dinner – is just chicken and supplements:
Water Sufficient For Processing, Chicken, Tapioca Starch, Sunflower Seed Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Nicotinic Acid (Vitamin B3), Ferrous Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement.
They also like Sweet Salutations Chicken & Tuna Dinner which is similar but with the addition of tuna.
This family owned company is very quick to respond to questions by phone 800-776-5262 or email info@soulisticpet.com and I have spoken to owner David Forman on several occasions over the years when I’ve had questions. Their original company is Weruva http://www.weruva.com and they now have several other ALL Natural brands listed at the Weruva site. These foods are not inexpensive but they are healthy and safe.
Donna
January 22, 2015 at 9:27 pm
Thank you for your suggestions, I’ll look into each of these.
My cats eat canned food daily and I give them a little Blue Buffalo dry once a week as a treat. My vet just hates Blue Buffalo, so I’m especially unnerved by the Purina Friskies episode as that’s the bulk of their diet.
I’ve considered raw in the past (I love catinfo.org), but i’m concerned about salmonella, i’ve read it can happen much easier raw feeding than even the incidents that occur with kibble.
Has anyone ever used/heard of Verus Feline? It was recommended at a local pet supply store today as being high quality and not too expensive.
Pet Owner
January 21, 2015 at 10:20 pm
OMG. There are 51 comments! Folks a consumer funded test was just completed. People report PF issues all_the_time on products that aren’t even in as much focus as these recent discussions. But people are still concerned whether or not the can says “1157.” For heavens sake look at the manufacturer which isn’t giving out enough details, isn’t doing a recall, not offering a refund, and can’t answer phone questions. Face it. You and your pets are stuck on Cat and Doggy-Crack (Friskies & Beneful). Do you think it’s only a cooincidence that pets are equally addicted??? Why do you think people go back again and again for “Fast Food?” Because it’s loaded with all kinds of crazy stuff like excess sugar, grease and flavorings. It’s very happily packaged, incredibly convenient and served up with a big friendly smile. Above all, it tastes reeally good (like d’uhh).
The PFI has modeled its most reliable, faithful consumer base on the very same behavior of how its customers handle their own food experiences. Pity the pets.
lilibaiyu
January 22, 2015 at 4:01 pm
And don’t forget those EVER SO adorable and incredibly artfully produced Purina TV commercials and print ads of adorable pets and loving owners. Ad agencies have known for years that putting a pet dog or cat in a commercial, any commercial, will up its appeal with consumers. Let’s not be hoodwinked by Madison Ave ad agencies anymore! They are like the Washington lobbyists of the pet food industry. Their ONLY concern is to get you to buy more of their client’s products. And by the way, one of the oldest tricks in advertising is to “turn a product’s problem upside down” and advertise its opposite as being their product’s chief virtue.
AI
February 27, 2019 at 9:32 pm
I’m not sure if it’s too late but my grandma feeds her cat Tikki Cat
Rob
January 22, 2015 at 9:28 am
There’s a very simple answer
Feed your cat raw – which, as an obligate carnivore, is what mother nature designed it to eat.
For the dangers of kibble check out http://www.catinfo.org
Dianna
January 22, 2015 at 10:06 pm
Well, I emailed Purina the other day and I guess we turned up the heat on the plant in Allentown. Of course they won’t admit to any wrong-doing, but at least we have pressured them enough to at least say they are going start to deal with the FDA.
Here’s their reply:
Thank you for contacting Nestlé Purina PetCare Company.
We appreciate you taking the time to contact us today with your concerns. The quality of our products is a top priority, we are in the process of clarifying our initial response to FDA, including corrective actions and additional documentation as requested.
We have a comprehensive food safety program and dedicated quality assurance staff in each of our North American pet food facilities to ensure the quality of every Purina product.
We are confident there are no food safety issues or risks to pet health with our products.
Again, thank you for contacting Nestlé Purina PetCare Company.
lilibaiyu
January 22, 2015 at 10:40 pm
“We are confident there are no food safety issues or risks to pet health with our products. ”
See? They are absolutely not going to address what has been occurring. So please, if you love your pets, vote with your dollars and go elsewhere – there are lots of alternatives and researching them is easy online – this thread has offered great ideas and options and lots of them. Check out chewy.com too – they have a fine auto-delivery program that offers total flexibility on shipment frequency, free shipping as well as discount prices.
Anne
January 23, 2015 at 8:25 am
The fact is any canned food for pets or humans carries a risk of bacteria; this is because the “tin or aluminum” used in the cans harbors and reacts to certain types of bacteria causing bacteria to grow; the only answer to this is to avoid canned food (esp. canned meat) and do home cooking or Dry Natural Pellets like Iams Purina etc and mix and egg or fish to pellets;
(WHAT YOU WANT IS THE CAT FEED POUCHES these do not have tin;
Cans are made from Tin; Tin is a known carcinogen) have a nice dayAnne
Pet Owner
January 25, 2015 at 5:13 am
This conclusion is a bit misleading. BPA lining make cans controversial. The contents of cans are not carcinogenic and tin/aluminum doesn’t have anything to do with it. Some foods (like pineapple/tomato) will indeed react quickly (discolor) if left in an opened can, and a guminess will eventually form around the opening. Just transfer the contents of canned foods into clean containers. Bacteria begins once a can is opened. Knowing what we do from the CFPFT think twice about reusing PF left in an opened can. Use a clean utensil in each individual can. From what I understand cats should be eating only a moist/wet diet. Using cat food in pouches seems worthwhile as long as the contents are quality and risk free. Many pets react differently to different ingredients/formulas. Finding the right balance is a personal discovery process. Just make sure the first five ingredients are discernable, whole foods, with protein (or meal) leading. Cats should have fewer (if any) carbs. Dogs should avoid grains but still might need a lower residue fiber.
The lead article for this thread is about a known warning issued by the FDA pertaining to Purina! That’s a fact. Purina should be on the defensive until problems are corrected. So the discussion isn’t about what variations in the product are better or worse. It’s about a lapse in manufacturing quality control and it’s up to Purina to demonstrate a correction. Respect the fact that many people are sharing their own experiences with the product. The purpose of sharing is to help one another and offer solutions and alternatives. Therefore it is not productive or fair to try and “sell” anything (from a professional standpoint) in the comments section. That’s why certain comments are being called out.
Anne
January 25, 2015 at 9:48 am
ow Can You Reduce Your Tin Exposure?
At this time, neither the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the International Agency for Research on Cancer have yet to classify tin compounds as carcinogenic to humans so regulation is not as stringent as may be appropriate. The prevalence of tin and tin compounds in industry makes it difficult to completely avoid exposure but there are a few measures you can take. With regard to diet, eat less canned food and don’t eat seafood caught from areas known to be contaminated with tin or other toxic metals. If your occupation includes safety hazards like toxic metal exposure, your risks levels are especially high.
Tests are available to determine the presence of tin compounds in the body but do not indicate where or when exposure happened. If you’re concerned about the effect of toxic metals in your body, I recommend performing a chemical and toxic metal cleanse.
– Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM
Anne
January 25, 2015 at 10:13 am
Susan I really hope you print my comment about Tin Toxicity; do you plan to follow up about the Cat Litter? or is this blog strictly about Pet Food; I have been using Purina for over 50 years; never had a prob. yet! I agree folks should make their own choices about their beloved Cats !!! I am sorry I do not have time to continue with any blogs Thank you !!! The reason I like Purina dry is they add Rice Bran Omega Oils + Poultry; Cats do require Fiber which is evidenced by the way a big cat eats Grass so all in all I thank you; I will stay subscribed but nor post!!! Anne:)
Anne
January 25, 2015 at 10:29 am
Many pets react differently to different ingredients/formulas.
Using cat food in pouches seems worthwhile as long as the contents are quaTherefore it is not productive or fair to try and “sell” anything (from a professional standpoint) in the comments sectionlity and risk free.
I do not sell anything Susan
Pingback: FDA Issued Warning to Purina Pet Food Facility
Another Pet Caregiver
January 24, 2015 at 5:09 pm
ANNE must WORK for PURINA
She refers to PURINA Pet Food as FEED just like an industry insider and is clearly promoting PURINA DRY FEED
Her comments on this page include
Anne January 22, 2015 at 9:00 am
Hello my name is Anne from Connecticut; I have been feeding Tabby Queen Purina One for 5 years; she is as healthy as any Cat I know; I do not see a scientific correlation between Purina feed and cats getting sick!
Reply to herself
Purina One dry pellets are great!
I know I have them for breakfast every day…lol Anne:”
hey lighten up people; Purina is not perfect; no company is ! 🙂
Anne
January 23, 2015 at 8:09 am
so people can read the ingredients on the cans of feed for themselves to make a choice
ones that add flavors and colors are bad
Purina One adds no color period!
Anne
January 23, 2015 at 8:35 am
final comment from Anne (Nutritionist); do you know what really makes Cats sick ?
THE NEW CLUMPING LITTER THEY SELL
the stuff creates cement intestinal blockages in the Cats; intestines blocks after the Cat licks its paws !!!
ONE GRAIN OF CLUMPING LITTER CAN EXPAND TO 10 TIMES THE SIZE OF THE GRAIN IF YOUR CAT INGESTS IT
I used clump litter once ; cat had bloody stools!
I never used it again; Cat is in perfect health
I use plain clay litter do not use clumping PLS!!!
Anne
January 22, 2015 at 9:03 am
I do not see where you get your information about Purina making Cats sick; Purina Feeds have been in business for over 100 years in the USA; Purina makes Cat feed; dog feed; rabbit feed horse feed; I do not recommend canned cat feed from any Co.!!!
Anne
January 22, 2015 at 9:12 am
Why do you not try the dry pellets; like Purina One; Naturals or ProPlan?
the Purina dry pellets have not gotten any warning letters and the dry pellets have all the vitamins like brown rice turkey chicken omega oils !!!
Anne
January 23, 2015 at 8:25 am
The fact is any canned food for pets or humans carries a risk of bacteria; this is because the “tin or aluminum” used in the cans harbors and reacts to certain types of bacteria causing bacteria to grow; the only answer to this is to avoid canned food (esp. canned meat) and do home cooking or Dry Natural Pellets like Iams Purina etc and mix and egg or fish to pellets;
(WHAT YOU WANT IS THE CAT FEED POUCHES these do not have tin;
Cans are made from Tin; Tin is a known carcinogen) have a nice dayAnne
Dianne
January 24, 2015 at 6:35 pm
Why are you doing this?
Anne
January 25, 2015 at 9:12 am
hello that is what I want to know and exactly why I usually do not do forums; and I will be unsubscribing
thanks for your comment Dianne!!!
Dianne
January 24, 2015 at 6:37 pm
I am not the only Dianne to post comments on this thread. How do you know those comments are all made by the same Anne?
Peg
January 24, 2015 at 8:01 pm
Beautifully stated Another Pet Caregiver
Anne
January 25, 2015 at 10:21 am
See what I am really trying to say is: Get Cat Feed and Dog Feed (Food) which is made from Natural Ingredients like Rice Bran Riboflavin Vit. B2; Purina’s adds Salmon Oil and other Fish Oils in their feed; Poultry; Fish:
that’s all I was saying: Purina makes some very good Health Food for Cats; with ALL Essential Nutrients including all Vitamins and Minerals
Iams is good; AVOID ARTIFICALLY COLORED CAT FEEDS AT ALL COSTS sure Purina One Naturals or Iams is more expensive yet you use a small amount because the pellets are nutrient dense and omega oils; that is all I am saying; give your CATs NATRUAL FEEDS not ‘Friskies”!Preplan is good very expensive though
Natural Feeds say so on the label (no colors or flavors is the key)
Purina Ones does not add colors!! Salmon Oil is an essential Oil !!!
thanks for reading signing out Anne 🙂
Susan Thixton
January 25, 2015 at 11:06 am
Anne – ‘natural’ is a word used in food (human and pet) to lure the consumer in. But it is not held to the true definition of natural (at least the common understanding of the word natural). There have been numerous lawsuits over this one word (in food). Pet foods are made with two very distinct types of ingredients – food grade ingredients (same as human food and abide by all human food regulations) and feed grade ingredients (also known as pet grade – not held to any food regulations – can be sourced from contaminated grains and diseased animal tissue meats). Food or Feed. That’s the two choices pet food consumers have. It might say ‘pet food’ on the label, but most are actually pet feed. Purina Pet Foods are feed grade pet foods. This isn’t meant to bash the company – I’m just stating a fact. All of their pet foods are made in pet food facilities that abide by feed regulation, not food regulation. For most of the people that follow this website (including me) – feed is not food.
I agree that dyes are not a quality ingredient for pets to consume on a daily basis – but I don’t agree that Purina One does not include dyes. Caramel color is a food dye – same dye that is used in soft drinks and it is linked to serious risks. Here is a link to an article I wrote on this a few years back: https://truthaboutpetfood.com/coke-pepsi-and-pet-food/
Another Pet Caregiver
January 25, 2015 at 5:15 pm
RICE BRAN is NOT good for cats.
From Little Big Cat: http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/rice-bran-no-good-for-cats/
Also, Janine commented on Pet Food Test Results page https://truthaboutpetfood.com/the-pet-food-test-results/
Janine
January 5, 2015 at 3:08 pm
Looks like rice bran is an ingredient that’s often contaminated too (from U of Guelph researchers): http://atguelph.uoguelph.ca/2013/06/is-your-pet-food-safe/
“Smith says pet owners can help prevent their dogs or cats from consuming mycotoxins by avoiding cheaper pet food that is more likely to contain vegetable cereals and corn or wheat fillers. He particularly urges pet owners to AVOID FOOD with significant amounts of RICE BRAN”.
“That’s the ingredient (RICE BRAN) that’s often contaminated,” he says. “Although we have no exact numbers, we can estimate that when half of the food is of vegetable origin, there will almost always be some degree of contamination. If the food is mainly of animal origins the chances of contamination are greatly reduced.”
Rice Bran causes Taurine Loss http://www.feedingfidoandfluffy.com/rice-bran-in-dry-cat-food-causes-taurine-loss/
Another Pet Caregiver
January 24, 2015 at 5:55 pm
As someone else said
DO NOT FEED PURINA FOOD / FEED – PERIOD.
More frightening than PURINA perhaps planting someone – a paid “NUTRITIONIST?” on this site to sell PURINA DRY FEED is the MISINFORMATION:
CLUMPING CAT LITTER
IS NOT ROUTINELY MAKING CATS SICK AND IS DEFINITELY NOT THE CAUSE OF BLOODY DIARRHEA.
Bloody stools are most often caused by BACTERIA and TOXINS in PURINA “FEED” or ANY OTHER BRAND of canned or dry food / feed IF it is CONTAMINATED with BACTERIA or other TOXINS before getting packaged in cans or bags.
Obviously clumping litter can cause a blockage if ingested in quantity and it is NOT to be used for KITTENS.
CANNED FOOD / FEED
Food / Feed packaged in METAL CANS is not causing bactera to suddenly appear and grow. BACTERIA and TOXINS already present in the food/feed when it is packaged in a can, pouch (or bag) are what cause illness. Info on CANS from USDA here http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/shelf-stable-food-safety
If CANNED FOODS had to be avoided – HUMANS would never buy or eat CANNED TUNA FISH or CANNED SOUP or CANNED CHILI or CANNED BEEF STEW among other products.
Maybe BUMBLEBEE, CAMPBELLS, HORMEL and DINTY MOORE would like to weigh in on the safety of THEIR CANNED HUMAN (grade) products.
David
May 28, 2015 at 7:03 pm
Clumping litter is not used for kittens? I am so unaware. I wish I had known. I hope that is not what’s giving my cat this fever. He’s been using it now since I got him.
He was about 8-wks when I got him and he’s about 8 months now. He was never sick before. I am so worried about him.
Peg
May 28, 2015 at 9:42 pm
David, what has you vet said about your sick kitty?
Has any blood testing been done.
Cats with fevers will not eat or drink and they can become lethargic due to dehydration.
Cats with fevers can not be given aspirin or tylenol to reduce the fever.
Please get your kitty to a vet if you have not done so already.
There are some illnesses that kittens can get but you need a vet to make the diagnosis and give proper treatment
Cat Lover
January 28, 2015 at 10:59 pm
Wow, I am honestly just finding out about this now. I wish I would have known sooner, now I am a little worried. My tabby cat (Beast) eats Purina One dry cat food. Any experience cat moms out there who recommend a safer healthy brand? I would like to know. Everyone just seems to always recommend Purina.
Another Pet Caregiver
January 30, 2015 at 4:21 pm
Cat Lover – Purina does NOT have a good overall track record.
ORIJEN is one of the best DRY foods – their stated ingredients are excellent – you can see them here http://www.orijen.ca/products/cat-food/dry-cat-food/cat-kitten/ then click ‘where to buy’ on that same page.
INSTINCT http://www.instinctpetfood.com/cats comes in DRY, CANNED and various RAW options with a variety of protein sources, is more widely available than Orijen and hopefully is better and safer than Purina.
Lastly if you really don’t want to switch brands, Purina BEYOND appears to have upgraded ingredients although that doesn’t help if toxic ingredients are allowed into the formula – it would be best to switch to one of the other brands for at least some of your cats meals.
CANNED / WET foods are better for cats and homemade diets are SAFEST if you use the freshest ingredients and a balanced recipe – Veterinarian Lisa Pierson has invaluable information and a recipe here http://www.catinfo.org
Cat Lover
January 30, 2015 at 8:50 pm
Thank you so much for replying I will be sure to check it out!!! My poor little guy has been through enough, he was treated poorly by his previous owners. Thanks again!!!
Dog_Obsessed
February 1, 2015 at 10:02 pm
I’m glad someone’s finally cracking down on Purina! Somehow it doesn’t surprise me to find absolutely nil on Purina’s website or Facebook page about this. 🙁
lilibaiyu
February 2, 2015 at 3:46 pm
I first got wind of the recent spate of problems on Facebook actually and the fact that consumers were finally starting to put 2 and 2 together… and that they were damned mad at what was happening to their pets. The Admin of the page had their work cut out for them on the thread I was reading! They kept saying “Well, I’m sorry to hear you’re having problems, please Private Message me for more help” to get all the negative comments OFF the page but more and more people kept coming and posting. It was a real pile-on – I felt kind of sorry for the poor Admin.
Dog_Obsessed
February 2, 2015 at 3:58 pm
Yeah, they say that to pretty much everyone who leaves a negative comment. I think they’re just trying to minimize the amount of negative stuff that everyone sees. I’m glad people are taking a stand anyway, maybe they’ll finally think about changing their ways if they realize it’s losing them enough business. I also feel sorry for the admin though.
Janice
February 26, 2015 at 9:44 am
I found this site after reading an article describing 1159 as the number to look out for on the can. This is the number on the cans from the case that made my dog sick.
I have kept the remaining 10 cans from the case of ProPlan Sensitive Stomach that I purchased. (I had purchased 2 cases by mail through Petco and the first case was fine) I noticed my dog became ill after I started using the cans from this 2nd case. Vomiting, Diarrhea and he was refusing to eat it but would nibble when he became very very hungry. My other dog eats Proplan Sensitive Stomach dry food only and was fine. I decided to soften up the dry food and give it to my sick dog and within 12 hours he was back to normal. I have continued to feed them both the dry food and there have been no problems. I have to soften the dry food with water for the one dog because he becomes constipated if he only eats dry food.
This has been going on for a long time and no recall and it’s hard to find information. Now I am shopping for a different food because of my mistrust of Purina but all the dog food companies seem to have problems with their processing off and on. Just not sure what to do.
adam boyer
June 11, 2015 at 11:31 am
I read this warning at the same time I read an article in the AARP magazine that quoted that you should not overspend on premium pet food. They claimed “No need to pay $5 to $15 per pound. Buy grocery brands Purina, Iams of Pedigree for a fraction of the cost”. It is ashame that AARP could give such bad advice to their readers. Since they are not qualified to advise on dog food, I wish they would realize how hurtful these articles can be. This was in the AARP Bulletin for June 2014. I would like Susan Thixton to set them straight.
Susan Thixton
June 11, 2015 at 11:52 am
Hi Adam – if you could send me the link to the AARP article, I would gladly try to set them straight.
josh
July 7, 2015 at 10:48 pm
I have 2 cats that are both 8 years old. They both received a good health status from the vet about 6 months ago. Had their blood tested; prerequisite to getting their teeth cleaned. This evening I fed them Purina Friskies Ocean White Fish & Tuna dinner. Within 5 minutes of eating it they both puked all over the place. One of them was moaning and wouldn’t come out of hiding. In the 8 years I’ve had the honor of caring for them they have never puked at the same time under these conditions. I searched the internet and found this website. The batch on the 156 gram can is 50771159 L53882189. An hour later they seem fine so I feed them something else and all is good. I trashed all of the remaining cans with batch 1159. These are the facts as I lived them. [Sarcasm]Thanks Purina![/sarcasm]
Christine
August 9, 2015 at 6:00 pm
We have a rescue with 35 cats currently in our care, who have been exclusively been fed the 13 oz cans of the Friskies Classic Pates, Poultry Platter and Turkey Giblets for close to 2 years now. Up until a month ago, we would mix the larger can of pate, with a 5.5 oz can of the shreads or filets. When they started vomiting up the shreads and fillets undigested, we elminated the smaller can but continued to only feed the pates.
We are now on our second cat being diagnosed with TRI TRICHOMONAS and CLOS PERFRINGENS ENTEROTOXIN with quite a few others having HORRIFIC DIARRHEA.
Any one else having issues ?
Much thanks,
Joan Johnston
February 10, 2016 at 2:08 pm
OMG I just read this. I have 30 beloved unadoptable cats. And I have about 10 cases from Costco with 1159 on the cans. It’s been a year since Purina was warned. Has Purina fixed the problem? Or should I get just rid of all the cases? They say they are good until Dec2017
Susan Thixton
February 10, 2016 at 2:11 pm
Joan – you could try contacting Purina, and/or you could try contacting FDA. Call your consumer complaint coordinator. You can find who that is here: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/ReportaProblem/ConsumerComplaintCoordinators/default.htm
I love my dog
February 11, 2016 at 4:37 am
Coscto (on the West Coast, Nor-Cal area) will take back ANYTHING! Especially if you bring in the FDA warning about the food. Even though they don’t have a good track record on Jerky Treats, they will (on a consumer to consumer basis) happily oblige on returns because they don’t want trouble from their members on any products! You don’t even have to have a receipt. They can also look up purchases made on credit cards.
For a better recommendation on Cat Food, please read the post by “Another Cat Caregiver.” See above comments.
George J. DeVos
February 14, 2016 at 3:06 pm
My indoor cat family of five had just started a new bag of indoor Purina. The afternoon of the second day I found one of them dead. He was already rigid so must have died soon after his breakfast meal. I suspected he might have choked on breakfast since he was an aggressive food gobbler. I continued feeding the indoor Purina. Next day two of the survivors were staggering and crying in obvious distress. One recovered on his own and the other recovered at the vet.
Finding many reports of death and illness associated with feeding Purina I began to suspect their food. Rather than discard two new bags of indoor Purina, I decided it best to return them to Walmart and tell them my reasons for doing so.
These cats were seven and eight years old at the time, in robust health and never noticeably sick. A year and a half later they have had no more problems. I now buy more expensive cat food such as the Trader Joe brands but I have fed other brands as well, just no more Purina or any related brands.
Certain indoor formulas have recently been found to contain too much vitamin D which can become toxic when ingested in excessive amounts. This would certainly explain my experience and I would never risk buying any “indoor” formula again.
This is all purely anecdotal but it is evidence even if circumstantial. No pet parent would feed Purina after what I experienced. After trusting this old brand for decades, I no longer use it, and that goes double for so-called “indoor” formulas of any brand.
Patrick
March 11, 2016 at 7:21 am
Found what appeared to be small pieces of black plastic and rubber in 2 separate cans of Friskies Turkey and Giblets 13 oz cans from the 1157 plant. These cans came from cases and had best by dates of October 2017, and the 2nd batch had best by dates of December 2017. Have already sent them the first batch of pieces and parts. They did refund my money for the remaining cans I had on the first occasion. I have stopped using their product for the strays I feed that people have dumped around my house. Am waiting for the 2nd letter they are sending me to send in the last piece of plastic I found and for the refund check for the 2nd batch. They did tell me I could check back with them in about 6 weeks and they would give me the results of their investigation. How they handle this will determine if I will eventually decide to use their products again.
Had a problem with their Fancy Feast Classic Chicken about 1 year ago which made all of my indoor cats vomit. Luckily the place I bought them refunded the money on the unused cans. It seems the quality control of the Fancy Feast has deteriorated lately from batch to batch, as my cats no longer seem to care for it as much as before. Looking for an alternate solution for all of them. Considering Wellness Chicken, but is much more expensive than the Purina Turkey and Giblets, and slightly more expensive than the Fancy Feast. Am looking for a balance on cost/quality and using the cat food nutritional composition chart compiled by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM.
George
March 21, 2016 at 6:06 pm
If you suspect a pet food has sickened your pet, don’t make the mistake I made and just return it. It will at best be discarded, at worst returned to the shelf. Save it and contact FDA. Independent testing sounds like a great idea.
My indoor cats got sick when I started a new bag of indoor Purina. I immediately changed their water and food. The cat with the biggest appetite died. Two recovered. I now avoid all Purina products and have had no more problems. I naively thought returning the suspect bag to Walmart would send a message up the chain that something may be wrong with the product. From reading on this site, I see that was a futile gesture.
Christine
May 7, 2016 at 10:14 pm
Our cats live to be 18 and 20 years old and feed them purina. I don’t know what else to say.
Chrisse
May 19, 2016 at 5:28 pm
Is that the Purina Friskies brand?
KATHRYN W SOTTILE
July 15, 2016 at 8:33 pm
Please post any followups on this issue
Pet Owner
July 15, 2016 at 10:29 pm
Not cat food, but dog food, however still pertinent to PURINA.
https://truthaboutpetfood.com/fda-releases-concerning-information-about-beneful/
Same principle, discredited (if not illegal) ingredients!
Carol Davis
September 16, 2016 at 5:56 am
Do you have any info on Purely Fancy Feast? The one in the little plastic trays. My vet recommended Hills Science Diet dry and canned, but my cat got picky and only would eat the sauce on the canned so I started looking around and have settled on the Purely Fancy Feast. He seems to really like itl, but he has a selection of that and the dry Hills. Would appreciate any comments on the Purely Fancy Feast. Thanks!
Sylvia
September 21, 2016 at 12:59 pm
Can anyone help? Please. My cat has been having vomiting fits. In that last 5 months she has had 3 days where she was unable to eat just kept vomiting until blood was in the vomit. She recovered and she went to the vet but they assume it was a bug or something else in the home she ate, now I’m not so sure. She does eat Fancy Feast wet canned food. She also eats Nature’s Recipe chicken/rice blend for dry food. SHe is currently vomiting, we want to try something else? but we’re not sure what to try thank you…
Pacific Sun
September 21, 2016 at 1:45 pm
STOP the food! It’s a Purina product!! That’s what this article is all about. Few Vets ever suspect PF can be a cause of illness. If she’s an indoor cat, then there are few OTHER things that could be the culprit right? There are many cat fanciers who read this site, and I’m sure they will be giving you plenty of ideas. In the meantime, Rad Cat is supposed to be good. Sorry, there aren’t very many dry kibble cat foods recommended. But The Honest Kitchen is also very trustworthy.
I do understand that it can be very difficult to get a cat to switch diets. But you can’t have her continue to be so sick! Hoping for the best …..
Nancy Plemmons
September 21, 2016 at 3:21 pm
I quit using Purina along time ago…have used it for years but niw iwned by a different company and has had so many bad results..i would definitely check with the vet..my cat is over weight and now using Science Diet Prescription dry cat food…i would stay away from Purina!
Sylvia
September 21, 2016 at 1:01 pm
Help my cat has been vomiting regularly. She eat wet fancy feast and Nature’s Recipe for dry food. Can anyone recommend an alternative?
Cathy
October 18, 2016 at 2:57 pm
I lost two of my elderly cats last year but didn’t relate the deaths to this food until I adopted my new friend Rocky. I started feeding him the same foods I had started feeding my elderly cats. Friskies classic pate and purina one hairball dry food. Within a month he was vomiting, losing his hair, itching constantly, dull fur, urinating excessively, losing weight and acting lethargic. A light bulb went off because these were the symptoms my Ruby and Tootie had before they died. I immediately switched him to grain free dry food and grain free canned food and his fur is starting to shine up, he is not urinating excessively, playing again, not vomiting, and regaining his weight. I am afraid to feed Purina products of any kind now, and will never buy them again! I wish I had figured this out before I lost Ruby and Tootie!
Ollie Valentine Darnell
December 27, 2016 at 10:40 am
Hi Cathy, So Sorry for your loss. I also have a similar story to tell. :'( I will never use Purina Kitten Chow again.
Ollie Valentine Darnell
December 27, 2016 at 10:48 am
I recently started a kitten rescue and have used Purina Kitten Chow for years. Last week I lost two kittens that suddenly became sick and vet couldn’t diagnose their illness. Now I have 36 of my own cats and kittens at home vomiting daily and some vomiting blood. Six ferals outside also sick. 19 Kittens and cats at my grooming shop/rescue also vomiting and very ill. Changed their food under the advice of my vet and 24 hrs later most are better some are still just not feeling well at all. So end of story I am so so so disappointed in Purina, my vet is leaning towards salmonella poisoning but won’t know till a very costly test comes back to confirm. I have close to 800.00 in vet bills in the past two weeks, wish I would have changed food sooner. Also two of my clients cats have had same symptoms with same food.
Jenifer
November 26, 2017 at 11:26 am
Beware of tins of Purina Friskies Chicken dinner pate that have two stamps on the bottom of the can. My particular cans have a blue stamp Best by Sept 2019 72571157 L63710453 and a black stamp best by September 2019 7257 1157L53710627. My cats eat friskies chicken pate daily and had no problems in two years. Then I found that they were refusing freshly opened tins, even when they approached their dish with interest. I offered it to my son’s cat who was staying with me, and that cat ate it right up. A few hours later, she was vomiting & having diarrhea. She recovered the same day, but at that point, I looked at the bottom of the can and found the double stamp. It turned out that all the tins I had purchased had the double stamp. I called Purina, who said they would check into it, and sent me coupons for 4 tins. They suggested I could throw out the other tins, or donate them. Why would I donate them to a shelter if I thought they could make cats sick? I kept them in case there is a recall. I check the cans now before purchasing, to be sure I get no more cans marked in this way. My son buys the cases of 24, and I opened a tin from his case and fed it to his cat without even thinking of checking the lot #. The next morning, the cat was vomiting, leaking feces and generally lethargic. Then I checked the bottom of the tin, and found it to be double stamped, just like the other suspicious cans. This time, the cat required sub-q fluids and anti-nausea meds. I contacted Purina again, and they took the info and referred back to my previous call. I really wish there was a way to have this food tested independently. It seems like quite a coincidence that the cat would be sickened on occasions 4 weeks apart by tins marked in the same way.
Susan Thixton
November 26, 2017 at 12:09 pm
Hi Jenifer – please report this to FDA. Here is a link to do that online: https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ReportaProblem/ucm182403.htm
Jenifer
November 26, 2017 at 1:49 pm
I wonder if they will accept reports from outside the US?
Susan Thixton
November 26, 2017 at 2:18 pm
If the food was made in the US – yes they will. Made outside the US – they won’t.
terry
July 16, 2018 at 5:54 am
my cat died cause purina beyond.she had large amounts diarrhea daily.i took her to hospital she died within couple of weeks.my friend cat died she ate purina beyond.she was getting thinner.thinner.the co.wants money so they buy some of it from china.greed.
JeremyA
May 13, 2019 at 7:58 pm
1159. Still being sold. Full number 90871159 L73682316 EXP MARCH 2021. Purina friskies chicken and salmon. Shreds in gravy YES THEY USE THE GRAVY TO TRY TO HIDE THE SENT ALSO.
The cat wont eat any of them. ALL OF THEM IN THE 32 BOX ALL DIFFERENT NUMBERS OVER 6 TO 8 MONTHS.ON THE CAN IS FALSE ADVERTISMENT ALSO NOW.reading 100% balanced nutrition for adult cats and kittens.
SHE IS SO EMACIATED YOU CAN FEEL HER COMPLETE SPINE EVERY BONE IN HER BODY EVERYTHING I BARELY FOUND THIS OUT ALSO WITH THE COMPLETE CENSORSHIP OF THE INTERNET YOU CANT EVEN FIND THE FDA WARNINGS ANYMORE HOW CAN YOU KNOW…?
People cant find out any info on this and it is still in the stores in nj walmart and shop right i doubt they even know. BUT THEN AGAIN WHENS THE LAST TIME THEY WASH THERE SHOPPING CARTS ALSO…leaking raw meat built up over years wonder why people are getting sick.
Also a piece of the food from the can was in the water growing mold/bacteria. Who knows…its just some normal greenish stuff growing?
She is so sick from this food which is also been stored in the fridge spreading bacteria and who knows what else. She has eye infections dental infections ear infection. YES I STILL HAVE A FEW CAN REST WERE JUST THROWN OUT she never ate any of them GREAT NUTRITION. She is so weak she can barely stand sit lie down or think she cant even smell anymore! She stares into space for no reason only can eat milk lactose free atm. THEY SHOULD BE IMPRISONED FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY IMMEDIATELY! ive food larvae in cans also 2019-2015. Fly larvae.! Hatched few hours after opening it in the warmth.
After reading the number of complaints NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE UNLESS THEY ARE COMPLETELY STOPPED. Complaints have proven usless so is the fda.