There is no confirmation from authorities – however, it has been shared with TruthaboutPetFood.com that Massachusetts Department of Agriculture is testing/has tested Evo Cat Food for Salmonella. It is believed some of the pet food has tested positive for Salmonella.
It was shared that the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture will be testing Evo chicken and turkey can varieties – it was shared an “issue” was discovered by Michigan Dept of Ag in the dry food; the issue Salmonella. Lot numbers of suspect cat food provided by pet food consumers are: 15ECM212 and the last 4 digits range from1348 to 1845.
Again – this has not been confirmed through authorities. If we do not learn of a recall by Monday – I will try to confirm this through Massachusetts and Michigan Department of Agriculture and/or FDA.
I have received emails from two pet food consumers today (Saturday 3/16/13) with sick cats that have been feeding Evo canned cat food. Vomiting and diarrhea are the pet’s symptoms. If you or someone you know feeds Evo canned or dry pet food, please pay close attention to your pet. If your pet has been ill, please report to FDA and to your State Department of Agriculture. Do not return the food for a refund – investigators will need the food for testing.
Big Thanks! to those that shared this information with us. Teamwork!
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
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Dragon77
March 16, 2013 at 5:58 pm
I always worried that their sellout to P&G might cost them. I still have some cans, so I’ll check the lot #s. Glad I recently switched over to Orijen.
Marty
March 16, 2013 at 6:05 pm
Just wondering if this is only for canned food ?? I use the dry for my 3 cats. Thanks much
Susan Thixton
March 16, 2013 at 6:09 pm
At this point it is canned food that has been reported to me. Just watch your cats.
Shiloh
March 16, 2013 at 7:06 pm
Hi Susan-
I live in Mass. My cat just came home from the ER after having spent 5 nights with GI issues. We almost lost her. She had to be rescusitated. She does eat EVO Chicken and Turkey wet catfood. I no longer have cans from the last case, but the current case has the same lot number that you mention 15ECM212, but the last 4 digits are 1342 which is before the range in question. Can I presume that #1342 is free of Salmonella, and only the range 1348- 1845 is effected? I am wondering if my previous case was within this range and this is why my kitty was so sick. I guess there is no way to tell now. Thanks.
Susan Thixton
March 16, 2013 at 7:33 pm
There is just no way to know what is going on right now. I wish I can tell you more. When I learn more I will post. I’d suggest reporting what your cat went through – you have current vet records that could be helpful. Glad your baby is ok.
Shiloh
March 16, 2013 at 7:58 pm
I just checked ALL of my EVO Chicken and Turkey cases and I DO have some within the “bad” range that is being investigated. I am very suspicious now that my poor kitties’ issues and recent 5 night ER stay is related to this suspected problem with EVO wet catfood.
Mary Urbach
March 17, 2013 at 7:04 pm
I feed EVO Turkey/chicken canned food to my 3 cats. I’m not sure if this is a lot # UM02-1515TO02 ? If it is, them hopefully I’m safe.
Lisa W.
March 16, 2013 at 6:08 pm
We feed our cats EVO can cat food. Should we STOP? The lot #’s do not match those listed. So far they have been fine.
Susan Thixton
March 16, 2013 at 6:13 pm
Nothing is confirmed by authorities. Just watch your pets closely.
Sandy
March 16, 2013 at 6:10 pm
I feed my pups their canned dog food..iI read in a post above P&G owns them now, is that true?
Susan Thixton
March 16, 2013 at 6:12 pm
Yes, it is correct.
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Mia
March 16, 2013 at 6:49 pm
My Maine Coon has been getting Evo kitty treats and the dogs their grain free buscuits . They love them. By the way , I do have a bag of their grain free dry dog food , but the dogs don’t like it neither does the cat for that matter ! We use Halo. Small company that uses good stuff.
mikken
March 16, 2013 at 6:50 pm
Isn’t it unusual to have salmonella in a canned food?
I thought that salmonella was aerobic, but looking it up, I see that it’s classed as “facultative anerobic”. Apparently, it can survive in either environment…yay.
I feed the canned in our rotation for my ferals. I’ll have to watch them. Especially my FIV+ guy. Damn.
Lisa Clay
March 16, 2013 at 7:06 pm
My cat Maggie got sick 2 days ago, but it was after she ate her Wysong canned. I also feed her Evo 95% chicken and turkey and Hi-tor Neo canned (she has early stage kidney disease). I don’t have the lot numbers mentioned and we thought it was the Wysong that made her sick. How quickly does Salmonella show up? Thank you, Lisa (Maggie’s concerned Human Mom)
Randi Lynn
July 6, 2013 at 12:56 am
You shouldn’t feed a high protein food to any pet with kidney disease unless directed differently by your vet. There are specialty kidney disease foods available, and those will be better for your cat. Also when giving multiple brands of food, switch very gradually so their systems have time to get used to the changes in ingredients.
Nichole
March 16, 2013 at 7:34 pm
This explains alot! About 4 weeks ago my vet recommended the Evo venison for my kitty with inflammatory bowel because of the diarrhea. Since I switched him he still has diarrhea, but I thought this looks like a good food so I put my other 5 cats on Evo various flavored canned food in my quest to get them off kibble. I now have 6 cats with vomiting and/or diarrhea. This morning after one of the cats painted a bedroom with diarrhea I decided they were going to get boiled and pumpkin. Off to report to FDA I guess.
Nancy Saharic
March 17, 2013 at 2:26 pm
I had a 22 year old with explosive diarrhea and was told by the vet to put her on EVO and guess what?????? It never cleared up and she eventually died. Thanks EVO!
Jess
March 17, 2013 at 7:35 pm
I wouldn’t necessarily blame the food for killing your cat in that situation. She could have had a multitude of problems, especially at that age, that diet alone wouldn’t fix. Don’t beat yourself up for that.
LL
March 16, 2013 at 9:44 pm
I have that range of 15ECM212 1654 and 1655 – my cat has eaten half the flat of cans of chicken/turkey (the large cans) and with no side effects.
Maggie
March 16, 2013 at 11:14 pm
If my cats were eating a brand of cat food that had just announced a problem like this, regardless of what dates I had in my possession, I would not feed that brand to my cats until the whole issue was safely in the past -regardless of whether I could really afford to do that or not. We have seen some recalls begin small with just one product or date and grow to include several. Why would anyone take a chance?
GeoC
March 18, 2013 at 12:43 am
I totally agree Maggie. Better safe than sorry!
Karen Roberts
March 16, 2013 at 11:24 pm
I just started my 70# Lab/Sheppard on the EVO Dry Dog Chicken & Turkey. Do you know if this is affecting the Dry Dog Food lines?
Wendy and Twinny
March 17, 2013 at 7:21 am
My cat does eat EVO, canned and dry, though our current cans are all 15TCM212, not ECM, and she has had recurrent non-responsive vomiting and diarrhea for over two weeks now.
How do we treat this salmonella if she has it?
(Sorry for second posting – I neglected to check “notifying of replies” on the first one, so please post this one!)
Susan Thixton
March 17, 2013 at 9:02 am
First – I’d suggest a visit to your vet. Next – please report this to FDA and to your State Department of Agriculture. If there is an issue with the food – and we don’t know anything for certain yet – authorities need to know. Vet records help authorities nail down what is wrong.
Nicoll
March 17, 2013 at 8:38 am
I’m usually one of the first ones to share Susan’s posts, but will not do so here because it is hearsay. Reading the comments above, people are already jumping to conclusions and badmouthing a company. I don’t think it is credible reporting without facts or proof.
I tried to find information on Salmonella in canned food because I’ve never heard of it and I found this:
“Canned food, by contrast, is vacuum-sealed and sterilized but can be contaminated after it is opened if improperly stored or handled.” Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/11/salmonella-lurks-in-pet-foods-too/.
There are many reasons a cat can become sick and I know of customers who leave canned food out all day and keep it too long (longer than 3 days). So if improper feeding is the cause, then a warning should not have been sent. Maybe a follow-up for an educational piece about proper food handling.
I do hope there is nothing wrong with the food! I will check my food as well and I have contacted my reps. I want to get to the bottom of this, too!
This is just my humble opinion and I do love Susan! She is a true advocate for all of us pet owners!
Smiley
March 17, 2013 at 9:38 am
I agree with Nicoll on this one. We do need to wait for confirmation before jumping to conclusions.
Is the testing being done on the Evo Turkey/ Chicken formula or the Evo 95% Chicken/ Turkey formula?
IF it turns out to be a problem, let’s hope it’s on the manufacturing end and not an ingredient issue.
Either way, keep in mind that Evo dog and cat canned formulas are practically identical. The dog formulas differ slightly with only a small mineral difference.
Shiloh
March 17, 2013 at 10:00 am
The lot numbers in question appear to be the EVO 95% Chicken & Turkey wet cat food. I have at least one case of a lot that is being tested. I posted earlier about my kitty that just came home from a 5 day ER stay with symptoms that mirror salmonella toxicity.
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3Meezers
March 17, 2013 at 10:47 am
I had been communicating privately with Susan about my three cats getting ill since the middle of February. For several weeks, I debated about saying and doing anything as I wasn’t sure what caused my almost 5 year old litter mates and almost 16 year old boy to get lethargic, stop eating with diarrhea and vomiting. I can afford the huge vet bills, so I was not concerned about reimbursement for those expenses. However, my reluctance to get involved was put aside for the same reason I wouldn’t return the cans to the retailers or donate them to a shelter. If, any animals got sick because I did not act and something was wrong with the food, that would be unconscionable.
I sent Susan a private email with the update, saying that I had communicated with the retailers, companies, filled out the FDA report form and talked to the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture. The MDA contacted me and my primary care vet about the dry Evo Chicken and Turkey salmonella contamination and that the same chicken was used in the canned food, therefor they would pick up my cans for testing this coming Wednesday. I never expected Susan to post the information until and if something was verified, but can understand her concern for all of you and your pets.
Also, I, like most of you, am probably overly cautious about cleaning pets dishes (I have enough sets so that they go directly into the dishwasher and a clean set is used for each meal) and safely handle/store pet food. We wouldn’t be so proactive and on Susan’s site if we weren’t. Just be careful about criticizing anyone who reports a suspected food issue, others may be reluctant to do so in the future.
My last thought is to question why when three separate vets at two different hospitals, one was an ER, treated my cats and suspected the food as the cause, none asked what brand and flavors. I believe that we need to ask if vets could keep a record of this when treating for strange, sudden GI events in pets.
Nancy Saharic
March 17, 2013 at 1:27 pm
Well, this really ticks me off big time!!!!! I have lost 5 cats in the last 6 months (mostly elderly, sick ones) and now I am being told the food I feed my remaining cats might make them sick too ????????? You gotta be kidding me! What is safe anymore???????????
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GeoC
March 17, 2013 at 3:31 pm
I am one whose cats ate this EVO food and got sick. THIS IS NOT HEARSAY! And I resent all assumptions that unless something is proved by ‘authorities’ there is no merit to people’s experiences.
I applaud Susan for posting this warning as a ‘just in case’ for those who feed this food. Who knows how much suffering she has prevented and many lives she has saved?
This is tragic and SCARY! I’ve always been suspicious and concerned and now at this point, I feel like my cats should be off all commercial food.
One thing is for sure: The vast majority of pet food companies do not care about your pets– except to continue to sell you on their products and make money off of you. Greedy, cruel, and sad!
Andrew
March 17, 2013 at 4:24 pm
Might be wise Susan to keep the irons in the fire as it relates to the big dogs
http://dogingtonpost.com/is-purinas-beneful-dog-food-killing-dogs/
Jubercat
March 18, 2013 at 9:36 am
Am I correct in assuming this problem seems to be affecting EVO food, but not other Natura products (so far)?
I’m getting so frustrated with all of the reports of Salmonella…we HAVE to be able to trust our pet food suppliers to test, and re-test for such things, and report problems promptly!
Jess
March 18, 2013 at 10:10 am
You just have to find a company as transparent as say the honest kitchen, who will be up front with a problem because they care about the pets, and who actually tests each batch themselves and being open and honest enough to recall something the second they know there is a possible problem. And it’s simply because they care about the animals. Not to mention they have amazing quality of ingredients. The best way to protect your pets is trust Susan’s judgement and purchase her “approved food list” and pick something off of that to feed. She really did all of the hard work on finding reputable and transparent companies we can trust on that.
Confused
March 18, 2013 at 1:11 pm
I just read all these posts and can understand both sides. Please do not be upset – we need to work together. I understand being forewarned; however, we don’t really know why these cats got sick in the first place. Jumping to conclusions and assuming things always get people in trouble.
One vet believes it was something the cats ate. Ok, but was it FOOD related? Cats get in to things. They eat plants, chemicals, leftovers, garbage, cotton/clothing, tinsel/string, and goodness knows what else.
If I read the post correctly, 3Meezers stated she had been in contact with all these organizations over a month ago. Why have they waited this long to test the food? They should have requested testing from the start in case a recall needed to occur.
There are a lot of questions we need answers to, but we need to be rational and civil; to be open to others’ points of view and questions and not think of them as personal attacks. They are not. We are all on the same side – our pet’s side!
Terry
March 18, 2013 at 3:28 pm
I am feeding EVO grain free Turkey and Chicken kibble and canned dog food, is it cat food only?
I tried to get them to eat Honest Kitchen but no way will they have any thing to do with it.
Carol
March 18, 2013 at 3:59 pm
I just got an email alert that says the recall has been confirmed, but not yet posted to the company website(s). EVO and 3 additional brands from Natural Pet Products.
Jovana
March 18, 2013 at 5:16 pm
I have a case of EVO 95% Chicken & Turkey 13.2 oz cans that I have been feeding my three cats. Lot number: 15ECM212 1648. They began vomiting yesterday. I am worried about what I can feed them now. One of my cats is diabetic, and requires low carb wet food. I am snowbound today and can’t get out to find an alternative food source. How shall I feed them? Thank you for posting this food warning!
Jess
March 18, 2013 at 6:59 pm
You can always cook her some chicken. There are several good resources for cooking for your pets, maybe look into that and see if you have the ingredients at home until you can get to the store. I think catinfo.org has some good resources, especially for diabetic kitties.
Jess
March 18, 2013 at 7:01 pm
Not sure where you are located, but maybe see if there’s a vet who can make a house call to check the kitties out and make sure they’re ok. I know where I am a lot of horse vets will make house calls for dogs and cats too.
GeoC
March 18, 2013 at 7:05 pm
Here is a list of foods with their nutritional analysis. It includes carb values:
http://www.catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf
Always a good idea to feed a variety of different foods just in case something like this happens.
Best wishes to you and your cats!
janieinMN
March 18, 2013 at 5:27 pm
natura has now published the full list of the ‘voluntary’ recall — http://www.naturapet.com/voluntary_recall/Natura%20-%20Affected%20Products.pdf
their statement can be found here:
http://www.naturapet.com/recall
Nano
March 18, 2013 at 8:22 pm
Where do I find the lot number in a bag of EVO cat food?
Susan Thixton
March 18, 2013 at 8:33 pm
Usually on the back, towards the bottom. With the best by date information.
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Lisa S
March 19, 2013 at 3:53 pm
http://www.innovapet.com/recall
“During a recent random sampling, the FDA confirmed the presence of salmonella in one of our products. ” Dated 3/18 on their website.
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Chris
March 22, 2013 at 5:24 am
I am in the province of Ontario in Canada. I have that lot of EVO 95 Chicken and Turkey canned food, 15ECM212. Their website does not have info on any recall or special notices about the canned food at this time. I appreciate the heads up, though.
We feed three different varieties of low-carb canned food from three different companies, plus supplement with some raw and cooked poultry. We feed more than one variety of canned because we have had an issue in the past with another pet food suddenly being discontinued and the quick change was difficult for some cats. Now that we have other food on hand they are used to we can hopefully avoid that problem.
I also learned it’s good to feed several brands as another possible issue is occasionally a food or batch may be deficient in certain nutrients; feeding a variety helps overcome that.
Canned food does not contain quite enough protein so we supplement with a bit of cooked or raw poultry. One cat does not seem to get much nutrition from cooked or canned compared to the raw. We are seriously looking to start making our own balanced raw cat food once we can get the equipment, etc we need. We might even do some canned meat.
From what I’ve read cats are not always affected by salmonella bacteria. I weigh everybody once a week anyway and will watch for any issues. They are much healthier than when we used to feed any kibble.
I appreciate knowing about possible issues with their commercial food.
Jess
March 22, 2013 at 10:13 am
Raw is always a good option, natures variety makes a good raw food that is pasteurized so you don’t have to worry about you handling the raw meats and getting it on counters and spreading bacteria. It is true, the dogs and cats can handle the bacteria, it is us that more than likely get sick from it. I got a very bad “stomach flu” years ago when there was a taste of the wild salmonella recall, I had an affected bag, and handled the kibble with my hands. Looking back I am lucky I didn’t end up in the hospital from being so sick
Jovana
March 22, 2013 at 12:53 pm
I called Natura on Monday, shortly after I heard about the recall. They informed me that the recall only affects certain dry food products, and that all of their canned products are safe. I’m not so sure. My cats have not been well, and I am now trying to diversify their diet, much like you have described. I too hope to transition them to homemade raw meals.
Chris
March 24, 2013 at 11:10 pm
When I start making our own food I will be using the balanced recipes from Dr. Pierson’s Catinfo.org – http://www.catinfo.org and the Feline Nutrition Education Society – http://www.feline-nutrition.org .
Cat Friendz
April 17, 2013 at 10:58 pm
This article explains a lot. My cats, especially one of them, LOVED EVO canned food. I even posted a blog about the food on my website because it was grain free, had a named protein such as chicken and turkey as the first ingredient etc. and my cats actually loved it after trying so many other “healthy” cat foods. However, when all three of them suddenly stopped eating the EVO, I became concerned that something was wrong. I asked the pet store if they had received any complaints about the food and they indicated they had received none. So, several weeks ago I wrote the manufacturer and asked if they had changed the formula and explained that my cats had suddely stopped eating it at the same time. I also posted an update to my website at http://www.catfriendz.com/what-happened-to-EVO indicating that my cats would no longer eat the food as I didn;t want my readers to be further misled about the taste of the food since my cats no longer would eat it. I have yet to receive a response from the company regarding y inquiry. Now that I see that there is suspicion that the food may be tainted with salmonella, I wonder if that is why they didn’t respond. One thing that is different from my cats and the others listed in the comments is that I do not recall my cats showing any signs of intestinal distress when they were eating it. They simply refused to eat it. They would sniff it and walk away. If I offered them a different brand of canned cat food, they wolfed it up.
Hopefully someone can get to the bottom of this EVO thing before more cats suffer needlessly.
Shiloh
April 18, 2013 at 9:53 am
I had complained to the FDA in Massachusetts about my cat who was eating EVO Chicken & Turkey having to spend 5 nights in the vet ER with acute renal failure and acute pancreatitis, and colitis. We almost lost her. The FDA picked up my remaining 59 cans for testing, but returned 12 since the Dept. of Agriculture suggested I keep some of the cans. My other cats also experienced vomiting before I stopped feeding the EVO. I also have EVO Turkey & Chicken treats that I am no longer feeding. The FDA did not want to test the treats, but the Dept. of Agriculture told me they were suspicious that those could be the culprit. I was told it would take 4-6 weeks to receive results on the testing.
BryanB
April 20, 2013 at 2:03 pm
Recently my dog was hospitalized for diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, constant vomiting, bloody vomit, lethargy, etc… He was hospitalized needing fluids, x-rays, antibiotics and anti vomiting medication. I have been feeding him INNOVA large bite adult dry dog food, covered by the recall, expiration date of 11/06/13, lot code 2311A70002. After being on a boiled ground beef and rice diet for a week he went back on INNOVA and has lacked an appetite specifically while under the INNOVA diet. With this latest recall notice I have removed INNOVA from his diet completely. I do plan on reporting this incident to the FDA as a precaution.
Corinne .S.
May 26, 2013 at 7:28 pm
FROM WHAT I’VE READ ON LINE AND WAS TOLD, IT’S JUST THE DRY CAT FOODS THAT WERE RECALLED. NONE OF THE CANNED FOODS WERE INVOLVED IN THE RECALL.
Lisa Wiley
June 28, 2013 at 7:04 pm
I have four cats that developed diarrhea when I switched them to Evo canned food. Took them off and gave them flagyl. It did not get better until they had tylan. I put them on another brand canned and they are fine. Yesterday I switched them back to the evo because I have two cases I bought online. Today they have diarrhea again. Yesterday I mixed it with the other brand. Today they got it alone. This morning they were fine and tonight they have it. I will contact the FDA and Evo on Monday.