[Hayley]

Hi Everyone

I’m posting this is cat chat as this forum is more frequently view. There has been a problem reported with Orijen cat food. I believe stockists have removed it off their shelves for now.

This food has been reported to be causing toxicity in some cats.

Cats generally show neurological signs, being wobbly in their back legs.

If you are feeding this food, or have seen any of these signs, please take your cat to a vet ASAP.

Specialists are saying the signs are irreversible.

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[Kimli]

That's just awful. I've never heard of that brand, this whole poisoned dog food, cat food and toys etc etc situation is scary. Not saying China had anything to do with anything.... just that if it is your animal it is scary.

Thanks for letting us know.

This post has been edited by Kimli: 19 November 2008 - 07:19 PM

[hijinxcat]

OH, thank you for the info. Where did you find it?

I was poised to order and try it out this week, so will wait until the problem is ironed out.

I was reading about an issue with "rice protein concentrate" (not the same as rice or brewer's rice) re: recalls across different brands, but that was awhile ago.

It's so scary. I've started rotating brands regularly now. Not for that reason.. but it can't hurt.

[Diz]

I've heard 16 cats are ill and 2 have had to be euthanased.. =o( (or was that 16 cats were ill, and 2 of those are..)

ETA..
I've been told that there are only 2 places in Aust that sell it.. So maybe thats why there is not that many cats affected..

This post has been edited by Diz: 19 November 2008 - 08:11 PM

[Hayley]

I think the count is up to 22 ... and possibly 1 dog (but that hasnt been confirmed)

[burmeselover]

I hate hearing about pet food recalls where contaminants have caused problems.

If it was me, I would stick with big name premium brands because they have stricter controls over how they are manufactured. As they are under greater scrutiny and have been in production for far longer than small "boutique" brands, you can trust them more.

[Diz]

But I think it is a big brand o/s?, Canadian brand, been around since '75..

I was reading a vet journal article about another paralysis issue in '96 in the Netherlands... 823 cats were reported to be affected over the 18 weeks which it was discovered, recalled and monitored...

This post has been edited by Diz: 19 November 2008 - 08:55 PM

[mish&kodys mum]

Thank you for letting us know.

I must admit i had heard of cats recently being ill and suffering from a form of paralysis.

Too horrible, to contemplate.

Me personally i would only have ever used Hills, Eukanuba and RC.

[Hayley]

Hey Burmeselover ... Im also a vet nurse and I wouldnt trust the big names either. a lot of breeders on this forum know of a serious problem with a certain big pet food manufacturer. And even hills & euk have had their fair share of problems.

[Lotus]

Sounds like the same issues as a certain other recalled product...see Nutrition forum for threads on that.

[raggiesrule]

Hayley are you talking about the partial paralysis seen in cats over the last few months?

Diz are you saying it is the same food that was found to cause problems in the Netherlands in '96?

Jo

[Hayley]

Im not 100% of how long its been going on, but we have only just heard about it at work from the specialists after we sent a case there.

[raggiesrule]

If it is the partial paralysis it is more than being wobbly in their back legs. It might start that way but unfortunately may progress to far more - some cats have only back legs affected some progress to front legs as well. The legs may become stiff and unbending, the cats may lose bladder control, and on and on we go. Unfortunately having 4 cats affected we are fully aware of the symptoms but to our knowledge a confirmed cause has not been identified though the vets are still working on it.

I am very concerned if you are referring to the partial paralysis that you state the symptoms of whatever this is are irreversible. Given how this paralysis affects the cats for many that would be a death sentence. When we had our first 3 cats referred to the specialist significantly less was known than now and we were told our cats would probably need to be put to sleep and this was likely to be sooner rather than later. From what we have seen with our own cats this was not an accurate assessment - all of our cats are still with us and there are signs of improvement - will they recover fully? will they continue to improve? will they maintain the improvement? at this stage we don't know but it is certainly too early to write them off. People who know us, and there are many on this list, know that we would not under any circumstance prolong life just for the sake of life itself - our cats have been fighting this and the least we can do is hang in there with them. And given what is happening is still being investigated it may be some time before all the information needed to work out exactly what is happening and why is available.

If anyone thinks they have an affected cat - the vet is as Hayley said the first stop - but please have them contact the vets at either SASH or All Natural Vet Care as they are the ones who have been working on findng out what is happening and therefore have more information on the condition.

Jo

PS: They vets at All Natural Vet Care have been absolutely wonderful with our cats & we can't thank them enough for all they have done and continue to do.

[Hayley]

Hey Jo

Im so sorry to hear you have had some cats affected by this! Your cats are so beautiful. I dont believe it is true paralysis, and I really do hope all the cats recover. Im very happy to hear yours have improved, so there is some hope. We have put up a warning at our vets.

[Diz]

In no way am I saying it is the same food as the one in Netherlands in '96, but I heard about it through work and decided to look up more about paralysis and food.... But I'm just glad it didn't affect as many cats as it did in that case! Poor kitties all the same...