[dog is my buddy]

Provided by: Canadian Press


GUELPH, Ont. (CP) - Pet food company Royal Canin Canada has added Sensible Choice Diet and some veterinary-prescribed products to the growing list of recalled pet foods after its U.S. division discovered melamine in the rice gluten of additional products.

The Canadian division of the French company said Friday that it would recall five veterinary diet products, as well as cut its ties with Chinese suppliers of its vegetable proteins.

The Royal Canin products listed in Friday's recall are in the Veterinary Diet line under the names: Canine Early Cardiac, Canine Sensitivity RC, Canine Skin Support, Feline Hypoallergenic HP, Feline Sensitivity RD.

Earlier this month, Royal Canin recalled its Medi-Cal Feline Dissolution Formula after discovering that it could have also been contaminated.

"We feel that this recall is necessary as we absolutely cannot put pets at risk," said Royal Canin Canada CEO Xavier Unkovic.

Melamine is a chemical used to make plastics and pesticides.

Last month, Mississauga, Ont.-based Menu Foods Income Fund (TSX:MEW.UN) recalled 60 million cans and pouches of its "cuts and gravy" style food, sold under 95 different brand names

“Although we have no confirmed cases of illness in pets, we have decided to voluntarily remove the following dry pet food products that contain rice protein concentrate due to the presence of a melamine derivative. “

Recalled Royal Canin Formulas

ROYAL CANIN SENSIBLE CHOICE® (available in pet specialty stores

nationwide)

Dry Dog Food

- Chicken Meal & Rice Formula Senior

- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Puppy

- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Adult

- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Senior

- Rice & Catfish Meal Formula Adult

ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIET™ (available only in veterinary clinics)

Dry Dog Food

- Canine Early Cardiac EC 22™

- Canine Skin Support SS21™

Dry Cat Food

- Feline Hypoallergenic HP23™

We are taking this proactive stance to voluntarily recall these products to avoid any confusion for our customers about which Royal Canin USA products are safe and which products may be affected.

Pet owners should immediately stop feeding their pets the Royal Canin USA dry pet food products listed above. Pet owners should consult with a veterinarian if they are concerned about the health of their pet. No other Royal Canin diets are affected by this recall and CONTINUE TO BE safe for pets to eat.

In addition, Royal Canin USA will no longer use any Chinese suppliers for any of our vegetable proteins.

This decision to recall some of our dry pet food products is driven by our philosophy that the "Pet Comes First". The safety and nutritional quality of our pet food is Royal Canin USA's top priority. Pet owners who have questions about this recall and other Royal Canin USA products should call 1-800-592-6687.

On behalf of the entire Royal Canin family, our hearts go out to the pet owners and everyone in the pet community who have been affected by all of the recent recalls. We are as passionate about the health and happiness of our customers' pets as we are of our own, so we are committed to taking the steps necessary to ensure this never happens again.


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ROYAL CANIN has recalled three of its Veterinary Diet Canine canned dog foods in the wake of 24 reported cases of hypercalcemia in Canada and eight cases in the United States from November 2005 through February 2006. Left untreated, hypercalcemia (excessive amounts of calcium levels in the blood) can lead to bone defects, cardiac changes (including abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia), kidney hypertension and possible renal failure, and, at especially high levels, death.

The three affected Royal Canin Vet Diet formulas are:

Waltham Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Urinary SO
Waltham Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Calorie Control
Waltham Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Low Fat
Production lots of URINARY SO in gel canned form with "best before" date codes of 03/2007, 05/2007 and 06/2007 are affected, as are Low Fat Canned Diet with "best before" codes of 06/2007 and Calorie Control Canned Diet with codes of 04/2007 and 07/2007. The "best before" date codes are noted on the side of the cardboard tray pack and on the bottom of each can.

The production code lots for the recalled canned dogfoods should not be feed to pets. Customers should contact their veterinarian or distributor for product replacement or refund information. Customers can also contact Royal Canin's technical veterinary support team at 800-592-6687 with any questions or concerns.

Independent laboratory results of the nutrient analyses for the formulas have confirmed excessive levels of Vitamin D3 in the canned dog food diets. According to ROYAL CANIN, the abnormally high levels of Vitamin D3 in the affected URINARY SO canned dog foods are due to a vitamin / micro-mineral premix error.

$50M lawsuit filed against pet food company Royal Canin
Last Updated: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 | 4:22 PM PT
CBC News
Another big pet-food manufacturer is accused of selling tainted food in Canada that has allegedly killed some animals and made others sick, CBC News has learned.

A $50-million class-action lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Toronto against Royal Canin — a multibillion-dollar French company that supplies the Canadian pet-food market.

The lawsuit seeks compensation for anyone who has purchased Royal Canin dog or cat food since Aug. 1, 2004.

The lawsuit has yet to be certified. None of the claims have been proven in court.

News of the lawsuit follows a North America-wide recall issued Friday by Ontario-based Menu Foods, and involving 91 different kinds of dog and cat food, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration received complaints the food was causing kidney failure in animals.

Toronto lawyer Joel Rochon told CBC News on Tuesday that the class-action lawsuit is based on the case of Whitby, Ont., pet owner Janet Grixti, whose chocolate lab Mocha is alleged to have suffered permanent kidney damage after eating Royal Canin dog food.

"He is a very young dog, and now he will have this costly condition for the rest
of his life," Grixti said Tuesday in a release.

Company issued recall
The lawsuit alleges that certain types of Royal Canin cat and dog food contain excessive amounts of Vitamin D, which cause severe illness or death in pets.

"The allegation is that the problem persists even today," Rochon said.

The company recalled some of its products last summer and offered to pay a portion of Grixti's $40,000 veterinarian bill, Rochon said, but his client is not satisfied.

Rochon also said he is considering filing another lawsuit after getting calls from angry pet owners who allege their animals got sick or died after eating Menu Foods products.

"From what we can tell, there's a segment of the pet food supply here in Canada that just doesn't have adequate quality assurance associated with it and that's a big concern," he said.

Royal Canin wasn't available to comment on the lawsuit.

Menu Foods has also refused to return calls since allegations surfaced Monday that its food had killed a cat in Canada.