Wellpet s cat food recall

WELLPET LLCVOLUNTARILY RECALLS




CERTAIN LOTS OF CANNED CAT FOOD



No Other Lots, Products or Dates Affected



Tewksbury, MA (February 28, 2011) - WellPet LLC announced today it has voluntarily recalled certain lots of



Wellness



canned cat food.

While recent laboratory testing found that most lots of Wellness canned cat food that were tested contain



sufficient amounts of thiamine (also known as Vitamin B1), some of the lots listed below might contain less



than adequate levels of thiamine. However, out of an abundance of caution, WellPet has decided to recall all



of the lots listed below.



Cats fed only the affected lots for several weeks may be at risk for developing a thiamine deficiency. Thiamine



is essential for cats. Symptoms of deficiency displayed by an affected cat can be gastrointestinal or



neurological in nature. Early signs of thiamine deficiency may include decreased appetite, salivation, vomiting,



and weight loss. In advanced cases, neurologic signs can develop, which may include ventriflexion (bending



towards the floor) of the neck, wobbly walking, circling, falling, and seizures. If your cat has consumed the



recalled lots and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian. If treated promptly, thiamine



deficiency is typically reversible.



The lots involved in this voluntary recall are:



Wellness Canned Cat (all flavors and sizes) with best by dates from 14APR 13 through 30SEP13;



Wellness Canned Cat Chicken & Herring (all sizes) with 10NOV13 or 17NOV13 best buy dates.



Consumers who still have cans of cat food from these lots should stop feeding them to their cats and call us at



(877) 227-9587 Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 7:00 pm Eastern Time. Consumers with further questions



should visit our website at



www.wellnesspetfood.com



or call us at this same number.



WellPet discovered the lower thiamine levels during independent testing conducted together with the U.S.



Food and Drug Administration in response to a single, isolated consumer complaint received by the FDA.



Although WellPet has received no other reports concerning thiamine in its products, WellPet has taken



additional steps with the manufacturer to ensure that this does not happen again.



“As a pet parent myself, I’m concerned for the health and welfare of all pets, and as a company we are



committed to delivering the most nutritious natural pet food,” said Tim Callahan, chief executive officer of



WellPet, the maker of Wellness products. “Even though the chance of a cat developing a thiamine deficiency is



extremely remote, we are voluntarily recalling all of these lots of our canned cat food as an extra precaution.”