The Products

Only two of the cat food products, that were manufactured and distributed by Diamond Pet Foods on May 28, 2009, have been affected by the voluntary recall:

Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat

Premium Edge Hairball for Cats

The Product Codes

The voluntary recalls of these two flavors contain the following product codes:

RAF0501A22X 18lb

RAF0501A2X 6 lb

RAH0501A22X 18 lb

RAH0501A2X 6lb

The Recall Reason

According to an announcement made by Diamond Pet Foods, whilst the recalled cat food had been tested, no known contaminants were discovered in the cat food. However, these same foods were found to be deficient in a vital vitamin called Thiamine.

A statement from Diamond Pet Foods reads:

“Diamond tracked the vitamin premix lot number that was utilized in these particular cat foods and have performed testing on another lot of Premium Edge cat food that used the same vitamin premix, and it was not deficient in thiamine.”

Unbelievably, Diamond Pet Foods have not yet been able to determine why the thiamine was lacking from these two cat food products in the first place. To date a full investigation is still underway by Diamond Pet Foods.

However, a spokesperson from Diamond Pet Foods has provided the following theory: The company time stamps each product with the time and date that it is manufactured. Those time stamps of the affected cat foods were manufactured and stamped within a 12 minute window. A manufacturing error during this time frame may have resulted in the thiamine deficiency in the cat foods.

Cats and Thiamine

Thiamine, also referred to as Vitamin B1, is am essential vitamin. The bodies of all dogs and cats are not able to create this vitamin by themselves, and so therefore need supplementation. Therefore, thiamine has become a fundamental component of every cat’s diet. Such thiamine supplementation usually comes from eating dry cat food.

Thiamine works by first being absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and then being metabolized in the cat’s liver. Thiamine is necessary for the proper conversion of dietary carbohydrates to energy.

A cat’s central nervous system relies exclusively on carbohydrates for energy and because of this a lack of thiamine in a cat’s diet can have adverse affects on a cat’s central nervous system.

Symptoms

Cats whose diets contain little or no thiamine will often display signs such as loss of appetite and lethargy. However, a cat who has a thiamine deficiency can have gastrointestinal, cardiac and/or neuromuscular issues that present themselves quite suddenly, such balance issues and life-threatening seizures.

Therefore, the symptoms that are exhibited by cats who have eaten any of Diamond Pet Foods Premium Edge Cat Food are mostly neurological in nature, such as:

A decrease in appetite

Vomiting

An increase in the cat’s respiratory rate

Low body temperature

No coordination or mild balance loss

Muscle weakness

Paralysis of the hind limbs

Seizures

Ventral flexion (bending towards the floor) of the cat’s neck

Keeping a very rigid posture

Rapid or abnormal eye movements called Nystagmus

Pupils that are dilated

Blindness

Diamond Pet Foods are asking that any cat displaying any of these symptoms that have eaten the cat food that is being recalled should be taken immediately to a veterinary hospital.

Pet Retail Stores

All pet retail stores that were shipped the above mentioned cat food products have been notified by Diamond Pet Foods, and have been asked to pull the cat food bags from their store shelves. Additionally, the retail stores were also asked to contact their customers either telephonically or by email and to request them to check the date code on their bags of cat food to see if they have purchased any of the recalled products.

However, it does appear that most cats who have taken ill after eating the recalled cat food have been in and around Rochester, New York. Nonetheless if you are feeding your cat either of these products, you are urged to check the product date codes listed on the labels. If you do have such a recalled bag, return it to the store immediately.

Diamond Pet Foods

Diamond Pet Foods has admitted that there have been no other neurological symptoms reported to them for any other pet food product that they manufacture and distribute.

Should have questions you can contact Premium Edge Pet Foods at 800-977-8797.

Unfortunately, Diamond Pet Foods has recalled their pet food products before. Namely, in 2007 as part of the huge pet food recall that involved many other pet food companies, and prior to that in 2005, when they recalled pet foods due aflatoxin toxicity.

Photo Credit: Q4RadioGuy