ORRVILLE, Ohio — The J.M. Smucker Company announced a limited voluntary recall on certain lots of 9Lives, EverPet, and Special Kitty canned cat food due to possible low levels of thiamine.
The issue was discovered by the Quality Assurance team during review of production records at the manufacturing facility, accoridng to the U. S. Food and Drug Administration. No illnesses related to this issue have been reported to date and the product is being recalled out of an abundance of caution, according to the FDA.
According to the FDA, cats fed diets low in thiamine 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, neurological signs can develop, which include ventroflexion (bending towards the floor) of the neck, wobbly walking, circling, falling, and seizures. Contact your veterinarian immediately if your cat is displaying any of these symptoms. If treated promptly, thiamine deficiency is typically reversible.
The affected product was distributed to a limited number of retail customers from December 20, 2016 through January 3, 2017. No other products of The J.M. Smucker Company are affected by this recall.
Consumers who have cans of cat food from the impacted lots should stop feeding it to their cats and call the company at 1-800-828-9980 or by emailing consumer.relations@jmsmucker.com. Click here to see if you have cans from the impacted lots.
