Diamond Pet Foods Announces Cat Food Recall

NEW YORK—On October 3, 2009, Diamond Pet Foods announced that it was voluntarily recalling Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat Food and Premium Edge Hairball Cat Food. The recalled bags are coded: RAF0501A22X, RAF0501A2X, RAH0501A22X, and RAH0501A2X. The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is asking all pet parents to ensure that they are not feeding these recalled products to their cats, and to immediately return any recalled food to the place of purchase.

The recalled cat food is lacking Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1. Thiamine is an essential vitamin for cats, meaning they cannot manufacture it themselves and must acquire the vitamin from food. Thiamine supports the Central Nervous System, and a deficiency can lead to neurological problems ranging from mild loss of balance to life threatening seizures. Other symptoms of Thiamine deficiency include lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, mental dullness, dilated pupils, increased respiratory rate, and low body temperature.

Cats that have ingested Diamond Pet Foods' recalled food exclusively for an extended period of time are at risk and should be examined by a veterinarian. Cats exhibiting clinical signs as described above require immediate veterinary care. Anti-seizure medication, thiamine supplementation, and supportive care can lead to recovery, if the problem is addressed quickly enough. To date, the problem seems to be centered in the Rochester, New York area. There have been 14 confirmed cases of Thiamine deficiency linked to the recalled Diamond Pet Foods products, and all 14 cats were able to recover with medication, Thiamine supplements, and supportive care.

The ASPCA® strongly encourages all pet parents, regardless of location, to ensure that their cat food has not been recalled and to immediately seek veterinary care for any symptoms of Thiamine deficiency.