Recall sparks fear and anquish: pet owners cautious and curious.

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Earlier this year, a nationwide pet food recall sparked deep concern and fear into many pet owners. In February, the recalled foods came to the attention of Menu Foods, as reports of kidney failures became all-too-common headlines in the media. Subsequent testing of the products led to a larger investigation, which concluded that as many as one in six pets died after consuming products containing wheat gluten.

By mid-March, Menu Foods recalled 60 million containers of dog and cat food packaged under 95 brands. These foods were produced at two of its facilities. Since then, the recall expanded to include more than 130 brands. Most of the food recalls have been for canned and moist foods; however, there have been recalled dry foods and dog biscuits as well. The recall represents approximately 2 percent of pet foods.

"It (the recall) hasn't really adversely affected our business," said Larry Tallman, PetZoo and Animal Food Warehouse co-owner. "If anything, in a strange way, it may have helped us. Pet owners are buying more of the specialty names in food. It's also an eye-opener, as people are becoming more acutely aware of types and names of certain foods. They are getting more educated."

Initially, the New York Agriculture Department released information that Aminopterin, a form of rat poison, was found in some cat foods. Since then, it is believed that Aminopterin did not contribute to the deaths.

In late March, the FDA announced that melamine; a chemical used as a fertilizer and in the production of plastics, was found in tested samples of recalled pet food from Menu Foods. The substance was also identified in urine and tissue samples taken from sickened cats and from the kidney of one cat that had eaten the recalled food. Based on recent reports, it is believed that melamine was contaminated in the wheat gluten, rice protein concentrate and corn gluten all originating from China and distributed to the U.S. and Canada.

It is not possible to test pets for melamine, however there are some tests being done that can identify the urine crystals. No one seems to know as to how much or if any other compounds were found. Neither is anyone 100 percent certain if melamine is linked to the illness in deaths of the pets eating the recalled foods. Reports are continually being updated and the FDA's investigation remains active as they continue to investigate the problem and ensure that all contaminated products are removed from the market.

Editor's note: As of publication deadline, the following are (not inclusive) recently, (August) recalled pet foods.

Recalled Cat Foods:

Doctors Foster & Smith

Natural Balance Pet Foods

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul

Lick Your Chops

All cans of Harmony Farms cat food

All cans of Blue Spa Select cat food

Recalled Dog Foods and Treats:

Doctors Foster & Smith

All cans of Harmony Farms dog food

All cans of Blue dog food

All Blue Buffalo Dog Treats, manufactured

at American Nutrition Inc.

Natural Balance

LiveSmart

Blue Buffalo

Diamond

BY BEN GRENN

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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