Strictly Wellness

[Bonkers]

 That is odd that kitty will only eat in the Am and not at nite. Someone I know has a kitty that is the exact opposite. I wonder if that kitty might have IBD also. I know that some cats do well on the grain free canned Wellness formulas. With my IBD cat I have to feed raw as it is the only food he can tolerate.

[Geff]

Sorry I've been gone for quite awhile......... kitty was doing well & I took a break from pet food related stress!

Long story short, he was diagnosed with seriously elevated liver functions today. The vet is 99% sure it isn't food related, but just to make sure: Is anyone having problems with Wellness Dry Cat Complete Health?

The only thing i've noticed that's likely food related in the year or so he's been on it is his health seems to really change anytime i open a new bag with a new pull date. Sometimes it gets better, other times worse. The current symptom set (low energy & eventually not wanting to eat) pretty much started on his last bag with a pull date of 4/22/10.

His vet believes the current issue is IBD related & is starting to treat with antibiotics. But again, just checking to see if any other Wellness dry kitties are having similar issues.

[Bonkers]

Geff, I have no input to share concerning the Wellness as I took my kitties off of it over a year ago. My Tinker seemed to become sensitive to something in it.

But after reading your description concerning how Sylvester has been acting I am curious as to whether he has ever been tested for hyperthroid?

I know it is a problem in finding a food that he can tolerate, but I would like to suggest looking into trying something new for him if you bellieve the Wellness may be causing him some distress.

[Geff]

You know, the vet mentioned Thyroid as a possible concern & we did full blood work so she must have tested for it, but i will ask. Thanks for the reminder.

[Perseus]

Just a heads up:  I just went through 10 days of vomiting and diarrhea with my 3 kitties.  One is 10 years old and the others are siblings that are 2.5 years old.  I feed a raw diet, but occasionally have given them Wellness canned grain free and a few pieces of Wellness Complete Health kibble as treats.  They also stopped eating off and on during this period.

I don't know if the Wellness caused it or not, but after stopping it all and giving them just Felines Pride raw, it cleared up almost overnight and hasn't occurred again for 5 days now.  The 10 year old was hit the hardest, was taken to the vet and a complete blood panel didn't show any problems except some slight dehydration.

I live in California and always keep a "stash" of Wellness canned and dry on hand, in case the big one hits and we lose power (which has already happened, for over a week with no power).   But I have to rotate the canned and dry so it doesn't expire and that's why we feed it occasionally. 

The canned grain free dates are:
23JUN13  MW9
18JUN13  MW11

I also feed RadCat and Aunt Jeni raw, but I buy in huge bulk amounts and the same batches have been eaten for a few months now without any problems.  The Wellness was new batches however. 

So I don't know if it's the Wellness or not but I would be interested in knowing if anyone else has had problems.

[coontuffy]

Add me to the list of problems with Wellness.....
Two weeks ago, I opened a new case of 3oz Wellness chicken.  June 2013 date.
Cats ate it for breakfast without their usual enthusiasm.
The last meal at midnight was Wellness turkey, 5 oz cans, June 2013 date.
The next morning, I awoke to cats with zero appetite and massive amounts of vomit all over the house.

Cats refused the 5.5oz cans of chicken June 2013, for breakfast.
Tried the 3 oz cans of chicken and they refused that too.

They ate the Wellness beef and chicken 3 oz with a March 2013 date and there were no problems.

That night I fed Sneakers the Wellness chicken 3 oz.  Sneakers is amazing, I call her the vaccuum cleaner because she'll eat anything.  The next morning, there was vomit everywhere, in her cage, in her litter box, on the floor, outside the cage.  She had many urines in her box and her stool was formed but it was tannish yellow.  Called the vet.....this flipped me out.......and she had me bring Sneaks in for some fluids.

I thought there might be a stomach bug in the house, although there is zero contact between Sneaks and the others in the house and I wash my hands like a maniac.  Vet said right away it was something with the food.

So, I stopped the Wellness chicken and turkey both size cans and fed alternatives.  All cats were fine and all were eating nicely.

This evening for dinner, I decided to give Sneaks a 3 oz chicken Wellness.  She hissed at the food bowl   I dumped the food and tried a 3 oz turkey.  She refused it as well, but no hissing.  I gave her a Wellness Beef and chicken 3 oz and she ate it with gusto.

Tried 5 oz turkey (3cans)and 5 oz chicken (3 cans) on the 6 for dinner and I threw everything away.  Chicken and turkey were refused.  Tried the 3 oz chicken (opened 6 cans) and they refused.  Tried the 3 oz turkey (opened 6 cans) and they refused.  

Tried another manufacturer and all cats ate with gusto.
Tonight there was a raccoon trying to open my trash pail.  Just for the heck of it, I put some Wellness turkey into a paper bowl and left it by my garbage can.  Two raccoons came up and sniffed it and then walked away.  I picked up the bowl and put it in the trash.

This is really starting to worry and bother me.

Turkey  3 oz                                              Turkey 5 oz
Best by 15 June 2013                                   Best by 23 June 2013
7WTKC1  18:29                                           7WTKS4  09:12

Chicken  3 oz                                              Chicken 5 oz
Best by 15 June 2013                                   Best by 22 June 2013
7WCCC1  22:33                                           7WCCS4  16:41

Any ideas?  Any thoughts?  My cats are not fussy eaters at all and yet I am having a horrible time and they are willing to starve rather than eat Wellness.

Another person had problem with these lots....caused horrid diarrhea in their kitties

Turkey  5.5 oz                          Chicken 5.5 oz
Best by 23 June 13                  Best by 24 June 13
MW9 17:53                              MW10 10:48

Another food which is causing the same issues in my cats and those similar to Perseus' kitties.
IMO there is a connection between the foods even though they are different manufacturers.

My cats love the By Nature 95%Beef and Liver

So, I decided to try the 95% Turkey and Liver
                          and  95% Chicken and Liver

6 cats completely refused this food

I tried both flavors in 2 separate bowls on Sneakers and she hissed at both food bowls

WTF is going on with the turkey and the chicken coming out of the Menu Foods plant in Canada  

Chicken and Liver  6.5 oz can
Best by 12 May 2013  11:13
Made in Canada  53CCC1

Turkey and Liver  6.5 oz can
Best by 26 Aug 2013  00:16
Made in Canada  53CTC1

There has to be a connection???

ETA:

Holistic Select Chicken and Lamb canned cat food

Fed 6 cats this food this morning

Best By  06 Aug 13
12CLM3  00:48

All 6 cats vomitted and had diarrhea.
No one wanted any lunch and right now, no one wants dinner.
Small amounts of bile coming from all cats.

Duke is the worst.
On my way to the vet now.

He has feces just sliding out of him and seems horribly dehydrated.

[Perseus]

Coontuffy, You said another person had problems with:
Turkey  5.5 oz                         
Best by 23 June 13                 
MW9 17:53

My cans are exactly the same, except the time stamp is 17:01.

The vomiting started first (yellow bile), then the diarrhea so you may be in that cycle now.  The feces sliding out of him, exactly what I had.  They weren't even in the litter box, it was just running out as they walked.  I couldn't even wash them, I had to lock them in the shower with me and clip it off.  There is no fur left on their behinds....

They are now back to 100% normal.  Eating like piggies, playing like crazy, and all their normal daily cat tricks.

[coontuffy]

Perseus, I am very relieved to hear your kitties are all doing better.

Duke was very dehydrated so he was given IV fluids and a B-12 injection.
I was sent home with fluids and told to give each kitty 100 mls. sub Q.
Can't do it with my Gadget.  Poor doll he is just so very skittish.

Perseus, did you contact Wellness?

Are your plant codes indicative of US manufacture?
American Nutrition?

Perseus did you see this?
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/breakingnews/menu-foods-unitholders-approve-takeover-by-simmons-pet-food-inc-103723129.html

Winnipeg Free Press September 24, 2010

Menu Foods unitholders approve takeover by Simmons Pet Food Inc.

TORONTO - "Unitholders of Menu Foods Income Fund have overwhelmingly approved a $239-million takeover offer from Arkansas-based compositor, Simmons Pet Food Inc..

"Mississauga, Ont.,-based Menu Foods says 99.94 per cent of the outstanding 23,009,656 units and special trust units voted at a special meeting Friday to back the deal.

"Closing is expected in early November, pending regulatory approvals."

[Perseus]

Coontuffy, my kitties are continuing to do great, hope yours are also over it by now.

I didn't contact Wellness because I'm not convinced it was their food.  I just put this out there in case anyone could see a pattern.  I have no idea if the cans I have were done through American Nutrition or not.

I saw the Simmons article and that also prompted me to be more suspicious about Wellness, as well as being carried in a mass retailer now.

I do have the Director of Quality Control's info at Wellness if you'd like it.  I was going to take my cans back for a refund, but I've decided to hold on to them so they don't go back on the shelf for sale to someone else.

[Perseus]

I just want to add to this:  A few weeks before the vomiting and diarrhea started, all 3 kitties went through a bad case of chin acne.  The oldest one got it the worst, and had to be treated by a vet.  His entire chin was infected with about 30 different little sores.  I take all the precautions to avoid chin acne (no plastic, no chemicals, nothing changed/new in the house, etc).

Again, I don't know if there's any relation to the Wellness food.  All 3 continue to do excellent now that Wellness has been removed from their diets.

[Hannie]

Must be a lot of complaints pouring in.........anyone notice all the ads about Wellness on TV?  Don't ever remember seeing those before & now I'm seeing them just about every day.

Hmmmmmmmmm