At least 330 cats in the UK have died from an unidentified disease. There may be a connection with food of the brands Applaws and AVA (producer Fold Hill Foods). The dry food has been recalled to the store. Britons who still have some at home should no longer give it to their cats, UK vets warn.
Substances have been found in the food that may cause the cat disease pancytopenia.
As far as is known, this cat food produced in the UK is not sold in the Netherlands. There is also no mention of the feline disease here.
Ronald Corbee, specialist in animal nutrition and affiliated with Utrecht University. “If someone thinks a cat disease is food-related, it comes to me. And I haven’t received any reports yet.”
Cat disease
The cause of cat deaths in the UK is not yet certain, but there is strong evidence that the deaths may be related to the dry food sold. The British vets’ investigation has started after a sudden increase in the feline disease pancytopenia, which causes the production of blood cells to lag behind.
The Food Standard Agency (FSA), the British food authority, previously published a list with the specific products recalled from the Applaws and AVA brands.
No report
The products in question are from producer Fold Hill Foods. In a response to the NOS, the company says that the recalled products have not been exported to the Netherlands. “Fold Hill Foods does not export any product directly to the Netherlands. As far as we know, the product we produce for Applaws is only for sale in the UK.”
The Applaws products that are sold in the Netherlands are probably produced on the European mainland. Applaws previously said the company’s products shipped to other countries were not affected by the recall.
Dutch pet store Pets Place sells Applaws products, but none of the products have been recalled, not even in the past. Product Warning.nl, a website that keeps track of which products are being recalled in the Netherlands, says it has not yet received notification that these products are in circulation in the Netherlands and are being recalled.
Hazardous substances
It is well known, the British vets say, that the substances found in the cat food can cause the cats to lose weight, have less appetite, have fewer blood cells and are therefore more at risk of bleeding and infection. Less is known about the concentration in which the substances are harmful. Further research into the food and the deceased cats is ongoing.
The cat food manufacturer is cooperating with the investigation, a spokesperson said: “Testing is being conducted by independent labs. As the FSA states, there is no definitive evidence at this stage that the cat food products are linked to pancytopenia in cats. .”
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