A young and ‘healthy’ cat had to be put down after being diagnosed with a rare condition that may have been caused by recalled pet food.
Caroline Clarke’s Riley was put down on June 11 after falling ill and being diagnosed with pancytopenia, a rare blood disorder.
Shortly after this, Caroline found out that the food she fed Riley, Ava dry cat food, had been recalled by manufacturer Fold Hill amid concerns linking it to the disease.
READ: Pancytopenia: Vets issue advice to cat owners amid rise in deadly illness
Caroline, who lives in Harford Drive, Cassiobury, Watford, said: “It all happened really quickly, we were and still are, so upset.
“He was an amazing cat loved by us and all, including our neighbours.”
Riley, who was not yet two and had no previous health conditions, went missing and was found on June 9, hiding in a neighbour’s garden.
When Caroline’s daughter picked him up, she noticed that he was acting out of character – being very quiet and hardly moving.
After he was brought home, Riley immediately went to hide under a bed, so Caroline took him to their local vet - The Park Veterinary Centre.
After investigations, including conversations with the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and a blood test, he was diagnosed with pancytopenia - a very rare condition in which the number of blood cells rapidly decreases, causing serious illness.
Caroline’s vet told her that other cats with the disease had not survived treatments, including blood transfusions, and that the cause of the condition is still unconfirmed.
Riley was put down on June 11.
The vet also told her that the RVC was looking to see if there was a link to the food they were eating and asked her what she was feeding Riley.
So far, the RVC has found mycotoxins in the food, naturally occurring toxins produced by some moulds.
Caroline has since learned that there have been many recent cases in the UK.
She added: “Many pet owners have lost more than one cat. It’s so very sad.”
The Food Standards Agency says Fold Hill Foods is taking the precautionary action of recalling several hypoallergenic cat food products because of safety concerns.
The presence of mycotoxins has been identified in a small number of samples of the recalled cat food tested to date.
Mycotoxins are widely found in some types of feed and food and do not, in themselves, indicate they are the cause of feline pancytopenia.
A spokesperson for Fold Hill Foods said: “On June 15, Fold Hill Foods issued a voluntary and precautionary recall of selected cat food products from AVA, Sainsbury’s and Applaws. This was fully supported by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Assisting the FSA’s investigation is an absolute priority for the business and there are a number of tests on food samples and ingredients being conducted by independent laboratories. As stated by the FSA, there is no definitive evidence to confirm a link at this stage between the cat food products and feline pancytopenia.
“We continue to fully co-operate with both the FSA and the Royal Veterinary College as they continue to investigate all potential causes of the Pancytopenia cases, feed and non-feed related. As cat owners ourselves, we fully understand how upsetting and stressful this situation is and the urgent need to establish why there has been an increase in cases of Pancytopenia in the UK.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here