Cat owners are urged to check what dry food they are giving their pets after certain brands have been linked to a rare and life-threatening disease called pancytopenia.
A woman from Nottingham recalled the “terrible experience” of her kitten suffering from a rare disease.
The Royal Veterinary College says there have been more than 500 known cases of “cat pancytopenia” recently and more than half of the cats affected have died.
Danny, a 5 month old cat, contracted the disease which is believed to be linked to certain brands of dry food.
These brands have all since been recalled.
The Food Standards Agency and Royal Veterinary College are investigating and are yet to come to a firm conclusion, but say the condition poses no threat to human health.
Symptoms of pancytopenia include:
Loss of appetite
fatigue
Bleeding from the mouth
Blood in your stool, urine, or vomit
The health and wellbeing of pets is a top priority and we fully support this recall. We understand the concern this will create to cat owners and we want to assure them that a thorough top-down investigation will be conducted to determine the cause
Association of Pet Food Manufacturers
Fortunately, Kerrie Plowman’s kitten, who is from Chilwell, survived, but long-term damage is still being assessed.
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