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Martin Lewis warned cat owners after it became known that certain dry foods could be linked to a fatal disease.
Certain Applaws, Pets at Home and Sainsbury’s branded cat foods from Fold Hill Foods have been recalled because of a possible link to the deadly disease pancytopenia.
As a precaution, cat owners are advised to return food manufactured by manufacturer Fold Hill on behalf of retailers.
In his latest blog post, the founder of MoneySavingExpert told the owners that they could be eligible for a refund if they bought the products.
According to the Food Standards Agency, since April 2021 there have been over 130 cases of pancytopenia in cats – a disease that causes blood cell counts to decrease rapidly, which can lead to death.
Cat food has been recalled due to health concerns. Martin Lewis told people they could get a refund
The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is also investigating.
There is one case of the disease a year, but 10 cats have now been seen with severe pancytopenia in the past four weeks.
If you have purchased any of the products listed below, it should be fed to your cat immediately.
According to the RVC, common symptoms to look out for include lethargy and loss of appetite, although in some cases there may be signs of spontaneous bleeding or bruising.
There is no evidence that the outbreak poses a risk to human health.
Here is a full list of the products that have been recalled:
- Applaws Cat Dry Chicken
- Applaws Cat Dry Chicken & Salmon
- Applaws Kitten Dry Chicken
- Applaws Cat Dry Chicken & Lamb
- Applaws Cat Dry Chicken & Duck
- Applaw’s cat dry ocean fish
- Applaws Cat Dry Senior Chicken
- AVA kitten chicken
- AVA adult fish
- AVA Adult Ripe Chicken 7+
- AVA Senior Chicken 12+
- AVA Sensitive Skin & Stomach
- AVA weight management
- AVA hairballs
- AVA oral care
- AVA British Shorthair
- AVA Persian
- AVA Maine Coon
- by Sainsbury’s Hypoallergenic Recipe Dry cat food with salmon 1+ years
- by Sainsbury’s Hypoallergenic Recipe Dry Cat Food with Chicken 1+ years
Dr. Barbara Glanemann, lecturer in small animal medicine at the RVC, told MoneySavingExpert: “Given the rarity of this disease, the frequency of these cases is worrying.
“Investigations in our cases have so far not revealed any identifiable underlying cause.
“From discussions with several colleagues in general medicine and other referral hospitals across the country, we are currently aware of around 40 to 50 other affected cats.
The cats are seriously ill, have spontaneous bleeding, and often need several transfusions for stabilization before an examination is possible. ”
How to get a refund:
You can return any of the recalled products to the retailer you bought them from and receive a refund even if you don’t have a receipt.
What do the FSA and Fold Hill Foods say?
In a statement on the FSA’s website, a government spokesperson said: “We are investigating a possible link in collaboration with the Royal Veterinary College, the Animal Plant and Health Agency and other government departments in all four nations of the UK, local authorities and the animal feed supply chain Between certain cat food products and pancytopenia in cats there is currently no definitive evidence to confirm a link.
“No unsafe cat food has been identified, but based on research to date, affected manufacturers and brand owners are taking precautionary measures to recall and withdraw cat food products that have been associated with affected cats.
“There is no evidence that this outbreak of pancytopenia in cats poses a risk to human health.”
Ben Mankertz, General Manager at Fold Hill Foods Ltd. added: “As one of the UK’s leading pet food manufacturers, the safety of your pet is our top priority and we have therefore decided to recall the ranges of cat food we produce for the brands that have been identified. We believe this is the safest course of action until an exact cause of the problem is identified. ”
