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Expert Cat Care Advice
Dr Jo Blogs
Expert Cat Care Advice
Pancytopenia - dry cat food recall
Dr Jo Lewis MRCVS | 13 Sep 2021 | 5 min read
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In recent months increasing numbers of cats have presented to vet clinics around the UK with a severe, often fatal illness. It's characterised by a blood picture called pancytopenia, where pan = all, cyto = cells, penia = loss of (find out more about this condition below).
This outbreak of illness is affecting cats everywhere in the UK, including one of my client's poor cats and even my own cats have eaten some of the suspect batches of food too. I really feel for you if your cat has been involved in this sad situation and send my sincere condolences for any lives lost. I wanted to let as many people know as possible what to look out for and how to avoid this happening to their cat both now or in the future - as much as is ever possible with this sort of thing.
FAQs
Which cat food brands are affected?
Applaws, Sainsbury's own brand & Pets At Home's AVA cat food are involved and are manufactured by Fold Hill Foods Limited. The food ranges span all sorts of age groups from kitten food to senior cat food and specific breed foods too. These are all subject to an urgent recall by the Food Standards Authority. A list of affected batches and expiry dates is available here. Cat foods affected by the recall bear a manufacturer's factory reference code on the bag of GB218E5009.
*Update 18/06/2021: The list of batch numbers has been updated - now Wilko has withdrawn their own branded cat food as a precaution as it's made in the same factory.
This outbreak of illness is affecting cats everywhere in the UK, including one of my client's poor cats and even my own cats have eaten some of the suspect batches of food too. I really feel for you if your cat has been involved in this sad situation and send my sincere condolences for any lives lost. I wanted to let as many people know as possible what to look out for and how to avoid this happening to their cat both now or in the future - as much as is ever possible with this sort of thing.
FAQs
Which cat food brands are affected?
Applaws, Sainsbury's own brand & Pets At Home's AVA cat food are involved and are manufactured by Fold Hill Foods Limited. The food ranges span all sorts of age groups from kitten food to senior cat food and specific breed foods too. These are all subject to an urgent recall by the Food Standards Authority. A list of affected batches and expiry dates is available here. Cat foods affected by the recall bear a manufacturer's factory reference code on the bag of GB218E5009.
*Update 18/06/2021: The list of batch numbers has been updated - now Wilko has withdrawn their own branded cat food as a precaution as it's made in the same factory.
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What should I do if my cat has eaten any of these affected foods?
What can I do in future?
- First and foremost please, please, contact your vet ASAP for a priority check-up and blood screen including haematology, even if your cat(s) seems fine. Cats are masters of disguise, so please don’t wait til you see symptoms (see further down the page). And if you’re not happy with your treatment seek a second opinion. If your vet has not heard of the outbreak, refer them to the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) - you can bookmark their news and events feed. There's also a survey for vets to complete if your cat has been affected.
- Don't panic but definitely do not continue to feed the affected cat foods.
- Hold onto the bag and any residual food as evidence and for possible testing. Mark the bag with "DO NOT FEED" and make sure everyone in the household knows it's being "quarantined" and not to be fed under any circumstances.
- Photograph the bag front and back and take a clear image of the batch number and expiry date.
- Dig out your receipt and contact the seller.
- Join the dedicated Facebook support group that has been set up by people with cats affected by the issue. It's called "Pancytopenia in Cats Awareness UK" to share your situation and hear their experiences with their own affected cats.
What can I do in future?
- Sign up for industry alerts for similar recalls on medications, cat foods and products and general cat advice by joining my mailing list.
- Buy cat food from reputable sources like your vets who will have wholesale suppliers that keep records of batches received and sold so you can trace the food's source in the event of a recall.
- Always keep hold of receipts when you purchase cat food, medications and products.
- Avoid buying foods in bulk bags or oversized packs so that you reduce the amount fed from a single batch.
- Keep a Cat-a-Log of all the food you purchase - it could be the old school way (an exercise book) or in the "notes" folder on your smartphone. Jot down important info like the date of purchase, supplier, brand, variety and most importantly batch numbers and expiry dates. Ideally photograph the bag. Always keep receipts to hand. This is particularly helpful if you are decanting dry food into containers and disposing of the packaging.
- Try and feed a variety of different foods - as much as your individual cat will allow - so that you dilute out the effects of any dodgy batches should they arise.
What is pancytopenia?
It's a very serious depletion of blood cells produced in the bone marrow and leads to low levels of circulating cells in the bloodstream - including red blood cells (RBC, erythrocytes), white blood cells (WBC, leukocytes) and platelets (PLT, thrombocytes).
Low red blood cells make a cat anaemic.
Low white blood cells make a cat’s immune system unable to fight infection or inflammation and increase the risk of sepsis.
Low platelets can affect the blood’s ability to clot, increasing the tendency for bruising and haemorrhages, including pin-point sized bruises (called petecchia).
How is pancytopenia detected?
Through a blood test that specifically checks for these three cell types – RBCs, WBCs and platelets. This usually forms the basics of a “haematology” or CBC (Complete blood count) also called FBC (full blood count). Pancytopenia can be further assessed through bone marrow biopsies. The best way to test is to send a blood sample to an external laboratory. Running a sample through a vet's in-house machine is not the preferred protocol as it is more prone to errors which may either cause undue concern or miss subtle changes.
What usually causes pancytopenia in cats?
It's not a particularly common blood picture in cats, but when it does happen it's usually caused by cancers like leukaemia, infectious diseases (like the panleukopenia ‘enteritis’ virus in your cat’s routine vaccinations), immune system defects, high levels of the hormone oestrogen, and some drugs (eg chemotherapy agents) as well as poisons. In this particular outbreak of cases, a link has been emerging between affected cats and eating certain brands of commercial cat food - so some sort of food contamination seems the most likely line of interest.
What symptoms have been seen in affected cats?
Vets across the UK have seen over 500 affected cats and this is rising as more people with learn about the issue. Most cats have displayed symptoms for about 48 hours before seeing their vet and the most frequent advanced signs are being quieter, not seeming themselves and being fussy with their food or not eating at all. Bleeding (such as from the gums, nose, ears, bowel, bladder) and bruising has also been seen in many cats. Any of these signs mean urgent assessment is needed - don't wait til the morning, call your vet or duty after-hours practice immediately!
Last updated: 13th Sep 2021
It's a very serious depletion of blood cells produced in the bone marrow and leads to low levels of circulating cells in the bloodstream - including red blood cells (RBC, erythrocytes), white blood cells (WBC, leukocytes) and platelets (PLT, thrombocytes).
Low red blood cells make a cat anaemic.
Low white blood cells make a cat’s immune system unable to fight infection or inflammation and increase the risk of sepsis.
Low platelets can affect the blood’s ability to clot, increasing the tendency for bruising and haemorrhages, including pin-point sized bruises (called petecchia).
How is pancytopenia detected?
Through a blood test that specifically checks for these three cell types – RBCs, WBCs and platelets. This usually forms the basics of a “haematology” or CBC (Complete blood count) also called FBC (full blood count). Pancytopenia can be further assessed through bone marrow biopsies. The best way to test is to send a blood sample to an external laboratory. Running a sample through a vet's in-house machine is not the preferred protocol as it is more prone to errors which may either cause undue concern or miss subtle changes.
What usually causes pancytopenia in cats?
It's not a particularly common blood picture in cats, but when it does happen it's usually caused by cancers like leukaemia, infectious diseases (like the panleukopenia ‘enteritis’ virus in your cat’s routine vaccinations), immune system defects, high levels of the hormone oestrogen, and some drugs (eg chemotherapy agents) as well as poisons. In this particular outbreak of cases, a link has been emerging between affected cats and eating certain brands of commercial cat food - so some sort of food contamination seems the most likely line of interest.
What symptoms have been seen in affected cats?
Vets across the UK have seen over 500 affected cats and this is rising as more people with learn about the issue. Most cats have displayed symptoms for about 48 hours before seeing their vet and the most frequent advanced signs are being quieter, not seeming themselves and being fussy with their food or not eating at all. Bleeding (such as from the gums, nose, ears, bowel, bladder) and bruising has also been seen in many cats. Any of these signs mean urgent assessment is needed - don't wait til the morning, call your vet or duty after-hours practice immediately!
Last updated: 13th Sep 2021
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