Hundreds of mystery cat deaths may have been linked to a popular pet food that was recalled on June 15.
In May vets began seeing a spike in an unidentified illness causing severe symptoms in cats, and even death.
Hundreds of cats have since been diagnosed with pancytopenia, a rare bone marrow condition where the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets blood cells rapidly decrease, causing serious sickness.
Cats who come down with the illness often experience symptoms such as fatigue, a lack of appetite, and bleeding from the mouth, nose or bowel. In extreme cases, blood loss can lead to the cat collapsing.
Vets have been investigating data from the cases in order to establish the cause and while they have not yet been able to find a definitive answer, many of the cats who became ill had been fed dry hypoallergenic pet food made by Fold Hill Foods.
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The Food Standards Authority made the decision to recall several batches of Sainsbury’s hypoallergenic cat foods, Applaws and AVA (a Pets at Home brand) in mid-June, prompting an investigation by the RVC and the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
The recalls were due to the presence of mycotoxins identified in samples of food - naturally occurring toxins produced by various fungi. They can grow on crops and appear on foodstuffs, often under warm, humid conditions.
A statement issued by the college acknowledged that only a small percent of UK vets were actively reporting cases to the RVC, which means the real number of cats affected could be in the thousands.
The Royal Veterinary College (RVC is desperately urging vets who have treated cats recently to fill out this survey .
A spokesperson for Fold Hill, the food manufacturer behind the recalls, told The Mirror: “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 cooperate with both the FSA and the RVC 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.”
A spokesperson from Sainsbury's said the supermarket chain was supporting an investigation into a possible safety issue affecting cats, which was believed to be linked to some food products
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"We are not willing to take any risks where the safety of our products is concerned and so we are voluntarily recalling these products and asking customers not to use them and to return the packs to their nearest Sainsbury’s store for a full refund," the spokesperson said.
