MOUNT VERNON — The nationwide scare of dog and cat food that has contributed to the death of pets apparently has not filtered down to Knox County. Veterinarians in Mount Vernon say they don’t know what the problems are, and none have had pets in their offices with the symptoms.
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But pet owners in Mount Vernon are concerned. All the veterinarians say they have had many telephone calls about the food.
Dr. Barry Reppart said he is not real sure what is causing the death of pets, but added that they die from renal failure. He sells pet food from his office but has not had a recall on the brands in stock. Dr. Larry Helzer said he has had no experience with the problem.
A spokesperson at the Mount Vernon Animal Hospital said they have had no pets in their office with symptoms of the problem. Dr. Gregg Price said his office has “had a ton of phone calls,” but “you know as much about it as we do.”
A surprise to Price was when he learned that pet food companies buy ingredients from major suppliers for their brands rather than make it up themselves.
Local stores have received notices from their home offices on which pet foods to recall. K-Mart manager Chuck Nixon said they have removed only one food, Mighty Dog, from the shelves. A Wal-Mart spokesperson said their instructions were to remove pouches and cans of food; they are receiving updates each day on the recall.