LOCAL veterinarian offices have been flooded with calls over the recent recall of cat and dog food.More than 60 million cans and pouches of wet-style pet food made by Menu Foods, a Canada-based company, have been recalled since last weekend. They have been blamed for acute kidney failure in scores of animals in North America.

In Bermuda not a single animal has been reported showing signs of distress, but chairman of the SPCA shelter Dr. Andrew Madeiros said pet owners should still check the list of 93 products, available online at www.menufoods.com/recall.

"If they have any of the pouches or cans of wet food listed, they should destroy it as soon as possible and not feed it to their animals," he said.

Dr. Madeiros said Bermuda was fortunate because many of the recalled products are popular labels sold at Wal-Mart, Kroger and other large retailers and not imported to the island.

Meanwhile, local pet food suppliers have cleared their shelves of any listed foods.

Having worked in Canada for several years, Dr. Madeiros said he had seen this happen before.

"They are focusing on an additive in the food and think that it was tainted by a mould toxin, which happens from time to time."

He said pet owners should always be on the lookout for signs of kidney failure, including vomiting, loss of appetite, excessive drinking, urinating excessively and lethargy.