Over the past three weeks we have alerted veterinarians to reports of cats showing a combination of cerebellar and vestibular signs, as a potential association with the feeding of BFF brand cat food. We thank veterinarians for their diligent reporting of suspect cases through PetFAST, and continue to encourage reports to be logged, to enable further monitoring of this situation.  

In addition to unusual neurologic signs, a number of other clinical signs have been frequently reported through PetFAST. These include pyrexia, gastrointestinal disturbances and body cavity effusions with or without neurologic signs.

On 5 May, the Australian retailers voluntarily removed BFF cat food from shelves in Australia, for analysis by the manufacturer Weruva. The AVA has not yet been provided with the results of this testing by Weruva.

In the absence of further information from the manufacturer, we are still advising treatment of any ill cats that have been fed BFF cat food, with Thiamine (100 mg once daily PO, SC or IM for at least 7 days) as a precautionary measure.

If you suspect a case, the following people can be contacted for advice on case management and testing:

• Dr Sue Foster: sfoster01@bigpond.com or 0423 783 689
• Dr Linda Fleeman: 0401 039 711 or l.fleeman@animaldiabetesaustralia.com.au
• Dr Kath Briscoe and/or Dr Jody Braddock at Animal Referral Hospital (ARH), Homebush, Sydney: (02) 9758 8666

You can lodge a PetFAST report here: www.ava.com.au/webform/petfast-report