Potentially tainted pet food is being yanked from the shelves of local stores, which reported that customers are also seeking refunds for the products.

The company that made the pet food has said about 10 pets have died nationwide because of it. A Kailua woman says she suspects it killed her family's dog.

"We took them off the shelves already and sent it back," said Suzie Wright, a sales associate at Pet Depot in 'Ewa Beach, yesterday. The store also has called customers who buy large quantities of the "cuts and gravy" style food in cans and foil pouches to let them know about the recall.

"All our customers have been OK and thanked us about giving them the heads up."

Local stores, including Wal-Mart, Safeway and Pet's Discount, pulled the affected food from their shelves after Menu Foods, a major maker of pet food for other companies, announced Friday that some of its products were causing pet kidney problems. Wal-Mart's Royal Kunia store cleared shelves of the food Friday as news came out. Yesterday the stores reported customers were turning in the recalled food and receiving refunds.

The recall affected 50 brands of dog food and 40 brands of cat food, including such popular labels as those from Iams, Eukanuba, Paws, Western Family and Ol' Roy. In addition, Nestle Purina PetCare Co. and Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. said they were recalling some products made by Menu Foods, which last year produced more than 1 billion containers of pet food sold through supermarkets, discount stores, pet stores and wholesale outlets.

The manufacturer said the cans and pouches of pet food were manufactured between Dec. 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007.

For example, Iams is recalling 3-, 5.5-, 6- and 13.3-ounce cans; and 3- and 5.5-ounce pouch "wet" food made under its name at Menu Foods' Emporia, Kan., plant with the code dates 6339 through 7073, followed by the plant code 4197.

Iams said signs of pet kidney failure can include loss of appetite, vomiting and lethargy. Menu Foods told the Associated Press the recalled products were made using wheat gluten purchased from a new supplier and that it has since switched to a new source.

Kailua resident Valerie Sylvester said she believes the tainted food was responsible for the sudden death of Twinkles, her family's 16-year-old beagle, which died March 11. The dog ate one of the recalled products the evening before its death, she said.

Sylvester said the pet seemed to be in some sort of distress the day of its death and acted strangely. She said that included the dog's swimming and barking in the family pool at 6:30 a.m., something he had never done, and refusing to eat. Her veterinarian was closed that day; otherwise she would have taken him in, Sylvester said.

"I was worried about him," she said. "I didn't know what was wrong."

Then on Saturday morning she saw the news about the national pet food recall and said it struck a nerve. Sylvester said she is certain it was the food that caused her pet's death.

She called her veterinarian Saturday morning to inquire if other owners' pets had died. The doctor recommended she contact Emily Gardner, a Honolulu attorney who specializes in animal law. Sylvester, who still has unused cans of the recalled product sitting in her pantry, said she is considering filing a lawsuit.

"I feel like something needs to be done," Sylvester said. "I don't think they had enough regulations, and they made food that made my dog suffer terribly.

"I don't want anyone else to go through that."