Menu Foods Income Fund, based in Streetsville, west of Toronto, said the recall of its products sold in cans and pouches is precautionary.
Chief executive officer Paul Henderson told Canadian Press that exhaustive tests by both internal and external specialists had failed to identify the problem.
�We're not entirely sure what has happened,� Mr. Henderson said in an interview.
�We've undertaken a battery of technical tests . . . and all of those tests have failed to identify any issues at all with our product.�
One dog and a �small number� of cats in the U.S. are reported to have died from kidney failure after eating the food, Mr. Henderson said.
There had been no complaints from Canadian pet owners.
The company said it has also beefed up the testing of all raw materials and finished goods.
Menu Foods, one of the leading North American private-label and contract manufacturer of wet pet-food, produced more than one billion containers last year.
It supplies its products to 17 of the top 20 retailers in North America for sale under store labels such as Master Choice, Compliments and Select, and manufactures for several national brands.
Starting in December, concerns began filtering back to the company through toll-free customer lines about its �cuts and gravy� style pet food.
Callers complained their animals had fallen ill, although no direct link to the food was established.
Mr. Henderson said it is �very frustrating� not being able to identify the exact nature of the problem.
�The company has always built its reputation around, and is very concerned with, animal health and well-being � that's the whole reason for the company's being,� he said.
�That's why we opted to take this precautionary recall simply because it appears that there is a link between the food and the illnesses.�
The company did not immediately identify which of the �large number� of products were affected by the recall but said it will post a list on its website Saturday.
One large customer in the United States � which accounts for 11 per cent of Menu's revenue � initiated its own recall after receiving complaints and put future orders for the products on hold.
The recalled products were made using wheat gluten purchased from a new supplier, since dropped for another source, spokeswoman Sarah Tuite said. Wheat gluten is a source of protein.
The recall affects products made between Dec. 3, 2006, and March 6 at two of its U.S. facilities in Emporia, Kan., and Pennsauken, N.J.
Menu's other plants are located in North Sioux City, S.D., and Streetsville.
The cost of the recall, which spooked investors, will be financed from internal cash and bank credit, Mr. Henderson said.
Following a trading halt for the announcement Friday, Menu Foods Income Fund units plunged more than 25 per cent on the Toronto Stock Exchange to close at $5.50, a drop of $1.90 on trading volume of more than 271,000 units.
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