BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A few years ago, Melissa Wall's ten-year-old English Bulldog, Rocky, experienced some medical issues, and needed to switch to prescription food for urinary problems.
"Five of six years ago he had a lot of kidney stones, like big kidney stones. So he needed a complete scrotal urethrostomy where they had to divert the urethra and everything," she said.
They've been getting that prescription food from the vet ever since, and Wall said they've always had it in stock.
But Ellicott Street Animal Hospital Director - Dr. R. Reed Stevens said as recently as December, there's been widespread shortages in the supply chain of specialty pet food.
"Pet foods are very complicated, and there's a lot of ingredients that go into them. The formulation specifically for prescription diets is very tightly regulated by the companies. And so they have to make sure they're getting the right ingredients," he said.
Dr. Stevens said their main supplier for pet foods, Purina, has not been experiencing these recent shortages, and they are well supplied.
"My understanding is that Royal Canin has sent a letter to all its clients saying that they are having issues, and it is revolved around labor and it's revolved around ingredient supply," he said.
These foods contain ingredients that you can't just go to the store and buy. So it's really important that a cat or dog on a specific diet get the right food.
If your pet's prescription is out of stock, you should contact your veterinarian,so they recommend a different food or a different manufacturer.
