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Dozens of white pages cover empty shelf gaps, looking oddly out of place between the stacked cans and bags of cat and dog food in the PetSmart store at 1424 Mercantile Ave. N.E.

The pages hold a reassurance: That all pet food connected to a recent national recall by Menu Foods has been removed. That those cans remaining are safe.

They also tell shoppers where to go and who to call if their animal ate one of the 95 products connected to kidney failure and pet deaths in the United States and Canada.

Though the recall was limited to the cuts-and-gravy types of food in cans and pouches, some shoppers at PetSmart said they're worried about all types of pet food - and they're not sure what to do about it.

"It is scary," said Patricia Fairchild, 60, who owns two dogs. "You come and buy food, and you think it's safe. But you don't really know what's going on."

She said she's glad she feeds her dogs dry food. But the scare reminded her of the recent problems with human food - in peanut butter and spinach - and that worries her, she said.

"All food is scary now," Fairchild said.

Some of the 60 million cans and pouches of pet food have been blamed for kidney failure in scores of animals and killed at least 16 pets. Neither the manufacturer nor authorities have been able to determine why the pets died.

Since Friday, nearly 100 brands of the cuts-and-gravy style of food have been recalled by Menu Foods of Canada, including popular labels sold at Wal-Mart and other large retailers.

Veterinarians are directing most questions to the Food and Drug Administration's recall Web site. Some have agreed to run blood tests on pets, even though many of the animals have not consumed any of the recalled brands.

Cheri Reckers, 39, who owns five dogs and one cat, said she's worried enough that she's thinking about making her own dog and cat food for a while - boiling some rice, stirring in some meat, maybe some vegetables, and storing it in the refrigerator.

"I feel so bad for those people that lost their pets," Reckers said. "What worries me is what if the dry food is tainted? Are we sure it's safe?"

So far, the Department of Agriculture in New Mexico - which is spearheading the state recall - hasn't heard any consumer complaints about pets that have become sick from the recalled food, said Larry Dominguez, director for industry and agency programs.

The recall is voluntary, which means stores don't have to remove the potentially tainted food, he said.

Most stores seem to be participating in the recall, but shoppers should check the list from Menu Foods before they buy anything, he said.

People also shouldn't worry about pet food shortages, because the affected food was only one type, and loaf and dry foods - along with other brands of cuts-and-gravy foods - have been deemed safe.

"There are other comparable products by other manufacturers that were not affected," Dominguez said. "I would not see any sort of shortage coming."

Albuquerque veterinarians said their phones have been ringing more since the scare started Friday.

Their advice: If you have any of the recall brands, bring them back to the store. If your pet ate any, keep an eye on its behavior.

But don't worry too much, said Richard Bolton, a veterinarian at Bolton Animal Hospital.

"I know everyone is freaking out, including me," Bolton said, thinking of his three dogs and two cats. "It's a tremendous number of brand names. It's huge. But if your pet seems normal, I wouldn't sit around worrying about it."

Signs of kidney failure for both dogs and cats include excessive water drinking, loss of appetite and, eventually, little water drinking and sluggishness, said Andrea Speed, a veterinarian at DeAnza Small Animal Clinic.

"If you think your animal is not eating, or is not as active as normal, or if there is any kind of vomiting, I'd get it checked sooner rather than later," Speed said.

Kidney failure can also sometimes take months to appear, so people should continue to monitor their pets for some time, she said.

Speed was somewhat taken aback by the number of products affected by the recall.

"I was kind of shocked at how many brands of food of varying quality were all made by the same company," Speed said. "There's some brands that aren't there, but it certainly gives you pause about brands you're picking."

Brands using the same Menu Foods product range from top-shelf types like Iams, Eukanuba and Science Diet to inexpensive generic store types like Save-A-Lot, Winn Dixie and Food Lion.

"You just wonder how what they're actually doing differs from what they're telling you," Sidni Lamb, 54, said of the pet food companies while shopping at PetSmart Wednesday for her cat and three dogs. "It makes you think twice."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.