This dog died from the toxin poisoning.
Even though Diamond, Country Value and Professional brand dog foods have been recalled for containing highly toxic aflatoxins, they have caused at least 100 dog deaths in recent weeks, say Cornell University veterinarians, who are growing increasingly alarmed. Some kennels and consumers around the nation and possibly in more than two dozen other countries remain unaware of the tainted food, and as a result, they continue to give dogs food containing a lethal toxin.
“Entire kennels have been wiped out, and because of the holiday these past few weeks, the dispersal of recall information was disrupted,” says Sharon Center, a professor of veterinary medicine who specializes in liver function and disease at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell, which is emerging as a central clearinghouse for information about the dog food poisoning.
Just consider this my PSA for the week.
Here’s a direct link to the specific brands of tainted food.
http://www.diamondpetrecall.com/
After reading on the FDA reports about Pentobarbital, the drug used to put animals to sleep, being discovered in mass produced pet foods, we stopped buying the major brands.
Specifically now, we only buy http://www.newmansownorganics.com/pet/home/index.php — and there were a few other no names and home made foods that looked promising. Definately all the big boys are out, including iams: http://www.iamscruelty.com/
I even emailed Science Diet, and asked them if the Pentobarbital reports were true, if I shouldn’t buy their product, their response was damning as far as I’m concerned — ‘We do not feel that email is a proper means to discuss such issues. Please feel free to call us at XXX and speak to a live representative about your concerns with Pentobarbital’.
That has guilt all over it.
Meetsy’s input is valuable — many people swear by the ‘raw’ diet, which is just scraps and raw foods, a natural meal pets would eat on their own had they the means.
In short, don’t use the name brands, research what you are giving your pet. If you think that minut traces of Pentobarbital in your pet won’t harm them, think again — our cat is livlier, fitter, and more healthy because we moved her off it. Human grade quality should be for your pets too… anything else is sick.
I’m with meetsy & Brady – raw feed my dogs and cats (it is trickier for cats). Its much cheaper and their health is definetly better, less problems with allergies and skin conditions, good teeth etc.
Vaccinations is another area thats becomming contraversial – dogs & cats are massively over vaccinated.
YOU EXPECT THE PRODUCTS, PURCHASED FOR YOUR PETS, (YOUR FRIENDS) TO BE SAFE,
YOU READ THE LABELS, YOU COMPARE PRODUCTS, HEAR THE ENDORSEMENTS,
BELIEVE YOUR DOG IS GETTING SAFE HEALTHY FOOD AND MEDICINES.
MY DOG MILO ATE DIAMOND DOG FOOD FOR AT LEAST A YEAR AND A HALF.
OCTOBER 20, 2005, HE STARTED BECOMING ILL.
VOMITING, LETHARGY, DIARHEA, BLACK TARRY STOOLS.
REPEATED TRIPS TO THE VET. NOTHING HELPED.
NOV 30, 2005. MILO DIED.
NOW I BELIEVE MY BEST FRIEND WAS PROBABLY POISONED.
AND I FED IT TO HIM.
Sorry to hear about Milo James, its not your fault.
I’m angry and confused!!! I had to put my “boy” to sleep the day after Thanksgiving. He had been feed Diamond for at least 6-7 years. The later years with Low-Fat Senior. He was found to have a mass in his spleen at 10 years old so we had it removed. There were zero signs of cancer and he was deemed healthy. About 1 month after surgey he started with chronic loose stools and some blood. It couls never be treated. About 6-7 months later he became lethargic and just not himself. We brought him in and after an ultrasound they found what they said “nothing out of the ordinary but he had a 1 or 2 small spots on his liver which were normal in a dog his age.” Then about 3 weeks later we went back again because he was worse and another ultrasound showed his liver with covered with growths and he was phisically in bad shape. It was then we had no choice. I don’t mean to bore anyone with my story but I find it questioning. I feel there is nothing I ca do now and that hurts. I work in the Foodservice industry, and know for a fact that if my food served had anything to do with a customers sickness or death, either my company or myself would be talking to our lawyers and at some point a judge! Is there anything that can be done?? Please help.
Thank you,
Ray
Please do not feed your cat science diet light or support any of their products. My young beautiful orange tabby died a couple hours after being feed science diet light for the very first time. This company is worthless and they obviously don’t care about their consumers. Why support killers?