Dogs keep dying from toxic food
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.
To better screen affected dogs so they can be treated as soon as possible, Cornell veterinarians report that they now have a new test, adapted from one used in humans, to accurately assess aflatoxin poisoning in dogs (see companion story). Currently, about two-thirds of dogs that show symptoms after eating the tainted food die.
"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.
The Cornell Vet College is continually updating its Web site to keep the public and veterinarians informed as new information on the poisonings emerge. Cornell's Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) is analyzing blood and liver samples from sick dogs around the country, testing suspected dog food, conducting autopsies and collecting as many livers as possible from dead dogs to confirm cause of death, tracking dogs that have died and following up on the health of dogs that survive the food poisoning. The AHDC has information for veterinarians on its Web site http://diaglab.vet.cornell.edu/news.asp.
"We suspect that dogs have been dying since November, perhaps even October, but it took the perfect storm of circumstances to get the diagnosis," said Karyn Bischoff, the veterinary toxicologist at Cornell who first identified aflatoxin as the culprit in the recent wave of deaths.
Trying to save dogs
Over the recent holiday weeks, Center and her staff worked around-the-clock to try to save the 17 poisoned dogs admitted to Cornell's Hospital for Animals. "I've been working with liver disease in dogs for 30 years, and I've never seen such miserably ill dogs," said Center, noting that severely affected dogs suffer from intractable vomiting and internal bleeding. "Despite our understanding of this complex toxin, we have no direct antidote for this poisoning. This has been an immensely sad holiday and one that will leave an indelible mark on the owners that lost their cherished family members."
Of those 17 dogs, Center euthanized 12 when it became clear they could not survive; five are still being treated. Dogs that have survived had consumed a smaller amount of the food than dogs that died, Center said. "Some dogs were stealing food from the kitchen counter. Others just stopped eating the food and begged for treats. Unfortunately, some owners used gravy and other mixers to entice their dogs to consume what they thought was safe, quality dog food."
"It's devastating to dog owners who feel responsible for poisoning their beloved dogs," said Bischoff.
Although only about two dozen animal deaths have been officially linked to the tainted pet food, Center and Bischoff know that many more have died or become ill from the tainted food, based on their many communications with veterinarians as far south as Georgia.
"Every day, we're hearing reports from veterinarians in the East and Southeast who have treated dogs that have died from liver damage this past month or so," said Center. "We're also concerned about the long-term health of dogs that survive as well as dogs that have eaten the tainted food but show no clinical signs." She suspects that surviving dogs may develop chronic liver disease, perhaps liver cancer, and that many dogs that ate the tainted food appear healthy are nevertheless victims of liver damage.
Yet many dog and kennel owners remain unaware that some 19 brands of Diamond, Country Value and Professional dog foods have been recalled.
"About half of our clients bringing in sick dogs this past week say that they were not aware of the contaminated dog food problem," said Sara Sanders, one of the veterinarians at Mendon Valley Animal Hospital near Rochester -- the sort of ground zero for the epidemic that resulted in the recall. She first realized that several dogs she was treating for liver problems in December were all eating Diamond food, and she sent food and tissue samples to Cornell, her alma mater, for testing.
Screening ill dogs
Early signs that a dog has been poisoned by afltoxin include lethargy, loss of appetite and vomiting and, later, orange-colored urine and jaundice (a yellowing of the eyes, gums and nonpigmented skin that reflects substantial liver injury). Severely affected dogs produce a blood-tinged vomit and bloody or blackened stools. "Since dogs can take several days to three weeks to exhibit serious signs of illness, all animals that consumed recalled lots of food should be examined by a veterinarian as early as possible," Center said. "Physical exams and blood tests are necessary to differentiate dogs that have been poisoned from those that have not. Unfortunately, the latent onset of signs may require that an individual dog be evaluated several times."
Cornell veterinarians have verified diagnostic tests enabling detection of seriously poisoned dogs. Aflatoxin curtails the production of cholesterol and many proteins that profoundly affect blood clotting. A minimum screening profile should assess the liver enzyme ALT to detect damage to the liver, serum cholesterol, total bilirubin concentration and the activity of the anticoagulant proteins antithrombin III (ATIII) and protein C. The coagulation protein tests, which have been adapted for dogs by Cornell researchers, have high value in detecting affected dogs but require collection of a special blood sample (citrated plasma sample) and an assessment by Cornell's Animal Health Diagnostic Center.
Any dog suspected of aflatoxin poisoning should also have a liver specimen sent to Cornell to definitively confirm the pathologic changes in the liver unique for aflatoxin toxicity, such as fatty degeneration of individual cells.
"Even if dogs show no signs of illness, if they have eaten the affected food, they should have blood tests submitted to detect liver injury," Center stressed. "Dogs that show positive results on any of the above tests should be prescribed liver protectants for two months." For more details, veterinarians should check the Cornell Vet College Web site.
Owners also should take cats that might have eaten contaminated dog food to a vet. Two cats that may have eaten the tainted dog food have died, but no cause of death was determined.
To send dog food to Cornell for aflatoxin testing, veterinarians should send a two-pound sample comprising about five handfuls of food pulled from different parts of the bag. If the food is negative, that does not rule out aflatoxin exposure, Bischoff stressed, because it may take weeks for dogs to become ill and the contaminated food may be long gone. The toxin may also be unevenly dispersed through the food. However, only a liver biopsy can definitively determine cause of death. Center requests that livers from dogs that have died recently from liver damage or suspected food poisoning be sent to Cornell for evaluation of pathologic changes. Veterinarians should check the Vet College Web site for information on sample submission.
The Cornell veterinarians also recommend that any suspected food be labeled as poison and stored away from animals and children. Save labels with lot numbers from bags. Until further information emerges, if food was stored in a wooden container, the container should be destroyed. Plastic and metal containers should be sanitized with bleach.
Blood, tissue, liver and food samples can be sent to the Animal Health Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-5786, phone (607) 253-3900 (check its Web site for a fee schedule). To report animals that might have died recently from the food poisoning, send an e-mail to diagcenter@cornell.edu, and the researchers will follow up with a questionnaire.
From Cornell University
- 24916 reads
Printer-friendly version | 
Send to friend
alpo dog food you wished you could find again
why eould you want to feed your animal contaminated diseased meat? thats whats in that can of dog food
is purina dog food safe?
NO! Commercial dog foods are NOT safe..they contain ground up euthanized animals, flea collars, plastic bags etc. and worse.
please help me
ive got a little mixed breed dog about 8 months old. shes like a kid to me, but here recently shes had blood and slime in her stool. i need to know what to do, i mean what to look for how can i tell if shes alright. the vets around here aren't that bright. personally i think they rob you for your money. shes my baby and I need some sort of idea of what to do. email me at Lanchasterk@charter.net
I agree!!
My German Shepherd almost died the end of Jan.2008, due to a severe Urinary Track infection, and many stones they also found in his bladder. They sent me home with antibiotics and cans of their food to feed him for the next two months, and they questioned me on what I was feeding him. Of course, regular dog food. At that time I didnt realize what terrible ingredients were in the REGULAR dog food! My dog Knight finally after 5 days of not eating, and hardly even drinking any water started to come around from the antibiotics. I then started to read on line about the UTIs in dogs, and saw that many illnesses were caused by the ingredients in many processed dog foods on the markets. I then went out and bought one of the all natural brands at PetSmart, and started feeding him that. Knight not only loved the food, but his health picked up and his eyes were brighter, and his coat was thick, shiny and beautiful. He had the energy he use to have when he was three or four. He is 7 years old now, but I never thought he would live to see 8 there for a while. He was even getting me up 4 to 5 times a night to go outside. Now he may get me up once during the night, some nights not at all. He sleeps peacefully with no more pain. Im trying to get the message to all pet owners on how horrible many dog foods sold on the market are. I am not naming names, but you know the ones. Ive been feeding him Avoderm Natural, and also my daughters English Bulldog. They are doing very well, and the English Bulldogs coat is like silk. I even called my vet, and told him about the change in Knight. They were happy to hear it. I think the vets know whats going on, but dont, or cant talk about it. Im so glad your German Shepherd is doing so well now also! I told my husband, I would rather pay more for GOOD dog food, than putting the money into surgery, tests, and medications for my dog. He agreed. Good luck with your dog too! I just had to comment. Thanks for listening!
recalls
better yet...www.totalrecallinfo.com
A great source for product recall information.
Hey all just wanted to let you know about a great site I came across for product recall information. A FREE service where users can customize, filter, and track products they want to see recalls for.
http://www.eRecalled.com
Best for your dog
I am a therapist and worked in a pharmacy for nine years dispensing and I can only say the best thing you can do for your dog is cook him meals, I have been doing this for a while now and my dog is fit and healthy, had I kept him on Iams it might be a different story! He is happy and healthy and I am happy knowing that what I am feeding him is home cooked with no artificial ingredients, no preservatives no by products just good homemade food. My dog is part of the family and his welfare is paramount. I strongly urge you take your dog off a commercial dog food that is pumping him full of what I can only state as rubbish! But rubbish that is killing him! If we all took this approach then manufactures would realise that everyone has woken up to them and no longer tolerant of what they are doing. I have a large male German Shepherd that is now approaching 10years of age and most put him at 5-6 years of age, the vets cant get over him, and have continually asked me to breed him. I put it down to the fact that he is well looked after, well walked, off proper German blood lines and well fed!
Dog foods
I mostly buy my dogs food from Petco and PetFood Direct stores.
Big Named Brand or Cheap Non Brand Food for the Pets?
Many people they can't effort to buy named brand food for there pets.
How safe the cheap non brand named food is for the pets?
Thank You
My dog recently died with liver failure
She was only 10, healthy and active but suddenly sickened and died despite care at the animal hospital. She was eating Iams Active Maturity Lamb and Rice dog food. Has anyone heard of a problem with this food? She had been eating it for a few years.
My cat is dying
Hello,
I has switched my cat to Iams kitten food for one bag this month. He is now dying of liver and blood problems. He's still fighting but I am not sure if he will pull through. I just wanted to let everyone know that it is still a problem and if there is anything you know that I can do to save him please contact me at amiwinnin@comcast.net
Thanks.
Iams Red bag
One of my friend's dogs is sick and the other is avoiding the dog food. They were eating Iams Red bag Lamb. If anyone knows of a home cure (is sweetened condensed milk good for dogs? ) then please advise asap. The vet doesn't seem to know what is going on with them.
commercial dog food is killing your dog
This is simply scary. I don't let my dog (Rudy) eat any commercial dog food anymore.
purina
can you tell me if purina dog food is safe to use
Transgenic Corn, Wheat, Rice?
A recent piece bv Dr. Micheal Fox (DVM) is an edifying read -it seems that the rat poison may indicate the presence of of transgenic (GM) rice, wheat and corn - products which are totally unfit for human or animal consumption, at least to my mind.
LARGEST PET FOOD RECALL EVER:FULL INQUIRY CALLED FOR: AND ACCOUNTABILITY
By Michael W. Fox B.Vet.Med., Ph.D., D.Sc. M.R.C.V.S.
May 10, 2007
http://tedeboy.tripod.com/drmichaelwfox/id74.html
1966 STUDY: SHEEP DIED FROM KIDNEY FAILURE FROM EATING MELAMINE
May 9, 2007
MELAMINE WAS KNOWN TO BE LETHAL IN 1966 - SEE THIS VET JOURNAL ARTICLE ABSTRACT -- YES -- 41 YEARS AGO!!!
SHEEP FED MELAMINE DIED! Don't believe the FDA that melamine had to combined with cyanuric acid to cause the deaths of pets. Melamine alone can do it and cause the same crystals in the kidneys found in ill and sick pets. The cyanuric acide is just another industrial waste China dumped in the wheat flour to boost the "protein" (actually nitrogen) levels artificially.
http://www.avma.org/aa/petfoodrecall/melamine_sheep.asp
Source:
Clark, R. 1966. Melamine crystalluria in sheep. Journal South African Veterinary Medical Assoc., 1966, Vol. 37, pp. 349-351. CAB Record Number: 19671407708
Melamine crystalluria in sheep
The toxic effects of melamine given directly or in the feed to merino wethers were studied. A single dose of 100 g increased urea in blood from 28 to 315 mg per 100 ml for a period of 11 days. There was complete loss of appetite and excretion of urine ceased on the tenth day. When the sheep was examined post mortem on the eleventh day the tubules of the kidney were packed with crystals. Nephrosis and erosive abomasitis were seen also. Daily doses of 50 and 25 g killed the sheep after 7 and 9 days, respectively. In those sheep the blood urea was high just before death and post mortem crystals in the kidney tubules, nephrosis, haemorrhagic cystitis and acute typhlitis were seen. The dose of 50 g also caused ulcers in the abomasum. With 10 g daily one sheep did not die but 2 did so after 16 and 31 days. The 2 sheep which died lost appetite and stopped urinating 3 days before death and urea and creatinine in blood then increased sharply. There were crystals in the kidneys and severe oedema of the lungs. In another experiment volume of urine was reduced by offering water freely for 1 h on alternate days. Melamine was mixed with maizemeal and offered to 3 sheep to supply 7 g per sheep per day. All sheep survived for 6 weeks and there was no excessively high value for urea in blood. When daily intake of water was restricted to 600 ml much of the maizemeal containing melamine was refused but the sheep showed no ill effect. The production of white crystals on cooling, the appearance of a white deposit on the addition of picric acid and absorbancy of acidified crystals at 235 m micro indicated the presence of melamine in the urine of treated sheep. Melamine had no effect on pH of contents or motility of rumen and there was no sign of damage to liver.
...................
After reading the abstract, you will not be surprised why SOUTH AFRICA immediately banned all corn gluten shipped to the continent! They knew about the dangers of melamine for 40+ years!
I'm sure the U.S. did, too, and just wanted to cite the rat study because it showed less severe effects. Adult male sheep average 140-200 pounds.
Evanger's Horsemeat
Still legal, Evanger's Horsemeat is still sold in 13 oz cans and they are apparently the last in the horsemeat dog food business.
Ive never tried it and cant comment on the quality of meat.
Banned in '71?
Im not so sure of that. In around '93 I was buying dog food from Austins (Depere, WI) and it was a big name brand (My memory is saying Alpo but possibly not). The cans were full of 1" thick steaks in gravy stacked from bottom to top with almost no room for the gravy.
I wish I could find that stuff again.
Pet Peeve
After reading about the contaminated pet food and
the tragic stories told by pet owners I did some
research and I would like to tell you what I found.
Everyone at one time or another has been bitten
by a dog or cat. Last week, my sister`s little dog gave
me a nip and I jumped(she laughed). It's
no big deal where we live. But, if you live in China,
get bitten by a dog, you could become one of the 200
people that die every month from rabies.
It seems the Chinese have been breeding dogs and cats for a
long time for their skins. I guess they make fur hats
or something that they sell and export and the dog
population is out of control like a 150 million dogs.
And so rabies has proliferated to the point where 80%
of all world human rabies cases occurs in China.
Last summer the authorities started a campaign to
kill all dogs, usually by clubbing them to death even
in front of their owners.
Now maybe someone got a little tired of swinging clubs
and opted for a more efficient approach to the culling
of the dogs. Maybe poison bait.
The pet food poison.
I hear a lot about melamine, but after reading the MSDS
sheet on melamine it looks like it is not anything more
than an irritant and carcinogen. It certainly does not
block an enzyme necessary for protein synthesis upon
which kidney function depends but Aminopterin(the rat
poison) sure does.(It used to be used as a chemo
drug but was discontinued because it was too toxic.)
The 2008 Summer Olympics will be held in Bejing China.
If people find out about the rabies epidemic they
might think twice about attending, investors might think
twice about investing in a would-be profittable venue.
I`m not aware of how Menu Foods got the poisoned wheat
gluten - maybe it was thought to be a very economic
purchase or the supplier was having a going-out-of-business
sale or you got our gluten we got yours by mistake.
My heart goes out to the owners of the pets that
are sick and dying. The only thing sicker is that
when the slime and destruction is finally scraped away,
there`s the dollar.
Jamez1957
natural foods
Dogs should be fed a diet that is as close to what they would be eating naturally as possible. This may seem extreme, but dogs fed a proper diet tend to remain healthier. Stella and Chewy's is a great company that offers raw, frozen or freeze-dried beef, chicken, or lamb with veggies and bone. Dogs with allergies also tend to do very well on this food because there are no added grains that the dogs don't need.
why now
why wasn't this subject talked about years ago. i have dogs myself and lately watching the news and researching articles about dogs dying from their own dogfood is quite dissapointing and it makes me furious! its sad don't you think? dog foods should be thoroughly tested before it hits the shelves of pet stores, and other local markets that supply dogfoods.
Cure for Rat Poison
Is Nestles Sweet and Condensed Milk two seperate items ?
How much how often do you feed ?
My dog is dying now !
thank you
John
jw62147@comcast.net
horsemeat in dog food
I would seriously doubt that there is horsemeat in dog food. Not what we could call "muscle Meat" anyway. By-products, yes. But most horsemeat is shipped to Europe for human consumption.
Sue
horsemeat in dog food..
Isn't there other brands of dog food that contain horse meat?
I just read that it was banned in 1971 but I still hear that it is happening.
Do you have the names of other brands that contain horsemeat?
Thank you
Sick Dogs
I keep hearing this story changing and growing. Just so happens our day care service had an outbreak of the nora virus. It spread quickly through my family and my pet. Then my sisters family got it. Just found out that their dog got sick too. This sickness seemed to affect me differently than others. I would take a big guess that a certain virus would be able to or lead to liver damage. Any experts out there on this?
Condensed Milk...
Condensed milk can be found at any normal grocery store. It comes in a can. Ask an employee which aisle it can be found on.
is it possible
is it possible to save your contaminated dog with regular milk?
if not.. where do you find that milk?
"hey i work ina place orland oh lakes," this is just for you:
Mastery of the English language is something you clearly lack. Or you didn't quite make it out of grade school. Or were you in a somewhat oxygen deprived state, perhaps? Regardless, you are an idiot. I've fed pets both canned and dry food over many years and have not noticed any adverse effects of either one. Your comment--what of it made any sense, was rude and inflammatory and has no place in this blog.
hey i work ina place orland oh lakes
nothingazy ike that goseinto ou dried aimal foosi see t ll made bage ad shiped out dogand cat food among ther animals stuff YOU ARE A FOOL IF YOU BUY CANNED FOOD FOR YOUR PE ANYWAYS, it isnt any real supprize your pets could go deseaced :? sory but common sne herepeeple
Good brands are out there
It is so important to know who makes the food you buy and where the ingredients come from. I live on the west coast and have been buying FirstMate Pet Foods for the last ten years (www.firstmate.com). They have their own manufacturing plant and source all of their "human grade" ingredients locally. They are also independently owned, as opposed to some huge corporation (i.e. P&G) that cares more about the bottom line than the well-being of our animals. This whole recall affair is tragic, but if it makes us consumers more aware of what we give our pets, then some good can come from it.
Recalled Pet Food
I wonder if anyone has thought about this. Nutro, and all the other premium dog food companies have said they do not use horse meat for their products. However, they rely on Menu Foods, a Canadian company, near Quebec, to produce their foods. Who is the largest north american producer of horse meat for the human and pet markets ? Canada. Who in Canada is the largest producer of horse meat ? Quebec. Anyone see a similarity ? I really don't think any pet company ships in "New Zealand Lamb" for their products. And with the vast wheat fields of Canada, why is a Canadian company depending on China for wheat gluten ?
Contaminated pet food
I just lost my cat and your comment really hit a nerve with me. I fed her natural choice for years and she is dead. You are too ignorant to post messages so do the world a favor and stop.Healthy Pet Products
Hey all:
I have been feeding healthy pet foods to my pets for over 15 years.
You need to look for products that do not have the following:
By- Products----Corn---Wheat- Chemical preservatives.
Look for stuff from independant pet stores not the big box stores. That stuff has tons of grain and low quality ingredients.
Try -Checking out Whole Dog Journal for healthy dog food
I used to live in Chicago and there is a distributor who only handles healthy products.
www.zeusandco.com
CURE FOR RAT POISON IN DOG AND CAT FOOD !!!
I HAVE SAVED DOGS IN TAHITI THAT WERE POISONED BY RAT POISON.
FORCE FEED NESTLES SWEET AND CONDENSED MILK.
LOCALS HAVE USED THIS METHOD FOR YEARS.WE HAVE A LOT OF ANIMALS POISONED FROM RAT POISON IN THE WATRER MELLON FIELDS .
THE THICK MILK COATS THE STOMACH AND THE SUGAR GIVES THEM THE STRENGTH TO LIVE AND SPEEDS UP THE METABOLISM.
I HAVE SEEN THIS WORK MANY TIMES IN TAHITI WHERE WE HAVE NO VETS.
Whoever is responsible
Whoever is responsible should be tortured and killed.
DOG FOOD/ CAT FOOD ALERT, HERE IS THE TRUTH.
Here is the truth people about this evil industry.
Towards the bottom of the article you will read how the IAMS corporation performed cruel experiments on dogs to "test" its food. Horrible.
The source of the food in the canned dog foods will shock you.
It isnt "beefy chunks" as that misleading label claims. It could be Barney the police horse, the zoo animal, cats and dogs from the vet industry that brokers buy to put in this food.
The industry uses disguise words to mislead you of the source of the "meat" on the label.
This "meat" comes from diseased animals, grains with high amounts of aflatoxins, (potent carcinogens found mostly in corn, a fungus), euthanizing chemicals from when the animals were put down AKA phenobarbatrol, vaccine residues, vet drugs, etc.
There is much more garbage that goes into this toxic trash called pet food.
These were animals that were euthanized in vet clinics and elsewhere and sold or turned over to rendering "meat" broker operations. These chemicals remain in the meat. The drug residues remain in the meat.
It is a perpetual cycle of feeding the diseased species back to the same species.
It is toxic food. DO NOT GIVE YOUR PET CANNED FOOD. EVER!!
It is BIOLOGICALLY, HORMONALLY AND CHEMICALLY CONTAMINATED.
If this food does not kill an animal it will cause many problems, skin conditions, autoimmune disorders, organ failures, cancers etc, etc.
You can go to shirleys wellness cafe.com to learn how to prepare healthy food for your animal. She has built an entire section for this.
Spread the word around about this article to expose IAMS in what they and others are doing to animals in order to turn a buck and decieve the public.
How dare these companies treat animals like this and then turn around and build the brand in the name of quality and care and decieve the public. B.S.
PLEASE READ AND SPREAD THE WORD, ANIMALS NEED OUR VOICE.
http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/petfood2.html
You can also go to Organic consumers.org and contact the campains manager for a boycott of IAMS and others that engage in this cruel business-for-profit.
My cat passed away
My cat passed away during the past couple of days. She was an outdoor cat that we fed AIMS. Before the news came out, we noticed that she was suddenly more lethargic and struggling to walk. Then she stopped coming to eat and she was found dead. It was almost certainly due to this.pet food
How many pet foods from two companies? Does this mean that a $.29 can of food is the same as a $1.29 can????
i would like to know if Purina is secure to use
i would like to know if PURINA IS SECURE to use ....
Contaminated pet food
I, too have cats and thank goodness I feed them natural cat food brands. Here is a direct link to the manufacturer: http://www.menufoods.com/recall/contaminated cat food
We have recently heard that cats have been dying from contaminated cat food. Would you please send me information regarding this so we can keep our kitten healthy. BarbPost new comment