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Newfoundland Breeders Despair After Deaths and Deformities

Missing Evidence

Newfie Breeders Despair A ConsumerAffairs.com Investigation By Lisa Wade McCormick • Mysterious Deaths, Deformities • Similar Problems Nationwide • Missing Evidence --- • More about Pet Food

To solve any mystery, though, a good sleuth needs solid evidence. A smoking gun memo. Or scientific data that proves the case.

But that’s missing in this whodunit.

They breeders don’t have any clinical analysis to support their convictions.

They didn’t test the Purina they fed their dogs. They didn’t have autopsies performed on the deceased puppies. And they didn’t have lab work or ultrasounds done on the females that failed to get pregnant or delivered deformed or deceased puppies.

Why?

“If all of us knew then what we know now, we would have done all sorts of things to prove our case,” Wendy says. “But along the way, we went through so much devastation and heartbreak that we didn’t think of it.”

Lisa concurs.

“I didn’t relate the problems to the food until I started reading about the effects melamine has on pregnancies.”

Why didn’t she have autopsies performed on the deceased puppies?

“If I had known about melamine and the effects it has on humans and dogs, I would have,” Lisa says. “But these dogs were born in January — three months before Menu announced the recall.

“I know what happened to my dogs, though. I’ve been a breeder a long time. I know something is going on with the food. Nothing else has changed in my breeding program. The only common denominator is the Purina.”

Interesting Case … But Premature to Blame Purina

Veterinarians we interviewed agree the cases are interesting. And warrant further investigation.

But they warn it’s premature to blame Purina for the Newfoundlands’ reproductive problems.

They say more testing is needed before any allegations can -- or should -- be made about the dog food.

“I believe these cases are too poorly defined to try to make any sort of statement regarding the likelihood of diet as the cause of the ‘the problem,’” said Dr. Margaret Root Kustritz of the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She is a nationally recognized expert in theriogenology, which is animal reproduction.

“I know of no such problem specific to Newfoundlands. I know of no data in the veterinary literature documenting loss of pups from dietary causes in apparently healthy (female).”

Dr. Root Kustritz asked other animal reproduction specialists about the Newfoundlands’ problems.

“I have gotten two responses, neither of which noted any increase in such problems in Newfies in their areas. That means eastern Canada, the upper Midwest, and the Pacific Northwest are not seeing a problem recognized by theriogenologists or their clients.”

She added: “I believe this mystery is suffering from a lack of diagnostic testing. Breeders will tell you all these tests cost money. They do. So does repeated loss of pups.”

Dr. Jennifer Larsen, a veterinarian and trained nutritionist with Davis Veterinary Medical Consulting group in California, said there are a number of reasons why dogs fail to get pregnant. Or have reproductive success.

Those factors include timing, semen samples, genetics, viruses, and the environment.

Nutrition also plays a key role.

“Reproduction is a demanding physical state and you have to be careful about the diet you feed,” said Dr. Larsen, who owns Newfoundlands. “But to find out what’s going on nutritionally (in these cases) would take some scientific investigation. If they (the breeders) were unable to participate in that, than we’re just speculating.”

Dr. Larsen also said previous reproductive success doesn’t guarantee the same results in the future.

“The way genes are resorted can result in a bunch of different effects. It’s like people who five or six children and not all of them look the same.

“Past success or good luck has nothing to do with future good luck or success.”

Dr. Larsen, however, said these cases should be more thoroughly examined.

“It’s unfortunate what’s gone on. And there are a lot of pieces to the puzzle that need to be put in place.

“At this point, it’s premature to say it’s the food. But I hope these breeders work with their veterinarians to try and figure out what’s going on. That could help advance knowledge in this field.”

Lisa consulted her veterinarian, Dr. Lori Hunt at the Center West Animal Hospital in Westlake, Ohio.

“One of things I do with my breeding clients is when we have a dog that’s missing, the first thing we look into is what they’re eating,” said Dr. Hunt, who devotes much of her practice to canine reproduction. “Nutrition can absolutely effect conception. And it’s certainly possible that something could be out of whack nutritionally ... maybe the manufacturer changed the formula.

“But I can’t say it’s the food. There are other people who feed that same food and they haven’t had this trouble.”

Dr. Hunt said animals -- like humans -- sometimes develop problems that simply can’t be explained.

“I know the science of things and bad things sometimes happen for no reason.”

Nonetheless, the Newfoundlands’ problems piqued her professional interest.

“It certainly makes you think ... anything is possible.”

Newfoundland Club of America To Explore Problem

The Newfoundlands’ reproductive issues also captured the attention of the Newfoundland Club of America (NCA).

“I find this very odd,” said Pam Rubio, head of NCA’s Health and Longevity Committee. “I have not heard of this before. But there are lots of things that have never happened before that crop up.”

Does she suspect the food?

“I would doubt it because so many of us feed Pro Plan without any problems. If it’s the food -- and I’m still doubtful of that -- then it would have to be a change in the formula, the protein source, or an ingredient.”

Rubio, however, said she would discuss this issue with members of her committee.

“I’ll put it out there for us to explore. If there are more cases out there, we definitely want to know and see if we can find a common cause.”

The NCA can’t offer breeders any financial assistance, Rubio said.

But the organization can recommend -- and help fund -- research about specific issues facing the breed.

“If researchers want to do a study on this, we do have the Newfoundland Health Challenge and the Research Advisory Committee that decides who gets funding for studies.”

Purina Investigates Breeders Concerns

ConsumerAffairs.com also contacted Purina about the Newfoundlands’ problems. Spokesman Keith Schopp told us his company had never heard of these problems until our call.

He also said the pet food giant has not changed the formulas for Purina One or Purina Pro Plan in recent years.

“But we would like to talk to these breeders and get more information,” Schopp told us.

After our calls to Purina, a company representative contacted the breeders and promised to investigate their concerns.

New Evidence

Meanwhile, new evidence has surfaced in this mystery — evidence that might confirm the breeders' suspicions.

Lisa and Wendy contacted ConsumerAffairs.com on Tuesday and said they discovered some of the Purina food they’d fed their dogs when the problems first started.

“I’m in the process of revamping my kennel and when I got into one of the feed bins, I found some of the Purina at the bottom,” Lisa says. “I took back every bag of Purina I had after the recall, but I guess I didn’t take back the food I dumped into the bin. With everything that has happened, I forgot the food was in there.”

Lisa plans to immediately test the food.

So does Wendy, who also found some Purina in the bottom of one of her feed bins.

The breeders, however, says they don’t need scientific data to convince them the food caused their dogs’ problems. Their dogs -- and the awful experiences they’ve endured -- are all the proof they need.

“We know what we saw and we know what happened,” Lisa says.

Dogs Doing Better Off Purina

They also know their dogs’ conditions have improved since they took them off Purina products months ago.

“The difference is unbelievable,” says Wendy, who makes her own dog food and supplements it with a brand called Bil-Jac. That Ohio pet food maker uses locally produced ingredients. “My dogs are looking so good. My younger ones are slowly starting to gain weight now that they’re off that poisonous food. I can’t see their ribs anymore. And they’re a lot more active.”

Lisa makes her own dog food.

And she says her Newfoundlands are much healthier now that they’re off Purina.

“Their coats are a lot shinier, they’re more active, and their skin problems have cleared up.”

Twelve Happy Endings

This mystery has an even happier ending. Make that 12 happy endings.

Earlier this month, one of Wendy’s dogs delivered five healthy puppies.

“Everyone is OK,” Wendy says. “I’m sure it’s because I took (my female) off Purina. I’ll never feed Purina again.”

And Lisa’s dog, Juliet -- who had three mummified fetuses in her previous litter -- delivered seven healthy puppies over the Fourth Of July holiday.

“My biggest fear has always been the lasting effect this will have on my dogs’ reproductive systems,” Lisa says. “There’s no doubt in my mind why this was a healthy litter ... Juliet was not on Purina.”

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