Complain about a product or service

Nutro Pet Foods

Sarah of Murrieta, CA October 2, 2009

To give you some background, I have had cats all my life (58 so far) and I am very aware of the various health issues a cat can have. What alerted us that there was something definitely wrong was losing 5 cats in less than a year.

I have never lost that many cats in that short a time... EVER! It was also hard to pin point what exactly was going on is because the vets didn't have a conclusive reason why any of the cats were sick in the first place. One was supposedly due to old age and another was because of a congenital intestinal defect but the third there was no rhyme or reason as to why they were sick. They had just stopped eating. That was the key. They had all stopped eating.

When we had finally discovered the common element in all of their sicknesses, my fiance started searching the internet (he didn't have to search far). It seems that in February of 2008, Menu Foods purchased Nutro (you may remember Menu Foods as one of the companies responsible for the contaminated pet food back in 2007). It was around that time we started to notice a change in the appearance of the cat kibble.

In March of 2008, one of our oldest cats, Sebastian had stopped eating and so we took him to the vet. They did x-rays and said he had cancer of the intestines. We didn't want him to suffer and because of his advanced years (he was 16) so we decided that the most humane thing to do was to have him put down.

In the mean time, one of our newest cats Tiger had taken to not eating. We couldn't figure out why. We took him to the vet as well and they started doing tests. He would get better for a few days and then slip back to his old habits. In August, we finally took him to a Vet of Specialists. They told us that he had a blocked intestine and had to have surgery immediately. They did the surgery and removed a large chunk of his upper intestine. Needless to say he never recovered from his surgery.

When our next cat became sick and was diagnosed with an intestinal problem, my fiance knew something was wrong and figured he would check out the cat food we were feeding them. Bingo! We stopped feeding the Nutro immediately. Unfortunately, Esmeralda never recovered and had to put to sleep.

Well, we thought the threat was over. We had found the cause to why we were losing cats. What we didn't realize at the time was that heavy metal poisoning did not stop when you stop feeding them the contaminated food. Heavy metal is also extremely hard to get out of the cats system once it's there. In February of this year we lost Dolly. Because she was only 3-4 weeks old when we found her she didn't have any chance to recover with levels of toxins so high. So when our last cat, McGuffy, stopped eating in March we couldn't believe that it was because of the food. Our vet told us that it was again something in the intestines. We tried to nurse him back to health but again he was fair too gone for the efforts to help.

Now, to set the record straight. After the death of Esmeralda, I did contacted Nurto and told them what I knew to be true. They informed me that all the web hype was cause by a vicious blogger and a rival food company. As I explained that most of the information I had was on personal observation after reading just a few of the claimants on the Consumer Affairs website. I was told they would make note of my findings, contact my vet and then contact me with a decision whether or not to pay for the vet costs.

Of course I didn't hear anything back. So when Dolly passed on, I called them again and was told the same thing with the same response. I did hear back from them one last time saying it was not conclusive that any of our deaths were caused by the Nutro we had been feeding them. note: we also had 2 previous cat deaths that may or may not been caused by Nutro cat kibble but at the time the vet just said it was something with the intestines.

Well, since I can't measure in monetary values the emotional suffering that losing 5 cats (kids) can do to a person. I can measure the amount of money it cost us in vet bills. Low end estimates: Sebastian 500, Tiger 8,000, Esmeralda 1,000, Dolly 500 & McGuffy 2,000

Priscilla of Islip Terrace, NY October 2, 2009

On September 27,2009, I rushed my Yorkshire Terrier - Apollo to the Emergency Vet. He had bloody diarrhea for 2 days. Over the course of 3 weeks I was weaning Apollo and my Bischon Frise- Lola onto the new Nutro Ultra Holistic Superfood. They were eating the old formula for about a year without a problem. Nutro reformulated the Ultra line (i.e. adding avocado, pumpkin, and pomegrante)and raised the price.

As soon as I introduced the new food (I also mixed it with the old formula to reduce any upset to Apollo and Lola's systems) Lola threw up immediately. I put her back on Science Diet. Apollo was doing ok with it. I noticed he was itching here and there. He was also not eating as much as he normally did. Once the bloody diarrhea started, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Once Apollo and I were at the Emergency Vet, I was asked if Apollo got into anything. My answer was clearly No. My parents are retired . Therefore, Apollo and Lola are always home with someone when I am at work. After 3 hours of waiting, bloodwork, and radiographs, I was told by the ER vet that Apollos suffered from dietary indescretion. I asked the ER vet if the Nutro Ultra Holistic Superfood was the cause.

She told me more than likely yes. I also an assistant manager for a tri-state area pet chain. So,I also know first hand what this "Superfood" is doing. I have been told by customers that their dogs are violently throwing up, getting rashes, and their dogs will simply not even go near the food. Now, that I am a consumer with this problem myself, I am totally livid and disgusted!

Crystal of Hallandale Beach, FL September 30, 2009

My husband and I noticed that in your site there were dogs and cats were were getting sick and dying due to eating Nutro's Dog and cat food. Our two dogs have been sick vomiting and with diarrhea. They've been drinking water excessively and have had even blood in the diarrhea. They have been eating the food for the past 2 yrs and now is when they have been getting sick and having skin issues too. Our 8 month old 5 lbs chihuahua has died about 2 weeks ago from a bacteria in her liver and she had diarrhea and vomiting. We were told by the vet that she was poisoned or she ate something in the yard.. Funny thing is that she was always supervised and has no access to any chemical or poison. Nor is there anything in our yard that can kill an animal. Our other 2 dogs that are currently sick with vomiting and diarrhea is Petunia our female English Bulldog and Pettie our Jack Russell Terrier. Also our 2 cats have occasionally been vomiting and have been going in their box way more than normal and their stool smells worse than normal. All off our animals have always been pampered and spoiled with the best care and nutrition. The dogs have been eating the Small Bites Lamb and Rice formula (Bright Green Bag) and the cats have been eating the Indoor Max Cat formula. We are devastated with the loss of our chihuahua and are in 3000 in debt for all the care and bills that our chihuahua got at the vet only to loose her Sept. 13th 2009. Just to take her on a Wednesday morning at 4 a.m. cost us about 800. We have consulted with a lawyer and are pursuing with a class action law suit if there hasn't been one already done again for this company. If there has been one please contact me via phone or e-mail.

Beth of Las Vegas, NV September 30, 2009

We've been feeding our dog Nutro Natural Senior food for many many years. However, over the past year she has gotten severly ill. She vomits several times a week, has gotten very lethargic and now has chronic diarrhea, which sometimes contains blood. We've taken her to the vet and spent several thousand dollars running tests on her, only to be told there's nothing wrong with her.

After researching Nutro brand dog food online, I found this website with hundreds of complaints very similar to mine. I've stopped feeding my dog the Nutro brand food and pray that she will start getting better. If this doesn't qualify for a class action lawsuit, I don't know what does!

Mary of Bowling Green , OH September 25, 2009

My Chow/Shep. has been on lamb and rice for five yrs. running fevers from time to time gone the next day or so. If not I take him to my vet. Vomiting bile my vet said give him something at night, only does it during the day when he has food. Vet sugguested and anacid didn't work he gets sick once a month usely 3 piles when I get home. Found out about what's happening he is off today. Hopefully the iching he's having goes away.

Julie of Romeoville , IL September 25, 2009

OMG! I was shocked to read others experience w/ Nutro. My AmStaff is 5 yrs old and we've given him Nutro since he was 9wks old. I just ran out of food and was looking for coupons as the last bag I bought, prices went up significantly. But I found this site instead. I have spent well over 500, not including the monthly fee for the Banfield Ins Plan of 20, now almost 40/mo, taking him in for exams with the skin problem and now vomiting. The vomiting was never really diagnosed as anything, other than "eating too fast". Test were normal. Is there a specific test we should be asking for? Is it their digestive system that's being harmed? For those of you w/ seizures and deaths, was a cause determined? Needless to say, I went and bought a small bag of Eukanuba. We'll see how he does with that.

jason of Madison heights, MI September 24, 2009

we went to petco to get the usual dog food for my 2 year old boxer (iams) when a sales rep for nutra max dog food came up to us and started her little sales pitch about how iams has processed meat parts and how that was so bad for my dog and that she had a boxer also and had been giving him nutra max and she also had switched him from iams. so after listening to her we decided to switch and see if my dog would like the new food. after about 2 weeks on the nutra max food food my dog had 3 seizures and his gums were pail white and had no energy. after trying to figure out how this could be happening my fiance looked up nutra max dog foods and realized that he had all the symptoms other dogs had from the complaints on the internet. i cant believe i switched my dogs food without looking into it first and switched from iams when he never had a problem. i am hopefully lucky in the fact that we figured it out before he had permanent damage done like some of the other customers of nutra max's pet food did. i cant believe petco would allow a sales rep from a company that obviously has many complaints and impending lawsuits push there products in their stores.

Earline of Babson Park, FL September 22, 2009

My Mainecoon cat, Seamus, has become very ill in the last 2 months. He has spent multiple days/nights at the vet's office for vomiting up bile, not eating, lethargy, etc. After reading the complaints/concerns about Nutro Pet foods on consumeraffairs.com I have become very concerned. When I got him from the breeder in March 2008, at 9 weeks old, she told me to keep him on the Nutro cat food. He has NEVER had anything else until we went to the pet store in June and it had been recalled. Later, when we could get it again we put him back on it because he didn't want to eat anything else. My husband and I have payed out over 1600 trying to find out what is wrong with him. Including a very expensive blood test that was sent to Texas A&M. They came back with a folic acid deficiency. Now he is back at the vet's office and has been since last Friday because he cam e home and the symptoms which had cleared up have started again. We are waiting for the bill for the current stay. Someone needs to start digging into why this is happening to so many animals. This goes across breeds in both dogs and cats and the age of the animal does not seem to matter.

Tressa of Trainer, PA September 22, 2009

I came across some things on the net about nutro max dog food law suit. I wanted to know if I had a case or who I would get in touch with if I do. I had my first dog on this food for 8 your and she had to be put down do to some unexplainable seizures and or brain tomer. Then I got the second dog and after 6 years on this food had to be put down for bone cancer. Does this have to do with the food like many of the other cases.

Leigh of Hazard, KY September 22, 2009

Recently I had to euthanize my 9 year old coon hound. She had severe kidney disease. The biopsy of her kidneys indicated repeated small doses of toxic substances. I have feed my dogs nutro for years. Now, only now, I'm finding out this food is killing pets. I recently went to PetSmart to purchase more Nutro and happened to inquire about whether there were any reported problems from the recall a few years back. The woman told me to never purchase nutro, that it had actually been recalled more than the one time a few years ago. WHY was this not on the news. WHY? I suspect NUTRO caused my dog's fatal illness.

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