Pet Food Recalls and Warnings

Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is recalling the Jr. Texas Taffy pet treat (ITEM # 27077, UPC # 02280827077, All Lots up to and including 10364) because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.  Merrick Pet Care has made the decision to recall all Jr. Texas Taffy pet treats in the abundance of caution. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products.

People handling the treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the chews or any surfaces exposed to these products.  Consumers should dispose of these products in a safe manner by securing them in a covered trash receptacle. 

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers immediately.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian immediately.

TheJr. Texas Taffy was shipped to distributors and retailers throughout the US.  These individuals have been notified and have activated their recall procedures.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

Consumers who have purchased the Jr. Texas Taffy are urged to return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-664-7387 M-F 8:00am – 5:00pm CST.

By Truman Lewis
ConsumerAffairs.com

May 21, 2009
For more than a year, NUTRO Pet Products has shrugged off consumer complaints about dogs and cats becoming ill and even dying after eating the company's food. The company's public relations agents have insisted the food was "100 percent safe" and both NUTRO and the taxpayer-supported agency charged with regulating the safety of animal feed — the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — have denied there is any kind of investigation into NUTRO products.

But today, the FDA announced a recall of more than 20 kinds of dry NUTRO cat food that has been sold in at least 11 countries, including all 50 states in the U.S. The FDA allowed the company to write the press release, which was then posted on the official FDA Web site. The company-written statement repeatedly stresses that the recall is voluntary and pins the blame on an unidentified supplier who supposedly allowed excessive levels of zinc and under-supplemented potassium in its premix. (Complete list) The company takes credit for finding the problem.

As usual, the company claimed it has received no consumer complaints about the recalled cat food but said cat owners should monitor their cat for symptoms, including a reduction in appetite or refusal of food, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea. If a cat is experiencing health issues or is pregnant, consumers should contact their veterinarian.

However, among the more than 800 consumer complaints ConsumerAffairs.com has received about NUTRO products since 2007, many have been about illnesses and deaths involving cats. Many of the aggrieved consumers also contacted NUTRO.

"I was approached by a rep for Nutro Cat food in January 2009," said Jean of Terre Haute, Ind. "I told her we had just adopted two Ragdoll kittens and she told us that Nutro brand was so good and natural and she had Ragdolls and it would be very good for them, etc. We purchased it and slowly changed their food over to Nutro. They began vomiting yellow and were shedding hair like crazy and had gas, etc. I found this site and was horrified to read what folks have been going thru and ... dodged a bullet by switching cat food immediately."

Linda of Richmond, British Columbia, tried to speak to NUTRO about one of her cats began vomiting after eating NUTRO and another refused to eat it.

"I got worried and phoned their company and was eventually yelled at by Diane, the consumer receptionist. I contacted the store where I bought it, and was told another client complained of a very sick cat. A rep contacted me and was rude to me. I ended up throwing the crap out and putting them on Kirkland cat food. My cat gained back ALL of her weight within 2 months. I was treated very badly by those roaches at Nutro."

FDA all the way

Besides publishing NUTRO's carefully-crafted and self-congratulatory press release verbatim — and without making any attempt to verify the truth or falsity of the claim that the company had not received any complaints about the problem — the FDA has for months gone out of its way to avoid giving offense to the company, owned by the powerful Mars Corp., of McLean, Va., one of the world's largest pet food and candy producers.

When ConsumerAffairs.com asked FDA about the consumer problems with NUTRO — which are many times more numerous than for other brands of pet food — the agency had little to say. Reporter Lisa Wade McCormick last spring filed a Freedom of Information Action (FOIA) request last spring, asking for all consumer complaints, investigatory reports and lab tests that the agency had in its files.

After the usual delay of many months, the agency's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) responded, saying it did not have any such documents and referred the request to other FDA departments. The request was eventually denied on the grounds that supplying the documents would jeopardize ongoing investigations. Questioned by McCormick, an FDA official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that the request was denied because the agency was investigating NUTRO.

But just a few days later, the CVM — which had already conceded that it would have no responsibility for such an investigation — issued a press release claiming that NUTRO was not being investigated and asserting that reports otherwise were in error. Earlier this week, ConsumerAffairs.com appealed the agency's latest refusal to release the documents.

"Though the reports on whether the FDA is investigating Nutro have been conflicting, the FDAs official position is that there is no pending investigation of Nutro. Therefore, the FDA may not rely on the 'law enforcement' exemption of FOIA because, according to the FDA, there is no pending enforcement proceeding against Nutro," said Cameron Stracher, a New York attorney who represents ConsumerAffairs.com.

Facts and true facts

Despite the FDA's denial that it is investigating NUTRO, consumers have confirmed that FDA inspectors came to their homes investigating their pets' deaths.

In one instance, the FDA investigator told a consumer that he had learned of her pet's death by reading her complaint on ConsumerAffairs.com.

"The FDA's odd insistence that there is no investigation — when all the evidence indicates that there is — leads to an even more obvious and urgent question," said James R. Hood, president of ConsumerAffairs.com. "If the agency is telling the truth and there is indeed no investigation, it seems logical to ask, 'Why isn't there?'"

"One would think that NUTRO and the FDA would be curious as to why so many pet owners have reported their animals became ill after eating NUTRO products and — in some cases — mysteriously improved when they were switched to other foods. A public relations blitz won't get to the bottom of it. The FDA needs to stop stalling and do its job," Hood said.

Earlier this week, Sherri of Ann Arbor, Mich., wrote about her experience with NUTRO: "My pure bred Portuguese water dog began vomiting, having loose stools and acting lethargic after 4 months on Nutro Natural Choice Herring & Rice Formula. The vet could not explain, blood levels normal, intestinal antibiotics/probiotics given, intestines 2x normal size, surgery revealed no obstructions, every time food was readministered it began again. Vet suggested I stop Nutro after learning about other dogs problems. My dog is now on Natural Balance and is doing perfectly fine."

Sherri said she contacted NUTRO about a week ago. They said they'd contact her vet, but so far, they have not, she said. They also said they'd send her an envelope for samples of the food. She said they have yet to do that.

In her posting, Sherri urged other pet owners to contact the FDA and ask it to investigate.

Read more ...

• Verbatim complaints and comments from consumers.
• Recall notice

By Lisa Wade McCormick
ConsumerAffairs.com

October 15, 2009
A third pet food company in as many weeks has pulled some of its products off the market.

Wysong Pet Food confirmed that it recalled five batches of Canine Diets Maintenance and Senior dry dog food -- manufactured in June and July 2009 -- because the products contain mold.

"Penicillium and fusarium mold species have been identified," Lucas Wysong, the company's vice-president, told ConsumerAffairs.com. "All mycotoxin tests conducted thus far are negative with regard to the recalled products."

"That we released some product that was not of the highest quality and may have caused any animals harm makes us frankly ashamed and heartsick," he added.

Specifically, the Michigan-based pet food maker recalled the following batches of dry dog food:

• Wysong Maintenance: lot #: 090617

• Wysong Maintenance: lot #: 090624

• Wysong Maintenance: lot #: 090706

• Wysong Maintenance: lot #: 090720

• Wysong Senior: lot #: 090623

ConsumerAffairs.com talked to a pet owner in Hawaii who says her Doberman Pinscher recently died -- and her eight other dogs became sick -- after eating Wysong's moldy food.

Lucas Wysong said his family's company is working closely with that pet owner. He called the case "exceptional" and said his company has received only two other minor complaints -- reports of diarrhea -- linked to the recalled food.

Wysong told us his company discovered the problem in late September after it investigated customer complaints' of possible mold contamination in the food.

In a prepared statement, Wysong said "At first report of potential mold in our products, Wysong launched an internal investigation. Batch records were re-examined, numerous bags of product opened and scrutinized, product samples were acquired from customers, and testing in-house and out-of-house conducted."

That investigation, the company said, revealed the problem with the food stemmed from the "unusually high heat and humidity" on the days the products were made in June and July. The company also blamed the higher moisture issues on a "malfunctioning moisture checking device."

Wysong said his company notified its distributors about the problem on September 29, 2009.

"Once Wysong ascertained that there was mold presence and the potential for mold (based on moisture tests) in certain batches we alerted our distributors, who were the primary recipients of these batches of product," he said. "Distributors were instructed to dispose of the product, as well as pull product from stores that had already received the product."

The company also said it contacted stores that received the recalled product and asked them to remove the food from store shelves. In addition, the company destroyed any "problematic" batches that remained in-house.

Wysong also told us that his company notified the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)about the mold problem. The FDA's new Reportable Food Registry requires U.S. companies to file a report when there is a "reasonable probability" that their food will cause serious health consequences to people or animals.

Wysong also posted a recall notice on its Web site, but that warning is buried under the dry dog food section.

When asked why his company didn't immediately notify pet owners about the mold problem, Wysong said "The vast majority of the recalled product was sent to our distributors and retailers. We have therefore focused our efforts on alerting distributors and stores and asked them to dispose of the product."

"In other words, we are focusing on the supply chain because the customers at the retail/store level are not identifiable," he said.

Wysong admitted that posting a notice on the company's Web site is not the most effective way to reach customers who may have the recalled products.

"The actual recipients of the product -- distributors and retailers -- have already been alerted, and those that buy our product in stores are likely not Wysong.net site visitors," he said. "The notice on the site therefore serves as an alert to those who did not receive these products."

"We keep records of the distributors and stores that were shipped this product," he added. "Our best chance at notifying customers is through these mediums."

Pet owners who have any of the recalled food should immediately stop feeding it to their dogs, Wysong said.

"She did not deserve to die that way"

That warning, however, came too late for Julie P. of Hawaii. She says her healthy Doberman Pinscher, Scarlet, died on September 26, 2009, after eating some of Wysong's moldy food.

"Losing Scarlet was just horrible and totally needless," Julie told us. "She died a very painful and agonizing death on the morning of her fifth birthday after suffering all night long. She had gone completely toxic."

But Julie's nightmare didn't end with Scarlet's death. Her other eight Dobermans also became seriously ill after eating Wysong's moldy food.

"They're lethargic and continued to get more and more down as time went by," says Julie, who switched her dogs to Wysong in August. "They have very red eyes with yellow gunk that they have had the whole time I was feeding Wysong. That has now finally gone away because I took them off the food after Scarlet died," she said.

"They also had severe diarrhea the whole time, too. At first I thought it was from the changing of their food, but it got worse with some bloody stools and did not go away until again I stopped feeding them Wysong."

One of Julie's dogs, a male named Doug, also developed a sore on his leg that would not heal and had "dry flaky skin with red bumps on his neck."

"Several of my other dogs, including my Daddy, Ruby, and Maybelle all have a bad rash on their groin areas that I also could not get to go away for the last two months," Julie says. "They have had gaseous upset stomachs many times in the last two months. They have been throwing up, and at times, Doug refused to even get near his feeding dish."

Julie says she didn't make a connection between Wysong's food and her dogs' death and illnesses until she opened a new bag on October 4, 2009.

"When I opened that bag, I noticed a moldy look to the kibble -- a look I had seen on several previous bags in the two months I feed it to my dogs. I did not notice any smell, but I think my dog Doug did."

Julie contacted the company that same day. "I was afraid to feed them what looked to me like moldy food," she says. "And I started putting all these symptoms together as being from the food."

"I'm not sure how I can prove that all of these symptoms were from eating the bad dog food," she adds. "But now that I've stopped feeding the food to them, they are all getting better, which seems to prove that it was."

Julie says Wysong should give her some compensation -- at least enough to cover her vet bills -- but no amount of money can ever replace Scarlet.

"She did not deserve to die that way," Julie says. "She was still a young and vibrant dog and very, very special to us. She could have gone on to live another ten years...it's hard to put a price tag on that. What would you pay to have your loved one with you for all those days?"

Lucas Wysong told us his company is "immensely sorry" for any worry or inconvenience this issue has caused its customers.

In Julie's case, Wysong said his company is in "direct communication" with her regarding the death of Scarlet and the illnesses of her other dogs.

"We have requested specific tests be conducted in an attempt to definitively determined the cause of death/sickness," he said, adding the company has not received any other reports of serious adverse reactions linked to the recalled food.

The company, he added, has also taken steps to ensure a mold problem like this doesn't surface again.

"We are in the midst of scrutinizing each and every step of our quality assurance processes," he said. "All products going back for months are being tested for moisture and mold, thus eliminating the possibility of further problematic product (if any exists) being released.

"We vow to all interested parties to do everything we can to ensure that this never happens again."

Julie, however, isn't taking any more chances with Wysong's food.

"Like a lot of people I am going to be making my own food for my dogs. But with this many to feed, that's a challenge. It can be hard to get all the vitamins in there, so I would like to supplement with a small amount of kibble."

Meanwhile, pet owners who have any of Wysong's recalled food -- or questions about the recall -- can e-mail the company at Wysong@Wysong.net.

Third in a series

Wysong is the third pet food maker in recent weeks to quietly pull some of its products off the market.

Earlier this month, Diamond Pet Foods removed some of its Premium Edge Finicky Adult and Hairball cat food off the market because of deficiencies in the thiamine levels.

Diamond's action came just days after Nutro Products quietly pulled from the market three types of its puppy food because of a production error.

The company said it voluntarily withdrew the puppy food after it had discovered pieces of melted plastic in the "production line of select varieties of NUTRO dry dog and cat food products."

Add another 15 varieties to the growing list of recalled pet foods.

Royal Canin USA has recalled eight Sensible Choice dog food products and seven Kasco dry dog and cat food products.

The company said it took that action late Friday after tests revealed traces of a melamine derivative in the Chinese rice protein concentrate the company received from its supplier, Cereal Byproducts of Illinois.

Cereal Byproducts on May 4 recalled the rice protein concentrate it received from Chinese supplier Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd. after the FDA discovered melamine and melamine derivatives in the product.

The company said it shipped the tainted rice protein to three unnamed customers in the Midwest between July 19, 2006 and March 14, 2007. Two of those companies recalled their contaminated products around April 19, 2007.

In a written statement on Royal Canins Web site, Olivier Amice, president and CEO, stated: We deeply regret the concern and anxiety this announcement today will cause our loyal customers and the entire pet community. While a very limited number of Sensible Choice and Kasco products in this recall tested positive for trace levels of a melamine derivative, Royal Canin USA is voluntarily withdrawing these products out of an abundance of caution and because we are fully committed to the welfare of our customers pets.

The company, which announced last month that it would no longer use any Chinese vegetable protein suppliers, said it had not received any confirmed cases of illnesses linked to the recalled products.

The products involved in this recall have date codes between July 28, 2006 to April 30, 2007 and were sold in pet stores nationwide.

Since March, 18 companies have recalled more than 5, 600 pet food products.

Thousands of dogs and cats that have eaten the melamine-tainted pet food have suffered kidney disease or died.

The FDA said it has received reports of 4,100 deaths of cats and dogs linked to the tainted food, which is contaminated with the melamine and melamine-related compounds. Melamine is a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers. It is not approved for use in human or pet food.

The Pet Connection Web site has received unconfirmed reports of 4,867 pets -- 2,519 cats and 2,348 dogs -- that have died from the contaminated food. It also states the total number of reports it's received about pets affected by the tainted food is 14,646.

More about the Pet Food Recall ...

Nestle Purina PetCare Co. announced late Friday that it was recalling all sizes and varieties of Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy dog food marked with specific date codes. The company said some of the cans might be contaminated with melamine, the toxin suspected of causing the pet illnesses.

"We're very confident that we've isolated this problem," said Keith Schopp, a spokesman for Nestle Purina. "This is just one canned variety of Alpo, and it's one of many varieties of Alpo canned products. No dry products are involved. No cat products are involved."

But soothing corporate statements come as little comfort to affected pet owners, like Nicole of Key West, Fla.

"I have two small chihuahuas that ate Alpo Prime Cuts dog food. One of my dogs is currently in the hospital because her kidneys are failing. Sophie is only 6 months old and is very ill," she told ConsumerAffairs.com. "My other dog Charlie is beginning to show signs as well. This has caused me a great deal of stress, time off work, money and possibly the lives of my animals."

The massive recall began two weeks ago, when Canada-based Menu Foods recalled 60 millions cans and pouches of "cuts and gravy" moist dog and cat food produced at its plant in Emporia, Kan., between Dec. 3 and March 6. It has since affected such national brands as Procter & Gamble's Iams and Eukanuba, Nestle SA's Purina Mighty Dog and others, including some sold at Wal-Mart and Safeway.

Joanne of Bentleyville, Penn., was an Iams customer. When her cat refused to eat the Iams Select Bites pouches Joanne brough home, she let her border collie eat them. The dog died a slow death from kidney failure.

"She loved cat food ... so I gave it to (her) as a treat she never gets. The following day I tried the food again with the cat but again he would not eat it so again I gave it to the dog. I had no idea that I thought the food was a treat for my dog was actually poison."

"My life will never be the same. I feel I poisoned one of my family," Joanne said in a complaint to ConsumerAffairs.com. "I trusted a company. I will never do that again."

Menu Food's President and CEO says his company still doesn't know how wheat gluten contaminated with a chemical commonly used in plastic wound up in its products.

President Paul K. Henderson also said the contaminated wheat gluten is not in any of its other product that are outside the scope of the company's massive recall of 60 millions containers of "cuts and gravy" style pet food.

Meanwhile, Hill's Pet Nutrition recalled its Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry cat food. The food included wheat gluten from the same supplier that Menu Foods used. The recall doesn't involve any other Prescription Diet or Science Diet products, the company said.

The Food and Drug Administration -- and an outside laboratory -- announced on Friday that tests found a chemical called melamine in samples of the tainted pet foods involved in the recall.

"Melamine has been found in the finished product that was the subject of recall and has not been found in other Menu Foods pet food outside of the recall," Henderson said at a press conference Friday afternoon.

Cornell University officials also confirmed they found melamine -- used in floor tiles, kitchenware, and fire retardant fabrics -- in the urine and kidney of a sick cat. New York officials say they've detected that chemical, too.

Henderson said the melamine-tainted wheat gluten came from a new supplier, who imported the ingredient from China. He said the company stopped using that supplier after dogs and cats across the country showed symptoms of kidney disease or died after eating Menu's pet foods.

"Needless to say, we have a great deal of interest in finding out why we were supplied with this kind of product," Henderson said of the tainted wheat gluten. "This is a subject of very great interest to us and our lawyers and you can expect that we will be following up."

He added: "For litigation purposes, we cannot elaborate at this time."

Grieving pet owners in the United States and Canada have filed lawsuits against Menu Foods, alleging the company was negligent and should have warned consumers about its tainted products before the March 16, 2007, recall.

Problem Solved?

Henderson said pet owners shouldn't worry about the safety of the cat and dog food the company is now producing.

"Let me be clear on this -- we have removed that (tainted wheat gluten) problem from our system," he said. "Our products are safe. We continue to engage in the highest levels of monitoring and testing in the pet food industry. These tests will be expanded as a result of this experience."

He also pointed out: "Melamine has not been found in the wheat gluten that we obtain from our other suppliers ... all of the testing that has been conducted, including the routine taste tests that were underway prior to the discovery of this problem, have demonstrated that those products not associated with the suspect wheat gluten performed very well and in a manner consistent with historic norms."

The tainted wheat gluten, however, might have been used to make dry dog food.

Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said the melamine-tainted ingredient was shipped to an unnamed company -- one that manufactures dry pet food.

The federal agency is now investigating whether that contaminated ingredient was used to make any dry pet foods.

When asked if pet owners could be feeding unsafe food to their animals, Sundlof said: "It is possible, but I think we've been following every lead that we can. My sense is that we have gotten most of it under control."

Last week, New York officials announced they discovered the toxin aminopterin -- used as rat poison in other countries and as a cancer drug in the United States -- in Menu's contaminated products.

But the FDA said its tests -- and those by the outside lab -- did not reveal the rat poison in the recalled pet food. Or in the wheat gluten.

Wheat gluten is used a thickening agent and source of protein in pet foods, but it's also used in some human foods.

The FDA said today that it has found no indication the contaminated ingredient is in any food humans eat. The agency said it would alert the public if it found melamine in any other foods.

The FDA has confirmed at least 16 deaths linked to Menu's contaminated pet foods, but officials expect that number to dramatically increase. The FDA said it has received calls from more than 8,000 veterinarians and pet owners.

Earlier this week, the Veterinarians Information Network, a Web site of 30,000 veterinarians and veterinary students, announced its members have reported 104 deaths linked to Menu Foods' contaminated products. The majority of those deaths -- 88 -- involved cats.

The Web site also received 11 reports of dogs dying after eating Menu Foods' tainted food. The remaining five deaths did not list a species.

In addition, VIN said its members have seen 471 cases of kidney failure since Menu Foods announced its massive recall on March 16, 2007.

The Web site PetConnection.com says it has -- as of March 30, 2007 -- received 2,400 unconfirmed reports of dog and cat deaths linked to Menu Foods.

Henderson offered his company's condolences to grieving pet owners.

"All of us at Menu Foods want to express our sympathy to those people who have suffered with sickness and loss of pets," he said. "We are pet-people and we have almost 1,000 caring employees who are dedicated to making food that is safe, nutritious and palatable."

He added: "We are angered that a source outside of the company has apparently adulterated the product causing this regrettable loss."

As the investigation continues, pet owners are advised to watch their dogs and cats for symptoms of kidney failure, including loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, excessive drinking and either excessive or no urination.

Veterinarians, however, warn that animals do not show symptoms until about 70 percent of the kidney function is lost.

A complete list of the recalled Menu pet foods is available at Menu Food's Web site: www.menufoods.com/recall or contact the company at (866) 463-6738 or (866) 895-2708.

A division of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has denied that it is investigating NUTRO Products Inc., whose pet foods are the subject of more than 700 complaints from consumers who say their dogs and cats became ill and, in some cases, died after eating NUTRO products.

But consumers who fed their dogs NUTRO have confirmed that FDA inspectors came to their homes investigating their pets' deaths. And the FDA is still refusing to release information about NUTRO, saying that to do so could hamper law enforcement efforts.

"They can't have it both ways," said James R. Hood, president of ConsumerAffairs.com, which has a long-pending Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for information the agency has gathered about NUTRO. "If there's no investigation, they must release the files, which are public property. That's the law."

Tuesday's denial came from the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), which is not the FDA division that handles complaints about pet food.

But an FDA official, who is not with the CVM, told ConsumerAffairs.com last week that the agency is investigating the pet food maker. The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he or she was not authorized to talk to the media, said the investigation could be civil or criminal in nature.

Investigation confirmed

Despite the backtracking of the FDA and the denials of NUTRO's publicists, ConsumerAffairs.com has confirmed that FDA agents in Indiana have investigated the deaths of three dogs in that state. All three of those dogs ate NUTRO.

Earlier this week, a consumer in Evansville, Ind., said that the FDA came to his home last August after the death of his healthy 11-year-old dog, Ali, a Norwegian Elkhound, who died on July 13, 2008.

"An FDA agent came out to my house and took down all the information," said the pet owner, Mark D. "The agent said they'd (his FDA office) gotten a number of complaints about NUTRO. He said he was aware of the problems nationally and the problems included on your (ConsumerAffairs.com) Web site." Mark said he talked to the agent several times after the agent visited his home.

Mark said he and his family went on vacation last July and took Ali and their other dog — a Collie — to the kennel. "We took her to this same kennel for many years and Ali always ate well."

The kennel's owner, however, noticed that Ali suddenly had bloody diarrhea, was vomiting and not eating. The kennel took Ollie to its vet.

"The vet said he thought she'd eaten something at the kennel," Mark said. "But we asked that if that's true, how come the only dog this happened to was the one that ate NUTRO. We have two dogs; our Collie was on a different food — not a NUTRO brand. She was in the same run and she's fine.

"And we said what did Ali eat that the other dog didn't. The only answer was the food."

Ali then took a turn for the worse. She died on July 13, 2008.

"It was awful," Mark said. "This was a healthy, 11-year-old dog that was taken to the vet once a year. We have all her records."

After Ali's death, Mark had a necropsy done on his beloved dog. That autopsy revealed that Ali died of septicemia (bacteria in the blood) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).

"The vet said the infection started in the GI tract, and he did not see any signs of melamine poising," Mark said. "Additionally, there was a growth on her spleen the size of a softball. When I asked him (the vet) how long the growth could have been there, he said a week or two at the most."

The vet could not say if the food caused her death, but "he could not rule it out," Mark said.

Mark said his vet urged him to contact the FDA, which he did. His vet also sent Ali's NUTRO food to Purdue University for testing. Those tests, Mark said, were negative for melamine, salmonella and e-coli.

Nonetheless, Mark is convinced the NUTRO food played a role in Ali's death. "I don't see how it could be anything else," he said. "It's terrible to lose a dog, especially in that manner...to go like that is not deserved at all."

Mark says he just wants answers about what happened to his dog. "That would be great. I would love to have NUTRO admit this was its fault — or it it wasn't their fault — to find a reason for what happened so it won't happen again."

Another investigation

ConsumerAffairs.com has also confirmed that the FDA investigated the April 2008 deaths of two Italian Greyhound dogs in Indiana. The dogs' owner told us an FDA agent came to her home, took a report, and tested samples of the NUTRO food those dogs ate. Those tests, however, did not find any toxins in the food. Autopsies indicated the dogs died from antifreeze poisoning. The dogs owner doesnt believe those findings, saying there is no antifreeze around her home.

Hundreds of pet owners nationwide have told ConsumerAffairs.com their dogs and cats have experienced sudden and recurring bouts of vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems after eating various flavors of NUTRO. In nearly every case, the animals recovered after their owners switched them to another brand of pet food. Others, however, died. To date, ConsumerAffairs.com has talked to the owners of seven dogs who suspect their pets deaths are linked to NUTRO food but cannot prove it and are hoping for government help.

NUTRO has repeatedly defended its products, and also denies that it is being investigated. Mars recalled 20-pound bags of Pedigree dog food last year, saying it might be contaminated with salmonella.

Menu investigation

Another pet food company, Menu Foods, said in a recent financial filing that the FDA had commenced a criminal investigation to determine whether Menu violated the Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act. The company noted that additional actions or investigations may arise in the future. It did not mention any other pet food companies. Menu last year settled a $24 million lawsuit that grew from the largest pet food recall in U.S. history.

NUTRO is a division of privately-held Mars, Inc., which is not required to file the extensive financial disclosure statements required of publicly-traded companies. After NUTRO was acquired by Mars in 2007, Mars was fined a record 4.5 million (about US$5.8 million) by the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) for not observing the required waiting period before closing the transaction.

Mars had been by far the leading provider of cat and dog food in Germany prior to the merger. NUTRO also had extensive marketing operations in Europe, but under pressure from the German regulators, Mars divested NUTRO's Austrian and German businesses.

Request denied

News of the FDA investigation came to light last week after the FDA denied a Freedom of Information Act request filed by ConsumerAffairs.com seeking a list of all NUTRO complaints and lab results the agency had collected since 2007, which is when NUTRO became a subsidiary of the privately-held Mars Corp. Mars manufactures candies including M&M's, Snickers, KitKats, Mars Bars and Skittles. Half of its business comes from pet care products, including Pedigree, Whiskas, Royal Canin and Cesar pet foods.

In its denial letter, the FDA said the records ConsumerAffairs.com requested were compiled for law enforcement purposes and releasing those documents could interfere with law enforcement proceedings.

In an earlier letter ConsumerAffairs.com received from the FDA — one dated September 5, 2008 — the Center for Veterinary Medicine denied our FOIA request, saying: The FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine has no responsive records to your request. Complaints regarding adverse reactions to pet foods are filed with the district office consumer complaint coordinator located in the state where the complainant resides."

NUTRO has been citing the Center for Veterinary Medicines denial as proof the FDA is not investigating the company, and the CVM yesterday released a statement saying that "a media report incorrectly concluded and reported that Nutro Products Inc. was the subject of an investigation." But the official ConsumerAffairs.com spoke with last week was not assigned to the Center for Veterinary Medicine. That person is with another division of the FDA.

Media wags its tail

The media response to the dust-up illustrates the sorry effects of the cutback in newspaper reporting staffs and television's increasing use of empty-suit commentators filling positions once held by actual journalists.

The story has simply been ignored by most major newspapers and broadcasters. The few who have touched it have been content with scraps tossed their way by NUTRO and the government.

CNN took its cue from the company's publicists on its 7:41 a.m. newscast a few days ago, as newsreader Robin Meade aired a "clarification of a report that involved a report from ConsumerAffairs.com."

"It (the report) said that the FDA is investigating NUTRO pet foods. It said the independent Web site — which is not affiliated with the federal Consumer Protection Agency (sic) or Consumer Reports — it said it got hundreds of complaints from dog and cat owners who said their pets got sick or died ... but the FDA tells CNN that ConsumerAffairs is wrong and it's not investigating NUTRO."

CNN did not contact ConsumerAffairs.com or any of the 700 consumers who have taken the time to tell their stories but relied totally on the assurances of government and corporate publicists whose interests lie in advancing their employers' interests, not ferreting out the truth.

"NUTRO says in a statement to CNN that it wants to assure its consumers, associates and retailers that its products undergo rigorous product assurance testing and are safe and conform to the specific standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — that's a quote," Meade exclaimed.

"Now as far as the complaints from the pet owners," she continued, "NUTRO says an analysis of the products complained about determined them to be safe and that there was nothing in the pet health issues caused by NUTRO pet food."

Professional groups have also shown little concern, labeling the reports of pet illness "anecdotal." Dr. Kimberly May of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) discounted the source of the reports.

Based on previous experiences with ConsumerAffairs.com, they dont let the truth get in the way of a good story," she said on a trade group forum. "They were one of the sites propagating the microchips cause cancer in pets rumors a few years ago, without any science whatsoever to back up their statements.

May's statement is completely false — no such story ever appeared on ConsumerAffairs.com, Hood, the Web site's president and editor, said. May has since retracted the statement but has not apologized.

"The complete disregard for fact-checking that prevails in today's world is just mind-boggling," Hood said. "People who are supposed to be respected professionals say the first thing that comes into their head while completely ignoring the entreaties of the consumers whose interests they are supposed to protect."

"Any incident can be called anecdotal. A story of a fatal assault during an armed robbery is anecdotal, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen and that measures should not be taken to capture the offenders and try to prevent future occurrences," he said. "The press and responsible professionals are supposed to investigate — not wait for corporate and government mouthpieces to hand them their talking points."

Worrisome trend

ConsumerAffairs.com filed its Freedom of Information request for NUTRO records last year after an analysis of consumer complaints revealed that scores of pets from California to South Carolina had experienced sudden and recurring bouts of diarrhea, vomiting, and other digestive problems.

A common denominator among those dogs and cats was NUTRO pet food. In many cases, consumers said their pets conditions improved once their owners stopped feeding them NUTRO pet food. Some animals died, however.

ConsumerAffairs.com continues to receive complaints about NUTRO from dog and cat owners nationwide. In the past year, consumers have filed more than 600 complaints saying their dogs or cats suddenly became ill after eat NUTRO. The problems these pets have experienced are similar: vomiting, diarrhea, and other digestive issues.

Most of the complaints mirror one from Linda P. of New Baltimore, Michigan.

For three years, I have been feeding my dog NUTRO Natural Choice Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Small Bites Dry Dog Food, she said. The last bag I bought, I notice the food color was lighter than in the past. Me being who I am, I believed there was a change in formula for the better. My Dachshund/Lab became ill, vomiting food chunks and yellow bile as well. We took him to the vet and I have been feeding him homemade chicken and rice and antibiotics and he is on the mend.

She adds: How can so many dogs get sick and nothing be done? Today I will start mixing his homemade food with a different brand of dry food. I never want anyone else to go through, what appears to be many, the same situation as our dogs. It will be a week or two before Im sure my dog is okay.

NUTRO denies it

NUTRO defends its products and insists its food is safe. Many NUTRO customers also tout the food, saying their pets have had no problems. And veterinarians say several factors can cause gastrointestinal problems in dogs and cats, including changes in diet, newly developed sensitivities to pet foods, and viral infections.

But pet owners who complain to ConsumerAffairs.com on a nearly daily basis are convinced something is wrong with NUTROs food. And they say its no coincidence that so many dogs and cats have become sick — with the same symptoms — after eating various flavors of that pet food.

NUTRO makes dogs sick, says Erin of Encino, California. It is a fact and Im outraged that nobody is taking it off the shelf.

Erin says her three-year-old Puggle was a healthy active dog until she started eating NUTRO Natural Choice Lamb Meal & Rice Formula and NUTRO Max Beef & Rice Dinner Chunks in Gravy: After about two weeks of this food, she became sick. (She was) constipated for a few days, then had diarrhea, and finally vomiting and was always extremely thirsty. The last straw was her laying lethargic on the couch with white gums.

Thats when Erin rushed her dog to the vet.

The vet said she had allergies, prescribed an antibiotic and cortisone and gave me a bag of Science Diet. I feed her the Science Diet in place of NUTRO because it was free, and she was fine within a week.

Erin, however, says she made the mistake of switching her dog back to NUTRO after the Science Diet was gone.

She again had constipation, followed by horrible diarrhea, and finally vomiting yellow bile and white gums, Erin told us. There is no way that all these stories are just coincidences (not) if my dog is fine when she isnt eating NUTRO and when she is eating it, shes horribly sick. I have switched her back to Science Diet and all her symptoms are gone and her appetite has returned to normal.

Another California pet owner says her dog also became ill after eating NUTRO pet food.

My husband and I purchased NUTRO chicken and rice small bites for our two Chihuahuas, says Jessica of Larkspur. After about five days, our six-year-old male Chihuahua became lethargic, groaned a lot, developed a fever, was not excited to go on walks, and lost excitement for anything that used to bring him joy.

My husband began to suspect it was the new food as he had only developed these symptoms after eating NUTRO. He has always been a healthy and active Chihuahua.

The couple took the dog to their vet, who ran tests but couldnt pinpoint the problem. He was given antibiotics and we are crossing our fingers they work. Our Chihuahua can barely walk, he is groaning in pain, and is extremely depressed.

Across the country, a longtime NUTRO pet owner in Pennsylvania told us her dog suddenly became ill after eating the food.

I had been feeding my dog NUTRO for years, says Amy D. of Webster, Pennsylvania. I started feeding her NUTRO for sensitive stomachs about 6 months ago. At first everything seemed fine. Then my dog, who never urinated in my house, started having accidents (frequently). She needed to go out constantly and would squat repeatedly, come in, and ask to go right back out. I took her to the vet and began treatment for bladder infection. Upon finishing treatment it started all over again.

Amys vet discovered crystals in the dogs urine, which also had a high PH balance. The vet put the dog on another medication.

In the meantime other than the restless pacing to go outside, she seemed disinterested and lethargic, Amy says. Then she began having extremely loose bowel movements (an awful bright yellow) in the house.

Amy launched her own investigation and discovered the scores of complaints about NUTRO on ConsumerAffairs.com.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Could it really be the dog food I had trusted so much making my beloved pet ill? I immediately threw away all my NUTRO dog food.

Amy is now feeding her dog another brand of pet food. And Im thrilled to say she is her old self again. She no longer has to take any medicines and has no more accidents or uncontrollable urges. Thanks to this Web site and everyone who took the time to file a complaint, I have my healthy happy dog back.

Not a fluke?

A pet owner in New York said his puppy had the same experience as Amys dog after eating NUTRO. And hes convinced its not a fluke.

We got our dog two weeks ago and our puppy was healthy when we got her, says Manny of Fresh Meadows, New York. She started eating NUTRO Natural Choice for puppies, since it was recommended by a friend of ours. A week later, she started squatting to urinate, but only small drops or none at all came out. When she can urinate, it is frequent, in small amounts, and contains blood.

Manny took his puppy to the vet, who prescribed amoxicillin.

She received a sonogram, culture test, and urinalysis test. The results showed that she may have a stone in her bladder. The blood in her urine is caused by the stone scraping the bladder walls. The urinalysis test showed that she had a high PH balance. I don't think it is a coincidence that I have the same exact problem as Amy, adds Manny. I wonder if something is wrong NUTRO pet food again. Our puppy is still sick.

ConsumerAffairs.com's investigation into the complaints weve received about NUTRO pet food has also revealed:

• Four dogs unexpectedly died — or were euthanized — in 2008 after eating NUTRO pet food. Besides the dogs in Indiana, the other dogs include a Beagle/Whippet mix in Pennsylvania, two German Shepherd puppies in North Carolina, and a Doberman Pinscher in Texas. Those owners have not tested the NUTRO food their dogs ate before they died;

• Two Italian Greyhounds at a military base in Italy became sick after eating NUTRO food. The dogs owner told us she hopes the FDA is investigating NUTRO and urged the agency to move quickly. It is hard to tell how many people at overseas military bases are feeding this (food) to their dogs and possibly killing them, says Michelle M. who bought her dogs NUTRO food at the bases commissary.

• A pet nutrition specialist for NUTRO told us shes heard complaints about the companys food making dogs and cats sick. She reported those concerns to her supervisor, but said they were ignored. She later resigned.

Some pet owners, however, say NUTRO is the only brand of food their dogs and cats can eat.

My Shar-peis are the most sensitive dogs I have ever owned, says Allison R. of Nampa, Indiana. On the wrong food their hair falls out, their eyes weep and their ears get nasty. It takes me a good 3 months of only NUTRO dog food in order to reverse the affects of the other food. I have found that the senior diet is what works best, not sure why, but it seems to keep my Shar-Peis looking healthy.

A Tennessee pet owner also defends NUTRO pet food — and warns consumers not to jump to conclusions based on Internet complaints.

I feed all of my dogs and cats Nutro products and they are just as healthy as they have ever been, says Brenda of Springfield, Tennessee. They have healthy shiny coats and their stools are firm.

Gradual transition

Brenda also had some advice to pet owners switching brands of food.

Do a gradual transition from the old food, she said. If you dont, your dog will likely experience these issues. Not every bout of diarrhea, constipation, bladder infection, liver and kidney failure and loss of excitement to go on walks should be attributed to food. Your first responsibility as a pet owner should be to take your dog to the vet before you blame anyone. Do your research and don't let any Web site diagnose your pet.

NUTRO has repeatedly insisted its food is 100 percent safe and meets all standards set by FDA, the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). A spokeswoman said all NUTRO products are tested for melamine, molds, toxins and other bacteria. And she called the complaints weve received isolated reports of inaccurate information posted online.

The company, however, set up a special a section on its Web site in response to the issues and concerns raised in the ConsumerAffairs.com stories. NUTRO said it takes all customer complaints seriously and encouraged pet owners with concerns about the food to contact the company at 1-800-833-5330.

Veterinarians have said its not uncommon for pets to have sudden bouts of vomiting, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal problems. They also said a number of factors — pet food, stress, or a viral infection — could be the culprit.

Dr. Steven Hansen, a veterinary toxicologist with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), reviewed some of the NUTRO complaints, in an effort to find out why so many pets have become sick — or even died — after eating NUTRO food.

Unfortunately the cases are not consistent and appear to be anecdotal with no real definitive diagnostic findings, Dr. Hansen said. Without any consistent trends in findings we can not do anything any further. This does appear to us to be a situation where bad things happen, but they are not likely food-related.

Hansen, however, said consumers who suspect NUTROs food is a factor in their pets illnesses should have their animals examined by a veterinarian and document the problems.

I would also recommend that if they suspect the food is the problem, they should take a freezer bag full of it — along with the label information that has the products name and lot numbers — to their vet, he told us. If the vet suspects the food is the cause, the vet should then contact the company and FDA. If theres a problem, we need to document it and get supporting lab results.

Owners anxious

The arguments back and forth don't mean much to anxious pet owners, who say its about time some federal agency investigated NUTRO and its products.

After so many complaints, how can this dog food still be on the market for consumers to purchase and feed to their dogs? Andrea G. of Sicklerville, New Jersey asked us. I have been feeding my Dachshund NUTRO Ultra dry dog food for many months. Suddenly, 10 days ago, he started vomiting yellow bile 1- 2 times daily.

It makes me sick to think that I might be the one responsible for my dog's vomiting by feeding him this food. I can only hope that something is done, very soon, to prevent other pets from becoming ill.

Read verbatim complaints and comments from consumers.