Nestlé Purina’s Beneful accused of poisoning dogs

[Swanky]

Nestlé Purina’s Beneful accused of poisoning dogs


Pet owners are calling for a recall of the dog food brand, but Purina says the accusations are false.



Dog owners are calling for a recall of Nestlé Purina’s Beneful dog food on the Consumer Affairs website, claiming that the product is making their pets sick or killing them.

An article on Examiner.com questions why the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has failed to take any action against the complaints so far, echoing the concerns of other pet owners. As of Tuesday, there were more than 220 comments about Beneful listed on the Consumer Affairs site, the majority of them complaints from alarmed pet owners.

But Nestlé Purina spokesperson Keith Schopp told MSN News that the online postings “contain false and misleading allegations and cause undue concern and confusion among consumers.”

“There are no known product issues with Beneful dog food,” Schopp said in a statement. “Consumers can continue to feed Beneful to their pets with total confidence.” Schopp added that consumers could direct questions about Beneful to 1-888-236-3385.

Complaints by pet owners on ConsumerAffairs.com claim that their dogs fell sick over the past three months after consuming Beneful products that include Healthy Radiance, Healthy Weight and Playful Life. Symptoms ranged from vomiting to diarrhea to kidney failure.

The Examiner.com article says that vets reported “bacterial infections, liver and kidney failure and high toxins in pets” brought for check-ups related to Beneful-related illnesses.

The problem is not limited to a single city or state, but is reported to be taking place across the country.

Some pet owners said that they had reached out to both the FDA and Nestlé Purina but had not heard back from either. The FDA’s website warns consumers about pet food recalls including brands such as Milo’s Kitchen and DogCandy, but doesn’t list Beneful. Calls to the FDA for comment were not immediately returned.

Nestlé Purina’s website voluntarily withdrew the Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brand chicken jerky dog treats on Jan. 9 until further notice because of trace amounts of antibiotic residue found in them.

“No other Purina treats or pet food products are affected by this withdrawal,” said a press release on the company’s website.

Beneful’s Facebook page has also received questions from anxious pet owners who want to know what’s going on. “Please give your readers/buyers report on the accusations I have been reading,” posted North Carolina resident Charles Gill.

In response, Beneful posted a statement similar to the one it sent MSN News.

Another post from Melissa Daniels-Clapper of Nebraska on says: “OMG PLEASE RECALL! My pup is at the vets waiting to see if her kidneys are failing!!!” Beneful’s response: “Hi Melissa- We're sorry to hear about your dog. We would like to learn more. Please give us a call at 800-877-7551. We look forward to speaking with you. Thanks.”

 

[CobaltBlu]

If this is anything like the chicken jerkey situation, it will be a long time before this gets sorted out.

so sad.

 

[floridasun8]

Uughh, more pet food problems.

Just another reason why I switched my babies to raw years ago! In no way do I trust these huge manufacturers that are more into the business for money than they are about the welfare of animals!

 

[Collie5]

As a longtime dog show exhibitor and breeder with a huge interest in nutritional issues (and I work in a veterinary clinic) I will tell you that NOTHING made by Purina is allowed on my property. Years ago Purina was busted in a huge scandal concerning their pet food and it's ingredients, and were fined.
For those who say raw diets are better, I respectfully disagree. There are huge dangers health and nutrition wise long term to feeding raw diets, and we see some of the bad results in the vet clinics. I am not going to go into a debate on the subject, because most of the time the "raw" people are so vehement and convinced they are right and the "discussion" ends up nasty. The only thing I will say is this...yes, dogs and cats are carnivores, and IN THE WILD before they were DOMESTICATED they ate raw food. Most dogs and cats these days are DOMESTIC. Domestication throught the centuries has changed our pets bodies and their nutritional needs, so that they are now more susseptible to bacteria etc than a wild dog or cat, and are more in need of certain minerals and vitamins etc. than wild animals. Our pets nutritional needs are WAY more complicated now.
There are VERY good manufactured dog and cat foods out there being made by companies who do care about our pets health. People just need to RESEARCH food thoroughly. I have shown dogs for over 23 years and been a responsible breeder for over 13 years, and I work in a veterinary clinic, so I see the results on a daily basis of the effects food has on animals. I have fed a quality kibble to my show dogs (made by a small company) for over 20 years. It contains no chemicals or by-products, and my dogs are healthy, as are their coats, and they live into their teen years. I do add things such as yogurt and vegetables, to their diet, and I supplement certain things, but there are definitely good manufactured pet foods out there. JMO...

 

[buzzytoes]

As a longtime dog show exhibitor and breeder with a huge interest in nutritional issues (and I work in a veterinary clinic) I will tell you that NOTHING made by Purina is allowed on my property. Years ago Purina was busted in a huge scandal concerning their pet food and it's ingredients, and were fined.
For those who say raw diets are better, I respectfully disagree. There are huge dangers health and nutrition wise long term to feeding raw diets, and we see some of the bad results in the vet clinics. I am not going to go into a debate on the subject, because most of the time the "raw" people are so vehement and convinced they are right and the "discussion" ends up nasty. The only thing I will say is this...yes, dogs and cats are carnivores, and IN THE WILD before they were DOMESTICATED they ate raw food. Most dogs and cats these days are DOMESTIC. Domestication throught the centuries has changed our pets bodies and their nutritional needs, so that they are now more susseptible to bacteria etc than a wild dog or cat, and are more in need of certain minerals and vitamins etc. than wild animals. Our pets nutritional needs are WAY more complicated now.
There are VERY good manufactured dog and cat foods out there being made by companies who do care about our pets health. People just need to RESEARCH food thoroughly. I have shown dogs for over 23 years and been a responsible breeder for over 13 years, and I work in a veterinary clinic, so I see the results on a daily basis of the effects food has on animals. I have fed a quality kibble to my show dogs (made by a small company) for over 20 years. It contains no chemicals or by-products, and my dogs are healthy, as are their coats, and they live into their teen years. I do add things such as yogurt and vegetables, to their diet, and I supplement certain things, but there are definitely good manufactured pet foods out there. JMO...

Just curious what are the bad effects that you have seen due to raw diets? Mine are on raw as well so I am curious to know if there is something out there that I am not aware of. You can feel free to PM me if you don't want to take the tread too far off course.

 

[Nolia]

Uughh, more pet food problems.

Just another reason why I switched my babies to raw years ago! In no way do I trust these huge manufacturers that are more into the business for money than they are about the welfare of animals!

As a longtime dog show exhibitor and breeder with a huge interest in nutritional issues (and I work in a veterinary clinic) I will tell you that NOTHING made by Purina is allowed on my property. Years ago Purina was busted in a huge scandal concerning their pet food and it's ingredients, and were fined.
For those who say raw diets are better, I respectfully disagree. There are huge dangers health and nutrition wise long term to feeding raw diets, and we see some of the bad results in the vet clinics. I am not going to go into a debate on the subject, because most of the time the "raw" people are so vehement and convinced they are right and the "discussion" ends up nasty. The only thing I will say is this...yes, dogs and cats are carnivores, and IN THE WILD before they were DOMESTICATED they ate raw food. Most dogs and cats these days are DOMESTIC. Domestication throught the centuries has changed our pets bodies and their nutritional needs, so that they are now more susseptible to bacteria etc than a wild dog or cat, and are more in need of certain minerals and vitamins etc. than wild animals. Our pets nutritional needs are WAY more complicated now.
There are VERY good manufactured dog and cat foods out there being made by companies who do care about our pets health. People just need to RESEARCH food thoroughly. I have shown dogs for over 23 years and been a responsible breeder for over 13 years, and I work in a veterinary clinic, so I see the results on a daily basis of the effects food has on animals. I have fed a quality kibble to my show dogs (made by a small company) for over 20 years. It contains no chemicals or by-products, and my dogs are healthy, as are their coats, and they live into their teen years. I do add things such as yogurt and vegetables, to their diet, and I supplement certain things, but there are definitely good manufactured pet foods out there. JMO...

We vehemently disagree for a good reason. Despite domestication, dry pet food as we know it has only been in production for the masses in recent human history (within the century). Animal's bodily needs do not evolve as quickly from domestication within a simple generation or two. Prior to dry food, pets were fed raw on farms and in other homes. Most of my breeder friends also feed a strictly raw diet. That said, you continue feeding your dogs kibble, and we shall continue feeding biologically appropriate raw diets. To each their own.

Just curious what are the bad effects that you have seen due to raw diets? Mine are on raw as well so I am curious to know if there is something out there that I am not aware of. You can feel free to PM me if you don't want to take the tread too far off course.

Bad effects of raw diets mainly stem from human error. Be it not cleaning dishes or adhering to meat handling safety precautions. Sometimes also if you're not on the ball, you will forget to feed meat with important nutrients (like hearts). Again, this is all human error. Cat's digestive tracts are short (unlike our own), that is why may outdoor cats are able to kill and eat prey (mice, birds, squirrels) or even scavenge without getting sick. They don't need vegetables or yogurt (dairy) because all of these are absorbed by their prey (or modeled prey).

 

[Collie5]

And I vehemently DISAGREE due to my experience working in a vet clinic, but I know some people are closed minded and know everything. Discussion closed for me because my point about people who feed raw and some of their nasty attitudes has been proven.

 

[ILuvShopping]

As a longtime dog show exhibitor and breeder with a huge interest in nutritional issues (and I work in a veterinary clinic) I will tell you that NOTHING made by Purina is allowed on my property. Years ago Purina was busted in a huge scandal concerning their pet food and it's ingredients, and were fined.
For those who say raw diets are better, I respectfully disagree. There are huge dangers health and nutrition wise long term to feeding raw diets, and we see some of the bad results in the vet clinics. I am not going to go into a debate on the subject, because most of the time the "raw" people are so vehement and convinced they are right and the "discussion" ends up nasty. The only thing I will say is this...yes, dogs and cats are carnivores, and IN THE WILD before they were DOMESTICATED they ate raw food. Most dogs and cats these days are DOMESTIC. Domestication throught the centuries has changed our pets bodies and their nutritional needs, so that they are now more susseptible to bacteria etc than a wild dog or cat, and are more in need of certain minerals and vitamins etc. than wild animals. Our pets nutritional needs are WAY more complicated now.
There are VERY good manufactured dog and cat foods out there being made by companies who do care about our pets health. People just need to RESEARCH food thoroughly. I have shown dogs for over 23 years and been a responsible breeder for over 13 years, and I work in a veterinary clinic, so I see the results on a daily basis of the effects food has on animals. I have fed a quality kibble to my show dogs (made by a small company) for over 20 years. It contains no chemicals or by-products, and my dogs are healthy, as are their coats, and they live into their teen years. I do add things such as yogurt and vegetables, to their diet, and I supplement certain things, but there are definitely good manufactured pet foods out there. JMO...

Collie - honestly just curious, but wondering which brand of pet foods you recommend?
my cats are currently on prescription due to one of my cats and i refuse to take him off because of the reason why he's on it, i can't bare to see him go through that again. but he's the oldest one of my kitties so once he passes on (which might not be for years) i'm switching my cats off it but would like to stay on something that's high quality. my mom worked in a vet clinic when i grew up (about 18 years) and always told me "ALWAYS feed your pets science diet" so i always did. but i believe all these other high quality foods weren't an option back then.
with my foster kittens i like to give them quality food too, although depending on how many i have, sometimes I cant buy them the expensive stuff (which has been science diet in the past) - because they eat so much.

 

[Collie5]

Collie - honestly just curious, but wondering which brand of pet foods you recommend?
my cats are currently on prescription due to one of my cats and i refuse to take him off because of the reason why he's on it, i can't bare to see him go through that again. but he's the oldest one of my kitties so once he passes on (which might not be for years) i'm switching my cats off it but would like to stay on something that's high quality. my mom worked in a vet clinic when i grew up (about 18 years) and always told me "ALWAYS feed your pets science diet" so i always did. but i believe all these other high quality foods weren't an option back then.
with my foster kittens i like to give them quality food too, although depending on how many i have, sometimes I cant buy them the expensive stuff (which has been science diet in the past) - because they eat so much.

I feed a brand called Precise Holistic, but there are a few good brands. Look at the labels. The first ingredient should be meat or meat meal. Then make sure it is naturally preserved. If it says it contains the preservatives, BHA, BHT, and/or Ethoxyquin, avoid it. I also avoid by-products. Some good brands are Precise, Blue Buffalo, Call Of The Wild, Natural Balance, Natures Recipe, Wellness, Innova and Canidae.