Posted on 12/22/2005 5:53:34 AM PST by Calpernia
(Rochester, NY) 12/22/05 -- Some pet food contaminated with a toxic fungus is having deadly consequences.
Several dogs in the Rochester area have died from the toxin and others could be sick without their owners knowing.
Stores in 23 states have been notified to pull Diamond Pet Food products off their shelves. The contaminant, aflatoxin, grows on corn put in the products.
The food is sold under the brand names Diamond, Country Value, and Professional. The recalled batches have date codes of March-07 through June-07 and were made at the company's plant in Gaston, South Carolina.
Products from other facilities or with later date codes are not affected.
Dog and cat owners should have their pets examined right away if theyve been using Diamond pet food products.
Signs of poisoning include lethargy, loss of appetite, increased water consumption and urination, bloody vomiting or diarrhea, and jaundice (yellowing) of the whites of the eyes or gums.
In severe cases, the toxin can cause death. Treatment includes a chicken and rice diet and pills to protect the liver.
Lori Hewett feeds her dog Sparta the Diamond products. However, Lori also happens to be the receptionist at Mendon Village Animal Hospital. She got Sparta tested immediately once she learned about the contamination.
"Since she happened to be with me at work that day, they did her blood work and her levels were very high," Lori said. "[However] she's been acting normally, still wanting to eat, playing, alert."
While some dogs get sick, others do not. Veterinarian Dr. Sara Sanders of Mendon saw this in three golden retrievers that ate the same food.
"Maybe some are resistant or the contamination was located in one part of the food Some got the 'bad bite,' others didn't," she said.
Veterinarian Dr. Kent Burgesser of Rochester said his clinic has had a couple of cases where the symptoms were consistent with aflatoxin poisoning. He had not heard of any cats becoming ill from the poison.
Pet food companies test for aflatoxin, but it appears it can go unnoticed sometimes.
Seven of the sick dogs brought to Mendon Village Animal Hospital have been taken to Cornell and are under the care of more specially trained vets.
Rochester-area grocery stores Tops and Wegmans do not sell Diamond products.
Concerned pet owners can call Diamond Pet Food at (537) 229-4203 for more information. For details and a list of product names, click here to go to the Diamond Pet Food Web Site.
Need the Doggy ping here please.
ping
December 21, 2005
Diamond Pet Food Product Recall Notification
The following Items with best buy date codes between March 1st 2007 and June 10th 2007 with an 11th or 12th digit G are not to be sold. These are out of our Gaston Facility only! All customers please stop feeding these items if you are currently.
Recalled Items |
|
Diamond Low Fat Dog Food
Diamond Hi-Energy Dog Food
Diamond Maintenance Dog Food
Diamond Performance Dog Food
Diamond Premium Adult Dog Food
Diamond Puppy Food
Diamond Maintenance Cat Food
Diamond Professional Cat Food
Country Value Puppy
Country Value Adult Dog
Country Value High Energy Dog
Country Value Adult Cat Food
|
Professional Chicken & Rice Senior Dog Food
Professional Reduced Fat Chicken & Rice Dog Food
Professional Adult Dog Food
Professional Large-Breed Puppy Food
Professional Puppy Food
Professional Reduced Fat Cat Food
Professional Adult Cat Food
|
Symptoms of illness include, sluggishness or lethargy combined with a reluctance to eat, yellowish tint to the eyes or gums and severe bloody diarrhea. If your pet is experiencing these please consult a veterinarian and keep your product date code.
If you have any questions please visit www.diamondpet.com
· Retailers please return all products to distributors for full reimbursement.
· Retailers Please Display in your store. Your Diamond Regional Rep will be able to answer any questions.
I 'think' I saw HOTD post someplace that you have a cat ping list?
Has anyone notified the vegetarians?
Oh! That is an interesting thought!!!!
Excellent point and thanks for posting that.
I'm sorry to hear that :(
Aflatoxin is also a serious problem in peanuts. (see Jimmy Carter)
That's me. Thanks!
I hope the word gets out effectively. Diamond is a pretty popular non-grocery store brand, and I know a lot of people who either feed it or have fed it in the past.
Yeah, it was awful, it broke my heart to lose one so young. In 8 weeks I had Tooties full sister from a later litter and her name is Cookie. That is
the only way I know how to get over the hurt, get another one.
There is a company that makes a lamb-pearl millet and chicken-pearl millet dog food named Canine Caviar.
Pearl millet does not get aflatoxin like corn does.
You would need to search the net, but the product is easily found.
My disclaimer - I do not work for Canine Caviar.
I just bought a 20lb bag of the Diamond puppy food yesterday....checked...no "G" in the date code. It had an MN, so I guess it was made in Minnesota.
"rusty millet"
NEPOTISM! (j/k)
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