The only food I ever feed my dog.
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 they’ve 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.
Guess dogs don't like huitlacoche.
bump
I feed my dogs Diamond, but I checked the 'serial' number and it has no G. It from the Meta, Missouri plant. So I am assuming that this is okay. My dogs love the stuff. I get it from the local feed store where I buy my horse feed.
Ping to post #8
Different fungus...
The only food I ever feed my dog.
How Horrible!
Just what every family wants for Christmas. A dead pet.
Thanks for putting out the word! We never used this brand but many do.
So, no Diamond in the ruff. Gotcha.
I know. Just lightening a sad story.
*groan*
And I was just showing off that I knew what you were talking about...
We are so smart!
Yeah, regular fungi...
Thanks for the headsup!
I knew there was danger from rawhide treats left on/in the soil, hard to imagine feeding Fido manufactured dogfood and ending up with a dead Fido. :-(
Caution, graphic content!
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I suspect women and minorities will be hit hardest by this devastating news. |
Bump so others might read.
Thanks for the ping!
There are a few threads on that here too.
Off to work a fund raiser. Ciao for now!
My "what's really in pet food" is way more disgusting than yours. HINT: what happens to euthanized animals? Now that's graphic content. Read it at the News Target link above...bring an air-sick bag.
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