F
...about time. I've been seeing the complaints on Cumsumer Affairs for a year now. Glad the FDA is finally investigating!
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FDA Confirms Probe of NUTRO Pet Food Deaths, Illnesses
FDA Confirms Probe of NUTRO Pet Food Deaths, Illnesses
April 20, 2009
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that the agency is investigating NUTRO pet food, following a series of unexplained illnesses and deaths. Consumers have been complaining for more than two years that their pets have become ill after eating NUTRO products; many have recovered when they were switched to other foods. The company has steadfastly denied that its food is to blame.
Until now, the FDA has been mum about whether it was actively investigating the company. Today, the FDA’s Division of Freedom of Information confirmed the agency has an ongoing investigation into NUTRO — and said that investigation could be criminal or civil in nature. The office did not elaborate on the nature or focus of that investigation.
The investigation came to light when the FDA denied a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by ConsumerAffairs.com seeking a list of complaints and lab results the agency has collected regarding NUTRO pet food. The agency denied the request and said that releasing the information could hamper “prospective or ongoing†action by law enforcement.
“The document(s) constitute record(s) compiled for law enforcement purposes, the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings,†wrote the FDA’s George A. Strait, Jr., assistant commissioner for public affairs.
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, which has extensive international operations, was acquired in 2007 by Mars, Inc., the privately-held Virginia-based food products company. Mars was fined a record €4.5 million (about US$5.8 million) last year 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.
Under pressure from the German regulators, Mars divested NUTRO's Austrian and German businesses.
Worrisome trend:
ConsumerAffairs.com filed its Freedom of Information request for NUTRO records last year after we uncovered a worrisome trend among dogs and cats across the country. An analysis of our complaints revealed that scores of pets from California to South Carolina had experienced sudden and recurring bouts of diarrhea, vomiting, and other digestive problems.
The only common denominator among those dogs and cats was NUTRO pet food. In nearly every case, we also learned the pets’ conditions improved once their owners stopped feeding them NUTRO pet food.
ConsumerAffairs.com continues to receive complaints about NUTRO from dog and cat owners nationwide. In the past year, we’ve received nearly 500 complaints from pet owners who say 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 received last week 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 changed 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.â€
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 I’m sure my dog is okay.â€
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 contact us on a nearly daily basis are convinced something is wrong with NUTRO’s food. And they say it’s 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 I’m outraged that nobody is taking it off the shelf.â€
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.â€
That’s 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.â€
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 isn’t eating NUTRO and when she is eating it, she’s horribly sick. I have switched her back to Science Diet and all her symptoms are gone and her appetite has returned to normal.â€
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.â€
The couple took the dog to their vet, who ran tests but couldn’t pinpoint the problem. “He was given antibiotic and we are crossing our fingers they work. Our Chihuahua can barely walk, he is groaning in pain, and is extremely depressed.â€
(more...)
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FDA Confirms Probe of NUTRO Pet Food Deaths, Illnesses
FDA Confirms Probe of NUTRO Pet Food Deaths, Illnesses
April 20, 2009
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that the agency is investigating NUTRO pet food, following a series of unexplained illnesses and deaths. Consumers have been complaining for more than two years that their pets have become ill after eating NUTRO products; many have recovered when they were switched to other foods. The company has steadfastly denied that its food is to blame.
Until now, the FDA has been mum about whether it was actively investigating the company. Today, the FDA’s Division of Freedom of Information confirmed the agency has an ongoing investigation into NUTRO — and said that investigation could be criminal or civil in nature. The office did not elaborate on the nature or focus of that investigation.
The investigation came to light when the FDA denied a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by ConsumerAffairs.com seeking a list of complaints and lab results the agency has collected regarding NUTRO pet food. The agency denied the request and said that releasing the information could hamper “prospective or ongoing†action by law enforcement.
“The document(s) constitute record(s) compiled for law enforcement purposes, the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings,†wrote the FDA’s George A. Strait, Jr., assistant commissioner for public affairs.
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, which has extensive international operations, was acquired in 2007 by Mars, Inc., the privately-held Virginia-based food products company. Mars was fined a record €4.5 million (about US$5.8 million) last year 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.
Under pressure from the German regulators, Mars divested NUTRO's Austrian and German businesses.
Worrisome trend:
ConsumerAffairs.com filed its Freedom of Information request for NUTRO records last year after we uncovered a worrisome trend among dogs and cats across the country. An analysis of our complaints revealed that scores of pets from California to South Carolina had experienced sudden and recurring bouts of diarrhea, vomiting, and other digestive problems.
The only common denominator among those dogs and cats was NUTRO pet food. In nearly every case, we also learned the pets’ conditions improved once their owners stopped feeding them NUTRO pet food.
ConsumerAffairs.com continues to receive complaints about NUTRO from dog and cat owners nationwide. In the past year, we’ve received nearly 500 complaints from pet owners who say 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 received last week 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 changed 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.â€
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 I’m sure my dog is okay.â€
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 contact us on a nearly daily basis are convinced something is wrong with NUTRO’s food. And they say it’s 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 I’m outraged that nobody is taking it off the shelf.â€
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.â€
That’s 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.â€
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 isn’t eating NUTRO and when she is eating it, she’s horribly sick. I have switched her back to Science Diet and all her symptoms are gone and her appetite has returned to normal.â€
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.â€
The couple took the dog to their vet, who ran tests but couldn’t pinpoint the problem. “He was given antibiotic and we are crossing our fingers they work. Our Chihuahua can barely walk, he is groaning in pain, and is extremely depressed.â€
(more...)