I'm posting this for Sil McCall who lives in Texas. She is still to upset
to be able to post but had sent this to me as I knew her Gunner very well
and understand her pain. I thought it was important that others know and
she gave me permission to cost post.
Sill writes:
Just wanted to share some news that may prevent
someone else from going through this.
Saturday, March 25 I lost my precious boy Gunner and
almost lost my daughter's Mini Schnauzer to what we believe was
commercial dog food poisoning. That night I opened a new bag of food for
the evening feeding (Nutru Natural Choice Lamb & Rice Adult Formula). I've
been feeding this food for 3+ years with no problems until now. Within 3
hours of feeding my dogs Gunner began to seize. Off to the emergency vet
we went in a total state of panic. The doctor saw him right away and
began him on some meds.
After maxing him out on the meds over a 4 hour period
he was still not responding, he was flailing about and paddling
horribly. The vet said we were well past the point of bringing him out of it
without substantial brain damage if he didn't have a heart attack in the mean
time, the seizure was very very bad, nothing like any seizure in a dog I
have ever seen before. I had to have him put down. We just assumed that
this
was an unfortunate case of idiopathic epilepsy and we would never know why.
Then on Monday morning at 5:45 my daughter came
screaming into my room holding her Mini Schnauzer and he was in mid seizure.
Off we went once again to the vet. FORTUNATELY, he came around before
we left the driveway. However, he has had 5 seizures since and is going to
the vet this afternoon to be put on medication (phenabarbatol), which he will
have to take the rest of his life. The vet says that once they have a
seizure they are prone to have them again and again. I fear the worst will
come
soon for him if we don't use the meds as I know the seizures are hard on
his heart and other internal organs. The downfall to the medication is
liver complications. We are in a catch 22 situation here.
On the way to the vet that Monday morning with the
Schnauzer, it dawned on me that the only common thing these 2 dogs shared was
their food. Gunner is housed in the kennels except for his playtime in the
house and they have a separate yard. My daughter's dog is kept strictly in
the house and never goes into the kennel area, where there is a separate
yard and exercise area.
Gunner's body was to be picked up that afternoon from
the ER Vet for cremation but I called and asked them to hold his body
for necropsy. I then transported him to my vet to have his stomach contents
sent to MSU for analysis. When I arrived home, I started making phone
calls. I called the store where I bought the food to alert them, then I
called the dog food manufacturer.
The consumer affairs manager at Nutro took down all
the information and asked me to send him 4 cups of food, 2 cups each would
then be sent to 2 independent labs for analysis. To my surprise, not an
hour later I got a phone call from the dog food company's state rep. who
wanted to come by and pick up the samples to be sent off. I said sure, come
on out.
When he arrived, he said he had been instructed to
take the entire bag and all the dog food. I told him in no uncertain terms
that he could ONLY have the 4 cups I was told they needed and that he could
have a cutting from the bag to have analyzed and I would make a copy of the
SKU# and lot number off the bag for him. He had a look of bewilderment on
his
face. I guess he thought I was an idiot. I may be dumb but I'm not
stupid! That bag of dog food would have been thrown in the first dumpster he
came across on his way out of here! As I dipped up the samples for him to
take I reached for Gunner's picture from the shelf and sat it on the
counter for him to see and said, "This is not about a lawsuit if that's what
you
are worried about, this is about my DEAD DOG! AND the fact that if it
does turn out to the dog food, which I have no doubt that it will, I could
have
lost all my babies!!!!"
I told him I wanted to get to the bottom of this before this happened to
someone else's
dog and that I expected all the food with the same lot number to be pulled
from the shelves or I
would be outside the store where I bought it wearing a sign, and it would
not be for advertising! I told him I would be checking the store's inventory
the next morning when they opened. I have also filed a report with AFCO per
their recommendation after speaking with them.
This past friday I was contacted by Nutro and they
wanted to offer me compensation for the vet bills to date - COMPENSATION,
are you kidding me! I told them there was not a price tag to be put on my
dog OR what my daughter's dog is going through and that this was NOT
about money. I told them not to contact me again until we had the test
results in on the food OR they would be hearing from an attorney! I aked
him,
are you looking for a lawsuit or trying to prevent one? I was livid to say
the least!!!! Absolute morons!!!!! That's like asking what I would take for
my left arm!
Sooo..., I have purchased a commercial grinder and
have been feeding RAW for 2 1/2 weeks now. Everyone is doing great on the
new diet, no complications
at all. I will never never, EVER feed commercial kibble again!!!
Have a great day and hug your babies tight! Boxer
hugs and kisses,
I also asked for the SKU# and here it is if you are
interested: , 40 lb.
bag, SKU# 7910520143, the info under that reads:
"best if used by 05 May 2007"
01:22 2CR5
Sil McCall