FDA confirms probe of NUTRO pet food deaths/illnesses

[LeAnn, Lucy & Rusty!!]

I use NUTRO dog food for both my puppy and adult dog. I switched about two years ago and saw a huge improvement in my german shepherd's coat and, more importantly, his ability to get up and down (he was gettin' old). I have not ever had a problem with the food but a friend sent me an article from a "consumer affairs" website that was worth reading. I am continuing to read the information. I'm including two links - one to the consumer affairs artlcle and the other to NUTRO's defense. I recommend reading both before drawing a conclusion.

It's important to note the "consumer affairs" website is an independent website and is not affiliated with anyone - including government agencies. I have read the article three times now and personally have come to the conclusion that the FDA is looking into complaints they have received nothing more, nothing less. "Probe" is a emotional word and the connotation is not positive. No conclusions or even suggestion conclusions have been determined - there has been no recall. Prior to reading this article I had no knowledge that there even MIGHT be a problem... I'm glad I know of a potential problem... but I'm not going to change foods... yet...

[Debbie and Toby]

We also have fed Toby Nutro Naturals from the time he was 8 weeks old. I just heard this on our local news last night and have read the article on consumeraffairs.com. I am concerned and have already asked for recommendations on what would would be a good healthy food to switch Toby to. In calling a local private owned pet store today, they asssured me that this is all a bunch of crap and to not believe it. The gentleman that I spoke to at the pet store said these are isolated cases and the symptoms are characteristic of certain foods not agreeing with some dogs. He said he has a very close relationship with the Nutro representatives and would definitely be informed if there were issues with the food. At this point, it is difficult to know what to believe as there are very different opinions and sides to this story. I am glad that I was made aware of this, and will continue to monitor this story closely, and I hope the store rep is right in his assumptions.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here is a copy of an e-mail I received from a relative who works as a sales rep for Nutro:

"just read some info from my Nutro meeting yesterday. They have changed some of the ingredients in some of their food. The lamb and rice in the dark green bag has changed from the first ingred. being lamb meal to lamb, next the grains and then lamb meal. Have also added pea and potato protein. The new bags may not come out yet for a while - they have 6 months to use up the old bags and it's very probable that you have been feeding the "new" food to your dog for maybe 2 months, already."

The people who work in the stores on the weekends selling Nutro are independent contractors who have no idea what is in the food. I have spoken with them many times. Nutro contains menadione and ethoxyquin, both known to cause cancer, liver disease and many other diseases in cats and dogs.
For me, it isn't worth the risk.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Teri, this discussion is more than 20 months old. All of us here in the Food Group know that Nutro is not a good food, and it's not recommended here by any means. Our recommended foods are listed in the link on the main Food Group page. We discourage people from using Nutro and most of the "big dog food" brands like Scienece Diet, Iams, etc.

We are definitely spreading the word and helping to educate people about better quality foods and better ways to feed our dogs.

[Krista, Angel, and Toby]

Sigh. Just when I think I've got a good, reasonably priced food pegged, they go and report issues with it... Is the problem just with the naturals or also with the Ultra?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I wouldn't buy anything from Nutro or any Mars company. They are dishonest and do not have your pets interests at heart. Believe me, after using it for 18 years, it was very hard for me to change. Please join us in The Food Group and read the discussions in the Commercial Foods: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly...you'll get lots of info & ideas for what to try.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

We have had extensive discussions on Nutro in The Food Group. I fed Nutro for 18 years and never had a problem. My poodle lived to be 16 on it. Jack seemed to be doing well on it, too.
However, there have been some very big changes over the last year, which include the ownership of the company, the sources of the ingredients, and the formulas themselves. I have a family member who works as a sales rep for the company who sent me an email last summer telling me that the formula of the Natural Choice Lamb & Rice, which I was feeding, had completely changed, and the change was NOT noted on the bags...the government allows them 6 months to use up the old bags. So what is in the bags was completely different from what the label says.
Nutro contains menadione. This is a fact. (It is right there on the label) menadione (synthetic vitamin K) is known to have the following affects on dogs:
causes cytotoxicity in liver cells
causes formation of radicals from enzymes of leucocytes, with the consequence of cytotoxic reactions
considerably weakens the immune system
possible mutagenic effects
damages the natural vitamin K cycle
has no effect on coumarin derivatives, which are often present in commercial food due to mold contamination (toxic when ingested)
causes hemolytic anemia and hyperbilirubinemia, not just linked to large doses
disturbs the level of calcium ions (Ca2+) in the body, which is an important factor fibrinolysis
is directly toxic in high doses (vomiting, albuminuria), unlike natural vitamin K
builds up in tissue and has been detected in eggs, meat and milk of animals supplemented with menadione derivatives
causes irritation of skin and mucous membranes
causes allergic reactions and eczema
(Jackdoodle has the most severe form of immune system disease that dogs can have, atopic dermatitis. His vet bills average 300/month. Did Nutro contribute to this? I guess we'll never know.)
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=menadione

Every dog food advisory in the country tells us to avoid this ingredient. Nutro contains it. All Nutro products that contain fish also contain ethoxyquin, a known cancer causing agent.
Nutro is now owned by Mars company, which was the major player in the deaths of dogs and cats due to ingredients imported from China used in their products. Mars continues to have recalls of many of their products.
Here is just one of the many notices about a Mars pet food recall you can find by doing a Google search:
http://www.petcare.mars.com/

I wouldn't feed Nutro or any Mars product again if they paid me.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

I second that, Karen. Nutro was part of the 2007 recalls and I would never trust a company involved again. Pick up a copy of "Pet Food Politics," the companies and the FDA knew months before they issued the recalls and did nothing but do a study. Dogs and Cats died, we are still waiting for the settlement and it's BUSINESS as usual with these companies. Any of them involved in those recalls should not be trusted.

[Krista, Angel, and Toby]

Is the Mars company here the same company as the Mars candy company?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yep. One hopes they are more concerned with people than they are with pets...but what they are really most concerned about is $$$$$. Fortunately, the FDA puts more restrictions on what they can put into human quality edible products, or they'd probably be poisoning us, too.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

I find the whole dog food world to be very intersting these days. I feed Abby Orijen Puppy which is objectively the best dog food on the market ... here is a link to its impressive ingredients http://www.k9cuisine.com/p-47-orijen-puppy-food.aspx Only the best for my dog...However, my husbands parents had a peek-a-poo that lived to be a stunning toothless just shy of 18 years! He was fed canned food with names like Tuffy or Rover or some such thing....the cheapest crud I wouldnt think of buying. Go figure!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The difference is that ten years ago, we did not have a thing called a Free Trade Agreement; we did not import ingredients from China. Most of what we fed our pets, regardless of how crappy or cheap it was, was made in the U.S. Now, you don't know what's in it....remember the melamine fiasco?

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

True