Walrus Whisperer
Hope in chains...
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/nutro.html
This has been going on since APRIL at least!
Here is a snip of the page:
Jacqueline of Plymouth MA (11/25/08)
I had been buying Nutro Ultra Large Breed Puppy food for my 4 mo old lab/southern cur puppy since June 2008. I noticed in July that she wasn't eating her 3 meals. In beginning of August she was 6 mos old, I cut her back to 2 meals a day but she still wasn't eating the food. I had to doctor it with table scraps to entice her to eat. By the end of the month she became very ill, lethargic, drinking as much water as she could get and then urinating uncontrollably. After several vet visits she was diagnosed with possible diabetes inspidus. They still had to do more tests,
my bills were already over $800. I asked if it could possibly be her dog food. I was told by 2 vets, twice,that it was highly unlikely. By mid-Sept 2008. I took matters into my own hands and took her off the dog food. Within 1 feeding she perked up. By 3 feedings she was dancing around my kitchen. (She is a high energy dog and I had actually forgotten how much energy she had before the dog food made her ill.) I almost got the impression that the vet was not happy with my diagnosis of poisoned dog food. Their continued tests would have cost me another $1000+. I am looking for a new vet. A vet that listens to the dog owner.
I am as in-tune with my dog as I am with my children. I took my dog to a vet nutritionist specialist who formulated a diet for my pup's dietary needs and now she eats home-cooked food. I returned the balance of the bag to Pet Smart, was refunded but kept my proof of purchase and a portion of the food in a plastic bag just in case someone wanted to test it. I won't go back to any commercial dog food.
I lost my 8 yr old lab mix April 2008. I believe she was also poisoned by her food. Pet owners, observe what your dogs are telling you by their actions. If they won't eat their food, maybe there is something wrong with it!! My family is so thankful we saved our pup from a sure death.
My vet bills were over $800, I had to throw out the rug in my kitchen and have replaced her bedding several times during this period.
Eric of Lowell MA (11/24/08)
We had, for some time, been mixing a small pouch of wet food in with our dogs dry food to add some oils to his food for his skin and coat (which were very dry when we got him).
Recently, we switched the pouches to Nutro from the other brand he'd been eating. After eating only TWO pouches of Nutro brand food, he began vomiting, acting lethargic, not eating, having bladder incontinence, etc.
We rushed him to the vet who initially thought it might be leptospirosis, but those tests came back negative.
His liver values were off the charts as far as our vet could test on site (ordinary levels were under 100, his values were over 2,000 and when the lab tests came back from the off-site lab, the value was 5,500).
After four days at the vet, with IV's, a negative Lepto test, and multiple medications, he was sent home and seems to be doing much better.
Bottom line? He became sick after eating Nutro. He got better after stopping eating Nutro. The tentative diagnosis of Leptospirosis was unfounded, and the only thing we can find that could be at fault is the food.
We have paid nearly $4,000 in vet bills thus far, not including future follow-up appointments and liver enzyme tests. He is also expected to be on long term medications for the liver condition.
Jullie of Paso Robles CA (11/24/08)
We used to feed our 2 boxers Nutro Natural Choice dog food for years and about a year or so ago we switched there food. Out of old habit, which turned out to be a huge mistake, I went into Petco and picked up a bag of Nutro Natural Choice Lamb Meal & Rice Dog food. We started feeding this food to our two dogs on 11/8/08. On 11/15/08 we noticed our male dog having an extreme case of diareahia. A few days later we noticed our female dog having diareahia as well, but not nearly as bad as our male dog.
By 11/19/08 our male dog was so sick he had completely stopped eating and drinking. Our female dog was vomiting and not keeping any food down. She also wasn't drinking anything. We took both dogs to the vet first thing on 11/20/08 and our male dog was admitted to the vet for an overnight stay. They ran some blood tests and he was diagnosed with dehydration and he had developed Pancreatitis from the infection.
At this time we took our female dog home but she quickly worsened as the night went on. We took her back to the vet first thing on 11/21/08 and they hooked her to IV of fluids as well. Both dogs were given antibiotics, pain medication and raglan to stop the vomiting. We are positive that it was this bag of Nutro Natural Choice Lamb Meal & Rice dog food that made our dogs sick. As of now our dogs are home and are doing better but we are keeping an extremely close on them. We will never feed our dogs anything made by this horrible company and I hope that this story can help anyone else who is experiencing these problems.
I was shocked when I found this website with all these people who have had similar stories, please spread the word so we can help save other animals and their owners from going through this. Please advise the place where you purchased the food as well, hopefully they will pull the product from their shelves. As advised by our vet, we are now feeding our dogs Science Diet ID dog food for at least a month. It is a bland dog food that will help ease their stomachs back into regular dog food.
So far our Vet Bills were only $500 for this incident. I hope our dogs stay healthy from here on out.
Gary of Jarrettsville MD (11/24/08)
I heard good things about nutro food for my dog, a yellow lab. I went out and got a 40lb bag of nutro large breed puppy food. When I began to ween him from his normal food to the nutro he had explosive dirreah. I only gave him the nutro 3 times with the same effect each time. The last time I gave him a very small amount of Nutro mixed with his normal food and had the same results. Thats when I went online and researched and found many people had the same issues with nutro, sometimes far worse. I have had my pup since he was 9 weeks old and he has never pooped in the house, he did twice when I gave him nutro. Now he is back on his regular Eukanuba and is fine.
Alice of Phoenix, AZ (11/23/08)
My dogs quit eating and had vomiting and diarreah. I had them on antibiotics and as soon as I quit the antibotics there problems returned especially there loose stools. So after 15 years of feeding Nutro Max Puppy I changed them to Eukanuba and there poops firmed up and they started eating again. I own 12 Chihuahuas and two of them are still picking at there new food. I was told by PetSmart that Nutro had changed there formula. I returned one of the bags when I figured out what was causing the problems.
Theresa of Arl TX (11/23/08)
I began feeding my 3 dogs Nutro natural choice chicken and rice formula 9/07. By summer of 2008 all 3 dogs began having problems. The symptoms included loose stools,bloat,urinary incontinence,thirst,hot spots,very sore peds on 1 dogs feet and 1 dog (our youngest) suffered several seizures. Approx. 10 days ago we changed food and already all 3 dogs appear so far to be doing much better.I am sure that something with this food has changed because in the beginning we were very happy with this product.
We have spent about $600 this year for food. Many products purchased over last few months to soothe their sore feet and extremly irritated skin. More than anything my 3 best friends suffered alot of pain.
Theresa of Arl TX (11/23/08)
I began feeding my 3 dogs Nutro natural choice chicken and rice formula 9/07. By summer of 2008 all 3 dogs began having problems. The symptoms included loose stools,bloat,urinary incontinence,thirst,hot spots,very sore peds on 1 dogs feet and 1 dog (our youngest) suffered several seizures. Approx. 10 days ago we changed food and already all 3 dogs appear so far to be doing much better.I am sure that something with this food has changed because in the beginning we were very happy with this product.
We have spent about $600 this year for food. Many products purchased over last few months to soothe their sore feet and extremly irritated skin. More than anything my 3 best friends suffered alot of pain.
Brian of West Chester PA (11/23/08)
Been feeding my labrador Nutro Max for years. No problems. In fact, the only time my dog has had problems is when I've fed him something else, like Purina One. Great product in my experience. Hard to believe all of these other reports.
Iris of Burnaston, UK (11/21/08)
By coincidence I came across this website - was looking for Nutro dog food to order through the web - and started to read all the horrific stories. Here is ours. My Doberman now 4 years old is being fed with Nutro since we got him (3 months old). Never any health problems until this July '08 when I noticed blood blotches in his inner thighs. First I thought he had run through nettles and got burned by them. As he was limping at the time I decided to get his hips x-rayed for which he had to be sedated, for which the vet had to undertake blood tests, only then to find out that his plallet reading was near zero. Poor Paulus at that time was full of blood blotches - mainly gums, inner thighs, his whole back, and his ears.
Hips were x-rayed and normal. Paulus was put on antibiotics, steroid, and medication for his stomach for 4.5 months. We had to attend the vet for 3 months once per week for repeat blood tests, last one was on 19 November which showed that his results are back to normal. Having read all the information makes me wonder. I certainly will stop feeding my dog Nutro.
Douglas of Huntsville TX (11/20/08)
After feeding Nutro Natural Choice dog food to my 2 dogs, they both were sick with vomitting, diarrhea, and dehydration. My black lab was sick 11-05-08, my terrier was sick 11-19-08. Both had 3 nights stays at my vets office with treatment of electrolytes, reglan, tagamet, and B-12 complex. both are at home now.
Economic damage is 1,046.54 for the lab and 707.25 dollars for the terrier.
Stacy of Lapel IN (11/18/08)
We began feeding our two dogs Nutro Natural Choice Dog Food in August 08 per the recommendation of our veteranarian. He claimed it would help our labrador retreiver with his yearly skin allergies. It is now mid-November 08 and last Friday both of our dogs began vomiting and having diarrhea and not eating.
At first, we thought it was just the lab, but observed our small terrier mix vomiting as well and realized it was both dogs. We thought it could only be a couple of things, viral, something found and eaten in the yard/trash, or their food. My husband googled 'Nutro complaints' and immediately found hundreds of complaints. We immediately began feeding them home cooked food, rice, chicken stock and now have added one thing a day, eggs and sweet potatoes.
They have stopped vomiting and their stool is improving. We are researching what food to switch them to, but in the mean time will feed them home made food. According to research, this is not just Nutro, it's many so-called 'high quality' dog foods. This industry needs better regulation!
We are replacing our downstairs carpet with hard flooring at approx. $3000 dollars from the vomiting. Our poor pups were being poisoned by their own food that was supposed to be good and healthy for them!
Polly of Woodburn OR (11/18/08)
We have fed Nutro dog food products to our dogs for years. We have always been happy and satisfied with the product and never had any problems with it until recently. One morning we woke up and our dog was extremly sick. She was vomiting, had no appetite, rested on her elbows with her bottom in the air like she was stretching as if she had a stomach ache. So we took her to the vet immediatley, she was diagnosed with severe pancreatis and is in recovery right now with a rice and cottage cheese diet.
Now at this point we had no suspicions of Nutro causing the problem, until our friends dog died and was diagnosed with pancreatis around the same time our dog was diagnosed. We asked what dog food he fed- He said Nutro, same as us. He is also located less than 45 minutes from us. Too ironic. So we looked on the internet and found this site with several other of the exact same cases.
Now we are convinced it is the food... All of these cases are too coincidental- It is quite possible they could all be all linked to Nutro. Her pancreatis was not due to a viral infection because she had just finished a course of antibiotics for an injury on her leg.
The resulting damages include detrimental health issues with our dog reulting in $1000+ in veterniarian bills and the cost of the leftover food which is almost a full bag. Our friend suffered steep vet bills and the loss of his best friend.
Mary of Gouldsboro PA (11/18/08)
My dog was became severely ill when she was eating Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice Adult Food. My dog became deathly ill with symptoms including weight loss (over 10% of body weight in 2 weeks), excessive thirst, incontinence and vomiting. She was unbelievably ill. We took her to the vet and had blood work taken and found that her liver enzymes were extremely elevated. We followed with an ultrasound and xrays as well. We switched her diet and within days she was feeling better than she ever has. We thought she was a finicky eater but it just turns out that the food made her sick. We were so upset to search the web and find out that so many pet owners have experienced the same issues.
We nearly lost our dog as she was near death. We spent $120 on a vet visit to get blood work taken to find out about her extremely elevated liver enzymes and then spent $500 on an ultrasound and xrays. We are now spending extra money on the Hills Science Diet and Marin supplements in hopes of getting her enzyme levels back in order.
Gwen of Bethlehem PA (11/17/08)
Is this a site, dedicated to just Nutro Bashing? Or can good things be mentioned about it as well? I have used Nutro for dog and cat for 5 years I have not had to take either of them to the vet for anything other than a well visit. I have concern for some of the other foods mentioned here--Science Diet--full of corn and chicken by products (Heads, feet and whatever!) And Blue Buff--with those little black kernels--Life source bits> Where all the nutrition is supposed to be? People I know who fed that-their dogs spit those pieces out--so, basicaly they were paying high price--for, well...nothing! I can't believe there is a wholre site just for knocking one product
Colleen of Spring Grove IL (11/15/08)
NUTRO IS MARS!!!! Please watch your beloved pets if they eat Nutro. We have four Golden Retrievers all under the age of 5. They were all in fantastic shape and I always feed my dogs Nutro Natural choice Lamb and Rice or Chicken and Oatmeal dry dog food. I almost lost all my dogs within the same month. Their coats went from velvet to straw almost overnight! None of the dogs or the puppy would touch the food. When they did eat the food they were so sick I had to run them to the Animal Urgent Clinic and give them IV's and immediate care. The local Rescue facility in Illinois had the same problem.
I have contacted Nutro and have not received any response. I have also contacted PetCO and Petsmart about the problems. The employee at Petco told me that the Nutro Rep was at another location and would check out the complaint, once again no response.
People are losing their pets over this and Nutro/Mars refuse to pull the product? Mars just issued a recall on their cheap brands but they don't on the more expensive brands even though dogs are dying? If a company is aware that Dogs are getting ill and they are worried that it may cost them money to pull product do you really think they care about what goes into your pets food?
I will NEVER use or recomend this food again! I will make sure no matter what it takes that the public is very aware of how this company does business!
My dogs are still recovering, I was lucky to have caught the problem early. If my dogs were not in the healthy state before they were poisoned, I don't think they would be here today. Mar's-Nutro, You have not only cost me thousands of dollars at the vet but you have lost my trust and respect for any of your products.
Tanya of Albert Lea MN (11/14/08)
Both our Brittany Spaniels became severely ill and died after being switched to Nutro Max adult large breed dry dog food. They suffered anorexia, vomiting, incontinence, excessive thirst, seizures, lethargy, and kidney failure. The vet said it could be anti freeze poisoning, however many of their symptoms did not coincide with anti freeze toxicity. Anti freeze poisoning is a quicker death, my dogs lingered having bad and good days for weeks.
They both had to be euthanized....first our eldest dog, then 3 weeks later our youngest. It never dawned on me that their food could be to blame. They had been on various Nutro dry dog foods since 1/07 with out incident. It was not until this past summer when I had purchased Nutro Max adult large breed that they began to show signs of illness. I spoke with Nicole at Nutro and she was very polite while I told her of our unfortunate losses. She is sending me testing bags (for samples of the Nutro Max) and paperwork (for the vet to fill out). At this point, obviously the damage has been done...we'll see how they respond after their do their testing . I just feel in my heart of hearts that it had to be their dog food. Nothing else seems to fit.
I would hate for anyone else to have to go through what our family did. I want Nutro to recall their products until a more thorough investigation has been completed.
Well, obviously, there are emergency vet bills and the costs associated with having them euthenized. They were also pure breed Brittany Spaniels. One we purchased as a puppy from a breeder with champion bloodlines in LeRoy, MN. The other was adopted as an adult from a Brittany Rescue. We picked her up at her foster parents in Sioux Falls, SD. They died just prior to the start of Pheasant Hunting season, which was their life destiny...very hard on our family. My husband lost his hunting companion, my three children have lost a wonderful family pet, and I have lost my protectors. They were both great watch dogs... I know it seems silly to some, but they were members of this family and will be missed dearly.
Win of Minneapolis MN (11/10/08)
My dog, Jasper, is an otherwise healthy 3 year old English Setter, who had been fed Nutro Large Breed Lamb & Rice since shortly after he came to us in May, 2006. I didn't notice any problems until this past spring, when the food went out of production, and we switched to the Natural Choice Lamb & Rice formula at the suggestion of our local pet food store. For a month or two there seemed to be no ramifications from the change, until I noticed a change in the color/consistency of the kibble.
Shortly thereafter, our dog began having runny stools, and he started eating a lot of grass and vomiting. Thinking it was probably just something that he'd gotten into in the woods, I didn't really think too much about it until one morning, when he sat down in the middle of the path on our morning walk and began howling loudly in obvious pain. Because it was so unusual, I checked his heartbeat and it was very rapid. I thought he might have bloat, as our last dog which was also an English Setter almost died from it. After a few minutes, however, he was able to get up and slowly walk home.
We took him to the Vet right away, but they couldn't find anything wrong with him, and while I thought about the changes in the food that I'd observed, I didn't do anything about it until about a week later, when the same symptoms developed, again after his morning feeding. That's when I went on-line and discovered all of these complaints. Naturally, I contacted the store management right away, and they, in turn, contacted Nutro. The regional representative for Nutro got in touch with me right away and asked that I bring a sample of the food to the store for testing, which I did. (At the same time that I purchased an entirely different brand of food.) Since that time in early August, I have been in contact with the Consumer Services Dept. at Nutro, who conducted their own testing of the food. (Even though I had been assured by the regional rep. that it would be done independently.) Of course, they said that they couldn't find any problems, although they also failed to test for food-poisoning. Being skeptical of their in-house testing process, I pressed for an independent lab to do further analysis. At first they didn't want to do it, and then they relented after I agreed to let them contact our Vet for information related to our visit last summer.
Just last week I received the so-called results, which consisted of a letter stating that both Salmonella and E-coli tests were negative, although they did not provide the actual laboratory name nor details of the analysis. To add insult to injury, they stated that they would not pay my claim for reimbursement, even though I'd never asked for any economic settlement other than whatever my Vet might charge for giving them the information about our dog's exam. Based on the MANY statements made by other individuals who have experienced problems with Nutro products in the recent past, it is my sincere belief that this company is purposely covering up this extremely serious situation in order to avoid liability. What a disgusting example of putting profit ahead of people and their pets!
Kristin of Trenton NJ (11/10/08)
I've been feeding my cats Nutro Natural Choice for years. A few months ago, my kitten, Dexter, now seven months old, started vomiting and having diarrhea uncontrollably. It was so bad that I came home one night to find 10 piles of puke and excrement all across the floor...it was a minefield. The whole house smelled like bile. I had to steam the carpet, as well.
I took Dexter to the vet the next day, and he figured that he must have caught a virus or something. He suggested Hill's ID for a while. I put him on that and confined him to the bathroom. The next night, upon my return from work, I arrived to find more crap on the floor! One or more of my other four cats was also sick. Within two weeks, this was all cleared up, and I chalked it up to a flu bug.
Today, I was browsing online for Nutro products to order via the Internet, and I came across the myriad of stories on this website. Unbelievable. I am convinced that it was a bad bag of Nutro that sickened my kitties. It's a shame, because they ablsolutely love the taste, but I am switching brands immediately.
One reasonable vet bill (luckily), and a ravaged carpet.
Janet of Reidsville NC (11/10/08)
Our beloved pet dog, Josey, a female spayed Lab mix, SUDDENLY developed vomiting, bloody diarrhea, weakness in her hind legs, blindness, and lethargy a week ago. We took her to the vet, and he suspects kidney failure. Due to her age, (10) he said to take her home, love and comfort her, and bring her back when we decide to euthanize her. In his opinion, there is no treatment for her. She went from a very young-acting, smart, energetic, large-appetite, housebroken dog to one that cannot drink enough water, has urinated huge puddles of totally clear, odorless urine, has vomited when trying to eat anything, will not touch her Nutro food or even smell it, which she ate voraciously after we switched her over to it upon the advice of friends this past summer. She has not eaten in a week, and we are basically just waiting for her to die. We are totally heartbroken.
Stephen of Ankeny IA (11/10/08)
The food that we purchased for our 2 dogs (Nutro Natural Choice Chicken Meal, Rice and Oatmeal Formula), the same stuff we have bought them for over a year, had started to affect them in a bad way. Vomiting and diarhea. After researching on the internet and finding the consumer affairs website, I decided that the most logical and least expensive thing to do was to replace their food with a different brand. Low and behold, it has now been two weeks on the new food(Purina Pro Select Salmon and Brown Rice) and all of the symptoms are gone. The dogs are more vibrant and happy, and they have stopped trying to eat the grass when they go outside. No vomiting or diarhea.
We caught and fixed the problem before it became a large issue. We were able to return the bag of Nutro to Petsmart without incident and they gladly exchanged it for the new food.
Gary of Gastonia NC (11/10/08)
We just read your story on Nutro-brand dog food and can report the same issues with our seven year-old Jack Russell Terrier. She has never eaten another brand, but recently developed severe stomach irritation, vomiting, diarhea, uncontrollable urges to go, drinking excessively and ultimately lost 25% of her body weight. After reading this story, we switched her to another brand and the symptoms disappeared. We are very concerned and disappointed with Nutro, and understand that some varieties have been linked to the Chinese melamine scandal.
Mike of Hamilton MT (11/09/08)
Two years ago I lost my 10 year old Brittany spanial Chance to liver cancer. I had been feeding him Nutro dry dog foods for about 7 years. The more I research this product the more I think it may have been the reason he died a terrible death way too young. I now have 2 Brittany's and they to have been on Nutro. I am changeing their food today and will NEVER feed another pet any Nutro product! They also will be going to the vet to have full tests done to try to find out if there has been any damage to their liver, kidneys or digestive systems. I can only prey that I have not caused them any damage by feeding this poison I have found that there are many!! pet owners out there that have concerns with Nutro products causing health problems with their beloved family members. I feel that Nutro must be held accountable for their actions and knowingly producing and selling their poison to the public.
I spent alot of money on Chance trying to find out what was wrong with him, and the emotional loss when I was forced to put him down was devistating. I do not know yet if I have caused any harm to my new family members.
Sherri of Laporte IN (11/08/08)
For the past three months, I have been feeding my two soft coated wheaton terriers, Nutro Ultra. This was highly recommended by a manufactures' Rep. at the Pet Supplies store.
Shortly after the switch, I noticed my dogs itching and scratching a lot. Continued to watch it, thinking it might have been the ONE Flea syndrome, due to the end of summer, dried leaves, mold, and weather change. And huge amount of GI issues..which, I thought was possibly due to the switch, but continued to think it would resolve itself.
One of the two was difinately having some kind of allergic reaction to the NUTRO, obvious by the color changing in her coat.
More problems arrised after I purchased this last bag I bought, the dogs began coughing and hacking.. and on several occassions vomited. I could tell something was just not right with them. They acted to be starving hungry, and would drink a ton of water...
Instinct kept telling me to search for possible probems, and change their food. Last week, I went into a Feed Store, to pick up dog food, and asked the store owner, if they had any reports or problems with the products. This is not my routine pet supplier or pet shop.
The conversation became 'quietly and intense', he stated that YES they have. But, was told by the Nutro REP not to tell anyone about any complaints. He continued to tell me that,while he was discussing this with the REP, that the REP, swears there's nothing wrong with the product. The owner encouraged me to change foods. Which I did, and am still in transition of, some of the symptoms seem to be disappearing
It appears that the vets wouldn't even know what to test for,they are working for the food companies, and wouldn't want them to have any problems, so till a lot of complaints are reported, they (FDA) will just sweep this under the rug.
Michele of Esperance NY (11/08/08)
My 3 year old Bernese Mtn. dog has eatten Nutro Nautral Choice dog food the Chicken meal, rice and oatmeal dry food for the last 3 years. Three days ago he refused to eat the food and the next day Im guessing out of hunger ate his dinner. He started throwing up shortly there after. He vomited 4 times, and acted very dizzy. He had some loose bowels earlier in the day but I didn't think much of it at the time.
I went to bed that night knowing that if the dog got worse I would take him to the vet first thing in the morning or the emergency clinic if nessacary overnight.
I woke the follow morning to a dog that died in his sleep. I heard him wimper once during the night and started to get up to go check on him, I then heard him lay back down so I went back to bed. I can now never forgive myself for not checking on him. If I had just known, just how sick he was. I would of done anything. Now it's to late.
And after reading all these articles against Nutro I am fully convienced that it was the food. He had no known health problems and had all his regular vet visit were up to date. I am devastated and so mad. My family has lost a dear family member and a best friend to my 5 year old son. And to think that it may have been due to the food he ate, it is just awful.
The lost of a family member and friend. The emotional lost is much greater then the financial which wasnt' cheap either.
Elvira of Campbell CA (11/03/08)
In May of this year I adopted two older dogs and sheppard and a corgi mix, they were both great eaters and loved thier nutro. This is the only food they were fed since I got them in May 2008. The were only fed senior kibble mixed with nutro senior wet food. On the third days after opening a new bag of kibble, Emily (the sheppard) refused her food. I was quite alarmed since she has never seemed anything les then happy with her food. I made an appointment for the vet later that afternoon and when I came home early from work to atke her in, she seemed fine so I didn't take her in, but i did decide to check on-line for any problem with the nutro - imagine my surprise when I check on-line on Oct 29! I was sckocked and immediately went to the petshop and got something different - my dogs have not had one single kibble of nutro since and never will - they seem to be doing well now.
Joy of S.pasadena FL (11/01/08)
I had two cats. I used to split a small can of Nutro cat foodbetween them along with their dry food every morning. One cat would eat the canned food, one would not. After a few months, the cat that ate the canned food stopped eating altogether. I took him to the vet, who said his kidneys were now twice the size that they were before, and tried everything to help him.
I spent eight hundred dollars and did things I didn't even think I could do, like giving my poor cat fluids with a needle. Within two weeks, I had to have him euthanized. Then, I read in the newspaper a few weeks later that Nutro was one of the companies who were using that poison Chinese melamine in their food. I'm sure that was what killed my cat. He was only eleven years old, and in perfect health until he started eating that Nutro poison food. Brenda of Bridgenorth, Canada (11/01/08)
Jinx is a 10 year old great dane bull mastiff female. She has always been a healthy 95 lb. dog until about Sept. /08. Oct.17/08 she started with a lot of mucous filled bowel movements. Later that day she started bleeding heavily and more diarrhea. The vet put her on 2 different kinds of antibiotics. We took her off her Nutro Pro senior dog food on the advice of our vet. We put her on a rice and beef burger diet for 4 days than put her back on her dog food. She improved while on rice and beef diet and then became sick again after going back to the Nutro Pro. The test results came back and the white blood cell count was twice as high as normal indicating severe infection. The dog is back on a burger and rice diet which is helping to gain her weight back and she is steadily improving.
Jinx is still needing medical attention and we're waiting to see if she has a full recovery.
This has been going on since APRIL at least!
Here is a snip of the page:
Jacqueline of Plymouth MA (11/25/08)
I had been buying Nutro Ultra Large Breed Puppy food for my 4 mo old lab/southern cur puppy since June 2008. I noticed in July that she wasn't eating her 3 meals. In beginning of August she was 6 mos old, I cut her back to 2 meals a day but she still wasn't eating the food. I had to doctor it with table scraps to entice her to eat. By the end of the month she became very ill, lethargic, drinking as much water as she could get and then urinating uncontrollably. After several vet visits she was diagnosed with possible diabetes inspidus. They still had to do more tests,
my bills were already over $800. I asked if it could possibly be her dog food. I was told by 2 vets, twice,that it was highly unlikely. By mid-Sept 2008. I took matters into my own hands and took her off the dog food. Within 1 feeding she perked up. By 3 feedings she was dancing around my kitchen. (She is a high energy dog and I had actually forgotten how much energy she had before the dog food made her ill.) I almost got the impression that the vet was not happy with my diagnosis of poisoned dog food. Their continued tests would have cost me another $1000+. I am looking for a new vet. A vet that listens to the dog owner.
I am as in-tune with my dog as I am with my children. I took my dog to a vet nutritionist specialist who formulated a diet for my pup's dietary needs and now she eats home-cooked food. I returned the balance of the bag to Pet Smart, was refunded but kept my proof of purchase and a portion of the food in a plastic bag just in case someone wanted to test it. I won't go back to any commercial dog food.
I lost my 8 yr old lab mix April 2008. I believe she was also poisoned by her food. Pet owners, observe what your dogs are telling you by their actions. If they won't eat their food, maybe there is something wrong with it!! My family is so thankful we saved our pup from a sure death.
My vet bills were over $800, I had to throw out the rug in my kitchen and have replaced her bedding several times during this period.
Eric of Lowell MA (11/24/08)
We had, for some time, been mixing a small pouch of wet food in with our dogs dry food to add some oils to his food for his skin and coat (which were very dry when we got him).
Recently, we switched the pouches to Nutro from the other brand he'd been eating. After eating only TWO pouches of Nutro brand food, he began vomiting, acting lethargic, not eating, having bladder incontinence, etc.
We rushed him to the vet who initially thought it might be leptospirosis, but those tests came back negative.
His liver values were off the charts as far as our vet could test on site (ordinary levels were under 100, his values were over 2,000 and when the lab tests came back from the off-site lab, the value was 5,500).
After four days at the vet, with IV's, a negative Lepto test, and multiple medications, he was sent home and seems to be doing much better.
Bottom line? He became sick after eating Nutro. He got better after stopping eating Nutro. The tentative diagnosis of Leptospirosis was unfounded, and the only thing we can find that could be at fault is the food.
We have paid nearly $4,000 in vet bills thus far, not including future follow-up appointments and liver enzyme tests. He is also expected to be on long term medications for the liver condition.
Jullie of Paso Robles CA (11/24/08)
We used to feed our 2 boxers Nutro Natural Choice dog food for years and about a year or so ago we switched there food. Out of old habit, which turned out to be a huge mistake, I went into Petco and picked up a bag of Nutro Natural Choice Lamb Meal & Rice Dog food. We started feeding this food to our two dogs on 11/8/08. On 11/15/08 we noticed our male dog having an extreme case of diareahia. A few days later we noticed our female dog having diareahia as well, but not nearly as bad as our male dog.
By 11/19/08 our male dog was so sick he had completely stopped eating and drinking. Our female dog was vomiting and not keeping any food down. She also wasn't drinking anything. We took both dogs to the vet first thing on 11/20/08 and our male dog was admitted to the vet for an overnight stay. They ran some blood tests and he was diagnosed with dehydration and he had developed Pancreatitis from the infection.
At this time we took our female dog home but she quickly worsened as the night went on. We took her back to the vet first thing on 11/21/08 and they hooked her to IV of fluids as well. Both dogs were given antibiotics, pain medication and raglan to stop the vomiting. We are positive that it was this bag of Nutro Natural Choice Lamb Meal & Rice dog food that made our dogs sick. As of now our dogs are home and are doing better but we are keeping an extremely close on them. We will never feed our dogs anything made by this horrible company and I hope that this story can help anyone else who is experiencing these problems.
I was shocked when I found this website with all these people who have had similar stories, please spread the word so we can help save other animals and their owners from going through this. Please advise the place where you purchased the food as well, hopefully they will pull the product from their shelves. As advised by our vet, we are now feeding our dogs Science Diet ID dog food for at least a month. It is a bland dog food that will help ease their stomachs back into regular dog food.
So far our Vet Bills were only $500 for this incident. I hope our dogs stay healthy from here on out.
Gary of Jarrettsville MD (11/24/08)
I heard good things about nutro food for my dog, a yellow lab. I went out and got a 40lb bag of nutro large breed puppy food. When I began to ween him from his normal food to the nutro he had explosive dirreah. I only gave him the nutro 3 times with the same effect each time. The last time I gave him a very small amount of Nutro mixed with his normal food and had the same results. Thats when I went online and researched and found many people had the same issues with nutro, sometimes far worse. I have had my pup since he was 9 weeks old and he has never pooped in the house, he did twice when I gave him nutro. Now he is back on his regular Eukanuba and is fine.
Alice of Phoenix, AZ (11/23/08)
My dogs quit eating and had vomiting and diarreah. I had them on antibiotics and as soon as I quit the antibotics there problems returned especially there loose stools. So after 15 years of feeding Nutro Max Puppy I changed them to Eukanuba and there poops firmed up and they started eating again. I own 12 Chihuahuas and two of them are still picking at there new food. I was told by PetSmart that Nutro had changed there formula. I returned one of the bags when I figured out what was causing the problems.
Theresa of Arl TX (11/23/08)
I began feeding my 3 dogs Nutro natural choice chicken and rice formula 9/07. By summer of 2008 all 3 dogs began having problems. The symptoms included loose stools,bloat,urinary incontinence,thirst,hot spots,very sore peds on 1 dogs feet and 1 dog (our youngest) suffered several seizures. Approx. 10 days ago we changed food and already all 3 dogs appear so far to be doing much better.I am sure that something with this food has changed because in the beginning we were very happy with this product.
We have spent about $600 this year for food. Many products purchased over last few months to soothe their sore feet and extremly irritated skin. More than anything my 3 best friends suffered alot of pain.
Theresa of Arl TX (11/23/08)
I began feeding my 3 dogs Nutro natural choice chicken and rice formula 9/07. By summer of 2008 all 3 dogs began having problems. The symptoms included loose stools,bloat,urinary incontinence,thirst,hot spots,very sore peds on 1 dogs feet and 1 dog (our youngest) suffered several seizures. Approx. 10 days ago we changed food and already all 3 dogs appear so far to be doing much better.I am sure that something with this food has changed because in the beginning we were very happy with this product.
We have spent about $600 this year for food. Many products purchased over last few months to soothe their sore feet and extremly irritated skin. More than anything my 3 best friends suffered alot of pain.
Brian of West Chester PA (11/23/08)
Been feeding my labrador Nutro Max for years. No problems. In fact, the only time my dog has had problems is when I've fed him something else, like Purina One. Great product in my experience. Hard to believe all of these other reports.
Iris of Burnaston, UK (11/21/08)
By coincidence I came across this website - was looking for Nutro dog food to order through the web - and started to read all the horrific stories. Here is ours. My Doberman now 4 years old is being fed with Nutro since we got him (3 months old). Never any health problems until this July '08 when I noticed blood blotches in his inner thighs. First I thought he had run through nettles and got burned by them. As he was limping at the time I decided to get his hips x-rayed for which he had to be sedated, for which the vet had to undertake blood tests, only then to find out that his plallet reading was near zero. Poor Paulus at that time was full of blood blotches - mainly gums, inner thighs, his whole back, and his ears.
Hips were x-rayed and normal. Paulus was put on antibiotics, steroid, and medication for his stomach for 4.5 months. We had to attend the vet for 3 months once per week for repeat blood tests, last one was on 19 November which showed that his results are back to normal. Having read all the information makes me wonder. I certainly will stop feeding my dog Nutro.
Douglas of Huntsville TX (11/20/08)
After feeding Nutro Natural Choice dog food to my 2 dogs, they both were sick with vomitting, diarrhea, and dehydration. My black lab was sick 11-05-08, my terrier was sick 11-19-08. Both had 3 nights stays at my vets office with treatment of electrolytes, reglan, tagamet, and B-12 complex. both are at home now.
Economic damage is 1,046.54 for the lab and 707.25 dollars for the terrier.
Stacy of Lapel IN (11/18/08)
We began feeding our two dogs Nutro Natural Choice Dog Food in August 08 per the recommendation of our veteranarian. He claimed it would help our labrador retreiver with his yearly skin allergies. It is now mid-November 08 and last Friday both of our dogs began vomiting and having diarrhea and not eating.
At first, we thought it was just the lab, but observed our small terrier mix vomiting as well and realized it was both dogs. We thought it could only be a couple of things, viral, something found and eaten in the yard/trash, or their food. My husband googled 'Nutro complaints' and immediately found hundreds of complaints. We immediately began feeding them home cooked food, rice, chicken stock and now have added one thing a day, eggs and sweet potatoes.
They have stopped vomiting and their stool is improving. We are researching what food to switch them to, but in the mean time will feed them home made food. According to research, this is not just Nutro, it's many so-called 'high quality' dog foods. This industry needs better regulation!
We are replacing our downstairs carpet with hard flooring at approx. $3000 dollars from the vomiting. Our poor pups were being poisoned by their own food that was supposed to be good and healthy for them!
Polly of Woodburn OR (11/18/08)
We have fed Nutro dog food products to our dogs for years. We have always been happy and satisfied with the product and never had any problems with it until recently. One morning we woke up and our dog was extremly sick. She was vomiting, had no appetite, rested on her elbows with her bottom in the air like she was stretching as if she had a stomach ache. So we took her to the vet immediatley, she was diagnosed with severe pancreatis and is in recovery right now with a rice and cottage cheese diet.
Now at this point we had no suspicions of Nutro causing the problem, until our friends dog died and was diagnosed with pancreatis around the same time our dog was diagnosed. We asked what dog food he fed- He said Nutro, same as us. He is also located less than 45 minutes from us. Too ironic. So we looked on the internet and found this site with several other of the exact same cases.
Now we are convinced it is the food... All of these cases are too coincidental- It is quite possible they could all be all linked to Nutro. Her pancreatis was not due to a viral infection because she had just finished a course of antibiotics for an injury on her leg.
The resulting damages include detrimental health issues with our dog reulting in $1000+ in veterniarian bills and the cost of the leftover food which is almost a full bag. Our friend suffered steep vet bills and the loss of his best friend.
Mary of Gouldsboro PA (11/18/08)
My dog was became severely ill when she was eating Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice Adult Food. My dog became deathly ill with symptoms including weight loss (over 10% of body weight in 2 weeks), excessive thirst, incontinence and vomiting. She was unbelievably ill. We took her to the vet and had blood work taken and found that her liver enzymes were extremely elevated. We followed with an ultrasound and xrays as well. We switched her diet and within days she was feeling better than she ever has. We thought she was a finicky eater but it just turns out that the food made her sick. We were so upset to search the web and find out that so many pet owners have experienced the same issues.
We nearly lost our dog as she was near death. We spent $120 on a vet visit to get blood work taken to find out about her extremely elevated liver enzymes and then spent $500 on an ultrasound and xrays. We are now spending extra money on the Hills Science Diet and Marin supplements in hopes of getting her enzyme levels back in order.
Gwen of Bethlehem PA (11/17/08)
Is this a site, dedicated to just Nutro Bashing? Or can good things be mentioned about it as well? I have used Nutro for dog and cat for 5 years I have not had to take either of them to the vet for anything other than a well visit. I have concern for some of the other foods mentioned here--Science Diet--full of corn and chicken by products (Heads, feet and whatever!) And Blue Buff--with those little black kernels--Life source bits> Where all the nutrition is supposed to be? People I know who fed that-their dogs spit those pieces out--so, basicaly they were paying high price--for, well...nothing! I can't believe there is a wholre site just for knocking one product
Colleen of Spring Grove IL (11/15/08)
NUTRO IS MARS!!!! Please watch your beloved pets if they eat Nutro. We have four Golden Retrievers all under the age of 5. They were all in fantastic shape and I always feed my dogs Nutro Natural choice Lamb and Rice or Chicken and Oatmeal dry dog food. I almost lost all my dogs within the same month. Their coats went from velvet to straw almost overnight! None of the dogs or the puppy would touch the food. When they did eat the food they were so sick I had to run them to the Animal Urgent Clinic and give them IV's and immediate care. The local Rescue facility in Illinois had the same problem.
I have contacted Nutro and have not received any response. I have also contacted PetCO and Petsmart about the problems. The employee at Petco told me that the Nutro Rep was at another location and would check out the complaint, once again no response.
People are losing their pets over this and Nutro/Mars refuse to pull the product? Mars just issued a recall on their cheap brands but they don't on the more expensive brands even though dogs are dying? If a company is aware that Dogs are getting ill and they are worried that it may cost them money to pull product do you really think they care about what goes into your pets food?
I will NEVER use or recomend this food again! I will make sure no matter what it takes that the public is very aware of how this company does business!
My dogs are still recovering, I was lucky to have caught the problem early. If my dogs were not in the healthy state before they were poisoned, I don't think they would be here today. Mar's-Nutro, You have not only cost me thousands of dollars at the vet but you have lost my trust and respect for any of your products.
Tanya of Albert Lea MN (11/14/08)
Both our Brittany Spaniels became severely ill and died after being switched to Nutro Max adult large breed dry dog food. They suffered anorexia, vomiting, incontinence, excessive thirst, seizures, lethargy, and kidney failure. The vet said it could be anti freeze poisoning, however many of their symptoms did not coincide with anti freeze toxicity. Anti freeze poisoning is a quicker death, my dogs lingered having bad and good days for weeks.
They both had to be euthanized....first our eldest dog, then 3 weeks later our youngest. It never dawned on me that their food could be to blame. They had been on various Nutro dry dog foods since 1/07 with out incident. It was not until this past summer when I had purchased Nutro Max adult large breed that they began to show signs of illness. I spoke with Nicole at Nutro and she was very polite while I told her of our unfortunate losses. She is sending me testing bags (for samples of the Nutro Max) and paperwork (for the vet to fill out). At this point, obviously the damage has been done...we'll see how they respond after their do their testing . I just feel in my heart of hearts that it had to be their dog food. Nothing else seems to fit.
I would hate for anyone else to have to go through what our family did. I want Nutro to recall their products until a more thorough investigation has been completed.
Well, obviously, there are emergency vet bills and the costs associated with having them euthenized. They were also pure breed Brittany Spaniels. One we purchased as a puppy from a breeder with champion bloodlines in LeRoy, MN. The other was adopted as an adult from a Brittany Rescue. We picked her up at her foster parents in Sioux Falls, SD. They died just prior to the start of Pheasant Hunting season, which was their life destiny...very hard on our family. My husband lost his hunting companion, my three children have lost a wonderful family pet, and I have lost my protectors. They were both great watch dogs... I know it seems silly to some, but they were members of this family and will be missed dearly.
Win of Minneapolis MN (11/10/08)
My dog, Jasper, is an otherwise healthy 3 year old English Setter, who had been fed Nutro Large Breed Lamb & Rice since shortly after he came to us in May, 2006. I didn't notice any problems until this past spring, when the food went out of production, and we switched to the Natural Choice Lamb & Rice formula at the suggestion of our local pet food store. For a month or two there seemed to be no ramifications from the change, until I noticed a change in the color/consistency of the kibble.
Shortly thereafter, our dog began having runny stools, and he started eating a lot of grass and vomiting. Thinking it was probably just something that he'd gotten into in the woods, I didn't really think too much about it until one morning, when he sat down in the middle of the path on our morning walk and began howling loudly in obvious pain. Because it was so unusual, I checked his heartbeat and it was very rapid. I thought he might have bloat, as our last dog which was also an English Setter almost died from it. After a few minutes, however, he was able to get up and slowly walk home.
We took him to the Vet right away, but they couldn't find anything wrong with him, and while I thought about the changes in the food that I'd observed, I didn't do anything about it until about a week later, when the same symptoms developed, again after his morning feeding. That's when I went on-line and discovered all of these complaints. Naturally, I contacted the store management right away, and they, in turn, contacted Nutro. The regional representative for Nutro got in touch with me right away and asked that I bring a sample of the food to the store for testing, which I did. (At the same time that I purchased an entirely different brand of food.) Since that time in early August, I have been in contact with the Consumer Services Dept. at Nutro, who conducted their own testing of the food. (Even though I had been assured by the regional rep. that it would be done independently.) Of course, they said that they couldn't find any problems, although they also failed to test for food-poisoning. Being skeptical of their in-house testing process, I pressed for an independent lab to do further analysis. At first they didn't want to do it, and then they relented after I agreed to let them contact our Vet for information related to our visit last summer.
Just last week I received the so-called results, which consisted of a letter stating that both Salmonella and E-coli tests were negative, although they did not provide the actual laboratory name nor details of the analysis. To add insult to injury, they stated that they would not pay my claim for reimbursement, even though I'd never asked for any economic settlement other than whatever my Vet might charge for giving them the information about our dog's exam. Based on the MANY statements made by other individuals who have experienced problems with Nutro products in the recent past, it is my sincere belief that this company is purposely covering up this extremely serious situation in order to avoid liability. What a disgusting example of putting profit ahead of people and their pets!
Kristin of Trenton NJ (11/10/08)
I've been feeding my cats Nutro Natural Choice for years. A few months ago, my kitten, Dexter, now seven months old, started vomiting and having diarrhea uncontrollably. It was so bad that I came home one night to find 10 piles of puke and excrement all across the floor...it was a minefield. The whole house smelled like bile. I had to steam the carpet, as well.
I took Dexter to the vet the next day, and he figured that he must have caught a virus or something. He suggested Hill's ID for a while. I put him on that and confined him to the bathroom. The next night, upon my return from work, I arrived to find more crap on the floor! One or more of my other four cats was also sick. Within two weeks, this was all cleared up, and I chalked it up to a flu bug.
Today, I was browsing online for Nutro products to order via the Internet, and I came across the myriad of stories on this website. Unbelievable. I am convinced that it was a bad bag of Nutro that sickened my kitties. It's a shame, because they ablsolutely love the taste, but I am switching brands immediately.
One reasonable vet bill (luckily), and a ravaged carpet.
Janet of Reidsville NC (11/10/08)
Our beloved pet dog, Josey, a female spayed Lab mix, SUDDENLY developed vomiting, bloody diarrhea, weakness in her hind legs, blindness, and lethargy a week ago. We took her to the vet, and he suspects kidney failure. Due to her age, (10) he said to take her home, love and comfort her, and bring her back when we decide to euthanize her. In his opinion, there is no treatment for her. She went from a very young-acting, smart, energetic, large-appetite, housebroken dog to one that cannot drink enough water, has urinated huge puddles of totally clear, odorless urine, has vomited when trying to eat anything, will not touch her Nutro food or even smell it, which she ate voraciously after we switched her over to it upon the advice of friends this past summer. She has not eaten in a week, and we are basically just waiting for her to die. We are totally heartbroken.
Stephen of Ankeny IA (11/10/08)
The food that we purchased for our 2 dogs (Nutro Natural Choice Chicken Meal, Rice and Oatmeal Formula), the same stuff we have bought them for over a year, had started to affect them in a bad way. Vomiting and diarhea. After researching on the internet and finding the consumer affairs website, I decided that the most logical and least expensive thing to do was to replace their food with a different brand. Low and behold, it has now been two weeks on the new food(Purina Pro Select Salmon and Brown Rice) and all of the symptoms are gone. The dogs are more vibrant and happy, and they have stopped trying to eat the grass when they go outside. No vomiting or diarhea.
We caught and fixed the problem before it became a large issue. We were able to return the bag of Nutro to Petsmart without incident and they gladly exchanged it for the new food.
Gary of Gastonia NC (11/10/08)
We just read your story on Nutro-brand dog food and can report the same issues with our seven year-old Jack Russell Terrier. She has never eaten another brand, but recently developed severe stomach irritation, vomiting, diarhea, uncontrollable urges to go, drinking excessively and ultimately lost 25% of her body weight. After reading this story, we switched her to another brand and the symptoms disappeared. We are very concerned and disappointed with Nutro, and understand that some varieties have been linked to the Chinese melamine scandal.
Mike of Hamilton MT (11/09/08)
Two years ago I lost my 10 year old Brittany spanial Chance to liver cancer. I had been feeding him Nutro dry dog foods for about 7 years. The more I research this product the more I think it may have been the reason he died a terrible death way too young. I now have 2 Brittany's and they to have been on Nutro. I am changeing their food today and will NEVER feed another pet any Nutro product! They also will be going to the vet to have full tests done to try to find out if there has been any damage to their liver, kidneys or digestive systems. I can only prey that I have not caused them any damage by feeding this poison I have found that there are many!! pet owners out there that have concerns with Nutro products causing health problems with their beloved family members. I feel that Nutro must be held accountable for their actions and knowingly producing and selling their poison to the public.
I spent alot of money on Chance trying to find out what was wrong with him, and the emotional loss when I was forced to put him down was devistating. I do not know yet if I have caused any harm to my new family members.
Sherri of Laporte IN (11/08/08)
For the past three months, I have been feeding my two soft coated wheaton terriers, Nutro Ultra. This was highly recommended by a manufactures' Rep. at the Pet Supplies store.
Shortly after the switch, I noticed my dogs itching and scratching a lot. Continued to watch it, thinking it might have been the ONE Flea syndrome, due to the end of summer, dried leaves, mold, and weather change. And huge amount of GI issues..which, I thought was possibly due to the switch, but continued to think it would resolve itself.
One of the two was difinately having some kind of allergic reaction to the NUTRO, obvious by the color changing in her coat.
More problems arrised after I purchased this last bag I bought, the dogs began coughing and hacking.. and on several occassions vomited. I could tell something was just not right with them. They acted to be starving hungry, and would drink a ton of water...
Instinct kept telling me to search for possible probems, and change their food. Last week, I went into a Feed Store, to pick up dog food, and asked the store owner, if they had any reports or problems with the products. This is not my routine pet supplier or pet shop.
The conversation became 'quietly and intense', he stated that YES they have. But, was told by the Nutro REP not to tell anyone about any complaints. He continued to tell me that,while he was discussing this with the REP, that the REP, swears there's nothing wrong with the product. The owner encouraged me to change foods. Which I did, and am still in transition of, some of the symptoms seem to be disappearing
It appears that the vets wouldn't even know what to test for,they are working for the food companies, and wouldn't want them to have any problems, so till a lot of complaints are reported, they (FDA) will just sweep this under the rug.
Michele of Esperance NY (11/08/08)
My 3 year old Bernese Mtn. dog has eatten Nutro Nautral Choice dog food the Chicken meal, rice and oatmeal dry food for the last 3 years. Three days ago he refused to eat the food and the next day Im guessing out of hunger ate his dinner. He started throwing up shortly there after. He vomited 4 times, and acted very dizzy. He had some loose bowels earlier in the day but I didn't think much of it at the time.
I went to bed that night knowing that if the dog got worse I would take him to the vet first thing in the morning or the emergency clinic if nessacary overnight.
I woke the follow morning to a dog that died in his sleep. I heard him wimper once during the night and started to get up to go check on him, I then heard him lay back down so I went back to bed. I can now never forgive myself for not checking on him. If I had just known, just how sick he was. I would of done anything. Now it's to late.
And after reading all these articles against Nutro I am fully convienced that it was the food. He had no known health problems and had all his regular vet visit were up to date. I am devastated and so mad. My family has lost a dear family member and a best friend to my 5 year old son. And to think that it may have been due to the food he ate, it is just awful.
The lost of a family member and friend. The emotional lost is much greater then the financial which wasnt' cheap either.
Elvira of Campbell CA (11/03/08)
In May of this year I adopted two older dogs and sheppard and a corgi mix, they were both great eaters and loved thier nutro. This is the only food they were fed since I got them in May 2008. The were only fed senior kibble mixed with nutro senior wet food. On the third days after opening a new bag of kibble, Emily (the sheppard) refused her food. I was quite alarmed since she has never seemed anything les then happy with her food. I made an appointment for the vet later that afternoon and when I came home early from work to atke her in, she seemed fine so I didn't take her in, but i did decide to check on-line for any problem with the nutro - imagine my surprise when I check on-line on Oct 29! I was sckocked and immediately went to the petshop and got something different - my dogs have not had one single kibble of nutro since and never will - they seem to be doing well now.
Joy of S.pasadena FL (11/01/08)
I had two cats. I used to split a small can of Nutro cat foodbetween them along with their dry food every morning. One cat would eat the canned food, one would not. After a few months, the cat that ate the canned food stopped eating altogether. I took him to the vet, who said his kidneys were now twice the size that they were before, and tried everything to help him.
I spent eight hundred dollars and did things I didn't even think I could do, like giving my poor cat fluids with a needle. Within two weeks, I had to have him euthanized. Then, I read in the newspaper a few weeks later that Nutro was one of the companies who were using that poison Chinese melamine in their food. I'm sure that was what killed my cat. He was only eleven years old, and in perfect health until he started eating that Nutro poison food. Brenda of Bridgenorth, Canada (11/01/08)
Jinx is a 10 year old great dane bull mastiff female. She has always been a healthy 95 lb. dog until about Sept. /08. Oct.17/08 she started with a lot of mucous filled bowel movements. Later that day she started bleeding heavily and more diarrhea. The vet put her on 2 different kinds of antibiotics. We took her off her Nutro Pro senior dog food on the advice of our vet. We put her on a rice and beef burger diet for 4 days than put her back on her dog food. She improved while on rice and beef diet and then became sick again after going back to the Nutro Pro. The test results came back and the white blood cell count was twice as high as normal indicating severe infection. The dog is back on a burger and rice diet which is helping to gain her weight back and she is steadily improving.
Jinx is still needing medical attention and we're waiting to see if she has a full recovery.
