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Pet food recall causes a scare
BY HUGH McDIARMID JR.
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
January 9, 2006
Patrick Jewula and Jackie Ellenwood of Dearborn Heights are convinced
Barney's food made him ill, even though it wasn't among the bags
recalled. (MARY SCHROEDER/Detroit Free Press)
What to look for and where to go for help
Diamond Pet Foods has recalled dog and cat food products sold under the
brand names Diamond, Country Value and Professional.
On bags weighing 18 to 55 pounds, the recalled products will have a
capital G in the 11th or 12th position of the date code and a "Best By"
date between March 1, 2007 and June 10, 2007.
On bags weighing 4 to 8 pounds, the capital G will be in the 9th
position.
Symptoms of aflatoxin poisoning may include sluggishness, loss of
appetite, persistent vomiting, fever, bloody diarrhea and jaundice
(yellow whites of the eyes, gums or belly).
For more information, go to www.diamondpetrecall.com or www.fda.gov.
Customer information from Diamond is available toll-free at
866-214-6945.
None of 76 dog deaths nationwide have been linked to bags of food sold
in Michigan, but that hasn't stopped nervous dog owners from contacting
stores that sold recalled bags and returning more than 36 opened bags
of the tainted lots to a store in Monroe.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday it was investigating
76 reports of dog deaths linked to pet food manufactured by a Diamond
Pet Foods plant in South Carolina. On Dec. 30, the FDA estimated 23
dead.
There have been no reported cat deaths or illnesses, even though some
of the recalled bags are cat food.
Of 12 stores in southern and southeast Michigan the Free Press
contacted Friday, two said they had sold products covered under the
recall.
At the Pet Supplies Plus in Monroe, about 90 bags of potentially toxic
food had to be shipped back to Diamond, and about three dozen customers
returned open bags, said store manager Scott Hampton.
FDA officials did not respond to Free Press inquiries last week, but
state experts said they don't believe any of the dogs that died ate
food purchased from Michigan stores.
The food was tainted by aflatoxin, a fungus that grows on corn, an
ingredient in the food. The toxin can cause lethal liver damage.
About 800,000 bags of cat and dog food are covered by the company's
recall, which began Dec. 20.
Michigan was initially not on the recall list -- but company officials
have since acknowledged that the state is among 23 that may have
received tainted food. Neither the company, nor the FDA, could estimate
last week how many bags were shipped to Michigan.
At the lab that does much of the pet food and animal tissue testing for
veterinarians in Michigan, technicians are on alert.
"Everybody here is looking closely at biopsies of livers" for signs of
aflatoxin poisoning, said Dr. Willie Reed, director of the Diagnostic
Center for Population and Animal Health at Michigan State University.
The lab is currently testing six dog food samples sent by veterinarians
in Tennessee, and one from a veterinarian in Michigan for toxins.
Although Diamond's Web site lists more than 450 Michigan retailers who
carry its products, company officials said they believed the amount of
tainted food shipped to Michigan was small, and confined to the
southern part of the state.
Chap's Feed Store in Livonia has been "inundated with calls" about the
recall, said owner Greg Eardley. "We had lots of people bringing bags
back," even though none of them were part of the recall, he said.
"People are scared."
An employee at a Pet Supplies Plus in Jackson who wouldn't give her
name said that store returned one bag.
Dog owners in Michigan are being cautious.
"When I heard that the Professional brand food we were using was part
of the recall, I stopped right away," said Jackie Ellenwood of Dearborn
Heights, whose 7-month-old cockapoo Barney began vomiting and became
listless Dec. 25. Three trips to veterinarians failed to diagnose a
cause.
Ellenwood, who owns Barney with her fiance, Patrick Jewula, had opened
a new bag of Professional brand chicken and rice formula food a few
days before the dog became ill. He recovered after they switched
brands, she said.
The Diamond company assured the couple -- based on the product code on
their bag -- that their food was not manufactured at the South Carolina
plant and couldn't be toxic. They remain unconvinced.
*******
TC