Nutro Food Update
August 23, 2008 by Gyvel Young ©2008
Filed under CONSUMER REPORTS, Pet Food Recalls, Unsafe Pet Food
Zinc Toxicity Suspected in Recent Nutro Food Complaints
A comment posted on this blog alerted me to a recent update on Nutro dry dog food. Complaints about Nutro food were first reported by Consumer Affairs in June of 2008. As previously stated in the SecurePet blog Nutro has maintained their pet food is 100% safe. In response to these complaints the Pet Food Products Safety Alliance (Pfpsa.org) conducted their own tests on Natural Choice Chicken Meal, Rice, and Oatmeal Formula and Nutro Max Puppy. Samples of these products were sent of to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab to be tested for e-coli, salmonella, and listeria, which all tested non-detected. The samples were then forwarded to the Analytical Sciences Laboratory, University of Idaho, to be tested for aflatoxin and a variety of minerals and metals. Aflatoxin was non-detected on both samples at 100 ppb.
However, the samples did reveal a number of substances with higher levels than AAFCO recommendations. The two samples scored 2 and 3 times higher than AAFCO recommendations for copper and zinc. And there are certain breeds of dogs who are highly sensitive to copper.
According to the Pet Food Safety Alliance:
The samples believed to be Nutro dry dog food tested positive for zinc at levels of 260 ppm (ug/g) and 400 ppm as fed. Assuming 10% moisture content as fed, vs. dry matter as calculated by AAFCO, the 400 ppm sample is over 4 times the recommended amount, and at half the maximum amount allowed. This would come to on the order of 40 times the amount of zinc recommended for human dietary requirements.
The symptoms of canine zinc toxicosis described in this report by the College of Veterinary Medicine is consistent with the symptoms associated with feeding Nutro dry dog food.
My recommendation? Remove Nutro products from your pet food list!
Please, keep up-to-date with the latest pet food findings by visiting the Pet Food Tracker , the Pet Food Recall Facts, and the Pet Food Products Safety Alliance as often as you can. I will keep also be happy to keep you updated on my own findings.
Keep in mind that an informed consumer is a powerful consumer. Pets rely on us for their lives and health.
It is good you have picked this lab report up….we have been discussing this quite alot
http://itchmoforums.com/your-problems-with-pet-food/new-consumer-affairscomnutro-article-t4525.0.html;msg80507#msg80507
Glad you find this as interesting as we do…Hats off to Don Earl for helping out with some more info on this…
Hi Carol,
Thanks for stopping by. I am so glad the Itchmo forum keeps up with the latest findings.
I have included a link to the Itchmo forum located at the right under Pet Food Recall Sources: Cat & Dog Forums.
I would like to encourage everyone out there to keep up with the latest findings by visiting this forum.
Best to all of you at Itchmo,
Gyvel
I’ve lost 3 dogs from mitral valve prolapse and 5 vets and the FDA said it had to have been caused from an outside source.
I googled zinc and copper poisoning and it said it caused heart disease, eye problems, kidney, liver and pancreas failure, gastritis and CANCER!
When will Nutro admit there is a problem and pull it’s food from the shelves? I called them today and Sharon said they are having a “lamb” shortage and there is nothing wrong with the food! She said these are “blogs” and nothing on them is true. Well, I have 3 dead dogs and that is 100% fact!
Share this with everyone you know!
Dear Cheryl - first my deepest heartfelt sympathy for your loss. I can not imagine the heartache you are going through.
I thank you for taking the time to post this. It is important for dog owners to be aware of what is happening and to stay informed about their pet’s food.
I would like to know the type of Nutro food your dogs were on, was it canned or dry? And which one was it since they have several varieties.
All my best to you,
Gyvel
Gyvel:
I was a Pet Nutrition Specialist for Nutro from 2004-2008. I quit earlier this year when my customers kept telling me their animals were getting sick. Then when I found out my 2 chihuahuas and 2 poms had mitral valve prolapse, I knew it had to be the food. I had all my dogs tested last year after the recall and they were all fine. This year, all 4 of them were diagnosed with Mitral Valve and the my one lh chihuahua was diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency (her hair fell out and grew weird). 4 different ages and 3 different breeds of dogs–too coincidental.
I was feeding the Senior chicken/rice in the silver bag, along with Nutro treats and biscuits.
My lab was on Max large breed and he tested ok in February, but I’m having him checked again now that this has come to light.
When I googled Copper Toxicity and found the Mitral Valve Prolapse and Adrenal Insufficiency, I was speechless. I knew it had to be from the food or some kind of toxin on the bags.
As a former employee of Nutro, I would have thought they would have had enough loyalty to talk to me when my animals got sick, but not one person from Nutro has called me concerning this issue and believe me, I’ve called, emailed and sent several letters.
The minute Nutro or the FDA comes forward with something substantial, I’m calling my lawyer!
Please share this information with everone you know!
Cheryl
[...] Nutro Food Update [...]
I can believe what I am reading, let me tell you why… I normally feed my 5 year old Blue Heeler and 3 year old Border Collie Eukanuba. I decided to try Nutro Max because Eukanuba is a little pricey. A couple of days after them eating the little bit of Eukanuba I had left and the Nutro, mixed, they were vomiting and had diarrhea. Both of them stopped eating as much. After this continued for about a week, I figured it was the food. I went and bought a new bag of Eukanuba, and after only 2 days, they had stopped vomiting and no more diarrhea.
I am glad I read this because I was going to give the left over Nutro Max to my parents for their dogs. Now, I am happy to say it is in the trash!!
I am definitely going to start looking at these reports before I buy dog food.
–Ashley
Cheryl,
Very sorry that your dogs were sickened by Nutro.
The only thing that will budge the pet food industry is LEGAL ACTION.
I suggest that you don’t wait for Nutro or FDA to disclose any information - that’s not likely to happen.
Call your lawyer now.
“I suggest that you don’t wait for Nutro or FDA to disclose any information - that’s not likely to happen.”
Homer, you said a mouthful.
No matter who calls, Nutro will tell them this is the first call they’ve received about a problem. And then they go into the “send us some food for testing” that’s written on their script…..so many have sent in food & have never heard back from them.
How sad that they happily take money for their product but won’t stand behind it in any way.
Don’t get me going on the FDA…….
My 13 year old black Lab mix lost 10 lbs. while on Nutro Ultra. She needed to do so, and I attributed the weight loss to her advancing age. For two weeks, she was on another food, but I bought another bag of Ultra on Saturday - that Tuesday she exhibited all the effects associated with the zinc and copper toxicosis described on these sites and died on Wednesday. If anyone has any more information about Nutro Ultra and its effect upon older dogs, please let me know. I would have given anything to have known about the harm Nutro could do before she died.