Pedigree Dog Food

This is just a heads up to anyone who feeds Pedigree Dog Food.  There have been a few recent cases of dogs dropping dead after eating newly opened bags of Pedigree.  The necropsy results haven't come in yet, so no one knows if the food was to blame (I’ll update with new info when I get it) but it was the only common thread in all the cases.  If your bag of food has the expiry date of March 2009 watch out for vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, tremors, or breathing problems.  If your dog starts acting funny go to the vet right away (e-vet if you have to).

Like I said, no one is sure that the food caused the problems but it is a possibility.  I’m not trying to make anyone panic.  I’m just passing this along in case it is the food that made these dogs sick.  I’d hate to have knowledge of something potentially dangerous and not share it while dogs all over are getting sick.  

Do you know if it was just the Dry food in bags or any of the canned wet food? Thanks so much for posting this-I'll do my own research now but if you know I would appreciate it.

It was the dry and it happened in Ohio.  I know there are a couple Pedigree plants in the US.  I don't know if each plant sends food to a certain region, or if all the plants make part of the food.  Pedigree won't release any of that info.  If you feed this, just watch out for any signs of sickness. 

It's probably best to switch to a new food, but we won't get into that here.

Thank you so much for responding, I can't seem to find any info on it, I do have the cans of wet in my pantry and that's what I've been feeding but I'm going to toss them.

Thanks again.

Apparently the Ohio Department of Ag. and Pedigree are still investigating.  This just happened yesterday. 

It's probably best if you throw out the Pedigree.  It's a pretty yucky food honestly.  I used to feed it too until I researched dog food.  If you need any help picking out a new food, I'd be glad to help. 

Thanks for letting everyone know. I don't have a puppy baby right now but this is terrifying all the same.

My heart goes out to dog and kitty owners everywhere!

Here's an "article" I cowrote about dog food if anyone is interested.

So you are confused by dog food

Thank you for this. I will warn my mother asap because I think her little cutie eats pedigree wet food and I don't anything to happen to her! (she's 7 months this month )

My dog eats Beneful dog cereal and Nature's Recipe canned food.

I remember there were a bunch of dog and cat food recalls causing kidney failure and alot of people's pets died...I was terrified. I feel for all those poor owners out there who lost their pet this way. So horrible.

Edit: Just read that link and now I feel bad for feeding my beagle beneful all this time. I can't exactly afford the awesome stuff...is there any cheap sorta awesome stuff?

Edit2: I put the wrong name of canned food. I fail as a doggie parent!

Original Post by jewelsmcblah:

Here's an "article" I cowrote about dog food if anyone is interested.

So you are confused by dog food

When I worked in a vet clinic I always wondered why they had Science Diet and Royal Canin there, I could tell the ingredients were crap even before I knew all the facts.

hey jewels, have you heard any stories about BSE in dogfood?  because i think that's what happened to my last dog.  now i'm very wary and avoid anything with meat meal, because that can include brain and spine.

I wonder if this affects Korea. I buy a Pedigree food.

edit: I can't spell. That's what I get for typing and talking to a co-worker at the same time.

i feed iams, ali.  not on the "good" list, but it doesn't have meat meal.  it seems to work for kenya: she has tons of energy, and doesn't pooh too much (with cheap food, they tend to eat loads and pooh loads).

i don't know about korea, but canada doesn't regulate pet foods at all.  the ingredients list is basically a "may contain" list.  frustrating.

I use Solid Gold Barking at The Moon... but I think we feed wet Pedigree.

incidentally, who else has a dog who snores?

Cptbunny, if you're on a really tight budget Kirkland Brand dog food is super cheap (like 20 bucks for 40 lbs) and pretty decent.  It you don't have a Costco near by it's practially Diamond Naturals.  That's pretty cheap too.  Way better than Beneful.  Some Wal-Marts carry Lassie Natural Way.  That's a decent food.  Dr. Foster and Smiths can be found at Target and I think that's cheap.  The awesome stuff isn't as expensive as it seems.

Don't feel bad about feeding Beneful, you were doing what you thought was best, right?  You should be pissed off for being lied to though.

Vice, Science Fiction Diet really pisses me off.  I loathe them, lol.  Royal Canin isn't as bad but I'm miffed by the puppy mill ordeal.

Ali, I think Asian Pedigree is made somewhere in Asia.  I recall a lot of Pedigree recalls going on that only affected the Asian market so I would assume you're probably okay.

Pg, that's so sad.  I'm sorry to hear about your pup.  The FDA says there is no risk to dogs eating mad cow infected meat, but the FDA are a bunch of liars.  You never know.  I haven't been able to find the AAFCO definitions of beef meal, but I'm sure it probably does contain brain.  I do know that any and all "animal" by-products contain brain and spine.  I feed my dog food made by Champion Pet Foods (Orijen 6 Fish, the only food my dog hasn't gotten sick on).  With Orijen, they follow AAFCO rules, regulations, and definitions.  As far as I know, they have to in order to sell food in the US.  Otherwise the FDA, USDA, and AAFCO would be all up their ass.  It might have not been that way in the past, but I'm fairly certain it's that way now (at least in the past 6 months).  I don't know the story of how bse got into their dog food, but right now this is the only kibble Sedona doesn't get ill on.  Not much I can do about that.  We're thinking of going prey model raw.  She already eats quite abit of raw, but damn!  Meat is expensive in Canada.

If you want to avoid meat meals, check out Wysong.  It's expensive as all get out and I know you're not looking for a rec, but hey...it's a really wonderful company.  Check it out.

thanks, jewels - i will look for wysong.  my concern is that i'm going to be moving soon-ish, and i don't especially want to change her food more than once, if i can avoid it.  is it widely available?

but i have to tell you that my vet, who's very passionate about pet foods and served on the canadian board of vets for years (until his wife made him quit) and tried to get them to adopt the american regulations, told me that kirkland's got an endorsement from the board based on one formula, but since then has bought from the highest bidder.  so any particular batch could be completely different from the last one.

he recommends a high-end canadian brand, medi-cal. 

http://www.medi-cal.ca/diets/canine_en.php

we used that the most at the vet clinic I worked in, I don't think the ingredients look so great? It's by Royal Canin too.

 

(lol@science fiction diet)

I can find some Wysong products without looking very hard in my area.  If you have Pet-Valu around you they sell it.  It's expensive, but they have a very interesting food philosophy.  Almost all their formulas contain chicken and Sedona is allergic to chicken.  We'd feed it if we could.

Kirkland isn’t a great food, but it’s decent for that price.  It’s made by Diamond Pet Foods and is practically a replica of the Diamond Naturals formulas.  Diamond is a pretty crooked company, but the Naturals line doesn’t have a lot of the nasty chemicals other foods have.  I don’t know if it’s different in Canada.  A Canadian company could make Canadian Kirkland for all I know.  The information just isn’t out there for Canucks.  I don’t know why.

Medi-Cal is owned by Mars.  Mars also makes Pedigree, Nutro, Royal Canin, Cesar, Sheba, Whiskas, and The Good Life (and lots of candy).  I don’t know how it is in Canada, but American vets are taught nutrition by Mars, Colgate, Procter and Gamble, and Nestle.  I assume it’s a similar thing here.  I steer clear of the Big Four.  I honestly just do not trust them anymore.

hmmm.  yeah, there's virtually no regulation in canada, so who knows.  i want to buy local, but...?

if i had my $%it together i'd cook for her, but i can barely cook for me lately!!  although when i do, i give her leftovoers ;-)

thanks for all the information, jewels.  i don't know if i can follow it, but i appreciate it!

Heh, no problem.  I'm glad you read all that with an open mind.  I really think making your own dog food is the best way to go.  With a little research, a couple hours of prep a week, and a slow cooker you could be doing homecooked meals.  Maybe some day when you have your $%it together....=)

Here some other foods you may be interested in checking out when you have the time.

The Honest Kitchen is dehyrated food.  There are a handful of formulas.  Most include meat, but there is one that you to add your own meat to it.  It's pretty popular with the pooches.

Ziwi Peak is a jerky "kibble" that is air dried.  It's friggin' awesome but it's about $10 a pound.  That's insane I know, but if you e-mail the company they'll send two baggies of samples.  They make perfect treats.  It's well worth the second it takes to e-mail them.

If you're interested in raw (not sure that you are), there are a couple pre-made raw companies who do good work.

Nature's Variety has frozen and freeze dried raw foods.

Bravo makes a variety of frozen raw food too (I reccomend the raw green tripe, just make sure you feed it outside).

incidentally, who else has a dog who snores?

My dog snores.. like a grown man and she's a tiny cocker spaniel. haha She also snorts like a little pig when we're out for walks and she's smelling things.