On January 5, 2024, Purina Pet Meals issued the next assertion (daring added):

“Please watch out for on-line rumors claiming there are points with Purina merchandise – these false statements could also be creating pointless stress for pet mother and father. There aren’t any well being or questions of safety with any of our merchandise, they usually can proceed to be fed with confidence.”

Purina additionally states (daring added): “In the event you learn one thing on-line that issues you, or you’ve any questions on your pet meals, please be happy to succeed in out to our staff. We additionally advocate researching the supply of those posts. Some are well-intentioned pet mother and father who’re genuinely involved and making an attempt to be useful, whereas others could also be making an attempt to create chaos and mistrust of sure manufacturers as a possibility to promote their very own merchandise.”

Private opinion: I’m conscious of many people which can be working lengthy hours behind the scenes – NOT ONE OF THEM is making an attempt to ‘create chaos’ or utilizing this regarding scenario ‘as a possibility to promote their very own merchandise.’ It’s regarding that Purina made this assertion – selected these phrases – concerning the veterinarians, advocates, and pet homeowners which can be ONLY making an attempt to assist their fellow pet homeowners.

How has Purina dealt with “on-line rumors” of the previous?

Beginning in 2007, there have been ‘rumors’ of sick and lifeless pets linked to Purina’s Waggin Practice rooster jerky treats. On the time, the FDA acknowledged:

“Since 2007, FDA has acquired experiences of diseases in pets related to the consumption of jerky pet treats. As of December 31, 2015, FDA has acquired roughly 5,200 complaints of diseases related to consumption of rooster, duck, or candy potato jerky treats, a lot of which contain merchandise imported from China, which produces a lot of the jerky pet treats available on the market. The experiences contain greater than 6,200 canine, 26 cats, three folks, and embrace greater than 1,140 canine deaths.”

(Purina Waggin Practice jerky treats have been one of many merchandise related to pet diseases and deaths.)

In 2012, Purina printed a web site – “Rooster Jerky Canine Treats: The Details” (www.chickenjerkyfacts.com) offering pet homeowners with “Fable” and (their) “Reality” details about rooster jerky treats. Purina’s web site instructed pet homeowners it was a “Fable” that “hundreds of canine have gotten sick or died from consuming jerky treats.”

The Purina web site additionally instructed pet homeowners it was a “Fable” that the “FDA advises pet homeowners to not feed rooster jerky treats.”

Really, previous to Purina’s ChickenJerkyFacts.com web site – the FDA had issued two warnings concerning the treats. In 2007 the FDA posted “FDA Cautions Customers about Rooster Jerky Merchandise for Canine” stating “The Meals and Drug Administration is cautioning shoppers of a possible affiliation between improvement of sickness in canine and the consumption of rooster jerky merchandise additionally described as rooster tenders, strips or treats.”

The second warning got here from FDA in 2008 – “Preliminary Animal Well being Notification – Rooster Jerky Merchandise for Canine”. This warning acknowledged “The Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to warning shoppers of a possible affiliation between the event of sickness in canine and the consumption of rooster jerky merchandise additionally described as rooster tenders, strips or treats.”

Lastly, in January 2013 many manufacturers of jerky treats imported from China have been faraway from retailer cabinets. Testing by NY Division of Agriculture discovered unlawful antibiotics in Purina’s Waggin Practice and quite a few different manufacturers. Different jerky treats on the time – comparable to Milo’s Kitchen, additionally implicated in pet sickness and deaths – issued a recall.

Purina didn’t.  As a substitute, Purina issued a “voluntary withdrawal” telling pet homeowners the issue was “attributable to regulatory inconsistencies” and the Waggin Practice jerky treats “are protected to feed as directed.”

The yr following the Purina Waggin Practice jerky deal with withdrawal – in 2014, Purina initiated a lawsuit towards competitor Blue Buffalo and printed the web site www.PetFoodHonesty.com.

Purina acknowledged on this web site: “At Purina, we consider that honesty is a very powerful ingredient within the relationship between pet homeowners and their pet meals firm. That’s the reason we’ve undertaken our lawsuit, and it’s why we established a web site, www.petfoodhonesty.com, the place pet homeowners can be taught the reality. (Could 14, 2014)” The “honesty” Purina was referencing with this web site was with competitor Blue Buffalo.

Nevertheless only a yr earlier, Purina was lower than sincere with FDA and pet homeowners concerning many experiences of sick and dying pets linked to its Beneful pet food.

Throughout FDA investigation of three Purina Beneful manufacturing crops, testing revealed six samples examined above “allowable degree for cyanuric acid and ammelide (melamine)” and “six samples collected contained ethoxyquin, nonetheless, the additive was not indicated on the product labeling.” Throughout the identical inspections, and Purina refused to supply FDA what “routine contamination” testing the corporate carried out on pet meals, refused “to supply the precise content material or weights of particular person elements that went into the implicated heaps”. FDA inspections on the time additionally discovered one plant – in Edmond, OK – “doesn’t have a written protocol for dealing with complaints”.

When lawsuits have been filed towards Purina concerning sick and lifeless pets believed to be linked to their Beneful pet meals, the corporate offered CBS Information this assertion: “We wish to reassure you that there aren’t any high quality points with Beneful. Like different pet meals, Beneful is often the topic of social media pushed misinformation. Beneful is a top quality nutritious meals, loved by hundreds of thousands of comfortable, wholesome canine every year. You may proceed to feed Beneful with full confidence.”

In 2015 Purina termed the experiences of sick pets linked to their pet meals as “social media pushed misinformation”.

In 2024, Purina termed the experiences of sick and lifeless pets linked to their pet meals as “false statements” “making an attempt to create chaos and mistrust”.

My how issues have modified…or have they?

When you have a sick pet you consider is linked to their pet meals, please report that problem to FDA and/or your state feed official. Extra data might be discovered HERE.

We sadly can not inform pet homeowners which manufacturers of pet meals are concerned within the present scenario, we will share that the volunteer pushed Fb group Saving Pets One Pet @ A Time is doing their greatest at documenting the numerous client complaints. Experiences of sick or lifeless pets are linked to dry and moist pet meals, and contain each cats and canine.

Now we have requested FDA (twice) to supply pet homeowners with an replace to this present scenario surrounding a number of Purina pet meals. So far the company has ignored our requests. Now we have additionally filed a Freedom of Info Act request for all pet meals hostile occasion experiences acquired by FDA courting again to 11/1/23.

Pet homeowners and veterinarians are inspired to e-mail FDA asking them to maintain us knowledgeable. AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov. We completely deserve for FDA to replace the general public.