An action lawsuit filed 5 February 2015 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California claims that certain ingredients in the dry dog food Beneful from Nestlé Purina PetCare Company have sickened or killed thousands of dogs.
“The lawsuit has raised questions among those with pets,” one veterinarian said. She advised those who are concerned to be aware of common poisoning symptoms and bring any concerns to their family vet.
Frank Lucido of Discovery Bay, California, says in the complaint that, after his family began feeding their three dogs Beneful late in December 2014 and early January of this year, all of them became ill and one has died. An official with Nestlé Purina called the lawsuit “baseless” and said that two earlier action lawsuits making similar allegations had been dismissed by the courts.
Beneful had the following to say in a media press release.
“We believe the lawsuit is baseless, and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves and our brand,” Bill Salzman, the company’s director of corporation communications said. “Like other pet foods, Beneful is occasionally the subject of social media-driven misinformation. Online postings often contain false, unsupported and misleading allegations that cause undue concern and confusion for our Beneful customers. Bottom line: Consumers can continue to feed Beneful with total confidence.”
In the dog food, there is an ingredient called propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is a known animal toxin and a component of antifreeze. However, the company says that the type it uses is FDA-approved and is also used in human foods, including salad dressing and cake mix.
If your dog has any of these symptoms from eating the food, take him/her to the vet as soon as possible.
• Decreased activity or appetite
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea (sometimes with blood)
• Increased thirst
• Increased urination
The Tiger Times 
Posted on March 26, 2015 by thetigertimes
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