by CHRYSTAL STASICKY Media Editor
Nobody ever thought that the food they give to their dogs would end up killing their beloved pets.
A class-action lawsuit was filed against Nestle Purina PetCare Co. earlier this month, claiming that Purina Beneful dog food had caused illness and possibly the death of thousands of dogs. The lawsuit includes several varieties of Nestle Purina’s dog food, such as Purina Beneful Health Weight, Purina Beneful Original, Purina Beneful Incredibites, Purina Beneful Healthy Growth for Puppies, Purina Beneful Healthy Smile, Purina Beneful Health Fiesta, Purina Beneful Healthy Raidance, and Purina Beneful Playful Life.
The dog food has dangerous toxins, including propylene glycol and mycotoxins, which can cause internal bleeding, liver failure, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, bloat, and kidney failure. However, Keith Schopp, a spokesperson for Nestle Purina, said that the federal government recognizes propylene glycol as a safe toxin.
Over the last four years, more than 3,000 online complaints have been filed against Beneful by vets and pet owners to the Food and Drug administration and law firms around the country.
The lawsuit follows the story of Frank Lucido. He owns three dogs and started feeding them Beneful for the first time in January. His four-year-old German shepherd, Nella, started to lose fur and smell strange. When she was taken to the vet, Lucido learned that she was bleeding internally and her liver was malfunctioning. Nella survived, but she still has health problems.
Sadly, Lucido’s wife ended up finding their eight-year-old English bulldog dead, Dozer, in their yard. Lucido and his wife found out that Dozer was also bleeding internally and had lesions on her liver.
Remo, their 11-year-old Labrador, also fell ill and is currently undergoing testing and treatment.
Even though so many complaints have been filed against Nestle Purina, officials of the company said that the lawsuit is “without merit” and based on “social media-driven misinformation.”
An anonymous student said, “This is animal cruelty! So many complaints have been filed against the company! You would think they would realize that something is wrong with their food and they need to change it! Who knows how many dog’s lives have been taken and how many pet owner’s and children’s hearts have been broken because of this dog food!”
This student makes a very good point upon mentioning the heartbreak of pet owners. I have a three-year-old German shepherd named Sarge who has fallen ill because of Beneful. My siblings and I came home from school one day and found trails of blood all over the kitchen floor.
We thought it was just a little accident until it happened again the next day. We took him to the veterinarian and he gave us medication for Sarge to take, along with medicated food. After the food ran out, Sarge started eating Beneful again. However, he had another incident where my parents found bloody diarrhea around the house, and he was not eating.
The veterinarian then confirmed that the food had to be what was causing Sarge to be sick. My parents changed Sarge’s diet to a different brand of dog food and he has been healthy since.
Has your dog experienced any of these symptoms? If so, are they eating Beneful? Should stores stop selling Beneful, knowing that it is harmful to dogs?