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Freshpet Pet Food having Mold Problems?

Social media and even stock market investors are concerned that Freshpet Pet Food is having mold problems with their pet foods. There has been no recall of this pet food.

Social media and even stock market investors are concerned that Freshpet Pet Food is having mold problems with their pet foods. There has been no recall of this pet food.

One of you wonderful pet food consumers sent me the link to a very recent post (4/29/15) on SeekingAlpha.com – an investment research website – regarding “mold contamination in some Freshpet SKUs”. Freshpet is a publicly traded pet food company, it is assumed SeekingAlpha.com was giving a heads up to investors.

SeekingAlpha.com “observed a number of consumer complaints on social media detailing instances of mold in Freshpet products”. The writers wanted to verify the mold claims, they state they visited “10 stores in Kansas City and found 3 stores that were selling moldy Freshpet food. The moldy products we found were unexpired and unopened, with no discernible damage to the packaging.”

Below are some of the moldy pet food images posted on SeekingAlpha.com.

FreshPetmold1

FreshPetmold2

FreshPetmold4

FreshPetmold3

And SeekingAlpha.com put together this map of reported mold findings in FreshPet pet food…

FreshPetmoldmap

It is reported that FreshPet initially blamed the mold on mishandling of the foods during shipping, but “in the April 8, 2015 post, the company had a slightly different response, which seemed to suggest there is a possibility that there is an issue at its manufacturing facility:

“In response to the April 8, 2015, Publix complaint above, Freshpet writes:”

“We’re really sorry to see this. We are looking into this issue at our Kitchens”

One of the best statements from SeekingAlpha.com about these moldy pet food reports was in response to a Tweet sent by Freshpet. Freshpet stated: “We’re proud to say that we haven’t ever had a recall, and plan to keep it that way.”

SeekingAlpha.com responded: “One way to never have a recall is to ignore complaints about mold…”

Huge Thanks to SeekingAlpha.com for providing such a detailed story on recent consumer complaints of  mold in Freshpet Pet Foods! Bringing this to the attention of investors, could save the lives of some pets.

I checked on the Freshpet Facebook page and found a complaint from a consumer posted just this morning (5/3/15) of moldy pet food (yes, I suggested to this consumer to report the issue to FDA). This consumer shared the following photo and posted “Here’s a pic from the 2nd package. Huge clumps of moldy food which must have been growing for weeks to get this big.”

FreshPetmold5

Where is regulatory investigation of this pet food? How can mold be seen growing on the pet food (through the clear panel on the packaging) and no authority know about it? What about the retailers selling the moldy pet food? Did no one report the issues to FDA or State Department of Agriculture?

These reports of moldy Freshpet will be sent to FDA and to several State Department of Agriculture offices. Will there be a recall of this pet food? We’ll have to wait and see.

For any consumer using this pet food, closely examine the food prior to feeding. If you find any mold in the pet food (or any pet food), do not feed! Report any incidents of mold to your State Department of Agriculture (Click Here to find representatives in your state) and FDA (Click Here for FDA instructions).

 


Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food

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131 Comments

131 Comments

  1. Lynne Fowler

    May 3, 2015 at 4:54 pm

    Just one more reason to homecook.

    • MALS

      March 13, 2016 at 8:11 am

      Our dog Lola was hospitalized with hemorrhagic gastritis and colitis after eating the fresh pet select tender chicken with vegetables. She was so sick and is still hospitalized getting IV medications and hydration. The tube was unexpired and used within one week of opening. No visible signs of mold. Anyone out there with a similar experience?

      • Malisa

        March 13, 2016 at 12:00 pm

        Mals, my sister is having samples of the FreshPet she bought tested by the FDA as we speak. Her dogs and my dog got sick after eating from a April 7th expiration date on the chub of Vital Bison and Beef. We live in separate states, so we found that odd. I hope your dog recovers soon. Mine was left with a sensitive stomach and her dogs are still recovering from severe diarrhea. If I find out the results from the FDA, I will share it on this site.

        • Barbara

          February 18, 2021 at 11:27 pm

          The problem isn’t with the initial product. The semis, delivery trucks, or the stores are playing a part by not keeping the finished product cold enough. Somewhere along the chain it’s temperature is mishandled. The only way I will buy Freshpet now is to bring along a large bag,a small kitchen knife and paper plate. When I’m finished shopping and paying, I set my cart aside and cut open the Freshpet in the bathroom, or in the cart cubby. If it smells good, I keep it. If it smells musky,I go back to the cashier and return it. My dog loves it, but I was throwing away nearly 50%! It is the ONLY way to buy Freshpet.

      • Jessie

        March 15, 2016 at 5:27 pm

        I have been using fresh pet for a couple of years –both the logs and the bags. I feed both of my dogs the food. On Friday I noticed Skiddles was not be feeling well but her symptoms were vague. On Saturday afternoon I followed her to the back yard to watch her bowel — loose with red blood. Saturday night she had diarrhea all night long (all over my white carpet). Sunday I took her to Animal emergency and she was put on an IV to hydrate her. On Monday I took her to her Vet who did all the blood work — no pancreatitis – no elevated white blood cell count, no fever. So what is her problem?? My other dog, Earl, hasn’t been sick, but he may not have eaten the bad part of the food — if in fact it is the food causing our problem. This food is expensive. I’m going to try to return it to Win Dixie.

        • Susan Thixton

          March 15, 2016 at 5:49 pm

          Hi Jessie –
          Please report your incident to FDA. You can do that here: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ReportaProblem/ucm182403.htm
          You will need to keep the bag/packaging for FDA to investigate.

          • Viki

            August 5, 2016 at 5:13 pm

            A couple of years ago I reported chicken jerky that made all three of my big dogs vomit violently, told them I still had the bag if they wanted to test it, and I never heard back from them. They don’t really give a darn if dogs dies from bad food or not. I told them I am a former Veterinary Technician, what I did to make sure it was the chicken jerky that made all of my dogs sick, and but still, no response whatsoever.

        • Malisa

          March 15, 2016 at 6:59 pm

          Jessie – my sister just got the report back from the FDA on the tests they did on FreshPet and they found no bacteria. I really didn’t think bacteria was the problem, and I don’t think the FDA would test for the ingredients (either of much of something, or a chemical that isn’t supposed to be in the food) – so we got nowhere with the situation. I have also fed my dog FreshPet for a couple of years with no issues at all, so I’m baffled as to why she got sick. I now have her on homemade food since I don’t trust any manufactured food at this point. I can’t discount other factors that may have caused the problem, it’s so confusing. All I can say now is that I see an improvement with her skin and coat since I did change to homemade.

          • Shireen

            April 3, 2016 at 3:32 am

            In response to the person asking if anyone was still having problems with Freshpet the answer is yes! March 7, 2016 I notified Freshpet about mold I found in the dog food. I have purchased Freshpet Select Roasted Meals for a couple years and just discovered mold! I took pictures and they look just like the pictures posted! After notifying the company I was told they would mail a coupon to replace the bag I purchased, which they haven’t done! I also buy Freshpet Select for my elderly cat, it concerns me to continue buying this food and feeding it to my pets. The bags I purchase I make sure are not expired so that isn’t the problem! I’ve continued to buy Freshpet Select for my dog and cat but scares me after reading others comments since their pets ended up sick. I am done purchasing Freshpet didn’t realize so many others were having problems with mold. I would like to find out about making homemade food for my pets and what your recipes are if anyone would like to share?

          • Beverly

            May 19, 2019 at 8:46 pm

            I have had my dog on Freshpet Beef and Bison and also Chicken for over two years and I’ve never had a problem. My beautician has her Maltese on Freshpet and she has never had a problem. In fact my dog seems to have more energy since I’ve had him on it. I don’t see a problem with it. Are you making sure you keep it wrapped and refrigerated?

      • Mary

        April 8, 2016 at 10:32 pm

        Hello…

        Tonite I purchased a 2 lb. bag of Freshpet cat food at my local Publix supermarket

        I hot home, opened the bag and smelled it as I usually do before feeding my cats

        Somehow it didn’t smell right this time I thought maybe it was my sense of smell due to allergies since I live in the south

        I poured a generous portions into new styrofoam bowls for esch of my cat’s

        They approach the bowl and only 1 tasted a bit and walked away

        The other ones I brought the ball smell the food and immediately walked away

        This has never ever happened before I’ll be buying fresh bed for my kids for 2 years or so

        Immediately I went back to Publix supermarket told them it was bad and I wanted to exchange it but I wanted to open its first while in the store

        I grabbed another 2-pound bags I opened it and it also smell bad

        Then I chose two small bags open one and they also smelled bad

        I went do the customer service counter to let them know the other bags of food also smelled bad

        I also told him they should pull all Freshpet off

        Needless to say customer service did not send anyone while I was there at least to pull the merchandise off

        I’m going back to the store in the morning to ensure customer service pulled the items
        off

        I’ll email and call up whatever agencies I have to in order to get them to recall the merchandise

        I ended up feeding them tuna in water labeled – Product of Thailand

        Can’t trust any people’s or pet food anymore

        I’m disgusted and I’m sick of it

      • Edna Hunter

        July 10, 2016 at 4:35 pm

        Yes going thru the same thing now! Devistated that’s I bought this for her!

      • Lisa

        September 18, 2016 at 3:37 pm

        My dogs get sick when they eat fresh pet dog food, but not the dog treats. I have had a couple instances of mold on unexpired treats!

      • Rose

        October 4, 2016 at 8:52 am

        I’m not sure if it was food related, but my little Jack got so sick with vomiting and diarrhea for three days I honestly thought he might die. He was so weak. I’m into natural remedies so I kept working with him until he recovered. On the fourth day he acted like he’d never been sick. In the back of my mind I kept wondering if it could of been the food cause everything about it seemed like food poisoning. It took a couple of months before I tried that food again. Ive been looking for alternatives which is how I stumbled on this thread/site. In all fairness he does scarf up random stuff sometimes when we go for walks. I say “stuff” cause he does it so fast we’re never sure what he ate. We try to watch him closely, but it’s hard to tell when he’s looking for the right spot to do his business and when he’s sniffing out something to scarf. He’s so small, on up in years and spoiled I’m afraid he’d be too traumatized by a muzzle.

      • Brenda klyne

        June 2, 2017 at 8:14 pm

        My small poodle died May 30 2017 after feeding Freshpet in the tube. I’m devasted and looking for answers. She was taken to Leesburg, VA emergency clinic where they did everything possible. She suffered a terrible death. Please report and recent issues with this food. I’m currently having test run by State Lab.

      • Donna Smith

        January 12, 2020 at 10:31 am

        I had a similar experience. My dog ate the chicken and had no problems initially. The second time I bought this product from petco. I got the chicken and the beef. I fed him a small amount of the beef. The next day, I fed him some of the chicken. He vomited that day and then started having chills and diarrhea. The chills subsided after the first day, but the diarrhea has persisted for three days now. I’m very concerned that the food was contaminated in some way.

      • Aileen

        June 20, 2020 at 1:03 pm

        Same situation happen to me this week what was your outcome

    • Lara Ertl

      March 28, 2016 at 11:21 pm

      Hi, just wondering if anyone is still having problems with the Fresh Pet food? Anyone with cats using the refrigerated chicken and white fish kibble notice anything wrong the last few months? I’ve been feeding my two kittens this food since getting them b/c this is what their Foster Mom we adopted them from recommended. It seemed great for a while but then one kitten started to just prefer his pate without it, I was mixing it for more moisture in their diet, with both pate and more gravy and shredded meat style canned foods in rotation. One kitten decided he just liked the pate plain but the other liked the shredded meats in gravy mixed with the fresh pet refrigerated kibble so I’ve been giving them both. I mix it really well with the gravy and shredded meat so I would think I would see any mold clumps if there were any, but last month there were a few bags that neither of the kittens would eat at all and I noticed they did not smell normal, they smelled off! We tried to stop giving it to them all together after this but the one kitten that likes his shredded meat and gravy mixed with it and generally turns his nose up at the pate style food, has been having a hard time eating the shredded chicken and turkey etc without the kibble. He has a hard time picking it up and the shredded meat just ends up stuck to the sides of his dish with all the gravy licked out, with the kibble the shreds of meat stick to the kibble and he can pick it up together. But after seeing all this, I don’t want to feed it to him anymore, this is terrifying! I hate it when a company esp. A food company, pet or human ignores complaints from its customers and pretends there’s no problem instead of fussing up and fixing it, I’d have a lot more respect for a company that would rather take all this seriously and fix it not hide from it and try to cover it up!!! Repulsive!! I thank God my babies haven’t gotten sick!! They have thrown up maybe twice since I got them almost a year ago now, I think more related to eating things they shouldn’t as they are still learning. BUT.. like I said I did have a few bags of this that smelled really bad and they didn’t want to eat them. And lately I’ve noticed that my boy who does still like it has been getting some acid reflux and burping after eating it and I looked at the ingredients to see that Natural flavors are the 4th ingredient and have been reading how “Natural Flavors” can be hiding ingredients like MSG!! I don’t want my babies eating MSG, IT totally makes me sick so why would I give it to them. I was hoping to find another kind of refrigerated kibble like this to switch to but haven’t found any yet. Please let me know if any other cat owners using this food has noticed anything off or had any problems with this food this year 2016! I greatly appreciate it!!

    • Kathy

      May 28, 2016 at 11:22 pm

      I bought the bagged/dry food with see through window at Target and ran home to quickly feed the dogs, within 30 minutes they were all sick and vomitting horribly, we rushed them to the vet and had their stomachs pumped, we too had a few days of stomach problems and one of my pups is still having residual digestive issues. I didn’t notice the contamination at first until I went back to the bag to further explore and found not only mild but when I churned the food up tons of little bugs flew out and I found what appeared to be a dead rodent also tons of mold. I was so bothered, I didn’t take pictures I was not opening it again. I immediately took it back to Target triple garbage bagged, they wouldn’t even open in the store to check, they took it outside. Target checked the shelves and removed approximately 16 other bags with the same problem. The store clerk and manager even said “I’m not touching that”

      I wrote a letter but to date, no reply. My vet bill is an issue and I’m still traumatized and cant open a bag of dog food since, the bugs flew all over my face and house, I had to insect bomb right after, the bugs came out in a flock.

      Target also recorded the expiration date and SKU and it was all in check. How many bags returned by 1 store location constitutes a recall? . This too was in the April time period. They have this on record as a bulk return for defective product from Target, I have pictures of the SKUs returned to them.

    • Debbie Sorenson

      February 27, 2017 at 4:06 pm

      i found also …if you want to heat it up to take the chill off. The food sparks because it has high amounts of metal in it….That is so said

      • JMack

        May 21, 2017 at 8:50 pm

        I noticed that too….

      • Jan

        June 15, 2017 at 11:28 am

        I’m not for or against the food. I was thinking of trying it for my dogs and happened upon this site. I did want to comment about the sparks in the microwave. That doesn’t mean it has metal in the food. If you microwave green beans, they spark too. It’s the amount of iron in it. Also has to do with the shape. A spoon is metal, but will not spark in a microwave because there are no “sharp” points. A fork does spark. I don’t recommend trying it, I just found out through researching the sparking in microwaves. Thought you should know it probably has nothing to do with metal in the dog food.

        • Ann Grie

          January 2, 2018 at 5:06 pm

          Thank you for a sane reply. I’ve used Freshpet for my ancient Jack Russell companion without problem, but had major problems with other brands. I’ve also researched sparking and the use of metal in a microwave. Used correctly, metal can be used safely in a microwave, but few users read and follow directions well, so it is discouraged by microwave manufacturers. The supposition there is metal in the food is not justified. Also, tracing a pet’s illness to a specific source is extremely difficult because they can pick up something disagreeable in so many ways or have a mild sickness with the same symptoms as food poisoning. Pet owners, like me, want the best for their friends/children/companions, but even homemade food can be injurious; lacking some nutrients, not being well-balanced, or even accidentally including contaminated products. All food has occasional problems, even the best organic ones for humans. So, let’s not jump to conclusions or rush to judgment.

  2. Regina

    May 3, 2015 at 5:07 pm

    Wow, this is scary. But, before throwing all the blame on Freshpet, I would look at what happens after it leaves their kitchen.

    I noticed that some was bought at grocery store. I have seen bad foods (for humans!) sold at grocery stores. I sometimes see big pallets of refrigerated foods and milk sitting in the store waiting to be put on the shelf. And that’s just what I can see in the actual store, so in the warehouse part of the store, who knows what’s going on. And I can tell you multiple times I have found items on the shelf that were past the “sell by” date. This includes refrigerated and non-refrigerated items. Grocery stores are not perfect when it comes to handling food.

    That being said, Freshpet did comment that they are looking into better packaging. That will be a good thing. Because also, stockers at grocery stores sometimes do just toss stuff around without concern for what problems may occur. Even canned food is sometimes put on the shelves all dented up.

    I do hope that this is resolved quickly, without a lot of sickened pets.

    And, at least this mold can be seen, unlike the salmonella-tainted food that one can’t tell there’s anything wrong with it until the pets or people get sick.

    • Audrey

      May 4, 2015 at 9:17 pm

      Grocery stores aren’t perfect, but I doubt they’re causing mold to develop on FreshPet’s products.

      I worked at a big-box grocery store for more than two years. I frequently helped stock merchandise in the frozen/dairy department. Pallets containing dairy/frozen products went directly from our trucks into our freezer. Many of these products never left our freezer due to the way that our store was designed. Our shelves that were stocked with milk were part of our freezer area. We didn’t stock them from the front (where customers grab milk). We stocked them from the back. I haven’t been into a single grocery store that didn’t have their store set up like this. Next time you go to grab a gallon of milk, look past the milk and you’ll see the dairy/frozen backroom.

      The products that did leave the freezer were never left out for long periods of time. The only time that they were left unattended was when a customer needed help (which happened frequently). My associates and I could get a pallet of cheese products unloaded in 30 minutes or less. Cheese products are packed together in great quantities so they don’t warm up very quickly.

      Also, the fridges designed to hold FreshPet products are pretty small (they don’t hold much). An associate could probably just carry the boxes of FreshPet products out onto the sales floor (there’d be no need for a pallet) and it would probably only take 10-15 minutes to cut the boxes open and put the products in the fridge. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’d take more effort to damage the food than it would to stock it. I find it hard to believe that employees could screw something up that’s this simple.

      • Regina

        May 8, 2015 at 10:47 am

        Audrey, I know that some stores load refrigerated stuff directly from behind the shelves, I can look through and see them stocking while I’m grabbing my products. But, NOT ALL stores are set up like that. There are still stores where food is brought out into the store and loaded into the refrigerator and freezer sections from the front, where they sometimes sit for longer than I think they should.

        Believe me, I’ve seen stuff sit out for a while, with no staffer working on them. And I just hate ice cream that has been left out too long, then re-frozen, there are certain stores I just know not to buy certain products from.

        And I have seen many products with packaging sliced open, which happened when the store personnel sliced open the box of product to put it on the shelf.

        Now, that being said, when Susan first reported on this FreshPet issue, it was the first I had heard about it. Now, with more reports coming in, I think that this might bigger than just “grocery store” (mis)handling. I just see so many “knee-jerk” reactions to issues that Susan posts, I do grow tired of them, but of course, I guess my reaction can also be called “knee-jerk”

        • Wandy

          May 16, 2015 at 6:04 pm

          Agree with everything you said in both posts!!

    • LByron

      January 2, 2016 at 9:30 pm

      I purchased bags in Florida, Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee and all 1 out of 2 bags in Illinois had mold. 3 out of 5 in Florida mold, 1 out of 1 in Indiana and 1 out of 1 in Tennessee had mold within 1-3 days after opening. The company is aware and does not care.

    • Marcia

      February 19, 2016 at 11:21 am

      Regina ~ I SO agree with you!! I buy my girl the FreshPet that comes in a “log” shaped package and I slice off as much as I’m going to feed her each time I feed her. I will ONLY buy her the beef and NEVER the chicken flavor, because, as you say, WE don’t know what the packages have been through by the time it gets into the FreshPet refrigerators at the grocery store. Of course, I check the dates on the packages and immediately bring them ome and get into my fridge ASAP. I have just started slicing & cutting into bite-sized pieces the entire roll and putting into single servings in the small ‘snack-size’ Ziploc baggies (as a ‘convenience’ for me)!

      • Beverly

        June 23, 2017 at 11:01 pm

        I have been feeding my Bishu Fresh Pet in the log and he has not had any problems. The green in eat should be peas and it also has carrots. He loves it and
        I have a friend who feeds her Maltese and no problems. Just make sure you don’t leave out of refrigerator too long.

    • Viki

      August 5, 2016 at 5:19 pm

      That isn’t any excuse. That’s like saying the post office broke the item you mailed because they dropped it. YOU HAVE TO PACK THINGS (FOOD OR MAILABLE ITEMS, ETC.) KNOWING THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH THEY WILL BE HANDLED. It really isn’t anyone else’s fault but the person mailing a package if it doesn’t arrive unscathed at it’s destination since everyone knows the post office drop kicks packages, runs them over, and otherwise treats them like trash. So, if grocery stores are leaving Freshpet refrigerated products on pallets for hours or days at a time, then either the expiration dates need to be shortened to reflect that or the packaging needs to be hermetically sealed to protect the food. That’s just how it is. I have found Freshpet to be arrogant, condescending, and unwilling to admit their problems much of the time, AND they block people from their Facebook page even if they’re just asking questions about their ingredients. They also refuse to respond to consumer questions via email. They are an irresponsible company as far as I’m concerned and I won’t ever buy their products again.

      • Summer Smith

        June 11, 2017 at 7:16 pm

        If the market is not storing properly, it is not the manufacture’s fault. They may not be taking the care necessary. Do you think it’s ok for the market to leave frozen food or milk out on the pallets for hours at a time?

        • Brenda

          June 18, 2017 at 3:12 pm

          The food has been purchased at multiple stores. They can’t all be leaving them out on pallets to a point of going moldy..
          Might mention I was unaware this food contains Carrageenan, an ingredient that is given to lab mice/rats to test drugs for inflammation. This is not good. Lost one poodle, now feeding the other ONLY home cooked.

      • Andrea

        July 24, 2019 at 5:51 pm

        I have been feeding my dogs fresh pet for a couple of months. And have read that 2015 2017 and now 2019 has had mold issues !!!!!! Obviously someone is at fault here. One of my dogs threw up when I gave them the chicken one. Neither of my dogs better not get sick because of this issue!!! And I will spread the word !

  3. Jenell

    May 3, 2015 at 6:10 pm

    I’ve been feeding this for awhile on Susan’s recommendation and about a week ago all my dogs threw up. I didn’t notice mold, but I switched the food and everyone got better. Coincidence? Could be.

    • Susan Thixton

      May 3, 2015 at 6:25 pm

      Not my recommendation (for Freshpet) – just want that to be clear.

    • Debi Cohen

      May 4, 2015 at 8:27 am

      As long as this food is loaded with sodium and caregeenan (sp), I think it is a crap food, sorry for all that think that it is a quality product, but I just don’t see it, will never feed it to my dogs.

    • Elizabeth Yates

      October 19, 2015 at 6:31 pm

      I am reaching out to you today because I saw your post to freshpet about your dogs getting sick after eating freshpet food. I do not know if this has resolved for you, but their has been numerous complaints before and after your complaint. Mostly about illness in pets, and mold in their food before the expiration date, and in most cases the food was still sealed. I myself almost lost my dog over the last two weeks, she became gravely ill October 10th, 2015 and I am very confident to say it was freshpet food. She had a severe bacterial infection in her gut, and developed gastric ulcers which almost ate through her intestines, which would have been almost certainly fatal. She developed symptoms 48 hours after her first meal from freshpet. she has 3 total meals of this food. Symptoms were vomitting, diarreah, depression, tremors, thready pulse, erratic breathing, high fever, blood in stool, food refusal (she went a total of 9 days in the vet without eating.) If this is something that is ongoing with your pets on this food I urge you to research comments. If you go to my timeline on Facebook (their is my FB address below.)
      https://www.facebook.com/eliza
      you can see 20+ complaints I have pinned to my wall. If you had vet bills from your pets illness and want to join me, I am starting a class action lawsuit as my bills are above $2000. If you would like to participate please just compile a description of what happened, what type of food it was, and anything else you would like to add about this incident that happened to you and your babies. Even if you don’t plan on participating in the suit, a description of your incidence will help us who have had severe consequences after using their product! You can message me on here, or you can email me liz_yates@msn.com I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks

      • Susan Thixton

        October 19, 2015 at 7:10 pm

        Elizabeth – if you haven’t done so already, please report your pet’s illness to FDA. You can do that here: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ReportaProblem/ucm182403.htm

      • Gwen Paulsen

        February 17, 2016 at 5:02 pm

        YES…….MOLD…I could not believe it! I started feeding this to my 2 dogs 6 months ago. They no longer eat it, Lucy, the lab has had surgery for a fatty tumor and now Daisy has had surgery on lumps showing up on her skin due to different allergies they say. She is a very sick little pup and I’m not sure she is going to pull through this. It’s all happened since I started feeding them Freshpet. Before they were healthy dogs.
        I will definitely report these. It has costs me over 1200.00 for these surgeries. If it’s connected to FreshPet, I don’t want anyone else to have to endure the suffering Daisy is going through. Or us as their caregivers. This just makes me sick to think I thought I was feeding them healthy and all along I might be killing my pets. I will report this.

        • Malisa

          February 17, 2016 at 8:50 pm

          Do you know what the expiration date is on the FreshPet you gave them? I’m trying to gather as much information as possible. Also, did your vet confirm it is the food? These things are so hard to fight, but I’m ready to do what is necessary to help others avoid their pups getting sick

          • gwen

            February 17, 2016 at 10:03 pm

            I’ll see if I still have the package of the chicken treats that were moldy in my garbage to burn. I just purchased 3 weeks ago at Hy Vee in Waverly, Iowa 50677, opened package and they were moldy. I may still have the store receipt.

            The other 1 I purchased has a March 25, 2016 expiration date so I know the moldy treats were purchased at the same time or just a week or 2 before.

            I’ll check tomorrow on receipt and old package for you.

            How I came across this, is with 2 dogs all of a sudden having problems, I looked back to see what I had fed them and done differently these past 6 months. Buying Freshpet was the only thing I can come up with tonight. It didn’t even cross my mind until I looked up Freshpet and started reading all these complaints tonight. So. I am definitely calling my vet tomorrow and ask him some questions.

            Thank you for your response. I’ll do whatever I can to help.

          • Jaime

            March 12, 2016 at 5:37 pm

            Opened brand new bag this morning and didn’t realize until after I scooped a cup in my dogs dish. She eats so fast it was gone before I could get it away from her. Brand new sealed bag with expiration of 5/2/16. Called the company they said someone would call me in a day not holding my breath! Just hope my baby doesn’t get sick no symptoms yet! Get told me to bring her in immediately if she develops any symptoms.

        • Randall Suttle

          March 26, 2016 at 11:06 pm

          If it is a fault of fresh pet. You will need to have something from your vet and it will say that they contribute your dogs health directly to the food. Not just a bill saying what’s wrong with your dog. Just a heads up.
          Sorry that your dog is sick. Hope it gets well soon!!!!
          Just like one of the comments said they followed there dog this time to check his stool. That means they may not have followed every time. My dog I find in neighbors yard eating food kids have thrown out.
          I just started my dog on fresh pet because it’s soft and easier for her to chew. She is getting old.
          Good luck

          • Viki

            August 5, 2016 at 5:21 pm

            You allow your dog to wander into other people’s yard and eat rotten food off the ground? I’m amazed she has made it to the age she has. It is extremely irresponsible to allow dogs to eat ANYTHING they find on the ground, EVER.

      • christine and gary klinger

        February 9, 2018 at 8:43 am

        Elizabeth I had the same problems with my fur baby Bella after feeding her the fresh pet chicken. She was a 2 year old beautiful healthy Rottweiler who died Jan 31st 2018. One hour after returning from our vet she was dead. There are no words to explain the loss we feel. Our vet ran every test imagine able and was dumbfounded. All the symptoms you described our Bella had also. We are so heartbroken. We will definatenately join you in your quest to ensure this doesn’t happen to others. My email is chimchim555@gmail.com. Chris and Gary Klinger from PA

  4. Nina Wolf

    May 3, 2015 at 6:20 pm

    I’m truly amazed mold could grow on this stuff. It is so heavily preserved and generally poor quality, I didn’t think anything could spoil it.

    • Debi Cohen

      May 4, 2015 at 8:31 am

      right on Nina, the sodium level alone should kill any living mold or bacteria present!

    • Sage

      May 4, 2015 at 3:22 pm

      I think Fresh Pet commercials state that they do NOT use preservatives – something like ” the only preservative is your refrigerator.” I looked at a package of NOT frozen Fresh Pet in a store a long time ago and was shocked to see the spoilage date was many months away. How could a NON-FROZEN refrigerated MEAT product last for months even with preservatives. Human lunch meat dates are only a few weeks at most from when you buy them and they do have preservatives. I would NEVER buy this product and am just surprised there aren’t thousands of complaints about sick pets.

    • Summer Smith

      June 11, 2017 at 7:19 pm

      Read the ingredients. It is not heavily preserved or poor quality.

      • Judy Foster

        November 15, 2017 at 3:09 pm

        My 4 dogs have been eating the tube food and chicken treats for several years. They are very healthy and love the food. They get regular check ups and I have been lucky they have never needed emergency visits. I have heard bad things about most every dog food on the market. Not doubting anyone and am so sorry for any animal that has gotten sick or passed. Just saying our house loves Freshpet

        • Beverly

          November 15, 2017 at 11:34 pm

          Judy, I totally agree with you. I have a Bishu who is a mix of Shih Tzu and Bishon. I started out giving him Blue and then changed to Caesar and he threw up a lot. I had to take him to the vet a lot. I switched to Fresh Pet and he absolutely loves it. No more upset stomach and he eats a lot better and seems to have more energy. I think maybe some people may not keep theirs refrigerated and should use it up in seven days. Also don’t leave out too long. I don’t see anything wrong with Fresh Pet. My beautician has two Maltese dogs and since she switched to Fresh Pet, her dogs love it and they eat twice a day.

  5. Patty

    May 3, 2015 at 8:05 pm

    This is very interesting. A few weeks ago I bought 2 packages of the nuggets at Walmart – hadn’t bought them there before . My dogs refused to eat it. Would eat a different food but not the Pet Fresh they have been on for about a year. I ended up just throwing the packages out. Went back to buying it at Target and they ate it. I have to wonder how this food is being handled by the stores themselves.

    • Patty

      May 3, 2015 at 8:06 pm

      Ugh sorry “Fresh Pet”

    • Jane Eagle

      May 4, 2015 at 11:46 am

      PLEASE do not just throw it out!! keep the packaging at least, and report it to the USDA!!! Otherwise, dogs get sick and USDA says they received no reports!!!!!

      • Viki

        August 5, 2016 at 5:25 pm

        I think you mean the FDA. Either way I reported bad chicken jerky a couple of years ago when other people’s dogs were dying from eating it, I sent an explanation of how I used to be a Veterinary Technician and how I determined it was the jerky by eliminating other things in their diet, and as gross as it sounds I sent a photo of the vomit since it still had whole pieces of chicken jerky in it, and I told them I saved the package in case they wanted to test it. THEY COMPLETELY IGNORED ME. Didn’t even bother to reply and I sent my letter via certified mail. They don’t really care.

  6. Woofielover

    May 3, 2015 at 9:34 pm

    I looked at this food a few years ago when it was fairly new. They came in and had a really good “push” for it with a free freezer, first full free, free replacement of expired product. I told them I would need samples dropped off first. They brought samples a week later. I couldn’t bring myself to feed it to my dogs. Can’t really say why but it didn’t sit right with me. At the time, lots of flash and hype but not a lot of info or transparency (sourcing, etc.). Plus it smelled…funny. Not like “fresh” food. Once the samples thawed, deterioration was quick. Having said all that, it’s not hard to believe that “fresh” food spoils fast.

  7. Debi Cohen

    May 4, 2015 at 8:30 am

    IMO, this is and always has been, a crap food, any company that loads their products with sodium and caregeenan, (sp), does not care about our pets, will never feed this to my dogs

  8. Barb Meehan

    May 4, 2015 at 8:36 am

    I have been feeding FreshPet to my dog for about 4 yrs. It is the only food that he can tolerate. I buy the rolls and do not see any mold however I did notice that these last ones I bought the food seems softer (moister) but I do not see mold. I must check further. My dog doesn’t have any issues with this new batch.

    • Kristen

      May 4, 2015 at 6:25 pm

      Yes! Yes! I have noticed the same in Delaware .. excessive moisture or mushier product. I only buy two of their products, the chicken roll and the chunky beef roll. I have not seen mold but i will look closer at tose peas, now.

      • Shawn

        May 8, 2015 at 1:49 am

        Absolutely agree. Same thing in Iowa. From more than one store from two unrelated chains. The formula or something has changed. A search to see if anyone else has noticed brought me here. I’m by no means an alarmist, but this is very odd.

        • Shawn

          May 8, 2015 at 2:15 am

          Note: Jut sent this to Freshpet here http://freshpet.com/contact/ and on their Facebook page.

          I’ve noticed over the past two months that something about Freshpet Select rolls has distinctly changed. The texture is softer, more granular, and there is clearly more moisture in the mix. It is more difficult to cut (more prone to squishing) and much more difficult to handle (it falls apart in my hands). This has been over about four rolls, two from different branches of one chain, and two others from two other unrelated chains. All have exhibited the same new, very soft, moist properties. And this differs greatly from my previous two years of experience feeding Freshpet. The texture used to be much more firm – kind of like the cold cut Braunschweiger (liverwurst). Dense, smooth, and firm, but spreadable. Now the texture and moisture content is about halfway between that and a regular canned dog food. At first I thought it might be a fluke, but since it’s been multiple rolls (and NOTABLY (after a 10 second search) I found other people in different regions have posted about noticing this same thing (on this very disturbing thread{https://truthaboutpetfood.com/freshpet-pet-food-having-mold-problems/#comment-125196}) something is obviously different. Please explain.

    • Geena

      May 6, 2015 at 5:56 pm

      I bought the cat and dog rolls at Bastrop Texas HEB and have found it to be softer than usual. I am being very cautious. No sign of mold.

      • Elizabeth Yates

        October 19, 2015 at 6:34 pm

        I am reaching out to you today because I saw your post to freshpet about your dogs getting sick after eating freshpet food. I do not know if this has resolved for you, but their has been numerous complaints before and after your complaint. Mostly about illness in pets, and mold in their food before the expiration date, and in most cases the food was still sealed. I myself almost lost my dog over the last two weeks, she became gravely ill October 10th, 2015 and I am very confident to say it was freshpet food. She had a severe bacterial infection in her gut, and developed gastric ulcers which almost ate through her intestines, which would have been almost certainly fatal. She developed symptoms 48 hours after her first meal from freshpet. she has 3 total meals of this food. Symptoms were vomitting, diarreah, depression, tremors, thready pulse, erratic breathing, high fever, blood in stool, food refusal (she went a total of 9 days in the vet without eating.) If this is something that is ongoing with your pets on this food I urge you to research comments. If you go to my timeline on Facebook (their is my FB address below.)
        https://www.facebook.com/eliza
        you can see 20+ complaints I have pinned to my wall. If you had vet bills from your pets illness and want to join me, I am starting a class action lawsuit as my bills are above $2000. If you would like to participate please just compile a description of what happened, what type of food it was, and anything else you would like to add about this incident that happened to you and your babies. Even if you don’t plan on participating in the suit, a description of your incidence will help us who have had severe consequences after using their product! You can message me on here, or you can email me liz_yates@msn.com I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks

        • Angelina

          April 17, 2017 at 12:20 am

          Are you still pursuing this? My dog became very ill last month, lost weight, diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite. After $4,000.00 in tests and ultrasounds he was diagnosed with IBD and CIL. His intestines are totally inflamed. I’m now giving him home made food with the help of a nutritionalist and doing some homeopathic treatments via a holistic vet. He’s eaten FreshPet his whole life pretty much. I change between the line, but it’s always the refrigerated FreshPet. Never ever ever again!!!

          • C. Younts

            April 27, 2017 at 11:14 am

            My elderly basset had a bad reaction to recent feeding of rolled Pet Fresh. He has eaten it before, but he has had days of vomiting and am concerned at his advanced age. I home cook for the most part, but had to give him meds for an ear infection so decided to hide pill in a chunk or two of Pet Fresh. One night I was late getting back from a doctors appointment and I told my daughter to just cut some of the Pet Fresh up so it would be easy for her. I still have one unopened roll and half of the one I had started. Guess I will toss them now as I do not want a recurrence of this. He has been eating home cooked since and has not had the vomiting.

  9. Marsha

    May 4, 2015 at 5:21 pm

    That is absolutely gross! Sure glad I cook our dogs food!

  10. Gitta

    May 4, 2015 at 5:45 pm

    How sad that one must now check websites for investors to find out a pet food has problems!

    I now I am cynical, but based on the map – I do not believe that this is news to Fresh Pet and bravo for SeekingAlpha’s response and dedicated work. Even if it is meant to protect investors’ money.

  11. Laurie

    May 11, 2015 at 7:11 pm

    Warning Freshpet Vital Cad food caused my cats to through-up. I have been feeding Freshpet Vital cat food to my kitties for over a year. Two weeks ago I opened a bag and they wouldn’t touch it, finally the youngest one gave in and he threw-up within minutes after eating it. I tossed that bag and opened another one. After opening a bag today I had the same exact experience. This being the second time, I search the internet to find there are complaints across the country for mold contamination. I couldn’t see any in my two bags however they did smell really bad and made my cats stick up their noses to what is normally their favorite food. Freshpet please fix this problem!

    • Elizabeth Yates

      October 19, 2015 at 6:34 pm

      I am reaching out to you today because I saw your post to freshpet about your dogs getting sick after eating freshpet food. I do not know if this has resolved for you, but their has been numerous complaints before and after your complaint. Mostly about illness in pets, and mold in their food before the expiration date, and in most cases the food was still sealed. I myself almost lost my dog over the last two weeks, she became gravely ill October 10th, 2015 and I am very confident to say it was freshpet food. She had a severe bacterial infection in her gut, and developed gastric ulcers which almost ate through her intestines, which would have been almost certainly fatal. She developed symptoms 48 hours after her first meal from freshpet. she has 3 total meals of this food. Symptoms were vomitting, diarreah, depression, tremors, thready pulse, erratic breathing, high fever, blood in stool, food refusal (she went a total of 9 days in the vet without eating.) If this is something that is ongoing with your pets on this food I urge you to research comments. If you go to my timeline on Facebook (their is my FB address below.)
      https://www.facebook.com/eliza
      you can see 20+ complaints I have pinned to my wall. If you had vet bills from your pets illness and want to join me, I am starting a class action lawsuit as my bills are above $2000. If you would like to participate please just compile a description of what happened, what type of food it was, and anything else you would like to add about this incident that happened to you and your babies. Even if you don’t plan on participating in the suit, a description of your incidence will help us who have had severe consequences after using their product! You can message me on here, or you can email me liz_yates@msn.com I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks

  12. Terry White

    May 18, 2015 at 8:18 pm

    I have 4 Yorkies and I’ve fed them PetFresh for a couple of years now. I have noticed mushier food and hard peas in the chicken and beef rolls. I’ve also noticed that they (at different times) are throwing up and all are eating grass. They used to devour it, now they all turn ther noses up at it and will come back to eat it later…slowly. I feed them Blue Buffalo dry food and am considering switching their wet food. Please help!!

    • Johnny

      May 18, 2015 at 9:56 pm

      Terry – I would strongly urge you to check out the Freshpet Facebook posting. There have been many other people complaining about a similar issue.

      https://www.facebook.com/Freshpet/posts_to_page

      This was posted just yesterday:

      Just inquiring from corporate Office at Freshpet, if there’s being any complaints concerning the packaging or quality of their roll dogfood…I’ve been feeding my 3 yorkies Freshpet for about 3 years and have been very pleased with the product….But, in the last 3 or 4 months, something has happened to the product I’ve purchased. I do purchase the rolls, which I buy beef for the min-pins and chicken for my 3 yorkies…up til now, I cut thru the plastic for each slice…But now when I cut thru the plastic, water flows out and the meat has a mushy texture like it’s been frozen and then thawed quickly. The texture is much softer…..2 of my yorkies have been sick after eating freshpet this past week..the min-pin won’t eat all their food….don’t know if this is an isolated case but I feel something is wrong either at the factory or in the transportation of the product….I’ve reluctantly stopped buying the dogfood because of this issue…I buy the food from Walmart in Collegedale Tenn….I really feel something needs to be done where I can start using Freshpet again. My furbabies love it.

      And then later this same person wrote:
      Omgoodness….I was hesitant about sending message to Freshpet but felt like since my furbabies got sick after eating the food, I felt it was worthy of making them aware of these issues….there explanation was the texture and color is normal…but what made my babies get sick after eating it? I’m so sorry your baby has gotten so I’ll after eating Freshpet….I am very interested now in seeing if others have experienced problems…Mold and toxins! Omg! How many other pets are getting ill after eating this product..? I hope we hear from them. .praying your dog gets better…..so sorry.
      I feel certain that there are issues going on with their product….at this time, I’m refraining from purchasing any more and need to spread the word about these issues…..

    • Geena

      May 19, 2015 at 10:32 am

      As I previously posted I have Stopped feeding my pets Fresh Pet. Please read the Recall on Blue Buffalo. I am currently trying Canadia brand and Merrick foods. They both state NO China meat. I pray I can TRUST them. This whole pet food scandal is scary and it makes me sick!

      • Regina

        May 20, 2015 at 12:45 am

        Geena, has there been a recent Blue Buffalo recall? The last one I recall was in 2010.

        • Geena

          May 20, 2015 at 5:16 pm

          I didn’t read about a recall just a lawsuit between Purina and Blue Buffalo. Blue Buffalo apparently admitted to deceiving its customers regarding food ingredients.

    • Elizabeth Yates

      October 19, 2015 at 6:35 pm

      I am reaching out to you today because I saw your post to freshpet about your dogs getting sick after eating freshpet food. I do not know if this has resolved for you, but their has been numerous complaints before and after your complaint. Mostly about illness in pets, and mold in their food before the expiration date, and in most cases the food was still sealed. I myself almost lost my dog over the last two weeks, she became gravely ill October 10th, 2015 and I am very confident to say it was freshpet food. She had a severe bacterial infection in her gut, and developed gastric ulcers which almost ate through her intestines, which would have been almost certainly fatal. She developed symptoms 48 hours after her first meal from freshpet. she has 3 total meals of this food. Symptoms were vomitting, diarreah, depression, tremors, thready pulse, erratic breathing, high fever, blood in stool, food refusal (she went a total of 9 days in the vet without eating.) If this is something that is ongoing with your pets on this food I urge you to research comments. If you go to my timeline on Facebook (their is my FB address below.)
      https://www.facebook.com/eliza
      you can see 20+ complaints I have pinned to my wall. If you had vet bills from your pets illness and want to join me, I am starting a class action lawsuit as my bills are above $2000. If you would like to participate please just compile a description of what happened, what type of food it was, and anything else you would like to add about this incident that happened to you and your babies. Even if you don’t plan on participating in the suit, a description of your incidence will help us who have had severe consequences after using their product! You can message me on here, or you can email me liz_yates@msn.com I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks

  13. J. Lai

    May 18, 2015 at 10:46 pm

    Terry White, please report this episode to the FDA. I have read and seen enough. The Facebook posts are SPOOKY.

    Freshpet has a grave quality problem and unless we speak up, this company will not fix it. Does anyone here have experience with raising and drawing attention to consumer safety issues?

    The website to report the illness is:
    http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ReportaProblem/ucm182403.htm

    • Geena

      May 19, 2015 at 10:40 am

      Thank you for informing us of the FDA link. I wil go home tonight and get lot numbers and report the problem. I also want to get my money reimbursement since I purchased several boxes. I have discontinued feeding this food to my pets.

  14. Geena

    May 19, 2015 at 10:23 am

    I have stopped feeding fresh pet to my dogs and cats due to the watery consistency of the rolls. I agree it would appear the product has been subjected to thawing and re-freezing. Getting to the root of the problem a concern in proper transport came to mind. What do we know about the handling of this product once it leaves the “kitchen” and is distributed around the U.S. This mold issue came to ATTENTION about the same time the weather began to warm up. Bottom line Fresh Pet needs to own up to the FACT there’s a serious problem with the quality of there food. They have not returned my phone call or my email.

    • Johnny

      May 19, 2015 at 11:00 am

      Geena –

      I would strongly recommend you posting to their facebook wall. It seems like its the only way to get the word out that there is a problem here. I also spoke with the company and they completely tried to downplay the problem. They don’t want to own up to the fact that this issue is widespread.

      • Geena

        May 19, 2015 at 2:54 pm

        I just read your suggestion to post to Facebook. Great idea I will do that next. We are all in this together and need to keep the dialogue going until a recall has been issued. Thanks.

    • J. Lai

      May 19, 2015 at 11:00 am

      Geena, the scariest part is that a number of dogs got sick over the weekend and the company is still pretending like there is nothing wrong.

      ANd the problems look like they are across EVERY PRODUCT – the dog treats are green, the rolls are watery, and the bags are full of mold.

      Disgusting and despicable behavior. An unethical company.

      • Geena

        May 19, 2015 at 2:46 pm

        Yes I agree and to my dismay I’ve been informed are local Wal-Mart has just set up a Fresh Pet mini fridge. So now Bastrop has 3 places un-knowing people can buy Fresh Pet. I would love to put up a sign to warn people. I will certainly inform anyone I see making a purchace so at least they can go to website and read what people are experiencing. I would be interested to know what food you have switched over to. Thanks

        • J. Lai

          May 19, 2015 at 2:59 pm

          I only feed Primal now. I give that company kudos. They had one complaint (yes ONE) relating to low THIAMINE levels (not even toxins or mold) and they pulled all their product from the shelves and fixed it. That is the type of company I want to send my hard-earned dollars to.

          Its raw and frozen. I don’t know what Susan thinks about that company, but I am a big fan so far. Our pup is a fussy bessy but she’s enjoying it so far.

      • Geena

        May 20, 2015 at 5:19 pm

        I was unable to read your message regarding what food you switched to. Do you know anything about Evangers?

    • Fiona

      May 19, 2015 at 7:21 pm

      I think their excuse about the vegetables being seasonal is pretty weak. So now they want us to believe the mix of carrots and peas is making the product have too much moisture and mold? As my dad used to say, Bullocks!!!

  15. Steve

    May 22, 2015 at 8:41 pm

    Are guys really falling for this so blindly? Has anyone leaving comments actually read the article on seekingalpha? The guy writing it has shorted the stock. He working REALLY hard to get the stock to drop so he can profit from it. It easy to take a bag of fresh bag of food leave it out on the counter for a few days and let it mold to cause a panic via social media. We love Freshpet pet. My dog loves it and looks great after eating it for 2 years. If you have issues with it, understood, but don’t fall into a false panic. Buy it, refrigerated it and use it within 7 days of opening as instructed. If your dog throws up on it, don’t give it so much or let it eat too fast.

    • Susan Thixton

      May 22, 2015 at 9:44 pm

      Steve – people on this website are not interested in stock profit or loss – we are concerned with safe pet foods. There is far more to this than the story on SeekingAlpha – there are lots of posts on Facebook and Twitter with the same concern. I don’t believe those consumers – including the ones that have contacted me are worried about stock profits either. I’m glad you are having luck with this food – but it seems many others are not.

      • Steve

        May 25, 2015 at 12:11 am

        Susan, thanks for the response and believe me, I love what you do with this website and all the effort you put in to educate consumers. I agree that the stock market should not even be a topic here, but I was concerned about the integrity of the story. There is a reason that the law requires financial “reporters” to disclose their holdings and that part was not carried over here. I do not own the stock, but I’ve been keeping an eye on it. I simply found it ironic that the first time this product had a mold issue, after about 10 years in stores, is 3 months after the stock goes public. Thanks again for everything you do and keep up the good work.

    • Angelina

      April 17, 2017 at 12:33 am

      I could not care less about stocks! My Yorkie almost died vomiting, diarrhea, near death. The vet said to keep him on the same diet. The research I’m doing now shows me that years of eating FreshPet was the problem. Now that I’m home cooking he’s doing much better. Acting like a puppy again. I clearly can see now that he’d been sick for a long time. Shame on FreshPet!! Never again. To think I was giving my dog something healthy.

  16. thomas

    July 13, 2015 at 7:40 am

    about 2 weeks ago my sister brought her dog over for us to watch while on vacation and brought a roll of fresh pet with her. now her dog and my dog have both been to the vet for stomach issues. they said her dog had constipation and dehydration. our dog has been wimpering for a few days with horrific stomach pains when she lays or we try to hold her. ive had this happen once before with cesars food and researched and saw numerous complaints

    my advice stay away from this crap for a while. ive been in tears the past 3 days seeing my dog this miserable.

    • Elizabeth Yates

      October 19, 2015 at 6:42 pm

      thomas,
      I am reaching out to you today because I saw your post to freshpet about your dogs getting sick after eating freshpet food. I do not know if this has resolved for you, but their has been numerous complaints before and after your complaint. Mostly about illness in pets, and mold in their food before the expiration date, and in most cases the food was still sealed. I myself almost lost my dog over the last two weeks, she became gravely ill October 10th, 2015 and I am very confident to say it was freshpet food. She had a severe bacterial infection in her gut, and developed gastric ulcers which almost ate through her intestines, which would have been almost certainly fatal. She developed symptoms 48 hours after her first meal from freshpet. she has 3 total meals of this food. Symptoms were vomitting, diarreah, depression, tremors, thready pulse, erratic breathing, high fever, blood in stool, food refusal (she went a total of 9 days in the vet without eating.) If this is something that is ongoing with your pets on this food I urge you to research comments. If you go to my timeline on Facebook (their is my FB address below.)
      https://www.facebook.com/eliza
      you can see 20+ complaints I have pinned to my wall. If you had vet bills from your pets illness and want to join me, I am starting a class action lawsuit as my bills are above $2000. If you would like to participate please just compile a description of what happened, what type of food it was, and anything else you would like to add about this incident that happened to you and your babies. Even if you don’t plan on participating in the suit, a description of your incidence will help us who have had severe consequences after using their product! You can message me on here, or you can email me liz_yates@msn.com I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks

  17. Pingback: MOLD in Freshpet - YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community

  18. Pingback: My Biased Review of FreshPet Vital Raw Patties | Keep the Tail Wagging

  19. James Star

    October 19, 2015 at 6:53 am

    I don’t think so. There must be a confusion.

  20. Shalana Grey

    December 14, 2015 at 3:43 pm

    After reading these reviews I am just so scared, the reason I came to read and see what people had to say because my dog has not been eating like he use to and I’ve been feeding him freshpet for a year, I’ve also noticed that the rolls are softer especially in the chicken so I try and get one further in the back… I also noticed a lil smell, I’m ready to wing him off o freshpet and try something else but everything has a bad review these days, and suggestions but no blue buffalo, he gets sick from that brand.. Please help
    Thank You

    • Robin

      January 15, 2016 at 2:53 pm

      We received a release form for them to pay our vet bills for the two that made it to the vet from ‪#‎FreshPet‬ We were even offered an expense paid trip to tour the facility and a Broadway Show in NYC. The release form said we agreed to a FULL SETTLEMENT. I did not sign it. People need to know.
      While the employees may be concerned and very sympathetic, the company doesn’t seem so. People need to know about the dangershttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nJfJdtJAoM

  21. CR Rollyson

    December 19, 2015 at 5:52 pm

    We’ve been feeding our english golden Fresh Pet for a while and recently noticed mold. I purchased a new bag yesterday (Friday) and had a little left over from a previous bag. The new bag seemed slightly grayer than usual. My wife went to make her dinner just now and noticed it appeared a little odd. Upon closer inspection, we found a lot of mold. The bag is dated good until March 2016 and I just opened it yesterday. 1 day. This is the second time we’ve had mold issues and we will not be purchasing it again.

  22. Malisa

    February 17, 2016 at 2:43 pm

    I have been feeding my dog FreshPet for three years now and have been so happy with this product. Before then she had chronic diarrhea and the FreshPet cured her of it. BUT, a month ago she got very sick after I got through half a chub and a gradual build up of softer and softer stools, until she began vomiting her entire meal and had mucous and watery stools, leaving sores on her bottom. I suspected it might be the FreshPet because it didn’t smell right – almost like it had chemicals in it instead of the bologna smell it usually has. I decided to take her off the food and fed her home cooked meals until now and she is finally getting better. My sister called me yesterday to inform me that three of her four dogs were terribly ill with bad diarrhea and she suspected it was the FreshPet because it was the same expiration date as mine and the fourth dog does not eat FreshPet due to IBD. Her vet told her she was sure it was the food they were fed and they are now waiting on stiool sample analysis to see what exactly they have. She called FreshPet and they would like her to send a chub back (she bought 6) and also the open chub, but there is an issue with the reimbursement of her purchase vs the full refund from Petco. She would be out 100.00 if she sends them to FreshPet and they don’t want to own up to it. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my dog and her dogs got so sick. She lives in Washington and I in California – same expiration dates and same symptoms. Something is going on with their food – either a contamination or a change in ingredients that isn’t healthy for the dogs. I would like to know if there is any agency that would test the food other than FreshPet itself – and how much that would cost. I asked my sister to keep a piece and freeze it for future analysis. Is anyone else having this problem now?

    • Susan Thixton

      February 17, 2016 at 3:40 pm

      Malisa – please, please report this issue to FDA. Your sister too. If she returns the food, she cannot report it. At least hold onto the food until FDA does an investigation. Here is the link to report to FDA: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ReportaProblem/ucm182403.htm Also please ask your sister’s veterinarian to report the issue to FDA as well. You and your sister can report this to your state – they might test the food for you (or your/her vet). You can find your state official here: http://www.aafco.org/Regulatory Please keep me posted.

      • Malisa

        February 17, 2016 at 3:56 pm

        Thank you Susan! I will and have asked my sister to report this as well. I might not have a case because I threw away the food – shame on me, but at the time I thought it was something else since I had so much confidence in this company. Now I know better. But, my sister still has the food opened and unopened, so hopefully it can be tested. Thanks for your advise

  23. Lynn

    February 28, 2016 at 10:17 pm

    We had a very bad mold issue on a bag that had a s l slight cut in it. We returned it to the store for a refund with no problems. But, our dog hasrefused t o eat this p r o duct a c o u pls of times, and seeing this blog, I’m wondering if that food was moldy, too.

    Right now he is very sick, raspy breathing, cold paws and very lethargic. I g o t him out t f o r a wa l k today a n d that seemed to perk him up some, and he ate a bit of breakfast Jack for dinner.

    No more dog food until he is better, off to the vet tomorrow if he hasn’t improved. Just boiled chicken and rice.

  24. Mariana Ryan

    March 11, 2016 at 8:21 am

    I feed my diabetic dog the roared chicken meals (not the roll). He loves it and his glucose levels have dropped.
    He is a senior so the soft round nuggets are perfect since he doesn’t have too many teeth. I live in MA and buy the food either at BJ’s or Walmart – so far so good no issues with mold, or illness -I am sorry you’re all experiencing such
    Horrible issues and my heart goes out to you and your pets, but maybe it’s time to get them away from the
    Rolls of food

  25. Elizabeth Moore

    March 18, 2016 at 1:29 am

    At first my Shihtzu love his chicken Freshpet (About 8 months) but, the last 2 rolls Beef smelled really odd
    I first noticed my dog Dexter wasn’t anxious to eat it after I put it down which was unusual. This happened
    Roughly 3 or 4 times so I offered him kibble Natural Life and he ate fine. So, I noticed it did smell funny and
    Returned (Walmart) it and purchased a new one. Same funky smell and noticed a greasy feel to my hands that was strange and hes also had gas quite often which is uncommon for him. So, I went to Publix and purchased the chicken roll which was better but, next roll seemed off. I purchased Evolve kibble because, the store was out of Natural Life and also a chicken roll but, the last few
    Days my little boy has had Tremor’s and he’s Never had anything like this he’s only 7 years old and means
    Everything to me! My fiancé and I had just adopted him when a couple week’s later my fiancé died from an
    Ulcer that went septic a medication problem. Needless to say I freak when anything happens to those I’m
    Close too and my dog and I have been through hell the first couple year’s after. So, he’s almost all I have
    (No family) my boyfriend’s been very helpful. I took Dexter to my vet as they we’re closing and she sent me down the street to a great animal hospital. The vet did a CBC panel that was fine, X-rays, etc to find the cause
    Of his tremors, he’s also become blind in one eye because, there was a chance it’s organic she gave him injections of steroids, antibiotics, etc and medications to give him. Tomorrow, I’m supposed to bring him
    In to the vet to see how he’s doing. I’ll be making his food if he survives this ordeal. All I know is Freshpets
    Food has not smelled right and he’d just been to vet in Jan 2016 & was fine. He never eats stuff off the ground
    Or yard so I have to believe it’s his food, I only hope the damage isn’t permanent or worse?

    • Randall Suttle

      March 26, 2016 at 11:36 pm

      On the bag it says that if the food smells weird to return it to store. There ere so many variables that can happen after the product leaves the plant. Truck fridge may have went out. Food left out etc… Just keep in mind that fresh pet if done correctly should be a better choice. Just like the food you and I eat. If it smells funny return and get a new bag. If it smells and its from the same store then just maybe it could be that store not storing it correctly. I do agree that there is something happening here. I feel that fresh pet should and is trying to find out what is happening. Most of these responses are from months ago. Anyone still having an issue now March 2016.

  26. Tracey

    April 9, 2016 at 4:20 pm

    My cat loves Freshpet and has never had any problems. She’s only 7 months old and very healthy. She has never gotten sick before…..until today. She has vomited twice! The only other time she has thrown up is when I gave her some tuna as a treat. I think it was too rich for her. I have always given her Freshpet. Why is she now having a problem? The food seems to be consistent with color and smell, etc. I’ve never detected any mold on her food. I give her freeze dried chicken snacks and Greenie’s once a day.

  27. Paula

    April 27, 2016 at 1:32 pm

    My Heart goes out to all those in this blog that have lost their beloved pets due to this mold issue on the Fresh Pet Dog and Cat food. I fed my 17 year old Cocker Spaniel the refrigerated Beef roll for the last 4 years of her life and I firmly believe that this food extended her life beyond the life expectancy for a Cocker Spaniel. I have recently got a 5-Month Cocker spaniel puppy and was debating on putting her of the DRY grainfree Fresh pet Dog food. Can anyone who has encountered a bad experience with their Fresh Pet food tell me if it was only with the refrigerated food or if mold has been found on the DRY Fresh Pet food as well. Having a sick pet is no fun and we love them so much we think that we are doing them good by giving them a high quality food and then this has to happen. My thoughts and prays go out to the sick and departed beloved pets and their devoted care givers.

  28. Chuck

    May 28, 2016 at 2:37 pm

    Been feeding my dog fresh pet for months and have noticed he has started to shake and tremble. I did not know cause until I read this posting and now I am pissed! If I can prove it was this food I am cetainly going to seek legal options. Thank you so much for posts!!

  29. Leslie Alzamora

    June 18, 2016 at 7:21 pm

    My dog has been eating Fresh pet Vital log multi meat with egg. Five days ago she began vomiting and had diarrhea. We quickly ceased that food. I am now glad I did. Her diarrhea is improving however shes is still on a bland diet and her gas is horrible. Clearly something terrible happened to her stomach. At this point I fully blame Freshpet food as this has never happened before this. Hopefully we will get through this

  30. lara

    July 13, 2016 at 3:48 am

    My dog passed away due to mold in Freshpet! I will sue them!

  31. Lesha

    August 8, 2016 at 6:17 pm

    Like several of these posts, I’ve been feeding my dogs FreshPet for a couple years without a problem, but then less than a month ago I had to hospitalize one of my dogs. It was diagnosed as Pancreatitis. IV fluids, fasting, etc. $1,000 later he was better, but about 3 days after he started back on that food, he started throwing up again. My other dog recently started having similar symptoms but not as severe. All this within a couple weeks of the new formula and packaging. (We were feeding the kind in the small plastic tubs, by the way.)

    I can’t PROVE that it was this food causing the problem, I don’t know if it was the manufacturer’s fault, the shipping company’s fault, the store’s fault, or none of the above. What I know is that my dog’s will never eat that stuff again. I’ll go back to making my own dog food as I did before, and supplementing with a high quality kibble.

    It kills my soul that I was spending all this money and going to all this trouble to give my dog’s what I thought was a healthy, yummy food for them and it seems to have done the opposite. Really breaks my heart.

  32. carol gibson

    August 22, 2016 at 8:09 pm

    I purchase three 6 lb bags of fresh pet select a week. I noticed mold in one of the bags and opened the other 2, also moldy. My experience with FreshPet was much different than others here. I contacted FreshPet, they sent me an apology and coupons for free bags replacing the 3 I had to throw away plus additional coupons. I had this problem only this one week and have continued using the product without further incident.

  33. Bonnie

    October 19, 2016 at 9:22 am

    I tried to feed chicken logs to my dogs yesterday and one dog spit it out. Eventually she picked it up and ate it. Today I opened the bag to give them more and saw the bag was full of mold. This is the second time this has happened. The first time I could see the mold through the bag so it didn’t get opened. I called fresh pet and they said it must have been a pin hole somewhere on the bag. They mailed coupons to me. I continued to use and now I’m finding the same problem again only this time my dogs ate it. I’ll be watching for symptoms. I called the company. I am waiting for a call back. The first person I talked to offered coupons to me email address. No thanks fresh pet……fix your problem! There are other brands at Petco. Will have to make sure it’s not all coming from the same facility.

  34. Joyce Reed

    October 28, 2016 at 2:16 am

    I went to put some Freshpet dry chicken dog food in my dogs dish. Something strange came out. I picked it up and it was a plastic seal they take off bottles! I put it back in the bag and sealed it. I contacted Freshpet and explained what happened. A woman apologized and said they would send a box with a container to put the object in and to send it back to them. I received the box the next day! It had a large bag of their dry beef dog food and a bag of chicken with vegetables. Also an envelope of free Freshpet coupons. It did have a pocket to put the plastic in, seal it and an envelope to send it back in. The woman gave me her personal phone number to keep in contact. Now I’m being ignored!! Both of my dogs have not really cared for the last bag and the bag they sent. In fact my Maltipoo vomited it up a few days ago. I thought maybe he just had an upset stomach. My Poodle started vomiting it up today! I threw away what was in their bowl and closed up the bag. So now I’m trying the new beef dried dog food. They smelled it and walked away. I’ll have to see if they’ll touch it when we go to bed. Also I’ve noticed they need to drink a lot of water when they eat it. If they get sick from it tonight or tomorrow, I’m going to another food!!

  35. Angela

    November 5, 2016 at 10:36 pm

    I have been feeding my dog the Freshpet chicken treats for a couple of years now. Had one bag with mold in it but that’s the only one in all this time. I just put it down to it being fresher and more organic than typical dog treats – just like our organic food gets moldy quicker than normal. I think they need to shorten the expiration times on the bags. I always check them now before giving him one. Have never tried the food and won’t now after reading the comments.

  36. Debra Weite

    November 10, 2016 at 10:09 am

    I’m in Las Vegas. My 10 year old Italian greyhound has been ill for a week. Gastroenteritis. I’ve been feeding her freshpet for about 18 months and have come across a half dozen moldy bags of rotten food. I feel awful for not seeing any of this until now.
    My dog’s been hospitalized since Sunday, I’ve already paid $900 to save her, and I’m almost positive that the bill is over $1000 at this point.
    I’m alerting my social media and have contacted my local news.
    How do we get this company to issue a recall?

  37. Sally Benigni

    December 11, 2016 at 3:38 pm

    I have been purchasing Fresh Pet food for about a year now. Three kinds, tubes of the beef, the homecooked chicken receipe and the homecooked meals. I very often notice a sour smell within 2 days of opening the homecooked chicken and also the tubes of beef. Sometimes my dogs do not want it. I really think there is something wrong with it especially after reading all these posts. Now I know its not my imagination. I am changing food and not purchasing this expensive, spoiled food any longer. I thought I was doing something good for them, but not now.

  38. Pingback: My Dogs Breath Smells Like Something Rotten Broadway | How to Cure Dog Bad Breath

  39. shay

    March 23, 2017 at 11:01 pm

    Hello, I was wondering has anyone else’s pet skin become irritated and flaky after feeding them Fresh Pet? I have an older male Shih-Tzu that has sensitive skin and requires close attention to the foods he eats. I fed him a bag of the Chicken Fresh Pet over the course of 1 week and his skin and coat have become some irritated, itchy and flaky. I can only assume it was the Fresh Pet because that is the ONLY change in his diet. I’m really upset because it takes a while for his skin to get back to normal.

  40. Julie

    June 11, 2017 at 2:16 pm

    Is this pet food considered raw? I am looking for answers on how my kitty may have picked up a parasite (Coccidia). I fed Freshpet Vital Chicken & Beef With Garden Vegetables in Gravy Cat Cup, 4.5 oz. to my kitty days before boarding him at Petsmart Pet Hotel. When he came home, he had diarrhea. I took him to the vet and his stool sample showed the parasite. I just watched the movie on Netflix Pet Fooled and heard that parasites can be found in raw food. Petsmart is telling me that nobody else has reported their pets got sick, not that I would think they would admit any did. I am wondering if maybe my kitty got the parasite from the food, before I took him in to be boarded. It is noted, Petsmart did offer to pay my vet bill and offered a free 4 night stay.

  41. Sheila

    June 18, 2017 at 2:05 pm

    I too had a bag of Pet Fresh with mold on the dog food. I cut the chicken up into smaller pieces so my 3.5 pd Chihuahua can chew it better and noticed white stuff on the food. I took a closer look and it looked like mold. It makes me sick to think was I feeding this to him when I didn’t notice the mold was starting? One thing I didn’t notice is it says “to be used within 7 days of opening” in small letters. They need to put this in big letters! I was going with the expired date of product. With all the preservatives in food it made sense to me it would last that long. Well after the mold scare and looking closely at the bag I found out the hard way this isn’t true! This is why I bought the product thinking it would last awhile because he doesn’t eat a lot. I will no longer buy this for my dog. He does love the bacon/turkey strips and I haven’t seen anything on the bag that says to eat within 7 days of opening. I haven’t noticed any signs of illness except he isn’t eating much but wonder if something is taking place on the inside? He has an upcoming Vet appointment so will discuss with Dr. So glad I decided to look into this product and come across this article!

  42. aaron d

    December 21, 2018 at 5:13 pm

    I just found my bag of freshpet beef with an expiration date of Mrch 2019 had mould in it. I live in Toronto Canada but judging from this article it has been a problem for awhile.

  43. seriously!

    May 18, 2019 at 7:36 pm

    Grocer sold freshpet roasted meals 2 months past SELL BY date! I gave a cup to my dog today. Please help with advisory! Chicken recipe grain free.

    • Christine Leone

      June 27, 2020 at 1:55 am

      I purchased fresh pet chicken for small dogs and gave it as a topper to my lil jack Russell and pit bull 3 days now he has been shaking and vomiting and diarrhea thought i was going to have to take him to the hospital but ive gotten him under control now i hope and not realizing till today i gave it to my pit bull now she has just started throwing up and started diarrhea that will be the last time i buy that expensive bag and i couldn’t figure out why my babies were sick they stick to the same food that was the only thing i added different to there diet. My other dogs are fine they were the only 2 that ate that with there food.

  44. Dylan fisher

    September 20, 2021 at 12:05 am

    We have been feeding are dogs fresh pet for a while now my one dog gigi had diarrhea for a couple days and same with my other dog vixon we have been using the logs and when they got sick we noticed a white ooze coming out of the fresh pet anyone else have the same problem? I would really like to know because it has never had a white disgusting looking ooze come out before plz lmk

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