In September 2024, Answers Pet Food issued a withdrawal for multiple products “for the presence of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.” Recently acquired Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) documents show these two pathogens might not have been the only issues with this pet food.
The FOIA documents we received are classified as FDA “Consumer Complaint/Injury Report,” all were dated in August 2024 however the pet illnesses appeared to occur in May 2024. The reports appear to involve three dogs from the same family (personal information is redacted on the forms). All three reports state the dogs were in “excellent health” prior to the illnesses reported to FDA. All three dogs were hospitalized and diagnosed with “acquired Fanconi syndrome, anemia, and elevated liver enzymes.”
These reports stated “one of the varieties of answers pet food [redacted] was on did show nicotine, caffeine and theobromine on mass spectrometry. The caffeine and theobromine can be attributed to a manufacturing error in the cultivation of the green tea kombucha used to ferment the food as they are both present in green tea leaves used to make the kombucha referenced on the answers pet food website.” Although not clear, it appears this statement is from the pet owner reporting the pet food – not the FDA.
FDA remarks within the documents:
“Consumer complaint numbers189298, 189299, and 189300 were filed with the FDA and derives from the same owner spanning dogs. This complaint states a dog became ill after consuming Answer Pet Food brand raw, ready-to-eat Straight Chicken Formula pet food. These complaints were received during the inspection. The FDA sampled two (2) lots from a distributor in [redacted]. The results were reported as follows:
Sample 1270740 is Straight Chicken Lot Jan 02, 2026, was positive for Salmonella Kentucky.
Sample 1270741 is Straight Chicken Lot Mar 11, 2026, was positive for Salmonella Typhimurium.”
“Sample 1270738 is Detailed Beef Lot May 06, 2026, was positive for Salmonella Newport and Listeria monocytogenes.”
“Sample 1270739 is [redacted] Lot Jan 31, 2026 was positive for Listeria monocytogenes.”
“On 10/03/2024, Investigators Covill and Nardelli reviewed the batch records for these lots. Discrepancies with the firm’s production and sanitation procedures are documented on a Form FDA 483.”
Unfortunately, it appears the FDA ONLY tested the Answers Pet Food for Salmonella and Listeria, the agency did not test the products to confirm or deny the presence of nicotine, caffeine and theobromine as testing by the pet owner/veterinarians showed. All three of these substances could cause serious health conditions in dogs at higher levels.
A quick search using Google AI states:
“High levels of nicotine are highly toxic to dogs and can cause a range of symptoms, from mild to severe, including vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, seizures, and even death.”
“High levels of caffeine can be toxic to dogs, causing a range of symptoms including hyperactivity, restlessness, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, and even seizures. In severe cases, it can lead to elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature, potentially causing collapse or even death.”
“High levels of theobromine, a compound found in chocolate, can cause chocolate toxicity in dogs, leading to various symptoms. These symptoms can range from mild to severe and include vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, restlessness, and an elevated heart rate. In more severe cases, theobromine poisoning can cause tremors, seizures, and even death.”
What level of these substances were found in the Answers Pet Food? Was it at low levels or high levels? We don’t know, because the FDA did NOT follow up with testing.
The ONLY thing the FDA tested the pet foods for was Salmonella and Listeria – the agency’s favorite test of raw pet food; which would not have caused the symptoms seen in these three pets.
For the FDA to ignore pet owner/veterinarian testing of a pet(s) and pet food is a HUGE failure. How can pet owners have ANY confidence if the agency does not listen to us/listen to our veterinarians and follow up based on the information we provide them?
The three reports also showed that this pet owner tried (and tried) to have FDA assist her/him with these pet illnesses believed to be linked to pet food, with little help found. “Calls have been being made to the regional manager for the FDA for three months’ time with no follow up. All vets claim they have made reports with the FDA. No one received any form of communication from the FDA.”
Our thanks to the determination of this pet owner to make these reports to FDA.
To read the full FOIA documents, Click Here, Click Here, and Click Here.
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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