A deadly virus is sickening and killing dogs – confirmed in two states thus far. Here is what we know and what to watch out for with your dog.
Reports to Department of Agricultures are thus far from just two states – California and Ohio. The virus found is canine circovirus – which is not common to dogs. This is a virus typically found in pigs. Symptoms include vomiting, bloody diarrhea, weight loss, neurological problems, a lack of appetite and lethargy. Left untreated, dogs can die within 48 hours.
If your dog shows any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately. Please have them tested for canine circovirus – if they have any questions they can contact Ohio Department of Agriculture/Division of Animal Health for details. All reports of illness should be reported to your Department of Agriculture for proper monitoring of this virus.
It is not known if the virus is related to a pet food. It is not known how the virus is spread or contracted. I am waiting for a call back from Ohio Department of Agriculture – if I hear anything it will be posted.
To read more, Click Here and Here. Also here is a detailed article from Centers for Disease Control – Click Here.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
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Karen V. Stefanini
September 9, 2013 at 7:10 pm
I give our 13 lb morkie freeze dried raw Stella and Chewy and Primal. Is this putting him at risk? He refuses all kibble and canned foods and I have tried many only 4 and 5 star Dog Food Advisory foods.
Sarah
September 10, 2013 at 9:15 am
Karen – I have two VERY picky eaters myself. Have you considered mixing something in with kibble? Some boiled chicken, or cooked rice, or yogurt? This gets my pups eating every time.
Karen V. Stefanini
September 11, 2013 at 12:48 am
Thanks for the suggestion but I have tried everything and he refuses kibble and canned in any form even mixed with meat etc. He did eat a bit of Royal Canin so I am keeping a fresh bag on hand for an emergency in case I can’t get the freeze dried raw – the Stella & Chewy and Primal get Dog Food Advisor’s 4 1/2 and 5 star rating and are supposed to be tops but now I am concerned about this new virus and what could be causing it. I am careful about preparing it and putting the dish right in the dishwasher after he finishes which is thankfully immediately now that he is being fed the freeze dried raw. It is soooo expensive though, running at least $26+ per week. They offer coupons so I will check them out. I wouldn’t advise this diet for most since it is so costly.
Beverly
September 11, 2013 at 10:49 am
Have you tried ‘Honest Kitchen’ dehydrated food? I’ve been feeding it for over a year and my dogs and foster dogs love it! the website is: http://www.thehonestkitchen.com you can check locations and if none is near you, WAG.com and other online sites have it.
It is an organic, dehydrated food and it’s made in a human grade kitchen and the people making it even test it themselves.
Viviana
September 16, 2013 at 6:15 pm
Do not change the food! What you are doing is way better than any kibble. Do not mess with a good thing. Consider this, smaller company’s like Primal and S&C means betty quality control.
Karen V. Stefanini
September 17, 2013 at 2:04 am
Thanks for the suggestion Viviana. It is very expensive and highly rated on Dog Food Advisor and it is the only dog food Rexie will eat. I have tried everything and he can’t stand kibbles or canned food. There must be a scent or flavor distinction since I read more and more dogs won’t eat it.
Amy Swencak
September 9, 2013 at 9:07 pm
What about raw fed pups. Any pork or pork ribs are frozen for a week or more first before defrosting.
Rajeanne
September 10, 2013 at 11:05 am
Never-ever give your dog raw pork…because they often contain many nasty germs that will eventually kill your doggie!!!
Cook raw ground beef for your pet, and then add cooked rice…and your sweet dog will live healthy for many years to come…yeah!!!
Marie
September 10, 2013 at 1:05 pm
umm – that is a horribly unbalanced diet. Please research before feeding any animal hamburger and rice long term.
Chris
September 10, 2013 at 1:57 pm
I agree NEVER Pork to any Dog weather cooked or not. Especially uncooked, will give them all kinds of problems. Try eating raw pork yourself you will be heaving for two days!!!
Heather
September 10, 2013 at 5:05 pm
I’m sorry you guys are totally incorrect. Raw pork is just fine, and she’s being extra cautious by freezing it. Dogs, unlike humans, can handle MUCH more bacteria than we can (think about what they eat normally.. things like poop..). Store bought raw pork is almost guaranteed to not have anything that will cause a DOG to get sick, but to be safe freeze for 2 weeks first.
There is really no comparison to what we eat and would make us sick, vs what dogs can eat and would make them sick. Their guts are simply made to handle much more stuff. Hence why raw chicken, beef, eggs, pork, raw bones, organ meat, etc is so good. If you look at dogs that are fed that type of diet, they are often in amazing health, because it’s a non processed, natural to the species, diet. Granted, you need to make sure they get all the minerals and vitamins along with the raw meat, but that’s a different matter than what we’re addressing here.
Please do research before giving someone advice, because it sounds to me like Amy is feeding her dog the best kind of diet!
Bobbi
September 11, 2013 at 1:10 am
Bacteria is not killed by freezing. Parasites are. Thaw it and the bacteria keep growing. Not trying to turn anyone off raw feeding – I do it myself. But just stating a fact. And ground anything increases the surface area – thus the bacteria as well.
Linda Reynolds
September 12, 2013 at 3:08 pm
Why would you push the bacteria load just because they can handle it?
Plus PEOPLE handle the raw meat and if they are not very careful can acquire salmonella themselves.
Kirk
September 18, 2013 at 11:44 pm
Kudos Heather! Sorry folks but dogs don’t cook their food in the wild. Yes YOU can get salmonella or nasty parasites from chicken or pork, but they do not. If a pack of dogs makes a kill of say a pig…do they walk away since the meat may contain bad things? Really? They have lived THOUSANDS of years with their guts being trained for harsh environments and the possibility of eating whatever they could get a hold of. Think before you post. Also, why do you think vets don’t endorse raw food? Do you see the display of canned and dry food in the lobby? Think people.
Reader
September 19, 2013 at 11:00 am
Kirk’s comment needs a little bit of tweeking as follows: While the physiology of domesticated dogs to non-domesticated dogs is the same, their food resources are not. Killing and eating wild prey, meant it was “wild” (or unadulterated) and was not the result of how “feed” is artificially produced and delivered today (with preservatives, growth chemicals and antibiotics because of the conditions in which they are raised). Speaking of poultry, for example, diseased product is always a possibility, whereas was less likely in the wild, not being subject to the same circumstances seen in agri-business farming. Same possibility exists with Pork (or any protein source) of course. Another consideration is that not all dogs can metabolize the same kind of proteins. For example Turkey is a much more difficult protein to digest than Chicken (according to my recently retired Small Animal Vet Specialist, whose brother was a Large Animal Vet Practioner). My dog will throw up within 20 minutes after eating chicken, and in looking up this issue, it would seem he lacks a particular digestive enzyme. This pertains to eating cooked food, so I can’t imagine the reaction if it was raw! In fact I believe the condition was aggravated when he was on a diet of (semi-raw) fermented chicken for a couple of years until I figured it out. HOWEVER, he does perfectly well with raw beef. My 2nd dog is more the opposite, and I can see a digestive difference (via his stool) when his diet is more beef based as opposed to being purely chicken based. Go figure!!
.
Next point, pork is a much more fatty food while chicken is one of the leanest. Some dogs have difficulty eating a fatty diet. One of mine has to be nearly 95% fat free, while the younger one needs much more for his high energy level.
.
Next point, is that you see much less availability of commercial raw pork for dogs than for other protein sources. That’s because it is much more problematic to handle. Yes, a certain number of dogs can eat absolutely anything (including roadkill) and survive, and perhaps your own and those you are familiar with can also). But there should be a caution for readers to remind that not all dogs can, or may have specific issues. I would certainly be careful with young puppies. Lamb, while a good protein, and is an ingredient for many raw food diets, is a “hot” meat, meaning it is a little more challenging to metabolize. It can generate skin irritations for example.
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This is only to say that many pet owner experiences are circumstantial and can’t be generalized as a rule. Raw food diets require a bit of education but have so many wonderful benefits! Some of the dogs were feeding now are showing amazing results by eating organic raw chicken necks twice a day! Better oral health, natural weight gain, etc. But obviously these raw diets also require extra vigilance, wholesome sourcing, and careful handling. All dogs should be observed for their reaction to these diets.
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Gail
September 9, 2013 at 9:50 pm
I have been giving my Dog cooked bacon, chopped up and mixed in with his food. Wondering now if I should be concerned. All of his food is home-cooked.
Debbie Paterson
September 9, 2013 at 11:27 pm
This initially made the news here in Cincinnati OH a few wks ago when 4 dogs at the same daycare center nearby became violently ill. Three died; no news on the 4th. This was at a nice reputable daycare in Norwood (about 8 miles north of Cincy). I’ve kept my scotties home from dog park & cancelled play groups because no one has any answers as to how this is being spread. Updates would be appreciated! Thanks
Ellen
September 10, 2013 at 1:23 am
In which area of CA was this found? It’s a huge state! (But definitely not happy to have it anywhere)
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Toni
September 10, 2013 at 6:51 am
For those asking about specific diets, read the links in the article.
Holly
September 10, 2013 at 7:39 am
To me this reeks of commercial dog food – possibly imported from China – where contanimated pork products have been added.
Eileen
September 10, 2013 at 8:20 am
I give my dogs Newman organic chicken.I make them chicken breast once a week and a little dry food in the am.I have a ten year old pit mix. and a 2 year old lab mic pointer.
Marie Moore
September 10, 2013 at 8:36 am
Typo in 4th paragraph: It is not know if the virus is related to a pet food.
Interested Pet Owner
September 10, 2013 at 2:41 pm
Honesty, I wonder about the “survey” skills of Researchers. Yes, it’s most important to have this advancced warning regarding symptoms, to err on the side of caution. But when a unique virus is in question, and they’re trying to understand it’s behavior, then wouldn’t it be common sense to figure out what could possibly be in common among the dogs affected? DIET would be number one! (1) Did any eat the same PF brand? Or were the brands related to a common co-packer or region?? Duhh. 2) What’s the proximity of the dogs affected? Like within miles or hundreds of miles of one another? (a) Did they share common grounds, neighborhoods, etc.? (b) Did they have access to the same water sources? (c) Were they exposed to an area of a common insect population (mosquitos, etc.) 3) Could any have attended the same breed event? 4) Did any share the same Vet Practice? 5) Did the dogs travel before manifesting symptoms? 6) Did they expose other dogs? And finally YES, California is pretty darn large State! Couldn’t they at least say whether Southern or Northern California is involved? Again, I’m very grateful for the messenger and everyone contributing information. However the so-called officials releasing information, certainly leave a lot to be desired!!!
Debbie Paterson
September 10, 2013 at 4:50 pm
The first 4 dogs affected (3 died) were at a well-known reputable daycare just 8 miles north of me in Norwood, a suburb of Cincinnati Ohio. According to all reports they did NOT eat the same food. The daycare is very responsible, closed for a week to “sanitize” & replace flooring where the dogs stool & vomit contacted, but I doubt if anyone goes back there until we know more. My vet has seen one more case (fatal) & told me this morning that Ohio State in Columbus & the ag dept are working around the clock as other dogs have become ill. Other fatalities have been reported in the Cleveland area which is a few hundred miles from here in Cincinnati (“ground zero” ). My vet said to exercise caution, avoid play groups and dog parks & to come in at once if either of my scotties show any signs at all because it acts “fast & furious” and right now they don’t know how it’s transmitted!
Susan Carlin
September 10, 2013 at 10:06 am
This is so frightening and I sure hope they find out what is causing this deadly virus. We live in Texas but I am so thankful for the heads up regarding this. With all that has been going on with the treats, dog foods, etc., it makes me more and more inclined to start feeding our lab/hound mix homemade organic food. We don’t give her anything from China. Thank you for all you do and your wonderful letter!!!
Sandalwood
September 10, 2013 at 11:17 am
I never put anything inside my dogs that was not made in USA.
Cindy Moore
September 10, 2013 at 11:26 am
Could giving your dog pig ears ,have anything to do with it? I had to have 1 dog put to sleep ,our neighbor ,my daughter ,my son and niece all have had to have one put down this year.
Susan Thixton
September 10, 2013 at 11:42 am
It could be – this is an angle that my very smart friend Mollie Morrissette addressed several months ago with one of the authors of the CDC report on this virus. Pigs ears from China. But there is no confirmation at this point – just a theory.
lynn
September 10, 2013 at 11:31 am
this really scares me as i already have a very ill puppy in remission from IMHA due to her yearly shots.It seems too many yearly shots flea meds spider bites and ect puts every dog at risk as well as cats for IMHA a disease i had never heard of before my little girl got her yearly shots as always she was 7 years old then now 9 years old . i feel i owe her remission to homemade food. i never ever buy dog treats or dog food as we have never found a kibble tree growing in the wild. real food is for health of man and animal.but this virus is very scarey for those in the state where it is spreading as wel for those of us not knowing if it will spread to our state. i like what the person said about keeping her fur baby home out of doggie parks away from stores and ect. but is it airborne or what?! not saying it is in any food or treat about this disease but homemade just makes the health so they would have a maybe better chance to fight of this virus. but for my baby it would be very hard as her immune system is not well from IMHA. and she is only in remission. wish each the very best.
Stephanie
September 10, 2013 at 1:57 pm
A safe,natural, effective alternative to flea meds is Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth in powder form.
Beverly
September 10, 2013 at 7:34 pm
Lynn, regarding your puppy with IMHA…. she does need to get her immune system built up. as you have discovered, it’s best to give vaccinations separately, if possible. all at once is very hard on a dog, especially if the immune system is already compromised. I work with Cocker Spaniel Rescue in Dallas…. with rescue we get sick to very sick dogs many times. I had to find something to get these dogs well. I found a product called Transfer Factor, by 4Life Research many years ago and have used it since 2006. I finally figured that I should tell others about it…. so I have a website now: http://www.wellnessandbeauty.us (it is not a .com ending). there’s a ton of information on the website about the product. My email address and cell phone # are there too. email or call me… I’m glad to help.
lynn
November 9, 2013 at 3:18 pm
yes i took dr.jean doods advice on the shots and even though they were not given together as i never allowed this even when my fur baby was a pup.and i have always given her homemade foods and greenfoods (alfalfa,barley powder) i did try the spirulina but even before the imha she would get sick at her tummy this is a very helpless feeling when dealing with imha as it can be triggered even in the most healthy fur kids from spider bites, fleas, stress,a nd the list goes on.my baby has a holistic vet who helps with the supplements along with the specialist and vet. they all believe in healthy balanced homemade food. you can tell by looking at their own pets.but will check out the web site on transfer factor hank you
Mary
September 10, 2013 at 11:42 am
I am truly wondering IF it could be related to pet food, especially pet food grade. They use rendered animals that have been euthanized, etc. The daycare center was feeding the dogs IAMS & Eukanuba and they had a recall. I hope that they will also test these dog foods for the circovirus. It would make sense since it normally isn’t found in dogs and they put all kinds of pieces and parts in pet food grade. They have to euthanize pigs found to have circovirus. Euthanized animals in pet food grade all of the time!!
Phyllis Grimes
September 10, 2013 at 11:45 am
My 11 year old Boxer had diarrhea and threw up for 1 day! She refused to eat or drink for two days, took her to our vet and they drew blood and couldn’t find any thing wrong! Gave her a B-12 shot and Amox caps 500mg for 10 days. She is almost back to normal! We live in Texas and hope this is not that virus!
Diane W.
September 10, 2013 at 12:30 pm
More than likely this is the result of the vaccines. The human rotavirus vaccine, Rotarix, was suspended in the US because it was found to be contaminated with the porcine circovirus, same virus they’re finding in our dogs. This is not uncommon, read up on SV40 in the polio vaccine. The SV40 is the primary cause of mesothelioma, not asbestos.
Contamination in vaccines is huge, vaccines do not immunize, they sensitize. The best thing you can do is stop vaccinating, feed a nutrient dense diet, which would be raw, use antioxidants, especially Vit C (sodium ascorbate) which has killed any virus it’s been used against when dosed high enough and long enough.
Vaccines are the biggest cause of chronic disease, you can’t inject disease into any living creature and expect health.
Interested Pet Owner
September 10, 2013 at 2:58 pm
If you’ve seen the results of a litter of puppies exposed to Parvo, without having received proper precaution beforehand, it would become evident that vaccinations are very relevant to individual circumsstances. I agree that arbitrary and excessively repetitious vaccinations are unnecessary, particularly as your dog ages, and they can become harmful and even dangerous. They are also very subjective to the individual dog. However, unless a puppy already has as auto-immune issue, it’s wise to go through the initial series. I can not think of any providers who do not advise this. Do rethink adult shots, and when in doubt, choose to “titer” test your adult for levels of immunity. My own was good for at least 4 years out from a single Rabies vac, and probably still is high. Consider your dog’s lifestyle, living circumstances, level of exposure, proximity to urban vs. wildlife, etc. Find out what diseases are prevalent in your community if your dog socializes outdoors and attends breed events. Find a Vet who is willing to speak the truth, remain objective, and most importantly who is comfortable discussing what YOUR own dog needs. Too many feel bound by community regulations, instead of helping their clients understand options.
Brent W
September 10, 2013 at 3:43 pm
To Diane W & Interested Pet Owner. All I can add to your posts is…AMEN! All of it True! I’ve been running rabies titers on my 15 year old Golden for 8 years and his resistance to this virus has always been in the ‘acceptable’ level. (My vets are very progressive.). Rabies Titers ain’t cheap but it’s worth it. If you want to learn more about over-vaccination in adult animals, google Dr. Jean Dodds. A pioneer in the movement.
Diane W.
September 10, 2013 at 8:41 pm
Brent, Gail & Others,
It’s encouraging to see others who understand the vaccine issue, they’re totally unnecessary. Before I reply further about vaccines I wanted to state that for the most part any corn not listed as “organic” is more than likely GMO and they can be deadly by themselves.
I’ve heard about CA, they’re just as bad about children’s vaccines. It’s all about profit, not healthcare, vaccines are very profitable for Big Pharma and our gov’t. Unfortunately titers mean little, your dog can have a high titer and not have immunity, no titer and have immunity, antibodies are but one small part of the immune system. What vaccines do are suppress the primary immune system (TH1=mucousal) and stimulate or sensitize the secondary immune system (TH2=humoral), this will elicit an antibody response. By causing this switch in the “IS” vaccines cause chronic inflammation, the “IS” was not designed by nature this way, only with man’s manipulation and he does it poorly. So vaccines do not immunize, they never have, they sensitize and this is why we see so many animals/children with serious allergies and other chronic diseases.
All vaccines cause vasculitis (destruction of blood vessels by inflammation), they change the DNA, cause chromosome breakage and deletion, the kidneys are always damaged, as well as other organs, actually the body as a whole. As Dr. Schultz has stated vets should not be immunizing pets, they do not understand what they’re doing. The rabies law should be abolished, it does not protect, the biggest problem existing today are the live wildlife rabies baits they distribute out in the environment. The rabies vaccines does not guarantee 100% protection by virtue of how they’re manufactured. I need to check this with my source to see if this holds true for animal vaccines, but 90% of the human vaccines are manufactured in China. If animal vaccines are manufactured there also this is a huge problem and one that can’t be controlled by our gov’t.
Lymphoma in Golden Retrievers is caused by the feline retrovirus in the vaccines. Parvo has been under serious suspicion for years that it originated from a lab that was culturing the canine distemper vaccine on feline kidneys infected with panleukopenia. Folks who do true natural rearing, no vaccines and raw food, don’t have problems w/ Parvo, by the 4th generation, it’s not life threatening and usually by the seventh generation it’s just minor diarrhea.
My question is, were these dogs who came down with this virus recently vaccinated or exposed to recently vaccinated dogs? What are these dogs fed, what health issues do they have=immunoincompetent? If you see this virus spread quickly in other areas of the country, vaccines will be the primary suspect by those who understand this issue.
I personally wouldn’t expect an honest answer from OSU or the USDA, universities, gov’t agencies are all under the thumb of Big Pharma and pointing the finger at vaccines rarely happens. They’re already looking into a vaccine for this virus, so they create the problem, feign finding a solution, which winds up being more vaccines and we still have the same problems and potential threats.
Best to stop vaccinating, feed raw food, use antioxidants, since most animals have chronic inflammation due to vaccines, inferior foods, exposure to mercury and aluminum and other environmental toxins.
Peg
September 14, 2013 at 10:38 pm
“My question is, were these dogs who came down with this virus recently vaccinated or exposed to recently vaccinated dogs?”
Don’t most kennels or boarding facilities require a huge amount of fairly recent vaccines? Here in NY all they care about is vaccines.
Diane W.
September 15, 2013 at 1:04 pm
Hi Peg,
Good question and I wonder if anyone of authority will answer this. I’m sure this information can be obtained from the daycare center where they were kept and it wouldn’t surprise me if these dogs were up-to-date on their vaccines. Any vaccinated animal will be immunocompromised, so even if the vaccines they had received didn’t contain this virus exposure from dogs infected w/ this virus could be a problem. How quickly do symptoms appear when dogs are injected w/ this contaminated vaccine I haven’t heard, but as of right now they’re not even considering the vaccine(s) as the cause, at least that we know of.
Pointing the finger at vaccines is avoided at all cost, only when it becomes painfully obvious that a vaccine is the cause is something done. By then a lot of damage has been done and all this is kept rather quiet. So even if they do admit it’s the vaccines that are causing this, I would seriously doubt you’ll hear it in the mainstream media, nor from your vet. They’ll just do the usual spin that these dogs for some unknown reason are “catching” this virus and we need to protect them with another vaccine. If so, what’s that new vaccine going to be contaminated with, the cycle never ends and this is what allopathic medicine’s profits depend on, treating sick individuals.
Gail
September 10, 2013 at 4:02 pm
Diane, I couldn’t agree more. I have stopped all annual vaccinations on my dog after reading extensively on the side-effects, which include tumors at injection site, illness, cancers and ultimately death. I was shocked to learn that the dosage for rabies vaccine is the same for a 13 lb. dog, as it is for 100 lb dog. Also, for small dogs, after the first year of vaccinations, it is highly likely they have been “immunized”/sensitized for life. Here in California, (AB 258) aka “Molly’s Bill” was signed into law on Oct. 7, 2011. This Bill will “exempt from the vaccination requirement a dog whose life would be endangered due to disease or other considerations that a veterinarian can verify and document if the dog received the vaccine, as determined by a licensed veterinarian on an annual basis.” In other words, if your dog suffers from an existing disease — or if your dog has an allergic reaction to the vaccination (note: “other conditions”), your Vet must provide you with a signed exemption release for city license renewal. The sad news is, almost no one I meet on my daily dog walks, is aware of this law, let alone the devastating effects of over-vaccinating.
Brent W
September 10, 2013 at 5:42 pm
I tried to go this route in CA and my vet said it is unfortunately very difficult to pass this thru animal control AND you have to resubmit the form annually for yet another ‘review’ Just ask your vet to squirt the syringe in the sink and stick the sticker on the form.
CARRIE
September 10, 2013 at 4:18 pm
NEVER HAD SEEN A PROBLEM WITH MY GOLDEN 8 YR GOLDEN RETRIEVER. HE EATS SCIENCE DIET FOR OVER 7 YR DOGS. ACTIVE LONGEVITTY. I’VE HAD MANY DOGS & ALWAYS HAVE HAD GOOD RESULTS WITH SCIENCE DIET FOODS. DOGS ARE DOGS AND THE THERE’S NOTHING WORSE THAN TABLE SCRAPS. BAD TRAINING & BAD HABITS TURN INTO UNFORTUNATE RESULTS.
Debbie Paterson
September 10, 2013 at 5:02 pm
This is a serious health issue far beyond training!
Susan Thixton
September 10, 2013 at 5:02 pm
Carrie – you have the right to believe in any particular pet food you choose. But there is no foundation – none – to base the statement “there’s nothing worse than table scraps.” Actually table scraps are real food – unlike most commercial kibbles. Table scraps – excluding the short list of table scraps toxic to pets such as onions, grapes – would be the healthiest choice for a pet.
Brent W
September 10, 2013 at 5:37 pm
Oh Carrie, you are either very uneducated or a mole for Hill’s. Science Experiment is a pile of corn meal with a multi-vitamin on top. Define ‘table scraps’ If you are talking grizzle and fat cut off a steak then yes that would be unhealthy. Let’s not forget that prior to the invention of commercial pet food, companion animals were fed ‘PEOPLE’ FOOD! Imagine that?
Mary
September 10, 2013 at 5:39 pm
SCIENCE DIET IS PET FOOD GRADE/NOT HUMANE GRADE. This is the exact ingredients from the Adult longevity you feed your golden. I agree you can feed them whatever you want although I would never feed my pets this nor ANY pet food grade. I feed mine Acana HUMAN Grade…all canadian ingredients!! Look at the first 5 ingredients…ALARMING!!! I do agree that table scraps are better than most kibble.Take a look below…ingredients and owned by Colgate Palmolive and use Chinese ingredients. NOTICE: They say most ingredients are US, Canada or New Zealand
Science Diet Dog Food – ACTIVE LONGEVITY
Ingredients: Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Soybean Mill Run, Flaxseed, Chicken Liver Flavor, Lactic Acid, Corn Gluten Meal, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Iodized Salt, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, Taurine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, L-Carnitine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Chondroitin Sulfate, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.
Red Flag Ingredients: Chicken by-product meal, animal fat
US Only Ingredients: Most ingredients are sourced from US, some Canada, New Zealand, taurine sourced from CHINA
Natural Preservatives: Yes
Shelf Life: 12 to 18 months
Crude Protein Min: 16% Crude Fat Min: 12% Crude Fiber Max: 5% Moisture: 10%
Calories: 363 kcal/cup
Mary
September 10, 2013 at 5:39 pm
dogs are my babies..
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LP
September 10, 2013 at 6:06 pm
Probably a PETA and HSUS attack……wouldn’t put it past them!
Debbie Paterson
September 10, 2013 at 6:21 pm
Please don’t take this lightly. I live in Cincinnati where the first 4 cases were reported. It’s real & it’s scary.
Gail
September 10, 2013 at 6:25 pm
To Carrie – You need to do some reading up. Toxic contamination by Commercial Pet Food is directly responsible for THOUSANDS of deaths of dogs and cats.
Science Diet is not exempt. ALL Commercial Pet Food Brands are in the business of MAKING MONEY. They will advertise whatever it is their customers want to hear.
Why do think there are so many pet food commercials now claiming to use “All Natural, Human Grade Ingredients,” and claim that it “Tastes just like Home-Cooked Food”?
After the massive 2007 Pet Food Recall, I swore off all commercial pet food and have never looked back. I now feed my dog 100& home-cooked, organic-sourced foods. Baked or broiled chicken breasts, ground beef, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, liver and salmon in small amounts – and every now and then – scrambled eggs and bacon as a treat. Of course, that’s the short list, and one must be aware of which foods are harmful to animals.
There’s a wealth of literature available on Home-Cooked vs Pet Food.
Oh, and before the big takeover by Commercial Pet Food Industry, domestic animals survived (and thrived) on table-food and garbage-can scraps. It’s the truth.
Debbie Paterson
September 10, 2013 at 6:58 pm
Can we concentrate on the illness here & stop placing blame?? I’m at “ground zero” — Cincinnati OH where the first 4 dogs got sick (3 died). All 4 were at the same daycare (a nice clean reputable place) and were NOT fed the same foods at daycare or at home!! This is a real health concern & OSU and USDA are trying to figure it out. Speculation & blame are not helping us at the epicenter of this tragedy!
Mary
September 10, 2013 at 8:37 pm
According to Pet Spot they fed their dogs Eukanuba & Iams UNLESS they brought their own. They posted that they were feeding that on their website, and suspected initially, that it was possibly the dog food and the recent recall on both of them. They have a new policy in place and I believe boarders/daycare clients have to bring their own food or sign a waiver.
Debbie Paterson
September 10, 2013 at 9:14 pm
Interesting; local news reported that the dogs were Not fed the same foods. Don’t mean to add to the confusion. Just want it resolved for the sake of our pets.
Mary
September 11, 2013 at 10:46 am
This came from one of their clients on their site on FB. I tried to find the others relating to them feeding IAMS & Eukanuba but as of yet haven’t.
“Some months ago when Petspot switched to an all IAM’s diet, we began supplying our own Science Diet dog food at Pet Spot. Our dog did not get sick in this recent outbreak. At the same time, P&G has recalled IAMs due to the potential of salmonella poisoning. Coincidently, the symptoms reported in The Cincinnati Enquirer for Pet Spot dogs and the symptoms for salmonella are virtually identical. At a minimum, The Pet Spot needs to dispose of all of its IAMs stock before accepting additional dogs and running the risk of additional sickness and death.”
Debbie Paterson
September 11, 2013 at 11:53 am
Thanks for digging deeper into this. The local news disregarded reports of possible food contamination! Did I mention P&G’s HQ is here in Cincy? Just wondering??!
Mary
September 10, 2013 at 8:53 pm
I did lose my yellow 6 year old male lab, Spencer, to the Menu pet food recall. It was the most heartbreaking thing doing subcutaneous fluids daily to flush his kidneys. He lived 3 more months. The wet food I was feeding him had the recall codes from Nutro. That is before I really knew about pet food grade vs human grade. Where it is made, where ingredients come from, etc etc. I got busy after that in learning all I could about pet food. Susan, petsumerreport.com and Truth about pet food has been a wonderful source of unbiased information. I am now fanatical on pet foods and what they truly are. I still grieve my baby boy and it was no fault of his own. I would hate to see it happen to anyone else. I am not meaning to attack anyone. Before that happened I used Iams, Science diet, Eukanuba, Nutro, etc etc. I had no clue there was any danger or any difference. I really thought I was feeding him excellent food. Unless someone helps you understand then we just don’t know.
Pacific Sun
September 10, 2013 at 7:37 pm
I think I must be missing the Big Delivery Truck or something that obvious! There are already 42 comments posted in response to an article that just warns us about a deadly virus in the Midwest and possibly in California which is still under investigation! For some reason comments are spiraling out of control! They’ve turned into a rampant debate over vaccinations, pork products, table scraps, Science Diet in particular and a never to be resolved discussion between the virtues of raw vs. commercial.
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TAPF has posted MANY incredibly provocative and shocking articles that barely attract 11 comments. And this one, was intended to make owners extra vigilant should a pet get sick, and therefore to NOT overlook what might otherwise be considered generalized symptoms.
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I remind everyone that TAPF has many goals, one of which is to educate ALL of us, and to guard the safety of our pets. And the second is to make it possible for ALL of us to help support one another throughout the learning curve. Whenever something particularly controversial and upsetting occurs, then that fact seems brings out newer readers and heated debate. Maybe these readers come by virtue of Google-ing the subject or from cross posting through social media. But not everyone has had the benefit of a gradual education that has been going on for a very long time now, or even access to hard-won experience! Many of the original readers came to this website as a result of 2007, and followed all the articles, and (probably) have become even more cynical over the years, and found that for peace of mind and pet, that home made diets are the route to take. To that end, Susan has made available, in conjunction with other resources, just how to best make that happen.
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By the same token, consumers are rightfully due any commercial product that makes claims and is accountable for the long term health, welfare and especially the safety of our pets, by virtue of the product they make, and for the purpose of its sale. Whether Science Diet is relatively evil or not, as measured against 2500+ other brand formulas, isn’t a subject for condemning. But is just another PF that should be included among virtually all of them, that we now know, from experience – represents a sadly misleading and anything but transparent industry. Kudos for the ones that have signed the Pledge of course and are open to complete transparency!
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Isn’t it our job as fellow readers to HELP people understand, particularly the newest readers, just why it is that what they’ve always been led to BELIEVE through false and misleading advertising, isn’t what it seems?? But without simply attacking the use of the product itself? Which will ultimately turn off inexperienced consumers and readers. Because they just won’t believe what they read about, at first. It takes a very long time to become convinced. Really. And everyone, until that point, is extremely defensive about the “brand” they’ve chosen.
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One thing Susan (TAPF) has stressed from the beginning is the absolute importance of (at least) the first five labeled ingredients. So that when we read in Science Diet for example, that the first ingredient of chicken is only 1 of 5 ingredients (the rest being all carbs) then that protein value, meaning the quality of it, becomes most important. We need to be assured of its origin and processing treatment. Is it 100% pure chicken “meat” the way an advertising image displays a chiken leg or thigh? Or, it is the leftover, utterly non-desirable, even diseased, poultry parts not fit for human consumption nor USDA regulated in any way. What has been the handling of this resource along the way? What has been chemically added to it, to make it right? Will the pet survive on it? No doubt, or there’d be lawsuits. Will the pet thrive on it, in order to be fortified against sicknesses and aging issues? Well, that’s the question isn’t it. And when a manufacturer REFUSES to converse with a consumer and especially a SAFETY advocate, or to prove the merits of its food and manufacturing system, and instead lobbys for particular “advantages” at AAFCO conferences, and takes advantage of FDA Compliance Policies, or avoids making appropriate assurances in print, then those are the negatives we hold against the product. And virtually 95% of PF. Ironically, against the very ones that claim to be in the “best” interest of the pet, by virtue of assuming a science based identity (or namesake in this case)! The question is, are we helping other readers to understand what’s behind our reluctance to trust PF products, especially some moreso than others??
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Btw, it isn’t that pork is inherantly an unnatural product for dogs. It is about the existing agri-business methods of pork production including feed, chemical treatment and manufacturing methods. The very same questions could be asked of virtually all commercial protein producers. Unfortunately pork carries an even higher risk of potential mishandling.
Pacific Sun
September 10, 2013 at 7:39 pm
…sorry, “commercial” at the end of the first paragraph should be replaced with “home made” diets.
Gail
September 10, 2013 at 7:45 pm
Debbie – At this point, no one knows the root cause of the virus. It may very well be due to vaccinations, or pet food poisoning, or something else. Don’t attack people for expressing their concerns and opinions on what it could possible be. The OSU and USDA are doing what they SHOULD be doing. In the meantime, getting the word out regarding the illness, and informing others of what it could POSSIBLY be is just as important.
Debbie Paterson
September 10, 2013 at 8:19 pm
Not sure what you’re talking about “attacking people”??? My comment was asking folks to concentrate on the illness and stop pointing fingers!! In fact my comment was asking others to stop attacking. Geez!! Remove my email from your list.
Gail
September 10, 2013 at 9:28 pm
Attack was the wrong word. I should not have said that. I do believe folks are concerned about the illness, and there’s nothing wrong with speculation until we get official word. Until the official cause is determined and released, we cannot rule out possibility of tainted pet food, nor should we. That’s all I was trying to say. As for removing your email from my list. I don’t have your email, nor do I have “a list.” This is a public message board moderated in advance by Susan.
Pacific Sun
September 10, 2013 at 10:01 pm
I’ll try this again. We’re a GROUP of concerned pet owners who benefit, in part, not only from the direct experiences of others, but from the in depth research that the website’s author, Susan Thixton, provides to all of us completely at no cost. Many of us owe the health of our pets directly to her virtual intervention. I’m not sure what the definition of “public message board” means, but this is the author’s website and Susan has graciously offered us all the opportunity to make “COMMENTS”. Everyone is passionate about pet food advocacy, safety and quality, yes. But this doesn’t mean a discussion needs to become a personal (or single track) debate. The reason? It is because we’re all here to learn, and (ideally) to benefit from respecting one another. It’s helpful to appreciate the fact that people are taking time out of their busy lives to make individual contributions. The more we can help one another, the more we can support each other. The larger and united the group, the stronger it becomes in order to reach a common goal. Which is to educate and to correct the deplorable state of the commercial pet food industry. Vaccines, (whether for humans or pets) and types of diets are a very, very controversial subject. Often providing additional links or sources for more research might suggest alternative ways for people to explore and understand the situation fron another’s viewpoint.
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In the meantime, no one who has found this website useful should feel that they don’t want to continue being part of it!
Rosemarie Grimes
September 11, 2013 at 10:24 am
What happened to all those dead pigs that were found in China some time ago? Did they ever discover what killed them and what happened to the bodies? Did they end up in pet food?
Pacific Sun
September 11, 2013 at 12:15 pm
There’ve been a couple of comments or questions about the value of Table Scraps (whole food) in a dog’s diet. One reason Table Scraps (historically speaking) were beneficial is because whole foods carry a ton of immediately available and natural vitamins, minerals and other dense nutrients! Plus they’re just plain tasty!! Dogs love people food! This list is not meant to replace a formal PF diet, meaning that proportion, ratio and balance over the long term is very important. But anytime a couple of fresh goodies can be added to a meal, or used as a treat, or to entice your dog into eating, doing so can be useful. Keep in mind your own dog’s ability to digest new or raw foods, and don’t serve toxic, highly seasoned, greasy or fast foods. Veggies and Fruits can be steamed or raw. Seeds can be finely ground up and sprinkled on top. Dairy products can be non-fat and lactose free. Some ingredients are “power” foods by providing multiple nutrients! Remember how Yogurt helps digestion and provides probiotics for immunity. Fruits (like pineapple and papaya) help aid digestion and colorful fruits add antioxidants. Most dogs LOVE cooked liver to help them eat commercial PF. Braise a little bit of stew meat or lamb cubes, or bake chicken. Dogs love the aroma and it makes fussy eaters more interested in meal time! Bananas can be dehydrated for treats. This particular list represents key vitamins and minerals required as part of a balanced PF diet. Do keep in mind certain kinds of beneficial Fats and Oils should also used:
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Cooked Liver (Vitamin A), Milk or Dairy Products (Vitamin D), Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Tuna (Vitamin E, Folic Acid) Salmon, Wheat Bran, Sesame Seeds (Vitamin B6, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid), Asparagras (Vitamin B12, Folic Acid), Egg Yolk (Choline), Wheat Germ, Sunflower, Sesame and Flax Seeds, Oat Bran, Pumpkin Seeds (Phosphorus, Copper, Manganese, Zinc), Yogurt, Sardines, Greens (Calcium), Greens, Brown Rice, Pumpkin Seeds, Quinoa, Bananas (Magnesium), Bread (Sodium), Greens, Yogurt, Salmon, Bananas (Potassium), Tomatoes, Turnips, Pineapple, Cabbage, Coconut (Chlorine), Cooked Liver, Sardines, Beef (Iron), Tuna, Salmon Beef, Chicken, Eggs, Wheat Germ (Selenium), Kelp, Cranberries, Yogurt, Potato, Milk, Tuna, Egg (Iodine).
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Gina
September 12, 2013 at 7:12 pm
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/circovirus-dog-virus-fatal/
An article in Dogs Naturally Magazine
Mary
September 17, 2013 at 10:34 am
This is exceptionally dubious. Of the “cited sources,” two are excerpts from a Congressional House hearing and two are from the San Francisco Chronicle; not exactly reputable medical resources. The link for the source that is supposed to be from the European Medicines Control Agency doesn’t work, so I can’t even investigate the credibility. There’s no listed author on the piece, meaning we can’t verify that person’s credentials.
response from my vet after reading this article: It’s easy for folks to scapegoat vaccines for all kinds of things, but I think this claim is a pretty outrageous stretch. Certainly there are undesirable contaminants in some immunizations, but they’re not the cause of all novel diseases, particularly this one. We’re not even sure that the circovirus is the cause yet!
Diane W.
September 18, 2013 at 2:29 pm
Vaccines are the biggest cause of disease, but you have to research it from credible sources to understand this. Vets know little about vaccinology or immunology, Dr. Schultz has stated that vets should not be vaccinating pets because they don’t know what they’re doing. Food is also very important, how many vets advocate a raw diet, another topic they know little about.
Dogs Naturally is an excellent and credible source for such topics. In the article they mention Dr. Patricia Jordan, a vet vaccine researcher, here’s her website and the link to information about the damage vaccines do: http://dr-jordan.com/free-information/
I recommend reading her book, “Mark of the Beast”, it’s primary focus is on the aluminum adjuvant, which is in all vaccines unless stated nonadjuvanted. “They” love aluminum, it causes a nice antibody response, but the damage it does is amazing. Aluminum is ranked a 3 out of 4 carcinogen by the WHO, yet it’s in most vaccines. It’s also the primary cause of allergies.
This link talks about mercury, which is in all vaccines: http://dr-jordan.com/category/metal-poisoning/
Mecury is the second most toxic substance known to man, next to plutonium and it’s in all vaccines. Aluminum makes mercury even more toxic and those two together are extremely corrosive, so the damage done inside the body is extensive.
Here’s another source besides the European Medicines Control Agency: http://www.nvic.org/nvic-vaccine-news/april-2010/vaccine-contamination-pig-virus-dna-found-in-rota.aspx
From Barbara Low Fisher’s website (same as the above):
//www.nvic.org/vaccines-and-diseases/Polio-SV40/BLFTestimonySV40.aspx
The CDC recently posted about the SV40 contamination of the polio vaccine, they took this down shortly after it went viral, wouldn’t want too many US citizens to know they’ve finally admitted it:
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/it-only-took-50-years-cdc-admits-polio-vaccine-tainted-with-cancer-causing-virus/
Animal vaccines are even more unregulated, contamination is a huge problem across the board. Cross species jumping of viruses is very common in the vaccinated population, this is nothing new, when you inject these foreign viruses/retroviruses into the blood you have to expect something like this will happen. Time will tell about this porcine circovirus, won’t surprise me when they find it’s the vaccines causing it, if they admit it.
If you want to understand the history of vaccines read Dr. Suzanne Humphries book:
http://www.vaccinationcouncil.org/2013/08/27/vaccination-a-mythical-history-by-roman-bystrianyk-and-suzanne-humphries-md/
Vaccines are a money maker, that’s it, they make money for Big Pharma and our gov’t at the front end, the back end is the endless supply of chronically ill people and pets to support conventional medicines sick care.
Mary
September 18, 2013 at 4:47 pm
My vet is very cutting edge and is Natureopathic. He actually is a teaching vet and some of the best vet schools in the US. He doesn’t like vaccines unless they are absolutely necessary or by law. Then he gives them 3-4 weeks apart yearly. They don’t like to do bordatella either unless the pet is around alot of other dogs. He teaches at LSU, OSU & many others as well as the Chi Institute. So I do trust them 100%. He has cured many of things naturally that most vets would prescribe meds for.
Mary
September 18, 2013 at 4:48 pm
He even does stem cell therapy.
Peg
September 18, 2013 at 4:50 pm
Diane W. bless you for this most valuable information you provided on vaccines!!!! I am becoming a huge fan of Dr. Jordan.
Mary….thank you too for the update on circovirus
Mary
September 18, 2013 at 5:13 pm
My vet is 100% on the bandwagon on feeding raw and carries it if clients choose to purchase there. They actually don’t care where you buy it if you can get it at a lower cost. He is a huge fan of probiotics 2x per day in addition to what they get in their food. They carry Orijen & Acana if you can’t afford to do raw. And yes she is correct that vaccines cause many illnesses, one of the biggest being cancer. Something else to be aware of is that most pet food liners (dog food) and plastic bags still contains BPA which is a carcinogen. It is outlawed in Europe and Canada but not in the US. Can liners (canned food for pets & humans) have an extremely high BPA content. It is sad as this is directly related to cancer in humans and pets. This is the BPA that had to be removed from baby bottles. Why only that?
Mary
September 15, 2013 at 12:28 pm
New update by original discoverist of circovirus
http://www.ohio.com/news/researcher-healthy-dogs-as-well-as-sick-ones-can-shed-virus-1.428166#.UjI_IUk7ACg.facebook
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Breezy
September 18, 2013 at 10:55 pm
My mini doxie had something like this… We had a flu like sickness go through our dogs and one of our cats but only one of our dogs had to go to the vet. Our vet said it was called HGE so we did supportive treatment and he stayed at the vet for two days… He is back to his normal self now… If your dog ever has bloody stool always take them to the vet! We had to wait just over night and our boy was in bad shape by the time he got to the vet…
Tina Wall
October 4, 2013 at 2:03 pm
Has anyone heard any recent reports of the circovirus? I’m in North Carolina and one of my coworkers claims that her dog had/has this but she got him to the vet in time and he gave “pills”. I don’t have all the details, but she said she switched his food because she ran out and was in a hurry. Just wondering if anyone knows of any new reports and is anyone looking at foods as the cause?
Susan Thixton
October 4, 2013 at 2:17 pm
This just came in an email – more cases: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131004/METRO06/310040086/1409/METRO/Two-cases-canine-circovirus-confirmed-Michigan
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