# Purina One Large Breed Puppy food warning



## Dalton's mom (Apr 5, 2008)

I saw this on another forum, it's not even a dog forum. I don't know if it was the food for sure or not, but if you feed this food be careful. It's a cut & paste, but I thought it was important.


"Just a warning for for any of you ladies that are feeding your puppies Purina One Large Breed Puppy food.
We just switched our 4 month old Husky to this brand and within less than 2 weeks from switching he died (this past Friday). Prior to the food switch he was in perfect condition without any health problems. We made the food transition as reccomended by slowly micing hte new food into his regular food. The vet saw him 3 days before he died and said he had a failing liver and this could be due to food contamination. Since the food change was the only thing that was the only change made to his enviroment I am worried this could be the case.
I have contacted Purina and am sending them a sample of the food for testing. I just wanted to warn anyone using this type of food or considering switching to this type of food just in case it has been contaminated. I would hate to see anyone else on this board loose a puppy."


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## vrocco1 (Feb 25, 2006)

Wow, I really wonder if this is true.


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## Dalton's mom (Apr 5, 2008)

I don't know for sure, it is the internet. But...if it is, I'd rather share what I read rather than reading about another tragedy because I didn't. This was posted on a bargain forum of all places.

She seems geniune, here's an email I just recieved from her with more details:

Hello Kristy.

We had been feeding our dog IAMs Puppy. My husband has been out of town for work for a few weeks and we were running out of dog food. I wasn't able to get to Sam's Club, where we had been buying 
the IAMs, with the 3 kids. So I ran up to Target to get more IAMS and they didn't have any in the puppy formula. I asked the guy working over there if he had any kind he would reccommend and he 
said the Purina One. I feel terrible even saying that because if it was the food that caused our puppy's death I will regret not going to Sam's to get the IAMs for the rest of my life. Everything 
was just so hectic here with 3 small kids and no help that I thought as long as I mixed the new food with the old IAMs and gradually got him used to it he would be fine.

This whole thing has been terrible. Trying to take care of the dog. I took him to the vet when he started looking sick and they said he had liver failure. They did xrays and ran tests. Basically 
said it could have been contaminated food as it was not a virus or an abstruction. They sent me home with 4 meds and IV's I had to administer as well as food I had to force feed him thru a syringe. 
It was a bad few days trying to take care of him and with the kids seeing him getting sicker, plus with my husband out of town. I tried for 2 days with the meds, IV's and force feeding and on that 
last night he passed away in his sleep.

My 4 year old is taking it really hard.

Thanks for your sympathy. I'll let you know what I find out from Purina after the food is tested.

Tara


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

I wonder if is something that has fallen thru the cracks from the last recall. I havent read anything anywhere about it. But will be looking into it.


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## Dalton's mom (Apr 5, 2008)

Anyone know of an independent place to have the dog food tested? Tara, the person who's puppy died doesn't trust Purina to tell her the trueth. She has sent them food for testing, but would like it tested somewhere else as well.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

I am a bit suspicious...if it were my puppy I would be screaming at the top of my lungs exactly which store I bought the food and when...so that the store would get the hint to pull the food off the shelf until the food (and their store) were cleared as a source of contamination.... yet the writer makes no mention of the state, nevermind the city or store location?

There is no mention of the name, breed, age of the puppy...if my beloved puppy were dead...I would want everyone to know at least his name....

Anyone on this board ever been _sent home_ with a puppy in liver failure on an IV drip?

Apologies if offend anyone, but with the details presented so far, this sounds a bit hinky to me...Just my suspicous side coming through.....


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## AndyFarmer (Jul 9, 2007)

My sister works at Purina here in St. Louis (HQ) and is usually quick to forward on to me any press releases of statements related to these situations. I haven't heard anything as of today. This may be an isolated incident that is being taken care of or it may be a hoax.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

Some people are so zealous about deterring people from commercial non-holistic food they will start something like this to scare people off. I've seen this type of thing on dogfood review sites. With that happening its hard to believe this type of thing unless it comes from official sources and that is too bad....


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

I agree, it's hard to trust this. On the other hand, unfortunately by the time we do hear something from an "official" source, many pets have already become seriously ill or have died.


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

I checked snopes and it sent me to another forum discussing Purina Beneful, not Purina One.?????


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## Dalton's mom (Apr 5, 2008)

The first post said that it was a 4 month old Husky puppy. People grieve differently. I don't know if she called Target, that's where the Purina came from & not where she normally bought dog food. This was Purina One Large Breed Puppy according to the original source. 

Back to my question is there an additional place that someone suggests for testing the food in question? She doesn't trust Purina. Do you want a link to the original thread? It's still ongoing & she's not the only one with an issue. I have informed her of the cross-post & according to her public profile she is in Michigan.


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## Argos' Mom (Jun 2, 2008)

While there isn't any proof, you did the right thing by posting it. Argos was on Purina Pro Plan for a short time and did well on it, but I switched because I didn't feel it was healthy enough for him. Plus, he was a bit itchy, but that's him. Thanks.


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## Cam's Mom (Apr 13, 2007)

Does any one else find it odd that a vet sent someone home with a pup dying of liver faliure? I too could do all the things he suggested, but not more testing etc. Does anone know if Huskey's get the liver shunt problem, or if the vet tested for it? I'd ask for a autopsy on the dog by another vet if not too late. It would be sad to scare the whole canine population, and blame purina, for a congenital probelm.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

This is cut/pasted from the FDA (United States Food and Drug Adminsitration Center for Veterinary Medicine)...
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/MenuFoodRecallFAQ.htm#PetFood

Although I didnt verify, I suspect they would tell you exactly what labratories to send any food samples...



*Q: How do I report a reaction to a pet food? 

Please call the FDA consumer complaint coordinator for your geographic area. To find your coordinator, visit www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html. Try to have the following information available before calling: 

Brand name, lot numbers, and Universal Product Code (UPC) for the pet food fed to your pet when it was ill. A lot number is typically stamped on the bag/pouch or on the can lid. Lot numbers usually consist of a series of letters and numbers. 

If your pet received treatment by a veterinarian, his/her name, address, and telephone number 

Date illness first noticed 

Signs displayed by the pet 

Any veterinary reports available *


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

I dump my food into an airtight storage bin...never keeping the UPC and Lot Numbers - Looks like I should, just in case....


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## Dalton's mom (Apr 5, 2008)

Here's alink to the original thread, I just got permission from the original poster. One of the last posts is pictures of the beautiful pup Nanook.
http://boards.babycenter.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=bcus5465&tid=188134


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## AndyFarmer (Jul 9, 2007)

My sister still has not heard anything from Purina or her Managers. She is a telephone operator at Purina HQ's so she is the front line of recieving phone calls/complaints, but not emails. She said if there is a problem with any of their products, her department is notified first so they can direct the phone calls to the appropriate departments for resolution. 

Just thought I'd pass this info on.....


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## Champ (Jun 10, 2006)

Champ is eating Purina ONE Large breed adult..I hope that food it okay.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Cam's Mom said:


> Does any one else find it odd that a vet sent someone home with a pup dying of liver faliure? I too could do all the things he suggested, but not more testing etc. Does anone know if Huskey's get the liver shunt problem, or if the vet tested for it? I'd ask for a autopsy on the dog by another vet if not too late. It would be sad to scare the whole canine population, and blame purina, for a congenital probelm.


There are numerous breeds that can suffer from the congenital liver shunt issue. Afflicted puppies often appear normal up until nearly the end.


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## Sharon713 (Apr 24, 2008)

Have to start researching foods again for my boys. I have recently switched them to the Purina One and Purina Pro Plan foods. When I saw this thread I decided to see what else I could find regarding problems with Purina foods. Found this:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/09/pet_food_recalls70.html

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/07/pet_food_recalls62b.html


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## TheHooch (May 9, 2007)

I find three weeks a little hard to believe to effect the liver to the point of death.


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## hereformaggie (Feb 27, 2010)

As a veterinary technician I have never heard of vet sending a patient home with intravenous anything to be adminsitered by the owners. Just sounds ify...............


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## Garfield (Apr 7, 2009)

hereformaggie said:


> As a veterinary technician I have never heard of vet sending a patient home with intravenous anything to be adminsitered by the owners. Just sounds ify...............


Same here on the iffiness. Also find it odd the vet would so readily conclude the food as the cause, especially as pups can get into all sorts of things they shouldn't, the chances of which only increase with young kids in the house and a busy mom with divided attention. And then there's the already mentioned acute/congenital liver conditions that can develop. Not saying the owner is deliberately being untruthful or that it's impossible food could have contributed/caution in feeding should be taken, yet something doesn't quite add up here and it seems premature to fault the food at this point.


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## Retrievers Rock (Apr 4, 2010)

I'm another one that questions not the issue of the death, or the grieving - or the food, but the statements about the veterinary care.

We spent a little over $15k on Chloe, from the day I brought her home, to the day she died, and never, not once, was I sent home with any sort of IV drugs to administer, and the only time she was sent home critically ill, was when she was last diagnosed with Lymphoma.

If this is all true, then my heart goes out to the poor woman, but those statements are definitely odd.


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## Showell (Jun 16, 2013)

Wow I have been using this and now worried.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Showell said:


> Wow I have been using this and now worried.


Please don't let this thread, which was originated in 2008, scare you. No one knows why this puppy got sick and died, but it was more likely an underlying health issue than the food.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

There needs to be a way to indicate on this forum the age of threads. Maybe after a certain amount of time it could turn a different color? A thread that is 5 years old (and probably meaningless in the first place) got someone upset for no reason.


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## EllenD (Sep 7, 2020)

Dalton's mom said:


> I saw this on another forum, it's not even a dog forum. I don't know if it was the food for sure or not, but if you feed this food be careful. It's a cut & paste, but I thought it was important.
> 
> 
> "Just a warning for for any of you ladies that are feeding your puppies Purina One Large Breed Puppy food.
> ...


I just emailed Purina of pics. I found moldy food clumped together on a bag of Purina pro large breed puppy chow. It also had black carbon substance on it that came off on my hands. Will not give anymore to my pup.


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## 3goldens2keep (Feb 13, 2019)

EllenD said:


> I just emailed Purina of pics. I found moldy food clumped together on a bag of Purina pro large breed puppy chow. It also had black carbon substance on it that came off on my hands. Will not give anymore to my pup.


Can you tell how old that bag of food was? All dog food have an expected shelf life. Food in stores should be rotated to avoid food that is old. Obviously, something wasn't right about this bag of food. I am sure the company will completely check out this for themselves and follow up with you. Let us know of any updates...Purina is a major supplier, so many will want to know your outcome.....Good Luck


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

That can happen with Pro Plan with the shredded blend as 1/3 of the bag is those soft pieces they like to say are like shredded chicken. They are the exact same thing as the kibble, just died to the 10% moisture, they are about 25% moisture. The moisture level must higher there is greater chance for mold to grow if the level of preservatives is lower then it should.

It's a quality control issue Purina had has ever since they came out with the shredded blends. Also the reason you should feed the regular formulas and not the gimmick sheered blends. The regular and shredded formulas are different and the shredded they added soy, which isn't good for dogs overall.


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## JDandBigAm (Aug 25, 2008)

I was allowed to take my 8 week puppy home with an IV who had contracted corona virus which is similar to parvo. But I worked at St Jude Hospital at the time and was very familiar working with an IV and knew how to reinsert a butterfly needle and restart an IV if needed. I would take my pup back to the vet each morning for several days to spend the day there and pick him up when I got off work. Although it is highly unlikely an owner would be allowed to administer an IV at home to their pet it has actually happened.


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## SoCalEngr (Apr 11, 2020)

Why is this conversation happening on a thread that is 12 years old? And, it's been 7 years since it was last pointed out that this is a long-dead-thread.

The "only good thing" is that, with the advantage of 20/20 hindsight, I was able to go onto FDA's website and determine that there was no recall associated with the original post, and there was nothing until 2013 involving dog food.

I agree with the post from 2013. Somehow, these old threads (maybe all threads) need to be prominently tagged with the month/year they originated.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

SoCalEngr said:


> Why is this conversation happening on a thread that is 12 years old? And, it's been 7 years since it was last pointed out that this is a long-dead-thread.
> 
> The "only good thing" is that, with the advantage of 20/20 hindsight, I was able to go onto FDA's website and determine that there was no recall associated with the original post, and there was nothing until 2013 involving dog food.
> 
> I agree with the post from 2013. Somehow, these old threads (maybe all threads) need to be prominently tagged with the month/year they originated.


They are-

"Discussion Starter • #1 • Jul 14, 2008 "


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## SoCalEngr (Apr 11, 2020)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> They are-
> 
> "Discussion Starter • #1 • Jul 14, 2008 "


Yes, I see that. But, it's also easy to skip over. I was thinking maybe automatically prepend it to the post's title when it is saved.

Not a "huge deal", but...


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

SoCalEngr said:


> Yes, I see that. But, it's also easy to skip over. I was thinking maybe automatically prepend it to the post's title when it is saved.
> 
> Not a "huge deal", but...


Contact the Site Owners...........


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

I agree, there seems to be these old threads come up on a search and that person doesn't know to look for the date to see how old it is. I was replying to the person who brought it back so to speak.

Maybe for threads older then 6 months or 1 year should have a popup stating the last date there was something posted. This would let them know to start a new thread maybe? just an idea


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