Temecula dog survives tainted food

By: NICOLE SACK - Staff Writer | Monday, April 9, 2007 10:55 PM PDT ∞

TEMECULA ---- What began as a nightmare scenario, now looks as though it will be a story with a happy ending for one Temecula family that found itself in possession of tainted dog food ---- and an extremely sick dog.

Mia Johnson of Temecula first noticed Roxy, the family's 5-year-old cockapoo, was sick the morning of March 22. The first time her dog vomited, she wasn't too concerned. But as the vomiting persisted through the day and evening, Johnson knew she had to get the dog to a veterinarian for help.

"She had never been sick before," Johnson said of Roxy. "She was throwing up, a lot ---- about every hour and drinking tons of water. She was lethargic, too."

The dog's sudden illness came during the panic that arose after millions of cans of pet food were being recalled nationwide because of a toxic chemical that was making animals sick and sometimes killing them.

The day after noticing Roxy's unusual symptoms, Johnson took her to the Tri-City Veterinary Clinic in Vista where Dr. Kenneth Kalthoff evaluated the sick pet.

"When the news broke of the recall, it was huge. And then to have an actual case in your office, from a professional standpoint, was pretty extraordinary," Kalthoff said, adding that he knew the situation was serious. "We knew not to mess around."

Kalthoff said there are known treatments for more common poisoning, such as when animals accidentally eat rat or snail poisons. But he likened Roxy's condition to anti-freeze poisoning, which causes crystals to form in the kidneys and is usually fatal.

"There is no antidote for what we were dealing with," Kalthoff said. "It was all trial and error."

The treatment Kalthoff and his staff decided to pursue was to place the dog on intravenous fluids for one week in an effort to keep in Roxy's kidneys circulating. He prescribed anti-nausea medicine to calm the dog's stomach.

"No one knew quite how long it would take to get her back to normal," Kalthoff said.

While Roxy has been released from the clinic and is back at home with her family, the dog still receives daily injections to ward off any unforeseen kidney problems. It is not yet known if she has fully recovered or if there may be future complications.

But for now, the vet and the Johnsons are optimistic. Roxy, with shaved cuffs around both her front legs from where the needles were inserted during treatment, now seems healthy ---- though a little bitter toward her doctor, whom she slyly tries to nip when he's not looking.

Roxy is not alone in her unlucky illness.

Menu Foods, which started the pet food recalls March 16, added several new varieties of previously recalled food brands. The company also said it is extending its recall to items made as early as Nov. 8 through March 6.

Dog biscuits made by Sunshine Mills of Red Bay, Ala., were included in the recall Thursday after inspectors traced tainted wheat gluten to the company. It's at least the fifth recall in three weeks of products made with tainted wheat gluten imported from China. Officials have found melamine, a chemical used in the manufacturing of plastic, in the gluten.

In all, Menu Foods has recalled dog and cat foods from 95 brands. At least five other pet food manufacturers have also recalled products. Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said last week that the recalls, as well as the investigation into the poisoning of thousands of dogs and cats, are nearing an end.

Sundlof said that over the last three weeks, the FDA has received more than 12,000 complaints from pet owners who believe their animals were affected by the tainted food. That number, he said, is more than double the normal amount of complaints the FDA receives in a year for all of the products they regulate.

Although anecdotal reports suggest that hundreds of pets have died as a result of the tainted food, only about 15 deaths have been confirmed to be related to the situation, authorities have said.

Johnson has contacted the FDA about her dog's sudden illness. She kept an uneaten portion of the can of the suspect dog food, as well as an unopened can from the same batch. She said once she receives the proper paperwork, she will send the dog food samples to the FDA for analysis that will assist in gauging the spread of the contaminated food.

The food fed to Roxy was Nutro Natural Choice's chicken, rice and oatmeal formula for puppies. Johnson said the lot numbers on the cans of food fed to Roxy were confirmed by the FDA as being among the batches being recalled.

"This is an enormous amount of tainted wheat gluten behind the recall," Kalthoff said. "It has affected expensive and inexpensive brands. Owners had no way of knowing the food they were feeding their animals would be bad."

Even with the veterinarian's comforting words, Johnson said she blamed herself for Roxy's misfortune.

"I went through a lot of guilt," Johnson said. "You just don't think something like this can happen to you."

Kalthoff said Roxy is the only animal he has treated for symptoms from the contaminated pet food. He added that he is unaware of other vets in the region who have had similar patients.

But for Johnson, her hope is that no other animals and owners suffer like Roxy did.

"My heart goes out to all those pet owners who have already lost their animals, or who are going through the same thing I went through," Johnson said. "My family and I are so grateful that Roxy is still here and we're optimistic she'll have a full recovery."

The Associated Press Contributed to this report. Contact staff writer Nicole Sack at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2616, or nsack@californian.com.

Following is a list of pet food that has been recalled. On some varieties, only certain lot numbers have been recalled. To check on a specific lot number, visit www.fda.gov or call the number listed under the brand name. Pet owners who want to report adverse reactions should call the FDA: (949) 608-3530

MENU FOODS DOG FOODS

For information on what Lot Numbers are affected, call (866) 895-2708

Americas Choice, Preferred Pets

Authority

Award

Best Choice

Big Bet

Big Red

Bloom

Cadillac

Companion

Demoulas Market Basket

Food Lion

Giant Companion

Grreat Choice

Hannaford

Hill Country Fare

Hy-Vee

Iams

Laura Lynn

Loving Meals

Meijers Main Choice

Mixables

Nutriplan

Nutro Max

Nutro Natural Choice

Nutro Ultra

Nutro

Paws

Pet Essentials

Pet Pride - Good n Meaty

Presidents Choice

Price Chopper

Priority Canada

Priority US

Publix

Roche Brothers

Save-A-Lot Choice Morsels

Schnucks

Shep Dog

Springsfield Prize

Sprout

Stater Brothers

Stop & Shop Companion

Tops Companion

Wegmans Bruiser

Weis Total Pet

Western Family US

White Rose

Winn Dixie

Your Pet

NESTLE PURINA

For more information, call (800) 551-7392

Mighty Dog 5.3-ounce pouches

ALPO Prime Cuts in Gravy all sizes and varieties

P&G PET CARE

For more information, call (800) 882-1591

Iams

Eukanuba

3 oz., 5.5 oz., 6 oz. and 13.2 oz canned and 3 oz. and 5.3 oz. foil pouch

Code dates of 6339 through 7073 followed by the plant code 4197

DEL MONTE

For more information, call (800) 949-3799

Jerky Treats Beef Flavor

Ol' Roy Beef Flavor Jerky Strips

Ol' Roy Beef Flavor Snack Sticks

Dollar General Beef Flavored Jerky Strips

Dollar General Beef Flavored Beef Sticks

Happy Tails Beef Flavor Beef Sticks

Happy Tails Beef Flavor Jerky Strips

Happy Tails Meaty Cuts with Beef in Gravy

SUNSHINE MILLS

(800) 705-2111

Nurture Chicken & Rice biscuits

Nurture Lamb & Rice biscuits

Pet Life Large biscuits

Pet Life Extra Large biscuits

Pet Life Large Variety biscuits

Pet Life Large Peanut Butter biscuits

Lassie Lam and Rice biscuits

Pet Life People Pleasers Dog Treats

MENU FOODS CAT FOODS

For information on what Lot Numbers are affected, call (866) 895-2708

Americas Choice, Preferred Pets

Authority

Best Choice

Companion

Compliments

Demoulas Market Basket

Fine Feline Cat

Food Lion

Foodtown

Giant Companion

Hannaford

Hill Country Fare

Hy-Vee

Laura Lynn

Li'l Red

Loving Meals

Meijer's Main Choice

Nutriplan

Nutro Max Gourmet Classics

Nutro Natural Choice

Paws

Pet Pride

Presidents Choice

Price Chopper

Priority US

Save-A-Lot Special Blend

Schnucks

Sophistacat

Special Kitty Canada

Special Kitty US

Springfield Prize

Sprout

Stop & Shop Companion

Tops Companion

Wegmans

Weis Total Pet

Western Family US

White Rose

Winn Dixie

HILLS PET NUTRITION

For more information, call (800) 445-5777

Science Diet Kitten Savory Cuts Ocean Fish 3 oz and 5.5 oz

Science Diet Feline Adult Savory Cuts Beef 5.5 oz

Science Diet Feline Adult Savory Cuts Chicken 5.5 oz

Science Diet Feline Adult Savory Cuts Ocean Fish 5.5 oz

Science Diet Senior Savory Cuts Chicken 5.5 oz

Prescription Diet m/d/ Feline dry food, 4 lb. and 10 lb. bags

P&G PET CARE

For more information, call (800) 882-1591

Iams

Eukanuba

3 oz., 5.5 oz., 6 oz. and 13.2 oz canned and 3 oz. and 5.3 oz. foil pouch

Code dates of 6339 through 7073 followed by the plant code 4197

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