Joined
·
1,365 Posts
I'm not trying to start a rumor or anything like that. I don't even feed Beneful. Usually if something is going down, I hear it on RTF first. I heard this on one of the Yahoo Groups and while it's by no means of Diamond/Professional proportions I was just wondering if there was any truth to it.
Stewart Smith
Staff Reporter
— When Huntsville resident Robert Barley switched his dog’s brand of
food last week, he did it wanting to give her what he thought would
be a healthier meal.
However, soon after he began feeding Beneful dog food to Pearl, a 5-
year-old German Shepherd/Labrador mix, she was dead.
“I took her to the vet every year,” Barley said. “I always kept her
on her Heartworm medicine and flea medicine.
“She never had anything negative. She was a healthy dog,”
He thought it might have just been a freak, isolated incident until
he overheard a co-worker talking about how her dog had died suddenly,
too.
Janet Rambeck, also of Huntsville, started feeding her dog from a bag
of Beneful she had bought just before Christmas at Wal-Mart.
Rambeck said she had only fed Sooner, a 7-year-old Dachshund, the
food on Friday, Jan. 26.
By Sunday morning, he was dead.
Both dog owners had kept their food under normal conditions inside
their pantries and said the expiration date on both bags was not
until November 2007.
After hearing both their dogs had died after eating the food, Rambeck
decided it was more than just coincidence and researching to see if
other dogs had died under similar circumstances.
While searching the Internet, Rambeck came across DoggyBling.com, a
Web site featuring canine products and found she and Barley aren’t
alone.
Ric Eddins, the site’s owner and founder, said he has been notified
by at least 20 other people from various parts of the country,
informing him of their dogs dying after eating Beneful purchased at
Wal-Mart.
Eddins said each owner independently reported they had bought the
food at Wal-Mart and described their dogs displaying identical
symptoms before death.
Those symptoms include white gums, glazed eyes, trouble standing,
acting sluggish or lethargic in nature and loss of appetite.
Eddins has issued a statement asking all dog owners to discontinue
feeding their pets Beneful until this has been resolved.
Keith Schopp, spokesperson for Nestle-Purina Pet Care, makers of
Beneful, told The Item arrangements have been made for Rambeck to
send a sample of the dog food to Purina for inspection and testing.
Also in a statement posted on DoggyBling.com, Purina acknowledged the
postings made on the Web site and encouraged all concerned consumers
to contact them directly by phone at (888) BENEFUL (236-3385) and
that a meeting was being held to discuss the issue.
Wal-Mart representatives were unable to be reached for comment Monday and Wednesday.
In addition to sending samples to Purina for testing, Rambeck had her
local veterinarian, Dr. Mickey Moore, send samples of the food to
Texas A&M University for testing.
However, until testing is completed, Moore said it will be very
difficult to ascertain the exact cause of death.
“There is only speculation right now,” Moore said. “It is a hard
situation until more facts are known.
“Most of these name-brand companies are very careful about their
quality control. They tend to be very careful and diligent when it
comes to presenting a quality product.
“That doesn’t mean things can’t happen, but they are going to go
above and beyond to make sure these kinds of situations don’t arise.”
In addition, Dr. Diane Levitan with the Center for Specialized
Veterinary Care in Westbury, N.Y., issued a statement on DoggyBling
saying she had found no data to confirm a relationship between the
food and the illnesses.
She added there were “millions of pets around the country that eat
Beneful and have exhibited no problems.”
In the meantime, all Rambeck can do is mourn the loss of what she
considered to be a member of the family.
“It was devastating. It was like losing a child,” Rambeck said. “All
of our children are grown so that dog was like a child to us.”
http://www.itemonli ne.com/local/ local_story_ 031234456. html?
keyword=topstory
Thanks,
Kourtney
Stewart Smith
Staff Reporter
— When Huntsville resident Robert Barley switched his dog’s brand of
food last week, he did it wanting to give her what he thought would
be a healthier meal.
However, soon after he began feeding Beneful dog food to Pearl, a 5-
year-old German Shepherd/Labrador mix, she was dead.
“I took her to the vet every year,” Barley said. “I always kept her
on her Heartworm medicine and flea medicine.
“She never had anything negative. She was a healthy dog,”
He thought it might have just been a freak, isolated incident until
he overheard a co-worker talking about how her dog had died suddenly,
too.
Janet Rambeck, also of Huntsville, started feeding her dog from a bag
of Beneful she had bought just before Christmas at Wal-Mart.
Rambeck said she had only fed Sooner, a 7-year-old Dachshund, the
food on Friday, Jan. 26.
By Sunday morning, he was dead.
Both dog owners had kept their food under normal conditions inside
their pantries and said the expiration date on both bags was not
until November 2007.
After hearing both their dogs had died after eating the food, Rambeck
decided it was more than just coincidence and researching to see if
other dogs had died under similar circumstances.
While searching the Internet, Rambeck came across DoggyBling.com, a
Web site featuring canine products and found she and Barley aren’t
alone.
Ric Eddins, the site’s owner and founder, said he has been notified
by at least 20 other people from various parts of the country,
informing him of their dogs dying after eating Beneful purchased at
Wal-Mart.
Eddins said each owner independently reported they had bought the
food at Wal-Mart and described their dogs displaying identical
symptoms before death.
Those symptoms include white gums, glazed eyes, trouble standing,
acting sluggish or lethargic in nature and loss of appetite.
Eddins has issued a statement asking all dog owners to discontinue
feeding their pets Beneful until this has been resolved.
Keith Schopp, spokesperson for Nestle-Purina Pet Care, makers of
Beneful, told The Item arrangements have been made for Rambeck to
send a sample of the dog food to Purina for inspection and testing.
Also in a statement posted on DoggyBling.com, Purina acknowledged the
postings made on the Web site and encouraged all concerned consumers
to contact them directly by phone at (888) BENEFUL (236-3385) and
that a meeting was being held to discuss the issue.
Wal-Mart representatives were unable to be reached for comment Monday and Wednesday.
In addition to sending samples to Purina for testing, Rambeck had her
local veterinarian, Dr. Mickey Moore, send samples of the food to
Texas A&M University for testing.
However, until testing is completed, Moore said it will be very
difficult to ascertain the exact cause of death.
“There is only speculation right now,” Moore said. “It is a hard
situation until more facts are known.
“Most of these name-brand companies are very careful about their
quality control. They tend to be very careful and diligent when it
comes to presenting a quality product.
“That doesn’t mean things can’t happen, but they are going to go
above and beyond to make sure these kinds of situations don’t arise.”
In addition, Dr. Diane Levitan with the Center for Specialized
Veterinary Care in Westbury, N.Y., issued a statement on DoggyBling
saying she had found no data to confirm a relationship between the
food and the illnesses.
She added there were “millions of pets around the country that eat
Beneful and have exhibited no problems.”
In the meantime, all Rambeck can do is mourn the loss of what she
considered to be a member of the family.
“It was devastating. It was like losing a child,” Rambeck said. “All
of our children are grown so that dog was like a child to us.”
http://www.itemonli ne.com/local/ local_story_ 031234456. html?
keyword=topstory
Thanks,
Kourtney
, that I sure would just change "Zoey's" food permanently...to a good quality food with meat.. 
