Some Expert advice

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by elenih on 12 December 2008 - 08:12

Hello all, and thanks in advance for reading my story. I've been lurking for a while, but I feel the time has come to speak up, as this is driving me mad, and what better place to seek advice than amongst experts!

Briefly, my situation:

We bought a puppy from a reputable breeder, fully vaccinated, micro chipped and dewormed, at 10 weeks old. Started feeding him “Well-known Premium brand Large Breed food” from day one, and continued to feed him the same brand. Puppy was healthy and happy.

One Thursday (mid October, puppy has just turned 5 months old), we bought a new bag of the same food. Opened new bag and started feeding Thursday night. By Friday night/Saturday morning, puppy is vomiting, and has diarrhoea.

We call our Vet, who advises to feed boiled chicken and rice only. We do this, and by Tuesday no improvement. Puppy goes to the Vet, gets antibiotic shot, stool sample is taken, enteritis medication is given, together with anti-nausea medication. Puppy has zero appetite, but drinks water very well. Xray shows huge amounts of GAS in his intestine, but no blockage. We can hear this gas, and see the pain it causes him. Still vomiting furiously each time he eats or drinks, with now bloody diarrhoea as well.

We go around in circles for three weeks. Puppy is put on a drip, more stool samples are sent for testing.

Giardia – negative

Coccidia – negative

Parvo – negative

Only thing found in the stool sample is E.Coli. This is treated with the necessary antibiotics.

by Uber Land on 12 December 2008 - 08:12

sounds like you got ahold of a tainted bag of food!

by elenih on 12 December 2008 - 08:12

My posts seems to have been cut off, here is the rest --

Week three – puppy is weak, still on drip.

Friday - Puppy is sent for abdominal Ultrasound. Nothing conclusive is found, and our vet takes the decision to operate and “see” what is going on.

Monday - They find a “new” intussusception of the large intestine, and repair this. He also checks the small intestine for damage, and finds it healthy. The vet says the intusussception is new, because the intestinal tissue is not yet necrotic (ie, not the original cause 3 weeks along).

Wednesday – Puppy looks good, starts to take soft food without vomiting, and looks livelier.

Thursday morning – puppy dies….

Our vet opened him up again to see if the site of the repair had failed, but found that the repair was healing well. Instead, 5 separate sections of the small intestine had disintegrated – Vet says it looks like the small intestine simply “melted”.

My question to you as GSD experts –

We strongly believe that the new bag/batch of food is what caused the original problem with this puppy. When we discovered the vomiting, I immediately opened the bag, stuck my head in and smelled it – it was rank, smelling like “dirty cow”. We have a (plastic sealed, refrigerated) sample of the suspect bag that we would like to have tested for bacterial and other potential contaminants.

by elenih on 12 December 2008 - 08:12

Ugh, cut off again...

Last bit:

Given the information above, what tests should be conducted on this food? The manufacturer has admitted that they found “mould” in the bag, but have done no further bacterial or toxicity tests, until we insisted on “Aflatoxin” testing, which they did at a non-accredited laboratory, and with negative results.

Once again, thanks in advance for any comments.

- E

by steve1 on 12 December 2008 - 10:12

So sorry to here of your Pups death, The poor little thing must have suffered, but you did everything and more that you could possibly do to save it

The best person to ask what tests should be done is your Vet, He will have some idea as to what has happened, The Bag of food is contaminated but with what

Has this firm had any prior recalls on its food if they have look back and see what the problem was then and why if any the cause of the recall, it will give you some idea as to which way to go

I hope you find the answer and thngs can be put right,

but it will not bring back the Pup which is such a pity

Steve

by elenih on 12 December 2008 - 10:12

Yes, there have been prior recalls, but over a year ago. The company is one of the "big ones" in the industry, with global presence...

You are quite right, nothing will bring our special baby boy back, but that food, and other food from the same batch is still out there, potentially waiting to kill more dogs. That's the more important "right-now" problem. If I can prove the batch poses a significant risk to other dogs out there, heaven help the Goliath, cause this little David will let rip...

- E

by missbeeb on 12 December 2008 - 10:12

Can't your Vet or your local authority help with the testing? Are you in the States?

So sorry for you and the poor puppy, sounds pretty awful.

by elenih on 12 December 2008 - 10:12

Nope, not in the US. I'm down in deepest, darkest Africa...

I am talking to the Vet and Local Authorities already - just wanted to get the best possible advice from people with real-life experience, so that I know whether what the Vet/Authorities are advising is the best course of action!

- E

by funky munky on 12 December 2008 - 10:12

This is so sad, hope you get the sesults needed or we could be hearing of a few more sad puppy deaths. Very worrying, liz

by mccia on 12 December 2008 - 10:12

Not to discredit this dog food company, but do you think you could share the brand and upc code? Every bag may not smell like dirty cow, but may cause sickness just the same. We would hate to hear from someone else such devistating news as what you went through that could have been avoided. It is so sad to hear of your loss.

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