Hi folks -
just came in on another list. Feel free to crosspost.
Diamond Pet Food Recall
1/4/06 11:53am ET - Update From AnimalHelp:
Despite claims that the brands below are the only brands affected, We
have received feedback from pet owners who have recently fed both Cosco
"Kirkland" brand pet foods and Chicken Soup Brand Dog Food, whose pets
have exhibited the same symptoms as noted with Diamond Brands and the
aflatoxin contamination.
**Please be aware that while these animals had all the same symptoms of
aflatoxin illness the test results have not been completed yet and it
will be a short time before we know for sure whether their deaths were
caused by the food. There are other illnesses and diseases that cause
liver failure and may be to blame. But because the foods these animals
were eating are all made by Diamond, and the symptoms are the same, we
want to warn you to be on the lookout for similar illness in your
animals until we know for sure.
Sadly, a 2 year old Skye Terrier died Monday January 2nd, 2006. He
was eating Chicken Soup brand food and displayed the symptoms of
aflatoxin illness before he died. The other dogs in this household are
also sick. Liver profiles, toxicology screenings and pathology results
are pending.
Also, a cat death has occured on Tuesday January 3rd, 2006 in upstate
SC. This cat was eating Cosco brand cat food and displayed the symptoms
of aflatoxin illness. Pathology results are pending on this cat. We
know of one other cat who almost died from the same symptoms of
aflatoxin illness and also was being fed Cosco brand cat food.
Cosco's Kirkland Brand pet foods are made by Schell & Kampeter , who
also make the Diamond Products. Chicken Soup is considered one of their
super premium food, and they also make Nutra Nuggets. Cosco Kirkland is
made at one or more of the Diamond plants.
If you feed your pet Cosco brands - or ANY other pet food brands (it is
possible that other store brands are made at Diamond plants) - and see
illness and symptoms as mentioned here, we urge you to get your pet to
your veterinarian immediately for a liver profile.
We expect the Chicken Soup brands and the Cosco brands will be added to
the official recall very soon if the test results from these two recent
deaths provide proof that cause of death resulted from ingestion of
aflatoxin in the food. We will keep you up to date if any changes are
announced.
Because of testing conducted by officials in North Carolina, Diamond
Pet Foods has added Diamond Professional for Adult Dogs to the list of
recalled products manufactured in our Gaston, S.C. facility and
distributed in the eastern U.S.
The product, Diamond Professional for Adult Dogs, contains a "Best By"
date of January 29, 2007.
Testing performed by the North Carolina agriculture department showed a
single bag of the product contained high levels of aflatoxin. The
product was discontinued in August of this year.
According to Mark Brinkmann, chief operations officer for Diamond Pet
Foods, the company will continue working closely with state officials
and will not hesitate to take action if testing warrants.
Customers should return any unused product to their retailers and
should consult their veterinarian if pets show any signs of illness.
Complete information can be found at
www.diamondpet.com, or by calling
the Diamond Pet Foods Customer Information Center toll-free at
1-866-214-6945.
What products are being recalled?
Recalled products can be identified by the Date Code and "Best By"
dates listed on the back panel of the package. Recalled products will
have a capital "G" (in reference to Gaston) in the 11th or 12th
position of the date code (18 lb. to 55 lb. bags), and "Best By" dates
between March 1, 2007 and June 10, 2007. The capital "G" will be in the
9th position on smaller 4 lb. to 8 lb. bags.
Diamond's quantitative analysis records substantiate that shipments
were definitively clear of aflatoxin after December 10. As such, "Best
By 11-June-07" date codes or later are not affected. Also, products
with "Best By" dates prior to 28-Feb-07 are safe.
Products manufactured at our Gaston S.C. facility included in the
recall:
Diamond Premium Adult Dog Food
Diamond Hi-Energy Dog Food
Diamond Maintenance Dog Food
Diamond Professional for Adult Dogs
Diamond Performance Dog Food
Diamond Puppy Food
Diamond Low Fat Dog Food
Diamond Maintenance Cat Food
Diamond Professional Cat Food
Country Value Puppy
Country Value Adult Dog Food
Country Value High Energy Dog Food
Country Value Adult Cat Food
Professional Chicken & Rice Adult Dog Food
Professional Puppy Food
Professional Large-Breed Puppy Food
Professional Reduced Fat Cat Food
Professional Adult Cat Food