New Canidae formula making dogs sick?

[DejaVu]

I will say this first, I have not had experience with this food but found this another dog forum and thought I would pass along the info.

Consumer complaints about CANIDAE Pet Foods

A statement from Canidae:
We apologize to all who have voiced their concerns with our new formulation. Canidae distributed letters to retailers, breeders, updated packaging, and provided in-store signage, however it appears that this message did not reach all of our customers.

The new formulation, with increased levels of meat protein, lowered carbohydrates, and an increased overall complex carbohydrate quality, provides the most nutritious, all natural, palatable products. Canidae never uses soy, corn, wheat, by-products, grain fractions, or fillers in our food.

If you believe your pet has experienced challenges related to the new formula we suggest feeding smaller portions multiple times a day. Adding warm water can decrease the chance of pets eating too quickly and not chewing thoroughly. It’s not unusual for pets to experience some digestive issues when transitioning, but if your problems persist, contact your veterinarian to rule out any underlying health concerns. For more tips, visit canidae.com/transitioningfromorig.html.

Due to increased commodity costs, we’ve changed our packaging sizes, reducing the overall weight by approximately 3-5 pounds per bag. The new sizes are more consistent with other brands and allow for easier handling.

We are committed to bringing quality products to pet owners and in June that commitment led us to Diamond’s manufacturing facility. Diamond facilities have rigorous quality control processes, utilizing a 141-point ingredient test protocol. All products are subject to a 10-point final product safety review and Canidae has also implemented hourly testing to confirm quality and product safety in our onsite laboratory. All Canidae products meet or exceed AAFCO nutrient profiles in USDA and FDA approved facilities.

At Canidae, we are committed to providing you and your pets the highest standard of excellence for product quality, palatability, and customer satisfaction. Please call 800-398-1600 or visit All Natural, Human Grade, Holistic Pet Foods. Dog Food, Cat Food, Kitten Food, Dog Biscuits, & Canidae Platinum Diet to let us know what we can do to serve you better.

Canidae
Scott Whipple and John Gordon
Owners
PO Box 3610
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403






Wendy of Souderton PA (09/13/08)
When we bought our puppy we spent a lot of time looking at different breeds to make sure we bought the best breed that fit our family. We also made sure that the food we fed her would be the best too. Our breeder has always used Canidae,so we continued to use this as well. She did awesome on the original formula. We again as everyone else here were not aware that the formula changed. My 16 month old puppy has experienced in the last month, severe itching to the point that she has missing fur, vomiting the yellow frothy mess and her fur is not soft - feels greasy and rough and the yellow,stinky mushy poop.

After reading the other dog owners results, Canidae should again make sure that the ingredients are safe and the manufacturing plant is safe. Please don't ignore the signs...there are too many and something is not right. If you care so much about pets, don't ignore this.

I just took my dog to the vet last night, so my expense has been minimal compared to the others, but after $79 dollars at the vet and over 1/2 a $40 dollar bag of food left, I'm going to immediately remove her from eating Canidae today.

Sue of Mills River NC (09/13/08)
I switched to Canidae after the recall and I lost 4 animals to it. I was working at a kennel that sold Canidae and I switched my guys and they were doing great on it. But just before the new bag came out I noticed the food looked different and smelled different and one of my dogs just started picking at it and then all the dogs came down with the runny stools and vomiting again and the one that was the most affected from the recall was getting very sick. I then called a friend and they were telling me about the dogs that suffered from the recall were doing good on foods that had no grains and no meal in them.

I found a great food Taste of the Wild Venison and Bison and all of my guys have improved and the runs are gone and their coats are great. They even stopped picking at their food and now are playing and happy guys I have no clue what I will do if Taste of the Wild changes its formula , my guys will even eat it dry not something they would do with canidae.

Russell of Youngwood PA (09/13/08)
We have had great success with the OLD Canidae Lamb and Rice All Stages formula. My son bought a new bag and it was obvious that they had changed the product. His Weimeraner vomited almost immediatly after eating. I suggested that he return the food. Only then were we informed about a formula change. There was no response to our e-mail. Now I find that many others have registered concerns.

This company needs to get right with its loyal customers. Many report that if they in fact did get a response, the company representative was rude and condescending. They suggest that people may be making the mistake of taking the food from its original bag and storing it in a fashion that somehow compromises freshness/safety. It's hard to believe that so many would do that. Indeed, most report consequences with the animal within the first few feedings when the product was new and just out of the bag, so this suggestion is ludicrous. Workers at the local pet store confirm reports of many complaints. Luckily, my Scottie has about 1 pound of the old Canidae remaining and we've already proactively purchased another brand.

Bj of Ruby SC (09/13/08)
I have already made a complaint on 8/31/08. However, I would like to make another as I have had further trouble with the new formula dog food.

I decided to give the food a chance instead of switching because of the diarrhea and vomiting from the first bag. I fed three more bags (11 dogs ate from these) and the stool did firm up for some and for others there would be some days with firm stool of a light color and some days a soft sticky stool. Yesterday I opened a fourth bag and today the trouble started full force again.

The 9 month old female I had to take to the vet the last time had yellow, watery diarrhea by this afternoon (every hour). The other 5 nine month old dogs had yellow pies and straining. The 5 old dogs so far seem unaffected, except for one who has vomited at least twice. This does not surprise me, because I am aware that it is young dogs who are the more severely affected by toxins when there is a dog food problem.

Three of the bags have identical lot numbers or whatever they are called, and the food in those bags appeared to be the same color, a lighter color than the old formula. The bag I opened yesterday differs in some of the numbers and is a darker color than the other three. Did they tweak the formula again??? Is the food not being produced consistently the same from batch to batch??? I'm not an expert therefore I am not sure what the difference in color indicates, except that I don't think it is anything good.

This afternoon I purchased a different brand of dog food and for dinner mixed 25% of it to 75% Canidae (except for the sickest one who had rice and broth). Everyone cleaned their plate except the super intelligent sibe, who carefully picked out every single grain of the new food and left every single grain of the Canidae.

I do intend to contact the FDA. I have all of my bags and I will be supplying them with the bag lot numbers. I would suggest that anyone who is still feeding the food or has switched and still has their bags in possession hold on to them just in case this is more than a matter of Diamond being unable to produce consistent food from batch to batch. I will also be keeping a sample of the food from this bag.

Normally I would be providing this information to Canidae, but since they did not reply to my first email several weeks ago I will not be contacting them again.

[DejaVu]

Natalie of Hb CA (09/12/08)
After reading the complaints (32 just this month) on this board, I realized I was just about to open up a bag of the new formula of Canidae all stages dog food. I called the Canidae to ask what was going on and they claimed that the complaints on this board had been unconfirmed and might be posted by competitors trying to smear them. They claimed that they have not heard from any veterinarians with definitive diagnoses or any proof that their food was causing dogs to become ill. They suggested I start transitioning my dog right away. After mixing my remaining old formulation with some of the new formulation, I decided I did not want to take the chance of making my sweet little black pug sick.

I threw everything away and bought a bag of IAMS LAMB AND RICE FORMULA (in the red bag) at my mom's suggestion. I fed him a bowl last night and this morning without any transition. He is doing great, even had a normal bowel movement this morning and he loves it! I just wanted to thank all of those who posted on this site and let you know that you all saved me and my dog a lot of misery. I am calling the pet store in which I bought the food to make sure they know there is a problem and that they alert customers in the future.

Loss of $30 worth of dog food.

Debra of Harvard IL (09/12/08)
I purchased the new larger size bag of Canidae Dog food for dogs Labeled Puppies to Adult. I have been using this product for approximately 8 months and I have been saving the bar codes to get a free bag after collecting 12 months worth of food. I opened the above new bag and poured it into my dog food bin with the remaining same brand left from prior bag. I had noticed a major difference in the color of the food as it was far lighter that the previous bag. Upon feeding both my puppy and my 2.5 year old adult dog with the above food, my adult 2.5 year old dog began the have loose stool, then projectile diarrhea, complete loss of appetite, and refused to drink any water.

Within two days, my sweet guy lost control in both front and rear legs and his body began to curl up into a fetal position. I rushed my lethargic and very sick dog to my veterinarians office and the vet had to give him intervenous in his back because he was highly dehydrated. He had a fever, an inflamed intestine and was very sick and weak. The vet had do perform an internal, give him an antidiarrheal shot, an antibiotic shot and 15 days of antibiotics and 15 days of antidiarrheal pills. I had to give him those pills every 24 hours without missing. I had to lose a day of pay to stay home with my buddy to see if he was either going to make it or die. I was just sick over it! The vet charged me $100.00 for the evening emergency visit and another $180.00 for all of the above performed on my dog.

I'm very upset with [Canidae]. I have paid approximately $45.00 per bag of food and though I was getting a very good, safe and healthy product for my dogs. How could [they] not inform people [of the] changed recipe. I almost lost a great friend and I also lost a great deal of money and time and suffering to save him! I've thanked the Lord that I was able to save my sweet guy Blue! He's all I have. I will never use product again and as a consumer will pass the word on about my horrible experience. I feel that everyone that experienced what I experienced should get together in trying be reimbursed for any expenses for their losses and also mean possible loss of our dear pets lives as well if any by this company!


Patty of Detroit Lakes MN (09/12/08)
My three large dogs, Doberman, Rottweiler, and Shepherd/Siberian Husky became ill after eating from a new bag of their CANIDAE Lamb & Rice & CANIDAE PLATINUM dog food last week. Explosive runny stools. I checked the internet for other complaints, and yes there was allot of complaints with the same symptoms. They have been on CANIDAE for almost a year now for I was told it was the best...It may have been but now it is not...they say they changed their formula...I don't think so, I like others think the dog food is tainted with something. I am going to have my bags tested.

I contacted CANIDAE, by phone, email, it has been 3 days and they didn't respond to me. I hope they can't sleep at night & I wonder what they feed their dogs. I then checked the internet for any complaints on their dog food they were on a year ago....NUTRO Natural Choice Lamb & Rice and I was shocked...numerous dogs and cats are seriously sick or dying from this pet food. I called the FDA of Minnesota and reported I felt my bag of CANIDAE dog food was contaminated or tainted with something. I gave her all the information and I gave her this websites of the complaints. She was going to have someone check into it.... EVERYONE NEEDS TO CONTACT THEIR STATE FDA ASAP! They don't go out looking for complaints, you have to advise them!

I am cooking for my dogs right now and they seem to be doing okay for now. Expense this far is dog food and my cleanup and search time from all this mess and their suffering!

Gina of Cornell WI (09/12/08)
I opened 6 cans of food for a second meal of the day and found what looked like string but once dry appears to be cardboard I also found what appears to be a fairly large 3/4 x 1/4 inche piece of packing tape in the food when I was placing it on the dinner plate for the pups.

I still have 2.5 cases unused. called and no care attitude by canidae customer service. I have lost much sleep over this.

Whitney of Ypsilanti MI (09/11/08)
We have had Sadie on Canidae since she was a puppy. It took us until she was about 4 months old to even find a food that would keep her stools hard. We'd switch foods and they would stay hard for a few days then turn runny again - quite the opposite of most people who do sudden food changes. Finally we tried Canidae ALS and the stools have been good every since. She was offically diagnosed with IBD at 4.5 months old and def. suffers from food intolerances. Then about 2 months ago, Sadie came to visit me and she was pooping yellow again! I got so mad at my boyfriend accusing him of buying petstore food and feeding it to her (he always complained about how he had to go to a special store to get her food).

Even when he showed me the food he brought with him I didn't believe it was Canidae because it looked so different. Come to find out, they had a formula switch and Sadie never adjusted. She had always been a little rashy baby but after the Canidae switch she got huge pumps on her head that spread down her neck and she had red scaly patches on her skin. We took her to the vet where she was said to have pyoderma and was put on antibiotics and shampoos. She continued to have incredibly loose, yellow colored stools ( I assume from the new coloring in the food) and her gas got a lot worse. Her hair began to fall out around her face and her skin began to smell.

We just switched her to Kumpi food after talking extensively with their nutritionist and founder. We've already seen the stool firm up and her rash is getting better! I am so upset at Canidae. Why take such a good product and go and do this to it? It worked great the way it was - and [they] went and ruined it and hurt a lot of dogs in the process. I am never going back to corporate dog food again and will never use another Canidae product the rest of my life.


Lu of Philadelphia PA (09/11/08)
I have been feeding my two dogs Canidae Lamb & Rice for the last two years without incident. Two weeks ago I bought a new bag and found that the kibbles were more of a yellowish color rather than the usual brown and were also larger. After a few days, my dogs' stool was yellow and loose. This week both dogs began vomiting. This caused us to wonder if the dog food was the problem so we checked on the Internet. Sure enough many other pet owners experienced the same symptoms. We disposed of the remaining dog food immediately and plan to switch to Eagle Pack.

Other than the weight and color, there was no indication on the packaging that the formula was changed. We counted on Canidae to provide a healthy food for our pets and were seriously let down. I'm glad we caught this in time before our dogs suffered worse symptoms and will never buy or recommend Canidae products.

$28.88 for the 15lb bag of food. No vet bills yet but the well being of our beloved pets has been compromised.

[DejaVu]

Amber of Paulding OH (09/11/08)
I started using Canidae about 2 or 3 years ago. Another dog food company had abruptly changed ingredients and my dogs would no longer eat it, and one got an ear infection.

I spent a lot of time researching brands and settled on Canidae. My dogs LOVED it. I didn't do the traditional gradual change over, and my dogs experienced no problems. Everything has been great. I even worked for a pet store that sold a LOT of Canidae, and can count on one hand the number of individual dogs it didn't work out for. Our store sold over 80 of the 40# bags a week! That's feeding a lot of dogs.

Well a few months ago I got the first of the new bags. I wasn't happy about the price but it was my first time buying from that particular store so I thought they just were higher priced. Then I noticed the 5# smaller bags.More money for less food doesn't make me happy.

When I got home, I noticed the new ingredients. Now, I KNOW ingredients, the pet store I worked in required me to know this stuff as we had a high number of clients with allergy dogs. I wasn't impressed, took a deep breath, and put it in their bowls. Only one dog finished his dinner that night. Out of 5!

It only got worse, and my allergy dog began digging at himself and got greasy skin and hair. I immediately knew it had to be the food and emailed Canidae. Their response was that the food is now better. I might have bought their explaination if I didn't already know so much about dog food.

I went to the store and they told me that Canidae had again raised prices, forcing them to raise prices. $45 for a 35# bag is way too steep for me! She said other customers were complaining as well, and that Canidae wasn't selling very well.

After looking at every brand of food in the store, I was forced to go with Diamond Natural. I just can't afford to spend more on dog food.

I loved Canidae, my dogs looked so good on it. They look ok now, but not like they used to. I'm realy disappointed.



Jim of Merced CA (09/10/08)
The newest formulation of Canidae Lamb and Rice is acutely toxic to dogs. Like all the people whose stories are below my dog ate Canidae for as long as I owned him until I bought a bag of their new formula last month. Within 24 hours he began vomitting up to 5 time a day and his stools became runny.

Canidae had not labeled their new formula on the bag so I had no idea it was new until I went online to the Canidae website. Once I learned it was new formula, I took my dog off of this food and gave him some Blue Buffallo lamb and rice. He stopped vomitting and his stools firmed up within 24 hours. He is still not 100% but I pray he heals up soon.

Please!!! call the FDA now if you have a problem 1-888-463-6332. File a complaint and they will investigate. I have already contacted the FDA but if more people call it will certainly drive this into the spotlight. Don't just write a letter on this website, do something to stop this company from poisoning your dog. Keep your used bag of poison. We may need it to put these people out of business.



Steven of West Orange NJ (09/10/08)
We had sang the praises of Canidae ALS for over 2 years. We adopted a dog from a shelter that arrived with diarrhea and horrible coat condition and odor. We could not find a food that agreed with her until we tried Canidae ALS. That is all we fed her and when we added a new puppy, we eventually transitioned him to Canidae ALS.

Their coats were gorgeous, they smelled great and never an ear or skin problem. Almost never a digestive issue and they always passed small stools. Until the NEW formula that is. Non stop gas, itching and worse was the gigantic mountains of yellow mushy stool that we picked up for 2 months along with unexplained vomiting. Our female also began to eat out of the litter box, something she had NEVER done prior to the new Canidae ALS formula. The male pooped in his crate and on our rugs several times which is out of the ordinary for him.

If Canidae had made their new grain free formulas available when they improved their other formulas, We probably would have tried one and may have stayed a Canidae customer. We most certainly were not going to try another of the improved formulas after seing what the improved ALS did to our dogs.

In all fairness to Canidae, our retailer WAS aware of the switch and we were able to do the slow transition. It did not matter in our case as our dogs were still not tolerating the new formula after alost 2 months of being on it.




Karen of Ridgefield CT (09/09/08)
My 8.5 yr old black lab has been on Candidae her entire life, from puppy food, to lamb and rice to now platinum for seniors which she's been on for at least 5 yrs. Over the past three weeks, she has had an unknown but severe allergic reaction which ultimately required intravenous cortisone to improve and she is still incredibly itchy and uncomfortable. In fact we have an appt with the vet today to get longer acting cortisone shot. This morning, my lab, who normally eats everything, refused to eat her food. I have never seen this from her before, even when she's been sick, she'd still eat, albiet a bit slower and less enthusiastically.

I quickly deduced that she was not off her food as she acted otherwise completely normal and ate all the biscuits I could give. I promptly called my pet food store to report I thought something must be wrong with my dogs Candidae. They immediately informed me that they've been receiving many complaints about Candidae over the past few days and that there had been a change in formulas. Immediately it all made sense, the allergies, the gassiness and now her flat out refusal to eat. I promptly switched her over to another brand of food and she ate with gusto (I would have loved to have mixed it in gradually but there was no way I was going to force her to eat that Candidae after her reaction to it).

It's clear that this new formula has some major issues. I never received any notice that there were changes in the formula and no warning that this could happen.

My dog suffereed for 3 weeks with a severe allergic reaction, and we spent $100 on a vet visit and countless more time and energy trying to diagnose her allergy issue. Also wasted $25 on bag of dog food which now has to be thrown out.

Jennifer of Allendale MI (09/09/08)
I sent the following email to Canidae after noticing that my dogs were not doing well on the new formula. We had successfully been feeding this brand of food for 16 months before the formula change.

Message: I just wanted to let you know personally that I will be changing foods after seeing your new formula and who is manufacturing your product. I did a lot of research on foods when before we rescued our two great danes and your product came well recommended. We have been SUPER happy over the past year and have recommended your product to numerous other dane owners! However I'm very disappointed by your decision to outsource your manufacturing to Diamond. I'm also not pleased with the new look and formula of the food. The green color is off putting and the dryness of the kibble makes it look like any other store brand rather than a premium kibble. That is all just looks and opinion though. My dogs have experienced an increase in gas and looser stools on the new formula. So, now I have had to do my research all over again and will be switching to Eagle Pack which still is manufactured in their own facility and controls their ingredients. I just wanted to let you know why I'm switching and why a lot of people I know are switching rather than just being a number on a sales report. I think you may find that the demand that you could not meet in your old facility will no longer be an issue when everyone switches over rather than feeding something made in a Diamond facility. I wish you would have considered who feeds your food and the demands for quality that we have for our pets

We have successfully switched to Eagle Pack with wonderful results.

[DejaVu]

there are more but I think you get the idea

[ali]

I have been feeding this for over a year to my Boxer (he has allergies and this food had helped him), and for 6 months to my yorkie and have not had any problems. Both have great coats and normal stools. However, I will keep an eye out for any issues. Thanks

[pagonzal]

I am glad we switched to Wellness Core for small breeds. Our furbabies love it! I noticed they poop less, and their poop doesn't smell as bad, if at all.

Pam

[BLowry]

I just bought dog food today. I mix grammies pot pie (merricks) and canidae for a little variety for the girls...which they love! I did read (here) about the change in the kibble so, I asked the woman that owns the store where I buy their food. She told me that it was ONLY the lamb and rice formula that has changed. She received a notice from the manufacture telling her to tell her customers to add some of the new formula with what they are currently eating to gradually get them used to it. What I don't understand is...why did they change it at all? I look at it this way...If it ain't broke...don't fix it! Canidae is a good food I don't know why they did this. I'm glad I feed the chicken.

[DejaVu]

yeah I dont know much about the product nor claim anything about it, just wanted to pass the info as I would want to know if I were feeding this product. Hopefully no one here has any issues with it nor in the future.

I agree, if it isnt broke, dont fix it!

[MyTrixie143]

Originally Posted by BLowry

I just bought dog food today. I mix grammies pot pie (merricks) and canidae for a little variety for the girls...which they love! I did read (here) about the change in the kibble so, I asked the woman that owns the store where I buy their food. She told me that it was ONLY the lamb and rice formula that has changed. She received a notice from the manufacture telling her to tell her customers to add some of the new formula with what they are currently eating to gradually get them used to it. What I don't understand is...why did they change it at all? I look at it this way...If it ain't broke...don't fix it! Canidae is a good food I don't know why they did this. I'm glad I feed the chicken.

No they changed all of the Canidae food. I just bought a bag of All Life Stages Original flavor and Senior and the kibble is different. I have been feeding them Canidae for over a year now and noticed the kibble change right away even though nowhere on the bag does it mention it. The kibble is twice as big, lighter in color with less texture.
I am so disappointed in them.

[ladyj]

Originally Posted by MyTrixie143

No they changed all of the Canidae food. I just bought a bag of All Life Stages Original flavor and Senior and the kibble is different. I have been feeding them Canidae for over a year now and noticed the kibble change right away even though nowhere on the bag does it mention it. The kibble is twice as big, lighter in color with less texture.
I am so disappointed in them.

Yes, they have changed all the Canidae food. I switched my Bichon, Lacy, who needs to lose a couple of pounds, to Canidae Platinum some time ago and she gets along great with it. I am going to switch her again, with much regret, to Wellness, I think. I tried to get a sample of the new Canidae formula, but the store didn't have samples of the new formula yet. I will look at a sample, if I get a chance, but am not going to take any chances. My Lacy has a touchy stomach and if she is going to have to get used to a new formula, I will just change to something that I have used before with success. Gosh, why did they want to change something that worked so well! They said it's because of the price of white rice, but I wonder if that's just an excuse to use cheaper ingredients. I don't believe they're in any danger of losing money at the prices they charge. Yes, I'm very disappointed, too!

[Wylie's Mom]

Can someone please tell me WHAT are the actual differences in the Guaranteed Analysis of this formula?

I mean, I just compared the Platinum and from what I can tell we're talking a difference in protein of 18.5 to 20%. So, unless there is something else going on here - I'm finding it difficult to believe these small changes are causing devastating results. What am I missing here?

[ali]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Can someone please tell me WHAT are the actual differences in the Guaranteed Analysis of this formula?

I mean, I just compared the Platinum and from what I can tell we're talking a difference in protein of 18.5 to 20%. So, unless there is something else going on here - I'm finding it difficult to believe these small changes are causing devastating results. What am I missing here?

I would also like to know. It seems like adding more protien would be a good thing. The place that I get my dog food has not had any complaints with this food and it is the most bought dog food at the store.

[T Doll]

Originally Posted by ali

I would also like to know. It seems like adding more protien would be a good thing. The place that I get my dog food has not had any complaints with this food and it is the most bought dog food at the store.

I thought that too, but then I saw this thread http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/my-...hetic-leg.html where the poster said...

"I found out that Buddy was making calcium oxalate stones. Male Yorkies sometimes lack an enzyme that prevents the stones from forming which I didn't know. I was feeding him an all natural food called Solid Gold which I thought was good for him. Little did I know that was too high in protein."

...so this leaves me very confused with what I should feed Mocha. He's on Nature's Variety raw right now, but I might have to look into something with less protein

[Parker's Mum]

This makes so much sense now! Parker has been on Canidae for over 2 years now, I made my boyfriend switch his mini shnauzer to it as well. Then with the last bag both of our dogs got bad diarhea. We couldn't figure out why. We cut out the new treats we had just bought, didn't help. Cut out ALL treats, still they had diarhea. I checked the canidae bag for an expiration date, but couldnt' find one, usually there is one. I knew it had to be the food cuz it's the only thing they've had. The diarhea has stopped but their stools are still not "normal" for them. So after reading this, it all makes sense now. Great, now I have to do food research all over again

[kcook323]

Oh no! I just tried Maximus on a trial bag and he LOVES it. I was going to buy a bag tonight and now I don't know what to do. (sigh) Why can't things just be easy?