NV Rabbit from China, bad feeling and petit mal seizure.... (this is LONG)

[amandawash]

K guys, I have to say I am pretty upset right now... I apologize that this doesn't have to do with a yorkie but I figured there may be people on here feeding this to their babies..

We have a 4 yr. old lab with severe food/environmental allergies. We have struggled with finding a food appropriate for him, but so far haven't had much luck. We have consulted a nutritionist, and had a home-cooked diet formulated for him but it's just too much (money, time, space) to home cook for an 80lb. dog. We have been managing the allergies as best we can with foods with the least amount of ingredients he's allergic to, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, and unfortunately steroids during particularly bad times.

We recently put him on the NV Instinct Rabbit formula. He has been on this food for probably a month and a half. He does OK, doesn't really like it, but eats and hasn't thrown it up so I guess that's good.

I had been feeding my little boys the NV raw. While I love the raw, for some reason I just have a funny feeling about this company. I don't know what it is, there is nothing to have caused this, it's just an unsettling feeling I get when I think of feeding it to my boys. I stopped using NV for the yorkies, and put them on something else. Anyway, we kept the lab on the Instinct..

I just found out the rabbit that NV uses is from China. This makes me SICK. Supposedly their CEO has "personally visited the facility in China." They feel the meat is safe, blah blah blah. I am kicking myself for not RESEARCHING this first! I research everything! I have a VERY hard time feeling confident that anything from China is safe, and there is no way in hell I would have used it had I known. So, shame on me.

Anyway, yesterday afternoon I was sitting on the couch and looked at Nitro who suddenly just sat down. He was shaking severely. I grabbed for him and his ears and nose were ice cold. His gums were GRAY and he looked scared. NOTHING happened to scare him. I hugged him and he just sat there shaking. I rushed him to the vet but of course by the time I got him there he was looking pretty good. Vet thinks petit mal seizure. I was so scared.

I am not saying the food caused this, but of course you always think of things like that when something wierd happens. I do know I will not be using NV any longer. I refuse to support a company that is knowingly importing meat from China that at any point could be contaminated. I am sure with the large scale of NV, that they do a lot as far as quality control, but I still can't trust that. What are your thoughts? I don't exactly know where I am going with this- just frustrated I guess. Sorry this is so long, I have been upset. Now I have to try and find another food that will agree with him. Poor boy, he doesn't deserve this

[TLC]

Mine started out on NV too - but I had this sinking feeling that something wasn't right I just felt that they weren't *as* good as other companies....
(know you confirmed it )

TJ eats:
Stella and Chewy's chicken patties and Bravo Organic Chicken Blend

[amandawash]

Originally Posted by TLC

Mine started out on NV too - but I had this sinking feeling that something wasn't right I just felt that they weren't *as* good as other companies....
(know you confirmed it )

TJ eats:
Stella and Chewy's chicken patties and Bravo Organic Chicken Blend

Yup. Just a downright *bad* feeling. I always trust my instincts so I am glad I did. Feel bad for my big boy though

I switched my little boys to Primal (ALL meat is sourced through the US) and The Honest Kitchen. Good stuff. I wish I could get Stella and Chewy's here, I am actually going to the store today so I am planning on asking if they can order it for me. That is a great company- I LOVE how they test each batch for E.Coli and Salmanella. The Honest Kitchen does the same. It put my vet's mind at total ease re: raw.. or should I say commercial raw..

I had our lab on raw as well, but after about three months, no apparent reduction in symptoms and $350 later... we opted to switch back to kibble. Little dogs are so much easier. Sigh. I just keep telling myself he has a better life with us than he would with anyone else (we rescued him). I doubt many others would put as much money, time and effort into his as we have.....

[Ellie May]

No idea what caused the seizure but most companies get their vitamins from China. So you are probably given things from there anyway. I'm guessing that's where Ellie's vitamins come from too.

[ralphier]

That is crazy! I have stopped feeding NV raw as well and started feeding Primal. Same bad feeling. The guy who owns the place where I used to get my NV told me that he didn't carry the rabbit because it was from China. He said there was no way he would give that to his babies when it came from there. I am so sorry that happened to your boy, but thank God you went with your instincts on that! I really believe that you should always go with what your gut feeling is and trust what your heart is trying to tell you.

[amandawash]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

No idea what caused the seizure but most companies get their vitamins from China. So you are probably given things from there anyway. I'm guessing that's where Ellie's vitamins come from too.

I HATE that anything comes from China anymore I have started this grand quest to find a company that ALL ingredients come from the US. I'll update on that one

I can deal with the vitamins, though, but considering the rabbit is the main ingredient in the Instinct and obviously in the raw, there is NO WAY he's getting anymore of it. I hate feeling so helpless..

[amandawash]

Originally Posted by ralphier

That is crazy! I have stopped feeding NV raw as well and started feeding Primal. Same bad feeling. The guy who owns the place where I used to get my NV told me that he didn't carry the rabbit because it was from China. He said there was no way he would give that to his babies when it came from there. I am so sorry that happened to your boy, but thank God you went with your instincts on that! I really believe that you should always go with what your gut feeling is and trust what your heart is trying to tell you.

Too wierd that others have had the same feeling. It's almost like you are just waiting for something bad to happen with that company.. I guess it's like that with all the companies, but for some reason this is almost overwhelming..

The WORST thing is, a couple weeks ago I was at the pet store and went to get my boys their NV out of the freezer and there was a sign saying they were out of rabbit. I never fed that anyway but made a comment to the guy there and he said something about a rabbit shortage in China. I actually LAUGHED and thought it was a joke because I never even CONSIDERED that they would still be sourcing ingredients from there!

[amandawash]

This is from Primal's website:

All products produced and packed by Primal Pet Foods are 100% USDA human grade. In addition, Primal Pet Foods does not import any ingredients from China.

The proteins used in Primal Pet Foods products are procured from USDA farms and ranches located within the United States. All poultry procured for our Chicken products is purchased from within the state of California. We do procure a portion of our Lamb and all of our Venison from USDA approved farms and ranches in the country of New Zealand. All animals raised for the use of protein in our foods are fed a 100% human grade, vegetarian diet. The vendors that supply our proteins do not import any of their animal feed from countries outside of the United States.

I understand that this does not mean EVERYTHING is manufactured and sourced within the US (meaning the feed used to sustain the protein sources) but it's better than nothing at this point. Good lord iggnorance is truely BLISS! However, I certainly wouldn't trade knowledge for iggnorance in this subject

[TammyJM]

UGH!!!! I just very recently switched my guys to NV raw because I found bones in Natural Balance sweet potato and fish (which they had only been on that kibble for a couple of months...if that.). I had my babie son NB because of Canidae changing formulas and making my Harley sick.

This is soooooooooo frustrating!!

Tammy

[amandawash]

Originally Posted by TammyJM

UGH!!!! I just very recently switched my guys to NV raw because I found bones in Natural Balance sweet potato and fish (which they had only been on that kibble for a couple of months...if that.). I had my babie son NB because of Canidae changing formulas and making my Harley sick.

This is soooooooooo frustrating!!

Tammy

Hey Tammy. I had been using the NB Sweet Potato and Fish for my boys as snacks, too. I find bones in the kibble/bad and promtly threw it out.

I am not saying don't use NV... I am just leary about it. My intention was not to make a negative thread about NV, I am just so concerned. Check around for Primal, Stella and Chewys, The Honest Kitchen and Bravo... I don't know anything about Bravo but heard it's a good raw food.

On the other hand, my boys are THRIVING on the raw. I won't use anything but at this point. Why do they have to make these things so freakin' hard!!

[Ellie May]

I've also been uneasy about NV but maybe that is just because we don't do raw. And for "no" reason at all, I feel similar about HK.

For NV feeders, remember that the canned is made at Menu also.
That isn't necessarily a bad thing if they have their own equipment there but if there is a problem, we have no idea how long Menu would take to report it to NV. There is some info online about Menu waiting three weeks to recall before.

Except for what some of us would consider the risk of raw though, there is no reason to believe that any of their other medallions are problematic I don't think.

[TammyJM]

Ok, guys...what about Orijen? If I decide to go back to kibble, I have considered this food. Is it true that a diet higher in protein is what causes dogs to gain weight (probably a super silly question). Harley is a big Yorkie, but some of it he could stand to lose...actually he needs to lose about 5lbs.

I am sad that so many companies are letting their customers down and in turn, causing our fur babies to get sick (or potentially).

[amandawash]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

I've also been uneasy about NV but maybe that is just because we don't do raw. And for "no" reason at all, I feel similar about HK.

For NV feeders, remember that the canned is made at Menu also.
That isn't necessarily a bad thing if they have their own equipment there but if there is a problem, we have no idea how long Menu would take to report it to NV. There is some info online about Menu waiting three weeks to recall before.

Except for what some of us would consider the risk of raw though, there is no reason to believe that any of their other medallions are problematic I don't think.

Interesting that you feel that way about THK. While I am 90% behind the company (probably the most I could be about any commercial dog food), I am not completely on board with the food just yet. However, since I switched them Ryder has completely stopped licking and chewing his feet. Could be compeletely coincidental but who knows.

I have never fed canned so I didn't know that they had their canned food manufactured elsewhere. Interesting.

And I agree, I don't consider any risk feeding the other raw medallions (aside from rabbit). Don't stop feeding it because of this thread, I was just venting!

[amandawash]

Originally Posted by TammyJM

Ok, guys...what about Orijen? If I decide to go back to kibble, I have considered this food. Is it true that a diet higher in protein is what causes dogs to gain weight (probably a super silly question). Harley is a big Yorkie, but some of it he could stand to lose...actually he needs to lose about 5lbs.

I am sad that so many companies are letting their customers down and in turn, causing our fur babies to get sick (or potentially).

I can't really answer about Orijen, because I don't feed kibble anymore. It completely scares me (kibble, not Orijen specifically). But I have heard good things about it. Normally I would have said yes, the higher protein can cause weight gain, but I know when I switched from kibble to raw (high protein) Ranger lost the .8lbs that he needed to in about a month, and Ryder gained .3llbs, which was fantastic for him!

[Wylie's Mom]

OMG, how scary for you, Amanda! Poor Nitro! I wonder what happened. I don't know if it'd be caused by the food or what - seizures can be completely idiopathic. Actually, I had grand mal seizure in 1997 while shopping at Target - for no reason whatsoever. I had 2 EEGs and there was no way to tell any cause. They are so mysterious. I hope it was just an isolated incident that never, ever happens again.

I don't feed rabbit - only bc we had tried it once and they didn't like it. I don't understand why there is ANY excuse whatsoever to source their meat in China, of all places! Honestly, we should start a YT petition stating we will no longer feed NV Raw (or, NV period) until they change to sourcing safe ingredients. Also, I have a phone number for someone at NV and I really hope you'll think about calling them and expressing these concerns. I also have an email for a person there too (she has answered ?'s for me before).

One more thing, have you thought about making your own grinds at all? On the home page of Natures Farmacy, there is a diet .pdf and it walks you through it. They have a staff nutritionist and I think he is available for inexpensive consults (and may even chat for a short time for free, not totally sure on that). Otherwise though, it sounds like you're set w/ Primal.

I'm so sorry you're going through this, hon!! I wish I could give you a big hug!