# Death by Aflatoxin



## Mica (Feb 6, 2012)

My two year old chihuahua died three days after I fed her Ians Chunky Beef with gravy, from a can I bought. Her symptoms were: vomiting, lethargic and later orange color urine. I took her and the food to the vet the next day and advised my vet I thought she had food piosoning but she said that Iams was a good company and perhaps the food was just too rich for her. I tossed the food and the can away and after she treated my dog with fluids and shots, I took her home. But she got worse during the night and the following day I took her back to the vet. I left her in her care, but she died that night.
Could there be another explenation? Perhaps. But if you look up the food recall duing 2007 on Cornell University Vet site, you will see that the symptoms were typical of aflatoxin piosoning. I tried to have samples of her liver sent to a lab but my vet said there were no labs in NYC that could handle it. Was it the food??? Maybe, maybe not. I wish I knew for sure!:frown:


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

I am so sorry for your loss. That is very weird indeed.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I'm very, very sorry. There have been many aflatoxin recalls, and historically the estimates of deaths from contaminated dog food are much higher than the "official" statistics. Let's hope it wasn't that.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

Did this just happen? Sorry to hear, its such a horrible loss. I hate that you can't know for certain what the heck happened.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

:usa::usa::usa::usa::usa:


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

Man I don't know if I would trust the vet that sounds funny no Labs in NY city that can handle it. Well that's a big city and there are other places. I'm in Wy and all our stuff I'm sure has to be sent out of state.


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## greyshadows (Jan 30, 2012)

So sorry for your loss.I would report it to Iams and the FDA.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Oh, that really sucks, your poor little pup. I would report it to Iams and the FDA as well, I mean, a healthy 2 year old dog doesn't suddenly get sick and pass away from nothing, and I feel it should be up to your vet to at least try to figure out the reason, especially if you are asking them for answers. I can totally understand and sympathise with your frustration. And, I am so sorry about the loss of your pup, thats so sad.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

Oh no, that's horrible! :tsk:

Definitely report it. I heard IAMS was in recall lately for some of their products containing high levels of aflatoxin- not sure which ones, though.

If it turns out they are recalled, sue!


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## Mica (Feb 6, 2012)

*How do I report it?*

Thank you all for your kind thoughts!
I want to report it but I don't know where or how. Let me tell you, although NY is a big city, you would be surpised at some of the things you cannot do here. My vet told me that if it were a farm animal, he knew how to report it. But because it was a dog, he didn't know where to go. Strange, right? I did find a site that had a recall on Iams dry food because of aflatoxin but not the cans. 
I just want the word to get out. Aflatoxin is deadly and there is NO CURE! Once a dog is piosoned, it is almost 100 % fatal. So please let everyone you know about what is happening. 
I wish I could sue, but the thought of having my dog sliced up and taken apart, was very upseting. She died a very slow and terrible death. I have had other dogs become ill and die but never this young nor because of dog food. It's the worse feeling you can have when you know this could have been avoided and your dog died becuase of what you fed it!


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## The Expert (Jan 25, 2012)

To me this would definatly be Aflatoxin, it is HIGHLY toxic. So for a little Chihuahua they would not have to eat a large quantity of food for Alflatoxin to be an issue. Aflatoxin also by the time you notice symptoms it is to late to save them, it is a silent and fast killer. 
Dont trust your vet on the lab, there are thousands of labs that can easily analyse the liver for aflatoxin derivatives (any animal health labs backed onto a university especially). 

Aflatoxin is a big issue in the Southern US (due to climate) so anything grown in area has a high risk of being contaminated. For a dose that is potentially toxic to a dog, the grain does not have to look or smell bad, it will actually look normal. Basically if you wanted to buy whole oats, or wheat in a grocery store - they would look the same. Just because the grains are contaminated does not mean they will "look rotten" or smell terrible. It is too bad you threw out the food, you could have had it sent away for testing and determine the level and type of aflatoxin (4 differnt types - with varying toxicity). Mycotoxins are a huge issue that we are just starting to learn about, and unfortunatly unless if a food company (grain free, raw, grain inclusive - all types of feed) test for all types (THERE ARE ALOT!) no one is safe. I am very sorry for your loss, mycotoxins are a very scray and serious issue. 
Make sure you do report it! By reporting and making it aware eventually it will start to get the ball rolling on proper testing procdures for all companies.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Yeah, I agree, do report it, if only to stop the same thing happening to other people's dogs.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

without a can and a supportive vet, this will be very hard to prove. 

Iam's tried to not have a recall of its dry dog food - you have to wonder if the company is covering up problems with the canned:

RECALL: IAMS Recalls Puppy Food For Unacceptable Levels Of Aflatoxin – Again « Poisoned Pets



> The accidental release of a notice for a covert recall of IAMS pet foods had IAMS working overtime to correct the blunder by issuing a statement that it was not a recall but was an internal product pull instead. Which by the way, they said did not necessitate the notification of consumers. While IAMS PR people quibbled over terminology, a crucial point remained undisputable: the pet food was contaminated with aflatoxin. What does that mean to consumers? It means they’re taking a piss on you and telling you it’s raining.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Mica said:


> Thank you all for your kind thoughts!
> I want to report it but I don't know where or how. Let me tell you, although NY is a big city, you would be surpised at some of the things you cannot do here. My vet told me that if it were a farm animal, he knew how to report it. But because it was a dog, he didn't know where to go. Strange, right? I did find a site that had a recall on Iams dry food because of aflatoxin but not the cans.
> I just want the word to get out. Aflatoxin is deadly and there is NO CURE! Once a dog is piosoned, it is almost 100 % fatal. So please let everyone you know about what is happening.
> I wish I could sue, but the thought of having my dog sliced up and taken apart, was very upseting. She died a very slow and terrible death. I have had other dogs become ill and die but never this young nor because of dog food. It's the worse feeling you can have when you know this could have been avoided and your dog died becuase of what you fed it!


My heart goes out to you. So many people in 2007 felt so much guilt for giving their dogs food that killed them. I, personally, gave a med to my dog that made her deaf so I know a little bit of that feeling.

But, it's not us who are at fault. It's greedy corporate pet food companies who will do anything to cheap out, hide problems, and ship food that they often know contains a problem.

Don't feel guilty. You trusted the food from a company that is supposedly trustworthy. You can't be faulted for that. If/when you get another puppy, you'll have alot more knowledge about what they can/will do to our animals to make a profit.

It's their fault, not yours.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Yes, couldn't agree more with xellil. I could so easily have been in your shoes back in 2007 when I was feeding Mollie a kibble that was one of the worst offenders in the melamine scandal. I'm still seething and we were (luckily) ok, I feel so badly for you.


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## Mica (Feb 6, 2012)

Thank you all!
I did find a site from the FDA where you can report cases of suspected contaminated or 'bad' pet food. I will proceed to file a report and I hope it is not ignored until someone else kills their dog by feeding them poisoned food.
I don't know if I will get another dog, but if I do, I know I will now be very careful about what I feed it!


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