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Purina Beneful: 3,000 Dogs Reportedly Sickened By Toxins

By Jennifer Deutschmann
Published on: 08:29 PST, Feb 25, 2015

Purina Beneful is blamed for causing illness in more than 3,000 dogs. A recent lawsuit, filed in the California federal court, suggests the popular dog food contains toxic ingredients. Although Purina denies the claims, thousands of pet owners believe their dogs became ill after eating Beneful dry “kibble” dog food.

As stated in the lawsuit, Purina Beneful contains propylene glycol — an organic compound commonly used in antifreeze. Although it is toxic in larger quantities, the FDA has approved propylene glycol for use in alcoholic beverages, confections, frosting, and frozen dairy products. It is also approved for use in flavorings, nut products, and seasonings.

Although propylene glycol is approved for use in human food, pet owners are concerned that it is dangerous for dogs. Attorney Jeffrey B. Cereghino, who filed the lawsuit, said propylene glycol has not been proven safe for animals to consume.

The lawsuit also alleges that Purina Beneful may contain mycotoxins. As reported by NBC News, mytotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by fungi. Unfortunately, the toxin is produced by molds commonly found in grains.

As stated in the lawsuit, the dogs who were reportedly sickened by Purina Beneful displayed symptoms consistent with mytotoxin poisoning. Frank Lucido, who is named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit, said all three of his dogs became seriously ill after consuming Purina Beneful dry “kibble” dog food.

Lucido’s English Bulldog, German Shepherd, and Labrador were kept in three separate locations. However, they were all fed the same dog food. Within one month, all three of Lucido’s dogs were sick. Unfortunately, the English Bulldog did not survive.

A necropsy revealed that the eight-year old dog had lesions on its liver and stomach. The veterinarian also determined that the English Bulldog had experienced internal bleeding.

Although they survived, Lucindo’s German Shepherd and Labrador also suffered symptoms “consistent with poisoning.” Lucindo and his attorney are convinced that the dogs were sickened by toxins in their food.

Attorney James Young said he and his colleagues have received thousands of complaints from pet owners and veterinarians. Unfortunately, the attorneys soon realized that Beneful dry “kibble” dog food is “the common denominator” in a majority of the complaints.

The sheer number of complaints about Purina Beneful dog food prompted the attorneys to seek class-action status for their lawsuit.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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