DIAMOND FOOD RECALL

Food, Fitness and how to keep them healthy.

Postby Maryellen » January 9th, 2006, 10:16 am

Apparently now they are saying the "Chicken Soup" food might be affected, too. That is their top of the line food and is not supposed to have been part of the recall. But there are now several dogs very sick from eating this food and one has died....

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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 http://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

What products are NOT included in the recall? Although certain pet foods produced at the Gaston facility have been voluntarily recalled due to potential aflatoxin contamination, a wide range of the plant's products are perfectly safe and still can be purchased from retailers.

Gaston products not part of the recall include:
All Premium Edge products
The complete Chicken Soup product lines***
Diamond Lamb and Rice Adult
Diamond Large Breed Adult 60+
Diamond Large Breed Puppy (Lamb & Rice Puppy)
Diamond Senior 8+
Diamond Kitten
Professional Lamb and Rice
Professional Reduced Fat Chicken & Rice Dog Food

What states receive products from the Gaston facility? The Gaston facility provides products to our customers in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan*, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio*, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee*, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

*These states receive product from other Diamond Pet Food facilities. Please check your date code carefully. Unless it has a capital "G" in the 11th or 12th position of the date code on the larger 15 lb. to 55 lb. bags, it is not included in the recall. The capital "G" will be in the 9th position on smaller 4 lb. to 8 lb. bags.

Are products manufactured at other Diamond facilities affected by this situation? No. Products manufactured at our Gaston facility are the only ones subject to the recall.

What clinical signs should I look for from my pet? Symptoms of potential illness in dogs may be difficult to discern, but include:

Loss of appetite
Yellow whites of the eyes, yellow gums, yellow in the belly or areas where hair is very thin
Severe, persistent vomiting combined with bloody diarrhea
Discolored urine
Fever

Please be aware that many other medical conditions have similar symptoms. Your veterinarian will be able to distinguish between these other conditions and an exposure to aflatoxin based on your pet's medical history and current symptoms. Please consult with your veterinarian if you believe your pet is ill, no matter what the cause. If your veterinarian diagnoses and treats your pet because of exposure to aflatoxin, please have your veterinarian contact Diamond Pet Foods toll free at 1-866-214-6945.

What should I do if my pet consumed recalled products and has any of the clinical signs? If your pet has consumed products included in the recall and exhibits these systems, please urge your veterinarian to run a liver profile. If your pet is found to have abnormal liver function, please have any other dog you may own that was fed the same food tested for liver function as well. Even if your pet does not show symptoms, monitor it for 7 to 12 days and consult your veterinarian if illness develops.
If possible, please save 1-2 cups of the food for testing and analysis.

When should I take my pet to the veterinarian? If your dog has consumed affected products and has clinical signs of aflatoxin, which include loss of appetite, yellow whites of the eyes, yellow gums, yellow in the belly or areas where hair is very thin, severe, persistent vomiting combined with bloody diarrhea, or discolored urine, you should immediately consult your veterinarian.

Because numerous diseases and conditions may have similar clinical signs, your pet could have a problem other than aflatoxin. If your veterinarian institutes treatment for aflatoxin, please have him or her call Diamond Pet Foods toll free at 1-866-214-6945 and ask to speak with one of our consulting veterinarians.

How can I get a refund? If your product has been recalled, please take the bag and any remaining product back to the retailer where it was purchased for a full refund. Your retailer will ensure the product is returned to Diamond Pet Food for proper analysis and disposal. Many retailers may offer to replace the product. Please consult your retailer for specific refund or replacement options.

What is Aflatoxin? Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring toxic chemical by-product from the growth of the fungus Aspergillus flavus, on corn and other crops. The fungus develops on crops during years with severe high temperature stress and drought.
Diamond's quantitative analysis records substantiate that Diamond's corn shipments were definitively clear of aflatoxin after December 10. As such, "Best By 11-June-07" date codes or later are not affected.

FDA Investigation of Diamond Pet Food Finds Some Product Exported In its continuing investigation of the contamination of pet food manufactured at Diamond Pet Food's Gaston , SC , facility, the Food and Drug Administration has found that some of the product subject to a company recall had been exported to at least 29 countries, including countries within the European Union.

Diamond Pet Foods is recalling certain lots of pet food made at the plant earlier this year after the discovery that some of the products were contaminated with aflatoxin, a toxin created by the fungus Aspergillus flavus. The company has notified distributors and asked them to hold recalled products. (More information about the recall, including the specific products covered, is available at http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/diamond12_05.html.)

FDA's Office of International Programs has notified the countries that received the product about the recall.

To date, FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine has received reports from four States of 41 dogs becoming ill reportedly from consumption of the contaminated pet food, with 23 of these dogs having died.
Maryellen
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Postby mnp13 » January 9th, 2006, 12:28 pm

My friend Katrina just got off the phone wiht Diamond. According to Diamond, Chicken soup is not being recalled and does not contain corn so is not affected.
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Postby Maryellen » January 9th, 2006, 12:36 pm

it was in todays paper... i would not take a chance if i was her.... the chicken soup is made by the same people.. better to be safe then sorry i feel..
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Postby a-bull » January 10th, 2006, 12:34 pm

This is helpful.

I was going to ask if anyone new the status of the "Chicken Soup" info. I went to Diamond's website and did not see it listed.

I don't use it, but I know MANY who do, so I hope it turns out to be o.k.

Scary stuff . . .
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Postby turtle » January 11th, 2006, 12:45 am

Yes, it's not worth your dog's life...

The damage done by the aflatoxin is permanent. I would not want to take a chance and risk my dog dying by feeding any food made by Diamond, not at the present time.
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