Watch Out, This Venomous Chunk Has Killed Over 70 Dogs
Managing your health is tricky, so having to keep up with your pet can certainly exacerbate life’s stress. And while you might not think that feeding your beloved dog could be toxic, a new pet food recall revives that reality: The FDA on Monday announced a recall of six different canine mixtures. feed produced by the Midwest. Pet food. The affected nodule is thought to contain aflatoxin, a toxic carcinogen that grows in some crops, such as corn and grain, and in soil.
This is no ordinary confusion either: The tainted Sportmix product reportedly killed more than 70 dogs, and another 80 pets fell ill after eating the food. Of course, you should be careful with Sportmix dog food nowadays. Also, here’s what you should know.
Investigation underway
While it is unclear if aflatoxin is the real culprit, authorities definitely suspect it is to blame for the unnecessary deaths of dozens of dogs. According to the agency in a press release , the presence of the toxin has not been confirmed in the laboratory, which is critical for the reliable announcement of their results:
Not all of these cases have been officially confirmed as aflatoxin poisoning through laboratory testing or veterinary testing. This is an estimate and may not reflect the total number of pets affected.
The reference, however, is for maize in Sportmix feed. Since the product contains corn, authorities suspect it contains at least some aflatoxin, which is known to thrive in corn. Aflatoxins are produced by the Aspergillus flavus mold and can cause illness and death in dogs and other pets if consumed in sufficient quantities.
Typically, consumption of the toxin leads to lethargy and gastrointestinal problems in dogs. Sometimes they develop jaundice, which gives a yellowish tint to the eyes and gums. In other cases, dogs show no signs that something is wrong until it is clearly not a crisis.
The products were distributed all over the country
This is not just a review affecting a few bags of feed, but a giant one, affecting most, if not all, of the food produced at one of Midwestern Pet Food’s factories in Oklahoma. The recall was originally announced on December 30 when the company focused on nine batches of Sportmix pet foods. It has since expanded, with the company extending its recall on Monday to all corn-based products manufactured at the company’s Oklahoma plant that expire on or before July 9, 2022.
That’s a lot of dog food – far too many for the FDA to list on its recommendation – but some of the notable brands affected by this issue are Sportmix, Propac, Splash Fat Cat, and Nunn Better Maintenance, among others. The FDA notes that the problem affects not only online stores, but stores across the country.
What are you supposed to do
First, it would be nice to ditch everything that Midwestern Pet Food makes and switch to a different brand. However, the FDA recommends instead referencing the batch number on the food bag, which may provide some helpful guidance: As the agency writes, “if the batch date / code includes an expiration date of 07/09 or earlier. / 22 ‘and includes’ 05′ “means your food is probably toxic and should be thrown away.
It’s better to play it safe than sorry, so if you suspect you are in a mess, the trash can is always the best container for anything that is toxic to your pet.