Purina has dispelled recent “online rumors” that the company’s pet food has made hundreds of animals sick.
The company said last week that the “false statements may cause unnecessary stress for pet owners. There are no health or safety issues with any of our products and they remain safe to feed.”
“At Purina, we are proud to feed 46 million dogs and 68 million cats each year,” Purina wrote in a press release. “The quality, safety and nutrition of our products are our top priority and we take feedback from concerned pet owners and veterinarians very seriously.”
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Purina said “false claims” that its pet food makes dogs and cats sick are causing “unnecessary stress for pet owners.” (iStock / iStock)
Purina explained that its quality assurance team conducts 100,000 quality checks every day “across our factory network to ensure our products are safe at every stage of the process – from when our ingredients arrive at our factories to when our final food products are shipped” and distributes treats to retailers and consumers. Our comprehensive program ensures that the food you feed your pets and the food we feed ourselves is safe.”
It added: “The health and safety of pets – yours and our own – will never be at risk.”
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The rumors appeared to originate from various social media platforms, including an unfounded Facebook post that claimed various Purina products had sickened hundreds of pets in North America and Europe with symptoms such as diarrhea and seizures since last month. It was said that almost 200 dogs and cats had died.
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“If you or someone you know is feeding this food, I recommend you stop feeding it immediately,” the poster said. “Do NOT wait for your pet to become ill or for Purina to issue a recall.”
Purina encouraged consumers to contact the company if they had concerns after reading online posts. (iStock / iStock)
The Food and Drug Administration currently has no recalls for Purina products.
Purina encouraged consumers to contact the company if they had concerns after reading online posts.
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“We also recommend researching the source of these posts,” the company wrote. “Some are well-intentioned pet owners who are genuinely concerned and trying to be helpful, while others may be trying to create chaos and distrust of certain brands in order to give them the opportunity to sell their own products. “However, please be aware that if there is a confirmed problem with a Purina product, we will share this information with our consumers first.”
Early last year, Purina recalled some prescription dog foods after two dogs showed signs of vitamin D toxicity.
Early last year, Purina recalled some prescription dog foods. (iStock / iStock)
The pet food company has voluntarily recalled select lots of its Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EL Elemental prescription dry dog food “due to possible elevated vitamin D levels,” according to a statement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The affected dog food was sold in the United States by prescription only through Purina Vet Direct and Purina for Professionals veterinary clinics. According to the recall notice, it was also sold by other select retailers that have the ability to validate a prescription. Both dogs recovered.
The recall did not include any other Purina pet care products.
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Officials said vitamin D is considered an essential nutrient for dogs, but “elevated levels can cause health problems depending on vitamin D levels and duration of exposure.”
Daniella Genovese of FOX Business contributed to this report.