Pet owners question if food is making dogs, cats sick while pet food makers say it’s safe

ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action News is looking into social media reports from hundreds of pet owners who say their dogs and cats are getting sick and even dying, and they question whether their food is to blame.

Pet owners said the symptoms include seizures, vomiting and diarrhea.

A retired veterinarian who is helping to investigate said more than 20 brands of pet food are involved.

A pet food safety advocate started a citizen petition, a legal process, to request that the FDA update the public. But pet food makers said their products are safe.

Cell phone video showed Ella, a Siamese cat, playing with a dog before she got sick.

“She was like, super snuggly,” pet owner Kassie Smith said.

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She said her Dachshund Rocket got sick first after eating some of Ella’s cat food and quickly recovered.

“He had diarrhea, and he was kind of lethargic,” Smith said.

A week and a half later, in September, 2-year-old Ella experienced symptoms.

“She started just like throwing up a foamy bile,” Smith said.

Smith took Ella to the vet who took x-rays and ran tests, and then to a specialist who took an ultrasound and discovered high kidney levels.

“They thought maybe she had eaten something toxic, but we couldn’t find anything that said she had eaten something toxic,” Smith said.

She said Ella barely ate or drank anything.

“She went from 8 pounds to 4 pounds,” Smith said.

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She said Ella died in December after eating a string which she attributes to pica, a condition where cats eat inappropriate things when they’re sick.

Her other cat Chewy also experienced symptoms.

“He actually got sick the day after she passed, and he threw up,” Smith said.

Chewy quickly recovered.

A couple of days later Smith got an email from Dr. Judy Morgan, a retired veterinarian who is working with the “Saving Pets One Pet at a Time” Facebook group.

The group took a survey that found 2,600 pet owners, including dozens in Georgia, believe their animals got sick and in more than 500 cases died.

“And then when I started talking to other people, the only connection we had was the food,” Smith said.

Channel 2 Action News filed a Freedom of Information Act request for all the complaints the FDA received about one large pet food brand from May 2023 until January 11, 2024.

We received more than 60 reports that mention symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea and seizures.

Morgan said the complaints started with that one brand but are now also linked to 20 others.

“And now it has reached multiple pet food companies. So, our thinking at this point is that we have a supply chain issue,” Morgan said.

The Pet Food Institute which represents pet food makers sent us this statement:

“The Pet Food Institute understands that our pets are members of our families, and pet owners want the best for their dogs and cats. We are aware of the unfounded statements regarding certain pet foods making dogs sick. To our knowledge, the Food & Drug Administration has found no evidence that any brands listed on certain social media sites are contaminated or causing pets to become ill, and no recalls have been issued. Pet food makers have internal safety controls, including product testing and review product tests, in the event of consumer concerns. We are sorry that these online rumors are causing stress for pet parents and urge pet parents to consider that the sites spreading these rumors, though well-intentioned, may not be disseminating accurate information. Pet food makers are committed to producing high-quality, nutritious and safe pet foods for dogs and cats, and pet owners can continue to feed their pets food with confidence. If pet owners are concerned about their dog’s and cat’s food, they should contact the pet food manufacturer, file a complaint online with the FDA and check the FDA’s site for active recalls.”

Morgan recommends pet parents keep a close eye on how their dogs and cats react to their food.

“If you open a new bag or if your pet is acting sick, please, please, please take this warning seriously. Stop feeding it,” Morgan said.

A pet food safety advocate submitted a petition requesting that the FDA promptly inform the public about current pet food investigations.

“It’s supposed to be something you trust and it’s not safe. Whatever’s going on, it’s not safe,” Smith said.

The FDA sent us this statement:

“The FDA takes seriously its responsibility to help ensure that pet food ingredients are safe and nutritious. While the agency cannot comment on specifics of these particular illness reports at this time, generally speaking when the FDA becomes aware of pet illnesses, we will evaluate them and determine what – if any – FDA action may be warranted. The agency encourages pet owners or their veterinarians to submit reports of illness or other adverse events associated with pet food directly to the FDA by following the instructions on this page: How to Report a Pet Food Complaint.”

The FDA also told Channel 2 Action News it is reviewing the citizen petition.

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