dateline January 5, 2006
(be sure to scroll down for more links and what else can happen when you open a bag or can of dog food)

Cornell's story follows but the Warning Notices have been on the Front Page of TheDogPress.com since December 26th.  It has taken this long to get official recognition and comment from a leading veterinary University.  Here's what our subscribers sent:

"It was on our news (WISTV, Columbia, SC) tonight that Diamond Dog food has been recalled. Something toxic causing liver failure, among other things, has contaminated the food. They have recalled all Diamond brand food. I think it is mostly in the South but if you know of anyone using it tell them to stop and return it to the store.  12/26 from  Dotty MiloveMaltese@aol.com (Maltese Breed Representative)

Even though Diamond, Country Value and Professional brand dog foods have been recalled for containing highly toxic aflatoxins, they have caused at least 100 dog deaths in recent weeks, say Cornell University veterinarians, who are growing increasingly alarmed. Some kennels and consumers around the nation and possibly in more than two dozen other countries remain unaware of the tainted food, and as a result, they continue to give dogs food containing a lethal toxin.

To better screen affected dogs so they can be treated as soon as possible, Cornell veterinarians report that they now have a new test, adapted from one used in humans, to accurately assess aflatoxin poisoning in dogs (see companion story). Currently, about two-thirds of dogs that show symptoms after eating the tainted food die.

"Entire kennels have been wiped out, and because of the holiday these past few weeks, the dispersal of recall information was disrupted," says Sharon Center, a professor of veterinary medicine who specializes in liver function and disease at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell, which is emerging as a central clearinghouse for information about the dog food poisoning.

The Cornell Vet College is continually updating its Web site to keep the public and veterinarians informed as new information on the poisonings emerge.  Cornell's Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) is analyzing blood and liver samples from sick dogs around the country, testing suspected dog food, conducting autopsies and collecting as many livers as possible from dead dogs to confirm cause of death, tracking dogs that have died and following up on the health of dogs that survive the food poisoning. The AHDC has information for veterinarians on its Web site http://www.diaglab.vet.cornell.edu/news.asp

"We suspect that dogs have been dying since November, perhaps even October, but it took the perfect storm of circumstances to get the diagnosis," said Karyn Bischoff, the veterinary toxicologist at Cornell who first identified aflatoxin as the culprit in the recent wave of deaths.

Over the recent holiday weeks, Center and her staff worked around-the-clock to try to save the 17 poisoned dogs admitted to Cornell's Hospital for Animals. "I've been working with liver disease in dogs for 30 years, and I've never seen such miserably ill dogs," said Center, noting that severely affected dogs suffer from intractable vomiting and internal bleeding. "Despite our understanding of this complex toxin, we have no direct antidote for this poisoning. This has been an immensely sad holiday and one that will leave an indelible mark on the owners that lost their cherished family members."

Of those 17 dogs, Center euthanized 12 when it became clear they could not survive; five are still being treated. Dogs that have survived had consumed a smaller amount of the food than dogs that died, Center said. "Some dogs were stealing food from the kitchen counter. Others just stopped eating the food and begged for treats. Unfortunately, some owners used gravy and other mixers to entice their dogs to consume what they thought was safe, quality dog food."

"It's devastating to dog owners who feel responsible for poisoning their beloved dogs," said Bischoff...

Please see web site for full article text.

http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Jan06/dogs.dying.ssl.html

See Feb 2006 FDA Report on: Diamond Dog Food

There is so much you DON'T KNOW about what you are feeding your dog.  If you have the stomach for it......  Learn about what really goes in the food and why aflatoxin is only the tip of the iceberg.  Diamond Dog Food served one good purpose - it brought media attention to still-unresolved problems. 

Learn the truth and why what's in the bag has little to do with what's on the label!
Quality Control & Other Nutritional Lies will open your eyes and there are more links right there for those who can't get enough of this timely but "sick subject."