Sportmix pet food is recalled by FDA after it kills more than 70 dogs and sickens 80
- Midwestern Pet Foods expanded a recall to include several more products sold under its Sportmix brand and other labels after at least 70 dogs died
- Another 80 animals have become ill, the US Food and Drug Administration said
- Mix was found to have potentially unsafe levels of aflatoxins, byproduct of mold
Midwestern Pet Foods is expanding a recall to include several more products sold under its Sportmix brand and other labels after at least 70 dogs died and 80 others are known to have become ill, the US Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday.
The food was found to have potentially unsafe levels of aflatoxins, a byproduct of mold, and the company is expanding its voluntary recall of pet foods issued on December 30.
'As of January 11, 2021, FDA is aware of more than 70 pets that have died and more than 80 pets that are sick after eating Sportmix pet food,' the agency said.
Midwestern Pet Foods is expanding a recall to include several more products sold under its Sportmix brand (pictured) and other labels after at least 70 dogs died and 80 others are known to have become ill, the US Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday
Aflatoxin can grow on corn and other grains used in pet foods, according the FDA. At high levels, it can cause illness and death.
The Evansville, Indiana-based company, which has been family owned since 1926, said in a statement that until recently it has never had a product recall.
The product recall includes Midwestern brands Sportmix, Pro Pac Originals, Splash, Sportstrail and Nunn Better dry dog and cat foods produced at its Oklahoma factory, the company said.
'We continue a thorough review of our facilities and practices in full cooperation with FDA in an effort to better serve our customers and pet parents who have put their trust in us,' the company said.
The FDA said that the actual number of dead and sickened animals might not be reflected in its count.
The agency said it 'continues to work with veterinarians and state partners to follow up on suspected cases of aflatoxin poisoning'.
Earlier this month, a pet owner shared that she believes her dog (pictured) may have died from eating Sportmix. 'My Junior was completely healthy before his passing,' the woman wrote, adding that her dog 'was jaundice' when she took him to the veterinarian
FDA tests done on multiple samples of the food lines carried out by the Missouri Department of Agriculture were found to have very high levels of aflatoxin, which is produced by the Aspergillus flavus mold, which can grow on corn and other grains used in making pet food
FDA tests done on multiple samples of the food lines carried out by the Missouri Department of Agriculture were found to have very high levels of aflatoxin, which is produced by the Aspergillus flavus mold, which can grow on corn and other grains used in making pet food.
High levels of the toxin - which can be present in the food even if there is no visible mold - could lead to illness and death in pets, the FDA said.
Because pets continuously eat the same food over long periods of time, they are particularly susceptible to aflatoxin poisoning, which can accumulate in a pet's body.
Symptoms of aflatoxin poisoning in pets includes sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice, and/or diarrhea. Some pets can also experience liver damage without showing any symptoms.
The initial recall notice led to people on social media wondering if feeding their dogs food from the brand might have led to their pets' recent deaths.
'I was getting my dog this dog food and she pass away,' wrote one Facebook user, while another noted that her 'Rottweiler 'passed away 3 weeks ago just out of nowhere he was very healthy dog.'
Earlier this month, a pet owner shared that she believes her dog may have died from eating Sportmix.
'Sportmix just recalled their food, 28 dogs died and 8 are sick from it. I believe my little guy's passing may have been contributed to this, but I'm waiting to talk to my vet to see what his bloodwork showed,' the woman wrote.
'My Junior was completely healthy before his passing. Back in June I thought he was constipated (on a Saturday) and took him to the vet the next Monday. Within minutes of my vet seeing him they told me I needed to get him to an emergency vet immediately. He was jaundice.
'We went straight to the er vet and they did bloodwork and an ultrasound. They called with the most horrific results, liver disease, kidney failure, inoperable. She rattled off some things with his bloodwork, but those [are] a blur,' she continued.
'He showed zero signs of anything wrong with him, except for what looked like constipation. He was too sick to do any type of operation and the vet said even if they tried there was a slim to zero chance he would recover.
'I would have paid anything to help him, and for a moment we considered their $17,000 estimate but the doctor did not sound hopeful and suggested we reconsider and we did. It was the hardest day of our lives,' she said in the post.
The FDA said there is no evidence suggesting that pet owners who've handle food that has aflatoxin in it are at risk of aflatoxin poisoning, however the organization said it was a good idea to wash hands after touching pet food.
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