Moral of this story -- always research before you change foods.  GO Natural was one of the highest rated foods before this recall.

 

 

                           

   San Francisco, CA
Pet Food Possibly Linked to Bay Area Animal Deaths

This puppy died late Friday, and the vet thinks the food may have caused his illness. Rocky is a Cocker Spaniel

     

The maker of a line of healthy pet food has issued a recall, after it was possibly linked to the death of three Bay Area pets. Petcurean asks people to return any Go! Natural pet food manufactured in Texas. The company voluntarily initiated the recall after finding out the food could make dogs and cats sick. So far, veterinarians think the food could be connected to illness in at least eight pets. Three of those pets have died. » 10-23-2003 * * *

A second Newscast aired 10-24-2003 on KPIX.  Sherry Hu stated that additional Bay Area & Southern Californian Veterinarians are now reporting they have seen similar cases of pet illness and deaths.   * * *   Montair Golden Retrievers instructed all of our clients to avoid the Go! Products in September 2003 when the rumors first began to circulate. At this time, we believe that all of our puppy buyers have been contacted and made aware of the recall.  Until the cause is determined and the problem is resolved, Please: Do NOT feed your Dogs & Cats GO! Natural Have your Dogs & Cats tested for liver problems if they have been on this food   Bob & Janice Hess Montair Golden Retrievers

 

 

Local Newspaper picks up the story...

Local News

	Posted on Tue, Oct. 28, 2003
	Area's pet owners vent on food recall By Blanca Torres CONTRA COSTA TIMES Cathy Bodhaine thought her 41/2-year-old cocker spaniel was better off with an expensive brand of pet food recommended by a shop she trusted. Now she thinks that was a mistake. "My dog is dying," the Lafayette woman said Monday afternoon. Bodhaine believes her dog became ill after eating Go Natural pet food. Dozens of similar reports of deaths and illnesses prompted pet food manufacturer Petcurean to recall the Go Natural line Wednesday. The brand was only sold in the Bay Area at Pet Food Express, which pulled it from store shelves. Customers may return the product for a full refund. Bodhaine heard about the recall Thursday and noticed a slight change in her dog's behavior. Her cocker spaniel, Haley, has been hospitalized since Friday and has been diagnosed with liver failure. Veterinarians at Bay Area Veterinarian Specialists in San Leandro told her Monday afternoon that Haley probably won't survive. "I thought I was doing the best for her," Bodhaine said. "I'm devastated that her food is costing her life." Martin Jakubiak of Bay Area Veterinarian Specialists said he has treated eight dogs, including Bodhaine's and two cats. Three of the dogs have died. Some had been on Go Natural for two weeks, while others had been consuming it for months. Jakubiak said he estimates about 30 animals have been affected in the Bay Area. He recommends pet owners who fed their animals Go Natural have them checked by a vet even if they do not seem sick. Some symptoms to watch for are excessive water drinking or urinating, vomiting and diarrhea, he said. Jakubiak said he started noticing pets with unusual symptoms and dying unexpectedly about six weeks ago. He did not see a common trend until he heard about the Go Natural recall and surveyed the owners of his patients, who all fed their dogs that type of kibble. He suspects the problem may be related to a high level of metals such as zinc, copper or iron in the food. He bases his theory on medical test results from animals he's treated and from a study of a Go Natural sample that surfaced out of Southern California after pet owners there noticed their animals becoming ill. Owners of Petcurean have not determined if their food caused health problems in pets, but recalled the food as a precaution. Dan Vanleeuwen, co-owner of Petcurean, said the company is still conducting tests to determine if it is at fault, but thinks the problem may have surfaced from a faulty batch produced in Texas. "We apologize for any inconvenience. We feel it's best to be cautious before time can indicate what the issue may be," Vanleeuwen said. He said the company is working this week to possibly offer a medical-expense reimbursement plan for owners. Bodhaine said she expects to spend between $5,000 and $6,000 on her pet's ordeal. Petcurean has moved all its production back to Canada, where it produces health bars as well as the Foundations and Summit varieties of pet kibble. Terry Lim, chief operating officer for Pet Food Express, said the chain sold between 10,000 and 15,000 bags of Go Natural in the past four months. He said 750 bags have been returned. Go Natural sells for about $43 for a 30-pound bag. Reach Blanca Torres at 925-977-8534 or btorres@cctimes.com.   More Below...

 

January 13, 2004

Article Last Updated: Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 5:38:04 AM PST

Pet owners file suit over tainted food Bay Area chain among defendants in lawsuit by dog, cat owners whose pets, attorneys say, were injured or died after eating toxic product By Mike White, STAFF WRITER Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - PLEASANTON -- Attorneys for pet owners who say their dogs and cats suffered injuries or died after eating what was billed as a nutritionally superior food filed suit Monday in Alameda County Superior Court in Pleasanton. The suit, filed by the firm of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, named as defendants Petcurean Pet Nutrition, the Canadian manufacturer of the pet food, and Pet Food Express, the San Leandro-based chain of stores that sold the product, among others. Those filing the suit, including a Livermore family, said the food contained substances toxic to pets. In October, Petcurean announced a recall of all Go! Nat- ural pet food manufactured in Texas, which was sold in the Bay Area at Pet Food Express stores. Messages left with executives from both Petcurean and Pet Food Express late Monday afternoon were not immediately returned. However, in a statement issued on Dec. 12 on its Web site, Pet Food Express said that no clear cause of the problem has been identified. "According to veterinarians, it affects the liver," the statement said regarding the tainted food. "In the blood tests, the vets look specifically for elevated liver enzyme activity and evidence of liver failure." The lawsuit does not say how many cats or dogs died after eating the food, although Pet Food Express previously said that six or seven pets were affected in some way. At least three pets died and at least a dozen had fallen ill in the Bay Area, according to wire services. Most of the cases involved dogs. Lisa Hanrahan, of Livermore, a plaintiff in the case, fed her 4-year-old dog, Gus, Go! Natural pet food, purchased from a Pet Food Express store in Livermore. After being fed Go! Natural pet food over the course of several months, Gus became ill in October 2003. He began to vomit and developed diarrhea. Within a week, Gus' owners rushed him to an emergency veterinary clinic, where he died within 24 hours of liver failure, the lawsuit states. "Gus was a beloved member of our family," Hanrahan said in a statement issued by her attorneys. In addition to the bills for their pets' medical care and burial, the lawsuit seeks compensation for the emotional distress and loss of companionship suffered by the pet owners. San Leandro-based Pet Food Express, which owns stores in 20 cities from San Jose to Novato was the Bay Area's sole distributor of Go! Natural. No decision has yet been made on whether to put the food back on shelves, according to Pet Food Express. Petcurean has said it launched the recall after a report that a batch of food made at a plant in Texas could be related to reports that dogs and cats in the western United States became ill and died. The product has been manufactured for four years in Canada, and there have been no reports of problems related to the Canadian-manufactured food, the company says. Petcurean Go! Natural pet food was sold in 4-, 8-, 12- and 30-pound bags in greater San Diego, Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as metropolitan Seattle and Denver.

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2003 RECALL