Very upsetting stuff at our house :o(

[Cookiebaker]

Some of you might remember that last weekend, Emerson was very sick with diaherria. We called the vet, treated him with PeptoBismol and by Thursday he was completely back to normal (off Pepto), fine and dandy!!

Well, Saturday, we used up the last of the dog food in that bag, and opened another. Same brand, same flavor -- Blue Seal, Chicken and Rice. The only difference is the colors on the bag. We assumed that they just came out with a "new look".

This new bag was opened Sunday morning. Sunday evening at feeding time, Emerson acted a bit strange, and not really wanting to eat his food. This is strange since he is usually a "gob-hobbler" (ie a gobbling vaccuum) :rolleyes: But he ate the food, and we didn't think anything of it.

This morning, it's feeding time again, and he down-right refused to eat. Nuh-uh. He wouldn't even go near his bowl. Confused, I started to coax him a little bit, and then all of a sudden he puked three times. Three HUGE piles. (YUK!) Then, I noticed that Malone wasn't eating either. I took Emerson right outside and he had diaherria, BAD!

My poor puppy. I was so upset and trying not to cry. All he did was look at me with these big eyes, like "I don't feel good Mommy. Please make me better"

Well, Mark called the vet when they opened, and they said they thought it sounded like the food. They advised that we call around and see if we could get a bag of the "old formula" since he had told them that the bag was different.

He called a different place than where we normally go, and actually got to talk to a guy who used to work for Blue Seal. They were talking, and the guy said that THEY DIDN'T HAVE A RECENT CHANGE IN THE DESIGN ON THE BAG!!! So Mark went and got the bag from the trash, and the guy was able to tell us the expiration date (it was encoded).

THE BAG OF FOOD EXPIRED FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AGO!!!! I am sooo mad I could bust. :mad: :mad: :mad: They have food on the shelf that was making my puppies sick.

Mark called the vet again, and they recommend that we go get a current bag, and then gradually switch them over to Eukaneuba (sp?) I'm not sure I'm crazy about that, but will look into researching a good brand that I can get from a reputable source.

I guess I would just like to remind people to check the expiration dates on their dog food. I didn't even think about it, but know that through this experience I likely won't ever forget again.

Sorry for being so long winded. Please say a prayer for my babies that they will feel better soon!! Thank you.

[Jods]

Oh my gosh thats terrible did you call the store and give them a piece of your mind!! I will pray they get well soon poor babies..:(

[Jamieejo85]

WOW HOW AWFUL!!! I will definitely make sure that I keep on checking out all of the expiration dates! Hope Emerson is feeling better now...*Hugs*
~Jamie

[sammy101]

aww poor emerson:( We recently switched kodie over to Nutro Large Breed,and it has not bi-products or anything.
i hope they get better soon!:) :(

[Miranda_Rae]

Oh my gosh!!! Thats awful! Where did you get that bag?!?! :eek: Wow! I don't know what to say....that just left me speechless. :eek: Poor babies. :( I hope they start to feel better soon. I feed Heidi Purina Pro Plan, and it works for her. :)

[lute]

oh my gosh! never would have thought! poor pups. i'm sure they'll be back to normal soon. i will definatly check the date for now on!

[shutterbug0303]

WOW :eek: Who would have guessed it?!?! That is just awful!! Poor Emerson and Malone!! Give them hugs and kisses...I'm sure they'll be tip top soon. Good luck on the new food hunt. What a good lesson for all of us! Thanks for the info! <><

[kimlovescats]

That is absolutely HORRENDOUS!!! I hope your pups are feeling better very soon!:( ;)

[chocolatepuppy]

That is just terrible:mad: Emerson and Malone as well as you will be in my thoughts and prayers! Hopefully they'll be feeling better soon.

[Blustang24]

Ugh! That's horrible. I hope Emerson gets better soon and gets more "regular." I am definately going to be checking expiration dates now. Talk about not rotating stock! yuck!

[micki76]

:mad: That's horrible! :mad: I hope you give them a piece of your mind, Anna.

I always check the expiration dates cause I want to get the freshest bag I possibly can.

I hope your boys feel better soon!

[Logan]

Oh Anna, I am so sad that Emerson and Malone were subjected to this without any way for you to even think it could happen! Poor things, and poor you. :(

I do hope you will follow up with the supplier to make sure they know and understand what happened!!!!

Prayers for Emerson and Malone and all hopes that they will be better soon.

Logan

[dukedogsmom]

That is so horrible! Irresponsible of the pet store or grocery store, too. I'd be so angry. Poor dogs. No wonder they didn't want to eat. I never think to check the expiration code. Did you get the food from the vet? That's where I get mine.

[KYS]

That is terrible, I would make sure the manager/owner
of the shop knows about this.
:mad:
If you are happy with the food, than why not
continue to use it, just make sure you
check the dates for future reference.

[Corinna]

I'm sorry about pups being sick, I never ever thought about dog food expiring. You have given us all a lession. Hope all get well soon.

[Kfamr]

That's absolutely disgusting that they'd sell something so old. I think someone should be said the the store, and the company as well, to make sure something like that is NEVER done again!

Poor babies!!!

[trayi52]

I hope your boys start feeling better soon, Anna. Prayers are with you and the boys.

Willie

[zaylagrey]

:( That's awful. I recently got some dog cookies that made Zayla sick. I put her on a bland diet for a couple of days of boiled chicken and rice. That always seems to do the trick then I slowely add kibble to it. The cookies were'nt old though I just think they had too many herbie things in it for their breath. Sometimes I think these company's do overkill on the dog items, trying to make them appeal to the people moreso than the dogs. But I would never think to check the expiration date on food.

[QueenScoopalot]

I too would contact the company, and the store manager and demand at LEAST an explanation. Poor pups shouldn't have had to go through such horrible digestive troubles for what shouldn't have been on the shelf! :mad: I'm quite surprised it didn't smell rancid! :eek: And I don't think an expiration date should be coded in anyway either! It should be clearly stamped on each and every bag being sold.

[Cincy'sMom]

Poor pups!! Who would have thought a store would still have food around from that long ago!! Shame on them!!

I'm glad you at least found the cause of the dogs upset tummies. Not fun for them or you, but an easily fixable problem.

[wolf_Q]

Wow, that's awful! I can see maybe it accidentally slipped a month or so over the expiration date but 4 1/2 years!! :eek: I hope Emerson and Malone will be feeling better soon. :( I just bought a new bag of dog food that I haven't opened yet, I'm going to go check the dates.

[Cookiebaker]

Thanks for the replies, everybody. We are in the process of contacting the manager of the store (he was out yesterday) today.

I should clarify that the date on the bag is the manufacture date, so it probably was good for maybe a year after that?? But still, way out there.


I'm quite surprised it didn't smell rancid! :eek:
Actually, when Mark opened the bag of food he did notice a smell, but quickly attributed it to be dog food (which isn't pleasant smelling anyway) Again, I don't think we will ever open another bag of dogfood without taking long deep whiffs of it to make sure it is still good, instead of just taking it for granted that it is still good. :o

Anyway, Emerson is still having awful diaherria this morning, but Malone is doing pretty well.

Thanks for all the well wishes. :)

[Pam]

Poor poor Emmers!! I can hardly believe what I just read. How awful! I can honestly say that I never have checked the expiration date on dog food. :o I just assumed there is a large turnover. I will ALWAYS check in the future.

[ChrisH]

That is awful!! Poor Emerson, and Malone too.

Prayers that they will be well soon.

Chris

[LorraineO]

oh my goodness,, thats awful!!!!! I would go to my local newspaper with this one girl!!!!!!

hugs to your babies and hey,, if there are any vet bills,, send it to the store!!!!

[pitc9]

:mad: That is HORRIBLE!!!! OMG!!

Poor babies!!!! :( I hope they are feeling better soon!!!

[sabies]

I'm so sorry to hear. That is way too far after the expiration date. Let us know what the store manager says. Good luck.

[Cookiebaker]

Another update. We went back to the store where we got the food, and they let us exchange the bag for a fresh bag. We checked all the dates on the shelf, and all the bags are current, except for the exact type (size & flavor). We filed a complaint, the lady listened and took notes and we left.

We were walking in the door 10 minutes later, and the phone was ringing. It was an executive from the Blue Seal company calling to follow up on our complaint. He was very concerned, and took all my information. He asked me if there were any vet bills, and most of all he apologized. He said that there should be no reason for dogfood to be that old, and the manufacturer certainly didn't deliver it recently. He said that he was following up with the store and making sure this got resolved. Meanwhile, he gave me both his home and cell #'s in case we have more problems, and he would like to know about it immediately.

I once again have faith in the company, and will not be changing foods. But just checking dates from now on!!!

[lizbud]

Kudos to the dog food manufacturer for going the extra mile
in setting this for you. I do think you should take advantage of
his offer to at least pay the Vet bills. Poor Emerson and Malone.

I hope they both get over the bad effects soon. I admit I've
not really checked the expiration date on dog food either, but
I will from now on.

[Samantha Puppy]

How awful. I would definitely say something to both the store from which you purchased it as well as the manufacturer. Maybe they need to add a "born on" date as well as a "do not eat past" date on the bag. :(

My thoughts are with your poor pups. :(

[RottiMommy49]

This is so awefull :mad: :mad:

I would be so ticked off at the store who sold that old stock just to save themselves money at your pets expense. Thank God it didn't kill the furbabies. My prayers are with your kids for a speedy recovery.

Doggy hugs and kisses from Monty and Kiki:)

(((Healing hugs)))
Deb
http://ibelieveinangels.mypicgallery.com/ROTTIANGELS/debrotts_large.jpg

Thankyou Kay for my beautifull siggy!!:D :D

[lovemyshiba]

Thank God that food didn't hurt them!!!!
I can't believe a store would have a bag of food that old on their shelf!!!!!

I hope the upset tummies go away soon, and Emerson and Malone feel as good as new asap!!

I am glad to see that the company has offered compensation, and the store gave you a fresh bag in exchange.

[shais_mom]

OMGOLLY!
I hope they are doing better asap Anna! poor things!
HOW AWFUL!!:mad:

[Lady's Human]

I'm glad to see that you got a positive response from the manufacturer. We feed Lady blue seal, and have never had any problems with the food. Some time ago, when we had just gotten Lady, we got some formed rawhide sticks from the local grocery store, and there was a piece of sharp metal in one of thenm. Thank god I spotted it before she ingested it. We complained to the manufacturer, and got no reply whatsoever. Glad to hear someone out in the pet food world actually cares about their customers.

[cloverfdx]

I hope the boys are feeling better soon. That is awful, i will definatly be checking expiry dates from now on.

[ramanth]

Poor Emerson and Malone! Upset tummy's are no fun. :(

Good on the manufacturer for trying to make things right. *hugs*

[cyber-sibes]

What an experience! I've never noticed the expiratin date either, but I will look now! I'm glad the manufacturer was so concerned- but I wonder how in the world something SO out of date could even end up on a shelf for sale! Hope your pups are fully recovered soon!

[ChrisH]

Anna, how are Emerson and Malone doing?

Chris

[Cookiebaker]

Malone & Emerson are doing MUCH better!! Eating (or should I say GOBBLING) un-spoiled food, normal #2's and we are happy!! :) Thanks for asking, Chris! :)

[Logan]

That's such good news, Anna!!!! :)

[trayi52]

Good to hear, Anna! Very good to hear!

Willie:D

[ChrisH]

That's great news! :D :D Kisses to them both. :)

Chris

[K9soul]

So glad to see a good update with your precious labby boys. That's awful about the food... you know my husband worked in the shipping department for a pet store when he was in college, and he had to go out and check the dates on the bags every week or so, and pull any off that were close to the expiration date. How negligent of them to let it sit there expired like that. :(

[chocolatepuppy]

Glad to hear your boys are doing better! :)

[manda99]

I hope your babies are doing well...

Great response from the company. I'm actually quite surprised. And impressed. Keep us updated, please.


Recently I bought canned dog food that was on sale and it made Smokey sick. I didn't even think to check the experation date (and the recycling was already out). I checked the other cans I bought & they were good 'til 2006 and he didn't get sick. So maybe it was just that particular "flavor" but it still makes me wonder...
(note: I don't usually look for a bargain on dog food but it was the same brand I always buy, just the smaller cans)