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On a Sunday evening in July 2009, I was using my computer and my 5 year old Samoyed Bundy came in shaking his head (he had left my room approximately 15 mins earlier). I thought he was bringing me the ball because he wanted to play. He was also pawing at his mouth, so I thought he must have something stuck in his mouth. I had a look but couldn’t see anything. I knew something was seriously wrong so I jumped in the car and raced to the nearest 24 hour vet as fast as I could with Bundy in the back, still acting strangely with his head.

Luckily, the roads were empty and there was no one waiting at the vet. As we were led into the examination room, Bundy collapsed on the floor and was trembling all over. I then had to go back to the waiting room while they attended to him in the back. After a wait, I was led to the back where Bundy was in a cage and flailing about uncontrollably, which was very distressing for both him and me. I understand the vet gave him a shot of pentobarbital to knock him out. After another wait, I eventually went home but, obviously, I couldn’t sleep.

The next day, when I visited him, he was lying on a bed with lots of tubes and machines attached. He was unconscious but his paws and face were still twitching. It was tearing me apart to see him like that but I stayed for a few hours and held his paw, because I didn’t think he was going to make it. I don’t think the vets were very optimistic either because he was developing asperatic pneumonia.

I visited him every day and stayed for a few hours but I realised that the nurses have other animals to look after and duties to perform so I didn’t want to get in their way by staying longer. The vets and nurses that treated him gave him the best of care and I’m very grateful.

He remained unconscious for 3 or 4 days which, I’m told, is not usual but not unheard of either. The vets there treated him with a cocktail of drugs to try to control his twitching. They recommended sending him to a specialist centre so, after about 5 days, I drove him in the back of my car. He was still unconscious so a vet nurse sat with him, assisting with the oxygen.

The vets at the specialist centre ran a multitude of generalised tests including MRI and spinal taps but the results were inconclusive. After a day or so, he started to come around, semi conscious, but still twitching. The next day I visited, he was finally awake and when he saw me he started to whine with all the energy his weak body could muster, he could barely move but he still wanted to lick me and it became very emotional for both of us. Within a week, he got more responsive and stronger every day and was then allowed home.

As Bundy is 5 years old, epileptic fits were a possibility but I’m told that they do not last for 3+ days and the MRI brain scan had ruled out a brain tumour.

The vets that treated him thought it was likely he had come into contact with a toxin that acted on his nervous system. I wracked my brains as to what that could be as I wanted answers. The day of the episode, we went for a walk (on lead) at about 5 pm then he was shut inside the house and had his food about 6pm. There was no access to the garden and there are no chemicals around the house.

The previous day, I had put a new tick collar on him and noticed a very strong smell coming from it. I assumed that this must be the cause of Bundy’s condition somehow so I didn’t put another back on him.

When he was back home, I was feeding him brand new packets of his usual dry dog food that he likes and has had for years but, before the first episode, I had bought a different brand of food just for a change and added this to his usual food in a container, one that he had never had before (not sure if I can say the brand name, for legal reasons, but possibly the biggest and most popular brand in the world and the name is something to do with a dog’s heritage). Anyway, after a few weeks of feeding him brand new usual food strait out of the packet, I went back to adding some of his previous food on top. Within that week, he had a serious case of diahorreoa but I thought that could just be down to the drugs he was on.

A few days later (coincidentally, again on a Sunday night and about 2 hours later in the evening than the first episode), I noticed Bundy looking at me strangely and his legs were shaking. I immediately knew what was wrong and I drove him down to the specialist centre where he was again in intensive care for a week or so.

He came home very weak but, today, over six months later he is fit and healthy apart from his legs sometimes shaking when he stands. Obviously, there appears to be some residual nerve damage.

The vets at the specialist centre ran more tests the second time but still nothing was remarkable.

The four different vets that treated him between the two veterinary clinics and both episodes suspected intoxication by organophosphates, metaldehyde, (slug bait) or mycotoxins.

It was after this second occurrence that I realised that this new brand of dog food was the only common factor in both these cases. Perhaps it was contaminated?

I contacted the company that makes the dog food and arranged for an approximate 1kg sample to be sent off (but unfortunately I didn’t have the bag and batch code). The sample I sent did have small amounts of Bundy’s usual dog food mixed in (other brand). I sent it like this because this new food was added on top of his old food in a container and I wanted to know if they would even notice or just throw it away but, surprisingly, they did notice. I think, because of this, they did not run any tests.

A guy qualified in veterinary science, and who works for the dog food company, dealing with complaints of this nature, sent me a letter saying he had contacted my vet and discussed the causes of ‘tremorgens’ (a group of mycotoxins). These have been associated with Blue cheese, walnuts and compost as well as others and it was unlikely that their product was responsible.

Fortunately, Bundy has not been fed or been near those stated substances.

When I leave the house Bundy stays inside and he is always walked on a lead, he only goes into the garden if I go into the garden and the last time I saw a slug was about 10 years ago so he has very little chance of ever coming across something I don’t know about.

After a few weeks, I contacted the company’s vet again for the results of the test. I understand the tests didn’t show up anything abnormal. I wasn’t surprised at the company’s response because no company is ever going to test their own product and say something is wrong with it. He suggested that it was just one of those unexplained things, which I would have believed for the first episode but it is too coincidental for the second.

I got a bit annoyed with this guy because the way he dismissed my reasoning seemed arrogant.

He said that because they hadn’t had any other complaints, there was obviously nothing wrong with the batch and he also said that was the end of the matter and there was nothing else they would do.

Not being content with this dismissal or his arrogant and patronising attitude, I contacted a more senior person at the company and spoke to a technical director and arranged for another sample to be tested (I only had a handful left). He said it would be sent to Singapore, would take about 6 weeks and would cost a bit of money.

While I was waiting for these tests to be performed, I decided to conduct my own research into probable causes (something I should have done earlier) and discovered a few scientific papers freely available on the internet about Mycotoxins affecting dogs.

Roughly speaking, Mycotoxins are a group of toxins that form as a result of mould on numerous organic sources and can be deadly and cause a number of different conditions to both humans and animals. They can be found in both cereals and dry dog food, a fact which was omitted from the letter I was sent.

Either the veterinary guy dealing with my complaint has limited knowledge of these potential killers (for someone in his position, this seems very remiss) or he was fully aware of the potential problems but decided to keep quiet so as not to open a can of worms.

I did provide an email link to all of the papers (listed below) but it would appear that neither of the people I have been in contact with has read them, as they have subsequently provided no comment.

A number of the cases reported in the papers show clinical symptoms which are nearly identical to Bundy’s condition and, when biological samples from the dogs were analysed, Roquefortine and Penitrem A were detected and suspected as the probable cause.

A few weeks later, I received in the post the results of the sample testing (it had been sent to a lab in Victoria, not Singapore). Only four tests were performed: two types of mycotoxin, namely Aflatoxin B1 and Patulin, and also lead and permethrin.

I consider this test to be irrelevant and inconclusive due to the fact the very small sample size was statistically insignificant and they failed to test for any of the mycotoxins that are linked to tremors in dogs.(apparently there are over 30 known)

The dog food company’s sole defence was based around the fact that they apparently hadn’t received complaints of a similar nature and that their quality control is of a very high standard, and perhaps it was the other brand of dog food that caused it?

Addressing this statement, my research has indicated that detection and confirmation of mycotoxin poisoning has been grossly under diagnosed and, as far as I am aware, the specialist centre that treated Bundy did not test for this possibility. (I’m not even sure there is a commercial laboratory in Australia that tests for most of the different types).

In my case, it was only after the second episode that I realised that this brand of dog food was the only common factor that was likely to be responsible and it is possible that many dogs that have a single episode of unexplained acute toxicoses unfortunately die or have to be euthanized due to excessive trauma, poor prognosis and/or lack of financial resources so a confirmed diagnosis and connection to the dog food is not made and hence it is not reported back to the company.

While I’m confident that their quality control is of a high standard, it is unlikely that it is one hundred percent reliable and variations in the materials and process can be expected in any product.

After doing further research I discovered a Uni in the USA (Iowa State) that specialises in veterinary medicine and also test for the two mycotoxins I’m interested in, namely Roquefortine and Penitrem A.

I spoke to a Professor of toxicology from the department and he believed that mycotoxins are not well understood and not commercially tested for because of lack of demand. I provided him with bundy’s Vet case notes and his story and he confirmed that it did indeed fit with mycotoxin poisoning.

I sent a 1kg sample of Bundy’s original food to be tested at my own expense, the test came back negative so I can be fairly confident that it wasn’t the other brand to blame which I believed was the case anyway because of the timing. THIS IS WHAT THE COMPANY SHOULD HAVE TESTED FOR!

This whole incident has caused me a great deal of stress, and some days I couldn’t eat or sleep properly.

I feel that the company didn’t take my claims seriously and underestimated two important factors:

1. When I think I am right, I don’t give in.
2. I won’t let anyone hurt my dog and get away with it.

I spent most of my college fund on Bundy’s vet bills and, as he means everything in the world to me, I will do whatever it takes to protect and look after him.

I am convinced that this brand is responsible and I want them to reimburse my vet bills and make it up to Bundy somehow but I realise that posting this statement and contacting the media in other ways will effectively put an end to any chances of financial restitution. However, I will take some comfort in the hope that this might provide an explanation and quicker diagnosis to future apparent toxic poisonings.

I also feel I have been very fair and patient with the company in question and gave them every opportunity to do the right thing but, at every stage, they have seemed intent on absolving themselves from any responsibility. I can only conclude that from the irrelevant sample tests that either the company is grossly incompetent or they deliberately tried to mislead me.

If my dog had died as a result of this, I would probably be standing outside the company’s headquarters with a placard saying that their food was responsible for poisoning my dog.

My advice would be that, if your dog exhibits any acute tremors or seizure symptoms, like Bundy had, then get the vet to check for Mycotoxins (though this might be difficult in some countries) and to keep the dog food bags for future evidence if need be.

As Bundy is a Samoyed and they are not common here, perhaps he could be more genetically pre-disposed to toxins that other breeds?

If anyone has had a similar experience or can offer a different explanation, I would welcome a response.

UPDATE: 12th Feb. 2010

I decided to contact consumer affairs and they passed me onto the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (P.F.I.A .A) and spoke to the executive manager. I provided him with Bundy’s history and my concerns and he contacted the company and said he was satisfied with their response.

It was only after I explored their website that I read their Statement of Purpose

#1 “To promote the prepared pet food industry in general and the interests of the members of the association.”

So this guy had a conflict of interest to do anything about it as I understand the association is funded by its members.

A few days later I contacted the company again and put a few questions to the guy I spoke to many times before (manager, veterinary services).

I asked him, how many people have to complain about a product before they admit responsibility.

Unsurprisingly he failed to specifically answer. He just reiterated what he said many times before, that no one else has complained of this problem so it is not their responsibility. Imagine if you went to the doctor with an ailment and they said, “Well no one else has complained of this so nothing I can do.”

I also asked why he failed to test for Tremorgenic Mycotoxins in the samples I provided. His response was that they only had a small sample and they wanted to test for as wide range as possible? (a wide range of the toxins that don’t cause tremors?)

When I pointed out that I had spoken to and expert and had the other brand properly tested for tremorgenic mycotoxins he didn’t want to know and said it was irrelevant and rudely concluded our conversation.

Thanks to other forum members I can see that in other countries they have had serious problems with contamination of their dog food products with salmonella and melamine. Anyone would have to be crazy to feed their dog this companies products.

To me it is obvious that the dog food is responsible and the company has done nothing to prove otherwise.

Craig W. 2009.

References;

Bennett, J.W, & Klich, M. (2003) Mycotoxins. Viewed 19th Dec 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC164220/

Bough, M, (2006) Toxicology Brief: “Tremorgenic Mycotoxicosis in Dogs”. Viewed 19th Dec 2009 http://www.compendiumvet.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=F0E2AE6B0B7E437588DFCF8A9FCA8CAC&nm=CE+Programs&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=60963CBCF74D4156BBFCA2595B06714C&AudID=43A035C1ADDF4F5F823E087E3BEE4975

Eriksen et al, (2009) Poisoning of dogs with tremorgenic Penicillium toxins. Viewed 19th Dec 2009 http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/13693780903225821

Hocking, A.D, Holds, K, Tobin, N.F, (1988) Intoxication by tremorgenic mycotoxin (penitrem A) in a dog. Viewed 19th December 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3401148?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=10

Lowes, N.R, Smith, R.A, Beck, B.E (1992) Roquefortine in the stomach contents of dogs suspected of strychnine poisoning in Alberta. Viewed 19th December 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1481371/pdf/canvetj00057-0057.pdf

Schell, M.M, (2000), Tremorgenic mycotoxin intoxication. Viewed 19th Dec 2009 http://www2.aspca.org/site/DocServer/toxbrief_0400.pdf?docID=113

Virginia Maryland Veterinary Notes (2005), Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Viewed 19th Dec 2009 http://www.vetmed.vt.edu/engagement/ext/pub/VetNotes_115.pdf

Walter,S.L, (2002), Acute penitrem A and roquefortine poisoning in a dog. Viewed 19th Dec 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC339273/?referer=www.clickfind.com.au

The shocking truth concerning the vast numbers of unwanted dogs in Britain today.

As a national voluntary animal protection group based in the South West of England, South West Animal Protection (SWAP) and countless numbers of rescue organizations, charities and independent rescue workers across the UK, face this grim reality every day.

The members of the SWAP team regularly compile and distribute emergency email appeals for dogs on death row across the UK. They give their own account of the dire situation:

The computer goes on, the emails download and already there are four appeals for dogs on death row, fourteen dogs in total, thirteen of which are Staffordshire Bull Terriers commonly referred to as ‘Staffies’. These desperate dogs are only days away from death, often perfectly healthy, friendly, loving little beings who for one reason or another have ended up in a dog pound, abandoned or discarded by their owners. Now in their last few living hours all they can do is await their fate, will they be saved, or will their anxious barks be silenced, their wagging tails be stilled by the harrowing lethal injection?

With not a moment to lose, we immediately set to work, piecing together a special email appeal for the first group of dogs. The details of each individual have been listed, now we insert the photos, this is always the most emotionally challenging task, the desperate faces haunt you, their begging, mournful eyes staring back at you from the computer screen almost piercing your heart, each face crying out “please don’t let me die!”

Eleven of the fourteen dogs are less than three and a half years old, one of these being a six to nine month old pup.

The appeal will go out across the network to our supporters in the UK, a number of these being rescue centres or independent rescue workers. All we can do now is anxiously await the response.

The lives of these fourteen dogs are now depending on the efforts of the animal lovers across the country receiving our appeals. There are so many caring hard-working individuals who endeavour to save dogs like these every day, many of these ‘unsung heroes’ have full-time jobs and dedicate the few spare hours they have voluntarily, rescuing and transporting unwanted dogs from pounds to a safe haven, some will even place dogs in private kennels and pay the boarding fees out of their own pockets if this means keeping the dogs alive, often putting themselves in debt.

Dedicated rescue charities and organizations are working tirelessly on a daily basis to prevent unwanted dogs from being killed. ‘Doris Banham Dog Rescue’ (Registered Charity: 1103372, Website: www.dogsos.co.uk ) is one such amazing charity and was featured in the recent Panorama programme.

We have put out many appeals over the past three years on behalf of Doris Banham for some of the many thousands of dogs they have painstakingly saved from death row. The team at Doris Banham do incredible work for dogs in dog pounds that face imminent death.

Paul N Davis, Trustee for Doris Banham describes the work that they do, “In the last 4 years Doris Banham Dog Rescue have saved over 10,000 dogs from being put to sleep in dog council pounds in the UK. These dogs were rehomed direct by their Charity or placed by them into other approved non-destruct rescues who found the dogs the loving homes they deserved. Every dog is awarded full rescue back up by the Charity to give them the best ever chance in life. This includes vaccinations, veterinary treatment, training, neutering, microchipping, homechecks and a safe place to come back to should circumstances change in their new home. 10,000 dogs that would have otherwise died unloved in the past 4 years have now been given a new start in life”.

Most rescue shelters depend heavily on volunteers, fundraising and donations to enable them to carry out their vital life-saving work and many are struggling to survive in today’s current financial climate, others have already sadly perished. For those rescues that have managed to stay afloat, the workload is excruciating, kennels are constantly full, no sooner than one becomes vacant another unwanted dog will arrive and fill the space.

The simple, heart-rending truth is there just aren’t enough rescue spaces across the UK to accommodate the countless numbers of unwanted dogs in need and so thousands of healthy and often young dogs are put to sleep every year. The situation is now dire and needs to be addressed.

Over breeding, irresponsible dog ownership and extortionate vets fees are all to blame.

Over breeding is by far the most serious problem. We despair at the amount of people who insist on buying dogs from breeders, puppy farms the internet etc. while thousands of unwanted dogs are waiting desperately in rescue kennels for loving homes and thousands more are being euthanized. The slogan “Don’t Breed or Buy While Homeless Dogs Die” is commonly used by animal shelters around the world and it speaks volumes. We urge anyone thinking of taking on a dog to please adopt one from a reputable rescue instead of buying a dog from a breeder, puppy farm etc. If every prospective dog owner was to do this, then the numbers of unwanted dogs in the UK would fall dramatically.

Spaying and neutering is also an essential means to reducing the numbers of unwanted dogs. All dog owners should have their pet spayed or neutered, this will prevent any accidental litters. Most reputable rescue organizations will spay or neuter before rehoming a dog, however, some smaller charities don’t always have the funds to do this but they will always recommend to the new owner that this is done.

Dog breeders, be they commercial or independent will of course not consider spaying or neutering as they will continue to breed dogs as a means to make a fast buck, so it is up to the members of the public to refrain from supporting these breeders and adopt a dog from a rescue centre instead.

Puppy farms and dog breeders across the UK are churning out dogs at an alarming rate. Many of these seedy and often ‘elusive’ establishments keep their dogs in appalling conditions and it is not uncommon for puppies from these places to be found in a poor state of health.

Breeding bitches are forced to produce litter after litter until they become exhausted and even disfigured in some cases. We have put out appeals for some female dogs that have been used so often for breeding that their delicate teats have become inflamed and enlarged to the point where they are dragging along the ground. It is heart breaking to witness such abuse.

It is now the responsibility of the government to take serious measures to stop all the over breeding in this country, as this is by far the biggest contributing factor to the escalating problem of so many unwanted dogs. The general public can also help by lobbying the government, writing to David Cameron and their own local MP’s urging them to take the necessary measures to stop the appalling and unforgivable carnage of thousands of dogs in the UK.

We feel that vets are also partly to blame for people abandoning their dogs. It is inconceivable to think that some people might be willing to give up their dog before giving up their X-box or DVD player, but sadly this is the attitude of some people. Exorbitant vets fees are not helping the situation. If a dog becomes sick then some less committed dog owners are tempted into giving up their pet when faced with the vet’s bill. The current recession has placed the security of the household pet on even shakier ground. How many sick animals are being neglected and left to suffer because
some penny-pinching individuals are unwilling to pay extortionate prices for treatment? It is the responsibility of the vets to reduce their fees which will encourage owners to keep and look after their animals properly.

Many dogs end up in rescues, pounds etc due to dog owner’s lack of foresight and lack of commitment. If people were to think more seriously before taking on a dog then this occurrence could be avoided.

Owning a dog is a huge responsibility and although the rewards of adopting a furry friend are immeasurable, there are several important points to consider before adopting a dog.

Financially, can you afford to pay for food, vets fees etc? Work and social commitments also need to be taken into consideration, a dog is a pack animal and so should not be left on its own for long periods of time as this would cause distress and anxiety.

Are you planning to move or change jobs in the near future? If so, then the dog’s needs would have to be considered and your lifestyle adapted to fit in with these needs.

Too often we hear of cases where couples have split up or moved house and as a result of these changes have decided to get rid of their dog, this is immoral and unacceptable, would these people give up their children under the same circumstances? It is extremely unlikely, so why is it deemed acceptable to give up their dog? Once a dog becomes a member of your family, it should remain so for life. To quote the words of ‘Dogs Trust’, the largest dog welfare charity in the UK “A dog is for life, not just for Christmas”.

Sadly the ‘Staffie’ is far too often becoming a common resident in dog pounds and rescue centres.

This friendly, loyal breed has become the victim of many macho would-be ‘hard men’ of today’s society who are often using these dogs as a status symbol, a tool to boost their inflated, ambitious egos, the innocent Staffie, totally oblivious to its owner’s motives. These low-life thugs will disown their dog at the drop of a hat as soon as it is deemed as an inconvenience. Sadly, these unwholesome individuals have created a bad image for the Staffies in the eyes of the general public, this is a tragedy as these special dogs make wonderful, loyal, family pets as any Staffie rescue will tell you.

The Greyhound is another greatly exploited breed. Tens of thousands of these placid gentle-natured dogs are bred every year to supply the commercial racing industry. Thousands of these dogs are killed at the end of their
racing career, usually at the tender age of three or four years and countless more are either abandoned on the streets and picked up as strays or end up in rescues, all adding to the extremely overwhelming unwanted dog population.

There is no end to the amount of suffering that dogs in our society are being forced to endure. These living, breathing, loyal sentient beings have been ultimately betrayed by us. Mahatma Gandhi once said “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the ways its animals are treated”. It would seem Britain is not so ‘Great’ after all, we have become a nation of convenience and throwaway ‘junkies’, self orientated and motivated by greed, this together with a lack of compassion has led to devastating consequences for our so-called ‘best friend’. Britain has become a nation of dog killers!

Photo by Bev Goodwin