Purina reassures customers after an investigation found no issues with its pet food. While some concerns linger among pet owners, the company is committed to ensuring the well-being of furry companions.
Concerns about Purina pet food impacting pet health have circulated on social media, causing anxiety among dog and cat owners. Purina vehemently denies any issues with its products, dismissing the claims as a false online rumor.
In a recent online statement, Purina expressed sympathy for worried pet parents, emphasizing that there are no health or safety problems with its pet foods. The company addressed the amplified claims originating from a Facebook group, Saving Pets One Pet @ A Time, where reports of pets falling ill or dying after consuming Purina Pro Plan surfaced.
Kelly Bone, the group administrator, shared in a post that she received numerous reports linking pet illnesses to Purina Pro Plan. Bone reported 969 cases of pets getting sick after consuming Purina food, including 234 deaths, with symptoms ranging from lethargy to seizures.
The issue has spread to TikTok, where users warned about Purina products, referencing the Facebook conversations. Purina’s quality assurance team thoroughly investigated the rumor and found no evidence of issues, reassuring pet owners that their products are safe.
Despite Purina’s assurances, some pet owners, including James Diehl from Long Island, New York, are left searching for answers. Diehl recounted the illnesses and deaths of his dogs, Carly and Petri, and the current struggles of his dog Bear, all of whom consumed Purina products. Diehl and his wife attribute the illnesses to Purina food, though their veterinarian couldn’t provide a definitive explanation.
Lorie Westhoff, a Purina spokesperson, acknowledged a complaint filed by Nunes-Diehl and stated that the company is reaching out for more information, including veterinary records, to investigate the matter. For pet owners seeking clarity, Purina remains committed to addressing individual cases and ensuring the safety of its products.
She said the Saving Pets One Pet @ A Time group has not given the company details about the complaints it received.
For example, Westhoff said, Purina “spoke with one person from this group who had shared her story and was unwilling to provide us with vet records or food samples and would not allow us to contact her veterinarian.”
“Without more information, we simply cannot investigate despite being more than willing to do so,” she said.
Westhoff further suggested that two people who helped spread the allegations have promoted brands that compete with Purina in the past. One is TikTok creator Rachel Fusaro, who has more than 276,000 followers on the platform and posted videos about Purina that have since been taken down. Fusaro’s Instagram has featured several paid partnerships, and according to her Amazon page, she may earn commissions on purchases of certain dog food brands. She did not respond to a request for comment.
Westoff also named Dr. Judy Morgan, a veterinarian who partners with a particular dog food brand and is a moderator for the Saving Pets One Pet @ A Time group. Morgan warned about Purina products on YouTube and Instagram earlier this month.
“There seem to be clear benefits to them promoting this rumor,” Westhoff said.
But Morgan told NBC News she has not profited from her warnings to pet owners. She recommends multiple dog food brands on her social media accounts and e-commerce site, she said, adding that she is paying to get Purina food tested in an independent laboratory.
“I am not trying to make money off of this. I am actually spending my own money to get this problem solved,” Morgan said.
She said she grew concerned about Purina pet food after reading reports in the Facebook group, as well as customer reviews on sites like Chewy and Amazon.
Purina has not recalled any product on the market, and the Food and Drug Administration has not requested or mandated that it do so. The FDA said pet owners and veterinarians can report illnesses via a form online.
“While the agency cannot comment on specifics of these particular illness reports at this time, generally speaking when the FDA becomes aware of pet illnesses, we will evaluate them and determine what — if any — FDA action may be warranted,” an FDA spokesperson said.
Kenneth Simpson, a professor of small animal medicine at Cornell University, said he had not heard from colleagues or pet owners about problems related to Purina products.
“In my experience the vast majority of commercial pet food producers are ethical and rank diet safety as their top priority,” Simpson, who serves on Purina’s scientific advisory board, said, adding: “If a pet food manufacturer becomes aware of an issue after manufacture when a food is in the marketplace, they will issue a recall.”
Purina voluntarily recalled a prescription dog food, Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EL Elemental, early last year due to potentially elevated levels of vitamin D. The nutrient is essential to dogs, but excess amounts can be toxic.