Nestle Purina pulls compensation offers off the table in Waggin’ Train deaths
Nestle-Purina, still under federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scrutiny for selling a product possibly connected with the illness and death of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dogs tells pet parents to go f*** themselves. Nestle-Purina, the importer of the suspect Waggin’ Train jerky treats from China associated with the unexplained illness and death of dogs, yanked all talks of offers of compensation off the table.
Why?
Purina’s insurance company, Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc., explained to a distressed pet parent/victim who contacted me that because the FDA found nothing wrong with the product, Nestle Purina would not be liable financially or otherwise.
After using a few choice swear words, I calmed down long enough to remind pet parents/victims of Waggin’ Train jerky treats of a few facts that Nestle Purina is hoping customers/victims may not be aware of:
No. 1
Because the FDA tests have been inconclusive thus far, does not mean the product is free from a contaminate. It simply means the FDA has been unable to determine the specific toxicant that is causing the illness and death of dogs that were given the treats – yet. Let me repeat: Because a toxin is not found – does not mean one does not exist. In other words, I wouldn’t let Nestle Purina off the hook.
No. 2
I don’t know where Sedgwick CMS gets off telling folk that the FDA has only been testing Waggin’ Train for the past “two months.” We know that the FDA has had chicken jerky treats on their radar since, at least, 2007 when the FDA published the first warning notice.
How do we know Waggin’ Train was among the brands under the FDA’s microscope?
We don’t really. Although, we can safely assume that since Waggin’ Train is the number one selling treat in the US and it’s from China there is no reason why it would not have been on the FDA’s list.
No. 3
Anyone who has sent a sample of the treat to the FDA (and I sure hope you all have) should know that until the FDA finds the conclusive reason for the illness and death these products are causing in dogs, it is still “on the table.” Until such time, Nestle Purina and the others cannot withdraw offers of compensation because nothing is conclusive – yet. The cases are still open – they are still “on the table,” in the game, or whatever term they want to use, until such time the issue is resolved by the FDA.
No. 4
Until the contaminate is found, a causal relationship between the treat and your pets illness or death cannot be established with certainty. Until such time, pet parents only have suspicions, their veterinarian’s opinion, and their dog’s medical records, which may or may not be enough to win a claim at this point.
However, it seems reasonable, that, until it is established what the contaminate is, the victims and Nestle Purina have no conclusive proof to prove or disprove a claim.
It also does not mean victims should abandon their claims. Victims should not accept being swept “off the table” when, at this point, no manufacturer including Nestle Purina, is free from suspicion until the contaminate is found.
Until then, no one knows what the contaminate is – including the insurance company for Nestle Purina. Furthermore, for Sedgwick to suggest they know something the FDA and all their scientists don’t know, is utterly absurd.
No. 5
If Nestle Purina’s products are free from every single known contaminate, as they claim, pet parents should ask them for proof. Demand to see their lab results.
If they try to give you the “that’s proprietary information” runaround; tell them you will have your lawyer subpoena the information. If, as they claim, their product is exempt from any liability and free of any contaminates, then the burden of providing proof of such a claim is theirs to make, not simply yours to believe.
No. 6
The disparity between what Sedgwick claims and what the FDA is telling consumers about the treats is worth emphasizing:
FDA, in addition to several animal health diagnostic laboratories in the U.S., is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. FDA’s Veterinary Laboratory Response Network (VLRN) is now available to support these animal health diagnostic laboratories. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA continues extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified a contaminant.
For Sedgwick to tell consumers it’s over, is simply not true. This is so not over. The FDA will continue to test the treats until such time a reason is found for the dog illnesses and deaths.
Important note: If you think that your dog may be ill because of eating chicken jerky, take your dog to the vet and it is very important that you and your vet report this to the FDA: How to Report a Pet Food Complaint
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34 Comments
Mark Johnson
I have fed multiple varieties of “China sourced” chicken jerky treats to my Russian Wolfhounds (Borzois) 105-130 lbs. Never had a problem, never had a nausea, never had a loose stool.
I’m all for healthy and tested dog treats. But for a dog weighing 15-30 lbs., giving it a stiff, sinewy 7′ long treat that will shred and be swallowed, is stupid.
Hello, i’d be concerned about it getting stuck in their throat and/or further down, same as a chicken bone. Are you insane?
Common sense needs to prevail.
Anthony Hepton.
Mollie, I wonder if some of these unsolved illnesses were associated with endotoxins which are always present, but never tested for. The question which remains is not were the products contaminated, we know they were, but at what level of contamination do dogs show symptoms of illness. Anthony.
Angel Harris
My little Bolognese puppy was given a tiny piece of the Waggin Train Yam Goods and he started wanting to sleep all the time, peeing everywhere (it’s like he couldn’t control his urine & it would just flow while he was walking), & he stopped eating. He was only 10 weeks old & I thought the chicken and sweet potato would be good for him. He also started getting constant UTIs, low blood sugar, and vomiting. We quit giving him the Yam Goods (he wouldn’t eat the Yam part) & tried the Canyon Creek Ranch Chicken Breast Tender Snacks (I didn’t know they were the same company), but they just made him sicker. This all started in Aug 2011 & Oct 2011, now he is having seizures and his liver is damaged we have spent large amounts at the vet to try to find out the cause & cure. I’m disabled with Parkinson’s and epilepsy and this puppy was supposed to be trained to be my service and alert dog, but I have spent money I don’t have trying to keep the sweet thing healthy & he’s in no condition to be trained for the purposed he was intended. Now we spend hours driving to specialists for his health. At least he had a few weeks of carefree life before these treats took it away from him forever.
Rita
My female German Shepherd, Heidemarie, died on Monday, May 28, 2012. She consumed two Waggin’ Train Jerky Treats (Chicken) on the previous Wednesday May 22. On Friday she began refusing food and experiencing vomiting with diarrhea. Saturday she was no better. She was excessively thirsty, drinking so much water but her urine was an amber color. It was Memorial Day weekend. My vet’s office was closed. The emergency vet’s office in my area said all they would do is hold her until Tuesday when my own vet could examine her. She didn’t make it to Tuesday. She died a brutal death in my arms on Monday afternoon. I did not learn of the controversy regarding chicken jerky products made in China until AFTER my loyal friend, my protector, perished. Nestle-Purina needs to do the responsible thing and print the FDA warning on the label of any product they use chicken from China. Anything less is unconscionable. I am heartbroken. I TRUSTED Nestle-Purina. Heidemarie TRUSTED me. And she died because of it.
Mollie Morrissette
OMG Rita, how absolutely heart breaking. I’m sure that Heidemarie doesn’t blame you and you should not blame yourself either.
It is the moral, legal and ethical responsibility of manufacturers to make and sell a wholesome healthy product. It is that faith that allows the commercial food industry to continue. How would we shop for groceries otherwise? It is their fault, not yours. And they should pay.
I would report this to Purina, the FDA and your state’s CCC and ask your vet to send the sample to MSU for testing. Did the vet perform a post-mortem?
Purina will not accept responsibility unless the poison is found. But I’m working on that, don’t you worry.
Jim Chipps
I believe one of my wife and I’s beloved little pomarains has to be added to the list of victims that has died from these tainted treats. Our little man Ziggy was a beautiful, healthy, energetic, and fun little dog that any pet owner would love to own. We feed him his last treat as a reward for being such a good boy,on Thursday April 5th and it killed him on Saturday April 7th while in the care of a vet. Our little guy was perfectly healthy and was struck down in two days time.
Mollie Morrissette
Jim, how absolutely tragic. I am so sorry for your loss. Every dear baby that has died as a result of these treats makes me just that much more determined to stop them.
Marie Williams
Is there a class action suit, My yorkie Jasper died after eating these snacks, I hurried up and took and stopped giving them to my babies. I am hoping that I stopped in time, they stopped vomiting and acting sick. So I hope they are ok.
But still lost my boy due to these snacks and would like to join in a class action law suit
Mollie Morrissette
Not yet Marie. But there will be. I hope you and your vet reported this to the FDA and if you have any of the treats left save them for testing, the FDA might want to do that depending on several factors. I will keep you all posted when the class action begins. And be sure and take your babies to the vet, they still may have some health issues that are not visible.
Jo Ann Bielinski
My dog Bo is still under /et care because of Waggin Train Treats, tomorrow he goes for more blood test, I was one of the fortunate ones that didn’t lose my baby….he still isn’t the same.
Mollie Morrissette
Jo Ann, I cannot begin to express how incredibly sorry I am. Has he been diagnosed with acquired Fanconi’s syndrome? If so there is a treatment proptocol that has shown great promise. I believe it was developed by a Dr. Gondo. This is very important. Have you filed a complaint with the FDA, has your vet. Also very important. Do you still have the treats? keep them as the FDA may want to test them. Good luck Jo Ann, and I will say a prayer for your baby and hope that Purina goes straight to Hell if you believe in such a thing.
Debi Arthur
MILO’S KITCHEN CHICKEN JERKY CAN KILL YOUR DOG~!! DO NOT GIVE YOUR DOG MILO’S CHICKEN JERKY~!! Hi. My name is Debi Arthur. Our long haired chihuahua, Lacy, died from Milo’s Kitchen chicken jerky. I am 100% sure of this. She just under 4 pounds. She died in our bed at 2 o’clock in the morning. She wet herself late that night & again on me. We planned on taking her to the vet in the morning. We brought her to bed & gave her water with an eye dropper as that was the only way I could get her to drink. I dozed off for about 45 minutes & when I woke up, she was dead. I am totally heartbroken. My daughter’s dog got sick from the same package. I still have the treats from that package.
Debi Arthur
I am Debi Arthur….I posted the above post….I live in the Hudson Valley of New York. I bought the Milo’s Kitchen Chicken Jerky at Shop Rite in December as a Christmas gift. But didn’t give my dog one until January 14th. My little Lacy died at 2 am on the 16th….Martin Luther King Day. We have contacted the FDA, Milo’s Kitchen & Delmonte, which Milo’s is a part of. We had an article on the front page of the Saugerties Times titled: “Saugerties Couple Suspects Treat Killed Dog”
http://www.saugertiesx.com/
We are trying to get this info out as much as we can to prevent this from happening to other dogs. Obviously, too many dogs have died already~!!
Brian
After almost a year, I found out what killed Natasha and Ginny. It was the Waggin Trails Chicken Jerky that was a free sample in the Purina Dog Food bag that I feed my dogs. Knowing I gave them the treats that killed them really hurts
Mollie Morrissette
A freebie? Gee, thanks assholes.
Janet
My heartfelt sympathies, Brian. Like you, I recently found out what killed our dear sweet Abby in September. And it was exactly the same thing: Waggin Trails Chicken Jerky by Purina. Someone gave my brother a package, and we didn’t know enough to check it out. It does make you feel awful. I miss her so, and am really depressed. Never thought something like this would happen to us or that we would feed our dog some crap made in China. Now, I’m going into stores and surreptitiously posting the FDA warning on the shelves where these awful products still sit. And Mollie’s right, they are assholes!
Mollie Morrissette
Janet, I can’t tell you how sorry I am for your terrible loss. We can’t blame ourselves, because we did the best with what we knew at the time. I like the Serenity Prayer when I feel like killing someone: …accept the things I cannot change (the past), courage to change the things I can (leaflet Walmart) and have the wisdom to know the difference…
Judy in Philly
I am so sorry for the continued deaths of innocent dogs and puppies. I did contact the manufacturer Cannon Creek/Wagon train, Segwick, my vet, the Canadian Vet medical assoc, the American Vet medical assoc., this website and the FDA. The FDA said they only test large batches and they did not want a sample of the treat that caused my dog to be veery ill for a month. I still have the tainted treat in case there is a need for it to be tested out there. My dog had an infusion the next morning and I think that saved her. I asked the manager at my local PetSmart to stop selling it, but that did not happen. Is there a political group willing to stop this senseless killing of our pets. The FDA is useless. Thank you for trying to help by getting the word out.
Mollie Morrissette
We are working hard on this too. Thanks for your efforts we need all the help we can get. But, stay tuned and watch the news tomorrow (hint check the news from Ohio) – you may see something you like! I’ll post it here as soon as it goes online.
Thanks for the info about the FDA only testing large batches. I was told that your state’s agriculture dept will test it, even a small sample and you need to make the complaint to them as well. The states are supposed to be the ones who do the testing. If not, they may send it to another state who has feed testing equipment.
I’ll look into what you said – that is VERY disturbing…Mollie
Mollie Morrissette
Judy, Judy, Judy! Hang on to your hat – I got an answer for you from the CVM re: testing your sample! It’s all good news. They do want to test it! I will email you first thing tomorrow to give you the details.
frances moore
on 2/2/2012 i frances was call by sedgwick claiams they told me that my claiiam had been drop along with all the other she told me that fda had not found anything so all claims will be call off an drop i told her that we are not though yet we still have the court to dill with that we all can band to grath and fill a law suit so if every one will stick together and find alawer that will take case my anna claire died 6/5 2011 my graces sue died 1/10/2012from kiden falure the same as all the other dog all over the U S has my name is frances & doyce moore lawrenceburg tenn. 99 jordan rd. 38464
Mollie Morrissette
Frances, I am so sorry for your loss. That is terrible. Nestle-Purina will NOT get away with this. It is criminal. Do not give up, we WILL take them down. I’m with 100%. Have faith. Hang on.
Norma Super
Strike one more beloved pet down from Purina. I just lost a 16 week old healthy, vibrant Aussie puppy to what has to be issues with the Vitamin D3 formulation in the dog food. After 5 days and 2 Vets, noone could diagnose Cheyenee….the end was horrible, renal failure, compelte organ shut down and hemorrhage. Her autopsy showed exactly what I just stated, with “probably Vitamin D3 toxicity.
She was fine until I purchased the Purina Smartblend Chicken and Rice and cans of Lamb and Rice to mix with it January 4th. Purina is “investigating” and has taken the cans of food to test, have been in contact with my vet and TN Dept of Agriculture investigation has begun. I am sure I will only be as frustrated as everyone else is by Purina and Sedgewick but I promise I will not be quiet!!!
Mollie Morrissette
Norma,
I am so sorry. I can’t imagine the terrible grief you must be feeling right now.
I can’t say it gets any easier, except knowing that talking about it, spreading the word and taking action by contacting your State’s ag dept., and opening an investigation might provide some small comfort in knowing you might save another dog from a similar fate.
I support your effort to fight Purina and Sedgwick. All we need is a victim from Texas to initiate and file a class action lawsuit. I know the just the lawyer too to handle it.
It’s not about the money – it’s about the publicity. Publicity is never a good thing for a business that has so much to hide. Just know, you are not alone. There is a lot going on behind the scenes – many people are working on this.
I promise you – it will stop.