Over the past couple of days, hundreds of complaints about wire-like objects sticking out of Pedigree dry dog food have flooded the company’s Facebook page and other social media accounts.
“My dog’s food is filled with random pieces of hard plastic wiring, and I’m almost positive that it’s completely destroying my dog’s stomach as he has been sick all week,” wrote Devin Giddins on Facebook.
Pedigree, which is owned by Mars Petcare U.S., responded to Giddins exactly as it has to every other complaint:
“We understand your concern, as product quality and safety for pets is our first priority. We have conducted testing on the affected kibble and determined these are naturally-occurring fibers from meat and bone meal, like pig hair, and are completely safe for your dog to consume.”
In a statement to newsnet5.com, Kaycie Williams, senior manager of corporate communications for Mars Petcare, said the same thing.
“Because Pedigree is manufactured using meat and bone meal, it’s possible for natural fibers, like pig hair, to appear in the finished kibble,” she said. “There is absolutely no quality or safety concern with the natural fibers. They are completely safe for dogs to consume.”
Kimberly Whitman Duesing doesn’t believe this. “There is no way they are ‘hairs,'” she wrote on Facebook. “I tried to touch one and it stuck me like a piece of hard plastic would! You need to recall this food ASAP!”
Like Giddins, several pet parents said their dogs became sick after eating the food.
“My dog has been feeling sick and not eating,” wrote Missie Carter, who posted the photo above on Facebook. “Couldn’t find anything wrong until this morning making his breakfast. I noticed what I thought was a hair and went to pull it out and was surprised it was a wire inmbedded in the grain.”
Krystle Fayek told newsnet5.com her English Mastiffs became ill after eating the food. She asked her vet, Dr. Martti Putkoneon, to examine the kibble under a microscope.
“I saw what appears to be a hair of some kind,” Dr. Putkoneon told newsnet5.com, adding that he wasn’t completely certain.
Coincidentally, in August 2014, Pedigree voluntarily recalled some of its Adult Complete Nutrition dry dog food products because the bags may have contained pieces of metal. “While the small metal fragments are not embedded in the food itself, [they] may present a risk of injury if consumed,” Mars Petcare stated at the time.
Should you find any wiry “natural fibers” in Pedigree dog food, call the company at 800-525-5273 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time.
It’s also a good idea to report the problem to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.