Not a Virus - Wysong Toxic Mold Recall
All my dogs are fine now, but it looks like it wasn't a virus at all. After they were all well again, we found the visible mold further down in the bag.
We do the BARF diet for their dinner, but had been giving them a bit of the dry food for breakfast on mornings when we were in a rush. So much for that. I'm just glad all our dogs are OK. I'm not sure if any other dogs have died from this, but if we hadn't gotten them emergency medical care, I don't doubt that both Mara and Sheena could have died from this; they were that sick. Ripley, despite being elderly, apparently has the constitution of... well, what she is: a survivor. Life on the streets and in the shelter didn't kill her, and she's the only one who, though sick, did not need rehydration, antibiotics or anti-nauseau meds. She was very sick, but not as bad as the other two. I think Wysong owes us for some vet bills.
Thanks to imafarmgirl for this:
A manufacturer of natural pet food has recalled some of its products, fearing they may contain mold.
Wysong Corporation ( http://www.wysong.net/index.php ) has recalled bags of dry dog food from certain shipments. The foods involved are of the Maintenance ( http://www.wysong.net/products/maintenance-natural-healthy-dog-food.php ) and Senior ( http://www.wysong.net/products/senior-natural-healthy-dog-food.php ) product lines. The company announced on its Web site today that these batches have proven to be "above acceptable moisture levels and may contain mold."
If your bag of Wysong dry dog food bears one of the following batch numbers, do not feed it to your dog:
Wysong Maintenance: lot numbers 090617, 090624, 090706, 090720.
Wysong Senior: lot number 090623.
Depending on which type of mold grows on the moist food, the effects can range from barely noticeable to lethal.
Vomiting and diarrhea are common symptoms, says Lee Herold, a critical-care veterinarian at DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital ( http://dovelewis.org/index.aspx ). But, she says, some forms of mold can produce a bacteria called Mycotoxin, which can cause life-threatening seizures or liver failure. Usually, she sees these extreme cases in dogs that get into a moldy compost bin and eat a lot of it, but she says mold in dry food is definitely cause for concern.
The lot number is located in one of two places, depending on if you bought the food in a bag or a box. On the box, it's easy. A number following the format in the list above will be on the top of the box. On the bags, it's a little trickier: hold the bag so that you're looking at the front of it. Turn it upside down, so you're still looking at the front, but the writing is upside down now. Now you should see a number imprinted into the crimping on the bottom of the bag (which is now on top), the company says.
You can return the food to the retailer you bought it from or contact the company for product replacement. To contact Wysong, send an email ( mailto:Wysong@Wysong.net ) and put "Product Replacement" in the subject.