If you’re a pet parent who relies on the purity and safety of a Pedigree food product, this news is not only shocking but can send fear throughout the Pedigree dog food community.
This controversy is far from over and here’s an update with some information you need to know.
The Complaint
The initial complaint, as stated above, was that pet parents found what appeared to be a wire-like substance in their dog’s food.
What was Pedigree’s response?
The company said that what appears to be “metal hairs” are actually natural fibers and that dog owners should not get excited by it. The company then took to social media and placed a letter to Mars Petcare U.S. on its Facebook page stating that the fibers were analyzed and determined to be a “carbon-based material consistent with a natural fiber material such as wool or hair.”
Maybe Not Metal But Still
Okay, we’ll grant Pedigree this one in terms of the foreign objects not being metal or wire.
But it’s still a foreign object, Pedigree, so what’s your answer to that?
And many dogs are getting sick. There are even some alleged reports of canine death. Notice we said “alleged” – that’s an important word because we have no third party, double-sourced information to prove that is what has happened to some family pets.
Here’s another interesting question: If the foreign objects aren’t metal, why can they be picked up with a magnet?
There is an answer: It could possibly be static that causes the object to cling to the magnet.
What Now?
Valley New Live decided to take matters into their own hands and take the tainted food to the NDSU Lab for analysis.
Dr. Jayma Moore put the food under a strong microscope and gave the opinion that it could easily be hair. “Based on what it looks like I really do think it’s hair,” Moore said as reported by Valley News. She found all of the elements that add up to hair but found no metals at all.
Why Are They Getting Sick?
While pet parents may be anxious to form a posse and lynch Pedigree, there may be another explanation: Change.
“Dogs will sometimes get sick even if you change from one bag of food of the same brand to a new bag. It’s just a little bit of change”, stated by Moore.
You see, sometimes dogs get sick when changing from one brand of food to another or, sometimes, even an older bag of food to a new bag of the same brand. Because this can happen, it’s recommended that you do not mix two bags of dog food together.
What to Do
If you are currently feeding your dog a Pedigree dry food and your buddy has thrown up and/or seemed lethargic, stop feeding them that kibble. Call your vet and talk with her about the best way to deal with this.
If you are in the middle of switching brands, it must be done slowly and carefully. Your vet may also suggest a bland diet for a bit before transitioning your dog to a different brand of kibble.
Bottom line? You must feel confident that your dog is getting the highest quality food possible that is free of foreign objects. Do your research, reach out to other pet parents on social media and see what they are using and always keep your antenna up for more information about this issue.
Reference links: http://wpri.com/2015/08/24/pedigree-responding-to-claims-of-wire-like-material-in-dog-food/
https://www.facebook.com/Pedigree/app_208195102528120