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"Cyrus the Virus...boom boom ba ba da"...theme song!

My Halti and the bunny....

This evening mom and I went for a walk in the field near the woods at her work. I had my halti collar on. I started off on mom's bad side in the car because I was behaving like a goober... Kiara had went with mom first and I had to wait 45 minutes for them to get home so I was a bit full of myself:(
Mom scolded me in the car and told me if I did not stop trying to take off my collar that she was taking me home...shhhh, she added some other choice words but I will not repeat them..he hee. I knew what she meant because one day she used those words and sure enough she took me home and we did not walk; so I Immediately set down in the car and got my act together;)
We got out of the car and started down through the field. I saw a squirrel run ten feet in front me and did not act like a fool. We walked on near the woods and before I knew it we were within reach of a bunny just sitting still in the tall grass. I LUNGED toward the bunny and mom gave the leash a quick pop which immediately got my attention and then she reprimanded me with a firm no and a sit! I did exactly what mom told me and did not dislocate her shoulder...mom praised me and told me that my new halti collar was a miracle:) I was so good that mom let me run an errand to the post office with her after our walk:) MOM LOVES the halti collar and says it should be called Collar that can control the hardest pullers and even goobers;)
God bless...sleep well my pals...
Cy

NO MORE CANIDAE DOG FOOD FOR US...PLEASE READ

We are not going to feed Canidae anymore! After Cyrus (see his diary entries prior to this) had an allergic reaction with intense itching and self mutilating himself since the weekend, and a vet trip yesterday to get him relief from his misery; we did some research on the new formula change in Canidae. There are numerous complaints below and a few paragraphs from the company at the end of the material we have posted. We ate Canidae for almost three years and never had one complaint until now. We have thrived beautifully and everyone always complimented our soft shiny coats. We find it interesting that all my problems occurred after Canidae produced a new formula and started letting Diamond make their dog food. Mom is calling them today and informing them of her complaints to the 1 800 number posted at the end of this diary entry. If you are eating Canidae All Life Stages new formula beware! We did see a change in bowel problems at first and even did what Canidae suggested for changing over and it checked our stools; by mixing the old with the new and feeding smaller meals. We did not see the problems with my eye and skin until we had finished eating a whole bag of the new formula. Now our Mom does not think this was a fluke, but she thinks it is related to the new formula. We wanted to share this information with anyone eating Canidae as we were true lovers of the old formula!!!!!! We are really upset and wanted to warn anyone else eating this. We have copied and pasted the information I found from just one of the many googled sites below:

Canidae Pet Food Customer Reviews from New Formula:


Jeannette of Vancouver WA (12/17/08)
I switched my dogs to Canidae because it was a little cheaper than the food I'd been feeding them. Plus, the gal at the store convinced me it was better. Got it home, opened the bag, and thought it smelled funny, but I'm used to our old food smelling so good I figured it was just that I wasn't used to it. I gave it to my Sheltie. She nibbled at it, then walked away. She came back later and ate the rest, but not happily. About four hours later she threw up. I'm taking the rest of the bag back tomorrow.



David of Frederick MD (12/12/08)
Wow, my story is so similar to everyone else's here. I had been feeding my dogs Canidae for over a year. I bought a bag back in October. The fed it to my dogs that night, two of them wouldn't touch it, the third one ate about 3/4 of her bowl. I thought that was unusual since my dogs usually wolf down their food. I smelled the food that was in their bowls. The food had a terrible chemical smell to it.

The next day, the dog that had eaten some of it, got lethargic and had explosive, bloody diarrhea. I took her immediately to the vet and he told me it was food poisoning, and it was the most blood he had ever seen in diarrhea. I returned the food to the store, and got a different brand. Since then my dogs have been perfectly fine.

Here's where it gets interesting. I contacted Canidae the very day I took my dog to the vet. After I explained what had happened, immediately they said that the food was spoiled and it had sat in the sun too long. I told them it wasn't a spoiled smell, that there is chemical smell to it. I have smelt spoiled animal food before, and this is not it. They faxed me some paperwork, I filled it out. Every two weeks or so, I would send them and email, which they would say we'll look into it and get back to you, which they never did.

The day before Thanksgiving, they mistakenly called my house instead of the vet. Still I heard nothing. On 11 December, they called me and said We did a through review and found the food to have been spoiled. I asked them if they tested the food, they said yes. I called the pet store, they still have the bag at the pet store. So they didn't test it. The whole time they were very defensive and said their product could not possibly have anything wrong with it.

I went to the store today, 12 December, and found out, I wasn't the only one. At least two other people at the same store had the same problems with their food from Canidae. Not only that, Other stores all over the US had the same problem with their food.

I'm only out about $150 in vet bills, but clearly Canidae has a problem with their food. I felt that Canidae was blaming me. I have never dealt with a company that was so defensive about their product from the get go. Canidar had their mind made up from the second I called them what the problem with the food was. Well, I kept a sample of the food, and I'm going to send it get it tested to find out what is wrong with it.



L.m. of Hudson Falls NY (12/11/08)
My 12 year old poodle started vomiting a few months ago. I had her to the vet twice, he gave her medication but didn't help. I started looking to the internet for answers. I came across all the information about Canidae formula being changed. I took the food back to the pet store and gave them this web site. They suggested a new brand and the vomiting stopped the day I took her off the Canidae. She is acting fine and eating fine now.

I am planning to take her back to the vet to get her checked out and make sure she doesn't have permenent damage. She had been on the Canidae for over a year and didn't get sick until they changed the formula. They need to recall this dog food.


Carissa of Bozeman MT (12/11/08)
I have a 10 yr old Springer Spaniel who finally found a food that didn't upset his stomach. I've had hinm on Canadiae for few years now wtih no problems. Then I just purchased a new bag, thought they just decresed the bag size and notice the food was larger size as well. My dog has been actting funny and has the shakes. Something he never has had.

I called the store where I purchased it and they will take it back, though now I have to serch for another food that will make him ok, after preaching how great [their] product was! Why change something if it's not broke, cause now [they] broke more then customer base, now it trust. what about all the people whi don't have internet access that are spending a lot of money in vet bills right now or putting thier dogs down from a sudden ilness they can't explain! Shame on [them], very irresponsible!

I was lucky so far and caught the odd behavior and googled any recent problems with product, I hope nothing is really wrong and new food will help any further symptoms.

Becky of Queen Creek AZ (12/10/08)
I have been using this food for several years with wonderful results until recently. We get our food from a locally owned feed barn, and I'm in there every 2-3 weeks buying dog food (I have 4 dogs). My 6 year old black lab has had 2 seizures in the past 2 weeks, my english bulldog has been barfing constantly and farting like a pack mule. Several years ago my lab had a seizure and my vet attributed it to her food, we switched and not a seizure since, so the first thing I did when she started seizing again is look into her food.

I got onto the Canidae website and found more complaints than I could read regarding the newly re-formulated version of what once was a highly bragged about human grade dog food. I am very disappointed that they felt the need to mess up such a good thing. I am in the process of dumping the rest of the new dog food back into the bag and taking it back to the feed barn where I got it. Looks like I'll have to put them on Wellness.

Stephanie of Miamisburg OH (12/10/08)
My male Golden Retriever has been showing signs of food allergy so I thought this food might benefit him. We have had 3 days now of vomiting and mucus-y diarrhea. The poor dog is exhausted. I put him on a fast day and now back on his regular diet. I wish I'd read all these bad reports about this dog food before spending almost $15 on a small bag of it and making my poor dog sick.



Don of Tannersville PA (12/10/08)
I just returned from the vet with my two dogs because I fed them from a new bag of Canidae lamb and rice dry food at 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM today, and one of them vomited several times while the other had loud bowel sounds (rumbling stomach). Then, within hours they both started stumbling around like they were drunk. I just returned from the vet who administered activated charcoal. The dogs are still stumbling around, especially the one that didn't vomit.

Almost $600.00 in vet bills, and the vet said it was a waiting game at this point to see if they will have any long-term damage.

Nancy of Tacoma WA (12/07/08)
I posted here on Nov 22nd about my three dogs all getting sick from Canidae (after feeding it to them for 3 years with no problems prior). It's now 2 weeks since we stopped feeding them Canidae all stages dry food - - went to the pet store, they happily took it back for us, and we picked out another brand of food. NO MORE VOMITING. Dogs are healthy and happy again. Coincidence? I think not....

when I sent an email to Canidae a couple of weeks ago, I got a reply, basically blaming bloggers for trying to ruin their great reputation. The proof is in the pudding. Or in this case, in the barf, stools, etc. of our dogs. I am so sorry to hear of more severe symptoms for some dogs - - liver issues, seizures. Shameful on Canidae's part. I am glad that I got my dogs away from this food in time.



Misty of Bristol TN (12/04/08)
My dogs also experienced issues with the new formula from Canidae. We had been feeding our two terriers Canidae for almost 3 years. We purchased a new bag in November and did notice that the color and shape were slightly different but didn't think much about it. The bag didn't indicate that any change in food had taken place nor did our local retailer say anything. After 3 days on the food one of our dogs began vomiting. We immediately took her to the vet where she was hospitalized for 4 days. After returning home she continued to have symptoms (not as severe) and our other dog started refusing to eat the Canidae.

I became suspicious of the food and called our retailer. He explained that the formula had changed and they had told all of their customers. We were never told and found that odd since we are in there so much they know us by name. We immediately took the food back. In addition, we have contacted Canidae in regards to their product. The representative told us that they are not required by law to put anything on their packaging and it was our responsibility to read the label of every bag. I'm not in the business of keeping every bag so that I can compare it to the next one.

We had trusted this product. Furthermore, the company has stated that signage was sent out to stores that sold their products. I have found no signs indicating a change in either store that sales the product in my area. Needless to say we will never purchase Canidae again nor will we visit the local retail store that finds no fault in not telling their customers.

To date we have incurred over $1800 in vet bills. This was due to various tests, medications, and hospitalization. After finding out that the formula change took place our vet is convinced that it caused everything.

Samuel of Columbus OH (12/04/08)
About 1.5 weeks ago I bought a 35 pound bag of lamb and rice Canidae dog food for my 2.5 year old Olde English Bulldog. I noticed it had changed in color from a dark brown to a lighter yellow and the sized of the pellets were larger. I thought it was just a change in formulation. She has been eating a mixture of 50/50 Innova Evo/Canidae Lamb and Rice for about 1 year with no problems and has had no prior health problems.

After starting her on the new Canidae formulation she began having loose yellow stools almost immediately and within the last couple of days she has been vomiting. Just today she had a short episode of seizure like activity. The first thing I thought of as a cause was her recent change in diet and googled recalls on Canidae and saw that quite a few people are having the same problem.



Kathy of Encino CA (12/03/08)
SHAME ON YOU CANIDAE! YOU NEED TO RECALL YOUR FOOD IMMEDIATELY! We have been feeding our dog Canidae dry food for years and loved it. We purchased a new bag over a week ago and she immediately got very sick. Diarrhea just like all the other complaints. We took her off the food right away and she started to get better. We fed her the Canidae again in the hopes that she'll get used to it but again she got sick only this time she got worse and started vomiting and then stopped eating all together and stopped pooping too.

We took her to the vet and $450 later, x-rays showed no blockage and her vitals checked out norman so the vet gave us medicine for an intestinal/bacterial infection and said to feed her chicken and rice only. She won't even eat that thus we can't give her the medicine! She's getting sicker, moping around and we're talking about a border collie who was in perfect health and very energetic before this. She is our baby and it makes us very sad to see her in so much discomfort. We are going to her back to the vet for an IV drip for nutrition. We are so scared and worried about our baby! I can't believe with all of the complaints that Canidae has not been sited and they are still selling this horrific new food and horrible plant - Diamond!

$450 in vet bills so far, $250 in rug cleaning bills, $30 for the bad food plus our time and emotional distress!

Cheryl of Whitefish Bay WI (12/01/08)
We have been feeding our 4 year old Yellow Lab/Golden Mix Canidae dog food since he was a puppy. About 2 months ago we noticed that the dog food had changed color and size. We just figured that the formula had changed, no big deal. About the same time all out of the blue our dog started having head siezures. This 1st siezure lasted about 3 minutes. About a week went by and he had another one. We then took him to the vet and was told to wait and see if he has more. He has and they seemed to be becoming more frequent and lasting longer.

Last week we brought him back to the vet and they did blood work. They then put him on medication for the siezures. That same day I put two and two together and found all of these complaints. I noticed that he was having the siezures right after he would eat. So, I switched dog food and did not give him the medication. He has not had an episode for 7 days, where he was starting to have them almost every day! I am so upset that I am going to have the dog food tested! This is my family! I will never feed this food to my dog again!

We have been through so much since this has happened! $400 worth of vet bills and my 11 year old son who has had to sit alone and watch our dog have siezures lasting up to 15 minutes! Thank goodness I figured this out because we would have had numerous vet bills as well as giving our dog unneeded medication!

Linda of Johnstown NY (12/01/08)
We have been feeding out 4 year old Cocker spaniel Canidae Lamb & Rice for about a year now and everything was fine but since the new formula came out and we started using it our dog has been throwing up and has soft stools. Why would they change the food and also never tell the public that it was changed. Makes me mad that my dog is now sick.

Dog is sick, many trips to the vet. Upsetting to us because our poor baby is sick.


Jon of Lakeland FL (11/26/08)
We switched our GSP to Canidae around 1 yr. old ( May 2006 )with no problem until Oct. 2007 when we purchased a new bag. Symptoms started within 24 hrs. vomit, diarrhea, then skin problems with scabs and scratching followed. Within 2-3 wks. this field conditioned dog had lost 10 lbs. from bloody diarrhea. We switched foods after 3 wks. but the damage had been done.

We made many trips to the vet with no idea what was causing the problem since he had been on Canidae for a long time before with no problems and Canidae said nothing was wrong with thier foods during the recalls. After testing and treating for anything the vet could think of, plus us home cooking for months he started to recover after about 4 mo. About 6 mo. from the time this all started he was almost 100% We kept feeding him high end foods for a couple more months and then switched back to new bag of Canidae over a month period with a little gas and soft stool but nothing serious.

After 2 mo. had past and he was back to 100% Canidae with no problems other than gas, we started mixing and feeding some of the remaining amount of the BAD Canidae from 1 yr. before and within 1 wk. his symptoms started to develope all over again like before. Remember this was only a small portion of the original food that caused the problem mixed in with the new bag we had been feeding. This was proof that Canidae almost killed our dog after swearing nothing was wrong with thier food when we called about the problems.

We almost lost our family pet and spent 6 mo. doing everything we could to help him recover. Canidae was not willing to test the food or do anything to help. I'm sad to say we proved Canidae food was killing our dog and wanted to make sure others were warned. I have all the dates recorded, along with treatments. There is no doubt Canidae is responsible. We will never purchase another Canidae product.

Jennifer of Oakdale NY (11/25/08)
Our 4 year old poodle-lab mix has been eating Canidae for about 3 years. We switched to after some research, and in order to share food with my sister's new puppy. Although our dog was never a very enthusiastic eater, we never had any problems with the food.

Recently, she has been having bouts of diarrhea, bright yellow in color, and terrible gas. After a particularly bad night - gas wise - I took her to the vet, as she has had gastro problems in the past. X-rays showed no blockeage, but plenty of gas and irritation. In discussing possible causes, the vet asked about her food. When I told him we feed Canidae, he mentioned complaints on the internet regarding their new formula.. When I found this site, I could not believe all the similar stories. I never would have suspected her food. As I think back, I can see that all of my dog's issues started with the last (smaller) bag of food I purchased.



Linda of Vacaville CA (11/24/08)
We had been feeding our Golden Retriever and Poodle Candidae Dog Food for some quite some time. Both dogs began turning away from the food. The Golden Retriever broke out with hives over his entire body and his behavior became aggitated. The Poodle would vomit the food. We learned of the manufacturing changes to the dog food and symptoms reported by other dog owners and believed the symptoms our dogs were experiencing may be related to the dog food. Within two days of taking both dogs off of Candidae, the dogs improved significantly. The Golden Retriever has not had any new hives but has lost nearly 50% of his hair and his skin is flaking.

When the hives first appeared, the vet thought they were from allergies and used a steroid injection to try to control the outbreak and antibiotics to prevent infection from the hives that had been stratched raw. Vet costs were about $300.00.

Nikki of Estes Park CO (11/24/08)
i like everyone else had issues with the formula change. i believe that canidae contributed to my dog having a mini-stroke. we had to drive an hour in the middle of the night, costing us over 900.00 just for the emergency care. not to mention all the bills prior just trying to figure out why she kept having diarreah with blood. i used to be a devout canidae consumer, but never again!

this has put a huge strain on our finances. trying different kinds of canidae, vet bills etc... i run a breed rescue and am not non profit yet. i will have to miss a house payment because of this.

Lauren of Holden MA (11/24/08)
I recently lost my 4 year old Black Lab to liver failure. I am starting to beleive after all I read that maybe it was the food I was feeding her. I had never had any probems with her untill the last 2 weeks after starting a new bag of food about 3 weeks ago. She urinated on the couch and we thought it was a standard UTI. We brought her to the vet with a urine sample only to find she had no bacteria present, but alot of blood and biliruben.

We did more tests and the vet was in shock at her liver function. She should have already passed by the looks of her blood levels, but she was still a bubbly Lab. The vet informed us that her liver and body with the levels they were at would not survive and it was in her best interest to put her down. I have the leftover bag of food and am considering having it analized if I can afford it after all my vet expences. $118 for origional visit, $175 for additional testing and $240 to euthinize my baby.

A total of $533 vet expences and the loss of my best friend which no price can be put on.

Jen of Gallup NM (11/23/08)
my story is the smae as all the others on here. 7 month old GSD, fed Canidae since he started eating sold food. i got him at 7 weeks and continued with it. i learned about the change in formula nad called my pet food store and asked. they said that the change was the addition of peas, white rice, rice bran and barley. didnt soudn like a big diff really. the grain % had not gone up, just become more diversified. i got a new bag (44#) and slowloy gradulally mixzed it with the old Canidae. my puppy started intermittently vomiting. the barfin increased as the % of new Canidae ALS increased. i was only up to about 30% new food and the last day he started barfing about every 3 mins. as i called the vet to take him in, he started having diarheah.

this was just under 2 weeks from the day i opened the new bag. i dont believe for one second that the only addition or change to the formial were those four ingreds. i think they lied and addede other things b/c no way could those 4 innocent ingreds create so much dietary upset. at the vets we did rads to see if there was an obstruction. then a barium study to make sure. nothing. just an empty gut and gas pockets in his bowels.

this change was all about money for the company. in their stupid condescending statement they act like it was bad change-over procedures that created the probs for most people but htat is NOT true. i changed slow and it made no diff--he was horribly sick. wretching up foam and nearly choking on it, lost weight, hair was falling out like never before and his breath was foul. the bags of food got smaller, the price got higher and the ingreds were changed to who-knows-what REALLY. i think Canidae should send out REFUNDS (at the very least!). but hopefully the damage has been done and will put them out of business.

my vet bill hasnt been generated yet, but i expect around $350. plus the $50 i spent on the food which will be thrown out. plus about 15 loads of barfy laundry, and lots of lost hours of sleep. hopefully no permanent damage was done to my puppy. he is still recovering.


Robin of Wilton Manors FL (11/23/08)
I submitted a post here in August but it's not here. After feeding the Felidae Platnium canned since the Menu Foods recall, I was quite dismayed when my shipment of Felidae Platnium arrived end of July. I opend the can and the food looked different-darker and just strange. I put it out for the cats, they sniffed and walked away. Two full days and they refused to eat it.

I contacted Canidae and they said nothing had changed in their canned formula, perhaps the batch had been cooked a little different. I called PFD and they credited me and sent a new case. Same thing so I went out and found some Felidae Chicken and rice and fed that for about a month, figuring this would give time for a new batch of the Platnium to hit the market. Before I stopped feeding the chicken and rice, that too changed. I bought it at my local Gourmet Pet store and opened that up one night to find a very red looking and soupy product.

I started ordering the Platnium again in October and was shocked to see that the recent batch has changed yet again-is exceptionally light in color (looks like lots of chicken) and chunks of carrots. Consistency is gross and I cannot even tell you the poop issues and as this is their primary food, can't really transition them.

I spent a lot of time researching foods afetr the recall and I was really dismayed by how the company handles complaints, by lying and saying nothing has changed, then seeing the letter here from the owners and then the compaqny choosing to go with a company like Diamond which had its own huge recall a few years back and seems to still have some quality control issues.

In this last batch, I noticed the can tops were thinner, they pop right off. So far, two were already sort of popped and when I opened them, they came right off and the food was all moldy. I have switched the cats to Nutro Naturals as they don't tolerate Wellness, Innovo OR Natural Balance. They just don't seem to ever get used to them. I hate that I am giving them something so commercial but it seems that Canidae has sold out anyway and have lied about it. They should go under for being so deceitful.


Michael of Morgantown IN (11/22/08)
we only learned of canidae this past labor day at the US National Drags in Indianapolis. Canidae sponsored Jim Dunn's car in the drags and handed out small samples. our dogs loved it and wouldn't touch the Hill's science diet we had been buying. 3 bags later, opened the bag and wondered what went wrong. the dogs quit eating and the older one losing weight. just went last night took back the one we bought, tried a different style, which was no different than the other trash we just returned. so back we go to return that bag to never waste my time or money on that garbage.

hopefully canidae will pull their heads out of the sand and start producing the old formula.

A statement from Canidae:
We apologize to all who have voiced their concerns with our new formulation. Canidae distributed letters to retailers, breeders, updated packaging, and provided in-store signage, however it appears that this message did not reach all of our customers.

The new formulation, with increased levels of meat protein, lowered carbohydrates, and an increased overall complex carbohydrate quality, provides the most nutritious, all natural, palatable products. Canidae never uses soy, corn, wheat, by-products, grain fractions, or fillers in our food.

If you believe your pet has experienced challenges related to the new formula we suggest feeding smaller portions multiple times a day. Adding warm water can decrease the chance of pets eating too quickly and not chewing thoroughly. It’s not unusual for pets to experience some digestive issues when transitioning, but if your problems persist, contact your veterinarian to rule out any underlying health concerns. For more tips, visit canidae.com/transitioningfromorig.html.

Due to increased commodity costs, we’ve changed our packaging sizes, reducing the overall weight by approximately 3-5 pounds per bag. The new sizes are more consistent with other brands and allow for easier handling.

We are committed to bringing quality products to pet owners and in June that commitment led us to Diamond’s manufacturing facility. Diamond facilities have rigorous quality control processes, utilizing a 141-point ingredient test protocol. All products are subject to a 10-point final product safety review and Canidae has also implemented hourly testing to confirm quality and product safety in our onsite laboratory. All Canidae products meet or exceed AAFCO nutrient profiles in USDA and FDA approved facilities.

At Canidae, we are committed to providing you and your pets the highest standard of excellence for product quality, palatability, and customer satisfaction. Please call 800-398-1600 or visit www.canidae.com to let us know what we can do to serve you better.

Canidae
Scott Whipple and John Gordon
Owners
PO Box 3610
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403

eye update

Seems I have had an allergic reaction....this morning it was not just my eye but I had whelps and pustules all over my head... no wonder I was itching myself to death. Vet thinks it is a reaction to my food Canidae that just recently changed their formula!!!!!! I MUST be allergic to one of the new ingredients in the new CANIDAE!!!!!

I am eating California Naturals for allergies and also taking three Benadryl every eight hours for itching and a strong antibiotic to prevent infection from scratching.

MOM is really upset with Canidae changing there formula and not even telling customers about the change!!!! Also she is not happy that Diamond Company is manufacturing it! WHY did they change the formula....we never had one problem with the old formula!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY MESS UP A GOOD THING???????????