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Blue Buffalo Wilderness linked to excess Vitamin D

8K views 39 replies 18 participants last post by  tippykayak 
#1 ·
FYI:MSU researchers link pet food, dog illnesses nationwide

MSU researchers link pet food, dog illnesses nationwide — College Of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University

EAST LANSING, Mich. — A team of researchers at Michigan State University has discovered a group of illnesses reported in dogs across the country is linked to a specific brand of dog food from the Blue Buffalo Co.

Veterinarians from across the country recently began sending samples from dogs with elevated levels of calcium in their blood to MSU’s Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health, director Carole Bolin said. The sick dogs had increased thirst and urination, and some of them also suffered weight loss, loss of appetite and signs of kidney damage.

Endocrinologists with the Diagnostic Center, a service unit of the College of Veterinary Medicine, soon noticed the pattern and found a common factor: All 16 dogs whose samples were tested had very high levels of vitamin D in their blood and were fed a diet of Blue Buffalo’s Wilderness Chicken Recipe.

The diagnostic center is cooperating with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration on an investigation into the brand, Bolin said.

“The only reason we were able to identify the pattern is because of the vast national resource our center has become,” said Bolin, who added her lab performs more than 1.3 million tests a year. “Because of our nationwide reach and expertise, we were able to discover this and notify the proper authorities.”

It is routine for veterinarians across the country to contact the center for specialized testing to explore the causes of clinical conditions. In this specific case, all the dogs were found to have very high levels of vitamin D in their serum, a quite unusual finding. Endocrinologist Kent Refsal picked up on the pattern of cases and began to investigate.

The affected dogs ranged in age from 8 months to 8 years. There were three mixed-breed dogs and 13 purebred dogs. The samples originated from eight states: Michigan, Texas, Colorado, Wisconsin, California, Illinois, North Dakota and Utah. In addition to the testing, there was either a brief written history and/or communication with the referring veterinarian to discuss the possible sources of excess vitamin D.

Dogs seem to recover when the diet is changed, Bolin said, and there have not been any reported deaths related to the diet.
 
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#5 ·
Yet another piece of proof that a lot of those ratings are absolute bunk.

They have no idea what caused it. Their recall statement says a supplier included more vitamin D than they were supposed to (which means the supplier is actually formulating major components of the food before it gets to Blue Buffalo's facility?), but that claim is contradicted by what the researchers initially said, which is that they weren't finding excess vitamin D in the samples of food they tested.

Blue Buffalo is well rated because their Wilderness blends conform to the philosophy of those dog food rating websites, not because of any empirical evidence that shows lots of different dogs thriving on their foods.

Look around the forum and you'll see a lot more threads about how Blue Buffalo is making dogs sick and giving them soft stools than you'll find threads raving about it.
 
#10 ·
This is one of the highest rated food's you're able to buy.
I agree with TK, this is a prime example illistrating that those rating sites are a total load of bunk.


Well here's a little kibble for thought.


There are a number of threads that bash Iams/Eukanuba because they're owned by the giant P&G. (The same is often said of Nestle Purina.) The popular rating sites consistently give kibble produced by P&G low ratings, yet people who's livelihoods depend on the performance of the dogs in their care feed Iams/Eukanuba/Purina products with great success.


The Iams Company discovered a problem in one of their manufacturing facilities back in July. Their response was to rapidly get the word out and recall the products that were produced there. To date, I don't believe that any dogs got sick from due to the problem that cropped up in that facility.


Contrast that with Blue Buffalo. The Veterinary Profession noticed a substantial number of clients with sick animals all with similar symptoms. Blue Buffalo was oblivious to a major problem in their products. What were the results of their long term feeding trials? Oh, that's right, they don't do long term feeding trials. They let their customers animals serve as guinea pigs for their products.
 
#16 ·
The Veterinary Profession noticed a substantial number of clients with sick animals all with similar symptoms. Blue Buffalo was oblivious to a major problem in their products. What were the results of their long term feeding trials? Oh, that's right, they don't do long term feeding trials. They let their customers animals serve as guinea pigs for their products.
This is the heart of the issue, as far as I'm concerned.

Too many expensive foods are based on philosophies about dog nutrition rather than on hard evidence and extensive research. You pay more, and you may be getting less.

With a dozen confirmed cases of dogs sickened by their food, they finally recalled. I think the P&G salmonella recall is a nice contrast. Not one dog or person got sick before or after the recall.
Swamp, Tippy - I think you still have a misunderstanding as to what happened. The food is fine. It was tainted by an outside source. So it has nothing to do with long term feeding trials or extensive research. They KNOW too much Vitamin D is bad for dogs...it was a mistake. And unless I am mistaken, it was 12 dogs. How that possibly be considered "substantial" when there are some 77 million dogs in the US? I think it speaks volumes as to how much Blue DOES care and value their clients that they did a voluntary recall. I applaud them. Compare this response to Toyota or BP recently.

You seem to have another agenda in bashing Blue and maybe you are right and maybe you are wrong...but you shouldn't hijack the production scheduling mishap and subsequent recall to make your point.

Can I ask what food you both recommend? Thanks.
 
#7 ·
There have been some recent threads about some dogs having problems and they were on Blue Buffalo. I hope these people see it and change the food.
 
#8 ·
This scares the heck out of me, because I probably would have put my Jacks (when he was a puppy) on this kibble because of their reputation (what other dog owners have said, not rating websites).

And Michigan is one of the states with reported problems....
 
#14 ·
I don't think the problem is limited to just the three foods they recalled either. We have 9 month old puppy I'm fostering for rescue who has had excessive water intake, diarrhea, and now vomitting. She was being fed BB Large Breed PUPPY, it's not on the recall list but fits the symptoms they stated in the letter. She's at the vet this weekend for observation and medication, I won't be feeding her the BB any longer.
 
#15 ·
interesting comment, mylissyk. I have a schnauzer here at the pet hotel who is eating a different formulation of the food and also showing the increased thirst/urination, loss of weight. He has Cushings so the owners/vet have attributed it to the Cushings, but I have to wonder.....
 
#17 ·
I wasn't the one that put the pup on BB, the first foster home she was in did and she came to me shortly after with the food. I decided months ago I didn't like all the reports from people here on the board about BB giving their dogs or puppies diarrhea, so I won't use it. Not to mention that over a year ago my son tried it with his dog and the dog had diarrhea from it.

If you can, it might be a good idea to mention to the Schnauzer's owners there is a recall and the multiple people here that have had trouble with it. I hope he does ok.
 
#18 ·
It may have been 12 dogs reported to the company but how many dogs were not reported but are now sick. Not everyone has taken their dog to the vet. Some people will stop the food and put thier dog on hamburger & rice and maybe switch food or slowly start the food again. Never going to the vet or contacting the company.
I dont like that the company doesnt test the food. I know when Natural Balance had that big problem several years ago, they now do testing all the time on their food and that is how they have found a problem with salmonella and did a voluntary recall. And that was done before dogs got sick. My Beau was one of the dogs that got sick on the original recall and they offered to pay for any vet bills he might have gotten from it. But he didnt get any because I stopped the food and he was fine. So I still trust the company.
 
#22 · (Edited by Moderator)
I would also like to point out that those who seem to have problems with Blue, or any other food, are having problems because they are not patient with the transition. They see loose stools, and they switch to something else, and then that doesn't work and they try another product. Every time I read a complaint like that I just shake my head. I don't think there have been any reports of serious illness from Blue here. It always disturbs me when someone bashes a brand or a breeder when the problems they are having are often from a lack of knowledge and/or experience - but those people seem to be the most vocal. Its just unfortunate and I can't pay attention to it - I'll take responsibility for my own learning when it comes to my pup's nutrition, thank you.
 
#23 ·
I would also like to point out that those who seem to have problems with Blue, or any other food, are having problems because they not patient with the transition. They see loose stools, and they switch to something else, and then that doesn't work and they try another product. Every time I read a complaint like that I just shake my head. I don't think there have been any reports of serious illness from Blue here. It always disturbs me when someone bashes a brand or a breeder when the problems they are having are often from a lack of knowledge and/or experience - but those people seem to be the most vocal. Its just unfortunate and I can't pay attention to it - I'll take responsibility for my own learning when it comes to my pup's nutrition, thank you.
That's hardly a fair accusation against everyone who ever had trouble with BB foods. There are plenty of people, and you'd know this if you had gone back to read their stories, that switched very, very slowly and gave the food a long, long time to settle, and never had any luck.

It depends on your definition of serious illness, because there are multiple people in this thread and elsewhere whose dogs did not thrive on the food.

I'm sure there are plenty of people who fit the bill you've described and gave up on the food too early. And there are plenty of dogs that thrive on Blue Buffalo; I've read a couple of those threads too.

My main point is simply that this food isn't substantively different from any other rich food. The world "holistic," as I've long contended, is meaningless when applied to dog food, and BB has not acquitted itself particularly well here. In the short term, I'd have significant concerns if I were feeding my dog BB, and I'd check the recall carefully and keep an eye out for symptoms.
 
#24 ·
I can only speak from my experience. I have three very healthy dogs here. The oldest was on Purina as a pup. He was underweight and I sought nutritional counseling. His coat was like straw. He did not have a healthy start.

The difference with brands such as Innova, Fromms, Blue, and a few others, was impressive. It made a difference for him.

And I am not discounting anyone's claim of having problems with Blue - but I don't recall anyone reporting signs of hypercalcemia or vitamin D toxicosis. There is a big difference between loose stools from flip flopping between brands and these other illnesses, which I consider serious.
 
#25 ·
I can only speak from my experience. I have three very healthy dogs here. The oldest was on Purina as a pup. He was underweight and I sought nutritional counseling. His coat was like straw. He did not have a healthy start.
And please don't take my questions about the company as anything against the folks who feed their dogs BB. Anytime a dog thrives, I'm happy. If my dog was thriving on BB, I wouldn't change away because of the recall. I'd keep an eye out for signs of trouble, but since the problems are easy to see if know what you're looking for and not dangerous if caught early, I wouldn't be terribly worried (just as I wasn't when some blends of Eukanuba were recalled).

The difference with brands such as Innova, Fromms, Blue, and a few others, was impressive. It made a difference for him.
I guess I'm just skeptical that there's that big a difference when potato is used for starch instead of a grain and chicken muscle meat is given a higher proportion than organ meat. And I certainly don't think "holistic" means anything when a kibble maker uses it.

And I am not discounting anyone's claim of having problems with Blue - but I don't recall anyone reporting signs of hypercalcemia or vitamin D toxicosis. There is a big difference between loose stools from flip flopping between brands and these other illnesses, which I consider serious.
mylissyk and hotel4dogs both mentioned examples of dogs on BB showing signs of what could be those conditions. It takes very extensive vet care to diagnose definitively, but those symptoms would have me concerned.
 
#28 ·
How frustrating that must have been for you. I haven't had the same experience - but I know it could happen. Thats why I read labels - I smell things - I look at the condition of the bag and the date - oh, I'm very annoying. Its good you probed for answers - gosh, we have to be proactive about everything : )
 
#29 ·
I certainly would have stayed on Eukanuba if they were not having the current supply shortage until spring. I have had Gable on Blue for a week and a half and have been doing the slow transition. I have had no problem with him. I agree Marty's Mom that transition is an important part of new foods. And it regards to the Vitamin D issue, they said that as soon as the dogs transitioned to another food, the problem cleared up. I am not discounting that Blue made a terrible error but they have identified it, recalled the food and are moving on. It is the public's decision whether to remain with them or move on.
 
#30 ·
Shoot, Finn is on BB Basic Salmon for suspected food allergies. I need to go and check the dates.
Alright, just checked and our bag wasn't on the recall. Neither was previous bag. I've noticed that Finn Drinks a lot, but I believe he had prior to BB anyway. It also seems to be after he has had his kong.
 
#34 ·
I was another puppy owner who tried BB because I heard good things about it. Unfortunately, my puppy had severe colitis for the 3 months she was on it. Did I not transition her slowly enough? I think I did. I just don't think her stomach tolerated it well enough. And even though diarrhea isn't a "serious issue," cleaning up liquid diarrhea from your carpets several times a week is not very fun! :p:

That's not saying that the food is bad, it's simply saying that the food did not agree with my dog. She does better on Purina Pro Plan, and so that's what she eats.

Feed your dog what it thrives on, be it Puppy Chow (like the woman I met last week whose golden lived for 18 years) or a raw diet. If it works, it's the best food for your dog.
 
#36 ·
Sonny had been on BB since we got from the rescue in late spring. We switched him to the Life Protection kibble by accident, but he did so well on it (firm stools,beautiful coat) that we kept buying it. He started having diarrhea after the last bag we purchased in Aug. We thought he had picked up a parasite or infection, and took him off the BB, put him rice and chicken for a week while he was on flagyl. He had improvement, so we gradually started him back on the BB. Again, he started having loose stools, and so i took a sample in to be analyzed , and it was neg. So we started putting 2 and 2 together and our dogwalker told us about the recall. I checked the "used by" date and it was not a bag listed for the recall.... but I know that the food was making him sick.... he was drinking 4 bowls of water a day! we just attributed it to the diarrhea, even though he has had diarrhea before and never drank that much. I am suprised that my vet wasn't alert to it.... I am sure that if we had had blood drawn to test for it would have been positive to high levels of vit D. Poor guy... I feel so bad that it took us so long to figure it out. I returned to BB to the store and they gave us a total refund. But I am going to call BB tomorrow and report this bag. We started him on another food and he is doing fine, no loose stools at all. I don't know what to think that a ly high quality product doesn't have better quality controls. I am sure that they won't reimburse me for the vet bills because the bag we had wasn't on the recall list, even though we know that it was tainted. Vit D is a fat soluble vitamin that stays in the system for longer than the other water soluble vitamins, and therefore takes longer to develop symptoms, and longer for the body to metabolize it out of the system. What's scary is that he could have damaged his kidneys if he was extra sensitive.... and what vet randomly tests for vit.D? Sorry so long.... just upset about it.
 
#37 ·
I've tried several foods for my goldens, mainly worrying about cancer prevention. On Canidae, they had mild anemia on their CBCs which corrected after 6 months back on Eukanuba Premium Performance. With Eagle Pack, before Wellpet bought it, it was too hard to keep weight on the dogs. Innova is great, but Fromm 4 Star gave us dry coats. Paw NatureRaw did not agree well with tummies. In the end, I am staying with Eukanuba Premium Performance because of the glossy coats and perfect CBCs, the excellent muscle/weight, the years of live feeding trials, and the hope that bc all the breeders/vets who use it expect the best, the company will prioritize its safety. I do sneak them Honest Kitchen sometimes as a topping and use lots of real food for treats like chicken breast. They are insane with joy over the new Honest Kitchen food "Zeal". My golden Joplin lived well into his 15th year eating Eukanuba, so that makes me a little biased in its favor.
 
#38 ·
just a little update, the dog I had here on the blue buffalo formula that was NOT on the recall list, who drank a lot etc., was taken off the food.
He has improved dramatically. (he's on a homecooked diet for now)
FWIW
 
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