Since I initially wrote about problems with Nutro dog food in May, there has continued to be illnesses and even dog deaths possibly related to Nutro. Numerous people commented on the story, talking about illnesses related to what they feel was feeding their dogs Nutro.
The company continues to deny that there’s any problems with their food and the illnesses and deaths are just a coincidence.
Here’s the latest from Consumer Affairs on Nutro. Read well and carefully!
Illness, Death Dog Nutro Pet Food
Company denies a link to scores of sudden illness
A series of mysterious illness and death dogs Nutro pet food. Scores of pet owners report their animals became ill while eating Nutro products, then recovered when they were switched to another brand.
At least six dogs have died in the past two months, according to an analysis of complaints to ConsumerAffairs.com. The company discounts the reports, saying they are isolated and unconfirmed; at least one Nutro employee, sickened by the company’s response, told us she resigned.
In related developments, ConsumerAffairs.com has learned:
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently investigated the April deaths of two dogs in Indiana. The FDA tested samples of the Nutro food those dogs ate, but did not find any toxins. No one, however, has tested the Nutro food the other dogs ate before they died;
- A pet nutrition specialist for Nutro confirmed she’s heard complaints about the company’s food making dogs and cats sick. She reported those concerns to her supervisor, but said they were ignored. She recently resigned;
- There is a shortage of some varieties of Nutro dog food. The company says this is a supply problem – not a safety or quality issue;
- Some consumers have sent their pets’ food to Nutro for testing. They have not received any results. Other pet owners plan to hire private labs to test their food and report their concerns to the FDA and the Animal Poison Control Center run by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
The six dogs that recently died include two Italian Greyhounds in Indiana, a Beagle/Whippet mix in Pennsylvania, two German Shepherd puppies in North Carolina, and a Doberman Pinscher in Texas.
The dogs’ owners all say their pets were in good health and they’re convinced that Nutro’s food is somehow connected to their animals’ deaths. Those concerns are echoed by pet owners whose dogs and cats have recently become sick after eating the company’s food.
Nutro, however, defends its products and says the food is 100 percent safe.
But scores of pet owners across the country — including longtime Nutro customers — no longer feel safe feeding this brand of food to their dogs and cats.
The article goes into much more detail, including about the dogs who died while eating Nutro. Read the article in its entirety HERE.
As inconclusive as things are, I have to say that if I fed my dogs commercial dog food and was feeding them Nutro, I would stop. I would not take the chance! It doesn’t look like Nutro is going to do what I would think of as the responsible thing and test, test and test some more and with scores of complaints, illnesses and even deaths, it just is not worth it!

Andrea Rosebrock 
















In regard to PETS on NUTRO! I have a GREAT idea!~
Why don’t we feed NUTRO to families who own the company, I would love to see the results!!!
My sweet 8 year old miniature schnauzer (Maggie)passed away this week. Everything was normal until 4am Thursday morning. I woke to one loud “jerk” or sudden “jump” sound coming from her bed. I initially thought she had had a bad dream. I called out to her but she wouldn’t come. I thought she was just tired and still sleeping. After about a minute or so she whined twice. I immediately jumped out of bed to see what was wrong. Upon turning on the lights I discovered her in an odd position – sitting up on her hind legs with her neck bent back oddly to the side and her front legs stiff in front of her. I knew something was not right so I screamed out. Within seconds she slumped over like a rag doll…no heartbeat, breathing, or life in her whatsoever. Because this happened so suddenly and resulted in her death I began to research what could of caused her to have such a severe seizure. I kept coming up with rat poisoning and antifreeze poisoning. Maggie was a strictly inside dog. She was normally fed Nutro Lamb & Rice formula dog food. However, on the Sunday before her death I purchased a bag of Nutro Veal & Brown Rice dog food. I noticed she wouldn’t eat the dog food. I just thought it was because it was a different flavor. Maggie refused to eat this dog food until Wednesday evening. At dinner while my family ate I noticed she had a full bowl of dog food. At approximately midnight I took her outside for a potty break. I noticed at this time the food was gone. We went to bed at 2am. The sudden seizure began at 4am. In retrospect I believe now that she had two seizures back to back. The second so severe and long it killed her. Also, I remember her being excessively thirsty that night. Maggie did not vomit or have diarrhea unless this happened while outside during her midnight potty break. After researching online I have discovered one pet owner’s account of two of her pets having the same severe seizure symptoms. One of her dogs died, the other lived.