With 70 Dogs Now Dead, Pet Food Recall Expanded

More than 70 dogs have now died and more than 80 others are sick as a pet food company expands the recall it first instituted in December. Midwestern Pet Foods says in a statement that "additional corn-containing lot codes of Sportmix, Pro Pac Originals, Splash, Sportstrail, and Nunn Better dry dog and cat foods produced in our Oklahoma Kitchen with an expiration date on or before July 9, 2022" have been added to the voluntary recall. The Food and Drug Administration has a list of the affected products, how to identify if you have one, and what to do here. The FDA also has photos of the products involved here.

Aflatoxin poisoning, caused by a mold that grows on corn and other grains, is the suspected culprit, though that has not yet been confirmed, and the recalled products "may contain aflatoxin levels which exceed acceptable limits," the company says. Symptoms in animals include sluggishness, appetite loss, vomiting, jaundice, and diarrhea; some animals suffer liver damage but display no symptoms. There is no evidence pet owners who handle the food are at risk, though they are advised to wash their hands afterward. "Pets are highly susceptible to aflatoxin poisoning because, unlike people, who eat a varied diet, pets generally eat the same food continuously over extended periods of time" and the toxin can accumulate, the FDA explains. (More pet food recall stories.)