A California man is suing Purina for millions in a lawsuit claiming his two dogs became gravely ill after consuming its food, one of which did not make it.
Frank Lucido, of Discovery Bay, claims Purina's Beneful "kibble" style dry dog food is filled with animal toxins found in antifreeze and fungus found in grains, according to the Feb. 5 lawsuit obtained by CBS SF Bay Area.
Lucido is asking for over $5 million in damages in the suit against Nestle Purina PetCare Company.
According to the suit, Lucido's English Bulldog named Dozer and Labrador named Remo fell ill a short time after he fed them the "kibble." Dozer eventually succumbed to the illness but Remo is still alive and apparently still sick.
The plaintiff has a third dog who was also fed Beneful but doesn't appear to be mentioned in the suit.
Toxicology results on the dog who died are still pending. But according to Lucido, his pets were sickened by a combination of propylene glyco, a toxin found in car antifreeze, and mycotoxins, which come from fungus found in grains.
Some 3,000 people in the last four years have written online complaints about dogs falling ill or dying after consuming Beneful, the lawsuit claims according to CBS SF Bay. Lucido is asking the court to allow other owners with affected pets to join his suit.
The animals' symptoms were all "consistent," including vomiting, seizures, diarrhea, kidney failure, dehydration, internal bleeding and liver failure.
Purina said its food is safe to consume and dog owners need not be concerned, the station reported.
"Like other pet foods, Beneful is occasionally the subject of social media-driven misinformation," Purina said. "On-line postings often contain false, unsupported and misleading allegations that cause undue concern and confusion for our Beneful customers."
Purina spokesman Keith Schopp also added propylene glycol is approved by the Food and Drug Administration as an additive in food for both humans and animals.
The food company screens its grains for mycotoxins, Schoop told the station.
An FDA spokeswoman said they do not comment on pending litigation. The administration has issued no warnings against the dog food in question.
