WARNING! MERCADONA DOG FOOD PROBLEM.

[nicki]

I also have no proof that my dog died because of this food, it happened so fast. We did go to the vet and his kidneys were in total failure. As he had Leish we assumed this was the cause. Talking to the vet here about the situation  he thinks because of the leish he was very vulnerable and the dog food was probably the last straw for his kidneys.
To think that something I fed him caused his early death is heartbreaking and claiming any compensation will not bring him back. But I thank you John for bringing this to everyone's attention and having a hand in making the company realise what was going on.

[JessicaH]

Agree John. People must act as they think best especially those whose dogs have been very ill as they may suffer constant health problems in the future and these should surely be addressed.

Just very thankful to you for highlighting the problem with the food , which because I am nosy and constantly logging on, I was able to warn my neighbours within minutes of your post and in turn they, with haste, were able to contact their vets. Consequently all local pets are now much improved.

Thanks FM. She always made me smile so  try and remember her that way.

[Beachcomber_Bar_Mojacar]

I totally agree with you Jessica and I have been saying all along that Mercadona and Compy acted very fast indeed and had the product off the shelf within 36 hours of my first warning post hitting the internet. I couldn't ask for much more and want to add I doubt any other pair of companies would have done this.

Saying that there are those who will want the company/ies to pay up for what did happen to their loved ones and I think that's only fair they should, John.

[fidgetmidget]

Really sorry to hear about you losing your dog Jess, it should never have happened. I hope you will get over it by thinking of all the good times you spent together.
FM

[JessicaH]

John, I lost my darling Bess  BUT because her demise was so sudden a vet never had the opportunity to see her. So no proof and anyway no amount of money would bring her back .
So it is a route I personally will not travel.
I would rather live with the thought that as soon as the company were made aware of a death they stepped up the action so that her life was not in vain.

[Beachcomber_Bar_Mojacar]

They may well pay the vets fees but the class action may be needed by those that have lost dogs and/or want to claim for any heart ache, John.

[JessicaH]

I had just received a very nice phone call from Mercadona apologising to me for the loss of my dog because of the excess of D3 which has left me in no doubt that ALL vets bills will be paid without having to go through a class action.
All credit to them for acknowledging they had a fault.

When I mentioned that even with the problem solved I could never buy that particular wet food again she said she would report that to the bosses. So am personally hoping that the trozos in tins will stay.

[Beachcomber_Bar_Mojacar]

Compy Dog Food, consumer's association will coordinate claims. John.
http://www.simplynetworking.es/news-10880-31-compy_dog_food_consumers_association_will_co-ordinate_claims.html

[GILERA]

Always fed my dog on tripe and eggs... no processed food as I didn't know what was in it!!!

[kira]

we have tried dog food various.....chicken....fish...fish our neighbor  even brought her steak but nothing seems to work.....
she just pushes it around with her nose not quite shore what to try next................

kira

action sounds a good idea

[cgmaywood]

Hi Kira

Yes I am having the same problem with our two dogs.  They are very wary when I give them their food now and at times will not eat what I put down for them.  They sniff it and move it around the bowl before taking small amounts.  Before they would both wooff their food down.

I have changed to a good dry food and have been using Pedigree wet food but sometimes they are still not interested.

It is worrying when they will not eat and other than trying to tempt them with alternative foods I am not sure what you can do.

Mercadona/the manufacturers have a lot to answer for!

Chrissy

[Beachcomber_Bar_Mojacar]

I wonder if it would be worth contacting a solicitor to act on behalf of all those who have been affected by this Mercadona food to take out a "class action" against the manufacturers (if there is such a thing in Spain).  My fear is that although they may re-imburse individuals for their vets bill - what about any ongoing costs i.e. some animals may have to be on special food for the rest of their life.  Also, what about those people who have lost their beloved pets - surely some compensation is due?  This whole episode has been so sad and my thoughts go out to anyone still coping with sick pets.

From Jon Clark of the 'Olive Press' when I asked if he had any suggestions. John.


I think a very good idea... I would suggest Antonio Flores at Lawbird in Marbella...he is our company lawyer and has been involved in various similar court actions.

Let me know if you want contact details.

Jon Clarke <jon@theolivepress.es>

[kira]

Hi
one of our biggest problem with our maltese affected with the mercadonna dog food is now she does not want to eat and is losing weight, when your small not much to lose, up till this episode our problem has been stopping her eating!!!!!! has anyone else had this problem.........
kira

[colint42]

the email address informacion@tunaliment.es does not exiest the correct one is info@tunaliment.com
the is no es site for the company .
colint

[Rhodie]

I wonder if it would be worth contacting a solicitor to act on behalf of all those who have been affected by this Mercadona food to take out a "class action" against the manufacturers (if there is such a thing in Spain).  My fear is that although they may re-imburse individuals for their vets bill - what about any ongoing costs i.e. some animals may have to be on special food for the rest of their life.  Also, what about those people who have lost their beloved pets - surely some compensation is due?  This whole episode has been so sad and my thoughts go out to anyone still coping with sick pets.

[ColinC]

The email address I was given last week by the manufacturer was cuendas@escuris.es I haven´t tried it as yet though..

Colin

[kira]

hi we can across your forum through a link on the problem with mercadona dog food

we have a maltease terrier who has been very ill after eating the food, and continues to be so, visiting the vet every other day still.
Mercadona were in touch taking our details ect....were helpfull, then the manufactures rang again helpfull but asked us to email details to
informacion@tunaliment.es
but all the emails keep being bounced back

we have checked this email with them (phone mercadona, they ring manufactures, they ring us......)but insist its right has anyone the right email or phone number for them as vet bills mount up.....hundred so far!!!!!we are not out of the woods yet but are certainly out of pocket!!!!!!!!we are near santa pola and we do not have the only ill dog
kira

[Bestia Parda]

Hi! My name is Clara, and I live in Alcantarilla, I'm trying to find people with dogs affected by the toxic food, I made a facebook group in other to gather as many people as posible, the group is:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002659356431#!/groups/199318600167653/

I think that as much people we are as much posibilities we have to make them to pay all the vet's tips and the cares our dogs are needing. I'm sorry if my english is bad  ;D. Hope to contact you soon

[jill cockfield]

Steve, I believe what is written on the packet is what SHOULD be in the meat, however the belief is that much,much more has been added due to human error.

[Beachcomber_Bar_Mojacar]

Could too much Vitamin D3 really be the problem?

According to the packaging Compy Pate has 100UI/kg of Vitamin D3
I've just looked at the Dia brand of dogfood that claims to have 215UI/kg of D3.

I think I'll just give the dogs rice and chicken from now on.

High Calcium Levels in Dogs
By Darin McGilvra, eHow Contributor
•   

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•   

•   Print this article
Calcium is an important mineral in the bodies of all animals, including dogs. It not only helps make bones strong, but it also helps muscles move, regulates body functions, and activates enzymes. Too much calcium, known as hypercalcemia, can lead to many health problems in a dog. There are various causes for hypercalcemia, and they need to be treated quickly.
Related Searches:
•   Care of Dogs
•   Calcium
1.   Symptoms
o   Symptoms of hypercalcemia include extreme thirst and excessive urination, which are also symptoms of excessive blood sugar. The dog may become weak or lethargic and lose its appetite. High levels of calcium also can cause kidney stones. This would lead to difficulty urinating, blood in the urine, or both.
Environmental Causes
o   Vitamin D poisoning and poor nutrition are two environmental causes for hypercalcemia. Vitamin D poisoning usually comes from rat poison, and treatment involves removing the dog from exposure to the rat poison or other source of vitamin D. An all-meat diet can also lead to hyerpcalcemia. Switching to a balanced diet will provide the dog with proper nutrition and take care of the hypercalcemia.
Addison's Disease
o   If a dog has no external signs of a tumor and has not been exposed to rat poison or an all-meat diet, then the vet will probably test for Addison's Disease. This is an adrenal hormone deficiency that is treated with medicine that the dog will have to take for the rest of its life. The test for it, called an ACTH Stimulation test, will take between one and two hours at the hospital.
Parathyroid Tumor and Kidney Disease
o   The next step would be another blood test to check for the levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), ionized calcium, and Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein (PTH-rP). The results of all three will help the vet determine if there is a parathyroid tumor or kidney disease.
Treatments for a parathyroid tumor, which is usually benign, include surgical removal, an alcohol injection into the tumor, or applying heat to the tumor through a radiofrequency needle. Treatment for kidney disease will depend on the type of disease, but it often can be controlled with diet and/or medication.
Cancer
o   If there still is no confirmed cause, the dog will need X-rays of the chest and abdomen under general anesthesia to look for tumors. If none are found, then an intravenous chemotherapy agent will be given to the dog. If the blood calcium levels drop within 24 hours, then lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, is confirmed. If not, then a bone marrow tap under general anesthesia and an ultrasound of the abdomen can be done to check for tumors and look at the condition of the kidneys.
Lymphoma will be treated with chemotherapy. Treatment for other tumors will depend on where the tumor is, what kind of cancer it is, and how large it is. Treatment options can include surgical removal, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or any combination of the three.
Treatment of Symptoms
o   There are ways to treat the symptoms of hypercalcemia by lowering the levels of calcium, but the treatments can interfere with the results of tests to determine the underlying cause. Prednisone can be given to allow the kidneys to flush out the calcium, but it also will mask lymphoma if it is the cause and will make the lymphoma more difficult to treat. Putting the dog on intravenous fluids can also help flush out the calcium and can be a temporary fix and prevent further damage to organs until the underlying cause is diagnosed and treated.
Either one of these treatments may be used once the underlying cause is found. This will reduce the calcium levels to prevent further damage while the underlying cause is being treated.

[olulagirl]

Thanks John,

I might well be needing this. Our Shih Tzu puppy has just had a fit......on our way to the vets now in Olula.

......just got back from the vets. We had to take him to Albox for blood and urine tests.....the little fella is now on a drip. The count for the kidneys should be between 7 and 25.....it showed as 61. All the other things tested were within normal limits.

Find find enclosed your claim form for compensation.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f309/Beachcomber_Bar_Mojacar/claimform-wetpetfoodinTETRABRECART1.jpg

[steveconway24]

Could too much Vitamin D3 really be the problem?

According to the packaging Compy Pate has 100UI/kg of Vitamin D3
I've just looked at the Dia brand of dogfood that claims to have 215UI/kg of D3.

I think I'll just give the dogs rice and chicken from now on.

[Beachcomber_Bar_Mojacar]

Find enclosed your claim form for compensation.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f309/Beachcomber_Bar_Mojacar/claimform-wetpetfoodinTETRABRECART1.jpg

John.

[jill cockfield]

Yes absolutely definitely cat food as well, cos our dogs had been having the cat food and had all the symptoms!

[hassan]

hi, has anyone else had a problem with mercadona compy cat food. our cat was fine ( old but still relatively healthy) until they stopped doing the cat food in tins and started selling them in briks(cartons). it showed the same symptoms at dog owners were describing. after a week or so not eating the food and drinking lots. she deteriorated quickly

[jill cockfield]

We have bought tinned food from lidls but I am now uncomfortable with that as well. It is made in Spain under lidls own name coshida, but could it all be made in the same place and then branded under different names?

[Maddietwo]

NO!!!
Animals should never be given chicken bones..... they splinter easily and can cause terrible suffering and can be the cause of an extremely painful death.

Cooked bones SHOULD NEVER BE FED AT ANY TIME
I have fed the BRAF diet before and since coming to Spain chicken carcess chicken wings brown rice cooked veg I have eight wonderful healty dogs the oldest being 12 years old all have white shinny theeth
I would never and never have fed the comerial food from super markets
If my dogs have a treat it is a  raw carrot or an apple
I am so sorry for the people who have lost their dear friends my heart goes out to you
I started feedin the BRAF diet after reading just what goes in to the comercail brands umm quite an eye opener
maddietwo

[Dog Lady]

Many thanks John for your continuing help and support but the issue is still confusing and worrying if despite Compy's admission of human error ( too high levels of Vitamin D3? ) some Vets are doubting that.

WWW.petmed.com lists a whole host of symptoms of Vitamin D toxicity many of which have been referred to by contributors to this sad thread

We have a very large number of rescue dogs who have been fed on a mixture of Compy dried and Compy tinned food for the last 5 years without any apparent problem until the introduction of the cartons after which excessive drinking and wetting occurred

As soon as you highlighted what we now know was a common problem  we reverted to the tins which as we now know Mercadona were able to restock with almost overnight but in view of the increasing uncerainty we then changed exclusively to fresh chicken and a dried food ( not the dearest ) recomended by a pet shop owner but on checking now we find the percentage of Vitamin D3 added to that is higher than that in Compy's dried.


In my opinion the answer we all need is has the problem "simply" been too much Vitamin D3 through human error or is Compy ( and perhaps other brands ) dried and wet not "safe" since you say that your dog has not been particularly well for some time on that diet


It appears that we have been very fortunate as apart from the excessive drinking and wetting with our "boys and girls" our only "problem" is our largest dog having lost his appetite It may be that the daily fresh vegetable and home made chicken stock that we add to their food has diluted the excess of Vitamin D

Once again our thoughts are with all owners who have suffered loss and illness with their pets

Kathy

[Beachcomber_Bar_Mojacar]

I cant say at the moment where this came from but here it is anyway and we will see what happens. Mercadona have been contacted regarding this and will come back to my contact with an official statement.

I have just got this, they phoned me last night. I phoned some of the vets last night to ask them if excess vitamin d could cause the problems being experienced and they were very surprised by this report. One of them is speaking to a nutrition specialist tonight to find some feedback and query this, as he believes this couldn´t cause the damage he has sitting in his hospital right now. He told us Mercadona are refunding vets fees for those with invoices relating to this issue, but we cant print that until we have formal confirmation from Mercadona.
I am onto it today( in amongst everything else!) thanks for keeping in touch.


One of Compy's directors just phoned me with confirmation of what I've already posted at the top and when I mentioned that Mercadona will be being presented with a lot of vets fees he said " That will be down to Compy" and so I presume we can now start to think about that but of course treatments are ongoing so I'm not rushing to present my bills and also some people will no doubt be thinking about their pet losses, stress and anxiety etc.
I have to say that I feel both Mercadona and Compy have behaved in a manner (On the whole) which should be applauded as I believe things wouldn't have moved so fast with some other companies.

By the way it was too much Vitamin D3 and it was human error.

John.

[JessicaH]

this vitamin D increment could cause urine problems, although it is true that only in those cases in which the pet has had high dose or quantities of the product in a persistent way.

Vitamin D overdose causes
Vomiting, Weakness, Nervousness, Renal Failure, Kidney Stones, Kidney Damage or Failure

As it would appear this particular product was given neither in high dosage or to the dogs who became ill for very long am wondering now if the COMPY dried food (yellow bag) also contains an increment of vitamin D and consequently this product just tipped the balance .
Looking at the nutritional components on the bag holds no clues. Perhaps Mercadona management would analyse this product as well.

Wondering what the general consensus of opinion is.

[olulagirl]

Hi  John, please use it as you feel you need to. The more people that are aware of this the better. Rosemary x

Thank you Rosemary, pretty much what we had been warned might be the answer and we now need to be made sure there is nothing wrong with their other foods ie: The tinned meat and dry foods because many people are coming forward from other areas such as the Costa del Sol, where we are led to believe the poisonous product was not on sale, to claim they have dogs and cats that are ill or dead. There is also now the question of compensation!!!
John.

P.S. I hope you have no objection to me using copies of your letter...............

[Beachcomber_Bar_Mojacar]

Thank you Rosemary, pretty much what we had been warned might be the answer and we now need to be made sure there is nothing wrong with their other foods ie: The tinned meat and dry foods because many people are coming forward from other areas such as the Costa del Sol, where we are led to believe the poisonous product was not on sale, to claim they have dogs and cats that are ill or dead. There is also now the question of compensation!!!
John.

P.S. I hope you have no objection to me using copies of your letter...............

[olulagirl]

I have just had this information sent by the PR office of the pet food manufacturer.

Dear Rosemary:

We have been given the results earlier than we expeted, tehrefore here you have a piede of information regarding to the issue. Please, don´t hasitate to contact me if you have any doubt.

Thanks in advance

Miguel Fernández
Serfusion (PR Company for Tunaliments)


TUNALIMENT STATES


Last February 24th 2012 the product of wet food for pets, Compy in Brick format (carton), was retired from the market. This product is made by the pet division Tunaliment, which belongs to Escuris. Mercadona retired this product from the few supermarkets that commercialized it; concretely 190 shops placed in the regions of Albacete, Alicante, Murcia and North Almería.

Since this same date, indeed, the people that might have bought this product are being contacted in order to proceed to the return of the article in the nearest Mercadona shop. This measure has been approved in application of the principle of precaution that governs this company, after several clients called to inform about the detection of urine problems that their pets were suffering.

Due to the analysis done, the anomalies found in this concrete product are delimited.  An increment of vitamin D has been detected. According to the veterinarian reports that the company has, this vitamin D increment could cause urine problems, although it is true that only in those cases in which the pet has had high dose or quantities of the product in a persistent way.

Tunaliment wants to thank the collaboration of the consumers who alerted this incident. Tunaliment also wishes to thank these consumers for trusting the company. Due to the way these consumers have acted, the company has been able to give a quick and effective response.

Furthermore, Tunaliment is sorry for the inconvenience that this problem has caused and wants to apologize publicly to all the clients whose pets may have been damaged. At the same time, Tunaliment wants to highlight that other Compy products made also by Tunaliment or by other manufacturer have the same quality and safety characteristics that have always had.

For further information, do not hesitate to contact us on the phone (24 hours available) 00 34 619113976 or on the email address informacion@tunaliment.es . 

Just had this come from a friend of mine.

Hi john. our vet has just called us. a lot of dogs have suffered kidney failure lately. goldie is quite poorly at the moment, we dont know if we have caught it soon enough. the common factor is they all have the same make of dog food in their diet. we first noticed goldie was ill by the ammount she was drinking. could you pass this on please.

John

[rockontommy]

Dogs affected by the wet food.  Are cats affected with dry food, or just wet food?

[Lesleyno3]

Our dogs have had the same problems of drinking copiously and wanting to go out to wee all times of the day and night, also throwing up all the time.  We took the worst one to the vet on 15 February.  He  put her on a drip and took  blood test. She was also given antibiotics and some other pills to settle her stomach.  

She was kept in over night and we had a bill of €157 plus we had to put her on very expensive food Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal low fat food. This costs €13 per 1.5 kg pack and €70 per large pack.  

The vet said it was pancreatitis and he will take another blood test in a couple of weeks.

Very grateful to Beachcomber for raising this problem.  We will be emailing Mercadona and asking about their dry food which is the same make. So sorry for the people who have lost their pets.  It´s devastating for them.

Joan  

I posted the above on 25 Feb and our vet bills have now gone up to nearly €400 including our other dog.

The vet says he doesn´t think it´s the Mercadona food that has caused the problem but the dogs being overweight.  Seems strange that they should have exactly the same symptoms, at the same time as all the other dogs, and right after eating the same Mercadona food.

It looks as if we would not get any backing from the vet, who is Juan Jesus Teruel Jimenez  in Albox - just round the corner from the pet shop off Calle Le Panto.

Joan