When you pour your dog a bowl full of kibble, you probably expect him to scarf it down with enthusiasm before turning to look at you with those sad, puppy dog eyes, begging for more.
What you don’t expect is for your dog to drop dead just hours after eating. For one Pasadena dog owner, however, this nightmare became a reality.
Anna Volgensang is mourning the death of her beloved dog, Babushka, after unknowingly feeding him a dog food product that has recently been recalled. On October 7, 2016 the Mars Petcare Company announced a voluntary recall for certain lot codes of their Cesar Filet Mignon Flavor wet dog food.
The recall was issued due to a potential choking risk from small pieces of plastic that entered the food during the manufacturing process. In announcing the recall, Mars Petcare encouraged consumers to stop using the product immediately and to either discard it safely or return it to the retailer for a full refund.
Unfortunately, Anna Volgensang didn’t get the message and her dog suffered the consequences. Volgensang is quoted saying, “You never think that dog food is really going to hurt your baby,” but that is exactly what happened.
Shortly after feeding her dog Cesar Filet Mignon Flavor dog food the dog developed breathing problems and eventually threw up. Volgensang was able to identify small pieces of hard, white plastic in the vomit. Volgensang and her daughter rushed the dog to the vet but it was already too late – her dog died in her arms.
In the weeks following this unfortunate event, Volgensang has been in contact with the Mars Petcare Company, seeking a resolution for her case. Mars Petcare has since reported the recall to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) who have instigated an investigation into the event.
Volgensang was asked to collect the pieces of plastic that were found in her dog’s vomit and to send them in for analysis to determine whether it is the same plastic that caused the recall in the first place.
Until the analysis comes back, Anna will be waiting in suspense to discover the reason behind her dog’s death. Though it has only been a few days since Babushka’s passing, she is already feeling the loss.
Anna has said of her dog, “We would take like eight walks a day and at this time of day and say, okay let’s go to McDonald’s and get some chicken nuggets and he’d get all excited”. Once her loyal friend and companion, all that is left of Babushka is his memory and his favorite bed and blanket.
In the blink of an eye, a beloved dog’s life was lost due to a mistake made during pet food manufacturing. A spokesman from the Mars Petcare Company has reportedly told news outlets that other consumers have issued complaints about this recall, though there are no confirmed deaths or injuries to date.
Volgensang continues to wait for a resolution to her case and, in the meantime, urges pet owners to take responsibility for their pet’s wellbeing. The only way to prevent such a tragedy from recurring is to stay up to date with dog food recalls.
Click HERE to view the latest list of dog food recalls to see if your brand is on the list.
