Another breeder blames puppy deaths on dog food

HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Another north Georgia dog breeder is reporting several puppy deaths, casting suspicion on the food their mother dogs were eating.
       
Channel 2 consumer investigator Jim Strickland broke news last week of nearly 60 dead puppies. A dog breeder blamed Royal Canin dog food for improper nutrition.

After the story aired, 10-year veteran breeder Holly Crumley emailed Strickland with her own suspicions about the company.
       
"Oh, my heart just dropped," she said.

Crumley had switched to a special variety of Royal Canin last summer. She said soon after, 13 puppies from three different litters died. Since switching back to her original brand, she has had no issues.
       
"I really believe in my heart of hearts it was the food with those 13 puppies. And we did necropsies, so it's not a mystery why they died," she said.
       
Veterinarian Marie Lance showed Strickland the records.
        
"They had an E. coli septicemia," said Lance. "I suspected that it was a food issue all along, but couldn't say anything to prove it, and I still can't, but it is suspicious."
       
Crumley also said Royal Canin's food for breeding females has been out of stock for months.  Strickland confirmed her supplier had not been able to stock the food for months.
        
Royal Canin told Strickland their food has no issues, that there is no recall, and that any supply trouble had to do with a packaging problem at the plant.

"The safety and nutritional quality of our pet food is our top priority, as we understand that the health of the pet comes first.  We are confident that all Royal Canin products, including PRO HT42d, are safe for pets to eat and provide a high-quality source of nutrition, when fed appropriately," the company said in a statement.

WSBTV