What to Do if Your Dog or Cat Has Been Sickened by Contaminated Pet Food
Our law firm represents people harmed by adulterated food products. Unfortunately, we do not handle pet injury or death claims and cannot represent your pet in a claim. However, as loving pet owners ourselves, we wanted to provide information on what to do if your pet has been sickened or has died after eating contaminated pet food.
Money damages recoverable in pet injury or death cases are controlled by the law of the state in which the incident occurred. Because there are 50 different rules affecting such claims, it is not possible to give a comprehensive answer about the laws in all 50 states.
Generally speaking, however, many states’ laws limit the recovery in pet cases to the replacement value of the animal (in the case of death) and/or the cost of veterinary bills incurred in treating the animal. Most states do not allow for the recovery of sentimental or emotional loss suffered by the pet owner.
Laws that limit damages recoverable by pet owners are antiquated and unfair. Unfortunately, attempts to overcome those laws have not met with much success. Most likely, your state does not give you or your pet the legal right to sue for your or your pet’s pain and suffering.
If your dog or cat is currently sick or has recently been sick, and you believe it is connected to contaminated pet food, you can report this to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through the Safety Reporting Portal.
The FDA recommends working with your veterinarian to submit the information.
The following is information you should have before you go to this federal reporting page:
- Species (dog, cat);
- Age, weight, breed, pregnant, spayed/neutered;
- Previous health status of pet;
- Any pre-existing conditions your pet has;
- Whether you give your pet any other foods, treats, dietary supplements or drugs;
- How much of the suspected product your pet normally consumes;
- How much of the “suspect” product was consumed from the package;
- How much of the product you still have;
- Clinical signs exhibited by your pet (such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy);
- How soon after consuming the product the clinical signs appeared;
- Your veterinarian’s contact information, diagnosis and medical records for your pet;
- Results of any diagnostic laboratory testing performed on your pet;
- How many pets consuming the product exhibited clinical symptoms;
- Whether any pets that consumed the product are not affected;
- Whether your pet spends time outdoors unsupervised;
- Why you suspect the pet food caused the illness;
- Exact name of the product and product description (as stated on the product label);
- Type of container (e.g. box, bag, can, pouch, etc.);
- Product intended to be refrigerated, frozen, or stored at room temperature;
- Lot number of product;
- Best by, best before or expiration date;
- UPC code (also known as the bar code);
- Net weight;
- Purchase date and exact location where purchased;
- Results of any laboratory testing performed on the pet food product; and
- How the food was stored, prepared, and handled.