Complain about a product or service

Hills Pet Foods

Rebecca of Campbell CA (05/27/08)
In October of 2006, my vet suggested that I switch both of my cats from Friskies canned food to Science Diet or IAMS. I bought both brands, because the cats liked certain flavors. In March, 2007, my male cat became extremely lethargic, and started losing weight. I took him to the vet, where they did blood tests, and that same night, came home from work to find him lying on the floor in the living room, surrounded by pools of vomit.

I rushed him to the emergency vet clinic, where they began running tests, giving him fluids and trying to find out what the problem was. After a couple of hours, the vet said I should go home, they would call me if there was a problem. I wasn't home more than 45 minutes, when the vet's office called to say that my little boy had died.

They found that he was suffering from massive kidney failure, and could not explain why. A week later, my female cat stopped eating, and began acting just like her brother. I took her to the vet, where once again, I was told she was suffering from kidney failure. She hung on for three more days, but couldn't or wouldn't eat, and became progressively weaker. Finally, the vet said it would be best to put her to sleep. My heart is broken; I have not gotten any more pets, even though I've never lived a day without pets.

I tried to find out how to get Hill's or IAMS to at least compensate me for the vet bills and cremation, but was told that I couldn't prove it was their food at fault, and they couldn't help me. I need to find out how to become a part of the class action lawsuit again these companies. It won't bring my babies back, but at least they have to pay for their care.

The vet bills from the emergency and regular vet's offices came to over 1000, and the cremations came to 500.

Jean of Downey, CA March 23, 2008

Jean of Downey CA (03/23/08)
I have a concern about Science Diet canned cat food. Please note that the food in question was not part of a recall and I had the food tested by an independent lab to find out if it was contaminated with melamine and it's analogs. The test sample results indicated that the melamine was below the minimum detection levels. I am concerned that there may be other contaminants in the food which may have resulted in the death of 2 of my cats. The lab only tested for the contaminants I specified.

I rescued a stray cat who was very thin. I took him to my vet who did complete blood work, tested for FIV/FeLV and performed a general exam. The cat was found to be in good health, except for a slightly elevated pancreatic function. I fed the cat, Mickey, Friskies canned food which caused loose stools. A few days later I switched to Science Diet canned food and the problem cleared up. 2 weeks later Mickey died from an unknown cause. At first I thought that there was an undetected health problem which caused his death. While Mickey was alive, I also started feeding another cat, Mario, Science Diet canned food. I had Mario for almost 15 years. He was in good health, except for a case of stomatitis (an inflammation of the mouth) At first Mario thrived on the Science Diet, but after a week of eating this food he died. Neither cat was in perfect health, but neither had life-threatening conditions. Both cats died in about 12 hours after the symptoms became apparent: loss of appetite, increased thirst, extreme lethargy. Perhaps this was simply a bizarre coincidence, but I'm not convinced that the food was not a factor. My other cat also a senior, was not fed Science Diet and remains healthy.

What I would like to find out is whether or not other people have had similar problems with non-recalled Science Diet canned cat food. If the food is causing the death of pets, then I would like to take some legal action, but not for my own gain. I would just like these pet food companies to be held accountable and to do whatever it takes to insure the safety of their products.

Gail of Brigantine, NJ January 23, 2008

Gail of Brigantine NJ (01/23/08)
I fed my cat about 15 lbs of the recalled Hills MD. I filled out a report and submitted bills to Hills with vet bills. In return I received a 2.00 coupon. It turns out my cat has kidney damage and high protein levels. I will pursue this as the bills continue to mount.

Kidney damage and high protein levels.

John of Winter Garden, FL January 16, 2008

John of Winter Garden FL (01/16/08)
Hills prescription pet food is a scam. The food itself has been overall good, but the prescription aspect is ridiculous. I have to order it through my vet, or have an additional office visit at Petsmart every year in order to get the prescription. There are no controlled substances in the product. It's just food. It's a scam by the manufacturer to control the distribution and price. I will find another manufacturer.

Marilyn of Lakewood, OH December 14, 2007

Marilyn of Lakewood OH (12/14/07)
The inside edge of the Hills Canine K/D can has black slimy stuff . I have been using this product for 18 months, and it was fine until now. On 2 separate occasions I talked to consumer representatives who explained that the dog food was interacting with the metal because the lining of the can had not been properly sealed. But it was still safe to give to my dog. Hills is not fixing the problem (different dated cans continue to have this problem), and I would like pet owners to be informed.

Spirit of Fairfax, CA April 22, 2007

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share		Follow us on Twitter.

Back to the top |