I really want your opinion please!

Ok, if you would please go look at the very first photo in my flickr account, then come back here and post your opinion as to whether or not this is worth mentioning to the manufacturer, I'd really appreciate it.

Let me give you a little detail now that you've looked at that photo. This morning (and every morning) I feed my dog a mixture of canned Purina Pedigree and dry Purina Pedigree or canned Purina Pedigree and Gravy Train. I always put the canned food into her bowl first and using a heavy duty fork I mash it all up into a mush so that it'll mix well and coat the dry food. Today, however, was different. I used the fork to get some of the canned food out of the can, and as I started mushing it up I noticed that "thing" that's in the photo! It's about 5 inches long, maybe 6, and it's a flexible yet tough hardish plastic-like material. I know it came from that can of food, no doubt about that. I can't help but wonder what it could have potentially done to my dog's intestines had she actually ate it. I'm just so thankful that I caught it before I let her eat it!

Any thoughts?

Thanks!!!

Editted to add: At first when I found this thing I threw it away into the trash, but within moments I removed it from the trash and have it now in a ziplock bag safely put away in my desk drawer.

 

oh definitely i would contact them. it looks like something off some sort of packaging and obviously it fell into the mix at the factory. they need to know so they are more careful next time. it's possible they could even recognize it and know at what part of the line it came from, thus going straight to the problem and correcting it

 

I would mention it; they will probably say that it's haramless, but you make get some freebies out of the effort. It almost looks like fishing line or something.
Dana

 

Definitely mention it. Make your letter/e-mail factual, just as you did to us. They will most likely offer you at least a replacment and possibly more.

 

It could be bad for a dog's intestine since it is long and could cut into the intestine when the intestine loops around. Same problem with cats and ribbons. I would pursue it with Purina. I would say it is from some material in the processing train.

 

Don't forget to save the can. They'll want to see what batch number, plant made at, etc.

 

Thanks everyone! I've contacted Purina about this through their website (which I couldn't find a phone number at) and told them about this thing. Hopefully they'll contact me about it. I won't use any of the food from this can, but I'll keep it refrigerated in case they want it back. I'll let you know if they do contact me.

 

Does the can give a telephone number to call? I just looked at a Friskies (Purina) can and it indicated to call 1-800-778-8864.

 

definitely report it.

I found some strange tiny green plastic in a cat food can (think it was FF). I called and told them about it, they asked if I would save it and they would send a mailer to collect it to inspect and see what it was and where it came from.

I got lots of free coupons out of it and a refund on top. They will do that if for no other reason to prevent a potential lawsuit. And it makes for good corporate citizenship.

 

I would say you have an obligation to report it. They need to know where their quality control fails.

 

Thanks again! I looked at the can and found that they do have their phone number right on the back of the can, in very small print. So I called it and yes, they are going to send me a self-addressed/stamped envelope and a small ziplock-type baggie to place it in and send it back to them. While I was talking to the woman she took down all the information about best by date, bar code number and the batch/reference numbers for the production line. She said that she thinks that this plastic thing may have come from one of the ingredients packaging and that someone got a little careless and allowed it to enter into the food manufacturing line. They'll be investigating it. She was most gracious that I decided to report it, and will be sending me a bunch of coupons and such "for my troubles". LOL! I'm just very glad that I caught it and not my dog.....once her nose enters her food bowl it doesn't come out again until she has attempted to remove the shine from her stainless steel bowl!

 

It sounds like they are being responsive. I know the print on the can is small. I had to get out my magnifying glass when I posted the number.

 

So glad you reported it! They definitely want to know that kind of stuff, and definitely the lot # & all the codes on the can or package. I learned that the hard way when I found a disgusting bug in Misha's dry food. I had JUST thrown the bag away too, since I empty the food into a large storage container that seals. I learned from my mistake though, and when I bought the last bag, I opened it, and put the whole thing, bag & all, into the storage container. So if anything happens, I'll still have the bag & info on it. (This was Orijen I was dealing with.) They did have me send a pic of it to them, and quality control inspected it, and said it looked like something that originated locally here in the SW. They're based in Canada, and it was still very cold & winter there, where these bugs wouldn't be. They did offer for me to take the rest of the food back to where I bought it, and exchange it for another bag.. but I didn't bother since I didn't have the original bag. What was I supposed to do.. fill a buttload of baggies? :razz:

Make sure you take plenty of pics of it though before sending it to them! Did you offer to send the pic to them?

 

Hi Steph! I did offer to send them a picture of this object, but they want the thing itself. I took a couple of pictures of it, and will keep those safe. I'm just glad that they are showing an interest and are concerned about how this got into the can of food. To me it looks like, hmmm... well, you know what those sacks that are made of thousands of plastic strings, they all interlock, like a burlap sack? It appears to be a part of something like that. I guess that whatever this particular sack held, when it was cut open and dumped into the mixture this small string came off the sack and got into the food. When I told the woman at customer relations about it she was very glad that I had reported it to them because, with the numbers and such from the can, they can track it down to the exact time and place that it was made, and will be able to watch more closely so that this doesn't happen again. I'm just thankful that I found it before my dog ate it! If she had and it caused her serious trouble, I would have absolutely NO clue as to where it came from. That would be a nightmare because then I'd worry about all of my furry family, especially Radar, since he's blind and tends to get into everything here.

And believe me, I'll definitely be keeping a close eye on my pets' foods from now on!