Category: Product Reviews

As we step into 2024, a viral news story has circulated suggesting that Purina dog food poses a threat to your pet’s health. Despite widespread concerns regarding Purina dog food making dogs sick, please note that there is currently no substantiated evidence supporting the claims propagated across various social media platforms.

If you’ve come across our blog post, it’s essential to clarify that the information you’ve encountered is unfounded and likely falls under the category of fake news.

We understand that a lot of anxiety and panic surrounds the issue of pet food and what is safe to feed our dogs, so we’re addressing this today with the most up-to-date information we can find.

I’ll dive into this more below, but here is what we do know:

• There is NO Purina Recall in 2024, as of this writing (January 5th)
• There are no “soft recalls”. Purina foods are well stocked at all major retailers
• Despite the implication that hundreds or even thousands of dogs are sick from Purina Foods, no one has provided proof
• Many of the “sick pets” have illnesses such as Parvo that can easily be attributed to a root cause that has nothing to do with the food they were fed
• No toxicology reports or post-mortem autopsy reports (necropsy) have been produced, not one
• Purina had the food tested at two independent labs. Both labs showed that the food was clean.
• The Pet Vet Corner Group is actively in contact with Purina and has indicated that Purina foods are (and have been) safe to feed
• In the U.S., the solid majority of practicing veterinarians who see 100’s of dogs each month are not concerned, and no, it’s not because of “kickbacks” (that is a myth)
• The FDA is looking into the reports (note, this doesn’t mean there is a problem, only that they must investigate things if enough people complain)
• Influencers such as Dr. Judy Morgan are capitalizing on the panic to gain likes and followers, which they leverage to sell educational materials, holistic food, and supplements

Updates

This section will be ongoing to include important and relevant information.

January 30th 2024

On January 30th, 2024, at approximately 1 pm MST, Dr. Judy Morgan shared a video on her Facebook account. In the video, she disclosed that despite investing $4000 in testing, none of the samples she submitted were found to be toxic or hazardous. Further details on this update are provided below.

February 2nd, 2024 – Snopes released a well-cited article with information about the claims against Purina. Of course, their journalism on this aligns with what I’ve written in this blog post below.

“Snopes posted in the Facebook group to solicit comments from members willing to provide a verified, confirmed report (i.e., necropsy from a veterinarian) that linked Purina dog food directly to their dog’s illness or death. As of this publication, we have not received a response.” – Snopes

Read the Snopes take on this HERE.

March 6th, 2024—Dr. Judy Morgan released another video on her social media channels, this time with information about the results she received from a second round of laboratory testing on Purina food. This time, the food had been sourced from pet parents who believed their pets were made ill by the food and sent it to Dr. Morgan to be tested. Once again, the laboratory found nothing concerning about the food.

Dr. Morgan deflected from this result by generating a narrative that the toxin must be some rodent poison the lab was not testing for. She presented a handful of theories to propagate continued conspiracy about this topic.

We encourage you to note that Hello Danes is a research-backed informational source for dog owners. Leveraging fear and panic in exchange for clicks is against our code of ethics, so while many blog posts on this topic may attempt to induce anxiety and panic about Purina dog food, you won’t find that here.

Read on!

Is Purina Dog Food Making Dogs Sick?

The current viral claims suggest that Purina is indifferent to the health of pets, refusing to recall the supposedly harmful dog food.

Purina is a big player in the pet food market with an average yearly sales volume of 20 billion U.S.D. (Compare this to a small brand like Diamond, averaging just 1.5 billion U.S.D.). That makes Purina pet food a prime target for fake news about recalls and toxins.

A group on Facebook (that I refuse to name, but if you’ve been there you know which group I’m talking about) has become the central hub for reports and activity related to Purina dog food making dogs sick. This group is engaging in cult-like activity, an observation that I will touch on below.

The claims being made indicate that Purina food has made dogs “sick”. Others blame their dogs’ seizures on the food. The symptoms vary considerably.

It’s important to understand that while the group has produced many claims of dogs being made ill after eating Purina, they’ve produced absolutely no proof of a link. In most cases, they don’t even have a veterinary diagnosis.

The truth is that pet owners are terrible at understanding their own pets’ health and the root cause of behaviors and medical conditions. Just because somebody thinks Purina dog food made their pet throw up or have a seizure, doesn’t mean the food had any role in it happening.

Is Purina Harming Dogs, or Are People Harming Their Pets?

It’s very interesting to look at this from a social perspective. If a well-meaning pet owner is feeding Purina and is presented with information that Purina is harming dogs, they may begin to feel that their pet has been harmed by the food, too.

What may have been a tummy ache from counter surfing is quickly blamed on Purina. The owner panics and shares this information with others, compounding a building problem of viral social anxiety. It doesn’t matter if their pet has been doing phenomenally on the food, having eaten it for years.

Every digestive issue, bump, or behavior may now be assigned to the food by the pet owner, who is reacting with anxiety and fear.

Worse, this owner is now particularly susceptible to being taken advantage of as others beg them to immediately stop feeding Purina, purchase expensive supplements, pay $10 for a list of “approved” pet diets, and “detox” their dog immediately with a cocktail of herbs and vitamins.

They may even be led to completely disregard their veterinarian regarding nutrition, surgery, health care, vaccines, and parasite prevention. This leads to a form of medical neglect and abuse that is not talked about enough!

Guilt, fear, panic, and anxiety rule in this situation, and that’s not healthy.

Does Purina Contain Toxic Heavy Metals?

The event that set off the current Purina Panic was a post on Facebook from a “friend of a friend“. In the original post, she warned pet parents not to feed Purina because her friend’s dogs were very ill after eating Pro Plan.

In that post, an image of a toxicology report from Kansas State University indicated that heavy metals were present in the food, leading to allegations that Purina had become unsafe to feed. This report lacked important information about the test, including reference numbers and the exact formula that was tested; leading many to have questions about its validity.

Despite this, the holistic pet community hitched its wagon to that report and launched its latest smear campaign against Purina (and now, all kibble).

Within two weeks the post with the toxicology report disappeared. While concerned pet parents continue to reference that content as fact, the truth is that the food had been tested again and it was shown that there were no problems with it.

(I’ve created a second article on this topic, HERE, which discusses the Purina Heavy Metals testing in more detail).

Purina and the FDA had looked into the report and the claims being made and found nothing wrong with the food. Not only that, no other adverse events were reported in association with that particular batch/lot number.

Chances are, the ‘friend’ referenced in the original post had three sick dogs who had gotten into something. Anti-freeze or rat poison are common toxins that cause health problems emergency veterinarians treat all too often.

Update: January 30th, 2024 NO Toxins Found in Purina Pet Food

Dr. Judy Morgan invested close to $4000 to dispatch samples of Purina food to a laboratory for testing. Neither the specific lab utilized nor the formula and lot numbers were disclosed.

Around 1 PM MST on January 30th, 2024, Dr. Morgan published a video on her Facebook Page, stating that the results were in and none of the tested samples contained harmful levels of the substances examined.

Many of us had demanded transparency, and hoped she would provide this information even if it didn’t support the arguments of “Saving Pets”. She embedded the details about the test results within the video, compelling people to interact with her content to discover the truth.

I think the pet community deserves to see it in writing.

In the video, she says that the samples were tested for:

• Vitamin D
• Salmonella, Listeria, and Clostridium
• Aflatoxins
• Heavy metals including cadmium, selenium, and arsenic (possibly others)
• Pentobarbital (Euthanasia Drug and Anti-Seizure Medication)
• Melamine

None of the food that was tested was high in any of those values.

I believe the logical progression for Dr. Morgan would be to now share the lab reports with pet owners, as well as the FDA and Purina, for review.

Transparency in this process is a reasonable thing for people to ask for.

In the video, she tried to downplay the significance of the test results by criticizing the AAFCO for what she perceived as its lax approach to regulations.

In the video, Dr. Morgan mentioned her intention to send samples from “known affected lots” for testing. She also outlined her intention to explore other potential toxins and to persist with testing until she uncovers the root cause.

As a writer and pet owner, I’m intrigued. With numerous pets supposedly falling ill at the hands of (from what they believe to be) one culprit, why aren’t people exploring alternative possibilities? If they genuinely seek to address the issue, and multiple independent tests consistently indicate that the food isn’t the problem, why not investigate other potential sources?

Purina Dog Food Health Claims

In 2023, Purina did remove the probiotics from their Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach line. This understandably did cause a few dogs some digestive issues as they adjusted to the new formula.

That doesn’t mean that Purina is full of toxins. It means that an already sensitive dog struggled with a diet change. It’s not fun for the pet owner or the dog, but it’s not inherently harmful, either (especially for those with a great relationship with their veterinarian).

Does Purina Cause Seizures

The implication that Purina causes seizures in dogs is blatantly false. That would require Purina foods to be laced with absolutely toxic levels of heavy metals. Why would Purina, who has no interest in losing profits or being part of a massive media frenzy, sell contaminated food?

Legacy pet food companies such as Purina, Hill’s, and Royal Canin stand out as the only brands that extensively employ and utilize substantial and expert teams consisting of veterinary nutritionists, food scientists, safety experts, researchers, and quality control specialists.

These companies not only own their manufacturing facilities but also rigorously test products at every stage, from raw ingredients to the final products available on store shelves.

The notion that a multitude of highly educated experts would be involved in producing toxic or dangerous pet food is entirely unfounded. From a logical standpoint, it simply doesn’t make sense. None of those people employed by these companies wants that on their resume.

On the flip side, caution is warranted with smaller pet food brands. Lacking the sales volume, highly qualified nutritionists, and research budgets of larger counterparts, many of these brands don’t even produce their own food.

A significant number of the pricey “holistic” pet foods and supplements are manufactured in large factories producing hundreds of other brands. The pretty bags are nothing more than good marketing.

Not to mention, it’s much easier for small pet food brands to get by by with selling contaminated pet food. Just take a look at the unprecedented 2023 Victor recall, proving that the brand had not been testing for or mitigating bacteria for at least a year.

What Percentage of Pets Have Become Sick on Purina?

Purina feeds over 100 million dogs and cats every year.

If the reported statistics were accurate (as of this writing, supposedly 664 dogs, and 219 cats for a total of 894 pets), it would mean that:

0.000894% of pets fed certain foods have supposedly been harmed.

The figure is extremely low, especially when taking into account that it includes dogs fed a variety of diets, not limited to Purina alone.

If we add in the daily meals of the other brands implicated in this panic about kibble (which include Hill’s, Royal Canin, Instinct, and others), the percentage of “affected pets” related to “pets fed” is even lower than the number listed above.

If the food were genuinely toxic or hazardous, we would witness a much higher number of ill pets (and veterinary records to go with them).

Any pet harmed by food is one pet too many. However, there is no supporting evidence from veterinary records or toxicology reports for any of the 894 pets included in this statistic, as far as we have seen.

Pets are added to this tally without considering their existing health conditions, and often in the absence of a veterinary diagnosis or test results. The criteria for adding a pet to this list is unclear and lacks both transparency and attention to detail.

Understandably, individuals are in pain and seeking something to hold responsible. The loss or illness of a pet is always a heartbreaking experience. Pets, however, become sick and often die regardless of the diet being fed.

It’s correlation, not necessarily causation.

As the community of concerned pet parents has grown, so too has the list of foods categorized as “toxic” or “dangerous” by those compiling these statistics.

The Number of Pets Harmed by Purina is Made Up

Upon reviewing the Facebook group, numerous accounts detail pets allegedly harmed by Purina (and other brands of foods).

However, these accounts lack essential evidence such as toxicology reports, blood panels, or necropsies, relying solely on speculations attributing the harm to Purina.

Many of the pets in these anecdotal reports had suffered for days without seeing a veterinarian, before passing away. The owners blamed the food when any number of things could have been wrong.

One instance involved a member sharing a photo of their deceased puppy at 9 weeks, where they blamed Purina as the cause of death. The owner casually mentioned that the veterinarian had diagnosed the puppy with Parvo (a deadly and common disease), but they felt that was incorrect and the puppy’s Purina food was to blame.

Another account comes from a pet parent who shared her experience of feeding a 50/50 mix of Victor foods and raw meals, only to observe her dogs developing bloody stools. In an attempt to address the issue, she switched to a similar combination with Purina, but unfortunately, the problem persisted.

Not surprisingly, the blame was placed solely on Purina, overlooking the fact that salmonella, a known cause of bloody stools, was the reason behind the 2023 Victor Recall. It’s crucial to recognize that raw food can also carry a risk of bacterial contamination.

In another story, a dog suffered for 5 days with symptoms that should warranted an emergency veterinary visit. The owner didn’t take him to the veterinarian for a diagnosis, and instead, bought aspirin to give him. She blamed Purina for his death while admitting that he’d not eaten Purina at all for the past 6 months.

These stories and many more just like them are added to the growing list of pets ‘harmed or killed by Purina’. This list is the same one that “holistic” veterinarians and moderators of this Facebook group are passing around as absolute facts.

I have no doubts that there are sick pets. The doubt comes in when assessing the root cause, and determining if the food itself is actually the problem.

As the group has grown, additional brands have also come under scrutiny. This has triggered a surge of frantic activity as anxious pet owners hastily switch foods in response to the heightened concern.

Suffice it to say that a significant number of the “reports” are likely nothing more than owners who have misdiagnosed their pets at home. When you consider that these are often the same people who don’t trust legitimate practicing veterinarians, this tracks.

How Has Purina Responded to the Accusations?

The wonderful science-backed veterinarians of the popular Facebook group Pet Vet Corner (with over 1.3 million members and counting) reached out to Purina.

Knowing the reach that the Pet Vet Corner group has in the pet owner community, Purina was eager to respond.

Purina clarified that:

• 46 million dogs and 68 million cats eat Purina food each year
• The quality assurance team at Purina Pet Foods leads more than 100,000 quality checks every single day, across the entire manufacturing process
• Purina states that false statements about the brand are resulting in unnecessary stress for pet parents (we agree)
• They take safety and quality very seriously

Confidently, Purina also emphasized the importance of pet parents critically evaluating the sources behind the claims. They acknowledged that while some posts are from well-intentioned individuals genuinely concerned and aiming to assist, many other posts intentionally generate chaos and distrust, often as a means to promote and sell alternative products.

If you are interested in reading the source of this information, visit this post in Pet Vet Corner.

Is Purina Horse Feed and Chicken Feed Killing Animals?

As if the claims about Purina pet foods weren’t enough, new content has surfaced implying that Purina Horse Feed and Chicken Feed are also causing health problems in animals.

It’s important to note that Purina Mills (horse & chicken feed) is owned by Land O’ Lakes and is a completely different company than Nestle Purina (maker of dog and cat food).

They do not share funding, facilities, or staff. Nestle Purina and Purina Mills are distinct entities, despite their shared name. Anyone disseminating misinformation on this subject is, once again, spreading false news.

What Should I Do if Purina Made My Dog Sick?

If you believe that Purina made your dog sick, you need to first speak with your veterinarian. Take the following steps:

• Seek emergency veterinary care, if necessary
• Document the symptoms
• Write down anything else unusual about the day the symptoms began. Did your pet get food off the counter, eat bunny droppings in the yard, get into the trash, jump off the deck too hard, or nose around in a place where they don’t belong?
• Make a document with a list of all foods, supplements, treats, and medications that your pet may have ingested in the past 30 days
• Keep the bag of food to submit for testing if necessary

Don’t panic. There are many reasons for a dog to have symptoms (including seizures) that are completely unrelated to the food you are feeding.

Until there is a legitimate FDA statement and published recall, there is no need to panic or be concerned about your pet’s Purina Dog Food or the advice given by your veterinarian when it comes to nutrition, vaccines, and flea/tick prevention.

How Fear and Panic Become Profitable

This section is for you if you want to dive with me into how a social phenomenon like this happens. Given how many pet parents have felt untold anxiety over this, it’s worth discussing.

Celebrity veterinarians and influencers such as Dr. Judy Morgan (and others) have capitalized on the “Purina Panic” to gain likes and followers, which they leverage publicly to sell holistic food and supplements.

The more people they can get to share content on the topic of “toxic Purina dog food”, the more people they can engage with their platform.

Topics like this are sensational and this particular one took off like a freight train.

The people who follow Dr. Morgan truly believe they’ve been provided with “the truth”, and “insider information” that the big companies and veterinarians won’t tell them.

Pet Parents are implored, by many of these influencers to disregard the information they hear from traditionally reputable sources (veterinarians, educated professionals, scientists, etc.).

Anybody who speaks up with an opposing viewpoint or legitimate data is canceled. Their posts and content are removed, and they aren’t allowed to comment.

Members of Dr. Judy Morgan’s and the “Saving Pets” group following will reply with hate, vitriol, and snark towards anybody who presents with information that challenges what they are being told by their “leader”.

Perhaps the most alarming thing of all is that provocative content is designed to incite panic and fear, and to what end?

Follow the money. If a pet owner is concerned about something they have fed or given their pet, Dr. Morgan (who set the stage for that anxiety to build in the first place) and similar influencers can swoop in with solutions.

Courses, memberships, recipes, and supplements can all be conveniently purchased, so pet parents can make sure their pet “lives forever”.

This doesn’t mean that these influencers aren’t well-meaning. Many things like this start with concern and a desire to help.

People need to ask more questions. However, these inquiries should not be directed solely at established pet food companies with extensive research histories and expert teams dedicated to nutrition science and food safety.

Instead, the focus should shift towards questioning the self-proclaimed leaders who undermine these seasoned experts, especially if they are using panic to drive affiliate clicks, social engagement, and sales of the products they recommend.

Predatory Influencers & Social Media Groups

While Dr. Judy Morgan has spearheaded much of the current panic about Purina dog food, she is not alone. Many influencers are leveraging the Purina-Panic to boost their engagement on TikTok, Instagram, Blogs, and Facebook.

A large group on Facebook has become a hub for this viral activity. They claim to be fighting a good fight against “big pet food” and have begun passing out questionable nutrition, medical, and veterinary advice to members. The group in question is gaining hundreds of new members each day.

I’m not going to lie – that group is one of many just like it, and it’s terrifying.

Here are just a few of the culty tactics being used in this group to promote the unfounded idea that Purina Pro Plan, Purina One, and Purina Dog Chow (and now all kibble) are killing pets:

• Removing comments that contain verifiable facts and opposing viewpoints
• Banning members who challenge what is being said or recommended
• Allowing and even encouraging members to practice veterinary medicine without a license (diagnosing and providing holistic “treatments”)
• Actively discouraging members from trusting their real veterinarian
• Discrediting established experts including veterinarians, food and nutrition scientists, and published research
• “Love bombing” those who have joined the group, and reminding them that only they are doing the right thing for their pet
• Recommending unproven and potentially dangerous treatments such as “detoxing” as part of their health and wellness protocols
• Creating an “insiders” vs. “outsiders” community, where those in the group are “in the know” and those outside of it are harming their pets
• Shaming anybody who doesn’t follow the belief system (applying guilt, fear, and anxiety to those who don’t “do better” for their pets)
• Posting deliberately false, fake, and incorrect information as fact
• Allowing the platform to be a hub of blatant misinformation, instead of moderating content that may cause unnecessary stress, anxiety, and hardship for people
• Encouraging members to ignore experts, including scientists and veterinarians, under the belief that those people don’t care about pets and all of them are “shills with a bad agenda“
• Purposefully deflecting away from verifiable information that doesn’t support their claims

It’s appalling how much of this aligns with Dr. Hassan’s BITE model for cults and cult behavior!

What’s even more concerning is that some members and leaders of these groups have been actively discouraging people from seeking veterinary care and/or having their pet food tested for toxins and pathogens.

Testing the food is a crucial first step in identifying potential issues, but the group suggests that sending samples for testing is futile because “major laboratories are [allegedly] affiliated with prominent pet food brands”.

In essence, they propagate a conspiracy theory, insinuating a cover-up.

Author’s Note: We believe that they fear that if thousands of individuals test Purina Pro Plan and the results demonstrate that the food is clean, their misinformation campaign will unravel. If this group truly wanted to save pets, they would work with Purina to sort out the alleged problem.

The “Saving Pets” group is now telling members that if they go to the media to share their stories, they must first communicate with the group leaders.

They want to fully control the narrative. If that is not a red flag, I don’t know what is.

All Kibble is “Bad”

As of mid-January 2024, the “Saving Pets” group has raised and promoted concerns regarding all types of kibble. They are advising their members that no kibble, regardless of brand, can be considered safe for feeding pets.

Within hours of her posting that video revealing the test results, Saving Pets doubled down on their campaign advising members to switch as quickly as possible to a fresh or raw diet with no kibble.

This appears to be a deliberate effort to shift the discussion away from the test results that did not support their claim that “Purina is full of Toxins.“

The “acceptable” brands recommended in the group include AllProvide, a fresh food brand in which Dr. Morgan has a huge stake.

For those unable to afford commercially prepared fresh or raw diets, Saving Pets advises preparing homemade cooked meals for their pets.

Group members and administrators caution against seeking assistance from Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists for recipes, asserting that those professionals are unqualified “shills for big kibble” and may only provide recipes rich in carbohydrates and synthetic vitamins, according to the group’s perspective.

Studies indicate that the majority of homemade diets are lacking in certain minerals or contain excessive amounts of others. The diets formulated by Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists are the only ones that are reliably and correctly balanced. Further information can be found HERE.

I am concerned that this panic will lead many into feeding unbalanced diets that ultimately, do harm their pets.

Pet Food Misinformation & Armchair Veterinarians

I mentioned above that the group is banning members and deleting comments that question the leaders and the advice being given. They are not, however, shutting down blatant misinformation.

In just 10 minutes, I found the following statements (which, suspiciously, remain un-moderated). Some of the comments came directly from moderators:

• “If the pet parent has received a Covid vaccine, they have shed Covid on their pet and that’s why their pet is dead”
• “After a hurricane when the dead animals are floating around, they are picked up in trucks and taken to the Purina pet food factory”
• “Pet food contains snake venom. It’s true.”
• “Covid wasn’t a virus. We were all being poisoned with snake venom in our food and our pets food!”
• “Veterinarians sell euthanized pets to the rendering plant and the pets are ground up and used in pet food. The collars aren’t even removed, they grind those up, too.”
• “Veterinarians prescribe things to keep your pet sick so they can make more money off of you.”
• “CBD is the only safe way to treat seizures, read this guide on it, and don’t take your veterinarian’s advice, they don’t know as much as you do.”
• “Do not take your dog to a vet! They will only shame you for your choices. This herb is all you need.”
• “All Purina food is manufactured in China.”
• “If you don’t feed a whole raw or homemade diet, you shouldn’t even have pets.”

What does the group gain from allowing extreme misinformation to be spread? More panic, more anxiety, and more alarm. All of which drive engagement, clicks, and sales.

Author’s Note: All of the above statements in the list are easily debunked with actual science and proven facts. At Hello Danes, we do not endorse, subscribe to, promote, or believe in the statements shared in the above list titled “pet food misinformation”. The list was created using actual statements from members of a public Facebook group.

How to Spot Misinformation on Social Media

If you are struggling to understand how so many people screaming from the rooftops can be so wrong, this part of the blog post is for you! When you are digesting media about pet care, dog nutrition, and veterinary science, cross-check the information you receive against facts.

This checklist of how to spot social media misinformation can help guide you!

Verify Sources

Cross-check information from reputable sources, such as official statements from Purina, veterinary organizations, or trusted news outlets.

The only way to verify that a dog food product has been recalled is by visiting the FDA recalls page. If it’s not listed there as an active recall, then it doesn’t exist.

Reach out to the company being accused! A quick note to Purina itself can help clear up a lot of misinformation and misgivings you may have, for example.

While they do have an interest in maintaining a good public appearance, there is no reason to believe that they are trying to cover anything up. That’s a bad business practice that would be devastating to their financial success.

When consuming content from bloggers and social media influencers, it’s important to evaluate the sources of their information.

Guard Yourself Against Predatory Influencers

Be aware of influencers who attempt to deceive by presenting closed or outdated recalls as if they were present-day issues. Many of the so-called ‘recalls’ causing panic are resolved and belong to the past.

Be wary of any controversial type of influencer who is primed to present you with a solution to the problem they claim is there, especially in the form of an affiliate link or product you can purchase. Don’t let them control your mind with panic and fear-based sales tactics.

An affiliate link presented in good faith, for a product that could be helpful to pet owners is one thing. A profitable link presented to pet parents as a solution to anxiety and fear is another. That’s the one you need to watch out for.

Fact-Check the Information You Hear

Use legitimate and unbiased fact-checking websites to verify the accuracy of claims. Misinformation often crumbles under scrutiny.

In reaction to misinformation being challenged, you might observe that members involved in cult-like behavior may dismiss the facts as part of an intricate plot, urging you to distrust experts, disregard your veterinarian, and be suspicious about individuals with legitimate credentials.

Instilling doubt in experts (in this case veterinarians, veterinary nutritionists, and legacy pet food brands such as Purina that are backed by decades of nutrition research) is a fundamental aspect of cult mind control.

Exercise extreme caution in navigating this situation and promptly disregard any commentary that intentionally undermines those with authority.

Evaluate the Expertise of the Person Giving the Information

Assess the credentials of those providing information. Celebrity status doesn’t necessarily equate to expertise, especially when promoting alternative products such as ‘detoxes’ and supplements.

This holds even when the individual is an expert with a veterinary degree!

If a particular expert, such as Dr. Judy Morgan for example, holds an opinion that diverges significantly from the consensus of their peers, it’s essential to treat them as an outlier and subject their views to thorough scrutiny.

Dr. Karen Becker is another veterinarian whose profit-driven platform and controversial perspectives warrant careful consideration and questioning.

While it’s acceptable and even encouraged for content creators, including bloggers like myself, to share information about various pet care choices, it’s important to verify that their opinions align with science, research, and evidence.

Pseudoscience, alarmist marketing, and woo-woo theories unfortunately sell very well on social media; learn how to spot it.

Holistic Veterinarians and Controversial Medicine

Be alert to signs that raise doubts about the authenticity of stories, particularly those from public-facing veterinarians who label themselves “holistic.”

The term “holistic” implies consideration for the entire body.

In theory, a truly holistic approach means addressing the pets well being with every tool available (including science, research, and medicine).

Holistic should not mean:

• Discrediting and avoiding conventional veterinarians altogether
• Dismissing legitimate science
• Exclusively opting for “natural” treatments, forgoing anything related to evidence-based veterinary medicine (a practice that may result in medical neglect and abuse)

Because many “holistic” practitioners unfortunately promote and adopt the beliefs listed above, the term “holistic” may serve as a warning signal.

I’ve extensively researched the “holistic veterinarians” and “experts” propagating the current media frenzy surrounding Purina. It’s noteworthy that each one of them has a potential financial stake if allegations against “big pet food” prove to be true.

They have the financial motivation to drive people away from evidence-based veterinarians and science-backed pet foods. I find this ironic, given how often they promote the idea that their traditional veterinary peers are “shills for Big Pharma” and only recommend foods because they “receive kickbacks“.

There is, of course, a time and a place for “holistic” care and natural remedies. My veterinarian falls into the category of “integrative” and we do use some natural treatments for the animals in our home. At its core, “holistic” is not the problem (nor should it be).

As a community of pet lovers, we must draw the line on profit-driven misinformation. Many “Holistic” influencers have taken on the role of contemporary snake oil salespeople, offering unproven and often overstated solutions to exaggerated problems. It’s easy to sell things when what you promote is controversial.

They are often primed and ready to sell a course, book, membership, or supplement to solve our problems as pet owners, all the while utilizing provocative marketing tactics to make it happen.

Because Holistic medicine falls on a spectrum, it’s important that we recognize the role thoughtfully implemented holistic care may have in our pet’s health.

However, more importantly, we need to recognize when “holistic” has gone too far.

Author’s Note: Everybody deserves to earn a living when they share their skills and talents. At Hello Danes, we do use affiliate links to help us pay for the costs associated with running this site. We also put a lot of effort into aligning ourselves with experts and presenting research-based facts. To be fully ethical and transparent, I have chosen to turn off ad serving on this particular article.

Holistic Veterinarians & the Alt-Right

In one post on Facebook, a “holistic” veterinarian (Dr. Barb Fox) suggested that links in her Facebook posts weren’t working because “Big Pet Food wants to prevent her from sharing the truth“.

This resembles the conspiracy-style content often associated with members of the far-right group QAnon.

When someone with credentials, like a veterinary degree, demonstrates a lack of critical thinking like this, it’s wise to disengage. Guard your time and attention, as misinformation can hinder your decision-making about pet care.

It’s noteworthy that like all of the others, this “holistic” veterinarian who is spreading misinformation and predatory content operates a website selling online courses and books to solve your pet’s health problems the “natural” way.

The formula is simple: induce anxiety in pet parents, create a sense of community, and sell the solution.

On her Facebook page, Dr. Barb Fox shares content from an alt-right news source, signaling a concerning perspective. This is a discussion for another day, but it’s important to note that holistic wellness and elitism about pet food is a pipeline that feeds directly into anti-science conspiracies and alt-right belief systems.

Holistic integrative “wellness” is often a dog whistle and that’s unfortunate. Too many “holistic” influencers promote anti-science and anti-veterinarian content, and that’s both dangerous and worth talking about.

There is room for natural solutions and holistic care in science-backed veterinary medicine. But this is not it.

The current media panic about Purina conveniently serves her financial interests, as it does for most other “holistic” veterinarians with online platforms. They are riding this wave for every penny it’s worth.