How one family nearly lost their dog after he ate tainted pet food.

The night my dog Bear laid listless on a rug next to his untouched food bowl last week, I thought I’d killed him. He wouldn’t open his eyes. His breathing looked labored. I pushed and prodded his thick fur, trying to find where it hurt, hoping for a response. He never even flinched when I flipped him over for the inspection. I thought perhaps he’d had a fight with a squirrel or tangled with a raccoon. I wondered if old age had caught up with him, and it would be his last night.

We’d returned from vacation just three days before. We were out of dog food, so I’d gone into the garage to tap into the emergency stock. A thoughtful friend had picked up a case of Alpo he’d found on sale. It wasn’t my favorite. I’d always likened it to fast food. Still, I checked it against the pet food recall list when I got it, then stored it in the garage. Returning from vacation, I thought Alpo would be OK for a day or two until I trekked to the pet store. What I didn’t know: just two days before that first feeding, and nearly a month after the original list had been published, Purina had recalled that Alpo, too.

I searched the Internet for the UPC code on the remaining cans in the case and found it listed among the brands that were killing dogs and cats. My heart sank. Bear trusted me, and I’d let him down, poisoned him with melamine, a chemical found in plastic and fertilizer.

“Kidney failure,” the vet told us, though he couldn’t tell initially whether it was from the food or old age. We put Bear on hydration therapy, pumped fluids through his system to flush his kidneys, and hoped for the best.

We found Bear, a Newfoundland, 10 years ago. His previous owners said they couldn’t keep him anymore, but it was clear he’d been neglected and abused. His thick black coat was so matted he had to be completely shaved. He cowered to everyone but my two kids and me. He went through four groomers before we found one he trusted. He was particularly afraid of men—he’d hide and whimper—and it was a good two years before he’d let any man near him. We hugged him a lot, petted him even more, and played with him. We gave him space when he wanted to be alone, and tried to show him he was in a safe place now. It worked for the most part, but he’s still deathly afraid of light from flashlights or spotlights or lightening. I can’t imagine what he’s been through.

When I looked at him, so frail that night, I felt like I’d failed him, too. I knew better in my rational mind, but it didn’t stop the guilt.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, the recall list has been updated nine times since the initial March 16 recall—twice last week. An FDA investigation found most stores work diligently to keep up with the changing list, but there is still recalled food being sold, including premium brands, and brands found only in vet offices.

We know now that Bear’s kidneys weren’t failing because of old age. Tainted food was to blame. He’s nearly fully recovered now, probably because he ate so little. But while he’s back to chasing squirrels and barking at the UPS man, there’s a little less zeal in his bark, more hesitation in his gait. He’ll be OK. And we’ll be far more diligent.

The list of recalled pet food is at fda.gov.