Is Beneful dog food harmful to your pet?

Thousands of pet owners around the country filed a class-action lawsuit against the maker of a dog food that has an ingredient they say is killing their animals. But a Miami Valley veterinarian say the dog owners may be confusing the ingredient in Beneful dog food with a toxic chemical found in antifreeze.

Pet owner Frank Lucido on Feb. 5 filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California against Nestle Purina PetCare Company, the maker of Beneful. He said the chemical propylene glycol, which is one of the ingredients in Beneful, caused two of his three dogs to die after he fed them then food. His English bulldog Dozer and German Shepherd Nella suffered internal bleeding, according to the lawsuit.

Other pet owners said their dogs experienced liver failure and died after consuming the food.

But Dr. Susan Goss, a veterinarian at Cloud Park Animal Clinic in Dayton, said propylene glycol is a safe chemical that is used in human and dog food. She said people are likely confusing it with a dangerous chemical with a similar name.

“There has been some confusion between propylene glycol and ethylene glycol,” said Goss. “Ethylene glycol is a proponent of antifreeze, and is exceedingly toxic to animals.”

A dog that consumes ethylene glycol is at risk of seizures, liver problems and even death, she said. Peopylene glycol is used as a preservative in food and beverages that dogs and humans consume, she said.

The chemical can be found in ice cream, salad dressing, soft drinks and artificial sweeteners, Goss said.

Despite the lawsuit and the complaints, Nestle Purina PetCare has not recalled Beneful, remains on store shelves.