Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring toxic chemical by-product from the growth of the fungus Aspergillus flavus on corn and other crops.

flickr photo by Cathy, Sam, Max and Mai

On the heels of a recall by the Procter & Gamble Company of their Iams ProActive Health Smart Puppy formula, another pet food manufacturer has announced their own much larger pet food recall because levels of aflatoxin —a naturally occurring byproduct from the growth of Aspergillus flavus in grain crops a that are higher than acceptable levels.

Cargill Animal Nutrition has recalled two regional brands of their dog food, River Run and Marksman, that were made at Cargill’s Lecompte, La. plant, between Dec. 1, 2010 and Dec. 1, 2011.

Aflatoxin, according to the Centers for Disease Control, is a fungal toxin that commonly contaminates maize and other types of crops during production, harvest, storage or processing. Aflatoxin, a mycotoxin, has been known to affect the liver when consumed. No animal species are immune to the effects of the toxin. Click here to read more about aflatoxin.

• Professional Formula River Run HI-NRG 24-20 Dog Food, 50-pound bags
• River Run Professional Formula 27-18, 50-pound bags
• River Run 21% Protein Dog Food, 40- and 50-pound bags
• River Run Hi-Pro No-Soy Dog Food, 40- and 50-pound bags
• Marksman Dog Food 24% Protein 20% Fat, 40-pound bags
• Marksman Dog Food 20% Protein 10% Fat, 40- and 50-pound bags
• Marksman Dog 28% Protein 18% Fat, 40-pound bags

The recall includes the above products with the following lot numbers: 4K0335 through 4K0365, LL0335 through LL0365, 4K1001 through 4K1335 and LL1001 through LL1335. 
The affected dry dog food products were distributed in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Southeast Indiana, Southern Illinois, Hawaii, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and areas of Florida and California.

According to the company, retailers have already been instructed to remove the brands and products included in the recall from store shelves. Consumers may return affected products to their place of purchase for a full refund.

No illnesses have been reported, according to a Food and Drug Administration press release; however, anyone with pets that have consumed this product and suspect that their pet might have been affected should look for the following symptoms and contact their veterinarian immediately:

• signs of sluggishness or lethargy


• reluctance to eat


• yellowish tint to the eyes or gums


• blood in stool or diarrhea

Click here to learn more about the process of a pet food recall and the role of consumers, veterinarians and companies.

For more information, log on to Cargill's website or call 1-855-460-1532.

Lorrie Shaw is lead pets blogger for AnnArbor.com. Connect with her on Google+ and follow her daily pet adventures or email her directly.