The company has denied the allegations and called the lawsuit 'baseless'

Violent seizures, kidney failure, dramatic weight loss, vomiting and in some cases, death.

These are the horrific and heartbreaking health problems dog owners claim pet food line Purina Beneful is having on their beloved animals.

Thousands of people believe their dogs have suffered symptoms such as internal bleeding, dehydration and liver failure after eating it while others say they have seen their dogs pass away in front of them just hours later.

The alleged problems mean the kibble food is now at the center of a $5million lawsuit, with a slew of more than 3,000 complaints about the product posted online, which says it contains poisonous toxins - such as propylene glycol and mycotoxin.

The embattled company has stringently denied the allegations and claims the case is 'baseless'.

But countless dog lovers across the United States and Canada disagree.

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Companion: Loss: Jean-Francois Menicucci from Montreal told the Daily Mail Online his 240lb mastiff Rex ate Purina Beneful after a family member brought it back from the store one day. He believes it led to his beloved dog's premature death

Terrifying ordeal: Rex devoured the product in April 2013 and then suddenly started having a seizure

A number of dog owners who believe their animals have suffered as a result of Purina Benefel contacted Daily Mail Online to share their horrifying experiences. It is not known whether they are part of the lawsuit or suing the company.

Jean-Francois Menicucci from Montreal told Daily Mail Online his 240lb mastiff Rex ate Purina Beneful after a family member brought it back from the store in April 2013.

'My other dog, Tally, refused to eat it,' he said. 'But Rex devoured it.'

He described how 40 minutes later Rex, who was three-years-old at the time, went into a seizure for hours without stopping. He could not move him to take him to the vet.

'Suddenly he died in front of my eyes. He stopped breathing and he was gone.'

Mr Menicucci sent the Daily Mail Online a video of Rex fitting - it has been heavily edited because of its distressing content.

He filed a complaint to the authorities, suggesting his dog's death was caused by Purina Beneful.

Officials then came and collected samples of the food. Purina subsequently sent him an apology and a just 24 Canadian Dollars ($19US).

'At the time, my mother came out from a seven-month coma in the ICU,' he added. 'She woke up with her two legs partially paralyzed, she was working very hard to regain mobility, because her dream was to walk Rex again. Imagine when I told her he had died.

'I just want justice for Rex.'

Seizure: Mr Menicucci describes how Rex was fitting for hours and couldn't even move him to get him to the vet. Before they could get him help he was gone

Immediate reaction: Footage shows Rex's back legs moving uncontrollably behind him before he keels over

Heartbreaking: Mr Menicucci said Rex just stopped breathing and keeled over in front of him

Another dog owner, Mike Garnett-Zero, uploaded a horrifying video of friend Cassandra Angelique comforting their dog Melody, who they said had just eaten Purina Beneful.

It shows the animal lying on the floor of its cage unable to get up.

Underneath the video posted on Facebook, he wrote: 'Beneful's line of pet food and treats has poisoned our beautiful pets for the last time. Please boycott thus brand and never feed it to your loved ones.'

They also posted another showing Melody barely able to stand and losing balance as she walks, so Mr Garnett-Zero has to hold her on his lap.

THE SYMPTOMS: WHAT DOG OWNERS BELIEVE THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE Stomach and related internal bleeding

Liver malfunction or failure

Vomiting (sometimes blood)

Diarrhea

Dehydration

Weight loss

Seizures

Kidney failure

Death Advertisement

In February, Michael Dowling reached out to followers on GooglePlus to explain what happened to his niece's English Bulldog called Pippa.

Next to an adorable picture of the pet wearing a pink top hat, he described how his niece had to 'put their dog to sleep' due to kidney failure.

Dowling says that the dog’s deteriorating health may have been prompted by eating the product.

A woman who only wanted to be identified as Tara from Nova Scotia also contacted the Daily Mail Online concerned that her pitbull, Rosie, had been vomiting as a result of eating Purina Beneful treats.

She claims that she is on her way back to full health, but only because she has stopped eating Purina Beneful.

Cheryl Harmon wrote on Facebook how her Chihuahua, called Darcie, died at the age of six as a result of what she believes was poisoning from the product.

Morgan Malone, 19, of North Carolina, told NBC News her dachshund called Doc got 'super sick' and died within the space of a week after eating the product.

Julie Hyde, 39, of Sandwich, Illinois, said her six-year-old pitbull called Bossy was as 'healthy as a horse' before she started eating the food.

However she believes it was extremely detrimental to her health thereafter.

'You could see her spine and ribs', she said. 'For her to lose that much weight dramatically there was something definitely wrong.'

After taking her to a vet, the animal was diagnosed with diabetes because her sugar levels were 'sky-high'.

Despite treatment, Bossy's health continued to deteriorate and she had to be put down last December.

Phyllis Blankenship, 68, of West Virginia, said she had been feeding Hercules, a seven-year-old Chihuahua and Dusty, a four-year-old Pomeranian, Purina Beneful Healthy Weight exclusively.

Concern: Mike Garnett-Zero posted a horrifying video of friend Cassandra Angelique comforting a dog who they said had been given Purina Beneful

Comfort: Ms Angelique leans over and kisses her dog on the cheek as it lies helpless in its cage

Support: They released another video showing their beloved dog Melody barely able to stand as they walked inside the house. Her owner has to take her on her lap to keep her up straight

During their youth: Ms Angelique holds her two beloved dogs as puppies

Horrifying: Michael Dowling described how his niece's English Bulldog called Pippa (pictured) had to be 'put to sleep' after suffering from kidney failure. Their vet said it was down to the dog being fed Purina Beneful

Aftermath: He said the family had been left heartbroken by their beloved dog's death

PROPYLENE GLYCOL: THE CHEMICAL AT THE CENTER OF THE LAWSUIT Propylene glycol is regularly used as a flavouring ingredient in drinks and food as E-1520. It is found in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, but regulations of its use differ between the US and the EU. In October, for example, Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey was pulled from the shelves across Europe because it contained the susbtance, as it was in breach of European regulations. However it remained on the shelves in the US. In the US, the chemical is 'generally recognised as safe' by the Food and Drug Administration, and Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey claims up to 50 grams per kilogram can be used, though it states it uses far less in its drink. Popylene glycol is also found in automotive and air-craft anti-freeze, for its ability to lower the freezing point of water. The substance is also released alongside nicotine when smoking e-cigarettes. Denial: The company say the lawsuit is 'baseless' Advertisement

The embattled company has denied the allegations and released a response on the Q&A section of their website, insisting customers should continue buying the product.

It read: 'Beneful is a high-quality, nutritious food enjoyed by millions of dogs everyday. However, you may have heard that a class action lawsuit was recently filed in Northern California.

'As pet owners ourselves, our priority is the health and well-being of the millions of dogs who enjoy Beneful.

'We take these allegations very seriously and stand by our product, which is backed by Purina's strict quality controls and comprehensive food safety program.

'Unfortunately, class action suits are common these days. They are not indicative of a product issue. In fact, we've faced two such suits in the past with similar allegations. Both were found to be baseless and were subsequently dismissed by the courts.

'Adding to the confusion, social media outlets can be a source of false or incomplete information, as many other pet food brands have experienced themselves.

'We at Beneful want you, our valued customers, to know that this lawsuit is baseless; you can continue to feel confident feeding your dogs our food.

'We stand committed to our Brand, our products and your pets.'

Dr. Kurt Veneter, director of veterinary strategy and programs at Purina, told NBC News the claims in the lawsuit were 'false and misleading.'

'Vets know pets get sick for many reasons and the food they eat is often not the root cause,' Veneter said. 'The challenge is this can be confusing and alarming to pet owners.'

Pet owner Frank Lucido filed the lawsuit on February 5th in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California against Nestle Purina PetCare Company.

Another alleged vicitim: Morgan Malone, 19, of North Carolina, told NBC News her dachshund called Doc got 'super sick' and died within the space of a week after eating the product

Memory: She posted pictures of her beloved dog on Facebook with friends offering her messages of support

Lucido claims he fed his three dogs Beneful 'kibble' style dog food, and within a short period of time, two were sick and one was dead.

The suit alleges the food contains propylene glycol, which it says is an animal toxin used in automobile antifreeze, and mycotoxins, a group of toxins produced by fungus that occurs in grains.

In the suit, Lucido alleges that in the past four years, there have been more than 3,000 complaints online about dogs becoming ill or dying after eating Beneful, having shown 'consistent symptoms,' including stomach and related internal bleeding, liver malfunction or failure, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, weight loss, seizures and kidney failure.

The results of toxicology testing on Lucido's English Bulldog, Dozer, who died, are pending, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit says one of Lucido's dogs that fell sick, a Labrador named Remo, is undergoing medical testing.

The suit asks the court to expand the case to include other dog owners whose dogs were sickened or died. It asks for unspecified damages and restitution, although it says the claims exceed $5 million.

In recent years, Beneful has faced two lawsuits that were dismissed by the courts, according to Purina's statement.

However, in a lawsuit settled in May, Purina and Waggin' Train LLC agreed to create a $6.5 million fund to compensate pet owners who claimed their pets were sickened after eating China-made jerky treats.

At the time, FDA officials said the pet treats were linked to more than 1,000 deaths in dogs and more than 4,800 complaints of animal illness. Three humans were sickened after eating the treats.

Passed away: Darcie, owned by Cheryl Harmon, is also died after eating the food. Vets allegedly told the owner Purina Beneful was the cause