Don’t Panic! (Yes, there is another pet food recall)
Recalls happen all the time. For any number of reasons. If you think I’m kidding about that, you should check out the Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) recall website! Some recalls get more media attention than others. This recall is hitting the news, and while it doesn’t impact our side of the country yet, it is still something to be aware of.
To prove to the manufacturer that you (or your pet) have been affected by the object in question, you really have to have the packaging. The lot or production number and best by dates are possibly more important than the entire packaging. Where to find the numbers will vary with different types of food.
The current recall is due to possible Salmonella contamination. Salmonella can make pets and people sick (think bad stomach flu) and requires medical attention. Not all pet foods are included in this recall, in fact, it has been traced to one dry dog food production plant. Yet the list of affected products continues to grow. Hopefully this recall won’t continue to snowball. Diamond Pet Food claims that most of the recall is precautionary, only four bags of food have actually tested positive for Salmonella, and they have suspended production at the plant in question.
So far, the recalled food is only known to have shipped from the manufacturer, Diamond Pet Food, to the Eastern United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
Sample of production codes recalled
The following brands of dry dog food have been affected by the recall:
- Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
- Country Value
- Diamond
- Diamond Naturals
- Premium Edge
- Professional
- 4Health
- Taste of the Wild
- Apex
- Canidae
- Kirkland Signature
Growing Concern Over Jerky Treats
The FDA has its hackles raised again over possible illness in dogs related to the treats they are fed. The current suspect: chicken treats for dogs, that can be sold as jerky, strips, tenders, or chews. The treats in questions originate from China. At this point in time there are no conclusive leads, but this “caution” from the federal government is not the first of its kind in recent years. In 2005, there was the giant pet-food melamine recall. In 2007, the FDA gave “warning” about jerky treats for dogs, seemingly unrelated to the early melamine contamination. That warning was elevated to a “caution” in 2008, and then things went quiet.
Perhaps people were paying more attention to where their dog treats were coming from. Or maybe they were making treats at home. 2008 found us in the middle of the housing bust, maybe there were cases of dogs getting sick from treats, but not reportably because the affected families weren’t able to seek veterinary attention, or there were just bigger news items than a “caution” from the FDA.
Part of the issue seems to be that the FDA doesn’t know where to point the finger. They report that research is being done to pin-point the root of the problem. Thus far, they have ruled out melamine. Regardless, we need to know how to keep our pets safe. And how can we do that proactively?
First, buy local. Treat their food as you do your own. Our pets’ metabolism is remarkably faster than ours, so illness pops up a lot sooner.
If your dog is a jerky addict, then purchase a dehydrator (often seen at thrift stores) and make your own.
Save your packaging. If you cannot recall what type of food or treats you are offering, keep the label. You never know when it could be important.
One of the things that I do when I open a new bag of cat food, is dump it into a plastic storage container. I know lots of people do that. It keeps the pets from helping themselves, or pests from getting into it. Something that I could be better about, is clipping the information from the bag and taping it to the container. What information is important? Well to begin with, the brand name, type, and flavor. The expiration dates and lot numbers are crucial if there is a recall — finding those 2 pieces of information can be tough (check along the seams of the bag and by the proof-of-purchase barcode). That barcode could be useful also. Actually, the FDA has a whole list of things that would be helpful if you ever suspect a problem.
In the case of the “off” chicken jerky/tenders/strips/treats, here are the symptoms that have been reported so far:
- decreased appetite;
- decreased activity;
- vomiting;
- diarrhea, sometimes with blood;
- increased water consumption
- and/or increased urination.
As always, monitor your pets’ behavior. If you notice anything odd, give us a call. Likely, the recommendation will be to schedule an appointment or come right in, depending on a number of factors.
Diary of A Fat Cat: Labwork Surprise!
Moment of truth
. Time to take Puck in for his annual torture session, er, um, I mean, car trip. Actually he isn’t bad in the car. Puck is a well traveled cat, he’s moved with me from Washington to California and then back up to Oregon. You could say he’s been down this road (and that one) before. His least favorite part is being stuck in a kennel all day while I work — he hides under blankies and pretends he is an empty kennel.
Since Puck is still dropping weight, and he just became a senior kitty, I decided to run labs on him. The labs are designed to be a diagnostic tool to evaluate overall health including organ function and metabolism. I wasn’t expecting any problems to show up, after all his continued weight loss was due to dieting.
Imagine my surprise when the lab work came back showing that he had crystals in his urine. The kind that can create urinary blockages in male cats, or turn into bladder stones — ouch!
Struvite crystal formation has nothing to do with weight loss. But the easy solution for dealing with urinary crystals is to increase the patient’s water consumption. And the easiest was to do that is to change to canned food.
Guess what kind of food is best for weight loss? You betcha, any type of canned food! Canned food has not only higher water, but lower calories, higher protein, and is more satisfying for carnivores. Now we just have to convince Puck that canned food is food. He likes it about as a kid likes Brussels sprouts or lima beans. I have to feed him something (not eating is a serious problem in hefty kitties) while he turns his nose up at the mushy stinky foodstuffs before him. We decide that Royal Canin’s prescription diet, Urinary SO, is the one to try. Except he has to eat 3 times what I’ve been feeding him to get the same amount of calories.
Stay tuned … there’s more to this story!
Cara (and Puck)
Two Great TV Shows Coming to OPB in April
OPB HD will be airing two great shows on Wednesday, April 21 at 8pm and 9pm: Through a Dog’s Eyes and Food, Inc. The first show, Through a Dog’s Eyes shares inspiring and hopeful stories that show how dogs can affect people’s lives and how, with a little patience and a lot of love, an “ordinary” dog can show how extraordinary he or she can become.
The second show, Food, Inc., is a sweeping, shocking, informative Oscar-winning documentary that reveals how the agri-business in the U.S. is rife with sick animals, environmental degradation, and tainted and unhealthy food. Obesity and diabetes are only the more obvious health problems resulting from a highly mechanized and centralized system that touts efficiency as the supreme value in food production.
