One lot of Chicken Sprinkles Food Enhancer has been voluntarily recalled by the Boulder Dog Food Company because it may be contaminated with Salmonella.
According to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration recall notice, a routine sampling of the product by the Colorado Dept. of Agriculture tested positive for Salmonella. One complaint has been received from a consumer who bought the affected product.
Salmonella can affect animals as well as people who handle the contaminated food. The symptoms for both people and animals include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. If you or your pet experiences these symptoms after handling or eating the recalled product, see a doctor or veterinarian.
The recall only applies to 10 3-ounce, clear poly bags of Chicken Sprinkles Food Enhancer with the following best by date, lot number and UPC code:
Best by date: 05/04/16
Lot number: 998
UPC code: 899883001231
The UPC code is located in the lower right corner of the product label on the front of the bag. The best by date and lot number are on a label on the back of the bag.
The 10 recalled products were distributed to two retail stores in Colorado, one retail store in Washington and one customer in Maryland. The Boulder Dog Food Company has retrieved eight of them, and believes the remaining two bags have been used or destroyed.
If you purchased the recalled product, do not give it to your dog. Return it to the retailer where it was purchased or send it to the Boulder Dog Food Company.
For more information about the recall, call the Boulder Dog Food Company at 303-449-2540 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MDT.
More than six dogs have died and hundreds have gotten sick after eating Real Ham Bone treats, sold by Walmart and other stores.
After receiving hundreds of complaints from pet parents over the past five years, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has contacted U.S. senators, asking them to order Dynamic Pet Products of Washington, Mo., to stop manufacturing the harmful treats.
A class action lawsuit against the manufacturer was filed last month by Khristie Reed, whose Basset Hound, Fred, died after eating a Real Ham Bone.
David Frick, president of Dynamic Pet Products, has refused interview requests from the media.
“At Dynamic Pet Products, we are taking seriously the concerns people have raised,” the company said in a statement sent to FOX6. “We have millions of customers who want a natural bone for their pets and safely use this product with a high level of satisfaction.”
According to the company website, a Real Ham Bone “is the actual femur bone from a hog that has been seasoned and smoked with hickory wood. This is a natural bone, made in the USA. We adhere to strict quality regulations in our plants.”
Tracy Hardgrove, vice president of the BBB in St. Louis, told KSDK that because the bones are smoked, they are especially brittle and likely to splinter inside a dog’s gastrointestinal tract.
That’s exactly what happened to Dave Marklein’s dog, Gunner, after he ate a Real Ham Bone.
“In the middle of the night he had diarrhea and bloody diarrhea — he was almost dead,” Marklein told KSDK. A veterinarian told him the bone had splintered in Gunner’s stomach, blocking his colon.
A few hours after Lisa Nickerson of Onset, Mass., gave her dog, Nala, a Real Ham Bone, Nala became violently ill and was sick for a week.
“Every day I thought I was going to lose her,” Nickerson told CBS Boston. “I was crying every day. I missed work. It was awful.”
Reed, who filed the class action lawsuit against Dynamic Pet Products after her dog died, also started a Change.org petition urging the company to take Real Ham Bones off the market. The petition currently has more than 14,000 signatures.
Reed also started the Facebook group, “Fight for Fred…Ban products that are unsafe for dogs to consume.”
The morning after Fred ingested part of a Real Ham Bone, he was vomiting, having diarrhea and bleeding from his rectum. He was rushed to an animal hospital and placed in intensive care. Unfortunately, the veterinarian recommended that Fred be euthanized.
“I am never going to forgive myself for buying him that deadly treat,” Reed wrote on Change.org.
No Bone Is Safe for Dogs
On its website, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises pet parents not to give their dogs any bones, and to always supervise your dog with any chew toy, especially one your dog hasn’t had before.
The Real Ham Bone label warns that it’s “to be chewed over several sittings, not eaten…remove bone immediately if splintering occurs or small fragments break off.”
However, it’s difficult to stop most dogs from swallowing the treat, as Ron Witt, whose dog, Panda, became seriously ill after eating it, told FOX6.
He said it was similar to telling a human to “go to your favorite restaurant and only just smell your wonderful dinner — don’t consume that.”
The BBB’s Hardgrove told KSDK, “Some of these dogs have suffered horribly, some have died and they are family members.” She said that since only about 5 percent of people file complaints with the BBB, many other dogs may have been sickened or died after eating Real Ham Bones.
Missouri Senator Clair McCaskill has contacted the FDA to see what action it’s taking regarding the harmful treats.
“I don’t need to be convinced a product killing families pets needs to be looked into,” she told KSDK. “Their mandate is to look at whether a pet product is safe and we’ll hold their feet to the fire.”
Some retailers have removed Real Ham Bones from their shelves. Walmart, however, continues to sell them.
“At Walmart, we are committed to providing our customers and their pets with safe, quality pet treats,” the company wrote in a statement to FOX6. “We are saddened to learn of this report of illness alleged to be associated with this product and we are working with the supplier to promptly investigate it. If you have additional questions, we recommend you contact the supplier directly at 636-266-9814.”
Buyer beware.
If your dog has been sickened or worse after eating a Real Ham Bone, please file a complaint with the BBB and your senator, and submit a report to the FDA’s Safety Reporting Portal.
Updated May 29, 2015 with information provided from the Himalayan Corporation.
Some lots of Himalayan Ruff Roots All-Natural Dog Chew Toys sold at PetSmart are being voluntarily recalled because of possible metal contamination.
“Though the amount of metal is negligible, the Ruff Root toys were only taken off the shelf as a safety precaution,” their manufacturer, the Himalayan Corporation, said in a statement. “We have since implemented additional procedures to ensure the safety of Ruff Roots.”
According to the Himalayan Corporation, only the following products sold at PetSmart are included in this voluntary recall. The lot number is branded on the chew toy.
Ruff Roots Sprout — Lot Number SP001
Ruff Roots Stump — Lot Number ST001
Ruff Roots Stalk — Lot Number SA001
If you purchased one of these products, return it to PetSmart for a full refund.
If your dog appears to be ill after chewing one of these toys, take him to a veterinarian or animal emergency hospital.
The Himalayan Corporation is based in Mukilteo, Wash. This year both PetSmart and Petco stopped selling pet treats made in China because thousands of dogs have become sickened or died after eating jerky treats manufactured there. The cause of the illness is still unknown.
The epidemic H3N2 virus has spread to at least 24 U.S. states. Most at risk for becoming infected with this flu are puppies, older dogs and dogs with weakened immune systems.
The H3N2 strain cannot be transmitted from dogs to humans, but it can be transmitted to cats. No cats have yet been diagnosed with this flu strain.
While most dogs recover within 10 to 30 days, some have developed serious issues, such as pneumonia. Six dogs have died from H3N2.
H3N2 Prevention Tips
If you live where the flu has been reported, do the following to prevent your dog from becoming infected:
Keep your dog on a leash whenever you leave your house.
Keep high-risk dogs at home, away from other people’s dogs.
Wash your hands and change your clothes after you are in contact with another dog to reduce the chance of transmission.
Routinely monitor your dog for the flu symptoms listed below.
Susan Nelson, clinical associate professor in clinical sciences at Kansas State University’s Veterinary Health Center, said the main thing is to be vigilant about where you’re taking your dog and watching for signs of illness.
“My advice to dog owners is to watch the news and be aware of where the disease is across the country,” Nelson said in a news release.
H3N2 Symptoms to Watch For
The following are some of the symptoms of both the H3N2 and H3N8 canine flu strains, according to Cornell University:
Coughing
Nasal discharge
Loss of appetite
Lethargy
High fever
The symptoms are typically more severe for the H3N2 strain. However, about 20 percent of infected dogs show no signs of this flu.
According to the ASPCA, dogs are most infectious before the symptoms appear, and continue to be infectious for about 10 days.
If your dog does show any of the symptoms, isolate him from your other dogs and take him to the vet. (Some animal hospitals have set up separate areas for infected dogs, or are asking pet parents to stay in their cars with their dogs instead of in the waiting room.)
Treatment for H3N2
“The veterinarian might prescribe medications, such as an antibiotic (to fight secondary infections) and/or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (to reduce fever, swelling and pain),” the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports.
“Dehydrated pets may need fluid therapy to restore and maintain hydration. Other medications, or even hospitalization, may also be necessary for more severe cases.”
Most dogs recover from the flu within 10 to 30 days.
As of Nov. 23, the new Canine Influenza Vaccine H3N2 is available. The vaccine is delivered in two doses several weeks apart to dogs who are healthy and at least 6 months old.
More than 2,000 pounds of OC Raw Dog Turkey & Produce Raw Frozen Canine Formulation have been voluntarily recalled because the food may be contaminated with Salmonella.
According to an FDA recall notice, a routine sampling of the dog food by the Nebraska Dept. of Food and Agriculture tested positive for Salmonella. OC Raw Dog, of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., has stopped the production and distribution of the food while the company and FDA investigate what caused the contamination.
“We will be making several changes to our methods of production in order to further protect the product we so firmly believe in,” the company stated.
The recall is only for the following Turkey & Produce Raw Frozen Canine Formulations products:
6.5-pound Doggie Dozen Patties and 5-pound Bulk Bags
Lot number: 1511
Use by date: 10/8/15
The affected products were distributed in Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri and Pennsylvania, and sold through independent pet specialty retailers.
Salmonella can affect animals as well as people who handle the contaminated food. The symptoms for both people and animals include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. If you or your pet experiences these symptoms after handling or eating the recalled product, see a doctor or veterinarian.
If you purchased the recalled product, send a photo of the package with the lot number to Olivia@ocrawdog.com for verification. Return the product to the retailer where you purchased it for a full refund or replacement product.
For more information, call OC Raw Dog at 844-215-3647 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT.
Photos via FDA
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