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Over 28 Dogs Have Died After Eating Sportmix Dog Food

In a shocking announcement yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that at least 28 dogs have died and eight became ill after eating some Sportmix dry dog food products.

The cause of all those deaths was toxic levels of aflatoxin in the products. Aflatoxin is a mold that can grow on corn and other grains used in pet food.

Midwestern Pet Food, Inc., the company that manufactures the products, announced the voluntary recall on Dec. 30, after the FDA was alerted of all the dog deaths. In cooperation with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the FDA is now investigating certain Sportmix pet food products. “Case counts and the scope of this recall may expand as new information becomes available,” the FDA stated.

Recalled Sportmix Products

The following dry pet food products are included in this voluntary recall. They were distributed nationally to online sellers and retail stores. The FDA has encouraged retailers to contact consumers who purchased these products if possible.

Sportmix Energy Plus:
44-lb. bags with the lot number EXP 03/02/22/05/L3
50-lb. bags with the lot numbers EXP 03/02/22/05/L2, EXP 03/02/22/05/L3 and EXP 03/03/22/05/L2

Sportmix Premium High Energy:
44-lb. bags with the lot number EXP 03/03/22/05/L3
50-lb. bags with the lot number EXP 03/03/22/05/L3

The lot number can be found on the back of the bag in a three-line code, as in this example:

The following dry cat food products are also included in the recall, although there have been no reports of cats becoming ill:

Sportmix Original Cat
15-lb. bags with the lot numbers EXP 03/03/22/05/L2 and EXP 03/03/22/05/L3

Symptoms of Aflatoxin Poisoning

The symptoms of aflatoxin poisoning may include sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice (a yellowish tint to your dog’s eyes or gums), and diarrhea. If you’ve been using the recalled products and your dog is experiencing any of these symptoms, you should take them to your veterinarian right away. Some dogs show no symptoms yet still experience liver damage, so you should still have your pet checked out by your veterinarian.

You can report your dog’s Sportmix-related illness to the FDA online through its Safety Reporting Portal or by contacting your state’s FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators. The FDA suggests working with your veterinarian to submit your dog’s medical records with your report.

If you have any of the recalled products, dispose of them in a way that children, pets and wildlife cannot access them. Wash and sanitize pet food bowls, cups and storage containers. The FDA says there is no evidence that people who handle the food are at risk of aflatoxin poisoning.

For more information about this recall, contact Midwestern Pet Foods Consumer Affairs at 800-474-4163, ext. 455 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, or by emailing info@midwesternpetfoods.com.

What Will Happen to Your Dog If You Have the Coronavirus?

There are plenty of things to be concerned about during the current coronavirus pandemic. For us dog owners, one of those concerns is likely what will happen to our pets if we get very sick.

Here are tips from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) and other experts that may help put our minds a little more at ease. Be safe and stay healthy!

Have a Pet Preparedness Plan Ready

The HSUS recommends that you have a preparedness plan. This should include:

Asking a friend or family member if they can care for your dog should you need to be hospitalized.
In case your dog needs to be relocated, be sure to have extra food and supplies ready, and a carrier or crate if necessary.
Make sure your dog’s vaccines are up to date, and that you and the designated temporary caretaker have copies of the records. Note that even in states that have ordered “safer at home,” like where I live in California, animal hospitals remain open.
If your dog is taking any medications, make sure you have a list with the names, dosages and administering instructions.
Your dog should be microchipped with your current contact information, and wear a collar and ID tag.

Find Pet Care Resources in Your Community

As the coronavirus spreads, your local community may be able to help you care for your dog.

“During this crisis, there may be options of temporary housing for pets, donated supplies, subsidized veterinary services and more available to help people care for and stay together with their pets,” the HSUS says.

The HSUS also recommends contacting local shelters and animal service agencies to see if any support is available. If you are experiencing financial hardship, check out their list of local and national pet resources for those in need.

Can You Infect Your Dog with the Coronavirus?

Here’s one less thing to worry about: Dogs (and cats) are very unlikely to become infected with COVID-19, according to both the CDC and the World Organisation for Animal Health. There is currently no evidence that they can spread the virus to people.

APRIL 29, 2020 UPDATE: A Pug in North Carolina tested positive for COVID-19, as did some of his his human family members.

However, if you have the coronavirus, you should avoid contact with your pets as well as people. “If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hands before and after you interact with them,” the CDC advises.

Photo: That’s my shelter dog, Ella, sheltering in place with her Kong toy and favorite blankie.

Could Your Dog Become a Therapy Animal?

If you have a dog who’s mellow and loves being around people, and the idea of helping your pet bring joy to others appeals to you, you might just have a therapy animal in the making.

Accompanied by their owners, therapeutic visitation animals – which are most commonly dogs, but can also be cats, rabbits, pot-bellied pigs, horses, etc. – regularly visit people in hospitals, nursing homes, schools and other facilities, providing furry comfort and compassion.

“Four-footed therapists give something special to enhance the health and well-being of others,” says the website of Therapy Dogs International (TDI), a nonprofit organization that regulates, tests and registers therapy dogs and their handlers. “It has been clinically proven that through petting, touching and talking with animals, patients’ blood pressure is lowered, stress is relieved and depression is eased.”

What It Takes to Be a Therapy Dog

Therapy animals are “born, not made,” according to TDI. They must have an outstanding temperament, and be outgoing and friendly to people of all ages. They must also behave well with other animals.

In general, therapy dogs must also be at least one year old; current on all vaccines required by local laws; and be clean and well groomed when visiting people.

Along with the ability to obey basic commands like “Sit,” “Stay,” “Come” and “Leave it,” dogs are tested by therapy dog certification organizations to ensure they can do the following, according to TDI (most of these requirements apply to other species of potential therapy animals as well):

Listen to their handlers
Allow strangers to touch them all over
Not jump on people when interacting
Not mind strange noises and smells
Be calm for petting
Not be afraid of people walking unsteadily

Getting Your Dog Certified as a Therapy Animal

Think your dog has the right stuff to be a therapy animal? To get an idea of the type of testing involved, this TDI brochure describes each of the 13 tests a dog must pass in order to be certified.

Some therapy animal organizations, including Pet Partners, offer workshops so you and your dog can practice the required skills before being tested for certification.

The AKC website has a list of therapy animal organizations all across the U.S. from which your dog can receive certification. Contact the one nearest you for further information.

The Difference Between Therapy and Service Animals

Although the two are often confused, therapy animals are not the same as service animals, which “have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability,” according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

“An example of a service dog is a dog who guides an owner who is blind or assists someone who has a physical disability,” the American Kennel Club (AKC) explains. “Service dogs stay with their person and have special access privileges in public places such as planes, restaurants, etc.”

Therapy dogs, on the other hand, are are privately owned. Unlike service animals and their handlers, in most U.S. states, therapy animals and their owners don’t have protections under federal law (ADA, the Fair Housing Act, etc.), reports the National Service Animal Registry.

Additional Resources

You can find out more about therapy animals and getting your dog certified from these organizations:

This story was originally published on Care2.com.

Photo: University of Illinois Library

How to Help Dogs in the Bahamas Displaced by Hurricane Dorian

Hurricane Dorian literally obliterated many areas of the Bahamas while causing catastrophic flooding. At least 40 people have died. Tragically, that number is expected to increase a lot.

Here are some of the ways you can help the dogs who survived this record-breaking disaster by helping the shelters, rescues and nonprofit organizations that are caring for them.

Humane Society of Grand Bahama

More than 100 dogs and cats lost their lives at the Humane Society of Grand Bahama (HSGB) when over five feet of water came rushing into the shelter. But thanks to the heroic efforts of six staff members who remained there — with the water up to their necks — more than 150 pets miraculously survived.

Among the survivors was a dog who the staff found in an upstairs bathroom, sitting on debris, two days after the storm. “The owner has been contacted and cried with gratitude to hear the news,” the HSGB reported on its Facebook page.

The HSGB is planning to have all the survivors airlifted to shelters in the United States.

HOW TO HELP

Make a cash donation to the Save the Potcakes Bahamas online fundraiser. This is the only GoFundMe fundraiser sanctioned by the HSGB.

Make a donation to the Kohn Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the HSGB.

Voiceless Dogs of Nassau

Graciela “Chella” Phillips, founder of The Voiceless Dogs of Nassau and truly an angel on Earth, made news headlines by taking nearly 100 stray dogs into her home as Dorian was approaching. They all survived.

“I am just an animal lover,” Phillips told the Miami Herald. Her goal was to raise $20,000 online to help care for the dogs. As of Sept. 7, people inspired by her compassion have donated over $276,000 — or 1,383% of that goal.

HOW TO HELP

Make a cash donation to The Voiceless Dogs of Pawtcake Refuge online fundraiser.

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

Founded 50 years ago, the nonprofit International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) improves conditions for animals, people and the environment. IFAW’s disaster response team has been deployed to the Bahamas “to provide on-the-ground support to communities and wildlife and reunite families with their pets,” according to its Facebook page.

The HSGB reports on its Facebook page today that IFAW is assisting the shelter “with care for the animals and to give some of the shelter staff a much-needed reprieve.”

HOW TO HELP

Make a donation on the IFAW website.

Greater Good

This nonprofit is also on the ground in the Bahamas, helping people and pets. Before Dorian struck, Greater Good’s disaster response team shipped more than 500 crates to the Bahamas from its partner, The Animal Rescue Site, so animals could be evacuated before the hurricane or relocated to the United States afterward.

HOW TO HELP

Make a donation on the GreaterGood.org website. Tito’s Handmade Vodka is currently matching each donation dollar for dollar, up to $10,000.

Photo: Chella Phillips/Facebook

If you know of another shelter, rescue or nonprofit organization in need of donations to help to care for Bahamas dogs, please leave a comment and I’ll add it to this story.

FDA Advises Pet Owners Not to Give Their Dogs Any Pig Ear Treats

Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced they were investigating a link between pig ear treats for dogs and an outbreak of Salmonella infections in humans who had handled the treats.

Four weeks later, the FDA and CDC have made another alarming announcement: They are recommending that pet owners do not give their dogs any pig ear treats and that stores should stop selling them.

In early July, 45 cases of human infection linked to exposure to pig ear treats tainted with Salmonella enterica had been reported in a handful of states. As of today, that number has jumped to 127 cases in 33 states. Twenty-six of those people had to be hospitalized.

Although the FDA has not yet recalled any brands, two companies have voluntarily recalled their pig ear products. Pet Supplies Plus announced on July 3 that it is voluntarily recalling bulk pig ear products supplied to all of its stores by several different vendors. On July 26, Lennox Intl Inc announced that it is voluntarily recalling its Natural Pig ears products that were shipped to distributors and retail stores across the country from May 1 to July 3, 2019.

The FDA said in today’s announcement that it’s working with impacted firms to remove pig ear treats from the marketplace and to identify places where they may have been distributed. Some of the pig ear treats associated with the human Salmonella infections have been traced to sources in Argentina and Brazil.

Salmonella Infections Can Be Deadly

In most cases, Salmonella infections will clear up on their own, but as those 26 people can tell you, you might end up in a hospital. In the worst cases, it can spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and other body parts. Salmonella infections can be deadly for very young and very old people, as well as for people with weakened immune systems.

The most common signs of a Salmonella infection in humans are diarrhea, nausea, fever and abdominal cramps. If you’re giving your dog pig ear treats and are experiencing any of these symptoms, be sure to see your doctor.

Dogs can also get Salmonella infections. The symptoms are the same as those for humans, but infected dogs may have no symptoms at all. The problem is that dogs can easily pass the infection along to humans. “Once Salmonella gets established in the pet’s gastrointestinal tract, the animal can shed the bacteria, and the contamination will continue to spread,” the FDA notes. See your veterinarian if your dog shows the symptoms of a Salmonella infection.

If you think you or your dog has been sickened by a pig ears treat or any other pet product, you can report it on the FDA’s Safety Reporting Portal.

Photo: U.S. Food and Drug Administration