Due to a Salmonella scare products with peanut butter paste are being pulled from store shelves around the country. Peanut Corporation America, a processing plant in Georgia has been linked to the outbreak, but officials still have not figured out how bacteria has gotten into the peanut butter and paste.

On January 21st I reported on PetSmart’s Grreat Choice Dog Biscuits voluntary recall due to peanut butter  paste used in their products. When I was posting the article I was thinking of other food products that people may be feeding their dogs. Bo loves peanut butter,  we usually just give him a little spoonful  from a jar but on occasion we have given him peanut butter filled crackers.

In Georgia an elderly dog who was given Austin peanut butter crackers has died and Salmonella is suspected.

Atlanta resident Bert Kanist is heartbroken and just wants answers. He fears he poisoned his dog with Austin brand peanut butter crackers two days before they were recalled.

Like some other pet owners, he gave his dogs human food as treats, and his dog Ozzie loved peanut butter crackers. He ate two packages of them, became ill the next day, and succumbed to the illness within 24 hours. Mr. Kanist’s other dog, Snickers, didn’t eat any of the peanut butter crackers, and seems fine except she’s missing her buddy.

This story is a good reminder not to give your pet any peanut products until the cause of this outbreak and all the products affected are known.

Here are some tips from the FDA…….

FDA and CDC recommendations for consumers include:

Do not eat products that have been recalled and throw them away in a manner that prevents others from eating them.

To determine if commercially-prepared or manufactured peanut butter/peanut paste-containing products (such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream) are subject to recall, consumers are urged first to visit FDA’s website and check the searchable database of recalled products.

For information on products containing peanut butter from companies not reporting recalls, consumers may wish to consult the company’s website or call the toll-free number listed on most packaging. Information consumers may receive from the companies has not been verified by the FDA.

If consumers cannot determine if their peanut butter, peanut butter/peanut paste-containing products or institutionally-served peanut butter contains PCA peanut butter/peanut paste, FDA recommends that they do not consume those products.

Persons who think they may have become ill from eating peanut butter are advised to consult their health care providers.

Our condolences go out to Mr. Kanist and his family.

* The pb loving pup is Willy.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

This recall went out in June 2008, but I just received an email from a Dogster who feeds Timberwolf to her dogs and just became aware of it.

Since the expiration dates on the recalled foods is effective until March 2009 I thought this message was worth repeating

If your pup dines on Timberwolf Organics brand dog food, then sit up and take note! Timberwolf has voluntarily recalled two formulas from their line of pet food due to customers reporting instances of dogs vomiting, diarrhea, and refusing to eat. Affected formulas include the Dakota Bison and Ocean Blue lines with the following “best by” dates printed on the bag:

Dakota Bison: best by date of February 12, 2009
Ocean Blue: best by date of February 20, 2009
Ocean Blue: best by date of March 8, 2009

If you have either of these affected formulas with the dates noted as above, you can simply take the bags back to the retailer you purchased them from for a refund or a store credit. If you’re an online shopper, you’ll want to contact Timberwolf Organics directly for your refund.

Any Dogsters who use this particular Timberwolf Organics food should be sure to check the “best by” dates.  Thanks to Jen for barking this to me.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

Important information regarding a recall on Hartz Chicken Basted Chews due to potential salmonella  contamination.

The Hartz Mountain Corporation has voluntarily recalled a specific lot of its Hartz chicken-basted rawhide chips for dogs due to concerns that one or more bags within the lot are potentially contaminated with Salmonella.

The company announced the recall Friday, saying the two-pound plastic bags of chips with lot code JC23282, UPC number 3270096463 were distributed to a national retail customer it did not identify.

Hartz said the normal testing it conducts through an independent outside laboratory did not detect the presence of Salmonella in any of its rawhide products, but sample testing conducted by another laboratory did indicate the presence of the bacteria in a single bag of the chicken-basted rawhide chips.

Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and if there is cross-contamination caused by handling of the rawhide chips in people as well, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems.

Hartz is investigating the difference in test results and the potential source of the problem. It said there have been no reports of any animals or humans becoming ill. (Newsday)

If you have this product at home please check the lot number and take appropriate action.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

A recall was just announced by Mars Petcare US on some of its products…..

A salmonella scare has forced Mars Petcare US to recall 100 of its 20-pound bags of PEDIGREE Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites sold at some Albertsons in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada.

The company also makes Nutro pet food, which scores of consumers nationwide blame for the recent illnesses – and even deaths – of their dog and cats.

Nutro products, however, are not included in this recall.

Mars said a “component” that tested positive for salmonella was inadvertently shipped to its Tracy, California, plant and used in the production of 100 bags of PEDIGREE pet food.

The affected bags have the “best by” dates of July 7, 2009.

“Our primary concern is the safety and welfare of our pet owners and their pets,” the company said in a statement. “Although the finished product tested negative and we have received no reports of illness of pets or their owners, out of an abundance of caution we are issuing a voluntary recall of the limited number of bags of Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites containing the component in question.”

The following are tips to help prevent the spread of salmonella poisoning.

Salmonella can cause infections in dogs and cats. It can also be transferred from pets to people who ingest or handle contaminated products. Children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems are most at risk.

To prevent the spread of salmonella contamination, the FDA said consumers should wash their hands for 20 seconds with hot water and soap before and after handling pet foods and treats.

Consumers should also:• Wash pet food bowls, dishes, and scooping utensils with soap and hot water after each use;

• Not use their pets’ feeding bowl as a scooping utensil. Pet owners should use a clean scoop or spoon;

• Dispose of old or spoiled pet food products in securely tied plastic bags and put them in a covered trash cans.

The FDA’s Web site has additional tips on how to safely handle pet food.

To keep your best friend safe check your dog food to make sure you don’t have one of the affected products.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

If you use mulch in the yard, please read this letter.  Cocoa mulch has a scent that attracts dogs but can kill them if ingested.

Over the weekend one of our friends experienced a tragedy with one of their dogs and wanted me to pass a special message along to all of our dog loving friends and family. Please tell every dog owner you know.

Over the weekend the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. They loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog, Calypso, decided that the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn’t acting lethargic in any way. The next day Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk. Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died.

Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company’s website, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats. Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey’s, and they claim that ‘It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won’t eat it.’

True information about the mulch can be found here – Snopes.com: Cocoa Mulch. This site gives the following information:
Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman’s Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called ‘Theobromine’ . It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. Just a word of caution, check what you are using in your gardens and be aware of what your gardeners are using in your gardens.

Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker’s chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.

PLEASE GIVE THIS THE WIDEST DISTRIBUTION! !!
Amy Beichler
Executive Director, Public Animal Welfare Society, (PAWS)
A Nonprofit Humane Society Serving the Animals & People of Greater
Cleveland and Cuyahoga County Since 1976

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere: