AUGUSTA, Maine — A recall of dry dog food linked to a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infantis has been expanded to include products shipped to Maine, according to a statement from the Maine Department of Agriculture.
Although 14 people from nine different states have been infected with the Salmonella from the dog food, the agriculture department said Wednesday no cases have been reported in Maine thus far.
The Mayo Clinic website indicates the best way for people to protect themselves against a Salmonella infection is to wash their hands thoroughly after handling pet food or feces, thus preventing the transfer of the bacteria to their mouths or human food.
“Links to FDA advice are the most significant source of timely updates. The Maine Department of Agriculture has monitored recalls in other states since the initial outbreak in early April. Products sold in Maine were included in the expanded recall issued on May 7, 2012,” said Steve Giguere, acting director of the Division of Quality Assurance & Regulations, in the prepared statement.
Human illnesses related to the pet food should be reported to Dr. Stephen Sears at the Maine Center for Disease Control at 1-800-821-5821, and pet illnesses should be reported to the Maine Department of Agriculture or call 781-596-7700.
The contamination was discovered in April when the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development was doing routine sampling of Diamond Naturals Lamb and Rice Formula for Adult Dogs. Diamond Pet Foods agreed voluntarily to recall the product.
The pet foods affected include Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, Country Value, Diamond, Diamond Naturals, Premium Edge, Professional, 4Health, Taste of the Wild, Apex (distributed only in South Carolina), Kirkland Signature, Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain and Canidae.
Other companies that voluntarily recalled products that were produced at the same Gaston, S.C., facility were:
• Wellpet LLC’s Wellness Complete Health Super5Mix Large Breed Puppy with “best by” dates of Jan. 9-11, 2013, including 15- and 30-pound bags and 5-ounce sample bags.
• Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Pet Foods, including Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison Dog, Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog, Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Bison Dog, Natural Balance Vegetarian Dog, Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog Large Breed Bites, Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog Small Breed Bites.
Diamond Pet Foods continues to work directly with distributors and retailers where the recalled products are carried to remove them as quickly as possible from the marketplace, and the FDA will will continue to provide updates, according to the press statement.
I thought it was bad enough that they put such garbage in the food (which is probably why these things keep happening) and they put sugar in dog food/treats, so it’s no surprise our pets are coming down with the same illnesses humans are–for the same reasons.
And now this……AGAIN…….when are we all going to see what we’re doing to the food chain, pets and ours……..there have been periodic news items and TV shows but nothing ever changes…..another hit to the infalliable “big business”…but oh well……people forget, time goes on, profits increase….that’s all that matters.
I get your point, but it seemed interesting to me that many of the companies listed are marketed and rated as being the “best” and highest priced available dry dog food.
Unfortunately, sometimes the “best” are the worst at cutting corners & raising the profit margin. If you check labels, it’s next to impossible to find “meat” as the first ingredient–not meat by products, or meal or corn…many manufacturers are pretty sneaky with their labeling too. Here is a link to one of many articles on pet food:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/01/06/whats-the-best-food-for-your-pet.aspx
Disqus generic email template
By all means, MM, if you choose to feed a “bones and raw foods” diet sourced completely from certified organic farms, I applaud you and your dedication. There are some pet owners who can’t/won’t find or take that way in their budgets of time or money. That doesn’t make other owners who choose differently negligent, ignorant or unfit.
We all have a problem when Salmonella and E. coli infect our food chain. If it is in my burger, bean sprouts, and lunchmeat, it will eventually be in my lettuce and in my dog food.
WE can all get angry about this , but to date we are all collateral.
—– Original Message —–
From: Disqus
To: sdhb@oxfordnetworks.net
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2012 1:29 PM
Subject: [bdn] Re: Dry dog food recall linked to salmonella outbreak expanded to Maine
magicmilly wrote, in response to livefreeordie77:
Unfortunately, sometimes the “best” are the worst at cutting corners & raising the profit margin. If you check labels, it’s next to impossible to find “meat” as the first ingredient–not meat by products, or meal or corn…many manufacturers are pretty sneaky with their labeling too. Here is a link to one of many articles on pet food:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/01/06/whats-the-best-food-for-your-pet.aspx
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Just so you know, a listed meal is better. It has more protein in it, as regular “meat” is mostly water, and the percentage of it actually goes down after cooking for dog food. Just stay away from meat by products, or a generically named “meat meal.”
And it should be first on the list. That is, chicken meal, herring meal, lamb meal, etc.
And that is because they have the highest percentage of real meat and not meals or byproducts.
****
So far, Iams and Sam’s Club pet foods have not been hit!!
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Last Sunday I returned a new and unopened bag of a Diamond Naturals recalled brand with an offending product code to a Tractor Supply location, and I was blown away by the EXCEPTIONAL customer service I experienced. The store staff was completely prepared to assist, over-the-top with signage in the pet foods aisle, and completely prepared to tell me when they were expecting re-shipment. Exceptional service deserves mention. I was totally amazed.
What ELSE is truly worth noting is that this big ( and growing) voluntary recall of varied pet foods and brand names is to protect HUMAN health and welfare. Dogs and cats aren’t AS susceptible to Salmonella infantis as their 2 legged companions, unless the pets are otherwise health- compromised.
I switched from a Diamond Naturals Brand to an Iams brand literally on the fly….. no weaning, no blending. Breakfast X, Dinner Y.
I have a 10 y/o German Shepherd who IS otherwise compromised– he has a genetic digestive problem known as Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency. He was hilariously funny Sunday evening with his ” late” supper, gently and delicately fishing ONE piece of new kibble out of his dish to sniff and taste…. quite the drama Prince. He’s cleaned his bowl every meal and I’m delighted that this issue was easily resolved for both his sake and ours.
Ranting about the safety of the food chain ? Pffft, if it can be OUR burger, chicken, turkey and veggies, it can be our pet foods, too.
—– Original Message —–
From: Disqus
To: sdhb@oxfordnetworks.net
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2012 1:23 PM
Subject: [bdn] Re: Dry dog food recall linked to salmonella outbreak expanded to Maine
“Ranting about the safety of the food chain ? Pffft, if it can be
OUR burger, chicken, turkey and veggies, it can be our pet foods,
too.”
That’s the point…we SHOULD be ranting and it IS our food too…so you’re message is just accept it?
Disqus generic email templateIn my world, people and animals all urinate, defecate and respire, and they cough, hack and regurgitate. On this earth.
Yea it would be a vast improvement if we could remove every vector of infection.
I presume you have a proposal ready for the FDA and the CDC to accomplish that mission?
—– Original Message —–
From: Disqus
To: sdhb@oxfordnetworks.net
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2012 2:19 PM
Subject: [bdn] Re: Dry dog food recall linked to salmonella outbreak expanded to Maine
magicmilly wrote, in response to Youngs78:
“Ranting about the safety of the food chain ? Pffft, if it can be
OUR burger, chicken, turkey and veggies, it can be our pet foods, too.”
That’s the point…we SHOULD be ranting and it IS our food too…so you’re message is just accept it?
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most people on here are trying to be helpful and learn from each other. I don’t understand why you need to be nasty.
Disqus generic email templateSo sorrry MagicMilly that my experience and understanding doesn’t line up in direct support for your line of thought.
I didn’t adopt you, or your line of thinking. I adopted/rescued/fostered a dog, and it is my daily duty to keep that relationship current and consistent. I owe nothing to to you, but there is a Dog Mom out there who truly wishes she didn’t have to choose between having a mobility dog and and a Hover Round scooter.
I’ve got the dog she had to surrender after 10 years of service. I’ve got the dog who was replaced by a robot. I’ve got the dog with Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency , and I’ve got the dog who just wants to claim bed space.
If you find that to be intentionally nasty on my part ? You aren’t listening.
—– Original Message —–
From: Disqus
To: sdhb@oxfordnetworks.net
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2012 6:29 PM
Subject: [bdn] Re: Dry dog food recall linked to salmonella outbreak expanded to Maine
magicmilly wrote, in response to Youngs78:
most people on here are trying to be helpful and learn from each other. I don’t understand why you need to be nasty.
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Glad they were so helpful – I am going to try to return the unused portion of my last bag of Call of the Wild, but I don’t have the bag. I empty into a large container and the bag is gone, but at $50 a bag I don’t want to just throw away the remaining food. I switched without weaning also to Iams but Iams is not very good quality food. Nutro Natural balance is not bad (sold at Tractor Supply) but the first ingredient is some kind of meal rather than meat also. Wellness is one of the best, but I believe they have had a recall also.
Disqus generic email templatewe all try to do the best we can, in spite of others who try to diminish efforts out of their main stream.
I wasn’t thrilled with my choices, and yes this bag of Iams Weight control is .
Well shiver me timbers that my 10 y/o EPI GSD now has tighter, dryer, smaller, darker BM’s and his usual transit time from pie hole to poop chute is now 12 hours rather than 6 hours.
Being a dog mom does engage some brain power. This may not be the best choice long term, but I’ve made a good choice for the short term.
—– Original Message —–
From: Disqus
To: sdhb@oxfordnetworks.net
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2012 3:11 PM
Subject: [bdn] Re: Dry dog food recall linked to salmonella outbreak expanded to Maine
Dawn_G wrote, in response to Youngs78:
Glad they were so helpful – I am going to try to return the unused portion of my last bag of Call of the Wild, but I don’t have the bag. I empty into a large container and the bag is gone, but at $50 a bag I don’t want to just throw away the remaining food. I switched without weaning also to Iams but Iams is not very good quality food. Nutro Natural balance is not bad (sold at Tractor Supply) but the first ingredient is some kind of meal rather than meat also. Wellness is one of the best, but I believe they have had a recall also.
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One of the brands from Sams Club has been recalled – Kirkland I believe it is. Also the kind I have been feeding Call of the Wild has been recalled – there are more than what is listed here.
So where can a person get the complete list that is being looked at?? Last time this happened, at least someone was honest and put out a complete list of the infected foods that we feed our pets
First, Dawn_G, it’s Taste of the Wild, not Call of the Wild. Call of the Wild is a book by Jack London.
nownews, since this recall occurred over a month ago, the information has been out there for a while. But trust the “news” to have the most current information. NOT.
http://www.diamondpetrecall.net/
Yes, I realize my mistake – but so helpful for you to point it out, thank you, Sue.
A good article that covers many of the brands and recipes being recalled can be found here.
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.askavetquestion.com%2Fnews%2F2012%2Fhuge-recall-on-several-diamond-brand-dog-and-cat-foods%2F&h=0AQGE-wU_AQH5r8Z7ntSedpenlWAjeZSB1W0HYmTXc4lLnw
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recall/diamond-naturals-recall/ Try this link. You can also sign up to get emailed alerts if any new recalls occur.
Do you mean “Taste of the Wild”?? Some of that food (made by Diamond) has been recalled.
This is the 2nd Diamond recall in maybe 18 months. I may stay away from Taste of the WIld now(had been using it for 2 years or so). There are other quality foods out there.
Kirland is COSTCO’s signature (private label) brand – not Sam’s.
Iams has had far worse problems/recalls. Aflatoxin is a killer. Dogs usually don’t even get salmonella poisoning.
****
I need to do the same. I have 2 Papillons and almost lost one 2 months ago due to a bad piece of chicken jerky. I need to rethink what goes in my dogs mouth. I bet your dog loves the stew.
____
Thank you for the info. I will definitely give it a go. Seems like there is minimal over site on what gets put on the shelf these days.
Another reason to feed a raw diet to our carnivore dogs. Been doing it for years, the “real” way, and my dog is a working/protection machine. Do canines eat corn, rice, and wheat in the wild? No. Fruits and vegetables? Very rarely if it’s in the prey’s stomach contents or out of absolute necessity/hunger. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re interested in a more natural feeding method you should check it out.
While a RAW or BARF diet is excellent, you do realize that there is more of a risk of salmonella poisoning to humans with that diet? Particularly if someone doesn’t freeze or properly clean up after preparing their meals. Or your human meals, for that matter.
Salmonella actually can be handled by dogs and cats. It’s humans who are affected the most.
There is no more of a risk of salmonella than handling raw meat that you prepare for you and your family. I feed my dogs all human grade, USDA inspected meats, from a local butcher. I isolate my workspace, wash and disinfect the area and my hands, and disinfect dishes. The meat stays frozen until used.
And yes, you’re correct; dogs can handle it, humans normally can’t. So you have to be mindful that you are handling raw meat and wash-up after you’re done preparing the food.
I certainly agree with you. Unfortunately, a lot of people do not follow proper guidelines for preparation or storage of food. Human included, or maybe especially.
Are you in Maine? I’ve found it’s not really cost effective here, since we don’t have a lot of butcher shops, food coops, and even hunters willing to share. So many use the PRF diets (Prepared Raw Food) but that just isn’t the same.
I do take somewhat of an exception to the “dogs don’t eat vegetables” statement. I had one Lab who loved nothing better than to go out in the garden, grab a tomato off the vine, lie down with it between her paws and enjoy.
And I had another one that used to raid the berries off the trees. She especially loved mulberries. Dogs are scavengers, not obligate carnivores like cats, and will eat whatever they can find. ;-)
I never said dogs don’t eat fruits or vegetables. Look at my previous post. I was saying that they are not canine appropriate in terms of the fruits and vegetables needing to be in every meal (I should have elaborated). I agree, dogs are scavengers. They will eat fruits and vegetables occasionally. As you recall, I also said that fruits and vegetables are very common allergens to dogs and cats. Does that mean that ALL dogs and cats are allergic to fruits and vegetables? No. I have a dog that have an autoimmune disorder, and fruits and vegetables aggravate the issue. So, she gets fed an all natural raw diet.
I live in Maine and get my meat, bone meal, fat, organs, etc. from a local butcher. I can get it ground or separately bagged so I can tweak the percentage of each item. It comes out to $1.66/pound. So I spend about $100 per month for my 80lb. GSD. That’s not for everyone, but my dog thrives on it, and frankly, needs it. Dry food is awful FOR HER. Many dogs do okay on it. However, my dog has no bad breath, her stools are firm and small , and they break down very easily. As opposed to dogs on a grain rich diet, who often have bad breath, terribly gross stools, and poop several times a day.
I feed a prey model, so many times she is eating bone, meat, fat, cartilage, etc. Just like she would in the wild.
My dogs also eat outside so that eliminates a lot of the exposure of the meat to anything in my house (dishes, floor, etc.).
BARF is not canine (or feline for that matter) appropriate to many true raw feeders. Fruits and vegetables, such as those in the BARF diet can be very common allergens in dogs/cats, and can wreak havoc on the animals’ coats, skin, G.I. tract, and etc.
Do you have a link to the raw food diet you use?
The best advice I can give you is to join the Yahoo! group “Raw Feeding”. Lots of informed people and articles that you can use for your information.
You must keep a clean workspace, and wash up after preparation, but if you don’t mind doing that, then you’ll have no problem. My dogs eat outside, where I can spray the area down with a hose. They eat in one area only.
Wow, this is old news. The recall was announced over a month ago. At that point, the Diamond plant in Gaston, South Carolina shut down production and the affected brands that they produce became impossible to get, as they supply the entire east coast from that plant.
For those wondering and worried, the digestive systems of dogs and cats can handle salmonella. Ever see a dog or cat eat a dead bird? A mouse? Their stomach acid is way more acidic than ours.
Humans are the ones most affected by this, and if you wash your hands and disinfect countertops, bowls, cooking surfaces, you really shouldn’t worry too much. And that applies to all other food items that have been recalled because of salmonella. Such as lettuce.
And for those asking for the complete list:
http://www.diamondpetrecall.net/
Glad my dog loves her Gravy Train, though Shaw’s and Hannaford do not carry it anymore. (thankfully Danforths and the Orono IGA do!)
Gravy Train is basically slow death by poor nutrition. I’d sooner take my chances with possible salmonella poisoning.
Choosing dog food: http://dogfoods.angelfire.com/
That Wal-Mart Old Roy dogfood has little nutrition in it too. Not good stuff, but no surprise that wallyworld sells it but people buy it because it is cheep.
Feeding your dog Gravy Train is like raising a kid on Twinkies.
When we started using Taste of the Wild it was made by a small company with attention to quality. The product was sold to Diamond (I was told) about six months ago. They kept it quiet and started substituting lesser quality ingredients. Our daughter lives in Rhode Island and alerted us to this problem two weeks ago when her dog became gravely ill and spent two days in an animal emergency center with bloody diarrhea and an enlarged spleen. The food she was eating was Taste of the Wild. $1000.00 later it was determined the food was to blame. Our bag of food had the recalled production code and we bought it in Ellsworth.
a little off topic but if you have pets and need help with paying for the meds- www.rxcut.com/RXA00065. It works and I have been using this for 3 months now. The savings are usually 10-20$ off one prescription but it could be more for you. Good luck! let’s keep the puppies healthy..