What began as a relatively small voluntarily recall involving possible Salmonella contamination at a Diamond Pet Foods plant has now gone on to affect several pet food brands and infect over a dozen people.
Manufacturers are responding, retailers are following through and hopefully pet owners aren’t too confused in the process. Fortunately, there are some things you can be doing now to help protect yourself and your pet.
Stay in Touch to petMD for Food Recall News
While it is sometimes difficult to follow the specifics of these types of food recalls, you can stay in touch by checking back here at petMD as we tell you as soon as the news becomes available. Pet food brands affected by this most recent recall were most likely manufactured at the Diamond Pet Foods plant in Gaston, S.C. from December 9 to April 7, 2012, including:
- Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
- Country Value
- Diamond
- Diamond Naturals
- Premium Edge
- Professional
- 4Health
- Apex
- CANIDAE
- Kirkland Signature
- Taste of the Wild
- Solid Gold (select batches of WolfCub and WolfKing)
Check the Products in Your Home
Customers who have purchased these brands are advised to check the production codes and best-before dates on the back of the pet food bags to see if you have a pet food that has been recalled. You should also check the production codes and best-before dates on any new product that comes in your house for the next 1-2 months. While retailers and manufacturers work to make sure all recalled product gets out of distribution, rare exceptions can occur.
Respond Quickly if You Have Been Impacted
If for any reason you have or think you have a recalled product that is making your pet sick, contact your veterinarian immediately. You can also visit petMD for more information on how to change your pet's food brand quickly and the latest developments on pet food recalls.
The Gaston, S.C. Diamond Pet Foods plant implicated in this voluntary recall was also implicated in 2005 when pet food produced at the plant was contaminated with aflatoxin, a naturally occurring toxic chemical that comes from a fungus found on corn and other grains that causes severe liver damage in animals. Fortunately, there have been no reports of aflatoxin in any of the most recently affected brands.
And while a sick pet has yet to have been officially linked with this latest Diamond Pet Foods recall, the CDC reports that as of Friday, May 11, fifteen Americans and one Canadian have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella linked to the Diamond plant. Health officials say humans can get Salmonella by handling contaminated dog food, then not washing their hands before eating or handling their own food.
People infected with Salmonella should watch for nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever. Pets with Salmonella may display a decreased appetite, fever, and abdominal pain.
Hopefully none of this impacts you or your pet, but if it does health officials recommend contacting the necessary authorities to make sure it goes no further.
Image: Tiplyashin Anatoly / via Shutterstock