Several lots of certain varieties of Eukanuba and Iams dry foods for dogs and cats have been recalled because they may be contaminated with salmonella bacteria.
Salmonella is a bacteria can cause an infection, salmonellosis, that can infect both people and pets. Pets can get infected from eating the food, while humans who handle the food may contract the bacteria.
Pets with salmonella may appear tired and/or have a fever, vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Some may show less obvious symptoms like decreased appetite, while other pets may be completely healthy but still able to spread the bacteria to other animals or people.
In dogs, it may also cause miscarriage or spontaneous abortion, according to PetMD. Persistent forms of salmonellosis in pets may result in loss of blood, non-intestinal infections and diarrhea that comes and goes with no logical explanation, which may last up to three or four weeks, or longer.
For people, the infection causes diarrhea, fever and/or abdominal cramps that typically resolves in about a week. But some people may be at higher risk for more severe illness, including the elderly, young infants and people with weakened immune systems.
These serious complications including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms.
The recalled pet foods were made during a 10-day window at one of Procter & Gamble’s manufacturing sites, and represents only 0.1 percent of total annual production, the company said. The products all have expiration dates during November, 2014.
They include certain lots and bag sizes of Eukanuba dry dog foods for puppies and adults, Iams dry dog foods in some Healthy Naturals and ProActive varieties, plus some Healthy Naturals, ProActive and hairball preventing-varieties for cats.
A complete list of product types, lot codes and expiration dates can be found on the FDA’s website.
The recall only affects products with these specific lot codes. No other dry foods, wet foods or treats and supplements are affected.
People who purchased the products can contact toll-free hotline at 800-208-0172, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET, or via these pet food brands’ websites.
Last week, we walked the floor at the SuperZoo conference in Las Vegas and told you about the best and worst pet products we stumbled upon on the first day of the trip. Come the end of the three-day affair, we were exhausted from gripping, grinning, and collecting business cards and brochures from the hundreds of retailers present — but overall, glad we’d ventured out to see the latest pet product trends firsthand. (If you follow Dogster on Instagram, you got to see some of this in real time. If you missed it, by all means follow us for next time!)
SuperZoo is more of a launching pad for small mom-and-pop brands, one PR gal informed us, while the larger Global Pet Expo is frequented by the more mainstream brands you see at your local Petco. That alone makes us want to return next year. It’s no secret that we at Dogster champion the underdog whenever possible.
Our favorite part of the Vegas expo was the new product section on the floor, where we got to be the first to see items about to hit the market. There were dozens of products making their debut, but a few stood out to us either for the cool or quirky factor, and we’re curious to know which (if any) of these stir your ire or interest.
Sleepypod has long been a Dogster editor favorite for well-crafted small dog carriers (I mentioned them briefly when asked what brands dog lovers should know about in a recent interview) and it’s interesting that the company is offering to help solve the pet seatbelt problem. To be completely honest, this editor has not been a fan of any pet seatbelt to hit the market yet, but I found this version intriguing and definitely worthy of review in the future. Check it out in action and let us know your thoughts:
No, Sealy doesn’t count as an underdog, but how clever is the company for dipping a toe into the $53 billion pet industry? We climbed into a blown-up version of the bed at SuperZoo and found it human-bed comfortable (not a surprise because, um, Sealy makes human beds). Aesthetically, it’s a bit wanting, but we’d still be curious to put it to the test with Dogster’s canine reviewer team. It’ll be available in October.
The brand actually reached out to us for advice on a price point for this product before it made its SuperZoo debut, so it wasn’t the biggest surprise for us on the floor. But we’re curious to know if this is a product people will buy. Stride is a three-in-one poop bag dispenser, hand sanitizer, and pedometer. It’ll be available come September.
We’re big fans of P.L.A.Y.’s aesthetic and do a lot of giveaways with the company on Dogster. Its latest product is a cute puzzle treat dispenser (a first for the brand, which is better known for its beds and stuffed toys). We like that it’s pet and dishwater safe, and ridiculously cute, like anything else they make.
This product scores points based on packaging alone. But is it something pet parents will buy? (You tell us.) Doggie Shotz is a series of flavored dry food toppings, designed to mix it up for the picky eater in your life. Flavors include bacon cheeseburger, BBQ baby back ribs, and chicken stir fry (among others).
We’re fans of Burt’s Bees for people and are very curious to try the dog edition. It apparently started hitting stores in April, so if you’ve tried any of these items, do let us know if they’re as good as their people products.
From the makers of the well-loved ThunderShirt, comes the ThunderToy, a puzzle feeder that includes a packet of treats infused with chamomile and lavender. The company imagines you’ll break it out to distract your pup during a ferocious thunderstorm or the Fourth of July fireworks.
From the maker of the infamous 50 Shades of Fur dog toy comes this pair of Chewy Vuitton shoes. They round out our list of new products just on the merit of being themselves. Dog Diggin Designs is so kooky, and its products never fail to get a smirk out of us when we run into them at Furry Tales, the pet boutique nearest to the Dogster HQ office.
So, what’s the verdict? Would you guys pick any of these 10 up?
This year I opted not to use the usual on the neck flea prevention aids unless I actually saw fleas. I did treat the yard as I usually do. We have a lot of Ivy ground cover and cool shade so I don’t think I could get away with not treating the yard at least once.
Every night at bedtime my Poms (and a Min-pin) get a Brewers Yeast w/Garlic tablet (1,000 tablets are $11 for cats and dogs). I’ve been using it for almost 2 years and they think it’s a treat. In addition to containing some beneficial nutrients, it is said to repel fleas because they do not like the scent.
I also use cornstarch and Lavender powder between baths. The cornstarch, in addition to deodorizing and being soothing to the skin, is also thought to suffocate any fleas that come in contact with it. Lavender is another aroma fleas (and other flying insects) don’t like and also makes the Poms smell fresh.
We also take in rescues and after an initial bath with a flea soap, I have used the same methods on them.
So far this year we have not seen any fleas on our dogs, the rescues or in the house.
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