Serious Dog Food Recall -- Please Be Aware

[Jill]

Link to the news story:

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/08/dog-food-salmonella-recall-expanded-in-us-canada/

List of Foods:

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recall/diamond-dog-food-recall-summary/

 

[Danielle_E.]

Thanks Jill!

Here is more info as to specific brands and how to check. Some of the affected brands are the more expensive brands like Call of the Wild! The Kirland brand is sold a lot at Cosco up in Canada. What a mess!

RECALL INFORMATION

UPDATED: CORRECT PRODUCTION CODE INFORMATION

Diamond Pet Foods Expands Voluntary Recall of Dry Pet Food Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination

Batches of the brands manufactured between December 9, 2011 and April 7, 2012 are affected

Consumer Contact: 866-918-8756

Media Contact: 816-255-1974

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 5, 2012

Diamond Pet Foods today announced that it is expanding a voluntary recall to include batches of nine brands of dry pet food formulas manufactured between December 9, 2011 and April 7, 2012 due to potential Salmonella contamination.

In April 2012, Diamond Pet Foods initiated three voluntary recalls of Diamond manufactured dry dog food. Although none of the additional products being recalled have tested positive for Salmonella, the company is pulling them from store shelves as a precaution. Diamond Pet Foods is coordinating efforts with federal and state health and regulatory agencies and decided to independently expand the recall to ensure the safety and well-being of customers and their pets.

The company stated: “We have taken corrective actions at our Gaston, S.C., facility and voluntarily expanded the recall out of concern for our customers and their pets.”

Brands included in the recall include:

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul

Country Value

Diamond

Diamond Naturals

Premium Edge

Professional

4Health

Taste of the Wild

To determine if their pet food is recalled, consumers should check the production codes on the back of bags that have a number “2” or a “3” in the 9th position AND an “X” in the 10th or 11th position. The best-before dates for the recalled brands listed above are December 9, 2012 through April 7, 2013.

The following graphic is an example of how to read the production code and best before date:

The recall affects only products distributed in the following U.S. states and Canada. Further distribution through other pet food channels may have occurred.

Alabama

Florida

Georgia

Indiana

Kentucky

Massachusetts

Maryland

Michigan

Mississippi

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

Tennessee

Virginia

Canada

The Kirkland Signature products included in the recall include:

Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Lamb, Rice & Vegetable Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)

Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)

Kirkland Signature Super Premium Mature Dog Chicken, Rice & Egg Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)

Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Formulated with Chicken & Vegetables (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)

Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)

Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Cat Formula (December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)

Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula for Dogs (December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)

To determine if their pet food is recalled, consumers should check the production codes on the back of bags must have both a number “3” in the 9th position AND an “X” in the 11th position. The best-before dates for the recalled brands listed are December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013.

The recall affects only products distributed in the following U.S. states, Puerto Rico and Canada.

Alabama

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Maryland

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

Tennessee

Vermont

Virginia

Canada

Puerto Rico

Diamond Pet Foods apologizes for any issues this may cause consumers and their pets. Pet owners who are unsure if the product they purchased is included in the recall, or who would like replacement product or a refund, may contact Diamond Pet Foods via a toll free call at 1-866-918-8756, Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST. Consumers may also go to a special website, diamondpetrecall.com, for more information. The company is working with distributors and retailers to ensure all affected product is removed from shelves.

Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Individuals handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. People who believe they may have been exposed to Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. According to the Centers for Disease Control, people who are more likely to be affected by Salmonella include infants, children younger than 5 years old, organ transplant patients, people with HIV/AIDS and people receiving treatment for cancer. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have received a limited number of reports of salmonellosis, the illness caused by Salmonella. We are working with the CDC, but due to patient confidentiality, we cannot comment further.

# # #

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For more information, please visit diamondpetrecall.com.

 

[Danielle_E.]

I too have fed Fuller (pictured in my icon) Call of the Wild! This is expensive dog food! Because of his allergies I can't feed him most dog food sold at grocery stores that contain mostly fillers and are of poor nutritional value. I am really starting to lean towards having to buy a good book and make my dog's food myself!

 

[jacks'thunder]

Thanks for the heads up! I used to feed Diamond Naturals but switched a few months back. I just had my mom switch too! I guess just in time!

 

[Sonya]

I feed the Natural Balance, but a different formula than what's listed...still makes me nervous. I don't want to change, my dogs do well on it. This isn't the first time Diamond has had problems...sure wish Natural Balance would find elsewhere to have their food processed.

 

[Shari]

Evo and Blue Buffalo is a better high end food. Evo Innova, I have been feeding my cats for years. For one cat, I just switched over to Blue Buffalo. The one cat is supper sensitive to many foods.

http://www.bluebuffalo.com/wilderness

http://www.evopet.com/

I like this web site, about pet foods.

http://www.consumersearch.com/dog-food

 

[billiethekid40]

Mary Lou- It is better to keep the food in a sealed container. I just clip the relavant info from the bag after I dump the food... you want the UPC expiry date etc. Tape them on a page on your fridge or something, I have even gone as far as stapeling the info to the store receipt and keeping the info, usually for several months or at least until the bag is gone.

Thanks for posting this, I feed Kirkland and I think may have food here affected by the recall. Oh great.

 

[billiethekid40]

People who believe they may have been exposed to Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.

OMG I have had this TWICE in the last 2 months, my husband once as well. I assumed it was the stomach flu! Do you think this could be because we have been feeding the recalled food? I broke my own rule and didn't keep the info from the last bag (I'm so disorganized now that I have a toddler in the house!)

 

[Sterling]

And this update too. Read more into the brands that are highlighted and you find more info. In other words, Wellness is also Well Pet related. UGH!

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recall/diamond-dog-food-recall-summary/

 

[Jill]

It's awful

Something similar to this years ago made me start making our dog's soft food and now I'm probably going back to that, but I don't know how and probably will not be good at making kibble.

For a long time, we did feed the Kirkland kibble as it was getting a high quality score up there with the other premium brands and our dogs did like it. We haven't fed it in some time, though.

 

[susanne]

Slow down and think.

The article makes the excellent point that this type of recall happens on occasion and doesn't mean the brand is bad -- just the individual batch. This happens not infrequently in human foods.

THIS IS NOT like the recall of foods made in China where inedible substances were being added as fillers. I will double-check the batch number on the Kirkland Small Dog food we use, but I'm happy with their product.

I WILL want to know what steps they have taken to correct the problem in the future. THAT is the measure of a good company.

 

[barnbum]

We feed Taste of the Wild and I just checked the bag and there's a #1 in the 9th position--and an X in the 11th. Expiration is March 2013--but I guess that one number difference means we're okay.

Thanks for the info. I've not read it or heard it anywhere esle.

 

[Danielle_E.]

Now I have to find a good dog food brand.. Although they do like those Kibbles and Bits.. Lot better then feeding them that poison!

Yes Mary Lou most dogs LOVE kibble and bits. My vet once told me that kibble and bits are like chocolate chip cookies to humans, hence the reason they love it. Not the best for them but they sure chow down it, lol

 

[Jill]

But slow down and think how many recalls of commercial dog food there have been in recent memory... that's what bothers me. Not a move to change brands, but more of a desire to take over the quality control myself. I have been feeling like if it's not good enough for me to eat, it's not good enough for our dogs.

 

[Danielle_E.]

Here is what seems to be a great recipe, check out the reviews

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Poochie-Meat-Cakes/reviews.aspx

 

[Danielle_E.]

Here are all the recipes on this site

http://allrecipes.com/search/default.aspx?qt=k&wt=Dog%20food%20recipes&rt=r&origin=Recipe

 

[Jill]

Thanks, Danielle!!! I'm bookmarking those. I have a few I've used in the past, too. I actually like making their food

 

[Danielle_E.]

The call of the wild I bought was by blue buffalo

 

[Mona]

I thought I had read or was told before that dogs are suseptible to salmonella poisoning. I found it out at some point, because I had wondered why dogs can eat rotten, contaminated raw meats, raw eggs etc., and never get sick. I don't remember if I googled it, or was told that or read it and was written by a vet??

I thought I had heard on the radio about this one, that it was the people handling the product that were getting sick, and not the dogs??

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I've been using Dr Foster & Smith dog food for about a year. They ship it automatically. For my 18# dog, a bag is about $15 every 4 weeks. Buddy loves this dog food! I put it in his bowl and by the time I have the lid on the container and put it in the cabinet, his bowl is empty. Sometimes I wonder if I have fed him (this can get really scary!). I searched around to find one that didn't have corn or "floor sweepings" in it.