The Hartz Mountain Corporation, working with the US Food and Drug Administration, has voluntarily recalled 4,850 bags of its Chicken-Basted Rawhide Chips due to possible contamination with salmonella bacteria.

The products were sold at major retailers nationwide.
Dog owners should check the bag for the lot code JC23282. If the bag has this code, or if no code is visible, stop using the product.
The UPC code on the recalled items is: 3270096463.

The company, based in Secaucus, NJ, issued the recall after an independent test detected salmonella in a bag of the chips. A second test of the same lot, however, came back normal.

Consumers should call Hartz at 800-275-1414 for more details or to obtain reimbursement if they purchased the suspect product.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning in pets include lethargy, diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some animals, however, can be carriers showing no symptoms and can pass the pathogen to other animals or humans.

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There continues to be a lot of complaints about Nutro pet foods on the blogs and pet Web sites. This one from a Melbourne woman, which came in through the Orlando Sentinel's Animal Crazy blog, just happened over the weekend. Symptoms are the same as others have reported: diarrhea and vomiting.

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My 3-year-old Great Pyrenees, Salty, had to be rushed to the hospital on Saturday night (9/20/08) with bloody diarrhea and vomiting. He has never had stomach issues in his life. He had to stay overnight with an IV and was given all types of medicine. They diagnosed him with HGE, or Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis, which is a potentially life-threatening disease. (He came home with a diagnosis of bacterial colitis also.)

I remembered that I had recently switched his food to Nutro Natural Lamb and Rice for sensitive skin due to a rash. When I got home from emergency room I looked up the Consumer Affairs page and it had so many recent entries about very seriously sick dogs with the same issues.
Since Saturday, I have spoken to friends in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and here in Florida with the very same problems.

Last night (9/21) we picked Salty up from the emergency vet and a Rottweiler was being admitted. I overheard his owner talking about his symptoms. Bloody vomiting and bloody diarrhea. I asked the owner what food she had been feeding her dog: Nutro Lamb and Rice Dry food.

Four people at work have had sick dogs -- vomiting, diarrhea issues -- and their dogs are fed Nutro Lamb and Rice dry food. One of the people just called her vet. Her vet's dog is sick and is fed Nutro also. One of the co-workers is feeding her two dogs Nutro Large Breed (not lamb and rice) and she just purchased the bag at the PetSupermarket on Palm Bay Road in Palm Bay.

Please help get the word out. Dogs could die from this and pet owners are thinking they are feeding their dogs a good product. I emailed Nutro on 9/20 and 9/22 and have not even received a response. I did file a complaint with the FDA. I am going to check my American Express bill to see when we purchased this dog food. I am asking my co-workers to do the same. So far the vet bill is about $1,000.

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Nutro is made by Mars Petcare, which just had a recall of several of their national brands due to a samonella scare (Nutro was not one of them).

The Food and Drug Administration has not announced any recent recall of Nutro products.

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From the US Food and Drug Administration

Mars Petcare US recalls multiple brands of dog and cat food, including Pedigree, Ol 'Roy and Special Kitty.

Reason: These products may be contaminated with salmonella, which can cause serious infections in dogs and cats. This pathogen also can be passed to people, especially young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
The suspect food came from the company's Everson, PA. plant, which stopped production "as a precautionary measure" in July after two plant workers contracted salmonella, a Mars spokesperson said.
Mars did not say how many units have been recalled, but the products were sold in 31 states.

Description: The brands recalled include: Country Acres, Members Mark, Natural Cat Food (Sam's Club), Ol' Roy, Paws & Claws, Pedigree, Pet Pride, PMI Nutrition, Red Flannel, Retriever, Special Kitty and Wegman's. But only certain products in these lines are recalled, not the entire brand.
Affected products will have "17" as the first two digits of the second line on the UPC. Affected Pedigree products will have "PAE" on the bottom line.

Sold by: Sam's Club and multiple retail outlets nationwide.

Return policy: Consumers can return this product to where it was purchased for a refund. For more information, call the company at 877-568-4463.

Click here for a complete list of recalled brands and details on how to read the UPC codes.

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From the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission:

About 223,000 SlyDog retractable dog leashes are being voluntarily recalled by the importer, Worldwise Inc. of San Rafael, CA. The product was made in China.

Reason: The metal clasp connecting the leash to the collar can break, injuring dog owners.
There are five injuries reported so far, including facial cuts and a broken tooth.
(Note: If dogs were being injured or killed, this CPSC-conducted recall would not be happening. The agency has no jurisdiction over pet products).

Description: The leash retracts into a blue plastic case with a black plastic grip. The leash itself is a woven black strap.

Sold by: Dollar Stores nationwide from September 2007 through August 2008 for $5.

Return policy: Consumers can return this product to Worldwise for a full refund, including shipping costs. For more information, call the company at 888-296-3807.
Or click here for more information from the manufacturer.

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This from SSS! reader Linda, who has written several times before about Nutro pet food.

The Pet Food Product Safety Alliance had private testing done on samples believed to be Nutro Natural Choice Chicken Meal, Rice and Oatmeal Formula, and Nutro Max Puppy. The alliance says levels of copper were found in both foods that were above levels recommended by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which crafts guidelines for producing animal food.

Copper can cause health problems in some dog breeds.

The alliance also questioned the food's zinc content. While the amounts feel within AAFCO's guidelines, those amounts are 10 times higher than what would be recommend for human adults, based on body weight.
The symptoms of zinc toxicity “are consistent with the majority of those reported by consumers suspecting problems believed to be associated with feeding Nutro dry dog food,” according to the alliance.

Click here for a link, also in the alliance post, from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia on zinc toxicity.

Click here for a full discussion, from the Pet Food Products Safety Alliance, on it's latest Nutro test results.

The Pet Food Product Safety Alliance was started by Don Earl of Port Townsend, WA. A retired real estate developer, he believes his cat, Chuckles, died from eating tainted pet food last year, when millions of pet food products were recalled. Earl said he offered to send Chuckles’ food to the Federal Food and Drug Administration for testing, but the agency declined.

Earl later filed a petition in federal court, calling for the FDA to “perform its duty” and investigate if other toxins, besides melamine, contaminated the food.

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This comment, from a New York vet, is worthy of its own post.
Dr. Charles Greco has used and recommended Four Paws products for years. But he agrees that their pimple ball for dogs appears to have a manufacturing defect -- and that any pet owner who has one of these products at home should check it and consider not letting their dog play with it.

Dr. Greco praises Four Paws' response to the injuries suffered by Chai, a Lab whose tongue had to be amputated when it was sucked into the ball. Apparently, a design flaw causes a vacuum to build up if the ball does not have a second hole or the hole is blocked.

It's great that Four Paws is being proactive on this situation -- because the reality is, they don't have to do anything under law. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission does not regulate pet products like toys, and there are no mandated manufacturing standards. The federal Food and Drug Administration only oversees food and treats.

Do you think that there should be more regulation of pet toys and products?
(Click here for my previous post on Chai and pimple balls.)

Here are Dr. Greco's comments:

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The Truth About Four Paws Toy

My name is Dr. Charles Greco. I'm a veterinarian in New York. I came across your blog about your dog Chai. I wanted to extend my well wishes for a speedy recovery. I own 6 dogs, 2 cats, 4 birds and 3 tortoises, so I know how much a pet can become a part of the family.

I was shocked to learn that the toy that hurt poor Chai came from Four Paws Pet Products. I
have used many products from Four Paws, from Wee Wee Pads to toys and dental products, and I have always found them to be of the highest quality.

I personally contacted Four Paws today and talked to some lady in the customer service department who told me that the toy that hurt Chai was the result of a manufacturing defect with its pimple ball with bell toy.

She explained that the defect, which is very difficult to see with the naked eye, is caused by a blockage in a small hole in the ball that is critical to regulating the suction inside the toy.

She also told me that when Four Paws learned of the injury to Chai they immediately stopped
shipping the product to distributors and retailers. She also said that Four Paws asked any retailers that had this toy in their possession to remove the toy and send them back to Four Paws.

She told me that Four Paws is individually inspecting every one of the pimple balls in its inventory in order to identify and discard any that are defective. She also said that Four Paws will also be changing the packaging of its pimple balls to make it easier to inspect them for potential defects.

I was surprised when she told me that the Executive V.P., Barry Askin, was so deeply moved by the injury to Chai that he is personally visiting the manufacturer next month to inspect the manufacturer's operation and to make sure the defect has been corrected and that procedures are in place to make sure that procedures are in place so it will not happen again. It was reassuring that this company is not sitting by idly but is taking an active role in making sure this terrible accident never happens again.

I would just urge any pet owner who may already own one of these toys to check carefully to see if the second small hole in the ball is blocked. If they have any doubt whether the hole is open they should not let their pet play with the ball. I also went on Four Paws' webpage at www.fourpaws.com. On the webpage, they state that they will replace any defective toy.

Again, all the best to you and Chai. I hope the two of you can share many years of happiness ahead.

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Mars Petcare US, the company which also manufacturers the recently-scrutinized Nutro foods, has just recalled 100 of its 20-pound bags of Pedigreee Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites, according to ConsumerAffairs.com.

NOTE: None of this food was sold in Florida. It appears to all have come from Albertsons' stores in southern California and the Las Vegas area.

Mars said it issued the recall after a component of the food that tested positive for salmonella was inadvertently shipped to its California plant.The affected bags have "best by" dates of July 7, 2009.

I could find nothing about this on the US Food and Drug Administration Web site. But click here for complete recall info from Mars Petcare.

Consumers have continued to blame Nutro products, also manufacturerd by Mars, over this past year for the illnesses and even deaths of their dogs and cats. One of them, Linda, talked about her experiences with Nutro in a note to SSS! that she posted yesterday. Keep going if you want to read it. She claims both her dogs and cats had serious problems on Nutro that stopped when she switched to Eukanuba.

Feel free to tell us about your experience, too.

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Is Nutro pet food making animals sick?

A story yesterday in the daily briefing that I get from ConsumerAffairs.com (I'm a consumer writer in my regular gig) says that at least six dogs have died in the past two months, and scores more have been made ill, from eating Nutro-brand foods. The findings are based on complaints filed on the ConsumerAffairs Web site and interviews with pet owners.

The piece, by Lisa Wade McCormick, also reports that at least one unnamed Nutro employee resigned because she was disgusted by the company's lack of responsibility. It also suggests Nutro is attempting a stealth recall by removing the contaminated food from circulation.

Anna and Anja: Nutro victims?

In the meantime, the US Food and Drug Administration has found no toxins in the samples it tested, and Nutro insists the food is fine. There has been no official recall.

Click here to read the entire story from The Daily Consumer and draw your own conclusions. A lot of questions, no easy answers.

Anyone here had a bad or good experience with Nutro?

(photo from ConsumerAffairs.com)

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Sneaky, those marketers. Look what crept into our mailbox a couple weeks ago...

Hmm, Greenies. Sound familiar? In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration investigated Greenie’s popular canine line after consumers complained the toothbrush-shaped green nuggets were fatally clogging their dogs’ intestines and digestive tracks. Manufacturer S&M NuTec settled a class action lawsuit against Greenies last year. The formula and the packaging now have changed.

But my bigger concern is: Do my two cats really need treats? A friend calls them "crack for cats." A lot of them contain sugar. That's not the case with Feline Greenies, but they are 30 percent carbohydrates. I did test out two Greenies on picky Frances Jeanne, before I tossed the freebie in the garbage pail. Yep, she scarfed ‘em down.

So did you get a Greenies sample and what did you do with it? And are you feeding treats in general?

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ConsumerAffairs.com just posted a recap and more info on the tentative settlement, announced Tuesday, between Canadian-based Menu Foods and the pet owners claiming the company’s products poisoned their dogs and cats. The action involves owners from 19 states, seeking compensation for veterinarian bills. Allegations include deceptive and unfair trade practices and negligence.

One of the more interesting things: Many vets now believe it wasn’t just melamine OR just cyanuric acid that separately contaminated different products. It had to be both together to form the crystals that caused kidney damage. So somehow, not one, but two, toxic industrial chemicals managed to simultaneously find their way into our pets’ food supply.

This is from the article:
"Either one of those chemicals alone wouldn't cause these (deaths)," Dr. Barbara Powers, immediate past president of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) and director of Colorado State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, told ConsumerAffairs.com. "It has to be the combination of the two. So it's not melamine alone."

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For those of you who love the wild things: Publix recalled three brands of its bird seed on March 27. Types affected include Wild Bird Seed, Cardinal Bird Seed and Oil of Sunflower Seed.

Publix spokeswoman Kimberly Jaeger said there had been no reports of injury or illness but that the seed had been recalled because it “did not meet quality standards.” The recalled product was pulled and what is on the shelves now is safe, she said. But be aware, in case you are feeding seed purchased earlier in March.

Could find no mention of this either on Publix’s Web site or on the FDA recall list. I was alerted to it by a reader. Anyone else heard about it?

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In case you missed it: Hartz Mountain Corp. voluntarily recalled another 739 bottles of its Vitamin Care for Cats earlier this month, due to possible Salmonella contamination. While routine testing by Hartz and manufacturer UFAC Inc. had not found the bacteria, recent samplings by the Food and Drug Administration did detect Salmonella.

The recalled product has lot code SZ-22771, UPC number 32700-97701. The FDA advises pet owners also to discard bottles with the lot code SZ-16371.

Hartz had recalled a first lot of the vitamins last November, but a second lot had been shipped before the product was pulled from distribution. Call Hartz at 800-275-1414 if you have any questions and for product reimbursement.

Symptoms of Salmonella include fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain and nausea. Most cats get Salmonella from eating tainted food or, if outdoor cats, from prey. Kittens are more susceptible to acute infections. Contact your vet immediately if you believe you cat has Salmonella poisoning.

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