Another day, another dog food (and cat food) recall: The Procter and Gamble company has recalled a variety of dry dog and cat foods under the IAMS and Eukanuba brands due to a risk of contamination with salmonella. (Full list as of today is at this link.) The symptoms which can affect animals that have ingested same include lethargy, “diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain.” Similar symptoms can be experienced by humans who have ingested salmonella, and humans can pick it up from infected pets or simply by contact with their contaminated food.
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We happen to give our dog home-made food, which isn’t necessarily practical for everyone, but she’s a small dog with an eclectic palate and preparing meals for her is a pleasure and quite inexpensive. Not to overdo a sense of vindication from these frequent recalls, but it does make you wonder how often contaminated or sub-standard food gets out there and stays out there without notice; perhaps, for instance, in smaller batches. Dogs (and cats) do have a tendency to throw up a lot anyway, as pet owners know, and pets also sometimes will just up and die suddenly. How many people pay for an autopsy when their dog or cat dies? The answer is virtually none, as it will not bring Fido or Fluffy back, and veterinary bills are quite bad enough when the animal is alive. So toxic dog food (and cat food) is only even identified as a problem when the effects are widespread enough to attract attention. Or, as in this case, the recall takes place voluntarily because the manufacturer is worried about a potentially big problem. (And since salmonella is communicable to humans too, it holds a special risk of liability for the pet food companies.) Continue reading “Eukanuba and IAMS Recall (Dog and Cat Food)”