PetHealth

Carolina Prime Dog Treats Are Recalled Due to Salmonella Risk from Peanut Butter

“Have all Carolina Prime Pet Treats been recalled?”

“My dog ate recalled pet treats - will my dog get salmonella?”

“Which pet foods are recalled due to the peanut butter salmonella scare?”

Carolina Prime Dog Treats are involved in the latest pet food recall, stemming from the peanut butter salmonella contamination that’s sickened and even killed scores of humans and pets.

Which Healthy Hide Dog Treats Are Recalled?

The following Carolina Prime Pet dog treats have been recalled:

• Peanut Butter Hooves (2 pack) - Product Code 063725542000
• Rawhide Bone Peanut Rawhide (4-inch) - Product Code 063725542003
• Beef Shank Peanut Butter Dog Bone (6-inch) - Product Code 063725542007
• Healthy Hide Peanut Butter Beef Shank (6-inch) - Product Code 09109333479
• Rawhide Bone Peanut Butter Rawhide (6-inch) - Product Code 063725542005

Healthy Hide Pet dog treats are sold at numerous retailers, including PetSmart. It should be noted that the 6-inch Healthy Hide Peanut Butter Beef Shank treat is not sold at PetSmart.

What Should I Do If I Purchased Recalled Pet Treats?

If you learn that your dog’s treats or pet food has been recalled, immediately stop feeding the treats/food to the dog.

Place the recalled pet food in a sealed plastic bag. Thorough hand washing is recommended to avoid contracting salmonella or cross contaminating other foods or surfaces.

Anyone who has purchased these recalled dog treats is urged to return the remaining pet treats to the store where they were purchased for an exchange or refund.

To learn more about the recent string of Pet Food Recalls resulting from the peanut butter salmonella scare, check out The Pet Health Blog’s Pet Food Recall Information page!

Peanut Butter Salmonella Recall: Healthy Hide Dog Treats

“How do I know if my dog’s treats have been recalled?”

“What are the symptoms of salmonella in dogs and cats?”

“Which dog foods and cat foods have been recalled due to the peanut butter salmonella scare?”

Yet another dog treat product has been recalled due to the peanut butter salmonella contamination - Healthy Hide Dog Treats, made by Salix.

Several varieties of Healthy Hide Dog Treats contain peanut butter as an ingredient; these varieties of dog treats have been recalled. Included in this pet food recall are Healthy Hide Deli Wraps.

Which Healthy Hide Dog Treats Are Recalled?

The following Healthy Hide pet treats have been recalled, as of February 6, 2009:

• 6-inch Peanut Butter Shank Bone (1 ct)- Product Code 0-91093-33479-0
• 5-inch Peanut Butter Filled Rawhide Dog Treats (3 ct) - Product Code 0-91093-33354
• 5-inch Healthy Hide Deli Wrap Peanut Butter Filled Rawhide (3ct) - Product Code 0-91093-33354

Healthy Hide pet treats are sold at numerous retailers, including Wegmans Food Market and PetSmart.

What Should I Do If I Have Recalled Pet Treats?

Extreme caution should be used when handling recalled pet food or pet treats. Thorough hand washing is recommended to avoid contracting salmonella or cross contaminating other foods or surfaces.

Anyone who has purchased these recalled dog treats is urged to return the remaining pet treats to the store where they were purchased for an exchange or refund.

To learn more about the recent string of Pet Food Recalls resulting from the peanut butter salmonella scare, check out The Pet Health Blog’s Pet Food Recall Information page!

Does My Dog or Cat Have an Infected Wound?

“What are the symptoms of an infection in a pet’s wound?”

“My dog’s wound smells bad and has discharge. Is it infected?”

“Why is my cat’s wound red and swollen? Does this mean the wound is infected?”

At some point, your cat, dog or other pet will suffer a wound from a fall, bump, or even from a dog fight or cat fight.

So while cleaning a pet’s wound properly is vital to promote healing, infections do still occur from time to time. Do you know the symptoms of infection in a cat’s or dog’s wound?

Signs and Symptoms of an Infected Wound in a Dog or Cat

There are several symptoms that you may see if your pet’s wound, cut or even an incision gets infected. Signs of infection include:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Discharge (often thick, yellow or green in color)
• Odor
• Pain

Is Your Pet’s Wound Healing?

It’s important to note that some redness, swelling, discharge and pain is normal, but these symptoms will usually reach their worst point within 24 hours of the pet’s injury. After that point, the injury should be healing and improving; if the redness, swelling, discharge and pain associated with the pet’s injury seem to get worse, this is a sign of infection.

In addition, a wound should never have an odor. If the wound smells bad, this is a sure sign of infection.

Tip: Photograph the Wound Daily to Monitor Healing

Photographing a cat’s or dog’s wound with a digital camera is a great way to monitor healing.

It can be difficult to monitor healing by relying on memory when changes occur slowly. Comparing photographs gives you a way to monitor the progression of healing without having to rely on potentially flawed memories.

Photographs of a pet’s wound or injury can also be helpful to show a veterinarian if follow up care is required due to an infected wound or other injury.

Related Reading for Pet Owners

For more information on how to clean a pet’s cut or surgical incision, read this related blog entry titled How Do I Clean My Pet’s Wound?

Also read How Do I Clean a Dog Bite Wound? and Why Do Dog Bite Wounds Get Infected? for more information on how to treat these difficult-to-heal injuries in your pet.

A Look at the Funniest Super Bowl Commercials from Pedigree

In the spirit of Super Bowl season, today’s article has nothing to do with pet health.

Instead, today’s post in The Pet Health Blog looks at the Pedigree Super Bowl ads, which many pet owners found to be some of the funniest Super Bowl commercials of 2009.

We all know that many people watched the Super Bowl to catch the football action between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers (who, incidentally, won the game 27 to 23 over the Cardinals), but many others watched this year’s Super Bowl to watch the commercials. And at a price of $3 million dollars for a 30 second ad spot during the Super Bowl, it’s no wonder that Super Bowl commercials are some of the best on the air.

Pedigree’s Super Bowl Ads (2009)

Pedigree’s Super Bowl commercials had a running theme of odd pets. Ever wonder what it would be like to own a boar or a pet ostrich? Well, these Pedigree dog food commercials give us a look at unusual pet ownership, with each Super Bowl ad ending with a message encouraging viewers to adopt a dog as part of the Pedigree Adoption Drive.

Ever wonder what it would be like to have a pet boar or a pet ostrich? If so, check out this hilarious Super Bowl ad from Pedigree…

And when you’re done watching that funny Super Bowl ad from Pedigree, check out this one…

And finally, here’s one of the “Behind the Scenes” Pedigree Super Bowl commercials, featuring Esther and her pet ostrich Bruno. Who wouldn’t want a pet ostrich? I know they’re at the top of my “most wanted pet” list after seeing this great Super Bowl ad!

How Can I Tell if My Dog Has an Ear Infection?

“My dog’s ear is red. Does he have an ear infection?”

“Are dogs with floppy ears more prone to developing ear infections?”

“My dog has discharge coming out of his ear. Is discharge a symptom of an ear infection?”

“Why do dogs with floppy ears get chronic ear infections?”

Virtually every dog will develop an ear infection at some point in his lifetime. Unfortunately, some dogs are more prone to ear infections.

Is My Dog Prone to Ear Infections?

Dogs with floppy ears or long ears are most likely to get an ear infection. Why?  A floppy eared dog or a long-eared dog’s ear canals are covered by the ears. This makes the ear canals a warm, dark, moist area with little air flow - perfect conditions for trapping and growing bacteria inside the dog’s ears.

That’s not to say that dogs with erect ears are immune to ear infections; every dog can develop an ear infection. Floppy-eared and long-eared dogs are just more prone to developing ear infections.

What are the Symptoms of an Ear Infection in a Dog?

Symptoms of an ear infection in a dog include:

• Redness
• Discharge
• Odor From the Dog’s Ears
• Swelling of the Dog’s Ear Canal
• Scratching at the Ear
• Head Shaking

If you suspect that your dog has an ear infection, it’s important to keep his ears clean. Clean the dog’s ears with an ear cleaning solution twice a day will help to eliminate some of the skin irritation that can occur as a result of the dog’s ear discharge.

Cleaning the dog’s ears twice a day is important to allow for healing. A dog’s ear infection will not heal on its own; you will need to visit the veterinarian for antibiotics and ear drops or ear ointment. It’s important to clean the dog’s ears before applying the ear drops or ointment, a procedure that’s usually done twice a day for 10 to 14 days.

Learn the Signs and Symptoms of Salmonella in Cats and Dogs

“What are the symptoms of salmonella in a dog or cat?”

“Can I get salmonella from my dog or cat?”

“Will my dog die from salmonella?”

“Has the peanut butter salmonella recall affected pet foods?”

Salmonella has been in the news lately as a result of the peanut butter recall due to salmonella contamination. The salmonella tainted peanut butter was used to manufacture pet treats, among other food products, spurring new cases of salmonella in dogs and cats.

What Are the Symptoms of Salmonella in a Dog or Cat?

In a pet, salmonella signs and symptoms include:

• Vomiting (often with blood present)
• Diarrhea (often with blood present)
• Dehydration
• Refusal to Eat
• Refusal to Drink
• Stomach Gurgling
• Lethargy
• Fever

Unlike less dangerous stomach upsets that are commonly seen in dogs and cats, salmonella will not go away within a day or two. In a dog or cat, a case of salmonella typically lasts a week or longer.

Can My Dog or Cat Die From Salmonella? Is There a Treatment for Salmonella?

Yes! Pets like dogs and cats can and will die from a case of salmonella.

Most dogs and cats who die from salmonella don’t die from the actual illness; most often, pets die from dehydration and other complications resulting from salmonella. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of a pet with salmonella is key.

Salmonella is diagnosed in dogs and cats by testing a stool sample.

There is no treatment to cure salmonella. If a dog or cat gets salmonella, the pet will require supportive care like IV fluids and nutritional supplements to treat dehydration and low blood sugar.

In addition, pet owners must be especially careful if a pet or human family member gets salmonella. Salmonella is one of the few illnesses that can be transmitted between pets and humans.

More Information on Pet Food Recalls That Are Linked to Salmonella in Dogs and Cats

As a result of the peanut butter salmonella contamination, several dog treats were recalled in January 2009.

To learn more about these pet food recalls due to salmonella, and how to learn about pet food recalls, visit the Pet Food Recall Page on The Pet Health Blog.

Puppy Chow Snack Mix is Recalled Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination from Peanut Butter

“Have my dog’s treats been recalled?”

“What pet foods have been recalled due to salmonella-tainted peanut butter?”

“What are the symptoms of salmonella in a dog or cat?”

“Which dog treats have been recalled?”

A pet food recall has been issued for Puppy Chow Snack Mix.

 Puppy Chow Snack Mix - along with other brands of pet treats like PetSmart’s Grreat Choice Dog Biscuits and Happy Tails Dog Treats -  have been recalled as a result of the peanut butter salmonella outbreak that occurred in early January 2009.

How Do I Know if My Dog’s Treats Have Been Recalled?

All bag sizes and all flavors of Puppy Chow Snack  Mix have been recalled.

This means that anyone who has Puppy Chow Snack Mix on-hand should immediately stop feeding the treats to their dog. The dog must then be monitored for symptoms of salmonella, which include diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, refusal to eat and fever.

What Should I Do With the Recalled Pet Treats?

Any pet owner who has purchased a recalled pet food or pet treat should return the treats to the store where they were purchased for a refund or exchange.

The recalled Puppy Chow Snack Mix was sold at many stores, including Wholesale Food Outlet, Family Thrift Center, Prairie Market, Pick N’ Save, Econofoods, SunMart Foods and Family Fresh Market.

How Do I Learn More About the Salmonella-Related Pet Food Recalls?

For more information on two other recalls, check out my other articles on the recalled Grreat Choice Dog Biscuits and Happy Tails Multi Flavored Dog Treats.

To learn more about Pet Food Recalls, visit the Pet Food Recall Information page on The Pet Health Blog, or visit The Pet Food Recall Page that I run on Suite101.

Happy Tails Dog Treats Recalled Due to Salmonella-Tainted Peanut Butter

“How can I tell if my Happy Tails dog treats have been recalled?”

“What’s the UPC code for the recalled pet treats?”

“Will my dog get salmonella if he eats recalled dog treats?”

The list of recalled pet foods and recalled pet treats continues to grow, as a result of the salmonella-tainted peanut butter that’s sickened hundreds and even killed a handful of unlucky victims.

Pet treats are included among the items that have been recalled as a result of the peanut butter salmonella scare of January 2009.

Recalled: Happy Tails Multi Flavored Dog Treats

Happy Trails brand Multi-Flavored Dog Biscuits have been recalled; some of the dog treats in this multi-flavored package are said to contain the peanut butter that’s been recalled due to salmonella contamination.

These treats are sold at many stores across the United States, including Albertsons, Shaw’s Supermarkets and Star Market, among others prior to January 25, 2009.

The following UPC codes and package sizes of Happy Tails dog treats are recalled:

• 26-ounce packages - UPC 41163-42406
• 4-pound packages - UPC 41163-42403

For additional information, shoppers can call Supervalu Inc. at 877-932-7948.

If your dog ate these recalled pet treats, it’s important to monitor the dog for symptoms of salmonella, including vomiting, diarrhea, refusing to eat and fever.

How Do I Learn More About Recalled Dog Foods, Cat Foods and Pet Treats?

To learn more about how to learn about recalled pet food brands read How Do I Know if My Pet’s Food Has Been Recalled?

Dog owners should also read about another dog treat recall, issued for PetSmart’s  Grreat Choice Dog Biscuits.

For additional information on what to do during a pet food recall, the signs and symptoms of salmonella in dogs and cats and more, visit The Pet Food Recall Page.

Pet Food Recalls Due to Salmonella - How They Occur and How to Learn About Cat and Dog Food Recalls

“How does dog food and cat food get contaminated with salmonella?”

“Can my dog give me salmonella?”

“My dog has vomiting and diarrhea. Does he have salmonella?”

“How do I know if my dog’s food is recalled for salmonella?”

 Salmonella is rather unusual for one very important reason: salmonella is one of the few illnesses that can be passed from humans to pets, from pets to humans and from pet to pet (i.e. from cat to dog.) For this reason, salmonella is a very frightening illness and it can be a potentially deadly illness in some cases.

What is Salmonella?

Salmonella is a bacteria that invades the digestive system of a cat, dog or other pets. Salmonella can be transmitted with casual contact, in body fluids or in food.

Symptoms of salmonella in cats, dogs and other pets include vomiting and diarrhea (often with blood present), dehydration and fever.

Salmonella contamination in food most often occurs when a person or animal that’s suffering from salmonella comes in contact with foods in a manufacturing plant.

How Does Pet Food Get Contaminated With Salmonella?

In the case of the Mars Petcare US Pet Food Recall, a pet food factory employee contracted salmonella. The employee apparently contaminated the pet food facility, leading to a salmonella-related Pedigree Dog Food recall.

Eventually, the salmonella pet food recall was expanded to include more than a dozen other brands of cat food and dog food, like Special Kitty and Ol’ Roy. The pet food plant was shut down as a result of the salmonella outbreak, but the source was never found. Ultimately, the pet food manufacturing plant was shut down permanently.

More recently, an industrial peanut supplier’s peanut paste and peanut butter products were found to be tainted with salmonella. Dog treats containing the salmonella-tainted peanut butter - like Grreat Choice Dog Biscuits, sold by PetSmart - were subsequently recalled due to possible salmonella contamination. So this is a second way that pet foods and pet treats can become tainted with salmonella - when an ingredient used to manufacture the pet food or pet treats is contaminated with salmonella.

How Do I Learn More About Pet Food Recalls? How Do I Know if My Pet’s Food is Tainted With Salmonella?

There are many ways that pet owners can stay informed about pet food recalls.

One great website with current, comprehensive information dog and cat food recalls is the Pet Care @ Suite101 site, which features my Pet Food Recall Page.

Also check out my posts here on The Pet Health Blog , where I will keep readers informed on all the latest pet food recalls, especially with the recent peanut butter salmonella scare involving Grreat Choice Dog Biscuits.

How Can I Find Out if My Cat’s or Dog’s Food is Recalled Due to Salmonella Contamination or Tainted Peanut Butter?

“Has my dog’s food been recalled due to salmonella?”

“What pet food brands have been recalled?”

“What pet treats or pet foods are involved in the peanut butter salmonella scare?”

“How do I find out when a dog food recall is issued?” 

 There are several ways to find out if your pet’s food is recalled as a result of salmonella or due to some other safety concern.

In addition to taking the following measures, it’s important to keep the packaging for your dog’s or cat’s pet food or pet treats. The packaging will contain the vital product information like the UPC code and “best by” code - information you’ll need to determine if your pet’s food is included in a recall.

How to Learn About Dog and Cat Food Recalls

* Monitor the Pet Food/Pet Treat Manufacturer’s Website - Every couple weeks, visit the pet food company’s website. Here, they will announce any recalls involving your pet’s food or treats.

* Set Up Google Alerts for “Pet Food Recall” Terms - Set up a series of Google Alerts for your dog food brand,  cat food brand, pet treat brand and other pet food product names. Also set up more general Google Alerts for terms like “Peanut Butter Salmonella,” “Salmonella Pet Food Recall” and “Dog Food Recall.”  If a new article is published on the web, Google will send you an e-mail with a link to the article. Check out my step-by-step directions on How to Set Up Google Alerts to Find Out About Pet Food Recalls.

* Monitor the FDA Website - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website routinely provides information and updates on pet food recalls. Unfortunately, the FDA only seems to publicize the larger, more widespread pet food recalls; some of the smaller, regional pet food recalls may not be listed on the FDA website. But it’s a good source to check on a regular basis nevertheless.

* Check the Pet Food Recall Page - As the Pet Care Feature Writer on Suite101 , I closely monitor all dog and cat food recalls, and recalls affecting other pet products, like dog treats. I maintain a Pet Food Recall Page , with articles on the latest pet food recalls and other issues, including the signs and symptoms of salmonella in dogs and cats and how to handle recalled pet food.

You can sign up for an RSS Feed for My Pet Care Articles , including articles with all you need to know on the latest dog and cat food recalls.

And as always, you can visit The Pet Health Blog for all the latest news and updates on recalled dog and cat food products, pet treats and any new information on the peanut butter salmonella contamination situation as it affects our pets.