Dog Food Recall Affects 4 Companies Over Salmonella Worries

A dog food recall involving four companies has been issued after reports that six pets were sickened or died after contact with the food. 

Testing of some of the food made by Arrow Reliance revealed salmonella in samples, USA Today reported. Food by Raws for Paws, which was found by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to contain salmonella, also was recalled.

Redbarn Pet Products also recalled three-packs of 7-inch Bulky Sticks dog chews after the Colorado Department of Agriculture found salmonella in the product sold at one store, USA Today reported. Four-ounce bags of Beefy Munchies dog treats were additionally found by the department to have salmonella and were recalled. 

Both pets and those handling the food are at risk for contracting salmonella from contaminated food, with symptoms of the illness including fever, fatigue, body aches, nausea, vomiting, cramping, and diarrhea.

Symptoms typically clear up in four to seven days but can require hospitalization in severe cases. The illness can be prevented in people by thorough hand washing after handling your pet’s food. 

Pets can carry salmonella even if they appear to be healthy.

The FDA advises pet owners to get rid of the recalled pet food products and not to feed them to pets. 

The agency also said raw pet food carries additional risks for bacterial contamination, USA Today reported. “Raw pet food is more likely than other types of pet food to contain salmonella and listeria monocytogenes. Pet owners who choose to feed raw pet food should be aware of the risks associated with these products,” the FDA said. 

“Even a single cell is enough to make an animal or human sick,” Rutgers University professor of food microbiology Don Schaffner said, USA Today reported.

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