Humane Society Warns Of Pet Food Recall

Submitted article

Dear Animal Lovers:

This is important.  Last week,  Mars Petcare announced a voluntary recall of products manufactured at its Everson, Pennsylvania facility. The pet food is being recalled because of potential contamination with Salmonella.

The company stopped production at the Everson facility on July 29, 2008 when it was alerted of a possible link between dry pet food produced at the plant and two cases of people infected with Salmonella.  Mars Petcare US is taking precautionary action to protect pets and their owners by now announcing a voluntary recall of all products produced at the Everson facility beginning February 18, 2008 until July 29, 2008 when it stopped production.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible symptoms and can potentially infect other animals or humans. If you think that your pet has consumed any of  recalled products and it has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination caused by handling of the pet food, in people as well, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems. Healthy people potentially infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. On rare occasions, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers. Many of the brands involved in the recall are national brands produced at multiple facilities. A chart for all products is below. For example, PEDIGREE® is manufactured in numerous facilities throughout the country, and Everson represents a very small portion of the manufacturing base – 2.7 percent of total PEDIGREE® production. A listing of the brands that have been recalled and the specific UPC codes can be found at www.petcare.mars.com.  You can also call the company at 1-877-568-4463 for information.

The brands affected include Pedigree, several Walmart brands, including Ol’ Roy and Special Kitty and other grocery store brands including some sold by Wegmans.   These products should not be sold or fed to pets. If you think that you may have purchased products affected by this voluntary recall, you should return the product to the store where you purchased it for a full refund.

In an effort to prevent the transmission of Salmonella from pets to family members and care givers, the FDA recommends that everyone follow appropriate pet food handling guidelines when feeding their pets. A list of safe pet food handling tips can be found at: www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/petfoodtips080307.html

We hope no one is affected by this, but we thought it would be important to get the word out.

And on a happier note . . .Come Strut Your Mutt in our 5K Walk or Run and our 1 Mile Family Walk on Sunday, September 28th with registration beginning at 9 am in Breitbeck Park in Oswego. Dogs are welcome! $15.00 for individuals, $25 for families registered by September 19th. There will be prizes, a picnic lunch, race hats for pre-registered participants. Registration forms can be downloaded from out website at www.oswegohumane.org or call the office at 207-1070 or sign up online at www.strutyourmutt.eventbrite.com

The Oswego County Humane Society provides spay/neuter services and assistance, fostering and adoption of animals in urgent need, humane education programs, and information and referrals to animal lovers throughout Oswego County. Our office is located at 265 West First Street, Oswego, New York. Phone (315) 207-1070. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.oswegohumane.org.

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