Update on the Pet Food Recall... Please share with friends

Major Brand Pet Foods Recalled Due To Salmonella On May 4, 2012, Diamond Pet Foods expanded a pet food recall due to possible salmonella contamination.  More than a dozen people in several states may have been infected due to contact with contaminated pet food.   Affected foods include specific lots of dry dog and cat food branded as: Diamond Pet Food Kirkland Signature (Costco brand) Natural Balance Wellness (WelPet LLC) Canidae Apex Pet Foods Solid Gold Health Products For Pets, Inc. These foods were widely distributed in the U.S. and Canada. You can check your pet food to see if it has been recalled.  Affected bags of food have best-before dates between December 9, 2012, and April 7, 2013.   Recalled foods include: ·  Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul ·  Country Value ·  Diamond ·  Diamond Naturals ·  Premium Edge ·  Professional ·  4Health ·  Taste of the Wild ·  Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Lamb ·  Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken ·  Kirkland Signature Super Premium Mature Dog Chicken ·  Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Formulated with Chicken &    Vegetables ·  Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula ·  Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Cat Formula ·  Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula for Dogs ·  Wellness Complete Health® Super5Mix® Large Breed Puppy ·  Canidae Dog, All Life Stages ·  Canidae Dog, Chicken Meal & Rice ·  Canidae Dog, Lamb Meal & Rice ·  Canidae Dog, Platinum ·  Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison Dog ·  Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog ·  Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Bison Dog ·  Natural Balance Vegetarian Dog ·  Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog Large Breed Bites ·  Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog Small Breed Bites ·   WolfCub Large Breed Puppy Food ·  Solid Gold WolfKing Large Breed Adult Dog Salmonella is a bacterial infection that can affect both animals and humans.  Symptoms may include decreased appetite, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and abdominal pain.  Pets and people who carry the disease can infect others, so if you or your pet are experiencing symptoms and you have purchased and used the affected dog food, take all due precaution and see a doctor and/or veterinarian.  You can prevent spread of the disease by washing your hands thoroughly and following physician instructions. If you have purchased one of the recalled pet foods, you should immediately stop feeding it to your animals, and contact the place you purchased the pet food from - refunds may be available.  For complete information, visit the Diamond Pet Foods recall page, the Costco pet product recall pages, the Natural Balance recall page, the Wellness recall page, the Canidae recall page, the Solid Gold Health Products for Pets, Inc. recall page, or the FDA's recall page, which has information on multiple brands in the Animal Health section.  The CDC also has information on documented salmonella contamination.

Pet Food Recalls May 2012

Update on the Pet Food Recalls! 2012 Recalls and Safety Alerts May 07, 2012 Wellpet LLC Voluntarily Recalls One Recipe Of Dry Dog Food Due To Salmonella At Diamond Pet Foods' Facility Salmonella May 05, 2012 UPDATED: CORRECT PRODUCTION CODE INFORMATION Canidae Pet Foods Initiates Voluntary Recall of Dry Pet Food Due to the Potential for Salmonella Salmonella May 05, 2012 UPDATED: CORRECT PRODUCTION CODE INFORMATION Diamond Pet Foods Expands Voluntary Recall of Dry Pet Food Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination Salmonella May 04, 2012 Apex Pet Foods Initiates Voluntary Recall of Dry Pet Food Due to the Potential for Salmonella - No Pet or Human Illnesses have been Reported Associated With Apex Dog Food Salmonella May 04, 2012 Natural Balance Pet Foods Initiates Voluntary Recall of Certain Dry Pet Food Due to the Potential for Salmonella Contamination Salmonella April 30, 2012 Kaytee Recalls Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat and Hamster Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk Salmonella April 30, 2012 Diamond Pet Foods Expands Voluntary Recall to Include Diamond Puppy Formula due to Possible Salmonella Contamination Salmonella April 26, 2012 Diamond Pet Foods Expands Voluntary Recall of One Production Run of Dry Dog Food Due to a Potential Health Risk Recall is limited to one formula of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul distributed to 10 states Salmonella

Rosemary and seizures is there a connection..??

ROSEMARY EXTRACT = PET FOOD NEUROTOXIN   Does your new “natural” cat or dog food contain herbs such as rosemary extract, a neurotoxin that can cause neurological problems, seizures and anemia?   When Veterinarians reported that Premium Edge caused neurological problems in cats, testing found that one batch lacked Vitamin B1 (thiamine) but the real culprit in cat and dog foods may be rosemary extract, a natural neurotoxin. Adverse reactions, including seizures, can show up soon after ingestion but symptoms may also be delayed which complicates accurate diagnosis.   Nel Liquorman, Health Editor / © TheDogPress 03|12|10 - There is growing concern since pet food companies began adding rosemary extracts.  Very few veterinarians are aware that rosemary or other herbs present a danger.  Many vets don’t even realize that herbs have become a popular pet food ingredient.   When changes are made to existing recipes, new ingredients are simply added to the label listing.   According to Mombu.com/medicine, "ROSEMARY EXTRACT: Flavoring. PAE: illness. An ounce can cause death" (PAE indicates potential adverse affects).  We already know that rosemary extract can cause seizures in cats and small dogs, so it is possible that large dogs will also experience adverse effects depending on the ratio ingested.  Sadly, a vet may begin treatment for epilepsy without ever suspecting the real cause for seizures.  While Phenobarbital will control or reduce seizures, the animal continues to consume the ingredient and neurological damage continues.   Even though FDA considers most herbs GRAS (generally regarded as safe) Pet food companies should research any herbal extract intended for a pet food recipe. Holistic practitioners warn that herbal extracts, such as rosemary, sage, thyme, wormwood, dill, and mint, may be “mind-stimulating and “contributors to seizures” and note, they are referring to conditions brought about when these substances are ingested by susceptible humans, not by a dog or cat only a fraction of a human’s weight. When “Natural” became a marketing buzzword in pet food after the 2007 melamine disaster many cat and dog food makers capitalized on the “natural food” concept by adding herbs, including rosemary extract, to their foods. Notably, holistic practitioners refer to herbal extracts such as rosemary, sage, thyme, wormwood, dill, and mint, as mind-stimulating contributors to seizures. While a sprinkling of rosemary may be a healthy, delightful addition to spaghetti sauce, in certain forms, herbs can be anything but “healthy.” According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (1) rosemary can interact with supplements, medications, and even other herbs. Most references for herbal use carry the caveat “herbal extracts should be used under the supervision of a healthcare practitioner.” There have been reports of allergic reactions due to their volatile oil content. Reactions in humans include vomiting, spasms, coma and fluid in the lungs. Obviously the effect on a smaller animal such as a dog or cat could be much greater. European researchers found that rosemary interferes with absorption of iron in the diet, resulting in anemia in humans. When pets are diagnosed with anemia, the cause is commonly diagnosed as flea bites. Few vets would relate anemia to rosemary extract in pet food so the anemic dog or cat is treated for fleas with a regime of dipping or oral flea prevention which may further affect the immune system. UMMC states that rosemary oil (extract) should never be taken orally, so it makes no sense to add it to a pet food recipe. Their experts also said “Because rosemary has not been studied in children, it is not recommended for medicinal use in those under age 18.” That caution was for occasional medicinal use but when cat or dog foods contain rosemary extract, pets are ingesting it on a daily basis for months or years! In addition to problems associated with rosemary in pet foods, there are many other questionable substances, such as soy products, newly created fiber additives (prebiotics), live bacteria (probiotics), waste products such as soybean hulls, and even dangerous levels of fluoride in many cat and dog foods. The only good pet food is one that has been carefully researched!   http://www.thedogpress.com/DogFood/Rosemary-Neurotoxin-10032_Liquorman.asp #116125   Reference Article Link:  (1) http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/rosemary-000271.htm