Dog Foods Recalled For Salmonella

Diamond Pet Foods is expanding a recall of several brands of dry pet food that have been linked to a multi-state Salmonella outbreak, according to the CDC.

A.S. Labieniec owner Carleen Quinn said the information coming out about this recall has been slow.

"The communication has been very poor," Quinn said. "It's a voluntary recall and it is taking precautionary measures but we have had to pull some of the top of the line dog food off the shelf.The news spread pretty quickly because of the internet but the communication from the plant in South Carolina has been bad.

"It is one lot code and one date but it is a large recall. Some of the recalled dog food was sold and we want our customers to know if they bought any of it, bring it back and we will reimburse them. If there is any question, call us."

A  dog breeder in Granby said she just returned an open bag of Taste of the Wild dog food to Tractor Supply in Southwick, MA, but was worried that the recall information was getting out too slowly.

"People and dogs are getting pretty sick," said Tracy Cavaciuti, who breeds French bulldogs and has six dogs of her own. "It's scary that I just found out yesterday, and I'm a dog breeder."

Cavaciuti said she had a friend in New Hampshire with three sick dogs who was told to throw out the dogs' food dishes without touching them. She said she hopes the dog food company will determine soon whether the contamination came from the dog food plant or from a meat supplier to that plant.

According to the company’s website, “Diamond Pet Foods has voluntarily recalled some brands of dry dog and cat food that it manufactured in its Gaston, S.C., facility between Dec. 9, 2011, and April 7, 2012, due to potential Salmonella contamination. The brands that were recalled on May 4 have not tested positive for Salmonella.  The company is recalling certain batches of these brands, however, as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety and well-being of customers and their pets. Consumers should check this website for the production codes and best-before dates on the bags of recalled food, and discontinue feeding it. To learn whether or not the brand of dog or cat food you use is included in the recall, please select it from the list below.”

• Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
• Country Value
• Diamond
• Diamond Naturals
• Premium Edge
• Professional
• 4Health
• Taste of the Wild
• Apex
• Kirkland Signature/Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain
• Canidae

The CDC website says:

• A total of 14 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Infantis have been reported from 9 states.
• The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Connecticut (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (3), North Carolina (3), New Jersey (1), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (1), and Virginia (1).
• Among the 9 patients with available information, 5 (56%) were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
• Multiple brands of dry pet food produced by Diamond Pet Foods at a single manufacturing facility in South Carolina have been linked to some of the human Salmonella infections.
• Consumers should check their homes for recalled dog food products and discard them promptly. People who think they might have become ill after contact with dry pet food or with an animal that has eaten dry pet food should consult their health care providers.

Quinn said that the plant is scheduled to re-open in two weeks but that means it may be two to three months before those brands get back on the A.S. Labieniec shelves.