Showing 4 posts from October 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- FRANKLIN, Tenn. – October 27, 2008 – Mars Petcare US today announced a voluntary recall of a limited number of bags of SPECIAL KITTY® Gourmet Blend dry cat food sold at Wal-Mart locations in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia. The pet food is being voluntarily recalled following a positive test result indicating a potential contamination with Salmonella.
This product should not be sold or fed to pets. Pet owners should dispose of product in a safe manner (example, a securely covered trash receptacle) and return the empty bag to the store where purchased for a full refund.
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.
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 potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
There have been no complaints or reports of illness resulting from consumption or handling of the recalled product.
Pet owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-877-568-4463 or visit www.petcare.mars.com.
Recalled Pet Food
Product: SPECIAL KITTY® Gourmet Blend Dry Cat Food
Best If Used By Date: AUG 11 09
Best If Used By Date Location: Back of bag
Production Lot Code: 50 XXXX X (Found on back of bag just after "Best If Used By" date. Consumers should look for "50" as the first two digits of the second line.)
UPC Code: UPC code numbers can be found directly underneath the bar code on the package. Please find recalled pet food UPC information below.
3.5 lb.
SPECIAL KITTY® Gourmet Blend
81131 17546
7 lb.
SPECIAL KITTY® Gourmet Blend
81131 17547
18 lb.
SPECIAL KITTY® Gourmet Blend
81131 17548
Affected Stores: Wal-Mart locations in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia.
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
Pet owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-877-568-4463 or visit www.petcare.mars.com.
I use and recommend Flint River Ranch a natural healthy dog food.
An amazing dog. Written by the people who love her the most, her family.
Faith's Amazing Story!
Faith Stringfellow is an amazing little dog, with an even more amazing story. Faith suffered from a birth defect, she became a member of our family when she was just a three-week old puppy. My son Reuben (17) picked Faith out of a litter of puppies that his friend's dog had recently given birth to. Several of the puppies were deformed; a few had already died. The mother dog was actually trying to terminate Faith's life when Reuben lifted her weak body out from under the mother dog; he brought her home to me knowing I had a heart like a marshmallow.
Even though Faith has this defect we taught her to stand, hop, and eventually walk on her two back legs, like a human. She's been a great dog and we forget she's handicapped. You'll turn around and she's chasing the geese at the park, running, jumping, skipping, and acting like any other dog...well, any other dog with a nose reach of 40" from the ground! (Watch your plate, she'll clean it for you before you're ready to share.)
I'm going to tell you a little story about Faith that you may find quite interesting. I couldn't get Faith interested in toys when she was a little puppy. She didn't want to play fetch obviously, but she also didn't want to chew on squeaky toys. She looked at them. She would sit there and watch me throw a little toy in the air - often times I would throw the really soft ones at her to see if she would catch it - she didn't. It just hit her in the face! Then she would stare at me as if I was the bad-guy.
One day I was doing laundry and some of the warm socks feel off the top of the basket - she grabbed it! After she grabbed the roll of socks she hopped under the bed with it. When I reached under the bed to retrieve the clean rolled up pair of socks I found she had been stealing our socks for quite some time! She had an entire nest of socks under the bed.
FINALLY I found something she was interested in. When I encouraged Faith to play with Matrix all it took was to take one of her socks from under the bed and give it to Matrix to play tug-of-war with - - that was all she needed. She began playing hard and she never let up. She could stand up really tall and take the sock back when she wanted to, so Matrix began taking out her legs. Faith realized early that she only had two legs to use - and she began hopping backwards to get away from Matrix. This began a series of training behaviors that absolutely stun the professionals.
Faith can (if she wants to) hop backward, forward, straight up, and even over the dog - but I stress - IF she wants to. I can't make her do anything - we call her the "Diva" sometimes.
With Faith every day is a new adventure - she has always been ready for traveling, touring, meeting people, visiting hospitals, going on stage, or just hanging out under the bed all day. She's as normal as any other dog when it comes to being in her "cave" for protection - - the difference between Faith and other dogs is she actually looks forward to flying, driving, traveling around and being in the limelight.
She sees a big camera and she thinks it was put there for her...she's actually walked into weddings because she heard the music and the people clapping. You can bet she stuck around for the food at the reception and that's one bride's maid that will never be forgotten in King of Prussia, PA!
I've written a book about our life struggles and how Faith helped us, and another strictly about Faith. You can buy them online through amazon.com by their titles
Faith Alone: Stories of an Amazing Dog
and of course they are also available through the publisher at www.xlibris.com (Just a note: With a Little Faith is for persons over the age of 14.) Thank you so much for loving my little dog and for sharing her miraculous story with all of your friends. She really is a gift, and I am very blessed by Jesus to have her.
Visit Faith's website.
This story about Faith shows how much dogs are teachers, if we are willing to learn!
I use and recommend Flint River Ranch a natural healthy dog food.
and of course they are also available through the publisher at www.xlibris.com (Just a note: With a Little Faith is for persons over the age of 14.) Thank you so much for loving my little dog and for sharing her miraculous story with all of your friends. She really is a gift, and I am very blessed by Jesus to have her.
Visit Faith's website.
This story about Faith shows how much dogs are teachers, if we are willing to learn!
I use and recommend Flint River Ranch a natural healthy dog food.
October 17, 2008
SECAUCUS, N.J. - The Hartz Mountain Corporation has voluntarily recalled a specific lot of its Hartz chicken-basted rawhide chips for dogs due to concerns that one or more bags within the lot are potentially contaminated with Salmonella.
The company announced the recall Friday, saying the two-pound plastic bags of chips with lot code JC23282, UPC number 3270096463 were distributed to a national retail customer it did not identify.
Hartz said the normal testing it conducts through an independent outside laboratory did not detect the presence of Salmonella in any of its rawhide products, but sample testing conducted by another laboratory did indicate the presence of the bacteria in a single bag of the chicken-basted rawhide chips.
Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and _ if there is cross-contamination caused by handling of the rawhide chips _ in people as well, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems.
Hartz is investigating the difference in test results and the potential source of the problem. It said there have been no reports of any animals or humans becoming ill.
Source: Newsday
I use and recommend Flint River Ranch a natural healthy dog food.
SECAUCUS, N.J. - The Hartz Mountain Corporation has voluntarily recalled a specific lot of its Hartz chicken-basted rawhide chips for dogs due to concerns that one or more bags within the lot are potentially contaminated with Salmonella.
The company announced the recall Friday, saying the two-pound plastic bags of chips with lot code JC23282, UPC number 3270096463 were distributed to a national retail customer it did not identify.
Hartz said the normal testing it conducts through an independent outside laboratory did not detect the presence of Salmonella in any of its rawhide products, but sample testing conducted by another laboratory did indicate the presence of the bacteria in a single bag of the chicken-basted rawhide chips.
Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and _ if there is cross-contamination caused by handling of the rawhide chips _ in people as well, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems.
Hartz is investigating the difference in test results and the potential source of the problem. It said there have been no reports of any animals or humans becoming ill.
Source: Newsday
I use and recommend Flint River Ranch a natural healthy dog food.
Mulching your garden this fall? Then avoid cocoa bean shells. Many people like them because they degrade into organic fertilizer, but they can be harmful to your dog if he eats them.
Cocoa bean shells contain residual amounts of theobromine, the same thing that makes chcolate toxic to dogs.
Dogs consuming cocoa bean mulch may develop methylxanthine toxicosis. Retrospective case data suggests clinical signs following ingestion include vomiting and muscle tremors. Although oral doses could not be quantitatively determined, clinical severity increased with increasing qualitative dose descriptions. Therefore, treatment should be directed at controlling clinical signs until recovery and preventing further exposure. Pet owners should avoid use of cocoa bean mulch in landscaping around dogs with indiscriminate eating habits.
Low doses of methylxanthines in dogs cause gastrointestinal upset.
High doses cause tachycardia, muscle tremors, seizures and even death.
Dr. Drolet documented the death of a dog after eating a large amount of cocoa bean shell mulch containing 0.46% theobromine
Cases we managed involved dogs which developed vomiting, tremors, tachycardia, hyperactivity, or diarrhea with full recovery
Clinical severity appears to correlate with increasing qualitative dose descriptions
Treatment of affected dogs includes multiple dose activated charcoal (2g/kg PO) and tremor control with cardiac monitoring
Urinary bladder catheterization may reduce reabsorption of methylxanthines
Other potential exposures include pesticides and mycotoxin-producing mold
Dogs may experience clinical effects from large ingestions of cocoa bean shell mulch but life-threatening signs were not reported
We recommend avoiding use of cocoa bean shell mulch in landscaping around unsupervised dogs
Source: ASPCA
I use and recommend Flint River Ranch a natural healthy dog food.
Cocoa bean shells contain residual amounts of theobromine, the same thing that makes chcolate toxic to dogs.
Dogs consuming cocoa bean mulch may develop methylxanthine toxicosis. Retrospective case data suggests clinical signs following ingestion include vomiting and muscle tremors. Although oral doses could not be quantitatively determined, clinical severity increased with increasing qualitative dose descriptions. Therefore, treatment should be directed at controlling clinical signs until recovery and preventing further exposure. Pet owners should avoid use of cocoa bean mulch in landscaping around dogs with indiscriminate eating habits.
Low doses of methylxanthines in dogs cause gastrointestinal upset.
High doses cause tachycardia, muscle tremors, seizures and even death.
Dr. Drolet documented the death of a dog after eating a large amount of cocoa bean shell mulch containing 0.46% theobromine
Cases we managed involved dogs which developed vomiting, tremors, tachycardia, hyperactivity, or diarrhea with full recovery
Clinical severity appears to correlate with increasing qualitative dose descriptions
Treatment of affected dogs includes multiple dose activated charcoal (2g/kg PO) and tremor control with cardiac monitoring
Urinary bladder catheterization may reduce reabsorption of methylxanthines
Other potential exposures include pesticides and mycotoxin-producing mold
Dogs may experience clinical effects from large ingestions of cocoa bean shell mulch but life-threatening signs were not reported
We recommend avoiding use of cocoa bean shell mulch in landscaping around unsupervised dogs
Source: ASPCA
I use and recommend Flint River Ranch a natural healthy dog food.
I use and recommend Flint River Ranch a natural healthy dog food.
