There’s an old joke about how peculiar it is that dogs love to eat when they quite literally have the same meal every single day. But hey, who are we to critique what brings joy to man’s best friend.
Now if you’ve ever browsed through the aisles at a store like PetSmart, you know that there are a seemingly endless number of dog food brands to choose from. It’s certainly easy to have all the brands blend together, but in light of a recent recall, there’s one brand you should make to get rid of immediately if you happen to have it at home.
According to the FDA, Freshpet Inc. recently initiated a voluntary recall for a product called “Select Small Dog Bite Size Beef & Egg Recipe Dog Food.” The impacted item comes in 1 pound bags and has a sell-by date of 10/30/2021.
The product is being recalled due to a potential fear of Salmonella contamination. The contamination was spotted early in the manufacturing process and most impacted items were already destroyed. However, some bags that were earmarked for destruction were accidentally shipped out to retailers in a handful of geographic markets from June 7 through June 10.
The product packaging can be seen below:
While Salmonella is typically referenced in regards to humans, it can also lead to a myriad of symptoms in dogs, including lethargy, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, fever, a decrease in appetite, and vomiting. Additionally, humans can contract Salmonella when handling contaminated products, which is why the recall is definitely worth drawing attention to.
The company announcement reads in part:
Salmonella can affect animals eating the product and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.
Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, 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.
Freshpet has received no reports of illness, injury, or adverse reaction to date, and has issued this recall because of our deep commitment to the safety of our pet parents and their dogs. The limited number of impacted products may have been sold at: Publix in Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia, and at limited Target locations in Arizona and Southern California. Most of the product was intercepted at retailer distribution warehouses and not delivered to retail stores.
If you have the product in question in your house, Freshpet is urging owners to throw it away immediately. Naturally, refunds are being given and can be taken advantage of by following this link to Freshpet’s website.
