While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigation the cause of the contamination, Diamond Pet Foods has issued a recall of 14 brands of pet food formulas manufactured between December 9, 2011 and April 7, 2012.
Those brands include:
- Natural Balance
- Kirkland Signature
- Diamond
- Diamond Naturals
- Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul
- Premium Edge
- Professional
- 4Health
- Taste of the Wild
- Country Value
- Canidae
- Solid Gold
- Apex
- Wellness Complete (puppy chow)
Humans can contract Salmonella from contaminated dog food by handling tainted kibble or having contact with a pet that has eaten it. Health officials recommend always washing your hands after handling pet food or pets, especially if you plan to handle food or feed children.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said there have been no confirmed pet illnesses because it is very rare for pets' stool samples to be tested for gastrointestinal bacteria such as Salmonella. The FDA, however, has received an unspecified number of complaints from pet owners about sickened dogs and cats.
Pet owners are advised to check their pet food for recalled products and to not feed recalled food to pets or handle it themselves.
According to the FDA, pets with Salmonella infection may appear lethargic and have diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets will only have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain.
If your pet shows signs of Salmonella infection, contact your veterinarian.
