Second pet food company issues recall over potential pentobarbital contamination

On the heels of a nationwide recall of dog food by one company over concerns of pentobarbital contamination, yet another has issued one for the same reason. On February 14, a recall of a single lot of canned dog food product manufactured by Against The Grain was listed on the Food and Drug Administration's website. 

The product, Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner for Dogs, was manufactured in 2015, and sold in 12 oz. cans. The packaging bears a lot number of 2415E01ATB12, and the second half of the UPC code is 80001—the latter of which can be found on the back of the product label. The food was distributed to independent retail outlets in two states, Washington and Maryland, and has an expiration date of December 2019.  

No other pet foods in the Against The Grain product lines are thought to be affected, and no illnesses or deaths have been reported at this time. 

If ingested by pets, pentobarbital can cause dizziness, drowsiness, loss of balance, nausea, excitement and in some cases, death. 

The company is urging consumers to return any can of food with the lot number listed above to their point of purchase. Customers may contact the company with any inquires at 1-800-288-6796  between 11:00AM – 4:00PM (CST), Monday-Friday. Click here for the company's statement. 

Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. She has been a featured guest on the Pawprint Animal Rescue Podcast, talking about her career working with companion animals and writing about her experiences. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

Evanger's launches voluntary recall of one pet food product due to potential pentobarbital contamination

Illinois-based Evanger’s Dog and Cat Food Company is voluntarily recalling specific lots of one of its products as it may be contaminated with pentobarbital. 

If ingested by pets, pentobarbital can cause dizziness, drowsiness, loss of balance, nausea and in some cases, excitement. Death can result in some cases. Evanger’s indicated on their website that a few weeks ago, 5 dogs had taken ill after consuming the product matching one of the lot numbers. 

Though the substance was found in only one lot of Hunk of Beef Au Jus (12 ounce cans), the company made the decision to recall additional lots of the product—5 in all—that were produced the same week. Evanger’s uses suppliers that are USDA approved. A few weeks ago, after learning of the illness of the 5 pets and subsequent death of one of them, an investigation was launched by the pet food company. It was first thought that a toxin or bacteria might be the culprit, but on January 29, they learned the cause. But how pentobarbital, a barbiturate, made its way into the manufacturer’s supply was something that Evanger’s wanted to know.  

Quoting from a statement about the matter on the company’s website (which you can read in its entirety by clicking here):

Something like this seemed impossible.  We were unaware of the problem of pentobarbital in the pet food industry because it is most pervasive in dry foods that source most of their ingredients from rendering plants, unlike Evanger’s, which mainly manufactures canned foods that would not have any rendered materials in its supply chain.  All of our raw materials are sourced from USDA-inspected facilities, and many of them are suppliers with whom we have had long-standing relationships.

In our investigation, we spoke with many suppliers to learn how it could even be possible that an animal that had been euthanized could ever possibly end up in the animal food stream.  What we learned was that pentobarbital is very highly controlled, and that, if an animal is euthanized, it is done so by a veterinarian.  Once this process has been done, there is absolutely no regulation that requires the certified Vet to place any kind of marker on the animal indicating that it has been euthanized and guaranteeing that product from euthanized animals cannot enter the food chain. This is a simple task, and goes a very long way to ensure safety in many areas.

The following lot numbers are included in the recall: 1816E03HB, 1816E04HB, 1816E06HB, 1816E07HB, and 1816E13HB. The cans also bear a expiration date of June 2020 and a barcode, 20109, which is found on the back of the product label. Manufactured the week of June 6 – June 13, 2016, the pet food was distributed to retailers and sold online in the following states: Washington, California, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, South Carolina and Georgia.

The company is asking consumers to return any unused product to the point of purchase for a full refund, and to call 847-537-0102 between 10:00 AM-5:00 PM (CST), Mon-Fri with any questions. 

Click here to read the company statement on the Food and Drug Administration’s website.


Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. She has been a featured guest on the Pawprint Animal Rescue Podcast, talking about her career working with companion animals and writing about her experiences. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

Purina recalls wet dog food products in US and Canada over inadequate vitamin and mineral levels

Nestle Purina has issued a voluntary recall of some formulas of their wet dog food according to a release dated March 9, 2016.

Though many pet food recalls stem from contamination by a pathogen, it's not the case with this recall. Nestle indicates that the products contain insufficient levels of vitamins and excess minerals.

The voluntary recall only involves a handful of brands, which includes Beneful Prepared Meals, Beneful Chopped Blends and 5 varieties of Pro Plan Savory Meals in 10 oz. tubs. They bear a best-by date range of June 2017 to August 2017 and production code range starting with 5363 to 6054 as the first four digits.

A full list of products – which is lengthy – along with the UPC codes, lot codes and expiration dates can be found by clicking here.

Though no illnesses have been reported, the company notes that if consumers have fed their pet food on the list and have concerns, that they consult their veterinarian.  

Consumers who have bought the product are asked to stop feeding it to their pets promptly and dispose of it as they would normal household waste.

Questions about the recall as well as how to obtain a refund can be addressed by calling Purina at 1-800-877-7919. Canadian consumers can go to purina.ca/voluntaryrecall for more information.

To learn about the role of consumers in pet food recalls, click here.

Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

Bravo recalls several pet food formulas citing Salmonella concerns

A pet food recall by Manchester, CT-based Bravo has been put in place. The recall involves several products that were distributed to retail stores, internet retailers — even directly to consumers, between November 21, 2014 and January 15, 2015.

Here's the information on the recalled product:

Bravo Blend Chicken Diet for Dogs and Cats
Product Number: 21-102
Size: 2 lb. (32 oz.) chub
Best used by date 11-13-16    

UPC: 829546211028

Recalls like this reiterate two important points when handling pet consumables: the need for safe handling and handwashing techniques, and saving the UPC code information from product packaging.

Salmonella, also referred to as salmonellosis, causes digestive problems, and dogs will typically present with fever, diarrhea, vomiting and weakness. Other symptoms can occur.

Salmonella can affect other animals —  not just the dogs who consume the treats. There is risk to humans just the same, from handling contaminated pet products. People handling dry pet food and/or treats can become infected with salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the food or any surfaces exposed to any contaminated product.

The recall was initiated after routine testing of a sample from a 2 lb. chub of Bravo Chicken blend diet by the Colorado State Department of Agriculture revealed the presence of Salmonella.

It's important to note that out of "an abundance of caution," Bravo has decided to also include a handful of other products on a voluntary basis, though the company indicates that there has been no evidence of an issue involving the following products with "best by" date of November 13, 2016.

• Bravo Blend Chicken diet for dogs and cats


• Bravo Blend Turkey diet for dogs


• Bravo Balance Turkey diet for dogs

Consumers that have purchased any of the recalled items are urged to not offer them to their pets. Rather, they should be disposed of safely. Products can be returned to the point of purchase for a refund or store credit along with a refund claim form, which can be downloaded from the Bravo company website by clicking here.

Questions about the recall can be answered by calling Bravo at (866) 922-9222 on weekdays between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm (EST).

Click here to read the company's press release, which includes more detailed information on the additional three products included in the recall.

Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

Oma's Pride frozen cat food recalled over potiental Salmonella concerns

Connecticut-based Oma's Pride has initiated a voluntary recall of one of it's products, Purr Complete Poultry Feline Meal as it may be contaminated with Salmonella.

There have been no reported illnesses related to the product.

These types of recalls reiterate two important points when handling pet consumables: the need for safe handling and handwashing techniques, and saving the UPC code information from product packaging.

Salmonella, also referred to as salmonellosis, causes digestive problems, and dogs will typically present with fever, diarrhea, vomiting and weakness. Other symptoms can occur.

Salmonella can affect other animals —  not just the dogs who consume the treats. There is risk to humans just the same, from handling contaminated pet products. People handling dry pet food and/or treats can become infected with salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the food or any surfaces exposed to any contaminated product.

Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development discovered that the food tested positive for Salmonella during routine testing.

The product, which is sold frozen, was distributed through retail stores, distributors, and directly to consumers nationwide. 

It is packaged in clear plastic packaging and was distributed in two sizes (listed below with the corresponding UPC codes, with each package bearing a code number 1524. 

•12 oz. (UPC: 8 79384 00017 9)

•2 lb. (UPC: 8 79384 00018 6) 

The product was manufactured on September 12, 2014 with a "use by" date of September 12, 2015.  

Those who have purchased the food are encouraged to return it to the point of purchase where they can obtain a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-678-6627 , Monday — Friday, 9:00AM – 4:30PM.


Click here to read more of the Food and Drug Administration's press release.


Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

Pro Pet, LLC voluntarily recalls dry pet food because of possible Salmonella risk

Flickr photo by marioanima

Ohio-based Pro-Pet, LLC has initiated a voluntary recall of a limited number of their dry dog and cat food formulas citing a possible Salmonella contamination.

According to an FDA press release, a single field test indicated that products manufactured on a single production line, and during a window of two days may have the potential for Salmonella contamination.

There have been no reported illnesses related to the product.

These types of recalls reiterate two important points when handling pet consumables: the need for safe handling and handwashing techniques, and saving the UPC code information from product packaging.

Salmonella, also referred to as salmonellosis, causes digestive problems, and dogs will typically present with fever, diarrhea, vomiting and weakness. Other symptoms can occur.

Salmonella can affect other animals —  not just the dogs who consume the treats. There is risk to humans just the same, from handling contaminated pet products. People handling dry pet food and/or treats can become infected with salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the food or any surfaces exposed to any contaminated product.

The product was manufactured by a third party for the company and distributed in Michigan, Ohio and several other states.

The following products are included, and are marked with the following "best by" dates, lot codes and UPC numbers:

   
• 40 lb Hubbard Life Happy Hound Dog Food   05 06 14   096 13 SM L2 2A   1219033878
       
• 40 lb Hubbard Life Happy Hound Dog Food   05 06 14   096 13 SM L2 1A   1219033878
   
• 18 lb Hubbard Life Cat Stars Cat Food   05 06 14   096 13 SM L2 1A   1219033873
   
• 40 lb Hubbard Life Maintenance Dog Food   05 06 14    096 13 SM L2 2A    1219033875
   
• 15 lb Joy Combo Cat Food   05 06 14    096 13 SM L2 1A    7065407721
       
• 40 lb Joy Combo Cat Food   05 06 14    096 13 SM L2 1A    7065407713
       
• 40 lb Joy Combo Cat Food   05 06 14    096 13 SM L2 2A    7065407713
       
• 20 lb QC Plus Adult Dog Food   05 07 14    097 13 SM L2 2A    2351780103
       
• 40 lb QC Plus Adult Dog Food   05 07 14    097 13 SM L2 2A    2351780104
       
• 40 lb QC Plus Adult Dog Food   05 07 14    097 13 SM L2 1A    2351780104

Consumers that purchased a recalled packages are urged to stop feeding the product and are asked to contact the Pro Pet at 1-888-765-4190 for more information. Customer service representatives are on hand Monday through Friday 8am - 5pm (CST).

Click here for more on the recall.

Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.