North Carolina-based Blue Ridge Beef is recalling thousands of pounds of dog food, citing the presence of Salmonella bacteria. The recall applies to 5,700 pounds of the company’s “Natural Mix” product for dogs, the company said in a Jan. 31,
FDA Issues “Do Not Feed” Advisory for Pet Foods Withdrawn by Answers Pet Food
On Sept. 23, 2024 federal health regulators announced a warning to pet owners after samples of two Answers Pet Food products tested positive for salmonella, a third tested positive for listeria, and a fourth tested positive for both.
New CDC Mandate Meets Resistance from Dog Owners and Senators
On July 19. 2024, a bipartisan group of Senators asked that the CDC pause or extend the deadline for its new dog importation mandate on the grounds that it is overly broad and unnecessarily restrictive, and it would adversely impact thousands of current dog owners who routinely cross the U.S.-Canadian border.
According to the CDC’s website, there are fewer than 10 human deaths related to rabies in the U.S. each year, and the rabies threat to Americans comes from foxes, skunks, bats, and raccoons, not domesticated animals.
As senators Susan Collins and Andy Klobuchar note in a letter, the CDC’s new mandate unnecessarily focuses restrictions on low-risk areas and could potentially separate healthy dogs and service animals from their owners during routine travel or medical excursions.
FDA Recalls Popular Dog Foods in Two Separate Recalls
In a notice published on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s website on Feb. 8, 2023, Nestle’s Purina has recalled select lots of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EL Elemental (PPVD EL) prescription dry dog food due to potentially elevated levels of vitamin D. The recall was instigated when the company received “two contacts about two separate confirmed cases of a dog exhibiting signs of vitamin D toxicity after consuming the diet, to date.” Both of these dogs recovered after they were taken off the food, it said.
The affected dry dog food was distributed throughout the United States by prescription only through veterinary clinics, Purina Vet Direct, Purina for Professionals, and other select retailers with the ability to validate a prescription. It was packaged in 8-pound and 20-pound bags. Also, in July of 2022, the FDA announced a recall for a range of dog treats might have been contaminated with salmonella bacteria made by Stormberg Foods.
Know Your Dog Parts
The above are technical terms your typical veterinarian probably doesn’t know. (Dog model: Dusty Bleu)
Seresto Flea Collars Linked to 1,700 Pet Deaths & Human Harm
As of March 2, 2021, at least 1,700 pet deaths (dogs & cats) have been attributed to a popular flea collar under the Seresto brand (developed by Bayer and now sold by Elanco). The variety of collars used for all sizes of dogs and cats works by releasing small amounts of two pesticides (imidacloprid and flumethrinphos) onto the animal for months at a time. The pesticides were developed to kill fleas, ticks and other pests while not harming the cats, dogs and human handlers.
Deadly Toxin Prompts Dog Food Recall
On January 11, 2020 Midwestern Pet Foods announced that it had recalled several brands of dog and cat foods made with corn products that expire on or before July 9, 2022, that were manufactured at their Chickasha, OK facility. The recall was prompted by the report of the appearance of “aflatoxin levels which exceed acceptable limits.” According to the official FDA website: “Pets experiencing aflatoxin poisoning may have symptoms such as sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice (yellowish tint to the eyes or gums due to liver damage), and/or diarrhea. In severe cases, this toxicity can be fatal. In some cases, pets may suffer liver damage but not show any symptoms.
Top 8 Dog Parks & Runs in Manhattan
I don’t usually like to rate dog parks because I really do love them all and I feel like they are all equal. But to paraphrase the book “Animal Farm,” some parks are “more equal than others.” I’ve visited, run, explored, peed-on and inspected each one of these dog parks in Manhattan, New York City, and this was my true, impartial, doggie-reaction to each.
3 Natural Lyme Treatments for Dogs
When it comes to Lyme disease and exposure to the biting bugs that carry the disease… i.e. ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, horseflies, etc. … your dog may be your “canary in a coalmine.” In other words, because your furry friend is rambling through areas of higher exposure to these bugs than you, it may get exposed to Lyme disease before you do.
WARNING: Euthanasia Drug Found in Popular Dog Foods!
Recently, a Washington, D.C. TV station WJLA partnered with Ellipse Analytics to test several brands of wet dog food for the drug pentobarbital, a common euthanasia drug used to put down pets and zoo animals. Of all the brands tested, the popular brand Gravy Train, repeatedly came back positive for pentobarbital, according to the station. Out of the 15 cans tested, nine tested positive and the FDA currently allows no traces of it in any dog foods or treats. The results of the study have prompted the FDA to announce plans for a full investigation.