This week it was Diamond Pet Foods recalling several brands of dog and cat foods that were contaminated with Salmonella. Even though the recalled food was meant for dogs and cats, 15 people have been infected with the strain of Salmonella found in the food according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Five people have been hospitalized and human cases have been identified in 9 states and Canada between October 2011 and April 2012. No deaths have been reported.
Fortunately this is one recall that hasn't involved Wisconsin. While the political recalls in Wisconsin might be making some people sick, the pet foods manufactured by the Diamond plant in South Carolina did not ship to Wisconsin or neighboring states. Diamond makes pet food for several brands including Taste of the Wild, Canidae and Natural Balance. The brands of food affected by this recall are listed here.
Pets Might Not Act Sick
Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause diarrhea in people. Pets infected with Salmonella might not show any signs of illness, but they can shed the bacteria in their stool. Owners in close contact with their pets or contaminated pet food can be infected. Most infected people aren't sick for very long, but infants or those who are sick from other conditions or on chemotherapy can get very sick or die.
Is Pet Food Safe?
We believe commercial pet food is generally safe and better than homemade alternatives. Some people are recommending feeding homemade or even raw diets to make sure their pet's food is safe. It is difficult, time consuming and expensive to provide a balanced homemade diet for pets. Raw food, especially raw meat, increases the risk of infection with not only Salmonella, but also other bacteria like Campylobacter and pathogenic E. coli, which can all be transmitted to people. I recommend cooking any table food that is fed to pets for the same reason that we cook our food: to kill bacteria. There is no evidence that feeding raw meat provides any better nutrition than cooked meat. One study showed that 80% of raw diets containing poultry were contaminated with Salmonella and 30% of dogs fed those diets were shedding Salmonella. Researchers were able to culture Salmonella from pet food dishes, even after those dishes went through the dishwasher. Testing
If we suspect a dog or cat has Salmonella because they have vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal pain we will collect a stool sample (poop) and submit it for fecal culture. The results are usually back in a few days and the culture tests for both Salmonella and Campylobacter. These bacterial infections are treatable with antibiotics. In the past, we have cultured Campylobacter from puppies in two households where their owners were also infected (and sick), presumably from the new puppy in the house. Of course, washing hands after handling pets and pet food is always a good idea.
How Pet Food is Manufactured
