Dog Food Blog

Just one month after the recall of Krasdale Gravy DRY dog food, the US is concerned with another one and again it’s because of Salmonella contamination.

Last month, Mars Petcare USA recalled its products after it was implicated in an outbreak of Salmonella poisoning in the US. In total 66 people were sickened of which 25 in Pennsylvania. In 2007, a total of 15 pet products have been recalled due to Salmonella contamination. Important to note is that to date none of the recalled products have been directly linked to human illness.

In the production process of dry dog food all bacteria are killed because of the prolonged heating process. However, in the final stages where the products is dried, coated, packaged and distributed contamination can occur. The usual number of bacteria in dog food ingredients is 1000 to 10,000 per gram (reference Donald Strombeck PhD). This number can increase rapidly due to poor quality ingredients, insufficient heating during processing and poor sanitation during handling and storage.

This month Bravo! RAW poultry dog food is suspected be contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria bacteria. No illnesses have been reported so far. This voluntary recall is the result of an FDA inspection where Salmonella and Listeria was detected in the company’s manufacturing facility.

These two bacteria strains produce potentially deadly food borne illnesses in humans. You’ll recognize the symptoms as these are common for diseases of the digestive tract: vomiting, diarrea, fever, muscle aches and nausea. At risk are children, elderly people and people with weakened immune systems.

Salmonella is found in the feces of 30% of dogs. However, not all of these dogs show symptoms and they just appear to be completely healthy. In fact, healthy dogs rarely become sick from Salmonella - but if they do… the symptoms are the same as for us humans!

You can take preventative measures to prevent cross-contamination and to prevent transmission of Salmonella from dogs to (human) family members:

• Keep dry dog food in a cool and dry place.
• Keep raw meat, poultry and fish frozen until ready to use and thaw these products in the refrigerator. Feed these products close to room temperature though so as to not upset your dog’s stomach.
• Keep raw dog food separated from other foods.
• Wash dog food bowls with hot water and soap after each use.
• Wash working surfaces and kitchen utensils with hot water and soap after having used these to prepare raw food.
• Wash you hands thoroughly after handling dog food.
• Refrigerate or discard left-over wet dog food.
• When you soak dry dog food in water note that this needs to be treated as any other wet dog food. Bacteria in moistened dry food multiply rapidly, so throw away the food when your dog has not eaten it within a limited time period.

For more information about dog health and dog food, visit Best Dog Food Guide.