Recall affects Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites dog food affects Costco in Northern California, Nevada, and Albertsons in So. California and Las Vegas.
This following warning was issued by Mars Petcare US, the parent company of Pedigree, on August 8, 2008. Please note that a second, larger pet food recall was issued on September 12, 2008 and then more recently on November 25, 2008.
Pet owners in California and Nevada, particularly the Las Vegas metro area, are warned of a voluntary limited pet food recall involving Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites dog food.
Officials from the California Department of Public Health say the dog food may have been contaminated with Salmonella, which has been at the center of many other nationwide food recalls and warnings in recent weeks.
The voluntary recall affects the following dog foods that have been sold at the following locations:
52-pound bags of Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites dog food. The recalled food was delivered to Costco stores in Northern California and Nevada only.
20-pound bags of Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites dog food. The recalled food was delivered to Albertsons stores in Southern California and the area of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Thus far, California Department of Public Health officials say that there have been no reports of illness or other ill effects in pets or humans as a result of this potential salmonella contamination incident.
Mars Petcare US recommends, “The product should not be sold or fed to pets. Pet owners should dispose of product in a safe manner (example, a securely covered trash receptacle) and return the empty bag to the store where purchased for a full refund…In an effort to prevent the transmission of Salmonella from pets to family members and care givers, the FDA recommends that everyone follow appropriate pet food handling guidelines when feeding their pets.”
Notably, one of the retailers involved in this recall, Costco, has contacted its customers to notify them of the potentially dangerous recalled dog food.
What is Salmonella?
Salmonella is a bacteria that infects the intestinal tract of a host, including humans, pets like cats and dogs, other wild mammals, reptiles and birds.
The salmonella bacteria is most commonly found in animal-related food products, such as meats, fish, eggs and dairy products, though even vegetables, fruits and grains can become contaminated. In many cases, contamination occurs when a food item comes in direct or indirect contact with animal feces.
Note: A food that’s contaminated with salmonella will not smell, taste or appear abnormal.
The Symptoms of Salmonella
Pets, just like humans, can suffer from a salmonella infection. According to Dr. Michael Levine, DVM, symptoms most typically arise within 72 hours of exposure.
The most common symptoms exhibited by cats and dogs include severe diarrhea (including bloody diarrhea), vomiting, fever, complete inappetance or reduced appetite.
“It’s vital that if your pet is exhibiting symptoms of salmonella that you begin by immediately disposing of feces to help eliminate the chance of spreading the problem to other household members and pets. Wash your hands after handling fecal material and get your dog to the vet as soon as possible,” Dr. Levine explained, adding, “This is an infection that can be very severe and treatment, especially for dehydration is required if you are to increase the chances of a good outcome.”
To learn more about this pet food recall involving Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites dog food and other pet foods by the same manufacturer, visit the Mars Petcare website or call 877-568-4463.
Related Reading
Suite101.com's Pet Food Recall Page features an array of information concerning the Pedigree recall, the October 20, 2008 Hartz Chicken Basted Rawhide Chips recall, salmonella symptoms in dogs and cats, along with information on serving a natural dog food or cooking homemade meals for dogs, and tips on what to do with tainted pet food.
The copyright of the article Pet Food Recall issued by Pedigree in Pet Nutrition is owned by Mia Carter. Permission to republish Pet Food Recall issued by Pedigree in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
My three dogs eat Pedigree canned dog food. Is it safe?
Sep 15, 2008 6:20 AM
Mia Carter :
Hello there!
Yes, your canned dog food should be safe.
It is my understanding that the current Pedigree recall extends ONLY to
dry food. This is according to the Mars Petcare US website (see the link
above in the article.)
Of course, you can always check back with
the Suite101 Pet Care page, where I post information and links whenever a
new pet food recalls or updates are issued. I search every few days for new
recalls, so we'll have an article on any new pet food recalls as soon as
they happen.
I've also compiled a collection of pet food recall
resources for pet owners:
http://www.suite101.com/blog/miacarter/information_and_resources_on_pet_foo
d_recalls
I wish you luck with your three dogs!
-Mia
Carter Pet Care Feature Writer, Suite101.com
Sep 15, 2008 11:01 AM
Guest
:
I purchased the 20-lb. Pedigree small crunchy bites in Georgia. How can I
be sure this food doesn't contain salmonella?
Sep 15, 2008 8:26 PM
Guest
:
my dog eats pedigree complete nutrition/adult,is it safe for him?i am very
concerned he's so small,a bichon frise.
Sep 15, 2008 8:48 PM
Mia Carter :
Hello dog owners!
Okay, here's answers for the last two
questions that were posted:
Firstly, I should note that this
article is actually concerning the first, smaller recall. The recall is now
expanded to include all Pedigree dry food that has a certain code on the
bag by the UPC (I'll talk about that in a minute)
The newer
article on the recall issued Sept. 12, 2008 can be found at this link: http://pet-nutrition.suite101.com/article.cfm/voluntary_nationwide_pet_fo
od_recall_issued
To determine if the food is safe or unsafe and
included in the recall, you need to look at the code on the bag.
For Pedigree ONLY, the code under the "Best Before" date
(located near the UPC code) will have the letters “PAE” on the bottom
line, as the the sixth, seventh and eighth digits.
If
"PAE" is present, the food has been recalled. If "PAE"
is absent, the food is safe.
ONLY dry food is included in this
recall, so wet canned dog food is supposedly safe.
I've written
a whole series of articles for pet owners concerning the recall, how to
tell if your dog may have Salmonella, what to do with the recalled pet
food, etc. You can find our Pet Food Recall Resource page at:
http://www.suite101.com/blog/miacarter/information_and_resources_on_pet_fo
od_recalls
I hope your dogs are safe, happy and healthy in light
of this most recent pet food recall! Feel free to let me know if you have
any additional questions.
-Mia Carter Pet Care Feature
Writer, Suite101.com
Sep 16, 2008 8:26 PM
Guest
:
I am concerned because I always buy my 2 dogs the small crunchy bites adult
dry dog food. I use a keep fresh plastic container that I pour the bag
into, so I no longer have the original bag to check the UPC code on the
bag. If it was purchased at a Publix store in West palm Beach Florida
between 9/1/08 - 9/4/08??? Do you think it is safe??
Sep 16, 2008 8:49 PM
Mia Carter :
Hi there!
Unfortunately, many people are in your same position.
I too keep my dogs' food in a plastic container. From now on, I am going to
start saving the bag - or at least the UPC code.
I've spoken to
a few pet store managers and veterinarians and everyone agrees that
considering the seriousness and highly-contagious nature of salmonella, ALL
FOOD SHOULD BE CONSIDERED DANGEROUS in cases where you don't have the
original bag.
So I would go ahead and stop feeding the food. I
would double bag it with heavy-duty trash bags and return the remaining
food to the store where you bought it. Print out a copy of the recall
notice on the Mars Petcare website (see the link in the article above) just
in case the store employee you're dealing with isn't aware of the recall.
Receipts are not required for refunds or exchanges when there's a recall.
You'll also need to thoroughly disinfect the plastic container,
the dog food bowls and anywhere else that the food has contacted. I've
written a whole article on the necessary steps, along with what signs to
look for that suggest salmonella.
Here's the article on proper
cleaning, etc.: http://petcare.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_handle_recalled_pet_food And here's a list of related resources on the recall, salmonella
and recall-related safety that you may find helpful: http://www.suite101.com/blog/miacarter/information_and_resources_on_pet_
food_recalls
I hope your pets are happy and healthy, despite the
recall! -Mia Carter Pet Care Feature Writer, Suite101.com
Sep 17, 2008 5:55 PM
Guest
:
My 1 1/2yr old chihuahua was in great health and all of a sudden starting
vomiting, and became unable to eat or even walk Sunday 9/14. I took him to
my vet on Mon 9/15 as soon as they opened and they thought he might have
meningitis and gave my dog an injection of steroids and antibiotics. I was
told that if he did have meningitis I would know within the next 48hrs. He
started getting better by Tues morning, so the meningitis theory was out.
He is doing much better and is on the medications for the next 10 days. I
have fed him Pedigree small crunchy bites for about 6 months now and want
to know if he could have gotten salmonella. I empty the bag of food in a
plastic container and don't have the info needed to know if I have one of
the bags that could have it. I purchased my dog food at a Wal-Mart in
Ocala, Florida. Teresa Ryals Dunnellon, Florida
Sep 17, 2008 8:29 PM
Mia Carter :
Hello there!
I'm sorry to hear your chihuahua was unwell. I have
a chihuahua too who was recently ill, so I can absolutely sympathize.
It's certainly possible that salmonella was to blame. Salmonella
can cause some serious stiffness and joint pain, so it's possible that
that's why he was having trouble walking. But there's other ailments that
could be to blame as well. The only way to determine if salmonella was to
blame is to perform a test of his feces. Though since he's on treatment, it
may no longer be present at detectable levels.
Just in case, I
would take some extra precautions. I'd get some fresh food - we should
assume the food you have is contaminated, just to be safe. I would double
bag the remaining food and bring it back to the store for an exachange or
refund. I would print out a copy of the recall notice from the
manufacturer's website (see the Mars Petcare link above in the article) and
bring that along just in case the employee you deal with isn't aware of the
recall.
Use a mix of one part bleach to four parts water to
wash the dog's bowls', the plastic bin that you use to store the food, if
there's a place mat under the bowl, spritz that too. And then use an
anti-bacterial soap to thoroughly wash the bin, the bowls, the place mat,
etc.
Hopefully, that should eliminate any risk of having your
dog re-contract salmonella if that was to blame, along with lowering the
chance of contracting salmonella yourself.
I hope your dog is
feeling better soon! Mia Carter Pet Care Feature Writer,
Suite101.com
Sep 18, 2008 6:53 AM
Guest
:
I purchased a 52 lb bag of dry food from Costco in Virginia. Nothing under
the UPC code. The UPC code is 2310005110. Are my dogs safe?
Sep 19, 2008 7:43 AM
Guest
:
BETTER PET FOODS TO TRY If your dog has dirrea mixing rice with their
food and even some unflavored metamucil helps to firm up stool. Pedigree is
really not a very good food to begin with. Neither is IAMs Beneful Purina
or any of the other foods you have usually heard of. The first several
ingrediants are usually corn (we know what happens when our body gets corn,
we poop it out and dont use it, same with dogs) meat by products (the take
the meat off of whatever it is and you get the bones, feathers, coat, feet,
beaks, etc) and white or brewers rice (no nutritional value, just a filler)
because of this our dogs need to eat more to get the nutrients they need
and poop a lot more too. also...science diet and eukanuba are not every
good foods either. they used to be but they were bought out by other
companies who, to save money, changed the ingrediants to fillers and by
products. these foods cost about the same as the all naturals foods and you
are getting pedigree quality food. you can check all the ingrediants
yourself. stay away from the first 3 ingrediants being corn, by products of
any kind, and white or brewers rice. go for foods with chicken, chicken
meal, or any meats that dont have by procuct after them, and BROWN rice.
these are good foods. Try going to a specialty pet store and ask about a
better food. Precise, Royal Canin, and Verus are all really good foods.
When you look at the ingrediants they will be along the lines of Chicken,
brown rice (the only rice with nutritional value for dogs), and usually
another protein source such as chicken meal (chicken meal is just
dehydrated chicken, very good) your dogs will eat much less of the food so
even though it cost a bit more you go through less food and it ends up
saving you money. they also poop less, live longer, and are overall more
healthy. I have four shih tzus and I feed them Royal Canin dry food. 10lbs
of that food last us over a month. 4 adults dogs eating only 10lbs of food
between the 4 of them is pretty good! These foods are also all natural and
organic so they are never involved in any recalls, you know your food is
always safe. Go to your local pet store and ask about these brands
(Precise, Royal Canin, Verus, Wellness, California Natural, Innova,
Canidae, Merrik) many stores, such as Pets Plus, will even give you your
money back for the dog food if your dog doesnt like it and has programs
such as buy 10 bags get your 11th free. It's worth a try and trust me your
dogs will love it
Sep 25, 2008 3:26 PM
Guest
:
We had a bag of this food and just received the recall notice which matches
our bag. This morning our dog had a seizure, and vomitted and not sure of
it being related to this. Since we just got the notice, we need to
visit the vet again and now we probably have to get all our dogs checked
and never again use this product.
Sep 26, 2008 5:40 AM
Guest
:
I have a 10 year old golden retriever. We moved a few weeks ago, so I just
thought she was trying to adjust. In the last 4-5 days, she can hardly
stand and when she does is very wobbly. I only noticed her vomiting once.
She doesn't want her food. I had her to the vet 2 days ago and he said he
didn't see anything wrong. Could she have salmonella?
Sep 26, 2008 2:19 PM
Guest
:
i am so sick and tired of this business, why in the world aren't the people
in charge of getting it right, getting it right? whenever i buy dog food
i am worried sick that i'm going to kill my baby with it. i feed him canned
as well as dry. talk about STRESS...I volunteer at a shelter that uses
pedigree exclusively....frightening!
Sep 26, 2008 3:08 PM
Guest
:
I received the letter today on the recall, as they had it documented that I
purchased this pedigree brand and mentioned to get my dog to the
veterinarian asap. It was the only food I fed my beloved Rottweiller. He
began throwing up daily, for a week with no diagnosis of why. Had a
seizure, stroke and all organs shut down. Several days later we were
forced to put him to sleep. Me and my children were devastated as he was
the family dog and had been with us for eight years!! Now three months
later I receive a letter which explains his untimely illness and
ultimately, death.
Oct 1, 2008 1:33 PM
Guest
:
My 4 1/2 month old great dane was eating the pedigree with the pae on it
and the upc code that matched the numbers recalled. He consumed about 2/3
of the bag, so I took it back and got a bag without those numbers. Now 2
days later he has severe diarhea and is lethargic. My vet gave me medicine
for him and he's now doing better. Unfortuneately, I have now swithced dog
foods, not happy doing that as I've always fed my dogs pedigree.
Oct 6, 2008 7:13 AM
Guest
:
I had Pedigree dog food with the PAE label and returned to Costco. I
stored dog food in big metal can (used for this purpose). Obviously, i
emptied, and threw out, old dog food. What is best way to sanitize this
can so i can reuse with the new dry dog food????
webguy732
Oct 6, 2008 3:15 PM
Guest
:
I just wanted to say that we purchased a 6 week old puppy and have only had
him a week and he died this morning! I was not feeding him the Pedigree,
but the breeder I bought him from was =(... I had no idea and had not even
heard about the recall until today. I think other people should be aware of
this because the vet didn't realize this is what it was and with him being
only 4lbs I'm not sure that he would have made it anyways but there is the
thought that maybe had we expected this it could have been treated
properly. My puppy was throwing up the canned food I was feeding him and
had diaherrea, he wouldn't eat anything besides the canned food but once he
threw it up the first time he didn't want nothing to do with it so he quit
eating all together. Also at the vet his temperature was only 96 degrees F,
and from what they said that is 4 degress less than what it should be, he
just continued to decline. He was a pretty restless puppy but I didn't
realize it was due to this, he spent all day yesterday sleeping and I had
to wake him to try and give him food and to go outside. From my
understanding the older or bigger dogs are able to flush it out of there
system, but puppies unfortunately are not strong enough and the breeder
said he knows 3 so far also did not make it. I just feel like everyone
should know about this so they recognize this in pups and are aware of this
when purchasing a puppy. And if you think this is what is the matter with
your pup go straight to the vet, maybe I waited to long.
Oct 7, 2008 8:16 AM
Mia Carter :
To the reader who asked about cleaning the pet food storage container:
Great question! I've written up an answer in the Suite101 Pet Care
blog. Visit the following URL:
I purchased by Pedigree Puppy food in GA and the data below 'best before'
is not readable. I can read the date, but not the numbers on the second
line. My puppy is experiencing some looser, more liquidy stools, but no
other symptons. Is this food the culprit? Best advice?
Oct 9, 2008 10:31 PM
Mia Carter :
To the Reader With the Illegible Code on the Pet Food Bag:
Thanks for your question! I've provided an answer for you in the form of
my latest blog entry which can be found at the following URL:
We have been feeding our dog Tops Vitaful Dog food but with this new bag
(coincidence or not) he has severe diarrhea andis lethargic. Has anyone
heard of Tops dog food being contaminated or recalled?.
Oct 24, 2008 7:15 AM
Guest
:
I have fed my two dogs pedigree small crunchy bites for over two years now
with no problems at all until now. My lab and saint bernard now have very
violent and frequent bloody diarhea. I have now taken them off dog food all
together and will feed them homemade chicken with rice from this point on,
i would suggest all dog owners do the same. I do NOT trust mars petcare,
pedigree or any other dry dog food, i cannot understand why this recall is
"voluntary" if pets are getting sick and actually losing their
lives. Seems to me these pet food manufacturers only care about making a
buck off of unsuspecting pet owners and do not care what we are feeding are
beloved pets. I am shocked, appalled, disgusted and annoyed by this whole
situation.
Oct 30, 2008 2:30 PM
Guest
:
Hallo mein Hund bekommt auch Pedigree. Und ich hab da jetzt mal eine ganz
andere frage, ich hatte mit meiner Rhodesien-Ridgeback-Mischlingshündin mal
ein fotoshooting mitgemacht (bei einem richtigen tierfotographen, aber für
mich privat ). Ich wollte mal fragen ob ihr mir vill helfen könnt. Wo kann
ich denn diese fotos hinschicken, das diese mal bewertet werden und meine
hündin vill auch mal ein richtiges fotoshooting machen kann ;-) Ich
weiß ist ein bisschen gewargt diese farge aber ich würde mich freuen wenn
ich eine antwort bekommen würde. Vielleicht bekomme ich auch mal die Chance
direkt bei Pedigree Fotos hinzuschicken. Vielen dank für eure hilfe
Mit freundlichen grüßen
Dec 5, 2008 10:07 AM
Guest
:
I am getting tired of all these recalls! I think its time we jailed the
execs at the mars pet food plants as well as any others who keep exposing
the American public to tainted food of any sort! These people should be
force fed tainted products until they die!!! The real scum of the earth are
the heartless corporate bastards who only want $!
Aug 14, 2008
