Merrick Pet Care, of Amarillo, Texas, is initiating a voluntary recall of a limited amount of beef dog treat varieties due to the potential that they contain elevated levels of a naturally-occurring beef thyroid hormone.

Dogs consuming high levels of beef thyroid hormone may exhibit the following symptoms: increased thirst and urination, weight loss, increased heart rate and restlessness. These symptoms may resolve when consumption decreases. If a dog consumes high levels for a long period of time, these symptoms may increase in severity and may include vomiting, diarrhea and rapid or labored breathing. If your pet has consumed the product listed and has exhibited any of these symptoms, please discontinue feeding and contact your veterinarian.

The voluntary recall covers only specific production codes of the following beef treat products:

• • Castor & Pollux Good Buddy Prime Patties Real Beef Recipe 4 oz.
  • Castor & Pollux Good Buddy Sausage Cuts Real Beef Recipe 5 oz.
  • Merrick Backcountry Great Plains Real Beef Jerky 4.5 oz.
  • Merrick Backcountry Great Plains Real Beef Sausage Cuts 5 oz.
  • Merrick Backcountry Great Plains Real Steak Patties 4 oz.

The voluntary recall is limited to the production codes listed below. To locate the production code, consumers should look on the lower back of the treat bag. No other production codes, sizes or varieties of these products are affected.

This potential health risk was brought to Merrick’s attention as a result of the FDA sharing one consumer complaint where the dog’s health was temporarily impacted while eating Merrick Backcountry Great Plains Real Beef Jerky 4.5 oz. The dog’s health improved and fully recovered after discontinuing consumption of the treat. Pet owners should know there is limited risk given treats are not intended for full nutrition and should only be occasionally consumed, however out of an abundance of caution, and to maintain trust with our consumers, we are withdrawing all potentially impacted product.  We have not received any similar reports to date from consumers about issues with these products. (more…)

United Pet Group, a division of Spectrum Brands, Inc. is voluntarily expanding its recall of multiple brands of packages of rawhide dog chew products to include our retail partners’ private label brands. The recall involves the brands and products described below.

United Pet Group previously initiated a voluntary recall of its branded products on 6/10/17 which included the following brands: American Beefhide, Digest-eeze, and Healthy Hide (including Healthy Hide – Good -n- Fun and Healthy Hide – Good -n- Fit).

The recall was initiated after  United Pet Group identified that certain of its rawhide chew manufacturing facilities located in Mexico and Colombia, as well as one of its suppliers in Brazil, were using a quaternary ammonium compound mixture as a processing aid in the manufacturing of rawhide chews. The compound is an anti-microbial chemical that is approved for cleaning food processing equipment, but it has not been approved in the U.S. as a processing aid in the production of rawhide chews for dogs.

United Pet Group received very limited reports of pet illness based on the volume of possibly affected rawhide chew products manufactured and distributed. The primary complaint received from consumers was that the affected product had an unpleasant odor. Diarrhea and vomiting were also reported.

Exposure to quaternary ammonium compounds through direct ingestion may cause the following symptoms in dogs: reduced appetite and gastric irritation, including diarrhea and vomiting. These symptoms may require treatment by a veterinarian depending on severity.

The affected product was distributed nationwide from United Pet Group’s Edwardsville, Illinois distribution facility and was delivered to consumers through various retail establishments, including online outlets. All of the dog chew products included in the voluntary recall identify an expiration date ranging from 06/01/2019 through 5/31/2020 located on the  back of the package with the exception of the Enzadent and Dentahex products which are listed by UPC codes below and specific expiration dates outlined below.

The private label products subject to the recall are described below.

Consumers who have purchased the products described above are urged to dispose of the product or return it directly to United Pet Group or to the retail establishment where they initially purchased the product for full refund. Please see brand logos below which will assist in identifying affected products. (more…)

Vitakraft Sun Seed Inc. of Weston, OH, is voluntarily recalling certain Sunseed Parrot Fruit & Vegetable diet and Sunseed SunSations Rabbit Food due to a potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.  Listeria monocytogenes is an organism, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Listeria monocytogenes are present in the gut of birds and rabbits.   Household pets such as birds and rabbits carry a risk to humans. Even if the birds and rabbits do not appear to be sick after consuming foods containing Listeria monocytogenes, they can become carriers of Listeria monocytogenes and transfer Listeria monocygenes to the environment.

Vitakraft Sun Seed was notified on June 14, 2017 by its supplier of dried apples that the ingredient has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Although there has been no reported evidence of direct contamination of the dried apples, our supplier has initiated the recall. To date there have been no report of any illness. (more…)

The safety of pets is and always will be our first priority. We sincerely regret the reports of the discomfort experienced by the pet who consumed this food. As pet parents ourselves, we take this matter seriously. On April 13, a retailer in Texas notified us that their customer had presented samples of our 13-ounce-can Cocolicious Beef & Turkey dog food (Lot #0136E15204 04, best by July 2019) and 13-ounce-can Cocolicious Chicken & Beef dog food (Lot #0134E15 237 13, best by August 2019) to a testing lab, and that the results had tested positive for pentobarbital. We have requested those results.

When we were notified, we immediately tracked the lot numbers of the food in question and determined that the food had been manufactured and distributed in 2015. We then contacted the two probable retailers that had sold the customer the food and asked them to isolate all remaining cans from these lots. If pet parents have cans with either of those lot numbers in their possession, they should return them to the place of purchase and will of course receive a full refund. (more…)

EuroCan Manufacturing is voluntarily recalling Lot Number 84 consisting of it’s individually shrink-wrapped, 6-pack, 12-pack and 25-pack bags of Barnsdale Farms®, HoundsTooth® and Mac’s Choice® Pig Ears because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is a risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare provider.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The pig ears were distributed throughout the United States and Canada. The pig ears were packaged as individually shrink-wrapped, 6-pack, 12-pack and 25-pack bags in the Barnsdale Farms®, Barnsdale Farms®-Select, Houndstooth® and Mac’s Choice® brands. The lot number being recalled is 84. No illnesses of any kind have been reported to date. (more…)

U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company (USSTC) is voluntarily recalling certain of its smokeless tobacco products, listed in the chart below, manufactured at USSTC’s facility in Franklin Park, IL. USSTC has notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of the recall and is working with federal authorities on this matter.

USSTC initiated the recall after receiving eight consumer complaints of foreign metal objects, including sharp metal objects, found in select cans. In each case, the object was visible to the consumer and there have been no reports of consumer injury. Complaints have been received from consumers in Indiana, Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Ohio. (more…)