Pet Food Recall: Salmonella Discovered in Food, Treats

Peachtree Corners pet owners beware, doctors from BluePearl Veterinary Partners are urging people to stop using and return or discard certain Natura Pet Products food and treats after the company issued a recall due to potential salmonella contamination Friday.

According to a press release issued by Natura Pet Products, the company is expanding its original recall after sampling conducted by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Department of Agriculture confirmed the presence of salmonella in additional dry pet food and a cat pet treat.

The brands affected are California Natural, Evo, Healthwise, Innova and Karma with expiration dates prior to and including March 24, 2014(See table below for additional details).

The affected products are sold through veterinary clinics and select pet specialty retailers nationwide and in Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and Costa Rica, as well as online, the release said.

People who have the potentially contaminated product should discard it immediately and stop handling it as it poses a risk to humans as well.

Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is 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.

Common symptoms of salmonella in pets include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, lethargy, fever and abdominal discomfort.

“Any time you notice your pet is not acting right, you should take him or her to your family veterinarian as soon as possible,” said Dr. Neil Shaw, chief medical officer of BluePearl. “If it is an after-hours emergency, we would be glad to help at any one of our locations.”

The affected products are:
Brand   Size    Description     UPC     Lot Codes(s)    EXPIRATION DATE
California Natural      All
Sizes   All dry dog and dry cat
food and treat varieties        All
UPCs    All Lot Codes   All expiration dates prior to and
including MARCH 24, 2014
EVO     All
Sizes   All dry dog and dry cat
food and treat varieties
All ferret food varieties       All
UPCs    All Lot Codes   All expiration dates prior to and
including MARCH 24, 2014
Healthwise      All
Sizes   All dry dog and dry cat
food and treat varieties        All
UPCs    All Lot Codes   All expiration dates prior to and
including MARCH 24, 2014
Innova  All
Sizes   All dry dog and dry cat
food and treat varieties        All
UPCs    All Lot Codes   All expiration dates prior to and
including MARCH 24, 2014
Karma   All
Sizes   All dry dog food varieties      All
UPCs    All Lot Codes   All expiration dates prior to and
including MARCH 24, 2014

Natura Pet Products also recommended for consumers to visit www.naturapet.com for additional information.

For a product replacement or refund call Natura toll-free at 800-224-6123. (Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM CST).