Monday, April 30, 2012

Diamond Recalls Puppy Food 4/30/2012

April 30, 2012,  it ain't over till the fat lady sings as they say!

Diamond has now recalled puppy formulas in 12 states for salmonella poisoning .
...and the beat goes on...


More dog food recalls coming in

Got this one today from Diamond. Recall on One Production Run on Dry Dog food.
Chicken soup for the pet lovers soul going out to ten states. As Per Diamond:
Consumer:
Diamond Pet Foods
800-442-0402
Media:
Diamond Pet Foods
816-255-1974
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 26, 2012 -  Diamond Pet Foods is expanding a voluntary recall to include one production run and four production codes of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light formula dry dog food. One bag of the product has tested positive for Salmonella, and the recall of the four production codes is being conducted as a precautionary measure. No dog illnesses have been reported. 
 Product Name  Bag Size  Production Code  Best By Date
 Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula – dry dog food  35 lb.  CLF0102B31XCW
  CLF0102B31XCW
  CLF0102B32XWR
  27/JAN/2013
  28/JAN/2013
  28/JAN/2013
 Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula – dry dog food  6lb.  CLF0102B3XALW  28/JAN/2013
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food is manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods and was distributed in Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia, who may have further distributed the product to other states, through pet food channels. The company is working directly with distributors and retailers who carry these products to remove them from the supply chain.
Consumers who have purchased Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food with this specific production/lot code and best before date should discard the product. Diamond Pet Foods apologizes for any potential issues this may have caused pet owners and their dogs. 
Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. 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.
Individuals handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. 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. According to the Centers for Disease Control, people who are more likely to be affected by Salmonella include infants, children younger than 5 years old, organ transplant patients, people with HIV/AIDS and people receiving treatment for cancer.
Pet owners, who are unsure if the product they purchased is included in the recall, or who would like replacement product or a refund, may contact Diamond Pet Foods at 800-442-0402, or by visiting www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/information disclaimer icon .

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food is an expansion of an April 6 voluntary recall that included: 
 Product Name Bag Size Production Code & “Best Before” Code  
 Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice 6lb DLR0101D3XALW Best Before 04 Jan 2013  
 Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice  20lb DLR0101C31XAG Best Before 03 Jan 2013  
 Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice  40lb DLR0101C31XMF Best Before 03 Jan 2013  
 Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice  40lb DLR0101C31XAG Best Before 03 Jan 2013  
 Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice  40lb DLR0101D32XMS Best Before 04 Jan 2013
Background InformationOn April 8, 2012, Diamond Pet Foods temporarily suspended delivery of all products made at its Gaston, S.C., plant. The company took this precautionary step immediately upon discovering a quality issue when it voluntary recalled on April 6, 2012, a limited number of batches of its Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food produced at the plant, which was the potential that the product might be contaminated with Salmonella.
# # #
About Diamond Pet FoodsFounded in 1970, Diamond Pet Foods is a family owned and privately held company. Our mission is to provide the highest quality pet foods at an affordable price so that everyone, from a commercial kennel operation to a child feeding their first puppy or kitten, could afford high quality nutrition.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Diamond Dog Food~ More recalls!

A couple of weeks ago Diamond did a recall of their lamb and rice lots. Did I not tell you to watch for more recalls?
 Now they are doing a recall for their Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's soul, Adult Light formula 
Please, whenever you feed your dog whether or not you know of a recall, wash your hands well as Salmonella can spread to humans. This also goes for treats like Pig ears, they are a big problem as well. Too many times to count! 



This Is via the Diamond website:

We encourage consumers who have purchased Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food with the specific production codes and best before dates to discard the product. Diamond Pet Foods apologizes for any potential issues this may have caused our customers and their dogs.  No dog illnesses have been reported.
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula – dry dog food:
35 lb - CLF0102B31XCW,    Best by Date 27/JAN/2013
35 lb - CLF0102B31XCW,    Best by Date 28/JAN/2013
35 lb - CLF0102B32XWR,    Best by Date 28/JAN/2013
6 lb - CLF0102B3XALW,     Best by Date 28/JAN/2013
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food is manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods and was distributed in Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia, who may have further distributed the product to other states, through pet food channels. The company is working directly with distributors and retailers who carry these products to remove them from the supply chain.
Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. 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.
Individuals handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. 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. According to the Centers for Disease Control, people who are more likely to be affected by Salmonella include infants, children younger than 5 years old, organ transplant patients, people with HIV/AIDS and people receiving treatment for cancer.
Pet owners, who are unsure if the product they purchased is included in the recall, or who would like replacement product or a refund, may contact us at 800-442-0402.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Ah-pooch! Dog Allergies




“Lup, lup, lup.” Says Casey’s tongue underneath the dining room table as he licks his paws.
“Waaoof, waaoof.” Says Steeler’s deep voice to Casey thinking that Casey has just picked up a delectable delight which has fallen to the floor from Peter’s side of the table and undoubtedly Steeler would like a piece too!

“CASEY! STOP!”

Poor Casey, AKA the Best Damn Golden Retriever In The World (BDGRITW).His tongue cannot stop licking his paws due to the allergies that plague him. His feet sometimes turn a rust color from the saliva that does damage to the fur, and not to mention the poor guy usually has a bunch of hair sticking off his tongue! The occasional bald spots on his feet are not very attractive either! But even with all that, he is still the BDGRITW!

It’s that time of year folks! Just when you thought it was over when your furnace first fired up in the fall and blew that cloud of dust from the registers creating the ultimate allergen in dogs.  Alas, it is now seasonal allergy time!  Grass, pollen, and flowers, oh my!  Unlike people who sniffle and sneeze, allergies in dogs generally manifest in overall skin problems and ear infections.

When you notice your dog licking its paws, rubbing its face along the ground, the discolored red feet, and the constant scratching with the absence of noticeable fleas, the first  thing that should come to mind is an allergy.

While airborne allergies can cause a problem, food allergies can be another nightmare. Food allergies can manifest in an actual rash along the belly and inner thighs, along with or without the licking of paws and continuous scratching.



If you have changed the dog’s food to lesser than normal quality you may see an allergy outbreak in the household. Recently due to job changes my brood had to eat some lesser quality dog food that contained more grains than meat and ‘OH MY GOD WHAT A NIGHTMARE IT WAS!’  In the long run it was not worth going that route to save money.


 I would rather give up a month’s worth of my medication than to put my poor babies through that again. I realized this the day I had to shave Steeler’s back due to a flakey skin problem which he had never had before, that it was time to bite the bullet and get them all back on their normal food. Needless to say, every Newf in this house will have to undergo the horrible all day event of mother wielding the razor and risk looking like a breed of dog that no one is really sure what they are!  But shaving is the only way to get down to the Newfoundland’s skin to bathe off the flakes and crustiness. Well, let me rephrase that just a bit, it is the only way to get to the skin unless you are a professional groomer. I however only play a professional groomer on TV!
  In real life, to get to a Newfie’s skin you have to part the hair as you wash and then rinse well, neither of which I seem capable of doing!


Flea allergies make you want to vomit and pull your hair out because they can really wreak havoc on a dog. It takes only one bite from a flea to cause a huge reaction. Dogs will chew themselves right to the bone with a flea allergy if you don’t watch them.

Is your dog on a flea preventive?  Yes?  Bet you think you're safe don’t you? Well let me be the bearer of bad news and if you’d like you can try to reach through the computer and smack me for this wealth of information!  Even though your dog is on a flea preventative like Frontline, the dog is not safe. Why? Because the dog is actually allergic to the flea’s saliva! One little bite and the damage is done! Even if the damn flea goes to flea heaven two seconds later! 

If your pooch should suffer a flea allergy I highly suggest you invest in an Elizabethan collar (cone collar) and lots of antibacterial soap and antibacterial ointment. Be sure the ointment does not contain Zinc oxide as if ingested can be toxic to dogs.  The collar of course is to keep the dog from biting the area further and the rest is to keep the already chewed area bacteria free so it can heal. In some cases you may need oral antibiotics from the vet.     

What to do, what to do?

Allergies suck, there’s no way around it. They suck for people and they suck for Fido.
Just as there are allergy doctors for people, there are also allergy doctors for dogs. They can give your dog a skin test to see what causes the allergies and provide you with shots, but these are expensive and most people just can’t afford it.

On the laymen’s side you can give Benadryl to help with the itchiness but be sure it is Benadryl Allergy and not the allergy/ sinus.  Dosing and precautions here
 However it may not curtail scratching 100%.

If it is food allergies change the food to a better quality. There are also companies that make dog food specifically for dogs who have food allergies. Chicken, lamb, beef and grains can all cause continuous allergic reactions. These allergy specialty foods usually consist of Duck, Venison, and sweet potato. Royal Canin and Eagle pack are two well known makers of foods for dogs with allergies, but there are many up and coming companies that are starting to compete so check them out as well.  Don’t expect to see a change overnight, it can take months before you see a difference in the dog. I am going on month 6 here and just recently seeing a change in the skin and scratching.

Airborne allergies are a bit tougher as almost every home has dust (or dust mites) and of course you can’t control Mother Nature! But some things that may help are:

1) Keeping your dog’s outings limited to going out for potty only.
2) Once the dog has gone out, before coming back inside, wipe the dog down with a damp towel to remove any pollen or other particles off the dog’s fur. Don’t forget the feet and in between the pads where these particles get caught.
3) Keep an air purifier in the room where you dog normally stays in as this can help eliminate particles and dust in the area.
4) Add omega fatty acids to the dog’s food daily.  Derm Caps  here 
Fish oil gel tabs are also good. But get the 3 6 9 fish oil gel tabs if you can afford them. Puritans pride usually has good sales.

And lastly, if the dog is breaking out in sores, bad rashes, or  there is an odor then see your vet for a skin scraping as it could be due to yeast, fungus, or bacteria and these all need specific treatment.

Thoughts I ponder over:
I wonder why if they can make masks for people so they don’t inhale impurities such as fumes, then why can’t they make a mask for your dog just for short outings to keep particles from going up the nose and mouth.  Hmmm, maybe I should patent that!

Until next time, put yer Haz-Mat suit on and have fun!
   





Friday, April 6, 2012

Diamond Dog Food Recalls!


Ah yikes! Just when you think it's safe to go back in the water you get caught floating back into the Atlantic on the Orca with shark hunter Quint, Chief Brody, and  Matt Hooper when  up comes JAWS grabbing you by the belly making you retch your insides out!

Has unexplained sickness entered your home lately? Got Dogs?  Check you Diamond Dog food bags people. Handling this dry food can cause dogs and humans alike to become contaminated with Salmonella.

Just had to grab my bag from the closet to check the numbers and the best used by date matches to the Jan 3, 2012 on the 40 lb bag, but the lot numbers don't match so maybe I got lucky! So far no illness here. But I'll be tossing it anyway! 
Here's the date and lot numbers which are usually hand stamped on bags and sometimes not in the best spot for reading! 



Product Name                                   Bag Size         Production Code & “Best Before” Code
Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice   6lb                  DLR0101D3XALW Best Before 04 Jan 2013
Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice   20lb                DLR0101C31XAG Best Before 03 Jan 2013
Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice   40lb                DLR0101C31XMF Best Before 03 Jan 2013
Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice   40lb                DLR0101C31XAG Best Before 03 Jan 2013
Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice   40lb                DLR0101D32XMS Best Before 04 Jan 2013

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Sunday, April 1, 2012

How Safe is your Easter Basket?






How safe is your Easter Basket?

With the Easter Bunny hoppin’ down the bunny trail in another week, please think about what your ‘bunny’ fills your child’s Easter basket with as it pertains to the safety of your dog.
Chocolate is not a culinary concoction easy to resist by the family dog especially chocolate with peanut butter inside! Even I can’t resist it and I know better! Thankfully if I can’t resist chocolate it will only make me fat, but if the dog can’t resist it, it can be toxic.
Many a pooch has been known to suddenly jump on the dining table or the kitchen counter to sneak a taste of such delectable Chocolate delights. With that being said, please remember that different chocolates have different toxicity levels and their effects go by the weight of the dog as it compares to how much they eat.
For instance white chocolate is the less toxic than dark chocolate or coco.
Symptoms of toxicity can range from diarrhea, vomiting, tremors, and seizures, to death.
I found this cool interactive chart that will help guide you through what is toxic going by the weight of the dog, and the type and amount of chocolate they consumed. Going by this chart I see it will take one of my guys weighing in at 175. lbs about 10.17 ounces of cocoa to be considered in the possible death category without treatment. However, much more white chocolate would have to be consumed before it causes a problem.
Feel free to view this chart and match it up with the weight of you dog, and might I also suggest that you actually write down on a separate sheet of paper the results for your dog and place it on the fridge so that if you pooch suddenly turns into the ‘no, no bad dog’, with a chocolate mustache outlining his lips, and he is jumping around like he has just had a pot of coffee, along with explosive diarrhea, check your kid’s basket and see if there are any missing Easter Rabbits or Cadbury eggs!

Chocolate chart:  Click here  





Easter basket Grass:
Of course that delectable scent lingers on the Easter grass in the basket as well and if the dog eats the grass, there is the potential for an intestinal blockage. If you are not seeing grass pass out of the dog's other end within a couple of days, and you know the dog ate some, watch for a potential blockage. Symptoms of a blockage would be sudden lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, (or change in stool) and lethargy. Keep in mind that any non food item has the potential to become an intestinal obstruction which in most cases requires surgery to fix.


Easter basket toys:
Anything such as glass or hard plastic that the dog eats which can break or splinter can cause much damage as it makes its way down through the system. I relay this advice from a Vet friend of mine, that was given to me around the Christmas holiday and all those shiny balls were hanging on the tree making it a doggie tourist attraction.

“If a dog swallows a piece of glass I recommend to first observe him for a few minutes. If he doesn't drool or vomit then he will most likely be fine. For some reason when a dog, cat, or a child eats a piece of broken glass it usually passes without any problems. However, one never knows if there will be a problem so it's important to observe the dog for awhile and feed the dog something soft like a piece of whole wheat bread. Then, if the dog can swallow the bread without any problem such as vomiting then the piece of glass has probably passed through his esophagus into his stomach where it will usually be expelled through the dog's pyloric sphincter along with any food in his stomach therefore feed the dog anything he'll eat. Some dogs are picky and they won't eat pumpkin or Metamucil. Ideally, you should give the dog canned real pumpkin (or mashed sweet or white potatoes) or Metamucil (mixed according to the directions on the package). The pumpkin, potatoes, or the Metamucil will produce bulk in the dog's GI tract which will surround the piece of glass so that it will pass through the dog's pyloric sphincter more easily and then through the bowels and ultimately it will be eliminated in the dog's bowel movement”.


Sugar free Easter Treats

Some people are very health conscious and don’t want to deprive their child of the joys of searching for that Easter basket in the morning but they also don’t want their kids to have a bunch of sugar that will rot their teeth and add a bit of weight gain so they opt to get sugar free treats to stuff the Easter baskets with. That’s great! But in doing so please read the ingredients on the bag as some of these treats are made with Xylitol and can cause severe illness within 30 minutes of ingestion or 12 hours later
Click Here for  more on this toxicity

If you are going healthy remember that raisins and grapes are also very, very toxic to dogs.

Easter Dinner


Scenario 1:

Fido sits at the end of the table like a perfect gentleman just waiting to pounce on that fallen piece of ham that your child has conveniently dropped to the floor because, well, let’s face it, that’s what kids do best when they don’t like something! 



Scenario 2

Fido lays in wait while the leftovers of dinner are being stored for the next day’s meal and Dad is scraping off the plates of his guests into the garbage to load the dishwasher. (ah what a guy!) Suddenly Dad spots a few pieces of ham on one of the dishes; he looks over at Fido’s big sad eyes that ask, “Please sir, might I have a bit ~o~ ham?” Dad gives in and puts the left over ham in Fido’s plate. Suddenly, the all knowing mom enters the picture.
“Did you just give Fido ham?” she asks.
Dad at first tries denial. “Why no hon, there was a bit of green beans on the plate that went into Fido's dish"
Meanwhile Fido with his excitement is digging dad further into a hole now by jumping up on dad’s leg for another bit of ham and mom knows Fido would not be acting this way over a green bean! She looks long and hard at dad, her eyebrows raised, her mouth clenched tightly.
Dad suddenly panics. “Alright, alright! he said. Admitting guilt. “It was just a few pieces, no harm done!”
Later that night mom kicks dad out of bed and tells him to pick up the vomit and diarrhea that little 15 lb Fido now has.  A bit of pancreatitis is setting in from the ham that dad gave to Fido earlier in the day!  


Lesson learned

Please keep in mind that any fatty human foods can cause pancreatitis in dogs and it can become very severe. Severe enough that hospitalization may be needed.
So no matter the scenario, keep Fido away from the table and keep him chewing on a nice doggie product for Easter made specifically for him!
Of course if you are in a panic and want to talk with someone knowledgeable right away but your vet is closed. Call the poison control hotline which can cost you about $40.00  per call.
If you want to speak to a Vet or Vet Tech on line about the problem you can do so by going to Just Answer. click here  

24/7 Animal Poison Control Center
800-213-6680


Easter Lily

Ah the fresh scent of the Easter Lily  can freshen up any room, but did you know the Easter Lily in  the stomach of a dog can cause serious consequences?  Plants do play a roll in  pet toxicities as well as food does. For more on the symptoms 
click here.


List of toxins from A to Z link  Added 3/24/2015. .  Click here