No Bones (or Bone Treats) About It: Reasons Not to Give Your Dog Bones

  Many dog owners know not to toss a turkey or chicken bone to their dog; those bones are just too brittle. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says the risk goes beyond that, especially when it comes to the “bone treats” you may see at the store.

What’s a Bone Treat?

FDA has received about 68 reports of pet illnesses related to "bone treats,” which differ from uncooked butcher-type bones because they are processed and packaged for sale as dog treats. A variety of commercially-available bone treats for dogs—including treats described as “Ham Bones,” “Pork Femur Bones,” “Rib Bones,” and “Smokey Knuckle Bones”—were listed in the reports. The products may be dried through a smoking process or by baking, and may contain other ingredients such as preservatives, seasonings, and smoke flavorings.

So if you’re planning to give your dog a stocking full of bone treats this holiday season, you may want to reconsider. According to Carmela Stamper, a veterinarian in the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) at the FDA, “Giving your dog a bone treat might lead to an unexpected trip to your veterinarian, a possible emergency surgery, or even death for your pet.”

Illnesses Reported

Illnesses reported to FDA by owners and veterinarians in dogs that have eaten bone treats have included:

• Gastrointestinal obstruction (blockage in the digestive tract)
• Choking
• Cuts and wounds in the mouth or on the tonsils
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Bleeding from the rectum, and/or
• Death. Approximately fifteen dogs reportedly died after eating a bone treat.

The reports, sent in by pet owners and veterinarians, involved about 90 dogs (some reports included more than one dog). In addition, FDA received seven reports of product problems, such as moldy-appearing bones, or bone treats splintering when chewed by the pet.

Tips to Keep Your Dog Safe

Here are some tips to keep your dog safe:

• Chicken bones and other bones from the kitchen table can cause injury when chewed by pets, too. So be careful to keep platters out of reach when you’re cooking or the family is eating.
• Be careful what you put in the trash can. Dogs are notorious for helping themselves to the turkey carcass or steak bones disposed of there.
• Talk with your veterinarian about other toys or treats that are most appropriate for your dog. There are many available products made with different materials for dogs to chew on.

“We recommend supervising your dog with any chew toy or treat, especially one she hasn’t had before,” adds Stamper. “And if she ‘just isn’t acting right,’ call your veterinarian right away!”

To report a problem with a pet food or treat, please visit FDA’s Web page on “How to Report a Pet Food Complaint.”

Loving Pets Voluntarily Recalls Limited Lot Numbers of Air-Puffed Dog Treats Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk

 Loving Pets of Cranbury, NJ is voluntarily recalling a limited number of dog treats because of the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

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.

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 providers.

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 lot numbers included are:

Loving Pets Barksters™

• Item #5700 Sweet Potato and Chicken UPC 842982057005 - Lot # 021619
• Item #5705 Brown Rice and Chicken UPC 842982057050 - Lot 021419

Loving Pets Puffsters™ Snack Chips

• Item #5100 Apple and Chicken UPC 842982051003 - Lot 051219, 112118, 112918, 012719, 012519, 013019
• Item #5110 Banana and Chicken UPC 842982051102 - Lot 112218, 112818, 112918, 013119
• Item #5120 Sweet Potato and Chicken UPC 842982051201 - Lot 112818, 020119
• Item #5130 Cranberry and Chicken UPC 842982051300 - Lot 020319, 112918, 020219

Whole Hearted™

• Item #2570314 Chicken and Apple Puff Treats UPC 800443220696 - Lot 121418, 121918, 122318, 010419, 010619, 010519

No illnesses, injuries or complaints have been reported.

The possible Salmonella contamination was due to a single finished ingredient that was supplied to Loving Pets from a USA based supplier. This possible contamination was discovered by Loving Pets' internal quality assurance team and was identified through the company's standard quality control testing procedures and internal food safety program. Loving Pets produces its treats in small batches, in order to offer the highest quality and control in safety.

To ensure the safety of its products, Loving Pets decided to be extra cautious and recall a wider range of lot numbers (noted above) so that no possible contaminated product is available on the market.

Consumers may return any bag of treats with any of these aforementioned lot numbers to the retailer where the product was originally purchased. For additional information, please visit www.LovingPetsProducts.com or call 866-599-PETS (7387).

Party Animal Recalls Dog Food Due To Potential Presence of Pentobarbital

 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.

We also requested that the retailers send all of the cans from those lots to us so that we can forward them on to an accredited independent laboratory for independent testing. We expect to receive the receive the results in 7 to 10 days. We first saw the formal report from the lab at Texas A&M regarding the customer’s samples, today, April 17.

Out of an abundance of caution, we are retrieving the remainder of these two lots nationwide. We are working with our distributors and retailers to determine if any additional beef-flavored products manufactured during this 2015 production period remain on shelves and, if so, to retrieve them from shelves, immediately, as well.

Party Animal wishes to emphasize that we have submitted many recent lots of our beef flavors for testing and all have tested negative for any pentobarbital. We have also had extensive discussions with our manufacturer regarding the potential cause of the reported contamination of the 2015 lots, and we will continue with such discussions even as we await testing results for the 2015 lots. In order to ensure adherence to our commitment to the safety of pets, we are also actively re-examining our manufacturing processes.

EuroCan Manufacturing Voluntarily Recalling Barnsdale Farms® Pig Ears Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk

 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. 

The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing revealed the presence of Salmonella in the product. The company has suspended distribution of the product while FDA and the company continue their investigation as to the source of the problem. Consumers who have purchased any of the above-described Barnsdale Farms® pig ears should return product to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumer with questions may contact the company Monday – Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time at (888) 290-7606.

Wellpet Voluntarily Recalls a Limited Amount of One Recipe of Canned Topper For Dogs Due to Potential Elevated Levels of Naturally Occurring Beef Thyroid Hormone

 WellPet has initiated a voluntary recall of a limited amount of one canned topper product due to potential elevated levels of naturally occurring beef thyroid hormone.

Recalled Product Details:

• Wellness 95% Beef Topper for Dogs – 13.2 oz
• Best-By Dates of 02 FEB 19, 29 AUG 19 and 30 AUG 19, located on the bottom of the can    
   
  

Three best-by date codes of one recipe have the potential to contain elevated levels of naturally occurring beef thyroid hormone. Elevated levels may affect a dog’s metabolism and can be associated with anxiousness, increased thirst, increased urinary output and weight loss. However, with prolonged consumption these symptoms may increase in severity and may include vomiting, diarrhea, and rapid or difficulty breathing. Although multiple studies indicate that, for the vast majority of pets, symptoms are reversible once the pet stops eating product with elevated thyroid hormone, if your pet has consumed this product and has exhibited any of these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The recipe is a mixer or topper and is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only; the likelihood of a dog being affected is remote. Even though the chance of a dog being affected is unlikely, WellPet is voluntarily recalling this recipe with these three best-by dates. No other Wellness products are affected. Affected products were distributed at pet specialty retailers throughout North America and online.

Although the WellPet Consumer Affairs team has received no reports of any health problems to date as a result of feeding this recipe, the FDA advised WellPet of three dogs that were affected. WellPet immediately initiated an investigation, and based on follow-up research, decided to recall the lots in question. The dogs are now fully recovered and doing well.

“Please know that safeguarding the health and wellbeing of pets is of the utmost importance to us,” said Camelle Kent, chief executive officer of WellPet, the maker of Wellness products. “We fully intend on maintaining the trust you have placed in us to keep your pets healthy and happy, and are removing this product as part of our ongoing commitment to quality and food safety.”

If you have any of the 13.2 oz recipe with these three best-by dates, please email WellPet at wecare@wellpet.com or call 1-877-227-9587. For more information, please visit WellPet’s website for a letter from the CEO.

• Wellness 95% Beef Topper for Dogs – 13.2 oz, Can UPC: 0 76344 89450 6

Against The Grain Pet Food Voluntarily Recalls One Lot of Pulled Beef Due to Potential Adulteration with Pentobarbital

Out of an abundance of caution, Against the Grain Pet Food is voluntarily recalling one lot of Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner for Dogs that was manufactured and distributed in 2015.

The 12 oz. Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner for Dogs that is being voluntarily recalled, due to the potential presence of pentobarbital, has an expiration date of December 2019, a lot number of 2415E01ATB12, and the second half of the UPC code is 80001 (which can be found on the back of the product label).

Oral exposure to pentobarbital can cause side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, nausea nystagmus (eyes moving back and forth in a jerky manner), inability to stand and coma.

Note: To-date, no complaints have been reported to Against the Grain for this single lot number nor any of Against the Grain’s pet foods, since the company was founded.

In 2015, this one lot of product was distributed to independent pet retail stores in Washington and Maryland, though it has been verified that this lot is no longer on any store shelves. This voluntary recall only affects one specific lot of food.

Consumers may return any can with the aforementioned lot number, to their place of purchase and receive a full case of Against the Grain food for the inconvenience. For any questions, customers may contact the company at 708-566-4410 between 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM Central Time, Monday - Friday.

Arizona Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking in Pet Products with Counterfeit Labels

 An Arizona man was sentenced today to serve 37 months in prison for trafficking in pet products with counterfeit labels into the United States. 

Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas; Special Agent in Charge E. Spencer Morrison of the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Kansas City, Kansas, Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations’ (ICE-HSI) Houston Office made the announcement. 

Allen Smith, 50, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge David Hittner of the Southern District of Texas.  In addition to his prison term, Smith was ordered to pay $867,150 in restitution and to forfeit $42,269 worth of illicit proceeds.  

According to admissions made in connection with his plea, Smith was responsible for aiding and abetting the trafficking of over $1 million worth of veterinary products that were not manufactured for the U.S. market into the United States for distribution under false labels, including Frontline and Frontline Plus products manufactured by Merial Pharmaceutical Company (Merial) and Advantage and K9 Advatix products manufactured by Bayer.  Smith intentionally trafficked in the products to deceive retail stores and consumers into believing that the products had received necessary Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authorization to be manufactured for and approved for sale in the United States.

The FDA-OCI, HSI and the EPA investigated the case.  Assistant Deputy Chief John H. Zacharia of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California and the CCIPS Cybercrime Lab provided significant assistance. 

Evanger’s Voluntarily Recalls Hunk of Beef Because Of Pentobarbital Exposure in one Batch of Food

 Out of an abundance of caution, Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food of Wheeling, IL is voluntarily recalling specific lots of its Hunk of Beef product because of a potential contaminant Pentobarbital, which was detected in one lot of Hunk of Beef Au Jus.Pentobarbital can affect animals that ingest it, and possibly cause side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, or nausea, or in extreme cases, possibly death.

The specifically-identified lot numbers (as detailed below) of cans of 12-oz Hunk of Beef being voluntarily recalled were distributed to retail locations and sold online in the following States: Washington, California, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and were manufactured the week of June 6 – June 13, 2016.

Although pentobarbital was detected in a single lot, Evangers is voluntarily recalling Hunk of Beef products that were manufactured the same week, with lot numbers that start with 1816E03HB, 1816E04HB, 1816E06HB, 1816E07HB, and 1816E13HB, and have an expiration date of June 2020. The second half of the barcode reads 20109, which can be found on the back of the product label.

The subject recall affects 5 lots of food that were produced from its supplier’s lot of beef, which is specifically used for the Hunk of Beef product and no other products. To date, it has been reported that five dogs became ill and 1 of the five dogs passed away after consuming the product with lot number 1816E06HB13. Evanger’s is proactively issuing a recall voluntarily so as not to risk potential exposure to pentobarbital in the product.  

All Evanger’s suppliers of meat products are USDA approved. This beef supplier provides us with beef chunks from cows that are slaughtered in a USDA facility. We continue to investigate how this substance entered our raw material supply.

Because we source from suppliers of meat products that are USDA approved, and no other products have had any reported problems, we are not extending the recall to other supplier lots. This is the first recall for Evanger’s in its 82 years of manufacturing. Although it has been verified that little or no product remains on store shelves, if consumers still have cans with the aforementioned lot numbers, he or she should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-847-537-0102 between 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time, Monday - Friday.

FDA Warns of Illnesses and Deaths in Pets Exposed to Prescription topical (human) cancer treatment: Fluorouracil

 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting pet owners, veterinarians, health care providers and pharmacists that pets are at risk of illness and death when exposed to the topical cancer medication Fluorouracil Cream USP 5% (5-FU.) intended for use in people. Fluorouracil may also be marketed under the brand names Carac, Effudex and Fluoroplex. People using this medication should use care when applying and storing the medication if they are also in a household with pets, as even very small amounts could be dangerous to these animals.

The FDA has received reports of five dogs that became ill and died after accidentally ingesting the topical cream. In one case, two dogs began playing with a tube of Fluorouracil and one punctured the tube before their owner could retrieve it. Within 2 hours, the dog that punctured the tube began vomiting, experienced seizures, and died 12 hours later. In a separate case, a dog located his owner’s tube of Fluorouracil and ingested its contents. The owner realized the dog had ingested the medication and rushed him to the veterinarian. The veterinarian attempted treatment, but the dog’s condition declined over three days and he was ultimately euthanized.

Although the FDA has not to date received any reports involving cats, they are also expected to be extremely sensitive to Fluorouracil cream. If an owner applies Fluorouracil cream to an afflicted area and touches their cat, the cat may accidentally ingest the medication when grooming itself and suffer adverse events.

The FDA recommends that people who use Fluorouracil take care to prevent their pets from accidentally ingesting the medication.

• Store all medications safely out of the reach of pets.
• Safely discard or clean any cloth or applicator that may retain medication and avoid leaving any residues of the medication on hands, clothing, carpeting or furniture.
• Consult your health care provider on whether it is appropriate to cover the treated area.
• If you are using topical medications containing Fluorouracil and your pet becomes exposed, consult a veterinarian immediately.
• If your pet shows signs such as vomiting, seizing or other illness, seek immediate veterinary care for your pet and be sure to provide the details of the exposure.

Veterinarians who have patients who show signs such as vomiting, seizing or other illness should ask whether anyone in the household has used topical chemotherapy containing Fluorouracil.

Health care providers who prescribe topical cancer medications containing Fluorouracil and pharmacists who fill these prescriptions should advise patients with pets to take care to prevent exposure of the pet to the medication.

Pet owners and veterinarians can also report any adverse events to the FDA, by following the link to the Form FDA 1932a. 
 

Blue Ridge Beef Recalls Product Because of Possible Health Risk

 Blue Ridge Beef is voluntarily recalling one (1) of its frozen products due to their potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria can affect animals eating the product. 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 surface exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Listeria monocytogenes should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting,diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.

The affected products are sold in 2 lb chubs and can be identified with the following manufacturing codes:

Lot #103 mfd12716 
Turkey with bone 
UPC code 854298001887 
 

The affected Products were distributed to retail stores in the following states:

NC  SC   GA   FL

About Listeria

Listeria can affect animals eating the product 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 surface exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Listeria monocytogenes should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.

Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare provider. Consumers should also follow the simple handling tips on the package.

What caused the RECALL

This recall was initiated with FDA inspection and sampling of the product. This recall is being made with the knowledge of the US Food and Drug Administration.

What to do

Consumers who have purchased the above lot of turkey for dogs are urged to stop feeding them and return products to the place of purchase for a full refund. Or dispose of them immediately. Those with questions can email the company atblueridgebeefga@yahoo.com.