Pet Recall Center

June 2014

Maker: Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc.

Brands: Science Diet Adult Small & Toy Breed dry dog food

Recall: 15.5 lbs. bags with SKU #9097 and “Best Before” date and production code #08 2015 M094 (distributed in California, Hawaii and Nevada

Cause of Recall: Possible salmonella.

May 2014

Maker: Pet Center, Inc.

Brands: Lamb Crunchy’s dog treats

Recall: 3 oz. bags with date code “122015″ and UPC#727348200038

Cause of Recall: Possible salmonella

Jerky Pet Treats

The Problem

Since 2007, FDA has received reports of illnesses in pets associated with the consumption of jerky pet treats. As of September 24, 2013, FDA has received approximately 3000 reports of pet illnesses which may be related to consumption of the jerky treats. The reports involve more than 3600 dogs, 10 cats and include more than 580 deaths.

What we are doing

FDA is working with laboratories across the country to investigate causes. To date, testing for contaminants in jerky pet treats has not revealed a cause for the illnesses.

We have tested for:

*Salmonella

*Metals or Elements (such as arsenic, cadmium and lead, etc.)

*Markers of irradiation level (such as acyclobutanones).

*Pesticides

*Antibiotics (including both approved and unapproved sulfanomides and tetracyclines)

*Mold and mycotoxins (toxins from mold)

*Rodenticides

*Nephrotoxins (such as aristolochic acid, maleic acid, paraquat, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, toxic hydrocarbons, melamine, and related triazines)

*Other chemicals and poisonous compounds (such as endotoxins).

Testing has also included measuring the nutritional composition of jerky pet treats to verify that they contain the ingredients listed on the label and do not contain ingredients that are not listed on the label. Another area of investigation includes the effects of irradiation and its byproducts.Find out more.

What consumers can do

Watch your pet closely. Signs that may occur within hours to days of feeding the jerky treat products are decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes with blood or mucus), increased water consumption and/or increased urination. Severe cases are diagnosed with pancreatitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and kidney failure or the resemblance of a rare kidney related illness called Fanconi syndrome.

If your pet has experienced signs of illness, please report it to FDA. Once a consumer has filed a report with their local FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator, or electronically through our safety reporting portal, FDA will determine whether there is a need to conduct a follow-up phone call or obtain a sample of the jerky pet treat product in question. While FDA does not necessarily respond to every individual complaint submitted, each report becomes part of the body of knowledge that helps to inform FDA on the situation or incident.

What veterinarians can do

The “Dear Veterinarian” letter to veterinary professionals explains how they can provide valuable assistance to the agency’s investigation, requests that veterinarians report to FDA any cases of jerky pet treat-related illness that come to their attention and, when requested, that they also provide samples for diagnostic testing by the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN), a network of veterinary laboratories affiliated with FDA.