2009.01.25
ASPCA says skip the peanut butter snacks
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is advising pet parents to quit handing out peanut butter flavored snacks to their pooches.
“The ASPCA recommends that pet parents discontinue the use of all affected products immediately until further information has been received,” Dr. Steven Hansen, the ASPCA’s senior vice president of animal health services is quoted on a news release on the organization's Web site. “Pet parents should wash their hands after handling any potentially contaminated food and immediately consult with a veterinarian if any signs or symptoms are noticed in their pets.”
Salmonella contamination in commercial peanut butter paste made in a plant in Georgia has led to a massive product recall, including Grreat Choice and Carolina Prime dog treats and rawhides sold by PetSmart retailers nationwide and Happy Tails and Shoppers Valu treats sold by regional grocery chains including Alberston's and Jewell's (but not stores in Southwestern Virginia, so all you Kroger and Food Lion shoppers are OK.)
No other dog biscuits or flavored rawhides have been recalled, and jars of people-grade peanut butter have not been affected by the contamination and thus have not been recalled, so you can feel confident in frosting your dog's Kong with Skippy and Jif.
The ASPCA's warning to lay off the peanut butter snacks was issued before the dog treat recalls were announced.
While healthy adult pooches are not highly susceptible to salmonella, it can cause a problem for young puppies, older dogs and dogs with existing health concerns or that are pregnant.
Salmonella can be transmitted from pets to people and vice versa, so scrub those hands often (that's good advice anyway during the cold and flu season.)
Dogs who do become ill from salmonella may vomit, have diarrhea, run a fever, seem lethargic, and drool or pant excessively—an indication of nausea. The common sense statement of the day is: If your pet has these symptoms, no matter what you have or haven't fed them, call your vet.
