When I read the news of The Honest Kitchen recall, I was stunned.  But then I realized that every pet food manufacturer is at risk for a pet food recall; it’s how they handle the recall that matters.  Do they announce it immediately to their customers or do they hide behind misinformation and redirection until they can no longer ignore the hundreds of pets who have died, because of their product?

The Honest Kitchen Recall

Greetings Allies and Demo Representatives,

I’m writing to let you know that today, The Honest Kitchen is announcing a voluntary and limited recall of 5 lots of food produced from August – November 2012, due to possible Salmonella contamination. As a human-grade pet food manufacture, I can honestly say that The Honest Kitchen has done everything in our power to prevent this from happening. It’s important to note that to date, we have had absolutely no positive tests for Salmonella and no reports of illness; however, a supplier has informed us that they have found a positive Salmonella test from the same batch we used in our food.

Please see this letter from Lucy here: http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/2013/02/21/a-note-from-our-president/

Affected lot codes are:

For more information about The Honest Kitchen Recall or their product line which I still believe in, check out their FAQ page: http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/2013/02/21/quality-control-faq/

The post The Honest Kitchen Recall | No Positive Tests for Salmonella To Date appeared first on Keep the Tail Wagging, An Online Magazine for Dog Lovers.

9/14/12 UPDATE: FDA Publishes New Q&A on Chicken Jerky Treat Situation

photo: DeaPeaJay

I’ve been watching one company after another fall to the Pet Food Recall demons.  I actually spoke with one company months ago who assured me that they’re quality control made their products safe – they’re now on the pet food recall list.

If you haven’t seen the news, here are a few of the companies who have announced recalls…

Canyon Creek

Kingdom Pets

Milo’s Kitchen

Waggin’ Train

If you go to your local grocery store or pet store, you may see these brands on sale too!  I wonder how many dog owners are going to think “if they sell them, then they must be safe.”  Remember, they also sell cooked bones at the pet store and we know they’re unsafe too (they splinter and those sharp bone shards wreck havoc on our pups digestive systems).

So I decided to find a recipe to make chicken jerky for your dog and I found this recipe on the Raise a Green Dog blog, a new blog favorite.

• Preheat your oven to 200° F
• Lightly oil (olive oil is best) a baking sheet, a stainless steel one is best for healthier cooking!
• Select organic chicken breast (or turkey breast if you’d like) and remove any fat.
• Slice the chicken (or turkey) with the grain in very thin slices, about 1/8″ to 1/4″ inch thick.
• Place the strips on your stainless steel baking sheet.
• Bake for about 2 hours. (Baking times will vary due to difference in ovens, temperatures and meat size. When baked at two hours the treats should be firm and dry, not soft. It’s best to increase the time to be sure they are dry and firm, if needed).
• When cooled you can cut the strips into appropriate feeding pieces, or take a full strip and break off for a nice rapid reward treat!

Now it’s Your Turn!

If you have a recipe to make chicken jerky for your dog, please share it in the comments below!  Thanks!

The post Dog Food Recipe | Avoid the Recalls, Make Chicken Jerky for Your Dog appeared first on Keep the Tail Wagging, An Online Magazine for Dog Lovers.

I just learned about the Nature’s Variety Dog Food Recall.  Once again, it’s voluntary (thumbs up).  I think the Diamond Pet Foods recalls has put us on edge and it’s wonderful seeing pet food companies being more proactive.  The below is directly from their site…

Nature’s Variety has issued a nationwide voluntary recall on Prairie Beef Meal & Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs

Nature’s Variety has initiated a voluntary recall of its Prairie Beef Meal & Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs due to an off-odor smell that may develop over time. This product is not contaminated in any way, but some products are not remaining fresh for the shelf life of the product.

Reed Howlett, Nature’s Variety CEO, stated, “At Nature’s Variety, we make every effort to ensure that all of our products meet the highest quality standards. We’ve found that some bags of Prairie Beef Meal & Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs have an off-odor smell. To be sure that our consumers only receive the freshest and highest quality product possible, we have decided to voluntarily recall all Prairie Beef Meal & Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs from the marketplace.”

The products impacted are listed below:

• UPC# 7 69949 60420 4 – Prairie Beef Meal & Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs 5 lb
• UPC# 7 69949 60425 9 – Prairie Beef Meal & Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs 15 lb
• UPC# 7 69949 60430 3 – Prairie Beef Meal & Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs 30 lb
• UPC# 7 69949 60432 7 – Prairie Beef Meal & Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs 3 oz sample

No other Nature’s Variety products are affected.

Consumers who have purchased one of the above products can obtain a full refund or exchange it for a different variety by either returning the product in its original packaging or bringing a proof of purchase back to their retailer.

Consumers with additional questions can call our Consumer Relations team at at 888.519.7387

Dog Food Advisor

I checked Dog Food Advisor and found that Nature’s Variety Prairie is listed as above average and has a four star rating.  This doesn’t appear to be a company that has a history of unsafe products and pet food recalls.  ”Nature’s Variety Prairie is a grain-based dry dog food using a moderate amount of species-specific meat meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand four stars.  Highly recommended.” ~ Dog Food Advisor.

The post Nature’s Variety Dog Food Recall – Prairie Beef Meal & Barley Medley Kibble appeared first on Keep the Tail Wagging, An Online Magazine for Dog Lovers.

I just got the Google Alert that Pedigree announced a voluntary recall of the weight management canned dog food “due to a potential choking risk. Cans of this product may contain small pieces of blue plastic, which broke off a conveyor belt during the production process. The issue has been resolved at our manufacturing facility by replacing a conveyor belt with a redesigned tracking mechanism.” ~ Pedigree

If you have questions about the Pedigree recall, you can contact the company at 1-877-720-3335.  If you have cans of the Weight Management dog food at home, return it to the store – feel free to print a copy of this post to take with you to the store where you made your purchase.

Pedigree Recall of Weight Management Canned Dog Food

Source: Pedigree

Source: Pedigree

Source: Pedigree

The post Pedigree Recall of Weight Management Canned Dog Food appeared first on Keep the Tail Wagging, An Online Magazine for Dog Lovers.

photo: carterse

I set up a Google Alerts so that I could learn about Pet Food recalls right when they’re reported and signed on this morning to be blown away by a Diamond Pet Foods recall.  When I first read the headlines, I was excite about the “voluntary” recall, but as I continued to read I learned that this isn’t the first Diamond Pet Foods recall and that pets are being harmed by their products.  It breaks my heart that pet owners are trusting companies to provide us with safe products and there are companies out there who are letting us down time and time again.

Not only does Diamond Pet Foods produce products under their own name, they also produce products under the Costco Kirkland brand.  Costco is a local company here in the Pacific Northwest where we go weekly to stock up on supplies (by the way, they have bully sticks now).  Update: I just learned that Diamond Pet Foods also produces food under the following names: 

• Taste of the Wild
• Canidae
• Solid Gold Health Products for Pets
• Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Pet Foods
• Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
• 4Health
• NutraGold

The cities they say are impacted by this Diamond Pet Foods recall are: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia

Please note that people who handle the pet food could become infected with salmonella. Healthy people infected with salmonella should monitor themselves for the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.

Pets with salmonella may have decreased appetite fever and abdominal pain

Here are the articles I found today about the Diamond Pet Foods recall:

Diamond Pet Food Contamination Kills 76 Pets, and Company Inaction Makes Matters Worse!

Tainted Food Leaves Its Mark On Pets

Dog Food Recall, Diamond Naturals Dog Food Variety Recalled

Salmonella Fears Prompt New Dog Food And Fish Food Recalls

Diamond Naturals Dog Food Recall

Recall on Kirkland Dog Food?

Decatur Animal Hospital Warns Pet Owners of Recalled Pet Foods

Just a reminder that Life’s Abundance is a recall free company.  I’ve been more than happy with the food we feed our cats and dogs.  I love that our indoor cats are losing weight and gaining more energy.  I love how great our dogs look and feel.  If you would like to learn more about switching your pets’ food to Life’s Abundance, please check out my site – KIM’S BEST PET FOOD or contact me today.

Let’s work together to keep our dogs and cats safe, because they depend on us to make the right choices for them.

Speaking of keeping our pets safe:

Please donate what you can to the care of Sweetie, a stray one of our rescue workers found the first week of April.  She’s was badly abused and malnourished and we need to raise money for her vet care.  She’s a sweet, resilient dog who is now in the care of true animal lovers.  If you can donate, please do, even $5 will help.  The link to our Craistlist ad about Sweetie contains tough pictures to see, just wanted to warn you.

The post Pet Food Recall | The News Behind The Diamond Pet Foods Recall appeared first on Keep the Tail Wagging, An Online Magazine for Dog Lovers.