Recently, the Procter and Gamble Company (P&G) issued a recall for certain varieties of Iams dog food. However, no canned food, supplements, biscuits or treats were affected by the recall. The recalled products had been made in a single, specialized facility which the Food and Drug Administration, in cooperation with Procter and Gamble determined that some of its products had the potential for salmonella contamination. Although no illnesses relating to salmonella have been reported, this recall only serves as a precautionary measure. Procter and Gamble thereafter decided to recall all the products that have been made at that particular facility.

The public has therefore been advised to stop feeding this food to their pets immediately, if they had already purchased it. Although most pets have a good resistance to diseases relating to salmonella, pets that get affected by the illness tend to display loss of appetite, lethargy, fever, vomiting, bloody diarrhea and abdominal pains. Healthy pets which have been infected may also serve as carriers which infect people and other animals. It is therefore important for dog owners to avoid contact with such dog food as well as wash their hands thoroughly in the event that they do come into contact with such food stuffs. If your pet consumed Iams dog food and displays symptoms listed above, you should immediately contact your veterinarian for assistance.

Most dog owners are disappointed that the Iams dog food recall had not been made more public which would have enabled them to avoid the products and prevent their beloved pets from getting sick in the first place. Following the Iams dog food recall, various dog owners have posted their complaints about the handling of this matter. One owner who had been using Iams dog food for a while had been satisfied with how her lab’s stomach handled the food as it had stomach problems which only allowed it to eat certain foods. On visiting the local pet store, she found leftover Iams dog food being sold by the store which had been told that it was simply a shortage and not a recall. Thereafter, her lab spent an entire week throwing up until she figured out that he had eaten contaminated food.

Another dog owner shared a similar story of how she had bought a bag of Iams Weight Control for her nine year old lab that became violently ill within four to five days. The dog displayed symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and lethargy and was consuming copious amounts of water which were four to five times her normal intake thereby having accidents around the house. Believing her dog to be suffering from a urinary tract infection, the owner took her urine sample to the vet whose urinalysis report found glucose but no infection, while her blood work showed her liver and kidney enzymes to be dangerously high. The dog continued to show lack of appetite and was getting sicker by the day. After receiving the right treatment, she improved but had to suffer injury to her liver and kidneys.