As a reminder to all pet owners, we recommend you stay informed about your pet's brand diet. Please refer to our blog Pet Food Recalls: Resources Every Pet Owner Should Know for important resources and recall alerts that every pet parent should know.
Mars Petcare US has announced a voluntary recall of its Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition dry dog food that may contain small metal fragments. Included in this recall are the 15-pound bags sold at Dollar General stores in Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana with associated lot code 432C1KKM03 printed on the back of the bag near the UPC barcode and a Best Before date of 8/5/15 as well as the 55-pound bags of the Adult Complete Nutrition dry dog food are now being recalled from Sam's Club stores in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio with associated lot code 432E1KKM03 printed on the back of the bag near the UPC barcode and a Best Before Date of 8/7/15.
The affected bags were produced in one manufacturing facility and shipped only to Dollar General and Sam's Club retailers the company says. Mars Petcare reports in a company release that metal fragments may have entered the packages during the production process, but are not embedded in the food itself. The facility production line has been shut down until the issue is resolved.
Pet owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-800-305-5206 or visit http://pedigree.com/update
Other 2014 Recalls to date include:
- August 31, 2014 PEDIGREE Adult Complete Nutrition Limited Recall Due to Metal Fragments (Expanded)
- August 26, 2014 Mars Petcare US Announces Voluntary Recall of 22 Bags of PEDIGREE® Brand Adult Complete Nutrition for Dogs Sold at Dollar General in Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana
- July 02, 2014 Cargill Conducts Voluntary Recall of Select Nutrena® NatureWise® Meatbird Feed Due to Possible Animal Health Risk
- June 04, 2014 PGG/HSC Feed Company LLC Issues Voluntary Recall of Champion Lamb Texturized Feed B30, Lot-88022114M908840
- June 02, 2014 Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. Voluntarily Recalls 62 Bags of “Science Diet® Adult Small & Toy Breed™” Dry Dog Food in California, Hawaii and Nevada Because of Potential Health Risk
- May 27, 2014 Pet Center, Inc. Voluntary Recall of 3 oz bag of Lamb Crunchy’s Because of Possible Health Risk
- May 14, 2014 Bravo® Issues Nationwide Recall of Pet Food for Dogs and Cats
- April 16, 2014 Purina Animal Nutrition LLC Recalls Poultry Feeds Due to Potential Health Risk
- April 08, 2014 The Robert Abady Dog Food Co., LLC Recalls "Abady Highest Quality Maintenance & Growth Formula for Cats" Because of Possible Health Risk
- February 20, 2014 Med-Vet International Issues Nationwide Recall of Veterinary 1/2cc U-40 Insulin Syringes Due to Mismarked Syringe Barrels
- February 05, 2014 Pro-Pet LLC Recalls a Limited Number of Dry Dog and Cat Foods Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination
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January 25, 2014 PMI Nutrition, LLC Recalls Red Flannel® Cat Food Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination
References:
Animal & Veterinary: Pet Food Recall Products Archive List. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/RecallsWithdrawals/ucm393160.htm
We are all guilty of it. We have all committed Acts of Apathy. We drive across the parking lot to re-park our cars in front of an adjacent store instead of walking. We wait until the day before tax returns are due to start digging for our W2s. Some of us even skip out on post-lunch flossing. Worst of all, we all procrastinate on brushing our pets’ teeth.
Now, hold your immediate eye-rolls. So many excuses immediately pop into our heads when veterinarians suggest a dental cleaning. The cost! The anesthesia! The risk! (Again,) the cost! Most of our hesitation comes from myths and misinformation.
Myth #1: My dog is too young to need a dental cleaning.
The first stage of dental disease begins when plaque forms on the tooth, and within days the plaque hardens and produces calculus. Gingivitis begins to infect the gums, and then periodontitis, or bone loss, occurs. This process happens faster than most people realize. A study by the American Veterinary Dental Society (AVDS) claims that dental disease is the number one diagnosis in dogs and cats, where 80-percent of dogs and 70-percent of cats have periodontal disease by age 2.
Myth #2: Vets try to “sell” owners dental cleanings regardless of the pet’s condition.
Dental disease is broken up into two stages: gingivitis and periodontitis. In the gingival stage, the disease is reversible by consistent, daily brushing to prevent plaque from hardening. There is hope for fighting dental disease without anesthesia, but the biggest problem for owners is that they rarely have the time, persistence, or comfort-level to brush their pet’s teeth every day. However, once periodontitis begins the disease is irreversible – the bone will not grow back on its own and leaves the root painfully compromised.
Myth #3: I don’t need to be put under anesthesia to get a teeth cleaning, why should it be any different for my pet?
Yes, we’ve heard this statement before. Although some practices offer “anesthesia-free” dental cleanings to remove calculus from the tooth, this process does not do a thorough job of removing bacteria from beneath the gum line. A common analogy is trying clean a 12-foot-high garbage bin with equipment that is only six feet long – the bottom of the bin never is fully cleaned, allowing the waste to eventually eat through the container. Anesthesia not only sedates and calms the pet (as the idea of dentistry has always been a difficult concept to explain to our furry patients), it allows our doctors easy, fast, and painless access to the gums. Under sedation, we can place a breathing tube in the throat to prevent damaging bacteria from infecting the respiratory system.
Myth #4: Anesthesia is too dangerous.
While everyone knows someone with a pet that had a negative reaction to anesthesia, the statistics prove these are rare instances. A well-known British study of more than 98,000 canine anesthetic cases over a two-year period only reported 147 anesthetic-related deaths, around 0.15-percent. Most of the deaths occurred in patients with severe pre-existing health conditions. This is another reason periodic blood work isalways recommended by the doctors at Morena Pet Hospital, as well as blood work before undergoing any anesthetic procedure. Safety is the number one concern of our doctors, and a complete health examination is always performed before an anesthetic procedure to determine if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Myth #5: My pet already has health issues, so his/her teeth aren’t a priority.
This is a very common misconception! What most owners do not understand is that leaving severe dental disease unchecked can lead to major health problems in the future. A study by researchers at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine showed a significant link between dogs with gum disease and heart disease. Letting dental disease slide can cause potentially diseases in the kidney, liver, and other major organs.
Myth #6: My pet’s teeth are still pretty white; I’m not worried about dental disease.
The first sign of dental disease is usually bad breath. Some pets will choose not to chew on a painful side of their mouth, or lose interest in eating altogether. Also, any attempt at brushing a mouth affected by gingivitis can cause redness, irritation, or bleeding at the gum line. If you notice any of these symptoms, a veterinarian should examine the teeth and gums right away.
Myth #7: Dental cleanings are too expensive.
Morena Pet Hospital is offering a dental special in September! While it is impossible to get an exact figure of any procedure, scheduling a doctor’s exam ahead of time can give you an opportunity to ask specific questions about your pet’s needs and have an accurate, personalized estimate of the procedure. Only a veterinarian can help you decide what is best for your pet’s condition. In addition to the dental special, we offer helpful payment options, such as Care Credit, to help finance your pet’s healthcare. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment – your pet’s healthy, pain-free, fresh-smelling mouth will thank you!
Works Cited
American Veterinary Dental Society. (n.d.). Periodontal Disease in Your Pet. Retrieved Aug 2, 2014, from AVDS Online: http://www.avds-online.org/
Bellows, D. J. (2007, Apr 12). FAQ: Periodontal Disease. Retrieved 2 Aug, 2014, from Veterinary Partner: Veterinary Information Network: http://www.veterinarypartner.
Bellows, D. J. (2007, Apr 26). FAQ: Toothbrushing and Dental Prophylaxis in Cats and Dogs. Retrieved Aug 2, 2014, from Veterinary Partner: Veterinary Information Network: http://www.veterinarypartner.
D. C. Brodbelt, L. E. (2008, Oct 1). Results of the confidential enquiry into perioperative small animal fatalities regarding risk factors for anesthetic-related death in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 1096-1104.
Dr. Phil Zeltzman, D. D. (2013, Jul 9). How Safe is Anesthesia For Your Pet? Retrieved Aug 1, 2014, from Pet Health Network: http://www.pethealthnetwork.
Sen, S. (2009, Apr 9). Purdue professor links gum and heart diseases in dogs. Retrieved Aug 1, 2014, from Purdue University News Service: https://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/
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