The CDC and the FDA both issued warnings on Wednesday July 31st, saying that all consumers should avoid pig-ear treats. The agencies are also advising retailers nation-wide to stop selling the pig-ears.
This comes after an investigation into a multi-state outbreak of human salmonella infections, that has suggested a link to contact with the popular dog treat (made of smoked pig).
While the warning is aimed at preventing pet dogs from getting sick, it’s actually humans that are the bigger concern. Pet owners are at risk for salmonella from simply handling the contaminated pet product.
According to the CDC, 127 people have been infected with the strains in 33 states, and 26 have been hospitalized. For a list of the affected states thus far go HERE.
Salmonella symptoms in humans usually develop 12 to 72 hours after infection. The symptoms are listed below:
- diarrhea
- fever
- abdominal cramps and they usually develop 12 to 72 hours after infection
Some dogs may have a salmonella infection but may not look sick. Symptoms in dogs below:
- diarrhea that may contain blood or mucus.
- animals that may seem more tired than usual
- have a fever or vomit.
The FDA and CDC are advising people that may have the treats on hand to do the following:
- Do not feed any pig ear treats to your dog.
- Throw them away in a secure container so that your pets and other animals can’t eat them.
- Even if some of the pig ears were fed to your dog and no one got sick, do not continue to feed them to your dog.
- Wash containers, shelves, and areas that held any pig ear dog treats with hot, soapy water. Be sure to wash your hands after handling any of these items.
- In general, if you choose to feed treats like pig ears, practice good hygiene by: monitoring your pet while they have the treat, picking up the treat when they are done with it, keeping treats away from small children, cleaning the areas the treat contacted, washing hands, and not allowing your pet to lick you, your family members, or surfaces in your home.
The FDA is working to remove pig-ear pet treats from the market and identify places where they may have been distributed. This is still an on going investigation and they will update the public as new information becomes available.
If you’d like to receive recall alerts from the Dog Food Advisory emergency recall notification system click HERE.
You may also like this story:
