This May Be About Fish But . . . .

This may be about fish but it is also about Hartz Mtn and also about the dreaded word salmonella.

Recall — Firm Press Release

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Hartz Mountain Corporation is Voluntarily Recalling One Specific Lot of 1.2 oz. Size of Wardley Betta Fish Food Due to Possible Health Risk

Contact

Consumer:

1-800-275-1414

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 12, 2013 – SECAUCUS, N.J., /PRNewswire/ – The Hartz Mountain Corporation, located in Secaucus, N.J. is voluntarily recalling one specific lot of Wardley Betta Fish Food 1.2 oz. size due to concerns that one or more containers within the lot may have been potentially contaminated with Salmonella. Hartz is fully cooperating with the US Food and Drug Administration in this voluntary recall.

Salmonella is a bacterial organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in people, particularly young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. Salmonella can affect animals eating the product and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the product or any surfaces exposed to these products. Some healthy individuals infected with Salmonella may experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe or chronic illness.

The product was shipped nationwide from May 13, 2013 through June 4, 2013. In total, 8,112 1.2-oz. plastic containers of Wardley Betta Fish Food, UPC number 0-43324-01648, isolated to the lot code PP06331 (located on the bottom), which were packaged by Hartz at its Pleasant Plain, Ohio facility from a single production run, were shipped. Routine sample testing conducted by Hartz as part of its quality control procedures detected the presence of Salmonella in the lot specified. Hartz is aggressively investigating the source of the problem.

Although Hartz has not received any reports of illness to date in animals or humans as a result of coming into contact with this product, Hartz is taking immediate steps to remove the product from all retail stores and distribution centers. Fish owners who have purchased this product should check the lot code on their containers. If the code is not visible, or if the container has the following lot code PP06331 imprinted on it, they should immediately discontinue use of the product and discard in the trash.

Consumers can contact Hartz Consumer Affairs at 1-800-275-1414 (24 hours/day 7 days/week) with any questions they may have and to obtain reimbursement for purchased product.

SOURCE Hartz Mountain Corporation

This was originally posted by Marty Becker, DVM.

This May Be About Fish But . . . .

Beware of a Mouth Full of Words

Here is that mouth full-Menadione Sodium Bisulfate. Sounds very complicated doesn’t it. Truth About Pet Foods thinks so to and wants you to BEWARE.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfate. Menadione Sodium Bisulfate is a synthetic Vitamin K and a root of a great deal of controversy. Vitamin K is a required nutrient for cats and dogs, however pet food regulations do not specify the source (food sourced K or synthetic K) of the nutrition. That is with the exception of fish based cat foods; regulations require Menadione Sodium Bisulfate (and only Menadione Sodium Bisulfate) to be the vitamin K source in fish based cat foods.

The controversy with Menadione Sodium Bisulfate is to its safety. Some insist the ingredient is proven safe citing evidence from years of use in pet foods. Others question the safety of the ingredient citing opposing science (to ingredient safety). The Material Safety Data Sheet for Menadione Sodium Bisulfate states information is “Not available” as to the toxicity risk to animals. The Material Safety Data Sheet does not specify “safe for animals” – it says toxicity risk to animals is not available. Thus the controversy.

For more information on Menadione Sodium Bisulfate, click here.

Beware of a Mouth Full of Words

Probiotics-from Truth About Pet Food

Enterococcus Faecieum, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Saccharomyces Cerevesiae Fermentation Solubles, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract and similar. These very scientific sounding pet food ingredients are probiotics, known as friendly bacteria. Probiotics help keep your pet’s intestinal system working optimally which is key due to a major portion of the immune system located in the ‘gut’. Keeping your pet’s gut healthy helps build a strong immune system.

As with many pet food ingredients, probiotics can turn from a quality ingredient to a less than quality ingredient if the bacteria is not live and viable. Pet food consumers have two options to learn if the probiotics listed in the ingredients are a quality ingredient…

1. Look in the Guaranteed Analysis statement on the pet food label. If guarantee of “probiotics” or “micro-organisms” is listed, the consumer has the company word the live probiotics exists in the pet food.

2. Call the pet food manufacturer and ask “Do you guarantee the probiotics are live and viable?”

Probiotics-from Truth About Pet Food

Adoptathon Coming To K Mart In Burlington

The adoptathon will include the Humane Society of Alamance County, Paws 4Ever of Mebane, Highland Canine Training Center of Advance, and Build A Better Dog of Burlington, NC.

For all our dog friends around Burlington. Be there and you will meet and see some of the most amazing dogs and also some of the most amazing dog lovers

Adoptathon Coming To K Mart In Burlington

Meet Kent, A Beautiful Kitten

Gray Tabby and white Kent is just a kitten inside and out. He is sweet and loving but yet still loves to play. Born sometime around 5/15/10 Kent came to us when he was found by a college student who didn’t know what to do with him. He eventually need up with a kind hearted woman who found the Animal Rescue & Foster Program.

Kent is up-to-date with routine shots neutered. His adoption fee is $100. ARFP home delivers 200 miles roundtrip from Greensboro, NC. Click on his picture to learn more.

Meet Kent, A Beautiful Kitten

Meet Jackie

Jackie is a small terrier mix. She is very sweet and energetic. She loves to run and jump and romp around but afterwards is content to rest by your side for some nap time. Jackie comes house trained, crate trained, and is ready to liven up your life. Her birthdate is 11/2/2009.

The adoption fee is $150.00. A fenced in yard is required for safety and exercise reasons to adopt from ARFP. ARFP home delivers 300 miles roundtrip from Greensboro, NC. Click on her picture to learn more.

Meet Jackie

Take A Look At Gabby

DOB: 4/28/2008

Description:

Hi. My name is Gabby, my friends call me Gabs, so you can too. I was an overbred and neglected mama dog found homeless by Pender County Animal Control. I was a very sick, underweight, and sad girl. The people who found me understood why I was so sad, I was full of milk, but there were no babies to be found. I was so sick, many didn’t think I would make it out of the shelter alive, but Promoting Animal Welfare in NC saw that I just needed a lot of medical care and TLC to bring out the beautiful girl that I really am. That’s exactly what they did. After a short stay in the hospital, I went to my foster home where I regained strength, got my fur back, fought many infections, and put on some weight. The infections in my teats were so bad, I just couldn’t fight those any more, so I had to have a radical mastectomy to be rid of those infections. But after that surgery along with my spay surgery, ta daaaaa, here I am, Miss Fab Gabs!

I went from 43 to 67 lbs, and I’m a big athletic Staffordshire Terrier Mix who loves to snuggle and hang out where ever you are. I would do well with kids who are old enough to not fall over if a big girl bumped into them, because I’m a leaner! I love walks, eating grass, and collecting stuffed animals. I walk well on a leash unless I get really excited, but I’m eager to please you, so I’ll slow down. I’m crate trained and pottied trained. Since I used to live outside, I need to go out on a schedule at night when you’re home because I’m excited, but I can go all day with no accidents. I was pretty beat up when I was found, so I’m a little anxious around other dogs, but get along well with slow introductions. I’m hoping to be an only dog, or I don’t mind living with another dog who will let me be the boss, preferably a handsome boy.

I have lived with my foster family since I was rescued of May of 2012, spending a lot of time healing and learning to trust and what it feels like for a human to love me. I have a crazy boxer tripod boxer sister that I love to wrestle with, and I always let her win, because I’m sweet like that. I’m not really fond of cats, they look kinda sneaky and I try to run them off. I’ve been on slow kill heart worm treatment, and my 6 month test barely showed a trace of heartworms left, so with a few more months of treatment, those should be all gone very soon. So now that I’m a healthy girl, I’m ready to move on and find a family of my own. Oh did I mention how much I love a man or woman in uniform? (KK)

Up to date on age appropriate vaccines, spayed and micro-chipped.

Take A Look At Gabby