Pet food recalls are, unfortunately, quite common. Many pet food manufacturers use subpar ingredients, have limited quality control measures, and are unregulated, opening up a risky can of worms for our pets’ safety and wellness. At Hearts at Home Pet Sitting, we advocate for our pet-loving clients to feed their cats and dogs the best quality food they can afford but, regardless of the brand, pet parents may, at some point, find themselves dealing with a pet food recall.
Learn About Pet Food Recalls
Knowing when your pet’s food has been recalled is the most crucial part of preventing injury or illness as a result of feeding your pet tainted food. Thankfully, Dog Food Advisor makes it easy for dog parents to hear the latest recalls in their email inboxes. To sign up for alerts, click here. Don’t worry, you don’t have to include the type of food you feed your dog. You simply sign up and will receive an alert any time a pet food is recalled in the US or Canada.
In addition to recalls, Dog Food Advisor’s alerts include tips for keeping your dog healthy and happy.
For homes with cats and dogs, Petful.com offers an alert that includes all pet food recalls, not just dog food. Like those above, Petful.com’s alerts are free and sent directly to your email inbox. Petful.com prides itself on bringing the news of recalls to its subscribers days before the media is informed. Learn more about the importance of learning about recalls immediately here.
Accept Pet Food Recalls as Reality
Because pet foods are not regulated like human food, pet food products can be more easily tainted than products made for human consumption. With poor regulation and even worse manufacturing standards, the reality is that our pet food is at risk for ingredients, pathogens, and hidden dangers that could make our pets very sick.
From salmonella to high levels of dangerous medications and additives, our pets are at risk for food-borne illness daily, no matter what you feed your pet. For this reason, we always encourage our clients to choose the highest quality food they can access but also to source and store it properly.
Act Quickly When Pet Food is Recalled
Once you’re signed up for recall alerts, it’s essential that you keep an eye on email alerts and immediately stop feeding your pet their food if you think it may have been recalled.
Do not take any chances with recalls. If you suspect your pet’s food has been recalled, stop feeding it immediately and contact your veterinarian. Keep an eye on your pet for any symptoms including lethargy, stomach upset, disorientation, or pain. Your veterinarian will likely put your pet on a controlled fast and run bloodwork to ensure their organs are functioning properly despite their exposure.
Having the recall alert on hand is helpful because the communication should list the suspected ingredient, pathogen, etc. Your veterinarian may have received instructions on how to manage your pet’s case or can reach out to the manufacturer for further clarity.
At Hearts at Home, we do our best to stay informed of pet food recalls because our team can also be affected by controversial or dangerous ingredients in pet food. We ask, however, that if your pet has been exposed to a recalled food product, you let us know immediately. That way, we can inform our employees and gauge any risk they may have been exposed to during visits.
To learn more about our conscientious pet care services for cats, dogs, and small animals, please contact us at Hello@HeartsAtHomePetSitting.com or 757-745-9868. We look forward to helping you keep your pets and our team safe from pet food recalls.