This Recalled Food Could Hurt You And Your Dog

The latest salmonella scare doesn't revolve around human food, but dog chews. As if getting salmonella isn't bad enough, you and your pup could be affected: Nylabone Puppy Dog Chews were recalled April 22 for possible salmonella contamination, a bacteria that poses a health threat not only for the dogs eating them, but also for humans who handle the chews. No illnesses have been associated with the recall, but if you own them, you should probably toss the dog chews, in the garbage, and wash your hands after touching them.

Nylabone recalled one lot of its Puppy Starter Kits, which comes with three individual dog chews, marked "Lot #21935, UPC 0-18214-81291-3" on the back of the package and with an expiration date of March 22, 2018. The contaminated packages were distributed nationwide, to Canada, and through an online service in the U.S. It's unclear exactly how many packages were recalled or exactly where the contaminated kits were sold, so check your dog chews to make sure they're safe.

The salmonella threat was discovered during routine testing by Nylabone revealed salmonella in one lot of packages. "Salmonella can affect animals ingesting 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 products or any surfaces exposed to these products," said the recall notice.

If you've handled a recalled dog chew, be on the lookout for signs that you might have been infected. Salmonella symptoms in people include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever and can lead to more serious problems like arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Needless to say, salmonella is not something you want to mess around with. If you have any of these symptoms, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.

Dogs with salmonella will be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting and sometimes will have only decreased appetite, fever, and abdominal pain, according to the recall notice. Infected dogs that are otherwise healthy can spread the bacteria to other animals and people. If your dog has any symptoms, take them to the veterinarian. Nylabone's other dog products were not contaminated and should be fine for people and dogs to handle (though I don't recommend eating dog chews). If you have one of the recalled kits, you can return the unused portion to the store for a full refund.

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