re. the dangers of raw diets - what about salmonella in dry dog food?

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2008 May 16;57(19):521-4.

Multistate outbreak of human Salmonella infections caused by contaminated dry dog food—United States, 2006-2007.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
During January 1, 2006-December 31, 2007, CDC collaborated with public health officials in Pennsylvania, other states, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a prolonged multistate outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Schwarzengrund infections in humans. A total of 70 cases of S. Schwarzengrund infection with the outbreak strain (XbaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis [PFGE] pattern JM6X01.0015) were identified in 19 states, mostly in the northeastern United States. This report describes the outbreak investigation, which identified the source of infection as dry dog food produced at a manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania. This investigation is the first to identify contaminated dry dog food as a source of human Salmonella infections. After handling pet foods, pet owners should wash their hands immediately, and infants should be kept away from pet feeding areas.

Vet Microbiol. 2007 Jan 31;119(2-4):316-23. Epub 2006 Aug 17.

Salmonella Montevideo outbreak in military kennel dogs caused by contaminated commercial feed, which was only recognized through monitoring.
Schotte U, Borchers D, Wulff C, Geue L.
Zentrales Institut des Sanitätsdienstes der Bundeswehr Kiel, Laborabteilung II, Veterinärmedizin, Kopperpahler Allee 120, 24119 Kronshagen, Germany. U.Schotte@t-online.de

A large outbreak of canine salmonellosis in military watch dogs due to Salmonella Montevideo and/or Salmonella Give was only recognized through a monitoring program, implemented by the military forces. In 51 out of 80 exposed dogs (63.8%) from four kennels Salmonella was isolated from fecal samples. The prevalence per sampling day ranged from 5.6 to 77.8%. Clinical disease with mild diarrhea but without fever appeared only in nine dogs (11.3% of study population, 16.9% of cases) from one kennel (***P < 0.001). Risk analysis identified “dog food A” (odds ratio 3.33 [1.12 < OR < 10.06] *P < 0.05) and “dog food C” (odds ratio 3.40 [1.07 < OR < 11.22] *P < 0.05), two commercial dehydrated dog feeds, as suspected infectious sources. Feeding “dog food C” alone or together with “dog food A” was significantly associated with clinical disease (***P < 0.001). S. Montevideo and S. Give with similar plasmid profiles and PFGE-restriction patterns were isolated from the suspected dog feeds and fecal samples. This outbreak demonstrates not only that Salmonella infections in dogs occur without clinical symptoms but also that large outbreaks occur after feeding dehydrated dog feeds. Especially in households with known risk group patients this finding demonstrates a particular risk for their owners, as they often live in close contact with their animals.

WHOA! There are numerous studies that have borne out the fact that nurse practitioners provide the same level of care with outcomes that are NO DIFFERENT from doctors care! YOU got a lousy nurse practitioner….and you can just as easily get a lousy doctor. NP’s aren’t seeing you or anyone else because the doctor is too busy. Gee, that must be why I’m responsible for resuscitation, intubation, placement of invasive lines, chest tube insertion, ventilation management, diagnosis, plan of care, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, etc, etc for the sickest babies on the planet…the “doctors” are too busy to take care of these critically ill patients. Oh and that must be why I have a doctorate degree in my profession, too….so I can care for the patients the doctor is too busy to see…..criminy!

Your comments are offensive and completely NOT about dog food.

I don’t suggest rapid weight loss in ANY cat, specifically due to the risk of hepatic lipidosis. I believe in any species, slow and steady and sustainable are the keys to success.

I am cutting down, down, down. However, too much of a scale down too fast will cause his liver to fail and he will die. It happens in cats, my vet told me. So every day I try to do better. Thanks for your concern.

Office Max is two minutes away, Best Buy is 7 minutes away. Macy’s is 7 minutes away, Pet Smart is 10 minutes, etc., etc., etc…(:>)

This being a college town, you got stores and stores and stores.

I get better clothes for less, better health care. Instead of seeing a nurse practioner like I did in Boston because the doctors were too busy, I get a real doctor who will send me for tests if I want to take them.

I had to beg a nurse practioner to give me a cortisone shot when my leg was so swollen that the blood came out of my toes and my physician son had to call up from another state.

Here, no begging, no waiting, no depending on my son, they treat you for what you neeeed! Plenty of dentists, too. They like the environment here so they come.

Plenty of doctors, dentists, major chain stores, friendly and caring people, yard sales, thrift stores, etc.

I hate to brag because the people in Fort Collins do not want too many more people.

The downside for me no ocean, and the dryness in the eyes. But the friendly people make up for that (I come from Boston) for here they always smile at strangers, probably because of all the sunny days that make them feel good.

I hear population is about 100,000, but it big in territory and it definitely has a small town
atmosphere with people treating you like a human being, not a number. Remember, I come from Boston.

My daughter wanted us to be near her, as so did my son, but my daughter won out! Too rainy is Washington. Drag your parents or brother here and “Come on down”—as the Toyota jumping salesman on TV used to say!

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Certainly, the real estate is much, much cheaper than California. Long posting, I know.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/.....etscol.DTL

My vet said yesterday at the vet’s office that wet food (meaning canned food) will not damage the cat’s teeth any more than dry food and has less carbohydrates. He also said that the cats do not need a lot of vegetables or carbohydrates. That was after I questioned him if it was a good idea for Science Diet to put sugar in the canned food. He did not like the idea of the sugar ingredient.

Batman was in for his checkup—the vet wants him to lose weight. I’ll try, just like a did before the visit, but without success. Oh, well. If only he would stop begging me for food with his sweet little eyes!

What you need is Gutland Security! Comes complete with peas and pea shooters!

Could get some legislation passed too…………..hmmmmmmmm, come to think of it, that’s not a bad idea…..let’s start with legislating feed in feed lots. Must be almost a decade now that they discovered a week of two of hay instead of corn corn corn in the feedlot before slaughter will take care of E. coli.

I picked up some dry cat food by that name at Whole Foods Market and was wondering about the quality. The price was high enough and the package promoted itself. My Batman is still alive after a serving of it—so far.