Recent warnings related to tainted peanut butter and chicken jerky used in some dog food and treats must have left thousands of pet owners with a familiar, sinking feeling in the pits of their stomachs.

More than 30 million pounds of peanut butter and peanut paste distributed to at least 70 manufacturers for use in everything from crackers to candies to pet products were recalled as a result of a mid-January salmonella outbreak linked to a Blakely, Ga., processing plant owned by Peanut Corp. of America, according to published reports. At press time, at least 130 products had been pulled from store shelves.

PetSmart Inc. (Phoenix) voluntarily recalled seven kinds of Grreat Choice dog biscuits.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (New York) urged pet owners to stop giving their pets peanut-related products.

However, manufacturers such as Sojourner Farms (Minneapolis) and A Dog’s Life (Santa Monica, Calif.) took the offensive, posting online notices stating that their peanut butter-related products are safe.

“While the risk of animals contracting [salmonella] is minimal, there is risk to people from handling these products. It is especially important for people to wash their hands and make sure that children wash their hands after feeding pets,” said the Food and Drug Administration (Rockville, Md.). It posted a recalled-foods database at www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm.

And in the midst of the 2008 holidays, the FDA issued another warning regarding chicken jerky products imported from China. These products, in the form of chicken tenders, strips or treats, have reportedly sickened several dogs, said the FDA, which put up its initial red flag in September 2007. Similar findings in Australia prompted the agency to reissue its warning and offer tips to pet owners:

• Do not substitute chicken jerky products for a balanced diet.
• If you feed your dog chicken jerky products, watch your dog closely and stop if the dog shows signs of decreased appetite or activity, vomiting, diarrhea or increased thirst or urination.
• Report cases of animal illness associated with pet foods or treats to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator at www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html. [March 2009 PET AGE]