In a recent survey, the folks at Consumer Reports discovered that while many people were cutting back on holiday gifts, their pets were still likely to find something under the tree.

So a recent recall for dog chews – typical stocking stuffers – caught our attention. Pet Carousel has recalled its stock of pig ears and beef hooves because the products may be contaminated with salmonella. The chewies are sold under the brand names Choo Hooves, Dentley’s, Doggie Delight and Pet Carousel at PetSmart and other pet stores.

Salmonella can affect both humans and animals. People handling dry pet food and/or pet treats can become infected, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after touching the treats or any surfaces exposed to them. Pets with salmonella infections may become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets may only experience a decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected, but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans.

If your pet has consumed any of the affected products or is experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately. After all, you want Fido to feel frisky for the festivities.

Companies recently recalled certain cat foods deficient in thiamine as well as some dog foods containing mold and dog foods that could contain plastic.

On Oct. 3, Diamond Pet Foods recalled several lots of cat foods deficient in thiamine that the company manufactured for Premium Edge Pet Foods for distribution in the eastern United States.

On Oct. 12, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals issued an alert about the recall. The release mentioned a link between the food and a cluster of cats with thiamine deficiency around Rochester, N.Y. An ASPCA spokeswoman said Dr. Louise Murray, director of medicine at the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York City, confirmed one case at the hospital and learned of additional cases.

On Oct. 20, the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine also issued an alert about the recall. An FDA spokeswoman said the agency had received three consumer complaints relevant to Premium Edge cat food as of Oct. 29.

The recall applies to Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat food and Premium Edge Adult Cat Hairball Management food with date codes of RAF0501A22X 18 lb., RAF0501A2X 6 lb., RAF0802B12X 18 lb. (BB30FEB11), RAH0501A22X 18 lb., and RAH0501A2X 6 lb. The dates of manufacture are May 28 and Aug. 30.

Other recalls in October affected dog food.

Wysong recalled certain lots of dry dog foods containing mold – but no mycotoxins – that the company manufactured from June to August. The recall affects lots 090617, 090624, 090706, 090720, and 090817 of Wysong Maintenance dog food; lots 090623 and 090811 of Wysong Senior dog food; and lot 090629 of Wysong Synorgon dog food.

Nutro Products recalled several lots of dog foods with a best-by date of Sept. 10 after finding pieces of a worker’s plastic hat in the production line. The company determined that the final products probably did not contain any plastic.

The recall applies to Nutro Ultra Puppy food in 4.5-pound packages, bar code 79105 51313, and Nutro Natural Choice: Chicken Meal, Rice and Oatmeal Formula Small Bites Puppy food in 5-pound packages, bar code 79105 23050, from PetSmart stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. The recall also affects Nutro Ultra Puppy food in 30-pound packages, bar code 79105 51315, from Petco stores in California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.

By DR. LARRY BAKER

Millie, a 10-year-old kind-of-German Shepherd, and Bo, her playmate, a 7-year-old kind-of-Rottweiler, undoubtedly will have the opportunity to woof down some people food during the upcoming holiday season.

Have you noticed that when people give dogs or cats leftovers, or table food, they always do so with a smile? And they often look around to see if anyone else is watching. People who give their pets snacks usually do so because they enjoy seeing their pets eat. At least that’s true with Millie and Bo, the two dogs in my family.

Clients of mine do the same. And sometimes I see them after holidays.

“I don’t give him anything other than dog food,” says the husband the next day in my veterinary office.

“Oh you do, too,” counters his wife. “What about that leftover turkey you gave him yesterday?”

“That was just a bite or two – nothing substantial,” retorts the husband.

“Well, doc, that can cause him to get sick, can’t it?”

And I usually have to answer in some non-accusatory and noncommittal fashion, such as, “Well it could have, but most dogs or cats don’t get upset with a little table food as a treat. But we better give him something to settle his stomach since he’s obviously not feeling well.”

So, should you give your pet foods other than a good brand of pet food? We certainly did on the farm I grew up on. In fact, the dog, hogs and cats got all the leftovers – bones and all. But the answer from a veterinarian probably should be, “Just give him a good dog or cat food and nothing else.”

However, not all dog and cat foods are quality foods. I think you usually get what you pay for. And frankly, I believe pets that are on a poor-quality food probably can use a little extra nutrition.

The correct answer is that your pet will do fine on a high-quality pet food. Nothing else is needed. And some pets will begin to beg once they taste people food and then are such an annoyance at dinner time that their owners give in. Before long, the pet is addicted to table food.

Of course, the pet really isn’t addicted. Pets don’t open refrigerators. People do. And people become addicted to giving their begging pet table foods.

My general rule is this: Feed your pet no more than 10 percent of his diet in table food or treats, and then only if you promise yourself not to divert his entire food supply away from pet food. If you have a small pet, it seems easier to make the mistake of going the table food route entirely. And I think it’s because a little pet doesn’t need much to sustain his weight and health, and owners often feel they aren’t getting enough. A 5-pound pet usually only needs to consume 4 ounces of a good pet food daily to sustain weight and health; any more than that contributes to obesity and an unhealthy pet.

So, if you decide to reward your pet with people food this holiday season, just be careful. And please don’t ask me if I ever treat Millie and Bo to people food. I might be embarrassed.

Most of the health problems that dogs face these days are due to the lack of proper healthy food. Many pet owners think that by buying their pets good quality food they will waste money. It is not true, because the illness the dog gets from bad food will be much more expensive to treat.

The vets are always advising you on buying healthy, approved food. There are many commercial pet food manufacturers that are motivated to create the best food and they compete over the healthiest ingredients. Also, if you get a dog from the breeder, he will tell you which types of food you must buy and which you should avoid.

There are many breeds that have special food requirements. There are also many people that say a natural diet is the best: bones and meat. They also say that raw meat is preferred because some minerals will not get destroyed in the cooking process.

One of the reasons why commercial food is preferred by many people, besides the convenience aspect, is the fact that it has many nutrients that are excellent for your dog’s health. You can not have the same nutrients in a cooked or raw piece of meat. The manufacturers add minerals and vitamins into the food. There are many types of nutrient rich food and you can find it in supermarkets or pet shops.

It is highly recommended to mix some raw bones with dry food. Occasionally you can add some pasta and rice and even quality food.

There is almost no need to say how important the food is for a dog as it maintains its health and helps him perform. If the dog lacks vitamins and minerals he could get into serious health problems. Plus, good bones and dry food are also helping the dog clean its teeth and satisfy his impulsive need to chew on things.

Also, do not try to feed the dog only meet and bones. If you do not give him cereals or other source of carbohydrate, you could cause some severe deficiency and the dog can become sick, lethargic and sad.

You will say that in the wild, dogs eat only meat but that is not true. They also eat vegetables that they find in the nature. The vegetables help with the digestive track. Sometimes they also eat wild fruits and plants.

So, from time to time, give your dog some cereals, some vegetables and fruits. There are even dogs that like fruits as much as they like candy and they will eat them without problems. If you see that he doesn’t like it, you can start by feeding it small pieces of carrots and apples. In time, he will get used to it, as long as you persevere.

So keep in mind these simple advices and try to give your dog the best healthy meal that you can. The dog’s health depends on this food you are giving the dog every day. Consult specialists and do research online to see the best dog food you could get.

A consumer alert tonight for pet owners. PetSmart is extending a voluntary recall on beef hoof products made by the company “Pet Carousel,” after learning they may be contaminated with salmonella.

As well as certain rope toys with hoof or bone components.

The date range for purchasing affected products has been expanded to include products purchased from September first through this past Friday.

The Products are:

TAIPEI, Taiwan – The Fair Trade Commission announced an NT$100,000 fine on the Nestle food company yesterday for exaggerating the efficacy of a dog food product.

The company claimed the product, Supercoat dog food, containing sugar beets, garlic, rosemary and flaxseed, can prevent dogs from cancer and aging. The commission said that Nestle did not go through product testing to prove its anti-aging ability, even though the product passed GMP food safety examinations.

The company had put the unproven characteristics of the dog food on billboard advertising at around 150 pet stores. The commission said such advertisements were misleading and they will fine the company for violating the regulation.

Salmonella discovered in routine product testing

The Food and Drug Administration is warning dog owners not to use treats made from pig ears or beef hooves by Pet Carousel because they may be tainted with salmonella.

The products made by the Sanger, Ca., company were distributed nationwide. Affected items include hoove treats sold under the names Choo Hooves, Dentley’s, Doggie Delight and Pet Carousel; and ear treats sold under the name Doggie Delight and Pet Carousel. All sizes and lots of these products are included in the warning.

Federal regulators issued the advisory after routine testing turned up salmonella in the Pet Carousel pig ears. FDA officials then inspected the manufacturing plant and found further evidence of the bacteria in pet treats gathered there. No illnesses have been reported.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning in animals include diarrhea, fever and vomiting, but may be as minor as decreased appetite or abdominal pain. Salmonella in pet food can be transmitted to humans who handle it and do not wash their hands.

The FDA advises consumers to discard the suspect product. Refunds are not being offered at this point, as there is no official recall.

Read the official FDA Press Release

Midland, Mich. – Natural pet-food manufacturer Wysong Corp. has recalled more batches of dry dog food because of moisture contamination that led to mold in other batches.

Wysong notified distributors and retailers to stop selling food with three more lot numbers: Maintenance 090817, Senior 090811 and Synorgon 090629. Those three lots join five others recalled earlier in the month: Maintenance 090617, 090624, 090706, and 090720 and Senior 090623.

Previously, online commenters on animal-focused blogs and Web sites complained that Wysong informed retailers and distributors weeks before announcing the recall nationally to consumers on the Web. Wysong then directly answered Web-site visitors’ questions about the issue.

“When we determined a recall was necessary, we put our focus into alerting those that actually received the products, not those who had no reasonable chance of acquiring the affected products,” says the notice in response to the selectively publicized recall notice.

Wysong believes the mold likely was caused by a faulty moisture-checking device and high heat and humidity during manufacturing in June, July and August.