The pet food company Blue Ridge Beef is recalling 5,700 pounds of its two-pound bags of Natural Mix dog food sold in eight states due to a salmonella contamination.
Samples of the dog food collected on Jan. 8 were found to have salmonella bacteria after being tested by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture Food and Drug Protection Laboratory, according to a release by the Food & Drug Administration.
The North Carolina-based Blue Ridge Beef was notified by the FDA on Jan. 27 about the salmonella contamination.
The products were sold between Jan. 3 and Jan. 24 in retail stores in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Tennessee and Rhode Island, according to the FDA.
Salmonella infections in pets can cause diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain and decreased appetite, per the FDA. Pets with salmonella infections can also infect other humans and other animals. Anyone whose pet has shown symptoms after consuming the recalled product is urged to contact a veterinarian.
There also is risk to humans of getting a salmonella infection from handling the recalled pet food.
Anyone who did not thoroughly wash their hands after handling the affected dog food or touched surfaces exposed to the product could potentially get a salmonella infection.
It can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever as well as more serious conditions like arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms, according to the FDA.
Anyone who purchased the recalled product is urged to return it or throw it out in a way that it can’t be accessed by children, pets and wildlife, the FDA advises.