Diamond Pet Food Recall: The Skinny

Most pet owners are aware of the Diamond Brand pet food recalls happening right now. A variety of Diamond brands sold at Costco and in traditional pet stores are being recalled due to salmonella poisoning.

Since its beginnings as a company, Diamond Brand Pet Foods have claimed to sell premium-variety pet food. Yet, many owners contest that Diamond still carries many unhealthy by-product ingredients, such as corn and other by-product meals. Previous toxins have been found in the foods and posed dangers to a number of pets.[1]

The following brands are contaminated:

• Kirkland Signature and Kirkland Nature’s Domain
• Diamond
• Diamond Naturals
• Professional
• Premium Edge
• 4Health foods
• Taste of the Wild
• Apex
• Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
• Country Value
• Canidae

Know What’s in Your Pet Food

The contamination may have occurred due to improper cleaning of the facilities, which begs the question: As pet owners, how do we know we can trust the pet food we buy? Even some of the higher-end pet foods have had problems with contamination.

1. Educate yourself. It’s good to know the difference between by-product meals and natural ingredients.
2. Read the labels. The ingredients make a lot of difference. You don’t have to pay $100 a bag for high-quality pet food. Labels like Blue Buffalo, Natures Variety, BG, and other quality brands offer an alternative to mass commercial pet foods that use a lot of by-products.
3. Watch the news. Go to alerts.google.com and set up a pet food recall notification. Whenever there’s a pet food issue, the news will automatically hit your inbox. You won’t have to wait until your animals are sick to know what’s going on.
4. Find a Vet you can trust. It’s important to have a good relationship with the person who’s medically treating your animals. Rely on internet reviews, ask around, and talk with friends when it comes to selecting a vet. If you already have a vet you aren’t sure about, it’s totally okay to change.
5. Be a Detective. Many veterinarians out there have missed the signs of salmonella poisoning due to the improperly processed dog food. While your vet’s diagnosis is extremely important, and you should rely on his or her medical training to treat your pet, it’s also good to keep an eye on changes in your pet’s feeding habits and overall health. Get a second opinion if you need to.

Keep in mind that Diamond is still saying there have been no “known” cases of dogs poisoned with salmonella – but social media and news stories prove that many customers are coming forward with poisoned animals and even sick owners.[2]

If your dog is sick after ingesting contaminated food, don’t hesitate to get treatment asap.