Pet parents care a lot about what we feed our fur babies, and in addition to containing premium ingredients to keep our cats and dogs happy and healthy, we also want to be sure what we feed them is safe. Sometimes the worst happens and the food that we thought was safe for our pets turns out not to be so. Recalls happen frequently, and it's important to be paying attention so we don't end up feeding our pets food that is unsafe.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to cat and dog owners to avoid feeding their pets a type of raw food which contains a serious health risk.
The FDA announced on Monday, July 1 that Viva Raw LLC of North Carolina is voluntarily recalling some of its dog and cat foods as they have been found to contain listeria monocytogenes. This poses a health risk both to pets and their owners who come into contact with the food.
Related: FDA Expands Major Recall of Popular Animal Food
The FDA posted on their website, "Viva Raw LLC, Hillsborough, NC is voluntarily recalling dog and cat foods , including the Viva Turkey for Dogs Ground, Viva Turkey for Dogs Chunked, Viva Turkey for Cats, Viva Pure Turkey, and Viva Beef & Turkey for Puppies all manufactured under Lot 21244 because this lot, which includes these five products are contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and is a potential health risk to people and pets."
Only products from Lot 21244 are affected, Viva Raw is notifying all customers who were shipped any Turkey or Beef & Turkey for Puppies products between May 16th and June 28th, 2024.
How To Tell If You or Your Pet Has Contracted Listeria
Pets infected by listeria may show signs of mild to severe diarrhea, anorexia, fever, nervous, muscular and respiratory signs, miscarriage, depression, shock and death. Pets may be infected but show no outward signs of symptoms. Infected pets can spread listeria through feces and saliva to other pets and people.
The FDA also explains, " Healthy people infected with Listeria monocytogenes may experience some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, aches, fever and diarrhea. Listeria monocytogenes infections can spread through the bloodstream to the nervous system (including the brain), resulting in meningitis and other potentially fatal illnesses. Pregnant women are especially susceptible to Listeria infection, which can result in miscarriage. The young, the elderly, and people with weak immune systems are more vulnerable to infection. People exhibiting signs of Listeria monocytogenes infection after having contact with recalled product(s) or a pet that has eaten recalled product(s) should contact their healthcare providers."
If you find that you have products from Lot 21244 , please contact Viva Raw at info@vivarawpets.com for a refund on any remaining product—you should then destroy the food in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot access. Do not feed the recalled product to pets or any other animals.
FDA recommends humans do not touch the contaminated food product with bare hands. While wearing gloves or using paper towels, place the contaminated food in a sealed plastic bag and throw it in the garbage. Areas that may have come in contact with the contaminated product should be sanitized. Do not sell or donate the recalled products..
If you have any questions, please email us at info@vivarawpets.com or call/text us at (919) 371-8882 between 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST Monday to Friday.
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