LOS ANGELES – Veterinarians from Airvet are urging extreme caution to pet parents after the nationwide recall of a popular brand of dog food and cat food was expanded Monday.
The recall expansion took place after reports that more than 70 dogs have died and over 80 more dogs have reportedly been made sick, according to multiple news reports.
According to the announcement posted on the FDA’s website, multiple samples of pet food manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods at their Chichasha, Oklahoma facility tested positive for dangerously high levels of aflatoxin. The FDA announcement says there have been numerous deaths and illnesses of dogs reportedly associated with the recalled products, however no human deaths have been reported.
According to Dr. Jeff Werber, Chief Veterinary Officer of Airvet, symptoms of aflatoxin poisoning in pets can include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, sluggishness, loss of appetite or jaundice (yellowing of the whites of the eyes).
“Aflatoxin poisoning is extremely serious and can absolutely be deadly,” said Werber, Chief Veterinary Officer of Airvet. “If someone has a pet experiencing these symptoms, they should contact their veterinarian right away, or use an app like Airvet to speak with a veterinarian immediately, as minutes can mean the difference between life and death.”
Airvet is the #1-rated telemedicine app for pet parents to contact a veterinarian 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week from anywhere using their smart phone or tablet. With more than 4,000 veterinarians using Airvet, pet parents can get immediate attention for their furry family member, if and when an emergency arises.
The recalled products include all of the following brands with :
The products recalled cover all that expire on or before July 9, 2022, depicted as “07/09/22” in the date code on the product, as discussed below. Products with expiration dates after 07/09/22 are not included in the recall.
Lot code information may be found on the back of bag and will appear in a three‐line code, with the top line in format “EXP 03/03/22/05/L#/B###/HH:MM”.
As explained above, this recall covers ONLY products manufactured at Midwestern Pet Food’s Chickasha, Oklahoma facility. Note that the unique Chickasha Facility identifier is located in the date code as a “05” and “REG. OK‐PFO‐0005” at the end of the date code.
According to Midwestern Pet Foods, retailers and distributors should immediately pull recalled lots from their inventory and shelves. They should not sell or donate the recalled products. Retailers are encouraged to contact consumers who have purchased the recalled products, if they have the means to do so (frequent buyer cards, etc.).
Pet parents should not feed the recalled products to their pets or any other animals. They are highly encouraged to destroy the food in a way that children, pets and wildlife cannot access the food. Wash and sanitize pet food bowls, cups, and storage containers. Always ensure you wash and sanitize hands after handling recalled food or any utensils which have contacted recalled food. For any additional information related to the recall, pet parents and customers are urged to contact Midwestern Pet Foods Consumer Affairs at 800‐474‐4163, ext. 455 from 7AM to 4PM Central Time, Monday through Friday, or by email at info@midwesternpetfoods.com for additional information.
The first recall was originally posted to the FDA’s website on December 30.
