As the old saying goes, you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. But now you can’t feed those ears to your dog, either.
Health officials are warning pet owners to avoid handling, buying or feeding their dogs any pig ear treats, including ones that may already be in their homes, according to ABC affiliate WFTV.
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Not only can it sicken your pets, but 143 people have been infected with the strains of salmonella from pig ear treats in 35 states, and multiple manufacturers have recalled their products. Of the 143 who became sick, 24 were children under 5, and 26 were hospitalized. Symptoms of a salmonella infection can include fever, diarrhea and stomach cramps.
To complicate matters, there is not one supplier, distributer or brand of pig ear treats singled out in the warning because state health and regulatory officials who tested the treats identified many strains of salmonella from multiple suppliers.
Dogs could become ill from eating the salmonella-contaminated treats and you may become ill, as well, from simply handling the treats or interacting with your dog after he’s eaten one.
Pet foods are recalled for two reasons: Either something has been found that could harm pets, or much more commonly, something has been found that is a potential health risk for humans.
Many people have become sick by touching or accidentally consuming salmonella in dry pet foods or treats over the last several years. And, while pet owners are concerned about feeding raw foods to their pets because of salmonella bacteria, there have never been any reported human or animal outbreaks of salmonella from consuming or touching raw pet food.
Salmonella can be found in all healthy dogs and cats. These bacteria are part of their normal GI flora and they naturally shed salmonella organisms in feces and saliva regardless of what food they eat.
Although animals can naturally harbor salmonella, the bacteria can pose a risk to humans, especially if they are immunocompromised.
Dry and raw pet food can both harbor salmonella. When it comes to preventing outbreak-associated illnesses you should follow the same safe handling precautions with yourself, your family and your pets, including:
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap right after handling dry pet foods and treats — just as you do before preparing human food and before eating.
- Keep infants away from pet food areas.
- Children should not be allowed to touch or eat pet food.
- Wash pet bowls after feeding and sanitize their eating surfaces regularly.
Pet snacks and food aren’t the only items that require awareness. Factory-farmed chicken has been blamed for the most outbreak-associated illnesses among Americans. Between 2009 and 2015, there were 5,760 reported foodborne outbreaks resulting in 100,939 illnesses, 5,699 hospitalizations and 145 deaths. Chicken was to blame for causing the highest percentage of the cases, followed by pork and seeded vegetables.