Blog Post

New Study Shows Many Don’t Know Risks of E. coli or Salmonella Poisoning from Dog Food

Could your pet’s food be making you sick?

We know food recalls happen. We hear about lettuce getting recalled for E. coli. We hear about ground turkey getting recalled for “possible foreign matter contamination”.

These things happen more often than we’d like to admit, and each year the CDC estimates that roughly 1 in 6 Americans get foodborne diseases that lead us to question the safety of what we eat. We then may have to chuck out some meat or go without lettuce on our burgers. 

Yet, what you don’t hear about are the dozens of pet food recalls for the very same reasons- so it’s possible that that gastro bug that made you sick didn’t come from something you ate at all! Instead, it could be from what you fed your furry friend.

And this might not be simply getting to stay home from work for a few days sick; some foodborne diseases are really serious. According to the CDC, pathogens like E. coli and salmonella sicken nearly 48 million, hospitalize 128,000, and kill roughly 3,000 people annually. 

Okay - but does this actually still happen today?

In October 2019, a salmonella outbreak swept through 34 states, sickening 154 (27 of those were among children younger than 5 years!), and hospitalizing 35 people. At first, investigators were stumped... until it was found that many of these people reported handling pig ear dog treats.

Not even a year later, a study by Yaohua “Betty” Feng of Perdue University hit the Journal of Food Protection pages about the risks associated with handling our beloved pet’s food… and that most Americans aren’t even aware of this danger. Feng found that only 31% of people wash their hands after playing with their pet, and 42% don’t wash their hands after feeding their pets.

Maybe more people would, but the study also showed that 78% of people weren’t even aware of the recent pet food recalls or outbreaks! 1/4th of all people surveyed didn’t even consider dry pet foods/treats as potential sources of pathogens. At time of writing this, there have been 19 different pet food recalls in 2021, 10 for possible salmonella contamination alone! 

What does all this mean for you and your pet?

These are really scary statistics, especially for people who think of pets as a part of their family. We love our animals and interact with them every day. Now we have to be careful of getting pathogens from them? 

Not exactly, as Feng says, “It’s not saying you shouldn’t hug your dog, but that you should know the risks… learning them will make you an informed pet owner and avoid some of the pitfalls that could make you or your pet ill.” We have included some tips below on how to protect yourself from foodborne infection.

• Wash your hands with soap and water after preparing food for pets or petting/playing with your pets 

  • Especially before preparing food for people!

• Handle and store pet food carefully to avoid cross-contamination

• Keep up with pet food recalls and keep records of pet food lot numbers and other info for potential tracking

What about your pets who you bought these treats for in the first place?

This study was all about keeping yourself safe, but we at Furry Friends Natural Products have put together our own list below on how to keep your best friend safe too.

• Seek out FDA/AAFCO approved food/treat brands

• Know the warning signs of foodborne diseases in your pets so you can catch any infection early and seek out veterinary care

  • Symptoms in dogs can be diarrhea that may contain blood or mucus, pet being more tired than usual, vomiting, or fever

• Avoid feeding pets raw meat/treats 

We are hoping to bring that 78% of people that don’t know the risks of foodborne diseases associated with pet food down to 0%! Our focus is giving you some helpful tips to keep your family (human or otherwise) safe, allowing you to both combat these pathogens and choose safe pet food/treats. 

If you’re still curious about what makes certain treats safer (and better) for your pets, click here.

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Jennifer Tanner, 

Co-Founder of Furry Friends Natural Products