Hartz Chicken Chips. The Hartz Mountain Corporation has issued a voluntary recall of its chicken-basted rawhide chips for dogs. The product, according to Hartz is potentially contaminated with Salmonella. The recall is for the two-pound plastic bags of chips with the lot code JC 23282. Salmonella is a bacteria that is contagious to pets and people causing severe life threatening diarrhea, vomiting and illness. People handling the rawhide chips, especially children, the aged, and those with compromised immune systems aremost at risk for contracting the disease. Healthy people potentially infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for any or all of these signs: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. In certain cases, Salmonella can result in very serious problems, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract disorders. Anyone experiencing these signs after having contact with this product should contact their physician.
Dogs with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets may only have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Dogs
can be carriers with no visible signs and can potentially infect other animals and/or people. If your pet has eaten the recalled product and has any of these signs, contact your veterinarian.
The product involved is 4,850 – 2 pound plastic bags of Hartz Chicken-Basted Rawhide Chips, lot code JC23282, UPC number 3270096463 which were distributed to a national retail customer. While the normal testing that Hartz conducts through an independent outside laboratory did not detect the presence of Salmonella in any Hartz rawhide products, sample testing conducted by another laboratory did indicate the presence of the bacteria in a sample bag of the Chicken-Basted Rawhide Chips. Hartz is aggressively investigating the difference in test results and the potential source of the problem.
Although Hartz has not received any reports of animals or humans becoming ill as a result of coming into contact with this product, Hartz is taking immediate steps to remove the product from all retail stores and distribution centers. Dog owners who purchased this product should check the lot code on their bag, and, if the code is not visible, or if the bag has lot code JC23282 imprinted thereon, they should immediately discontinue use of the product and discard it in a proper manner.
Consumers can contact Hartz at 1-800-275-1414 with any questions they may have and to obtain reimbursement for purchased product.
