There has been a lot of press recently about the Diamond Pet Food recall caused by food contaminated by aflatoxin, a deadly toxin produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus, that can occur on corn and other crops (check out CNN, Myrtle Beach Online and Bloggingpet). I even saw a spot on CNN on Christmas Eve with a family that lost their dog just before Christmas - everyone was so sad (and also wanting damages from the company - I'm sure they aren't the only ones.)
Diamond has vets on staff to answer questions if you suspect you have one of the recalled food bags or your dog has eaten some of the contaminated food. They have a number of press releases on the topic. Customers can contact the Information Center toll-free at 1-866-214-6945 to receive complete information on pet health concerns, along with a listing of the products and specific eastern states included in the recall (open seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. EST).
Some facts around the recall:
Only those states that receive products from the company's Gaston, S.C., facility are included in the recall. Those states are Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.
Products included in the recall can be identified by the Date Code and "Best By" dates listed on the back panel of the package. Recalled products will have a capital "G" (in reference to Gaston) in the 11th or 12th position of the date code (18 lb. to 55 lb. bags), and "Best By" dates between March 1, 2007 and June 10, 2007. The capital "G" will be in the 9th position on smaller 4 lb. to 8 lb. bags.
A complete list of products included in the recall is posted on the company's Web site at http://www.diamondpet.com.
Clinical signs of aflatoxin include loss of appetite, yellow whites of the eyes, yellow gums, yellow in the belly or areas where hair is very thin, severe, persistent vomiting combined with bloody diarrhea, discolored urine, or fever. If your pet exhibits any of these signs, please consult your veterinarian immediately.
