The FDA is warning pet owners about Salmonella in some Darwin’s Natural pet products. These foods are associated with cases of illness in three kittens in a single household. The food is sold raw and frozen. The FDA is issuing this alert “because these lots of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products cat food represent a serious threat to human and animal health.”
The products are Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain Free Chicken Recipe for Cats, with lot number 9116 that was manufactured on May 2, 2022; and Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain Free Turkey Recipe for Cats with lot number 9121 that was manufactured on May 4, 2022. The products are packaged in white and clear plastic packages with blue and green labeling.
Each pack weighs two pounds and consists of four separate units. The lot codes are on the front lower left unit of the package. The products are manufactured by Arrow Reliance, Inc., doing business as Darwin’s Natural Net Products. They are sold online direct to consumers.
If you have these specific products in your home, or if you aren’t sure of the lot code of the products you have, stop feeding them to your cats and kittens and throw them away.
The FDA collected and analyzed unopened samples of products from these two lots after receiving illness reports from the pet owner. The kittens had allegedly consumed the food and developed diarrhea. A stool sample from one of the kittens tested positive for Salmonella. A fourth kitten didn’t eat the food and didn’t get sick.
Whole genome sequencing of the Salmonella in the two products found that the turkey product contained Salmonella Typhimurium. The chicken product contained Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Kentucky. The FDA recommended that the company voluntarily recall these products and notify the public, but the company has not done so.
Because these foods are sold frozen, the FDA is concerned that they are in consumers’ home freezers. Please check your freezer carefully and if you have these products, throw them away. You should then clean and disinfect your freezer and refrigerator, as well as all bowls, utensils, food preparation surfaces, pet bedding, litter boxes, toys, floors, and any other surfaces that the food or your pet may have come into contact with. Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water after handling this product and after cleaning.
Symptoms of Salmonella in pets can vary. Some animals do not show any symptoms but can still carry the pathogen and shed it in their feces. Signs of Salmonella in pets include vomiting, diarrhea that can be bloody, fever, loss of appetite, or decreased activity. If your pet is sick, see your veterinarian. You can report any pet illness through the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network.
