Peanut Butter Recall Safety

Just when you think the pet food industry has identified all unsafe products, another one seems to sneak in. As soon as I heard about the Peanut Butter salmonella scare, I immediately scrambled to find out if our Buddy Biscuits produced by Cloud Star were affected & was assured by the corporation that they indeed were safe.

A statement from the Corporation Website:

"Cloud Star products are not part of the current nation-wide recall of peanut butter. We have confirmed with our suppliers of organic and traditional peanut butters that they are not manufactured in the Peanut Corporation of America facilities associated with the recall.

All of us here at Cloud Star understand your concern, and we want to assure you that the Cloud Star peanut butter products that you have are safe.This applies to all Cloud Star peanut butter products including Original Buddy Biscuits, Itty Bitty Buddy Biscuits, Organic Buddy Biscuits, Soft & Chewy Buddy Biscuits, Trail Hound, and Muttos.Please do be aware that there is a peanut butter recall in effect, and check that any peanut butter products (human, canine, or otherwise) you have or purchase are safe before consuming."

Always check the FDA Food & Drug Administration website to obtain a current food recall list when rumors begin spreading about contamination. You can see a list of pet food brands if applicable.

Dog Toy Warning

As you are aware, dog toys while left alone with any dog can have the possibility of being a danger. Some toys made of soft rubber or nylon can be chewed off and swallowed, causing the dog to choke or possibly get stuck in their intestines. This is something we have to consider when choosing toys for our pets, and it is so important to put them away after they have finished playing with them.

A friend of mine alerted me to the heart-breaking story about Chai, a sweet 10 year old golden lab who, while playing with the "Pimple Ball With Bell", got his tongue sucked into the hole and tragically had to have it amputated from the severe swelling.

This toy has one hole, which creates a vacuum, allowing the tongue to be sucked in. Most rubber balls, such as the Planet Dog toys, have a second hole allowing it to collapse when chewed.

Now I am warning you, this story will leave you in tears and the video is very upsetting so view at your own risk, but here is a link to Chai's story. Chai's owners have paid more than $5,000 in vet bills and because of his rehabilitation, must care for him 24 hours a day.

Please be aware that the company who produces this ball has had other complaints and has not pulled the toy from store shelves as of today anyway. I can imagine with the wide-spread attention this event has received, it will soon be taken out of circulation. As a responsible pet product retailer, I feel this is something I should let my customers know about. We do not carry these items, and will not consider carrying products from the Four Paw line until they try to resolve this matter properly.

Please spread the word, and by all means if you have this ball - throw it away!!!