Dog & Cat Food Recall: What We Know

A nationwide dog and cat food recall has been issued for a subscription-based product based in Hillsborough, North Carolina. According to the official notice, the products were voluntarily recalled by the popular Viva Raw company due to Listeria concerns. Let’s take a look at what else we know about this latest recall.

Dog & Cat Food Recall: Viva Raw

The FDA posted the official notice for the dog and cat food recall on Monday, July 1. Specifically, the company has recalled Viva Turkey for Dogs Ground, Viva Turkey for Dogs Chunked, Viva Turkey for Cats, Viva Pure Turkey, and Viva Beef & Turkey for Puppies, all manufactured under Lot 21244.

So far, there have been no reports of dogs and cats getting sick from the products. The FDA further made clear that only the food from Lot 21244 has been infected. Viva Raw has informed all customers who purchased food from the lot between May 16 and June 28, 2024, about the recall.

Customers who have been impacted by this recall are also urged to contact the company at info@vivarawpets.com or 919-371-8882 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, for a refund. Any remaining product should be discarded, the storage area should be cleaned and sanitized, and the food should not be given to dogs and cats.

The notice further states that this lot has been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria infection in dogs and cats, while rare, may cause symptoms such as “diarrhea, anorexia, fever, nervous, muscular and respiratory signs, miscarriage, depression, shock and death.”

What’s more, dogs and cats can infect the humans in their homes with Listeria through contaminated saliva and feces. The FDA further advises pregnant women to get tested and treated if they believe they’ve been infected with Listeria, as they are most likely to be severely affected by the disease. As in dogs and cats, Listeria can cause miscarriage in humans.

This is the second nationwide recall of dog and cat products in just as many months. Last month, a similar nationwide alert was sent to dog owners by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in response to a recall of treats that might have been tainted with metal. 3,551 packs of Green Tripe dog treats, marketed as “Barkworthies” and “Best Bully Sticks” and made by Virginia-based TDBBS LLC, were subject to a voluntary recall. These pup treats were offered for sale from February 2024 to May 2024 in stores and online throughout the United States.

The Latest Listeria Concerns

Dog and cat food isn’t the only thing that’s been infected with Listeria.

Last week, Totally Cool, Inc. issued a similar alert for more than a dozen distinct brands of ice cream products that were distributed nationally through retail stores and home delivery services.

Due to the FDA sample’s potential presence of Listeria monocytogenes, the Maryland-based company was forced to recall the product and halt distribution of its ice cream.

Listeria infection is a foodborne bacterial infection that can be very harmful for those 65 years of age or older, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, according to the Mayo Clinic. The primary cause of it is consuming unpasteurized milk products and improperly prepared deli meats.

Infections with Listeria are rarely harmful to healthy people, but they can be fatal to infants, expectant mothers, and people with weakened immune systems. Prompt antibiotic treatment may mitigate the symptoms of a Listeria infection.

Due to the resistance of Listeria germs to freezing and refrigeration, the ice cream products have been impacted.