What to Do During a Pet Food Recall

When the media first announced the massive, 90 brand pet food recall of March 2007, pet owners everywhere are asking one very important question: "What is a pet owner supposed to do during a pet food recall to keep their pets happy, healthy and safe?"

With an astonishing estimated 8 out of 10 families owning pets, a pet food recall is a concern to most American families. If you are concerned about the possibility of your pets health being in danger, here is a list of things pet owners need to do during a recall (now or in the future, should this happen again) to help keep their pets safe when their pet food is not safe.

Check the Facts

When over 90 pet food brands were recalled in March 2007, pet owners everywhere were calling their veterinarian's office asking for help. Understandably they were worried about their pets. Pet owners heard there was a massive recall when pets were dying, and neglected to check the facts regarding which brands were being recalled. This caused stress and worry among pet owners, some of which could have been avoided if they did some research before being able to contact their veterinarian.

Before worrying unnecessarily, check to find out which brands are being recalled. Check the specific brand, product code numbers and dates being recalled against the food in your cupboard. The quickest way to find out what is included in the recall is to look on the internet.

When a pet food recall story first breaks, most news homepages (such as Associated Content, MSN, Yahoo or CNN) will give all the necessary information about which food is being recalled. If you are unable to find it on your homepage, search the internet for the specific brand homepage of the food you feed your pet. Even if a specific brand has not been recalled, most pet food companies will indicate the safeness of their product on their homepage.

If the information is not available on the webpage for the brand you feed your pets, try looking on the back of the can/bag for a customer service phone number. Call the number (usually toll free) and ask them about the recall. They will have information for you if they are involved or not in the recall.