Nearly 10,000 Pounds of Puppy Food Recalled After Testing Positive for Salmonella

Here's everything you need to know.

December 4, 2024

Blue Ridge Beef, a North Carolina dog food company, has recalled 9,600 pounds of food because of potential Salmonella contamination, per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The specific food is the company’s two-pound dog Puppy Mix. It was sold between Aug. 6 and Aug. 23 in Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York State.

According to the FDA, pet parents should look out for products with the lot number 08/06/N25 and 08/16/N25, or UPC number 854298001696.

In November, dog parents reported to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that a litter of puppies had gotten sick after consuming these Blue Ridge products. The FDA sent a notice on Nov. 27 that the food had tested positive for Salmonella.

What to know about Salmonella

The FDA says the following in their statement: “Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever, and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.”

If you have purchased the dog food with the above identification numbers, be sure to wash any food bowls, cups, containers or any surfaces that may have been in contact with the product.

Why it’s especially dangerous for puppies

It’s very important to note the extra risk of Salmonella to puppies, for whom this particular food is intended. Dogs who are young have immune systems that can’t fight off infections as easily as dogs who are past the puppy stage.

Veterinarian Dr. Amy Fox wrote as much for Kinship in an overall explainer about the bacteria: “Healthy adult dogs tend to be more resistant to the infection when compared to humans and some other animals; however, dogs who are especially young, old, or immunocompromised are at higher risk for infections. The kicker is that many dogs with salmonella have no physical signs of illness, so pet parents often have no clue that their dogs are infected.”

With that in mind, if your dog is not showing any symptoms — like loss of appetite, fever, bloody diarrhea, or lethargy — but has eaten this food, you should still call your vet to discuss next steps. Concerned pet parents who have purchased this product can also contact contact blueridgebeefnc@yahoo.com or 704-873-2072.

Hilary Weaver

Hilary Weaver is the senior editor at Kinship. She has previously been an editor at The Spruce Pets, ELLE, and The Cut. She was a staff writer at Vanity Fair from 2016 to 2019, and her work has been featured in Esquire, Refinery 29, BuzzFeed, Parade, and more. She lives with her herding pups, Georgie and Charlie.