SCIENTIFIC NOTE TABLE I

FOODS FOR CATS AND DoGs

Country
Salmonella in Commercial Pet Food Category Brand Name
of Lots
Origin Testeda
Foods
Dry Dr. Ballard's Canada 4
Preparations Ken-L Ration Canada 1
Milk-Bone Canada 1
J. Y. D 'AOUST * Kit-Zyme England 1
Tender Vittles Canada 2
Puss'n Boots Canada 2
Joy Stick England 1
9-Lives U.S.A. 2
Bonio England 1
Meow-Mix U.S.A. 1
Binzo Bone England 1
Salmonellae are ubiquitous microorganisms Purina Canada 3
which have been identified in a wide variety of Pet Care Canada 1
Dog Yummies Canada 1
domestic and wild animals (7, 8, 11). The preva- Master Premium Canada 1
lence of household pets as symptomless carriers Spratt's England 1
is of major concern because of their frequent Happy Cat Canada 1
contact with children who are most susceptible to Redi Liver U.S.A. 2
Salmonella infections. Dogs, cats and other Total 27
household pets have been identified as vehicles of
infection in human outbreaks of salmonellosis (1, Moist Meats Romar Burger U.S.A. 1
4, 6, 8, 9). Although pet foods have been found to Gaines Burger Canada 2
contain salmonellae (2, 3), improved heat pro- Ken-L Ration Canada 1
cessing techniques and more stringent quality Total 4
control programs have significantly reduced the
incidence of Salmonella in these products (9). Canned Meats Kitty Treat Canada 1
However, a recent human outbreak of S. havana 9-Lives U.S.A. 3
linked to a household dog infected from a com- Purina Canada 1
mercially prepared pet food (10) indicates that Pamper Canada 2
this class of product remains a potential source Dr. Ballard's Canada 6
Puss'n Boots Canada 2
of Salmonella infection. Mighty Dog Canada 2
Sixty lots of different dog and cat foods ob- Kal Kan Canada 1
tained from four major food retail outlets were Alpo Canada 3
tested. The samples represented 21 brands of Top Breed Canada 1
biscuits, dry and moist meat preparations and 14 Chum Canada 1
brands of canned foods; most of these products Ken-L Ration Canada 2
(77%) were of domestic origin (Table I). The 29 Pep Canada 2
lots of food for tropical fish and other miscella- Tops Canada 2
neous pets were obtained from two large pet Total 29
shops and consisted mainly of fresh frozen crus- aSamples (100 g) were found to be negative for
taceans and freeze-dried insects and worms (Ta- Salmonella.
ble II). In contrast to dog and cat foods, only l0o
of these products were manufactured in Canada. canned dog and cat foods suggest contamination
Samples (100 g) of dog and cat foods and varying levels of <1 cell/100 g (Table I). The absence of
amounts (15-120 g) of tropical fish and miscella- growth on the selective plating media for 52/60
neous pet foods were blended for one to two min (87%) food products indicates either a high inci-
in nutrient broth and incubated 18-24 hr at 35°C; dence of bacteriologically sterile products or the
preenriched samples were subcultured for 18-24 presence of an endogenous flora sensitive to
hr in tetrathionate brilliant green and selenite cys- Salmonella enrichment conditions. In a similar
tine broths at 43°C and 35°C, respectively. En- study involving 159 samples of dehydrated dog
richment broths were plated on brilliant green foods, none of the 98 positive samples (61%) were
sulfa and bismuth sulfite agars and presumptive obtained from pressed or heat-processed foods
isolates were screened biochemically on triple (2); a recent study also reported the absence of
sugar iron and lysine iron agars. salmonellae in 13 brands of dry dog foods (5).
Our negative results with dry, moist and Salmonellae were not detected in 29 samples of
*Health Protection Branch, Health and Welfare Canada, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario KIA OL2.
Can. vet. J. 19: 99-100 (April 1978) 99
 TABLE II negatifs. De tels resultats permettent de presu-
FOODS FOR TROPICAL FISH AND MISCELLANEOUS PETS mer que les aliments commerciaux destines aux
animaux domestiques et actuellement disponi-
Country bles sur le marche canadien, ne constituent pas
of Lots une source importante de salmonelles.
Food Category Brand Name Origin Testeda
Acknowledgments
Fresh Frozen San Francisco U.S.A. I The author gratefully acknowledges the tech-
All Day U.S.A. 7 nical assistance of C. Maishment.
Total 8
References
Dry and Liquid Hagen Taiwan 4 1. BOWMER, E. j. The challenge of salmonellosis: a
Preparations Tetra Werke West major public health problem. Am. J. med. Sci. 247:
Germany 4 467-501. 1964.
Hagen U.S.A. 2 2. GALTON, M. M., M. HARLESS and A. V. HARDY.
Flydine U.S.A. 1
Hartz Canada 1 Salmonella isolations from dehydrated dog meals.
Instant Taiwan 2 J. Am. vet. med. Ass. 126: 57-58. 1955.
Longlife West 3. GRIFFIN, C. A. A study of prepared feeds in relation
Germany 1 to Salmonella infection in laboratory animals. J.
Hykro Denmark 2 Am. vet. med. Ass. 121: 197-200. 1952.
Koral Canada 1 4. KAUFMANN, A. F. Pets and Salmonella infection. J.
Wardley U.S.A. 1 Am. vet. med. Ass. 149: 1655-1661. 1966.
Hartz Canada 1 5. LADIGES, w. c. and J. F. FOSTER. Bacterial patho-
Sherley England 1 gens in dry dog foods. J. Am. vet. med. Ass. 165:
Total 21 181-182. 1974.
aSamples (15-120 g) were found to be negative for 6. MADEWELL,B. R. and A. E. MCCHESNEY. Salmonel-
Salmonella. losis in a human infant, a cat, and two parakeets in
the same household. J. Am. vet. med. Ass. 167:
1089-1090. 1975.
foods for fish and other miscellaneous pets (Table 7. MORSE, E. v. and M. A. DUNCAN. Salmonellosis - an
II); in contrast to dog and cat foods, significantly environmental health problem. J. Am. vet. med.
more samples (20/29) showed growth on the Ass. 165: 1015-1019. 1974.
selective plating media. 8. MORSE, E. V. and M. A. DUNCAN. Canine salmonel-
Our data suggest that commercially prepared losis: prevalence, epizootiology, signs, and public
pet foods currently available on the Canadian health significance. J. Am. vet. med. Ass. 167:
market do not constitute an important source of 817-820. 1975.
Salmonella. 9. MORSE, E. V., M. A. DUNCAN, D. A. ESTEP, W. A.
RIGGS and B. 0. BLACKBURN. Canine salmonellosis:
Summary a review and report of dog to child transmission of
Salmonellae were not detected in 89 lots of 49 Salmonella enteritidis. Am. J. publ. HIth 66: 82-84.
different brands of domestic and imported pet 1976.
foods. Our data suggest that commercially pre- 10. PACE, P. J., K. J. SILVER and H. J. WISNIEWSKI.
pared pet foods currently available on the Cana- Salmonella in commercially produced dried dog
dian market do not constitute an important reser- food; possible relationship to a human infection
voir of Salmonella. caused by Salmonella enteritidis serotype Havana.
J. Fd Protection 40: 317-321. 1977.
Resume` 11. SCHNURRENBERGER, P. R., L. J. HELD, R. J. MARTIN,
La recherche de salmonelles dans 89 echantil- K. D. QUIST and M. M. GALTON. Prevalence of Sal-
lons qui representaient 49 marques commerciales monella spp. in domestic animals and wildlife on
d'aliments domestiques et importes, destines aux selected Illinois farms. J. Am. vet. med. Ass. 153:
animaux de compagnie, a donne des resultats 442-445. 1968.

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