Pa., N.J. residents among those affected by tainted pet food

Diamond Pet Foods is recalling dry food that was sold in 16 states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Five people have been hospitalized and 14 have been sickened due to salmonella, after handling their pets food.

The tainted products were produced between December 9, 2011 and April 7, 2012.

According to CBSPhilly, the same Diamond Pet Food’s plant in South Carolina was shut down after a toxic mold from untested corn was found to have killed dozens of dogs.

Though no pets have reportedly been sickened, this latest round of recalls warns that pets infected with salmonella may be lethargic, have a decreased appetite, and may be suffering from diarrhea and vomiting.

Those who handled the dry food and may have been exposed to salmonella should monitor themselves for nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.

According to Diamond Pet Food‘s website, “consumers should check the production codes on the back of bags. Any production codes that have a number “2” or a “3” in the 9th or 10th digit and an “X” in the 11th digit in the production code should be discarded. The best before dates are December 9, 2012, through April 7, 2013.”