Urgent ‘do not use’ warning over popular dog food in the UK

An urgent “do not use” warning has been issued to dog owners over a popular brand of dog food, Rhondda Raw’s Beef 80-10-10 raw frozen dog food, which has been found to be contaminated with salmonella. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has urged pet owners who have purchased the product to refrain from feeding it to their dogs and return it to the store for a full refund.

The affected products bear the batch codes 040825/BM and 050825/BM, according to the FSA. These packs, containing 454g of meat, are also marked with a best before date of August 4, 2026. The FSA stated: “Rhondda Raw Ltd are recalling Beef 80/10/10 raw frozen dog food because salmonella has been found in the product.

“Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause illness in humans and animals. The product could therefore carry a potential risk. Rhondda Raw Ltd is recalling the product. Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling this product.

“This notice explains to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product.”

While salmonella can affect multiple systems within the body, symptoms most commonly manifest in the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms in dogs can include severe, sudden onset of watery diarrhoea, bloody diarrhoea (hematochezia) and vomiting, as well as lethargy, fever, a decreased appetite, with or without weight loss and even dehydration.

Experts have stated that although these clinical signs overlap with other causes of severe diarrhoea, salmonellosis may be suspected based on diet history, travel history, recent illness, or stress on the immune system.

According to petMD: “In a dog, salmonella infection (called salmonellosis) is not common and often does not result in symptoms unless the dog has an already weakened immune system or is a puppy.

“Most salmonella bacteria are host-specific, meaning that individual strains will cause disease only in certain species of otherwise healthy animals. A cow with illness from salmonella is unlikely to make a healthy dog sick, and vice versa.

“However, even if a dog does not show signs of salmonellosis, he can still spread the disease through feces or saliva, which can infect humans. The type of salmonella that affects dogs is more likely to affect humans as well, making it a zoonotic disease.”

Seek medical assistance if you’re pet is feeling unwell or has consumed this food.