CALGARY: Handling dog treats made teen seriously ill

15.mar.08
Calgary Herald

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13-year-old Brandon Jacklin will, according to this story, never handle a dog treat the same way after contracting salmonella from contaminated pork treats that are now the subject of a voluntary national recall.
Brandon lost 15 pounds during his medical ordeal that initially baffled health officials and frightened his family.
The story says that only after an official with the Calgary Health Region recalled a similar contamination problem nine years earlier involving dog treats did the family start to get answers.
Brandon's mother Debbie said the family has often bought the Rollover pork tenders for their two dogs - a Chihuahua and a Chihuahua-Shitzu cross - including two new packages purchased in February.
And the family never gave a second thought to how they handled them until Brandon was suddenly afflicted with a high fever, vomiting and severe diarrhea about six weeks ago.
Jacklin was quoted as saying, "When we took him to urgent care that night, I didn't think he was going to make it. Brandon did think he was going to die."
But all officials there could do was rehydrate him after blood tests failed to indicate what was wrong with Brandon. He was sent home, but told to come back if his condition worsened.
The next day, Brandon was in fact worse, and more tests were ordered.
The story notes that later that week, the Jacklins received an urgent call from a health official with the Calgary Health Region saying Brandon's illness had been diagnosed: he had two rare strains of salmonella.
After writing out an extensive list of all Brandon had done and eaten in the three days prior to falling ill, there were still no answers on what caused the poisoning.
And then the health official - familiar with a salmonella outbreak at the High River-based Rollover Premium Pet Food plant back in 1999 - asked if the family had dog treats.
After testing the two bags of treats the Jacklins had, he was able to confirm they were contaminated.
Jacklin was quoted as saying, "I had no idea that normal dog treats you take out of a bag could make someone so sick," adding the health inspector was very diligent in tracking down the source of the illness.
The Calgary Health Region would not comment on the case, until they receive more information from the health official who investigated.
The family's two dogs also showed symptoms of contamination.
High River's Rollover plant and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have warned consumers not to purchase or use the treats and dispose of any they have.
Rollover has also voluntarily recalled the 50-gram packages of pork tender dog treats.
Now the Jacklin family is extra vigilant after dealing with dog treats, ensuring they sanitize their hands after.