Uh, oh -- another dog food recall

  Just when you thought it was safe .... Mars Petcare US announced a voluntary recall today of limited bags of PEDIGREE Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites sold in Albertsons stores in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nev.

The pet food is being voluntarily recalled because of potential contamination with Salmonella, according to an AP story posted by Whole Dog News.

While there have been no complaints or reports of injury resulting from consumption or handling of the recalled product, the story goes on to say that it should not be sold or fed to pets.

Pet owners should dispose of the product in a safe manner (example, a securely covered trash receptacle) and return the empty bag to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Not only can Salmonella cause serious infections in dogs and cats, but there's the danger of cross contamination during handling -- in other words, people, and especially the elderly and children or those with compromised immune systems, can be affected.

Human symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal cramping with fever. In pets, symptoms include lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea and fever. Some pets will have a decreased appetite and fever only, however. When in doubt, call your veterinarian.

Here are the product details:

• 20-pound bags
• UPC Code is 23100 14719
• Lot Code is 830BFCAT02
• "Best By" purchase date is 7/2009
• Sold at Albertsons