The Mars Petcare USA company announced a recall in November of certain of its cat and dog food products.

That recall recently has been renewed and expanded. Currently, the following pet food products are on a recall list:

n Berkley & Jensen Bistro Blend Premium Cat Food

n Berkley & Jensen Small Bites and Bones Dog Food

n Ol'Roy Complete Premium Dog Food

n Ol' Roy Puppy Complete Premium Dog Food

n Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food

n High Performance Premium Dog Food

n Meaty Chunks & Gravy Premium Dog Food

n ShopRite Crunchy Bites, Bones & Healthy Squares Dog Food.

Additionally on recall are these cat foods made by the Mars Company:

n Special Kitty Original Premium Cat Food

n Gourmet Blend Premium Cat Food

n Kitten Premium Cat Food

All of the above listed products were manufactured at the Mars Petcare plant in Allentown, Pa. They were sold in BJ's Wholesale Club, ShopRite Supermarkets and Wal-Mart locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire, plus other eastern states.

Mars Petcare also announced that they have a new state-of-the-art testing facility in the works that should be open sometime in mid-2009. Theoretically, once this facility is online, the danger of recalls will be greatly reduced.

Theoretically.

Meanwhile, the cause of this ongoing recall is a finding of Salmonella in tests done by the United States Food and Drug Administration. So far there have been no cases of human or pet illness caused by Salmonella associated with these products, but the risk continues.

According to the FDA, there are steps one can and should take whenever dealing with prepared pet foods. While dogs and cats are at risk of Salmonella infections, certain people are at greater-than-usual risk also. Those particularly at risk include children and the elderly, as well as anyone whose immune system has been compromised by disease or some underlying condition.

To reduce your risk, the FDA suggests that you follow these procedures:

n Wash your hands with hot water for at least 20 seconds both before and after handling any pet foods.

n Wash pet food bowls, dishes and implements with soap and hot water after each use.

n Do not use the pet's bowl as a scooping device, rather, use a clean spoon or scoop that is kept only for this use.

n Dispose of any old or spoiled pet food in a safe manner, such as in a securely tied plastic bag that is then placed in a covered trash receptacle.

n Do not flush it down your toilet or throw it outdoors.

Storage of pet foods is also important. The FDA recommends that any leftover canned food be stored in a refrigerator. It's probably best to pick up any leftover canned food after 20 minutes.

All dry products should be stored in a cool, dry place. The best way to store dry pet foods is in their original paper container, rolled down to eliminate air as much as possible, then placed into a plastic container with a tight-fitting top. This method has the additional advantage of helping to preserve the vitamins and minerals in the food.

Retractable dog leashes can be very dangerous to the person holding on to one end. More than a few people have lost or severely cut a finger when they attempted to hold onto the nylon part of the leash (the part that retracts into the handle and then runs out as the dog moves away) and the dog continued to move. If you must use this sort of leash, please keep your hands off the leash and on the handle.

Now we have another retractable leash concern. The SnazzyKat and the SlyDog retractable leashes, featuring the "SquareOne System," had just been recalled because of a "precautionary response to isolated reports of a component malfunction."

Evidently the metal clasp that connects the leash to the dog's collar can fail, not only releasing the dog, but snapping back toward the person who is holding the leash, potentially causing injury. If you have purchased one of these leashes with a metal clasp, immediately discontinue use of it and return the leash to the manufacturer for a refund of $5.51 and a $2.53 credit for shipping costs.

Most of these leashes were sold through Dollar General stores.

Wrap yours up and send it to: Worldwise, Attn: Retractable Leash Recall, 160 Mitchell Blvd., San Rafael, CA 94903. Be sure to supply your name and mailing address. If you still have the receipt, send along a photocopy or provide the name and address of the store where you bought the leash and the date of purchase, if known.

If you have any questions about this leash, not related to the recall you can phone the Customer Relations department at 800-967-5394.

Happy shopping!