Category: Tips

Recall Alert! 3 Dog Food Brands Due to Possible Metal Contamination

Note: This post was originally published Feb. 9, 2017. It’s been updated with information about the latest voluntary recall of yet another canned dog food product — Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Healthy Weight — because it too may contain foreign materials.

Some lots of canned products from two three dog food brands — Grreat Choice Adult Dog Food sold at PetSmart stores, Companion Dog Food sold at Giant supermarkets and, most recently, Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Healthy Weight — have been voluntarily recalled due to the possibility of metal contamination.

If you have a cat, be aware that WellPet has also voluntarily recalled some lots of Wellness 12.5-ounce canned cat food only because it was manufactured in the same unnamed facility as the recalled dog food products. The company stated it’s “taking this conservative step to ensure the well-being of cats and to put our consumers’ minds at ease.”

This has been a disturbingly busy month for canned dog food recalls. On Feb. 3, one lot of Evanger’s Hunk of Beef Au Jus canned food was voluntarily recalled because it contained traces of pentobarbital, a drug used to euthanize dogs. One dog died and five were sickened after eating the food.

Here’s what you need to know about the dog food products voluntarily recalled because of possible metal contamination.

Grreat Choice Adult Dog Food with Chicken and Rice Classic Ground

13.2 oz. cans
UPC: 7-3725726116-7
Best By date (on the bottom of the can): 8/5/19
Lot code: 1759338

According to the PetSmart website, this voluntary recall is “a precautionary action due to metal contamination found in the single lot.” No other Grreat Choice products are impacted. There have been no reports of dogs being sickened or injured by this product.

If you purchased the recalled product, stop feeding it to your dog and bring any cans to your nearest PetSmart store for a full refund. For more information, call PetSmart Customer Service at 888-839-9638.

Companion Dog Food

Giant Food announced it is voluntarily recalling some 13.2-ounce cans of the following three dog food products because they may contain “foreign material.”

Companion Dog Food with Chicken and Rice
UPC: 68826707501
Best By date: 08/05/2019

Companion Dog Food with Chicken, Lamb and Rice
UPC: 68826700360
Best By date: 08/05/2019

Companion Dog Food with Turkey and Bacon
UPC: 68826700356
Best By date: 08/05/2019

If you purchased one of these products, stop feeding it to your dog and return it to the store for a full refund. For more information about the recall, call 479-935-6145.

Blue Buffalo Dog Food

The Blue Buffalo Co. announced Feb. 13 it is voluntarily recalling some 12.5-ounce cans of the following product. “Last week, we were notified by one of our suppliers of the possible presence of aluminum in one of our production runs,” the company stated.

Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Healthy Weight, Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables
UPC: 8-40243-10017-0
Best By date (on the bottom of the can): August 3, 2019

If you purchased this product, return it to your local retailer for a full refund. For more information about the recall, call 866-800-2917.

Euthanasia Drug Discovered in Some Evanger’s Canned Dog Food

 

IMPORTANT UPDATE — MARCH 3, 2017

Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food is expanding its recall of Hunk of Beef Au Jus dog food and is now also recalling Evanger’s Braised Beef due to “potential adulteration with pentobarbital.”

The latest recall includes these 12-ounce cans of these products (the numbers are the second half of the barcode, found on the back of the product label):

  • Evanger’s: Hunk of Beef — 20109
  • Evanger’s: Braised Beef — 20107

The products have expiration dates of December 2019 through January 2021. They were distributed online and through independent boutique pet stores nationwide. According to Evanger’s, this voluntary recall affects only Hand Packed Beef Products, in which the meat is placed in the can by hand, not machine.

IMPORTANT UPDATE — FEB. 15, 2017

Another brand of dog food, Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner for Dogs, has also been voluntarily recalled because it may contain traces of pentobarbital.

How the heck did a euthanasia drug end up in dog food?!

 

If you or anyone you know feeds dogs Evanger’s Hunk of Beef Au Jus canned food, be aware that traces of pentobarbital, a drug used to euthanize dogs, was discovered in one lot of these products.

In late December, a Pug named Talula died after eating the food. Five other dogs were sickened. On Feb. 3, Evanger’s announced a voluntary recall, the first in the company’s 82-year history.

When ingested, pentobarbital can cause side effects like “drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, nausea, or in extreme cases, possibly death,” according to the announcement.

The recalled 12-ounce cans were sold online and distributed to retail locations in Washington, California, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. They were manufactured the week of June 6 to 13, 2016.

As a precaution, Evanger’s is voluntarily recalling four additional lots of the dog food. These are the lot numbers:

  • 1816E03HB
  • 1816E04HB
  • 1816E06HB
  • 1816E07HB
  • 1816E13HB

The second half of the barcode, found on the back of the product label, is 20109.

All the recalled products have an expiration date of June 2020.

Evanger’s is currently testing its Hunk of Beef product and investigating how Pentobarbital got into the food. Its meat product suppliers are all USDA approved.

“We feel that we have been let down by our supplier, and in reference to the possible presence of pentobarbital, we have let down our customers,” the company stated in a press release. “Despite having a relationship for 40 years with the supplier of this specific beef, who also services many other pet food companies, we have terminated our relationship with them.”

The supplier’s meat isn’t used in other Evanger’s products — but it would sure be helpful to know what other pet food companies use this same supplier.

Evanger’s paid for the veterinary bills of the sickened dogs and made a donation to an animal shelter in memory of Talula.

If you bought one of the recalled products, return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, call Evanger’s at 847-537-0102 weekdays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central Time.

Photo credit: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

RECALL ALERT: Cesar Classics Filet Mignon Dog Food

Mars Petcare is voluntarily recalling some Cesar Classics Filet Mignon wet dog food products because small pieces of plastic that may have entered the food during the production process could be a choking hazard.

“While a small number of consumers have reported finding the plastic pieces, we have not received any reports of injury or illness associated with the affected product,” Mars Petcare said in a notice of the recall.

A limited number of both individual and variety packs of Cesar Classics Filet Mignon dog food has been recalled.

The individual products have a best before date (“BB”) between 08/04/2018 and 08/05/2018 printed on the side, and a lot code below it that begins with 631FKKC or 631GKKC.

The recalled variety packs have the following lot codes: 632D14JC, 633B24JC, 634A14JC, 634A24JC, 634B14JC, 634B24JC, 634E14JC, 635A24JC, 635B14JC, 636D24JC and 636E14JC.

If you purchased the recalled product, do not feed it to your pet. Discard it or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund or exchange.

“At Mars Petcare, we take our responsibility to pets and their owners seriously and are working with all of our distributors and retail customers to ensure the recalled products are no longer sold and are removed from inventory,” the company stated.

For more information about this recall, call Mars Petcare customer service at 800-421-6456.

Photos via cesar.com

RECALL ALERT: Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dog Food

Blue Buffalo Company is voluntarily recalling some Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Fish and Sweet Potato Recipe dry dog food because of high moisture levels and the potential for mold, PetSmart announced May 27.

According to Dog Food Advisor, only one batch, which was manufactured within a two-hour period, is being recalled.

The following Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Fish and Sweet Potato Recipe dog food products are included in this recall:

  • Size: 30-lb. bags
  • UPC: 8596100032
  • Best By Date: APR 11 17
  • Lot Code: AH 2A followed by a number ranging from 1208 to 1400

The lot code is located on the lower right of the back of the bag.

Blue Buffalo Company, based in Wilton, Conn., has not reported any dogs becoming ill after eating the food.

If you purchased the recalled product, do not feed it to your pet. Return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

For more information about this recall, call Blue Buffalo customer service at 800-919-2833 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. MDT, or go to its website (which, as of Monday afternoon, had no information about this recall).

Photos via BlueBuffalo.com, PetSmart

RECALL ALERT: Smallbatchdog Duckbatch Sliders

One lot of frozen Smallbatchdog Duckback Sliders has been voluntarily recalled because it may be contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.

Smallbatch Pets Inc., which is based in Richmond, Calif., announced the recall March 26. The 80 cases in the affected lot were sold from Feb. 23 to March 10, 2016 in retail pet food stores in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington.

“As the raw food market has grown and matured, so has the scrutiny and testing for pathogens,” the company wrote on its website. “Starting immediately, we will ramp up testing on our raw materials, finished products and processing environment in an effort to produce an even better and safer smallbatch pet food product. We will continue to adopt interventions and technologies to prevent the possibility of pathogens being found in our products. We will continue to source only the highest quality ingredients available to us like we have always done.”

Salmonella can affect animals as well as people who handle the contaminated food. The symptoms for both people and animals include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. The symptoms for both people and dogs include high fever, stiffness, nausea and diarrhea.

If you or your dog have any of these symptoms after touching or eating the recalled products, see a doctor or veterinarian. No pet or consumer illnesses from this product have yet been reported.

The following products, all sold in 3-pound bags, are included in the recall.

Smallbatchdog Duckback Sliders

  • Lot # CO27
  • Best By Date: 01/27/17 (located on the back of the bag, below the seal)
  • UPC: 713757339001

If you purchased this product, dispose of it by following the Simple Handling Tips on the package. For a full refund, contact the store where  you purchased it or Smallbatch Inc.

For more information about this recall, call 888-507-2712 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PDT, or email info@smallbatchpets.com.

Photo via Instagram

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