UPDATE: FDA Expands Recall of Dry Dog Foods

UPDATE (December 18)—Earlier this month the FDA released an alert to pet owners and veterinarians that warned of a growing list of dog food products being recalled due to elevated levels of vitamin D. The agency has since expanded its list of known recalled products to include lots from King Soopers. This brings the total number of companies that have issued recalls to 9.

King Soopers

• Abound Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food UPC 11110-83556 — 4 lb. bag All lot codes UPC 11110-83573 — 14 lb. bag All lot codes UPC 11110-89076 — 24 lb. bag All lot codes

The only pet products that have been impacted are made for dogs. While marketed under several different brand names, all of the affected foods share a common contract manufacturer. The FDA considers this an ongoing investigation and additional recalls may be announced.

(December 6)—In recent weeks multiple companies have issued voluntarily recalls for specific lots of dry dog foods. All of the recalls were made for the same reason: The products tested positive for elevated levels of vitamin D that could pose a serious health risk to pets.

This week, the FDA issued a warning that veterinarians may want to share with dog owners about the potentially toxic levels of vitamin D being discovered. The agency said it is alerting pet owners and veterinary professionals about the recalls after receiving complaints that dogs eating the foods experienced vitamin D toxicity.

To date, the companies that have issued the recalls include ANF Inc, Ahold Delhaize, ELM Pet Foods, Kroger, Lidl, Natural Life Pet Foods, Nutrisca, and Sunshine Mills. Information regarding the specific recalled products from each company can be found below. The recalled products were sold nationwide.

In all cases, testing found that samples of the foods contained excessive and potentially toxic amounts of vitamin D. Although vitamin D is an essential nutrient for dogs, too much of it can cause serious health problems. Signs of excessive vitamin D intake include vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss. At toxic levels, vitamin D can cause kidney failure or death.

The FDA is working with the contract manufacturer to provide a comprehensive list of all brands that may be affected.

FDA scientists are still analyzing reports and available information to determine whether the illnesses are connected definitively to diet. However, evaluation of samples and lab test results for some of these products indicate that the foods contained as much as 70 times the intended amount of vitamin D.

The FDA is encouraging pet owners to discontinue feeding the recalled products to their dogs. Concerned pet owners whose dog has been consuming one of the recalled products or is displaying any signs of toxicity should contact their pet’s veterinarian.

Veterinarians who suspect vitamin D toxicity in their patients are also being asked to report the cases through the Safety Reporting Portal or by calling their local FDA consumer complaint coordinator. The agency is also reminding veterinarians that in some instances vitamin D toxicity may present as hypercalcemia, similar to dogs that have consumed rodenticide. In these cases, it is strongly suggested that veterinarians confirm diet history to verify whether the dog has been eating any of the recalled products.

This FDA considers this an ongoing investigation and will update consumers with more information as it becomes available. Following is the complete list of recalled dry dog food products provided to the FDA.

Ahold Delhaize

• Nature’s Promise Chicken & Brown Rice Dog Food UPC 068826718472: 14-lb bag All lot codes UPC 068826718471: 28-lb bag All lot codes UPC 068826718473: 4-lb bag All lot codes
• Nature’s Place Real Country Chicken and Brown Rice Dog Food UPC 72543998959: 5-lb bag All lot codes UPC 72543998960: 15-lb bag All lot codes

ANF, Inc.

• ANF Lamb and Rice Dry Dog Food UPC 9097231622: 3 kg bag Best by Nov 23, 2019 UPC 9097203300: 7.5 kg bag Best by Nov 20, 2019

ELM Pet Foods, Inc.

• ELM Chicken and Chickpea Recipe UPC 0-70155-22507-8: 3-lb bag D2 26 FEB 2019 TE1 30 APR 2019 TD1 5 SEP 2019 TD2 5 SEP 2019 UPC 0-70155-22513-9: 28-lb bag TB3 6 APR 2019 TA1 2 JULY 2019 TI1 2 JULY 2019
• ELM K9 Naturals Chicken Recipe UPC 0-70155-22522-9: 40-lb bag TB3 14 Sep 2019 TA2 22 Sep 2019 TB2 11 Oct 2019

Kroger

• Abound Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food UPC 11110-83556: 4-lb bag All lot codes UPC 11110-83573: 14-lb bag All lot codes UPC 11110-89076: 24-lb bag All lot codes

Lidl (Orlando brand)

• Orlando Grain-Free Chicken & Chickpea Superfood Recipe Dog Food Lidl product number 215662 TI1 3 Mar 2019 TB2 21 Mar 2019 TB3 21 Mar 2019 TA2 19 Apr 2019 TB1 15 May 2019 TB2 15 May 2019

Natural Life Pet Products

• Chicken & Potato Dry Dog Food UPC 0-12344-08175-1: 17.5-lb bag Best by dates: December 4, 2019 through August 10, 2020

Nutrisca

• Chicken and Chickpea Dry Dog Food UPC 8-84244-12495-7: 4-lb bag UPC 8-84244-12795-8: 15-lb bag UPC 8-84244-12895-5: 28-lb bag Best by date: February 25, 2020 through September 13, 2020

Sunshine Mills, Inc.

• Evolve Chicken & Rice Puppy Dry Dog Food UPC 0-73657-00862-0: 14-lb bag UPC 0-73657-00863-7: 28-lb bag
• Sportsman’s Pride Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food UPC 0-70155-10566-0: 40-lb bag UPC 0-70155-10564-0: 40-lb bag
• Triumph Chicken & Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food UPC 0-73657-00873-6: 3.5-lb bag UPC 0-73657-00874-3: 16-lb bag UPC 0-73657-00875-0: 30-lb bag