Hill's Pet Nutrition announces a voluntary recall of its select canned dog food products that may have potentially contained elevated vitamin D levels.
Dogs need vitamin D, however, excessive ingestion of this essential nutrient may put their health at risk, which could vary based on the length of exposure and vitamin D levels.
Hill's Voluntarily Recalls Canned Dog Food
Hill's only learned about the possible elevated levels of vitamin D in a number of its canned dog food when it received a report about a dog that manifested symptoms of elevated vitamin D levels. The company said that its own investigation did confirm such case, which it said was due to a supplier error.
"Hill's has identified and isolated the error and, to prevent this from happening again, we have required our supplier to implement additional quality testing prior to their release of ingredients," Hill's Pet Nutrition explained in its official statement.
Hill's also stated that the voluntary recall is now being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The recall is primarily limited to canned dog food distributed through the products' retail shops and veterinary clinics in the United States. Dry foods, cat foods, or treats are excluded.
Effects Of Elevated Vitamins D Levels On Dogs
Dogs that ingested too much vitamin D might experience symptoms such as increased thirst and urination, excessive drooling, vomiting, loss of appetite, and weight loss. When dogs consume vitamin D at extremely high levels, they may suffer from kidney dysfunction and other grave health issues.
Pet owners can check out the complete list of products that are included in the voluntary recall via the FDA page. Dogs that have been fed with the canned dog food that is part of the recall or have exhibited any of the symptoms must be brought to a veterinarian for a checkup.
Those who bought the canned dog food that bears the lot and date codes indicated in the list should discontinue feeding and immediately throw away the products. They can also go to their retailer to return the unopened good and avail of a refund.
