Heart-breaking posts about beloved dogs dying of renal failure have preceded a recall of certain Hills Pet Nutrition tinned foods.
Image: 123RF/Oksana Kuzmina
The company in South Africa is part of the international recall of “select canned dog food batches due to potentially elevated levels of vitamin D”.
“While vitamin D is an essential nutrient for dogs, ingestion of elevated levels can lead to potential health issues depending on the level of vitamin D and the length of exposure, and dogs may exhibit symptoms such as vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss,” said its statement.
“Vitamin D, when consumed at very high levels, can lead to serious health issues in dogs including renal dysfunction.”
On Facebook, people are sharing their grief, with photographs of pets who died. Jeri Lynn from Ohio, US, posted: “We just picked up our girl’s ashes up today, thanks to this food. It killed our beloved border collie within a week.” Alyce Rathburn in the UK wrote: “Both of my dogs very sick from this food! Heartbreaking!”
Kelly Bone from Michigan, US, posted a photograph of her poodle Duncan, saying he had died after consuming Hills products. “I have spoken to Hills twice. They explained that they were using a third-party supplier who did not adequately test their product. When I asked ‘What quality controls does your company have to ensure the products you receive from suppliers meet quality standards?’, the response was ‘We are putting those into place now’. Well, Hills Nutrition… it is too late for my little Duncan. This is inexcusable. I am so sorry I trusted this company.”
The company said in its recall statement: “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. In addition to our existing safety processes, we are adding our own further testing of incoming ingredients.”
Advice for people who had already bought the product included these notes from Hills: “Pet parents who purchased the product with the specific batch numbers listed should discontinue feeding and dispose of the product or return unopened product to their veterinary outlet for a refund.”
“Pet parents with dogs who have consumed any of the products listed and are exhibiting any of these signs should contact their veterinarian. In most cases, complete recovery is expected after discontinuation of feeding.”
