Distraught pet owners are lashing out at a pet food company following the announcement of a dog food recall. On January 31, Hill’s Pet Nutrition announced a voluntary recall of specific products which may contain too much Vitamin D. The recall announcement details the potential impact of too much Vitamin D on a dog:
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. Vitamin D, when consumed at very high levels, can lead to serious health issues in dogs including renal dysfunction.
The backlash
People who believe that their pet may have been impacted by the excessive amounts of Vitamin D are lashing out at the company. Dozens of angry posts have been made on the company’s Facebook page. One woman wrote:
Unexplained acute kidney failure and high levels of vitamin d, vomiting, tremors, eventually refusing to eat. Been feeding Hill’s I/D canned food. Staley passed away 12.16.18 after almost $10,000 in vet bills trying to save her life. Hills, sorry you’re paying for this.
Another said:
I AM LIVID AFTER WHAT I’VE BEEN GOING THROUGH WITH MY TWO DOGS! Was just back at the vet today, prob over $1500 in vet bills since end of Nov & they started this food early Dec, $200 in food plus prescriptions and two sick dogs with several of these symptoms!! Here I thought I was doing the right thing switching to a vet recommended, prescription only food…. so mad!! Needless to say I will be blowing up some phones tomorrow!! Most recent cans say 112020T22 so you better keep researching and adding to your list😡😡😡
And:
Zoey, my 11 year old spent her last few days being force fed your recalled food while fighting a kidney infection. The Vet was shocked that she was not recovering. Extremely fit Chessie who exercised daily, keeping up with her 2 yr old lab, sister. She went into kidney failure three days into this food and subsequently had to be put down as she went into organ failure. Sadly this all occurred this week prior to your recall. She was an awesome dog with a hard drive until the end.
Though there is no way to know if the pets belonging to these people were truly impacted by the recalled food, it is alarming enough that all pet owners should take notice and stop providing the food that is included in the list. A detailed list of products included in the recall can be found here.
Consumer contact:
Hill’s Consumer Affairs
1-800-445-5777 (9 am – 5 pm CST)
[email protected]
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Clever puppy
So sweet
Do your research people! Hill’s Science Diet is at the lowest end of the dog food spectrum on the dog food evaluation site. Oddly enough, Pure Balance (made for and found at Walmart) Beef, Vegetables & Brown Rice Stew rates a 5, the highest rating that can be achieved on the site. Most vets don’t know enough about nutrition to recommend a truly good dog food. Some of what they sell in their clinics and recommend to their clients is done because they get a cut of the profits from the sales of the crap you are feeding your pets.
When I adopted Buddy in 2005, a friend who researched dog food told me that Science Diet is terrible food. The company goes to vet schools to “sell” their garbage….and vets believe it. I’m so sorry for the people who trusted their vets and bought the crappy food and subsequently had to have their dogs euthanized.
Funny how that works. The vets who more than likely sold the dog owners that food are now raking in thousands of $$$ treating the same dogs who ate that crappy vet prescribed diet.
I believe that dog owners who bring a sick pet into the vet’s office to be healed are so desperate to do the best they can do for their beloved pet that they’ll do anything the vet recommends.
Just read the labels on their products. It’s science fiction dog food. Few things in the ingredient label is recognizable by the average person.
Two weeks ago I found out that one of my dogs is in early renal failure and the vet recommended I put her on the early kidney diet. I flat out told them no. I’ll be going raw with her.
I hope the dog food company does the right thing and pays for the vet bills for all these people whose dogs suffered horribly due to their food. Vets need to be extremely informed and up to date with all foods that are out there for dogs if they are going to recommend food to their clients.