In recent years, you may have noticed several pet food recalls make national headlines. This year, we alerted pet parents on two separate occasions to food recalls that affected several types of dry dog foods for containing excessive levels of Vitamin D and for Salmonella exposure.  

Feeding our pets healthy, safe food is important. And unfortunately, there’s always a risk for pet food recalls. However, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) has some tips to help keep pets safe and to help you be prepared should a pet food recall affect you.  

What to Do If You’re Affected by a Recall

First things first, have the original packaging from the food, or at least a picture of the label and lot number, to help confirm if the food your pet ate was involved in the recall. If you are concerned about your pet’s food, here are important steps to take:

• Call the manufacturer. 
• Check the FDA’s webpage. 
• Report a complaint via the FDA’s website with your concerns.    

If your furry friend’s food was in fact recalled, stop feeding them that particular food and visit your local veterinarian as soon as possible. If your pet gets sick, work with your veterinarian to determine the cause. Your pet’s medical report may provide valuable information if you suspect food was the culprit and want to report a complaint to the FDA.  

Depending on the type of recall and the associated health concerns, your veterinarian may want to do tests such as blood work, a urine test, ultrasounds or x-rays.

What Brands Can You Trust? 

Recalls can happen at any time, so it’s important to find brands that you feel safe feeding to your pets. While not a guarantee on safety, shopping welfare-certified products can improve the lives of farm animals in the supply chain and indicate that the brand is paying greater attention to ingredients. Our Shop With Your Heart Brand List gives you a full breakdown of welfare-friendly brands, including pet foods. Brands like:

• Happy N’ Healthy (dog treats)
• MeatMe by Ayrshire (foods and treats for cats and dogs)
• Nature’s Fresh by Freshpet (dog food)
• Open Farm (cat food, dog treats, dry dog food and freeze-dried dog food)
• Tender & True (cat food, dog food and dog treats)
• White Oak Pastures (pet chews)

If you have any reason to suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please contact your veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435.