Science Diet dog food recalled over excessive vitamin D
A pet food brand meant to help dogs with health problems is being recalled.
Science Diet says some of its canned dog foods have too much vitamin D.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for dogs, but too much can be toxic and cause kidney failure and even death, said Dr. David Dorman, a professor of toxicology at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
"The dog often times stops eating. They may develop vomiting. Some dogs will drool, some dogs will drink more water, some dogs will end up urinating more frequently," Dorman said. "So, those are some of the earliest clinical signs we'll see in dogs with clinical vitamin D poisoning."
A little vomiting in dogs is not unusual, he added, so don't panic. High levels of vitamin D will return to normal after a couple of weeks.
Some smaller, supermarket-brand dog foods have been recalled since November over high levels of vitamin D, but Science Diet is by far the largest brand to be affected. The line, produced by Kansas-based Hill’s Pet Nutrition, is considered by many veterinarians as the gold standard for quality control.
Hill's Pet Nutrition issued the recall after a consumer complaint. The company didn't respond to a request for comment Friday, but it issued a statement that advised pet owners whose dogs show symptoms to contact their veterinarian.
Dorman said the problems may be connected to a nutrient supplier.
"Based on what the manufacturers have said, there seems to be a supply chain for building the different dog foods, and it looks like there were problems in the mixtures that were being put into the dog foods," he said.
In addition to canned food available at pet stores, the recall includes some Science Diet products that are medically formulated for pets with health problems and available only through a veterinarian. Some of the most common are K/D for kidney problems, W/D for weight loss and I/D for dogs with digestive issues.
The recall doesn't include any Science Diet dry dog food, treats or cat food, and it covers only specific lot numbers of canned dog food. Dorman said the best thing to do is check online with Hill's Pet Nutrition or the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to see if your dog's food is safe.
"But what I always tell clients is, if your dog's acting abnormally and you're really kind of worried about it, just contact your local veterinarian," he said.
Hill’s Pet Nutrition can be called at 1-800-445-5777.
