Multiple dry dog food brands are being recalled

Dog owners are being warned that some dry dog foods contain toxic amounts of Vitamin D.

Dog owners are being asked to check the labels of their dog's dry food. The FDA has issued a warning that it has found possibly toxic levels of vitamin D in several brands and that some animals have exhibited signs of poisoning.

The toxic dog food was produced by a single unidentified manufacturer but is marketed under several brands including Abound, Orlando, Nutrisca and Natural Life. These products are sold at Kroger, Lidl, and other popular retailers, according to the FDA's report published on their website on December 3, 2018.

"Testing found that samples of the dog food contained excessive, potentially toxic amounts of vitamin D, in some cases as much as 70 times the intended amount."

FDA, December 3, 2018.

BRANDS ISSUE VOLUNTARY RECALL

Some brands, like Natural Life and Nutrisca issued a voluntary recall of their products in November, but the FDA alerts pet owners that several other brands of dog-food may be affected.

The FDA launched an investigation when they started receiving complaints from pet owners that their dogs were suffering from vitamin D toxicity after consuming the products.

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING CAN KILL

Vitamin D is essential to good health, in dogs and in humans, but an excess of the nutrient can cause kidney failure, and eventually kill. Symptoms of Vitamin D toxicity are vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss. Pet owners whose dogs display these symptoms should contact a veterinarian immediately.

Symptoms of Vitamin D toxicity are vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss.

LOOK OUT FOR THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS

The list of recalled dry dog food products provided to the FDA include:

NutriscaChicken and Chickpea Dry Dog Food

Natural Life Pet ProductsChicken & Potato Dry Dog Food

Sunshine Mills, Inc.Evolve Chicken & Rice Puppy Dry Dog Food

Sportsman’s Pride Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food

Triumph Chicken & Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food

ANF, Inc.ANF Lamb and Rice Dry Dog Food

Lidl (Orlando brand)Orlando Grain-Free Chicken & Chickpea Superfood Recipe Dog Food

Kroger Abound Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food

ELM Pet Foods, Inc.ELM Chicken and Chickpea Recipe

ELM K9 Naturals Chicken Recipe

Ahold DelhaizeNature’s Promise Chicken & Brown Rice Dog Food

Nature’s Place Real Country Chicken and Brown Rice Dog Food

A more complete list of the products can be found on the FDA website.

The FDA also encourages consumers to return the products to the retailers where they bought them for a refund and asks retailers to make said products available for testing.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF A WELL BALANCED DIET FOR DOGS

The six basic nutrients essential to a healthy diet are water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins.

These essential nutrients are required as part of the dog’s regular diet and are involved in all of the basic functions of the body. A lack of one of these nutrients can have disastrous results on an animal's health.

An excess of a particular nutrient, such as Vitamin D can lead to vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss.

The dog's kidneys are unable to deal with the excess of the vitamin and shut down, leading to death. Other vitamins like A, E, or K consumed in excess can cause serious or life-threatening side effects and severely damage the immune system.

Sometimes a little is exactly the right dose and too much of a good thing can be deadly.

In a related story, he weedkilling chemical glyphosate has been found in various breakfast cereals market to children in the US.