Hill’s Pet Nutrition expands recall of canned dog food containing toxic level of Vitamin D

March 22, 2019, 1:33 PM GMT

By Minyvonne Burke

Hill’s Pet Nutrition is expanding its recall to 44 products after it learned that additional varieties of canned dog food manufactured by the company contains toxic levels of Vitamin D, which can be fatal for dogs who eat them, the Food and Drug Administration said.

The pet food company initially recalled 25 products in January 2019 after receiving a complaint from a pet owner who said their dog had Vitamin D toxicity after eating one of their canned products, FDA said on its website Thursday.

The company expanded its recall on March 20 to include an additional 19 products.

The recalled products all contain “excessive, potentially toxic amounts of vitamin D” and pet owners should stop giving them to their pets, the FDA said.

“The recall was expanded after the FDA requested that Hill’s test samples of foods it had produced that were not part of the original recall,” the FDA wrote on its website. “Hill’s conducted that testing, which led to the expanded recall on March 20, 2019.”

At this time, the recall only affects canned dog food manufactured by Hill’s Pet Nutrition and does not include its canned cat food, dry food or treats, the FDA said. A full list of the recalled products can be viewed here.

Vitamin D is an important nutrient for dogs but very high amounts can cause vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, weight loss, and excessive drooling, according to the FDA. It can also lead to serious health problems such as kidney failure or death.

People who have been feeding their dogs the recalled products and believe their pets are showing symptoms of Vitamin D toxicity should take the dog to a veterinarian.