Dog Food Recalls

Dog food recalls are vital to maintaining a safe food supply for our pets. They can be conducted in one of three ways… by a pet food company voluntarily, at the specific request of the Food and Drug Administration or by legal authority.

Recalls are almost always voluntary. Only rarely does the FDA actually request a dog food recall.

Here’s a list of the most recent dog food recalls in the Dog Food Advisor’s database.

Recent Dog Food Recalls

• Hartz Naturals Real Beef Dog Treats Recall (9/3/2010)
• Merrick Expands and Updates Dog Treats Recall (8/16/2010)
• Merrick Expands Recall of Dog Treats (8/3/2010)
• Eukanuba and Iams Dog Food Recall (7/30/2010)
• Merrick Beef Filet Squares Dog Treat Recall (7/2/2010)
• Pro-Pet Vitamin Supplement Recall Update (7/2/2010)
• Pro-Pet Vitamin Supplement Recall (6/22/2010)
• Natural Balance Dog Food Recall (6/18/2010)
• Nature’s Variety Dog Food Recall Update (3/9/2010)
• Nature’s Variety Dog Food Recall (2/14/2010)
• Merrick Dog Treats Recall (1/15/2010)
• Pet Carousel Dog Treats Recall Update (12/10/2009)
• Pet Carousel Dog Treats Recall Update (11/10/2009)
• Pet Carousel Dog Treats Update (11/6/2009)
• PetsMart Recalls Dentley’s Beef Hooves (11/5/2009)
• Wysong Dog Food Recall Update (11/4/2009)
• Wysong Dog Food Recall (10/13/2009)
• Nutro Dog Food Recall (10/4/2009)

Who Manages Dog Food Recalls?

Sometimes a company discovers a problem and recalls a product on its own. Other times, a manufacturer recalls a product only after the FDA expresses concern.

Yet in every situation, the FDA’s role is to oversee a company’s strategy and determine the effectiveness of the recall.

How Dangerous Is a Particular Dog Food Recall?

The FDA decides how potentially hazardous a particular product recall is and assigns each to one of three categories…

Class I: Dangerous or defective products that could cause serious health problems or death. For example… a dog food found to contain salmonella, molds or toxins.

Class II: Products that might cause a temporary health problem or that pose only a slight threat of a serious nature. For example… a drug that is under-strength but not used to treat life-threatening situations.

Class III: Products that are unlikely to cause any adverse health reaction but that violate FDA labeling or manufacturing laws. For example… a minor container defect and lack of English labeling in a retail food.

How to Report Defective Dog Foods to the FDA

The FDA maintains a system to help you report dog food products you suspect to be hazardous or defective.

You can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.