Is Hills Dog Food Safe

Hills Canned Dog Food Recalled Due To Elevated Vitamin D Levels

Hills Pet Nutrition is recalling select canned dog food products after receiving a complaint about a dog exhibiting signs of elevated vitamin D levels.

The recall is being carried out in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration . Hills own investigation confirmed the presence of elevated levels of vitamin D due to a supplier error.

Depending on the level of vitamin D and the length of exposure, dogs that have ingested excessive vitamin D may exhibit symptoms such as vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss.

When consumed at very high levels, vitamin D ingestion can lead to serious conditions, including kidney dysfunction. In most cases, the symptoms are reversible and complete recovery occurs after discontinuation of feeding.

The following recalled canned food products were distributed through retail pet stores and veterinary clinics across the United States.

No dry foods, cat foods or treats are affected by this recall. Pet owners who purchased any of the recalled products should discontinue feeding them to their pets, and should dispose of the products immediately.

In addition to having been distributed nationwide across the United States, some of the recalled products were exported to other countries. Hills encourages customers outside the USA to consult their own countrys Hills website for more information.

The current recall is the first to involve canned pet food.

Hill’s Science Diet Adult Small Bites Chicken & Barley Recipe Dry Dog Food

This recipe is packed with quality nutrition for your buddy. It is ideal for small breeds from ages one to six years. The kibble has been designed for easy picking up by your pooch, plus their consistency is also just right to accommodate the size of your dog’s mouth and bite strength of her jaws.

Your pooch will love the savory real chicken taste, in addition to enjoying lean muscle development. Other ingredients include a clinically-proven blend of antioxidants as well as vitamin C and E for a healthy immune system.

Whats more, the presence of amino acids and fatty acids in the diet contribute to a shinier skin and coat. Also worth mentioning is that the kibble is dense with nutrition that fills your little buddys tummy faster.

Honestly, this is one formula that will have your furry buddy looking forward to meal times. If youd like to place your order, visit chewy.com to take advantage of their great offers.

Q: What If My Dog Has Eaten Any Of The Affected Products

A: If you have purchased the product with the specific lot/date codes listed, you should discontinue feeding and return unopened product to your retailer for a refund.

You should also call your veterinarian if your pet has or had signs of elevated vitamin D such as vomiting, diarrhea, stops eating, increased thirst, increased urination and joint issues.

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Pet Food Maker Faces Mounting Legal Woes Over Dog Deaths

Hill’s Pet Nutrition “dragged its feet in issuing a recall” for its canned dog food with potentially toxic levels of vitamin D, leading to the deaths and illnesses of numerous dogs, according to one of multiple lawsuits recently filed against the company.

Hill’s manufactured and sold the now-recalled Specialty Dog Food to “tens of thousands of consumers,” according to a lawsuit filed early this month in New York. It cited the company’s U.S. recall of 675,000 cases — or 13.5 million cans — in presenting its case as a class action, filed on behalf of a group of people.

“We believe that hundreds, if not thousands, of pets have died or become seriously ill as a result of eating Hill’s foods with toxic levels of vitamin D,” emailed Nyran Rose Rasche, a Chicago-based attorney with Cafferty Clobes Meriwether & Sprengel, which filed the class action.

The suit is among a handful filed since Hill’s late-January recall, which soon found the company awash in complaints from grief-stricken dog owners, many of whom took to social media to relay stories of their pet’s demise.

“We have received an outpouring of distressing calls and emails from dog owners whose dogs died after eating the recalled products,” emailed Kathryn Schubert, an attorney with Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe in San Francisco, which has filed two class actions. “Their stories are heartbreaking.”

Hills Settles Class Action Lawsuit Over Vitamin D Recall

NEW YORK A Kansas federal judge has approved an initial $12.5 million settlement involving Hills Pet Nutrition and a class action lawsuit representing 71 people. The settlement would resolve a lengthy class action lawsuit claiming damages related to the companys widespread dog food recall in January 2019.

The recall involved 54 lots, approximately 675,000 cases of canned dog food, that contained potentially toxic levels of vitamin D. Multiple class action lawsuits were filed against the company by affected pet owners in February 2019.

Additionally, $4 million was awarded in attorney fees. US District Judge Julie A. Robinson, who approved the settlement, said more than 3,000 hours were spent litigating the case. The settlement was granted preliminary approval in February 2021 and allows class members to make claims for reimbursement both for purchasing the products and treatment of injuries to their pets. Any leftover funds from the settlement will go to Unleashed Pet Rescue.

Multiple lawsuits against Hills Pet Nutrition related to elevated vitamin D claims were consolidated in July 2019, after the US Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation found there were common factual issues among the suits and that consolidating would streamline the process.

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Q: What Will My Veterinarian Do When I Contact Them

A: Your veterinary healthcare provider will ask some questions to help identify the signs that are associated with increased intake of vitamin D. Based on these results, they may recommend some additional tests be conducted on blood and urine samples. If any treatment is needed, it would be based upon your veterinarian’s assessment and what is best for your pet.

Voluntary Product Recall Of Some Hills Prescription Diet Canned Dog Foods

Appendix A : Voluntary RecallThe select canned dog food products listed in Appendix A are being voluntarily recalled by Hills Pet Nutrition. The list contains 14 Hills Prescription Diet & 11 Hills Science Diet SKUs being recalled due to potentially elevated levels of Vitamin D caused by a supplier error. In most cases, complete recovery is expected after discontinuation of feeding. The list of affected canned dog food products, their SKUs, lot numbers and date codes are attached in Appendix A.

Both Hills and the FDA encourage clinics to contact clients who have purchased recalled products, if they have the means to do so.

Hills has identified and isolated the error and, to prevent this from happening again, we required our supplier to implement additional quality testing prior to their release of ingredients. In addition to our existing safety processes, we are adding our own further testing of incoming ingredients.If you are currently selling these specified products, please remove them from shelves and place them in a secure location. We will follow up promptly with more details regarding refunds and product retrievals.

Furthermore, Veterinarians are advised to refer any consumer inquiries directly to Hills Consumer Affairs . If you have a medical case to discuss, please contact Hills Veterinary Consultation Services .

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Why Is Corn In Certain Products

Corn is an excellent ingredient because of the benefits it brings to the product. Corn is a highly nutritious ingredient chosen as a source of protein , carbohydrates , fiber, antioxidants and linoleic acid – an essential fatty acid that promotes healthy skin and a luxurious coat.

Hill’s® uses grades 1 and 2 corn for our pet foods, which are the grades traditionally used for human food products.

While some individuals are concerned about allergies in pets, corn is NOT a common cause of adverse food reactions in pets. Studies have shown that corn causes no more food allergies than any other grain.

Most grains, including corn, are poorly digested before they are cooked. Once cooked, however, they become highly digestible. Corn is also highly digestible, higher than several other grains such as rice, wheat, barley and sorghum.

Some consumers are concerned that corn may be a filler. Fillers offer no nutritional value whatsoever. Corn, as mentioned above, is a superb source of nutrients.

We choose all of our ingredients for the nutritional value they contribute to each product we make.

Best Overall Dog Food

According to our experts, owners of large and giant-breed dogs should avoid foods that contain legumes as a protein source. Nicole Goudey-Rigger, the owner and CEO of doggy daycare service Pets a Go Go, told us she took her two purebred Akitas and two medium-size mixed breeds off their low-grain diet after the connection between DCM and grain-free food was raised. Instead, she now feeds her four big dogs Purina Pro Plan Salmon Sensitive Stomach, which contains brewers rice and barley . She and two other experts we spoke with like Purina Pro Plan foods because, as Gstrein points out, the recipes meet AAFCO standards and are formulated by a veterinary nutritionist. Goudey-Rigger adds that Purinas Purina Pro Plan line features a wide variety of proteins, including chicken, beef, salmon, duck, lamb, pork, and even quail. Looking for a variety of proteins in a brands line is important, she says, because not all proteins agree with all dogs. Ochoas dog also likes Purina Pro Plan and gets a small portion of its shredded chicken food as a complement to Hills Science Diet.

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Is Hills Science Diet Dog Food Expensive

The Hills Science Diet brand of dog food is fairly expensive when compared to traditional kibble options. In many cases, a higher price tag is correlated with higher quality but that is not necessarily the case with this brand.

The average price for a 30-pound bag of Hills Science Diet dry dog food ranges from about $35 to $75, depending on the recipe. You can purchase 5.8-ounce cans of Hills Science Diet wet dog food in cases of 24 for $25 to $45 which gives you an average price of around $1.45 per can.

Case of twelve 13-ounce cans range from $16 to $40 which gives you an average price of $2.30 per can.

Whats A Silent Recall

Its a sleazy trick the pet food industry uses to avoid the scrutiny and shame of an actual recall: The silent withdrawal.

They do it to avoid having to publicly admit there is a problem with their pet food, say, to the FDA for example, instead they quietly send a notice to the retailers to pull the product. It also helps them avoid the consequences of angry consumers with questions and concerns.

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Hills Dog Food Reviews

A large number of dog owners are already familiar with Hills dog food formulas, mostly under the name of Science Diet. However, did you know that Hills also has a line of Prescription dog food formulas? These formulas can only be prescribed by a veterinarian, usually in response to a health diagnosis. Here is some information about Hills dog food.

Are Other Brands Of Dog Food Affected

Many people who bought this dog food relied on the company to make and sell safe and healthy food for pets. Some pet owners might not have even realized the risks of vitamin D toxicity or known what symptoms to watch for, making it harder to determine the source of the problem when their dog started acting sick.The current recall is just one among several recent instances in which allegations of toxic ingredients have raised concerns among pet owners. Brands likeEvangers pet food and Gravy Train have faced class action litigation alleging their products contain pentobarbital, a drug used to euthanize animals.According to CBS News, other brands that may contain toxic levels of vitamin D include Nutrisca, Natural Life, Sunshine Mills, ANF, Inc., Lidl Orlando Brand, Kroger, ELM Pet Foods, and Ahold Delhaize . Ironically, all of these companies market their products as all-natural,organic,grain-free, etc. The problem appears to be traceable to the same supplier of a vitamin premix used in many brands of pet food. According to a Chicago attorney who is representing plaintiffs in a current class action lawsuit against Hills, thousands of pets may have been affected by the toxic food.

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Hills Science Diet Dog Food Top 5 Recipes Reviewed

• Hills Science Diet makes a diverse range of foods for dogs of different ages, sizes, and health conditions
• Hills Science Diet makes its own foods at its own manufacturing facilities
• The company invests in nutritional research and has veterinary nutritionists on staff. Hills Science Diet foods have been recommended by veterinary cardiologists who are researching the dietary form of dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs

• Hills Science Diet uses ingredients for nutritional purposes many of them will not appeal to customers reading the label
• The company does not discuss where they source their ingredients
• The company has had some serious recall problems at times something you would not expect from a company that operates its own manufacturing facilities

• Hills Science Diet makes a diverse range of foods for dogs of different ages, sizes, and health conditions
• Hills Science Diet makes its own foods at its own manufacturing facilities
• The company invests in nutritional research and has veterinary nutritionists on staff. Hills Science Diet foods have been recommended by veterinary cardiologists who are researching the dietary form of dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs

Our reviews are based on extensive research and years of professional knowledge of dog food brands. In order to remain objective, we do not accept gifts of free products or write sponsored posts on this site.

Hills Recall History List:

Since the company’s founding, there have been multiple recalls of this dog food. Here they are in reverse chronological order.

• Hills recalls 25 different brands of dry and wet food due to elevated levels of Vitamin D.
• Hills recalls six different brands of Science Diet due to labeling concerns.
• Hills recalls Science Diet small and toy breed dry foods for possible salmonella contamination.

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Is Hills Dog Food Safe

Hill’s Pet Nutrition voluntarily recalled 25 products last week over concerns of excessive vitamin D, a problem that could be deadly.

Varieties of the company’s canned Prescription Diet and Science Diet foods were affected in the recall.

No dry dog food from the company was affected, according to the recall.

10 other answers

Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight Chicken Recipe is a dry dog food specially formulated to help dogs achieve a healthy weight. Made with real chicken, this formula helps build lean and strong muscles. Prebiotic fibers are included for digestibility.

Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food One of the prominent and recurring problems in dogs is stomach upsets. This can be in the form of constipation, excessive flatulence, diarrhea or indigestion. Stomach issues can lead to itchy skin or a flaky coat, which is an eyesore.

According to Hills, there was nothing wrong with the food. In June 2014, Hills recalled 62 bags of Science Diet Adult Small & Toy Breed Dry Dog Food in California, Hawaii, and Nevada because of a potential for Salmonella contamination.

Our Rating of Hills Science Diet Adult Dog Food. Hills Science Diet Adult is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a moderate amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3.5 stars. Recommended.

Artificial Food Coloring Dyes

Hill’s Bioactive Recipe does not use any artificial food coloring dyes. According to our records, none of the 9 Hill’s Bioactive Recipe dog foods contain artificial food dyes.

Artificial food coloring dyes are unnecessary and potentially harmful ingredients. In general, we not not recommend feeding any pet foods that contain artificial dyes.

In 2010, the CSPI raised serious concerns regarding the safety of many artificial dyes. Most of the studies referenced by the CSPI involved prolonged or excessive consumption. Since most dogs consume the same foods throughout their lives, concerns raised by the CSPI are alarming to say the least.

To read more about Artificial Food Dyes, .

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Hills Prescription Diet: Digestive Care

This recipe from Hills focuses on helping your dog develop and maintain lean muscles and an ideal body condition. The ingredients are easy to digest and perfect for a fit-minded dog.

Something that confuses us a little is that everything contains many of the same ingredients, so we dont understand how theyre catering to individual issues.

This food claims to provide all the same benefits of the previous two which were for sensitive stomachs and digestive health its almost as if all the food has a placebo effect.

Luckily, the first five ingredients in this blend are better than the previous:

Chicken, whole grain wheat, cracked pearled barley, whole grain sorghum

The food also has an excellent reputation on Chewy just like every other food line from this brand. They have 279 reviews with 95% of reviewers recommending the product. Most people say their dog’s coat improved and that they switched back to a grain diet and noticed improved health in their pup.

What Dog Food Is On Recall 2019

Dog Food Recall 2019 Full ListDateBrand NameProductMarch 26, 2019DarwinsNatural SelectionsJan. 31, 2019Hills Pet NutritionScience Diet and Prescription DietJan. 28, 2019Woodys Pet Food DeliRaw Free Range TurkeyJan. 23, 2019*Hare TodayHare Today Gone Tomorrow Ground Chicken With Bones and Organs7 more rowsApr 30, 2021

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