More Hill’s Canned Dog Food Recalled Over High Levels of Vitamin D

More canned dog food was recalled over a potentially toxic level of vitamin D, said Hill’s Pet Nutrition, which announced the recall of 33 total products.

The company’s canned Prescription Diet and Science Diet foods, sold at veterinarian offices across the United States, were impacted.

Hill’s issued a letter to vets on March 20, saying that it determined that the “issue is isolated to the same vitamin premix used in canned dog foods and limited to specific production lots.”

But, it added, “our review did determine that there were additional products affected by that vitamin premix, and it is for that reason that we are expanding the recall.”

Hill's list of recalled items Hill's

It said that no cat foods, dry foods, or treats are affected.

Dogs who ingest too much vitamin D can have symptoms of excessive drooling, weight loss, frequent urination, vomiting, loss of appetite, and increased thirst, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website.

High doses of the vitamin may lead to kidney failure.

The list, continued Hill's

A full list of the recalled products can be accessed here.

“We understand that this recall has caused pet parents considerable anxiety and that the well-being of their pets may have been affected ... we are working to make this right,” the company wrote.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition recently faced the wrath of consumers who said their animals got sick or died after eating canned food that was recalled over excessive levels of vitamin D.

“The nine companies with the recalled dry dog food back in late 2018 all share a common contract manufacturer,” an FDA spokesperson said last month, CBS News reported.

The initial Hill’s recall involved 13.5 million cans, or about 675,000 cases, of dog food, CBS reported.

“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,” Nyran Rose Rasche, a Chicago-based attorney with Cafferty Clobes Meriwether & Sprengel, told the network on March 21.

A Washington Post reporter, Caitlin Gibson, in February tweeted that her dog died after eating Hill’s dog food, showing symptoms of vitamin D poisoning.

Consumers in the United States should stop feeding the Hill’s canned food to their pets and throw it away or return cans for a refund.

More details are on Hill’s website or by telephone at 1-800-445-5777.

In December 2018, a number of other brands recalled pet food over potentially high levels of vitamin D. The FDA said they include:

Kroger Co. King Soopers ANF Pet Sunshine Mills Lidl Nutrisca Elm Pet Foods Natural Life Pet Products

Dr. Ann Hohenhaus said that a simple blood test could reveal if a dog has too much vitamin D, CBS reported.

“So far, I haven’t heard of a major number of dogs” that have been affected by the recalls, Hohenhaus told CBS. “But sometimes things start small and get bigger, so stay tuned, and check your labels.”