- A recall of pet food contaminated with elevated levels of a toxin has hit nearly 20 different popular brands.
- The company behind the various food brands, Sunshine Mills, has been forced to expand the recall once already.
- Check your pet food with the specified lot codes to ensure you’re not feeding your dog or cat contaminated food.
A wide-ranging recall of pet food products originally popped up well over a month ago and was then expanded recently to include even more lot codes and new products. The recall is due to the presence of elevated levels of aflatoxin, which is produced by mold. A certain level of aflatoxin in food is considered acceptable, but pet food made by Sunshine Mills, Inc. tested for higher-than-acceptable levels and therefore had to be recalled.
The company sells its foods under a variety of brand names, complicating the recall a bit, as it’s not just one kind of food you have to look out for but several. In fact, there are a whopping 20 different brands of pet food included in the recall, so let’s dive into the list.
Here’s the full list of product brand names included in the recall:
- Family Pet
- Heartland Farms
- Paws Happy Life
- Champ
- Field Trial
- Good Dog
- Hunter’s Special
- Old Glory
- Pet Expert
- Principle Super Premium Natural Dog Food
- Retriever Bites & Bones
- River Bend
- Sportsman’s Pride
- Sprout
- Thrifty
- Top Runner
- Whiskers & Tails
If you happen to have any of these brands of dog or cat food in your home, you need to check out the official FDA recall bulletin page and compare the lot codes and dates on the recall list with the bag or bags you purchased. For some brands, just one lot of food was recalled, while others, like the Old Glory brand, included over a dozen lot codes, which is a whole lot of tainted food.
If you’re concerned that you have fed your pet some of the tainted food, the FDA has some very important information regarding the symptoms you should look out for:
Pets with aflatoxin poisoning may experience symptoms such as sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice (yellowish tint to the eyes, gums or skin due to liver damage), and/or diarrhea. In some cases, this toxicity can cause long-term liver issues and/or death. Some pets suffer liver damage without showing any symptoms. Pet owners whose pets have been eating the recalled products should contact their veterinarians, especially if they are showing signs of illness.
Since this recall has already been expanded once, there’s reason to be extra cautious with these pet food brands. It’s possible — not necessarily likely, but possible — that the recall gets expanded again. For the time being, it might be a good idea to just switch to a different brand until the company can be absolutely positive it has this toxin contamination under control.