Vitamin D Toxicosis Leads To Hill’s Dog Food Recall, Supplier Error Blamed
Today’s recall of Hill’s Pet Nutrition Science Diet and Prescription formula canned dog foods for elevated levels of vitamin D remind us why it is so important to report a pet food problem. The story begins as most pet food recalls do, with a sick dog or a cat and a consumer who believed in the process enough to make a complaint. And that lone voice, that single consumer with a sick dog managed to trigger a worldwide recall possibly saving the lives of thousands of other dogs.
But today’s recall may never have happened.
Increasingly, consumers are led to believe the FDA is a corrupt institution run by nothing but a bunch of crooks and liars and are in collusion with Big Pet Food. But today’s recall reminds us that sometimes the system works and that an individual consumer has the power to affect change. And the FDA will take action when appropriate – irrespective of the size of the pet food company or the type of pet food they make.
THE PROBLEM WITH VITAMIN D
What we are learning today is that Hill’s Pet Nutrition is recalling twenty-six canned dog food formulas due to excessive levels of vitamin D. Although the recall makes no mention of the amount of the level of the vitamin D. we can assume that judging from the report of the sick dog, it is an amount high enough to cause illness.
According to the recall notice, “Ingestion of elevated levels of vitamin D can lead to serious health issues depending on the level of vitamin D and the length of exposure. Dogs may exhibit symptoms such as vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss. Vitamin D, when consumed at very high levels, can lead to serious health issues in dogs including renal dysfunction.” And death. They neglected to mention that.
It is important to realize that due to a consumer complaint about a single dog diagnosed with vitamin D toxicosis, Hill’s was able to determine that some of their formulas contained elevated levels of vitamin D in some of their canned dog foods.
SUPPLIER ERROR
Unfortunately, Hill’s will only say the problem occurred due to a “supplier error.”
It is always disappointing when a manufacturer refuses to take responsibility for their failure to test their ingredients prior to manufacture.
This vitamin D recall echoes other recent excessive vitamin D recalls, both that were blamed on “supplier error.” In the previous recalls, it is presumed that all of the pet foods were made by a third-party private label manufacturer called Sunshine Mills. In this case, it is highly doubtful that Hill’s is made by Sunshine Mills. However, it may be that the incorrectly formulated vitamin premix could have been supplied to both companies. At this point, it is only conjecture and not fact.
THE RECALLED FORMULAS
| Product Name | SKU Number | Lot Code/Date Code |
|---|---|---|
| Hill’s® Prescription Diet® c/d® Multicare Canine Chicken & Vegetable Stew 12.5oz | 3384 | 102020T10 |
| 102020T25 | ||
| Hill’s® Prescription Diet® i/d® Canine Chicken & Vegetable Stew 12.5oz | 3389 | 102020T04 |
| 102020T10 | ||
| 102020T19 | ||
| 102020T20 | ||
| Hill’s® Prescription Diet® i/d® Canine Chicken & Vegetable Stew 5.5oz | 3390 | 102020T11 |
| 112020T23 | ||
| 122020T07 | ||
| Hill’s® Prescription Diet® z/d® Canine 5.5oz | 5403 | 102020T17 |
| 112020T22 | ||
| Hill’s® Prescription Diet® g/d® Canine 13oz | 7006 | 112020T19 |
| 112020T20 | ||
| Hill’s® Prescription Diet® i/d® Canine 13oz | 7008 | 092020T30 |
| 102020T07 | ||
| 102020T11 | ||
| 112020T22 | ||
| 112020T23 | ||
| Hill’s® Prescription Diet® j/d® Canine 13oz | 7009 | 112020T20 |
| Hill’s® Prescription Diet® k/d® Canine 13oz | 7010 | 102020T10 |
| 102020T11 | ||
| Hill’s® Prescription Diet® w/d® Canine 13oz | 7017 | 092020T30 |
| 102020T11 | ||
| 102020T12 | ||
| Hill’s® Prescription Diet® z/d® Canine 13oz | 7018 | 102020T04 |
| 112020T22 | ||
| Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic + Mobility Canine Vegetable & Tuna Stew 12.5oz | 10086 | 102020T05 |
| 102020T26 | ||
| Hill’s® Prescription Diet® w/d® Canine Vegetable & Chicken Stew 12.5oz | 10129 | 102020T04 |
| 102020T21 | ||
| Hill’s® Prescription Diet® i/d® Low Fat Canine Rice, Vegetable & Chicken Stew 12.5oz | 10423 | 102020T17 |
| 102020T19 | ||
| 112020T04 | ||
| Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Derm Defense® Canine Chicken & Vegetable Stew 12.5oz | 10509 | 102020T05 |
| Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult 7+ Small & Toy Breed Chicken & Barley Entrée Dog Food 5.8oz | 4969 | 102020T18 |
| Hill’s® Science Diet® Puppy Chicken & Barley Entrée 13oz | 7036 | 102020T12 |
| Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult Chicken & Barley Entrée Dog Food 13oz | 7037 | 102020T13 |
| 102020T14 | ||
| 112020T23 | ||
| 112020T24 | ||
| Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult Turkey & Barley Dog Food 13oz | 7038 | 102020T06 |
| Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult Chicken & Beef Entrée Dog Food 13oz | 7040 | 102020T13 |
| Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult Light with Liver Dog Food 13oz | 7048 | 112020T19 |
| Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult 7+ Chicken & Barley Entrée Dog Food 13oz | 7055 | 092020T31 |
| 102020T13 | ||
| Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult 7+ Beef & Barley Entrée Dog Food 13oz | 7056 | 092020T31 |
| 112020T20 | ||
| 112020T24 | ||
| Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult 7+ Turkey & Barley Entrée 13oz | 7057 | 112020T19 |
| Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult 7+ Healthy Cuisine Braised Beef, Carrots & Peas Stew dog food 12.5oz | 10452 | 102020T14 |
| 102020T21 | ||
| Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult 7+ Youthful Vitality Chicken & Vegetable Stew dog food 12.5oz | 10763 | 102020T04 |
| 102020T05 | ||
| 112020T11 |
VITAMIN D TOXICITY
While vitamin D is perfectly safe in small doses, vitamin D also has the smallest margin of safety of all vitamins and is the most likely to cause life-threatening health issues.
More worrisome, is that because the signs of vitamin D poisoning do not occur immediately and may take hours to manifest – as the vitamin D causes a slow rise in the dog’s blood calcium levels – the early signs of vitamin D poisoning may be vague and could easily be missed.
SYMPTOMS OF VITAMIN D TOXICITY
Initially, dogs can develop vomiting, diarrhea and may start to drink more than usual. As the calcium concentration rises in the blood, there are more severe signs including muscle spasms and fits/convulsions. The calcium is deposited in tissues resulting in kidney failure, pain, bloody vomiting, bloody diarrhea and changes in the heart rhythm.
If untreated, pets will die several days after vitamin D overdose.
VITAMIN D TOXICOSIS
According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, “animals with vitamin D3 intoxication become anorectic, lose weight, and develop acetonemia within 2–3 week after the overdose. Tachycardia, shallow breathing, and lameness, followed by weakness, recumbency, and even death can be seen in animals with vitamin D3 toxicosis.”
“Vitamin D toxicosis is a potentially life-threatening condition that causes increased reabsorption of calcium leading to renal damage. Clinical signs include abdominal pain, renal pain on palpation, depression, bradycardia (increased heart rate), vomiting and diarrhea. Once blood work is performed, findings include hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypokalemia, and azotemia.”
TODAY’S LESSON ON THE POWER OF CONSUMERS
As we see today, a single consumer adverse event report can save hundreds, perhaps even thousands of other dogs from needless suffering and possibly even death. These reports can have the ability to help other consumers from experiencing the agony and despair of watching helplessly as their animal suffers or enduring the anguish of having to bury a beloved pet.
Without these critical reports, particularly ones that can be validated with a veterinary diagnosis, recalls like the one we have today is unlikely to happen.
ADVERSE EVENT REPORTING
If you believe your pet has become ill from consuming a pet food, please provide the FDA with valuable information by reporting it electronically through their Safety Reporting Portal or call your local FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator.
If you and your veterinarian think a pet food or treat is the source of a problem – save it – because your state agricultural or veterinary diagnostic lab may want to do testing. If you need more help, find out how to report a pet food complaint to the FDA.
HILL’S CONTACT INFORMATION
For further information, please contact Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. at 1-800-445-5777 Monday-Friday during the hours of 9am-5pm (CST) or at contactus@hillspet.com. Information can also be found at www.hillspet.com/productlist .
To find out more about the recall, please visit the FDA website’s page on the Hill’s recall.
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37 Comments
Rusty
Hi Mollie I just wanted you to know that when I said I would donate money as soon as my check comes in I meant my SSI. I don’t want any money from Hill’s besides that they couldn’t pay me enough to cover her lost to me, I just want justice and them to take the responsibility in what they did to our beloved pets. And to make sure it never happens again.
Rusty
Hi Mollie I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart, the information you gave me to contact that law firm has gotten in touch with me and is going to help me with my case against Hill’s. If it had not been for you this would not have happened. And as soon as my check comes in I will be sending in a Donation to this cause. Again thank you so, so much I will keep in touch with you to let you know how things are going if you would like me to.
Rusty
Thank you Mollie I will do that.
Rusty
This is my story, My beloved Peaches was on the k/d diet since August of 2018 everything was going great until late January 2019 when I noticed that she started losing weight and drooling from the mouth and not eating as much as she was eating, also she would just stare, and she even would loss her balance. I was going to take her to the vet on February 3, 2019 but before that happened they called me and wanted me to get my food to see if any of it was on the list of recalls and if was. Out of 12 cans I had one full can and one half can left. They said to bring it in and they would swap it out. I ask them if Hill’s would pay for the test to be done and my Vet told me no, that if I wanted it to be done I would have to pay for it, and I was also told that my dog should be fine wants I got her off that food. Well things did not get better she would have good days and she would have bad days, but she was still losing weight and not wanting to eat much. Before I forget I was feeding my baby girl with a syringe every three to four hours every day since August 2018 because she wouldn’t eat it, but she would take it from the syringe with no problems I would even do this with her water if I felt she wasn’t drinking enough. Then March 1, 2019 I took her into the vets. because she would not stop trembling and still not eating well so they did a blood test her kidney count went from 83 to 51 but her iron was only 22 which was really bad, so they put her on lixotinic liq. vitamin 1 ml every 24 hours until gone. Well she still didn’t get any better on March 15, 2019 I noticed a string of clot blood skin looking. But she was alert and going to the bathroom and everything looked fine I didn’t see any blood in her urine. The next day March 16, 2019 I woke to find to small blood clots the size of a pea in two different places on the bed. Again she got up and went to pottie and again still no blood in her urine. She got back on the bed and was licking a lot so I got the syringe and gave her 2 cc of water she didn’t want any at all. Next thing I see is her throwing it up and there was another blood clot the size of a pea, I knew something was very wrong so I called my vet and they had transferred all there calls to another vet. I told them that I wanted my vet because he knew Peaches and what might be going on with her, I was told that If I wanted to see him that I would have to wait until Monday, this is Saturday morning, I knew my baby girl couldn’t wait that long. So in the mean time she went over to were I sleep and laid down. I went to check on her about 30 minutes later and she could barley move except to lift her head up at me. I then called the vet that was taking calls for my vet that I was on my way. When I got there with her he looked her over and told me she was dying so I had to put her asleep because I didn’t want her to suffer any more or be in any pain even though she wasn’t showing signs of being in pain. I will never know if the dog food killed my baby or not because of my vet but I feel it did. Thank you for reading my story and I hope other read it to so that it might save there dogs life.
carol
I am so sorry for your loss, i lost my Gretchen to the recall too, vet had no idea of what was going on.
the recall is still growing, the Consumer affairs just listed with more of the Hill science diet foods -https://consumeraffairs.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=48290de6249ef2cecba9fe5de&id=df662e2fda&e=71e4a5b72b
Rusty
It is very sad that we who loved and had there baby’s for so long (mine was 14 years) that we can’t do anything about what has happened to our pets. Not only do I blame Hill’s but I blame my vet as well for not taking it more serious then he did. But all these sell this product and make money as well, so you figure it out the math there, they stop selling hill’s they lose money.
Denise White
My cat was always getting sick on hills food & the bag has just sit here for over 6 months untouched because the cat was always throwing up eating dry food of hills. Didn’t know what to do with bag.
carol
take it back, to where you bought it, just tell them that it made you cat sick,
carol
ask your vet for A complete physical examination will then be conducted, including routine laboratory tests such as a complete blood count, biochemistry profile, electrolytes, and urinalysis.
If your dog is suffering from vitamin D toxicity, the biochemistry profile will indicate abnormally high levels of calcium and phosphorous in the blood. It may also indicate abnormally low levels of potassium in the blood along with an accumulation of nitrogenous waste products. In some dogs, the biochemistry profile may even indicate an abnormally high level of liver enzymes and low levels of protein (called albumin) in the blood. The urinalysis, meanwhile, will indicate abnormally high levels of proteins and glucose in the urine.
Christine Allevato Sheridan
How many cans after feeding 20lb dog? He was on hills for a month or two. Then I saw the recall. Stopped. He seems ok but he had vomited this week which I thought was from eaten grass. He also threw up one morning bile with a red ring around outside maybe blood,? He eats ok now. Wondering if I should take him to vet.
Barbara Jaarsma
I had two elderly cats (18 & 19) who have been on Hills A/D for two months just to try to keep their weight up, and they’re getting sicker and sicker and sicker, so I stopped the A/D three days ago and switched them to homemade chicken breast and vitamins. A/D is for both dogs and cats, but I don’t see it on your list. They’re showing all the symptoms described above except death. Can you keep us updated when they add A/D to the list?
Nancy Murray
My Cairn Terrier, “Sundance” had been on Science Diet his whole life having been recommended by our vet.
He developed diabetes, suffered overnight from cataracts (had surgery to repair sight) eventually had to be put down due to renal failure! After finding out about this recall I am heartsick to think this all could have been prevented by tighter controls on these sleazy manufacturers!,
Charlotte Smith
My dog died from the same symptoms 2 years ago but she was on the dry formula. I don’t believe it’s just linked to the canned formula. I still have the dog food. Is there any way it can be tested?
Al
My poor dog has been in death’s door since 12/12/18 after trying Hill’s. We spent many thousands of dollars trying to find out what was ailing him. I truely believe he is a victim of vitimin D toxicity. I’m wondering what can be done about this.
carol
check with your vet, but also check on line, i am researching the use of Activated charcoal is trending, but its use as a detox and healing remedy goes way back. Charcoal binds to certain poisons, heavy metals, and other toxins and flush them from your body, making it a wonder substance for acute and general detoxification., for both human and dogs and cats —–
Stury
Just saying how much I enjoy these posts..
Archie say hi..
Happy new year ♥️
Stay healthy
Stuey