Some local pet owners have started receiving messages from their veterinarians warning about a concerning voluntary dog food recall 10News first told you about last week.
Hill's Pet Nutrition recently issued a nationwide recall because its product could have elevated levels of vitamin D -- an issue USA TODAY claims could potentially be deadly.
On Tuesday, The Washington Post published a story about a dog that died in November after suffering an unexplained heart attack. According to the newspaper, the dog's owner later learned the canned dog food the pet had been eating was included in the recall.
A feature reporter for the publication also claims her beloved dog died after eating food from Hill's.
Ingesting elevated levels of vitamin D can cause dogs to develop symptoms like vomiting, appetite loss, weight loss or increased thirst, drooling and urination. If your dog begins showing any of these warning signs, you should immediately contact your veterinarian.
In most cases, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says pets will recover completely after they stop eating the affected dog food.
The company says a supplier error is to blame. It told the Washington Post the problem had been "identified and isolated" and it would now require the supplier to do more quality testing.
The affected food was sold at pet stores and vet clinics. If you bought any of the affected products, you should throw them away or return unopened cans for a refund.
You can see a full list of the recalled food at this link. In addition to the name of the product, owners need to look for the SKU code and the date/lot code.
Hill's said no dry foods, cat foods or treats are affected.
Questions and comments can be sent to Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. at 1-800-445-5777 Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. EST or by emailing contactus@hillspet.com. Information can also be found at www.hillspet.com/productlist.
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