Bad news, puppies: More canned dog food has been found to have the sedative and euthanasia drug pentobarbital in it. Another small pet food brand, Against the Grain, has recalled one of its products because it may contain beef contaminated with the drug.
While the Evanger’s recall was triggered by the sudden illness of four pugs in Washington state, one of which died, there have been no reported illnesses linked to Against the Grain brand foods. The recall is meant to stop that from happening.
What you should look for in your cabinet are cans of Against the Grain brand Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner for Dogs. The lot number will be 2415E01ATB12, the expiration date December 2019, and the last half of the can’s UPC will be 80001.
Here’s the thing, though: The food in question was distributed to stores in Maryland and Washington in 2015. How long do people keep pet food cans around? Do you stock up years in advance? Most pet owners probably don’t.
Food Safety News observed that while the two recalls are officially unconnected in the recall notices, the co-founders of Against the Grain are the son and daughter of the owners of Evanger’s, who appear to still also work for their parents’ company. A reverse lookup of the phone number provided for the recall shows that it belongs to Evanger’s.
If your pet becomes ill after consuming any food or treat, contact the Food and Drug Administration. While they may be unable to do anything for your case, they are able to use this information to look for trends and find connections between illnesses caused by pet foods.
(Thanks to Food Safety News and Poisoned Pets!)
by Laura Northrup via Consumerist