Hill’s joins recall of dog food for excess levels of vitamin D

Hill’s Pet Nutrition has joined other dog food companies in voluntarily recalling brands of pet food that may be too high in vitamin D, which can damage kidneys. Meanwhile, researchers at UC Davis have published a study that appears to link grainfree and legume-rich foods to canine heart disease.

Hill’s, which makes a line of prescription foods sold at pet food stores and veterinary offices, blames the elevated levels of vitamin D on its supplier, saying it learned of a potential problem after receiving a complaint about a dog that showed signs of elevated vitamin D levels.

After investigating, the company confirmed “elevated levels of vitamin D due to a supplier error.” Hill’s is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the recall, which involves 25 products and specific lots of Hill’s Prescription Diet adult and puppy foods.

Hill’s website, www.hillspet.com/productlist, includes a complete list of recalled products and their SKU and date stamps. The foods were sold primarily in the United States.

Late last year, Elm Pet Foods, ANF Inc., Sunshine Mills Inc., Natural Life Pet Products and Nutrisca all issued recalls for the same reason.

Vitamin D is important in a dog’s diet, but elevated amounts can cause kidney damage. Symptoms include vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling and weight loss. Dogs exhibiting symptoms should be taken to a vet for treatment, although most dogs recover once the overexposure has stopped.

The recall does not affect dry dog food or any cat foods.

JustFoodForDogs, in conjunction with Pet Food Express, is offering to replace recalled Hill’s Pet Nutrition products with free samples of its own prescription food. The company is offering a free sample in exchange for one can of the recalled product brought into Pet Food Express. Additional food is available with a prescription from a vet.

The recall comes at a time when many pet owners are confused about their pets’ diets. Last summer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert to pet owners and veterinarians about the potential association between grain-free, legume-rich diets and a heart condition known as DCM, or dilated cardiomyopathy, caused by a taurine deficiency.

Some dogs are naturally prone to DCM, but vets have reported seeing increases in the number of other dogs affected with the heart disease.

The UC Davis study, published recently in PLOS One, a peer-reviewed, open-access scientific journal by the Public Library of Science, found that dogs that ate boutique diets that emphasize legumes over grains are not making or maintaining enough taurine. Without taurine, the heart muscle can weaken and eventually lead to congestive heart failure and death.

The lead author of the study, Joshua Stern, a veterinary cardiologist and geneticist at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, said given the increase in cases, researchers decided to take a closer look at what we are feeding our dogs.

In 24 golden retrievers suffering from DCM, researchers found that 23 had been fed the grainfree, legume-rich diet, which was the only unifying link among the dogs.

The dogs were prescribed a diet change and a taurine supplement, and all but one dog significantly improved. Of the 24 ailing dogs, 11 were already suffering advanced stages of the disease, but the diet change and treatments drastically improved the health of nine of the dogs, reversing their congestive heart failure.

Despite their findings, researchers said the link is not positively proven as genetic factors and other conditions can affect taurine production, and that more study is needed. However, they also said the FDA warning and study results should give dog owners reason for pause; they suggested pet owners discuss a healthful diet for their dogs with their veterinarians.