BY KATE GIBSON - CBS
Hill's Pet Nutrition is facing the wrath of dog owners who say their pets became ill or died after eating canned food recalled nationwide for elevated levels of vitamin D that can poison a pooch. Yet the company's late January recall is one of many for other dog food brands for the same reason in the last nine weeks.
"The nine companies with the recalled dry dog food back in late 2018 all share a common contract manufacturer," an FDA spokesperson emailed on Friday.
In addition to Hill's, the U.S. Food and Drug Agency since early November has posted recalls for dog food with elevated, or potentially elevated, levels of vitamin D from at least eight other brands:
Kroger Co.
King Soopers
ANF Pet
Sunshine Mills
Elm Pet Foods
Natural Life Pet Products, which expanded expanded an initial recall.
Dog owners worried about elevated levels of vitamin D should be on the lookout for signs their pet is not feeling well, along with more frequent drinking and urination, said Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, who spent last Friday evening calling and emailing lists of recalled products to clients at New York City's Animal Medical Center.
Too much vitamin D increases calcium, which is bad for dog kidneys, but a simple blood test would reveal the problem, and there are drugs and treatments to flush out the excess calcium, said Hohenhaus, a veterinarian and staff doctor at the Animal Medical Center.
"So far, I haven't heard of a major number of dogs" impacted in the recalls, Hohenhaus told CBS MoneyWatch. "But sometimes things start small and get bigger, so stay tuned, and check your labels."
Since announcing its recall, Hill's has "engaged with thousands of pet parents on the phone, online and via email," many of whom confirmed their product was not part of the recall, a spokesperson for Hill's emailed. While Hill's declined to say how many dog illnesses or deaths had been reported to the company, it said it was addressing each inquiry with care and concern.
The recall involves about 675,000 cases of canned food, or less than 4 percent of Hill's annual U.S. sales, according to the company. "We are not aware of any link to any earlier product recall," the Hill's spokesperson emailed.
Laura Eff on twitter
My 4 year old dog was eating this for a week before she died. She had normal blood tests on Friday. She ate your food on Saturday. Wed her liver was failing, thurs kidneys failed, friday died of a heart attack. She had just had upset stomach. It killed her.