Every so often we hear of a recall on pet foods and treats. It’s neither all that common, or uncommon. But when it does occur, as pet owners we want to know so we can check and make sure our furry critters haven’t been exposed to whatever it is. This time it’s rawhide dog treats, and pet owners are describing symptoms that include falling ill with vomiting and diarrhea after their pets have ingested them.
United Pet Group
The dog treats in question are marketed under the brands American Beefhide, Digest-eeze and Healthy Hide, all of which fall under the parent company of the United Pet Group (UPG). If you use any of these products, you’ll want to immediately check for lot codes on the packaging beginning with A, AB, AH, AI, AO and AV and with expiration dates that range from 06/01/2019 to 05/31/2020. The information can be found on the back.
Unapproved Chemical Agents
It turns out the rawhide products are processed with a chemical unapproved for use — at least here in the United States. While UPG is based in Illinois, it has manufacturing plants in Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, where it’s perfectly legal to use an anti-microbial agent known as quaternary ammonium for cleaning equipment in connection to food processing. Here it’s a no-no.
Pet Product Recall
In a statement, UPG had this to say, “We take our responsibility to pets and their owners seriously, and we are continuing to investigate the cause of this problem. We are implementing changes across the affected manufacturing facilities in order to prevent this problem from reoccurring in the future. United Pet Group is also working with retailers to ensure that the affected products are no longer sold and removed from inventory.”
Pet Treats
If you recognize any of the above mentioned brands as those you use, you should check them immediately to see if you have one with a matching lot number as those that are under the recall. If you do, obviously do not continue giving them to your dogs. For anyone who has any immediate concerns or questions, you can go to the UPG website for more information.
