Kim Gale  |  July 21, 2019

Category: Legal News

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dog looking at bowl of Hill's Science Diet dog foodAn employee of DSM Nutritional Products reportedly grabbed a second batch of vitamin D instead of a drum of vitamin E and added it to the premixed vitamins used in Hill’s Science Diet Dog Food, a mistake that has led to sick and dying pets around the U.S. and a dog food recall.

Hugh Welsh, president and general counsel of DSM North America, told VIN News Services that a long-time employee accidentally added the second supply of vitamin D late last year. He also said the company has put new control measures in place to make sure the potentially deadly mistake never happens again.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition recalled 33 varieties of canned dog food between January and March of this year, due to fears the foods might contain an overabundance of vitamin D.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said two lots of premixed vitamins known as Canned Canine PMX, made by Dutch company DSM Nutritional Products Inc., have been traced as the source of the tainted foods. DSM has a facility in Fort Worth, Tex., and its U.S. headquarters are located in New Jersey.

Vitamin D Illness

Dogs that become sick from vitamin D poisoning will present with excessive drooling, constipation or vomiting, seizures, increased thirst and increased urination.

A very high dose of vitamin D can induce dangerously high blood-calcium levels that can cause kidney failure, and eventually, death. Other dogs might suffer bone loss and the development of kidney stones or gall bladder stones, among other side effects of more calcium than the body can process.

Hill’s Science Diet Dog Food Maker Facing Lawsuits

About three dozen lawsuits have been filed against Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc., accusing the pet food maker of being slow to act when pets started to become sick, neglecting to adhere to quality control measures and false advertising.

Canines throughout the country became sick after being placed on Hill’s Science Diet Dog Food or Hill’s Prescription Diet Dog Food. Some of the animals were already ill, and their veterinarians switched the dogs to a Hill’s product in order to help the dogs get well. Instead, vets were baffled when dogs became sicker, and in some cases, died.

Many veterinarians, the professionals who were recommending Hill’s pet foods, did not feel Hill’s was as honest as the company should have been. One veterinarian said she learned about the Hill’s dog food recall from a drug representative of a different company; their first alert from Hill’s came in the form of an email that the veterinarian’s office did not receive until later.

Hill’s management also has been hesitant to identify DSM as their supplier or to point the finger at DSM over the vitamin D problem. According to VIN News Service, Hill’s will continue its relationship with DSM, which the company has honored for 15 years.

The pet food company does state the majority of the affected products were distributed in October and November 2018., but the Hill’s Pet Nutrition website no longer addresses the food recall as an alert on the site. Hill’s website is back to highlighting “Lifelong health starts with science,” “Feed your dog’s best life with biology-based nutrition,” and “#1 Veterinarian Recommended.”

Join a Free Hill’s Pet Nutrition Dog Food Recall Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you purchased Hill’s Science Diet or Prescription Diet canned dog food, you may qualify to join this Hill’s dog food recall class action lawsuit investigation.

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18 thoughts onHill’s Science Diet Dog Food Overabundance of Vitamin D Blamed on Supplier Error

  1. liz edwards says:

    My vet prescribed this food for my Jamie 3 years ago, I always order it online and last time I went to order my order was reversed, that’s when I found out about this product and the disastrous outcome, I feel blessed that I found out and have now stopped giving the food. Jamie has had bleeding around his rectal area, I am now concerned that its part of the diet that the vet recommended. SHAME on you HILLS for the grief you have imposed.

  2. j brower says:

    add me

  3. pam campana says:

    add me

  4. Shirley Marciel says:

    please add me please

  5. ALICIA HEWITT says:

    Please add me

  6. Dayna Cook says:

    Add me

  7. You Suck says:

    People can’t just get on a class action law suit because you fed your dog the food. They want proof. Receipts from the dog food purchase, vet bill’s, etc. I’m so sick of everyone wanting free money for nothing. There are so many people out there including myself that actually had a beloved pet die from eating this dog food! Stop putting your name on every single law suit and go out and earn a real income. People that do this are no better than the scammers out there. Do you really need as check for $2.87 the cost of a can of dog food? Everytime you stick your name on a lawsuit, your taking money away from the people that actually deserve it and suffered some type of loss. Think before you lie and say you bought something you didn’t!

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