Science Diet Dog Food Blamed for Several Pet Deaths Prior to Recall

A recent Fox News article reports that prior to Hill’s Pet Nutrition issuing a recall for several varieties of wet Science Diet dog food, several families reportedly had pets succumb due to vitamin D toxicity or over supplementation.

Over 25 varieties of canned Science Diet and Prescription Diet dog food, including versions geared toward puppies and canines needing to lose weight, were part of a recall issued on Jan. 31.

The recall was initiated by Hill’s Pet Nutrition because of a likelihood that these varieties could be tainted with too much vitamin D.

While the manufacturers say that vitamin D is a necessary nutrient for canines, too much supplementation over a short period of time can lead to health consequences that could range from mild to severe.

According to Hill’s, in worst case scenarios, vitamin D toxicity has been linked to renal system compromise, which can progress very rapidly. The company encouraged all pet owners whose pets exhibited certain symptoms after relying upon the potentially tainted canned foods to take their animals to a qualified veterinarian.

Pet Owner Stories Stir Hearts

The stories of pet owners who fed their animals Science Diet dog food only to have them succumb is heart-wrenching. Fox News tells the story of a Los Angeles mother whose Bichon Frise mix was put on a diet of dry and wet mixed Science Diet dog food at the suggestion of her veterinarian for the dog’s diabetes.

For a couple of weeks, the L.A. mom says, the combination feeding worked to stabilize the dog’s insulin levels. After about three weeks, the family dog named Precious started to rapidly deteriorate with bizarre symptoms.

Precious was already in nearly complete renal failure by the time she was taken back to the veterinarian, her owner told Fox News. She allegedly passed away a week before Hill’s announced their recall. The mother says she felt helpless and that her daughter is inconsolable after the loss.

Another story was told by Fox News of an Italian Greyhound that went by the name Olive. Her owners lived in Tennessee, and over the holidays they noted Olive exhibiting signs that she definitely wasn’t feeling good.

In the New Year, she was taken to her veterinarian which confirmed a loss of five pounds since her last visit and blood work which revealed the kidneys were malfunctioning.

Olive’s owner told Fox News he was horrified as he slept close by to her and held her until she finally took her last breath at just four years old. When the recall was published, he realized that she may have died from vitamin D poisoning.

Vitamin D poisoning can be expressed with symptoms such as vomiting, excessive drooling, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, weakness, seizures, bloody stools or vomit, and increased thirst and urination.

Blood work in a canine suffering from vitamin D poisoning might reveal high levels of calcium and phosphorus. Other than the reportedly overloaded dog food, sources of vitamin D poisoning can include over-supplementation or exposure to rodenticides, which commonly have high levels of the vitamin in them.

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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