Pedigree Dog Food Recall (2004 – 2021/22)

If you love feeding your canine friend the Pedigree brand, you will find my article today on Pedigree dog food recalls today very helpful. Overall, Pedigree makes good food that targets dog owners looking for recipes that come with an affordable price tag. And while the brand may not feature in the high-quality dog food arena, those that feed it find it a good pick.

The brand has found itself in the middle of a number of recalls on its dog foods, both in the dry and wet or canned categories. Some of the reasons include voluntary withdrawal of certain foods from the shelves for metal contamination. The brand is also among the trademarks that feature in the list of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigations for vitamin D toxicity. 

Personally, I do not recommend what I can’t feed Chester, my yellow Lab, which includes cheap dog food. There is always a catch when a brand sells its dog food at a cut-rate price while other brand prices rise steeply. Perhaps they are using lots of fillers and low-quality ingredients in their recipes. It is not worth putting your dog’s health at risk by picking substandard dog food. Like you, he or she thrives best on a premium diet plus clean water, vaccination, exercise, and vet visits.

Is Pedigree among the cheap dog food brands? Today, I shall give an in-depth review of the recalls that the Pedigree dog food brand has faced and the reasons, as well as other notable skirmishes that the brand has found itself in.

About Pedigree Dog Food

Pedigree dog food was invented 64 years ago (in 1957) under the name Chappy in Leicestershire, England in the UK. The firm was started by the Chappell Brothers in the 1930s in Manchester, England, where they named their product Chappie Dog Food. Very little is known about the Chappell Brothers other than their use of low-quality meats to make dog food back then.

After a lot of transformation, the firm is now owned and operated by Mars, Inc., which is located in McLean, Virginia in the United States. Their facilities are located in Melton Mowbray in England and Birstall in Leeds. Chappie Dog Food was Mars Inc.’s initial pet food acquisition. Among the renowned dog food brands, names included Kal Kan dog food, a wet food variety that was made using horse meat in Vernon, California.

The brand line comprises approximately 10 products including Pedigree Healthy Weight, Healthy Joints, Healthy Longevity, Adult Complete Nutrition, Choice Cuts, Sensitive
Nutrition, Healthy Digestion, Healthy Heart, and Little Champions.

History of Pedigree Dog Food Recalls

Pedigree dog food has had its fair share of hard nights from recalls since 2004 with the latest issued recall being in February 2021. The 2004 recall was only issued in Asian countries, 2007 in New Zealand, August 2008 in Albertsons stores in southern California and Las Vegas, and 2014 in dollar general stores in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. While these ones were in specific countries, the rest of the recalls were general. 

Reasons for the foods to be pulled out of the shelves varied from possible small metal fragments in dog food to potential choking hazards, possible salmonella contamination, and more (discussed after the table and one subtopic below). These cases were on both their canned and dry dog food varieties as seen in the table below:

Date of Recall	Announcement	Reason for Recall	What Was It Recalled?
March 2004	Company & Newspaper reports. This resulted in the Pedigree Dog Food brand being sued by dog owners. The report is here.	Suspected link to cases of kidney failure	All varieties of – Pedigree Dry Dog Foods, Pedigree Puppy Dry Dog Foods & Pedigree Puppy Small Breed Dry Dog FoodPedigree Dog’s Delight – Ringo, Tasty Bone, Puppy Biscuit Dog Treats
September 2007	Newspaper report	Possible metal fragments	Pedigree Beef & Liver, Lamb & Vegetable, Beef Rice & Vegetable, and Chicken & Rice Dog RollsOptimum Beef, Lamb & Vegetable, Chicken & Rice, and Selected Meat Rolls
August 2008	FDA Report	Potential salmonella contamination	Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites 20 lbs. bags
September 2008	FDA Report	Possible salmonella contamination	Pedigree Large Breed Adult Nutrition (20, 30, 36.4, & 40 lb. bags)Pedigree Small Crunchy Bites Adult Nutrition (4.4, 8.8, 20, 32, 40, 44, & 52 lb.)
June 2012	FDA Report	Possible choking hazard	Pedigree+ Healthy Weight Premium Ground Entrée in Meaty JuicesPedigree Weight Management Meaty Ground Dinner Beef & Liver Dinner in Meaty Juices
August 2018	FDA Report	Possible small metal fragments	Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition Dry Dog FoodPedigree Adult Complete Nutrition Dry Dog Food
2 February 2021	Switzerland’s Federal Consumer Affairs Bureau Press Release in French	Excessive vitamin D	PEDIGREE Adult with chicken, 10kg, expiry date 15.02.2022 PEDIGREE Adult with lamb, 3kg, expiry date 08.02.2022 PEDIGREE Dry Adult with chicken, 3kg expiry date 06.02.2022 and 15.02.2022

Pedigree Dog Food Poison

Mars Petcare UK announced a recall on some of its Pedigree products including dog foods for possible vitamin D poisoning in January 2021. The featured 7 products in this vitamin D toxicity include:

• Pedigree Adult Dry Dog Mixer (10kg)
• Pedigree Adult Dry Dog Mixer (3kg)
• Pedigree Complete Chicken & Veg Dry Dog Food (12kg)
• Pedigree Complete Chicken & Veg Adult Dry Dog Food (2.6kg)
• Chappie Complete Chicken Dry Dog Food (3kg)
• Pedigree Complete Small Dog Beef (1.4kg – Republic of Ireland), and
• Pedigree Complete Dry Chicken & Veg E7 (2.6kg Republic of Ireland)

The company advised dog owners that purchased products with the mentioned barcodes to stop feeding their pooches immediately. And as the dog owner contacts the brand’s customer care, Mars Petcare is working with suppliers and vendors to pull the recalled products from their shelves and cease selling them.

Vitamin D is a vital nutrient that helps our dogs regulate the balance and maintenance of phosphorous levels in their body. When eaten in large amounts and for long, however, it poses a threat to your dog’s health with symptoms ranging from vomiting, excessive drooling, and more. You can more about vitamin D toxicity in dogs here.

Why was Pedigree Dog Food Recalled?

The reasons behind the recalls for the Pedigree dry and wet dog food brand varieties range from possible salmonella contamination to the possible presence of small metal fragments in dog food and possibly choking hazards. Other reasons were suspected links to cases of kidney failure in pooches as well as vitamin D poisoning.

Pedigree dry dog foods recalled for the possible presence of metal fragments were packed in 15 lb. and 55 lb. bags sold in some of Dollar General and Sam’s Club stores in the US. Salmonella in dog foods has been linked to causing sickness not only in pets but also in dog owners. Kidney failure can be caused by vitamin D poisoning or feeding high-protein treats and such.

Pedigree Can Dog Food Recall

In July 2012, Mars Petcare Inc removed recalls on three of its Pedigree canned dog food varieties in the Weight Management line from the shelves for the possible presence of metal fragments. The firm said that the pieces might have broken from the conveyer belt and fell into the food during production. The featured products included:

• Pedigree+ Healthy Weight Premium Ground Entrée in meaty juices
• Pedigree Weight Management Beef & Liver Dinner in meaty juices
• Pedigree Weight Management Chicken & Rice dinner in meaty juices

All these products include a lot of code that starts with 209, 210, 211, or 212 printed on the end. The best before the date for these wet foods is between February 24, 2014, and March 23, 2014. Only these varieties circulated in the US were affected. In response to this problem, the company said that it had replaced the broken belt to ensure your dog’s safety when eating the food.

Pedigree Dry Dog Food Recall 2021

Pedigree Adult with Chicken (10kg), Pedigree Adult with Lamb (3kg), and Pedigree Dry Adult with Chicken (3kg) were recalled on February 2, 2021. According to a press release, the Federal Consumer Affairs Bureau of Switzerland, the three products were recalled for having excessive amounts of vitamin D. Below are other previous recalls for the brand’s dry dog food variety.

The dry dog food variety of the Pedigree brand was the first to be recalled for suspected links to cases of kidney failure in dogs in March 2004. This recall only included some Asian countries and was made in Thailand and Taiwan. During this time, hundreds of pups and adult dogs died from kidney failure due to the presence of mold on corn and rice ingredients.

In August 2014, the brand pulled their Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition dry dog food variety for the possible presence of metal fragments in the dog food bags. This time, the dog foods were recalled in the US at the Dollar General and Sam’s Club stores. Luckily, no injuries or illnesses were reported, at least not yet. Below is a report by the Indiana State Department of Health.

Pedigree Dog Food Shortage 2021

There are no records of a shortage of dog food at Pedigree. However, the brand has found itself in the middle of recalls for several years where cases of dogs dying and getting really sick were reported. You are, therefore, advised not to feed your canine buddy the featured products to ensure his or her safety.

Pedigree Dog Food making dogs sick 2021

In 2021, Pedigree had several dog food products recalled for vitamin D poisoning in many countries. Switzerland’s FCAB recalled 3 Pedigree products while other 7 products with the same poisoning were recalled in other countries including the US. The products were making dogs sick and we’re all in the dry dog food category. No severe casualties have been reported yet.

FAQ

Has pedigree dog food ever been recalled?

Yes, twice for potential salmonella contamination and the possible presence of metal fragments, once for vitamin D toxicity, possible choking hazard, as well as a suspected link to cases of kidney failure. While the number of times sounds minimal, the dog foods recalled in each category were with some causing serious harm as reported by dog owners.

Q: Is Pedigree a good dog food brand.

A: I have a 1700-word article with details of the criticism and a few positive aspects of Pedigree dog food here. Read the answer to the questions of whether Pedigree dog food is a good brand.