Illinois-based Evanger’s launched a voluntary recall of some of its dog food after a drug used to euthanize pets was discovered in the product.
Five dogs got sick and one died after eating the food, the company said. Indiana is one of the states included in the recall.
The company said pentobarbital was found in one lot of dog food. As a result, the company recalled five lots of the food, which was sold in several states, including California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin.
Pentobarbital can cause drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, or nausea and sometimes death.
The recall involves 12-ounce cans of Hunk of Beef Au Jus manufactured between June 6 and June 13.
Evanger’s is recalling Hunk of Beef products manufactured during the same week with lot numbers that start with 1816E03HB, 1816E04HB, 1816E06HB, 1816E07HB and 1816E13HB, and expire June 2020. The second half of the barcode on the back of the label says 20109.
Evanger’s said this is the first recall in its 82-year history. In a post on its website, the company wrote, “We feel that we have been let down by our supplier, and in reference to the possible presence of pentobarbital, we have let down our customers.”
The company said it terminated its 40-year relationship with the supplier and will no longer purchase its beef for use in the Hunk of Beef product.
Evanger’s said it found out about problems with the product on New Year’s Eve, when it learned that dogs became sick after eating the food. The four-week probe traced the problem to pentobarbital.
From the company’s website:
Something like this seemed impossible. We were unaware of the problem of pentobarbital in the pet food industry because it is most pervasive in dry foods that source most of their ingredients from rendering plants, unlike Evanger’s, which mainly manufactures canned foods that would not have any rendered materials in its supply chain. All of our raw materials are sourced from USDA-inspected facilities, and many of them are suppliers with whom we have had long-standing relationships.
The company is paying the veterinary bills for the sick dogs and will make a donation to an animal shelter in honor of Talula, the pug that died after eating the food.
Costumers with questions can contact the company at 1-847-537-0102 11 a.m.-6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. Find out more information from the FDA here.
