Years, a U.K.-based subscription dog food service, announced a voluntary recall of all its fresh meals, excluding its Chef's Collection line, on Aug. 20 as it investigates reports of sudden bilateral dry eye among customers' dogs.
The company said the recall is a precautionary measure while it investigates a possible contamination within a portion of its buckwheat supply, rather than the ingredient itself. Years said no causal link between the reported illness and its food has been established.
Years said 192 customers had reported potential, unverified eye issues. The company said it was first notified of the possible eye problems in late July.
Sudden bilateral dry eye occurs when a dog's eyes stop producing tears, leading to discomfort and irritation. Symptoms include excessive blinking, squinting, thick discharge and pawing at the eyes. Left untreated, the condition can lead to blindness.
Years said buckwheat is a common, approved ingredient used across the pet food industry and that its use in the company's recipes went through standard ingredient and recipe approval processes, including supplier approval, ingredient specification review and formulation in line with FEDIAF guidelines.
The company said it is working with independent veterinary experts, specialist veterinary ophthalmologists, its suppliers and relevant authorities to determine whether a common factor links the reported cases, and that independent laboratory testing is ongoing. Years said it will publish verified findings once its investigation concludes.
The company advised customers to stop feeding their dogs Years meals immediately, whether or not their pet is showing symptoms, and to dispose of any unused meals rather than feed them to another animal or donate or sell them. The company asked customers who suspect their dog has dry eye to contact a veterinarian immediately and to report the issue to Years.
Customers' subscriptions have been automatically paused for an initial six-week period. Years said it will use that time to prepare future meals with quinoa in place of buckwheat and will include what it called a thank-you gift in customers' next subscription box. The company said no other Years products are affected by the recall.
