PET owners are being warned of a product recall on certain types of dog food due to concerns about Vitamin D poisoning.
Mars Petcare UK is recalling certain Pedigree products containing levels of Vitamin D which could prove harmful to your pet if consumed over several weeks.
Owners who have purchased the products are being advised to immediately stop feeding it to their dogs and contact the consumer care team.
Meanwhile, the brand is working with distributors and retailers to ensure that the recalled products are no longer sold and are removed from shelves.
Which products are being recalled?
The recall affects Pedigree Complete Dry Chicken and Vegetables, Pedigree Mixer, and Chappie products.
The specific items include:
Pedigree Adult Dry Dog Mixer - 3kg
Pedigree Dry Dog Mixer - 10kg
Pedigree Complete Chicken & Veg Dry Dog Food - 12kg
Pedigree Complete Chicken & Veg Adult Dry Dog Food - 2.6kg
Chappie Complete Chicken Dry Dog Food - 3 kg
(Republic of Ireland) Pedigree Complete small dog beef 1.4kg
(Republic of Ireland) Pedigree Complete dry chicken & vegetables E7 2.6kg
However, only products with certain barcodes are affected.
What's the risk?
Alice Moore, a Dorset veterinary surgeon, said: "Dogs are very sensitive to some compounds of vitamin D and accidental ingestion of vitamin D tablets can cause significant toxicity.
"Signs include drinking a lot, vomiting, diarrhoea, depression and lethargy. In severe cases, heart problems, kidney failure and vomiting blood can occur, and dogs have lost their lives after accidental ingestion of vitamin D tablets."
What should I do if my dog has eaten these products?
Pedigree has advised owners to seek advice from a vet if you have fed this product to your pet and they are showing signs of illness.
Symptoms to look out for include excessive drinking and urination.
A spokesman for Pedigree said: "These products do not meet our high quality and safety standards, so we are taking this proactive step to retrieve the listed products.
"We ask consumers who have purchased these specific, affected products to immediately cease feeding it to their pet and contact our consumer care team for more information."
For the full list of affected product barcodes visit uk.pedigree.com/news
You can also contact Mars Petcare Customer Service at 0800 013 3131 and uk.pedigree.com/about-us/contact
Consumers in the Republic of Ireland should contact 1890 812 315 and uk.pedigree.com/about-us/contact
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