Dog Food Recalls: Dog Food Brands With Most Recalls of All Time

With the unfortunate increase in recalled dog food products, dog owners need to monitor pet food companies closely. 

From toxic mold to Salmonella to the euthanasia drug, the ten companies listed below have the most dog food recalls.

When shopping for a new dog food brand, you must know which companies you can trust and which you cannot.

It's not enough to check out the ingredients; you must also know their practices when manufacturing the food.

Even though the ingredients are of high quality, the manufacturing practices may not be. 

Poor manufacturing can lead to contamination of the food.

And according to experts from the National Library of Medicine:

“Food-borne infectious agents can affect the health of pets. Good quality pet foods have high nutritional value, including microbiological quality.”

The worst part is contamination doesn't usually change the smell or appearance of your dog's meal.

That means if the food is contaminated, you'll likely realize it when it's too late. 

That's why dog food recalls exist; generally, they are a good thing.

NOTE: We are not saying that you should not consider any of these dog food brands. It's always better to recall your product than to hide any problems.

While they have a lengthy list of dog food recalls, the companies have likely changed their practices since the last one.

And as much as we want the best for our dogs, we can't help but worry and ask:

“What other biological hazards should I look out for in pet foods that I buy?”

According to the same study mentioned above, it's more than just Salmonella. It includes a whole lot of other stuff we can't even pronounce!

This is why you must do your due diligence and research at all times.

But today, we'll help you look into some brands and see what (if any) changes have been made recently.

INFOGRAPHIC: 19 Controversies About the Pet Food Industry

Dog Food Recalls: 10 Brands With Most Recalls

1 Blue Buffalo: Most Dog Food Recalls of All Time

Founded in 2002, Blue Buffalo advertises their products as a higher-end, higher-quality pet food option. 

However, Blue Buffalo has had at least EIGHT dog food recalls in the last ten years. 

Recall justification varies from salmonella contamination to the presence of propylene glycol (a chemical found in anti-freeze).

Dog Food Recall History:

• April 2007: Recall due to melamine contamination
• October 2010: Recall due to the potential of too much vitamin D
• November 2015: Recall due to low levels of propylene glycol
• November 2015: Recall due to Salmonella
• May 2016: Recall due to possible mold contamination
• February 2017: Recall due to poor packaging quality
• February 2017: Recall due to metal contamination
• March 2017: Recall due to elevated levels of beef thyroid hormone

Blue Buffalo Dog Food Warnings & Lawsuits

• June 2019 – FDA identified their dog food linked to heart diseases in dogs and cats
• January 2020 – Sued for allegedly making an owner's dog overweight and diabetic

What You Should Know

I am a devoted dog mom and honestly thought I was giving my dog the best food for him when I chose to feed Blue Buffalo Wilderness. 

I couldn't have been more wrong. 

Aflatoxin in the kibble I bought very nearly killed my senior Labrador.

By the time we got to our vet, he was unable to stand, unable to walk, and unable to lift his head. 

When confronted with the evidence, Blue Buffalo requested that I file a claim with their lawyers. 

After months of waiting to hear back, they ultimately denied paying our veterinary bills.

They claimed there was no way to tell that their food contamination was responsible for my dog's illness.

I can tell you that it was with a senior dog whose diet is monitored VERY strictly. 

Unfortunately, I could not fight a group of corporate lawyers without funds to hire my legal team.

2 Evanger's

Starting in 1935, Evanger's is a family-owned company that claims to offer better nutritional options for dog food.

Unfortunately, Evanger's has not only had multiple dog food recalls for the same reason. 

Salmonella outbreak, but they were part of perhaps the most significant pet food transgression to date.

In early 2017, they forced Evanger'sd to recall batches of their dog food due to contamination with Pento-Barbital – yes, that is the euthanasia drug.

Dog Food Recall History:

• January 2010: Recall due to potential Salmonella contamination
• July 2010: Recall for possible salmonella contamination
• August 2010: Recall due to potential Salmonella contamination
• August 2010: Recall for potential salmonella contamination
• January 2011: Recall due to potential Salmonella contamination
• August 2011: Recall for possible salmonella contamination
• February 2017: Recall due to the potential of pentobarbital contamination

What You Should Know

Multiple dog food recalls for the repeated incidence of salmonella contamination are a cause for concern.

This is not to mention the seriousness of pentobarbital contamination.

This was due to using rendered meat products in the recalled food – something Evanger claims not to use.

The company has since changed suppliers and maintains claims that they use no rendered meat products in their foods.

RELATED: 15 Things You Must Know To Avoid Choosing A Bad Dog Food

3 Diamond Pet Food

Founded in 1970, Diamond Pet Food was based on the principle that even premium pet food should be affordable. 

To date, they're one of the leading dog food brands of excellent quality pet food that most pet owners can afford.

However, looking at their history, it seems Diamond Pet Food was forced to issue numerous dog food recalls, including multiple occasions of salmonella contamination.

Dog Food Recall History:

• December 2005: Recall due to possible aflatoxin contamination
• April 2012: Recall for potential salmonella contamination
• May 2012: Recall due to possible salmonella contamination
• March 2013: Recall due to low levels of thiamine

What You Should Know

Diamond Pet Food has long been used by breeders nationwide due to its excellent value ratio of cost to quality.

We last saw dog food recalled from the company four years ago. 

Aware of its clientele, Diamond Pet Food has been particularly vigilant in monitoring its products since its last recall. 

It is working very well for the company and its fans.

4 Nature's Variety

Nature's Variety specializes in offering both holistic and raw frozen foods. 

Offering natural foods dupes many pet owners into thinking they are 100% trustworthy. 

Unfortunately, Nature's Variety has issued at least five dog food recalls for salmonella contamination and choking hazards in the past seven years.

Dog Food Recall History:

• February 2010: Recall due to possible salmonella contamination
• March 2010: Recall for possible salmonella contamination
• July 2012: Recall due to an “unusual odor that may develop over time.”
• February 2013: Recall due to the potential of tiny plastic pieces inside the food posing a choking hazard
• July 2015: Recall for possible salmonella contamination

Nature's Variety Dog Food Warnings

June 2019 – FDA identified their dog food linked to heart diseases in dogs and cats.

What You Should Know

Repeated salmonella contamination, particularly in raw food, is of significant concern. 

Salmonella is not only a danger to your dog but also poses a risk to you and your family.

5 Iams

Begun in 1946, Iams is one of the pet food brands started by Paul Iams, the second being Eukanuba.

In 1999, Iams sold Iams to Procter & Gamble. 

Five years later, Proctor and Gamble sold the company to Mars Inc.

It was when Mars, Inc. acquired the brand. Iams began experiencing repeated dog food recalls for a wide variety of causes.

Dog Food Recall History:

• March 2007: Recall due to melamine contamination
• June 2010: Recall for potential salmonella contamination
• July 2010: Recall due to possible Salmonella contamination
• August 2010: Recall for possible salmonella contamination
• December 2011: Recall due to aflatoxin contamination
• March: 2013: Recall for potential mold growth
• August 2013: Recall due to possible Salmonella contamination

What You Should Know

When another company buys dog food, there is always a potential for a change in ingredients, ingredient sources, and manufacturing plants.

All these can lead to gastrointestinal upset for your dog and allergic reaction in dogs with ingredient sensitivities. 

Sadly, the only way to know who owns your dog food brand is to track it yourself.

PODCAST: What Dog Food Companies Aren't Telling Pet Owners 

6 Pedigree

In 1934 Mars Limited purchased a pet food company called “Chappie.” 

The company would later become Pedigree Petfoods Ltd.

Despite their slogan of “Top breeders recommend it,” until 2007, most breeders nowadays would not recommend feeding Pedigree.

The reason? 

The poor nutritional content, various recalls for Salmonella, choking hazards, and metal fragments.

Dog Food Recall History:

• August 2008: Recall for possible salmonella contamination
• September 2008: Recall due to possible salmonella contamination
• June 2012: Recall for possible plastic fragments
• August 2014: Recall for possible small metal fragments
• September 2014: Recall for possible small metal fragments

What You Should Know…

In 2014, Mars, Inc. purchased most of Proctor & Gamble's pet products. 

Mars now owns a large portion of the dog food market, including Eukanuba, Iams, Pedigree, and Natura.

7 Purina

In 1894 William H. Danforth, George Robinson, and William Andrews started making animal feed as the Robinson-Danforth Commission Company.

Passing through a few hands, the company eventually ended up in the hands of Nestle in 2001.

Nestle launched a marketing campaign to stop false advertising from promoting purity in pet food. 

Unfortunately, this campaign did not stop multiple recalls for their Purina brand.

Dog Food Recall History:

• June 2011: Recall due to possible salmonella contamination
• July 2011: Recall for possible salmonella contamination
• May 2012: Recall due to low thiamine content
• August 2013: Recall due to possible salmonella contamination
• March 2016: Recall due to inadequate vitamin and mineral content
• December 2018 – Due to elevated copper levels
• February 2020 – Due to elevated calcium levels
• June 2021 – Soft tubs lead to overconsumption, causing urea toxicity
• October 2021 – Due to potentially elevated urea levels

What You Should Know…

Purina is one of the most popular dog food brands, with many different products and formulas.

This exposes them to much higher risk and the likelihood of dog food recalls, which needs to be considered when evaluating the ratio of dog food recall chance for every brand.

8 Hill's Science Diet

Developed in 1960 by veterinarian Mark L Morris Jr., Science Diet began as a quest to produce food for a dog with kidney disease.

Morris would later go on to develop other condition-specific foods that are widely promoted in veterinary clinics.

Despite being popularly recommended, Hill's Science Diet (now owned by Colgate-Palmolive) contains “junk” ingredients and has been recalled multiple times.

Dog Food Recall History:

• March 2007: Recall due to melamine contamination
• April 2007: Recall for possible melamine contamination
• June 2014: Recall due to potential salmonella contamination
• November 2015: Recall due to labeling problem
• January 2019 – Due to elevated levels of Vitamin D

What You Should Know

Many dog owners feed Science Diet because they think it's the only available option for dogs with special dietary needs.

By finding out your dog's nutritional restrictions from your vet, you can research better quality foods that meet your dog's particular needs.

MORE: 16 Things You Didn't Know About Prescription Dog Food

9 Bravo

Bravo was built out of a meat business that they started in 1942. 

Bravo specializes in “simple” foods with few ingredients specializing in natural pet food ingredients and raw pet foods.

Despite touting the use of natural ingredients and antibiotic-free poultry, Bravo has a somewhat rocky recall history.

Dog Food Recall History:

• September 2007: Recall due to potential listeria and salmonella contamination
• June 2011: Recall for potential salmonella contamination
• March 2013: Recall due to possible salmonella contamination
• April 2013: Recall for potential salmonella contamination
• May 2014: Recall for possible listeria contamination
• September 2014: Recall due to possible salmonella contamination
• July 2015: Recall for potential salmonella contamination
• December 2015: Recall due to possible salmonella contamination
• March 2021 – Due to potential salmonella and listeria monocytogenes contamination

What You Should Know

Bravo recently redesigned its packaging and logo. 

Some pet owners see this as an attempt to leave behind their repeated recalls and reinvent their brand.

10 Wellness Pet Foods

Founded in 1926, Wellness started as Old Mother Hubbard. 

In 1970, Eagle Pack Pet Foods took over, becoming Wellness Pet Food in 1997.

Finally, in 2008, Wellness and Old Mother Hubbard merged to become WellPet LLC. 

As a company that claims to prioritize pet health and make the “healthiest natural” products, Wellness has experienced a few too many recalls.

Dog Food Recall History:

• February 2011: Recall due to inadequate thiamine levels
• May 2012: Recall for possible salmonella contamination
• October 2012: Recall due to possible moisture contamination
• February 2017: Recall for possible foreign material contamination
• March 2017: Recall due to possible elevated levels of beef thyroid hormone

What You Should Know

The “all-natural” label on pet foods can be misleading. 

An ingredient can be considered “natural” so long as it is derived from mined, plant, or animal sources.

Additionally, components can still contain trace amounts of synthetic substances and undergo various manufacturing processes called “natural.”

What Are the Types of Dog Food Recalls?

There are two types of dog food recalls: voluntary and ordered recalls. 

The voluntary recall comes directly from the company, while ordered ones are issued by the FDA.

Most pet food companies have voluntary recalls since they want to fix any problem and provide the safest dog food possible. 

However, some dog food recalls are requested by the FDA, depending on the severity of the problem.

What Happens in a Dog Food Recall?

Dog food recall can happen to any dog food company, including the Performatrin dog food recall. 

Once this happens, you should stop giving your pup the recalled dog food.

You need to find another dog food with similar ingredients, but research first. 

You also need to monitor your dog for any symptoms of illness or discomfort.

Can Dog Treats Be Recalled?

Like dog food, treats can also be recalled.

For example, in 2022, several of Stromberg Food's dog treats were recalled because of a Salmonella threat.

They discovered the threat when multiple dogs treat samples tested positive for “potentially harmful bacteria”.

You should stop giving your pooch those recalled dog treats when this happens and consider safer brands. 

Getting your pup sick with recalled dog treat brands is the last thing you want.

Dog Food Recalls – Conclusion

While dog food recalls can be scary, it's an effective way to ensure your pup has quality, safe dog food. 

Hopefully, you feel we did our part in showing you that this happens all the time. And not just the brands that made it on the list!

Even though a company's voluntary dog food recall improves its production, it pays to be extra careful with the food or treats you give to your pup.

Make this list your guide and do additional research before buying new dog food for your pup. 

After all, your dog deserves nothing, but the best and safest dog food there is!

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