Premium dog food brand issues recall after pets develop ‘extremely painful’ condition

Premium dog food brand issues recall after pets develop ‘extremely painful’ condition The company has urged dog owners to stop feeding the food to their pets immediately following reports of suspected eye conditions A premium pet food brand has issued a voluntary recall of its dog food after receiving numerous reports of suspected eye problems in dogs. Years, a subscription service providing fresh dog food tailored to individual pets' needs, contacted customers via email to reveal it had identified a "potential" link between its buckwheat ingredient and a dry eye condition. The company, which claims its fresh meals are prepared by chefs, urged owners to immediately stop feeding Years products to their pets, following reports of suspected dry eye cases. The company said on its website: "As a precaution, we're issuing a voluntary recall of all Years Fresh Meals (excluding Chef's Collection). "This follows a small number of reports of dogs having a potential adverse eye reaction to buckwheat, a common and approved ingredient, which we include in our meals. As of August 16, this has affected 0.1% of our customers. "We know for some, this will strike as overly cautious, but at Years, we will always put every dog's health and wellbeing first." "Your subscription is paused for six weeks, and we will be reformulating our recipes without buckwheat." In place of buckwheat, the brand will switch to quinoa, with subscribers set to receive a thank-you gift with their next delivery. Dog owners were strongly advised to stop feeding Years fresh meals "immediately", regardless of whether their pet is showing symptoms. The company also warned British customers against feeding the meals to other animals, or donating and selling them. The company confirmed it will arrange a free collection of any unused meals and issue a full credit to the pet owners' accounts for the order. Symptoms to watch out for include excessive blinking or squinting, thick discharge, and persistent pawing at the eyes. Dogs may also display signs of general discomfort around the eyes. Should any of these symptoms appear, contact your vet and mention this recall. The PDSA (People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals) states that dry eye is a lack of tear production. Their website states: “It’s an extremely painful condition that, left untreated, can lead to conjunctivitis, eye ulcers and in severe cases, permanent scarring, or even loss of an eye. In most cases, dry eye in dogs is immune-mediated, meaning that the body accidentally destroys its own tear glands. “The damage tends to be gradual over a period of months to years, so if the condition is diagnosed and treated early enough, it can usually be well-controlled with medication.” Anyone with queries can reach Yours via their website, email, WhatsApp, or SMS. Dog owners flocked to social media to voice their concerns, with one person writing on TikTok : "My cockapoo has been on Years since January. She was diagnosed with dry eye in May. I feel so guilty." Another said: "I'm appalled that they are only offering credit. I don't want my dog to eat this food anymore." A third commented: "I'm so upset for all the owners and dogs who have been affected. It's breaking my heart reading the Facebook comments."