Illinois Company Sold Dog Food Tainted With Euthanasia Drug: FDA

An Illinois-based pet food company is recalling some of its dog food after pentobarbital, a drug used to anesthetize or euthanize pets, was found in a lot sold in 15 states, including Illinois, last summer.

Evanger's Dog & Cat Food is recalling five lots of its its Hunk of Beef Au Jus dog food after the drug was found in a lot sold between June 6 and 13, 2016. Five dogs reportedly became ill after eating the food, and one died, the company said. Evanger's said the reports of illness stemmed for a single household.

The affected food was sold in stores and online in Washington, California, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, according to a notice on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website.

The euthanasia drug was found in a single lot, but Evanger's said it was recalling additional lots “out of an abundance of caution."

Affected lots numbers start with the following:

• 1816E03HB
• 1816E04HB
• 1816E06HB
• 1816E07HB
• 1816E13HB

All affected lots have an expiration date of June 2020, and the second half of the bar code — found on the back of the product label — reads 20109. The tainted food was sold in 12-ounce cans.

Evanger’s said suppliers of its meat products are USDA-approved, and beef chunks come from cows that are slaughtered at a USDA facility.

“We continue to investigate how this substance entered our raw material supply,” the company said.

Evanger's said the Hunk of Beef product required specific cuts of meat that were not used in any other products.

"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 in a statement. "Despite having a relationship for forty years with the supplier of this specific beef, who also services many other pet food companies, we have terminated our relationship with them and will no longer purchase their beef for use in our Hunk of Beef product."

Evanger’s said the recall is the first 82 years of manufacturing.

None of the product remains on store shelves, but consumers may still have cans of the affected dog food. Consumers who have some of the product with the affected lot numbers should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Questions may be directed to the company at (847) 537-0102 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time, Monday through Friday.

More on the recall can be found here.

Photo by Tony Alter via Flickr Commons

By Beth Dalbey (Patch Staff)/Shannon Antinori (Patch Staff) contributed