Evanger's Dog & Cat Food Officials Expand Recall Of Products Potentially Tainted With Euthanasia Drug

AUSTIN, TX — Officials at Evanger's Dog & Cat Food on Saturday announced a voluntary expansion of its earlier dog food recalls due to potential adulteration.

Exercised through an "abundance of caution," the voluntary recall was prompted over fears the products could potentially be adulterated with pentobarbital, a drug used to anesthetize or euthanize pets.

The move is an expansion of the company's earlier Feb. 3 recall of five production lots of Evanger’s Hunk of Beef canned dog food and its February 14th recall of one production lot of Against the Grain Pulled Beef canned dog food.

The latest recall covers all 12-ounce cans of the following hand-packed products, all manufactured between December 2015 and January 2017 bearing expiration dates between December 2019 through January 2021. Numbers listed below represent the second portion of the bar code for each product:

• Evanger’s Hunk of Beef: 20109
• Evanger’s Braised Beef: 20107
• Against the Grain Pulled Beef: 80001

Recalled products were sold online and through independent boutique pet stores nationwide.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration launched its invesitagation of Evanger's manufacturing facilities in early January after reports that dog had died and four other canines sickened following ingestion of tainted food in a can of Evanger's Hunk of Beef, Food Safety News reported.

FDA officials describe on their website symptoms associated with having eaten tainted product: "Oral exposure to pentobarbital can cause drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, nausea, nystagmus (eyes moving back and forth in a jerky manner), inability to stand, coma and death. Consumers who notice these symptoms in their pets should consult their veterinarian."

After lab testing was conducted on the dead dog, the presence of pentobarbital was found among the stomach contents, in the remaining food left in the can and in food from unopened cans of the same production lot of Hunk of Beef, according to Food Safety News. Additional lab testing by the FDA found pentobarbital in a can of Against the Grain Pulled Beef canned dog food, according to the report.

The FDA has since received ten additional complaints from consumers who believe their dogs have been adversely affected after eating Evanger's Hunk of Beef dog food, reporting symptoms consistent with possible pentobarbital poisoning, according to Food Safety News. Additionally, the FDA is following up on four other complaints, according to the report.

FDA officials continue to urge consumers to report problems with Evanger's products through their Safety Reporting Portal or by contacting a Consumer Complaint Coordinator. Additional information is available on the FDA web page, “How to Report a Pet Food Complaint."

According to information found on the company's website, Evanger’s Premium Dog and Cat Foods are available in more than 5,000 locations. Consumers can search locations where the products are sold in their area by inputting a city or zip code. Click here to find locations in your area selling the product, where they are also able to return the items for a full refund.

Consumers with concerns also can call Evanger's Pet Foods directly at (847) 537-0102.

>>> Read the full story at Food Safety News

Photo by Tony Alter via Flickr Commons