Dog food recalled after reports of pets losing their sight

Move by Years, which provides personalised meals in subscription-based service, follows recipe change

A dog food brand has recalled all of its fresh meals after reports that a recipe change may have caused some animals to develop an eye condition that, if left untreated, can lead to sight loss.

The brand Years said owners should stop feeding its fresh meals to their dogs “immediately” and also told them not to feed the meals to any other animal, or to donate or sell them.

In response to reports from some owners of pets not responding to treatment and in some cases losing their sight, Years told the Guardian: “The picture is mixed. Some [ophthalmologists] report dogs responding well to treatment … others have seen limited or slower responses.”

The firm runs a subscription-based service delivering “personalised” meals and its products are also available at some retailers including Pets at Home.

Years said that as of the early hours of Wednesday, it had had 192 customers report “potential, yet unverified, eye issues” out of roughly 40,000 customers. It previously said that as of Sunday it had “received 57 suspected cases” of the condition, known as sudden bilateral dry eye.

Dry eye in dogs – also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or KCS – occurs when a dog is unable to produce tears, making their eyes very sore. Bilateral means it affects both eyes.

The Royal Kennel Club says on its website that affected dogs may rub at their eyes, squint or be sensitive to light: “Their eyes may be inflamed and reddened, or the cornea may appear dry and dull. There is commonly a thick, mucusy discharge in or around the eye.

“If this condition is not treated early or is not managed effectively, it can lead to visual problems and blindness.”

A Facebook group called Years Dry Eye Cases and info that was set up on Friday had, by Wednesday morning, passed 2,100 members.

Another group has been set up to discuss potential “legal avenues for those that have been affected by dry eye with a potential link to the years.com recall”.

A number of dog owners have posted on the Facebook sites saying that their pet had developed sudden-onset dry eye during the time they were being fed Years meals, with many posting photos of their animals.

Some vet sites say the condition can require lifelong management.

Years said on its website that the recall followed reports of some dogs having a potential adverse eye reaction to buckwheat, an ingredient included in its meals.

Buckwheat was added to the company’s meals several months ago, and a now-deleted blogpost on its website dating from February this year explored the question of whether it was safe for dogs to eat it.

“In most cases, yes, buckwheat is safe for dogs to munch – provided it’s cooked properly and fed in sensible portions,” said the blogpost , adding: “Here at Years, we carefully calculate the right amount of buckwheat to include … ensuring your dog receives all the benefits without any risks.”

One dog owner who received the recall notice told the Guardian that their pet, a three-year-old shiba inu, had so far shown no symptoms, “but after eight months on this new food, I’m genuinely worried about whether eye problems are coming”.

The owner, who is 23 and based in London, said they had been a Years customer for two years. They said that on the Facebook group “new cases are being posted hourly”.

On its website, Years said that “as a precaution” it was issuing a voluntary recall of all Years fresh meals, adding: “This follows a small number of reports of dogs having a potential adverse eye reaction to buckwheat, a common and approved ingredient.”

All customers were switched to the new recipe containing buckwheat.

Years said that in late July it began receiving multiple reports of dogs experiencing sudden, bilateral dry eye. It added that on 1 August an independent vet and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons specialist advised that a link to Years foods was “unlikely” based on available data, but recommended that it investigate further.

It launched an investigation, including lab testing, engagement with ophthalmologists, a customer questionnaire and the appointment of two independent experts “to lead formal root cause and toxicology investigations”. It took the decision on Monday to voluntarily issue a full recall.

“The investigation has identified buckwheat as a potential contributing factor, and that includes investigating potential contamination within the buckwheat supply,” a spokesperson said. “Further independent laboratory testing is ongoing.

“Years has chosen to issue a voluntary recall as a precautionary measure, rather than any causation having been proven … There’s not conclusive evidence or [an] established link to Years, but we have looked into diverse factors and taken the voluntary recall based on multiple potential factors.”

The spokesperson said the Facebook group “is not verified customers and will contain those with issues, those without, and those looking at it”, adding that the buckwheat blogpost had been removed “to avoid customer confusion about the ingredient”.