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Where Can I Get Dog Food Recall Alerts? (2024 Guide)

Cassidy Sutton

By Cassidy Sutton

a white fluffy pomeranian dog not eating the food

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Dr. Paola Cuevas

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The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

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Pet owners everywhere understand the fear of a food recall. Your heart pounds, you start to sweat, and you imagine the unthinkable. Hastily, you grab your phone and research the brand, praying your dog’s food isn’t on the chopping block. Dog food recalls happen all the time, and it could also happen to your dog’s food brand.

Keeping your dog safe from recalls isn’t easy. The only way would be to make your dog’s food from scratch daily. That isn’t practical for everyone. But you want to avoid food recalls as much as possible. So, what do you do?

A good first step is receiving recall alerts. By receiving recall alerts, you’re informed immediately of any dog foods or treats that should be thrown away as soon as possible. This post explains how to sign up for the alerts, what to do during a recall, and so you can have peace of mind.

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Dog Food Recalls For 2024

DATE BRAND PRODUCT
July 14th, 2022 Stormberg Foods, LLC Multiple Brands
July 6th, 2022 Primal Dog Food Raw Frozen Primal Patties
June 18th, 2022 Freshpet Inc Freshpet Select Fresh Chicken Recipe
February 18th, 2022 Family Dollar Inc. Multiple Brands

Three Types of Food Recalls

dry dog food in bowl
Image Credit: 279photo Studio, Shutterstock

No one wants their pet to get sick, but sometimes products must be removed from shelves to keep your pet safe.

The recall process begins when the FDA learns about a product that may cause danger to the pet. This could be for several reasons, like toxicity, contamination, or a mistake in labeling. In any case, the FDA monitors everything closely and checks with the company if the recall helped.

The FDA splits these recalls into three different types:
  • Class III: The product is unlikely to cause injury or illness but violates FDA regulations.
  • Class II: The product might cause serious injury or illness
  • Class I: The product can cause serious injury or illness and may be fatal.

Pet food companies often willingly issue a recall on their products just to be safe, and sometimes extend the recall to include other products. Other times, the FDA must step in and take over. Either way, the FDA classifies the situation in one of three of these categories.

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Where to Get Dog Food Recall Alerts

dry dog food in bowl and on wooden table
Image Credit: 279photo Studio, Shutterstock

Whenever a pet food manufacturer needs to issue a recall, they work with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take the product off the market as soon as possible. The pet food manufacturer can choose to issue the recall, or it can be done through the FDA.

There are three types of recalls that we’ll discuss in a minute. First, let’s talk about where you can receive information about your pet’s food.

Thankfully, several trustworthy sources will inform you of changes to your pet’s food. Here are five of our favorites.

1. Hepper’s Dog Food Recall Alerts Mailing List

Your pets are our priority, and food recalls are a serious concern. We keep close track of pet food product recalls and email our readers to alert them whenever this happens. By signing up to our list, you will be automatically notified in your email every time a dog food product has been recalled. Of course, this service is totally free!


2. Your Dog’s Food Company

Subscribing to your dog’s food company is a good idea to stay on top of any recipe changes. The pet food company should immediately send an email alerting you of the recall, regardless of who issues the recall. You can also follow the company on social media. Twitter is the best platform for alerts and quick updates.


3. AVMA

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) keeps track of any recalls related to pet products and reports this information once the recall has been confirmed. You can check their website or follow @AVMARecallWatch on Twitter.


4. FDA

The FDA is one of the first to know about a pet food recall. They immediately post information on their website once the recall is verified. They don’t send out emails, but you can follow the FDA on social for any updates. But it’s much faster to check the website.


5. Dog Food Advisor

Dog Food Advisor covers everything about dog food, from ingredients to manufacturing. You can subscribe to their dog food recall alerts, and you’ll be notified via email as soon as they know about a recall.

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What to Do if Your Dog’s Food Is Recalled

close up of black, yellow, and chocolate labrador retriever dogs
Image Credit: claire norman, Shutterstock

The first thing to do when your dog’s food is recalled is to stop feeding your dog the food. Research the pet food company and any FDA research to ensure it’s your dog’s brand that’s being recalled. If it is, keep an eye on your dog for any signs of toxicity and poisoning. It’s a good idea to contact your vet and explain the situation. Your veterinarian can instruct you further. But don’t throw the food away! Take the bag of food back to the store for a full refund. In the meantime, find another brand of pet food to nourish your pooch.

Most importantly, don’t panic! We understand that’s easier said than done. But we often make hasty decisions when we panic which leads to a worse outcome. So, relax and breathe until you get everything sorted out.

Some Dog Foods Are Recalled More Than Others

Here’s something many dog owners don’t realize: a lot of dog foods come from the same manufacturer. It makes financial sense for a large manufacturing company to make several brands of dog foods instead of just one. Otherwise, there would be a pet food manufacturer on every block.

But this also means pet food contamination can spread to several brands. For safety reasons, manufacturers sometimes recall all brands they create, even though the defect lies with one product.

As of now, the most recalled food manufacturers include Diamond Pet Foods, Merrick, and Bravo.

Diamond Pet Foods – 8 Recalls

Diamond Pet Foods has six locations across the United States. Two facilities are in California, one in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and South Carolina.

Between April and May 2012, Diamond Pet Foods had seven recalls for Taste of the Wild, Natural Balance, and Kirkland Signature products. These products were at risk for Salmonella contamination.

Diamond Pet Foods had another recall for cat food in March of 2013 for low Thiamine levels.

Merrick Pet Care, Inc. – 7 Recalls

Merrick has only one manufacturing location in Texas and had six recalls between 2010 to 2011 for possible salmonella contamination in dog treats. Thankfully, no illnesses were reported.

Then in 2018, some beef-based dog treats were recalled for potentially elevated beef thyroid hormone.

Bravo – 7 Recalls

Bravo is a raw freeze-dried pet food company that’s had seven recalls between 2011 and 2015. All the recalls were issued because of possible salmonella and listeria contamination.

Dog Foods With Zero Recalls

a black dog eating nom nom at the counter

If you think your dog needs new dog food or something to switch back and forth from, try one of the brands below. These brands have never had a recall as of the day this post is published.

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Wrapping It Up

Pet food recalls are scary. We don’t want to believe it will happen to our pet’s food, but the truth is that it can happen to any brand of food.

Recalls don’t always mean your pet will get sick. Sometimes, it’s just the company taking precautions. If your pet did eat food with some form of poisoning or toxicity, don’t hesitate to call your veterinarian. Your vet can walk you through the steps of what to do next.


Featured Image Credit to Varvara Serebrova, Shutterstock

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