A UK dog food brand has issued a voluntary product recall after reports emerged that some pets had suffered damage to their eyes. Years, a high-end dog food delivery service, warned customers to stop feeding its fresh meals to their dogs "immediately" after receiving dozens of complaints about eyesight problems.
192 Complaints Received
By Wednesday morning, Years said it had received 192 reports of "potential, yet unverified, eye issues" out of approximately 40,000 customers. The complaints began with 57 reports received by Sunday, with some customers saying their dogs had partially lost their sight.
The eye issue, called keratoconjunctivitis sicca or KCS, occurs when dogs are unable to produce tears, making their eyes very sore. If not treated in a timely manner, it can lead to severe eye problems and blindness in dogs.
Buckwheat Ingredient Under Investigation
The brand sent emails to customers on Monday night saying it had identified a "potential link" between its buckwheat ingredient and the dry eye condition. Years added buckwheat as an ingredient to its meals several months ago.
A spokesperson for Years said an investigation "has identified buckwheat as a potential contributing factor, and that includes investigating potential contamination within the buckwheat supply."
Company Response and Customer Groups
When approached by The Guardian, the business said: "The picture is mixed. Some [ophthalmologists] report dogs responding well to treatment … others have seen limited or slower responses."
The spokesperson added: "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."
A Facebook group called Years Dry Eye Cases was set up on Friday, and a separate group was established to explore "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 shared on Facebook that their pet developed sudden-onset dry eye during periods when they were being fed Years meals.
The spokesperson also said the Facebook group "is not verified customers and will contain those with issues, those without, and those looking at it". Years' "personalised" meals are delivered to dog owners, with products also available in retailers such as Pets at Home. The Daily Express has contacted Years for comment.
