A premium pet food company has issued a voluntary recall of its dog food following dozens of reports of suspected eye issues in canines. Years, a subscription-based service providing bespoke fresh dog food, emailed customers after identifying a "potential" link between its buckwheat ingredient and a dry eye condition.
Recall details and immediate action
The brand, which says its fresh meals are prepared by chefs, has instructed pet owners to immediately discontinue feeding Years products to their animals. The firm confirmed it had received multiple reports of suspected dry eye cases.
According to the company's website: "As a precaution, we're issuing a voluntary recall of all Years Fresh Meals (excluding Chef's Collection). This follows a small number of reports of dogs having a potential adverse eye reaction to buckwheat, a common and approved ingredient, which we include in our meals. As of August 16, this has affected 0.1% of our customers."
"We know for some, this will strike as overly cautious, but at Years, we will always put every dog's health and wellbeing first."
Reformulation and customer compensation
"Your subscription is paused for six weeks, and we will be reformulating our recipes without buckwheat." The brand will replace buckwheat with quinoa in its reformulated recipes, and customers will receive a thank-you gift in their next subscription box.
Years have advised dog owners to cease feeding their fresh meals "immediately", whether your pet is experiencing symptoms or not. The company has also urged Brits not to feed the meals to any other animal or to donate or sell them. They confirmed they'll arrange a free collection of any unused meals and provide a full credit to the pet owners' accounts for the order.
Symptoms to watch for
Signs to watch for include excessive blinking or squinting, thick discharge, and continuous pawing at the eyes. Dogs may also display signs of general discomfort around the eyes. If any of these signs are shown, contact your veterinarian and mention this recall. Anyone with any questions can contact Years on their website via email, WhatsApp or SMS.
Dog owners took to social media to share their thoughts, with one person writing on TikTok: "My cockapoo has been on Years since January. She was diagnosed with dry eye in May. I feel so guilty." Another said: "I'm appalled that they are only offering credit. I don't want my dog to eat this food anymore." A third commented: "I'm so upset for all the owners and dogs who have been affected. It's breaking my heart reading the Facebook comments."
