Premium pet food brand Years has issued a voluntary recall of its fresh dog meals after receiving reports of suspected eye problems in dogs. The company, which offers a subscription service for tailored fresh dog food, identified a potential link between its buckwheat ingredient and dry eye condition.
Recall details and customer impact
Years contacted customers via email and posted on its website, urging owners to stop feeding its products immediately. The recall covers all Years Fresh Meals, excluding Chef's Collection. As of August 16, the issue has affected 0.1% of its customers.
The company stated: "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."
Reformulation and compensation
Years will pause subscriptions for six weeks and reformulate its recipes without buckwheat, switching to quinoa. Subscribers will receive a thank-you gift with their next delivery. The company will arrange free collection of unused meals and issue a full credit to customers' accounts.
Dog owners are advised to stop feeding the meals immediately, regardless of whether their pet shows symptoms. The company also warned against feeding the meals to other animals, donating, or selling them.
Symptoms and veterinary advice
Symptoms to watch for include excessive blinking or squinting, thick discharge, and persistent pawing at the eyes. Dogs may also show general discomfort around the eyes. If any symptoms appear, owners should contact their vet and mention the recall.
The PDSA (People's Dispensary for Sick Animals) describes dry eye as a lack of tear production. Their website states: "It's an extremely painful condition that, left untreated, can lead to conjunctivitis, eye ulcers and in severe cases, permanent scarring, or even loss of an eye. In most cases, dry eye in dogs is immune-mediated, meaning that the body accidentally destroys its own tear glands."
Owners with queries can contact Years via their website, email, WhatsApp, or SMS. Social media saw dog owners expressing concern, with one TikTok user writing: "My cockapoo has been on Years since January. She was diagnosed with dry eye in May. I feel so guilty." Another commented: "I'm appalled that they are only offering credit. I don't want my dog to eat this food anymore."
