BLACKSBURG, Va. — If your dog likes to gnaw on rawhide chews, you may want to double check the packaging. United Pet Group, a global manufacturer of pet supplies, is expanding their initial recall of rawhide dog chews after finding that a chemical used in the production process may sicken your pooch.
Last week, the pet supply company issued a recall for the American Beefhide, Digest-eeze, and Healthy Hide brands after it was found that factories in Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil used an anti-microbial chemical that can cause reduced appetite, diarrhea, and vomiting.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the quaternary ammonium compound is “approved for cleaning food processing equipment, but it has not been approved in the U.S. as a processing aid in the production of rawhide chews for dogs.”
The recall has since been expanded to include the following brands: Petco, Good Lovin’, Companion, Dentley’s, Essential Everyday, Exer-Hides, Hill Country Fare, Priority Pet, Enzadent, and Dentahex. The rawhide chews were sold at Petco, Walmart, and other pet retail stores throughout the U.S. To check the specifics of each product and find out if rawhide treats you’ve purchased are included in this recall, please visit the FDA’s website.
United Pet Group, a division of Spectrum Brands Inc., said they received “very limited reports” of dogs being sickened by the rawhide chews, including instances of diarrhea and vomiting, and that the biggest consumer complaint was related to the treats’ unpleasant odor.
“We take our responsibility to pets and their owners seriously and we are continuing to investigate the cause of this problem. We are implementing changes across the affected manufacturing facilities in order to prevent this problem from reoccurring in the future,” the company said in a statement.
Consumers are advised to throw out the rawhide chews, return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund, or call United Pet Group’s consumer affairs team at 1-855-215-4962.
