All dry dog- and cat-food products manufactured under the Vets Choice and Royal Canin brands in South Africa have been recalled, manufacturer Royal Canin South Africa said on Monday.
”It appears from tests carried out since April 10, both in South Africa and overseas, that a batch of raw material received by Royal Canin SA from a third-party supplier may have been contaminated,” Royal Canin SA’s MD, Gregory Watine, said in a statement.
”Tests are continuing in order to determine the precise contaminant. The results are expected by the end of the week,” he said.
Only products manufactured between March 8 and April 11 will be recalled, said Watine.
He urged pet owners to check the date of manufacture and country of origin on all Royal Canin products and return the recalled products to the vet where it was bought.
”We are continuing to work closely with the South African Veterinary Association [Sava] and the relevant authorities to resolve this matter as soon as possible,” Watine said.
Last week, Sava and Royal Canin SA said there had been 19 confirmed cases — in Johannesburg and Cape Town — of dogs presenting with acute renal failure.
”Although at this stage the cause is not known, it appears that all the dogs were being fed Vets Choice pet food,” they said in a statement.
Royal Canin had also decided to suspend all sales of Vets Choice. Vets were asked to advise clients to stop feeding Vets Choice products to their pets until further notice.
Also last week, News24 reported that Hill’s Pet Nutrition had warned cat owners not to use any of its Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food, which the company said should be returned for a replacement or a refund.
The product was recalled in the United States after reportedly hundreds of cats died from renal failure after eating contaminated food.
Recently, Woolworths had to recall all its dry dog and cat food due to contamination of certain products. — Sapa