U.K. subscription dog food brand recalls meals over eye-injury reports

A British fresh-food subscription service for dogs has voluntarily recalled nearly all of its meals after receiving 192 reports of potential eye problems in customers’ dogs, with the company investigating whether part of its buckwheat supply was contaminated.

Years, which says it serves roughly 40,000 customers across the U.K., pulled every fresh meal recipe except its premium Chef’s Collection line on Monday as a precaution while lab testing continues, according to a company notice posted to its website. The company said no causal link between its food and the reported illnesses has been established.

The reports involve a condition known as sudden bilateral dry eye, or keratoconjunctivitis sicca, in which a dog’s eyes abruptly stop producing enough tears. Left untreated, the condition can cause irritation, corneal ulcers and scarring that in severe cases leads to permanent vision loss, Fox Business reported.

Years said it began fielding complaints of the sudden eye condition in late July and had logged 57 suspected cases by Sunday, or about 0.1% of its customer base. An independent veterinarian who specializes in small-animal clinical nutrition initially told the company on Aug. 1 that a link to its food appeared unlikely, though the vet recommended further investigation. The company said case numbers kept climbing after that, along with pressure from customer advocacy groups and feedback from ophthalmologists, prompting the full recall.

Years’ affected recipes contained between 6.3% and 7.2% buckwheat. The company is now reformulating with quinoa in place of the grain and has paused all subscriptions for six weeks while it does so.

One customer affected by the recall, David Felton of Edgware in north London, said his 6-year-old dog, Cookie, developed eye problems in April after eating Years food for two and a half years. Mr. Felton, whose dog was initially misdiagnosed with a corneal abrasion before a specialist confirmed bilateral dry eye, told ITV News he had spent roughly 1,500 pounds on veterinary treatment so far. He said it never occurred to him the illness could be tied to the food because customers choose Years specifically for its higher-quality ingredients.

Years said it has notified the U.K. Food Standards Agency and Trading Standards, and it pledged to publish the results of its investigation once complete. As of Thursday, the company said it no longer needs to collect unused meals from customers, saying it has enough recovered product for its investigation and advising customers to dispose of unused trays. It is still offering affected customers a full account credit, plus a thank-you gift with their next delivery once subscriptions resume.

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca is most often linked to an autoimmune reaction that destroys a dog’s tear glands, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. Distemper, certain sulfonamide drugs, heredity and trauma are less frequent causes — meaning the reported cases alone don’t establish that the food is responsible.