# Certain Blue Buffalo Recalled; 16 dogs in 8 states sick (Too much Vitamin D)



## Ihave2 (Oct 18, 2009)

Blue Buffalo Co. Ltd. has recalled some of its dry dog food because it could contain too much vitamin D and may make dogs who eat it sick, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

So far, 36 cases have been reported nationwide where dogs showed signs of having high levels of the vitamin including lethargy, drinking an unusually high amount of water and frequent urination, the FDA said. All of the dogs' health improved with a change in food and none show any long-term health problems.
High levels of vitamin D in dogs can cause hypercalcemia, which is a serious and potentially fatal illness that affects organ function and can cause renal failure, coma and death in untreated cases, according to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Blue Buffalo CEO Bill Bishop said in a statement that the Connecticut company will reimburse any veterinary or testing expenses related to illness caused by the recalled products. He said an ingredient supplier made a "scheduling error" and produced a Vitamin D supplement just before making ingredients for the recalled dog food. Blue Buffalo said some of the vitamin may have made it into its products. "I am personally very upset about this and apologize for any discomfort or inconvenience that this situation has caused you or your pet family members," Bishop said.

The FDA said the supplier had made a product for another customer just before producing the ingredients for recalled production runs of dog food that had a more potent form of vitamin D used in chicken feeds.

Researchers at Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine linked 16 sick dogs in eight states -- Michigan, Texas, Colorado, Wisconsin, California, Illinois, North Dakota and Utah -- to the brand's Wilderness Chicken recipe after veterinarians sought tests from the university's Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health. All of those dogs had high levels of vitamin D in their blood and were fed the recalled dry dog food. 



The recalled dog food products are: 

Blue Wilderness Chicken Flavor in the 4.5-pound bag with use-by dates of: "JUL2611Z," "JUL2711Z" and "JUL2811Z." 

Blue Wilderness Chicken Flavor in the 11-pound bag with a use-by date of "JUL1211B." 

Blue Wilderness Chicken Flavor in the 24-pound bag with use-by dates of "JUL1211B" and "JUL1311B." 

Blue Basics Limited Ingredient Formula Salmon and Potato Recipe in the 11-pound bag with use-by dates of "AUG2111B" and "AUG2211B." 
Blue Basics Limited Ingredient Formula Salmon and Potato Recipe in the 24-pound bag with use-by dates of "AUG2111B," "SEP2311P" and "OCT2611P." 
Blue Life Protection Formula Natural Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Large Breed Adult dog food in the 30-pound bag with use-by dates of "SEP2211P," "SEP2311P" and "OCT2611P." 

Consumers who have the product should return it for a full refund to the place of purchase. Anyone with questions can call the company at (877) 523-9114 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.




See full article and comments from WalletPop: Blue Buffalo pet food recalled after dogs get sick


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## 17428 (Jul 10, 2009)

Wow this is scary and ticks me off.
You think you are doing the best for your dog with
a premium dog food to avoid these type issues.
Is this an american made dog food company??


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## Ihave2 (Oct 18, 2009)

In Wilton Connecticut is where it's made. This article says one vet's dog got sick.

[Quote from a 'comment' from this link]5.YesBiscuit wrote:
“Then it was revealed that their manufacturer had been adding rice protein - which was a suspect ingredient in the pet food recall - without their knowledge.”

PetConnection.com » Blue Buffalo dog food may be linked to serious illness


That's a scary error that was made. Blue Buffalo is sold at Petsmart and a few other places. I don't know if they use an outside source in manufacturing or it's done at their own plant.

I thought I'd seen BB listed on this site before but can't find it now. This site is excellent, imo. It lists the top 10, and others from zero scoop rating to five scoops, and you'll see where they've dropped Innova, Evo, etc. (There's a section on why they dropped them since they sold to P&G and standards are low.) That sidebar on the left, when you click one, you'll go to so many other links they offer, it's a great site!!


DOG SCOOP FOOD ANALYSIS
10 Best Dog Food Brands - Compare the Best Dog Food for your Fur Baby!


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## 17428 (Jul 10, 2009)

Thanks for the info above!
Luckily Dahlia`s made the top food list: 
Taste Of The Wild.


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## cherper (May 8, 2009)

I wouldn't touch that blue buffalo with a 10 foot pole!


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## Ihave2 (Oct 18, 2009)

Richard MacLean, vice president of business affairs, says one thing is certain: Test results thus far have shown nothing unusual about the product’s formulation; amounts of calcium and vitamin D, in particular, are within the company’s specifications and well below levels that might be considered toxic. 

The company’s focus has been on Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken Recipe, manufactured in April 2010 with a best-used-by date of July 2011. Vitamin D toxicity, or hypervitaminosis D, induces bone loss and abnormally high serum calcium levels, which could result in kidney stones and the calcification of organs like the heart and kidneys if left untreated.

PetConnection.com » Blue Buffalo dog food may be linked to serious illness


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## JennB (Aug 26, 2010)

Thanks for the heads up on the recall. Before we brought home our chi, Maya, we were only feeding our dobie and we were buying 40 pound bags, I believe, which I don't see listed here. So hopefully we are ok...now I've switched them both to Taste of the Wild. Hopefully we don't hear about any recalls from them!


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

I'm telling you guys, the ONLY 2 kibbles I would *EVER* feed again if I were forced to at gunpoint, would be those from Champion Pet Foods (Orijen, Acana), or Fromm. They are just about the ONLY 2 privately owned kibble manufactures, and that is a huge part of what makes them safe.


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