As pet guardians, it’s your duty to provide your dog with proper nutrition. Moreover, keeping an eye on your dog’s health is a critical aspect of your responsibilities. Even though it might be challenging at times, the crucial job of looking after your cherished pet starts by ensuring they receive the necessary nutrients they need for their everyday activities.
To narrow down your choices, here is the list of dog foods that has no history of recall since the beginning of their operations.
What Is A Dog Food Recall?
Recalls happen when a particular brand of dog foods is pulled out from the stores because it has caused illness in dogs. Dog food recall can happen from the initial efforts made by federal agencies or the manufacturers themselves.
FDA Issued Recall
The United States Food and Drug https://www.wellpet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Featured-Image-Kyoto-Subways.jpgistration is the government agency that supervises and makes sure of both pet and human food manufacturer’s health and safety procedures are effectively implemented. The FDA can either encourage the company or demand them to have a recall of the products. This type of recall usually happens when dog food brands did not test the food and the federal agencies found substances from the product that can be potentially harmful. A recall “demanded” by the FDA is usually issued when people and animals have experienced illness from the food while the request for recall happens when a potential substance was found but no illness was yet recorded.
Voluntary Recall
Pet food companies can issue their own voluntary recall. This type of recall is commonly a result of testing conducted within the dog food companies’ manufacturing facility. Voluntary food recalls results from mistakes that happen during dog food production, packing, and shipping. As the dog food brand identifies problems during the entire manufacturing process, they immediately issue a recall deliberately to prevent further issues. Unlike recalls that are issued by the government that connotes negative implications, voluntary dog food recalls projects the company in question as someone who cares for the welfare of the general consumers. [1]
Why Do Dog Foods Get Recalled?
The following factors can be one of the major reasons why dog food brands get recalled. The listed reasons may occur when the company does not have quality control and may be a great threat to your pet’s health.
Contamination
There are many different hazards when it comes to contamination. Dog foods can be contaminated with either bacteria or harmful chemicals. When pet foods have bacterial contamination, dog foods’ processing equipment is most likely contaminated with molds or other strains of bacteria. However, it may also happen during transportation and packaging. Chemical contamination, on the other hand, happens when pet foods come in touch with harmful chemicals during manufacturing. In most cases, chemical contaminations in dog foods are usually caused by melamine contamination and it can be very detrimental for your beloved pet.
Packaging Issues
Packaging problems can also be a great factor for a dog food recall. For some unavoidable instances, packages are opened during transportation and this causes the food to be exposed to moisture and other contaminants.
Foreign Materials
Foreign materials from the manufacturing facilities like metal, wood, and plastics can sometimes cause large-scale recalls as this may foreign materials can be ingested by pets. Upon ingestion, these materials may cause digestive tract issues that may cause your pup to undergo medical surgery.
Nutritional Problems
Dog food companies must conduct testing for them to ensure that the dog food contains balanced nutrients levels. This testing should be done as imbalances can have damaging effects on your pet’s health. There may be nutrient excess of nutrient deficits that may affect your dog in the long run which justifies the recalls of some specific dog food products.
15 Dry Dog Foods That Have Never Been Recalled
To answer the question, “which dog food has never been recalled?” let’s start with these 15 dry kibble brands with no history of a dog food recall.
1. Acana
Acana dog food is a dairy-free and grain-free dog food brand that has been around since 2001. This dog food has never been recalled since its first production spearheaded by the Canadian company, Champion Petfoods. This pet food provides calories from healthy fats and proteins instead of filler carbohydrates that most inexpensive dog foods use. The dog food provides nourishment to your dog with the highest dog food protein quality from local farmers and contains no meat by-products.
2. Annamaet Petfoods
This pet brand has never been recalled since its first operation in 1986. With holistic and natural preservation methods together with antibiotic-free ingredients, Annamaet Petfoods allows you to purchase food with high-quality and safe manufacturing procedures. It also offers a wide variety of dog food from wet food to dry dog food as well as foods that are size, activity level, and age-specific. Annamaet also considers your dog’s allergies with its grain-free diets.
3. Blackwood Slow Cooked Pet Nutrition
This brand prides itself on being up-to-date on the healthiest dog food option for dogs. Blackwood slow-cooked pet nutrition has never been recalled even with its 40 years in the pet food industry. Blackwood guarantees you their premium product that is based on intensive scientific research to make it suitable for a puppy, adult dog, to seniors. The method that they use for production is slow cooking, and the food is made in small batches, making it easy to conserve quality.
4. Canine Caviar
The Canine Caviar brand expanded from an alkaline-based diet to include single protein diets that are designed for dogs with allergies, digestive issues and helps in maintaining healthy skin. It started as the first alkaline dog food and develops to become one of the leading dog food brands that are made from wholesome ingredients and are free from allergens like wheat, dairy, corn, egg, and sweet potato.
5. Eagle Pack
This brand is known for providing dogs essential nutrients with all-natural ingredients. Eagle pack does not contain artificial preservatives and artificial flavors ensuring the best food for your dog. Although its manufacturing partner (Diamond) partner had recalls in the past, Eagle pack remains to be one of the best dog food with no recalls for the last 30 years.
6. Earthborn Holistic
This food brand offers grain-free formulations for dogs that have sensitive stomachs. The company experienced no recalls throughout its whole operation and uses renewable ingredients like the earthborn packaging recycling program.
7. Fromm
Fromm is a family-owned company that is already running for five generations. Since the birth of the company, Fromm hasn’t experienced any recalls. It consists of dry pet food, wet food, and canned dog food facility. It uses natural ingredients in food manufacturing that are sampled and lab-tested to ensure their fresh dog food products.
8. Holistic Select
This company operates under the concept that total body health begins with a healthy digestive system. Hence, they use natural ingredients together with supplements like digestive enzymes and probiotics.
9. Life’s Abundance
The dog food brand takes pride in the fact it is a recall-free company that takes care of the welfare of both dogs and pet parents. Life’s Abundance offers a wide range of foods like wet dog food, dry food, and treats. All the nutrients used are well-researched to ensure quality skin, shiny coat, and joint health.
10. Jinx
This brand offers different recipes of dry food, treats, and meal toppers, carefully formulated by a team of veterinary nutritionists. Jinx is a subscription-based kibble company that delivers dry kibble that is manufactured with clean and nutritious ingredients.
11. Nature’s Logic
It is known to produce high-quality kibble using minimally processed ingredients and offers a full line of kibble, canned, and raw food. If you’re like other dog lovers that wish to feed your dog with a raw diet, this dog food is a good choice for you.
12. Now Fresh By Petcurean
It is a grain-free food that combines well-balanced animal protein, vegetables, and fruits. It contains no artificial preservatives, meat by-products, and rendered meats. Now Fresh offers you a wholesome food for your dog that contains 100% market-fresh meats suitable for different life stages.
13. Verus
Since its first production in 1993, Verus pet foods has never had a recall and continuously grows to provide nutrient-dense foods for dogs and focuses on the dog’s holistic short and long-term health. It also aims to be as beneficial as actual homemade dog food to ensure your dog’s health.
14. Zignature
Zignature uses a single source of protein and limited ingredients that is highly appropriate for sensitive dogs that may be allergic to other ingredients. The company comes up with their recipe in a way that it mimics the quality of a raw diet.
15.ZiwiPeak
It is a family-owned business that is based in New Zealand that uses human-grade ingredients and premium quality animal protein sources from lambs, venison, and wild-caught mackerel. The company takes pride in its ethical meat sourcing, sustainable seafood harvesting, and exclusion of fillers and artificial binding agents.
4 Fresh Dog Foods That Have Never Been Recalled
Although it comes at a hefty price compared to kibbles, fresh dog foods are quite a trend due to their wholesome ingredients.
1. The Farmer’s Dog
This is an online pet food company that that is a fresh food delivery company. The company’s recipe is simple and is approved by veterinarians as they use human-grade meats and vegetables delivering the best food at your doorstep.
2. Ollie
This American company produces food that is tailored specifically for your puppy’s needs. Ollies choose human-grade ingredients like high-quality meats, vegetables and fruits, and superfoods like chia seeds to boost your pup’s nutrition.
3.NomNom
The company started in 2015 and since then, it hasn’t had any experience of recalls. Despite being new in the industry, it has properly taken care of its reputation in specializing in delivering fresh dog food for your dogs.
4. Pet Plate
Last on the list is the Pet Plate dog food company that is dedicated to bringing you fresh dog food that is made from human-grade ingredients. This fresh dog diet promises to keep your dog’s coat shinier, along with more energy and zero allergies.
What To Do If Your Dog Food Has Been Recalled?
The first thing you want to do when your dog’s food gets recalled is to take it right away from the access of your dog. The next thing to do is to sanitize certain surfaces and objects like counters, bowls, and measuring cups, as all of these have come into contact with the recalled food. Sanitizing surfaces and objects would ensure that any bacteria and other harmful particles are eliminated immediately and may no longer cause further contamination. Take note that some companies provide refunds when recalls occur so you should be calling the manufacturer for instructions on how to get these reimbursements. The company may ask you for the product number just to ensure that it is a part of the batch that was contaminated.
With regards to your concern about whether your dog will get ill or not after ingesting the recalled food, you may keep a small portion of the food in the freezer. The vet may confirm whether the food sample contains the contaminants that affected your dog’s health.
How To Ensure Your Dog’s Food Is Safe?
It is true that mistakes can happen during dog food production and as a responsible dog owner, it is on you whether you make sure that the food of your dog is safe. Hence, here are some tips you might want to consider to ensure that your dog’s kibble is safe for consumption.
Check For Broken Packaging
Broken seals or packaging can lead to exposure to moisture and bacterial contamination. Hence, before feeding it to your dog, make sure that the food packaging is not damaged in any way.
Inspect For Mushiness, Dampness, and Odor
You need to check the food’s texture whether it is damp or mushy. Dry dog foods that have this texture mean that there is excess moisture in the food of your dog, which can cause bacterial growth. In some instances, foul odor accompanies the mushy texture of the dry dog food, making it unsuitable for your pet.
Expiration Date
Always make sure that you are not feeding your dog with expired dog food as it can greatly affect your dog’s overall health. To ensure that the food of your dog is safe, always check the expiration date before giving it to your pup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the safest brands of dog food?
Some of the healthiest brands of dog food include the Farmer’s dog, Ollie, A Pup Above, Wellness Core Grain Free, and Canidae Pure. These brand may have the safest ingredients used for their production or has not experienced any recalls since the beginning of its production. You need to be very mindful of the brand that you give your pup as a tiny mistake can lead to a trip to the veterinary clinic.
What dog food brand has the most recalls?
Some of the dog food brands that have the most recalls include Blue Buffalo, Nature’s Variety, Iams, Stella and Chewy’s, Diamond dog food, Bravo, and Merricks. Although you do not have to fully stop feeding these brands to your dog, you still have to be very mindful of the food choice that you give to your pup.
What are the worst dog food brands?
Some of the worst dog food brands to give your dog include brands like Purina, Dog Chow, Iams, Cesar Filets, and Kibble ‘n Bits. These brands either have a recall history or are made from ingredients that are very low in quality and cannot provide your dog’s needed nutrients for the day.
Conclusion
The following brand listed above can come at a very hefty price. However, it is important to note that if you want the best nutrition for your dogs, you might want to invest in pricey foods that meet the nutritional standard rather than buying the cheapest pup food in the grocery that comes with very low-quality ingredients sources.
