Is my pet's food recalled? How to check your bag, and what to do next

How to check if your pet's food is recalled

The brand name alone won't tell you. A recall names specific products, so match the details on your bag.

1. Find the lot number on the bag or can. It's usually stamped near the best-by date.
2. Write down the best-by date, the UPC (the number under the barcode), the exact product name and the size.
3. Open the FDA's pet food Recalls and Withdrawals list and look for your brand.
4. Match your bag to everything the notice lists: product, size, and the lot codes or best-by date range. All match: your bag is recalled. One doesn't: that recall doesn't cover it.

Pour kibble into a bin? Keep the bag until the bin is empty. The lot number lives on the bag, not the bin.

Your bag is on the list: what to do

1. Stop feeding it now, and pick up any food left in the bowl.
2. Your pet already ate some? Call your vet, even if your pet seems fine.
3. Take a photo of the label: product name, lot number, best-by date and UPC.
4. Return it to the store for a refund, or throw it out where other animals can't get to it. Check the recall notice for the company's own instructions.
5. Wash the bowls and scoops with soap and hot water, and wash your hands after handling the food.

Sick pet or bad food: report it to the FDA

You don't need a recall to report a problem. If a food smelled off, looked wrong, had something in it, or your pet got sick after eating it, report it online through the FDA's Safety Reporting Portal.

Have these ready, the details the FDA asks for:

• The exact product name and the container (bag, can, pouch)
• Lot number, best-by date and UPC
• Where and when you bought it
• How you stored and served it
• What went wrong: The smell, the color, a foreign object, or your pet's symptoms

Keep the bag and any leftover food until you've reported it. The details on the package are what tie your report to one batch.

The 2007 melamine recall, in brief

One recall in March 2007 grew to more than 150 brands of dog and cat food.

It started when Menu Foods, a maker of canned and pouched food for many store brands, recalled about 100 brands of dog and cat food. The cause was melamine, an industrial chemical, in wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from China. Melamine with a related compound, cyanuric acid, formed crystals that damaged pets' kidneys.

Other companies that used the same ingredients recalled their own foods. One supplier, many labels. That's why you check the lot on your bag, not the name on the front.