Evanger’s Dog Food Recalled Again for Deadly Euthanizing Drug: Against The Grain Dog Food, An Evanger’s Owned Company

Another canned dog food made by Evanger’s was found contaminated with a deadly drug – a drug used to euthanize animals (most commonly pets). The recall is for an Evanger’s owned private label brand called Against the Grain canned dog food.

The FDA recall notice reads, in part, as follows:

Against the Grain Pet Food is recalling one lot of Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner for Dogs that was manufactured and distributed in 2015.

The 12 oz. Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner for Dogs that is being recalled, due to the presence of pentobarbital, has an expiration date of December 2019, a lot number of 2415E01ATB12, and the second half of the UPC code is 80001 (which can be found on the back of the product label).

Oral exposure to sodium pentobarbital (a drug used for euthanizing animals, usually pets) can cause serious and life-threatening side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, nausea nystagmus (eyes moving back and forth in a jerky manner), inability to stand, coma and death.

In 2015, this lot of product was distributed to independent pet retail stores in Washington and Maryland, though it has been verified that this lot is no longer on any store shelves.

Consumers may return any can with the aforementioned lot number, to their place of purchase and receive a full case of Against the Grain food for the inconvenience. For any questions, customers may contact Against the Grain at 1-800-288-6796 between 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM Central Time, Monday – Friday.

Curiously, when calling the Against the Grain’s number listed in the recall notice, the voice mail answers it as Evanger’s Dog and Cat Food company. See Against the Grain’s separate recall notice here.

UNKNOWN NUMBER OF OTHER BRANDS MADE BY EVANGER’S

While there is currently an estimated twenty other companies (separate from Evanger’s own brands and private label brands) that have their canned food manufactured at Evanger’s canning facility, the exact number and name of brands is unknown. And with Evanger’s own private label brands, such as its Against the Grain, (which is not listed anywhere on Evanger’s website) it is impossible to tell. Curiously, Against the Grain’s website also does not list the parent company, nor an address or phone number. Yet, oddly when you call the recall number provided in the recall notice (above) it answers as Evanger’s, leaving consumers to navigate an increasingly oblique landscape where parent companies are hidden and Evanger’s deliberately hides these other brands from view on their company product page.

FALSE AND MISLEADING CLAIMS ABOUND

It is interesting to note that, like Evanger’s, Against the Grain, also falsely labels their dog food as “human-grade” when clearly it cannot be. All foods manufactured at Evanger’s canning facility are by legal definition a pet food as the are manufactured in a pet food manufacturing facility. Evangers also makes this same false claim on their website, thereby misleading consumers into believing their products are of a higher quality when in fact they are not.

HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON, HOW LONG?

This recall follows on the heels of the Evanger’s first recall of a canned dog food that containing the same deadly drug, sodium pentobarbital, that injured four pugs, one of whom later died, following the ingestion of only a few ounces of Evanger’s Hunk of Beed canned dog food. Also revealing, is that Evanger’s first recalled dog food was manufactured in 2016, while this second recall is for a product that was manufactured in 2015, leading consumers to speculate just how long have things been going wrong at Evanger’s? And how many other brands made at Evanger’s canning facility will be caught with the same deadly drug in its food that was made from 2015 to 2016?

THE FDA WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU AND YOUR VET

Meanwhile, the FDA wants to hear from any consumers that have experienced adverse events with their pets after being fed Evanger’s brand pet food or Against the Grain’s pet food. Please save any remaining cans or packages for testing and contact the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in your area. And if a veterinarian was involved, please report the matter to the FDA as well.