United Pet Group Recalls Multiple Brands of Rawhide Chews

June 10, 2017 — United Pet Group, a division of Spectrum Brands, Inc., is voluntarily recalling multiple brands of rawhide dog chew products due to chemical contamination.

What’s Recalled?

Click the links below for complete lot identification information and associated product images for each recalled item.

American Beefhide

Digest-eeze

Healthy Hide Chews

Good-n-Fun Chews

What Caused the Recall?

The recall was initiated after United Pet Group realized that specific rawhide chew manufacturing facilities in Mexico and Colombia, as well as one of its suppliers in Brazil, were using a quaternary ammonium compound mixture as a processing aid in the manufacturing of rawhide chews.

The compound is an anti-microbial chemical that is approved for cleaning food processing equipment. But it has not been approved in the U.S. as a processing aid in the production of rawhide chews for dogs.

United Pet Group received very limited reports of pet illness based on the volume of possibly affected rawhide chew products manufactured and distributed.

The primary complaint received from consumers was that the affected product had an unpleasant odor. Diarrhea and vomiting were also reported.

Exposure to quaternary ammonium compounds through direct ingestion may cause the following symptoms in dogs: reduced appetite, and gastric irritation including diarrhea and vomiting.

These symptoms may require treatment by a veterinarian depending on severity.

Where Were the Products Sold?

The affected product was distributed nationwide from United Pet Group’s Edwardsville, Illinois, distribution facility and was delivered to consumers through various retail establishments including online outlets.

Expiration Dates

All of the dog chew products included in the voluntary recall identify an expiration date ranging from 06/01/2019 through 05/31/2020 located on the back of the package.

The products subject to the recall are described below.

American Beefhide

United Pet Group is recalling certain packages of dog chews with the American Beefhide brand on the label.

This recall is limited to dog chew products that contain rawhide.

Only products with lot codes listed on the back of the package that start with AH and which list expiration dates from 06/01/2019 through 05/31/2020 are affected by this recall.

This includes all package sizes and/or weights. The following contact information appears on the back of the package of the affected products:

Manufactured by:
Salix Animal Health, LLC
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Digest-eeze

United Pet Group is recalling certain packages of dog chews with the Digest-eeze brand on the label.

This recall is limited to dog chew products that contain rawhide.

Only products with lot codes listed on the back of the package that start with AH, AV, A, AI, AO, or AB, and which list expiration dates from 06/01/2019 through 05/31/2020 are affected by this recall.

This includes all package sizes and/or weights. The following contact information appears on the back of the package of the affected products:

Manufactured by:
Salix Animal Health, LLC
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Healthy Hide

United Pet Group is recalling certain packages of dog chews with the Healthy Hide brand, Healthy Hide Good-n-Fit brand, and Healthy Hide Good-n-Fun brand on the label.

This recall is limited to dog chew products that contain rawhide.

Only products with lot codes listed on the back of the package that start with AH, AV, A, AI, AO, or AB and which list expiration dates from 06/01/2019 through 05/31/2020 are affected by this recall.

This includes all package sizes and/or weights. The following contact information appears on the back of the package of the affected products:

United Pet Group, a Division of Spectrum Brands, Inc.
3001 Commerce St. Blacksburg, VA 24060
800-645-5154

What to Do?

Consumers who have purchased the products described above are urged to dispose of the product or return it directly to United Pet Group or to the retail establishment where they initially purchased the product for full refund.

We take our responsibility to pets and their owners seriously and we are continuing to investigate the cause of this problem. We are implementing changes across the affected manufacturing facilities in order to prevent this problem from reoccurring in the future. United Pet Group is also working with retailers to ensure that the affected products are no longer sold and removed from inventory.

If you have these products, please contact the United Pet Group consumer affairs team at 1-855-215-4962 between the hours of 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM Eastern Standard Time for a refund.

Consumers with questions may call the consumer affairs team at the number listed above.

For press inquiries, please contact Meg Rowley at 985-237-9786, Monday through Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

This voluntary recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the Food and Drug Administration.

U.S. citizens can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.

Or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.

Canadians can report any health or safety incidents related to the use of this product by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form.

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