NUTRITION & DIET

How to Check If Your Dog's Food Was Recalled

Last updated: September 21, 2026 · Written by Sam, Founder

An owner checking a dog food recall status

Search FDA's pet food recall list, then match the lot number, best-by date and UPC on your bag. FDA notes not every recall gets a press release.

Short answer: search the FDA’s Animal & Veterinary recalls list for your brand, then match the exact product name, lot number, best-by date and UPC on your bag or can against the notice. Recalls almost always cover specific lots, not a whole brand. The FDA itself says not all recalls have press releases or appear on its recalls page, so for a thorough check also search its weekly Enforcement Report.

Pet food recalls happen far more often than most owners realize — usually for contamination or nutrient-imbalance reasons — and because they rarely make major news, the most reliable way to know if your specific bag is affected is to check directly rather than wait to hear about it.

A person closely reading a pet food label — Recalls are almost always specific to a lot number and date, not a whole brand.

Where Should You Actually Check for Recalls?

FDA Animal & Veterinary Recalls & Withdrawals: the FDA’s own list of pet food, treat, supplement and animal drug recalls. It can be searched by brand name, product description, recall reason and company, and downloaded as a spreadsheet. This is the most authoritative place to start in the US.
FDA Recalls, Market Withdrawals & Safety Alerts: the agency-wide list built from company press releases. Filter it to “Animal & Veterinary” and use the sign-up link on the page to get recall alerts by email.
FDA Enforcement Report: published weekly, it includes all recalls monitored by FDA once they are classified, including ones that never got a press release. Filter by the Veterinary product type.
AVMA Recalls/Safety Alerts: the American Veterinary Medical Association keeps a searchable recalls and safety alerts page for animal foods and veterinary products, which is useful as a second check.
The manufacturer’s own website: most brands post recall notices directly, along with refund or replacement instructions and a customer phone line.
Your retailer: if you buy through an online account or autoship, check whether the retailer sends recall notices for past purchases.

FDA listings cover products sold in the US. If you live elsewhere, including India, check the manufacturer’s website or official social channels for your country and ask the retailer you bought from.

How Do You Check Your Bag, Step by Step?

Keep the original packaging. If you pour kibble into a storage bin, keep the bag or photograph the label first. The FDA specifically asks owners to save the original packaging until the food is used up.
Find the four identifiers in the table below.
Search the FDA recall list by brand name, then open any notice for your product.
Match every detail. A recall of one flavor, size or lot does not cover the others. In August 2026, for example, Northwest Naturals recalled only two lots of two frozen raw products, according to the FDA recall notice.
If nothing matches, you’re not affected, but it’s worth checking again in a few weeks, because recalls are sometimes expanded to more lots.

Label detail	What to compare	Why it matters
Product name and size	Exact recipe, flavor and bag or can size	One flavor or size can be recalled while others aren’t
Lot number	The letters and numbers exactly as printed	The FDA says it identifies the plant and production date
Best-by date	Date on the package	Notices often list lot and date together
UPC (barcode number)	The digits under the barcode	Confirms the exact product and package size

What Do Recall Classes Mean?

The FDA sorts recalls by risk, and the class appears in the Enforcement Report. According to the FDA’s recall definitions:

Class I: a reasonable probability that the product will cause serious health problems or death.
Class II: the product may cause temporary or medically reversible health problems, or the chance of serious harm is remote.
Class III: the product is not likely to cause health problems.
Market withdrawal: a minor problem the FDA wouldn’t take legal action over, which the company corrects or removes on its own.

Recalls can be started by the company, at the FDA’s request, or by FDA order.

What Are the Most Common Reasons for a Pet Food Recall?

Bacterial contamination, most often Salmonella or Listeria, particularly in raw and freeze-dried raw products. The August 2026 Northwest Naturals and Oma’s Pride recalls both involved frozen raw products. Our guide to raw dog food safety covers why.
Excess vitamin D from formulation errors. The FDA’s page on vitamin D toxicity in dogs lists recalls including Hill’s canned foods (2018–2019) and a Purina veterinary diet (2023), and notes signs such as vomiting, poor appetite, increased thirst and urination, drooling and weight loss.
Foreign material contamination, such as metal or plastic pieces. Fromm recalled canned dog food in August 2026 for possible metal contamination, and our Pedigree recall explainer walks through a similar case.
Too little of a nutrient. Low thiamine (vitamin B1) is a recurring problem in cat food; in March 2026 the FDA issued an advisory on several lots of Quest cat food with critically low or absent thiamine.

For the bigger picture of why these keep happening, see our analysis of the pattern behind 2026’s pet food recalls.

A pet parent reading a dog food label at home — Comparing the exact product and lot number against a recall notice matters most.

What Should You Do If Your Food Is Affected?

Stop feeding the product immediately, even if your dog seems fine — some recalled ingredients cause harm that isn’t immediately obvious. Contact the manufacturer using the information in the recall notice for a refund or replacement, and if your dog has shown any symptoms of illness, contact your vet and mention the recall specifically, since it can help guide diagnosis and treatment.

A few extra steps help:

Follow the notice’s instructions for returning or discarding the food, and don’t donate it or feed it to other animals.
For contamination recalls, protect yourself too. The FDA advises washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after handling raw pet food, and cleaning and disinfecting the surfaces and objects it touched, including bowls.
Photograph the label before you get rid of the package, in case you need it for a refund, your vet or a report.

How Do You Report a Problem With Dog Food?

If you think a food made your dog sick, even one that hasn’t been recalled, tell your vet and file a report through the FDA’s Safety Reporting Portal. The FDA asks for the exact product name, lot number, best-by date and UPC, plus your dog’s symptoms and vet records if you have them. Owner reports are part of how problems like the Quest thiamine issue come to light.

How Can You Stay Ahead of Future Recalls?

Signing up for email alerts directly from the FDA’s recall page, or from your specific pet food brand, is the most reliable way to hear about a recall quickly rather than after the fact. It’s also worth periodically checking recall pages even without a specific concern — a five-minute habit that can catch a problem well before it affects your pet. Knowing how to read a pet food label also makes it quicker to find the lot code and date when you need them.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace guidance from your veterinarian.

Sources

FDA — Animal & Veterinary Recalls & Withdrawals, content current as of September 2026
FDA — Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts, September 2026
FDA — Enforcement Reports, May 2024
FDA — Recalls Background and Definitions, March 2026
FDA — How to Report a Pet Food Complaint, July 2026
FDA — Vitamin D Toxicity in Dogs, August 2024
FDA — Advisory: Certain Lots of Quest Cat Food Pose Serious Health Risks Due to Extremely Low Levels of Thiamine, March 2026
FDA — Northwest Naturals Voluntarily Recalls Two Raw Pet Food Products, August 2026
FDA — Get the Facts! Raw Pet Food Diets Can Be Dangerous to You and Your Pet
FDA — Questions & Answers: FDA’s Work on Potential Causes of Non-Hereditary DCM in Dogs, August 2024

FAQ

How often do pet food recalls actually happen?

More often than most owners assume. The FDA's Animal & Veterinary recall list added five entries in just over three weeks between August 17 and September 8, 2026, covering raw and canned dog food, a cat milk replacer and a supplement. Checking periodically is worth the habit.

What should I do if my dog's food is recalled but my dog seems fine?

Stop feeding it and follow the recall notice for a refund, replacement or disposal even if your dog shows no symptoms. Some problems build up slowly; the FDA notes that illness from excess vitamin D in food develops gradually. Call your vet if you notice vomiting, poor appetite, increased thirst or any other change.

Does the FDA announce every pet food recall?

No. The FDA says not all recalls have press releases or appear on its recalls page. Its weekly Enforcement Report includes all recalls the agency monitors once they are classified, so search it too, under the Veterinary product type, if you want a complete check.

Where do I find the lot number on dog food?

It is printed on the bag or can, often near the best-by date, and can look like a short string of letters and numbers. The recall notice usually shows or describes where it is. The FDA calls the lot number very important because it identifies the plant and production date.

Are grain-free or raw diets more likely to be recalled?

Raw diets carry a built-in pathogen risk because they aren't cooked, and FDA testing of 196 raw pet food samples found 15 positive for Salmonella and 32 for Listeria. Grain-free food is not recalled for being grain-free; the FDA's dilated cardiomyopathy investigation did not lead to recalls, and the agency says it has no definitive information that those diets are inherently unsafe.

How do I report a dog food that made my dog sick?

Report it to the FDA through its online Safety Reporting Portal, and tell your vet. Include the exact product name, lot number, best-by date and UPC, and keep the original packaging and any leftover food.