Humans may take vitamin D supplements, but too much vitamin D can kill a dog. The complaint for this class action alleges that Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. allowed toxic levels of vitamin D in its dog food, sickening and even causing the death of dogs that ate it.
The class for this action is all persons in California who bought Hill’s Prescription Diet and Hill’s Science Diet dog food with elevated levels of vitamin D, at any time between February 14, 2015 and the present.
Hill’s presents itself as a careful and scientifically-minded pet food maker, the complaint says, not only with its food names (such as Prescription Diet and Science Diet), but also with statements like, “Every transformation starts with science” and “[O]ur decades of science and research guide us in making food with the precise blend of taste and nutrition your pet needs…”
The complaint lists a number of claims made of the company’s website, including the following:
- That it has “[s]afety standards you can trust. Our quality and safety standards are so rigorous, they’re modeled after human food manufacturers…”
- That it examines all ingredients to make sure they’re safe.
- That it makes “final safety checks daily on every Hill’s pet food product to help ensure the safety of your pet’s food.”
- That “all finished products are physically inspected and tested for key nutrients prior to release to help ensure your pet gets a consistent product bag to bag.”
Plaintiff Jun Virginia Sun-Dampier had a Pekingese dog called Garfield. She fed Garfield Hill’s Prescription Diet dog food under recommendation from his vet when Garfield had bloat. In September 2018, she bought Digestive Care Dog Food—Chicken & Vegetable Stew, which she fed to Garfield. In early December, she bought Digestive Care Dog Food—Low Fat Chicken & Vegetable Stew, which she also fed to him.
Later in the month, the complaint says, Garfield underwent a drastic change. He became sick, with a loss of appetite, lethargy, and vomiting. He died on the night of December 22-23.
The complaint says that the company had received complaints as early as February of that year of dogs with symptoms like those of vitamin D poisoning. Many more complaints appeared online. On December 3, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about potentially lethal levels of vitamin D in several pet food brands.
However, Hill’s did not issue a recall at that time. Despite its claims of rigorous safety checks of its ingredients and products, it did not do so until January 31, 2019, and the complaint says it has expanded its list of tainted products since then.
The complaint alleges gross negligence, breaches of warranties, and violations of California consumer laws, among other things.
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Consumer
Most Recent Case Event
Hill’s Dog Food Toxic Levels of Vitamin D California Complaint
February 14, 2019
Humans may take vitamin D supplements, but too much vitamin D can kill a dog. The complaint for this class action alleges that Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. allowed toxic levels of vitamin D in its dog food, sickening and even causing the death of dogs that ate it.
hills_pet_nutrition_vitamin_d_compl.pdfCase Event History
Hill’s Dog Food Toxic Levels of Vitamin D California Complaint
February 14, 2019
Humans may take vitamin D supplements, but too much vitamin D can kill a dog. The complaint for this class action alleges that Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. allowed toxic levels of vitamin D in its dog food, sickening and even causing the death of dogs that ate it.
hills_pet_nutrition_vitamin_d_compl.pdf