On Friday, February 16, 2018, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert for pet owners about potential pentobarbital contamination in canned dog food manufactured by The J.M. Smucker Company, including certain Gravy Train, Kibble 'N Bits, Ol' Roy, and Skippy products. The FDA is investigating potential contamination with the barbiturate pentobarbital, most commonly used in animals as a sedative, anesthetic, or for euthanasia.
Fast Facts from the FDA:
The FDA is alerting pet owners about potential pentobarbital contamination in certain canned dog foods manufactured by The J.M. Smucker Company.
After learning about positive pentobarbital results in certain cans of Gravy Train dog food, J.M. Smucker initiated a withdrawal of various canned dog food products from its Gravy Train, Kibbles 'N Bits, Ol' Roy, and Skippy brands.
The FDA's preliminary evaluation of the testing results of Gravy Train samples indicates that the low level of pentobarbital present in the withdrawn products is unlikely to pose a health risk to pets. However, pentobarbital should never be present in pet food and products containing any amount of pentobarbital are considered to be adulterated.
The FDA is monitoring for reports of any pet illnesses associated with pentobarbital contamination in these products. Consumers can report complaints about this and other pet food products electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal or by calling their local FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators.
Pet owners who think their pets may be ill from eating food contaminated with pentobarbital should contact their veterinarians.
Please see the FDA's alert for more details and updates.