How to check if your pet food is recalled

Keep the package information together

Start with the package of food you actually have. Find the product name, lot code and any date information printed on it. Keep the packaging, or take clear photos of the label and the area showing those details. If you moved the food into another container, look for the original bag or a photo before trying to identify it from memory.

A product name alone is not enough to match a recall notice. A recall notice names products, lot numbers and dates, so check the lot code on your package against the notice. Read each detail carefully instead of relying on a familiar package color or a similar product description.

Read the notice and match the package

Use the site’s recall notices to begin your search, and read the relevant FDA recall or withdrawal notice. Compare the notice with the package in front of you. Look at the full product description as well as the affected lot information.

If the printing is hard to read or the wording leaves you unsure, contact the company named in the notice. Have your package photos ready and ask for help matching the lot. Do not treat an incomplete match as an answer. Keep the notice available so you can refer to its exact instructions during the conversation.

Follow the notice’s instructions

Read what the notice says to do with the affected food and follow those directions. Keep the package details available while you work through the instructions. If someone else feeds your pet, share the notice and explain which package you are checking so everyone has the same information.

Contact your veterinarian with health concerns or questions about feeding your pet while you follow the notice. Describe what your pet ate and any changes you have observed. If your pet has an emergency, call your veterinarian or an emergency clinic. Talk to your veterinarian before starting, stopping or changing a medicine.

Report a food concern through the food route

For a pet food complaint, follow FDA’s pet food complaint instructions or contact an FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in your state. Keep your description focused on the food, package information and what you observed.

An animal drug report count is not a food recall notice. Reports do not prove cause, and counts depend on use and reporting. They cannot estimate risk or compare products. Use the recall notice and the package details to answer the specific question of whether your food matches the notice.