Rockford Dog Food Being Recalled

A dog food that is available here in Rockford is being recalled after a dog passed away. 

WGN TV is reporting that the dog food brand Evanger's has recalled its "Hunk Of Beef" brand dog food after they tested their food and found a substance that has taken the life of a Pug. This can be purchased either online or at specific retailers.

Taula the Pug ate the canned dog food on New Year's Eve.  She and two other Pugs became very ill and had to be taken to a pet hospital. When Taula reached the hospital, she was rushed to the intensive care unit where she died later. The other two dogs survived, but are still affected by the bad food.

The contaminant that was found in the food was called pentobarbital. According to the website drugs.com:

"Pentobarbital is in a group of drugs called barbiturates. Pentobarbital slows the activity of your brain and nervous system. Pentobarbital is used short-term to treat insomnia. Pentobarbital is also used as an emergency treatment for seizures, and to cause you to fall asleep for surgery."

The dog food maker is blaming the supplier of the specific beef for the problem. In a press release, they have since severed ties with the supplier. They also say that they only test for that specific drug in humans and had to find a special lab. There could be many reason why the drug was found in the food, but it is too early to speculate.

Here are the specific brands and numbers for the dog food:

"Although pentobarbital was detected in a single lot, Evangers is voluntarily recalling Hunk of Beef products that were manufactured the same week, with lot numbers that start with 1816E03HB, 1816E04HB, 1816E06HB, 1816E07HB, and 1816E13HB, and have an expiration date of June 2020. The second half of the barcode reads 20109, which can be found on the back of the product label."