Pet Food Manufacturer Is Offering To Pay For All Vet Costs Related To Food Recalls

Back in March, Advance Pet, a manufacturer of pet food in Australia, issued recalls for their Advance Dermocare foods when pups who had consumed the product developed megaesophagus. Now, the company is offering to pay for all veterinary and euthanasia bills for those affected.

Megaesophagus is a condition that occurs when the esophagus swells and becomes weaker. The digestive disorder causes difficulty in swallowing and keeping food down, and it often leads to aspiration pneumonia. Pups who survive must continue maintenance throughout their lives as there is no cure for the condition, and they must eat from a high chair known as a Bailey chair from then on.

The exact cause behind the megaesophagus in pups who ate these foods has yet to be found, but 74 different dogs contracted the illness after eating food from the Advance Dermocare line. This is not the first instance of this, as back in December 2017, 8 police dogs from Victoria developed the condition after eating from the same brand of food. This led to Melbourne University contacting vets all over the country to see if more dogs had been similarly affected.

Advance Pet released a statement offering to pay for all medical costs for affected dogs on their Facebook page, adding that they have already begun getting in touch with pup parents of affected animals. Australian pet food is unregulated, unlike in the United States where it is regulated under the FDA. No laws exist that require Advance Pet to cover medical costs, send out recalls, or even inform the public of the issue.

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