Hill’s Pet Nutrition Hit With Class Action Lawsuit After Dog’s Death

Hill’s Pet Nutrition and Hill’s Pet Nutrition Canada Inc. have been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging some of its canned Prescription Diet and Science Diet dog foods sold in Canada contained elevated amounts of vitamin D that could cause pets to become sick and potentially die.

The affected Hill’s Pet Nutrition products were recalled in January 2019. A list of the recalled canned dog food products is available here.

Class Action Lawsuit: Pet Owners Pay Premium for Hill’s Dog Food Products

Hill’s markets its Science Diet and Prescription Diet pet foods as specifically formulated for dogs with certain needs or health issues, such as age- or breed-specific dietary needs and issues related to the dog’s digestion or heart, liver or kidney function.

“The premium ingredients in these products are an important characteristic to consumers, including the Plaintiff and Class Members, and reflect the premium pricing for the Defendants’ products,” the Hill’s canned dog food class action lawsuit states.

According to the Hill’s dog food class action lawsuit, the defendants make representations about the quality of their pet food products and ingredients.

“We only accept ingredients from suppliers whose facilities meet stringent quality standards and who are approved by Hill’s,” the defendants claim. “Not only is each ingredient examined to ensure its safety, we also analyze each product’s ingredient profile for essential nutrients to ensure your pet gets the stringent, precise formulation they need.”

Hill’s allegedly represents that it conducts “final safety checks daily” to ensure the safety of every pet food product. The Hill’s dog food class action lawsuit says these representations are false, misleading and deceptive.

Hill’s Dog Food Recall

Hill’s Pet Nutrition announced a recall of certain canned Prescription Diet and Science Diet products Jan. 31, 2019, and extended the recall Feb. 7, 2019, to include additional products.

The Hill’s dog food recall was issued for products that contained elevated levels of vitamin D, which can cause serious health issues in dogs. Dogs that consume high levels of vitamin D over an extended period of time may exhibit symptoms including vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, weight loss and drooling. Eventually, consumption of high levels of vitamin D may lead to renal dysfunction or other serious health issues.

According to the Hill’s Pet Nutrition class action lawsuit, the dog food recall notice failed to adequately convey the danger associated with dogs consuming excess vitamin D. The recalled pet food products allegedly resulted in many dogs becoming sick and ultimately dying from consuming too much vitamin D.

Plaintiff Says Her Dog Died After Sickness Caused by Recalled Dog Food

Plaintiff Betty Ann Martin of Windsor, Ontario, says she fed Bailey, her Shih Tzu, Hill’s canned dog food products starting in February 2017. In December 2018, she says, she purchased eight cans of Science Diet Perfect Weight Chicken and Vegetable Entrée and four Adult Chicken and Barley Entrée pet food products.

Within about a week of consuming the Hill’s dog food products, Bailey allegedly began exhibiting “alarming symptoms,” including vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy, weakness and uncontrolled movements.

Bailey’s symptoms continued to worsen, and the dog was ultimately euthanized Jan. 2, 2019.

Martin became aware of the Hill’s canned dog food recall on Jan. 31, 2019, and discovered the Perfect Weight dog food she had been feeding Bailey was included in the recall.

Martin filed the Hill’s Pet Nutrition class action lawsuit on behalf of herself and a proposed Class of Canada residents who purchased the recalled canned dog food products.

The Hill’s canned dog food class action lawsuit seeks $40 million in damages, plus $2 million in exemplary, punitive and aggravated damages.

Dozens of Hill’s Canned Dog Food Class Action Lawsuits Filed in U.S.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition has also faced legal action in the United States over elevated vitamin D levels in some of its dog food products.

The company has been hit with dozens of canned dog food class action lawsuits accusing it of failing to use adequate quality control measures and being slow to act once it was evident dogs were becoming sick after consuming the affected products.

One woman filed a Hill’s Science Diet class action lawsuit after her dogs became sick from the recalled dog food products, ultimately causing her to euthanize one pet that was experiencing vitamin D toxicity symptoms.

Have you purchased canned dog food made by Hill’s Pet Nutrition? Does the canned dog food recall affect your decision to purchase the products in the future? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.

Martin is represented by Michael J. Peerless, Matthew D. Baer and Emily Assini of McKenzie Lake Lawyers LLP.

The Hill’s Canned Dog Food Class Action Lawsuit is Betty Ann Martin v. Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc., et al., in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

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