SILVER SPRING, Md. (NewsNation Now) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recalled pet food products which led to at least 28 deaths and eight illnesses in dogs that ate the recalled product.

The recalled lots of food contain “potentially fatal levels of aflatoxin.” It’s a toxin produced by mold grown on corn and other grains.

Symptoms in pets can include:

• Sluggishness
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting
• Jaundice (yellowish tint to the eyes or gums due to liver damage)
• Diarrhea
• In some cases, pets may suffer liver damage but not show any symptoms

The FDA alert said the case counts and scope of the recall may expand.

According to the FDA, pet owners should stop feeding their pets the food and consult their veterinarian, especially if the pet is showing signs of illness.

“Although this pet food recall is still unfolding, we are sharing the facts we have so far because the levels of aflatoxin found in the recalled pet food are potentially fatal. We are working quickly on this developing situation and will continue to update the public as new information becomes available. This is in service of FDA’s mission to protect human and animal health,” Amber McCoig, D.V.M., M.P.H., deputy director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Division of Compliance said in a statement.

The list of dry pet food products to be recalled by Midwestern Pet Food, Inc. on December 30, 2020 is:

 

Lot code information may be found on the back of bag and will appear in a three-line code, with the top line in format “EXP 03/03/22/05/L#/B###/HH:MM” | Courtesy: FDA

The affected products were distributed to online retailers and stores nationwide within the United States, the FDA said.

There is no evidence to suggest that pet owners who handle products containing aflatoxin are at risk of aflatoxin poisoning. However, pet owners should always wash their hands after handling pet food, the FDA said.

Pet owners can report suspected cases to the FDA.