Death Drug Allowed in Dog Food

ABC news and independent testing revealed pentobarbital in these brands sickened or killed dogs, causing FDA and CVM to update their pages!

Nel Liquorman, Investigative Reporter

August 19, 2026 update, first released June 2018

Problems in the dog food chain appear to be caused by lack of actions on the part of the food safety agencies! Recalls started for Evanger’s but then four other dog food brands also tested positive for pentobarbital. I provide a list of contaminated foods below but first, learn how this happened and be forewarned when selecting pet foods.

The death drug discovery set off a firestorm of updating and testing, complete with a dog food recall of 4 different brands where tests indicated a "presence of pentobarbital."

The Food and Drug Administration/Center for Veterinary Medicine indicated that they believed their decision in 2002 was correct: i:e: that their testing proved that it was safe to render food animals that had been put to death with pentobarbital and to make those rendered animals available as a dog food ingredient. *Euthanasia ^{{Ref #1}}

The FDA experts said that even "contaminated foods" would not contain enough of the poison in the food to cause harm to dogs. To intelligent dog owners, that decision seems like a really bad one!

Evanger’s pet food has filed a lawsuit against the company that supplied the meat which was apparently not beef but horse meat believed to be from animals euthanized (put to sleep with pentobarbital. See Evangers $20 million lawsuit below ^{{Ref #2}} against the meat supplier.

The FDA and Center For Veterinary Medicine changed its stance on the Pentobarbital issue without admitting they had approved a deadly dog food ingredient since 2002. FDA/CVM pages now state that “any detection of pentobarbital in pet food is a violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act –  See the new pentobarbitol statement. ^{{Ref #3}}

Apparently, the FDA/CVM group warned dog owners with this dog food announcement:

FDA Alerts Pet Owners About Potential Pentobarbital Contamination in Canned Dog Food Manufactured by The J.M. Smucker Company, Including Certain Gravy Train, Kibbles ‘N Bits, Ol’ Roy, and Skippy Products.^{{Ref #4}}

www.TheDogPress.com hopes that all dog food containing pentobarbital has been removed from shelves and warehouses and that bringing this problem to your attention will protect your dog.

Problems in dog food brands may have stemmed from negligence or even warped criminal activity. The FDA/CVM is on it and www.TheDogPlace.org is also warning dog owners of the pentobarbital-tainted rendered animals in the J. M. Smucker’s brands - but we have no way of knowing how many other brands of dog food may be affected or if this could happen again!

Our advice: any time you open a new can or bag of dog food, pay more attention to your dog that day and note any signs of digestive upset.

AI UPDATE INFORMATION AUGUST 2026
When measuring dog food by the sheer volume (total pounds) of product recalled, J.M. Smucker Co. holds the top spot with over 92 million pounds of pet food affected. Massive recalls involved brands like Kibbles 'n Bits, Gravy Train, Rachael Ray Nutrish, and Nature's Recipe. Other companies like Blue Buffalo and Sunshine Mills have also logged recall incidents. While most pet foods are safe, none are as reliable or healthy for your dog as meaty "table scraps."

Best advice: DO add appropriate "table scraps" to your dog's diet and pay attention to your pets (including cats and birds) any time you use a new can or bag of pet food.

TheDogPress.com EST 2002 © 1806r20S07 https://www.thedogpress.com/dogfood/death-drug-allowed-in-dog-food-n18l06.asp

{1} Euthanasia Drugs In Food Supply  {2} Evanger's $20 Million Lawsuit  {3} FDA/CVM Event  {4} Recalled Food List

SSI

Deadly Dog Food

Raw Meat Debate

SSI

Advertising     Mission Statement     Privacy