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Warning: These rawhide products could make your dog sick

The company behind several brands of rawhide pet products has issued a voluntary recall over concerns that they may contain an industrial cleaning product.

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- The company behind several brands of rawhide pet products has issued a voluntary recall over concerns that they may contain an industrial cleaning product.

United Pet Group, a division of Spectrum Brands, is recalling multiple brands of rawhide dog chew products that were sold to retail outlets and online in the United States.

The recall comes after the company found that facilities in Mexico, Columbia, and Brazil were using a "quaternary ammonium compound mixture" as a "processing aid" in the products' creation. That compound is an antimicrobial chemical that has been approved for cleaning equipment but not for processing the rawhide products themselves - at least not in the United States.

"We take our responsibility to pets and their owners seriously and we are continuing to investigate the cause of this problem," the company said in a statement. "We are implementing changes across the affected manufacturing facilities in order to prevent this problem from reoccurring in the future."

The company confirmed it has already received at least some reports of pet illness - though a limited number compared to the volume of the product in distribution. Those consumers who did have sick pets said they noticed an unpleasant odor. Some also reported that their dogs were vomiting and having diarrhea.

"Exposure to quaternary ammonium compounds through direct ingestion may cause the following symptoms in dogs: reduced appetite, and gastric irritation including diarrhea and vomiting," a company statement said. "These symptoms may require treatment by a veterinarian depending on severity."

The products all originate from the company's Edwardsville, Ill. distribution center but were distributed nationwide. They include:

Product BrandsProduct Names and Identifying Information
American Beefhide

United Pet Group is recalling certain packages of dog chews with the American Beefhide brand on the label.

This recall is limited to dog chew products that contain rawhide. Only products with lot codes listed on the back of the package that start with AH and which list expiration dates from 06/01/2019 through 05/31/2020 are affected by this recall. This includes all package sizes and/or weights. The following contact information appears on the back of the package of the affected products:

Manufactured by:
Salix Animal Health, LLC Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Digest-eeze

United Pet Group is recalling certain packages of dog chews with the Digest-eeze brand on the label.

This recall is limited to dog chew products that contain rawhide. Only products with lot codes listed on the back of the package that start with AH, AV, A, AI, AO, or AB, and which list expiration dates from 06/01/2019 through 05/31/2020 are affected by this recall. This includes all package sizes and/or weights. The following contact information appears on the back of the package of the affected products:

Manufactured by:
Salix Animal Health, LLC Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Healthy Hide (including Healthy Hide – Good -n- Fun and Healthy Hide – Good -n- Fit)United Pet Group is recalling certain packages of dog chews with the Healthy Hide brand, Healthy Hide Good-n-Fit brand, and Healthy Hide Good-n-Fun brand on the label.

The recall only applies to products with rawhide in them - and only those with lot codes beginning with AH, AV, A, AI, AO, or AB and which have expiration dates of 06/01/2019 through 05/31/2020.

Anyone with these products, or questions about them, can contact the United Pet Group consumer affairs team at 1-855-215-4962 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. EST for a refund.

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