A premium fresh dog food brand in the UK has pulled every one of its meals off the market after dozens of dogs developed a sudden and distressing eye condition, with early investigation pointing to a common ingredient most pet parents would never have thought to question.
Years, a subscription-based fresh dog food service known for chef-prepared meals tailored to individual dogs, issued a full voluntary recall of its Signature Meals on August 17, after identifying what it called a “potential link” between buckwheat, an ingredient used across its current recipes, and a sudden onset of bilateral dry eye in affected dogs.
What Triggered the Recall
The trouble first surfaced in late July, when Years began receiving multiple reports of dogs experiencing sudden dry eye in both eyes. The company initially consulted an independent veterinarian and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, who advised on August 1 that a link to Years’ food seemed unlikely based on the data available at the time, but still recommended further investigation.
Years didn’t stop there. It launched a full evidence-based probe involving UKAS-accredited independent laboratory testing of its meals, consultations with veterinary ophthalmologists, and detailed feedback collected directly from affected dog owners. As case numbers continued climbing and evidence around buckwheat grew, the company made the call to recall proactively rather than wait for lab confirmation.
As of August 16, Years said the reported cases had affected approximately 0.1% of its customer base, with 57 suspected cases of dry eye confirmed by Sunday that week. The company has roughly 40,000 customers in total.
What Pet Owners Need to Watch For
Years has been direct about the symptoms owners should look out for: redness, cloudiness or dullness in the eyes, excessive blinking or squinting, pawing at the eyes, thick discharge, and general discomfort around a dog’s eyes.
The company is urging every customer to stop feeding Years meals immediately, even if their dog currently shows no symptoms at all, and not to pass the food on to another animal, donate it, or sell it. Anyone noticing the listed symptoms has been advised to contact their vet promptly and mention the recall specifically.
Importantly, the recall applies only to Years’ puppy, adult, and senior fresh meals. The brand’s Breed Health+ supplements and treats are unaffected, since they don’t contain buckwheat.
One Owner’s Experience
The human side of this story has been hard to ignore. Jenny Baker, whose eight-year-old pug Peanut was affected, described watching his condition deteriorate rapidly after buckwheat entered his diet. Peanut ended up hospitalised overnight with corneal ulcers and was, at one point, unable to open his eyes. Baker has since spent an estimated £2,800 on veterinary bills and eye drops for his ongoing treatment.
Years has said it would welcome an open conversation with the wider veterinary and ophthalmology community, including potentially funding an independent study into how a widely used, approved ingredient like buckwheat could be connected to such significant discomfort in dogs.
What Happens Next
Subscriptions were automatically paused from the night of August 17 for an initial six weeks while Years reformulates its recipes, replacing buckwheat with quinoa, the ingredient its meals originally used before the recipe change. The company has committed to arranging free collection of any unused meals and applying full account credit for affected orders, while some customers have pushed for direct reimbursement of veterinary costs or refunds instead.
Years says the root-cause investigation is ongoing, involving an independent toxicologist and specialist analysis, and has committed to publishing further findings as they become available. At the time of writing, no definitive cause has been confirmed.
Why This Story Matters Beyond the UK
For pet parents everywhere, incidents like this are a useful reminder that even “premium” or vet-formulated pet food isn’t immune to unexpected ingredient reactions, and that transparency and rapid action from a brand can make a real difference when something does go wrong. As India’s own fresh and premium pet food segment continues expanding, cases like Years’ recall underline why rigorous ingredient testing, clear labelling, and responsive customer communication matter just as much as the marketing behind a “healthier” pet food promise.
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