Pet Food

Pedigree Dog Food Recall: 185,184 Cans May Contain Sharp Metal and Plastic

By Tanya Vorobiova·Published August 19, 2026
Dog Food Recall

What Was Recalled?

If you have a 13.2 oz can of Pedigree High Protein Chopped Chicken & Duck Flavor marked with lot code 613C3KKCFC or 613C1KKCFC, stop feeding it to your dog. Mars Petcare US, Inc. announced the Pedigree dog food recall on July 2, 2026, and the cans may contain sharp pieces of metal and plastic.

Mars says both lots failed its own quality checks and were sent to a third-party vendor to be destroyed. The company later found the product appears to have been, in its words, fraudulently diverted and sold into the marketplace in the United States. Mars says it is working with authorities to determine how the cans reached consumers.

Mars Petcare US is the Franklin, Tennessee pet food arm of Mars, Incorporated, the family-owned company behind Pedigree, Cesar, Iams, Nutro, Greenies and Royal Canin.

Which Products Are Affected?

ProductSizeLot codes
Pedigree Can High Protein Chopped Chicken & Duck Flavor13.2 oz613C3KKCFC, 613C1KKCFC

Mars did not publish a UPC for the recall, and a UPC would not help — a barcode identifies the variety, not the lot, so recalled and unaffected cans of this flavor carry the same one. Cans of Pedigree High Protein in other flavors, sizes or formats are outside the recall, as is every other Pedigree line.

Why Was It Recalled?

Mars states that hard, sharp pieces of metal with plastic may be present in the food. Swallowed metal or plastic can choke a dog, cut the mouth, throat or digestive tract, or lodge in the gastrointestinal tract and cause a blockage. Blockages and internal lacerations are veterinary emergencies and can require surgery.

Mars reported no illnesses or injuries in dogs as of the announcement. If your dog ate food from either lot, Mars advises contacting your veterinarian — do that whether or not your dog currently seems unwell, since a swallowed fragment can take time to cause symptoms.

What Should Consumers Do?

  • Stop feeding the food immediately if the can carries either lot code, and keep it away from any pet that could reach it.
  • Do not throw the can away yet. You need it to get a replacement, and you need it as evidence if your dog gets sick.
  • Call Pedigree Consumer Care at 1-800-525-5273 to request a replacement. Lines are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central, and Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Central.
  • Call your veterinarian if your dog ate any of the recalled food, and tell them what the cans may have contained.
  • Seek emergency veterinary care if your dog is vomiting, retching, drooling, refusing food, straining or unable to pass stool, bleeding from the mouth, or showing abdominal pain.

How to Get a Pedigree Dog Food Recall Replacement

The only remedy Mars announced is a replacement product, obtained by calling Pedigree Consumer Care at 1-800-525-5273. Mars’s notice sets out no claim form, portal, or deadline — the phone call is the entire process.

Have the can in front of you when you call. Consumer Care will want the lot code, and it helps to have the number of cans you bought, the date, and where you bought them. A receipt is not mentioned as a requirement, though keeping one costs nothing.

Can I Get Cash Instead?

No cash remedy has been announced. You can ask Consumer Care for a refund when you call, and the company can choose to issue one, but nothing in the notice obligates it to.

The store you bought from is the more realistic route, since a retailer’s own return policy can produce cash or store credit faster than a replacement shipment. Some will decline returns on product they cannot confirm they sold, which is a live possibility given how these cans reached the market.

Where Was It Sold?

Nobody has published a retailer list, and that is the unusual part of this recall. Mars and the FDA say only that the product was sold in the United States. Because the cans were diverted rather than distributed through Mars’s normal channels, the company does not appear to know every place they ended up.

With most recalls you can rule yourself out by remembering where you shopped. Here you cannot — checking the lot code on the can is the only reliable test.

How to Identify the Recalled Product

The lot code is printed on the bottom of the can, not on the paper label or the lid. Turn the can over and look for a string of letters and numbers on the base.

You are looking for an exact match to 613C3KKCFC or 613C1KKCFC. Codes are often faint or partly smudged on canned goods, so use good light, and if you cannot read yours clearly, call Consumer Care rather than guessing.

What If My Dog Was Injured?

Telling the veterinary team about the metal and plastic can prompt imaging they would not otherwise order for a dog with vague abdominal symptoms.

Neither a replacement can nor a store refund is compensation. Neither covers diagnostics, surgery, medication, or emergency fees, and accepting either settles nothing.

Keep the can and any remaining food sealed in a bag, keep the packaging with the lot code intact, photograph the can bottom, and hold onto receipts and every veterinary invoice and record.

Pet owners in this position do have legal options, and pursuing one is a separate decision from treatment. This page does not recommend any firm.

How to Report an Incident

Report problems with pet food to the FDA through its How to Report a Pet Food Complaint page, which routes consumers to the Safety Reporting Portal. Reports can be filed as a guest without giving your name.

Have the lot code and, if possible, unopened product on hand — the FDA says the lot number and use-by date are the most important details for following up on a complaint, and the agency may ask to collect the food or a diagnostic sample.

If you cannot use the portal, call 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) and follow the prompts. The state-by-state consumer complaint coordinator phone numbers that many recall pages still list have been retired and no longer work.

Ask your veterinarian to file a report as well. Reports from a clinician carry diagnostic detail that a pet owner’s report usually cannot.

Official Recall Information

This is a company announcement that the FDA published as a public service, not an FDA-initiated action, and the announcement page carries no hazard classification. The FDA page carries no termination notice, so the recall remains open.

The unit count is the one figure worth a second look. The FDA announcement gives no quantity at all; the 185,184-can total comes from Mars’s own consumer update page. Pet food watchdog Truth About Pet Food reported in July that the FDA’s enforcement report record for the recall lists the product quantity as unknown, which is unusual for a food recall record.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Pedigree dog food is recalled in 2026? The July 2026 recall covers only Pedigree Can High Protein Chopped Chicken & Duck Flavor in the 13.2 oz size, and only two lots: 613C3KKCFC and 613C1KKCFC. Mars says every other Pedigree and Mars Petcare product is unaffected.

Where is the lot code on the can? On the bottom of the can, not on the paper label. It must match one of the two recalled codes exactly.

Is there a Pedigree dog food recall refund? Mars announced replacement product, not a refund, and directs consumers to Pedigree Consumer Care at 1-800-525-5273. You can ask for a refund on that call or try the store you bought from, but no refund program has been announced.

What stores sold the recalled cans? No retailer list exists. The cans were sold outside Mars’s authorized distribution after being sent for destruction, so where you shopped tells you nothing — only the lot code does.

My dog ate the recalled food. What should I do? Call your veterinarian and mention the metal and plastic hazard, even if your dog seems fine. Seek emergency care for vomiting, drooling, refusal to eat, straining to pass stool, mouth bleeding, or abdominal pain.

Should I throw the cans out? Not before you contact Pedigree Consumer Care, which needs the lot code, and not if your dog became ill — the can and its contents are your evidence.

About This Page

RecallRefunds.com is a consumer information site. We are not a recall administrator, a law firm, a government agency, or Mars Petcare. This page summarizes a public product recall and is general information, not legal or veterinary advice. If you’re unsure whether your product is affected, check the lot code against the official notice linked below.