At a glance

  • Years has voluntarily recalled all Years Fresh Meals except the Chef's Collection.
  • The company says the recall is precautionary while reports of sudden bilateral dry eye are investigated.
  • As of 9 p.m. on August 18, 192 customers had reported potential, unverified eye issues.
  • Years says no causal link between its food and the reported condition has been established.
  • Customers are told to stop feeding the recalled meals, dispose of unused meals, and not donate or sell them.

UK dog food company Years has recalled all of its fresh meals except the Chef's Collection while it investigates reports of sudden bilateral dry eye in dogs. Years says customers should stop feeding the fresh meals immediately, whether or not their dog has symptoms, and should dispose of unused food rather than give, donate or sell it to anyone else.

The recall is real; the cause is not yet established. Years reported that 192 customers had submitted potential, unverified eye issues by 9 p.m. on August 18. That number is a count of customer reports, not a count of cases independently confirmed to have been caused by the food.

What is confirmed, and what is not

  • Confirmed: Years issued a voluntary recall covering all fresh meals except its Chef's Collection.
  • Confirmed: the company is investigating reports of sudden bilateral dry eye and says independent laboratory testing is continuing.
  • Confirmed: Years told the Food Standards Agency and Trading Standards before issuing the recall, according to its current notice.
  • Not established: that Years food caused any individual dog's eye condition.
  • Not established: that buckwheat itself is unsafe for dogs or that contamination has been found.
  • Not established: how many of the 192 reports will meet a verified clinical case definition after review.

Years says its investigation is focused on possible contamination in part of its buckwheat supply, rather than on buckwheat itself. It also says no definitive cause has been found. Independent testing is looking at meals and supplements for several potential hazards, but the company has not published final test results.

Healthy spaniel beside a water bowl while its owner makes a phone call in the background
Years tells customers to contact a veterinarian promptly if listed eye signs appear. This healthy dog is not a reported case.

What Years customers should do now

  • Stop feeding Years Fresh Meals, except the excluded Chef's Collection, even if your dog has no symptoms.
  • Dispose of unused recalled meals and do not feed them to another animal, donate them or sell them.
  • Watch for excessive blinking or squinting, repeated pawing at the eyes, thick discharge or discomfort around the eyes.
  • If those signs appear, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible and mention the Years recall.
  • Use the company's current recall page for account, refund and case reporting instructions because the investigation is still changing.

Years says customers without symptoms do not need a precautionary veterinary visit solely because their dog ate the food. That is the company's current guidance, not an assessment of any individual dog. An owner who is worried about a change in their dog's eyes should still call their own veterinarian.

Dog owner placing a plain sealed food pouch into a separate box while cleaning a dog bowl as a healthy spaniel waits
Separate recalled meals from ordinary pet food and follow the company's current disposal or return directions. The pouch is unbranded.

How the recall developed

Years says it began receiving multiple reports of sudden bilateral dry eye in late July. On August 1, an independent veterinarian and a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons specialist advised that a link to the food appeared unlikely on the information available, but recommended an investigation. The company says it then began laboratory testing, contacted ophthalmologists, sent a customer questionnaire and appointed outside experts for root cause and toxicology work.

By August 16, Years had recorded 57 suspected cases among roughly 40,000 customers during the year. It decided on August 17 to issue the full precautionary recall. By the following evening, the number of customer reports had risen to 192. Years updated its public recall page on August 20 and says it will publish verified findings when the investigation is complete.

Why the wording matters

Sudden bilateral dry eye describes a rapid drop in tear production in both eyes. The recall notice lists blinking, squinting, pawing, discharge and discomfort as signs to watch for. Those signs can have more than one possible explanation, and an online article cannot determine what is causing them in a particular dog.

Some news coverage has used the phrase 'linked to' when describing buckwheat or the Years meals. At this stage, that phrase can easily sound stronger than the evidence. The accurate position on August 23 is that reports and a possible supply chain factor are under investigation, the recall is precautionary, and causation has not been proven.

What happens next

Years says it is reformulating its meals by removing buckwheat and returning to quinoa while subscriptions remain paused for an initial six weeks. A reformulation does not by itself prove that buckwheat or any contaminant caused the reported cases; it is a risk management step taken during the investigation.

The company notice is the place most likely to change first. Owners should check it for updated product scope, support instructions and final findings rather than relying on an early social media post or an article that may not be revised.

Sources

How we reported this: Buddylio reviewed the named sources, checked the organizations and figures shown above, and added context for animal lovers. Any illustration is labeled and does not depict the actual animals or scene. The Years investigation was still open when this article was checked on August 23, 2026. Articles are editorial content, not veterinary advice.