Meals for Mutts Recall & Issue Log
Key information
- The information on this website relates to suspected adverse reactions to a pet food or pet product.
- Information on suspected adverse reactions should not be interpreted as meaning the pet food or pet product is unsafe to use. Only a detailed evaluation and scientific assessment of all available data allows for robust conclusions to be drawn.
Logging an issue
- An issue may be logged using the form below and can be anonymous. Your email address will not be displayed publicly.
- Please use responsibility when entering information regarding a possible adverse reaction to a pet food or pet product. This information is to help consumers, retailers, and manufacturers correlate issues with a particular product.
- For more information refer to how to report an issue with a pet food or pet product.
About Meals for Mutts
Meals for Mutts is an Australian brand of pet food.
Meals for Meows is the cat food alternative.
In July 2023 my dog contracted the rare disease nasal aspergillosis. It is an invasive fungal infection. When I heard about the MFM recall, I felt like it was too big a coincidence that my dog contracted a fungal infection and that the food that she ate exclusively was recalled for mould issues. I emailed MFM to ask what kind of mould was found but I got a generic response. I followed up asking about specifics and was told they couldn’t add any specific details of the type of mould. I have no idea whether I had recalled bags or not but the timing suggests it’s likely. My dog was severely sick and it cost me thousands in diagnosis and treatment at specialist vets. And because she’s a dog and not a human, no product liability lawyers were interested in discussing possible avenues for recourse.
I found black plastic fibre in my dog biscuits 2.5kg of MFM Kangaroo and Lamb
Hello Janine,
How big was the plastic fibre and did you contact the company? How did they respond?
Thank you
Pat
Both of my French bulldogs had extremely bad skin problems for a while I was back and forth from the vets for steroid tablets and antibiotics to treat the skin allergies and hot spots just to realise it was the food I was giving them. All the pet shop (budget pets) could do was refund the biscuits no apologies or anything yet stock the mfm food.
I ended up taking my dog to the vets and then emergency hospital last week – he had blood in stools, light gums, appetite loss (food and water) & subsequent dehydration and lethargy. Bloods and ultrasound revealed nothing that could be causing the issue… Now a few days after and he seems to be on the mend so decided to try to re-introduce his MFM Kangaroo kibble to his diet (had put him on special diet whilst unwell) – he took one bite from the bowl and walked away, so I went to hand feed him (as I had had to whilst he was sick) and my hand got pricked! I’ve discovered what appears very strongly to be plastic bristles throughout the kibble which is massively concerning!!! I have contacted MFM who have advised me that the petstore I purchased from “will resolve this for you moving forward” which is INFURIATING me – at this point I don’t give a toss about refunding me the price of the bag, my concern is about other bags being contaminated and other pets being harmed by this. Please please please check all MFM kibble bags thoroughly and share this with any one who purchases the brand.
Our dog has been on M4M for 4 years and recently has had many visits to the vet and has been unwell. We’ve only recently become aware of the recall on this food. She has had diarrhea, bloody mucus stools and very out of sorts. Never using this product again!
Hi Marleen, my dog had similar experience suddenly after years on MFM – please read my recent comment / post on this Issue log and PLEASE check your kibble bag for presence of plastic like ‘bristles’ hidden in some pieces throughout the bag (see picture on my post for reference of what I discovered). If you could share if you do find any black plastic like material in the kibble also?
I’ve been feeding my two Cocker Spaniels (7 & 8 y/o) the MFM Salmon and Sardine variety since 2018. They loved it! We weren’t adversely affected by the recall over mould issues last year, with the exception of finding it difficult to source new bags once they problem was rectified.
Unfortunately, both my dogs have recently been very ill (vomiting for 3 days and off all food). I’ve been to the vet with one of them (who was slightly worse) and it was diagnosed as a gastrointestinal issue. Likely from something they have eaten. This is interesting because they only eat MFM kibble and occasionally some carrots and cheese as treats. I did not immediately blame the kibble because they’ve never had an issue. Perhaps they had eaten something in our backyard… I’ll never really know but I am so surprised that they do not want to eat their MFM kibble anymore, even now they have recovered. They were 3/4 through their last bag (20kg) when they became sick so I binned the rest. I’ve since opened a brand new bag and they won’t touch it. The sicker of the two actually runs away when I try to give him some. Possibly an association with how bad he felt when he was vomiting for 3 days. I’ve never seen them off their food. They are Cocker Spaniels after all!
I am not placing the blame directly on MFM as I know that isn’t fair. I do think it is important to share this incident in case other MFM customers are you are experiencing similar issues that may indicate another problem in the manufacturing process. A red flag to keep an ear out.
Unfortunately for us, I’m left with expensive vet bills and a freshly opened 20kg bag that my dogs won’t touch. I am reluctant to purchase a different MFM flavour and have sadly started to research other brands. It may be time to make the switch. I don’t feel great about it after so many years backing this Aussie brand, but my gut feeling says they don’t want to eat it for a reason.
I contacted MFM with this information prior to sharing this post.
Hey Tegan! If you have the new bag that they wouldn’t eat, would you be able to do a bit of a search through the bag to see if you come across any plastic like black wires or bristles? I have just had my dog in the vet with blood in stools and stomach issues only to then find the presence of black plastic like material through some kibble pieces within the bag which is very concerning (see my recent post with image for reference).
Were MFM able to give you any insight as to what may be causing an issue when you contacted them?
I was feeding MfM Salmon and Sardine Gluten and Grain Free to my 5yr old Labrador as she has dietary allergies. This food has been excellent for her but the issues started when I found that the new bag I bought was different. The pet shop I buy from discovered that every variety in the bags had the same contents. Shortly afterwards, they recalled their products. I found plastic in the food by no mould. After a few months, MfM said that the issues were sorted so I bought a new bag. The quality was good and my dog ate it fine. The next bag was different, with different looking kibble that smelled different. It gave my dog immediate diarrhoea. I have lost all trust in this brand.
Hey Hannah,
Can I ask what kind of plastic you found in the MFM product? I have found what I suspect to be plastic in my dog’s MFM Kibble and the response I’ve gotten after contacting them has been less than desirable; basically have said the shop I purchased from will deal with me – though I don’t understand how plastic food contamination is their problem!? And I am more concerned that other dogs are being harmed (mine ended up in emergency). So interested to see if what appeared in your food was the same as what I have come across..
Ta!
Just opened a new bag of Meals for Meows Kangaroo and Turkey. Found some biscuits with white mould growing on random biscuits (rare but obvious if you sift through the bag). Screening through I even found one where the mould had covered the entire biscuit so it was “fluffy” white and if had grown and caused it to clump to a second biscuit. Have photos of mould (though not sure how to attach here?). Bag definitely not expired (expiry 16/07/2024). Important to note that Meals for Meows Kangaroo and Turkey is not listed as one of the batches of food affected/issued as a recall. So please double check your own batches. Luckily my cats only ate a few biscuits each before I noticing this issue – so hopefully they will be fine… (fingers and toes crossed)
Started this bag and noticed the kibble was smaller and multi-coloured (black and brown). Thought maybe they had just changed them. My dog has had a small amount the past two days and has been so off and his poo has turned orange/yellow. Waiting to see the vet. Considering the recall that just happened, I am seriously angry. Where is the quality control? I feel so horrible seeing my boy unwell and am angry I have fed this to him. Will be changing immediately.
Purchased 20kg Salmon & Sardine In August 23 from Farmcraft. Fed half LYKA half MFM.
Our healthy robust rescue boy age 10 with no past health issues presented to Vet 11th Sept with elevated levels of Glucose in the urine, excessive thirst, excessive urination & incontinence was placed on course of Doxycycline for suspected UTI. No improvement after meds. Referred to Veterinary Specialist on 29th September with the same symptoms. Many tests performed ruling out Lepto, Lead, organ ultrasound all clear. Elevated Glucose in Urine. Diagnosis – unknown toxicity. Treatment strict Renal diet for kidneys. No since improvements.
I have had two of my dogs recently at the vet and the emergency center for an unknown origin of toxin. Mould is most suspected but we couldn’t find a source. My dogs are fed Meals for Mutts dry food.
Sounds exactly like our case. What symptoms did you dog display?
Although not listed with the exact expiry date it’s very close to those of.
I’m reaching out on here to see if anyone has had a similar experience, so we can try to work out what has caused our dogs very recent health issues. Our very healthy dog started this bag in July 23 he presented to VSS emergency (4 weeks ago) with excessive thirst & urination, weight loss and incontinence. After every test possible the only solution was a strict Renal Diet which he has been on for 4 weeks. No improvements yet. He has developed kidney issues out of no where with no solutions as of yet. Has anyone else experienced similar issues whilst feeding MFM?
Bought a 2.5 kg bag of hypo-allergenic salmon and sardine grain free….bag dated 3/9/2024…our 3 dogs 1 boxer who had only 4 pieces of it..our Sheppard x and our maltese dog…all had EXPLOSIVE diarrhoea ..had to fast them and purchase sensitive skin and stomach royal canin 1 small bag and a larger bag..took over a week to start resolving this issue..it cost a fortune! Feeling lucky to have not lost any of my dogs!! Bought from Carney’s feed store Murgon
All three of our dogs had become severely unwell with acid smelling orange diarrhoea with loads of mucous for many weeks. Vet treated for giardia they did not respond well to treatments. 2 dogs are still struggling to recover even after switching foods and probiotic/b12 treatments their microbiomes seem to have permanent damage. Vet bills have well exceeded 2k.
Looking for advice please.
I bought Meals for Mutts for my dog for the first time a couple of months ago from Pet Circle (grain free adult Salmon and Sardine 20kgs).
I got an email today about a recall due to mould and metals in some M4M products manufactured since June this year (I purchased it in August and can’t find the manufacture date on the bag)
My dog loves it and I can’t see any mould from what I can tell. I saw some messages saying that the affected products look darker than the usual, but because this is the first time I’ve bought it I don’t know if this is the normal colour. Any advice please? Photo attached.
Hi Alex, please find a list of affected batch numbers here. Note the batch number you have specified does not appear to be affected.
Our bag looked exactly like that (dark) and smelt burnt. Nothing like what it used to be
My cats have been eating the MfM Kangaroo and Turkey for a few months. I recently bought another bag and they refuse to touch it. A bowl of it has been sitting in the laundry for 3wks and not a morsel taken.
we had exact same problem, they’ve been eating it for 2 years and wouldn’t touch the latest bag either, cats are smart! I took mine back for a refund.
My cats did the same. They wouldn’t touch the new bag of food that looked different to the previous bags. So glad they didn’t eat it. I contacted MFM about it, asking if they had changed the formula, and they assured me that everything was the same. I’m so annoyed as it was the only food that all 3 of them liked.
I was looking for a decent quality dry food recently and thought the 20kg Kanga + Turkey meals for meows bag looked good value to try on my feral colony and adopted cats. But they all refused it – 10 cats!! I have managed to get them to eat it by getting them accustomed by mixing with other food they usually eat, but they still much prefer the other food that is mixed with it. Bag expiry is 25/10/2024. Does anyone know when the issue started?
Some of the kibble bits are darker in colour while most are a lighter brown..
My Chow has been brought up on the MfM dry food. I tried a different flavour last time and he struggled eating it and I ended up throwing it away. I went back to the Salmon & Sardine. This batch however (0198 20:31 Best Before 17/09/2024) seems to not agree with him. There is no smell to the food and doesn’t really seem fresh. He seems to have lost his zest and is very lethargic, more so than usual. I know this breed sleeps a lot but he has no energy at all and does not look forward to feeding time. I’m going to go and get a different brand and try him on that. Is this product being recalled, I invested in the large bag?
Hi Keith, this batch is listed on the recall alert. You can find more information here.
Our male ridgeback has always had the MFM salmon and sardine. I have not noticed anything strange about the kibble but he went off it and then had a week of diarrhoea and bloody stools. Has had this is the past and vets had said caused by drinking sea water at the beach but we had stopped taking him so this was strange and now I believe it was always due to this food as I know they have recalled in the past.
My 2.5 year old labradoodle has been on this for 2 years. However on 6/10/23, she required emergency surgery on her stomach with concerns there could be a blockage.
no blockage was found but that her stomach muscles had stopped working.
This can be cause by eating something that makes her feel nausea or gastro.
she did not have gastro.
she has only ever eaten this food and nothing had changed in her diet.
it is a coincidence that this is now recalled this month… I’m concerned this food is the reason for her surgery. Costing me $3000
My frenchie pup has always eaten this brand before but the last bag my frenchie Pup doesn’t want to eat. I mixed it with another brand and what my pup doesn’t eat my older frenchie hovers but has been vomiting which isn’t normal for him. I got an email saying the product has been recalled. Contacted the supplier for support.
Mould found in a new bag of Salmon & Sardine larger kibble bag. Opened 27/10/23. Purchased/delivered via Pet Circle.
Just opened a brand new 2.5kg bag of Salmon & Sardine the kibble is black and has no fish smell.
Hi Vee,
Would you please be able to post a photo of what the kibble looks like?
I have purchased this for the first time for my dog so I would love to know if the colour of my kibble looks normal or too dark? Although my batch number seems to not be affected, it’s only 1 day after an affected batch.
I have stopped feeding my dog the kibble, but would still love to know if what I had fed him over the past 2 months looks normal or not!
I’ve attached a photo of what my kibble looks like. Thanks!
Had this food previously without issues for my two cats. They won’t touch this batch at all. Offered some to my neighbours cat and to a friend’s cat and both refused to eat it as well.
Received 9kg MfM High Performance. Fed it to my dog with gut sensitivity issues to then realise the kibble in the bag was mouldy. My dog had diarrhoea for 7 days, some of which was black indicating intestinal bleeding.
3 of my dogs have all had to go to the vets from upset stomach and vomiting i thought it was a change in the bore water and set out to get it checked as nothing else had changed in their diets.
They get a mix of raw 4 paws and meals for mutts
14th aug my first dog went to vet and spent the night on Iv due to dehydration from vomiting and gastro
122nd aug another dog went to vet from bloody stools.
And most recently 6th august my little one stopped eating had the bloody stools and gastro spent the day on Iv.
I couldnt figure out why all my dogs were breaking but after reading recent reviews of M4M this makes sense.
Since the receipe changed their stools havent been great generally, They are large and soft. Im disapointed the quality has declined.
Opened a 9kg bag of the grain free MfM and dogs have not been interested in it at all. previously loved the kangaroo MfM. Now, it’s all mouldy with 11 months until expiry.
Hi Anna with the mouldy biscuit bag that you have now, is it Salmon & Sardine or Kangaroo?
Bought a 20kg bag of MfM Turkey, Salmon & Sardine puppy biscuits with expiry date 09/07/24. There is mould throughout the biscuits. Have emailed the manufacturer.
We’ve had this brand and flavour before, both cats have always loved it. The latest bag, neither of them will touch. I tried three nights in a row, but they both refused to touch it, despite being hungry. I eventually put out another brand and they both tucked in straight away. There is something wrong with the latest batch.
Salmon & Sardine Meals for Mutts batch with Best Before 17/09/2024 causing gastrointestinal upset ?bleeding and black stools.
After buying this product for many years there has been a change with the latest bag. Black biscuits, different (non-fishy smell) and dog refusing and/or struggling to eat it. After 3 days it was ceased. Manufacturer contacted and dogs started on another Sensitive Dog Food.
Hi there,
We have been experiencing similar! Our batch is also black and no fishy smell. We were reluctant to feed to our boy but he seemed to be fine with it initially, however he will not eat it now after about a week and very black stools. I will no longer give it to him and I will be contacting the manufacturer also.
My cats love these biscuits and I have had no problems for over a year. They get a handful of biscuits each lunch time as the rest of their diet is raw based/ziwi peak. I bought a new 2.5kg bag a couple of weeks ago. The biscuit felt different. My cats would spit the biscuit out and now refuse to eat the biscuits at all.
I recently gave my dog MFM duck and Turkey and he was vomiting within 5 mins.
It’s been 5 days now and his stools are loose with some blood.
I’ll be taking to the doc tomorrow if things aren’t improving.
Has anyone had any servere symptoms or just the gastro upset?
Thanks
Our staffy has gerd. MfM used to be fine for her. The bag before last saw her reflux get worse and then throwing up after every meal. We took her off it no dry food at all now. Our greyhound was thriving on it. Then this last 20kg bag of same type (purchased interstate and a larger bag than usyal, because news was MFM had difficulty finding a manufaturing space) smelt different. The greyhound stated exhibiting gut issues within a day … gas, discomfort, loose stool, seeking grass. Turned into 24 hrs of liquid diahrea yesterday. I can,t find a ,batch, no anywhere on the bag but purchased interstate as a delivery from Qld based store on 22 April.
Salmon and sardine 20 kg bag, runny stools on opening the new bag, what a mess!
MFM not interested!
Opened 2x bags of MFM salmon and sardine, to find them both mouldy. Best Before December 2023
Both dogs vomiting and runny stool took about a week to appear was a real mess
Vomiting immediately after eating.meals for mutts dry dog food duck and turkey