A County Durham dog owner says she is “racked with guilt” fearing recalled premium dog food may have contributed to eye problems in her rescue spaniel.
Marie Carter-Robb, 52, has fed subscription brand Years to her three Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Phoebe, Rowan and Rufus, since April 2025.
But Phoebe, seven, has needed repeated veterinary treatment since June after developing conjunctivitis, a corneal ulcer and problems affecting both eyes.
Phoebe, seven, has needed repeated veterinary treatment since June after developing conjunctivitis, a corneal ulcer and problems affecting both eyes.
(Image: SUPPLIED)
Mrs Carter-Robb, who is editor of Pets Magazine, said she only learned Years had recalled its fresh meals when she came across a news story on August 18.
She said she had not received an email about the recall, despite being an active subscriber with a near-full box of food at home. She claims her online account also showed a future payment date and delivery.
Mrs Carter-Robb said: “I found out in the worst possible way because I did not receive a recall notice.
“At 11pm on Tuesday night, I came across a news story about it by chance. It said Years and I thought, ‘Oh my, that is the food I give my dogs.’
"I was in shock.”
Years claims they sent an email to customers on Monday, August 17, telling dog owners not to feed their pets any of its fresh meals while it investigates a potential link with buckwheat, although no definitive cause has yet been established.
Phoebe before developing conjunctivitis and a corneal ulcer
(Image: SUPPLIED)
The company issued a voluntary recall of all Years Fresh Meals after reports of dogs developing sudden bilateral dry eye, also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca.
Years said 192 customers out of around 40,000 had reported potential but unverified eye issues by 9pm on August 18.
The food company has since paused subscriptions for at least six weeks and said no orders are currently being dispatched while it reformulates recipes without buckwheat.
Mrs Carter-Robb said she started buying Years because she believed it offered the best possible diet for her dogs.
Marie Carter-Robb, pictured with Rufus and Rowan
(Image: SUPPLIED)
She said: “I honestly thought by feeding them this food that I was doing the absolute best as a dog owner.
“It is premium dog food with a premium price tag, but I was prepared to pay it because you want the best for your dogs.”
Her dog Phoebe began showing symptoms around June 19 and first saw a vet on June 22. Her veterinary records show repeated examinations and treatment as her symptoms persisted.
The dog owner initially believed Phoebe could have had an allergy and had no reason to link her dog’s eye problems to food.
She said: “The worst part of it is the guilt. I had no reason to suspect her food. I just thought we were dealing with an allergy or an ordinary eye problem.
Phoebe, seven, has needed repeated veterinary treatment since June after developing conjunctivitis, a corneal ulcer and problems affecting both eyes.
(Image: SUPPLIED)
“I carried on feeding Years to all three dogs, and then finding the recall notice by chance at 11pm, suddenly looking back at everything Phoebe has been through, it has just been horrible.
“You do everything you can as a responsible pet owner. You want to do the best for your pets, then something like this happens and you think, ‘Oh my, I have inadvertently done this to my dog.’”
Phoebe had already endured a difficult start in life before coming to live in County Durham. She spent the first five years of her life on a puppy farm in Ireland, where she was used for breeding.
Mrs Carter-Robb said: “She has had a horrendous life being used for breeding, and now this. It makes me so sad and so angry at the same time.
“She has been so poorly. She is not well and I feel really sorry for her.”
Phoebe has had several consultations and courses of eye drops, with veterinary bills already amounting to several hundred pounds.
Following a further appointment on August 20, Phoebe was formally diagnosed with keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), or dry eye, the condition linked to the current Years recall.
Old Stone Vets veterinary surgeon Ed Peacock, who first examined Phoebe’s eye, told Mrs Carter-Robb the information was concerning and “could suggest the food as a possible cause”.
He added that, if the introduction of buckwheat into the recipe correlated with the onset of Phoebe’s symptoms, he would be suspicious of it as the “inciting cause”.
Mrs Carter-Robb stressed that Years food has not been proven to have caused Phoebe’s condition.
She said: “I am not claiming that Years food has been proven to have caused Phoebe’s condition. That needs to be established through the veterinary evidence and the wider investigation.
“But the chronology is deeply concerning.”
In a statement, Years said: “As a precaution, we’re issuing a voluntary recall of all Years Fresh Meals, excluding Chef’s Collection.
“Our investigation has identified buckwheat as a potential contributing factor, and we are investigating a potential contamination within the buckwheat supply.
“Further independent laboratory testing around the buckwheat supply is ongoing. Years has chosen to voluntarily recall the meals as a precautionary measure, without causation having yet been proven.”
The company said it had used “every channel available” to contact customers about the recall, including email, its website, social media, national pet retailers, the Food Standards Agency and Trading Standards.
Phoebe, seven, has needed repeated veterinary treatment since June after developing conjunctivitis, a corneal ulcer and problems affecting both eyes.
(Image: SUPPLIED)
Years also said it had refunded Mrs Carter-Robb’s two most recent orders and advised customers with any remaining meals to dispose of them.
Years added: “The reports we have received are deeply upsetting to everyone here. As a result of those reports, we took the decision to voluntarily recall our fresh meals because, while the evidence is still developing, we are not prepared to take chances with the dogs people trust us to feed.”
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The magazine editor said she hoped speaking out would help ensure other owners were aware of the recall and offer support to those going through a similar experience.
She said: “I want Phoebe to recover fully and then to understand what has happened, whether her condition is connected to the food, when the potentially problematic ingredient was introduced and why.
“I want other owners to know about the recall so they can stop feeding the affected food and seek veterinary advice if their dogs have symptoms.”