If you feed your dog canned Pedigree, take two minutes today to read the tiny code stamped on the bottom of the can. On July 2, 2026, Mars Petcare US voluntarily recalled two lots of PEDIGREE® High Protein Chopped Chicken & Duck Flavor wet dog food because the cans may contain sharp metal and plastic fragments. What makes this recall unusual is how the food reached store shelves at all: the two lots were supposed to be destroyed, and instead they appear to have been fraudulently sold to unsuspecting shoppers.
No illnesses or injuries had been reported when the recall was announced, and only two specific production lots are involved. But foreign material in food is exactly the kind of hazard that can turn a normal dinner into an emergency-vet visit, so it's worth knowing precisely what to look for.
What Pedigree recalled — and the lot codes to check
The recall covers a single product in a single size:
- Product: PEDIGREE® Can High Protein Chopped Chicken & Duck Flavor
- Size: 13.2 oz cans
- Lot codes: 613C3KKCFC and 613C1KKCFC
The lot code is printed on the can, and it is the only way to tell an affected can from a safe one — the brand, flavor, and packaging otherwise look identical to product that was never part of the recall. If your cans carry either of those two codes, don't feed them to your dog. If they don't, your food isn't part of this action. Every other Pedigree product, and every other lot of this same flavor, is unaffected.
The strange reason these cans were on shelves at all
Most food recalls trace back to a slip on the production line. This one is different. According to Mars Petcare, the two lots had already been sent to a third-party vendor for destruction — the company knew there was a potential problem and pulled the product from its own supply chain. The company later discovered that the cans "appear to have been fraudulently diverted" and sold into the U.S. marketplace instead of being disposed of.
In other words, this was food a manufacturer had already decided you should never see. That detail matters for owners, because it means the affected cans could turn up anywhere in the country rather than in a predictable cluster of stores or states. The FDA notice describes the recall as nationwide, so there's no short list of regions to rule yourself out of — the lot code is your only reliable filter.
Why sharp metal and plastic is a real emergency, not a nuisance
It's tempting to shrug off "may contain foreign material," but sharp fragments are among the more serious things a dog can swallow. Mars Petcare warns the pieces could cause choking, lacerations, or blockages in the gastrointestinal tract. Veterinarians are even more blunt about metal specifically: sharp metal objects can puncture or tear the stomach or intestines, and that type of injury can become life-threatening quickly.
The tricky part is that a dog who has swallowed something sharp often looks fine at first. That's why vets advise seeking emergency care after a known or suspected sharp-object ingestion even before symptoms appear. If your dog ate any of the recalled food, here are the warning signs worth watching for over the following hours and days:
- Repeated vomiting or retching without bringing anything up
- Loss of appetite or refusing food
- Drooling, or pawing at the mouth (a possible sign of a mouth or throat injury)
- Abdominal pain — a hunched posture, whining, or flinching when the belly is touched
- Lethargy, diarrhea, or visible bloating
If you see any of these, call your veterinarian or an emergency clinic right away and mention the recall. Vets typically start with abdominal X-rays, which can reveal dense metal or plastic in the stomach or intestines. Catching a blockage or perforation early makes an enormous difference in how it's treated. As with any sudden change in your dog's behavior, trust your gut — the same instinct that tells you when something is genuinely off is worth acting on here.
What to do right now if you have Pedigree at home
You don't need to panic, but you should take a few concrete steps today:
- Find the lot code. Check the bottom of each 13.2 oz Pedigree High Protein Chopped Chicken & Duck can for 613C3KKCFC or 613C1KKCFC.
- Stop feeding affected cans immediately. If a can matches, set it aside and don't serve it, even if it looks and smells normal.
- Don't donate or resell it. Recalled pet food shouldn't be passed along to shelters, neighbors, or anyone else.
- Contact Pedigree for a replacement. Mars Petcare is directing owners to PEDIGREE Consumer Care at 1-800-525-5273 (Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–8 p.m. CDT, Saturday–Sunday 8 a.m.–4 p.m. CDT) or online at pedigree.com/update to arrange a replacement or removal.
- Wash the bowl. Clean and sanitize any bowl or storage container the food touched before serving your dog's next meal.
- Call your vet if your dog already ate it. Even without symptoms, a quick call is the safest move after a possible sharp-material ingestion.
A summer of dog food recalls — how to stay ahead of the next one
This Pedigree action didn't happen in a vacuum. Dog food and treat recalls have been a recurring headline in 2026, from a multi-state Raaw Energy recall over Listeria monocytogenes that touched roughly nine states, to earlier salmonella-related treat recalls across the Southeast. Different hazards, same lesson: the label on the bag or can is not a guarantee, and the fastest-informed owners are usually the ones who set up alerts instead of relying on catching a news story.
Two easy habits go a long way. First, snap a phone photo of the lot code and best-by date whenever you open a new case of food — it turns a frantic "did I buy that lot?" moment into a five-second check. Second, sign up for the FDA's free pet food recall and withdrawal alerts, which land in your inbox the same day an action is posted. Both take minutes and cost nothing.
It's also a good reminder that "premium" and "problem-free" aren't the same thing, and that what goes in the bowl deserves the same scrutiny as any other part of your dog's routine — the same care you'd bring to figuring out which human foods are actually safe to share.
The bottom line
If you buy Pedigree High Protein Chopped Chicken & Duck wet food, check for lot codes 613C3KKCFC and 613C1KKCFC before the next meal. If you have them, stop feeding, contact Pedigree for a replacement, and call your vet if your dog has already eaten any. If you don't, you're in the clear — but it's the perfect nudge to start photographing lot codes and signing up for recall alerts so the next headline finds you already prepared.
At Sidewalk Dog, we keep an eye on the recalls, research, and news that actually change how you care for your dog — so you can spend less time worrying and more time on the walk. Give those cans a quick look, then go enjoy the summer with your pup.
