Years Dog Food Recall: Buckwheat, Dry Eye, and What Every Dog Owner Needs to Know

If you feed your dog a fresh or subscription-based dog food and you've noticed any sudden changes in their eyes in recent weeks, this article is for you. A UK-based premium dog food brand called Years has voluntarily recalled all of its fresh meals after receiving reports of dogs developing a serious eye condition — and the story raises important questions that go well beyond one brand's recall.

This isn't just news. It's a reminder of something every dog owner should understand: what goes into your dog's bowl can affect systems in the body that seem completely unrelated to digestion — including the eyes.

What Happened: The Years Recall Explained

Years is a UK-based subscription service offering fresh, chef-cooked dog meals to approximately 40,000 customers. In late July 2026, the company began receiving reports of dogs developing sudden bilateral dry eye — a condition where tear production drops abruptly in both eyes simultaneously.

By August 16, Years had recorded 57 suspected cases. By August 20, that number had risen to 192. The company launched an investigation and identified buckwheat — an ingredient present at 6.3–7.2% across all its fresh meal recipes — as a potential contributing factor. Years introduced buckwheat into its recipes earlier in 2026.

On August 18, Years issued a voluntary recall of all Years Fresh Meals and paused all subscriptions for six weeks while it reformulates using quinoa instead of buckwheat. The UK Food Standards Agency and Trading Standards were notified before the recall was issued.

What Is KCS — And Why Is It Serious?

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca — KCS, or simply "dry eye" — is a condition where the eyes fail to produce enough of the watery component of the tear film to keep the eye surface properly lubricated. Without adequate tears, the eye surface becomes painful, inflamed, and vulnerable to damage.

What makes the cases linked to this recall particularly alarming is the word "sudden" and "bilateral." Dry eye that develops gradually in one eye is relatively common, especially in middle-aged and older dogs. Sudden dry eye affecting both eyes simultaneously is unusual — and when it clusters among dogs eating the same food, it warrants serious attention.

Symptoms of KCS to Watch For

• Thick, sticky, or yellowish discharge from one or both eyes
• Eyes that look dull, cloudy, or less shiny than usual
• Squinting or keeping one or both eyes partially closed
• Redness or visible irritation around the eye
• Pawing or rubbing at the face
• Sensitivity to light
• In advanced cases: a bluish-grey haze over the cornea

What Is Buckwheat — And Could It Affect the Eyes?

Despite its name, buckwheat is not a wheat. It's a naturally gluten-free seed from a flowering plant — a pseudocereal used similarly to grains in cooking. It's commonly found in human foods (buckwheat pancakes, soba noodles) and has increasingly appeared in premium pet foods as a grain-free carbohydrate alternative.

Buckwheat contains a compound called fagopyrin, which is known to cause photosensitivity reactions in some animals — particularly in livestock. In large quantities or under specific conditions, fagopyrin can cause skin inflammation triggered by sunlight. Whether fagopyrin or another component of buckwheat (or a contaminant in Years' specific buckwheat supply) could affect tear gland function in dogs is what laboratory testing is currently investigating.

It is worth noting that buckwheat is widely used in other pet foods without reported eye problems — which is why Years is also investigating whether a contamination issue with a specific batch of their buckwheat supply may be involved, rather than buckwheat as an ingredient category being inherently dangerous.

The Broader Lesson: What This Recall Tells Us About Dog Food

The Years recall is striking not just because of the eye condition — but because of what it illustrates about how quickly new ingredients enter the pet food market and how long it can take to identify problems.

Years introduced buckwheat into its recipes in early 2026. Reports of eye problems began in late July — several months later. This lag between an ingredient change and visible health effects is one of the most difficult problems in pet food safety. Owners rarely connect a health issue their dog develops months after a recipe change to that change — especially when the affected system (the eyes) seems unrelated to digestion.

What You Can Do as an Owner

• Know when your food's recipe changed — many brands quietly update formulations without prominent notice. If your dog develops a new health issue, it's worth asking whether their food recipe has changed recently.
• Read ingredient lists when they change — if a brand introduces a new ingredient, research it. Buckwheat was described as a "common and approved" ingredient — which it is — but "approved" doesn't mean "extensively tested in dogs at this dose."
• Don't conflate premium with safe — Years is a premium, chef-cooked subscription service. The recall is a reminder that price point and marketing language don't guarantee ingredient safety. Independent research matters more than branding.
• Know the baseline — regularly check your dog's eyes as part of routine grooming. If you know what normal looks like, sudden changes are immediately obvious.

For a broader guide to which ingredients in dog food deserve scrutiny, see our dog food ingredients to avoid article.

Known Causes of KCS in Dogs (Beyond Diet)

Because this recall has raised awareness of KCS, it's worth knowing that dry eye has several well-documented causes that have nothing to do with food. These include:

• Immune-mediated disease — the most common cause in dogs; the immune system attacks the tear-producing glands
• Certain medications — sulfonamide antibiotics are particularly associated with KCS in dogs
• Breed predisposition — West Highland White Terriers, Bulldogs, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Shih Tzus, and Cocker Spaniels are genetically prone to KCS
• Neurological disease — nerve damage affecting the signals that trigger tear production
• Trauma or infection — injury or chronic infection affecting the tear glands
• Hypothyroidism — low thyroid function is associated with reduced tear production in some dogs

If your dog develops KCS and has not been eating Years food, the investigation should focus on these established causes — not automatically on diet. A full veterinary workup including a Schirmer tear test (which measures tear production directly) is the correct first step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my dog affected by the Years recall?

Only if your dog has been eating Years Fresh Meals (also called Years Signature Meals) — not the Chef's Collection. If you are a Years subscriber, the company has contacted customers directly and paused all subscriptions. Stop feeding the product immediately and check your dog's eyes. If you notice any symptoms of dry eye (discharge, squinting, dull eyes), contact your vet.

Is buckwheat safe in other dog foods?

At this stage, there is no established evidence that buckwheat as an ingredient category causes eye problems in dogs. The investigation is focused on Years' specific product — including whether a contaminated batch of buckwheat supply may be involved. No other brands have been implicated. If your dog's food contains buckwheat and they show no symptoms, there is currently no reason to switch based on this recall alone.

What should I feed my dog if they were eating Years?

Years has paused subscriptions and is reformulating with quinoa in place of buckwheat. In the meantime, switch to any complete, AAFCO-approved food suitable for your dog's size and age. If your dog was on Years due to a sensitivity or health condition, consult your vet before choosing a replacement. For general guidance on choosing a quality food, see our dog food label guide.

Can dry eye from diet be reversed?

If diet was a contributing factor and the food is removed early, tear production may recover — but this depends on how much damage was done before the cause was identified. Some dogs who developed KCS in this recall have already been on treatment for several months and show varying degrees of recovery. For dogs in whom the tear glands have been significantly damaged, lifelong management with topical cyclosporine or tacrolimus eye drops may be necessary. Early intervention gives the best chance of recovery.

How do I check if my dog has dry eye at home?

Look for the signs listed above — discharge, dullness, squinting, redness, pawing at the face. You cannot measure tear production at home (that requires a Schirmer tear test at a vet using a small paper strip placed in the lower eyelid). If anything looks off, see your vet rather than waiting. The Schirmer tear test takes about a minute and gives immediate results.

The Bottom Line

The Years recall is serious and ongoing. If your dog has been eating Years Fresh Meals, stop immediately and have their eyes checked by a vet — even if they appear symptom-free, because early-stage KCS can be subtle.

If your dog eats a different food and has no eye symptoms, there is currently no action needed based on this recall. Watch for symptoms, know what normal looks like for your dog's eyes, and stay informed as laboratory results from the Years investigation are published.

The wider lesson is one worth internalising: ingredient changes in dog food — even approved, common ingredients — can occasionally produce unexpected effects, and those effects can take months to appear in systems far removed from the gut. Staying attentive to your dog's overall health whenever a food changes is always worth doing.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute veterinary advice. If your dog is showing any health symptoms, consult a qualified veterinarian. Information is based on publicly available statements from Years and reporting from ITV News, Fox Business, Washington Times, and DVM360 as of August 25, 2026. The investigation is ongoing and findings may change.