The thorough list above of  their pork recipe  contains very high levels of organ meat (the excretory organs) of pigs which immediately caught my eye as a plant powered vet as any type of pork is concerning to feed our dogs (but especially the excretory organs of intensively raised pigs).

We have the bioaccumulation of heavy metals and antibiotics in omnivorous pigs fed crushed chicken livers and fish byproducts for fast growth. (Read  here how we shouldn't add pig to dog food for so many reasons)

However, the issue that Years are focussing on is the freshly pre-soaked buckwheat that they have added.

"Hi, I have been passed your details from a friends who recommends your dog food highly. I have a Bichon Maltese 5 and a half male who over the last few months (although may have been longer?) has been diagnosed with dry eye.
This according to tests (strip test) will not be reversed.
Regular gels and eye cleaning are required about 6 times a day. Beau is incredibly stoic throughout. He also has a very sensitive digestive system - and is currently fed "Years" with some Scrumble for toy dogs as a very light topper. I understand that this is an autoimmune affliction. The reason for my contact is to ask whether a change to your wet foods could make a difference?  I look forward to hearing from you. Many thanks" - Sandra

Yes absolutely Sandra, it is worth trying our  wholefood trays  of plant-based proteins such as faba bean protein, sweet potato, quinoa, cranberries and no buckwheat, corn, wheat or soya (and definitely NO animal byproducts).
We also highly advise the addition of our pure  Omega 3 Algae oil  for your Bichon Maltese as a natural supplement to help with the dry eye AND his sensitive digestion, as it is rich in pure Omegas and also contains a  potent antioxidant called Astaxanthin  from a bright pink microalgae.

Which of our products contains buckwheat?

Our Solo Vegetal dry food contains buckwheat powder as an ingredient. Please note that we have contacted our suppliers Nextmune and please see their reply below.

Solo Vegetal was formulated originally by vets for dogs with skin and digestive issues so every care was taken in its formulation. The buckwheat used in Solo Vegetal dry food  is not fresh pre-soaked, but would be buckwheat powder added to a product that is extruded into dry food (heated at a very high temperature).

We do commend Years for all of their research into this and we too want to be honest about its addition in one of our products.

Here is a reply from our wonderful suppliers at Nextmune - 

"The current position is that a contaminated batch of buckwheat has been identified as a potential contributing factor in the Years investigation, with the underlying cause still being investigated. 

At this stage, we shouldn’t draw any general conclusions about the safety of buckwheat found in other foods like Solo Vegetal. 

At this time, we have no reason to suspect that Solo Vegetal poses a similar risk. Solo Vegetal has been available for around 10 years and has been fed to thousands of dogs in the UK and across Europe, and we have never received any reports of dry eye or anything resembling the cases currently being investigated with Years.

That long history of use is reassuring, although given the concerns that have now been raised, I agree that we should investigate this properly and obtain further information from the manufacturer.

I’ve looked into the Years situation in more detail, and I think it is important to clarify that it has not currently been shown that buckwheat causes dry eye in dogs.

Importantly, Years has stated that its investigation has identified possible contamination in its supplier's buckwheat product, with laboratory testing currently underway. Therefore, there is currently no evidence that buckwheat itself is responsible or that this represents a general risk associated with foods containing buckwheat

I have also looked at the published literature around buckwheat and KCS. At present, I cannot find evidence showing that normal dietary buckwheat causes KCS in dogs.

Buckwheat does contain a naturally occurring compound called fagopyrin, but the recognised toxicity associated with excessive fagopyrin exposure is photosensitisation rather than suppression or destruction of the lacrimal glands.

There is an interesting potential alternative explanation which illustrates why we shouldn't assume that buckwheat itself is responsible.

Buckwheat crops can potentially be contaminated by plants such as Datura stramonium. Datura contains tropane alkaloids including atropine and scopolamine, and atropine is known to reduce tear production in dogs.

Therefore, contamination of a particular buckwheat supply is one biologically plausible avenue for investigators to consider. There is currently no evidence, however, that this is what has happened with Years, so I don't want to speculate beyond that.

On that basis, I don't think there is currently a scientific justification for stopping sales of Solo Vegetal simply because buckwheat appears in the formulation.

Solo Vegetal is a completely different product, produced by a different manufacturer using a different ingredient supply chain, with a long history of use without a similar safety signal."

Please see published evidence to support this - 

We feel so grateful to Nextmune for this reply, but understand if you still feel concerned.

We have other dry food options for you to try with no buckwheat such as  Green Crunch,  MicroBell,  Greta  and the UK's very first cold-pressed superfood  BioBuddy  which is nutrient rich and cold-pressed to retain all of its nutrients!