“It’s been horrible – Chester developed sudden red and gunky eyes in May,” said Elizabeth, whose six-year-old cavachon “can’t open his eyes” on many days.

The 29-year-old civil servant is one of a number of people who contacted the Guardian because they are concerned about a potential link between a recalled dog food and their pet’s eye condition.

Elizabeth, who did not want to give her surname, said she and Chester had been to see vets more than 10 times in recent months, and they had all been “totally stumped”. Chester was initially treated for conjunctivitis, before Elizabeth was told it could be hay fever because of the lack of rain and high pollen count, and then the vet thought her pet might have an autoimmune disorder.

Then came the news this week that the dog food brand Years was recalling all its fresh meals after reports that a recipe change may have caused some animals to develop a condition called sudden bilateral dry eye. Also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or KCS, dry eye occurs when a dog is unable to produce tears, making their eyes very sore. If left untreated, it can lead to sight loss.

The company said its investigation was “currently focused on potential contamination within a portion of buckwheat supply”. Buckwheat was added to the company’s meals several months ago.

Years said it began receiving reports late last month of dogs experiencing sudden bilateral dry eye and, as of Tuesday evening, 192 customers had reported “potential, as yet unverified, eye issues”.

Chester had been fed on Years food for about 18 months, and Elizabeth said her vet had told her “they are fairly confident of a link” between the recalled dog food and Chester’s eye condition.

She said one theory was that there had been “a toxic chemical reaction” of some sort, adding that the vets “are unsure if just taking him off the food is going to be sufficient”.

Elizabeth, who lives in north London, said the vet trips and treatments had cost her hundreds of pounds “and Chester has been miserable for months”, adding: “I fear what long-term damage has been done and whether this is reversible.”

Marie Carter-Robb’s seven-year-old cavalier King Charles spaniel, Phoebe, was formally diagnosed with dry eye – the condition linked to the Years recall – during a visit to the vet on Thursday.

Phoebe is one of her three dogs. All three have eaten Years meals regularly as part of their diet since her subscription with the company began in April 2025, but Phoebe is the only one who has developed these eye problems.

“Her symptoms began in June,” said Carter-Robb, who is the editor of Pets Magazine. “She had never suffered from allergies before this summer and, until discovering the Years recall, I had assumed we were dealing with some sort of new allergy or an ordinary eye problem.”

Since then, Phoebe has had repeated vet examinations and treatment.

Speaking just before Thursday’s vet examination, Carter-Robb said that, having reviewed the Years recall information, “my vet has subsequently told me that the information is concerning and could suggest the food as a possible cause. He said that if the timing of the introduction of buckwheat correlates with the onset of Phoebe’s symptoms, he would be suspicious of it as the inciting cause.”

The emotional impact has been considerable, she added.

“The worst part is the guilt. I had absolutely no reason to suspect her food. I thought we were dealing with an allergy or an ordinary eye problem, and I carried on feeding Years to all three dogs. Finding the recall by chance at 11pm at night and suddenly looking back at everything Phoebe has been through was horrible.”

She said that as a first priority she wants Phoebe to recover fully, and then she wants to understand exactly what happened and whether the condition is linked to diet.

Phoebe has now been prescribed an eye ointment to treat the dry eye and will need treatment for at least the next few months, meaning examination and medication costs, Carter-Robb added.

Adele Chaplin, 50, who lives in Suffolk, said her eight-year-old greyhound, Lettuce, was first diagnosed with bilateral dry eye and eye ulcers in March this year. He has been eating Years dog food for “a good couple of years”.

Chaplin said: “He has undergone treatment from our local vet and was referred to a specialist vet ophthalmologist in April with the severe warning that he may well lose his eyes. The specialist vet has been seeing him since and, fortunately, his eyes are safe for now, but he still had zero tear production when he was last tested and vast amounts of discharge.

“Frankly, he’s miserable. His eyes itch and are painful; he rubs them against anything he can (sofas, legs, curtains), and now he has a gruelling daily regime of oils, cream and drops which are administered hourly. Add to that the sudden need to switch him to an entirely new food (something you are always recommended to avoid – you should always do that gradually) and he’s a very confused dog.”

Chaplin said that since the details of the recall had emerged, she had been in communication with the vet ophthalmologist, who told her to immediately stop feeding the Years food to Lettuce.

“I’m hopeful we’ll get a reduction in symptoms, but it’s too early to say,” she added.

“So far, this has cost thousands in treatment and medication, not to mention the travel back and forth to the specialist vet, which is an hour away from our home … Greyhounds live to about 14, so we could have another six years of treatment and medication costs, along with the increased insurance (which has already doubled as a result of this issue).”

A Years spokesperson said: “Years exists for one reason: to give people more time with their dogs, and the reports we have received are deeply upsetting to everyone here. As a result of the reports, we took the step 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.

“Our investigation is currently focused on potential contamination within a portion of buckwheat supply, rather than buckwheat itself, although a definitive cause has not yet been established.

“Independent laboratory testing is under way, alongside our wider investigation, to understand exactly what has happened. We want to give customers clear, evidence-based answers rather than speculate while that work continues, and we will communicate the findings as soon as the investigation is complete. In the meantime, customers are encouraged to visit www.years.com/pages/care for more detailed information.”