Last Updated on April 4, 2026 by admin
A popular freeze-dried cat food sold in 21 states has been pulled from shelves after the FDA found eight lots containing dangerously low — or zero — levels of thiamine, the B vitamin your cat’s brain needs to function.
Go Raw LLC, which sells Quest Cat Food under the Steve’s Real Food brand, initially recalled one lot of its Chicken Recipe Freeze-Dried Nuggets on February 17, 2026. Within nine days, the company expanded the recall to include two more frozen product lots. Then on March 13, the FDA issued a formal advisory: testing confirmed that eight lots of Quest Cat Food fell far below the minimum thiamine level set by AAFCO — 5.6 milligrams per kilogram on a dry matter basis. Some lots contained almost none at all.
The recall started after a veterinary neurologist reported treating a cat with severe thiamine deficiency directly linked to the food.
The symptoms start small — then they don’t
Thiamine deficiency doesn’t announce itself. The first signs are the kind most owners explain away: your cat skips a meal, then another. They seem tired. Maybe they vomit once and seem fine after.
But within days to weeks, the damage moves to the brain.
The most distinctive sign is ventroflexion — a clinical term for what looks like your cat pressing their chin toward the floor, unable to lift their head. It’s not stubbornness. It’s not a quirky mood. It’s neurological.
From there, the decline is fast. Vision changes. A wobbly, drunken walk. Circling. Falling. Seizures. Left untreated, thiamine deficiency can kill.
Bengal owners and anyone feeding premium raw or freeze-dried diets should be especially alert. These foods are marketed as biologically superior alternatives to kibble, and the owners who choose them tend to trust the brand deeply — which makes a silent nutritional failure like this one particularly dangerous.
What to check right now
The recalled products include:
Quest Cat Food Chicken Recipe Freeze-Dried Nuggets, 10oz bag, lot code #C25288, best by 10/15/2027.
Quest Cat Food Chicken Recipe Frozen, 2lb beige zip-lock bags, lot codes MCD25350 (best by 5/17/2027) and MCC25321 (best by 6/16/2027).
These were distributed in Colorado, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Michigan, California, Texas, Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, Idaho, and Montana.
If you have any of these lots, stop feeding them immediately. Return the food to the store for a full refund.
Go Raw LLC has halted all sales of Quest products at every retailer until the thiamine issue is resolved, according to the FDA’s recall notice.
When to call your vet
If your cat has been eating any Quest Cat Food product — even a lot not on the official recall list — and you notice any of the following, call your vet today:
Loss of appetite lasting more than 24 hours. Head hanging low or tilted to one side. Walking like they’re off-balance. Any sudden change in vision. Vomiting with no obvious cause.
Mention thiamine deficiency specifically. Some vets may not immediately connect the symptoms to diet, and naming the condition speeds up diagnosis. PetMD’s veterinary guide on vitamin B1 deficiency breaks down the full clinical picture if you want to read more before your appointment.
The one thing worth knowing
Caught early, thiamine deficiency is reversible. Published veterinary studies show that neurological symptoms can begin improving within three days of starting B1 supplementation, and brain lesions visible on MRI can resolve within three weeks.
Your cat can’t read a recall notice. But you can check a lot code in thirty seconds.
If your cat has been off lately — quieter than usual, not finishing meals, moving like something’s wrong — and they’ve been eating freeze-dried or raw food, check the bag before you assume it’s just a mood. The National Animal Supplement Council has the full list of affected lots and product details.
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