Not at all surprising or shocking that Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets El Elemental, a prescription dry kibble that is considered a "high-end" variety was recalled by the FDA on February 8th because it could be deadly. Apparently samples contained elevated levels of vitamin D, which could be potentially very harmful.
According to this press release, consumption of too much vitamin D can cause "vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination and excessive drooling to renal dysfunction," and "can even be fatal."
Apparently, the recall was issued after two separate confirmed cases of dogs that had vitamin D poisoning after eating this particular variety of food. Thankfully both dogs recovered.
In the best case scenario, kibble is made in huge batches like by the train car load. Picture yourself sitting next to a train car that is full of corn gluten, a byproduct of corn. How long do you think that gluten sat before it was loaded into a train car? How long did it take for that train car to travel to the factory? How do manufacturers prevent rodent or insect infestations why the ingredients are traveling a bajillion miles? A TOXIC CHEMICAL is literally spread on the ingredients to keep out pests. Once it arrives a the factory, ingredients are combined and cooked at very high temperatures and made into kibble, which is then fed to dogs. You can read more on this here.
In the worst case scenario, kibble is made as described in the paragraph above but ingredients are tainted and they could literally kill your dog over time.
Feeding a dog is expensive. But having a sick dog is even more expensive. Raw food is undoubtedly the best option, but if that is too expensive, home-cook a diet of protein and veggies. If you'd like more information on what to feed your dog, click here. This may be more costly initially, but it will keep your dog healthy.