What Happened to Kal Kan Dog Food? (Real Answers)

Our family has always had dogs as pets and we can’t imagine life without them. Owning pets, especially dogs, can get expensive though. So, when we find a good affordable dog food, we tend to be brand loyal.

We have exclusively used Pro Kal by Kal Kan dog food in the green and white 52lb bag for years. We regularly buy it at our local Walmart but have noticed that it has been out of stock or unavailable for purchase a lot in the last 6 months or more.

What happened to the Pro Kal dog food? Was it recalled? Was it discontinued? Why can I no longer buy it anywhere?

These are all the questions; my husband and I have had, and this is what we intended to find out!

Does Kal Kan still make dog food?

According to multiple sources, Kal Kan was still making dog food and has not closed their doors on the petfood business. The last information available says that Mars took over Kal Kan Foods in 1968.

There is no clear information regarding Kal Kan no longer being part of Mars Petcare. I can find no source stating that Mars has sold off the Kal Kan brand or has discontinued it.

*From the email we received (see below), it appears that Red Collar Pet is now the possible owner/manufacturer of the Kal Kan brand.*

Is Kal Kan dog food discontinued?

I reached out to Mars Petcare to find out if Kal Kan has been discontinued in September 2023. I used the Contact Us form on their website and let them know that we are huge fans of their dog food and wish to know if they have stopped making it.

It is interesting to note that if you search for “Kal Kan dog food website” you will find KalKal.com listed as the first result. If you click on it, it will automatically take you to Mars.com.

***As of September 2023, we can confirm that Pro Kal by Kal Kan dog food has been officially discontinued and will no longer be produced or sold in retail stores.***

Within an hour of contacting Mars Petcare, I received an actual response. I was expecting to get a “thank you for contacting us” automated message because it is Labor Day weekend.

Imagine my surprise when I read the message, and it basically told me that Mars does not make Kal Kan dog food at this time. What?

According to the US Chamber of Commerce, if a product is discontinued, a company should inform their customers of it being discontinued. This is pretty basic customer service, but there is no formal or legal requirement for a business to announce this.

Consumers do understand that companies choose to no longer continue making a product if it no longer is selling or it becomes too expensive to make it.

Failing to be open and honest with your customers about a product, is an easy way to lose customers on other existing products.

So why is Mars Petcare being so secretive about Pro Kal/ Kal Kan dog food?

If they sold the brand, discontinued the brand, or have stopped producing it, why wouldn’t they just tell people?

It is a waste of time, to have your customers keep looking for a product if you have no intention of making it and selling it.

I responded back to Mars Petcare, and asked if the person I was speaking to was sure that Mars was not the manufacturer. I literally can find nowhere stating the company or brand was sold, and typically a company will at least mention somewhere on their website or a press release when it sells off a product line.

Update 9/7: Red Collar Pet Company

After a week or so, I finally got another response from Mars Petcare, and they have informed me that Kal Kan products are now manufactured by Red Collar Pets.

There was very little information available on their website, but thankfully Mars gave me a contact email for their Consumer Quality department.

I immediately sent them an email asking about Pro Kal/ Kal Kan to find out when it will be available again for purchase!

Update 9/8: Red Collar Pet Response

I was very surprised by getting such a quick reply from Red Collar Pet. Unfortunately, they have informed me that Pro Kal by Kal Kan dog food has been discontinued. This means it is no longer being produced or available for sale.

This is quite sad news, but I was relieved to finally get a solid answer. Could Mars Petcare have given me this news when I first asked? Probably, but they choose to give me the run around.

I am very pleased that Red Collar Pet was very forthcoming in the information, and I didn’t have to go back and forth to get an answer. So now I can actually figure out what pet food we are going to try next.

Was KalKan / ProKal Dog food recalled?

I can find no instance of a current recall of Kal Kan dog food. In fact, I can never find a single time that a recall has ever been made regarding Kal Kan dog food.

This is a pretty impressive accomplishment for any pet food manufacturer that has been in business since the 1930s.

Where can you buy Kal Kan dog food?

In the past, I have been able to find Pro Kal by Kal Kan dog food at retailers like Walmart, Tractor Supply, and even online at Amazon.

When you search these places in store, the product is just gone from the shelves and no longer has a price tag or place holder on the shelf.

If you go online to these stores, they list the dog food as out of stock. Most retailers will note if a product has been discontinued, but as of today no one lists this dog food as discontinued.

In fact, some websites are still giving you the option to be informed for when this product does become available or in stock again.

Did they stop making Pro Kal by Kal Kan?

We now know after much digging that Mars Petcare states they are no longer the maker or manufacturer of Pro Kal by Kal Kan dog food. They informed me that Red Collar Pets was now the manufacturer.

This gave me hope that Kal Kan would be back on the shelves but after reaching out to Red Collar Pets, I learned that Pro Kal has been discontinued and will no longer be available as of September 2023.

This is unfortunate but at least I have an answer and can find a suitable replacement dry dog food.

I do really appreciate that Red Collar Pets was very quick and responsive to my questions and did not lead me down a wild goose chase. They seem to understand that their customers just want answers.

*****Mars Petcare: If you are reading this, do better for your customer. Treat us like people and less like numbers.****