Fox News/Rat Poison in Dog Foods

Fox News | 3/23/07 | Toespi

[Jaded]

Hmmmm, I thought they hated everyone.

[Milwaukee_Guy]

"A simple blood test will show alot!!"

Our cat had a blood test last week and all it showed was significant kidney dysfunction. It did not indicate any specific chemical contamination.

Today we know it was from a banned rat poison courtesy of Chinese imported wheat.

[tertiary01]

Beer and whiskey, as wheat gluten is often a distillation biproduct.

[Red Badger]

I'm not real worried, because my other dog, a Lhasa-Apso/Shitzu (Lotsa-Shitsyou)mix is fine and they both eat the same stuff.

[2111USMC]

You should probably have him checked out. It seems that those were some of the symptoms I've seen on other threads.

[fassue]

Yet one more reason to feed your pets a raw food diet. At least I know my pupsters are eating healthy, and I know where it came from!

[drymans wife]

Yes, we have to understand that there are several toxins used in different poisons. They should be able to test the wheat to find the exact toxin.

[Milwaukee_Guy]

Can we move this to Breaking News please?

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http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/AD/release.asp?ReleaseID=1598

Department of Agriculture & Markets News
Friday, March 23, 2007
Contact: Jessica A. Chittenden
518-457-3136
jessica.chittenden@agmkt.state.ny.us

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NEW YORK LABORATORIES IDENTIFY TOXIN IN RECALLED PET FOOD
Aminopterin Confirmed in Recalled Pet Food and Implicated Tissue Samples


Aminopterin Confirmed in Recalled Pet Food and Implicated Tissue Samples



New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker and Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Donald F. Smith announced today that scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory identified Aminopterin as a toxin present in cat food samples from Menu Foods, the manufacturer of the many brands of dog and cat food that are currently the subject of a nationwide recall.



The Food Laboratory received the pet food samples from a toxicologist at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University, where testing has been underway to try to identify the cause of kidney failure in dogs and cats that consumed the recalled brands of pet food. At Cornell’s request, the Food Laboratory tested the samples for poisons and toxins, and identified Aminopterin in the pet food samples at a level of at least 40 parts per million.



“We are pleased that the expertise of our New York State Food Laboratory was able to contribute to identifying the agent that caused numerous illnesses and deaths in dogs and cats across the nation,” the Commissioner said. “New Yorkers can be assured that we have two of the nation’s leading laboratory programs in food safety and animal health working on this problem.”



The Dean of the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine Donald F. Smith concurred by saying, “The close partnership between the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University and the Department of Agriculture and Markets was key to this finding.”



Aminopterin, a derivative of folic acid, can cause cancer and birth defects in humans and can cause kidney damage in dogs and cats. Aminopterin is not permitted for use in the United States.



On March 16, 2007, Menu Foods initiated a recall of numerous varieties of dog and cat food that were manufactured at two of its plants in the United States between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. The products are both manufactured and sold under private-label and are contract-manufactured for several national brands. Information on the specific brands of pet food subject to the recall can be found at www.menufoods.com/recall.



Since the recall, Department food inspectors have contacted all of the organizations that represent retail food and pet food stores to ensure that the stores were aware of the recall and that the recalled products had been removed from store shelves in New York State.



New York State is home to two laboratories that are part of federal emergency lab networks, created through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after 9-11 to keep the nation’s animals and food supply safe. The New York State Food Laboratory is part of the Federal Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) and as such, is capable of running a number of unique poison/toxin tests on food, including the test that identified Aminopterin. The New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University is a member of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and thus, is uniquely qualified to investigate the causes of animal health emergencies, like the sudden deaths of dogs and cats from the recently recalled pet food.



###

[Fawn]

But...but....pesticides are wonderful. I've got attacked for suggesting otherwise. I also noticed that when they spray for mosquitoes that dead birds will seldom show up underneath the trees.

[restornu]

Cat food recipes
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGIH,GGIH:2007-06,GGIH:en&q=cat+food+recipes

Dog food recipes
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=GGIH%2CGGIH%3A2007-06%2CGGIH%3Aen&q=Dog+food+recipes&btnG=Search

[Fawn]

I also noticed that when they spray for mosquitoes that dead birds will seldomshow up underneath the trees.

I'm listening to RUsh...he says the word 'seldom' and I stick it in my sentence by mistake! LOL

[Sender]

Where and what's the name of the dog food?

http://www.menufoods.com/recall/

[cripplecreek]

According to FOX news it was on sprayed on wheat sent from China.

[IamConservative]

Ping..

[Milwaukee_Guy]

Paying more for your premium pet food? Read on,

Over 100 brands of cat and dog food are made by Menu Foods. Menu Foods is the source of the rat poison infested cat food which has resulted in 60 million cans and pouches being recalled and a growing count of dead and sickened pets.

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http://www.itchmo.com/read/menu-foods-exclusive-contract-with-iams-until-2013_20070319

"EXCLUSIVE TO ITCHMO: We dug up some buried documents on the Menu Foods Web site, particularly financial reports that outline an exclusive 10-year contract to supply Iams’ with their wet pet food started in 2003. In plain English, Iams’ will only sell Menu Foods’ wet pet foods as its own until 2013.

On October 31, 2003, Menu completed its acquisition of P&G/Iams’ production facility in North Sioux City, South Dakota. The Fund acquired inventory and property, plant and equipment and assumed all the employees of that facility. Concurrent with the acquisition, the Fund entered into an agreement to supply, on an exclusive basis, all of P&G/Iams’ canned wet pet food requirements in the United States and Canada.

The supply contract (the “Contract”) consists of an exclusive agreement to supply all the canned wet pet food requirements for Proctor & Gamble/Iams (”P&G/Iams”) in the United States and Canada. The Contract is carried at cost less accumulated amortization. Amortization, which is charged to cost of sales, is computed over the estimated term of the Contract, which is ten years.

When this recall escapes the collective minds of the public, Menu Foods will continue to make and sell its wet pet foods under the Iams’ brand."

[Varda]

That was my suspicion from the beginning. Peta operatives have done this before (Silver Spring monkey trial).

[HawaiianGecko]

OK, so some wheat gluten has rat poison in it.  Am I to believe that they only dusted the batches of gluten that were purchase by this dog food maker, or could it be in my lasagna noodles too?

[Varda]

You misunderstand Peta. Their goal is to sever links between people and animals. They have in the past killed and abused animals (and occasionally people) to advance that goal.

[vetvetdoug]

This event should make Hill's reconsider. Hill's makes 99% of its pet foods in Kansas and is an almost entirely closely held manufacture. The last year, Hill's has considered allowing another company to make some of Hill's products. April 9th Hill's was considering releasing a meat and gravy line of dog and cat food co-manufactured by Menu foods...if Hill's is smart they will back out of the contract and keep their foods in house. Hill's and Purina I think were proactive and right to pull the meat and gravy lines from their foods even though they were not manufactured at the Menu Food Plant. This almost exonerates the wheat gluten shipped to the companies in the US.

[cripplecreek]

It should be a wake up call.