EXCLUSIVE: Rat Poison Believed to Be Source of Some Pet Food Contamination

[seriousstan]

Source: ABC News

March 23, 2007 — ABC News has learned that investigators have determined that a rodent-killing chemical is the toxin in the tainted pet food that has killed several animals.

A source close to the investigation tells ABC News that the rodenticide, which the source says is illegal to use in the United States, was on wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food.

Watch "World News" for full details on the extent of the poisoning.

A news conference is scheduled for this afternoon by experts in Albany, N.Y., where scientists at the state's food laboratory made the discovery a week after a massive recall of 60 million cans and pouches was issued.

The chemical is aminopterin.



Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2975912

[soothsayer]

1. well then why aren't they telling them to administer vitamin K?

isn't that the antidote? (or do i have the wrong rat poison?)

[Kelvin Mace]

5. The problem was

that until now no one has named the toxin.

[jollyreaper2112]

55. hey!

That font isn't about creating thought crimes, it's Iron Maiden!

Up the irons!

[China_cat]

10. Vitamin K for the blood thinning poisons

like warfarin.

This is a whole different class.

http://www.scorecard.org/chemical-groups/one-list.tcl?short_list_name=ehs

[kestrel91316]

24. Sorry. TOTALLY wrong rat poison. You are thinking of

the anticoagulant rat poison found in D-con.

The sick animals do not have blood clotting problems. They have renal failure. D-con was never a suspect. Nor would something completely illegal be high on the list.

[soothsayer]

30. drat! any remedy for this poison?

[TomInTib]

41. Warfarin is what that crap is called.

That stuff has killed quite a few dogs and cats around here.

[roamer65]

153. Warfarin (aka Coumadin)

Yup, they give heart patients rat poison as an anticoagulant (blood thinner).

[uppityperson]

59. wiki on aminopterin, wild usages historically

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aminopterin
Aminopterin (4-aminopteroic acid), a 4-amino analog of folic acid, is an antineoplastic drug with immunosuppressive properties used in chemotherapy. Aminopterin is a synthetic derivative of pterin. Aminopterin works by competing for the folate binding site of the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase. Its binding affinity for dihydrofolate reductase effecticely blocks tetrahydrofolate synthesis. This results in the depletion of nucleotide precursors and inhibition of DNA, RNA and protein synthesis.

Its antifolate activity was first used by Sidney Farber in 1947 to induce remissions among children with leukemia.<1><2> Although more potent than methotrexate, it was replaced by methotrexate in the 1950s, due to unpredictable toxicity. Now in a more pure preparation, aminopterin is back in clinical trials for patients with leukemia.

The compound was used as an abortifacient in the 1960s and earlier, but was associated with congenital malformations.<3>

Aminopterin is also used as a rodenticide (not legal in the US). It was linked to a 2007 pet-poisoning incident: wheat from China containing Aminopterin was used in a Menu Foods product, resulting in several pet deaths and a product recall.

[Scairp]

108. Someone did this on purpose

Otherwise, what would rat poison be doing anywhere near the making and/or canning of dog and cat food?

[mike_c]

119. you must be kidding....

Rodents are a major consumer of stored grains (as are insects).

[Rhiannon12866]

140. Well, they're saying that you need to get your pet to a vet,

which is a no-brainer. But they're also saying that adequate hydration is very important, in the meantime...

[Nikia]

157. Actually pet food usually contains enough vitamin K to be an antidote of those poisions

The rep from a pest control company told me that when I was escorting him around for the monthly bait station and trap inspection at the company where I work.

[DemReadingDU]

2. Why are we importing wheat from China?

Farming has been outsourced too?

[jus_the_facts]

3. NAFTA and GATT....thanks Bill Clinton...NOT. eom.

[high density]

79. Thanks Al Gore as well

He was the biggest whore for NAFTA... But all has been forgiven it seems by reading on here.

[jus_the_facts]

98. Indeed....Ross Perot warned us about the ramifications and consequences....

....and it's all come full circle...just as he said it would...hindsight is always 20/20...sad but true. :argh:

[Buzz Clik]

130. Yeah, right. Perot was concerned about your cat.

Good gawd. NAFTA is NORTH AMERICAN, and has nothing to do with China.

[jus_the_facts]

148. It is a CANADIAN CORPORATION that imported the wheat from CHINA...

....Canada is in NORTH AMERICA...100% the fault of NAFTA and GATT! :eyes:

[Buzz Clik]

163. Yeah. We never traded with Canada prior to NAFTA.

:eyes: <=== I like the eyeroll. It's easier than presenting a valid argument.

[ProudDad]

152. GATT does

[newspeak]

144. actually Poppy Bush

you can imsgine the shock when Bill Clinton signed NAFTA-GATT-of course, that's North American Free Trade--Why don't we just thank Nixon for forming the basis of trade and partnership with China--and, what kind of business interests do the Bushes have with China?

[Kagemusha]

4. It's well known standards for pet food are lower than for humans.

And by the way, other countries have farming too. It didn't start yesterday.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

8. Wheat is kind of a surprise . . .

From Sasketchewan to Oklahoma, there's no lack of wheat on this continent . . .

And both U.S. and Canada export it, last time I looked.

Seems odd to me.

[Kagemusha]

15. But that wheat goes to feed people.

Often in far-off countries across the globe.

[vireo]

23. Sounds like coals to Newcastle, doesn't it?

But it must be more profitable.

"Like many other industrializing countries, China is abandoning taxes on agriculture as it gains more income from taxes on industry and urban incomes," Gale, Tuan and fellow economist Bryan Lohmar wrote in a February ERS report.

<snip>

"The government is trying to raise rural incomes while also trying to encourage grain production," they reported.

Subsidies vary across region and commodity, they said.

<snip>

In spite of the new subsidies to grain farmers, high grain prices in 2004 were probably the chief inducement in China's farmers' decisions to plant more, Gale said.

The United States also subsidizes certain farm producers, but it is proposing to reduce those payments.

http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2005&m=March&x=20050325091159AKllennoCcM0.450268

I hope this arouses more concern about our increasing dependence on China for our food supply.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

40. "Hauling coal to Newcastle"

Something my ma used to say . . .

Yes, this is disturbing in so many ways. Free trade has destroyed so much of our economy, and now it seems it may be going to affect our health.

If there had been a 25% tariff imposed on Chinese goods, this wouldn't have gotten out of hand so fast.

To paraphrase the Chimp . . . "Greed trumps the common good."

[Dr.Phool]

43. Worse yet, Menu Foods has a pet food plant in KANSAS!

I thought all they did in Kansas was grow fucking wheat!

[CrazyOrangeCat]

46. soybeans, corn, ranching . . .

but yeah, mostly WHEAT!

very weird news.

[KamaAina]

105. Oh, goodness, no...

...they also deny evolution, debate whether women should have the vote, and play basketball. :sarcasm:

Actually, a number of Kansans do the DU, so I guess not everything's the matter with Kansas. :-)

[Critters2]

107. I'm guessing the poster's point is that there's no good reason to

import wheat to KANSAS!!! For all the things they may or may not do in Kansas, they most certainly grow wheat, and apparently safer wheat than that grown in China.

A pet food factory in Kansas should have no problem finding good quality wheat without having to import. That's the point.

[Carni]

20. Heard yesterday *the industry polices itself*??

I don't have a link and was half paying attention but I believe I heard the industry polices itself on ABC news last night--nice....NOT!

[hedgehog]

39. I'm not so certain about that.

The ingredients list is a lot more flexible, that's for sure! Other aspects have to meet human health standards ( such as they are) because the pet food ends up stored alongside human food.

[SOS]

73. Actually there are no standards for pet food

Dr. Wendell Belfield is a former USDA inspector. His article "Food not fit for a pet" is linked below:
http://www.belfield.com/article3.html

[kestrel91316]

88. there are, however, labeling requirements. And we vets know

what to look for on the label that tips us off to quality issues. It's not a foolproof method of assessing foods, but it's what we have. So we do what we can to screen out the baddies by their labeling.

Ya gotta dance with them what brought ya.

[hedgehog]

6. A lot of foods are manufactured in China these days -

including a lot of novelty candies. A lot of people think our regulatory agencies are lax. Does China even have any regulatory agencies? I think most pet food companies are subsidiaries of companies manufacturing human foods. It makes me wonder who else is using Chinese wheat.

[Kelvin Mace]

7. The question the story doesn't ask:

How do we know that the poison isn't in the human food supply?

Wheat products are not just used in pet food.

[robinlynne]

13. good question.

[DemReadingDU]

38. I thought about that too

scary
:(

[kestrel91316]

60. China is not exactly a great FRIEND, either. If they decide we

are getting in their way, it's entirely possible that more aminopterin could find its way into their export wheat and start killing Americans.

I'm becoming somewhat anti-globalist............

[DemReadingDU]

62. and what kind of safeguard is protecting produce?

There have been several outbreaks of E-coli because food grown in unsanitary fields. What guarantees that imported produce from Mexico and South America are free from poison and E-coli?

[xultar]

9. THAT IS FUCKED UP. I don't buy shit for my dog that comes from CHINA.

All the pet treats are made there.

The only problem is they dont tell you where the fuckin ingredients come from that makes the shit made in the US.

FUCKIN FUCKING FUCKERS!!! TOO GODDAMNED CHEAP TO BUY US!!!

I challenge you to go to a pet store and find food and treats shit made in the US.

[Lurking Dem]

25. try Wysong

http://www.wysong.net/dontbefooled/uniquefeatures.shtml

[underpants]

45. DING! this whole thing is about being CHEAP

not frugal or cost prohibitive or any other nonsense they are CHEAP

I'll bet lots of people were shocked to find out that all the cat and dog food are pretty much made in the same place and are the same thing.

This is horrible. I hope some homegrown companies emerge out of this.

[CelticWinter]

149. Well my son worked at a dog food company in PA

and he made dog treats---Better than Ears----Iams dental bones, Hertz dog bones, and a number of different dog treats. Just look on the back of the package to see where they are made. I would never buy something made in China for my pets, its bad enough that everything I pick up otherwise is made there.

[Arkansas Granny]

11. I googled aminopterin and found very little information. I found

reference to the chemical being used back in the 1960's as an abortifacient and clinical trials for treatment of leukemia. There was no reference to being used in rat poison in about 10 different sources that I checked.

[China_cat]

14. I found this

http://www.scorecard.org/chemical-profiles/summary.tcl?edf_substance_id=54%2d62%2d6#hazards

[Arkansas Granny]

17. I saw that also, but I was specifically looking for a link that might

indicate the effects of ingesting the chemical or about it's use as a rodenticide.

[hedgehog]

26. One thing must be true - it must kill rodents!

Aren't rats usually used to test chemicals to see if they'll harm humans?....

[Corgigal]

29. interesting

me wonders if China was genetically engineering some pesticide into the wheat.

[soothsayer]

33. well, that would be more than troubling

[Lone_Star_Dem]

52. You made me curious so I googled it too

This is some scary stuff.

Fetal aminopterin syndrome

Aminopterin is a folic acid antagonist used as an antineoplastic in the 50s and 60s. This agent is also used to produce abortion in women in the early 1950s and 17 cases of fetal malformation were reported after failed abortion with aminopterin administration between the 4th and 12th week of gestation. The fetuses presented with a strikingly similar pattern of anomalies including short stature, skull anomalies (delayed calvarial ossification, craniosynostosis, cloverleaf skull), hydrocephalus, abnormal auricles, ocular hypertelorism, micrognathia, and cleft palate. Some fetuses showed also istal limb anomalies and neural tube closure defects. Malformations have been observed among children of women who ingested aminopterin doses between 1 and 3 mg/d or higher doses during the first trimester of pregnancy. The risk of malformation associated with aminopterin exposure can be estimated at 50% from a number of case reports of normal pregnancies following failed of abortion with aminopterin treatment. Author: Dr E. Robert (November 2002)*.
http://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/OC_Exp.php?Lng=GB&Expert=1908


What is a folic acid antagonists?
pl.n.
Modified pterins, such as aminopterin and amethopterin, that interfere with the action of folic acid and produce the symptoms of a folic acid deficiency.
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/folic+acid+antagonists

Not that this answers the question of if it is commonly uses as a pesticide, but it does raise even more concern over the presence of it in wheat from China.

[Arkansas Granny]

54. Things that make you go "Hmmmmm".

None of the references I found mentioned kidney failure as a result of ingesting aminopterin. There was some reference to liver damage. Something doesn't add up here IMO. I'd like to learn a little more about this.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

72. It does sound a little bit off, doesn't it?

It's possible it could be a false lead.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

74. If one looks at is as a folic acid antagonist you then find where they're used as a pesticide

I did then find a paper from India that mentions several incidence of occurrence of cancer, kidney failure, asthma, deformities, still births, skin problems and diseases of digestive track. The paper is specifically focusing on folic acid antagonist type pesticides.

Link to article: http://www.punjabilok.com/agriculture/medworkshop_report.htm

Also, taking folic acid has been reported to help reduce incidents of kidney failure in humans, which would imply that there is some relation between the two, but that doesn't mean that folic acid antagonist would cause such a failure at least not in humans. However, it's important to keep in mind that we're speaking of dogs and cats and not humans in this instance, and we don't know the levels of the toxin in the product.

I don't know for sure, but this does give them a more specific area to begin focusing on which is good news.

[Marie26]

162. I found some references to Chinese rat poison

causing deaths. But it was a different chemical. 38 people died from rat poison in food at a Chinese snack shop - it turned out that the rat poison had been placed in the food on purpose by a business rival. A baby died in New York City after ingesting Chinese rat poison that contained illegal chemicals. It seems like China has a number of unregulated/banned poisons that are still bought & used by some farmers.


Poisoning by an Illegally Imported Chinese Rodenticide Containing Tetramethylenedisulfotetramine --- New York City, 2002 - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5210a4.htm#fig

Rat poison and food security in the People's Republic of China:

The last several years have seen a large number of mass poisonings in mainland China, particularly those caused by illicit rodenticides. One rat poison, tetramine (tetramethylene disulfotetramine) is responsible for a great percentage of death and injury in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Tetramine is an acutely toxic substance with human oral toxicity estimated as low as 0.1 mg/kg, and is widely available in open markets in mainland China--this despite being prohibited for manufacture or sale in the PRC. Being a GABA antagonist, and having an extremely potent effect on the brain stem, many victims can quickly fall into convulsions and die within hours following ingestion. With no known effective antidote at this time, clinical data from the PRC show that acute cases of tetramine poisoning are extremely difficult to treat. The widespread use of tetramine--including its reported sale at a Malaysian outdoor market in September 2002--could exacerbate its hazard to public health, particularly in those areas having large overseas Chinese populations.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14551672&dopt=Abstract

Re: Poisoning in Nanjing, elsewhere in PRC
- ----------------------
While other compounds such as fluoroacetates have been implicated in
past poisonings, intentional or otherwise, the recent tragedy in
Nanjing (September 2002) is reported to be Du Shu Qiang (lit: Poison
Rat Strength), tetramethylene disulfotetramine. There are other
Chinese names for it, suggesting its widespread use in the PRC despite
its having been prohibited: Si Er Si (424), San Bu Dao, and Wen Dao
Si. Chinese media report that "unscrupulous" companies continue to
manufacture a number of regulated/restricted pesticides, including
Dushuqiang.

http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/toxicol/2002-September/003333.html

[flamingyouth]

12. That is sick, IMO.

Cheap sick bastards.

[Skittles]

16. I am seriously f***ing pissed

I hope there is f***ing HELL TO PAY

[flamingyouth]

21. Me too.

:mad:

[OhioChick]

18. This is fucked up......

Are we getting every damn thing from China?? That's it......my dogs eat what I eat. (Who's to say that's any better....sigh)

[Critters2]

115. That's what they did before manufactured dog foods

Table scraps, the diet of most dogs until recently. Not quite so good for cats, though.

[RamboLiberal]

19. I would not want to measure my blood pressure at this moment

F*ck these b*stards that import this crap and then don't even test it! And f*ck this free trade crap!

I just fired off an email to my Senators and Represenative - thank goodness two are Dems - and they damn well better do something on both the human and pet food end. Too much of this crap is happening in both food chains!

[DemReadingDU]

22. another thread to read in GD

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x482932

[Whoa_Nelly]

27. Animals used that died from Menu Food' testing because they couldn't ID the toxin in the lab?

:wtf:

My dog became very ill after eating the IAMS pouch food, and some of the Mighty Dog pouch and canned food. Right after eating, she would vomit until she had the dry heaves, and would eat grass for an hour, vomiting that up, too...and she's not a "grass grazer" dog.

I reported hat happened with my pet to http://www.petconnection.com/recall/index.php who is collecting statements from pet owners re: the Menu Foods recall.

Fuckers! I cannot understand how not enough lab study/investigation was not done that the company (Menu Foods) had to resort to testing the tainted food on animals, many of whom died! :mad:


My precious poochie, Seneca

[Skittles]

31. what a lovely dog

she is OK?

[Whoa_Nelly]

49. She had a bladder infection from end of November through mid-January

Was on three courses of antibiotics. Vet wasn't sure, but at the time thought it was due to age (she's 11), and beginning of loss of sphincter muscle control.

However, once the infection cleared up, she has not had any of the telltale urine leaking that indicates loss of that muscle control. And, the day before Mighty Dog was put on the list as being pulled form market shelves, she ate some and vomited off and on for several hours, as well as eating grass for almost three hours.

I wrote to Mighty Dog and IAMS. The only reason I'd been adding some of the wet food to her dinner of kibble is that she was a rescue dog (got her last June), and she was refusing to eat; I used it as an enticement to get her eating again.

Thanks, Skittles re: lovely dog :hi:

Seneca has had a lot of abuse in her life through several owners, including one from whom she was removed because he deliberately chopped her tail off mid-joint just to be mean to her. She's a real sweetheart, loves people and kids even now regardless of the mistreatment she has suffered in the past.

[Skittles]

116. sheer luck with my kitties

I feed them IAMS but only the dry stuff (I will be rethinking THAT brand) and I too use wet food as a treat - but only Fancy Feast, which was not part of the recall. I am angry that this could have happened to our pets - OUR LOVED ONES. :(

[tblue37]

32. She is lovely. I hope she is OK now! (eom)

[Whoa_Nelly]

50. She is doing all right, but had some of the Mighty Dog "bad" food

right before it was added to the recall list. After 1/2 a can mixed with her kibble, she began vomiting immediately.

See my above post reply to Skittles for more.

Thanks re: Seneca.

She sends you a big, "Woof!"

[jollyreaper2112]

58. doggie!

Beautiful dog. Looks a lot like my first dog as a wee sprout, Sheila. She was a good one.

[fighttheevilempire]

77. And you thought table scraps were bad...

Honestly, after this mess I dont ever want to hear someone complaining about me giving the last of the scraps to our dog. As long as there are no bones,etc., that's got to be heathier than rat poison. My cooking might not be the best, but my mashed potatoes never killed anyone. lol.

Hope your puppy recovers well, she's cute.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

86. Poultry Digest = Poop

GRAVY TRAIN (yucky ingredients in many pet foods)

SO WHAT'S IN THIS FOOD?

The first five ingredients are: corn, soybean meal, meat and bone meal, animal fat (preserved with BHA, BHT and Citric acid) and animal digest.

Corn is a filler, soybean meal is a filler, meat and bone meal comes from the Lord only knows what animal (a mink? a horse? a cat? another dog?). Animal fat could come from any animal, or many, and BHT and BHA are chemical preservatives linked to cancer. Animal digest is (and I quote AAFCO, the privately run agency that 'regulates' pet food labeling): Digest: An animal feed-grade ingredient that must be made
soluble with the use of heat and moisture. Since these
ingredients are not soluble in their natural state they require
this manufacturing process before they can be put into pet
food.
An example of this would be the feet of poultry.
When a pet food label shows "Poultry Digest" as an ingredient this could be what is in the food.. Again, since this says "Animal" digest, this mystery ingredient could come from just about any animal, and just about any part of that animal.

In the entire list of 42 ingredients, a recognizable meat source does not show up until #37, beef stock. This is dried beef flavoring, which is the ingredient that makes the gravy. It is basically boullion. It is probably the most wholesome ingredient in the list. The ingredients also contain four separate dyes and two preservatives other than BHA, BHT and citric acid.
http://www.epinions.com/content_32019418756

POULTRY DIGEST IS CA-CA:

"I did a little research on that ingredient and found a very helpful pet food web site that explained to me that poultry digest is simply protein broken down by naturally-occurring enzymes. Sounds good enough, right? That is, until you take it a touch further. What exactly is protein broken down by by naturally-occurring enzymes? Put simply, it’s poultry waste. As in poop, ca-ca, dookie, number two . ." http://www.sojos.com/eatitarticle.html

[kestrel91316]

89. Sounds icky, right? But animals love it, and it does them no harm.

It's digested (composted, fermented, whatever). It's not raw poop, silly. And dogs and cats out in the wild eat FAR WORSE and ICKIER things.........I know my dog when i was growing up sure did, lol.

[aquart]

91. Thank God she vomited.

Smart dog.

[kestrel91316]

28. I'm gonna go do some reading and see if I find more in my vet

sources about this.

Aminopterin? Never heard of it.

[AllieB]

34. Breaking News: Rat Poison Found in Tainted Pet Food

Source: Boston Globe

Developing story.

BREAKING NEWS: A spokeswoman for the New York State Department of Agriculture says rat poison was found in tainted pet food that killed several animals and sparked a nationwide recall. New York State agriculture officials have scheduled a news conference this afternoon to release test results on the pet food conducted this week. --Developing





Read more: http://www.boston.com/

---

Will update soon.

[AllieB]

35. Mods-Please delete

Just saw seriousstan's thread!

[Rhiannon12866]

47. No problem! Both of these threads deserve to remain here...

This is all important information on a subject that all of us are extremely concerned about. :-(

I just combined them. Thanks for the additional information.

Rhiannon:hi:

[Warpy]

36. This is beginning to sound more and more like sabotage.

As of yesterday morning, no contaminant had been found either in the dead cats and dogs or in the recalled food remaining in the house.

This is beyond sick. I hope they catch the mofo and fast.

[kestrel91316]

93. They knew the crystals were there. It just took them a long time

to ID them.

[thereismore]

37. That food was apparently meant for Cheney. Rat poison = blood thinner. nt

[kestrel91316]

90. And CORNELL scores the big touchdown!!!!!!! Good on them.

Sometimes my colleagues really make me proud. They did this in about record time, for a toxicology mystery.

[kestrel91316]

42. Updated recall info from teh AVMA:

http://avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/faq.asp

[barb162]

51. Thank you; I am checking the list daily

[yellowcanine]

44. This is one downside of global trade. U.S. farmers are forbidden to use those chemicals on

stored wheat. They are competing with Chinese wheat producers who apparently can get away with using those chemicals, likely reducing the cost of production for the Chinese producers and making the Chinese wheat more competitive in the pet food manufacturing market.

[kestrel91316]

48. About aminopterin - from vet website:

I'm not a pharmacologist, so I can't really comment or answer questions about this. I am wondering where this fits with the ARF.......


"...Aminopterin (4-aminopteroic acid), a 4-amino analog of folic acid, is an antineoplastic drug with immunosuppressive properties used in chemotherapy. Aminopterin is a synthetic derivative of pterin. Aminopterin works by competing for the folate binding site of the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase. Its binding affinity for dihydrofolate reductase effecticely blocks tetrahydrofolate synthesis. This results in the depletion of nucleotide precursors and inhibition of DNA, RNA and protein synthesis.

Its antifolate activity was first used by Sidney Farber in 1947 to induce remissions among children with leukemia.<1><2> Although more potent than methotrexate, it was replaced by methotrexate in the 1950s, due to unpredictable toxicity. Now in a more pure preparation, aminopterin is back in clinical trials for patients with leukemia...."

[Omaha Steve]

53. A Lou Grant (TV-Series 1977-1982) episode showed how this happened before!

It is almost an exact duplicate of this story. US companies sell chemicals over seas that are illegal here, but leach back to us. I remember the episode well. I'll post the title after I talk to my wife.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075528/

[Demeter]

56. there's no wheat in canada!!!!!! Pull the Other One!

Why is a company in Canada importing wheat from China? Has the world gone mad???

[kestrel91316]

64. I heard that Canadian wheat had a bad mold problem this year,

so maybe they HAD to import it because theirs was ruined?

Increasing mold in grain...........hm, that couldn't possibly have anything to due with GLOBAL WARMING-INDUCED CLIMATE CHANGE, now could it??????

[Critters2]

117. To use in a factory in Kansas!! There's no wheat in Kansas?!

Yes, this proves it. The world has officially gone mad.

[Rhiannon12866]

57. K&R. Mother of God! Rat poison?!!!

And the contaminated wheat came from China?! Why am I not surprised?!x(

[fed-up]

61. THOUSANDS "equals" SEVERAL????- I am so sick of MSM's deceptive "new" math nt

[The Backlash Cometh]

63. How do you like that outsourcing now? eh?

[Skittles]

120. YES

f***ing crap trinkets from China and lousy software from India is one thing - f***ed up food is entirely another :(

[The Backlash Cometh]

124. Now we know what Bush is good for. He isn't JUST incompetent, but

he made sure that all aspects of corporate and government life are a reflection of his presidential style.

Makes you wonder, what's next? A Mad cow disease scandal?

[Skittles]

127. I shudder to think, TBC

we are certainly seeing what pro-corporation policies are doing to America :puke:

I hear there still is no criminal investigation into this - I think they are very much underestimating the anger people feel when someone messes with their pets - the AMerican people will demand ANSWERS on this pet food saga

[OhioChick]

129. Global economy.....

This will be just the beginning of what's to come.

[kestrel91316]

65. Here's another one of my annoying questions:

Why the hell is a CHEMO DRUG being used for rodent control, or any other purpose, in grain?????? Grain is FOOD. HELLO?????????????

Either somebody is really really STUPID, or somebody is really really EVIL. I don't see any other possibilities.

[Vinca]

66. Why the hell are we importing wheat????????????????

Damn these trade agreements. I saw some giant Russian scallops at the grocery store this morning and my first thought was Chernobyl.

[ourvoicescount]

67. What a sad thing... thanks for the information.

[WePurrsevere]

68. NM... dupe.

:blush:

[kestrel91316]

69. I'm gonna go out on a limb here:

I am not convinced that this aminopterin in the wheat is the real cause of the problem. I think they need to keep looking and see if there is anything ELSE in the wheat that would be likely to cause an ARF syndrome. Because it just doesn't smell right to me.

Time to go do more reading.

[Critters2]

100. Keep sharing your thoughts, Kestrel

I've been reading your posts carefully, and am impressed with your knowledge and your commitment to the well-being of animals. So, if this doesn't smell right to you, I'm guessing there's more to the story. Let us know what you learn, please.

Thanks!!

[kestrel91316]

70. Ahah! Info on toxicity of methotrexate, a similar chem drug to aminopterin:

Info from Plumb on Methotrexate toxicity/treatment:

Acute overdosage in dogs is associated with exacerbations of the adverse effects outlined above, particularly myelosuppression and acute renal failure. Acute tubular necrosis is secondary to drug precipitation in the tubules. In dogs, the maximally tolerated dose is reported to be 0.12 mg/kg q24h for 5 days.

Treatment of acute oral overdoses include, emptying the gut and preventing absorption using standard protocols if the ingestion is recent. Additionally, oral neomycin has been suggested to help prevent absorption of MTX from the intestine. In order to minimize renal damage, forced alkaline diuresis should be considered. Urine pH should be maintained between 7.5 and 8 by the addition of 0.5-1 mEq/kg of sodium bicarbonate per 500 ml of IV fluid.

Leucovorin calcium is specific therapy for methotrexate overdoses. It should be given as soon as possible, preferably within the first hour and definitely within 48 hours. Doses of leucovorin required are dependent on the MTX serum concentration. Humans having serum concentrations greater than 5 x 10-7 M at 48 hours are likely to develop severe toxicity. Leucovorin in doses ranging from 25-200 mg/m2 every 6 hours doses is given until serum levels fall below 1 x 10-8 M. Dogs treated with leucovorin at 15 mg/m2 every 3 hours IV for 8 doses, then IM q6h for 8 doses were able to tolerate MTX doses as high as 3 g/m2 (O'Keefe and Harris 1990). Another dose of 3 mg/m2 for leucovorin in dogs has also been suggested (Coppoc 1988).

*******NOTE********Some of the vets were seeing severe anemia and couldn't figure out why - it's the myelosuppression (bone marrow damage). The precipitated drug could be the crystals they were seeing in the kidneys.

[WePurrsevere]

76. It will be interesting to see what the NYS Lab comes out with.

In my experience this particular NYS lab is very good.

Interesting.. thank you. There may be something to what you're saying here. I take it that this chemical has a similar effect on felines?

If it doesn't become clearer after the news conference perhaps you can call the lab and ask them for more info in your professional capacity. :)

[kestrel91316]

71. Pharmacology of aminopterin:

"....The pharmacology of aminopterin raises questions about decreased solubility and precipitation as a cause of antifolate nephrotoxicity. Aminopterin is more soluble than methotrexate in urine at 37°C and 10-fold more potent than methotrexate in inhibiting dihydrofolate reductase. On the basis of the precipitation theory of antifolate nephrotoxicity, aminopterin should be less toxic than methotrexate. Although Glode et al. (1979) predicted that aminopterin would be more efficacious and less nephrotoxic than methotrexate, they found that 50% of patients who received aminopterin without hydration developed dose-limiting nephrotoxicity. Two patients who died from renal failure lacked aminopterin precipitates in the kidney at autopsy, and these authors suggested that antifolates may cause nephrotoxicity independent of renal precipitation. In contrast, our theory of renal antifolate elimination predicts that aminopterin would be more nephrotoxic than methotrexate. Renal FRs had higher affinities for aminopterin than for methotrexate at every pH tested. Although hydration and alkalinization decreased aminopterin toxicity (Glode et al., 1979), the efficacy of hydration alone in decreasing nephrotoxicity was not tested....."

[VegasWolf]

75. Well, the chemical is plenty nephrotoxic to the animals that died. nt

[noonwitch]

78. As a kid who grew up in W. Michigan, this reeks of the PBB situation

Only in that case, the poison got into the human food supply via cattle. The USDA somehow managed to mix fire retardant into cattle feed.

Nobody talks about it anymore, but when I was a kid, it scared the shit out of me. We'd be hearing about farmers having to bring their cows to "kill sites", where the cows were destroyed, then buried in cement vaults to prevent the PBB from getting into the ground water. Pretty much everyone in Michigan outside of the metro Detroit area got exposed. The main provider in Detroit at the time, Sealtest, bought their milk out of state, or even more people would have been exposed.

[roamer65]

95. Hate to break it to you, but...

the cows are not buried in cement vaults. They're buried in a simple clay lined pit in Kalkaska County. So far its not leaking..so far...

Also it wasn't the USDA at fault. Here's a good read on what exactly happened.

http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1774247

Here's the doco stating that its is a "sealed clay pit".

http://www.midnr.com/Publications/pdfs/ForestsLandWater/Cmpt_Reviews/Grayling/2007/Cmpt012nar.pdf

Quite a legacy, eh? I know that I have PBB in me. I drank milk during that time and did not reside in Detroit.

[whopis01]

101. That's a good thing, actually

Cement would leak a lot quicker than clay will. Ground water travels much much slower through clay than it does through cement.

[roamer65]

111. Time will tell, eh?

I hope you're right.;)

[LTR]

80. Rodent Poison Found in Tainted Pet Food

Source: Associated Press

Rodent poison has been found in pet food blamed for the deaths of at least 16 cats and dogs, a spokeswoman for the State Department of Agriculture and Markets said Friday.

Spokeswoman Jessica Chittenden would not identify the chemical or its source beyond saying it was a rodent poison.

State agriculture officials scheduled a news conference Friday afternoon to release laboratory findings from tests on the pet food conducted this week.

The deaths led to a recall of 60 million cans and pouches of pet food produced by Menu Foods and sold throughout North America under 95 brand names. There have been reports of kidney failure, some fatal, in pets that ate the recalled brands. The company has confirmed the deaths of 15 cats and one dog.



Read more: http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2007/03/23/ap/headlines/d8o1v4g80.txt

[shaniqua6392]

81. Rat poison in our pet food

from wheat grown in CHINA?????? WTF. Don't we grow wheat in America? I am going to stop buying pet food altogether. I have two of my dogs on raw diet already and plan to find something raw for cats too. Sickening.

[kestrel91316]

94. Raw meat is unsafe. Cook it if you're going the homemade route.

[shaniqua6392]

99. Raw food is completely safe for pets.

They are not susceptible to bacterium's like humans. Actually cooking the food for pets is definitely NOT recommended especially the bones. My dogs just chew up the bones of raw chicken. But when I first started the raw diet I used a grinder because it just seemed weird to throw a chicken leg to my dogs! But I gradually started giving them more large pieces and they do great. Dogs only choke on cooked bones because they are brittle and split easily. They like raw burger and some organ meats. Here is a link to a site to learn more about it. There are many people who feed pets raw and organic and I have a feeling there will be many more who will think twice about commercial pet foods soon.

http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm

[kestrel91316]

125. FALSE: "...They are not susceptible to bacterium's like humans..."

I'd ROFLMAO if it weren't such a harmful lie.

Google "Salmonella" and "Campylobacter" and "Toxoplasmosis" for starters.

Then check out the CDC's website:

http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/

Are you going to pay for medical expenses of all the pets and humans harmed because of your irresponsible advice? You certainly should.

Tha vast number of research articles that directly contradict your nonsense, and that of the other flat-earther's on DU spewing this BS, is staggering. What clinical evidence and research published in peer-reviewed medical and veterinary publications can you cite to support your allegations that raw meat diets are "safe"?

Waiting.............


Still waiting...............

Crickets chirping..............

Uh huh. That's what I thought. Where did you say you got your veterinary degree? Your microbiology degree? Your medical degreee?

That's what I thought.

[Seedersandleechers]

138. I agree with you-raw is good for your pets

My vet agrees too. Several good articles written by Vets

catinfo.org



http://www.vhcdoc.com/diet.html

Use safe raw meat handling guidelines
Your dishwasher is a good sterilizer
Freezing kills parasites....
10 percent bleach solution will go a long way...

[foo_bar]

145. you agree that pets aren't susceptible to "bacterium's"?

Freezing kills parasites....

Do you know what bacteria are? Do you know what a parasite is?

10 percent bleach solution will go a long way...

Yes, that's a helpful observation to trail in ellipses. Should we bathe the raw meat in it, or apply it as an enema?

[kestrel91316]

154. These people wouldn't know pathogenic organisms if they came up

and bit them in the ass.

The ability to point and click and cut and paste does not equal comprehension. The "internets" are full of websites that are devoid of logic, and intellectually lazy people love to cite them like Gospel. Also, this is a perfect example of the old adage that "a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing".

[China_cat]

167. Yes we would

we read your posts.

[kestrel91316]

156. Tell me, does one run the ground turkey through the dishwasher

and soak the beef in bleach, or is it the other way around??? I'm so confused...........and what should I do with the dead cat after it eats the bleach-soaked meat? Can I flush it down my toilet? Enquiring minds want to know.

------------

Freezing kills tapeworms, IIRC. Show me the peer-reviewed literature that documents Toxoplasma being completely killed by freezing in a typical home freezer. You can't because it's not there.

From the website Health A to Z:

Humans can reduce their risks of developing toxoplasmosis by practicing the following:
freezing (to 10.4°F/-12°C) and cooking foods to an internal temperature of 152°F/67°C will kill the cyst

*****Note that it says REDUCE risk, not eliminate. Note also that it says "Freezing..........and cooking" rather than "freezing or cooking".
The cooking part is rather important.


Your alleged veterinarian, IMHO, is either ignorant or crazy. Maybe both. If he or she even exists.

The vet on that website is courting a losing lawsuit if she gives any of her clients that advice. She is making statements that go against established medical standards. Very foolish.

[Name removed]

158. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

165. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DeepBlueC]

82. oh man...

We are not only weakening our own food safety controls but we are IMPORTING the products of even more laissez-faire systems. I am sick.

[kestrel91316]

83. They found aminopterin, which is a CHEMO drug similar to

methotrexate. Don't get me started on why the hell it would be used on FOOD for any reason. There are safer ways to kill rodents, believe me.

It's highly illegal in the US. The wheat came from China.

[aquart]

85. And nobody tested wheat coming in from another country?

Do we know where else that wheat went?

[aquart]

84. My mom heard it was on wheat imported from China?

Anyone else hear that? What other uses has that wheat been put to?

[Double T]

87. Corporations MUST increase their profits at ALL COSTS...........

including feeding our pets poisonous cheap wheat from china. When will the fuckers target 'US' next??? Getting close to triggers for a revolution.

[keepCAblue]

92. Reports coming in on DRY FOOD poisonings as well as wet foods

REPORTS OF DRY FOOD CAUSING ILLNESS/DEATH:

http://www.itchmo.com/read/several-unconfirmed-reports-of-iams-dry-food-causing-illness_20070323

Mostly reports from Iams dry, but we’ve had at least one report involving Trader Joe’s dry as well. Could be TJ’s uses the same manufacturer for their dry as Iams.

And while it is true that Menu Foods only manufactures wet and moist pet foods, the source of the contamination -– wheat from China -- was secured by Menu Foods by a third-party supplier; thus, it is entirely possible that other manufacturers, including makers of dry pet food, used the same wheat supplier or some other supplier who also imported from China. I would caution everyone to check their pet food’s list of ingredients for ANY wheat product (whole wheat, wheat flour, wheat bran, wheat gluten, etc.). At this point, there is no way of knowing just HOW MANY DIFFERENT manufacturing end-users purchased the tainted wheat from China.

For updates, we have created an information portal at http://www.howl911.com

[kestrel91316]

96. Trader Joe's is generic. It's junk. I LOVE their stores and people food,

but they seriously need to get out of the pet food business.

I see cats with GI, urinary, and skin problems rather often that are eating TJ's. I think they still put garlic/onion in it, too, which are KNOWN toxins in dogs and cats.

Don't even get me started on them.

[kestrel91316]

97. I agree about trying to avoid pet foods with wheat for the time being.

Makes sense to me. It may not be completely feasible, but especially in animals with pre-existing renal disease it's probably wise.

*******NOTE*******Not sure if it's relevant. I have seen an unusual spike in CHRONIC renal failure cases in the past 12-15 months. Things that make you go HMMMMM.

[Critters2]

102. delete. meant to reply to the OP. I'm a moran. nt

[Critters2]

103. I went to the website for the food I feed my cats, and was glad to find this

http://www.petpromiseinc.com/promise_of_purity.htm

It looks like the wheat they use is actually grown in Kansas (imagine that!). I like this company because it's committed to supporting family farms. I have friends in Iowa who raise bison used in their dog treats, so I know where their meats come from, but wanted to double check about grains.

[Kool Kitty]

104. This is the brand I feed my cats.

(Sometimes I use Newman's, too, if I can't find PetPromise.) My cats like them both and they haven't been on the lists. I've been listening to Ed Schultz' show this afternoon and he has been talking about this and saying that a few animals have died. Bullshit-it is a helluva lot more that a few. Why isn't this being reported more accurately? (Stupid question, I know....)

[RamboLiberal]

106. As I sit hear eating my lunch at work

Frozen entrée of Fettucine Alfredo, looked at the ingredients blanched fettucine (water, semolina, wheat gluten). Gee wonder if that came from China where they use rat poison on it?

BTW, independent vet website petconnection that has a database for reporting has over 1,000 pet deaths reported. Now they say not all will be from the recall, but this toll has to be a helluva lot bigger than reported.

[Skittles]

118. what they reported was just plain ludicrous

no way in HELL would they have done a recall for 10 deaths

[keepCAblue]

132. FDA has received over 1000 reports of poisoning...Pet Connection:

FDA rep told one pet parent two days ago they'd received over 1,000 reports of poisoning, several from dry food.

From Petconnection.com, death tally as of this morning:

The latest numbers from our PetConnection.com database: 1103 deceased pets (654 cats/449 dogs). You can still enter your pet here. We also encourage you to report to the FDA, although good luck with that, according to the S.F. Chronicle:

The FDA is not asking vets to report cases of sick pets, so no one knows exactly how many animals have been sickened or died after eating bad food.

http://www.petconnection.com/blog/

[Critters2]

109. I'm also wondering whether we should be concernd about wheat

used in human foods. Are cheap breads and cereals using Chinese wheat? How would we know?

[Lurking Dem]

112. I'm waiting for The Onion headline

Millions Affected By Celiac Get Last Laugh.

[Critters2]

113. LOL!!! nt

[Ediacara]

110. Aminopterin is one fucked up chemical

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aminopterin

[roamer65]

122. Yup, I remember working in a lab around patient samples...

containing methotrexate. We were required to use a laminar flow hood and glove up for handling serum and urine samples of patients on the drug. Both are nasty stuff and aminopterin is far worse.

[kestrel91316]

128. Methotrexate is unbiblical. Why were you using it???

You're gonna burn in hell. Medical care is an invention of Satan. Reverend Jim-Bob told me so.

Sorry. It's been a long week.

[roamer65]

150. My heart goes out to you and all of the pet owners...

affected by this contamination. I hope this company goes bankrupt.

[alstephenson]

114. MODS: Ditto for this thread. Could you please cross-post on PETS forum? thx

[mike_c]

121. what? it wasn't GMO wheat...?

This in response to the earlier threads that jumped the gun and blamed genetic engineering for killing pets.

[Ayesha]

123. Notice what the recalled brands have in common?

Most of the pet foods on that list are crappy generic or grocery store brands, made with lax quality control and poor quality ingredients. If anything good comes of this tragedy, it will be that people will start looking at what's in their pet's food and choosing raw, home-cooked, or all-natural commercial food made with human-grade ingredients, instead of what's cheapest at the store.

Here are a few quality brands that, surprise surprise, are NOT on the recall list:

Merrick (this is what my 5 dogs eat): http://www.merrickpetcare.com
Innova: http://www.naturapet.com
Timberwolf Organics: http://www.timberwolforganics.com
Solid Gold: http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
Nature's Variety: http://www.naturesvariety.com/
Wellness: http://www.omhpet.com/

There are many other brands, that is just a start. Read the ingredients of all those foods and you can see the difference!

ETA: It has occured to me that the reason there is rat poison in the food is not because of the grain, but because there are DEAD RATS in the food. And BTW, if that's not gross enough, there is strong evidence that euthanized dogs and cats from pounds end up in pet food as well. Read here:
http://www.belfield.com/article3.html
http://www.petcaretips.net/euthanized_pets.html

[keepCAblue]

131. Menu Foods also makes Nature's Variety and Wellness canned foods

Many of "natural" and "holistic" brand companies use Menu Foods to make their wet products.

Wellness and Nature's Variety use Menu Foods.

For a list of companies NOT on the recall list but who DO use Menu Foods to make their wet food, visit http://petsitusa.com/blog/?p=210

[Lorien]

136. Neither are involved in the recall

I use their freeze dried raw diet, which according to your link is made in house, NOT by Menu foods.

[RamboLiberal]

135. They make Iams and Eukanuba which are marketed as

upscale brands. Both are on the recall list! P&G says they sent their formula to Menufoods and it is different from the cheaper foods, but apparently the same poisonous ingredient was used in Iams and Eukanuba!

[Lorien]

137. Agreed Ayesha! Just compare ingredients side by side:

Here's what's in my kitties favorite, Prairie Nature's Variety freeze dried raw diet (NOT RECALLED):

http://www.naturesvariety.com/content.lasso?page=1335& -...

Ingredients
Chicken, Turkey, Turkey Liver, Turkey Hearts, Pumpkinseeds, Ground Chicken Bone, Apples, Carrots, Butternut Squash, Ground Flaxseeds, Chicken Eggs, Montmorillonite Clay, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Kelp, Salmon Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Persimmons, Olive Oil, Duck Eggs, Pheasant Eggs, Quail Eggs, Inulin, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid, Sage, Clove

My cats also get a Wellness multivitamin to boost their taurine, though both Turkey Liver and hearts contain taurine.

And here's what in Hill's Science Diet, a favorite among heavily lobbied vets:

Ingredients
Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Brewers Rice, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Iodized Salt, Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

Now tell me, which is closer to a cat's natural diet? Which has more wholesome ingredients?

[kestrel91316]

164. Oh, this is rich:

"....Hill's Science Diet, a favorite among heavily lobbied vets...."

:rofl:

There hasn't been a Hill's rep come around here in YEARS. "Heavily lobbied"?????? I want some of what you've been smokin', girl.

[lizziegrace]

169. self-delete

responded to wrong subthread

[NYC]

155. I also thought of poisoned rats being in the food.

I suspect it is a possibility.

[uppityperson]

159. Yup, that's the first thing I thought of also. Got into food via the rats.

[Phoonzang]

126. Is it weird that

when I first saw this thread, I saw "Pat Robertson" instead of Rat Poision?

[NashVegas]

133. Hooray for NY State Dept. of Agriculture

To find what the feds didn't, and alert the public.

My home state rocks.

[Lorien]

134. One action you can take to protect your pets:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=243&topic_id=4388&mesg_id=4388

[Rhiannon12866]

142. Thank you for posting this. You might want to cross-post in GD, too,

so more people will see this. I am very careful about what I feed my guys, too, since I learned how important this can be when I adopted two dogs who, as it turned out, had a history of seizures. My friend also had a dog who was prone to seizures, but she was fine after he switched her to an all natural diet. So no biscuits with coloring for my guys, seizures or not (I get mine at the health food store), and my vet said that what you feed your pet is the most important thing that you can do for your pet, so I take this seriously. My guys were not affected by this, so far, but my puppy is on Eukanuba puppy, and I asked my vet what would be the best for him before I even started him on this, and Eukanuba was on the list! Just not his. This really is very frightening and I appreciate your post.

Rhiannon:hi::hug:

[Rhiannon12866]

139. The CEO of Menu Foods was just on CNN,

saying that his heart goes out to any pet owner who has lost a pet to this. Too little, too late, IMO. He also said that his company will be financially responsible for any vet bills incurred by anyone whose pet has been affected by this, if it can be proven that the food was responsible. I'd sure take him up on that!:grr:

[OhioChick]

141. I heard that, too.

Keep in mind the key phrase here....... "If it can be proven."

[Rhiannon12866]

143. I took note of that phrase, as well.

They are preparing to be overwhelmed, is my guess...:grr:

[OhioChick]

160. With all of the sick animals with

enormous vet bills, not to mention the ones that have died already......my thoughts are that they will never "discover" the exact cause. Too much $$$$ at stake. :grr:

[Algorem]

146. Well then the Chicom symp Bush family probably made money off it.

Always a bright side for the Chicom symp Bush family.

[RamboLiberal]

147. Vet says there are still more unanswered questions in this case

"With the information that we have, none of us feel that this product fits the lesions we are seeing, but there may be information we don't know yet," said Lawrence McGill, a veterinary pathologist in Salt Lake City. "The feeling is that there are more questions than answers with this product."

"Renal failure is not the expected response to these drugs," said Susan Weinstein, executive director of the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association. She added that most rodent poisons work as severe anticoagulants — meaning they cause the rats that ingest them to bleed to death.

"Whether this particular toxin in this case can create renal failure depends on how this drug works in the body, which may be an entirely different pathway than the anticoagulants," Weinstein said. "Because we aren't yet familiar with this toxin, we can't be confident of the causation link."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2975912&page=1

[ProudDad]

151. Ah, another benefit of globalization

beautiful...

And the beat goes on....

[lowreed]

161. Everytime I see that headline....

I see "Pat Robertson Believed to Be Source of Some Pet Food Contamination"
hmmm?

[peacebuzzard]

166. thanks to all for info on this subject.

because of info from these threads, I successfully returned the pet food manufactured by "menu foods" for another more natural food for my rescue pack of critters.

Nutro is taking a beating with this consumer information and rightfully so. I will never buy anything from them again.

[Critters2]

168. A few years ago, I recommended Nutro to family and friends,

after a vet recommended it to me. I owe a lot of people an apology!

[Odin2005]

170. Let me guess, the Chinese dump rat poison in thier grain silos...

I'll bet they don't care if they contaminate the grain with rat poison because they won't be eating it, all they care about is not having rats eat the grain that going to be shipped over here. FUCKERS!!! :grr: