Pet Food recall: People the issue is China...

[roseBudd]

I consider myself a very skeptical, show me the data kind of person. As a long time member of a Yahoo group called Feline Heart I am constantly amazed at owners who disparage the advice of their pet's advanced degreed ACVIM vets and favor the advice of a homeopathic, holistic or naturopathic DVM. I found myself having to stand up for the treatment prescribed by the ACVIM cardiologists and internists when true believer owners rejected that advice and gave special credence to the often contrary advice of the homeopathic, holistic or naturopathic vets whose recommendations included a homeopathic digitalis marketed for humans that almost killed an asymptomatic HCM feline, and preparations that include Hawthorne which is contraindicated for HCM.

I've known about the China problem for awhile.


Toxic heavy metals and undeclared drugs in Asian herbal medicines.Ernst E.
Dept of Complementary Medicine, School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, UK. [e-mail]

Asian herbal medicines are currently used by large sections of the population. Because they are not regulated as medicines and are freely available to everyone, serious safety concerns might be associated with these herbal medicines. In this article, evidence suggesting that some Asian herbal medicines contain toxic heavy metals or undeclared prescription drugs is reviewed. In particular, Indian and Chinese preparations have been implicated. Although adulteration with drugs is by definition fraudulent, the inclusion of heavy metals could be either intentional for alleged medicinal purposes or accidental. Evidence from various countries implies that toxic heavy metals and undeclared prescription drugs in Asian herbal medicines might constitute a serious health problem. However, the majority of the data is anecdotal and insufficient to define prevalence figures. Ways ought to be found to maximize consumer safety.

[LisaM]

1. I agree with that. I think that Americans should stage a massive boycott

of Chinese products. It won't be an easy thing.

Americans, for some reason, are more likely to be stirred to action on behalf of their pets than on behalf of themselves, the poor, the displaced, or even sometimes their own children. So be it. If that's what it takes, I do not have a problem with that. Starting immediately, I am going to boycott Chinese products. If the Chinese are going to flood our markets with cheap, unregulated products, we need to fight back. And, for all we know, they're poisoning us all - pets are smaller and so this just showed up faster.

[madrchsod]

2. lead is used in a lot of products from china

especially plastic products...hey!it`s cheap!

[roseBudd]

10. mercury contamination is common also

[KT2000]

3. the trade problem

On the one hand, China uses products banned in this country. On the other hand, we use products banned in Europe. Open trade agreements have negated the importance of those distinctions though. Business being what it is - we should expect to be consuming products laden with the cheapest chemical treatments, period. That is what the free market forces are all about. US businesses looking to increase their bottom line will go where the cheapest products can be found.

We import a lot of food from Mexico and some of it has been treated with chemicals banned in this country.

China cracked down on apparel sold inside China that had too high a level of toxic chemicals (likely formaldehyde). They confiscated the apparel and sold it to the US where limits are voluntary.

There are toxic chemicals all over the globe and much of it is in the hands of idiots who think that precautions are nothing but an irritant or obstruction to bigger profits.

[Nikia]

19. Actually companies must follow the laws of the country of consumption

I work for a company that both imports and exports food product, exporting to more different countries than we import from. All our imported ingredients must meet our standards, including USDA/FDA standards. All our exported ingredients must meet all that company's/country's standards including having proper documentation. We are allowed to export product not legal for consumption in the U.S., but we may not sell product made in the U.S. if all the ingredients do not meet U.S. standards.

[KT2000]

20. But who is checking?

Somehow we are getting produce with DDT and wheat with rat poison.

My guess is that Europe and Japan check more carefully than the US, so that care must be taken for what we export. I really do not think the US is checking much.

[roseBudd]

26. Of course not, it is not the GOP way

[kestrel91316]

4. I had a client who essentially neglected her cat to death because of

her near-religious belief in homeopathic remedies. The cat had laboratory-confirmed SEVERE hyperthyroidism - overactive thyroid gland, not uncommon in older cats. This disease is not only manageable, in many cases it is CURABLE with conventional medical treatments.

She declined conventional treatment entirely, said her homeopathic vet prescribed some sort of liquid (glorified water, IMHO). Of course the cat's disease reged uncontrolled until it died. It was gruesome. She maintained her blind faith in homeopathy to the end. Said the cat died of something else, lol. What a waste, a crying shame.

Ignorant people who believe in psuedoscience really piss me off.

[roseBudd]

9. I initiially didn't worry too much when a Feline Heart member announced her holistic vet prescribed

digitalis because it was homeopathic. Just pricey water, right? A normal asymptomatic early diagnosis feline became immediately lethargic and anorectic. Luckily within 4 days and numerous offlist emails I was able to convince her to cease the digitalis. A week later she finally took her cartdiol;ogist's advice and was crowing about the wonders of big pharma's atenolol.

In retrospect I seriously wonder what that overpriced water was contaminated with.

[NCarolinawoman]

23. My cat was cured of hyperthyroidism.

It was with the use of radiation--the same treatment they use for humans. I took her to a special clinic in Carrboro, N.C.; and after four days of her being in isolation she no longer has the problem. It was kind of pricey, but I was told beforehand there would be a 95% chance that the treatment would be effective. I liked those odds. It beat having her take medication for the rest of her life with all kinds of monitoring and side effects.

I wonder if the woman who tried the "glorified water" liked the simplicity of the idea and because it was so much cheaper, she fooled herself into thinking it would work.

[roseBudd]

25. Homeopathic waters are quite expensive, they are true believers

I have the highest respect for our science based allopathic vets. Many consumers of holistic vet care only seee an allopathic vet when they have to see a cardiologist, internist or oncologist. To mt knowledge all the ACVIM vets are allopathic

[kestrel91316]

5. I don't take Chinese herbs. Had a patient years ago that got

REALLY REALLY violently ill (vomiting/diarrhea, had to be hospitalized for treatment) after getting onto the owners Chinese herbs. She was taking the stuff, but couldn't even tell me what the herbs were by name.

[roseBudd]

6. because the words China uses to describe the plant are not scientific substitutions are common

I helped create the Feline Heart FAQ and I corresponded with Standard Process a veterinary nutraceutical company about the inclusion of Hawthorne in a Feline Cardiac formula and they responded initially that my sales rep (I didn't have one) would answer my questions. They eventually stated that they had done no research and didn't need to because it's "all vitamins"

B******t, Hawthorne is a cardioactive substance as surely as Foxglove is.

[kestrel91316]

8. YIKES

[Critters2]

17. I'm ashamed to admit that I nearly lost the beagle, my beautiful beag

to 5-htp poisoning 3 years ago. I was at church at a meeting, and when I got home, she was seizing something awful. I called the vet, and while I was on the phone I spotted the chewed open bottle of pills, with most of 'em gone. It had been sitting on an end table, and she'd never shown any interest in it, so I don't know why she chewed it open and ate the pills. Anyway, the vet came to our house, and swept her into her car, because I was afraid to pick her up, since she seemed to be in pain.

My vet and her colleagues fought a valiant fight, even going to the human ER for an antidote recommended by the Animal Poison Control Center in Urbana. Pumped her stomach, gave her charcoal, sat up all night with her. Real heroes!

The ASPCA people said she was having serotonin syndrome, and they had seen it many times before. They warned that she might have brain damage, if she lived. She was hypothermic for several days for some reason. Her body wasn't regulating its own temp appropriately. But that was the worst of it. Well, she's fine now. But there are no medicines like that in the house anymore, and ANY meds are kept in a closed medicine cabinet too high for critters to reach.

Scariest night of my life, but I learned my lesson.

[Warpy]

7. I do take one Chinese herbal concoction

that is the foulest tasting stuff I've ever experienced and I used to taste liquid drugs when I was a nurse to figure out what might either disguise the taste or kill it later.

Research turned up the major ingredient as dried, ground gecko.

It's about the only thing that works the twice a year or so my asthma gets to the severe level.

[SoCalDem]

11. hah! YOU are the reason Geico had to go with cavemen

:) gecko shortage?

[Warpy]

22. He's been getting snotty, anyway

so I dried him and ate him.


And I'd do it again. MUAHAHAHAHAHA!

[kestrel91316]

12. Case management of the ARF animals in a nutshell:

1. Fluids and supportive care- immediate crisis
2. Monitor values- monitor renal values and urine output closely
3. Folinic acid- may help prevent leukopenia that you may see later
4. Monitor for bone marrow suppression

[roseBudd]

14. Apparently hospitals have been concerned about employee exposure from chemo

patients. Wonder if there is also a protocol for treating poisoned hospital workers.

Methotrexate is a therapeutic agent used widely for osteosarcoma. We used an extremely sensitive high-performance liquid-chromatography assay to evaluate 112 urine samples obtained from 28 hospital employees during high-dose therapy with methotrexate and during routine care of patients. The highest cumulative urinary excretion was observed when methotrexate infusions were handled in a workbench from which a portion of filtered air was emitted into the room. Remarkable urine contaminations were identified for personnel, including 1 administrative employee who had "stood by" for 2 h in the room where infusions were prepared. Lower methotrexate concentrations were detected in the urine of nurses whose exclusive function was to care for patients. The urine burden in oncologic nurses decreased after a central pharmacy unit was installed. Methotrexate was excreted in the sweat of patients who were under high-dose therapy, and its elimination half-life was 11.1 h (mean maximal concentration = 1.7 micrograms/ml

[kestrel91316]

15. That would be a circumstance where detection of toxicity

would be delayed, so there are some similarities.........

[roseBudd]

16. I found that an ToxNet

[LisaL]

13. First of all, I don't think it's clear how rat poison got into the food.

[uppityperson]

21. Thank you. First of all.

Second, the problem is food contamination. Which happens all over.

[Critters2]

18. What I can't understand is

why the hell a company based in Canada with a factory in Kansas is importing WHEAT from CHINA!

I mean, really, :wtf:

[roseBudd]

24. The same reason Walmart does

[mrbill]

27. the wheat from china is a major "wtf" moment here also...

Chinese wheat? WTF?

Didn't have a clue about this one, until recently Texas wheat has been priced at below production value. Buying wheat for pet food from China?

China must grow some cheap wheat. Then add the shipping.

[DemReadingDU]

28. Which business is getting big greedy profits

from importing cheap wheat from China?

[Bluestar]

29. Wake up, people

In 2001 I was a consultant on a quality control project for one of the biggest food companies in the world, who shall remain nameless. Their biggest concern after we started the war in Afghanistan was how would they continue to receive shipments from their suppliers there. Using food products from a stone age country run by the Taliban with questionable sanitary practices? I made a mental note to never again eat their food, even though they were a big client.