The pet food
recall: sources of credible information
Russ
Daly, DVM
Extension
Veterinarian
April
6, 2007
Sites for pet food recall information
Since the
pet food recall on March 16, a tremendous amount of information has been
published and broadcast in print and electronic media regarding details of the
recall and the effects of the implicated food on dogs and cats. For example, a recent “Google” of “menu
foods” “pet food recall” returns 652,000 hits.
As the story has developed, news reports examining a wide range of
issues have emerged, from stories of individual pet owners and their losses
presumably due to tainted pet food to congressional calls for investigations of
the entire pet food industry. Challenges
exist for those pet owners and other concerned citizens in obtaining rational,
fact-based information about the issues regarding the pet food recall.
For several
reasons, a void exists in veterinarians’ and other scientists’ knowledge about
the possible effects of the food on pets that may have eaten it before it was
recalled. This contributes to the sheer
number of stories and speculation that appears in the media.
One reason
is that kidney failure has been implicated as the effect of the tainted pet
food on the animals that consumed it.
Animals that died after a feeding trial involving the food in question
were confirmed to have died from acute renal (kidney) failure. The symptoms of acute renal failure (which
were also noted in the known affected animals) include vomiting, loss of
appetite, and lethargy, with some individuals exhibiting salivation and oral
ulcerations. Acute renal failure has long been recognized as a frequent cause
of illness and death in cats and dogs. A
long list of possible causes of acute renal failure exists, including toxins
such as ethylene glycol (antifreeze), certain antibiotics, and certain
anti-inflammatory drugs.
In
addition, animals affected by chronic kidney failure, which develops over a
long period of time, will often show many of the same symptoms. These signs do not become evident until a
sufficient percentage (about 75%) of the animal’s kidney function is impaired,
after which, symptoms may commence over a relatively short period of time. Causes of chronic kidney failure in dogs and
cats are also numerous, and include: blood vessel disorders, infection, urinary
obstruction, cancer, autoimmune (allergic) causes, along with long-term, low-level
exposure to toxic substances. Typically
(but not always), chronic kidney failure will affect older animals.
Because the
symptoms noted in animals known to be affected by the toxic principle in the
pet food are the same as those seen with kidney failure due to other causes
(not an uncommon condition in dogs and cats), it is extremely difficult to
confirm a cause-and-effect relationship between the pet food and all cases of
kidney failure.
Another
reason for confusion exists because two possible toxic substances have been
implicated in the pet food recall. At
the current time, aminopterin, a rat poison compound
that was initially detected in the pet food by one laboratory, has not been
substantiated and is being discounted as a factor by the FDA.
A compound
called melamine is currently under scrutiny as a possible compound. It has been found in the pet food in question
(was present in the batch of wheat gluten used in manufacture of the pet food)
and not in foods that have not been implicated.
It has been found in the urine and kidneys of affected animals. Very little is known about the compound and
its effects on animals. Current
information suggests that the compound is minimally toxic, at least in the rat
models that it was studied in. If one
extrapolates that data to pets, at the concentration of melamine in the pet
food, an animal would have to eat more than 9 pounds of the contaminated food
in order for toxic effects to appear.
One current thought is that the presence of melamine in an animal’s
kidney or urine could be used as a marker indicating the animal ate the
implicated food, even if melamine itself is not the cause of the illness.
Although
A
comparison of BUN (an indication of kidney function) testing requests on
companion animal (dog and cat) blood submissions at the SDSU ADRDL for the
period of March 16 (date of the recall) through April 4 reveals no difference
from the same period a year ago. In
addition, of the samples submitted, there are no differences in the rates of
abnormally high BUN levels as compared to one year ago.
As with all
matters related to animal health, a pet owner’s primary source of information
is their local veterinarian. Other
credible sources of information are listed below. Pet owners and citizens may find themselves
at times frustrated when answers to their particular questions are not readily
available, and as a result turn to non-science based sources that may create
the impression that they have all the answers.
In the best case scenario, this leads to misperceptions, and in the
worst case, to situations detrimental to their animal’s well-being. The following sources of information are
credible and science-based, and are forthcoming in outlining those instances
when reliable information simply is not available.
Information
sites for pet food recall information
American
Veterinary Medical Association
http://www.avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/default.asp
US Food and
Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html
Menu Foods
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/
For veterinarians: Veterinary Information Network
http://vin.com/promo/MenuRecall.htm
Sources:
Merck
Veterinary Manual, 9th ed.
Veterinary
Information Network
US Food and
Drug Administration
American
Veterinary Medical Association