Rat Poison Found In Tainted Pet Food

(CBS/AP)  Rat poison has been found in pet food blamed for the deaths of at least 16 cats and dogs, a spokeswoman for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets said Friday.

The toxin was identified as aminopterin, state Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker said in a statement. Aminopterin is used to kill rats in some countries, but it's not registered for that use in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The officials did not say how they believe it got into the pet food.

The substance was found at a level of at least 40 parts per million in tested cat food samples, according to Donald Smith, dean of Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Testing was done at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell and at the New York State Food Laboratory.

"Any amount of this product is too much in food," Hooker said.

The lab tested three cat food samples provided by Menu Foods, the manufacturer that produced all the recalled food. Aminopterin was found in two samples. The lab has not tested any dog food.

Hooker said the lab would be testing individual components of the pet food.

Aminopterin, also used as a cancer drug, is highly toxic in high doses. It inhibits the growth of malignant cells and suppresses the immune system.

Aminopterin is an exotic toxin that has veterinarians like Roland Tripp as nervous as they are baffled, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyl Alfonsi.

"I think pet owners are scared and they should be, because we've got this new problem that no one really understands," Tripp said.

The Food and Drug Administration has said the investigation was focusing on wheat gluten in the food. Wheat gluten itself would not cause kidney failure, but the common ingredient could have been contaminated by heavy metals or mold toxins, the FDA said.

State and FBI officials said they knew of no criminal investigations in the case.

The pet 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 several reports of kidney failure in pets that ate the recalled brands, and the company has confirmed the deaths of 15 cats and one dog.

Menu Foods last week recalled "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food. The recall sparked concern among pet owners across North America. It includes food sold under store brands carried by Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway and other large retailers, as well as private labels such as Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba.

A complete list of the recalled products along with product codes, descriptions and production dates was available from the Menu Foods Web site.

The recall has led to at least three lawsuits against Menu Foods from pet owners who allege their animals got sick or died after eating recalled food.

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Click here more information on the recall from the FDA.

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Mourning turned to outrage after owners learned that Menu Foods waited nearly a month before notifying the public, reports CBS News The Early Show veterinarian Dr. Debbye Turner. This means that unsuspecting owners were poisoning their pets.

"To find out they knew about this weeks ago, and that the cats they tested died!" former cat owner Dawn Marjerczyk told CBS. Marjerczyk's cat died after eating some of the tainted cat food. "Why wasn't it pulled off then? Why do so many people have to suffer right now?"

The company's chief executive and president said Menu Foods delayed announcing the recall until it could confirm that the animals had eaten its product before dying. Two earlier complaints from consumers whose cats had died involved animals that lived outside or had access to a garage, which left open the possibility they had been poisoned by something other than contaminated food, he said.

Menu Foods also makes foods for zoo cats, but those products are unaffected by the recall.

A spokesman for New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said he was not aware of any criminal investigation involving the tainted food. FBI spokesman Paul Holstein in Albany said Friday he was not aware of any FBI involvement in the case.

"I don't know where we'll go from here," he said.

[rf35]

Levi,
Sorry I haven't been on the forum for a while. I just have a suggestion as far as the legal issue here. If you still have them, you need to save any opened can or pouches of food. Seal them and, if possible, freeze the sealed bags. You will need these as proof that the food was responsible. Menu Foods is denying responsibility if your pet had access to a garage or was outdoors any time within a few days of getting sick. They are saying that the pet could have gotten into something and that there is no proof their food was the cause. If there is even a trace of food or sauce in the can, you need to save it and have it tested to prove that Menu Foods%u2019 product was the problem. If possible, I'd try and preserve the opened food for the trials that may follow.

By the way, glad to hear you guys are feeling a little better! Keep it up!

[seamusjohnso]

Levi501Blue1

I think everyone involved in this comical tiff is to blame and in reality (not VIRTUAL reality) the disagreement between all of you is a non-issue.

There was a difference of opinion, some name calling, then an escalation.

Everyone acted a little immature.

I think there is good in everyone and I imagine that darkpeet4 is probably a normal guy or gal who just let his or her emotions run-away with him or her, just like the people who responded to him.


I understand both sides, this is an extremely emotional issue! Its easy to get carried away and lose sight of one anothers humanity.

Dark pointed out some posts that he (I assume he is a he?)considered odd, I think that he did that because he did not want emotion to cloud an issue that should be dealt with very seriously.

Its like when war protesters wear clown outfits or dress like a large male "member" in reference to the vice president.

Kinda takes away from their credability.

You seem to all be animal lovers, that means you are good folk in my minds eye.

[kathylad9]

To darkmeat4, for I can't believe that you actually posted a very useful web sites to go to. I am very shocked and appauled that you would do something nice. And I would like to be the first to say Thank you.
For I do already know one of these sites already! I guess there is lightmeat4 inside of darkmeat4 after all.
I'm still kinda leery about you, but somehow I feel you do actually have a heart. Why couldn't you be like this in the first place?
There is a saying you catch more flies with honey, instead of vinigar. Thinking of you as a monster is an under statement, with nothing to say except hurtful and dimeaning things. You cheezed alot of people off, and actually hurt even more, let's just hope you stay like this, then you will have friends after all.
Once again, Thank you! for the information darkmeat4.

[NYM_Arts]

DATELINE : POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK Mar 25, 2007 :
My Baby BooBoo cat passed away Midnight March 5th, 2007. Brands consumed : Iams, Companion & Foodtown. ALL POISONED.

[kathylad9]

Hello Killer (MOM & DAD). I puchased the dry cat food from Ryan's Pet Store. It is actually HOLISTIC ADULT & KITTEN FORMULA. I'm afraid to feed him anything from this company, so I'm feeding him the Fancy Feast by Purina. He eats very little but he has stop vomiting as far as I can see. I changed my livingroom around and found more spots where he got sick. I also heard about making your own pet food I just can't remember what web site I was on. I don't have the web site for this one maybe if you type in the name Nature's Harvest Pet Foods. It is made in Canada Brampton,ON. I started to use this because my last son Diamond was diagonse with crystals, unfortunatly he never made it. He was really sick. So I went back to this. I guess I wasn't thinking about the wet food at the time. (NOW I DO)If you find out anything please let me know and I'll do the same. I hope Killer gets better real soon!! And Sonny is doing abit better. He still has a very hard time to hold himself up, put he has perked up abit. We changed his dog food to Petagree. And seems to be liking it. He doesn't look so gray anymore. He actually had enough strength to walk up the stairs alone, AWW we were so happy to see that, usually we have to carry him up & down the stairs. And his bark seems to be coming back slowly. Put you look into his eyes you can see that it looks like his vision was affected by this, along with his age to.
I hope everything works out for you let me know about your findings. GOD BLESS

[the-k-man1]

Hi Levi501blue1 (Kathy) and everyone else who is going through this trauma,
Could you tell me where you purchased your Natures Food cat food? I'm not having much success finding it on the internet. I'm also looking into preparring cat food at home. Anyone have any tried and true recipes? Also, someone in an earlier post mentioned that they suspected that the IAMS they fed, even though the lot # wasn't on the recall list, was tainted. I believe this to be true also. We did not stop feeding IAMS canned cat food (#61094197)until last Sunday. Up until that time, Killer was still vomiting and was acting way below par. He has improved greatly this week. His saving grace, I think, is that he only got about a tablespoon or so every evening, and IAMS was not his primary food.
Glad to hear that Levi is a bit better. How about Sonny?

[kayakfreak17]

I was hoping at this point that the drama had stopped~I see I was wrong since darkmeat still continues to feel he needs to be disrespectful. Let it go darkmeat~have your opinions, but keep them to your sad self. I am glad to hear that you are doing better Levi~that is great news!!!Hang in there~your mommy loves you!!

[kathylad9]

Hello Killer, how are you doing, better I hope? Remember me Levi. Well my Mommy real got into it with darkmeat, she just blew up and couldn't take it anymore. That's why she didn't respond to his last posting. YOU ARE RIGHT!!! He's a very disturbed individual. For she knows that he will respond to this message to you. But can't waste her time on him. Because today I feeling alittle better today. I still get sick, but mommy just cleans up. She got me this new food call "Nature's Harvest" and I really like it. It has cranberries in it, so it help help me from getting crystals. It's kinda expensive at the pet store but she said it was worth it.
Please tell your Mommy & Daddy that my Mom didn't mean for you to read all that stuff to you know who. Yes! She got upset for she just couldn't take it anymore. My Mommy says to say sorry, and she hopes everyone is healing. Thank you for the information you posted, she will NOW IGNORE HIM. Well she'll try, she doesn't like other people putting down other people, and it gets her irate.
I hope you understand. Well Killer you take care of yourself and I hope you are feeling better. P.S. May God Bless You Today & Always.. Levi

[the-k-man1]

Hello all,
I am so sorry this thread has turned into something so hurtful because of darkmeat. I called a friend of mine who does profiling for a couple of local police departments. She said that he is most likely an adolescent, not more than 18. He is not capable of maintaining social relationships either because of severe emotional trauma (such as sexual abuse) or severe organic mental disease (some type of socio path) She said he is the kind of kid capable of something like Columbine. He feeds on all of this attention and takes a great deal of pleasure and satifaction and making us upset.
Since he is on a roll, he probably won't stop on this thread, even if we ignore him, but he only gets satisfaction if we respond. After I post this, he will accelerate his bravado, bragging and insults. Just know, he's just a lonely, snot nosed kid with no friends, and without proper help, his life will end very badly.
Just thought you'd want to know.
Killer's mom

[kathylad9]

to seamusjohn, as I take it you never read some of darkanddickless posting. Go back 24 pages and you'll see why.I highly doubt he ever had an animal in it's life. Because if that was the case why would he post such ignorant postings. I read alot of them where they tell us their pets (children)(to some) passed away and they never responded like darkand------ don't want to waste my time typing it. For I'm very happy that your baby Yorkie is ok, because some of us don't have that at this point.
HE IS NOT THE NORMAL ONE HERE! If you put yourself in someone elses shoes, who actually lost a pet, you would understand why! Your lucky to have yours there, many aren't. Think about it?
And as far as it goes with death threats did you ever stop and think how you would react if you read these things that are about you! Or making ignorant sayings about Human's Parents who passed away. Trust me I tried to hold my temper, but we are only human and can only take so much.
This is a very touchy story and a very sad tragity, and when you come across like a 1st class moron,to make posting of crude and insulting remarks,you can't blame them! This is here for others to help with there grieving. Tell me how you would react after that? Like what I said before I'm glad your pet is doing good, and I'm happy for you. But for one minute think about what I said, look back at his postings, and you tell the rest of us how we should react from an action like that?