SAS
Well-Known Member
Normally I prefer to justpost links, but this really should be read by everybody. Thearticle is on the recent dog food recall (a popular brand), but thesame toxins can be found in rabbit pellets and hay.
For more info on how it affects rabbits, go here:
http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/myco.html
Dog Deaths Surpass 100 Despite Toxic Pet Food Recall
LiveScience Staff
http://www.livescience.com
Fri Jan 6, 4:00 PM ET[/i]
At least 100 dogs in the United States have been killed in recent weeksby toxic pet food despite a recall of the products, scientists saidtoday.
Some 19 brands of Diamond, Country Value andProfessional dog foods have been recalled. But many pet owners are notaware of the recall, researchers at Cornell University saidFriday.
Dogs have refused to eat the food and, in somecases, their owners have enticed them with gravy and other lureswithout knowing they were killing the animals.
"Entire kennels have been wiped out, and because ofthe holiday these past few weeks, the dispersal of recall informationwas disrupted," said Sharon Center, a professor of veterinary medicinewho specializes in liver function and disease at the College ofVeterinary Medicine at Cornell.
The dog food is tainted with deadly aflatoxins thatwaste the liver away. The bad food could be present in a dozen othercountries, too, the researchers say. About two-thirds of dogs that showsymptoms from the toxin have died.
The dogs seemed to know their food was deadly.
"Some dogs were stealing food from the kitchencounter," Center said. "Others just stopped eating the food and beggedfor treats. Unfortunately, some owners used gravy and other mixers toentice their dogs to consume what they thought was safe, quality dogfood."
Only about two dozen deaths have been firmly linkedto the tainted pet food. But Center and her colleagues know the toll isfar higher.
"Every day, we're hearing reports fromveterinarians in the East and Southeast who have treated dogs that havedied from liver damage this past month or so," Center said. "We're alsoconcerned about the long-term health of dogs that survive as well asdogs that have eaten the tainted food but show no clinicalsigns."
Surviving dogs may develop chronic liver disease or liver cancer, she said.
"Despite our understanding of this complex toxin, we have no direct antidote," Center said.
Symptoms arise over days or weeks. Early signsinclude lethargy, loss of appetite and vomiting. Later, look fororange-colored urine and jaundice, which is a yellowing of the eyes andgums. Severely affected dogs produce a blood-tinged vomit and bloody orblackened stools.
More information is available at a Cornell web site:
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/
The details of the FDA recall are here:
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/diamond12_05.html
For more info on how it affects rabbits, go here:
http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/myco.html
Dog Deaths Surpass 100 Despite Toxic Pet Food Recall
LiveScience Staff
http://www.livescience.com
Fri Jan 6, 4:00 PM ET[/i]
At least 100 dogs in the United States have been killed in recent weeksby toxic pet food despite a recall of the products, scientists saidtoday.
Some 19 brands of Diamond, Country Value andProfessional dog foods have been recalled. But many pet owners are notaware of the recall, researchers at Cornell University saidFriday.
Dogs have refused to eat the food and, in somecases, their owners have enticed them with gravy and other lureswithout knowing they were killing the animals.
"Entire kennels have been wiped out, and because ofthe holiday these past few weeks, the dispersal of recall informationwas disrupted," said Sharon Center, a professor of veterinary medicinewho specializes in liver function and disease at the College ofVeterinary Medicine at Cornell.
The dog food is tainted with deadly aflatoxins thatwaste the liver away. The bad food could be present in a dozen othercountries, too, the researchers say. About two-thirds of dogs that showsymptoms from the toxin have died.
The dogs seemed to know their food was deadly.
"Some dogs were stealing food from the kitchencounter," Center said. "Others just stopped eating the food and beggedfor treats. Unfortunately, some owners used gravy and other mixers toentice their dogs to consume what they thought was safe, quality dogfood."
Only about two dozen deaths have been firmly linkedto the tainted pet food. But Center and her colleagues know the toll isfar higher.
"Every day, we're hearing reports fromveterinarians in the East and Southeast who have treated dogs that havedied from liver damage this past month or so," Center said. "We're alsoconcerned about the long-term health of dogs that survive as well asdogs that have eaten the tainted food but show no clinicalsigns."
Surviving dogs may develop chronic liver disease or liver cancer, she said.
"Despite our understanding of this complex toxin, we have no direct antidote," Center said.
Symptoms arise over days or weeks. Early signsinclude lethargy, loss of appetite and vomiting. Later, look fororange-colored urine and jaundice, which is a yellowing of the eyes andgums. Severely affected dogs produce a blood-tinged vomit and bloody orblackened stools.
More information is available at a Cornell web site:
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/
The details of the FDA recall are here:
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/diamond12_05.html
