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Australian Veterinary Association warns poisoned meat causing kidney damage in dogs
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/s...64-911,00.html
Adaliade Now 8 December 2008
UNIVERSITY experts are urgently trying to track down the source of a deadly poison which has struck hundreds of small dogs, with pet food meat from China the suspected cause.
The Australian Veterinary Association has issued a national warning to all vets to report any serious kidney damage in small dogs in the past month.
"We have only become aware of this in the last three or four weeks, and we need to make people aware there are some clear indications there is a problem out there," AVA national president Mark Lawrie told The Advertiser yesterday.
Mr Lawrie said the AVA had discussed the cases with a prominent pet-food supplier suspected to be the source of the poison, which the AVA would not name for legal reasons. Vets and small-dog owners have been told to look out for warning signs:
INCREASED thirst and urination.
REDUCED appetite and lethargy.
VOMITING and weakness.
University of Sydney researchers have issued a national alert over the kidney-destroying poison - but after a legal threat from the company, have been banned by the university from making any public comment.
The AVA had also warned vets - in a national alert to all members to be aware of the problem - against making comments to the media about the case.
One university researcher, who would not be named, said there was enough evidence to recall the product but the safety message had been hampered by threats from the company.
"We have not been able to call for cases and an open call to vets for cases has just been made and we are aware of dozens of cases and suspect there are hundreds," he said. "What is important is that the meat is sourced in China and I think pet owners can trust the product if all the ingredients are sourced in Australia."
The researcher said owners should be concerned about any breed but especially dogs the size of a small terrier.
Studies of dead dogs are also being carried out to identify the cause, with one brand of meat suspected of causing symptoms.
Vets have been urged to contact the University of Sydney Faculty of Veterinary Science via email A.Arteaga@usyd.edu.au if they have suspected cases of the poisoning.
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http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/c...006301,00.html
Adalaide Now Readers' Comments
If anyone knows the brand, please send it to me via PM and I will see that it gets posted to the internet without anyone being sued.
Kathy
Adaliade Now 8 December 2008
UNIVERSITY experts are urgently trying to track down the source of a deadly poison which has struck hundreds of small dogs, with pet food meat from China the suspected cause.
The Australian Veterinary Association has issued a national warning to all vets to report any serious kidney damage in small dogs in the past month.
"We have only become aware of this in the last three or four weeks, and we need to make people aware there are some clear indications there is a problem out there," AVA national president Mark Lawrie told The Advertiser yesterday.
Mr Lawrie said the AVA had discussed the cases with a prominent pet-food supplier suspected to be the source of the poison, which the AVA would not name for legal reasons. Vets and small-dog owners have been told to look out for warning signs:
INCREASED thirst and urination.
REDUCED appetite and lethargy.
VOMITING and weakness.
University of Sydney researchers have issued a national alert over the kidney-destroying poison - but after a legal threat from the company, have been banned by the university from making any public comment.
The AVA had also warned vets - in a national alert to all members to be aware of the problem - against making comments to the media about the case.
One university researcher, who would not be named, said there was enough evidence to recall the product but the safety message had been hampered by threats from the company.
"We have not been able to call for cases and an open call to vets for cases has just been made and we are aware of dozens of cases and suspect there are hundreds," he said. "What is important is that the meat is sourced in China and I think pet owners can trust the product if all the ingredients are sourced in Australia."
The researcher said owners should be concerned about any breed but especially dogs the size of a small terrier.
Studies of dead dogs are also being carried out to identify the cause, with one brand of meat suspected of causing symptoms.
Vets have been urged to contact the University of Sydney Faculty of Veterinary Science via email A.Arteaga@usyd.edu.au if they have suspected cases of the poisoning.
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http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/c...006301,00.html
Adalaide Now Readers' Comments
The product is made in China, but imported into NSW. Scarily enough, it is a well known brand, and it is sold in many pet shops and in the 2 big supermarket chains. However, a number of brands were withdrawn from the US market 12 months ago, one of them supposedly the brand that is under investigation here - it was quietly introduced by the manufacturer. If the company in question truly believed that it was doing the right thing, it would not try to sue the Australian Veterinary Association, or buy off the silence of consumers whose pets have been affected by this. I personally know of a very very reputable pet food company who realised that its food manufacturing processes had been contaminated with melamine (not the compound in question with this product reported here) and were open about it with veterinarians. Their approach was commendable. But this company's approach is deplorable. There have been enough scandals coming out of Chinese products. Infant formula milk laced with melamine (causing liver failure), lead in childrens toys, the list goes on. As Dick Smith says, Buy Australian.
Posted by: It's Not Right of Adelaide 11:43pm December 08, 2008
Posted by: It's Not Right of Adelaide 11:43pm December 08, 2008
Kathy
will look out for a brand name
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