Since when has pet food been contaminated with melamine?
October 29th, 2009
My cat died of kidney failure early 2005 and was wondering if it had anything to do with the Chinese food adulteration scare that began on 2007.
Does anyone know when the earliest case of possible melamine contamination in pet food in North America was?
I understand that the recall began on 2007, but when is the earliest time a contamination was documented?
Recalls outside of China didn’t begin until 2007, but only after animals started dying. Since animal deaths are not tracked, or investigated as thoroughly as humans, when the actual contamination began is not entirely clear. However, melamine contaminated pet food was discovered in China in early 2006.
Initially, researchers thought that the contaminant was a form of rat poison. It wasn’t until 2007 that independent testing by a pet food maker revealed that it was melamine laced glutens that were poisoning pets.
While it is true that kidney failure was a common side-effect of melamine poisoning, melamine is not the only compound that causes renal failure. Renal failure occurs with many types of illness, and can be a side-effect from commonly used veterinary medicines. When your cat died in 2005, you would have needed a necropsy done to determine the exact cause of death.
Banana
like since a while ago
October 30th, 2009 at 2:44 AMReferences :
me!!!!
CTU
I think the pet food recall started in 2007.
October 30th, 2009 at 3:30 AMReferences :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_pet_food_recalls
Laura
they found it in 2007 and I think it was just in that year or one year prior it was in a contaminated ingredient they all bought from the same supplier.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:13 AMKidney failure is a very common aliment in older cats and dogs.
References :
Elaine M
The Itchmo.com site had first news about it, check their archives.
October 30th, 2009 at 5:01 AMReferences :
Suzi Q
Recalls outside of China didn’t begin until 2007, but only after animals started dying. Since animal deaths are not tracked, or investigated as thoroughly as humans, when the actual contamination began is not entirely clear. However, melamine contaminated pet food was discovered in China in early 2006.
Initially, researchers thought that the contaminant was a form of rat poison. It wasn’t until 2007 that independent testing by a pet food maker revealed that it was melamine laced glutens that were poisoning pets.
While it is true that kidney failure was a common side-effect of melamine poisoning, melamine is not the only compound that causes renal failure. Renal failure occurs with many types of illness, and can be a side-effect from commonly used veterinary medicines. When your cat died in 2005, you would have needed a necropsy done to determine the exact cause of death.
October 30th, 2009 at 5:50 AMReferences :