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Dog Food Secrets Revealed by 2007 Deaths

Pet food adulteration that resulted in pet deaths in the Spring of 2007 was tragic.  What happened and how can we put measures into place to prevent future occurrences?  The pet food recall by Menu Foods and other pet food producers was necessary due to their raw products being contaminated.  This contamination caused serious illness and deaths.  Weeks after pets started having symptoms and deaths started occurring, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported finding white granular melamine in the pet food.  The crystallized forms were found in the kidneys and urine of affected animals.  Poisoning and kidney failure were caused by this melamine cyanurate.  Up to the 2007 pet food recalls, melamine had not been routinely monitored due to the cost of analysis and the assumption that melamine was not toxic.  Melamine has been used for years to boost the tested protein level of various food components.  This is because protein was commonly tested by detecting nitrogen levels.  New methods are now in place and melamine contamination has been found in food products such as eggs, milk and candy.   Melamine cause bladder stones in animals.  When it is combined with cyanuric acid, which may be present in melamine powder, melamine can form crystals that can cause kidney stones.  These small crystals can block the small tubules in the kidney which can ultimately stop the production of urine, causing kidney failure which hen can lead to death due to toxicity.

Signs of melamine poisoning in dogs can be vomiting, lack of appetite, lethargy, frequent urination and drinking lots of water.  Dogs with compromised kidneys will be affected the worse.  As the kidneys fail the dog feels nauseated.  Ina an attempt to flush the kidneys, the dogs will be more thirsty and urinate more.

In this day and age, food components know no boundaries and products may have come from other non-regulated areas of the globe.  

The book "Dog Food Secrets" was written years before the melamine tragedy but is evidence that animal feed has had a long history of being adulterated.  This adulteration was driven by greed and lack of accountability by the industry.  Not all dog food producers have this mindset however and this book will also let you know which sold foods are safe. 

Don't wait until the next thing is discovered that  sickens or kills your dog.  If you don't get this book, be aware of all the sources of your dog's food.  Ultimately, you are responsible for providing safe nutrition to your dog.

Lawrence Perrino

www.dogfoodsecrets.info