Different Chemical, not Rat Poison Found in Tainted Pet Food

Friday, March 30 - 01:05:00 PM Tamara Slobogean

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The US Food and Drug Administration says while recalled pet foods from Menu Foods contained a chemical used to make fertilizer, tests have failed to confirm the presence of rat poison. The USFDA has found melamine in samples of the food and in wheat gluten used as an ingredient.

Veterinary Chief Stephen Sundlof says the chemical was also found in some of the pets who have died. They blame these substances for the deaths of at least 16 pets, and it's believed this number could be in the thousands. The new finding comes a week after New York Agriculture scientists identified a rat poison as the likely culprit, which is a finding the FDA says it cannot now confirm.

The animal right's group PETA is tabling an alarming new claim, as they believe the tainted pet food may not just be limited to wet food.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals want some dry foods pulled from store shelves too. The groups says it has been getting calls from pet owners with cats and dogs sick from eating the dry stuff. At the dog park this morning, some pet owners take PETA's claims with a grain of salt, and others say every precaution should be taken.

PETA wants to Expand Pet Food Recall to Dry Food

 Friday, March 30 - 06:22:00 AM Tamara Slobogean

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The pet food recall may be much worse than first thought, as the animal advocate group PETA now wants to expand the recall. According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, dry food may be tainted too. The group says it has been getting calls from pet owners with cats and dogs sick off the dry stuff, and they want it pulled from store shelves.

For now, vets haven't noticed a spike in the number of visits that could be linked to problems with dry food. The US Food and Drug Administration says it has no plans to recommend a wider pet food recall. It is expected though, to release initial results of its investigation into tainted Menu Foods products, which are believed to have caused kidney failure and the deaths of over 100 pets.