Rat poison suspected for the death of the pets

Rat poison is being suspected in the pet food which has caused deaths of around 17 cats and dogs. The scientists are still speculating over the ways it got into the product. They predict the toll to rise still further. After the declaration, Menu Foods have expanded its recall, which initially covered only cans and pouches of food packaged from Dec. 3 through March 6 further to include all 95 brands of the "cuts and gravy" style food, irrespective of when they were produced. However, FDA says some products still remain on the store shelves.

Aminopterin, a cancer drug that once was used to induce abortions in the United States was found to be the substance resulting in the deaths. The substance is still used in some countries to kill rats. dogs.The company itself has confirmed the deaths of 15 cats and two dogs.

The latest death to be reported is of a Yorkshire terrier named Pebbles. The dog died of kidney failure after eating some of the food. Bob Rosenberg, the senior vice president of government affairs for the National Pest Management Association, said it would be strange for the wheat to be tainted. Out of the three samples tested at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University and New York State Food Laboratory, two samples contained aminopterin in them.

Paul Henderson, chief executive of Ontario, Canada-based Menu Foods, said the as per him, he doesn't believe that then food was altered because the recalled food came from two different plants, one in Kansas, one in New Jersey. The company is already facing lawsuits. On the question of compensation for medical bills, he said that the company would take responsibility for the medical expenses incurred as a result of the food.

Source: Yahoo