Rat Poison & the Worst Disaster in Dog Food History

But what else do dogs eat besides dog food?

Mar 27, 2007

What is in dog food? These days, unfortunately, the answer is rat poison.¹ Last year it was aflatoxin.² Just a few hours ago, it was confirmed that Berkley & Jensen dog treats may contain Salmonella.³ And who could forget in 2001 when Canadian pet food manufacturer Sanimal admitted using ground dog & cat carcasses in their food? ⁴ With a menu like this, maybe your poop-eating Labrador has had the right idea all along.

This month's rat poison (aminopterin) contamination is perhaps the worst and most widespread catastrophe in pet food history. One source, PetConnection, states that 1,871 pets have died (1,067 cats, 804 dogs). Banfield, the nation's largest chain of animal hospitals, reports several hundred cases of poisoned dogs and cats in the past few weeks.

Meanwhile, Menu Foods, the company which distributed the contaminated food, claims only 16 fatalities (15 cats, 1 dog) not including the seven who died in laboratory testing.

But more important than the body count is the question: why does this sort of thing keep happening?

The shocking answer is that almost anything can end up labeled as pet food. The FDA states, "There is no requirement that pet food products have premarket approval by FDA," ⁵ meaning that the FDA is not obligated to test pet food until after consumers report trouble, which, in most cases, is too late.

BANANA SPITZ
We've heard about healthy vegetarian dogs & vegan dogs, but what about fruitarian dogs? This health food mutt, 8, would rather eat fresh fruit than mystery mush. (Photo: DITN)

EH, WHAT'S UP, DOG?
"Brownie", a 12-year-old North Carolina pooch, enjoys carrots and other fresh veggies. (Photo: Karen Tam / AP)

In any case, maybe the best dietary advice is: if you won't eat it yourself, don't feed it to your dog.
Sources:
¹ "Pet food killed scores more"
USA Today. 25 Mar 2007
² "23 dog deaths linked to food"
AP. 30 Dec 2005
³ "Petrapport recalls dog treats"
infoZine. 26 Mar 2007
⁴ "Pet food dumps dog meat"
AP. 4 June 2001
⁵ "FDA's Regulation of Pet Food"
US Food and Drug Administration
⁶ "Vegan dog lives to age 27"
Canine Nation. 18 Sep 2002

Many people, either suspicious of the pet food industry or simply wanting to improve their dogs' diets, are turning to alternatives such as home-cooked meals, raw meat or vegetarian fare.

One dog, a vegan who eats "a big bowl of rice, lentils and organic vegetables every evening" gained international fame in 2002 by becoming the oldest living dog in the UK and possibly the world. ⁶