Pet food recall case reporting update, Los Angeles County:

[kestrel91316]

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker and Cornell University's
College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Donald F. Smith announced today that
scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory identified Aminopterin as a
toxin present in cat food samples from Menu Foods, the manufacturer of the many
brands of dog and cat food that are currently the subject of a nationwide recall
(see attached press release).

Los Angeles County Veterinary Public Health continues to receive many reports
about pets that became ill after consuming pet food brands that are listed in
the recall. As of this afternoon, the program has confirmed 25 cases where dogs
and cats became ill after eating pet food lots that are being recalled. Five
dogs and five cats that died were confirmed to have eaten the implicated lots.
Staff continue to investigate an additional 86 reported cases, and 22 deaths.
Many of the owners had returned the food to the store where it was purchased, so
we will not be able to confirm those pet's exposure. However, most pet owners
are reporting that their pets consumed the implicated brands and stores
confirmed that the returned food was part of the recall.

Please continue to report additional cases. Completed Animal Disease/Death
Report forms may be faxed to 562-401-7112, or you may give a report by calling
our office at 562-401-7088. Veterinarians, please let us know if we can contact
the pet owners to gather additional information, and let us know if we can share
the report with the FDA. Thank you for your assistance in this investigation.
Please call us if you have any questions.

Karen

Karen Ehnert, DVM, MPVM
Senior Veterinarian
County of Los Angeles
Veterinary Public Health and Rabies Control


******* 111 likely cases so far, of which 86 will not make it into the statistics due to owners being good consumers and RETURNING THE CANS TO THE STORE so they couldn't document the feeding of recalled product******

[stubtoe]

1. Hey Kestrel, you're a hero too.

I've been reading your posts on this topic on several threads. Thanks for the good work.

[kestrel91316]

3. Thanks. I figure since I'm not frantically treating affected animals,

I still ought to be doing SOMETHING to help.

Still no cases (knock wood). Knuckles getting sore.

[LisaL]

9. What should I do? I have normally behaving cats that ate

recalled food. Should I have them tested anyway?

[kestrel91316]

10. YES. Get the urine specific gravity and sediment checked. Also

discuss with your vet the merits of blood screening for subclinical renal dysfunction - a mini renal panel with BUN, Creatinine, PO4, Ca, etc.

[LisaL]

12. Last time I took my cat to get his urine checked he sat there

for two days and they haven't managed to get a sample out of him. Every time they got the cat out to get the sample he would pee on them. LOL.
Would the blood test be enough?

[kestrel91316]

13. No. The urinalysis is CRITICAL. Getting urine from a cat consists of

the vet first palpating the abdomen to see if there is a sample in the bladder. If there is, then the cat is restrained (I lay them on their side and have a trained assistant hold them) and a needle and syringe is used to remove urine from the bladder through the abdominal wall. Exact technique and position varies from vet to vet. It is of no more consequence than drawing blood. SOME cats get rather peeved at the whole thing and need light sedation (we do NOT fight with cats ever) to get the job done. No biggie.

Cats can hold their pee THREE DAYS. I have personally observed this, lol. And you need a sterile specimen to do it correctly, in case a culture needs to be done. So "free-catch" is out. And cats being cats, expressing the bladder is most unwise.

Every vet worth their salt knows how and why to get a urine sample from a cat this way, IMHO.

[TZ]

2. I thought you should know about Turtle...

I think I mentioned elsewhere that she died of liver/kidney cancer in 2005 but had kidney/liver/pancreatic issues for awhile before that. What I think is very nice is that after my cat vet had her cremated, they sent me a note saying they had also sent a donation to Cornell University's college of Veterinary Medicine. The very same people who helped figure this out. I also know they shared the records of Turtle's treatments with them in order to forward feline medical knowledge. So in some ways, as painful as it has been to remind me of it, maybe in her death (she was after all 17 so she lived a full and happy life) she contributed to the knowledge that may save the life of dogs and cats today. I find this a very comforting thought. And I thought you, in particular Kestrel, would appreciate the story. H.

f

[kestrel91316]

4. I have done the same with a similar program at Colorado State.

It's a nice way to honor them.

[piesRsquare]

5. Thanks, kestrel

Blog updated with a plea to report and reminders to save receipts, bills and unused food.

Owners who have returned tainted food can still save the receipts...receipts will have the bar codes on them (I believe). Paper trail, people!

http://2blackcats.wordpress.com

[Hepburn]

6. Thank you for the up-date.

My best friend and I are sincere dog lovers and we both have pupsters who are just about a year and a half old. I IM'd her a link to your thread. We have been VERY upset about all of this and have gone through EVERYTHING our dogs have, including treats, looking for Menu products of any nature. Neither of the dogs like the gravy and slices variety of food, so we were lucky with this. Actually, both of our dogs are spoiled to the max to the point we cook for our beloved critters. I guess that saved them and us a ton of grief. Tonight, my little Scottish Terrier is having her favorite meal: Cheesesteak and baked potato. She gets kibble during the day, but she does love her specially prepared evening meal!

BTW: You are located close by to where we live ~~ LA County, South Bay area. Glad to know that a wonderful person like you who cares about animals so much is a neighbor. Thank you, thank you again and again for all the info you furnish to us!

I am just sick and so sad about what has happened to so many pets. There simply is NO excuse for this. NONE! We need laws to guard the health and safety of our pets and not leave it up to the pet food industry to look out for them. We all see how well THAT has worked out ~~ NOT!!!

Maggie, my Scottie, says "hello and thank you," and sends her best to you! Here is a pic of her wearing ~~ what else but ~~ her favorite golfing outfit!

[magellan]

16. Ach, but she's a wee bonny lass!

We have two Cairns, which are close cousins of the Scottish terriers if I'm not mistaken. They're often mistaken for Scotties but get called "Toto" a lot too, lol.

I'm equally outraged over this pet food debacle, even though ours don't eat the affected brands. I've been putting flyers up all over our neighborhood to alert people. Lots of dog and cat owners here didn't know about the recall; the flyers have been going like hotcakes. It's heartbreaking to think how many may lose their pets because of this.

[TZ]

7. Pet Connection info....

s of 2 p.m. PT, the latest from the PetConnection.com database: 1188 deceased pets (713 cats/475 dogs).

I found this on a cat chat site. Not familiar with PetConnection but I get the feeling this is just the beginning

[EFerrari]

8. I'm afraid to talk to my rescue friends in L.A. county.

On top of everything else, this. :(

[live love laugh]

11. Aminopterin

Aminopterin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Other names 4-Aminofolic acid
4-Aminopteroylglutamic acid
Aminopterin sodium
Aminopteroylglutamic acid


Aminopterin (4-aminopteroic acid), a 4-amino analog of folic acid, is an antineoplastic drug with immunosuppressive properties used in chemotherapy. Aminopterin is a synthetic derivative of pterin. Aminopterin works by competing for the folate binding site of the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase. Its binding affinity for dihydrofolate reductase effectively blocks tetrahydrofolate synthesis. This results in the depletion of nucleotide precursors and inhibition of DNA, RNA and protein synthesis.

Its antifolate activity was first used by Sidney Farber in 1947 to induce remissions among children with leukemia.<1><2> Although more potent than methotrexate, it was replaced by methotrexate in the 1950s, due to unpredictable toxicity. Now in a more pure preparation, aminopterin is back in clinical trials for patients with leukemia.

The compound was used as an abortifacient in the 1960s and earlier, but was associated with congenital malformations.<3>

Aminopterin can be used as a rodenticide, although it is not approved for that use in Canada or the United States. <4> It has an LDLo of 2.5mg/kg when orally administered to rats.<5>

[LiberalHeart]

14. Sort of like the peanut butter recall: consumers told to throw it out,mail in lid for refund.

[huskerlaw]

15. Thank you for the info

I live in LA County and have 2 cats...thankfully they haven't eaten any of the affected foods.

It's still scary though, I keep looking for symptoms because I'm paranoid.

And how tragic for the families of affected animals.

[magellan]

17. Thank you, Kestrel

I've been reading your posts on this religiously and passing the info on. You've helped to keep me and many others informed and sane.

And a shout out to everyone else here who is sharing what they know about the recall and suggesting quality pet foods. I'd be in the dark without you all!

[barbtries]

18. kestrel, you are a big time hero

what is your real name??? i may have to call you...if it wasn't for you i may never have known, though fortunately my two cats and one chihuahua rarely get wet food. and also the other. what a special person. thank you a hundred times over, barbara