Today we learned that aminopterin, a substance used in rat poison, was likely the cause of the agonizing deaths of at least 16 cats and dogs who ate contaminated pet food manufactured by Menu Foods in Kansas and in Ontario, Canada. Aminopterin is not allowed for rodent control in the U.S. because it can cause cancer and birth defects in humans as well as kidney failure in dogs and cats. (Ironically, it is used in the U.S. to treat Cancer.)
The FDA said that wheat gluten (imported from China) is used to thicken the gravy in wet pet food. It is widely believed that this contaminated wheat gluten is probably the source of the poison.
We are horrified, but not surprised by this news. There are safety standards in place in the United States which would hopefully prevent such contamination in domestic food supplies, but how can we verify standards and practices in China?
So why on earth do we allow the importation of wheat gluten from a country so far away? Moreover, why on earth should we import any food from a country that poisons rats with a chemical so toxic that this use is forbidden in the United States?
One wonders if any of that delicious rat-infested aminopterin-tainted wheat gluten will find its way into food manufactured for human consumption. Sounds like one more very good reason to eat healthy local food, even if you are a dog or a cat.
If you are interested in finding recipes for healthy dog and cat food, do a web search and you will find loads of information.