The pet food recall... what do you think could have caused all of those sick animals?

Question

My new puppy had science diet's canned food for a few days until I heard about the recall, thankfully it wasn't on the list but I figured so many other kinds were that it was safer to stop the wet food all together. What could have caused all of those cats and dogs to get so sick in over 90 types of food????

Answer 1

Since wheat protein from a certain supplier was suspected, it will likely be a result of a form of mycotoxin(a mold or fungus)

My best guess on the forms that affect wheat and also cause renal(kidney) failure is that it is Ochratoxin A which is one of the worst forms of mycotoxins

Info on Ochratoxin A
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ochratoxins are secondary metabolites of Aspergillus and Penicillium strains, found on cereals, coffee and bread, as well as on all kinds of food commodities of animal origin in many countries. The most frequent is ochratoxin A, which is also the most toxic. It has been shown to be nephrotoxic, immunosuppressive, carcinogenic and teratogenic in all experimental animals tested so far.

Acute renal failure in one person, possibly caused by inhalation of ochratoxin A in a granary which had been closed for 2 years, was reported in Italy. The symptoms developed after 24 hours of transitory epigastric tension, respiratory distress, and retrosternal burning. Acute tubular necrosis was found on biopsy, but the blood was not analyzed for ochratoxin A. The presence of the mycotoxin in wheat from the granary was proved qualitatively by thin-layer chromatography.

Owing to the similarity of morphological and functional kidney lesions in ochratoxin A-induced porcine nephropathy and endemic nephropathy, this mycotoxin has been proposed as the causative agent of endemic nephropathy, although the evidence for this is not substantial. This fatal renal disease occurs among rural populations in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Romania, where it has been estimated that about 20,000 people are either suffering from or are suspected to have the disease. There is no acute phase of the illness; the first signs and symptoms of the disease are not specific and include fatigue, headache, loss of body weight and pale skin. A mild low-molecular-mass proteinuria without hypertension but with either aplastic or normochromic anaemia gradually develops over several years. The main features of endemic nephropathy are bilateral, primarily chronic lesions of the renal cortex (tubular degeneration, interstitial fibrosis and hyalinization of the glomeruli). In the advanced stage of the disease, the size and weight of kidneys are remarkably reduced, with diffuse cortical fibrosis, usually without signs of inflammation.

Ochratoxin A is found more frequently and in higher concentrations in the blood of inhabitants from endemic regions than control regions. Many samples of locally produced food and feed collected in the endemic area contained ochratoxin A. It should be emphasized that the grain analyzed had been kept for many months in the inadequate food stores of individual families.

In Tunisia, ochratoxin A has been detected in high concentrations in the blood and food of patients with kidney impairment of unknown etiology. It has also been found in several countries, both in food and feed and in humans.

In endemic regions of Croatia, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, the incidence of otherwise rare urothelial tumours of the pelvis and ureter is 50, 90 and 100 times greater, respectively, than in nonendemic regions. It has been suggested that ochratoxin A may be the causal agent for both endemic nephropathy and urothelial tumours. IARC classified ochratoxin A as a compound possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ochratoxin. Ochratoxin is a phenylalanine containing dihydroisocoumarin. Ochratoxin A also contains a chlorine on thearomatic ring which accounts for its toxicity. Ochratoxin is produced by both Aspergillus ocraceus and Penicillium viridicatum (among others). Ochratoxin A (OA) has been associated with a disease called Balkan nephropathy. OA has also been shown to be a human carcinogen. It preferentially grows on sorghum, corn, and cheeses. Unlike aflatoxin which is a warm weather toxin (formed only when temperatures exceed 80 F), ochratoxin formation is favored by colder temperature (below 50 F) - it has even been found growing on cheesecake. Because of this, ochratoxin has only been detected twice in Texas – once on Texas sorghum fed by a Texas swine operation and once in corn fed in a dairy operation. Pigs are not only very sensitive to ochratoxin A, they also can store ochratoxin A in edible tissue. The USDA is establishing action limits for ochratoxin in feed and in tissues. The target organ for ochratoxin A seems to be the kidney, followed by the liver. Ochratoxin B (OB) is nontoxic. When the phenylalanine is removed the ihydroisocoumarins of OA and OB are called ochratoxin and (O and O) respectively.OA is a potent teratogen. It also is a strong synergist - a trace of OA dramatically increases the toxicity of aflatoxins although kidney damage not liver damage occurs in these cases.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If it is this, any animals that has ate one of the recalled foods should be tested with blood work for sign of damage and if found complaints should be lodged with hopes of future compensation even if animals did survive the actual feeding of chances are they will develop cancer of the kidney later on and this may be why details are not being released of what it is that is causing problems because of the long term problems it can cause unlike when Diamond foods had another form of mycotoxin in the corn called aflatoxin which causes liver damage, but does not cause cancer later, so effects are limited.

My guess it they want all the claims in first before allowing it to be known what is causing otherwise every single owner who has fed the food would be filing a claim in the event of future kidney cancer

I did a fair bit of reading on mycotoxins when diamond foods had their recall and as a result decided to put all my pets on grain free diets rather that just feed to my one who has an intolerance to grains as a safety measure because of the extra cost of the grain free, I stopped feeding canned foods as well. and very thankful I made that decision, otherwise I may have 3 dogs affected

Answer 2

The FDA said wheat gluten is the likely source of contamination that sparked a recall last Friday of 60 million cans and pouches of the suspect food.

The ingredient, a protein source, is commonly used as filler.

Menu Foods said the products were made with wheat gluten from a new supplier. That supplier has been replaced.

Answer 3

Science Diet is fine and is a great nutritional food to feed your puppy. It was a wheat in the ingredients that caused the animals to get sick. And Science Diet does not get their ingredients from that company.

Answer 4

If you have a sick pet the best detox products that I used for years on my cats , dogs and horses is MSM from www.horsetech.com and Xango the oringinal mangosteen juice also fully refined dietitary Emu oil is great for a lot of things for your animals. I have used all these for years with great results for my family and animal family.

Answer 5

better feed it those purina food then those expensive food