04/02/2007: "Aminopterin"

Hey Everybody! Sawyer here. I wanted to give my peeps an update on the pet food recall. You may have heard they identified the toxin in the food. It’s a drug called aminopterin, a rat poison that is banned in the US. It works differently than the rat poisons used here in the US (which cause bleeding or neurologic problems). It is similar to a chemotherapeutic medication (what they use to treat cancer). They believe it was in the wheat, which came from another country, China. It causes kidney disease and can cause bone marrow suppression. The bone marrow makes our red and white blood cells and platelets. These cells do important things, like carry oxygen, fight infection, and help stop bleeding. So far, we’ve seen a few cases of kidney disease but no bone marrow suppression. However, this can take longer to develop. So if you start feeling poorly and seem to have a lack of energy, come see the doctors here.

The doctors here tell me that there have been over 200 cases seen around the country, at least according to what veterinarians have posted on VIN (an online resource for veterinarians). A good website for information is www.avma.org.

Here’s hoping you are all feeling well and eating safe!
Sawyer