Rat Poison Found In Pet Food

Poisoned “meat and gravy” style pet foods
The moist “meat and gravy” style pet foods that is causing illness and death in pets contains a rat poison. The poison, aminopterin, is not legal as a rat poison in the U.S., but it is used for rodent control in China. Recently, flour from China was found contaminated with aminopterin, and some speculate that wheat gluten in the toxic pet food was made from Chinese flour.

Aminopterin and Methotrexate
In the past, Aminopterin was used in the U.S. to treat cancer, but it caused severe toxicity and was discontinued. A similar drug, methotrexate, replaced aminopterin as a cancer medication. Because methotrexate and aminopterin are similar, data on methotrexate tells us what toxic effects to expect from aminopterin. Methotrexate causes vomiting, diarrhea, kidney damage, balding (hair falls out and doesn’t regrow) and bone marrow suppression.

Intestines
Vomiting and diarrhea occur because cells lining the intestine are damaged. Pets with intestinal damage either need foods that are easily digested or IV fluids.

Kidneys
The kidneys are essential to life, but fortunately pets can survive kidney damage if 1/3 of the kidney cells are still functioning. When less than 1/3 functions, the pet dies. Kidneys stimulate the bone marrow to make red blood cells and regulate potassium, sodium, calcium, and other ions. These ions stimulate the heart to contract with a normal rhythm, the muscles to contract, and the nerves to send messages. Kidneys also regulate the blood pressure and how much fluid is in the body. If the kidney fails, pets have:
· A change in the amount of urine—making either much more or much less than normal,
· Edema and swollen legs,
· A moist cough,
· A strong smell of urine on the skin,
· Itching skin,
· Vomiting and diarrhea,
· Seizures,
· Acute blindness, and
· A weak neck with drooping head (cats), and
· Drooling (cats).

Bone Marrow
Bone marrow is a source of red blood cells that carry oxygen, platelets that help with clotting, and white blood cells that fight infection. With marrow suppression, pets will have:
· Anemia,
· Bleeding, and
· infection.

Diet recommendations
Given possible problems with intestines, kidneys, and bone marrow, veterinarians recommend the following:
· Easily digestible foods, such as chicken broth and mashed sweet potatoes until the vomiting and diarrhea resolve.
· A salt-restricted diet, which means no potato chips, pretzels, smoked salty pet treats, or baked good. Baked goods contain baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). The sodium in baking soda is just as much a problem for weak kidneys as the sodium in table salt (sodium chloride),
· A constant source of fresh, filtered water. The family will measure how much the pet drinks and urinates and report changes in the amounts to their veterinarian.

Medications and supplements
For medications and supplements, veterinarians recommend the following:
· Herbs, such as rehmannia, and Omega 3 fatty acids, such as Nordic Natural Omega 3 Pet, to strengthen the weakened kidneys.
· A Chinese herbal remedy called Four Materials Decoction (Si Wu Tang) to strengthen the bone marrow and treat anemia. Four Materials Decoction is usually served in chicken soup that contains chicken liver, with the liver providing the iron needed to make red blood cells.
· Herbal formulas with astragalus and mushrooms to strengthen white blood cells.
· Garlic to protect intestinal crypt cells from methotrexate-induced damage.

Oral folic acid
The vitamin that is depleted by aminopterin is folic acid, which is also called folate. Folic acid is a water-soluble B vitamin that can be found in liver, eggs, whole grains, lentils and beans, asparagus, and dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach. Folate is also available as a vitamin supplement. Dogs with folic acid deficiency and anemia are prescribed 5 mg of folic acid orally once a day. Cats with folic acid deficiency and anemia are prescribed 2.5 mg of folic acid orally once a day. A more precise oral dose is 100 mg/lb of body weight given daily. Thus, a dog that weighs 10 lb would receive 1000 mg, which is 1 gram. Oral forms of folic acid are generic drugs that don’t require a prescription.

Injectable folinic acid
For pets with severe toxicity, injectable folinic acid is given directly into muscles or veins. The dose is based on the body mass of the pet and is calculated to provide 3 mg/cubic meter. Prescription folinic acid is sold under the trade names Leucovorin and Wellcovorin.

Holistic veterinarians
Although pet families can use the above information and medicate their pets, it is unwise to do this without consulting a veterinarian. Veterinarian who can recommend therapies that include nutrition, herbs, vitamins, and supplements, are listed with the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. Their website is: www.ahvma.org.

Genetic factors
The suggestions outlined above will help some pets, but not all. Among the factors that determine whether a pet responds, is the pet’s genetic makeup. In humans, there is a 7-fold difference in the side effects experienced with methotrexate based on the person’s genetics. Pets are likely to show similar genetic variability in their reaction to aminopterin.

Light-hearted attitude
Whether you pray or meditate to achieve a light heart or are spontaneously light-hearted, an upbeat attitude will be as healing for your pet as any pill. Pets surrounded by morose concern cannot heal; and, while those nurtured by families with light hearts may not heal, they have the possibility of enjoying their last few days. We wish all of you inner peace, whether or not your pets were exposed to aminopterin in pet foods.