By Natasha Prince and Murray Williams
The SPCA has warned pet owners who may have fed their dogs with contaminated dry dog food to visit a vet immediately.
A local pet food manufacturer, Aquanutro, warned this week that ethylene-glycol had been found in a limited number of batches of some of its dog food products. The substance is a type of coolant, popularly known as anti-freeze.
One of Aquanutro's biggest customers is Woolworths, which pulled the products from its shelves this week and warned the public in an advertising campaign.
Aquanutro said it had first been alerted in late 2006 by dog owners and a veterinary surgeon that some of its products had allegedly caused kidney failure within dogs.
Continues Below ↓
"Extensive tests were conducted by accredited laboratories within South Africa and were initially found to be negative, until an in-depth and very intensive … analysis tested positive for the presence of ethylene-glycol," the company said.
The company had already alerted its customers that it was undertaking the tests and confirmed the traces of the substance this week.
The SPCA's Cher Poznan-ovich said they had received many calls and e-mails about animals that had died or were showing signs of poisoning, but she could not say how many reports they received.
Friday Woolworths spokesperson Dorothy McLaren said: "We have no evidence, whatsoever, linking our product with the death or illness of any animals."
Despite already pulling Aquanutro's products from its shelves, it was continuing with extensive in-depth tests to establish any risk to pets.
Aquanutro said the supplier of the ingredient had been notified and the company had cancelled all orders.
SPCA vet Miles Penfold warned: "If you have fed your dog this food and even if they are not showing signs of poisoning, it is best to take them to the vet to be checked.
"Once the symptoms are visible, it is often fatal."
Symptoms include excess drinking and urinating, vomiting and looking off colour.
- This article was originally published on page 5 of Cape Argus on February 23, 2007
|
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Digg
Delicious
Newsvine
Facebook
muti
Twitter
