Twelve dogs have died after eating pet food pellets containing a toxin caused by a fungus in one of the ingredients.
Barry Hundley, the executive director of South Africa’s Pet Food Industry Association, said three brands of dog food – Hi-pro, Buddies and Legends – had been identified as containing the fungus.
He said the food was sold in Gauteng by smaller operators who might not have the correct safety checks.
The toxin attacks the dog’s liver. It can cause vomiting and bleeding, and is usually fatal.
Hundley said the industry was working with the South African Veterinary Association to try and identify which ingredient was responsible and how widespread the outbreak was.
In 2007, 30 dogs died in South Africa after eating food containing corn gluten that was contaminated with melamine. The corn gluten had come from China.
Thousands of pets in the US and Canada died after eating the tainted food and hundreds of brands were recalled.
Dr Henry Annandale, hospital director at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital, confirmed that 12 dogs had died of Aflatoxicosis.
He said Onderstepoort had alerted the pet food industry and warned owners to make sure they used reputable brands.
Dr Quixi Sonntag, a member of the SA Veterinary Council, urged people to consult a vet if their dog showed signs of listlessness, stopped eating or started vomiting.
She said the toxin came from a fungus which came from a raw product in the food, and caused liver failure. Dogs that had eaten the toxin got sick very quickly.
Professor Banie Penzhorn, managing director at Onderstepoort, sent out an e-mail to all vets, warning them about the outbreak of Aflatoxicosis after a number of sick dogs had been admitted to the facility.
The e-mail said that extremely high concentrations of total aflatoxins had been detected in the food. Aflatoxicosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis in dogs presenting with liver damage and blood coagulation defects. - Independent on Saturday