Number of Pets Affected by Pet Food Recall in Thousands

Shannon Weidemann

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The recent pet food recall of canned and foil package pet food produced by Menu Foods has had a huge effect on dogs and cats around the nation. Thousands of pets are being treated for kidney failure and some are even dying. The official toll is only 15 cats and one dog that have died from eating the tainted food. Testing has revealed that the recalled food contains rat poison.

As of Monday, veterinarians across the country have reported 471 cases of kidney failure since the initial recall.

The website PetConnection.com stated that 1,792 pet owners had reported dead pets - 1,018 cats and 774 dogs - affected by the tainted food.

Aminopterin, the specific substance that was found in the tainted pet food, is used in some countries, including China, where the tainted wheat apparently came from, to kill rats. But, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, it is not registered for use in the United States. To date, officials don't know how the poison got into the food.

Veterinarians are warning pet owners that even if your pet is not showing any signs of kidney failure after eating the food, you may still want to get them checked out. Kidney failure can happen quickly or slowly over time. Warning signs are failure to eat, vomitting, increased drinking of water, and lethargy.