update
United Press International - Rat poison found in pet food
NEW YORK, March 23 (UPI) -- Rat poison caused the deaths of U.S. pets that ate tainted food from Canada and the death toll is expected to rise, ABC News reported Friday.A source told ABC that wheat imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of cat and dog food contained a rodentidicide called aminopterin.
The discovery was made by scientists at the New York food laboratory in Albany, ABC said. Details were to be officially released later Friday.
Millions of cans and pouches of wet food manufactured by Menu Foods were recalled last week.
It is not certain that the aminopterin is what caused the animals' deaths or if it was the only foreign substance found in the food, ABC said.
Aminopterin is illegal to use as rat poison in the United States but is used as a cancer-fighting drug, the source said.
The number of pets dying of acute kidney failure traced back to the food is expected to swell, doctors at New York's Animal Medical Center said.
"I was shocked and surprised -- acute kidney failure is not a common problem," veterinarian Cathy Langston said. "I've already heard about 200 cases, and so I bet that there are probably going to be thousands."
Many news sources are still reporting ~15 deaths, which is absurd.